SHARE
An
Electronic Magazine by Omar Villarreal, Marina Kirac and Martin Villarreal ©
Year 9
Number 191 September 7th 2008
12,882 SHARERS are reading this issue of SHARE this week
__________________________________________________________
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
__________________________________________________________
Dear SHARERS,
It is always good to stop for a while and think
about the good things past and the good things to come. And in this, we are not
alone. Over the last few weeks we have received an (in our case) unprecedented
number of mails with more than positive comments about our 2008 Convention,as
well as a large number of enquiries about our forthcoming one-day seminar Light, Sound and Music in the ELT Classroom.
To think that our Convention finished exactly one moth ago tomorrow and that
our seminar is only a month away can give you an idea of what kind of hectic
work schedule we have been keeping. Yet, we thought we had to find the time to
write a new issue of SHARE. As you will see in the next pages of this issue
there was plenty to SHARE with all of you.
In the way of apology, we reproduce below two
messages from two “disgruntled” SHARERS who came to the SHARE Convention from
Entre Ríos… and we never mentioned the people from Entre Ríos in our last
issue! Our sincere apologies to them and to the SHARERS from Santa Fé (who were
not acknowledged in the closing ceremony) and those from Catamarca and
In short, this gives us a renewed opportunity
to say thank you to all of you, dear SHARERS, for your unfailing support.
And no especial thanks
for the people from Entre Ríos? Ouch! That hurt! We know it's not a great
distance but still...poor me that I travelled all the way with the fog and the
closed bridges, haha!
Thanks for everything
and congratulations. I'm already looking forward to see you all in October.
Cheers!
Ana Torres Bidal
Our special gratitude
to the Sharers who came from..."
I don´t see Entre Ríos
there. Ehem...
Words Chajari
<words_chajari@arnet.com.ar>
Love
Omar and Marina
______________________________________________________________________
In SHARE 191
1.- Definitions and Practices of
Communicative and Task-based Approaches
2.- Teaching
Grammar: Why Bother?
3.- TPRS - Total Physical Response Storytelling: Teaching
Proficiency through reading
and storytelling
4.- Advanced
Vocabulary in Context: Film Review
5.- Two Helbling Admission Free Workshops
6.- Professor Henry Widdowson in
7.- Jane Cadwallader and Ben Goldstein in
8.- Second ACPI Annual Conference: Testing. For
or Against Learning?
9.- David Marsh and Lucy Crichton in
10.- Workshop on Teaching English in Kindergarten
11.- 2008 Language Learner Literature Award
Winners
12.- Rod Bolitho in Banfield, Pcia de Buenos Aires
13.- Worrkshop at Universidad Católica
14- IV
Jornadas de Inglés en San Luís: Dramaland and the Language Class
15.- News
from the British Council
16.- Teaching English to the blind and the visually impaired: a special request
17.- APIZALS’ 7th Annual Conference
18.- Course on Drama Techniques in the E.F.L class
19.- Drama Club in
20.- Primer Congreso Metropolitano de Formación
Docente
21.- Universidad Torcuato Di Tella: Posibles e
imposibles en el Nivel Inicial
22.- Curso de “Inglés en el Nivel Inicial” en el
Colegio Ward
23.- Macmillan moves house
24.- Online
Seminar: “Reaching Farther, Reaching Wider”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.- DEFINITIONS AND PRACTICES OF COMMUNICATIVE AND TASK-BASED
APPROACHES
TESL-EJ Forum
A Question of Definitions: An investigation through
the definitions and practices of communicative and task-based approaches
Karen Stanley, editor
<karen.stanley@cpcc.edu>
One
difficulty that faces us in discussions of teaching or research is that of
terms and their definitions. I have seen long debates over topics in which the
primary difference of opinion was due not to actual variations in approach, but
to misunderstandings brought about by varying definitions. Those involved in
the discussion used terms which they *thought* were agreed upon, but that, in
fact, participants defined differently. I have also seen people dismiss the
content of a presentation - or never actually pay attention to the basic
content - because the presenter began by using a term that members of the
audience did not use in the same way. Even long-time professionals within a
field, informed by the research as well as their own extensive experience, may
find themselves in the same position of using a term one way while colleagues
are interpreting it differently.
A further
complication emerges when investigating the degree to which there is a match
between an approach as defined by an individual, and the ways in which that
practitioner actually implements a technique in the classroom.
Some of
these issues are reflected in the following discussion of
"communicative" versus "task-based" approaches to language
teaching on the TESL-L email list for ESL and EFL classroom pedagogy in
November 2002.
Contributors
whose email addresses are listed welcome responses to their ideas. [-1-]
John
Harbord <Harbordj@CEU.HU>
Language Teaching Centre, Central European University,
http://www.ceu.hu/ltc/sfaccess.html
[A poster
asked] for one specific difference between the communicative approach (CA) and
the task–based approach (TBA).
Specifically,
the TBA relies heavily on students rehearsing in closed pairs a conversation or
monologue prior to holding that dialogue or monologue again in front of a
larger audience in a more polished form. The idea that rehearsal in a safer
situation of a task (not a scripting or learning of lines, but a first attempt,
so that students will be familiar with problems that may occur) is a key way of
fostering learning, which is central to task–based methodology, is not a
requirement in communicative methodology.
Having said
this, it is often not very helpful to want to pigeonhole methodologies as to
what they require or forbid. Though the rehearsing that is key to task–based
teaching is not typical of communicative teaching, it is not forbidden either.
Plenty of communicative teachers have used this technique without thinking
about whether or not they were teaching 'task–based' or not.
Communicative
methodology has become so eclectic that it will adopt almost any technique that
furthers the students' ability to communicate in English. It is not the
individual features of CA or of TBA that are exclusive, it is the overall
pattern of how different techniques that may be common in both approaches are
used in proportion to each other. The communicative teacher, for example, may
on occasion go over the rules of grammar or deal with translation, without
necessarily being accused of deserting the communicative camp. This does not
mean that there is no 'specific' difference between the CA and the grammar
translation method, rather that they may use similar techniques but in
different proportions and combinations.
What method
you teach by can be seen not from a 30 second vignette of what activity is
going on at a given time, but in the context of the whole lesson and course,
and the teacher's relationship with and expectations of the students.
Costas Gabrielatos <c.gabrielatos@lancaster.ac.uk>
Lancaster, UK
http://www.gabrielatos.com
Re. [the]
query about differences between Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and
Task–Based Learning (TBL)
The
fundamental difference lies in their main informing disciplines/theories: CLT
is informed by theories of language use (with a dash of 'humanistic teaching'),
whereas TBL is informed by theories of language learning. [-2-]
CLT is
influenced by Pragmatics (especially Speech Act theory and Grice's Implicature)
and Discourse Analysis –– which were then (mid 70s) fairly new disciplines
focusing on the use of language in communication. CLT was introduced as an
alternative to the 'traditional' approaches, which were mainly influenced by
(and concerned with) Morphosyntax, Phonology and Semantics, and consequently placed
emphasis on form and accuracy. This is why CLT is primarily concerned with
functions, communication and fluency. It's not a coincidence that CLT and
functional/notional syllabuses appeared at roughly the same time. Also, the CLT
literature is rather vague about procedures and materials.
TBL is
informed by Second Language Acquisition theories and is fairly explicit/clear
about procedures and materials. The TBL literature is less explicit/clear about
the nature and use of language.
As I see
it, CLT and TBL are complementary approaches.
Pettis,
Joanne <JPettis@GOV.MB.CA>
Coordinator, Adult ESL Curriculum Development & Implementation
Adult Language Training Branch,
In response
to [the] question about the difference between the communicative approach (CA)
and task–based approach, John Harbord suggested:
"Specifically, the TBA relies heavily on students rehearsing in closed–pairs a conversation or monologue prior to holding that dialogue or monologue again in front of a larger audience in a more polished form."
My
understanding of the task–based approach is somewhat different. Task–based
instruction within relevant contexts or themes enables teachers to provide
meaningful teaching and learning activities that engage learners in purposeful
communication. Language tasks are considered to be communicative, real–world
uses of language to accomplish a specific purpose (language function) in a
specific social situation and have the following characteristics: they have a
communicative purpose; participants take an active role in carrying out the
task because the tasks require participants to select and organize the elements
(verbal and non–verbal) required for performing the task – they are not
provided with them; there is also a primary focus on conveying meaning and
opportunities for meaning–negotiation. In this context, while performing a
memorized dialogue might be used as a skill–building or scaffolding activity,
it would not be considered a communicative task. I use dialogues as an
opportunity to analyze how language is used for various purposes or for
practice in preparation for a role–play, but I wouldn't have Ss memorize them.
