Coursebook – textbook of which T and each S has a copy, and which is in principle to be followed systematically as the basis for the lg course.
Why use coursebook?1. Satisfactory lg control2. Additional CD’s3. Details to T guide4. Provides extra actvts and resources5. Offers suggestions and alternatives 4 the lesson6. Provides a powerful stimulus 4 methodological development.
Factors which determine the choice of coursebook.
Ss – it should suit needs interests, abilities of the Ss.
T – it should suit T
Institution – it must meet the needs of official public teaching syllabuses or examinations.
Categories of coursebooks
Traditional – tries to get Ss to learn the lg as a system
Communicative – textbooks create opportunities for the Ss to use the lg in the classroom, before using in real life.
Why evaluate the coursebook?
Bc this is the first step towards deciding how a book should be most profitably used in your classroom and how it should be adapted (to use it most efficiently)
/To make the most of good points and compensate for or neutralize bad points/
Criteria 4 coursebook evaluation
1. Background of the Ss
2. Methodological
3. Underlying philosophy, aims and abjectives of the curriculum
4. Content (realistic/meaningful/appropriate/comprehensible input/authentic)
a) Linguistic context = functions, structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, skills
b) Thematic content
c) Activities
5. Sequencing (grading)
6. Recycling/revision/summary/self-testing
7. Layout and design (format/illustrations/physical make-up)
8. Practical consideration (price/availability of integral parts of the course such as tapes Tbooks, supporting materials)
9. General sociolinguistic factors.
3 stages of evaluation N.Grant – if it is worth further analysis
1. Initial evaluation – T titles out unsuitable materials
2. Detailed Evaluation – if it really fits the needs
3. In-use evaluation – If after some time it is still suitable
CATALYST test
C) communicative – will Ss be to use lg as a result of using the book?
A) aims – does it fit with our aims and objectives?
T) Teachable – does it seem reasonably, easy to use, easy to find
A) available add-ons are there any T’s books, tapes (additional material)
L) level – is it right?
Y) your impression – overall impression of the course
S) ss’ interest – will Ss find it interesting
T) tried & tested – was it tested in a real classroom? Where? By whom? Results?
To use coursebook as a springboard. Harmer
T usually base much of their teaching on the contents of the coursebook, they decide when and how use the parts. There are 2 ways to do that:1) omit & replace2) to change or not to change
T may alter. T may change/don’t change/omit task
SARS
S) Select – what parts of coursebook you definitely want to keep
A) Adapt – what parts do you basically want to keep, but need to change to be more suitable 4 Ss.
R) Reject – what parts you definitely want to leave out
S) Supplement – what else do you need to bring to the coursebook to fulfill requirements of your syllabus or to report to the needs of your Ss.
Coursebook deficiencies:
Inadequacy – Ss have their own learning needs
Irrelevance – lack of interest, not interesting for everyone
Limitation – boredom, lack of motivation
Homogenity – one teaching, learning approach
Over-easiness – T doesn’t use initiative, T follows the book blindly.
Handout Methodology
Ts have to take the responsibility for their language development and self-development. 2 ways to do that :
· 'teacher training or education' - may be presented or managed by others
· 'teacher development' - can be done only by and for ourselves
The most common problem in ant training programmes is a gap between theory and practice.
Features of a 'professional':
· scientific knowledge
· a sense of public service
· long/difficult study
· high standards
There are 3 major models of education:
1. The craft model
2. The applied science model
3. The reflective model
THE CRAFT MODEL
· traditional/conservative/static/imitative
· the same things are repeated over and over again
· Trainee can only imitate what a master (practitioner)is doing and saying
THE APPLIED SCIENCE MODEL
· experts are not practitioners (no or little experience)refugees from the classroom
· practitioners don't come up with their own ideas, theories. They just follow the experts
· instrumental teaching
· separation of research (expert) and practice ( practitioner).
ways of teaching language
· audio-visual (behaviourism)
· structural drill (behaviourism)
· transformational generative grammar (by Chomsky)
We have to look closely at the science before we apply it. (consider if it's correct)
THE REFLECTIVE MODEL
Nature of professional knowledge
· received knowledge - consists of data, research, theories. Trainees receive the
knowledge of language, skills, research findings.
· experiential knowledge
o knowing-in-action - T on the spot can judge if what he is doing is
working in the class and can immediately change it
o reflection-after the lesson T thinks what was well done, what was wrong
and how to correct it
We learn mostly from reflection
Reflective model maintains balance between research and practice.
Training – at the beginning of our careers we go on courses where we are taught what to do.
Education – the process by which your mind develops through learning at school, college or university
Development – teachers are given new experiences to reflect and learn from (eg. Writing materials)
Importance of teacher development
1. Survive – (1st year of teaching/’burn-out’): it isn’t a feeling of failure but of disillusionment, boredom, loss of momentum: it may be cured by deliberate action on the part of the teacher.
2. Progress(becoming the best teacher you can)
a) Advantages of growing professionally:
- as a teacher you can perform much better in class/your Ss will have more opportunities to learn
- you won’t be bored
- you will have a sense of growth
- you will be more self confident
b) how we can start
- know where you are, what your positive and negative assets are (eg. by getting feedback): the first important steps towards becoming a better T involve an increased awareness about what I do now and an openness to the possibility of change
- source of feedback
~ you yourself (evaluation sheets): should be done in writing-it forces you to stick to the topic and to be concise and reasonably ordered.
~ your students (questionnaires): Ss are an excellent source of feedback, their information is based on a whole series of lessons and they usually have a clear idea of how well they are learning and why; they appreciate being consulted.
~ your colleagues (observation sheets): it takes some courage deliberately to expose yourself to criticism; one possibility is to make a mutual arrangement with a like-minded colleague (peer teaching, peer observation)
HOW YOU CAN DEVELOP PROFESSIONALLY
1. What you do within your own teaching routine:
a) your (own) personal reflections (habit) – the basis – your own experience; EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING(prepare-do-recall-reflect-conclude-do…)
- spontaneous – during the lesson, during the way home
o advantages
§ it’s necessary basis or a start of point for further development
§ your memories are fresh
§ quick way to reflect
§ your thinking is undisciplined and you can give full rein to imagination
o disadvantages
§ it’s based on emotions
§ you may not have all necessary information to reflect on
§ it’s not organized and you thinking may be diverted into other channels
§ danger of forgetting
- organized – journal writing, teachers record their thoughts about their teaching and their Ss
o immediately after the lesson (first reactions and feelings will be recorded)
o some time later (concentrate on more specific thoughts)
Advantages:
~ the act of writing the journal forces us to try to put into words thoughts
~ the act of reading our own journals make us engage again with what we experienced, felt or worried about.
- record yourself: tape recorder, filmed lessons
b) sharing with your colleague (mentors): what you wish to share may be positive or negative.
- Sharing problems: problem sharing can contribute to encouragement and progress all aroud, it is not a uni-directional process.
- Sucesses
c) Staff meetings (formally structured to make sure everyone participates and benefits):
- Decision making - a problem is brought to the meeting that may demand some specific action, innovation or change in policy (eg. Inadequate assessment procedures), participants discuss the problem in order to achieve consensus.
- Individual presentation – one of the members of staff begins the meeting by making a presentation (eg. Problem they have had). The presentation is followed by open discussion.
- ‘may we recommend’ – in turn, each T suggests a teaching idea they have used recently and describes how it went.
- T training and development sessions: the staff ...
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