TELF Certification.

classroom layout

A good layout for your classroom will be: Functional: allowing you to easily move around the room and speak to individual students Stimulating: encouraging students to engage in the activities and interact with each other There are a number of different types of layouts that can work well in the classroom: horseshoe groups or islands

abstract words

Abstract words require a bit more thought to convey the meaning - and may call on your acting skills. For example, to teach the word happiness you might start by showing happy faces (through film, pictures or your own expression), or for exaggerate you could show actions or objects which are exaggerated, and then not exaggerated (e.g. walking, the size of an object, a smile).

advanced

Advanced students are trying to get to the heart of the language. You need to help them to explore the depths of meaning and the subtleties of the language, such as turns of phrase, inflections in the voice, colloquial expressions and inference in what people say and write. The students have already developed the basic skills; your job is to show them how to use them. When you are planning a lesson for advanced students: Spend time exploring their interests. You can then build quite complex activities around these areas. For example, you could set up a political debate, review a specific piece of medical research, or discuss whether a player should move to a new football team. Use sound recordings and film to introduce students to a range of different accents and colloquial expressions.

offer appropriate words

Age has a big impact on motivation - what motivates an adult might turn a teenager into a grump. However, small, age-appropriate rewards (e.g. a sticker, a chance to play a favourite game, five minutes to play on the Internet) can help to focus a class.

student participation rule of thumb

As a rule of thumb, you should aim for a ratio of 80% student talk to 20% teacher talk within a lesson

Presentation practice production PPP

As the name suggests, a PPP lesson has three key stages: Presentation: the teacher presents an item of language in a clear context to convey its meaning and students learn the meaning, form and pronunciation of the new language Practice: the lesson moves onto a controlled stage, in which students practise only the new language Production: during the final stage, students carry out activities designed to practise the new language using all the English they already know

theory of multiple intelligences

Aside from deciphering your learners' learning style, there's also the school of thought around the theory of multiple intelligence. In the 1980s, Howard Gardner proposed a model of multiple intelligence: intelligence can be seen in 7 different ways, rather than a singular ability. This was increased to 8 intelligences in the 1990s. Although we shouldn't label learners to a specific intelligence, knowing the intelligences to which they are most connected may help them to achieve their goals.

individual work

Asking students to work solo on a task can: Enable you to respond to individual student's needs (e.g. pace of learning, ability) Increase an individual's confidence - some students relish the opportunity to show how well they can perform by themselves Be less stressful for students as they don't have to perform in front of the whole class Appeal to quieter learners On the downside however, individual work obviously restricts opportunities for student-to-student interaction and developing group rapport.

auditory learning

Auditory learners learn through listening and speaking. They usually enjoy reading out loud and listening to recordings of text. You can bring out the best in auditory learners by including lots of listening, speaking and music activities in the classroom.

Audio-Lingual Method 1940s to 1960s.

Based on the idea that humans learn best through a series of habit forming exercises. Use drilling Students listening to a model then repeating what they hear focus is on the use of grammatical structures rather then grammar itself widely used around the world e.g. in language labs where rows of students listen to recordings and repeat the language they hear.

Direct Method 1880s - 1930s

Based on the idea that students will learn best if only English is used in the classroom. New points of language are introduced orally with vocabulary taught through gestures and the teachers explanations accuracy including correct pronunciation and grammar are not emphasized grammar is tough indirectly and explicitly popular from of teaching which is used by the Berlitz language school chain

The Silent Way

Based on the idea that the teacher should remain as silent as possible in the classroom with students encouraged to produce language themselves students aim to learn by associating language with physical objects they use problem solving to help their learning. Involves use of cuisenaire rods: colored rods developed by George cuisnenaire to teach mathematics fairly uncommon approach to language teaching

involve the whole class

Be aware of the level of attention you give to each student. You may find that you are focusing on students who are dynamic and friendly, or those who are more likely to give a correct answer. To avoid this, ask different class members for answers, mix up groups, and try to put students of similar levels in pairs.

beginners

Beginners are on a steep learning curve. This means that you can see progress within each lesson, as vocabulary and grammar take root. However, it is important to remember that students can find language learning difficult and may have unrealistic expectations. This can mean that beginners give up quite easily. It is important for you to plan and structure lessons to help keep students' confidence and motivation high. When you are planning a lesson for beginners: Ensure that they will leave the class having learnt at least one new thing - whether this is an item of vocabulary, a new phrase or how to conjugate a verb. Include quick reviews and activities to help students see the progress they are making.

