LEARNING ENGLISH

METHODOLOGY SYLLABUS

Unit 1: An Introduction to the Methodology Course

 

Unit 2: Different Ways of Working

1.  Organizing a Class
2.   Pairwork
3.  Groupwork

Unit 3: Monitoring

Session 1: Introducing to Monitoring

Session 2: Peer Teaching Practice

Unit 4: Learner Centred Teaching

Unit 5: Observation and Feedback

Unit 6: Giving Instructions

Session 1: Giving Clear Instructions
Session 2: Peer Teaching Practice


Unit 7: Teaching New Language (Structures)


Session 1: What Do You Present?
Session 2: How to Present New Language?
Session 3: The Principles of Presenting New Language
Session 4: Concept Checking
Session 5: Peer Teaching Practice

Unit 7: Teaching New Language (Structure)


Session 1: What Do You Present?
Session 2: How to Present New Language
Session 3: The Principles of Presenting New Language
Session 4: Concept Checking
Session 5: Peer Teaching Practice


Unit 8: Practicing New Language (Structure)


Session 1: Drills
Session 2: Peer Teaching Practice
Session 3: Controlled and Less Controlled Activities
Session 4: Less Controlled Practice Activities
Session 5: Other Less Controlled Practice Activities


Unit 9: Teaching New Language (Vocabulary)


Session 1: The Importance of Teaching Vocabulary
Session 2: Way of Teaching Vocabulary
Session 3: Peer Teaching Practice


Unit 10: Practicing New Language (Vocabulary)


Unit 11: Teaching New Language (Functions / Competencies)


Unit 12: Practicing New Language (Functions / Competencies)

Unit 13: Introduction to Language Learning Skills

Session 1: Introduction to Teaching Listening
Session 2: Teaching Listening Using 'Interactions'
Session 3: Peer Teaching Practice


Unit 14: Speaking


Session 1: Teaching Speaking
Session 2: Correcting Spoken Mistakes (Part 1)
Session 3: Correcting Spoken Mistakes (Part 2)
Session 4: Correcting Spoken Mistakes (Peer Teaching Practice)
Session 5: Teaching Pronunciation
Session 6: Pronunciation Activities and Peer Teaching


Unit 15: Reading

Session 1: Introduction to Teaching Reading
Session 2: Reading Skills (Part 1)
Session 3: Reading Skills (Part 2)
Session 4: Peer Teaching Practice


Unit 16: Writing


Session 1: Raising Awareness about Writing
Session 2: Teaching Handwriting - Basic Principles & Letters
Session 3: Teaching Handwriting - Writing Words
Session 4: How to Teach the Alphabet
Session 5: Writing Activities in EFC
Session 6: Meaningful Writing and Parallel Writing
Session 7: Correcting Written Work
Session 8: Using Dictation
Session 9: Cohesion and Coherence

Unit 17: Testing

Session 1: Introduction to Testing
Session 2: Different Testing Activities
Session 3: Writing Test Items
Session 4: Giving and Marking Tests


Unit 18: Asking Questions


Unit 19: Warmers, Filters Closers


Unit 20: Creating an Effective Learning Environment


Session 1: Creating Something Out of Nothing
Session 2: Using Gestures and Giving Praise
Session 3: Gender Awareness

Unit 1

AN INTRODUCTION 
TO THE METHODOLOGY COURSE

Aim: To explain what methodology is

to get the trainees to reflect on previous teaching methodologies they have experienced to introduce the main ideas behind the communicative approach to language learning.

Warmer: Hangman

1. Trainer draws 11 dashes on the board.
2. Trainer elicits the word 'Methodology' by playing Hangman.
3. Trainer checks the pronunciation of the word and marks the stress.
4. Trainer asks the trainees. 
5. Trainer elicits the trainees' ideas.

"What is Methodology?" 

METHODOLOGY = the methods, ways and techniques used in doing something, e.g. Studying methodology at the RTTC means learning how to teach well.


Task 1: Reflecting on Past Experiences

1. Trainer puts the trainees into groups of 4 or 5 people.
2. Trainer writes the following questions on the board.

Before you started this course . . .
a. Where did you learn English?
b. What textbooks did you use?
c. In your English lessons, how much time did you spend studying grammar? (30%, 50%, more than 80%)
d. Did your teacher spend a lot of time translating English into Khmer?
e. How much time did you spend practicing speaking English?
(80%, 50%, 30%, less than 30%,never?)
 


     3. Trainees share experiences in their groups.     4. Trainer asks a few trainees about their experiences.
     5. Trainer asks the trainers the following questions.

Are there any differences between how you learned English in the past and how you are learning English now, on this course? If so, what are they?

    6. Trainees discuss their ideas in groups.
    7. Trainer elicits their ideas.
    8. Trainer asks the trainees to read the following:

In Cambodia, we are learning how to use a teaching methodology called the "Communicative Approach." In the past, you probably learned English through the "Grammar Translation" method. the "Grammar" method has been very popular in Cambodia, but many other parts of the world no longer use it. Most people want to learn a language so that they can communicate easily with other speakers of that language . The "Grammar Translation" method teaches a lot about how a language work, but not so much about how to use it. The "Communicative Approach" does not concentrate on grammar, it aims to teach people many different things about a language so that they can easily communicate with other people and can use the new language with confidence.

9. Trainer makes sure the trainees understand the passage and give them a few minutes to discuss it in pair or small groups. The trainer then answers any the trainees want to ask.


