Using a Process Syllabus for Teacher Training Programs

Context South Korea (elementary school) low confidence (especially in speaking) high stakes evaluation high expectations

The content of the course was useful and relevant. The Problem Participants were not satisfied with the content of the teacher training program. GNUE Exit Survey 2009

Why? Course book was a beginner level conversation textbook *topics didnt address the trainees needs Introductions Family & Friends Hobbies Routines Likes & Dislikes Where I Live Etc.

Asking the Right Question Give them what they want. ask trainees what they want to study

What do you fear about teaching English? Asking the Right Question

The Process Syllabus The process syllabus focuses on three processes: communicating, learning and the purposeful social activity of teaching and learning in the classroom. Breen (1987a: 166) Often involves project work … [in which] learners exercise control over the content of the project and the forms of input and output. Collaboration and communication among learners … is viewed as an opportunity for language learning. Benson (2001: 165)

The Approach Project: TEE Phrasebank* design and script lesson plans lesson objectives (national curriculum) and information about class composition and character provided by teacher * bank (database) of classroom English expressions intended to address the communicative needs of the teacher as they occur during the course of a routine lesson

Task - Direction Class Description: There are 20 students and they are 8 & 9 year olds. They have a good level of English for their age. They are able to read and write at a basic level. The students are generally well behaved, but they are easily distracted. They enjoy games, working with realia, and activities that involve making things and drawing. Some of the boys can be a little noisy during competitive games or activities. In the previous class theyve learned a song about jungle animals. Main Aim for lesson: Students are able to understand the meaning and form of Comparatives. Students are able to make use of comparatives in a conversational situation. Supplemental Aim for lesson: Students learn vocabulary such as big, small, long, smart, thin, etc.

Task Selection After listening to the description, the class divides into Action Groups. Using the Task Selection Worksheet, each group suggests an activity suitable to the particular class.

Action Meeting Action Meetings are whole group discussions during which each Action Group… o briefly presents their lesson task o listens to the lesson tasks proposed by other groups o discusses the benefits and drawbacks of each lesson task o chooses the most suitable task

Task Design After the Action Meeting, the class once again divides into Action Groups. Each group prepares a description of the lesson task.

Task Design Each Action Group also makes a list of appropriate classroom English expressions to be included in the TEE Phrasebank

Task Demonstration each Action Group takes a turn presenting their lesson task one teacher facilitates the task others revise and expand the TEE Phrasebank Following the demonstration, each group prepares and distributes a copy of their phrasebank (template provided by teacher)

References Benson, P. (2001). Autonomy in language learning. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Limited. Breen, M.P. (1987) Contemporary paradigms in syllabus design, Language Teaching, 20.3:

Research Questions 1) Was the new curriculum effective? Does it have a positive effect on trainees perceptions of their communicative competence and preparedness for TEE (Teaching English in English)? 2) Was the project (TEE Phrasebank) useful and relevant? 3) Does giving participants greater control over the content and process of learning result in a shift in attitude toward professional development activities such as in-service teacher training?

Data Sources 5-point Likert Scale exit survey video of Action Meeting and Task Design phases biographical and professional information

I feel more prepared for Teaching English in English (TEE) than I did before the course.

The classroom activities were useful and relevant.

The TEE Phrasebank will be useful in future teaching situations.

I am more positive about participating in professional development courses than before.

I would be interested in participating in a similar course again in the future.

The unfulfilled prophesy Expected that participants would be inhibited by various affective factors: age gender professional experience / academic pedigree English proficiency

The End