Yes, as the subject line states, AIS Term 1 is now officially over with the finish of the three weekday IELTS classes. Here are photos of two of them: the afternoon IELTS Writing & Listening, and the IELTS Reading & Speaking Course. There’s a few students missing from both of them [the media shy types, right?].
It was great teaching you all, and putting you on the path to IELTS success. Good luck in the future.
But both courses begin again with AIS Term 2, starting next week. Both classes are filling up, so contact us quickly if you want to join. They start on Monday and Tuesday, and then there’s the long Chinese New Year Holiday – lasting a full week, so there’ll be plenty of time to do your homework, right?
Just click on …. AIS.IELTS.COMto find out everything.
Well, the Saturday IELTS Course finished last Saturday, and it was pizza for lunch! And below you can see me giving Brad my appreciation. Ha ha.
By the way, do you like my beard? My wife says it makes my nose smaller – (and that’s supposed to make me feel better). Hmmmmm. Well, while the weather is cold, I can put up with a beard, but when the weather gets hot, it gets hard to tolerate. In the meantime, I can be the ‘seasoned and professorial type’.
Anyhow, it was good having the pizza, but afterwards, we had to do the last IELTS Listening Class, and then it was all over. It’s a little sad after three months of getting to know them. All the best for the future, and let’s hope for IELTS success, right!
Remember, the next Saturday IELTS Course begins just after Chinese New Year, on Saturday 24th February. Hope to see you in my class. Just go to …
Do you think this person agrees with me? Probably not, right? This person is going to criticise me!
A Conversation with Someone who Disagrees (i)
Let us imagine that I am talking with someone who strongly disagrees with everything I have said. They are like the picture above, and they certainly don’t look happy, right? Remember, this ‘old system’ of grammar/translation/Chinese explanation/memorisation lives on in Taiwan, and some people are making so much money using it. The people who use it are not going to agree with anything I say, right? Going further, they might even attack me, with all sorts of interesting comments. Hmmmm. So, why don’t I list some of the things they may say, and give my reply?
I have 11 comments/criticismswhich I will answer one by one, so this series of posts will go for a while – in fact, this ‘Q & A’ will take up the next 10 posts, after which I will make a final concluding post on this issue. So, here we go. Let us think about the first criticism from those who disagree with me.
1st Comment
What you say is all very fine, but IELTS is different! We need to be taught logic and pronunciation. Memorisation gives you an understanding of the underlying logic of the language.
My Response
The ‘IELTS is different’ comment is interesting. It can be a standard ‘cop out‘ to justify anything at all.
“IELTS is different, so you need to [blah, blah, blah = (excuse for bad teaching, lazy methods, false promises of quick results, and minimal results for you)].”
You’ve got to listen carefully to the ‘blah blah blah’, and work out if it actually makes sense.
But here are a few questions. How is IELTS different? Different to what? Different to learning English? But IELTS is a test of English language proficiency, so the better you are at English, the higher your mark will be. Thus, getting a better score in IELTS requires learning English better. As I say in the conclusion of all my IELTS books, ‘how can writing (or reading or speaking) tips help if you still cannot write (read or speak)?
Many students have come to me saying, ‘I did this ‘[Put fancy course name here] IELTS course, but at the end I didn’t understand anything.’ Yes, those courses were sold upon the basis of … ‘But IELTS is different, and this course gives you special insider advanced magic knowledge to help you quickly …’, and so on and so on. But it was all a trick, of course.
In short, the ‘IELTS is different’ is a very suspect comment to make. It can simply be a flimsy way to confuse you from the fact that you need to get better at English, and you need a REAL teacher with REAL qualifications who will REALLY give you the skills of English/IELTS.
Regarding your comment ‘we need to be taught pronunciation’, I’m not quite sure what you mean. Pronunciation is all part of the CLT approach. If you are suggesting that your memorisation approach gives you good pronunciation, I can only say that in IELTS, the pronunciation band score recognises ‘a range of pronunciation features’ (=IELTS 8). This includes …
chunking
sentence stress, and
intonation.
