There have been many types of method developed for second language teaching. Each types of method have its own characteristics and have been developed to benefit for both teachers and learners in terms of effectiveness in teaching and learning. Some types of method, even though they are quite old methods, are still used in a part of other approach and some of them are not used anymore.
Kumaravadivelu (1994) identified what he called the "post-method condition", a result of "the widespread dissatisfaction with the conventional concept of method". Rather than subscribe to a single set of procedures, post-method teachers adapt their apporoach in accordance with locan, contextual factors, while at the same time being guided by a number of "macrostrategies". Two such macrostrategies are "Ensure social relevance" and "Raise cultural awareness".
Prabhu (1990) argued that there is no best method, but teachers need to learn to operate with some personal conceptualization of how their teaching leads to desired learning - with a notion of causation that has a measure of credibility of them.
References
Candlin, C. N., & Mercer, N (eds.). (2001). English language teaching in its social context. Routledge: London.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (1994). The Postmethod condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Week 6 Critical Language Teaching
"Rather than follow the methods prescribed by their teacher education, TESOL practitioners may benefit by developing their own methodology for their students based on their own reflective action research (Lin, 1999 citing Holiday, 1994).
In Lin (1999)'s article, students in four different classes, where different types of teaching are employed by teachers, are led to a success or failure in learning English. It is important to keep in mind that teachers (their teaching styles and their attitudes toward student) play an important role to lead students a success in learning.
In a reality, different cultures have different education background such as teacher-student relationship, teaching style (For example, teacher-dominant classroom), and materials teachers use. Therefore, for example, CLT, which can be said that the most popular and supported methodology nowadays, it can not fit in an Asian country classroom. There is no one best method to fit a classroom situtation. Therefore, we need to think critically.
Lin, A.M.Y (1999). Doing-English-lessons in the reproduction or transformation of social worlds?. TESOL Quarterly, 33(3), 393-412.
In Lin (1999)'s article, students in four different classes, where different types of teaching are employed by teachers, are led to a success or failure in learning English. It is important to keep in mind that teachers (their teaching styles and their attitudes toward student) play an important role to lead students a success in learning.
In a reality, different cultures have different education background such as teacher-student relationship, teaching style (For example, teacher-dominant classroom), and materials teachers use. Therefore, for example, CLT, which can be said that the most popular and supported methodology nowadays, it can not fit in an Asian country classroom. There is no one best method to fit a classroom situtation. Therefore, we need to think critically.
Lin, A.M.Y (1999). Doing-English-lessons in the reproduction or transformation of social worlds?. TESOL Quarterly, 33(3), 393-412.
Week 5 EAP
I have many things to point out on EAP. I strongly agree to Darryl's point that teachers should know what it means by EAP. I think teachers do not exactly know what studetns expect to learn from EAP class.
Students take EAP course to prepare getting into University. However, the prescribed books for EAP are about comparison and contrast, cause and effect, for example, which I can say it is no use when writing academic essays at University.
What studetns should know is how to shape the essay, what to write down each section, and how to reference/cite. That constitutes an academic writing.
Moreover, essays in different fields requires different types of essays. For example, science field require different types of essays from history field. Teachers should have their knowledge in each fields, which lead students to write an appropriate and successful essay. Without having any knowledge in subjects, how would teachers teach students?
Otherwise, what is the student's point of taking EAP course?
Students take EAP course to prepare getting into University. However, the prescribed books for EAP are about comparison and contrast, cause and effect, for example, which I can say it is no use when writing academic essays at University.
What studetns should know is how to shape the essay, what to write down each section, and how to reference/cite. That constitutes an academic writing.
Moreover, essays in different fields requires different types of essays. For example, science field require different types of essays from history field. Teachers should have their knowledge in each fields, which lead students to write an appropriate and successful essay. Without having any knowledge in subjects, how would teachers teach students?
Otherwise, what is the student's point of taking EAP course?
Week 4 SFL and Language teaching
A theory of SFL is based on a functional view of language that focuses on the analysis of authentic products of social interaction (texts:written and oral), considered in relation to the cultural and social context in which they are negotiated.
