Assignment

Instructions I: Participants to ponder over the following discussion questions and write an essay for internal assessment.

Discussion Questions:


 * 1) As a	teacher, what have you done to promote your professional competence?
 * 2) Discuss	in what ways the following can help you develop professionally.	Which ones contribute most to your professional development?

(a) Teaching journal, (b) Material development, (c) Feedback from colleagues, (d) Learner feedback, (e) Seminars and workshops.


 * 1) Some	teachers seem to stop developing at some stage in their career. What	do you think are the reasons?
 * 2) How	important is your work environment in promoting your professional	growth?
 * 3) In what	ways has your philosophy of teaching changed over the years? Give	some concrete examples.

Learning Styles and Strategies of Learning

Goal :

The component provides concept of learning styles and make familiar with strategies to be adopted in lesson transaction to generate maximum learning.

The specific objectives are


 * To provide concept clarity
 * Designing	classroom language tasks for effective teaching

Presentation:


 * Give the Hand-out 1 and	ask the participants to read and write the styles of learning
 * Ask them to present their	completed task to the whole class.
 * Ask them	to list down various learning style and their features.

Support:

Hand-out

Practice:


 * Give the Hand-out 2and	ask them to find specific learning strategies to be adopted to	support learning of their corresponding styles.
 * Display a PPT and highlight	different learning styles, strategies and procedure of helping	learners.

Insight:


 * Give	teacher input handout and ask

Generate:


 * Emphasize the point that it	is imperative for each teacher to understand learner’s learning	styles
 * Tell them	that activities conducted in classroom have to match with each type	of learners’ learning style.
 * Ask them	to make a list of strategies for their classroom practices.

Hand-out – 1

Learning Styles

'''Given below are some ways of teaching different types of learners. Write the name of style against the teaching strategy.'''


 * What	are learning styles and strategies then?
 * How	can we identify which styles and strategies a learner adopts?

Look at the learners’ statements compiled and presented below in the table by a novice English teacher.

Hand-out 2

Types of strategy training

Provide three ways strategy training depending on the point of time/stage in learning or Purpose of training.


 * 1) Awareness	raising
 * 2) Provide		learners with opportunities to identify the strategies. The aim of		this training is to initiate learners to use strategies. The actual		use of strategy follows later.
 * 3) One-time	strategy training
 * 4) This		involves the use and practice of selected one or two specific		strategies by performing tasks.
 * 5) Long	term strategy training
 * 6) This		training involves practising strategies on the tasks. They are		practiced for longer time.

'''Strategy Training Model suggested by Rebecca Oxford (1992) involves eight steps. They are'''


 * 1) Determining	learners’ needs and the time available.
 * 2) Selecting	strategies well.
 * 3) Considering	integrating of strategy training.
 * 4) Considering	motivational issues.
 * 5) Preparing	materials and activities.
 * 6) Conducting	completely informed training.
 * 7) Evaluating	the strategy training.
 * 8) Revising	the strategy training.

What are learning styles and learning strategies?


 * Learning	style refers to as “...	an individual’s natural habitual, and preferred ways of absorbing,	processing, and	retaining	new information and skills,” (Kinsella,1995:171, as cited in	Christison, 2003:268).


 * Learning	strategies refers to as	“...characteristics we want to stimulate in students to enable	them to become more proficient language learners.”	(Oxford,1990:ix)


 * Students	concentrate on their tasks using their own individual and preferred	manner using:


 * 1) * Cognitive			styles
 * 2) * Sensory			learning styles and
 * 3) * Personality			types.


 * Cognitive	styles:


 * 1) * Field			dependent students			work best when information is presented in context.
 * 2) * Field			independent students			learn best with step-by-step instruction.
 * 3) * Analytical			students works best			when they are alone and learn at their own pace.
 * 4) * Global			students work best in groups.
 * 5) * Reflective			students need enough			time to reflect before responding.
 * 6) * Impulsive			students learn best when they get chances to respond to new			information quickly.


