IMPROVING TEACHING PROFICIENCY FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

Methodology: Learning-centered approach Methods: methods + procedure + techques/activities Methods of teaching-learning the language skills and language elements... Communicative: Spoken

IMPROVING TEACHING PROFICIENCY

FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

OF ENGLISH

September, 2012

Nguyen Quoc Tuan (MEd/MA) Vietnam National Institute for Educational Sciences Phone : 0912 144 655

Email : tuanpri@gmail.com

Topic 1: TEACHING ENGLISH FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

1 Characteristics of young learners

Imaginative (somtime more than adults)Active (physically)

CuriousPlayfulTalkativeSensitiveSense of humour/funEasy to remember/easy to forgetDifficult in concentrate/focus for long timeGood at immitating (action/pronunciation)

2 Learning styles

Visual Learner learns best through seeing.

Auditory Learner learns best through hearing

Kinaesthetic Learner learns best through using the body

Group Learner learns best through working with others Individual Learner learns best through working alone

Reflective Learner learns best when given time to consider

choices.

Impulsive Learner learns best when able to respond

immediately

3 Advice (1)

Pick up the language naturally (by chance)

Be interested in meaning, not grammar/words

Chunks/phrases (How are you? Fine, thank you And you?, shut up, point to the door)

Learn effectively through chants, songs, activities, games, stories

Auditory-visual

Having fun

Making mistakes

Change activities/pace/focus reguilarly

Stir and settle alternatively

Copying and drawing/colouring

Organisation and routine/rules

Develop study skills

Movement – physical tasks

Be kind but firm

Be encouraging

3 Advice (2)

Objectives: Communicative approach

Contents: Thematic approach

Methodology: Learning-centered approach

Outcomes: A1 of CEFR (Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages:

TOPIC 2: CURRICULUM, TEXTBOOKS, TEACHER’S GUIDE, WORKBOOKS, TEACHING-LEARNING AIDS

I CURRICULUM

Four main approaches

Themes: 4 Me and my friends

- Linguistic competence: the knowledge of the rules of the

language and ability to produce correct utterances;

- Sociolinguistic: the knowledge and ability to understand and use language appropriately in varied settings;

- Discourse: the knowledge and ability to produce and

understand a variety of different types of text used for

different communicative purposes

- Strategic: the ability to maintain communication through

using different kinds of strategies

Communicative competence

involves at least 4 components:

3 Methodology: Learning-centered approach

Methods: methods + procedure + techques/activities

Methods of teaching-learning (the language skills and language elements)

There are two main classes of language learning strategies, direct and

indirect, further subdivided into six groups:

Memory (Ghi nhớ): helping students store and retrieve information;

Cognitive (Nhận thức): enabling learners to understand and produce new language by many different means;

Compensation (Bù đắp) : allowing learners to use the language despite their often large gaps in knowledge;

Meta-cognitive (Siêu nhận thức): allowing learners to control their own

5 skills: Spoken interaction

Spoken productionListening

ReadingWriitng

4 domains: Me and my Friends, Me and my School, Me

and my Family, Me and the World AroundStandards: A1 of CEFR:

Grade 3: A1.1Grade 4: A1.2 Grade 5: A1.3

4 Learning outcomes

Communicative: Spoken interaction, spoken production,

listening, reading, writing

Language

elements: Involved in the texts when needed

Integration: Among language, artwork and recording

Cooperation: Among Vietnamese authors + Vietnam

EPH + Macmillan Pubishing House + British Council

II TEXTBOOKS

1 Approaches:

Book maps: Competences

Sentence PatternsVocabulary

PhonicsUnits: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3

Reviews: Vocabulary + Listening + Reading, +

Writing + Speaking Glossary:

2 Structure

3 Contents of the units

2

1 Look, listen & repeat 1 Listen and repeat 1 Listen and repeat

2 Look and say 2 Listen and … 2 Look and say

4 Chant/Song/Game 4 Chant/Song/Game 4 Chant/Song/Game

Lesson 1:

Period 1 1 Look, listen and repeat

2 Look and say

Period 2 3 Talk

4 Chant or Song or Game

Lesson 2:

Period 3 1 Listen and repeat

2 Listen and …(complete/ tick/ match, answer, )

Period 4 3 Read and … (complete/ tick/ match, answer, )

4 Game or Song or Chant

Lesson 3:

Period 5 1 Listen and repeat

4 Teaching plan

2 versions: English and Vietnamese

Procedures: G.I.P.O = Goal→Input→Procedure→ Outcome

Goal: Competences Input: New languages Procedure: following the contents of the student’s books

Outcone: Answer keys Mode: wholeclass→individual→pairs→groups

→wholeclass

III TEACHER’S GUIDE

1 Approaches

2 Contents

PART I: SKILLS and LANGUAGE TEACHING

Teaching listening/ Teaching speaking/ Teaching reading/ Teaching writing/ Teaching pronunciation/ Teaching voicabulary/ Teaching grammar/ Optional activities (TPR, chants, rhymes, songs, pair/groupwork)