top tips

Choose different students to answer questions, ensuring everybody gets a turn. Check with your Director of Studies what rules are already in place and then work collaboratively with your students to establish specific rules for your class. Make sure you then apply the rules fairly, appropriately and consistently. Use computers as a tool to support an activity, not a replacement for teaching a class. Ensure you introduce and demonstrate any activity in the same way as you would with any other new resource. Remember not all your students may be familiar with computers / new media. Set some clear rules before accessing online sites with your students - you want them to be looking at the activity, not Facebook! Make sure that students can only access appropriate material online. It can be useful to have computers set up ready in the room you will be using, to reduce the chance of them accidentally stumbling on something else. Also, consider blocking inappropriate sites.

classroom management

Classroom management basically covers everything about being in a classroom with your students, apart from the actual teaching. Its purpose is to create a positive environment, in which your students feel comfortable and secure, and you feel calm and relaxed.

coolers

Coolers are activities used at the end of a lesson to recap on learning and help draw the lesson to an end. They "cool down" the class at the end of the lesson. A good cooler will: Sum up your lesson Provide a final reminder of the new language that students have learnt Calm down over-excited students, if a lesson has become over-heated Ensure students leave on a positive note

Community language learning CLL

Developed in the 1970s the students feelings are a priority there is no specific course as the students decide what the lessons will be about the classes develop meaningfully and naturally. the teacher stands outside the circle of students a student decides what they want to say and whispers it back in english and the student whispers it back inenglish and the student repaeats it to the group teachers using this method need to be familiar with counseling skills and have specific training.

communicative approach 1975 to 1985

Emphasis interaction and aims to reflection on what will happen in real life situations with a focus on functions ( such as agreeing) inviting suggestions etc... as opposed to relying only on grammar and vocubulary the basis of learning is seen as communication rather then activities such as translation or learning grammar rules can have a positive effect on student motivation as their desire to communicate is given prime position.

top tips

Ensure your classroom is both functional and stimulating. Practise walking around, to check that you can easily reach every student. Consider involving your students in designing the room set-up. The ten minutes before class starts is preparation and organisation time. Take this time to set up your classroom, equipment and to write your objectives on the board. Review all your materials before the lesson to prepare for possible vocabulary and comprehension difficulties. Keep instructions short and simple, the pace of the lesson brisk and vary how students work together (e.g. pairs, group work) to add spice to the class. Plan to involve students in everything: eliciting vocabulary, modelling, chorusing, correcting, using the board, etc.

ppp

For example, in a PPP lesson, you might present your target language through Guided Discovery.

group work

Group work ranges from small groups of three up to the whole class working together. Group work is: Great for student talking time and interaction Useful for creating a sense of team or competition It is important to plan how you will select the groups, otherwise you can find dominant students do all the talking. If you have the whole class working together, it can be easier for you to control from the front.

fossilised.

If a student continues to produce incorrect language, this may be a sign that the language has become

lesson outcomes

If we think of lesson aims as what we want the learner to achieve, lesson outcomes are how they are to achieve it. Let's use the example aim above: By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to recognise and produce questions and answers using the present perfect in the context of life experiences. E.g. Have you ever been to Australia? Yes, I have. We can think of a lesson outcome based on what the student will have done to meet that aim, e.g. By the end of the lesson, students will have talked to everyone in the class about their life experiences. Here's another example of lesson aims vs. outcomes for a low-level class. Aim: By the end of the lesson, learners will be better able to recognise and produce 6 collocations connected to free-time activities (playing football, watching films, following recipes, chatting online, reading books, going to the gym). Outcome: By the end of the lesson, students will have interviewed their classmates in a survey to find out the most popular free-time activity in the class.

presenting form

In general, when introducing the form of the language, this means giving the written form of the word on the whiteboard or on worksheets. This should be presented clearly. Bear in mind who your learners are; spend more time on this with those who are learning to use the English alphabet correctly. When you are introducing a grammatical structure, give an example and the structure written as a formula. Write this clearly on the whiteboard and ensure your learners write it down.