These features come from natural speaking, and a natural fluency. They don’t come from memorisation. It is futile having perfect pronunciation, but not being able to speak. And if you can’t speak, you don’t have ‘perfect’ pronunciation – you actually have very bad pronunciation. Remember, features of pronunciation come from being able to speak, so you always need to practise speaking! One quarter of your score is based on fluency.
As for your comment about logic, for IELTS speaking, logical answers come from honestly answering a question; it doesn’t come from memorisation, or constantly turning off your brain to access badly-remembered grammar. Anyone who says this is simply making it up to sound smart; however, there is no evidence or research to support this, and no common sense reason why it should work.
Regarding logic and IELTS writing, the teacher who claims you should copy other people’s essays many times to learn ‘logic’ is simply speaking like a person of the street who knows nothing about how languages are really learnt. Learning is a thinking thing – isn’t that obvious to everyone? Well, it should be obvious to everyone, so when you hear the ‘blah blah blah’, it’s time to start thinking carefully, right?
We will look at more two more (critical) comments in the next post.
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
a criticism (n)
a cop out (n)
to justify (v)
to be suspect (v)
to be flimsy (adj)
to chunk [words together] (v)
to be futile (adj)
to be critical (adj)
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
In the previous post, I describe how three of my colleagues tried to learn Chinese in a ‘traditional’ way, from a ‘traditional’ teacher, in a ‘traditional’ school, and how bad it was for them.
And this leads to the greatest thing about CLT. It’s the total opposite to that situation. CLT is wonderful. It empowers you, it respects you, it celebrates that you are an individual who can contribute to the class. You are not seen as passive and empty bottles; you are seen as intelligent human beings who are a resource for everyone! You can really shine (hence the picture above).
CLT is NOT based on nationality, race, or religion. It doesn’t play the insulting ‘you are Chinese, so you need a Chinese teacher’ game. CLT is based on the universal aspects of human nature, the common thinking processes, instincts, and knowledge of society and the world that everyone has.
CLT states that all human beings share the same set of human responses, and are driven by the same needs. We all smile, we can all laugh at a joke, and when a teacher holds up a picture, and we all recognise what we see.
Here’s one of my favourite quotes from the Learning-Teaching textbook which I used when training teachers.
As language teachers, we are privileged to work with a vital and fascinating subject matter. Language is the way we express our very being. It is the way we come to terms with the world. It is the way we make our understanding of life concrete. It is the way we make contact with other human beings.
Teaching English as a foreign language is indeed a great thing, and all teachers who do it should take it very seriously, and strive to do it in the best possible way. The problem is, they don’t!
The Problem: the BIG Problem
The problem is, the old system requires little effort, preparation, or skill, and requires you to keep paying money for course after course with very limited results. This is attractive to many teachers, schools, and organisations.
The problem is, there is a whole industry out there based on this. Ethics are irrelevant when the money rolls in. So, the propaganda, the marketing, the networking, the deceitful advertising, the tricks and games continue.The whole teaching environment changes into methods of getting your money; not methods to actually help you.
Your job as a consumer is to work out what is true, what is false, and what is best for you.
The next post will begin answering specific attacks people might make about all I have said.
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to empower (v)
to be passive (adj)
to be insulting (adj)
aspect (n)
an instinct (n)
to be priviledged (adj)
to strive (v)
ethics (n)
propaganda (n)
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
Well, another Sunday IELTS Intensive Course has just finished today. Wow, three months (every Sunday for 12 weeks) means I really get to know these people in the picture below, and really get to help them with the IELTS Test.
Well, the next Intensive Sunday IELTS course is scheduled for next Sunday, February 28th January. Get in quick if you want a place, and I look forward to seeing you there, and helping you succeed in the IELTS test.
In this post, I’ll give an example of teachers doing it the WRONG WAY! I’ll also mention the bad effect it has – and this time, the students were westerners (two British and one American)!
WHAT IF I WANTED TO LEARN CHINESE?
Let’s look at another example, but an imaginary one. Let’s pretend that I decided to do a Chinese language course. Well, I’m an educated person who knows about CLT, so I would never ever ever want the teacher to use much of my language (English) to me in the classroom.