I would, however, use role–plays in which Ss are given a role and its
characteristics and a scenario to communicate about or within. [-3-]
David
Nunan's book Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom (CUP, 1989)
is a helpful resource in task–based instruction as are the Focus on...books by
Anne Burns published by NCELTR in
John
Harbord <Harbordj@CEU.HU>
Language Teaching Centre, Central European University,
http://www.ceu.hu/ltc/sfaccess.html
Joanne
Pettis questions my description of a task–based approachas relying on 'students
rehearsing in closed –pairs ... prior to holding that dialogue or monologue
again in front of a larger audience in a more polished form.' Joanne's
description, drawing on Nunan, sees task based learning as providing
'meaningful teaching and learning activities that engage learners in purposeful
communication'.
I must
immediately say that I don't disagree with anything that Joanne says. I find
Nunan's approach very good, and applaud his focus on authenticity and
communication. I was, however, thinking of the 'task–based approach' touted by
Jane and Dave Willis and others, which in my part of the world at least is more
often referred to as *the* task–based approach, perhaps because the Willises
actually claim to have developed a distinct approach.
If we
return to [the] original question: name me one specific difference between the
TBA and the communicative approach, then if we take Nunan as an example of
task–based approaches, we probably have to say 'there isn't any'. There is
nothing Nunan recommends which is scorned or rejected by the CA, indeed I
suspect Nunan would see himself as fundamentally a communicative methodologist.
The
Willises, however, have taken issue with some of the basic precepts which
underly the CA (most notably the idea of presentation, practice, production)
and have developed an alternative methodology which recommends not doing or rarely
doing some of the things CA teachers do, and doing some things they do rarely
or not at all. If [the poster] was referring to the Willises task–based
approach, then I think that the distinction I mentioned is a valid one. If by
TBA, Nunan was meant, then it was probably not.
Costas Gabrielatos <c.gabrielatos@lancaster.ac.uk>
Lancaster, UK
http://www.gabrielatos.com
For a
discussion on methodology selection see
http://www.developingteachers.com/articles_tchtraining/eltshop1_costas.htm
John
Harbord wrote:
"The Willises, however, have taken issue with some of the basic precepts which underlie the CA (most notably the idea of presentation, practice, production)." [-4-]
I'm not
aware of any mention, let alone endorsement, of PPP in the CA [Communicative]
literature. PPP is a hybrid – or mongrel, depending on your point of view. It
is influenced by the Audiolingual method, hence the emphasis on spoken language
and the control practice / drills, *as well as* notions and practices related
to CLT (e.g. 'production' and focus on notions and functions). Perhaps what
"the Willises" refer to is the presentation of PPP as an embodiment
of CLT in a large number of teacher training courses.
I think it
is much more useful and potentially effective to examine the principles behind
methodological proposals (or realise their absence), and be critical of their
argumentation and feasibility, rather than to get bogged down over differences
in the packaging and labeling of methodological products, which rely on
perceived differences and the appropriation of terms to create a market niche
for themselves.
Roger Dunne <rdunne@XAL.MEGARED.NET.MX>
Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
In response
to the recent postings on the task–based and communicative approaches, it needs
to be stressed that the comparison is false: proponents of Task–Based Learning
(TBL) contend that it is real communicative teaching, not the old
Presentation–Practice–Production (PPP) paradigm dressed up as Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT). In fact, it is PPP that is considered to be the real
enemy, because it represents the survival of an old behaviouristic model of
teaching procedure combined with the relatively recent communicative view of
the nature of language and communication. So the mainstream form of CA, the
kind of teaching many of us are engaged in, is considered flawed –– not real
communicative teaching.
The problem
with CLT itself is that, as John Harbord has pointed out, it means different
things to different people, with the result that individual teachers may vary very
much in their approach while still regarding themselves as communicative. This
may be due to the fact that CLT in general makes few claims as to how languages
are learned whereas its TBL offshoot does, as Costas Gabrielatos mentions.
Within TBL
itself there is a wide range of views as to its most effective form and even as
regards the exact nature of tasks although I would argue that Joanne Pettis
captures the essence of TBL rather more accurately than John Harbord does.
Perhaps the most palatable form of TBL for most mainstream teachers is Jane
Willis's 3–stage model, in which a pre–task stage and a task cycle
(incorporating the task itself and the rehearsed public report that John
Harbord referred to) are followed by a language focus based on points usually
arising from the listening or reading texts that accompany the task . This
language focus is handled initially by using a discovery approach (called
consciousness–raising) in which learners are asked to "notice"
various features of language before any explanation is provided and before
working on more traditional forms of practice. It is this emphasis on language
form that distinguishes the "new" approach to TBL from the more
traditional view, which has been accused of promoting early fossilization as,
for example, in some forms of immersion teaching.
Whether
this approach is more effective than what most of us do is another matter, of
course. It seems to me that, in fact, most teachers and coursebooks take a
pragmatic approach to language teaching and do not rely exclusively on PPP for
introducing new language points, as TBL proponents claim. Unfortunately, TBL is
being aggressively promoted and we are approaching the point where, if we don't
use it exclusively, we will be branded as being reactionary. We are also likely
to be held responsible for one of the few real facts in language teaching ––
that most learners in formal instruction never reach a high level of
proficiency whichever methodology happens to be in vogue. [-5-]
Roger Dunne <rdunne@XAL.MEGARED.NET.MX>
Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
Costas Gabrielatos wrote:
"I'm not aware of any mention ... of PPP in the CA literature." This may be so, depending on what one regards as CA literature. PPP may indeed be a "mongrel" but, like its canine versions, it has proved extremely resilient over the years and, in fact, has its roots not in the Audiolingual Method but the less rigorous Oral Approach, pioneered long before ALM (in the 1920s, in fact) by the likes of Palmer and Hornby and others as a reaction against the apparently undisciplined Direct Method.
I will
agree that PPP may also have been prolonged unduly as a result of innumerable
training courses all over the world. Old habits die hard and, even today, PPP
is still promoted in one form or another by many (if not most) general language
teaching manuals, often in conjunction with discussions on TBL. However, the
"truth" (if there is one) is probably to be found somewhere between
these extreme positions – or even somewhere else. In any event, most language
teachers are probably influenced more by coursebooks than by manuals or
training courses, and most popular coursebooks are decidedly eclectic in their
approach – and extremely addictive. It is probably these pragmatic market
forces that will determine the future direction of language teaching in many
parts of the world rather than a fight to the death between academic
fundamentalists.
As for
critical examination of principles, I also agree that this is what reflective
teachers should do. In fact, it is all we can do in the absence of solid
evidence on which to base our professional practice, unlike, say, medicine. Our
profession is probably guided more by belief, prejudice and established practice
than by principle. Most of us teach in a certain way because we believe (or
hope) that it will work or because someone else has told us to do it this way,
not because this particular approach is demonstrably superior to any other. In
many respects, language teaching is still frustratingly more of an art than a
science.
Bill
Snyder <wsnyder@BILKENT.EDU.TR>
MA TEFL Program,
TESL–Lers
who are interested in reading more about task–based approaches to language
teaching and learning should have a look at Peter Skehan's book, A Cognitive
Approach to Language Learning (from
Costas Gabrielatos <c.gabrielatos@lancaster.ac.uk>
Lancaster, UK
http://www.gabrielatos.com
For a
discussion of the theoretical frameworks that PPP is informed by or is
consistent with, and how it can combine with TBL, see
http://www.gabrielatos.com/MindingOurPs.htm
All three
frameworks (CLT, TBL, PPP) are incomplete and not totally explicit regarding
their informing theories (whereas, by the way, Audiolingualism is explicitly
informed by theories of language and learning), and all have their merits and
shortcomings. The point is to treat them neither as if they were self–contained
nor as if they competed with one another, as their purveyors would like us to do,
but see them as helpful raw materials (and, why not, routines) which we can
exploit in an informed and principled way, in order to synthesise a methodology
that suits our particular contexts.
Its
saddening and alarming to read one–sided, ill–informed and misleading articles
praising the 'modern' and 'good' TBL while rubbishing the 'old–fashioned' and
'bad' PPP. Also, where did this PPP–Behaviourism link come from? Yes, PPP is
informed by Behaviourism (or to be precise by Audiolingualism, which is not exactly
the same thing, but not exclusively. It caters for meaning, function and
communication as much as it does for form. If a label can be attached to PPP,
it's 'eclectic'. The fact that it's not popular any more doesn't make it less
so.
