Reflections on ELT Methodologies

1. Does it make any sense to you that forming questions / answers through a chain drill may be a worthwhile activity but it is not generating purposeful communication? Can you state the reasons that justify your answer?

Considering that the brain develops as we learn a new language, and it not being known exactly what changes take place during that development, I think that rote responses and generation of phrases, words or even sounds, may have a positive impact on language learning even when they lack meaning. Even in learning our first language there are instances when we practice sounds or phrases that are not meaningful--tongue twisters are an example of this practice. So yes, I think that a chain drill or other types of drills may be helpful as part of language learning.


2. Should teachers overlook certain student errors in the beginning? If so. What type of errors should be disregarded?

I think that teachers should overlook some errors at every stage of language learning. What changes is which errors are overlooked at the different stages. At the very beginning of language production, I think all errors should be overlooked. As with the acquisition of L1, the joy on the part of the beginning language speaker is repeated in the listener and no correction takes place. (The baby speaking “mama” for the first time, is not corrected, just celebrated.) In order to help the ELL gain confidence, all errors can be ignored at first. As the ELL begins to speak some things correctly, what has been taught and can expected to be known, could be corrected, using appropriate correction techniques. As the ELL has more and more knowledge, more of what he/she speaks can be corrected.

3. Non-verbal behavior is an important aspect of any culture. Why is its use relevant in CLT?

4. Since CBT has been designed around the notion of competency not around the notion of subject knowledge, do you think that competency-based approach is suitable for every subject? If yes. What subjects?

Addressing Competences as an administrator

From an administrative point of view, I think that the first step in working with competences is making sure that the competences of the English program are arranged in a natural sequence from the first level to the last and that the scope of the competences is sufficiently broad to prepare students with the language they will need for their lives.

Once the competences are aligned, the administrator has to make sure that the teachers understand the competences, and have everything necessary to teach them: that is, that they are trained with appropriate teaching-learning practices, have the materials that will foment learning, are supported by an administrative infrastructure that allows them to do their jobs, and are sufficiently motivated (extrinsically, if the intrinsic motivation is weak) to make their work a priority.

At USB’s Foreign Language Center, we are working on aligning the competences of our courses with those of the CEF. With some adaptation and some imagination, it has not been hard to do. To use the competences the MEN has published in a grade level they were not written for, for example a high school or college beginner’s class requires more adaptation.

Here is a competence from USB’s level 1, a reference level from the CEF and similar standards from the MEN.

Reading
USB, Level I, Inglés Básico
• Understand the general idea of simple and brief informative texts, especially if they have illustrations that help to explain the text
CEF, Reading for information and argument, A1
• Can get an idea of the content of simpler informational material and short simple descriptions, especially if there is visual support.
MEN estándares, Principiante, A1, grados 1-3
• Reconozco palabras y frases cortas en inglés en libros, objetos, juguetes, propagandas y lugares de mi escuela.
• Relaciono ilustraciones con oraciones simples.

An inspiring teacher

An echo across the years

My 9th grade world civilizations teacher had an impact on my understanding of the role of the teacher. He taught well, though today we would say his methods were traditional and outdated. He was a strict taskmaster and disciplinarian, yet he helped my classmates and me learn important lessons about who we were and who we could become.

We saw Mr. M. as a historian with a tremendous amount of knowledge about his subject; his lessons were intricately prepared and delivered with an actor’s timing. When he spoke about Chinese dynasties or African economic development he gave the sense that there was no limit to his knowledge. However, a comment he made mid lesson, in 1973, while he held us rapt in the flow of his storytelling, embodied much of what he believed in. He said, quite simply, that we would go far beyond him in learning and understanding. To hear, from someone we admired, that he was only laying a platform on which we could further build was very empowering. He was not threatened by our questions, or by our successes. He told us he knew only a little of what could be learned, and he would help us access that world of knowledge, which was not inside of him.

I did become a history teacher and adapted some of his methods. Some of his storytelling skill must have rubbed off on me. Once as I narrated a story about life on the Mayflower to my own audience of 12 year olds, one rapt listener said that the story sounded so real he wondered if I had been there. The Mayflower, part of colonial US history, sailed in 1620! Also, I have tried to imitate his organization and preparation and other demonstrations of his dedication.

There were other lessons, too. He taught about respecting others, and how to behave so we could always respect ourselves. He encouraged self discipline and self challenge. Of all the lessons, however, the one I want to live is that a teacher should not stand over students, keeping them down, but support them from underneath, helping them to grow and reach their full potential.

Intercultural Communication

In her post, Norbella brings up the important idea that students need to be introduced to other cultures as part of education in the age of globalization. An understanding of intercultural communication is, perhaps, more important, when people from around the world share a common second language than when they don't.

Much communication is not language based, messages are tranmitted through non verbal clues which are defined by culture. For example, when two strangers are standing next to each other without speaking or even without looking at each other, there is communication between them, but if they are from two different cultures, what is transmitted and what is understood may be very different. The distance between them, and how or if they acknowledge the other person are sources of possible misunderstanding. One stranger may stand too close for the comfort of the other, or one may insult the other by not acknowledging the second person with a customary nod of the head.

It is impossible to know all the language based and non language based communication systems in the world, but it is possible to be aware that much communication is culture based. The awareness could avoid problems in intercultural communication and make students better communicators in our shrinking world.