SHARE
An
Electronic Magazine by Omar Villarreal and Marina Kirac ©
Year 3 Number 60 December 6th 2001
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Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being SHARED
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Dear SHARERS,
A
really big “thank you” for all the messages we got congratulating us on the
return of SHARE. There are those from our close friends, also the ones from the
very well known figures in our ELT scene and the ones from our anonymous dear
SHARERS.
You
know we appreciate them all, but you also know that we cherish especially the
ones from our dear SHARERS “without a
face”, the ones that have always been there
faithfully by our side. Today SHARE has more than 4,600 members. Most of
them are our VIP´s , the real professionals at the chalkface that silently make
the wheels of the ELT world go round.
Love
Omar and Marina
In SHARE 60
1..- Appropriate Pedagogies in a Global Age.
2..- English Speaking Scholastic Association of
the River Plate.
3.- A
Day in Mom´s life.
4..- Literature for Young People.
5.- The Tale of the Little Gray Rock.
6..- BRAZTESOL 2002.
7..- Epistemology and the Teaching Profession.
8.- Workshop on Teaching English to Children.
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1..- APROPRIATE PEDAGOGIES IN A GLOBAL AGE
Our
dear SHARER, Fabiana Constantino sends us this article of professional interest
(a handout of Isobel´s
successful presentation at Colegio Marín).
Appropriate
Pedagogies in a Global Age
by Isobel
Rainey, University of Surrey, Guildford, England & Colegio Marín, Buenos
Aires
(1) Relationship
between society and foreign language teaching aims
Contrary to
popular belief, the aims of foreign language teaching programmes are dictated
not by linguists, applied linguists and foreign language teachers but by
society. Research by linguists and applied linguists usually reflects the
prevailing concerns of society, however, and foreign language teachers respond
to these in turn in the form of a 'technology' which is designed to attain the
prevailing aims i.e. those dictated by society and refined by linguists and
applied linguists.
It is commonly acknowledged that society
identifies 3 main aims for foreign language teaching:
(I)
literary/artistic/aesthetic;
(II)
philosophical (ideological/political);
(III)
social (interactional/transactional).
(2) The
influence of different historical circumstances on the aims of foreign language teaching.
At the end of the 19th century and beginning
of the 20th, society regarded a
knowledge of foreign languages as a manifestation of a person's
artistic/literary merit in as much as the individual would be considered a more cultivated person if
he/she could read and discuss the great
literatures of other languages. Thus, Grammar Translation was the method which was applied to
achieving society's aim.
In contrast, during the period before, during
and after WW2, the need to learn foreign languages was closely associated with
getting to know, controlling and
dominating the enemy. That is, it had urgent ideological and political aims.
Applied linguists and teachers responded to this aim in terms of the Audio
Lingual method which promised the efficient programming of the learners into mastery of the foreign
language.
In the late
sixties and seventies, the world - or at least the industrialised West -
experienced a completely different era. It was an era of hope, optimism, and
enormous economic growth, which appeared to herald prosperity and equality for
all. It was accompanied by a dramatic increase in international travel and
communication, which led to a view of foreign language learning which was seen
primarily in terms of social aims:
(i)
interactional; (ii)transactional.
This was the historical moment which spawned
CLT. (Communicative Language Teaching)
(3) Brief
review of CLT
Responses
to society's need for a form of foreign language teaching which would respond
to its demands for social English resulted in the now familiar preoccupation
with theories of language competence and these have undergone modifications, as
linguistics refine their theories.
Hence, the
developments and modification to the concept of 'communicative competence' from Hymes' basic concern with
appropriacy through Canale and swain's appeal for strategic competence to Bachman's broader definition
of communicative ability.
This, in
turn, led to the development of the concomitant classroom 'technologies' in the
form of the needs analysis, functional syllabus, information and opinion gap
activities and process syllabuses, etc.
In their
enthusiasm for CLT and for seeking ways in which to effect it, applied
linguists and teachers overlooked some important facts:
(i) Not
all countries were experiencing the same economic boom as the economically
vibrant West, and some that were not experiencing it at the same rate;
(ii) One aim for foreign language teaching -
even a major aim - does not automatically preclude another; some things never
change, the need, for example, of human
beings for affective support in the face of problems. In contrast, other things are unlikely to last
for ever, economic booms, for instance.
(iii) The techniques evolved for implementing CLT
reflected the priorities of societies which encouraged individualism and these were being applied in societies which
believed in community and group efforts.
(iv) Historical moments are precisely that -
historical moments - and one moment leads to another.
(4) The
present moment: globalisation and foreign language learners' needs in a global
age
There are basically two views of
globalisation: globalisation which promotes diversity, which encourages a view
of the world where the nations learn from one another without becoming like one
another. And globalisation which reflects an economic system which marginalises
less industrialised nations and aggravates the gap between the rich and the
poor.
