Principles of Language Learning and Teaching - Report Example

Selected Curriculum The targeted group of students who will be taught under this curriculum will be adult learners, and as such I have elected to utilize the CGEA curriculum due to its broad scope and wide acceptability. The CGEA has had various incarnations. It was first formed in 1993, based on an earlier adult literacy curriculum frame work by the Adult Community and Further Education Board (ACFEB), and its purpose was to accredit non-school training pathways up to tertiary entrance standards. It has also sustained itself through a number of revisions, the most recent being in 2006. In spite of its relative infancy, it has been adopted in Victoria and in most states as a basis for program funding and planning. The providers of the CGEA curriculum are TAFE College and CAE. Funding is made jointly by both state and Commonwealth governments. The CGEA lends itself admirably to those concepts which enhance strategy training and its applicability to adult learning. Strategic learning is described by Richards, Platt & Platt (1992 p.355)) as “… [it is] training in the use of learning strategies in order to improve a learners’ effectiveness” (Richards et al 1992) In so doing, Richards et al describe a number of strategy trainings which can be used. “(1) Explicit or direct training: Learners are given information about the value and purpose of particular strategies, taught how to use them and how to monitor their own use of the strategies” (Richards et al). “(2) Embedded strategy training; the strategies to be taught are not taught explicitly but are embedded in the regular content of an academic subject area such as reading, math, or science” (ibid) “(3) Combination strategy training: explicit strategy training is followed by embedded training” (Ibid) Additionally, the thrust of CGEA is the concept that skills development occurs best when it is within a social context and geared for social purposes Learner training can aptly be characterized as teaching learners how to become independent and autonomous learners. As stated by Zimmerman 1986, “self regulation refers to the degree to which individuals become metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviourally active participants in their own learning process” (Zimmerman, p.307). According to Livingston 1997, students possess the capacity to control their learning. “…Although most individuals of normal intelligence engage in metacognitive regulation when confronted with an effortful cognitive task, some are better than others are. Those with greater metacognitive abilities tend to be more successful in their cognitive endeavors. The good news is that individuals can learn how to regulate their cognitive activities” (Livingston 1997). Brown 2000, recognizes the work on the effectiveness of learning strategies for various learners in a variety of contexts, he states…”we probe its implications for your teaching methodology in the classroom, specifically, how your language classroom techniques can encourage, build, and sustain effective language learning strategies in your students” (Brown 2000, p.130). The CGEA is a set of certified courses designed to develop and heighten the literacy, numeracy and general education proficiencies of adults ages 15 and above. The premise is well established that adults have differing learning requirements and personal goals, and that flexibility is necessary in terms of the life circumstances which may compose barriers to learning (e.g. work responsibilities, family commitments, and health issues) the certificate program aims to provide education in literacy and numeracy skills development in areas to do with work and further training, and with a particular emphasis on participation in the wider community. Special level The lesson plan begins with the basics, which dictates the level to be elementary. In accordance with the CGEA curriculum as per VBQ132: Engage with texts of limited complexity for personal purposes. I have chosen not to concentrate on a special content area. This is an adult literacy class, with literary focus on 2 macro skills, reading and writing. The teacher must ensure that the key needs of the learners are met in order to facilitate the best learning outcomes. Learners need – security, (to feel safe) motivation, encouragement, instruction, and purposeful activity. Learner Profile In a Logitudinal Survey of immigrants to Australia, it was revealed that 55% of the immigrants were female and 45% were male. Only 22% of these migrants were classified to have come from English speaking countries, and 78% were from countries where English was not the mother tongue. Also, the median age of those migrating to Australia was 35 years of age. 46% of the in the Longtudinal Survey were single without dependent children, while 12% of the migrants were families with dependent children. The most common source countries were China, the United Kingdom, and India. Between them these countries account for more than one-third of the immigrants. The other major sources were the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, who had high proportions of family immigrants” (Kalekin-Fishman 19955) Learners gender, Age, civil status, and ethnicity Based on the rate of 55% migrant entrance rate, the class composition will consist of a slightly higher number of women than men. More than 46% of the immigrants were of households without dependent children and single, while only 12% of