Luisella Maroni – Expo dell’Educazione e del Lavoro – Milano 28 aprile 2004

Titolo

The learner, the teacher and the course materials

Presentazione

La ricchezza di materiali didattici per l’insegnamento-apprendimento della lingua inglese nella Scuola Secondaria di 1^ grado è tale che si potrebbe credere che l’uso pedissequo di tali sussidi sia sufficiente a garantire il raggiungimento degli obiettivi prefissati. L’esperienza invece, insegna che è solo grazie al rapporto alunno-docente in classe che lo sviluppo dell’interazione orale e scritta e l’acquisizione delle competenze linguistiche sono possibili per l’alunno. Il docente pertanto si avvale dei materiali didattici cartacei (libro di testo, guida per l’insegnante, schede per il recupero e l’approfondimento, ecc.) e multimediali (Cd audio, CD rom, video, materiali on-line) utilizzandoli, in quanto strumenti, con la massima libertà e creatività allo scopo di farli diventare più fruibili per gli alunni con si trova ad operare e per rendere la sua proposta didattico-educativa sempre più motivante e coinvolgente.

Language teaching / learningsocial phenomenon

teacher context learner

Teaching is a cooperative activity performed by human beings. Participants in this enterprise are constrained by the micro-social context in which they operate.

(Brumfit 1991))

Learning depends on

willing

active free

involvement of the learner

teaching helping learner find a sense of personal meaningfulness

learnerdevelopment age - lack of interest

motivation?

teacher’s responsibility

to work on it

cooperation in teaching/learning is in the first place transfer of meaning.

motivation

‘ I started to like English when I was in high school. I started to enjoy it a little bit more because of a teacher I had. She was really a role model for me, you know. The way she taught us, made me love this language …’

(Adapted from Silva 2001)

‘The motivational training makes your own life in the classroom so much more pleasant. The real reward for motivating teachers is not on pay-day, it is when their passion is caught by the learners.’Zoltán Dörnyey

Teacher

Teacher

Student

Student

enjoyment and reward

best way to trigger off the virtuous circle and to

transfer meaning

improve the quality of teaching

teaching = cooking

same ingredients -> different dishes

sugar / spice

enthusiasm + creativity

to cook good and varied lessons

first we need the ingredients

the course materials

provide the ingredients

COURSE MATERIALS

•S’s coursebook

•Wokbook

•Portfolio

•Teacher’s book

•recordings offered in the package

analyze course materials

FAQ

 

  Who are they aimed at?

Is the package complete?

How does the teacher’s book suggest we work?

Who are the authors?

 

Teacher’s Book

•detailed guidance on how the course can be taught

•a flexible approach to the materials that take account of Ss’ strengths and weaknesses

•photocopiable tests

•photocopiable materials and ideas for optional activities

central element of the course materials

COURSEBOOK

‘There is no such thing as a perfect coursebook. Coursebooks are well written or badly written. That’s all.’

 

well written coursebooks are teacher friendly

suggest what to teach how to teach it and with what materials

 provide a balanced syllabus and ready-made materials to be used in class during the lessons

 the method proposed is in line with school, students and T’s ethos

 can make planning easy and enjoyable

well written coursebooks are student friendly

give a sense of clarity, direction and progress

 provide balanced attractive materials in a form that can be used both alone and in class

contribute to learner independence (Ss can review, look ahead and learn on their own)

 make learning easy and enjoyable

COURSEBOOK CONTENT

•Lexis

•Language patterns

•Language skills 

•Study skills – Learning styles

•Culture and ‘civiltà’

 

good ingredients do not ‘create’ appealing dishes

good course materials do not ‘create’ appealing lessons

break the monotony

spice up tasks

relevant teaching materials

promotelearners’ self-

esteempromote

cooperation

createlearners’

autonomy

How ?

break the monotonyof teaching/ learning

vary

presentation style do the unexpected extend students’ involvement

You’re going to listen to a song. Look at these words from the lyrics.

I’m feeling down anybody

appreciate before changed days

doors feet ground Help help

independence insecure life

mind need never please self-

assured someone today vanish

way youngerWhat do you expect?

•Who sings it? Why?•What is its rhythm? Why?•What is the content?

Help I _________ somebodyHelp not just _________Help you know I need __________________.

When I was _________, so much younger than _________I _________ needed anybody’s help in any _________And now these _________ are goneI’m not so _________Now I find I’ve changed my _________I’ve opened up the _________.

Help me if you can, I’_______ downAnd I do _________ you being roundHelp me get my _________ back on the _________Won’t you _________, please _________ me.

And now my _________ has _________ in so many waysMy _________ seems to _________ in the hazeBut every now and then I feel so _________I know that I just need you like I’ve never done _________.

Which is faster?

Which is the fastest?

Which is the slowest?

Teach comparatives and superlatives

STONEHENGE

Stonehenge is a circular group of huge standing stones, or monoliths, and it is one of the most ancient and mysterious structures in the world. It is certainly the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe. Stonehenge is easy to find. It stands between two main roads, two miles west of Amesbury, not far from Salisbury.Today you walk through a tunnel that connects the car park and ticket office (where you pay the entrance fee). When you reach the stones, you can only look at them from a certain distance. Try to imagine the countryside when its prehistoric inhabitants started to build this monument: there were no cars, no tunnel, just some trees on the Salisbury Plain.