Finally,
task–based teaching is *not* new. There were task–based skills–development
books back in the late 70s and early 80s (e.g. 'Listening Links' by Geddes
& Sturtridge, 1979; 'Task Listening' by Blundell & Stokes, 1981;
'Discussions that Work' by
Perhaps it
wouldn't go amiss if teacher education programmes added a compulsory course on
the history of ELT, unless the idea is to produce a malleable clientele for the
ELT supermarket, rather than principled professionals. Am I getting too
political here?
Pettis,
Joanne <JPettis@GOV.MB.CA>
Coordinator, Adult ESL Curriculum Development & Implementation
Adult Language Training Branch,
I want to
thank Costas Gabrielatos for his several very informative postings on
task–based teaching. I want also to confess that there are aspects of PPP that
I like very much and find quite useful – especially the second "P"
part – practice. Partly because of my own experience in learning and partly
because of my classroom teaching experience, I have become convinced that a lot
of learners want a lot of practice , in particular repetition, in order to get
their tongues working around complicated new sounds, words and phrases.
Actually, when I examine my teaching, I can see I utilize aspects of a variety
of methods. It depends on what I'm trying to do. I suppose that makes me
eclectic in my approach; however, I hope my eclecticism is principled. As one
of my favourite Henry Widdowson quotes says,
"If you say you are eclectic but cannot state the principles of your eclecticism, you are not eclectic, merely confused."
I keep this
on my wall. [-7-]
Costas Gabrielatos <c.gabrielatos@lancaster.ac.uk>
Lancaster, UK
http://www.gabrielatos.com
For a
discussion of methodology promotion see
http://www.eslminiconf.net/feb2003/gabrielatos.html
Roger Dunne
wrote:
"Unfortunately,
TBL is being aggressively promoted and we are approaching the point where, if
we don't use it exclusively, we will be branded as being reactionary."
Joanne
Pettis wrote:
" I
want also to *confess* [my emphasis] that there are aspects of PPP that I like
very much and find quite useful."
I'd like to
thank both for their comments, and particularly for those two excerpts. As
today seems to be my question day, here are a few more:
- Who is doing the branding? Who decides if we're using the 'good' methodology? Who do we confess our methodological sins to? Where do those packaged methodologies come from? Who benefits from us adopting them?
- Why does ELT swing with the pendulum rather than move forward? Why are babies thrown out with the bathwater?
- Is this what ELT is coming to? Promotion of methodological products and their attendant teaching materials resorting to guilt–generation and branding? What next? The methodology police? Witch–hunts?
Or am I
just over–reacting?
(Mr) P.
Ilangovan <lango@VSNL.COM>
Co–ordinator, EST Project,
Now that we
have benefitted from critical analyses of what informs the approaches
characterized as TBL and CLT and by corollary what is expected/ought to happen
at the chalkface/during actual teaching, and Costas Gabrielatos' response to
Roger Dunne's claim that TBL is being aggresively promoted, could we also take
a look at the macro issues (at the level of language learning principles and
the theories of language learning underlying them) involved in methodological
debates/treatments? It was in 1974 and 1976 two seminal papers (one of them was
a book) appeared. Wilkins' Notional syllabuses and the concept of a minimum
adequate grammar in Corder and Roulet (Aimav/Didier) and his Notional
Syllabuses (OUP). In them he presents two superordinate categories:
SYNTHETIC & ANALYTIC syllabuses. Synthesis and analysis are not what the
syllabus designer does; they are the operations required of the learner. [-8-]
In analytic syllabuses whole chunks of language (usually as authentic input)
are presented to the learner at a time; the learner is expected to analyse
(break the chunks down into manageable parts) them as they learn. In synthetic
syllabuses on the other hand, the learner is presented with pre–digested or
small bits of language that they are expected to RE–SYNTHESIZE (or put the
parts together to get the larger picture). Similarly, it was White (in 1988: The
ELT Curriculum
Reference:
Long & Crookes (1993), "Units of analysis in syllabus design" in
Crookes & Gass (eds.) Tasks in a pedagogical context. Multilingual Matters.
Barry
Bakin <barry.bakin@lausd.net>
Division of Adult and Career Education,
Costas Gabrielatos wrote:
Roger
Dunne wrote:
"Unfortunately,
TBL is being aggressively promoted and we are approaching the point where, if
we don't use it exclusively, we will be branded as being reactionary."
Joanne
Pettis wrote:
" I
want also to *confess* [my emphasis] that there are aspects of PPP that I like
very much and find quite useful."
I'd like
to thank both for their comments, and particularly for those two excerpts. As
today seems to be my question day, here are a few more:
- Who is doing the branding?
- Who decides if we're using the 'good' methodology? Who do we
confess our methodological sins to?
- Where do those packaged methodologies come from? Who benefits
from us adopting them?
There is
only one exclusive method in teaching: do what works for a particular student
in a particular class at a particular time in a particular context. Beware of
people who tell you to "only" use one method. Incorporate aspects of
all of the methods you are exposed to into your curriculum. [-9-]
BettyAzar
<bazar@WHIDBEY.COM>
Textbook author,
Roger Dunne
wrote re: Task–based approaches:
. . . However, the "truth" (if there is one) is probably to be found somewhere between these extreme positions––or even somewhere else. In any event, most language teachers are probably influenced more by coursebooks than by manuals or training courses, and most popular coursebooks are decidedly eclectic in their approach––and extremely addictive. It is probably these pragmatic market forces that will determine the future direction of language teaching in many parts of the world rather than a fight to the death between academic fundamentalists.
I agree
with Roger Dunne. In determining the future direction of ESL/EFL language
teaching, the teacher's role is crucial, as is that of the materials writer,
who is a teacher who writes books (95–99% of all ESL textbooks are written by
teachers and come directly out of their classroom experiences.) Teachers and
materials writers are the ones who find the balanced center amid the many
pendulum swings our field undergoes. The majority of teachers and materials
writers don't jump on bandwagons or if they do, don't stay long if the
bandwagon is not working for them. I'm thinking of all the bandwagons that have
come and gone in the 40 years I've been in the field –– ALM, the Silent Way,
Suggestopedia, the Natural Approach, etc. –– and the upshot is that teachers
and materials writers look to see what's on the bandwagons that they can use,
choosing selectively for their particular students and their particular
teaching situations. It's clear that bandwagons created by theorists enrich our
field, but also clear that the practitioners are the ones who determine what
parts of what bandwagons persist. I agree with Roger that teachers and
materials writers are the ones, ultimately, who decide the directions our field
takes, with the input from theorists and researchers ever pushing us to look
anew, to improve our teaching, to try new approaches. But teachers have to be
pragmatic. They are the ones in the classroom every day, day in and day out.
They are the ones students judge in evaluating their own language–learning
experiences in the classroom. They are the ones who have first–hand experience
about what "works" and what doesn't in the ESL/EFL classroom. Working
pragmatically toward balance and synthesis, teachers and materials writers determine
the broad, substantial and fundamental changes that move our field forward amid
all the competing theories. In my experience, teachers just are a little
skeptical when they hear a theorist claim to have exclusive knowledge of how
language is learned. There's still mystery and magic in that process, and as
another listserve writer said, teaching is still an art, not a science.
TESL-EJ Vol. 7. No. 3-F-1 -December 2003
© 2003 by TESL-EJ
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.- TEACHING
GRAMMAR: WHY BOTHER?
Teaching Grammar: Why
Bother?
Stephen Krashen
Research on the relationship between formal grammar instruction and performance on measures of writing ability is very consistent: There is no relationship between grammar study and writing (Krashen, 1984). Perhaps the most convincing research is that of Elley, Barham, Lamb and Wyllie (1976). After a three year study comparing the effects of traditional grammar, transformational grammar and no grammar on high school students in New Zealand, they concluded that "English grammar, whether traditional or transformational, has virtually no influence on the language growth of typical secondary students" (pp. 17-18).
In addition, research is equally consistent in showing that writing ability and reading are related: Those who read more, write better (Krashen, 1993a). The reform school boys in Fader's Hooked on Books study who read self-selected paperback books for two years outperformed comparison boys on writing fluency, writing complexity, and reading, as well as on measures self-esteem and attitude towards school (Fader, 1976).
It is well-established that one can become an excellent writer with very little formal instruction in grammar, and those who do often give reading the credit for their writing ability: "I wanted to write and I did not even know the English language. I bought English grammars and found them dull. I felt I was getting a better sense of the language from novels than from grammars" (Wright, 1966, p. 275).