Context concerns the Field (the subject matter, and the topic being spoken/written about), Tenor (the social roles and relationships between the participants), and Mode (the type of the text that is being made) (Burns and Knox, 2005)/
Metafunctions of language is divided into three components:
Ideational Metafunction: the propositional content, "Field" is expreseed through ideational grammar.
Interpersonal Metafunction: concerned with exchange structure, expression of attitude, "Tenor" is expressed through interpersonal grammar.
Textual Metafunction: how the text is structured as a message, "Mode" is expressed through textual grammar.
SFL involves learning how to use the language in a way that makes sense to other people who speak the language.
To me, SFL seems a bit hard to manage for teachers who do not have many teaching experiences. For example, it may have difficulties linking text and grammar in practice. In fact, most of prescribed books are designed based on traditional grammar, rather that SFL.
Reference
Burns, A. & Knox, J. (2005). Realisation(s); Systematic-functional linguistics and the language classroom. In N.Bartels (ed), Applied linguistics and language teacher education, pp.235-259. New York: Kluwer Academic.
Context concerns the Field (the subject matter, and the topic being spoken/written about), Tenor (the social roles and relationships between the participants), and Mode (the type of the text that is being made) (Burns and Knox, 2005)/
Metafunctions of language is divided into three components:
Ideational Metafunction: the propositional content, "Field" is expreseed through ideational grammar.
Interpersonal Metafunction: concerned with exchange structure, expression of attitude, "Tenor" is expressed through interpersonal grammar.
Textual Metafunction: how the text is structured as a message, "Mode" is expressed through textual grammar.
SFL involves learning how to use the language in a way that makes sense to other people who speak the language.
To me, SFL seems a bit hard to manage for teachers who do not have many teaching experiences. For example, it may have difficulties linking text and grammar in practice. In fact, most of prescribed books are designed based on traditional grammar, rather that SFL.
Reference
Burns, A. & Knox, J. (2005). Realisation(s); Systematic-functional linguistics and the language classroom. In N.Bartels (ed), Applied linguistics and language teacher education, pp.235-259. New York: Kluwer Academic.
Week 3 Genre-based approach
As Paltridge (2001) points out that a genre is more than just rhetorical structure and patterns of grammar and vocabulary, and a genre is influenced by socio-cultural context of production, interpretation of text, expectations of the discourse community, relationship with other texts.
Moreover, Hyland (2003) adds the point that "genre knowledge is important to studetns" understaning of their L2 environments, and crucial to their life chances in those environments.
I was so impressed by both Paltridge and Hyland's point as L2 learners, in fact, have difficulties of writing and speaking apporpriately in a real situation. For example, the one common thing happens among Korean students ( I think most of students from Asian-culture background), is when writing an e-mail, their main purpose is always at the last part of an e-mail. Since they have been learnt that saying their point directly is too rude, therefore, their e-mails always start from greetings, mentioning about the weather..then, the main point comes at the bottom. Moreover, studetns have no ideas og the forms of letter or e-mails (such as writing "regards" at the bottom). This ill-formed letter or e-mail makes learners seem rude, in fact.
However, those are not second languag learners' intention, but they just do no know how to write appropriately.
Genre approach has some positive aspects such as it enables students make sense of the world around them and participate in it, and gives security to students by offering models. However, it has negative aspects such as leading studetns to a lack of creativity and a text-centred approach rather than student-centred.
References
Hyland, K. (2003). Genre-based pedagodies: A social response to process. Journal of Second language writing. 12, 17-29. Doi: 10.1016/S1060-3743(02)00124-8.
Paltridge, B. (2001). Genre and the language learning classroom. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press.
Moreover, Hyland (2003) adds the point that "genre knowledge is important to studetns" understaning of their L2 environments, and crucial to their life chances in those environments.
I was so impressed by both Paltridge and Hyland's point as L2 learners, in fact, have difficulties of writing and speaking apporpriately in a real situation. For example, the one common thing happens among Korean students ( I think most of students from Asian-culture background), is when writing an e-mail, their main purpose is always at the last part of an e-mail. Since they have been learnt that saying their point directly is too rude, therefore, their e-mails always start from greetings, mentioning about the weather..then, the main point comes at the bottom. Moreover, studetns have no ideas og the forms of letter or e-mails (such as writing "regards" at the bottom). This ill-formed letter or e-mail makes learners seem rude, in fact.