those recorded were families with dependent children. Overall, the median age of the immigrants within each of these categories was 35 years of age. Consequently, one can project with a reasonable amount of certainty, that a majority of the students will be single female adults, and less than half will consist of male and female household heads, who are members of the 35-40 age group. A small percentage of the students will be Chinese, European (UK) and India. Albeit, these groups consisted of one-third of those recorded in the Longitudinal Survey, the fact that the UK is included in this grouping, tends to skew the total downward. However, the presence of some Britain, Scandinavians, Italians, and Africans, will be represented within the group of learners. The majority of the learners will consist of individuals from the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Along with the fact that these groups recorded the highest number of households with children, and are representative of more than two-thirds of the immigrants, it is reasonable to project that members from these three groups will comprise the highest percentage of learner participants. Varied educational backgrounds – The educational attainment levels of most will have been limited; some will have had some formal education since arriving in Australia, and others may have considerable formal education but be unable to transfer literacy skills from L1 to English. According to Wurr 2002…”Adults who are illiterate in their first language may also suffer from a host of negative emotions associated with previous failures in school and learning to read. Variety of reasons for wanting to improve literacy skills. Acquisition of vehicle operators license Access to social services and Health care Employment opportunities Citizenship Socialization and assimilation Skills improvement Furthering educational attainment levels Overview The CGEA curriculum provides a forum on which to implement an adult based learner of English program. The CGEA curriculum is a set of certified courses designed to develop and heighten literacy, numeracy and general education., The curriculum lends itself to diversity, and this enables the segue to accomplishing the primary objective of structuring a lesson plan, which will allow the teacher to focus on a holistic approach, suited to capture the interest, and achieve the objective of empowering the maximum number of learners to achieve English proficiency. One of the many challenges which the teacher is compelled to deal with, is creating a dynamic which will mitigate the diverse group variances (culture, mother tongue, life experiences, age, expectations, skill levels, educational attainment levels, and occupations). The provision of multiple activities is an acceptable given. These activities must be relevant to the individual and pertinent to their diverse backgrounds, and capabilities of the learners and must meet the standards of the learners preferred learning styles. At the end of the day, all of the variables must be compressed into a rationale which yield a lesson plan that is geared towards the task of accomplishing the presentation English language instruction, which will be viewed by the learners as interesting and comprehendible. While the formal education of the student is the primary objective and will consist of simple reading and writing, the teacher must convert the CGEA curriculum into an insightful, as well as an innovative lesson plan. The teacher must be able to extract those features from the CGEA curriculum which will stimulate learners to become motivated, and perpetuate a level of engagement , that will compel the student to achieve the maximum benefits, offered by the CGEA curriculum. The CGEA curriculum affords considerable credence to age, and the enormous weight which this variable bears. Age of the student is the cortex variable, around which all of the orher variables are molded to conform too. It is the special focus which is placed on age, which provides the CGEA curriculum with its functional character. An objective of the CGEA curriculum is to place adult learners in a practical position, which will empower them to benefit to the fullest extent, of their efforts, endeavors, and capabilities. The maximization of their human capital, that will result in an overall enhancement in their quality of life. Explanatory Notes According to Edge 1993…”Learners who are aware of their own preferences and the preferences of others can better appreciate what is happening in class and better support their own learning outside class” (Edge 1993, p.16). In accordance with the CGEA curriculum, as per VBQU134: Engage with tests of limited complexity for employment purposes. Part I of the Lesson plan, beginners steps are introduced to the learners which are geared towards introduction and augmentation of basic computer skills. The mode chosen is the technique involved in the preparation and transmission of e-mail. This lesson has a multi-pathway, in that it will have at least a four-fold affect; There exists a chance that most of the students have very limited or no computer skills or exposure, and it just may be the case that some of them are actually intimidated by the machine. This lesson will assist in eliminating the phobia, while peaking their (curious) interest and providing them with an important communication tool and skill. This process will afford the learner the opportunity to increase the vocabulary, while assisting