Finally, our ability to consciously learn the rules of grammar is very limited. Linguists have told us that they have not yet succeeded in describing the rules of language, and anyone who has studied linguistics will attest to the complexity of the rules linguists have described. Studies in second language acquisition show that even experienced students have an incomplete knowledge of the rules they are taught, do not remember the rules well, and have difficulty applying them (Krashen, 1993b, Alderson, Clapham, and Steel, 1997).
If all this is true, should English teachers bother with grammar teaching? I do not think that grammar teaching should be at the core of the English curriculum, but I think there are good reasons for including direct study of grammar.
Grammar as Linguistics
The first has to do with general education: Grammar teaching can be an excellent introduction to the study of linguistics. An analysis of grammatical constructions in English and other languages can help students understand the idea of linguistic universals and the hypothesis that what is universal is innate. A comparison of present day English grammar and old English can lead to discussions of language change (it is inevitable and natural or a sign of corruption and decay?), and dialects (are some dialects better than others?). The study of linguistics is clearly not as high a priority as is literature, but it has real value.
Grammar for Editing
The second reason for including grammar is as an aid for editing. Even with massive reading of appropriate texts, complete acquisition of the conventions of writing may not take place; even very well-read people may have gaps. These gaps are typically small and do not interfere with communication of the message, but they can be irritating to readers. These errors include subject-verb agreement ("A large group of boys is (are?) expected to arrive tomorrow."), verb forms ("lie" or "lay"?) and punctuation ("it's" or "its"). Conscious knowledge of grammar rules can help fill at least some of these gaps, in the editing stage of the composing process.
Delay editing
Current wisdom on editing and the practice of experienced writers (e.g. Sommers, 1980) agrees that such editing should be delayed until the final draft, until the writer's ideas have been worked out. An excessive focus on formal correctness in early stages can disrupt the discovery of new ideas.
Open book
It also makes sense to me that editing using consciously learned rules should be done and tested open book. Research shows that knowledge of grammar rules is very fragile and is rapidly forgotten (Krashen, 1993b). Even experienced writers need to refer to a handbook occasionally. It is thus unreasonable to demand extensive memorization from our students. Our goal should be to develop competent users of grammar handbooks.
When to teach grammar
If most of our competence in writing comes from reading, and if grammar study can make only a limited contribution to accuracy, it is more efficient to delay grammar study until the student has read a great deal. One can then focus on the residue, on those gaps that remain. I am proposing, in other words, a two-step procedure:
1. Students first acquire (absorb subconsciously) a great deal of grammatical competence through reading.
2. Students are taught to use a grammar handbook to increase their grammatical accuracy further, using consciously learned rules. The grammar handbook can be introduced in junior high school or high school. If a great deal of reading has been done, and continues to be done, the grammar handbook will need to be used only occasionally.
Alderson, J., Clapham, C., and Steel, D. 1997. Metalinguistic knowledge, language aptitude and language proficiency. Language Teaching Research 1 (2): 93-121.
Elley, W., Barham,
Fader, D. 1976. The New Hooked on Books.
Krashen, S. 1984. Writing: Research, Theory
and Applications.
Krashen, S. 1993. The effect of formal grammar study: Still peripheral. TESOL Quarterly 27: 722-725.
Krashen, S. 1993. The Power of
Wright, R. 1966. Black Boy. Harper and Row.
Sommers, N. 1980. Revision strategies of student writers and experienced adult writers. College Composition and Communication. 31:378-388.
© 1998
by
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.- TPRS - TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE STORYTELLING: TEACHING
PROFICIENCY THROUGH
What is TPRS?
TPR Storytelling is a method for teaching
foreign languages that was invented by Blaine Ray, a Spanish teacher in Bakersfield, California, in
1990. Concerned that his students were disinterested in the unexciting process
of learning a language from a textbook, he began to use James Asher's Total
Physical Response to teach Spanish. Asher says that students acquire their
second languages as they acquired their first languages. Our students learn as
babies learn. Therefore, we should not expect them to produce the language
before they have had an ample amount of time to listen to it. Blaine
experienced great success, and the students began to be excited about his
class. Although TPR has been the most effective method for acquiring a second
language since it was invented in the 1960s,
The TPRS Objective
As TPRS was originally developed, the objective was to create a method that would prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement Exam from level 1. Blaine Ray and Joe Neilson's book series, Look, I Can Talk, Look, I Can Talk More, Look, I'm Still Talking and Look, I'm Truly Talking creates fluent speakers and writers of the second language. In addition, teachers report higher AP scores, with some students passing the AP exam in as few as 3 years of language study.
Although nationwide fewer than 10% of our high school students proceed to the highest levels of foreign language offered in our schools and even fewer proceed to college foreign language studies, we have seen enrollment in our programs increase by as much as 400% after TPRS programs were introduced.
TPR Storytelling begins with the introduction of vocabulary and complex structures. The teacher then "asks" the story using a questioning technique called "circling." The first two steps are followed up with reading. Students rapidly acquire the second language just as Dr. Krashen imagined: effortlessly and involuntarily. The method relies heavily on the five hypotheses of The Natural Approach: the acquisition hypothesis, the input hypothesis, the natural order hypothesis, the affective filter hypothesis and the monitor hypothesis, which are explained in detail in Foreign Language Education the Easy Way, by Dr. Stephen Krashen.
A TPRS program is not complete without a
very heavy emphasis on reading.
Why TPRS works
The most important element of a successful
TPR Storytelling program is the awareness that our focus is our students, not
our book or even our story. A good relationship with students is the foundation
of a TPRS program. We establish this connection by personalizing our stories.
Every story is bizarre, in order to maintain the interest of our students, and
personalized, because the only thing our students are truly interested in is
themselves. The instructional pace should be based entirely upon an assessment
by the teacher of how thoroughly the students have internalized the language.
The number one, most important element in any TPRS program is the quantity and
quality of the unconditional love, positive feedback, pats on the back and
hearty applause provided to the students by the teacher. Most teachers feel
that they have begun to implement TPRS effectively after approximately 4
workshops. Attending TPRS workshops and reading Fluency Through TPR Storytelling,
by
On Assessment
“Weighing the pig more often will not make it grow faster.”
-Dr. Stephen Krashen
Teach to the Eyes
"Teach to the eyes."
Susan Gross, TPRS presenter, Colorado
Throughout the entire lesson, as you are teaching, make constant eye contact with students to gauge whether or not they are achieving 100 percent comprehension.
Assessment in TPR Storytelling is ongoing. Check students’ comprehension daily by asking questions about the stories as they are being told and retold. Students who are answering are understanding. Check with pacesetter (barometer) students so that your pace isn’t too fast.
Testing
An unannounced vocabulary test assesses how well students have acquired the vocabulary. An announced vocabulary test assesses how thoroughly students have studied for the test. The first tests long-term retention. Inform students ahead of time to expect unannounced cumulative vocabulary tests. After students appear to know the words, give them an L1 to L2 matching test or write-in test using the words taught through TPR or TPR Storytelling. Because we teach for mastery in TPRS, a realistic goal is that 80 percent of the class will receive 80 percent or higher on each test. Our hope is that 100 percent of the students score between 90 and 100 percent, indicating that they have truly mastered, internalized, and acquired the vocabulary. Recycle any vocabulary not completely acquired into the next chapter.
The extra credit
question
At the end of each test offer students one extra point for responding in English to the question, “Tell me what’s going on in your life.” It will provide personalized information for stories and an invaluable connection with the students.
Adapting the Textbook
to TPRS
Existing English and Foreign Language textbooks can easily be adapted for use in TPR Storytelling techniques. By simply taking the words being taught, and utilizing gestures, stories, personalized mini situations and personalized questions and answers, TPRS fits seamlessly into a standard language course.
©2007 TPRStories
The Seven Steps of TPR
Storytelling
By Susan Gross
© 2003 by Susan Gross
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.- ADVANCED VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT: FILM REVIEW
Stoners Who Put the Bud
in Buddies
By Manohla Dargis
Published: August 6, 2008
In the tradition of Cheech & Chong, Abbott and Costello, Hope and Crosby, Ricky and Lucy, Martin and Lewis, Rowan and Martin, Smothers and Smothers, Sanford and son, Spicoli and Hand, Bert and Ernie, Riggs and Murtaugh, cops and robbers, dumb and dumber, right brain and left, peanut butter and jelly, bong hit, roach clip and Snoop Doggy Dogg comes “Pineapple Express,” a stoner comedy that partakes of a gentle indie vibe before hitting the hard stuff for a major Shane Black-style blowup and meltdown.
