Language development for teachers - Unit one

Language Development for Teachers:

Language Development for Teachers Unit One : Analysing Needs

LD4Ts – A Form of ESP?:

LD4Ts – A Form of ESP? "ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason for learning.” Hutchinson and Waters (1987:19) – my emphasis

So what might a teacher want from a language improvement course?:

So what might a teacher want from a language improvement course? A better understanding of the language s/he has to teach Greater confidence in using language in the classroom while conducting the lesson Improved ability to read specialist literature: teacher’s books, methodology books and journals etc Improved ability to participate in training courses, professional conferences, internet teachers’ forums etc Improved ability to write/adapt materials for their own students General language maintenance/improvement for non c/r related reasons

Or even…:

Or even… Improved ability to conduct training sessions, give conference presentations, write abstracts and professional papers, textbooks etc

Differing Needs…:

Differing Needs… Group A : A group of primary school teachers. Though all experienced in their field, they have never had to teach a language before and languages have not previously been included in the primary curriculum. Their Ministry of Education now intends to introduce English for all children from the age of six.

Differing Needs…:

Differing Needs… Group B : A group of experienced secondary school teachers. They are all English specialists, have a degree in English and previous TEFL training.

Differing Needs…:

Differing Needs… Group C : A group of experienced secondary school teachers. They are not language teachers but teach other curricular subjects. They have a degree in that subject and training in teaching that subject. The Ministry of Education has now decided to introduce CLIL courses at secondary level, and they will be required to teach their own subject through the medium of English.

Differing Needs…:

Differing Needs… Group D : A group of experienced secondary school English teachers. They have a degree in that subject and training in language teaching methodology. The Ministry of Education has now decided to introduce CLIL courses at secondary level, and they will be required to teach another subject through the medium of English.

Differing Needs…:

Differing Needs… Group E: A group of teacher trainees on a one year postgraduate course to qualify as state school teachers of English

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Needs will depend on the participants’ current level of English and how well that matches the demands of their teaching situation

Some issues…:

Some issues… What level of proficiency do language teachers need? How do the teachers themselves feel about their level of proficiency? The duration of the course as opposed to the need for life-long learning Can you separate language improvement courses from methodology courses? The relationship between the trainer and the course participants

What level of proficiency do language teachers need?:

What level of proficiency do language teachers need? “Lange (1990) rates language competence as the most essential characteristic of a good teacher, and few would disagree with this view.” Murdoch, G. (1994:254) A misquote? Lange includes language competence as one of the characteristics of a good teacher?

What level of proficiency do language teachers need?:

What level of proficiency do language teachers need? Medgyes (1992) : “the more proficient, the more efficient” is an absurd assertion” Argues strongly that non-NESTs may have other advantages in the classroom but concludes : “… one of the most important professional duties non-NESTS have to perform is to improve their command of English.” and “The ideal non-NEST is the one who has achieved near-native proficiency in English.”

What level of proficiency do language teachers need?:

What level of proficiency do language teachers need? But doesn’t it also depend on the teaching situation? Age and level of the learners? Learner needs and course aims ?

What level of proficiency do language teachers need?:

What level of proficiency do language teachers need? “The whole point of teaching a language is to develop a learner’s mastery of it, his (sic) “language competence”…. Teacher’s, in order to impart this competence should themselves have language competence to a greater degree than their learners” Thomas (1987)

What level of proficiency do language teachers need?:

What level of proficiency do language teachers need? Murphey et al(2004): “… if primary school teachers believe that they must be perfect speakers before they speak English in class, pedagogy may revert to traditional grammar translation in the L1, teachers may develop and communicate negative attitudes toward learning English, and many will have missed an excellent opportunity to model effective learning beliefs, collaborative strategies, and positive attitudes toward language learning for their students… We would like to make the somewhat radical suggestion that in this period of catching up, we encourage primary school teachers to learn English with their students in a collaborative learning project with specialized methods and materials(much of which still needs to be created).”

How do the teachers themselves feel about their level of proficiency?:

How do the teachers themselves feel about their level of proficiency? “ For non-native English teachers, language proficiency will always represent the bedrock of their professional confidence.” Murdoch, G. (1994:254) “ Many future non-native teachers of English around the world, and specifically in Argentina, express a strong desire to meet one of their most pressing needs: improve their command of English so that they can perform with greater confidence in their classrooms.” Lucchini, P.L. (2004)

The duration of the course as opposed to the need for life-long learning:

The duration of the course as opposed to the need for life-long learning The course will not be able to cover all the participants’ needs Language maintenance will need to be career-long Therefore… Ts need to develop as autonomous learners

What level of proficiency do language teachers need?:

What level of proficiency do language teachers need? “It is important to keep your short-term and long-term goals in mind when dealing with the issue of teachers’ target language proficiency. In some cases a short-term … goal would be to make sure the teachers are providing their current students with sociolinguistically appropriate and (nearly) error-free examples of the target language in their lessons and materials. In contrast, a long-term goal would be to help the teachers improve their target language skills and develop their own strategies for continuing to improve their skills.” Bailey, K. (2006)

Can you separate language improvement courses from methodology courses?:

Can you separate language improvement courses from methodology courses? On a course with a methodology component (eg Group E) the two should be linked ? On a course for untrained teachers it doesn’t make sense not to incorporate it ? On a course focusing on classroom language it’s inevitable? On any course the link will in all cases be implicit? Not to discuss it misses a chance to tap into the participants’ interests and promote authentic communication. See DeFelice, W . Reinvesting in Language ELTJ 52 (1) 65-66

The relationship between the trainer and the course participants:

The relationship between the trainer and the course participants In most ESP courses … The trainer is the expert in the language The participants are less knowledgeable about the language The trainer is the expert in the methodology The participants do not consider themselves experts in the methodology The trainer may or may not be knowledgeable about the subject The course participants may or may not be knowledgeable about the subject

The relationship between the trainer and the course participants:

The relationship between the trainer and the course participants In LD4Ts courses … The trainer is the expert in the language The participants may consider themselves knowledgeable about the language The trainer is the expert in the methodology The participants may consider themselves experts in the methodology The subject is the language/methodology

The relationship between the trainer and the course participants:

The relationship between the trainer and the course participants “…teaching English to English teachers who are supposed to “know” English already requires a lot of tact” Willis (1981)

References:

References Bailey, K. (2006) Language Teacher Supervision : A Case Based Approach , CUP Belcher, D. (2009) “What ESP Is and Can Be: An Introduction” in Belcher, D. (ed) English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice Michigan ELT. DeFelice, W . “Reinvesting in Language” ELTJournal 52 (1) 65-66 Hutchinson and Waters (1987) English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centred approach . CUP Lange, D.L. (1990) “A blueprint for a teacher development programe” in Richards, J.C. and Nunan, D. Second Language Teacher Education CUP

References (cont):

References (cont) Medgyes, P. (1992) “Native or Non-native? Who’s worth more?” ELT Journal 46 (4) 30-349 Murdoch, G. (1994) “Language development provision in teacher training curricula” ELT Journal 48 (3) 253-265 Murphey, T., Asaoka, C., & Sekiguchi, M. (2004). Primary teachers colearning English with their students. The Language Teacher, 28 (2), 15-18. Thomas, A.L (1987) "Language Teacher Competence and language teacher education" in Bowers, R (ed) Language Teacher Education ELT Documents British Council Willis, J. (1981) "The Training of Non-Native Speaker Teachers of English : A New Approach" in Marsh, G. (ed) Focus on the Teacher, ELT Documents British Council

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