Some linguists and applied linguists
(Phillipson, Pennycook, Kramsch)
sustain that what we have experienced over the past 20 years is a form of
globalisation which imposes, through the teaching of English, among other things, not just one economic system but one
view of the world - a view which is fundamentally Anglo-Americancentric.
It is urgent, therefore, that, in the
interests of the enriching view of
globalisation, that views which encourage true diversity, more appropriate pedagogies be devised to respond
to the demands of this present moment.
Bibliography
Holliday,
A. (1994) Appropriate Methodology and Social Context Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Pennycook,
A. (1994) The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language.
Harlow, Essex: Longman.
Phillipson,
R. (1992) Linguistic Imperialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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2.- ENGLISH SPEAKING
SCHOLASTIC ASSOCIATION OF THE RIVER PLATE.
ESSARP is perhaps one of the most prestigious institutions in the River Plate. Over the last few weeks we received a number of enquires about the nature of ESSARP so we decided to request our dear friend and SHARER Bertie Noble´s cooperation. Today he explains to us what ESSARP is.
Dear Omar and Marina,
I know how dear cyber space is, so am sending you a very brief account of ESSARP activities.
Anything else you need, please email requests, and I shall gladly provide whatever answers I can cover. Delighted with the return of SHARE.
Kindest regards,
Bertie
ESSARP, a
non-profit-making organization, was founded in 1926 as the British Scholastic
Association to provide a forum for interchange between the heads of
British-type schools in Argentina and Uruguay.
For many
years ESSARP has been responsible for the organization of a wide range of interschool student activities. In 1976
the Association launched what was to become its Annual Conference, and in 1982
it was invited by the University of Cambridge to take over the administration
of Cambridge O and A level examinations, as well as English language examinations
at school level. More recently it has been responsible for the administration
of IGCSE and AICE examinations in Argentina, and has become a fully-fledged
“international partner” of the
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate.
The ESSARP
Centre started its days in 1985 in cramped, rented quarters, but its expansion
was such that the Association purchased its current premises in town, providing a first class facility with five
large meeting rooms, a well-stocked educational library and reading room, auditorium, exhibition area and video
library, cafeteria service, and a number of smaller rooms for interviews and
informal gatherings. Within a relatively short time the ESSARP Centre has
acquired a solid reputation for the quality of its in-service training courses
and for the success rate of its own Diploma course. The facilities and services
of the Centre, through affiliate membership, are open to the full constituency
of bilingual schools in Greater Buenos Aires, approximately one hundred
(representing fifty thousand students),
seeking the constant replenishment and professional upgrading of their
staff.
The
Association is governed by an Executive Committee of five honorary members, and
employs a full-time Executive Officer, Mr. Jeremy Simpson, an Academic Coordinator, Dr. Cristina
Banfi, and a staff of ten.
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3.- A DAY IN MOM´S LIFE
Our dear friend and SHARER , Annie Altamirano sends us this “recipe” with the following message for all our mommy-teachers-SHARERS :
”We know
what this is about
Love,
Annie”
MOM'S
Recipe For BROWNIES!
Remove
teddy bear from oven and preheat to 375.
Melt
1 cup margarine in saucepan.
Remove
teddy bear from oven again and tell child "No, no!"
Add
margarine to 2 cups sugar and blend.
Take
shortening can away from child and clean cupboards.
Measure
1/3 cup cocoa into mixing bowl.
Take
shortening can away from child again and bathe cat.
Apply
antiseptic and bandages to cat scratches.
Assemble
4 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups sifted flour.
Take
smouldering teddy bear from oven and open doors and windows for ventilation.
Take
telephone away from child and assure party on the line the call was a mistake.
Call
operator and attempt to have direct dialled call removed from bill.
Measure
1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup nuts into bowl.
Remove
plastic toy from bowl, rinse toy in sink, and beat all ingredients well.
Let
cat out of refrigerator.
Pour
mixture into well-greased 9x13-inch pan.
Bake
25 minutes.
Rescue
cat and take razor away from child.
Explain
to kids that you have no idea if shaved cats will sunburn.
Throw
cat outside while it's still able to run away.
Mix
the following in saucepan for frosting:
1
cup sugar, 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup margarine.
Take
charred teddy bear out of the $#%! broiler and throw it away.
Answer
the door and explain to nice policeman that you didn't know child had slipped
out of the door and was heading for the street.
Put
child in playpen.
Add
1/3 cup milk, dash of salt, and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Answer
door and apologize to neighbour for child having stuck a garden hose
in
his front door mail slot.
