TEFL Teaching English as a Foreign Language Antar Abdellah

Course Objectives To enable you as an EFL teacher to: Become familiar with various traditional and innovative ESL/EFL teaching approaches and methods. Discuss the various useful teaching strategies techniques, procedures, and exercises of teaching the: Basic Language Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and writing. Sub Language Skills: vocabulary, grammar, dictionary, handwriting and spelling. Become familiar with the various testing and measurements formats.

Course Description Examine traditional and innovative ESL/EFL approaches, methods and techniques. Use, prepare and develop various activities of teaching the basic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing) and the sub skills (vocabulary, grammar, handwriting, spelling and dictionary skills) involved. Use, prepare and develop testing techniques and activities for the various skills and sub skills involved in the teaching and learning of English and its correction techniques.

Textbooks & References Shaikh, Asghar A. (1993). Methods of teaching English as a Foreign Language, available from Maktabat Al-Iman, Madina Munawwarah. Nunan, David (1991). Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook for Teachers. London: Prentice Hall International. Any related audio, visual, or written materials the students’ or instructor have read or feel worthy or important to share with the class.

Distribution plan of course work Week Topic Notes 2nd Introduction, nature of the course , overview of history of language teaching EFL. ESL. TECHNIQUE. APPROACH. METHOD 3rd Traditional teaching approaches 4th Innovative teaching approaches 5th Teaching listening 6th Teaching speaking 7th Teaching reading 8th Teaching writing 9th Revision Mid-term test 10th Teaching vocabulary

Distribution plan of course work Week Topic Notes 11th Teaching grammar 12th Teaching handwriting 13th Teaching spelling 14th Revision 15th Group presentations 16th Final test

What is language? Different people see language differently; some see that language consists of vocabulary and structures Some believe that language is using the language orally just like its native speakers. Linguists define language as “a systemic means of communication”.

So, what is communication? Communication refers to any human interaction that has the following components: Sender.. message.. receiver….feedback Feedback refers to the type of response that shows understanding on the part of the receiver. Without Understanding, there is no real communication. Without communication, there is no real language.

Language (Comprehension) So the teaching of language grantees that comprehension is achieved. TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) We know now what language is. What about ‘teaching’ and ‘foreign’?

Then, what is ‘foreign’? Language can be first (mother tongue), second, or foreign. A first language is the one in which you speak with the people around in a community, that you use in the streets as well as at home. It is the one in which you dream.

A second language Is another language that exists side by side with your first language; both can be used in the community. If you shift from one language to the other, people will understand and respond in the same way. It is only second in importance to you. French in Algeria is a second language English for Chinese living in the USA is a second language.

A foreign language Is a language that is used within the walls of academic institutions. You study at schools. You cannot use it with common people around. It is a language that demands study and thinking before communicating (writing, speaking, listening, reading) It is the language that we teach, and focus on when dealing with the for language skills.

Approach An approach refers to the level of theories: Theory of language Theory of language learning A theory of language is derived from the field of Linguistics A theory of learning is derived from the field of Psychology

Approach Example for a theory of Language: Structuralism (Bloomfield) : Language is to use the language like its native speakers Example for a theory of learning: Connectionism (Pavlov): learning takes place when a stimulus drives a response in presence of a reinforcement

Method A method refers to the levels: course design instructional materials roles of the teachers and the students activities syllabus

Technique A technique refers to the level of practical procedures: Steps that the teacher follows in delivering the lesson following the design of the method Under the umbrella of the approach

2500 years : Grammar translation method 18th century: direct method Reading method 19th century : Reform movement : defining method, approach & technique 1920s : Audio-lingual method 1950s: cognitive approach 1970s: communicative approach 1980s: alternative approaches: TPR, Suggestopedia, CLL, the natural approach 2000s : post communicative approach: MI, NLP, Content-based, web-based instruction, virtual learning, e-learning, m-learning.

The four language skills Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Listening Listening implies the following processes: 1. receiving sounds (hearing) 2. Attending to sounds 3. Assigning meaning to sounds 4. Preparing a relevant response. In this respect, listening is different from hearing

“listening comprehension” SO, do not confuse listening (which is an intentional focused interactive process) with hearing ( which is casual unintentional receiving of sounds) In fact the listening we teach to our students is : “listening comprehension”

Listening 7. listen & match Sub skills of listening include: 8. listen & sequence (rearrange) 9. listen & respond (true or false) 10. listen and summarize 11. listen and analyze 12. listen and criticize Sub skills of listening include: 1. Listening for main ideas 2. Listening for details 3. listen & draw 4. listen & color 5. listen & do (act) 6. listen & judge (correct)

Speaking Just uttering words and sentences is not speaking. Rather this may be repeating. True Speaking is to let Ss express their own ideas, feelings, comments in their own words with their own repertoire e of words and structures. Don’t confuse speaking with repeating.

Speaking Speaking Expression Speaking involves the following processes: 1. having a topic or comment in mind 2. selecting the relevant vocabulary 3. selecting the relevant structures 4. intertranslation of ideas from mother tongue to F L. 5. pronouncing 6. checking grammar and pronunciation as the stream of sounds goes. So THE SPEAKING WE TEACH TO OUR SS should be Speaking Expression

Speaking 7. summarizing a topic. 8. dialogues 9. interviews Speaking subskills include: 1. pronouncing separate words 2. pronouncing sentences 3. modifying sentences (changing tense, agents…) 4. pair talk in games 5. group pronunciation with songs 6. pair talk with story telling 7. summarizing a topic. 8. dialogues 9. interviews 10. Role play 11. open discussion 12. debates

Reading Reading is not just holding a paper and pronouncing the symbols written on it. Reading involves the following processes: 1. moving one’s eyes on the written material in circles. 2. decoding the symbols into meaningful chucks of meaning 3. responding to the martial. This can take place at varying speeds depending on the reader.

Reading Comprehension Reading exists naturally in silent reading. Loud reading is however used or purposes other than reading itself. This means that reading is different from uttering words from paper. Reading incorporates comprehension and digestion of the written message. The reading we teach to our Ss is Reading Comprehension

Reading Subskills of reading include: Identifying keywords 1. recognizing letters and words 2. recognizing meaning depending on structure Recognizing meaning depending on context. Reading for the gist (main idea) Reading for details Reading for pleasure (extensive reading, skimming) Reading for specific data ( scanning) Identifying keywords Identifying the writer’s style Identifying turning points in the text Identifying the cohesion markers Critical reading interpretative reading evaluative reading Creative reading (the reader suggests different ends to stories)

Writing Writing is NOT just holding a pen / pencil and moving one’s hand on the paper. This can be copying. True writing incorporates the composition of the S own ideas and comments in his own words by depending on his knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, & writing conventions.

Writing Writing Composition Writing involves the following processes: 1. reading to gain info about a topic (brainstorming) 2. thinking of how the composition will look like (semantic mapping) 3. writing a first draft 4.Proof reading, and editing 5. Rewriting based on self, peer or teacher correction 6. Publishing what was written So the writing we teach to our Ss is Writing Composition

Writing Writing paragraphs based on guiding word writing paragraphs by answering questions Writing paragraphs by replying to letters Writing descriptive compositions Writing narrative composition writing expository compositions Writing argumentative compositions. Subskills of writing include: Writing shapes of letters correctly Writing words, & sentences Dictation Rearranging the events in a story Modifying sentences Summarizing a text Finishing sentences finishing stories

The four language Skills Listening Comprehension Speaking Expression Reading Comprehension Writing Composition

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