Task 2: Main Ideas behind the "Communicative Approach"


A. Grammar Translation Method

- lots of reading and writing practice
-
-
-


B. Communicative Approved
- lots of pair and group work
-
-
-

student-centred
lots of reading and writing practice
rote learning
communication-based
encourage critical thinking
lots of speaking practice
lots of pair and group work
teacher tells
teacher-centred
little pair and group work
teacher elicits
lots of translation
teacher uses a lot of Khmer in the class
students talk a lot
teacher talks a lot

2. Trainer asks the trainees to read the phrases above and checks the trainees understand them.
3. Trainer tells trainees to work in pairs to put the items in the correct categories.
4. Trainer asks each pairs of trainees to discuss their answer with another pair.
5. Whole class feedback.


Task 3: Consolidation

1. Trainer asks the trainees to read the handout "Introduction to Methodology".
2. Trainer answers any questions the trainees have.

INTRODUCTION TO METHODOLOGY

Teaching English is not an easy job, but it is an important one.

English is a world language. People all over the world, in rich and poor countries, want to know English because it can help them to be successful. If your students can communicate in English, it will help them to get good jobs, to become the doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers and business people that Cambodia need to develop. By teaching English you are helping Cambodia's development.

During this course you will learn how to teach English well.

Studying methodology means learning which methods, ways and techniques

a teacher can use to help his or students to learn English well.

People learn a language so they can communicate with  other speakers of that language. The methodology you will learn is called the Communicative Approach. It is very popular all over the world because it helps students to use the language they have learned to communicate with other people easily and with confidence.

WITH the COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH

• lessons are student-centred and not teacher-centred.
• the student learn from each other as well as the teacher.
• the students are active not passive.
• the students do not of the talking and get most of the practice.
• the students work in pairs and small grups as well as together as a whole class.
• lessons are more practical than theoretical.
• the students talk more and the teacher talks less.
• the students learn to think and do things for themselves.
• the teacher elicits knowledge from the students as well as giving them information directly.

DIFFERENT WAYS OF WORKING

SESSION 1: Organizing a Class

Aim:             To get trainees to think about the 4 ways of arranging students in the classroom

                     To get trainees to think about how to organize pair-work effectively

Task 1:        Advantages of Pair-work--Demonstration

1. Trainer asks one of the trainees to time the length of the following demonstrations.

2. Trainer performs Demonstration 1, below.

                     Demonstration 1 -- Trainer asks each trainee in the class each of these questions:

                                                     "What time did you get up this morning?"

                                                     "What time did you have breakfast?"

                                                     "What time did you go to bed last night?"

3. Trainer performs Demonstration 2, but stops the demonstration after the same amount of time as Demonstration 1 took.

    

     Demonstration 2
                     (i) Trainer write the table below on the board:

 

                     Ask and answer your partner these questions:

                     What time did you..........(a) get up this morning?

                                                           (b) have breakfast?

                                                           (c) have lunch yesterday?

                                                           (d) go to bed last night?

                                                           (e) come to the RTTC today?

                     Make up 2 more questions starting,

                     "What time did you....?"

                     (ii) Trainer asks the trainees to work in pairs to ask and answer the questions, but stops the demonstration after the same amount of time as was taken for Demonstration 1.

4. Trainees work in pairs to write down the differences between the 2 demonstrations.
5. Trainer holds feedback session and tries to elicit the following:
                      In Demonstration 2...
                      - the students get lots of practice (the teacher gets none). as each asks and answers several questions. (In Demonstration 1, the teacher gets most of the practice.)
                      - the exercise is interesting, motivating and requires the students to be active. (Demonstration 1 is very boring.)
                      - the teacher has time to move around the classroom to monitor how the students are getting on: to identify common problems; to prompt and encourage students having difficulty, and to give extra work to those students finishing quickly. (In Demonstration 1, the teacher doesn't have time to listen to the students properly or to help those who are having difficulties.)
                      - the students can work at their own speed.
                      - students have the chance to make mistakes without doing so in front of the whole class. Shyer students can help each other and learn from each other.
                      - students have a chance to think about what they are doing and realize if they understand or not.
                      - In Demonstration 1, most of the students are passive most of the time; in Demonstration 2, all the students are active all of the time.

Task 2:       Different Types of Classroom Interaction

 1. Trainer draws the pictures of different types of classroom interaction below on the board, or shows the class an enlarged photocopy of the pictures (the pictures are from 'Teach English' by Adrian Doff, Teacher's Workbook, p. 120):
















































2. Trainees work in small groups to discuss the following questions:
     (i)   What is happening in each of the picture above?
     (ii)  Which of these four ways of organizing students can be used in Cambodian school?
     (iii) Can you name two other ways of working in a class?


3. Trainer elicits ideas from the groups.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS:

    
(i)   a)  'Teacher to class' The teacher is communicating with the whole class. The teacher is the focus of attention for all the students and the only person they listen or talk to. All the students are passive.

       b)  'Teacher to individual student' The teacher is talking to one student. The rest of the class are listening to what is being said by the teacher and that student. All the students are passive except for the individual being addressed by the teacher. 

       c)  'Student to student (open pair)' Two students are talking to each other. The rest of the class (and the teacher) are listening to the two students. This type of interaction is called an 'open pair'. All the students are passive except for the pair.

       d)  'Student to student (closed pairs)'  All the students are talking to one other student in the class. This type of unobserved interaction is called a 'closed pair'.  All the students are active.


(ii)   All of them can be used in Cambodian schools.


(iii)  Students working alone, individually.
       Students working in small groups.