Input Hypothesis (Krashen)

In the 1970s and 1980s, the linguist Stephen Krashen developed the Input Hypothesis. This theory deals with comprehensible input, e.g. learners will make the most progress when they come into contact with language that is slightly more advanced than their current level. This can be seen as i+1, where i=the learner's language level and +1 is the next stage in their language acquisition. Krashen also believed that students are affected by an Affective Filter; that language learning will be damaged if they feel anxious, worried or under pressure. The study of SLA and its many theories is wide-ranging

Test teach test

In this lesson, you first ask your students to complete a task without any help. Whilst the students are carrying out this activity, you monitor the class and identify your students' language needs. (Test) You then present the target language, based on the needs you have identified. (Teach) Finally, the lesson ends with a repeat of the initial activity (or a similar activity), which students should now be able to complete successfully. (Test) This is particularly useful for learners of intermediate level or above who might have learnt the lesson content before. The teacher can see where students are still struggling.

pair work

Increases student talking time and student-to-student interaction Enables you to monitor effectively Is usually easier to set up than group work Can be less stressful for students than group work, as they only have one person to interact with Allows you to organise the class to help address specific issues (e.g. match stronger students with weaker ones or keep students of the same ability together) When doing pair work, ensure that students do not always work with the same partners. Also, be aware that some pairings may not work (e.g. one partner is too dominant). A variation that you can try is 'open' pairs, where students talk to each other across the classroom. This can be a useful chance for other students to hear and for you to monitor the students' accuracy and fluency.

intermediate

Intermediate level students have already accumulated the knowledge that they need to speak English. However, they need to learn to manipulate it to move onto the next level. Learning at this level is less obvious than with beginners who can leave the classroom able to point to specific things that they have learnt. Intermediate students can feel that they have reached a plateau and are no longer progressing. As a result, more students give up at this level than at any other. A key element of your job at this level is to keep your students motivated and feeling like they are continuing to learn. When you are planning lessons for intermediate level students: Use a clear structure, showing what you will be teaching each week, month, term and year. This will help students to see where they are going and reflect on how far they have progressed. Set your students challenges: give them short tasks to see if they have learnt enough to analyse and manipulate a piece of language.

5 key stages

It is believed that in second language acquisition, there are 5 key stages. The Silent / Receptive Stage: here, students learn new words, phrases or structures and practise pronunciation but do not communicate with fluency or understanding. It might not be the case that the student is entirely 'silent' as speech is the key to acquiring language. This stage might last from a matter of hours to months. Early Production Stage: students learn the first 1000 words in the new language and begin to form short phrases, which may not always be grammatically accurate. Speech Emergence Stage: students acquire a vocabulary of around 3000 words and can begin to form longer sentences and questions. There is a focus on comprehension, such as understanding what they hear and read. Students begin to write in the language. Intermediate Fluency Stage: a vocabulary of around 6000 words means students can use more complex structures. Students begin to think in their second language, which increases proficiency. Continued Language Development Stage: it may take two years to reach this level and up to 10 years to reach full proficiency in a second language. Students need practice and the opportunity to express themselves.

Teaching and Learning

Language Acquisition often means acquiring the language with very little formal training or explicit "learning". The process is natural, such as if you go on holiday and pick up the language by copying the words and phrases you hear.

Large groups

Large groups can be very challenging to manage - but also can be enormous fun to teach. As above, size is relative. However, it's not uncommon to encounter classes of 30-35 and you may even find yourself teaching a group of up to 50 students! Led well, a large group can deliver an incredible energy and dynamic to language learning. There is no shortage of different people for each member of the class to practise their English with, and you can pretty much guarantee a broad range of views, interests and learning styles. This means that it is both necessary and enjoyable to use as many different approaches to learning as you can. When planning a lesson for large groups: • create activities that will allow you to give each student some individual support. This may mean something as simple as asking the student a question or quickly checking something they have written • check frequently during the class to ensure that students can see and hear everything that is going on • use group / pair activities. For very large classes, you could even appoint group leaders to manage activities / report back / take notes etc. • make use of group worksheets, where students work together and complete the task as a group. This will let you move around the groups, checking students have understood the task and are completing it in the way you intended. Effectively, this breaks one large class into several smaller ones

common european framework of reference

Level Ability Example of language taught at this level CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) Beginner Knows no English numbers, days, basic greetings <A1 False beginner Has encountered English, but has very limited ability to speak basic phrases "holiday English" - A coffee, please. Thank you. <A1 Elementary Can form very basic phrases; limited ability forms of be: I am happy, she is clever A1 Pre-intermediate Knows the basic structures of the language; has a wider range of vocabulary Talking about things in the past: I woke up early yesterday. A2 Intermediate Able to tackle more complex structures but may still struggle to form these correctly Phrasal verbs: hang up, pick up, check out B1 Upper-intermediate Extended ability and knowledge of structures Conditionals: If I were you, I would go to the doctor. B2 Advanced Much more accurate use of structures and more depth in their use and understanding Inversion: Little did she know he was about to propose! C1 Proficiency Near native speaker level All idiomatic language: I can't remember off the top of my head. C2