The building of Stonehenge began 3,000 years ago and it was completed in 1,500 BC. It is really incredible because the people who built Stonehenge had no wheels and no metals. Their tools were only stones, bones and wood.

When it was complete, Stonehenge had two concentric circles with two horseshoes of huge standing stones. And they are terribly huge! Some stones weigh about 45 tons each – or 45 cars! – and are 7m high. The stones came from places a long way from Stonehenge: the journey took one year and hundreds of people moved each stone. When the stones arrived at Stonehenge the constructors worked on them to give them a similar shape and size.Stonehenge is a mystery. Nobody knows exactly what it was. We only know one thing for certain: if you stand in the middle of the circle very early in the morning on 21st June – the summer solstice - the sun comes up exactly behind the Heel Stone. ‘Heel’ is in fact an ancient Celtic word that means ‘sun’. For this reason some people think that this ancient monument was a sort of huge clock or calendar that prehistoric people used to establish the months of the year. Other people think that Stonehenge was a kind of temple, while others believe that it was impossible for prehistoric people to build Stonehenge and so some green creatures from outer space built it … What do you think? (from ‘Destination the World’ – 2 - pages 106 – 107)

Involve the learners in creating the activity:

DIY questions (do it yourself)

• Ss read a text for 30 seconds and scan for words (use the OHP)

• Ss call out the words they remember T writes them on the BB

• Ss ask questions to find out what those words mean in the text and how they connect

T writes the questions on the BB

• Ss read the text again (this time slowly) and look for the answers (search for information)

STONEHENGE What is it?

Where is it?

How did they build it?

Why is it so fascinating?

spice up tasks

modify the tasks in the coursebook

challenge crosswords, acrostics hidden information

personalelement truth and lies

noveltyelement

something totally unexpected

Acrostic

Prepare an acrostic for your mate. Use pictures on pages 69-70 and write definitions. Follow the example:It’s brown. It’s in the bedroom. It’s on the bed.Downwards you will spell CONSERVATORY.

C U D D L Y T O Y

O

N

S

E

R

V

A

T

O

R

Y

See pages 69 –70 –71

Destination the World – 1 Ghisetti & Corvi

Do you really know your classmate?

Work in pairs: talk about your holidays: include some true information but also some lies. Your partner will try to spot them. For each lie s/he spots s/he will get one point and lose one for each wrong guess. Do not cheat!

Student A

Say:

• where you went

• when you went there

• who you went with

• how you went there

• what you saw / visited

there

• what the weather was like

• who you met

Student B

React:

• That is a lie!

Learners with a very limited sense of their own ability are likely to give up: promote the learners’ self esteem build confidence

reduce language anxiety

• sustained monologue

teach learning strategies

•learning vocabulary•collocations / categories•spidergrams….

The fortune teller

Say silently to yourself:- if your mate will be successful at school- why / why not- where he / she will go on holiday- who he / she will go with- what he / she will become when he / she’s 20- if he / she will get married- who he / she will marry- where he / she will live- if he / she will have any children

T gets SS to relax and sit silently and puts some music on

T gives guidance and writes the key words on the BB

SS talk to each other (in pairs / in front of the class)

create learners’ autonomy

increase capacity to evaluate the learning process

increase awareness of how to learn

allow learners to make choices

• nurture the learners’ ability to make choicesmenu with activities to choose fromassignmentsformat and pace of learning

give a share of responsibility for planning and conducting activities

Pre-homework

Next lesson we are going to read about ‘London’- Bring to school any materials you may be interested in: photos (from magazines / from the internet), articles, objects …prepare as many questions as you like or a list of things that you may like to know about London …

The following lesson T exploits the materials.

eg: T uses pictures to elicit and teach vocabulary

T uses questions to get the SS to read or listen to texts and look for the information they are interested in … etc.

Task: you can read either the story ‘A cat’s mewing’ or the comic strip ‘Petra Treasure’ and do the exercises. Retell the story orally.

See pages

178 – 178 – 180 – 181 – 182 – 193 – 184

172 - 173

Destination the World – 1 Ghisetti & Corvi

The next lesson:

T asks how many students have read either the story or the comic strip

T asks for the reasons for their choice

‘A cat is mewing’ •short story•simple•easy•I liked the pictures•I didn’t have much time•‘Petra Treasure’ was too difficult for me•my English is poor so I prefer reading short stories

‘Petra Treasure’•intriguing•I like adventure stories•interesting•I like reading comics•It looked more interesting than the 1st story•The 1st story looked too childish

These are some of Ss’ answers

Prepare an exercise for your partner

You can do exercise N.______ on page _____ or prepare a similar exercise for your partner

Answer the comprehension questions on page______ or write 6 comprehension questions for your partner

Prepare a ‘fill in the gaps’ exercise – revising vocabulary, verb forms, etc write 6 True/False questions or 6 comprehension questions (on a given passage) a vocabulary puzzle on the topic / odd man out

Promote cooperation

peer cooperation

•feeling of solidarity and supportiveness•higher expectation of success•less anxiety and stress

opportunity to share a common goal

in your course materials

and

in the constraints of your teaching – learning environment

always find an element of ‘fun’

enjoy your teaching

your learners will enjoy their learning

Ideas and materials have been taken from

‘Destination the World’ – 1/3

&

‘New Destination the World’ per la scuola secondaria di primo grado

R.Caravaggi L.Maroni M. Pozzi

Ghisetti & Corvi Editori