Remember, just listening to explanations about Mandarin grammar means that the teacher is making no effort, using no preparation, and displaying no skill. And I, as a learner, would not need to think, try, or do anything. Do you really think that is a system in which people learn?
Also, let us pretend that the teacher of Chinese was actually a westerner (for example, someone from America). Let us imagine that this teacher said to me, ‘I’m a westerner like you, so I understand you better, and can help you learn Chinese better’. What would I do? I would simply walk away, thinking, ‘Don’t treat me like an idiot, or like a mouse in a laboratory experiment. We are all human beings, and learning languages is a universal instinct, totally independent of culture’.
Interestingly, three of my colleagues faced this very situation. This was in 1999 when I worked for British Council in Taiwan (although in those days, it was called the British Trade and Cultural Office [BTCO]). My three colleagues decided to have part-time Chinese lessons. Remember, these were all western teachers, independent and intelligent people, and trained in the principles of CLT. Unfortunately, the Chinese ‘teaching’ in those days was all based on grammar translations (and probably still is). Can you guess the result?
Yes, all three of my colleagues quickly dropped out of their Chinese studies. They all stated that the teaching was such a bad experience that they couldn’t accept it. One of them (the female) said it was simply insulting. Obviously none of these people learnt anything, and none of them ever tried to learn Chinese again. They were too scarred by that first experience. They all eventually left Taiwan after BTCO was forced to close. Not a nice ending, right? But that is the result that the ‘grammar-translation’ method can have on truly intelligent learners who really want to learn a language (and know the truth about how you learn it).
Something to think about, right?
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
a laboratory (n)
an instinct (n)
to insult (v)
to scar (v)
The next post will explain the greatest advantage of CLT.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
Maybe a personal story can make these five principles of CLT become clearer. This incident really opened my eyes and set me free (hence the picture).
This story is short and simple, and goes back to 1993, when I was doing my Cambridge TEFL Certificate Course, known as the CELTA. I had already taught for a year in Caracas, Venezuela, but there I had used a ‘grammar-translation’ method, and it somehow seemed wrong. I realised this in the first 10 minutes of the first class of my CELTA course.
This is what happened. The instructor spent 10 minutes teaching us Russian. Huh? Why would he do this? Well, he wanted to expose us new teachers immediately to some of the principles of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) – principles which seem opposite to common sense. And when I became a CELTA tutor (that is, a Cambridge teacher trainer) 10 years later, I began doing the same thing, teaching the class Spanish in the first lesson, and all for the same reason: to immediately get students to think about how you really can learn. Let me describe what happened.
The tutor walked into the room, and when I said hello to him, he replied in Russian. I didn’t understand a word, and was quite surprised. The tutor then held up a picture of a doctor, and say ‘vrash’. Then he indicated that we should say it. So we did.
Vrash
He then made us chant the word a few times, then he held up pictures of other professions (lawyer, painter, teacher, and so on). We went through all the Russian words for this, chanting them one at a time. The tutor then held up the ‘doctor’ picture, and said, in Russian “I am a doctor”. We knew this was what he said because he pointed to himself as he said this.
So, we all practised saying this sentence in Russian, pointing to ourselves. Then we had to stand up and do a ‘mingle’ activity, where we met and introduced ourselves in Russian. It was fun. It was interactive. We were all laughing as we did this activity. It was using language as it is meant to be used – for real communication in a real situation. And now, over 25 years later, I still remember the Russian word for doctor: ‘vrash’. Wow! 25 years later, and I haven’t forgotten that word. That’s when I realised how people really learn.
Then I thought about the boring, mechanical, meaningless, and unenjoyable ‘grammar-translation’ method I had been using in Caracas. And I realised how bad it was. So, I decided I would study this art of teaching, and keep studying it, and keep getting better at it. This method had the power to truly help others, and I would become dedicated to it.
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to be opposite (adj)
to chant (v)
to mingle (v)
to be interactive (adj)
to be mechanical (adj)
to be dedicated (adj)
The next post will pose the interesting questions, ‘What if I wanted to learn Chinese?’ The answer might surprise you.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
Maybe a personal story can make these five principles of CLT become clearer. This incident really opened my eyes and set me free (hence the picture).