If you think you’ve seen this movie before, you probably have caught its multiple inspirations. It was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who turned their adolescent agonies into “Superbad,” a charming smutfest about three hormonally freaked-out teenage boys. The two screenwriters have become major since then, in particular Mr. Rogen, who also starred in Judd Apatow’s family-values comedy “Knocked Up” and has recently lent his voice to one too many children’s movies. In some respects “Pineapple Express” plays out like a louder, nastier, more violent and ostensibly adult follow-up to “Superbad,” except that Mr. Rogen, who had a supporting part in the first film as a slacker cop, has moved far enough up the studio food chain to now take a starring role.
He takes that star role and, after some humorously offbeat dithering with his co-star, James Franco, runs so hard with it that you can count the beads of sweat flying off his increasingly bunched forehead. That’s too bad because the dithering proves to be his finest hour and the movie’s best reason for being. It’s then that the director, David Gordon Green, a regional filmmaker who’s been making a beeline for the mainstream (from the lyrical “George Washington” to the melodramatic “Snow Angels”), hits a sweet, sweet groove while Mr. Rogen’s pot patron, Dale, parties and, yes, of course, bonds with Mr. Franco’s dingbat dealer, Saul, amid waves of playful nonsense, some idle and sentimental chatter, brutal and funny slapstick and a mushroom cloud of smoke.
In doper-comedy tradition, the plot is the
least of it. Dale, a process server who rattles around
For a while, it’s all nice and easy and suitably mellow. Mr. Franco, something of a James Dean look-alike who appeared with Mr. Rogen in the cult television show “Freaks and Geeks” (a launchpad for Mr. Apatow, among others), has been best known for playing second fiddle to a superhero in the “Spider-Man” blockbusters. (Those sculptured cheekbones worked well for him in a cable biopic about Dean.) He’s delightful as Saul, loosey-goosey and goofy yet irrepressibly sexy, despite that greasy curtain of hair and a crash pad with a zero WAF (Woman Acceptance Factor). It’s an unshowy, generous performance and it greatly humanizes a movie that, as it shifts genre gears and cranks up the noise, becomes disappointingly sober and self-serious.
That mood swing, which plunges Dale and Saul into violence with a whole lot of bad dudes (including generic Asians in ninja suits), guns and explosions, is startling, crudely choreographed and just the kind of big finish a dead-ended writer or two might come up with while searching for a third act and lighting up to a Steven Seagal flick in the wee hours. That sounds better than it plays, largely because Mr. Rogen, who will soon be wearing a mask in a Green Hornet movie, looks so earnest and unfunny when playing the hero. Mr. Franco happily keeps the stoner faith, as does Danny McBride, whose unfailingly polite drug dealer steals the show even as Dale and Saul, of course, of course, fall in brotherly love.
“Pineapple Express” is rated R. (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.) Extreme violence, generous profanity and copious marijuana usage.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
Opens on Wednesday nationwide.
Directed by David Gordon Green; written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, based on a story by Judd Apatow, Mr. Rogen and Mr. Goldberg; director of photography, Tim Orr; edited by Craig Alpert; music by Graeme Revell; production designer, Chris Spellman; produced by Mr. Apatow and Shauna Robertson; released by Columbia Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes.
WITH: Seth Rogen (Dale), James Franco (Saul), Gary Cole (Ted), Rosie Perez (Carol) and Danny McBride (Red).
© The New
York Times
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.- TWO HELBLING ADMISSION FREE WORKSHOPS
Two Helbling Admission
Free Workshops - September 2008
Where: at Estari
Libros Viamonte 2052, CABA
1. Motivating Students at the Intermediate Level
Saturday 13, 10:00 to 13:00
Motivating students at any level can partially depend on the sort of materials you use with them. When it comes to the intermediate level, it is important that the subject matter should be as engaging as possible as is the case with GET REAL INTERMEDIATE. We will therefore examine its topics, texts, and activities to see how they develop, consolidate and expand the learners’ communicative skills, and gradually lead them towards Cambridge FCE, Trinity ISE II, or similar level examinations. Come and see for yourself how you can involve your students in opportunities that will reawaken their joy of learning.
Participants in the workshop will receive a comprehensive set of handouts which will give them a taste of what they and their students can experience if they use this textbook.
2. Resources for developing
the writing skill
Friday, 19 September, 17:00 to 19:30
We will present a number of activities to help students overcome the blocks usually associated with writing. We will touch upon the pre-requisites for composition, and will examine some of the resources that can be used to assist our learners. Although we will focus on the lower intermediate and intermediate levels, we will also give some tips for the elementary stage.
Both workshops will be given by Oriel E.
Villagarcia, M.A. in linguistics,
Please Note: * Registration is essential as there are limited vacancies.
* To sign up send an email to helblinglanguages@fibertel.com.ar with your full name, postal address and telephone number, indicating the workshop(s) you have chosen.
Certificates of attendance will be issued.
-----------------------------------------------------------
6.- PROFESSOR HENRY WIDDOWSON IN
Professor Henry
Widdowson in
Professor Henry Widdowson is an internationally acclaimed authority in applied linguistics and language teaching. He is perhaps best known for his contribution to communicative language teaching. His many books, articles, and lectures have been seminal in establishing both the field of applied linguistics and its mode of enquiry. However, he has also published on other (though related) subjects such as discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis, the global spread of English, English for Special Purposes and stylistics.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning says, ‘Widdowson consistently defends clear-thinking and clear presentation of ideas. For international ESOL, he has probably been the most influential philosopher of the late twentieth century.'
Professor Henry Widdowson previously held
chairs at the
He is the Applied Linguistics adviser to
Presentations in
Henry Widdowson will be opening the FAAPI
Conference in Santiago del Estero and will then deliver presentations in Buenos
Aires,
Tuesday 23
September – 1800
Organised by the
British Council in partnership with the Dirección de Educación Superior y
Capacitación, Dirección de Cultura y Educación de
Registration: info@britishcouncil.org.ar
Wednesday 24 September – 1800
Facultad de
Derecho, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Organised by the
British Council in partnership with the Ministerio de Educación, Gobierno de
Registration: info@britishcouncil.org.ar
Thursday 25 September
For further details on this event, please
contact the British Council in
-----------------------------------------------------------
7.- Jane Cadwallader and Ben Goldstein in
Jane Cadwallader & Ben Goldstein in
September 18th & 19th
FAAPI
Córdoba
September 20th 9:00 Am To 12:30 Pm
Cultural
Británica
September 22nd 6:00 Pm To 9:30 Pm
Universidad De
Congreso
Neuquén
September 24th 6:00 Pm To 8:00 Pm
Universidad Del
Comahue
September 24th 6:00 Pm To 8:00 Pm
Col. Marista
Nuestra Sra. del Rosario
September 25th 6:30 Pm To 8:30 Pm
Colegio
Tandil
September 25th 6:00 Pm To 8:00 Pm
Colegio
Ciudad de Buenos Aires
September 27th 9:00 Am To 4:00 Pm
UMSA
Corrientes 1723
We look forward to receiving you
Free of charge but registration is essential. Limited vacancies
For further information or registration please contact us:
inform@richmond.com.ar
(011) 4119-5000 ext. 3066/ 3102
Raffles!!
Certificates of attendance will be issued.
-----------------------------------------------------------
8.- SECOND ACPI ANNUAL CONFERENCE: TESTING. FOR OR AGAINST LEARNING?
Dirigido a
profesores de Inglés de todos los niveles y diferentes ámbitos de desempeño de
nuestro país, en esta oportunidad el eje temático será “
Teniendo como
antecedente el éxito de la primera edición del congreso, en Junio del 2007,
tanto en convocatoria como en calidad de
las ponencias, invitamos a acompañarnos en esta segunda instancia y así
contribuir a la superación permanente de nuestra educación.
Se encuentran
abiertas las inscripciones. Informes: www.acpi.org.ar
Mail: info@acpi.com.ar
TEL: 0351-4723053 ó 4731750.
The aim of this Annual Conference is to share experiences and explore the testing process in the English teaching environment and the prospects for the future. This Conference will have the invaluable contribution of highly qualified teachers and researchers.
Objectives:
More specifically, we will:
• Observe the reality of our teaching practice from a critical and constructive view point.
• Explore subjects related to the evaluation process in EFL.
• Analize new methodological perspectives, innovative points of view and techniques which reflect the latest theoretical productions in the field of language teaching.
• Promote reflection, debate and exchange of ideas.
• Stimulate attendants to reflect upon their own practice through action research
• Promote scientific analysis and exploration of the outcome of research.
