English Language Teaching: An Overview

Overview

• Visual Aids• Prepared Participation• Comprehension Checks• 3-Part Vocab Lesson• Dealing with Mixed Abilities Groups• Planning Language Lessons• Dealing with Errors

Visual Aids• Real objects

• Flashcards

• Charts like a series of pictures that tells a story

• Videos

• Chalkboard

• Gesture and body language

Prepared Participation

• EFL students often need more think time than we might expect.

Prepared Participation

• EFL students often need more think time than we might expect.

• One way to deal with this is with wait time

Prepared Participation

• EFL students often need more think time than we might expect.

• One way to deal with this is with wait time• Another is with prepared participation:

Prepared Participation

• EFL students often need more think time than we might expect.

• One way to deal with this is with wait time• Another is with prepared participation:– Think / pair / share

Prepared Participation

• EFL students often need more think time than we might expect.

• One way to deal with this is with wait time• Another is with prepared participation:– Think / pair / share– Freewriting

Prepared Participation

• EFL students often need more think time than we might expect.

• One way to deal with this is with wait time• Another is with prepared participation:– Think / pair / share– Freewriting– Homework

Comp ChecksHave you ever asked students if they

understood, gotten a “yes” and then later realized they don’t actually understand at all?

Comp Checks• Students will almost always answer yes if

asked: Do you understand?

Comp Checks• Students will almost always answer yes if

asked: Do you understand?• Instead ask comprehension check questions:

Comp Checks• Students will almost always answer yes if

asked: Do you understand?• Instead ask comprehension check questions:– How many people will you talk to?

Comp Checks• Students will almost always answer yes if

asked: Do you understand?• Instead ask comprehension check questions:– How many people will you talk to?– Do you need to write a full sentence?

Comp Checks• Students will almost always answer yes if

asked: Do you understand?• Instead ask comprehension check questions:– How many people will you talk to?– Do you need to write a full sentence?– So if I’m exhausted (new vocab word), do I want to

go to a party? Do I want to go to sleep?

Comp Checks• Students will almost always answer yes if

asked: Do you understand?• Instead ask comprehension check questions:– How many people will you talk to?– Do you need to write a full sentence?– So if I’m exhausted (new vocab word), do I want to

go to a party? Do I want to go to sleep?– If I’m talking about what I’m doing tomorrow,

should I use “went”?

The 3 Part Vocab LessonCCC or Convey, check, consolidate

The 3 Part Vocab LessonCCC or Convey, check, consolidate

Convey: Make the meaning of the new word clear with visuals, gestures, definition or translation

The 3 Part Vocab LessonCCC or Convey, check, consolidate

Convey: Make the meaning of the new word clear with visuals, gestures, definition or translationCheck: Ask comp check questions to see if student understood what you conveyed

The 3 Part Vocab LessonCCC or Convey, check, consolidate

Convey: Make the meaning of the new word clear with visuals, gestures, definition or translationCheck: Ask comp check questions to see if student understood what you conveyedConsolidate: Ask a more open ended question that forces students to use the new word right away

Dealing with Mixed Ability Groups• Put students in groups so that there is a balance of strong and

weak students within each group.

• The advantage of this is that the stronger students can support the weaker ones.

• Put students in groups of all strong students and all weak students.

• The advantage of this is that students feel comfortable working with students at the same level.

Dealing with Mixed Ability GroupsQUESTIONS1. In a large class, should you put students in groups?Yes 2. Is it okay to put only the strong students in a group?Yes3. Is it okay to put strong and weak students together in a group?Yes4. What is the advantage of putting only strong students in a group?The advantage of this is that students feel comfortable working with students at the same level.5. What is the advantage of putting strong and weak students together in a group? The advantage of this is that the stronger students can support the weaker ones.

Planning Language Lessons

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

• Write your overview

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

• Write your overview• Plan your timeline

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

• Write your overview• Plan your timeline• Find opportunities for a variety of student

interactions

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

• Write your overview• Plan your timeline• Find opportunities for a variety of student

interactions– Individual, pair work, small group, large class

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

• Write your overview• Plan your timeline• Find opportunities for a variety of student

interactions– Individual, pair work, small group, large class

• Address a variety of learning modalities

Planning Language Lessons

• Start with your objectives– Learners will be able to… (LWBAT)

• Write your overview• Plan your timeline• Find opportunities for a variety of student

interactions– Individual, pair work, small group, large class

• Address a variety of learning modalities– Visual, auditory, kinesthetic

Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints

• Script out what you want to say

Helpful Hints

• Script out what you want to say– Discussion prompts, directions, comprehension

checks, examples

Helpful Hints

• Script out what you want to say– Discussion prompts, directions, comprehension

checks, examples• Over plan

Helpful Hints

• Script out what you want to say– Discussion prompts, directions, comprehension

checks, examples• Over plan• Have review activities ready to pull out as

needed

Helpful Hints

• Script out what you want to say– Discussion prompts, directions, comprehension

checks, examples• Over plan• Have review activities ready to pull out as

needed• Be flexible

Helpful Hints

• Script out what you want to say– Discussion prompts, directions, comprehension

checks, examples• Over plan• Have review activities ready to pull out as

needed• Be flexible• Respond to learner needs- they know what

they need to learn

Dealing with ErrorsDoes a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?

Dealing with ErrorsDoes a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?– No! First, determine the focus of your lesson. This

will help you plan what errors to hold students responsible for

Dealing with ErrorsDoes a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?– No! First, determine the focus of your lesson. This

will help you plan what errors to hold students responsible for

What if I don’t want to embarrass the students or scare them away from participating?

Dealing with ErrorsDoes a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?– No! First, determine the focus of your lesson. This

will help you plan what errors to hold students responsible for

What if I don’t want to embarrass the students or scare them away from participating?– Build in prepared participation before asking shy

students to share in front of the class

Dealing with ErrorsDoes a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?– No! First, determine the focus of your lesson. This

will help you plan what errors to hold students responsible for

What if I don’t want to embarrass the students or scare them away from participating?– Build in prepared participation before asking shy

students to share in front of the class– Immediate correction versus delayed correction

Error Correction Techniques

Error Correction Techniques• Recast

Error Correction Techniques• Recast• Echo (Last night, she call her mom? OR Last

night she ____ her mom? She give a present?)

Error Correction Techniques• Recast• Echo (Last night, she call her mom? OR Last

night she ____ her mom? She give a present?)• Give options (She call or called?)

Error Correction Techniques• Recast• Echo (Last night, she call her mom? OR Last

night she ____ her mom? She give a present?)• Give options (She call or called?)• Ask a question (When did she call? Past or

present?)

Error Correction Techniques• Recast• Echo (Last night, she call her mom? OR Last

night she ____ her mom? She give a present?)• Give options (She call or called?)• Ask a question (When did she call? Past or

present?)• Finger correction

Error Correction Techniques• Recast• Echo (Last night, she call her mom? OR Last

night she ____ her mom? She give a present?)• Give options (She call or called?)• Ask a question (When did she call? Past or

present?)• Finger correction • Write it on the board

Error Correction Techniques• Recast• Echo (Last night, she call her mom? OR Last

night she ____ her mom? She give a present?)• Give options (She call or called?)• Ask a question (When did she call? Past or

present?)• Finger correction • Write it on the board• Peer correction