This story is short and simple, and goes back to 1993, when I was doing my Cambridge TEFL Certificate Course, known as the CELTA. I had already taught for a year in Caracas, Venezuela, but there I had used a ‘grammar-translation’ method, and it somehow seemed wrong. I realised this in the first 10 minutes of the first class of my CELTA course.
This is what happened. The instructor spent 10 minutes teaching us Russian. Huh? Why would he do this? Well, he wanted to expose us new teachers immediately to some of the principles of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) – principles which seem opposite to common sense. And when I became a CELTA tutor (that is, a Cambridge teacher trainer) 10 years later, I began doing the same thing, teaching the class Spanish in the first lesson, and all for the same reason: to immediately get students to think about how you really can learn. Let me describe what happened.
The tutor walked into the room, and when I said hello to him, he replied in Russian. I didn’t understand a word, and was quite surprised. The tutor then held up a picture of a doctor, and say ‘vrash’. Then he indicated that we should say it. So we did.
Vrash
He then made us chant the word a few times, then he held up pictures of other professions (lawyer, painter, teacher, and so on). We went through all the Russian words for this, chanting them one at a time. The tutor then held up the ‘doctor’ picture, and said, in Russian “I am a doctor”. We knew this was what he said because he pointed to himself as he said this.
So, we all practised saying this sentence in Russian, pointing to ourselves. Then we had to stand up and do a ‘mingle’ activity, where we met and introduced ourselves in Russian. It was fun. It was interactive. We were all laughing as we did this activity. It was using language as it is meant to be used – for real communication in a real situation. And now, over 25 years later, I still remember the Russian word for doctor: ‘vrash’. Wow! 25 years later, and I haven’t forgotten that word. That’s when I realised how people really learn.
Then I thought about the boring, mechanical, meaningless, and unenjoyable ‘grammar-translation’ method I had been using in Caracas. And I realised how bad it was. So, I decided I would study this art of teaching, and keep studying it, and keep getting better at it. This method had the power to truly help others, and I would become dedicated to it.
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to be opposite (adj)
to chant (v)
to mingle (v)
to be interactive (adj)
to be mechanical (adj)
to be dedicated (adj)
The next post will pose the interesting questions, ‘What if I wanted to learn Chinese?’ The answer might surprise you.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
One Important Point // CLT is a highly specialised and difficult skill
It is very important to realise that becoming conversant and skilled in CLT methodology takes years and years of dedicated effort. Just because of teacher studied CLT does not mean he or she will be good. There can be lazy teachers, corrupt teachers, and teachers with bad attitudes. To do it well, every lesson takes preparation, effort, and careful thinking. Following the CLT principles needs constant attention to detail, self-discipline, and self-control. Teachers need to constantly strive to get better, and it takes work if everything is going to fit together like the above picture!
As a teacher trainer (for five years at Monash University), I had to fail many people who tried to become teachers. They just didn’t have the open-mindedness and mental flexibility to handle it. They lacked the people skills and confidence. They were too traditional, and wanted to ‘teach’ in the traditional way (= explain endlessly about grammar to silent, still, and bored students).
My job as a teacher trainer was to begin to instill the necessary skills and awareness of the CLT principles. However, let me also say that most people passed the course, but that was also because there was an initial interview before the course where we checked that the candidate was an intelligent, open-minded, and decent individual. Close-minded, unintelligent, and self-serving individuals do not make good teachers; if they got into a CELTA course, they usually dropped out fairly quickly. Here, I could give a few stories of people like that – but that’s quite negative.
However, I will say that, interestingly, the candidates who always had the most trouble passing the CELTA courses were teachers and lecturers of other university subjects. We had one candidate who taught philosophy (at our university), and he constantly struggled to change his thinking.
Remember, these sorts of people have spent their whole career teaching ‘traditionally’. This is fine when teaching philosophy (in English) to English-speaking people – but it is a disaster when teaching English to a group of Indonesians, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese students from abroad. The good news is that this teacher passed the course (although with great effort), and was thus set on the path to becoming an EFL teacher. He eventually went to China.
And when I did the CELTA in 1993, I passed, and first went to Thailand, where I began taking it very very seriously as I realised how powerful it could be in helping students REALLY learn.
