Handouts

Practical Teaching

Practical Workshops

2009
What is language?

Language is an arbitrary system of vocal symbols used to communicate ideas and express feelings among the members of a certain social community.
This definition of language means:
a- Human language is quantitatively and qualitatively complex as compared to other system of communications.
b- Language is vocal, i.e. composed basically of spoken elements,
c- Language is arbitrary given meanings or referents,
d- Language is used basically for purpose of communication.
Functions of language
The following is a list of language functions:
1- Personal: to express one's emotions, needs, thoughts, desires, etc.
2- interpersonal: to maintain good social relations with individuals and groups
3- Directive: to control the behaviors of others through advice, warning, requests, persuasion, discussion, etc.
4- Referential: to talk about objects or events in the immediate environment or in the culture.
5- Metalinguistic: to talk about language e.g. what does ………..mean?
6- Imaginative: to use language creativity in rhyming composing poetry, etc.

Why do we learn English?

Here are a few suggestions:

o  Fulfill school/university requirements

o  Function and compete effectively in the global economy of today and the future

o  Increase job opportunities and salary potential

o  Develop intercultural sensitivity, increasing global understanding

o  Improve English vocabulary and language proficiency in order to communicate with members of that language community.

o  Improve critical and creative thinking skills

o  Improve one's education

o  Enhance travel and study abroad opportunities

o  Enjoy great literary and musical masterpieces and films in their original language

o  Improve likelihood of acceptance into university and graduate schools

o  Increase understanding of people in own country

o  Gain social power (prestige)

o  Have a secret code

o  Please one's parents

§  Any other reason(s)?

Planning

Why is planning important?

·  Gives structure to each lesson.

·  Supports continuity and progression.

·  Helps teachers to be clear about what they are teaching.

·  Supports differentiation by enabling observation of students' learning to inform planning.

·  Gives opportunity to reflect on the sequence of teaching and students' possible response and to prepare for contingencies.

·  Ensures choice and preparation of material in advance.

·  Provides a record of teaching for parents, peers, head teachers and supervisors.

·  Enables teachers to discuss and develop their teaching collaboratively.

·  Gives the teacher the chance to give good teaching through considering the individual differences.

·  Gives the teacher the ability to anticipate (predict) to evaluate the situation to meet any emergencies.

·  Documentation for the administration – supervisor.

·  To develop peer work among teachers.

·  Emphasizes teacher's professionalism by demonstrating their accountability.

Daily lesson Plan:

It's a document that states the practical procedures towards the target objectives.

The table of content:

The daily plan usually begins with the table of content that includes:

1.  Learning Objectives:

The expected outcomes in students' behavior after having a certain experience. They have to be SMART.

What's meant by SMART?

2.  New language:

It's the new language to be taught. It includes :

-  New vocabulary.

-  New structures.

-  New functions.

3.  Resources:

It's the teaching aids, the audio visual materials the teacher is going to use to facilitate his job and achieve his target objectives. The time the teacher decides to use certain aids he should :

1-  Consider the content he is to present.

2-  Consider the students' levels.

3-  Consider individual differentiations.

4-  Try the material before using it in the classroom.

5-  Choose easy done, safe, cheap and clear materials.

6-  Use the audio-visual material for purpose not as time fillers.

7-  Decide when and how to use the teaching aid.

What are different audio-visual materials can be used in the class?

There are variety of these materials, the teacher should be clever in choosing the appropriate materials that facilitates not hinders the teaching learning process. Teachers can use: [ pictures – cassettes – Realia – flash cards – OH Transparencies – drawing – puppets – video films – handouts – miming – acting – gestures . . . etc]

4.  prerequisite

It's the previous experience that relates mainly to the objectives the teacher is going to achieve. It's previous words or structures that pave the way for the new lesson. The teacher should be very careful in choosing the appropriate pre-requisite having in mind that human beings memories have a system in organizing knowledge as similar and related items are gathered in units.

Advice for implementing a Pre-requisite:

-  It's important to know that each activity should have its own pre-requisite especially if it includes new and different new language.

-  The teacher should employ different techniques to present this phase. Variety is required.

-  The teacher should revise active words and structure and never revise every thing.