 * Sensory	learning styles


 * 1) * Auditory			style
 * 2) * Visual			style
 * 3) * Kinesthetic			style
 * 4) * Tactile			style


 * Learning	strategies are:
 * Cognitive		strategies:


 * 1) * using			resources,
 * 2) * note			taking,
 * 3) * making			inferences


 * Metacognitive		strategies:


 * 1) * Planning
 * 2) * Monitoring
 * 3) * evaluating


 * Socio-affective:


 * 1) * Cooperating
 * 2) * Clarifying
 * 3) * Self-talk


 * Learning	style activities-1
 * Auditory		Learners:


 * 1) * interviewing,			debating,
 * 2) * participating			on a panel
 * 3) * giving			oral reports
 * 4) * participating			in oral discussions of written material


 * Visual		Learners:


 * 1) * computer			graphics
 * 2) * maps,			graphs, charts
 * 3) * Cartoons
 * 4) * Posters
 * 5) * Diagrams
 * 6) * graphic			organizers
 * 7) * text			with a lot of pictures


 * Kinesthetic		Learners:


 * 1) * playing			games that involve their whole body
 * 2) * movement			activities
 * 3) * making			models
 * 4) * following			instructions to make something
 * 5) * setting			up experiments


 * Tactile		Learners:


 * 1) * drawing
 * 2) * playing			board games
 * 3) * making			dioramas
 * 4) * making			models
 * 5) * following			instructions to make something


 * Cognitive	Learning Activities
 * Global		Learners:


 * 1) * choral			reading
 * 2) * recorded			books
 * 3) * story			writing
 * 4) * computer			programs
 * 5) * Games
 * 6) * group			activities

(Adapted from Judie Haynes’s Teach to Students' Learning Styles, ELC 688: Methodology for TESOL:8)


 * Multiple	Intelligence (MI) activities
 * Verbal-linguistic:		retelling, writing		journals
 * Logical-mathematical:		sequencing,		predicting,
 * Visual-spatial:		mapping stories,		visual puzzles, illustrating,
 * Musical:		rapping, tapping out		poetic rhythm,
 * Interpersonal:		group work,		brainstorming,
 * Intrapersonal:		independent reading,		individual projects,
 * Bodily		kinaesthetic:		running dictation, fly		swat,
 * Naturalist:		photograph natural		objects,

(D B discussion: UMBC, 2012:8 )


 * Procedure

This week I studied:______________________

This week I learned:______________________

This week I used my English in these places:_____

This week I spoke English with these people:____

This week I made these mistakes:____________

My difficulties are:________________________

I would like to know:______________________

I would like help with:_____________________

My learning and practicing plans for next week are:__________________________________

(Nunan, 2002:134).

Your Learning Styles

Learning Objectives:


 * To	provide hands-on-experience on the concept and clarifying their	doubts
 * To	enable them to assimilate of new ideas
 * To	help the design classroom language tasks

Presentation:


 * Ask	the participants to reflect on their previous session of learning	styles and strategies.
 * Divide	them into small groups.
 * Give	the Hand-out 4 and ask the participants to design tasks relating to	auditory, visual, kinaesthetic and tactile learners.
 * Ask	them to present their completed task to the whole class.

Support:


 * Display	a PPT and highlight different learning activities relating to	specific styles
 * Elicit	comments from them on need of a comprehensive strategy list for	helping learners’ language learning.

Practice:

Elicit their ideas and ask them to present their work.

Insight:


 * Emphasize	the point that it is imperative for each teacher to design	activities relating to each category of learners on daily basis.
 * Tell	them that activities conducted in classroom have to match with each	type of learners’ learning style.
 * Ask	them to make a list of strategies for their classroom practices.

Generate::

Elicit from teachers how they are going to translate their gained knowledge into classroom practice to teaching effective catering to needs of learners and their learning style.

Hand-out – 5

All the statements you read in the class activity indicate different styles employed by the learners. It is also interesting to note that the learning strategies used are the one that suit one’s learning style. Though strategies are the cognitive activities, not inherent like the learning styles, style suitable strategy is often chosen by the learner. For example, a visual style learner prefers to underline the points in a lesson and draw diagrams to remember. Similarly, an auditory style learner keeps reading aloud repeating and reciting aloud.

How to identify the learning styles and adopt appropriate teaching strategies? Let’s have a look at characteristic features of each style and the ways of addressing them in classroom transaction without sacrificing any particular style.

These features are common to the individual irrespective of the subject of learning. The teachers can afford to address all the learning styles simultaneously if one identifies and understands the style and style specific linguistic needs.

Approaches to Evaluation

*How justified am I in my evaluation?

*How qualified am I to test?

*How practical am I in testing?

Task: Evaluate the letter written by a 3 rd year of English.

My dear sir,							Kengeri

I no school today. High fever and stomach pein. Tomorrow I will come. Give me leave, please. Doctor no allows me school.