them in developing a technique, which can be used in formal or informal manner. The reading material which will accompany this lesson will enable the learner to experientially apply the lesson being taught in the classroom setting, as well as outside the classroom. It will avail the learner to the opportunity of establishing a bond with fellow learners, and of course with friends and associates beyond the classroom. Another practical aspect of the lesson, is the manner in which it will relate to the scope and utility; the learners who earnestly apply themselves to adapting the lesson, will soon discover that they are actually being taught several skills. They will learn the function and technique of how the computer operates, they will also be empowered with the ease of transferring their thoughts and ideas in a nonverbal communicative medium. Their discovery of how easily the written word can be conveyed, will enable them to cast off, their previous apprehensions and insecurities. The prevailing precept of the teacher in using this curriculum, is that no learner is to be left behind. To assure this outcome, an adequate allotment of time for the exercise becomes paramount, as must learner bonding be promoted and encouraged. Teachers should be particularly cautious when working with immigrant language learners, when translating the learners’ dialect into the English being taught in class . As it pertains to L1 learners, Jones states, “…the syntax should be preserved exactly as it was spoken” in order “to prevent affronting the students with the suggestion that his/her language needs to be changed”. And “assure the strongest possible connection with the student’s spoken language” (Jones 1986 p.29-30) Constraints They command respect; i.e.; expected to be treated as adults and equals whose opinions and beliefs are taken seriously. Many commentators assert that,”…Age being one of many learner variables teachers must consider in terms of learner needs ”Brown 2000, characterizes the situation thusly, “…if you could somehow pack a suit case full of the most current teaching resources, you would still have to face the question of who your learners are, where they are learning, and why they are learning” (Brown 2000 p.86). learning needs to be relevant to their functioning lives. To hurdle the inhibitions which often prevent a learner from being conversant, Rengel 1989 suggest the use of visual aids to prompt and conceptualize areas for conversation...”universal topics such as food, clothes, wedding customs, holidays, and animals allow students from all cultures a segue into conversation” “A picture of Princess Masako or Diana or a written prompt such as “Marachi” could be used to encourage students from one country to describe the topic to students from other cultures”(Ringel 1989) Evaluating Effectiveness of Teaching- Evaluation is vital to analyze how well you are doing your job in teaching students a particular subject. Evaluation needs to focus on what parts of your teaching are good as well as what the focus areas are. The Effect of Evaluation on Our Teaching Source:D.L. Fink, University of Oklahoma Instructional Development Program Regardless of how good you are in your profession, there is always room for improvement. You might be doing a good job at teaching your students but you can always have a potential to get better. In Brown 2000, Teaching by Principles, An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, one finds how external (second or third party evaluations) can guide an individual teacher’s formulation of self evaluation techniques. …”we probe its implications for your teaching methodology in the classroom, specifically, how your language classroom techniques can encourage, build, and sustain effective language learning strategies in your students” (Brown 2000, p.130). there is always a need for self-evaluation for your own mental and physiological satisfaction. Self-evaluation is a form of self regulation, As stated by Zimmerman 1986, “self regulation refers to the degree to which individuals become metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviourally active participants in their own learning process” (Zimmerman, p.307). Resources for Evaluating Teaching Techniques There are five basic sources that all teachers can use to evaluate their individual performances in teaching students. TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATING YOUR OWN TEACHING Techniques Unique Value and Recommended Frequency Limitations Appropriate Response to Limitations 1. Self-monitoring 2. Audio-tape/video-tape 3. Information from students a. Questionnaires (1) Beginning of year (2) Mid-year (3) End-of-year b. Interviews 4. Students' test results 5. Outside observers a. Fellow faculty member b. Admin./Senior Fac. Member c. Address Source. D.L. Fink, Evaluating Your Teaching, University of Oklahoma Instructional Development Program Self-monitoring Whenever people are teaching, self-evaluation, either consciously or unconsciously, comes into play. While most of the mental activity of the teacher goes towards making the presentation or teaching a topic, there is always concern about how the session is being received, and processed by the learners... Teachers are always concerned with questions like, how is it going? Are students with me? The process of self-monitoring Is a continuous positive process and it serves the useful purpose of keeping the teacher motivated to make teaching an enjoyable and useful session for