Day 4 - 19.02.2009 - Session 12 w/ Sérgio Gabriel

Communicative Language Teaching

When we think about the Communicative Approach the first thing that comes to our minds is PPP. The only problem about PPP is that CBs and us teachers never get to the 3rd P. Anyway, we'll talk about that later, what is important right now is to take a brief look at the different ways of presenting language (the 1st P).

- Demonstration: flashcards, use of realia, "say it yourself" etc.

- Personalisation: make it personal, tell a story about yourself.

- Situation: set a context, develop a story, justify the use of language, get Ss to want to say it.

- Examples: provide a model, move from theory to practice / real life, present/induce language skipping the theory.

- Explanation: talk about the language, use of charts.

- Text: guided discovery.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) came after all the criticism regarding the "structura" approach (repetition + role learning). Ss knew about the language but were not able to produce it!

New approaches based on linguistic structures (how), situational settings (when), and communicative acts (purpose) ended up generating communicative teaching and therefore, new communicative approaches were also developed.

The Communicative Approaches took into consideration not only what the language was , but also where, when, and why it was being used.

The Communicative Approaches:

- The "Deep-End" model (Johnson & Byrne).

1. immediate production;

2. see problems then provide presentation or practice.

- The "Task-Based" approach (Prabhu) - remember TBL?

1. non-linguistic problems or tasks;

2. Pre-task (Ss introduced to topic);

3. Language focus (revisit the task analysing language) - learn from mistakes!

4. Revisit the initial task;

2, 3, and 4 make the "Task Cycle";

- The "OHE" or "III" model (Lewis & McCarthy)

1. Lewis and McCarthy's view on PPP;

2. Observe, Hypothesize, Experiment;

3. Ss get an "Illustration" followed by "Interaction" with the lgg, which will hopefully lead to an "Induction";

- The "ESA" model (Harmer)

1. Harmer's view on PPP;

2. "Engage": focus emotionally on the lgg Ss are supposed to learn;

3. "Study": analysis of the lgg;

4. "Activate": Ss being encouraged to use the lgg;

- The "ARC" model (Scrivener)

1. His view that PPP can be combined in different orders;

2. "Authentic Use" - Production!

3. "Restricted Use" - Practice!

4. "Clarification" - Presentation!

5. Descriptive rather than prespictive;

- The Lexical Approach (Lewis) - Yes, he's got no life!

1. Here the focus shifts from syntax and structure towards Lexis and lexical phrases and how they are used to construct meaning;

2. No full methodologies yet to support an entire course under this approach;

18.02.2009 - Day 3 - session 11 w/ Mavis Radley

In this session we talked about ELT Acronyms:

PPP - present, practice, produce (Communicative Approach)

IATEFL - International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

OHE - observe, hypothesize, evaluate (Lewis's view on PPP)

TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language

ESP - English for Specific Purposes

TTT - Teacher Talking Time

CLL - Community Language Learning (students decide what to study)

TPR - Total Physical Response (e.g Simon says)

IELTS - International English Language Testing System / Services (???)

CEF - Common European Framework (CEFR - ..... Reference)

ESA - Engage, study, activate (Harmer's view on PPP)

STT - Students Talking Time

CLIL - Content and Language Integrated Learning

SLA - Second Language Acquisition

TESOL - Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages

CLT - Communicative Language Teaching

ELF - English as Lingua Franca

NLP - Neurolinguistic Programming

ALTE - Association of Language Testers in Europe

CPE - Certificate of Proficiency in English

18.02.2009 - Day 3 - session 10 w/ Damian Williams

This session was exam training for Paper 1.

There are 5 tasks to be done in 90 minutes. The number of minutes designated for each task represents its value. Answers have to be clear and in ink.

Task 1

- Labelling task - 6 definitions provided, candidates supply the term;

- 5 minutes;

- Topics: language systems, skills, methodology and approaches, assessment.