However, those are not second languag learners' intention, but they just do no know how to write appropriately.
Genre approach has some positive aspects such as it enables students make sense of the world around them and participate in it, and gives security to students by offering models. However, it has negative aspects such as leading studetns to a lack of creativity and a text-centred approach rather than student-centred.
References
Hyland, K. (2003). Genre-based pedagodies: A social response to process. Journal of Second language writing. 12, 17-29. Doi: 10.1016/S1060-3743(02)00124-8.
Paltridge, B. (2001). Genre and the language learning classroom. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press.
Week 2 Lexical Approach
Lexical approach, chunks of language, introduced in Week 2 was quite exciting to me. Like others, I have learnt English in grammar-based approach. In grammar-based approach, grammar and vocabulary are taught separately.
I strongly agree to Lewi's point that studetns spend hours learning grammar, but still have difficulty communication, because there is a lack of spoken language taught in natural contexts useful to the students. When seeing textbooks designed for second language learners, as mostly grammar-based designed, there is no context. Therefore, in a real situation, students make incomprehensible and unnatural utterances.
As Nattinger (1980) points out that language production consists of piecing together the ready-made units appropriate for a particular situation and that comprehension relies on knowing which of there pattersn to predict in these situations.
Moreover, language text is not adequately modelled as a sequence of items, each in environment of other items (Sinclar, 2004) which means that we cannot understand languaeg by breaking it down. Therefore, a context is important.
Hoey (2005) introduced the term "lexical priming". It is the way a "priming" word may provoke a particular "target" word. For example, a listener, previously given the word body, will recognise the word heart more quickly than if they had previously been given an unrelated word such as trick.
To conclude, what the seoncd language learns want is to communicate naturally and appropriately in a given situation rather that while speaking the perfect grammar, but using the inappropriate vocabulary. Therefore, language teachers should consider how to help sutdents while learning appropriate and natural English in the way the native speakers speak, rather than following a prescribed textbook which has no context.
References
Hoey, M. (2005). Lexical Priming: A new theory of words and language. London: Routledge.
Nattinger, J. (1980). A lexical phrased grammar. TESOL Quarterly. 14(3), 337-344.
Sinclair, J. (2004). Trust the test. London: Routledge.
I strongly agree to Lewi's point that studetns spend hours learning grammar, but still have difficulty communication, because there is a lack of spoken language taught in natural contexts useful to the students. When seeing textbooks designed for second language learners, as mostly grammar-based designed, there is no context. Therefore, in a real situation, students make incomprehensible and unnatural utterances.
As Nattinger (1980) points out that language production consists of piecing together the ready-made units appropriate for a particular situation and that comprehension relies on knowing which of there pattersn to predict in these situations.
Moreover, language text is not adequately modelled as a sequence of items, each in environment of other items (Sinclar, 2004) which means that we cannot understand languaeg by breaking it down. Therefore, a context is important.
Hoey (2005) introduced the term "lexical priming". It is the way a "priming" word may provoke a particular "target" word. For example, a listener, previously given the word body, will recognise the word heart more quickly than if they had previously been given an unrelated word such as trick.
To conclude, what the seoncd language learns want is to communicate naturally and appropriately in a given situation rather that while speaking the perfect grammar, but using the inappropriate vocabulary. Therefore, language teachers should consider how to help sutdents while learning appropriate and natural English in the way the native speakers speak, rather than following a prescribed textbook which has no context.
References
Hoey, M. (2005). Lexical Priming: A new theory of words and language. London: Routledge.
Nattinger, J. (1980). A lexical phrased grammar. TESOL Quarterly. 14(3), 337-344.