PART II: TEACHING INDIVIDUAL UNITS

General view

A PHONICS 1 Sounds in words

2 Words with sounds in sentences

V TEACHING-LEARNING AIDS

1 Approaches

Focussing on audio-visual seneses

Stressing direct learning

Increasing intensive learning

Enhancing activeness, creactiveness, self-confidence/independence

2 Contents: Five minimum teaching-learning aids

The recording (CD/DVD)

Posters (one poster/unit)

Pupptets (Main characters)

TOPIC 3: METHODS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

I METHODS OF TEACHING-LEARNING LANGUAGUE SKILLS

1.Method of teaching-learning spoken interaction

2.Method of teaching-learning spoken production

3.Method of teaching-learning listening

4.Method of teaching-learning reading

5.Method of teaching-learning writing

Or 3 groups:

1.Method of teaching-learning spoken interaction

2.Method of teaching-learning listening / reading

3.Method of teaching-learning spoken production / writing

I Method of teaching-learning spoken interaction

1 Characteristics

Spoken interaction means conversations or dialogues:

direct exchanges of information between speakers & listeners

The quality of spoken interactions depends on:

• How to start, sustain and end the conversations /

dialogues

• The number of exchanges

• The quality of the questions and answers

2 Procedure:

Initiation → Core activity → Follow-up (I.C.F)

Initiation:  Introducing the topic (who, what, where, when, )

 Explaining the competence (sentence patternces/ language function)

 Listen to the dialogue

Core Activity:  Listen and repeat the dialogue

 Practicing the dialogue (sentence patterns, new words)

Follow-up:  Applyiing the sentences patterns/new words in

different contexts/ situations

3 Examples: Lesson 1, Unit 11, English 4/Part 2

Initiation: Whole class

•Pupils look at the picture (P6) Help them to identify that Peter and his father are at home, talking about the time

•Explain the phrase go for a walk.

•Pupils listen through the recording once of twice

Core activities: Whole class

•Pupils repeat the recording, line by line

•Pupils listen to the recording and repeat the dialogue

•Divide class into pairs/groups Pupils repeat Peter’s and the dad’s parts

Follow-up: Pair/goupswork

•Repeat the step, but swap the roles.

4 Tips of teaching spoken interactions

Introduce some humour into dialogues

Keep dialogues simple Shorten long sentences

Create clear context and the purpose for dialogues should be

easy to work out

Turn the dialogue into role-plays

Demonstrate the activity the first time you use it

Have the students do the role-play in pairs /small groups firstRole-play in front of the class

Create a non-threatening climate

Substitute key words

Get the students to make the dialogue longer by adding two or

more lines

II Method of teaching-learning listening/reading

1 Characteristics

Short attention span

They need time Individual words are not clear Can’t remember and recall everything`

Unfamiliar vocabulary

No visual context

No lips/ face to help understanding Children are active

2 Procedure:

Pre-task  Task cycle  Language analysis (P.T.L)

Pre-task: Whole

class

 Introducing the topic (who, what, where, when, )

 Setting the task (what to do)

Task cycle: Individually

Pairwork/

Groupwork

 Doing the task (first round)

 Planning report (second round)

Language

focus:

Whole class

 Reporting the task

 Analyzing the language (if necessary)

3 Example: Unit 11, Lesson 2, Part 3, Page 18

Pre-task: Whole class

• Elicit pupils to identify the relationship of the people in the

picture

• Pupils read the text about a family and complete the missing

words.

Task cycle:

Individually: Pupils read the text silently and do the task

Pairwork / Groupwork: Have pupils trade their answers in pairs

Language focus: Whole class

• Call on some pupils to report the answers The rest of the class observe and give comments

• Ask pupils some questions to check their comprehension

• Explain the language if necessary.

• Listen for information: Filling in information /

complete a grid (chart, table) / Spot the difference / Discriminating nonsense / order the dialogue / check thrue or false

5 Tips for listening

• Use short texts or play chunks and pause

• Set tasks that focus on what they can understand

• Make listening interactive (more like real life)

• Check understanding not memory

• Set the scene and check understanding

• Task not test

• Give children a purpose for listening /reading

6 Tips for teaching

Always set a task – listening with a purpose

Always tap into students’ background knowledge

Provide contextual ‘support’

Practice detailed listening and general listening

Let students compare answers in pairs before group feedback to increase confidence

Ensure learners give diagnostic feedback

Praise the students for their efforts

Balance the level of support and challenge

7 Types of reading

Types of texts

DialoguesTexts

Songs ChantsStories

Tyes of comprehension

Read and complete the sentences / passage

Read and tick true / false Read and colour / draw Read and match

Read and fill in the form / table / grid / chart

1 Procedure:

Pre-stage  Through/While-stage  Post- stage (P.T.P)

where, when, )