5.  Warming up:

It's the phase that aims at tuning students' ears to the English lesson to create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere between the teacher and the students.

It can be defined as a switch on of the English mood and a switch off of the Arabic mood. It's a transition period where teachers try to melt the ice and build an intimacy.

Warming up, . . . Why?

-  It plays a crucial role in breaking ice.

-  It motivates students to participate and accept the presence of the teacher as well as the foreign language.

-  It creates a supportive, pleasant, and relaxed working atmosphere that paved the way to acquire and use language.

-  It helps engaging the students' feelings as well as their minds.

Warming up, How . . . ?

Different techniques can be used to warm students up in this phase, variety is required. The teacher shouldn't stick her / him self to a certain technique, he should vary between using jokes, riddles that can stimulate and motivate students towards positive participation and involvement in the new lesson.

6.  Presentation

It's the process of presenting the new language ( vocabulary – structure – functions) using different techniques that help students to acquire language.

This process includes:

-  Revising related language items.

-  Presenting the new language ( using different techniques )

-  Mechanical practice for drilling the new language .

-  Controlled practice where the teacher controls the students' performance through certain prepared activities. ( SB – WB activities ).

-  Freer practice where the teacher guides the students' performance through certain prompts.

-  Consolidation where students use the new language to express themselves and their lives.

7.  * Summative evaluation:

It's an overall evaluation process. The teacher use summative evaluation at the end of the period to make sure that students have acquired the new language presented throughout the lesson. It's advisable to use authentic summative evaluation to give the students the opportunity to use new language for real personal purposes in a communicative way.

8.  Homework :

It's considered an integrated part of the lesson in the sense it reinforces the learnt language and increases the students' time of practicing the new learnt language.

The characteristics of the homework activity :

1.  It should be demonstrated in advance.

2.  It should be easy, authentic, short and within students' abilities.

3.  It should be stimulate students' towards research.

4.  It should reinforce the learnt language.

9.  Rounding up:

It's a conclusion phase that summarize the lesson. It's essential to help students organize their thoughts and what hey have learnt. The teacher should vary his techniques for rounding up his lesson, from eliciting the meaning of the learnt vocabulary, drilling the words, summarizing the reading passage to singing the words, matching the words with pictures or stimulating students to use the new structure to express themselves

Sample 1 (governmental Schools)

Sample 2 (UNRWA Schools)

Grade ……………………………… Class ………………………………………… Period …………………………….

Unit ……………………………….. Lesson ………………………………………. Date ………………………………

Prerequisite / If type 1/2 / Tenses …………………….
Resources / Cards / realia / poster / OHP ………………….
Objectives / Procedures / Teaching Learning Activities / Evaluation / Notes
Students are expected to: form sentences in conditional If type 3
change from active to passive / Ice breaker / Warming Up: a game / a song / a riddle / General Questions
New Vocabulary: ( amusement- focus- vital-rubbish- …………….etc)
New Structure: Conditional If Type 3 / If he had seen the crime, he would have called the police.
New Functions: Advice / You should help the poor.
Request / Could you clean the desk, please?
Revision: Correct the verbs in brackets:
1.  She will meet you if she …………….( take) the early bus.
2.  They …………….( succeed) if they studied hard.
Presentation:
T. asks Ss about their dreams which weren't achieved.
T. asks Ss what would have happened if they had done something different?
T. elicits sentences in If Type 3 from Ss and write them on the board.
T. asks Ss to work in pairs and write similar statements using these prompts
* win the competition / build a mosque.
* not be born in London / not speak English fluently.
T. ……………………………………………………………….
T. ………………………………………………………….
Revision: Correct the verbs in brackets:
1.  My mother…………………( cooks) the lunch for us everyday.
2.  They ………………..( not find) the secret code last century.
Presentation:
T. ……………………………………………………………………………..
T. …………………………………………………………………………….. / Ss' participation
Ss' answers
Ss' sentences
Observation / All the class loved the song
The poster was monotonous
Only 3 girls were able to write the paragraph
Discipline was missed
A MESS
To be continued tomorrow
Homework / Students do exercise A/B Workbook page 17/ Children bring real fruits