8 characteristics of multiple intelligences

Logical-mathematical: Good with numbers, critical thinking, and reasoning. Bodily-kinaesthetic: Good at physical activities such as dance, sport or crafts. Interpersonal: Sensitive to others' moods and feelings. Good team players. Visual-spatial: Ability to visualise objects from different angles, face or scene recognition, notice details, navigation. Musical-rhythmic: Sensitivity to sounds and rhythms. Students may be able to play instruments, sing or compose music. Naturalistic: Ability to identify and distinguish between animals, plants, and rock types. Intrapersonal: Self-reflective capabilities. Verbal-linguistic: Typically, good at writing, reading, story-telling and memorising words.

as a minimium

Make sure you have a clear lesson plan, plus a couple of back-up activities Preview all the material as part of your planning process to ensure it is appropriate, prepare for possible vocabulary and comprehension difficulties, and be ready to answer predictable questions clearly and concisely Use the ten minutes before your class arrives to set up the classroom: set up all equipment and check it works and write the lesson objectives on the board

balance your lessons

Make sure you have a good range of materials in each lesson - don't make everything really challenging or too easy. Use a variety of different types of activities and teaching resources to keep your students' interest.

ending the lesson

Once you have completed the production stage, your lesson will almost be complete. However, it is important to set out, on your plan, how you will end the class. This should include: A brief review of any points that have come out of the practice stage. For example, if you noted any common errors then this is a great time to go through them as a group A recap of the language that you have covered to ensure it is correctly embedded in students' memories A clear summary of any actions you want students to take - for example homework that they need to complete You can then use a suitable cooler to round off the lesson and send students away on a positive note.

Presentation practice production

PPP is a relatively simple and logical way of structuring your lessons. You can combine it with other teaching techniques to produce a full lesson adjusted to your specific students' needs. We will look at this in more detail later in the unit. PPP is the strategy used most often in coursebooks and is preferred by teachers with limited experience.

praise your students

Praising your students when they get things right goes a very long way to making your students feel motivated to keep proving themselves.

ppp

Presentation: the teacher presents an item of language in a clear context to convey its meaning and students learn the meaning, form and pronunciation of the new language Practice: the lesson moves onto a controlled stage, in which students practise only the new language Production: during the final stage, students carry out activities designed to practise the new language using all of the English they already know

Teaching and Learning

Second Language Acquisition is a combination of theories about how people become proficient in a second language. This includes understanding What learning and teaching are Knowledge of how children learn a first language Differences between adults and children learning a first and second language The learner's personality, learning style and connection with the second language culture

include competitive activities

Set up short challenges in your class - students often work harder when they are trying to beat another team.

settling up a classroom: ideas

Size of room Lighting Heating and ventilation Seating arrangement Access to technology Appropriate resources such as stationery Decoration or style of the room

small class sizes

Small is a relative term. Depending on where in the world you go to teach, a small class could vary from as few as three to as many as eight or ten. Advantages include: - learners can get to know each other well and therefore develop trust quickly. If they feel comfortable around each other, they are more likely to speak with confidence - learners can work in various interaction patterns of pairs, small groups and as a whole class - it is often easy for students to walk around the classroom or take part in 'mingling activities' - it is easy for the teacher to get to know all the students on an individual level. Potential disadvantages could be: - dominant students can hijack the class - students might not bond and could become very quiet - you might complain that they "just don't speak!" - the group might have an 'off day' When you are planning lessons for small groups: make the most of having only a few students, planning activities that will allow you to give more attention to individual students ensure you have additional material as you may cover more ground in the lesson take steps to stop an individual student dominating (e.g. by calling on students by name or allocating passive and active roles for a task)

positive reinforcement

Smile often. Look directly at students. Give praise to each of the students by name as you look at their work. Point out a specific item that has been especially well done and compliment them on it. When checking a student's work, first comment on an item that has been done well, and then correct the errors.

Grammar Translation Method 1800s to 1960s.

Students are usually taught in their first language students analyze and learn grammar rules and use this knowledge to translate texts into and from the target language popular in the past but not generally used by tefl teachers today!

lsiten to your students

Take time out to find out what they are trying to communicate; give them enough time to find the appropriate language; involve other students or dictionaries if needed, to help a student express what they want to say.

Task based learning

Task Based Learning uses tasks as the basic units for planning and teaching. Instead of being taught predefined language items, students are given problems to solve. Language is then provided in response to their needs. For example, you could give your students a train timetable and ask them to find out the fastest way from Point A to Point B. To complete the task, they must work with other students. You, as the teacher, provide individual support with language during the task plus group feedback at the end. This means that the language the students learn is determined by what happens during the task. It is worth noting that, in practice, Task Based Learning is usually applied in a modified form. For example, the teacher may provide a model of someone doing the task followed by tasks that help them develop useful language or strategies.