Task 2

- Short written response;

- 6 terms provided, candidates choose 4 and provide definition and example;

- 15 minutes;

- same areas as task 1;

Task 3

- Longer written response;

- writing or speaking task provided, candidate decides which specific sub-skills/features of discourse he would train specified learners in, in order to complete the task;

- 15 minutes;

- Areas: writing and speaking skills/sub-skills, written and spoken discourse, what learners need to complete such a task;

Task 4

- Longer written response;

- Authentic text provided, candidate explains typical features of the genre, then MFP (meaning, form, phonological features) of 3 language items , and identifies typical learners problems for one of the items.

- 30 minutes;

- Analyse lexical, grammatical, functional, and phonological features of language.

Task 5

- Longer written response;

- Authentic spoken or written text produced by a learner is provided and candidates have to:

a) analyse main strengths and weaknesses based on a set of specific areas.

b) prioritisation.

- 25 minutes;

- Ability to analyse features of language in use, explain learners errors;

18.02.2009 - Day 3 - session 9 w/ Mavis Radley

This session was about Language Analysis. I found it a bit confusing as we did not have enough time to discuss all the different tasks from the handouts.

We started by discussing what a verb was and Mavis gave us a definition later on:

A verb is a word which:

a) occurs as part of the predicate of a sentence;

b) carries grammatical categories such as tense, aspect (progressive / perfect), person, number etc.

c) refers to an action or state.

Then we discussed what a verb phrase was and 2 definitions were given by Mavis:

1. The part of sentence which contains the main verb and also any objects, complements, and adverbials. Longman Dictionary

2. Can consist of one word or of more than one word in which case the phrase consists of a head verb preceded by one or more auxiliary verbs - no mention of objects, complements etc.

As we can see above, not even authorities can agree on a definition!

After that, we analysed types of verbs from a handout given by Mavis:

- Irregular verbs differ from regular verbs due to their suffixes.

- Auxiliary verbs carry no meaning as apposed to lexical verbs.

- Participles or infinitives are called non-finite verbs because they play a different role in a sentence (noun, object etc.).

- Chain verbs are lexical verbs followed by other lexical verbs. e.g. begin testing, start learning.

- Intransitive verbs do not take an object.

- Stative verbs do not vary in aspect as opposed to dynamic verbs (action).

18.02.2009 - Day 3 - session 8 w/ Damian Williams

Reading Skills

There are 4 macro skills in a language: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. They can be divided into 2 categories: Receptive and Productive Skills.

Session 8 was all about reading and its subskills:

- Skimming;

Introductory reading. Reading quickly to understand the gist. e.g. newspapers and magazines at the doctor's, CB units before starting a lesson plan, leaflets etc.

- Scanning;

Reading for specific information. It's like looking for a phone number in a telephone directory. e.g. cinema timetables, dictionaries, recipes, TV guides etc.

- Reading for detail;

Reading to find out precise information about particular points. e.g. DELTA books (hehehe), TB lesson plans, interesting articles in general etc.

- Guessing new words;

Using co-text / context to derive a general understanding. e.g. novels, academic texts, manuals, poetry etc.

- Inference;

Reading "between the lines". e.g. work e-mails, text messages, lyrics, quotes etc...

Damian also gave us a handout on reading strategies. The main points are:

- Strategies to use before reading:

1. Relaxing for a moment before reading the text.

2. Thinking about the topic. e.g do you know anything about this topic?

3. Looking at the headings and sub-headings. e.g. what do they tell you about the text?

4. Looking at any pictures, diagrams, charts etc. e.g. how do they help you?

5. Looking at the length of the text. e.g. how long is it going to take?

- Strategies to use while reading:

1. consider what you already know about the topic. 

2. try to guess the meaning of new words.

3. ignore new vocabulary. try to see the text as whole unit.

4. read each paragraph carefully. e.g. try to get a main point from each one of them.