This will be a great opportunity to debate issues related to testing in EFL, present your work, reflect on your teaching practice, discover new and enlightening points of view and meet researchers, teacher trainers, materials designers and teachers from private and public schools all over the country.
Addressed to:
- Teachers of English in general
- Teacher-trainers
- Researchers
- Materials writers
- Advanced students in the last two years at teacher-training colleges
Topics:
Workshops, posters and papers will concentrate on practical ideas and current issues in the field of English Language Testing with a focus on our local school system as suggested below
Testing. For or Against Learning?
1) Testing. Concepts, typology and objectives
2) Testing as a learning tool
3) Evaluating teachers´practice.
4) Testing techniques and instruments
5) Materials design
6) Assessment
Types and length of Presentations:
- Workshops of 90 minutes
- Papers 45 minutes
- Poster Presentations
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
9.- DAVID MARSH AND
LUCY CRICHTON IN
CLIL
(Content and Language
Integrated Learning)
A different approach for the learning and teaching of both content and language.
Globalisation is moving countries across the World towards a new era,
the Knowledge Age. This has resulted in sweeping changes in how societies, and the educational systems that serve them, operate. In the Knowledge Age, creativity, intelligence, and connectivity become key resources for success.
CLIL is the result of the new demands on educational systems
To CLIL, or not to CLIL
by David Marsh
One of the key qualities of being a fine teacher is understanding those we teach. Over recent years the ability to understand learning processes has changed profoundly because of the availability of new pathways for understanding how learners learn. This presentation is about one newly emerging educational approach where a foreign language is taught simultaneously with authentic content. Known as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), this approach appears to closely fit the cognitive and emotional needs of learners in our classrooms. In this talk David Marsh will lead the audience through an introduction to CLIL, which will include practical steps on how it can be started; what we need to know and do to make it happen; and finally, what outcomes we might reasonably expect.
David Marsh
Born in
Lucy Crichton
Storytelling accessible
to everyone
by Lucy Crichton
Telling stories in the classroom is a serious task. It involves creative
and critical thinking skills where students are able to deeply sense
the language. As a tool for CLIL classrooms, storytelling encompasses
not only meaningful subjects but is also a solid ground for
exercising imaginative play. This workshop will look at contemporary
realities in education and through an interactive story, attempt to convince
the most timid of teachers that storytelling in the classroom is
entirely accessible to all.
Lucy Crichton
Lucy is a graduate in Classical Theatre
from the
been teaching English in
includes children’s drawings, storytelling and new roads towards teacher development. She is currently writing materials for Macmillan and is co-
author of a new course for primary level.
In
organized by Macmillan Publishers in partnership with
the Ministerio de
Educación del Gobierno de
Date: Tuesday, 16th September - From 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm
Venue: Colegio Nº
2 - Distrito Escolar 1 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Libertad 1257 -
Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Registration: By email: eltinfo@macmillan.com.ar
By phone: 0810-555-5111
In Morón
Date: Monday,15th September - From 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm
Venue:
Universidad de Morón - Cabildo 134 - Morón – Pcia de Buenos Aires
Registration By email: pcasela@macmillan.com.ar or vmoretti@macmillan.com.ar
By phone: 0810-555-5111
Both events are FREE OF CHARGE
Certificates of attendance will be issued
---------------------------------------------------
10.- WORKSHOP
ON TEACHING ENGLISH IN KINDERGARTEN
Teaching English in Kindergarten: a real challenge.
by Susana Ortigueira
September
13th from 10 to
This workshop will be focused on the methodology of teaching young children from 3 to 6 years in Kindergarten through the demonstration of didactical games, learning rhymes and songs, reading stories, drama and role play.
Susana Ortigueira
is a profesora de Inglés from Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de
Informes e
Inscripción:
Maryland
E.L.T.C Centro de Capacitación
Docente DGEGP C 454
secretaria@institutomaryland.com.ar (011) 4301-8533/ 4307-5314 15 5860 2492
-----------------------------------------------------------
11.- 2008 LANGUAGE LEARNER LITERATURE AWARD WINNERS
Dear Omar
Many thanks to you and Share for your previous pieces on the annual Language Learner Literature Award for graded readers in English.
Attached is a press release about the 2008 Award winning books,
The Award also has better-looking medallions this year. They can be
downloaded from http://erfoundation.org/LLL-logos on the recently refreshed and relaunched Extensive Reading Foundation website.
Very best wishes,
Philip Prowse
EXTENSIVE
www.erfoundation.org
Announcement: The Extensive
The Extensive Reading Foundation (ERF), an unaffiliated, not-for profit organization that supports and promotes extensive reading in language education, takes pleasure in announcing the winners of the 5th Annual Language Learner Literature Award for books published in 2007.
An international jury chose the winning book in four categories, taking into account the Internet votes and comments of students and teachers around the world.
Young Learners: Winner
Dorothy by Paola Traverso. Illustrated by Alida Massari. Earlyreads Level 1 (Black Cat Publishing). ISBN: 9788853007094
In choosing this book, the jury noted the
captivating quality of its dreamlike fantasy. Voters commented,
"intelligent and beautiful" (
Adolescents and Adults--Beginners: Winner
Horror Trip on the
Author Paul Davenport was a 2007 Language
Learner Literature Award finalist, and this year takes the prize with a
thriller that the jury found engaging and enjoyable. Voters commented, "a
very good story that is easy and fun to read" (
Adolescents and Adults--Intermediate: Winner
Billy Elliot by Melvin Burgess. Retold by Karen Holmes. Penguin Readers Level 3 (Pearson Longman). ISBN: 9781405850001
The jury noted the sensitive handling of
strong adult themes in this story. Voters commented, "It leaves a deep
impression" (
Adolescents and Adults--Advanced: Winner
Body on the Rocks by Denise Kirby. Illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall. Hueber Lektüren Level 6 (Hueber Verlag). ISBN: 9783192029714
It's a story you can't put down, spiced by
an exotic locale and varied characters, noted the jury. Voters commented,
"I couldn't stop reading" (
In addition to the winners, the following books were selected as the shortlisted "finalists" in each category:
Young Learners: Finalists
Escape from the Fire by Richard Brown. Illustrated by Mike Spoor. Macmillan English Explorers 3 (Macmillan Education). ISBN: 9781405060189
The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian
Andersen. Retold by Sue Arengo. Illustrated by Andy Catling. Classic Tales
Beginner 1 (
ISBN: 9780194225526
Adolescents and Adults—Beginners: Finalists
Grizzly by Sue Murray. Illustrated by Sarah Davis. Hueber Lektüren Level 1 (Hueber Verlag). ISBN 9783190029716
Tim
Adolescents and Adults—Intermediate: Finalists
Stories for Reading Circles Retold by
Margaret Naudi et al. Bookworms Club Gold Stages 3 & 4 (
Adolescents and Adults—Advanced: Finalist
How's the Weather? Contributing writers: Colleen Sheils, John Chapman. Production and Design Services: Studio Montage. Footprint Reading Library Upper Intermediate (Cengage). ISBN: 97814240112 6
Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. Retold by Kathy Burke. Penguin Readers Level 5 (Pearson Longman). ISBN: 9781405850025
The winning books and shortlisted finalists
are available for online purchase at the
The ERF thanks the publishers who nominated books, the members of the Award Jury, and all those who voted in this year's Award. The nomination and voting procedures for the 2009 Language Learner Literature Award will be posted on the ERF website (www.erfoundation.org) later this year.
------------------------------------------------------------
T.S.Eliot Bilingual Studies announces a seminar on Language Awareness by international
speaker and author Rod Bolitho
Tuesday,
September 23rd - 6-8 pm:
L.N. Alem
1380 – Banfield
Promoting
Meaningful Talk in the Classroom
Surprisingly,
given the key role that language plays in communication, and also the claims
that are made for communicative language teaching in contrast to earlier
approaches, many foreign language classrooms are still characterised largely by
superficial pseudo-communication. In this session Rod will invite you to look
critically at some of your own rituals in the classroom including questioning
techniques, turn-taking conventions and the ways in which you exercise your
power as a teacher. He will then suggest
practical ways in which the quality of classroom talk can be improved to the
probable benefit of the quality and effectiveness of language acquisition and
learning.
Coordinator:
Rod Bolitho
Rod has
been involved in ELT for nearly 40 years. He is currently tutoring on
postgraduate courses in
At present,
he is Academic Director at Norwich Institute for Language Education in
Fee: $ 50
Certificates
of attendance - Coffee on the house - Group discounts for institutions
Please
enrol early - Vacancies are limited
Office
hours: Monday through Friday 4-9 p.m.