Promise
to pay for ruined carpet.
Put
child back in playpen.
Remove
burned brownies from oven.
Open
package of cookies, serve those instead!
Marina:
Annie´s very right
Omar: I had no idea. Anyway, you never bake
brownies!
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4.- LITERATURE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Our dear SHARER Teresa Fernandez from the
Britush Council sends us this information. We are delighted to hear our dear
SHARER Claudia Ferradás Moi will co-chair such important event.
FRESH AIR
IN THE CLASSROOM: TEACHING LITERATURE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
17th Oxford Conference on the Teaching of Literature
7-13 April
2002, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, United Kingdom
The
conference will look at ways of developing projects and networks to bring
'fresh air' to teaching materials and methods around the world and keep
up-to-date with changing trends. It will examine how to build on live
literature events and encourage young people to read regularly through
initiatives such as reading groups hosted by schools and local libraries.
Speakers
include Alan Pulverness and Claudia Ferradas Moi (Chairs), Anne Fine, Matthew
Sweeney, John McRae, Bob Eaglestone, Jeff Wood, Paul Munden (National
Association of Writers), Barbara Bleiman (English and MediaCentre).
Participant
profile
Teachers of
English literature at secondary level in an ELT or ESL context (we will also
consider applications from teachers at primary and tertiary levels), those
involved in curriculum design and materials development and teacher training.
Format
A range of
workshops, plenaries and discussions on general issues, with readings by
writers for children and young people.
Deadline
for applications : 31 January 2002
Further
Information & downloadable
application forms and flyers:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts/literature/oxford/oxford2002.htm
The British Council
Marcelo T de Alvear 590 - 4to
C1058AAF Buenos Aires
Tel: +54 (0)11 4311 9814/7519 / Fax: +54 (0)11 4311 7747
E-mail: info@britishcouncil.org.ar
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5.- THE TALE OF THE
LITTLE GRAY ROCK
Our dear
SHARER Rubén Pignataro from Chajarí, Entre Ríos sends us this story.
We thought
it would be nice material to work with students at an intermediate level
upwards, especially to help them to put their “famous” Critical Thinking Skills
into action. Here are a few questions that Marina and I suggest:
Was what
the little gray rock did right or
wrong?.
Do people
do these things to other people? How often?
Has anyone
ever done something like this to you? How did you feel?
Have you
ever done something like this to somebody else? How did you feel?
Is there
any way we can stop/ prevent people from doing this to us or to other people?
Can you
write a new moral to the story?
Here is
Ruben´s story:
Once upon a
time, there lived a little gray rock in a fish tank. His dream was to be a
driveway rock.
The little
gray rock had two friends that lived with him in the fish tank, a red rock and
a blue rock.
Everyday
the fish that lived in the fish tank with them, would come over and make weird
faces at them.
The little
gray rock really started to get bugged by this, so he formulated a plan with
his friends. They decided the next time that fish came over, the little gray
rock would climb onto his friends and smash the fish.
Well,
that's just what they did and it killed the fish. The owners of the fish saw
that the fish was dead so they flushed the fish down the toilet, and threw the
rocks out onto the driveway.
MORAL: Use your friends, smash your enemies, and you get what you want.
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6.- BRAZTESOL 2002
Our dear SHARER Sara Walker writes to us:
BRAZ-TESOL would be most grateful if you
could let your friends and colleagues know about the 2002 National
Convention "ELT- A Bridge to Understanding"
to be held in Florianopolis from July 15 (evening) to July 18
(evening) 2002.
The Call for Presentations for the 2002
BRAZ-TESOL National Convention
is now available on the BRAZ-TESOL website at http://www.braz-tesol.org.br
If you have any difficulty printing the Call from the website, let me know and
I will email it to you as a file attachment.
Warm regards from BRAZIL,
Sara
Sara Walker, BRAZ-TESOL Advisory Council member
Hangar 5
SHIS QI5 Area Especial
Lago Sul - Brasilia DF 71615-040
Tel: +61 364 2331 / Fax: +61 364 2332
Email: sara@sarawalker.com.br
/ www.sarawalker.com.br
/ www.braz-tesol.org.br
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7.- EPISTEMOLOGY AND THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Our
dear friend and SHARER Andrea Ogilvie writes to us. Andrea is a Teacher of
English and Licenciada en Gestión Educativa and is currently working towards
her M.A. in Scientific Research. She can be contacted at la_cultural@ciudad.com.ar>
Dear Omar and Marina:
Thank you for sharing Share, an enriching experience to us all!!!
If this is all about sharing, I would like to share this article entitled "Epistemology and The Teaching
Profession" with you and all our SHARERS.
