Guiding Principles of English Language Teaching (ELT)

1. Guiding Principles of English Language Teaching (ELT) Facilitated By: Daniel Lopez, Senior English Language Fellow Office of English Language Programs United States Embassy, Mexico

2. Getting to know the facilitator Below are 6 statements about me. Read each statement and decide which three statements are true and which three statements are false: Daniel..... 1. is related to Jennifer Lopez. 2. is half Mexican. 3. is allergic to chocolate. 4. lives in Washington D.C. 5. loves to hike and ski. 6. speaks Portuguese. What grammar points could be highlighted in this activity? What activity could we do next?

3. What purpose do these “get-to-know-you” activities serve?

4. Why English is so hard to learn… Writers write, but fingers don’t fing and hammers don’t ham. “Buick” doesn’t rhyme with “quick”. Iron – how many syllables? The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert. The plural of tooth is teeth, so the plural of booth is…??? If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? How can a “slim chance” and a “fat chance” mean the same thing, while a “wise man” and a “wise ass” are opposites?

5. Daniel’s Top 10 Guiding Principles: • Professional development is an ongoing process. • Both students AND teachers have to be motivated. • Classroom materials have to be relevant and meaningful. • Experiential learning works wonders. • Skill development must be integrated. • Language = Culture. • Variety is the spice of life! • Preparation is the key. • Teachers need support from Coordinators and SEP. • Teachers need support from each other.

6. 1. Professional development is an ongoing process. • Benefits of Life-Long Learning… “Teaching is a process of becoming that continues throughout life, never completely achieved, never completely denied. This is the challenge and the fun of being a teacher – there is no ultimate end to the process.” (Frances Mayforth)

7. 2. Both students and teachers have to be motivated. THINK, PAIR, SHARE: • What are some DE-motivators for each? • What are the consequences? • What motivates YOU? • What motivates your STUDENTS?

8. 3. Classroom materials have to be relevant and meaningful. • Adapted to Local Reality • If no text, what then? REALIA! • Students are the “experts” of their own lives. • SAMPLE ACTIVITIES: 4-Corners Drawing, 5-Finger Grammar, Back to Back, Perfect Teacher, “In the Ghetto” Song

9. 4-Corners Drawing What grammar points could be highlighted in this activity? What activity could we do next?

11. Back to Back: What Am I Wearing? What grammar points could be highlighted? What activity could we do next? Two players stand and observe each other for a minute. Then, have each turn around, back to back. Partner A describes what Partner B is wearing. Partner B then asks 3 questions concerning any information Partner A has not mentioned. Partner B then describes what Partner A is wearing. Partner A asks 3 questions. Partners turn around and talk about what they did not see. What activity could students do for homework?

12. A Grab Bag of Communicative Techniques: • Brainstorming • Interviews • Field Trips • Role Plays / Skits • Discussions / Debates • Small-Group Work • Telephone Conversations • Giving Directions Which do you already use in your classes? • Videos / Film • Team Problem-Solving • Information Gaps • Giving Advice • Games • Commercials • Surveys / Questionnaires • Music / Songs

13. Example #3: “The Perfect Teacher” INSTRUCTIONS - With a partner, put the following qualities in order, from 1 (the least essential) to 9 (the most essential). ______ Maintains strong discipline and control. ______ Knows his/her subject thoroughly, and keeps up to date. ______ Really likes his/her students and socializes with them. ______ Tries to give his/her students moral guidance. ______ Tries to make lessons interesting and fun. ______ Shares his/her own ideals and experiences with the students. ______ Treats all students fairly and does not have favorites. ______ Makes the students work hard in and out of class. ______ Encourages the students to think for themselves.

14. A little music goes a long way… You can find music all over the internet. Some popular sites are: http://www.youtube.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/. You can download music for free using the freeware “realplayer sp.” Realplayer sp can be downloaded at http://www.real.com/realplayer There are many websites for finding the lyrics to songs. Some popular sites are: http://www.lyrics.com/ & http://www.azlyrics.com/

15. Elvis Presley was known as “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” He was born in a two-room house in Mississippi. The family was very poor. Elvis became one of the most successful recording artists of all time. He had 33 #1 singles and made over 60 films. This song was recorded in 1969. Elvis Presley 1935–1977

16. “In the Ghetto” Variations: Listen to the song and watch video. Fill in the blanks (information gap activity). In small groups, make a timeline of events in the order they happened; Compare your timeline with another group. Have a discussion about the effects of poverty in America. What else?? What grammar points could be highlighted? What activities could we do next? What activity could students do for homework?