Phone
4202-3672 or contact us at secretaria@tseliot.com.ar
web site:
www.tseliot.com.ar
------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.- WORKSHOP
AT UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA ARGENTINA
Pontificia
Universidad Católica Argentina
Facultad De
Filosofía Y Letras
Departamento De
Lenguas
Jornada De
Extensión
"How can I say it
in Spanish?
¿Cómo
lo digo en inglés?"
On overcoming some difficult issues students, translators, and teachers of English have to tackle head-on. Practical tips and short exercises will invite us to plunge into the now clear grammatical waters of English and Spanish.
A cargo de
El día viernes 19
de septiembre de 9:00 a 13:00 hs
Requisitos de
Admisión: conocimiento de inglés equivalente al First Certificate
Lugar: Auditorio
Monseñor Derisi, "Edificio San Alberto Magno"
Av. Alicia M. de
Justo 1400 - Subsuelo
Aranceles:
Arancel
Completo…………......................$30
Alumnos,
profesores y graduados UCA…. $24
Alumnos de otras
instituciones…….……………..$27
Informes e
inscripción:
Extensión y
Posgrado
Facultad de
Filosofía y Letras
Av. Alicia Moreau
de Justo 1500, 1er. piso
tel: (54- 11)
4338-0789
Horarios de
atención al público:
Lunes a viernes de
-------------------------------------------------------------------
14.- IV JORNADAS DE INGLÉS EN SAN LUÍS: DRAMALAND AND THE
LANGUAGE
CLASS
Gobierno de
Ministerio de
Educación
Instituto de
Formación Docente Continua de San Luís
Anuncian las IV
Jornadas de Actualización para Docentes de Inglés:
Dramaland
and the Language Class
12 Septiembre
2008 en el Instituto de Formación Docente Continua de San Luís
Disertantes:
Celia Zubiri y Patricia Zorio
Aranceles:
Hasta el 10 de
Septiembre inclusive
Docentes $ 50
Egresados del
IFDC $ 25
Alumnos $ 20
Alumnos IFDC :
gratuito
Inscripción: IFDC
de San Luís – Avda Lafinur 997 – Secretaría de Extensión-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
15.- NEWS FROM THE
BRITISH COUNCIL
Septiembre 2008
• Convocatoria
para Asistentes de Idioma
septiembre-
noviembre
Este programa
organizado por el British Council y el Minsiterio de Educación, Ciencia y
Tecnología de
• Becas Chevening
11 de septiembre
2008
Charla
informativa sobre estas becas en el British Council a las 1600 horas. Para
registrarte enviá un email a cheveningsesionesinformativas@britishcouncil.org.ar
• 8vo. Simposio
Internacional Fundacion Huésped
12-13 de
septiembre 2008
El British
Council está apoyando la visita del Dr Robert Wintemute, profesor del King’s
College London y especialista en HIV/AIDS
Durante el simposio, participará en las siguientes actividades:
12 de septiembre, 15.00 – 16.30 hs:
13 de septiembre,
11.30 – 12.00 hs: Plenario de cierre.
• EuroPosgrados,
Córdoba
15-16 de
septiembre 2008
El British
Council esta visitando
• XXXIII
Conferencia de FAAPI, Santiago del Estero
20-22 de
septiembre 2008
El British
Council tiene una fuerte presencia en esta conferencia que reune a profesores
de inglés de todo el país. Este año estamos apoyando la visita de of Henry
Widdowson y otros especialistas en
• Becas Chevening
23 de septiembre
2008
Charla
informativa sobre estas becas en el British Council a las 1300 horas. Para
registrarte enviá un email a cheveningsesionesinformativas@britishcouncil.org.ar
• Expo Empleos
& Becas
24-25 de
septiembre 2008
El British
Council está participando en esta feria en Tandil (Universidad Nacional del
Centro) dentro del programa Europosgrados – charlas a estudiantes sobre
estudios en el Reino Unido y becas.
• Festival
Dreams+Teams Festival
26 de septiembre
2008
Este último
festival, una gran celebración para marcar el final de este proyecto, es
coordinado por todos los tutores, capacitadores y jóvenes líderes de las tres
instituciones socias: Instituto River Plate, Colegio Southern Cross y
Municipalidad de San Martín, quiénes han estado involucradas en el programa
desde 2003.
Para más información, contáctenos a events@britishcouncil.org.ar
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
16.- TEACHING ENGLISH
TO THE BLIND AND THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED:
A SPECIAL REQUEST
Dear SHARERS,
I'm working on a project to teach English to blind and visually impaired children, together with Dirección de Enseñanza Especial del Consejo de Educación here in Entre Ríos.
I'd like to be in touch with those teachers of English who had been working on a similar project, teaching blind children, adolescents and adults, one to one or by means of a distance learning course (through Braille).
Lic. Cristina Araujo wrote in SHARE a very interesting article a few years ago, in fact, this four-part article was one of the items that made me start with the project.
I'm trying also to find books in Braille similar to the ones we use at school, with texts, reading comprehension exercises, grammar practice, pair work, etc. Do you know of any?
Any information is welcome,
Cecilia Monserrat
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
17.- APIZALS’ 7th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Asociación de Profesores de Inglés de
APIZALS’ 7th Annual Conference
17 & 18 October 2008
Universidad
FASTA,
Av. de los
Pioneros 38
San Carlos de Bariloche
APIZALS’ Annual Conference is an event organized by Patagonian teachers. It takes place in Bariloche (on a yearly or two-yearly basis) and is offered to teachers and students of English in the region and beyond as an instance of reflection, updating, professional growth, joint work and sharing with colleagues.
For further information please contact tabsilvia@arnet.com.ar - anamruiz@arnet.com.ar / Tel (02944) 523957, (02944) 461154, (02944) 421688 / CEM 105, Beschtedt 850, from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm., te. (02944) 422328, Bariloche
APIZALS’ Annual Conference is an event organized by Patagonian teachers. It takes place in Bariloche and is offered to teachers and students of English in the region and beyond as an instance of reflection, updating, professional growth, joint work and sharing with colleagues. Our main objectives are:
To promote contact with renowned teachers from different Argentine institutions and provinces in order to profit from their knowledge and expertise, as well as contact with material related to the teaching of English.
To promote discussion of different topics related to the teaching of English, thus catering for a wide range of needs and interests.
To raise awareness of the scope and value of the work done by teachers of English of our region.
To create professional and friendship links among teachers and institutions from different parts of the country.
The Conference has been attended by growing
numbers of people in the last years – nearly
---------------------------------------------------------
18.- COURSE ON DRAMA TECHNIQUES IN THE E.F.L CLASS
Drama
Techniques in the E.F.L class
by
Fernando Armesto
· Use of Drama Techniques to enhance learners’ communication skills
· Theatre vs. Educational Theatre
· From Story Telling to Dramatization
· Body Language
and much more!
Starting on September 16th at 4:30
Two sessions a week (Tuesday afternoon and Saturday morning)
Fernando Armesto is a Profesor de
Inglés e Inglés Técnico from Instituto Nacional Superior del Profesorado
Técnico de
Curso presencial con apoyo online
Puntaje docente otorgado DGEGP Res.nº 2011/08
Se entregarán certificados de asistencia y de aprobación del curso
respectivamente
Informes e Inscripción:
Maryland E.L.T.C Centro de
Capacitación Docente DGEGP C 454
secretaria@institutomaryland.com.ar
(011) 4301-8533/ 4307-5314 15 5860 2492
-----------------------------------------------------------
19.- DRAMA CLUB IN
Act English
Would you like to…
· act in English?
· make your teaching more appealing?
· practise the language in a creative way?
Join our DRAMA CLUB
Open & Free Class
By Irene Bianchi
When? Sept. Saturday 6th
What time? 11 to 12.30
Where? At IPEI - 46 Nº 421 e/ 3 y 4
Registration: inglesipei@yahoo.com.ar
------------------------------------------------------------
20.- PRIMER CONGRESO METROPOLITANO
DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE
Primer Congreso
Metropolitano de Formación Docente (2008)
Fecha de
realización: 26, 27 y 28 de Noviembre de 2008
Dinámica de
trabajo: Conferencias de especialistas nacionales y extranjeros, paneles con
invitados-as especiales, foros de discusión, mesas de trabajo sobre ponencias,
posters. El Comité Académico se encuentra abocado al análisis de otras posibles
actividades
Más información:
Facultad de
Filosofía y Letras Universidad de Buenos Aires
Puán 470 – Ciudad
de Buenos Aires
E-mail:
cformaciondocente2008@gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------------
21.- UNIVERSIDAD TORCUATO DI TELLA: POSIBLES E
IMPOSIBLES
EN EL NIVEL INICIAL
El Área de
Educación de
Curso
de formación avanzada Posibles e imposibles en el Nivel Inicial,
a cargo del Prof:
Mg. Daniel Brailovsky.
