Trinity Certificate in TESOL Trinity TESOL Study Resource no 2: Understanding the Learner August 2009 The CertTESOL course is an intense and rewarding learning experience leading to an international qualification. You may still be thinking about whether to follow a Trinity course or you may have already registered for a particular course. In either case, it will be useful to you to have some more information about the work involved. We recommend that you also obtain a copy of the Trinity summary or course content document (available as hard copy or on the Trinity website). This Study Resource will focus on the learner and introduce you to the Unknown Language component of a course. Introduction to the Unknown Language component and assignment Some contrastive features Reflecting on previous teaching, learning and approaches Learning styles, affective factors and motivation THE UNKNOWN LANGUAGE COMPONENT As part of the Certificate course, you will have four hours total tuition as a beginner learner of an unfamiliar foreign language and complete an assessed Unknown Language Journal. This will place you in the position of a beginner learner, for you to evaluate your experiences and to compare and contrast learning with teaching. You will also look at the lessons from the perspective of a trainee teacher and see in practice some of the methodology and approaches to form and function that are introduced in other parts of the course. You will also be able to apply what you have learnt to your own teaching.
In the Journal you will describe: Objectives of each lesson: what the teacher wants you to learn in terms of Grammar - e.g. How to form a question Function e.g. How to exchange telephone numbers Lexis e.g. Vocabulary for describing family members The main differences and similarities that you have noticed between English and the new language in terms of grammar, pronunciation and lexis. Did you know that In grammar Maori has three numbers for pronouns: singular, dual and plural: ia (he/she), rāua (they two), rātou (they 3 or more). A Swedish question is formed without the use of an auxiliary verb: Var bor du? (Where live you?) Japanese has subject object verb word order: Watashi wa hako o akemasu (I box open). In pronunciation English is described as a stress timed language : there is a tendency in English for stressed syllables to occur at roughly equal intervals of time, regardless of the number of unstressed syllables in between. French, however, is described as a syllable-timed language and there is more equal stress on each syllable. This is sometimes called a machine-gun rhythm. Spanish speakers distinguish between /r/ and /rr/ ("rolled r"): pero (but), perro (dog) Polish has 8 vowel sounds while English has 20. In lexis The German verb bekommen means to get - not to become. Hence, a German English learner may well say to a London waiter, I want to become a beefsteak. The English word gift (= present) may mean either poison or married in the Scandinavian languages, depending on context. The belief that the Inuit have hundreds of words to describe snow may just be a hoax! http://en.wikipedia.org/ What grammar, vocabulary and functions to you think will be taught in your UL classes?
Think about your most and least favourite teacher ever. Were they enthusiastic, encouraging, lively, approachable, positive, flexible, friendly, firm, well prepared, knowledgeable? Did their eye contact include everyone for questioning, holding attention, retrieving attention, encouraging contribution, checking understanding? Did their voices include a good range, variety, projection, and clarity? Were they well matched to their learners? Did they talk too much, or not enough? Did they tell you the information or elicit it from you? Did you have a chance to discover meanings, patterns and rules? Were there plenty of opportunities for the learners to use the language in real communication? Did they use gestures and facial expressions to convey meaning? Were their instructions simple, clear and checked? Was their error correction encouraging, helping students to correct themselves and each other? How were the learners seated in a horseshoe, in groups, in pairs or in rows? Did you get to work with different partners? How did this affect the interaction between teacher and learners and between learners and learners? Was the teachers board work organized logically organized for different purposes and varied? Did they use a variety of aids: OHP, pictures, video, recordings, realia? In the Journal you will describe and reflect on: Methods and techniques used by the teacher to achieve the objectives Use of materials e.g. worksheets, recordings, pictures, realia Interactive patterns e.g. pair / group work Class management e.g. instructions, correction, encouragement
How would you describe your previous language classes? The Grammar-Translation Approach Classes are taught using the learners' mother tongue for explanations and translation of meaning. There is a focus on learning forms, inflections and grammar rules. These are practiced in exercises but without much use of the language for active communication. The Direct Approach This approach tried to involve more use of the language. Lessons were based around a dialogue, and actions and pictures were used to clarify meaning. Exercises consist of questions and answers based on the dialogue. Grammar is taught inductively, so that learners are encouraged to discover it for themselves through understanding of meaning. The Audio-Lingual Method The learners are expected to use target language automatically by forming new habits. Vocabulary and structures are presented in dialogues based on structures, and these are learned through repetition and memorization. Accurate language is emphasized. Language labs and visual aids are used extensively. Communicative Language Teaching In CLT, the aim is for students to become communicatively competent. In non-scripted, real-life situations, speakers choose what to say and how to say it, usually interacting in small groups. The belief is that the target language will be learned best through the process of struggling to communicate. Errors are natural and seen as essential for the learning process. In the UL Journal you will describe and reflect on: The nature of the learning experience and specific methods and attitudes that were more or less helpful to you and others in the group. Here you will include comments on your and others' feelings and motivation, and contrast this with any previous language learning.