Text based learning

Text Based Learning is based on learning a language using a single text, usually a book. However, this doesn't mean that your students simply read a text. You need to be creative: bring the text to life with activities, vocabulary and structures linked to the topic. It is also important to involve your students in the choice of the text, as they need to be sufficiently interested in it to keep learning.

Teaching and Learning

The first language or mother tongue learned by a child is called the L1. Any other language learnt after this is known as the second language or L2. Once the L1 is established, Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is the process of learning an additional language.

first page of your lesson plan.

The first page of your lesson plan should clearly set out the context for your lesson, namely: Practicalities of the lesson: where, when and for how long will you be teaching? Who you will be teaching: age group, level, size of class. Sometimes, you may need to include information about each individual student such as preferred learning styles, the students' backgrounds or their motivations for learning English Aims of the lesson Any anticipated problems plus ideas for dealing with these. Often you will need to include how this individual lesson fits into the overall course the students are on; it might be a continuation of the previous lesson or you might spend a week on a specific topic.

first page of a lesson

The first pieces of information to set out on your plan are: The time of the lesson The length of the lesson Where the lesson is being held This provides the boundaries for your lesson. You should already have this information. However, setting it out on your plan:

controlled practice

The next stage of your plan should set out how your students will practise the language that you have presented to them. As the name suggests, controlled practice is an activity that is controlled in some way by the teacher. It usually involves the teacher setting a task for students that uses clearly defined language and targets. In controlled practice activities, students: Have clear, easy to follow instructions Do not need to produce new or unknown language or worry about new / different vocabulary Have a safe environment in which to practise the language, where students aren't worried about making mistakes This means that students focus on achieving the goals of the exercise without struggling to find exactly the right word or structure.

production

The next stage you should set out in your plan is the production stage. This is also known as freer practice. This is where the stabilisers come off. Of course, you will still be there, but the aim of this stage is to let your students explore their language skills and to practise a more natural form of communication. This is the most important part of the lesson, which will usually take up about 20-30% of the time. Once you have started your students off on an activity, you need to take a backseat. It can be easy to talk too much, but your role at this stage is to facilitate and monitor: students should be talking for about 90%. After all, they need the practice, not you! roleplays debates quizzes ranking planning a task wrtiing.

classroom rules

The rules that you set will depend on the school and class as well as your own teaching style. Regardless of the rules that you set, it is essential that your students know that everyone is expected to follow them - including the teacher.

second set of information for first page

The second set of information to note down on your plan is who you are teaching. More specifically, you need to consider: How old are your students? What level are your students? How many people are in your class? What are your students' preferred learning styles? Relevant background information, such as whether all your students have the same native language, and why your students are learning English Your answer to each of these questions will impact on the way you structure your lesson, and the activities that you include. Now let's look at each of these areas in more detail.

structured lesson

The timing for each part of the lesson The stages of the lessons The specific activity / activities that you will be delivering for that stage Who will be involved in each activity or the 'interaction pattern' The resources that you will need to deliver each activity An analysis of the vocabulary or grammar point you're teaching You may also be asked to provide a rationale explaining why you chose to teach your lesson in this way.

students background

The topics and types of materials that you use are likely to vary, depending on your class. It is important to recognise: Why your students want (or need) to learn English, as this can impact on the focus of your lessons The impact that your students' native language (L1) may have on their learning A good teacher will adapt activities and resources to reflect the needs and interests of the class.

one to one teaching

There are lots of advantages to teaching one-to-one including the following: - it can be easy to develop a meaningful relationship with the student - the learner's needs can be met as every lesson is adapted to them, rather than to a whole group of students - the learner can ask lots of questions without it hindering the progress of others However, one-to-one is often challenging work: - the lessons can be mentally draining for both teacher and learner, especially if they are longer than an hour - the teacher may feel guilty or under pressure if the student is making slow progress - the student might feel shy as there is nobody to hide behind Of course, an individual lesson also means you only have one student to deal with. This does make classroom management easier! When you are planning one-to-one lessons: shape the lesson content directly around the individual student's needs identify and focus on topics which are of interest to the student create more material than for group lessons, as you will cover it faster use activities that are suitable for one or two people only give the student 100% of your attention all the time

CCQs stands for Concept Checking Questions

These are questions that you use to check your students' understanding. This is more effective than simply asking do you understand? - as it avoids the possibility that students will say yes even if they haven't really grasped the concept. We can use concept checking questions after we introduce vocabulary or grammar points.

concrete words

These are the easiest to teach, as you have a specific object, animal or person to refer to. For example, if you are teaching the word table you can point to the table; or for dog, you could show pictures of dogs (or even bring in a toy dog).