Your lovely,

Madesh

Now, reevaluate the letter on the basis of the following:

Content		Organization		Grammar		Format

4				2			3		1

3				3			2		2

Objectives of Teaching:

Aim in teaching English is to train students to become efficient users of English. At the high school level, the objectives are that at the end of the course at high school level a student should be able to


 * 1) Understand	a passage in English read out to him.
 * 2) Listen	to spoken English and understand it,
 * 3) Carry	out a meaningful conversation in English,
 * 4) Read	silently and understand the main ideas in a passage,
 * 5) Express	himself in writing with relevance and clarity,
 * 6) Read	on his own with the help of the dictionary and other reference	books, and
 * 7) Read	simple English poems with enjoyment.

Objectives of Testing:


 * 1) To	measure the extent of student achievement of the instructional	objectives (mastery of lg skills-LSRW, communication skills, study	skills, literary skills, lg elements- structures, vocabulary.
 * 2) To	re-in force learning,
 * 3) To	evaluate the efficiency of teaching,
 * 4) To	help the teacher plan his future programme,
 * 5) To	motivate children,
 * 6) To	diagnose student weakness and strengths, and plan remedial work,
 * 7) To	assess the student potential and predict their future performance,
 * 8) For	placements and classification on the basis of current level of	competence, and
 * 9) To	rank and promote on the basis of merit.

Class test:

Class test plays a vital role in the evaluation of teaching-learning activities.

Objectives:


 * 1) To	evaluate each students
 * 2) Progress
 * 3) Attainment		of course objectives, i.e., LSRW, Structures & Vocabulary
 * 4) Performance		in relation to that of his classmates,
 * 5) To		make teaching and learning more effective.

= Types of class test = a) Based on functions


 * 1) Placement			tests (Pre-test)
 * 2) Formative			test
 * 3) Diagnostic			test
 * 4) Summative			test

b) Based on content


 * 1) Unit	test
 * 2) Terminal	test
 * 3) Final	test

i) Placement test:

Objectives:


 * 1) To	measure the pre-requisite skills needed to succeed in a unit /	course,
 * 2) To	measure how much of objectives-LSRW have already been learnt,
 * 3) To	determine best mode of teaching and learning.

ii) Formative Test Objectives:


 * 1) To	determine progress
 * 2) To	provide on-going feedback to pupils and teachers,
 * 3) To	provide re-inforcement of successful learning,
 * 4) To	diagnose learning weaknesses
 * 5) To	provide incentive for further learning.

iii) Diagnostic Test Objectives:


 * 1) To	determine causes of learning difficulties,
 * 2) Identify	the strength and weakness

iv) Summative Test Objectives:

i) To determine the achievement of course

Objectives of question items

1. Knowledge i.e., recognition, recall

2. Comprehension, i.e., grasping meaning, illustrating, comparing, classifying, translating, finding relationships, locating errors etc,

3. Expression, i.e., using appropriate words, phrases and structures, spelling correctly, using punctuation marks, organizing ideas, sequencing etc.

evaluation			characterization			naturalization

synthesis			organization				articulation

analysis				valuing					precision

application			responding				manipulation

comprehension			receiving				imitation

knowledge

Exposition

Blue print

Types of test items:

Essay type, short answer type, very short answer type, objective types

Distribution of marks

Weigh to objectives

Weigh to content

Weigh to form of questions

Language of questions: definite, unambiguous, simple.

Question paper setting:

Value-points and distribution of marks.

Testing and Evaluation

Class VIII								Maximum marks: 20

Topic: The Sun and its Family					Time: 40 Minutes

Weight age to Objectives:

Weight age to Forms of Questions:

Weightage to Content (Unite 1, Sub Unit -1& 2)

Blue Print of a question paper

Subject: English		Class VIII		Marks: 20	Time: 40 minutes

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation

The Concept

I. Continuous Evaluation:

(i)	Continuous Evaluation means regularity in assessment, frequency of testing, diagnosis of learning gaps and use of remedial measures.

(ii)	Continuous evaluation is an evaluation system, which integrates evaluation with the teaching-learning process and begins with the beginning of the programme itself.

(iii)	Continuous evaluation is a system of evaluation, which emphasizes formative evaluation where evaluation is used in every step of development of the child.

'''II. Comprehensive Evaluation:'''


 * 1) Comprehensive	Evaluation refers to areas of assessment covering both	scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of development of the child.
 * 2) Comprehensive	Evaluation aims at providing activities to pupils in areas of	physical health, creative and aesthetic development, promotion of	desirable interests and attitudes and timely guidance to pupils	through a system of regular assessment in all these areas.

