ESCUELA AMERICANA EXTENSION OCTOBER 2011

Course overview and structure Coordinator introduction Ground rules Dress code Practicum Reading assignments Engrade.com profile creation

What is an approach? Collective wisdom of the nature of language, learning and teaching. ( Edward Anthony 1963) An approach to language teaching is the theoretical rationale that underlies everything that happens in the classroom. (Douglas Brown) An approach is a dynamic composite of energies within a teacher that changes (or should change) with continued experience in learning and teaching.

What is a method? Overall plan for systematic presentation of a language based on a selected approach. (Edward Anthony) A set of theoretically undefined classroom techniques thought to be generalizable across a wide variety of contexts and audiences. Classroom activities and the theory that informs.

What are techniques? Specific classroom activities consistent with a method/approach. Controlled drills, dialogues, reading aloud Semi-controlled cued narratives, info. Gap Free role plays, problem solving, interviews What are strategies? In general, a strategy is a tool, plan, or method used for accomplishing a task.

Why are methods no longer milestones of our language teaching? Methods are too prescriptive (assume too much about context); they’re over generalized in their potential application to practical situations. They can be distinguished well at the beginning stages of language learning but not later on Methods can not be empirically tested (clearly verified) “interested knowledge” who decides what we teach?

12 Principles of Language Acquisition 1)Automaticity 2)Meaningful learning 3)The anticipation Reward 4)Intrinsic Motivation 5)Strategic Investment 6)Language Ego 7) Self-Confidence 8) Risk Taking 9) The Language-Culture Connection 10) The Native Language Effect 11) Interlanguage 12) Communicative competence

1)Automaticity- Timely movement, rules tend to impede graduation to automaticity; it has to be natural 2)Meaningful learning- retention, based on life, relevant 3)The anticipation Reward- results; create opportunities for moment to moment rewards 4)Intrinsic motivation- needs, wants, desires, self rewarding; maintain behavior beyond the presence of others 5)Strategic investment- mastery; time, effort, attention, strategies, comprehension, production

6) Language Ego- second self/new identity 7) Self-Confidence- accomplishing, capable of doing, self-esteem 8) Risk Taking- “gamblers” in the game of language; produce and interpret 9) The Language-Culture Connection- getting to know culture and how to act in different scenarios 10) The Native Language Effect- positive or negative transfer 11) Interlanguage- feedback from others; generate their own feedback outside the classroom

12) Communicative competence- competence, goals Language use vrs usage Fluency vrs accuracy Authentic language and context vrs book based Natural /real world vrs rehearsed contexts

10 Good language learner characteristics 1)Lower Inhibitions 2)Encourage Risk Taking 3)Build Students’ Self- Confidence 4)Help students Develop Intrinsic Motivation 5)Promote Cooperative Learning 6)6) Encourage students to use right-Brain Processing 7) Promote Ambiguity Tolerance 8) Help Sts use their intuition 9) Get students to maker their mistakes work for them 10) Get students to set their own goals

SCIENCE RESEARCH CONCEPTIONS Operationalizing Learning Principles Mastery learning/ programmed learning/stimulus, response, reinforcement Examples: Audiolingualism, behavioral psychology Task-Based Language Teaching, negotiation of meaning/ input and output Learner Training, cognitive styles and learning strategies for different classroom tasks

THEORY PHILOSOPHY CONCEPTIONS morally right THEORY BASED APPROACHES Rationalist Systematic Principled thinking, rather than empirical investigation Examples: Communicative language teaching/the Silent Way VALUES BASED APPROACHES Values Role of education in society Morally, ethically and politically supportable Examples: Team teaching, humanistic, learner centered curriculum and reflective teaching

ART-CRAFT CONCEPTIONS T’s Individual skill and personality Good teaching is an invention and personalization Examples: There are no methods, teachers develop an approach which allows them to be themselves They: assess students’ needs – Analyzes the situation – Uses practices that have promise for that situation

What teachers should do according to each conception of teaching: SCIENCE- RESEARCH CONCEPTIONS Essential skills in teaching: -understand the learning principles -develop tasks and act. based on learning principles -monitor student’s performance to check progress THEORY-PHILOSOPHY CONCEPTIONS Essential skills in teaching: -understand theory and principles -select syllabi, materials and tasks based on theory -monitor your teaching to see that it conforms to the theory

What teachers should do according to each conception of teaching: VALUES-BASED CONCEPTIONS Essential skills in teaching: - understand the values behind the approach -select only those educational means which conform to these values -monitor the implementation process to ensure the value system is being maintained ART-CRAFT CONCEPTIONS Essential skills in teaching: -treat each teaching situation as unique -identify the particular characteristics of each situation -try out different teaching strategies - Develop personal approaches to teaching