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to be conversant (adj)
self discipline (n)
to strive (v)
mental (adj)
initial (adj)
a disaster (n)
The next post will give a personal story which will make all this clearer.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
One Important Point // CLT is a highly specialised and difficult skill
It is very important to realise that becoming conversant and skilled in CLT methodology takes years and years of dedicated effort. Just because of teacher studied CLT does not mean he or she will be good. There can be lazy teachers, corrupt teachers, and teachers with bad attitudes. To do it well, every lesson takes preparation, effort, and careful thinking. Following the CLT principles needs constant attention to detail, self-discipline, and self-control. Teachers need to constantly strive to get better, and it takes work if everything is going to fit together like the above picture!
As a teacher trainer (for five years at Monash University), I had to fail many people who tried to become teachers. They just didn’t have the open-mindedness and mental flexibility to handle it. They lacked the people skills and confidence. They were too traditional, and wanted to ‘teach’ in the traditional way (= explain endlessly about grammar to silent, still, and bored students).
My job as a teacher trainer was to begin to instill the necessary skills and awareness of the CLT principles. However, let me also say that most people passed the course, but that was also because there was an initial interview before the course where we checked that the candidate was an intelligent, open-minded, and decent individual. Close-minded, unintelligent, and self-serving individuals do not make good teachers; if they got into a CELTA course, they usually dropped out fairly quickly. Here, I could give a few stories of people like that – but that’s quite negative.
However, I will say that, interestingly, the candidates who always had the most trouble passing the CELTA courses were teachers and lecturers of other university subjects. We had one candidate who taught philosophy (at our university), and he constantly struggled to change his thinking.
Remember, these sorts of people have spent their whole career teaching ‘traditionally’. This is fine when teaching philosophy (in English) to English-speaking people – but it is a disaster when teaching English to a group of Indonesians, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese students from abroad. The good news is that this teacher passed the course (although with great effort), and was thus set on the path to becoming an EFL teacher. He eventually went to China.
And when I did the CELTA in 1993, I passed, and first went to Thailand, where I began taking it very very seriously as I realised how powerful it could be in helping students REALLY learn.
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to be conversant (adj)
self discipline (n)
to strive (v)
mental (adj)
initial (adj)
a disaster (n)
The next post will give a personal story which will make all this clearer.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
It’s time to unlock your eyes and really see the reality.
The Principles of Modern English Language Teaching (vi): Conclusion
The most modern methodology of teaching English is loosely known as Communicative English Teaching, which is usually just called ‘CLT’. In the previous five posts, I explained its five central principles. So, what do you think?
Hmmmmm. You might realise that CLT is totally different to grammar-translation-memorisation approach. What this means is, the CLT classroom might be totally different to what you have experienced before. If you watch it in action, and don’t know any better, you might think things such as …
Why isn’t the teacher giving the answers?
Why is the teacher asking the students questions? [It should be the other way around!]
Why isn’t the teacher giving out loads of paper with words all over them?
Why are the students talking to each other? [That’s just listening to bad stuff, right?]
The teacher is just sitting in the corner, watching? [He should be helping students, right?]
Why isn’t the teacher explaining grammar?
The students are just talking, but they should be studying books, right? And the teacher should be talking to them?
Why is everyone having fun? [They should be hard at work, and sweating in concentration, right?]
This isn’t teaching at all. This is just wasting the students’ time.
The teacher isn’t treating the students with respect.
I’m not impressed at all.
This teacher has no skill.
However, now that you know the principles of CLT, you might realise that the teacher is actually highly-skilled and experienced, and doing some absolutely amazing things.
The teacher is allowing the students to work out the answers.
The teacher is making the students really understand the points.
The teacher is not overloading the students with useless word lists which they can never remember or ever use in real life.
The teacher is promoting fluency and real communication.
The teacher is listening carefully to the speaking, and noting down the mistake for later feedback.
The teacher is feeding back about grammar only at the end of the speaking activity, and not using names but just saying, “I heard someone say …… what should they say?” so that no one is embarrassed.
The teacher is allowing the students to really communicate in natural ways.
The teacher is creating an environment where no one is frightened to speak.