'''III. The Objectives:'''


 * 1) To	make teaching-learning process more effective by making evaluation	an integral part of it.
 * 2) To	make school education wider and comprehensive by giving emphasis on	non-scholastic areas also.
 * 3) To	entrust the teachers responsibility to evaluate their children	internally.
 * 4) To	broaden the scope of evaluation process and to utilize it for	diagnosis and remedial teaching.

'''IV. Areas Covered: Scholastic'''


 * 1) Class	tests (formative)
 * 2) Unit	tests
 * 3) Annual	tests

Non-scholastic


 * 1) Work	experience
 * 2) Games	and sports
 * 3) Literary	and cultural activities, and
 * 4) General	conduct

V. Process of Evaluation: Scholastic:

By holding class tests

By holding Unit tests

By holding Annual tests

By checking attendance (regularity, punctuality of attending school/class/activities, submitting work assignments, etc)

Non-scholastic: By observation in areas like:

Regularity: (frequency of participation in the programmes)

Cooperation: (behavioural tendency to work together with classmates)

Leadership :( capability to guide others to work for a desirable goal).

A Glossary of ELT Terms


 * Accent: This	can mean word stress - control has the accent on the second syllable	but we use it to mean the pronunciation used by some speakers - a	regional or class accent.


 * Acculturation: The	process of adapting to a new culture. This involves understanding	different systems of thought, beliefs, emotions, and communication	systems. Acculturation is an important concept for understanding	S.L.A., since successful learning is more likely when learners	succeed in acculturating.


 * Acquisition: A	term used to describe language being absorbed without conscious	effort; i.e. the way children pick up their mother tongue. Language	acquisition is often contrasted with language learning. The	internalization of rules and formulas which are then used to	communicate in the L2. For some researchers, such as Krashen,	'acquisition' is unconscious and spontaneous, and 'learning' is	conscious, developing through formal study.


 * Active	Vocabulary: The	words and phrases which a learner is able to use in speech and	writing. Contrasted with Passive Vocabulary.


 * Applied	Linguistics: The	study of the relationship between theory and practice. The main	emphasis is usually on language teaching, but can also be applied to	translation, lexicology, among others.


 * Authentic	Materials: Unscripted	materials or those which have not been specially written for	classroom use, though they may have been edited. Examples include	newspaper texts and TV broadcasts.


 * Behaviorist	Learning theory: This	a general theory of learning, developed by B F Skinner. It sees	learning as the formation of habits. Environmental factors (input,	teacher, classroom, etc.) are seen as more important than the	student's mental, internal factors.


 * Bilingualism: Being	able to communicate effectively in two or more languages, with more	or less the same degree of proficiency.


 * Blended	Learning: Learning	which involves a combination of e-learning and face-to-face	learning.


 * CALL	(Computer Assisted Language Learning): An	approach to language teaching and learning which uses computer	technology.
 * Communicative	Language Teaching: An	approach concerned with the needs of students to communicate outside	the classroom; teaching techniques reflect this in the choice of	language content and materials, with emphasis on role play, pair and	group work, among others.


 * Comprehensible	Input: When	native speakers and teachers speak to L2 learners, they often adjust	their speech to make it more comprehensible. Such comprehensible	input may be a necessary condition for acquisition to occur.


 * Comprehensible	Output: The	language produced by the learner (the 'output') may be	comprehensible or incomprehensible. The efforts learners make to be	comprehensible may play a part in acquisition.


 * Content-based	E.S.L.: A	model of language education that integrates language and content	instruction in the second language classroom; a second language	learning approach where second language teachers use instructional	materials, learning tasks, and classroom techniques from academic	content areas as the vehicle for developing second language,	content, cognitive and study skills.


 * Corpus	(s.); Corpuses, Corpora (pl.): A	corpus is an amount of collected texts, held in a computer, which	can be accessed and analyzed by means of a concordancer. Corpuses	can be based on spoken text, or on written text. Well-known corpuses	are the British National Corpus, and the COBUILD Bank of English	corpus. CONCORDANCER and WORDSMITH TOOLs


 * Contrastive	Analysis Hypothesis: According	to this hypothesis, L2 errors are the result of differences between	the learner's first language and the target language, and these	differences can be used to identify or predict errors that will	occur.


 * Cooperative/Collaborative	Group: A	grouping arrangement in which positive interdependence and shared	responsibility for task completion are established among group	members; the type of organizational structure encouraging	heterogeneous grouping, shared leadership, and social skills	development.


 * Dialect: The	regional variety of a language, differing from the standard	language, in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation or idiomatic usage.