Bloom's Taxonomy

Applying Bloom?s Taxonomy

Knowledge

Useful Verbs / Sample Questions Stems / Potential Activities
tell
list
describe
relate
locate
write
find
state
name / What happened after ?? / Make a list of the main events
How many ? ? / Make a timeline of events .
Who was it that ?? / Make a fact chart .
Can you name the ?? / Write a list of any piece of information you can remember.
Describe what happened at ?? / List all the ?in the story
Who spoke to ?? / Make a chart showing?
Can you tell why ?? / Make an acrostic .
Find the meaning of ?? / Recite a poem
What is ? / ===
Which is true or false ?? / ===

Comprehension

Useful Verbs / Sample Questions Stems / Potential Activities
explain
interpret
outline
discuss
distinguish
predict
restate
translate
compare
describe / Can you write in your own words ?? / Cut out or draw pictures to show a particular event.
Can you write a brief outline ?? / Illustrate what you think the main idea was .
What do you think could of happened next ?? / Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events .
Who do you think ?? / Write & perform a play based on the story .
What was the main idea ?? / Retell the story in your words.
Who was the key character ?? / Paint a picture of some aspects you like .
Can you distinguish between ?? / write a summary report of an event.
What differences exist between ?? / Prepare a flow chart to illustrate the sequence of events.
Can you provide an example of what you mean ?? / Make a colouring book.
Can you provide a definition for ?? / ===

Application

Useful Verbs / Sample Questions Stems / Potential Activities
solve
show
use
illustrate
construct
complete
examine
classify / Do you know another instance where ?? / Construct a model to demonstrate how it will work .
Could this have happened in ?? / Make a diorama to illustrate an important event .
Can you group by characteristics as ?? / Make a scrapbook about the areas of study .
What factors would you change if ?? / Make a paper-mach map to include relevant information about the event.
Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own ?? / Take a collection of photographs to demonstrate a particular point .
What questions would you ask of ?? / Make up a puzzle game suing the ideas from the study area .
From the information given , can you develop a set of instructions about?? / Make a clay model of an item in the material .
Would this information be useful if you had a ?? / Design a market strategy for your own product using a known strategy as a model .
=== / Dress a doll in national costume .
=== / Paint a mural using the same materials .
=== / Write a textbook about ?for others .


Analysis

Useful Verbs / Sample Questions Stems / Potential Activities
analyze
distinguish
examine
compare
contrast
investigate
categorize
identify
explain
separate
advertise / Which events could have happened ?? / Design a questionnaire to gather information .
What might the ending have been ?? / Write a commercial to sell a new product .
How was this similar to ?? / Conduct an investigation to produce information to support a view.
What was the underlying theme of ?? / Make a flow chart to show the critical stages.
What do you see as other possible outcomes ? / Construct a graph to illustrate selected information.
Why did ??changes occur ? / Make a jigsaw puzzle.
Can you compare your ?with that presented in ..? / Make a family tree showing relationships.
Can you explain what must have happened when ?? / Put on a play about the study area.
How is ?similar to ?? / Write a biography of the study person .
What are some of the problems of ?? / Prepare a report about the area of study .
Can you distinguish between ?? / Arrange a party. Make all the arrangements & record the steps needed.
What are some of the motives behind ?? / Review a work of art in terms of form ,colour & texture .
What was the turning point in the game ? / ===
What was the problem with?? / ===

Synthesis

Useful Verbs / Sample Questions Stems / Potential Activities
create
invent
compose
predict
plan
construct
design
imagine
propose
devise
formulate / Can you design a ? to ?? / Invent a machine to do a specific task .
Why not compose a ?about ?? / Design a building to house your study .
Can you see a possible solution to ?? / Create a new product . Give it a name & plan marketing campaign .
If you had access to all resources , how would you deal with ?? / Write about your feelings in relation to ?
Why don?t you devise your own way to deal with ?? / Write a TV show , play , puppet show or role play about ??
What would happen if ?? / Design a record , book , or magazine cover for ??
How many ways can you ?? / Make up a new language code and write material suing it .
Can you create new & unusual uses for ?? / Sell an idea .
Can you write a new recipe for a tasty dish ? / Devise a way to ?
Can you develop a proposal which would ?? / Compose a rhythm or put a new words to a known melody .

Evaluation