Business English

This could occur in your language school or in companies in your local area. Business English (BE) is a branch of ESP (English for Specific Purposes). ESP includes teaching legal English to lawyers, medical English to doctors or specific hospitality language to hotel or restaurant staff.

General English

This covers general grammar, vocabulary and the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). The language taught in this type of class is decided based on frequency and level of difficulty. To the lowest levels, you will teach very common words, phrases and structures that are simple to comprehend. As students progress through the levels, the language will become more complex, abstract and idiomatic. General English is taught to adults, teenagers and young learners (children under 12) across the world.

spiky profiles

This means that students have strengths in some skills but weaknesses in others, e.g. a student who lives in the UK might have very good listening skills but not be able to write well in English.

Natural Approach

Tries to mirror the process of learning a first language where learners are exposed to meaningful language and not forced to speak until they are ready. Minimal error correction.Emphasis is on communication, rather than conscious study of grammar.Learning is based around students' needs and uses activities that are likely to be relevant / stimulating for them. Focus on maximising learner self-confidence and reduction of stress, therefore can be described as a humanistic teaching practice.An example of the Communicative Approach, which usually also borrows from other methods.

find out your students interests

Use earlier lessons to find out information about your students' interests (e.g. What are their hobbies? How do they spend their free time? Do they have a family?). Once you know what they like, use this to build lessons that they will really enjoy. For example, if your class is interested in cooking, you could turn a lesson on food into a TV cookery programme.

visual learning

Visual learners learn through seeing things. This can be pictures, charts, presentations or demonstrations of how something is done. For example, a visual learner can see a picture of an apple, be told it's an apple and then remember this for the future.

intro warmers and coolers

Warmers and coolers are short activities that are used at the beginning and end of a lesson. They should be: Relevant to the lesson Quick (no more than five-ten minutes, maximum) Topical Fun Ideas for your warmers or coolers include games, conversation questions or pictures as a discussion prompt. However, do make sure that your activity is quick and has a clear focus and structure. Your lesson plan should set out the specific warmer / cooler that you have chosen.

warmers

Warmers set the scene at the start of a lesson and should be relevant. They "warm up" the class. This means that a warmer will generally either focus on language learnt in the previous lesson and/or introduce the topic of the current lesson. A good warmer will: Engage students' interest Raise the energy levels in the room Involve all the students Get students thinking in English Warmers can also be a productive use of time whilst you are waiting for latecomers to arrive - and also can be a good ice-breaker if you have new students in the class. In addition, some teachers like to use warmers as an unobtrusive way of assessing individual student's weaknesses and strengths.

student participation

Welcome all late students and help them to catch up with the rest of the class - having a warmer at the start of your lessons can help ensure that latecomers don't disrupt the focus of the class too much. Keep your class full of variety by using a range of different activities. Elicit the answer from your class before you explain anything: you will find that students can often work out a correct answer for themselves. Get your students out of their chairs and moving around the classroom. Change pairs / groups frequently, to give students an opportunity to work with new partners. Involve students in using the board. Make feedback a positive thing. Use praise and affirmation as well as correction. Pair quiet students with someone who will encourage them to talk. Circulate throughout the class - don't always stand at the front.

involve new students

Welcome the student into the class. Think about options which can help the new student to get to know the rest of the class.For example, ask each student to introduce themselves briefly or tell the class to ask the new student a few questions about him / herself. During the first lesson, try to have the new student work with as many partners as possible. Provide the learner with a lesson buddy, who can help them to get settled. Arrange a short meeting with the new student after two or three days. This will give you both an opportunity to get to know each other, as well as check that the student is settling in.

mfp

When presenting any language, both lexis (vocabulary) or grammar, we use the acronym blank First, we present the Meaning of the new vocabulary or grammar point, e.g. bewildered means confused or puzzled - we might show a confused face. Then we introduce the Form. With vocabulary, this is how a word is set out or spelt, but with grammar, this is how the language is structured, e.g. the second conditional - If I won the lottery, I'd buy a car. The form is if + past simple, ...would + infinitive. The final part is Pronunciation. The teacher models the correct pronunciation of the word or phrase, highlighting any particular language points, and asks the students to repeat the language so the teacher can check everyone is pronouncing it correctly

presenting pronuncation

When presenting new pronunciation, give a good model to your students and allow them plenty of opportunity to listen and repeat. Below are some ways of practicing pronunciation with your learners.