La propuesta,
dirigida a docentes, directivos, coordinadores y responsables de instituciones
educativas de Nivel Inicial, se centra en un conjunto de problemáticas
escolares, asociadas a prácticas instituidas de la gestión del aula y de la
institución, que se definen como claves para la comprensión y resolución de
problemas habituales.
El curso propone,
desde un marco teórico fundamental basado en problemas prácticos, profundizar
en aspectos destacados de la gestión y de la dimensión pedagógica que hacen a
la vida cotidiana de los Jardines de Infantes.
Es una actividad
arancelada. Los encuentros son los miércoles 10, 17 y 24 de septiembre, de
------------------------------------------------------------
22.- CURSO DE “INGLÉS EN EL NIVEL INICIAL” EN EL
COLEGIO WARD
Inglés para Nivel
Inicial
Una aproximación
a la realidad institucional, las características infantiles y las propuestas
pedagógicas.
A cargo de
Destinado a
profesores de Inglés,docentes de Nivel Inicial y estudiantes
de profesorados
de Inglés
Es reconocido que
el Nivel Inicial es una de las inserciones laborales primeras a la que acceden
estudiantes y docentes de Inglés, y que los planes de estudio de los
profesorados de Inglés suelen no cubrir esta franja etaria.
Objetivos:
Conocer y
comprender algunas características evolutivas del niño de Nivel Inicial.
Analizar la
formación propia y propedéutica del nivel Inicial.
Reconocer la
importancia del rol docente en este nivel del sistema educativo.
Analizar los
contenidos de Lengua de Nivel Inicial.
Comprender,
valorar y elaborar planificaciones y planes de clase a partir de unidades
didácticas.
Apropiarse de
fundamentaciones, modalidades, instrumentos y dispositivos para evaluar
criteriosamente.
Propuesta:
En una modalidad
teórico-práctica se abordarán contenidos vinculados a las características
propias del Nivel Inicial, como así también se propone una aproximación a las
características evolutivas propias de los niños de 2, 3 4 y 5 años. Se
intentará hacer un análisis de los aspectos constitutivos del primer año de
vida y su influencia en la construcción cognitiva y desarrollo socio-afectivo.
Se abordarán
cuestiones vinculadas al rol docente en el Nivel Inicial, la implementación de
diversas estrategias y el uso del juego como dispositivo pedagógico.
Se elaborarán
planificaciones, unidades didácticas, plan de clases y actividades. Se
analizarán criterios y modalidades para la evaluación.
Modalidad del
curso:
Presencial, con
dos encuentros de seis horas duración cada uno. Se prevé el uso de material
didáctico (películas, material impreso, bibliografía, análisis de casos y de
instrumentos).
Fechas:
Sábados 6 y 20 de
septiembre de 2008, de
Se entregarán
certificados de asistencia finalizados los dos encuentros
Para más
información haga click aquí
Arancel: $40,-
IMPORTANTE: La
reserva de vacante se efectiviza previo pago del arancel en la
Caja del Colegio
Ward.
Horario de Caja:
lunes a viernes de
Ante cualquier
consulta comunicarse al 4658-0348 int. 128 con
Colegio Ward : Héctor
Coucheiro 599 [B1707ASK] D. F. Sarmiento (a 4 cuadras de la estación Ramos
Mejía). Tel: 4658-0348 - www.ward.edu.ar - info@ward.edu.ar
------------------------------------------------------------
23.- MACMILLAN MOVES HOUSE
Macmillan
Publishers tiene el agrado de informarles su nueva dirección y teléfono
a partir del 15
de septiembre.
Av. Blanco
Encalada 104
(B1609EEO)
Boulogne - San Isidro
(011) 4708-8000
0810-555-5111
------------------------------------------------------------
24.- ONLINE SEMINAR: “Reaching Farther, Reaching
Wider”
Instituto
Superior San Bartolomé
Particular
Incorporado Nº 9123
de
1988 – 2008
“We thrive on dreams, commitments and achievements”.
“Reaching Farther, Reaching Wider”
Online Seminar
29th September to 18th October, 2008
Instituto Superior San Bartolomé, located in Rosario, Argentina, in celebration of its 20th Anniversary, is pleased to announce the oncoming Remote Seminar “Reaching Farther, Reaching Wider”, which will explore issues that ensure success in teaching English as a foreign language.
The seminar will consist of a number of unprecedented lectures as well as a fair amount of shared expertise and will boast the contribution of well-experienced, knowledgeable teachers.
Among the specialists who have so far accepted to share their talks with us are:
Prof. Mariel Amez: From Margin to Centre - or a Case for Poetry in ELT
Prof. Graciela Castelli, MA: The Art of Conversation: Can it be taught?
Prof. Verónica de
Lic. María
Fernanda Foresi: De Guttenberg al ciberespacio:¿cómo leen y escriben los
jóvenes de hoy?
Prof. Silvia Rivero, MA, MPhil: The Language Acquisition Game: The Ultimate Puzzle
Lic. Susana Trabaldo: Web 2.0 resources in the English classroom
Prof. Lic. Bertha Viale: Click and think: Why ICT in education?
Prof. Trad. Valeria Virga: Pedagogic Grammar: open ears, open eyes, and an open mind!
Prof. Rita Zeinstejer: Using Computer Tools to Hone Communication
Lectures will be broadcast on video and podcast and may be watched and listened to asynchronically. A number of papers will also be offered for reading. Each of the topics will be discussed in a forum debate for a set time.
The seminar will consist of
Discussion forums: From Sept. 29th to Oct 18th, 2008
Uploaded papers: From Oct. 1st. to 18th, 2008
Live sessions via internet: Broadcast from Oct. 6th to 10th, 2008
Recorded sessions: Uploaded from Oct. 6th to 18th, 2008
Participants may attend the live sessions synchronically or watch them in their own time as they will be recorded and uploaded on the site.
Participants are invited to join the discussion forums of their interest during the seminar.
Fees:
St Bartholomew’s staff, students and graduates: $90
IFFD Students – other than SB’s should send scanned copy of certificates: $120
General public: $150 or U$S 55
For furter
information, please contact Dpto de Desarrollo Profesional – Instituto Superior
San Bartolomé desarrolloprofesionalissb@gmail.com
Instituto
Superior San Bartolomé
Tucumán 1257
(2000) Rosario
www.issb.com.ar
- Limited vacancies -
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We would like to finish this issue of SHARE with a message from a very dear SHARER
who attended our Annual Convention in August, our founding member and fairy godmother, Elida Messina:
Dear
Omar, Marina, Martin and Sebastian,
This is
to thank you for all the efforts you made and expertise you put in making 2008
Share Convention another big success. In my humble opinion, you have surpassed
yourselves and the results proved that they were worth your time and trouble.
The
presentations I attended were not only informative but also showed that the
lecturers were knowledgeable and respectful of their audience, as well as
highly committed to transmitting their expertise in ways that were both
enriching and motivating.
I wish I
had the ability to attend three lectures at the same time. As I am aware of my
limitations, I made my choices as conscientiously as possible.
To be
honest, I cannot say that any presentation was better than the other. They were
all different, they all showed careful preparation and a sincere wish to share
with those of us in attendance the latest, the most appropriate, the most
useful approach and experience in the respective lecturer’s specific field.
All of it
took place in such a friendly and supportive atmosphere that 2008 Share
Convention was indeed a most enjoyable experience.
Thank you
very much indeed. Please extend my heartfelt thanks to the rest of the support
team, for they also offered their best to make it an unforgettable event.
With best
wishes for the continued success of SHARE events and hoping you keep on
dreaming big,
Elida
HAVE A
WONDERFUL WEEK!
Omar and
Marina.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHARE is
distributed free of charge. All announcements in this electronic magazine are
also absolutely free of charge. We do not endorse any of the services announced
or the views expressed by the contributors. For more information about
the characteristics and readership of SHARE visit: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShareMagazine
VISIT OUR
WEBSITE : http://www.ShareEducation.com.ar
There you can read all past issues of SHARE in the section SHARE
ARCHIVES.
------------------------------------------------------------------------