Here it goes:
Epistemology and the Teaching Profession
Something has been hovering in my head lately, that is, why are there some
teachers who seem to fall into the do what I say but not what I do
category?
The answer to this question, at least in
part, came to me in a sort of revelation while I was attending a class
delivered by Dr. Samaja who was dealing with the great American philosopher
Charles Pierce. He states that human cognition or the natural tendency of
thought, has evolved as a result of paving its way through four methods in
order to reach the capacity of scientific reasoning. The first of these is
known as the method of tenacity where the most instinctive beliefs or internal
drives are deeply ingrained.
Contrary to this, the method of authority
refers to the adoption of prevailing beliefs, as a result of forming part of a
certain community.
Following it, the a priori method consists
of a reflective attitude towards weighing the limitations and relativity of the
deeply rooted beliefs together with those imposed by others. Finally, the
method of scientific investigation proper, has been reached.
All of these ways of settling opinion seem
to coexist and interact with each
other in different levels along any individual´s life.
Some teachers are regarded to be prestigious in terms of holding excellent academic qualifications, of having lectured on Multiple Intelligences, the Independent Learner, Forms of assessment, Task-based learning and the like, and in the best of cases, those same ones who have even written books and published articles.
Yet, why is it that when it comes to
adapting and putting that same knowledge into practice in their classroom with
their own students, they are unable to do so, even though they prove to be
remarkable theoreticians?. Maybe, Charles Pierce in his work “The Fixation of
Belief” has a point to make in this respect. It would be possible to say that
some teachers have unconscious impulses (method of tenacity) that may not be
consistent, in whole or in part, with the theory of learning and the learner´s
role and the theory of teaching and the teacher´s role, to follow Meighan in
Ridley (1988), posited by authors such as Nunan, Willis, Armstrong and Genesee,
just to mention some. They resort to these authors´ authority (method of
authority) and they even reflect upon these authors´ theoretical stance (a
priori method). But still, they adopt the method of tenacity and shut
themselves out from all influences.
As Pierce puts it, "... it is the
nature of the process to adopt whatever belief we are inclined to..." or
in Ridley´s words, after all "... we teach who we are..."
Bibliography:
Juan Samaja (1999) Epistemología Y Metodología. Eudeba
Charles S. Pierce (1877) The Fixation of Belief. Popular Science monthly 12,
1-12 taken from www.pierce.org
Keith Morrison & Ken Ridley (1988) Curriculum Planning & The Primary
School.PCP
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8.- WORKSHOP ON TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN
Our
dear friend Marina Ulloa, sales and Promotion Manager for Macmillan Heinemann,
send us this invitation:
Escuela Argentina Modelo and Macmillan Heinemann ELT invite you to
share ideas, information and inspiration for teaching young children
When?
Wednesday 12th December, 2001 from 5 pm to 7.30 pm
Where? Escuela Argentina
Modelo, Riobamba 1059 – Capital Federal
Building
a Wonderful World for Children Learning English.
In this workshop José Luís Morales will examine the principles that underlie successful language teaching in schools that believe that the whole is much more than the sum of its parts. Participants will then be invited to take part in activities that make learning English more meaningful, memorable and fun.
José Luis is a teacher and teacher educator with 20 years’ experience in the field of EFL/ESL. He is a founder and board member of the Centro de Estudios Jean Piaget of Montevideo. He has recently moved to Argentina to take the position of Academic Services Manager for the Southern Cone countries with Macmillan Heinemann ELT.
Free
Admission but please reserve your place
on Tel/fax 4711-5111. Certificates of attendance will be issued upon
request.
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Time to
say goodbye. This time we wanted to leave
you a message which might accompany you through the week. Very appropriate for
these difficult moments when we sometimes lose sight of all the good things
that we have and very often look hard without actually seeing.
Un hombre susurró: "¡ Dios, habla conmigo!"
Y un Ruiseñor comenzó a cantar
Pero el hombre no oyó.
El hombre repitió: "¡ Dios, habla conmigo!"
Y el eco de un Trueno se oyó
Mas el hombre fue incapaz de oír.
El hombre miró enrededor y dijo: "¡ Dios, déjame verte!
Una Estrella brilló en el cielo
Pero el hombre no la vio.
El hombre comenzó a gritar:" ¡ Dios, muéstrame un milagro!"
Un Niño nació
Más el hombre no sintió el latir de la vida.
El hombre comenzó a llorar y a desesperarse:
"Dios, tócame y déjame saber que estás aquí conmigo..."
Y una Mariposa se posó suavemente
en su hombro
El hombre espantó la mariposa con la mano y desilusionado
Continuó su camino, triste, solo y con miedo
HAVE A
WONDERFUL WEEK !
Omar
and Marina.
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