The teacher is REALLY teaching, allowing the students to REALLY learn a language!
The teacher is respecting the students as human beings who are all individual and valuable.
The teacher is creating an amazing learning environment which should impress you very much!
The teacher is highly skilled and professional.
The next post will raise one very important point about this.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
It’s time to unlock your eyes and really see the reality.
The Principles of Modern English Language Teaching (vi): Conclusion
The most modern methodology of teaching English is loosely known as Communicative English Teaching, which is usually just called ‘CLT’. In the previous five posts, I explained its five central principles. So, what do you think?
Hmmmmm. You might realise that CLT is totally different to grammar-translation-memorisation approach. What this means is, the CLT classroom might be totally different to what you have experienced before. If you watch it in action, and don’t know any better, you might think things such as …
Why isn’t the teacher giving the answers?
Why is the teacher asking the students questions? [It should be the other way around!]
Why isn’t the teacher giving out loads of paper with words all over them?
Why are the students talking to each other? [That’s just listening to bad stuff, right?]
The teacher is just sitting in the corner, watching? [He should be helping students, right?]
Why isn’t the teacher explaining grammar?
The students are just talking, but they should be studying books, right? And the teacher should be talking to them?
Why is everyone having fun? [They should be hard at work, and sweating in concentration, right?]
This isn’t teaching at all. This is just wasting the students’ time.
The teacher isn’t treating the students with respect.
I’m not impressed at all.
This teacher has no skill.
However, now that you know the principles of CLT, you might realise that the teacher is actually highly-skilled and experienced, and doing some absolutely amazing things.
The teacher is allowing the students to work out the answers.
The teacher is making the students really understand the points.
The teacher is not overloading the students with useless word lists which they can never remember or ever use in real life.
The teacher is promoting fluency and real communication.
The teacher is listening carefully to the speaking, and noting down the mistake for later feedback.
The teacher is feeding back about grammar only at the end of the speaking activity, and not using names but just saying, “I heard someone say …… what should they say?” so that no one is embarrassed.
The teacher is allowing the students to really communicate in natural ways.
The teacher is creating an environment where no one is frightened to speak.
The teacher is REALLY teaching, allowing the students to REALLY learn a language!
The teacher is respecting the students as human beings who are all individual and valuable.
The teacher is creating an amazing learning environment which should impress you very much!
The teacher is highly skilled and professional.
The next post will raise one very important point about this.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
Well, Term 9 2017 is coming to an end (although it is, technically, 2018 already). The IELTS Reading & Speaking Course finished tonight [See picture], and tomorrow (Friday), the two IELTS Writing & Listening Courses will finish.
Here’s a picture from tonight’s class. It was great teaching them all.
Contact AIS if you are interesting in having the most qualified, most experienced, and best IELTS teacher around. Hopefully I’ll see you in the next courses starting this Monday. Remember, there’s the …
The Principles of Modern English Language Teaching (v)
So, what is the most modern system of teaching language? What are its principles? The most modern methodology of teaching English is loosely known as Communicative English Teaching, which is usually just called ‘CLT’.
In the previous four posts, I explained four of its principles. Let’s now look at the last one: Number Five!
CLT Principle Five: Reduce the Stress
In CLT, it was realised that no one can learn well if they are nervous, scared, and bullied into speaking. No one will speak well if there is punishment and scolding involved, or intimidation by other students or the environment.In CLT, there is genuine respect from the teacher to the students. Everyone in the classroom is seen as an equal individual worthy of respect.
What this means in the classroom is that teachers will be more relaxed, make it enjoyable, use jokes, build laughter and rapport between class members, encourage genuine interaction, and give positive feedback. It may even be good fun. Sometimes, when everyone is laughing so much in my class, I pretend to be angry, and make the joke in class: ‘If you’re having fun, you’re not learning!’ (which makes the students laugh even more).
Of course, there must also be good classroom management, a lesson plan, and control of events, but it is done around an enjoyable atmosphere, where interesting external information and events are allowed to enter into the learning.
The grammar-translation method is somewhat threatening. The teacher acts superior, and is a commander who jumps on mistakes, asks you to repeat, and demands total accuracy and obedience. Students do not identify with each other as a group, but remain as isolated individuals immersed in their solitary island, usually thinking about other things (such as what time the lesson will be over!)