 * E.S.P.: English	for Specific Purposes;	e.g., for business, science and technology, medicine among others.


 * EAP: English	for Academic Purposes	– The study or teaching of English with specific reference to an	academic (usually a university- or college-based) course.


 * EFL: English	as a Foreign Language – English language programs in countries	where English is not the common or official language. It is used in	American university programs where international students study	English although the use of the word “foreign” is now avoided in	some schools because of its xenophobic connotations.


 * ELT: English	Language Teaching or Training–A	term coined in the UK and designed to replace EFL. It is in use	around the world but has yet to catch on in the USA..


 * Error	Analysis: In	this procedure, samples of learner language are collected and the	errors are identified, described, and classified according to their	hypothesized causes. The errors are then evaluated for relative	seriousness.


 * ESL: English	as a Second Language	– English language programs in countries where English is the	dominant or official language. programs designed for	non-English-speaking immigrants in the USA are ESL programs.


 * ESOL: English	to Speakers of Other Languages–a	term often used to describe elementary and secondary English	language programs. It is sometimes used to distinguish ESL classes	within adult basic education programs.


 * ESP: English	for Specific Purposes–a	term that refers to teaching or studying English for a particular	career (like law or medicine) or for business in general.


 * Interlanguage: The	learner's knowledge of the L2 which is independent of both the L1	and the actual L2. This term can refer to: i) the series of	interlocking systems which characterize acquisition; ii) the system	that is observed at a single stage of development (an	'interlanguage'); and iii) particular L1/L2 combinations.


 * Language	Acquisition Device (LAD):	a term coined by Noam Chomsky to explain an innate psychological	capacity for language acquisition.


 * Learning	styles: The	way(s) that particular learners prefer to learn a language. Some	have a preference for hearing the language (auditory learners), some	for seeing it written down (visual learners), some for learning it	in discrete bits (analytic learners), some for experiencing it in	large chunks (global or holistic or experiential learners) and many	prefer to do something physical whilst experiencing the language	(kinaesthetic learners).


 * Learning: The	internalization of rules and formulas which can be used to	communicate in the L2. Krashen uses this term for formal learning in	the classroom.


 * Linguistic	Competence: A	broad term used to describe the totality of a given individual's	language ability; the underlying language system believed to exist	as inferred from an individual's language performance.


 * Multilingualism: Ability	to speak more than two languages; proficiency in many languages.


 * Multiple	Intelligences	(Also MI): A theory of intelligence that characterizes human	intelligence as having multiple dimensions that must be acknowledged	and developed in education. The theory of MI is based on the work of	the psychologist Gardner who posits 8 intelligences.


 * Neuro	Llinguistic Programming.	(Also NLP): A training philosophy and set of training	techniques first developed by John Grindler and Richard Bandler in	the mid -1970s as an alternative form of therapy. Important within	language teaching to teachers interested in humanistic approaches,	i.e. those which focus on developing one’s sense of	self-actualization and self-awareness


 * Passive	Vocabulary: The	vocabulary that students are able to understand compared to that	which they are able to use. Contrasted with Active Vocabulary.


 * Process	approach: The	process approach focuses on the means whereby learning occurs. The	process is more important than the product. In terms of writing, the	important aspect is the way in which completed text was created. The	act of composing evolves through several stages as writers discover,	through the process, what it is that they are trying to say: See	product approach.


 * Product	approach: The	product approach focuses on the end result of teaching/learning. In	terms of writing, there should be something "resulting"	from the composition lesson (e.g. letter, essay, story, etc.). This	result should be readable, grammatically correct and obeying	discourse conventions relating to main points, supporting details	and so on: See process approach.


 * Second	language: The	term is used to refer to a language which is not a mother tongue but	which is used for certain communicative functions in a society. Thus	English is a second language in Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Singapore.	French is a second language in Senegal, Cameroon and Tahiti: See	foreign language.


 * Target	language: This	is the language that the learner is attempting to learn. It	comprises the native speaker's grammar.


 * Task	based: This	refers to materials or courses which are designed around a series of	authentic tasks which give learners experience of using the language	in ways in which it is used in the 'real world' outside the	classroom. They have no pre-determined language syllabus and the aim	is for learners to learn from the tasks the language they need to	participate successfully in them. Examples of such tasks would be	working out the itinerary of a journey from a timetable, completing	a passport application form, ordering a product from a catalogue and	giving directions to the post office: See authentic tasks.


 * Universal	Grammar: A	set of general principles that apply to all languages, rather than a	set of particular rules.