LEARNING STYLES We all have various approaches or ways of learning (and teaching). This means we learn better from certain activities or materials, and also enjoy them more or less. What kind of learner are you? Visual learners learn best through seeing. They may think in pictures and learn best from visual materials. They prefer to learn from reading and often take detailed notes. Auditory learners tend to listen and talk. They benefit from listening to the teacher, taking part in discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Kinesthetic learners learn best through movement and action. They prefer to learn by writing, acting out and moving about. There are numerous tests available on the Internet for working out your learning style. It is important to be aware of different learning styles to help yourself and your students become better learners. AFFECTIVE FACTORS Affective factors are emotional factors which influence learning in either a positive or in a negative way. A learner's attitude to the unknown language, to the teacher, to other learners in the group and to him or herself all have impact on how well he / she learns. Negative affective factors are called affective filters. If a learner has a high filter they are less likely to engage in language learning because of shyness, anxiety, boredom etc. Learners feel anxious in the classroom for many reasons. They may worry about the embarrassment of not knowing the answer to the teacher s question, or they might be anxious about being asked to perform an action or an oral task in front of the class. By imaging the worst, based on past learning experiences, I was creating obstacles to learning even before the first lesson. Activating the target language through drilling in pair and group work was, for me, a comfortable way to work through errors and overcome a fear of failure.
Some positive factors may be: Positive attitude to having a go and making mistakes A sense of success and achievement A genuine interest in the language and the country An outgoing personality and willingness to interact A positive atmosphere and encouragement Some say that affective factors are as important for successful language learning, if not more so, than the ability to learn. Teachers can reduce negative factors and develop positive ones by creating a positive learning environment and by choosing activities that are interesting and engaging for the learners. I left each lesson with an elated sense of accomplishment and a keen desire to continue. MOTIVATION Motivation is essential when it comes to learning a new language. Motivation can be either intrinsic, which means the learner wants to learn the language for some internal reward: because they want to become part of the L2-speaking community or are genuinely interested in the language. Extrinsic motivation refers to a desire to learn the language for an external reward, such as high grades, job opportunities or praise. The teacher s ability to motivate learners is central to good teaching. Part of this involves developing a good teacher-student rapport, and behaving in an engaging and enthusiastic manner. It also means creating a relaxed and supportive classroom atmosphere in which students can take chances and feel that they do not risk being ridiculed. How do you feel about the prospect of doing the UL classes and assignment? Are you interested / worried, excited? I think it brought us all closer together, so that we are keen to help each other succeed on the course.
Your UL Journal will also include: A summary of the overall experience and what you have learnt about language teaching and learning from the experience. How will you be able to apply this to your own teaching? What do you hope to learn from the unknown language classes about language teaching and learning? While we all enjoyed the foreign language lessons on a personal level, the experience was clearly invaluable in terms of raising our awareness as teachers. What can be achieved in just four hours was amazing. But how and why that is achieved this experience has given me a very different perspective on the role of the teacher. We hope enjoyed you have this introduction to the Unknown Language component of the Trinity CertTESOL course. Thank you to Fusion Teaching (fusionteaching@yahoo.co.nz) for their work on this Trinity TESOL Study Resource no 2 (August 2009.)