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to bully (v)
to scold (v)
to intimidate (v)
rapport (n)
genuine
atmosphere (n)
external (adj)
isolated (adj)
to immerse (v)
solitary (n)
The next post will draw a conclusion about all these CLT principles.
If you want to find out more about me, go to aisielts.com.
The Principles of Modern English Language Teaching (v)
So, what is the most modern system of teaching language? What are its principles? The most modern methodology of teaching English is loosely known as Communicative English Teaching, which is usually just called ‘CLT’.
In the previous four posts, I explained four of its principles. Let’s now look at the last one: Number Five!
CLT Principle Five: Reduce the Stress
In CLT, it was realised that no one can learn well if they are nervous, scared, and bullied into speaking. No one will speak well if there is punishment and scolding involved, or intimidation by other students or the environment.In CLT, there is genuine respect from the teacher to the students. Everyone in the classroom is seen as an equal individual worthy of respect.
What this means in the classroom is that teachers will be more relaxed, make it enjoyable, use jokes, build laughter and rapport between class members, encourage genuine interaction, and give positive feedback. It may even be good fun. Sometimes, when everyone is laughing so much in my class, I pretend to be angry, and make the joke in class: ‘If you’re having fun, you’re not learning!’ (which makes the students laugh even more).
Of course, there must also be good classroom management, a lesson plan, and control of events, but it is done around an enjoyable atmosphere, where interesting external information and events are allowed to enter into the learning.
The grammar-translation method is somewhat threatening. The teacher acts superior, and is a commander who jumps on mistakes, asks you to repeat, and demands total accuracy and obedience. Students do not identify with each other as a group, but remain as isolated individuals immersed in their solitary island, usually thinking about other things (such as what time the lesson will be over!)
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to bully (v)
to scold (v)
to intimidate (v)
rapport (n)
genuine
atmosphere (n)
external (adj)
isolated (adj)
to immerse (v)
solitary (n)
The next post will draw a conclusion about all these CLT principles.
If you want to find out more about me, go to aisielts.com.
The Principles of Modern English Language Teaching (iv)
So, what is the most modern system of teaching language? What are its principles? The most modern methodology of teaching English is loosely known as Communicative English Teaching, which is usually just called ‘CLT’.
In the previous three posts, I explained three of its principles. Let’s now look at the fourth one.
CLT Principle Four: Student Centredness
In CLT, the student is the centre of the classroom. This is the only way to ensure everyone is actually engaged in the material, processing it in their minds, and therefore learning.Think about it. If the students are just sitting there doing nothing, ‘listening’ to the teacher, how do you really know if they are learning anything? What is really in their minds? They might all be looking at the whiteboard, but in their minds they are thinking …
I want to go home.
Why don’t I have a better boyfriend?
This is boring.
I don’t understand.
I want to send a text message.
I like the boy across the room.
In other words, no one is really listening to the teacher or learning anything. It just looks like they are.
The only way students will actually learn is if they participate in the process, and that’s what CLT tries to do. It assumes the students are intelligent individuals who bring a range of knowledge and experience into the learning environmentwhich can be accessedand used for the benefit of all.
What this means in the classroom is that – for example, the teacher will always try to ‘elicit’ the words, grammar, and meaning from the students. The teacher will constantly ask the students questions, such as ...
What can you see in this picture?
Give me three words to describe it.
What’s the difference between these two sentences?
Which one of these is clearer? Why?
The students’ writing will be error-coded, and the students will work out the answers, with help from the other students and the teacher. And I could give you many other examples. But they all mean one thing – you, the student, are the centre of the learning.
In grammar-translation, the teacher is the centre of the classroom, and the students are treated as empty bottles to be filled with knowledge. The teacher talks, explains, and demonstrates while students passively listen (or pretend to listen).
Now, check that you know the meaning of the underlined vocabulary (also repeated below).
to engage in (v)
to access (v)
to elicit (v)
to code (v)
to be passive (adj)
The next post will explain the CLT Principle Five.
If you want to find out more about me, go toaisielts.com.