17. Some Possible Challenges of CLT: One or more students dominate the conversation. You find yourself doing almost all of the talking. Students are too shy or speak too quietly. The students become so embroiled in a controversial topic that the atmosphere becomes tense. The students lapse into their native language. The group is too large, and the levels are mixed. Any attempt at error correction inhibits the students. Does not fit into the established curriculum. It takes too much time & effort to prepare.

18. 4. Experiential learning works wonders.

20. LESSON PLAN ACTIVITIES

21. CONE OF EXPERIENCE People generally remember… • 10% of what they read. • 20% of what they hear. • 30% of what they see. • 50% of what they hear and see. • 70% of what they say or write. • 90% of what they say as they do something. What would help them remember 100%?

22. EXAMPLE: Students can teach each other how to do something…

23. Chinese Proverb: Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I learn.

24. Collaborative and Task-Based Learning Discussion Questions (Shaping, Module 4): These 2 video segments showed examples from a class of young learners and also university-level students. Which of the activities would work well for both age groups? What kind of adjustments might be necessary? How were the principles of experiential education being utilized in these examples? What skills were being practiced in these classes?

25. 5. Skill development must be integrated. • How often do you talk without listening? • How often do you write without reading? • Which of the 4 skills are most difficult to teach? • Which are given the most emphasis in your class?

26. Using LanguageCommunication Skills In Can you grammar? Can you listen? Can you speak? Can you write? Can you read?

27. English Language Learning is not just a study of form… Rather, it is the use of form in context! REMEMBER: While awareness of language forms such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling facilitate proficient use of the primary skills...our emphasis should always be on meaningful communication!

28. What happens when we emphasize… Knowledge of Language forms(grammar) overUse of Language(communication)? Caution!

30. Read the text below then answer the questions: “Twasbrillig, and the slithytoves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the momerathsoutgrabe.” What was it like? What were the slithy toves doing? Where did they do this? How were the borogoves described? What did the mome raths do? How did you do?

31. How about these questions: What does brillig mean? Is the wabe a nice place to be? Can you draw a borogove? Why did the mome raths outgrabe? “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.” Now, how did you do? Which was harder? Why?

32. Grammar Awareness Activity Begin with a two or three word sentence. Examples: “I ran.” or “Close the door.” Ask students to expand it with one word. Ask students to expand the new sentence with a specific grammatical structure. Examples: “with a prepositional phrase”, “with an adjective”, or “with a clause that answers the question WHY?” See how long you can make the sentence through expansions with specified grammatical terms.

33. Running Dictation Text The oldest person is a fisherman. The 50-year-old lives above the doctor. Ms. Lee is the youngest person. Two people are 40 years old. The youngest person lives on the 5th floor. The 20-year-old lives on the 4th floor. Mr. Edwards lives on the 2nd floor. The teacher is one year younger than the person on the 4th floor. The person who lives below Mr. Edwards is a doctor. Mrs. Smith is an accountant. Mr. Hudson lives immediately above a woman. The teacher is one year younger than the policeman.

34. Activity Five people with five different jobs live in this apartment building. Use the clues to complete the chart and answer this question: What floor does Mr. Mason live on? 1st floor

35. How can dictations be communicative? What did you notice about this dictation? How is it different from dictations that are often done in classrooms? What grammar points could be highlighted? What activity could we do next? What activity could students do for homework?

36. Shaping Module 3 Discussion Questions: What language skills were used? What activities were used to integrate them? What was the teacher doing? How would you adapt this activity for a larger class? What are some possible follow-up activities? What might come before? How might you evaluate student work?