the students. While the teacher is teaching, he/she is also learning how to adapt appropriate strategies which they have incorporated in their lesson plans, to also apply to themselves. Strategic learning is described by Richards, Platt & Platt (1992 p.355)) as “… [it is] training in the use of learning strategies in order to improve a learners’ effectiveness” (Richards et al 1992). Limitation The strength of this resource is also its limitation. Since this information is created by the teacher, it might be subjected to mis-interpretations or biases. . These miscues are referred too as culture bumps, they occur Fukami 2002 “…when one expects a certain demeanor from another person, yet perceives a reaction totally different from one s/he has expected” (Fukami, 2002 p 3-4). “Such collisions occur both in multi-cultural classrooms and mono-cultural classrooms” (Ibid). Limitation mitigators Orally the teacher can employ the Socratic approach, thereby enhancing verbal communication and class participation. Also, the teacher can produce short, and simple pop quizzes. Both of these mitigating techniques will serve as gauges of effectiveness for the teachers’ self-evaluation, as well as establishing learner comprehension. Audiotape and Video recording . This technique provides you with completely objective information. It will tell you exactly, what you said, what you did, and how much time you spent on the topic. It will help you evaluate if you transferred instructions adequately. Did you take enough breaks, and was the participation from the class adequate. Was the session interactive enough? Information from Students Students are the best critics in assisting teachers evaluate their teaching skills. Questionnaires and interviews are tools which can be utilized to gather feedback. They will also serve as an evaluative toll on the student, as well as a means to assess the effectiveness of your instructions. Questionnaire The Questionnaire is a formal and anonymous means of obtaining feedback from students. Questionnaires have a special value, wherein you can be humorous and light. Again, this is an exercise for gauging learner progress as well. maintaining anonymity, which is crucial to elicit candid and uninhibited responses. Interviews The special value of interviews is that students often identify unanticipated strengths and weaknesses, and the interviewer can probe and follow-up on topics that need clarification. Edge, and Richards assert that the “emphasis on learners point of view leads to examine some contributions learners bring to learning by exploring learner’s beliefs about teaching and learning, the influence of cognitive styles, and the role of learner strategies”(Edge,& Richards 1996. p.52) Student’s test result Usually tests are a method to assess and grade students but at the same time they can also be used to evaluate teaching skills. The student’s result will also reveal how well they have been able to understand concepts taught to them by their teachers. Outside observer In addition, to teachers and students, valuable feedback on teaching skills can also be obtained from the third party who is an observer, who brings an outside perspective and professional expertise. Conclusion The migrant population in Australia is compelled to pursue and achieve an intelligible level of English proficiency. Their practice and command of the country’s language is paramount in order for them to enjoy a normal co-existence and to integrate into the Australian society. Achieving this cannot be done without those programs such as the CGEA Curriculum. Works Cited Brown H. D., (2000) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, (4th edition) New York: Longman Edge, J., (1993) Essentials of English Language Teaching, Longman Keys to Language Teaching series New York; Longman Fink. D. L., (1999) Evaluating Your Own Teaching, Published in Improving College Teaching by Peter Selden (ed), University of Oklahoma Instructional Development Program, July 20, 1999, Retrieved on line ov November 10,2007, from hinolulu.hawaii.edu Fukami, R., (2002), Influences of Contextual factors on the Construction of Learners beliefs about Language Learning and Teaching, Retrieved on line on November 7, 2007, from www.essex.ac.uk Jones, L.K., (1986) Yawa Phonology, Pacific Linguistics A74; 1-30, retrieved on line on November 7, 2007, from web.phonetikuni-frankfurt.de Jiang, W. (2001) Handling Culture Bumps, ELT Journal 55/4 OUP 382-390, Retrieved on line on November 7, 2007, from www.essex.ac.uk Kalekin-Fishman (1995), Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Teaching Language in Diverse Environment, Longitudinal Survey of Australian Immigrants, Retrieved on November 5, 2007, from www.immi.gov.au Livingston, J., (1997) Metacognitive: An Overview, State University of New York at Buffalo, Retrieved on line on November 7, 2007, from www...linguistics-journal.com . Richards, C.J., & Lockhart C. (1996) Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms, CUP Richards, J.C., Platt, J., & Platt H., (1992) Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (2nd edition) Harlow, Essex, Longman Ringel, H., (1989) The Language Experience Approach, retrieved on line on November 6, 2007, from www.readingmatrix.com Wurr, A. J., (2002) The Language Experience Approach Revisited: The Use of Personal Narratives in Adult L2 Literacy Instruction, The Reading Matrix vol 2 No. 1 4-02., retrieved on line on November 7, 2007, from www.readingmatrix.com Read More