Sinclair, J. (2004). Trust the test. London: Routledge.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Week 7: Post-methods approach
Richards (2001) defines methodology as “the activities, tasks, and learning experiences used by the teacher within the teaching and learning process.” (p.167) For centuries, linguists and language specialists have been searching the efficient ways of language teaching, from the earlier year’s grammar-translation method to audio-lingual method, to a series of humanistic methods, to more recently two dominate methods communicative language teaching (CLT) and task-based instruction method, method in second language teaching has become less prescriptive and more eclectic. However, as Prabhu (1990) claims, for teachers, there is no best method need to employ in a classroom, therefore, rather than seek for the best method, Richards’s (2001) notion of beyond methods suggests teachers focus on the circumstances and conditions of an effective teaching and learning. Richards (2001) points out that all methods share a set of specifications for guiding the accomplishment of teaching and learning based on a particular theory of language and language learning. The specific roles for language teachers, learners and instructional materials are prescript and somehow are imposed on teachers and learners. However, teaching is a dynamic, creative and interactional process rather than static or fixed in time, Richards suggests that teachers work independent of methods and involve in observing and reflecting of their own teaching processes in the language classrooms could be effective. The notions of beyond-methods and post-methods are likely giving more freedom to TESOL practitioners. Thus, rather than follow the existent methods only, based on classroom-centred research, under Kumaravadivelu’s “post-method condition” and “10 macro-strategies”, teachers could develop their own macro-strategies that more suitable for specific needs of students and classrooms.
Reference:
Knight, P. (2001). The development of EFL methodology. C. Candlin & N. Mercer (eds) In English language teaching and its social context. pp.147-166. Routledge: London
Richards, J. C., & Rogers, T. S. (2001). Approaches & methods in language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge: CUP
Richards, J. C. (2001). Beyond methods. In English language teaching and its social context. pp.167-179. Routledge: London
Kumaravadivelu. B. (1994). The post-method condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28: 27-48. [Accessible AUT e-journals]
Reference:
Knight, P. (2001). The development of EFL methodology. C. Candlin & N. Mercer (eds) In English language teaching and its social context. pp.147-166. Routledge: London
Richards, J. C., & Rogers, T. S. (2001). Approaches & methods in language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge: CUP
Richards, J. C. (2001). Beyond methods. In English language teaching and its social context. pp.167-179. Routledge: London
Kumaravadivelu. B. (1994). The post-method condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28: 27-48. [Accessible AUT e-journals]
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Postmethod Approach to Language Teaching
Over the past weeks we have been studying the different types of methods in language teaching. While studying these methods I had been thinking about which method(s) would best suit my class. Of course one method alone is not enough to fulfill the requirements to successful language teaching. So then which method do we choose? And on what basis do we choose one from another?
The postmethod approach to language teaching gives the freedom to choose what's best for your classroom. Rather than keeping your teaching to one particular method, you are allowed to choose those that suit your own learners. The postmethod approach is all about empowering teachers and learners and about the context. Kumaravadivelu's (1994) strategic framework for second language teaching is an ideal one because it gives you the flexibility to choose the macrostrategies that suits your classroom. It is open to modifications, unlike the methods developed in the past. The 10 macrostrategies themselves are all about empowering teachers, learners and teaching within the context.
The postmethod approach is appealing to me because it gives choice - something that language teachers need because of the complexity of language teaching and learning. It gives teachers the "knowledge, skill, attitude, and autonomy necessary to devise for themselves a systematic, coherent, and relevant alternative to method" (Kumaravadivelu, 1994).
reference:
Kumaravadivelu, B. (1994). The postmethod condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28 (1), 27-48.
The postmethod approach to language teaching gives the freedom to choose what's best for your classroom. Rather than keeping your teaching to one particular method, you are allowed to choose those that suit your own learners. The postmethod approach is all about empowering teachers and learners and about the context. Kumaravadivelu's (1994) strategic framework for second language teaching is an ideal one because it gives you the flexibility to choose the macrostrategies that suits your classroom. It is open to modifications, unlike the methods developed in the past. The 10 macrostrategies themselves are all about empowering teachers, learners and teaching within the context.
The postmethod approach is appealing to me because it gives choice - something that language teachers need because of the complexity of language teaching and learning. It gives teachers the "knowledge, skill, attitude, and autonomy necessary to devise for themselves a systematic, coherent, and relevant alternative to method" (Kumaravadivelu, 1994).
reference:
Kumaravadivelu, B. (1994). The postmethod condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28 (1), 27-48.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)