37. 6. Language = Culture • “Hablar dos idiomas es vivir dos vidas.” • Bilingual = Bicultural? • What is language for? (conveying meaning and perception, describing the world, self-expression, recalling the past, thinking) • “Culture is a system of beliefs, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and are shared by a group of people. It is transmitted from generation to generation, either explicitly or implicitly.” (Source: Building Bridges: A Guide to Cross-Cultural Understanding, Peace Corps World Wise Schools, 2003)

38. How Culturally Aware Are You? True or False: I Know That Culture Influences… 1. How close people stand to one another. 2. How to deal with problems & conflict. 3. Whether to give a soft or sturdy handshake. 4. How to say “no”. 5. How loudly or softly someone speaks. 6. When to be casual and when to be formal. 7. What are appropriate topics for discussion. 8. When to make eye contact. 9. How to praise and/or criticize someone. 10. What time to arrive for an appointment.

39. Proverbs / Idioms Survey/Questionnaires Articles: “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema” Values Clarification: “The Drawbridge” Rites of Passage Comparisons Debates Role-Plays Global Speak Games: Value Topics Simulations: Chispa and Pandas Storytelling Model UN Scenarios / Foreign Observations Songs / Poetry Case Studies (ESP) Coat of Arms A Sampling of Activities

40. “Time is money.” “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” “You’ve made your bed, now sleep in it.” “Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched.” “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Punctuality Practicality Personal responsibility Practicality Competition Work Ethic Creativity / Problem-Solving English Proverbs (and the values they represent)

41. STEREOTYPES True or False: All Americans… …are like the tourists you see in Cancun? …are tall with blue eyes? …eat hamburgers? …drive big cars? …always agree with US foreign policy? …speak English as their native language? (Is there any such thing as a “typical Mexican”?)

42. Counteracting Stereotypes • Avoid Making Broad Generalizations • Go Deeper! Look “under the surface”… • Increase Awareness of Self & Others • Be Objective (watch language patterns & implicit judgments / ethnocentrism) • Actively Question Sources (Media?) • Challenge False Interpretations • Don’t Take It Personally • Role Model: Practice What You Preach!

43. Top 8 Cross-Cultural Skills:(According to Richard Kohls) • Open-Mindedness • Non-Judgmentalness • Flexibility • Curiosity • Tolerance for Ambiguity • A Sense of Humor • Low Goal/Task-Orientation • An Ability to Fail

44. 7. Variety is the spice of life! • Not all students are the same (learning styles – visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, emotional); It’s all about BALANCE! • Learner-centered vs. Teacher-centered • The importance of small group work • Teacher = Facilitator

45. Teacher-Centered: Learner-Centered: The main objective is to change behavior. Philosophical View: Language has to be practiced authentically. Learner role is active. Methodology: question & answer, problem-solving, small-group tasks, largely inductive. • The main objective is to convey information. • Philosophical View: Language is a system of repeated habits. • Learner role is passive. • Methodology: lectures, demonstrations, drills, reading aloud, largely deductive (show & tell).

46. Which are these activities? • Students take turns reading aloud. • Students read silently. • Discussion in pairs. • Whole class discussion. • SS prepare a role-play in small groups. • Students present their role-play. • SS copy information from the board. • Teacher – Centered • Learner – Centered • Learner – Centered • Teacher – Centered • Learner – Centered • Teacher – Centered • Learner - Centered

47. What is the Teacher’s Role in a Learner-Center Context? Introduce topics/discussion questions Pre-teach vocabulary Moderate/Facilitate “Nudge”/ “Suggest” Focus discussion Focus on form and accuracy (error correction) Play “devil’s advocate”

48. Discussion Questions: • How are the two lessons the same? How are they different? • In which class would you prefer to be a student? The teacher? • Which lesson outline gives more students the opportunity to participate? How so? • Which lesson do you think would be harder for the teacher to plan? Why? • How many minutes of each is “learner-centered”? • What are some of the challenges of using a L-C approach? How can you overcome them?

49. Students Learn Best When… …they are involved in the design of learning and given the chance to make choices. …their needs are addressed. …a conducive learning environment is established. …the course material builds upon what they already know. …the topic is of direct relevance and utility to their lives. …the learning process is an active and engaging one.

50. 8. Preparation is the key. • Lesson Planning / Learning Objectives • Environment: time, materials, space, etc. • Evaluation (rubrics) – http://rubistar.4teachers.org • Academic Calendar • Syllabus Design / Curriculum