5. look at the pictures, diagrams, charts while reading the text.

6. highlight the main points.

7. look for vocabulary specifically related to the topic.

- Strategies to use after reading:

1. consider how the text made you feel.

2. write a one paragraph summary of the main points.

3. consider any information you gained by reading the text and associating to what you already know.

4. attempt to draw diagrams or charts.

5. check difficult vocabulary with another student.

6. discuss what you have read with someone.

The last handout was about efficient and inefficient reading. See below:

Day 2 - 17.02.2009 - session 7 w/ Damian Williams

Notes from our first session on phonology:

- 26 letters in the English Alphabet;

- 44 different sounds;

- Phonetics (way of recording the sounds that humans can make - languages), Phonemics (particular sounds to a language), and Phonology (super segmental features like word and sentence stress, intonation etc.)

- Phonetic chart arranged according to vowel sounds (monophthongs and diphthongs) and consonant sounds (voiced and unvoiced).

- Allophone: different ways in which the same sound can be pronounced.

- /ɰ/ and /j / are semi-vowels.

- Articulators used to produce sounds: upper teeth, alveolar ridge, lower lip, lower teeth, nasal tract, oral tract, tongue, hard palate, soft palate, uvula, pharynx wall, and larynx.

- Clear and dark sounds: full ( the sound /l/ has the resonance of a back vowel - dark sound) - like ( the sound /l/ has the resonance of a front vowel - clear sound)

- Glottal Stop: the pause before a syllable. It is transcribed as /ʡ/.

Link to the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) keyboard:

http://weston.ruter.net/projects/ipa-chart/view/keyboard/

English Phonetic Chart:

Day 2 - 17.02.2009 - session 6 w/ Mavis Radley

Mavis gave us the 3rd session of the day on Materials and Resources.

In the 1st part of the session we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using a cousebook:

Advantages:

- Learners have a written record of what they've learned.

- Learners can look back or ahead.

- Generally written by people with experience and have also been piloted.

- Save us a lot of prep time.

- Often include useful appendices.

- Supplementary materials.

- Standard of presentation and quality of recordings.

- Pitched at the level of our learners and can usually be adapted to suit our learners' needs.

- Comprehensive range of topics.

- Sequenced so provide continuity, syllabus etc.

Disadvantages;

- May not be authentic, therefore contrived or artificial.

- Limited range of written practice.

- Learners' specific needs may not be met by the CB.

- Subject matter may be dull or unsuitable.

- Information may not be up-to-date.

- Might me lexically limiting.

- Ss may not like them.

- CBs can have a rigid, predictable structure.

USE YOUR CB SELECTIVELY!!!!!!!

The 2nd part of the session was about materials and activities widely used throughout the ELT World and the theoretical approaches or historical developments that contributed to their use:

- Cuisenaire rods;

The Silent Way.

- The use of authentic / semi-authentic reading and listening texts;

The Natural Approach.

- Literary Texts;

The Grammar-Translation.

- Drills, possibly in a language lab;

Audiolingualism.

- Newspapers;

The Natural Approach

- CBs containing lots of functional language in dialogues;

Communicative Approach.

- Dictation;

The Grammar-Translation.

- Background music;

Suggestopedia.

- Tape recorders for recording Ss contributions;

CLL

- Ss training diaries;

Communicative Approach

- Games;

Communicative Approach

- Computers;

CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) emerged in the 80s.

- Video / DVD

Part of CBs resources from the 80s on.

- Resource Packs;

Have become popular since the mid-90s. Communicative approach from the Reward Series.

- Ss as a resource;

Humanistic Approaches.

- Visuals, OHP, whiteboard;

After the study of MI (Multiple Intelligences)

- Readers;

Communicative Approach

- Ts as a resouce;

Communicative Humanistic Approaches

It is not sufficient to justify the use of the above by saying that Ss like them. Views of language and language learning must be taken into consideration.