phonemic script

When we analyse language, we use the blank script to help us understand how to say the word. There's a lot more information on this (and pronunciation teaching in general) in unit 6. However, it's useful to know how to find the blank script. The fastest way to find the phonemic script for a word is by using an online learner's dictionary,

cic

When we speak English, we do not say each word in a sentence in isolation. Instead, words get run together. CIC stands for Chorus, Isolate and Confirm. It is a method of chorusing entire sentence structures to help students produce sentences more fluently. Chorus the entire sentence once Go back through the sentencing chorusing individual sounds, rather than individual words, until you have built it back up into a complete sentence Chorus the entire sentence again You should notice a marked improvement the second time the sentence is chorused For example: He says he's got a headache Headache got a headache He's got a headache He says he's got a headache

your postion in the classroom

Where you are in the classroom is another cue that the students use to understand what is expected of them. You can use your position to show that a specific activity is about to start

context of lesson

Who you are teaching (including age, level, size of class and students' background) Practical information, such as the timings and place of the lesson How the lesson fits into a syllabus or course of lessons The aims and outcomes of the lesson Any anticipated problems and suggested solutions - these should focus on problems your students are likely to have with the language you are teaching

lesson aims

You should try to make your aim as clear and specific as possible. This will help ensure that you develop suitable content for the lesson and make it easier to see if the aim has been achieved at the end. For example, you might state a lesson aim as: By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to recognise and produce four new colours: blue, green, black and grey, and practise them with the colours learned in the last lesson: yellow, red and orange. Here, the specific target language for the lesson (four colours) is included in the aim so that it will be easy to see if the aim is achieved in the lesson.

suggestopedia 1970s to 1980s

a humanistic approach to teaching in which learners are in a relaxed state of comfortable chairs, classical music and a parent child relationship with the teacher the teacher typically reads aloud long texts with a classical musicla accompaint students have often found the whole situation ridiculous with the background music described as annoying however musicand relaxed settings can be very effective in classrooms if used appropriately.

guided discovery

advantages Encourages independence Can increase motivation, as students become confident in their abilities Makes learning more memorable Can be a good interactive task, if the discovery is carried out in groups challenges Students can lose motivation if they can't identify the language points The focus on "discovery" can lead to students talking in their native language Lessons need to be well-planned to ensure that students can learn the intended points

PPP (presentation, practice, production)

advantages Simple and logical way of structuring lessons Enables you to use a range of different activities to meet your students' needs Helps students to know what stage they have reached in an individual lesson Helps build students' confidence, as learning is in controlled stages challenges Lessons are usually structured around specific areas of language. This leaves less opportunity for students to freely explore vocabulary There can be a fair amount of teacher-led time in a lesson. However, this can be overcome by incorporating a range of interactive-type activities into your lessonsadv

test teach test

advantages Students' immediate language needs are identified and addressed Students can easily see the progress that they have made during the lesson, by comparing the outcomes of the first test to the one they complete at the end of the lesson Can be particularly useful for addressing specific language problems at intermediate level or above Can be useful to identify individual objectives in mixed level classes challenges You need to be very flexible to respond to a range of possible needs Students can become frustrated and/or bored at not completing the initial task Students can lose motivation when they can't complete the initial task

Task based learning

advantages Very interactive / engaging for students Students gain confidence from trying to find new language Vocabulary is learnt in a more natural way, in response to need Language is not limited to a predetermined set challenges Lessons need to be prepared and managed well, to ensure they stay on track Students can lose motivation if they don't have the language that they need to carry out the task successfully Learning is unsystematic. Students can miss out on important pieces of vocabulary / language, simply because they do not arise in the task

text based learning

advantagesConsistent and frequent use of vocabulary Real language is being used in a real context - it's not graded or selected challenges Students can get bored with using the same text in every lesson Vocabulary can be limited and restrictive

Total Physical Response tpr 1965 to 1980

aims to teach oral profiency to beginners the teacher gives instructions which the students follow using physical actions as the students develop a vocabulary the teacher can begin to use different combinations of words. only usually used with beginners and children it is normally combined with other methodologies

