Tools for Teaching in English was a great course to affirm my understanding of the issues related to way the non - native speakers use English in the classroom and generally in educational context.
We were able to assess our level of English in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and also look at what makes a successful classroom presentation.
We created and evaluated the presentations and videos based on how well the content was organised in terms of introduction, development and conclusion. Whether the objectives were clearly stated and if the audience was engaged. Also the use of phrases such as:” My presentation today is about ...”, “First I would like to give an overview of …” etc.
Also in terms of visual
presentations the slides should contain about six lines of text and maximum six
words per line. It is good to vary the amount of time the visual is shown so we
could for example build step by step the lines in the slide.
Here are some of the excerpts from my final essay followed by my video and lesson presentations :
What
will I do in the future to enhance my teaching skills (especially when using
English as the
spoken medium)?
“Encourage students to
engage in pragmatic and functional use of language for meaningful purposes” (Farrell, T. S. C. Jacobs, G., 2010, p.4)
I think that knowing
the terminology related to the subject is important and the students are
expected to be able to demonstrate the knowledge of the specialized language,
concepts and processes. Also they need to be able to communicate critical
understanding of the art form for example or any other relevant subject. So I
would encourage that.
“Encourage learner
autonomy, learners have their share of responsibility for and control of their
learning”. (Farrell, T. S. C. Jacobs, G., 2010, p.8)
I believe that student-cantered
approach in learning is important as students need to take responsibility for
their learning so, group work, peer presentations and assessments are all
important part of that.
In addition as we discussed
on the course as part of the “Successful classroom presentation” there are
certain ways to improve the presentation style by using very structured
approach with clear introduction, objectives and development part with relevant
questions and referring back to main points. Also having visual aids is
important too for multisensory learning.
How
do non-native students learn to use English in classroom situations?
There have been
different approaches in learning English, for example in the past the written
language was emphasised and nowadays there is more of a conversational
approach. This is good in some ways but students sometimes lack writing skills.
I do notice this a lot with the students in the school where I work.
I do try to vary the
tasks so that there is group work and interaction which encourages discussion.
Also written assignments are mandatory in each project. This is where we
discuss concepts and relevant terminology. I may also give a list of
descriptive words that they can use in their assignments.
Also I think it is
important to encourage intercultural communication as well in the lesson
content. Cultural literacy will be crucial in the future and there are many
challenges with being able to share knowledge across cultures:
“It is a form of
cultural capital that enables us to act sensitively and effectively in a world
of differences.” (Kaivola, T., Melen-Paaso, M. 2007, p.77)
What
kind of language (grammar, vocabulary) should I use when teaching?
As we discussed during
the Tools for Teaching English course, idioms are perhaps not best to use in a
very multicultural classroom as not all of the students will be able to
understand the meaning in the context. The language should be clear and
concise.
How
does online “simulated” teaching differ from “frontal” (or classroom) teaching?
Give
examples and pros/cons for both
References:
Farrell, T. S. C. Jacobs, G. (2010). Essentials for Successful English Language Teaching,
Continuum
International Publishing, London
Cantoni V., Cellario
M., Porta M., (2003). Perspectives and challenges in e-learning: towards natural interaction
paradigms. Retrieved from:
Anxiety coach: http://www.anxietycoach.com/performanceanxiety.html
These are the presentations I created based on the ideas from the course :
How To Take Great Portraits from Aleksandra Paravina on Vimeo.
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