TeachingEnglish
Methodology of teaching english to second language leareners
Submitted by nivedita on 15 April, 2009 - 04:44
The methodology of teaching english to second language learners, is confusing to me as although 'grammar translation method' is no more applicable yet schools & colleges all over India do the same.
Change- How can a new method be introduced to teach and make learning fun? Its a difficult task but I invite you all to give inputs on some new methods of teaching english to make it less burdensome(many rural Indians think it so) & more fun.
Activity-Although activities are introduced in syllabuses yet they are not properly done, sometimes due to large class,
implementation of the activities is also difficult.So how to deal with such problems?
Please share your experiences & inputs on the above subjects to make english more fun.
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Niranga Abeyakoon
Dear All,
The main focus of teaching and learning English should be about communication and grammar is only one componant of it. if you only focus on teaching grammar, the other aspects of a language like writing, speaking, listening and reading would not be accomplished. I would like to suggest some stratergies that you can implement in preparing your lessons:
1. do a level testing and grade them to appropriate levels. (Elementry 1/2/3....)
2. Have a course outline - Have an idea about the number of hours per each level and decide on what you would want the learners to achieve during that period of time.
3. As I mentioned earlier, teaching and learning should be focused on communication. so your lessons should have an holistic approach to practice all aspects of a language.
4. select a good course book which has a good content(context). When selecting a book, see whether it has this order; Language, Grammar and Pronunciation and also these aspects should be practiced with all the four skills: writing ,reading, listening and speaking.
5. plan your lesson in a student centred manner: learners prefer to hear their voice rather their teacher's in the learning process.
6. Think outside the box and suppliment your work with interesting material and games and other activities.
7. Most importantly, grade your language; use simple and clear instructions and check the instructions for clarification (use Instruction Checking Questions- ICQ's).
8. be cheerful and relaxed infront of the class room!!!
I hope these sugestions would help you in some way.
Cheers!
Niranga
Dear Niranga,
I do appreciate the inputs given by you,thank you so much. The grading of the class is a very nice suggestion,but what pertubs me is the large class.What about that,& when you think of below average learners they simply step back to learn.When it comes to selection of a book the courses here in India are all planned so one has to abide by that so language learning becomes almost difficult.
Time is another factor,which has to be kept in mind always.Yes I do agree that the activities can be made more intresting.But I think you got me wrong about grammar translation method as it is one of the oldest methodology of teaching where all 4 skills are in integrated form but the focus is more on memorising them.I did not focus on only grammar.
Dear Nivedita
You are right that large classes are a problem but "what can't be cured must be endured"...:) it is good to know that you are still managing ways to tackle the situation that mostly the teachers with large classes face and then give in and modify themselves. I would like to give some suggestions. You can form groups and those students with better know how of language be in charge. Use the positive reinforcement method to get yourself in a model mode as a teacher. Take some additional class though once or twice a week to let students know your fervor for your subject; I hope these small tips would work for you.
good luck
Dear Mu,
Thank you so much for your suggestions. When we are talking of large class & second language learners we shouldn't also forget that most of them are very scared of English and when it comes to the speaking skills they are scared to death.So, even if we put them under small or large groups the average learners shy away from communicating.
But we can really help in at least one skill development in a class so that subsequently the learners gain confidence to come up with speaking also.
Do let me know of any activity that you are following with your learners to help my class become more lively and learner friendly.
Cheers!
nivedita
Coming to your concern about training a large class it is imperative for you to get the whole class involved in the learning process. There are lot of activities like role plays, listening activities, public speaking, deabtes, etc to name a few.
As a trainer you need to be firebrand and aggressive. I always maintain that you should introduce innovative activities which come to your mind in the class. This is precisely how we mature as a trainer. Do not worry about the outcome and have a firm belief in yourself. Over the past 8 years, I am fiercely proud of introducing so many innovative activities which has down superbly with the participants. As trainers, our strength lies in our uniqueness.
Since you have a large class, initially start giving different activities to different students. You can have 2 teams of 5 students each doing a role play. Give them the freedom to choose any activity of their choice. When one team finishes with the role play, pick up students randomly and ask them any question which they need to answer promptly. Do not give them any hint of what you are going to do. They will be taken by surprise and find themselves in an awkward position. Our intention is not to humiliate any student, but they will get the message that they need to be fully concentrating or they are in for trouble!
Do this without exception in each class. You could also pick up any student and ask him to give a speech on the spot, on a topic. Your timing is very important. You have to catch them totally unawares. When you do this everyday as part of your training , believe me, you find the whole class mentally present. They will be under pressure, since they do not know who will be picked up and what kind of activity will be given to him. Similarly when you are explaining a concept, stop in the middle and shoot one question each randomly, by picking up 5 students. In no time you will find the class in your control.
Ensure that each day is a new experience for the class. You can also have some students delivering speeches or a team of students conducting a quiz show. The bottom line is to have a variety of activities which will keep the atmosphere vibrant.
Just follow your heart.
As per the new trends these days I have seen lots of English Teachers are trying to make the class more interactive by having in class quizzes, reading, group and individual presentations on a topic followed by questions and answers. Additionally, one should try to find out where exactly the students are lacking and how to make the class more involved in what is being taught.
From my experience of teaching large classes I'd say your best option is to grade the class into different levels of English, base lessons on the same topic, but when doing activities/games set different ones depending on the students' levels of English. It'll take longer when preparing your lessons, but will mean you can cater to different abilities without any mishaps. I'd also try and get hold of the book '700 Classroom Activities' - it's been invaluable for me when I've got stuck with my classes!
Good luck!