 Explaining the new language

 Setting the task (what to do)

Through/While-stage: IndividuallyPair/Groupwork  Doing the task

 Exchanging the task →

 Applying the language in new situations (If necessary)

III Method of teaching-learning spoken production/writing

2 Types of spoken production

Guided topics

Suggestion model more controlled less controlled  free

Variation in how much support provided for writing

Songs and chants

• Learners imitate/mimic the model from the recordings

• Master the sounds, rhythms, and intonation of the English

language

Games and stories

• Manipulate the language by presenting them with a certain amount of choice, within a fairly controlled situation

•  

3 Tips for spoken production

• Speak as much English as possible

• Don’t interfere into speaking / not correct mistakes

• Need instructions and models to follow

• Respond to music / rhythm

• Done in pairs / groups (everyone is included)

• Need to have an end-product

• Need to build-up to longer chunks

• More able to adapt language when older

• Check understanding often

• Visual stimulus

• Silly and fun

4 Tips for teaching

• Generate interest in the topic

• Introduce the ‘stimulus’ (e.g picture, characters,

situation, topic, list of items, etc.)

• Students understand the goal, the task and the process

• Give students thinking/preparation time

• Elicit an example, model the activity, get students to

demonstrate

• Students DO the activity

• Give/take feedback on content/ performance/ language

5 Example of writing as a procedure

Unit 11, Lesson 3, Part 3, Page 19, T’G

Pre-stage: Whole class

Get pupils identify the characters in the picture and their

Individually: Pupils read and complete the sentences

Pairwork / Groupwork: Pupils trade their answers within

pairs/groups

Post-stage:

Whole class: Ask some pupils to read their corrected work to the class Other pupils give comments Ask a few questions to check pupils’ comprehension.

6 Types of writing

• Basic level:

Handwriting

Spelling: words, chunks/phrases, sentences

Constructing language functions

Punctuating

• Higher level:

Guided writing about a topic

7 Tips for writing

Know the aim – why they are writing

Know the audience – who they are writing to

Know the genre – what type of text they are writing

Have enough time for

- thinking about the topic

- thinking of the guidence/cues/suggestions

- brainstorming ideas

- drafting as many times as they can Have constant feedback from teachers / partners

during the writing process

Provide more support for writing tasks

Procedure Way/Mode Tasks

Procedure Way/Mode Tasks

Procedure Way/Mode Tasks

Presentation: Whole class  Introducing the topic (what,

TOPIC 5: TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING-LEARNING

1 Say the text or play the CD

Demonstrate the actions associated with the text

Watch and listen only

2 Repeat Step 1 above Copy your actions Do not

peak/repeat the text

3 Say the text Do not

demonstrate the actions Do the actions in response to the spoken text.

May speak/repeat the text Correct or accurate language is not priority

1 TPR (Total Physical Response)

Open/Close the books.

Put up your hands.

Đứng dậy.

Ngồi xuống.

Mở/đóng sách.

Giơ tay.

Cơ thể Head and shoulder

Knee and toes.

Put your hand on your head.

Touch your nose.

Hold up seven fingers.

Đặt tay lên đầu.

Chạm tay vào mũi Xòe 7 ngón tay.

Động từ Eat an orange. Làm động tác ăn.

Chỉ khả năng If you can swim, clap one.

Ij you can play football, stand up.

If you can sing, sit down.

Vỗ tay một cái Đứng dậy.

Ngồi xuống.

Giới từ Put you pen on the table.

Put your pen under the chair.

Để bút lên bàn Đặt bút chì dưới ghế.

Thích/không

thích If you like banana, put up your hand.

If you don’t like ice-cream, make a face.

Giơ tay lên.

2 Songs

English song

This is the way we go to school

Go to school, go to school.

This is the way we go to school

Go to school every morning.

This is the way we , _.

This is the way we .

Vietnamese songs

One and one is twoTwo and two is fourFour and one is fiveFive and five is ten

There comes, there comes a frog

With round and round small eyes

Has dome homework already

He jogs around the pond

Singing lovely songs

Dancing with his friends

Come around about all little animals

Elephant

Heavy and noisy

Walks slowly

Noun Adjective and adjective Verb and adverb

3 Chants

I can see the sea

and the sky

I can hear the wind

and the waves

I can smell the sea

I can taste the salt

I can touch the

I can smell the sweet sea

I can taste the bitter salt

I can touch the soft and yellow sand

AT THE SEASIDE

Round and green

Soft and shiny

The winter is coming

I feel cold and sad.

What is it?

Where is it?

When do you find it?

What size/shape/colour is it?

How does it feel when you touch it? What do you think of it?

What does it make you feel?

3 Thang Long is a primary school in Hanoi

4 She is in the now.