Academic English

another branch of ESP, is an important area of study for students before they apply to university, or in their first year or foundation year if they are taking a degree in an English-speaking country. The most common places to teach are private language schools around the world. It is also possible to find jobs in public or state schools, universities or international schools. In a private language school, you will meet a School Manager or Director, who is responsible for all aspects of the school (marketing, sales, customer support, finances and academic). As a teacher, you will work for a Director of Studies (DoS) or Academic Head. This person is responsible for ensuring classes are delivered at a level that meets the school's expectations and that teachers are supported with professional development and resources. The DoS will determine the level of students to ensure they go into the correct classes and will be the first port of call for any teacher or student complaints. Depending on the size of your school, you will be part of a team of teachers with whom you can share ideas, materials or stories about your classes. In Unit 10, we will look in more detail about finding jobs and the responsibilities of teachers in different locations. If you want to browse job sites while you are doing this course,

classroom rules

blank should be agreed during the first lesson, so that you are setting expectations and boundaries from the start. One option is to hand out a copy of the rules and get students to sign it like a contract. A more positive technique is to get students to brainstorm their own classroom rules, with a few suggestions on key areas from you, if needed. This approach helps students to engage with the rules, which means they are more likely to remember and follow them. You might also find it useful to frame the rules as part of a wider topic exploring expectations for the lessons. This will enable you to directly link the rules to achieving the outcomes that your students want. Once you have agreed on the rules, it is useful to display a copy in the classroom. This provides a physical reminder to the students. It also gives you something concrete to point at should students fail to follow the agreed rules.

Formative Assessment

can take place throughout a course to improve the quality of future learning - how successfully have students learnt up to that point or where students need review or help. Formative assessment might include a progress test at the end of each unit of a coursebook. In this course, the formative assessment takes the form of an end of unit test

extrinsic motivation

comes from factors that are outside of an individual and are usually driven by rewards. For example, a student may be motivated by a desire to gain certain grades, a promotion or financial gains. For extrinsically motivated people, the satisfaction is in the reward - which could be as a simple as a well done. This means that they may work on something even if they are not particularly enjoying it if the reward remains in sight.

intrinsic motivation

comes from inside the individual. Learning a skill or achieving a task for its own sake is likely to be more important that gaining an external reward. This means that intrinsically motivated people want to work on things that they are interested in and/or things they want to discover or achieve. Each student you teach is an individual. This means that their background, goals and motivations will be different. However, you will find that most of your students will lean more towards one or other of these types of motivations. Having said that, there is usually a degree of crossover: extrinsically motivated people enjoy praise and rewards, and intrinsically motivated people like tasks that interest them.

slip

describes when a student does something incorrectly but does know the correct English; here, it's a totally subconscious mistake, which the student will usually self-correct. Where possible, try to elicit the correction first so students are engaging in the language. Sometimes, though, it may be more sensible to repeat the mistake correctly. This can be useful when you don't want to lose the focus of the lesson, but you also don't want to let the mistake go.

Summative Assessment

in comparison, evaluates how successful learning was at the end of a course. This can include achievement tests (e.g. a final end of course exam or piece of coursework) or proficiency tests, which establish the learner's overall level. These are usually external exams done by large examining bodies, such as Cambridge English.

chorusing

is simply the repetition of words and expressions. You, as the teacher, first say a new word or phrase. Your students then repeat it back to you. It is important at two levels: It gives students a clear model of how a word is pronounced or stressed It helps students memorise new vocabulary You can use chorusing with the whole class or ask individual students to repeat a word back to you in turn.

kinaesthetic learning

learners learn through doing. They bore easily if there is no physical stimulus to maintain interest and will take notes in lessons just for the sake of moving their hands. Doodling, jotting things in the margin, highlighting and drawing pictorial representations are all part of this learning style.

when introducing language 3 different elements

meaning form pronunciation

target language

means the language that you want to teach in that lesson and covers both vocabulary (new words or phrases) and grammar points. Target language never just means 'English in general'! - it means the specific language you are introducing in that lesson.

attention details

repeat stop be quiet stand up / sit down write it come go

drilling

the teacher and students repeatedly go through a process, until the students can use the taught language perfectly. For example, you might teach the question, "What's your favourite ...?" and use a variety of pre-taught vocabulary for the noun, such as "fruit", "animal", "country", or "TV show". In drilling you repeatedly ask the question, and elicit responses from the students, until they have fully got the structure. Have a look at the following videos. They both show the teacher drilling different new language, either chorally or individually. The first is with adult learners, the second with young learners.

display questions

these are questions to which the teacher already knows the answer and is there to check the student's knowledge or understanding. Whereas display questions are closed questions - the answer is narrowly-defined,

referential questions

these require the learner to give longer answers, including opinions, explanations or further information. Examples: Have you ever been abroad? If you won a lot of money, what would you do?the answer is narrowly-defined, referential questions are open-ended - they require a longer, broader answer.