The EFL classroom after a British Council

course

March 14-18, 2016

Elvina Castillo RosarioUniversidad Nacional Experimental

“Francisco de Miranda”

Languages Department

Why are you attending this event?

• New ideas• Meet colleagues

• Share experiences• New strategies

• Updated theories• New trends in EFL teaching

• …

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CAPEIEMCurso de ampliación profesional

para la Enseñanza del Inglés en la Educación Media

Graduate course based on CiSELT

• Aimed at: in-service teachers• 2 modules: proficient and advanced

• 41 workshops• 31 weeks

• 3 weeks for practicals

• Favour ongoing processes through a period of time.• Take place in venue+classroom

• Student learning provide motivation for professional learning

• Rely on collaborative learning and expertise sharing.• All voices are heard.

• Teachers can tailor the course to their needs

CPD courses

What did teachers get?

• Onion ring• Running dictation• Comics• Video• Audio• Integrate other subjects, like

drama and literature• …

Strategies and beyond...

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• The aim of the class• Teacher and student roles• Testing vs. assessment• Easy vs. useful activities• Relevance of materials• Context and teaching EFL- Be present!• Classroom management• ...

...a new mindset in progress about:

• give long not very easy activities, homework and tests;• teach from the board;• explain the structure, grammar, first;• make students participate by writing on the board;• not use resources;• focus on grammar and syntax;• think one size fits all;• plan according to what I liked, what I wanted to do –the

easiest for me;• explain, say, give instructions, complain… speak++;• feel frustrated with the results I got;• test, test, test. (wrtitten).

I used to

• activities are shorter and fun, but relevant;• my lessons are dynamic;• my students are involved in their learning;• they move around, speaking, learning;• students support their peer´s learning;• I tailor activities to my students´needs and likes;• I plan according to what they like;• I use activities according to what the skill they need to

develop;

Now,

• I elicit, engage, prompt, guide more…speak less;• I know how to deal with challenging students and work

with low resources;• my students use the language to communicate;• I still teach grammar, but...• I feel happy with the results I get…and my students are

happy too!• I teach, lead and inspire more!

Now,

• Don´t underestimate your students´abilities.• Students must be open to the changes in the classroom.• For this, developing a positive learning environment is key

(empathy, trust, respect).• You might need the support of authorities in your school.• The socio-economic context where you work does not

determine what you teach, just how you teach.

Additional reflectionsFor changes to happen,

• Short and fun activities are also useful to assess learning.• A lesson plan is not a straightjacket, but it should include

guidelines and options for the teacher to try.• Include warm up and lead in activities.• Students enjoy being involved in the class, having an active

role in class.• Learning is a continuum: a set quality and level of instruction

and a shared teaching aim are key to learning.• Focusing on solutions and not on problems can help you

face challenges.• The aim of learning an English lesson should be that the

student can communicate, can speak, can use the language.

Change is the end result of all true learning.Leo Buscaglia.

“Teaching a language goes beyond the language. We should also teach students to be good persons, good citizens. Enjoy your job. This will keep you motivated to keep on learning and searching for new strategies to get to your students. In this way, they will respect you and develop trust, creating a positive learning atmosphere, where students are not afraid of making mistakes, where they want to learn and where they feel supported by the group. This is the way you get to your students.”

“Expectativas superadas. Además de estrategias, me di cuenta que lo que uno cree que es imposible, es posible! Cuando iniciamos nos dijeron “Abran su mentes”. Y lo hice.”

“La expectativa que tenía se cumplió, por que las estrategias estaban allí. Obtuvimos herramientas para trabajar con nuestro contexto, cómo manejar estudiantes difíciles, cómo enseñar a diferentes edades, y muchas cosas que yo podía adaptar al contexto en el que trabajo.”

The EFL classroom after a British Council

course

March 14-18, 2016

Elvina Castillo Rosario@elvicaro

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