Training the (Non) Natives – A Comparison Of Issues On Teacher Training Courses

1. Training the (Non) Natives – A Comparison Of Issues On Teacher Training Courses Nick Kiley Teacher Training Manager Apollo Education & Training (International House)

2. What’s it all about? • The people we train • What we train • The difficulties / issues they have • Reflection on how EFL courses / methodologies fit with the Vietnam context • Thoughts on what’s required

3. The trainees • Cambridge CELTA • Native-speakers • Non-native speakers (European) • Non-native speakers (Vietnamese) • Experience of teaching English • Experience of teaching other subjects • No classroom experience • ‘Local teacher’ training courses • Vietnamese teachers of English (vocational colleges) • Previous teacher training • No previous teacher training

4. Approaches taught • Communicative Approaches • Presentation; Practice; Production (PPP) • Task-Based Learning (TBL) • Test-Teach-Test (TTT) • Discovery Approach • Lexical Approach • Student-centred Learning • Learner Training

5. Contrast with ‘traditional’ approaches? • Grammar translation • ‘Rote’ learning • Direct method • Teacher-centred • Emphasis on grammatical accuracy over communicative competence • Vocabulary taught in single-item units • Reading used as primary source of language input

6. Native Speakers - The Challenges • Language awareness • Grammar; lexis; phonology • Previous language learning experience • Limited / ‘traditional’ approaches • Lack of awareness of target culture • Lack of awareness of students’ L1 language systems • Previous experience teaching English • Habits - formed through ‘trial and error’ • Unclear career goals • Unclear personal goals • Inter-trainee cultural awareness

7. Non-native Speakers - The Challenges • Own English Level • Confidence • Fossilisation • Cultural differences • Educational background • Other trainees • Trainers • Access to resources • Cultural / work expectations • Student expectations about classroom use of L1

8. Benefits of Training in Communicative Approaches • Emphasis on student communication • Less focus on teacher • Receptive skills (reading; listening) • Emphasis on strategies • Integrated Approach • Interactive / communicative activities = ‘interesting’ • Several approaches (TBL; TTT etc.) focus heavily on students’ needs • Emphasis not necessarily on grammatical accuracy

9. A Quiz… When Vietnamese teachers of English come on our training courses, what do they say are the biggest problems facing them?

10. Challenges of converting communicative approach training to Vietnamese classrooms • Class sizes • Most approaches and techniques taught can be converted to larger classes • Resources • Requires adaptation • Students as resource / creators of resources • Own language / confidence • Using texts as a learning resource • Learner training • Differentiation between ‘teaching’ & ‘learning’

11. Who Wants to be a (TEFL) Millionaire? (Answer = Nick) • Question Three (Worth: Future perfect continuous) • Why should we bother with communicative approaches? • Answer: • Question Two (Worth: Passive voice) • How easily can communicative approaches be adapted to Vietnamese classrooms? • Answer: Fairly, depending on your situation • Question One (Worth: Past Simple) • Who finds the training courses hardest? • Answer: The School Cleaner…

12. So, what does the future hold? • Openness of Vietnamese teachers to new methodologies • Cascading? • Development of training courses relevant to Vietnamese situation? • Integration of methodologies and Vietnamese experience • More English teachers required by government • More Vietnamese move into teacher training?