Laboratorio di lingua inglese 3 Lesson 10 Modifying

Laboratorio di lingua inglese 3 Lesson 10 Modifying and creating teaching materials Using English in the classroom Planning for the English class

Part 1 TEACHING MATERIALS: modification, (re-)creation

Evaluating materials • When we use materials in class, we understand immediately if they “work” or not • Here are some common reasons for materials not working – The level was wrong – The target age-range was wrong – The instructions were not clear • The teacher could not explain the instructions • The children could not understand the instructions – The exercise was too long – The progression from presentation to production. . . • Didn’t have enough practice, so was difficult/frustrating • Had too much practice and was repetitive/boring

Evaluating materials • Evaluate your materials as you are using them. – Make notes on things that worked/didn’t work – Keep these notes with the materials so you remember next time you use them (e. g. next year) Were the pupils able to follow the instructions? If not, what reasons can you give? Was there enough time to complete the activity? Was the age level appropriate? . Was the difficulty level appropriate? Did the pupils enjoy the activity? How can you tell? . Did the pupils learn the things they were supposed to learn? Did you enjoy teaching the activity? What (if anything) did you have difficulty with? What would you eliminate/ do differently next time you do this activity?

Evaluating materials • Sometimes it is an entire coursebook that you need to evaluate. – Sometimes the book doesn’t work • • • It is too “babyish” The topics aren’t interesting or relevant It doesn’t recycle vocabulary There is no audio CD The texts (written/spoken) are boring or stupid – So talk to your colleagues and compare your reactions • Show them your evaluation forms • Call the publishers’ reps and change the book

Modifying materials • We modify materials when – The level is not right for our pupils – We don’t have enough time to do the whole activity – We have tried the activity and found things that didn’t work well – We want to build on the materials • The original materials are good, and we want to extend the topic/activity

Modifying materials: level • When the language level is too easy, we can add things to make it more difficult – Extra vocabulary/ phrases / structures – More speaking or writing activities to extend production, e. g. • Question-answer for comprehension • Shift the focus (Q-A moves from the exercise to the children’s experience) – This way you can build on the existing materials but make them more challenging

Modifying materials: level • When the language level is too high/low, you may have to simplify the exercise, or abandon it. – Select just a few parts of the exercise (e. g. games, warm-up activities, vocabulary revision) – Eliminate the production at the end – just focus on comprehension – Change it into a mother-tongue exercise (i. e. abandon it as an English exercise, but continue the work if the children seem interested in it)

Modifying materials: time • Sometimes the children need more time on an exercise – Because it is difficult – Because they are really enjoying it – Because the transition time from one part to another was a lot longer than you had planned – Because it took longer to explain or introduce the exercise than you had planned

Modifying materials: time • If you run out of time, you have to decide whether to – Cut one or more parts of the exercise – Continue the exercise instead of moving on to another subject – Continue the exercise as homework – Continue the exercise next lesson • If it’s difficult, cut some bits and/or continue next lesson • If it’s enjoyable, continue as homework – Don’t steal time from other subjects – it’s a bad habit to get into, because you will find that you spend less time on the subjects you don’t like.

Modifying materials: improving • Sometimes materials work but were too easy, boring, or irrelevant. – Try to work out what you liked about the activity, e. g. • • • The exercise type The way that the language was presented The general idea The progression of exercises The clarity of the instructions

Modifying materials: improving • To improve materials, you have to identify which part needs improving – If it is the text / picture / topic which needs to be changed, find alternatives in books or on internet sites – If the exercise types / progression needs to be changed, first see if you can eliminate something, then consider alternatives – If the instructions are not good, use similar instructions from other materials

Modifying materials: extending • Sometimes materials were successful but you want more – Because your pupils need extra practice – Because your pupils are interested and willing to learn more – Because the topic is related to other areas of the curriculum

Modifying materials: extending • The easy (and sensible) way to extend materials is. . . – Take the original activity and make ONE change, e. g. • • Change the text or song Change the characters in a story Use a different picture Use plasticine to make models instead of drawing pictures – Do the same exercises as before, but with the new medium, so • Children revise the language they have just learned • They extend their vocabulary • They develop their creative and cognitive abilities

Writing materials • Improving and extending materials are two ways of writing new materials. – You build on a successful base – You personalise the activities to suit your pupils – You adapt existing exercise types and sequences • Once you have been teaching for a few years, you will probably want to write some materials

Writing materials • Whatever you do, always consider: – What am I teaching? • vocabulary, phrases, grammar – Why am I teaching it? • to revise, for comprehension, for production – Who am I teaching it to? • age, level – How long do I have to teach it? • how many minutes/ lessons? – How many exercise types can I use to teach it? • 3 -5 in a 1 hour lesson

Writing materials • When you write materials, remember – You are writing them because they are not available – The aim is for your pupils to learn English more effectively – Production is the ultimate aim of learning foreign languages, so always include lots of speaking.

Writing materials • Use teachers’ websites, e. g. onestopenglish. com before you spend time and energy writing materials • Consider buying one or two good teachers’ resource books with plenty of ready-made exercises • Give instructions in English: copy them from other exercises • Use authentic texts: download them from reliable websites, e. g. www. bbc. co. uk • Use songs sung by native speakers: download clips from You. Tube – If you need to edit audio (make it shorter, make it slower) use Audacity, which is free and easy to use

Part 2 USING ENGLISH IN CLASS

Teaching foreign languages • Learning a new language is not just about learning facts and concepts; it is about communicating. • Teaching a new language to primary children is challenging – You are opening doors to other cultures and customs – You are passing on your own attitude and beliefs about the different people who use this new language. – You have to make the effort to use English with your children. • They learn to communicate in English because they have to communicate with you in English • They learn to express themselves in English because you ask them to express themselves in English and encourage them in their efforts – You have to keep studying! • But you will find that teaching English makes it easier to remember the things you already know, so you will improve over time

Teaching in English • Using English when you are teaching English is essential – Learners need to hear real people using the language – recorded voices do not have the same effect • You can help your pupils understand what you say in English by – – Changing your tone of voice (especially in storytelling) Using gestures and facial expressions, and making eye contact Pointing at pictures, diagrams and real objects using familiar contexts and topics, rephrasing what you say in as many ways as you can, occasional use of their mother tongue • But do not feel that you are failing if you use some Italian in class too – Just try to use English as much as possible

Responding to mother tongue talk • One of the most effective ways of using English to communicate to respond to all your pupils’ questions and comments in English. • In doing this, you are showing them – that you are listening – that you can do the same things in both languages – how to say in English what they said in their own language – that they should try and say more in English.

Recasting ( to repeat what children say in their mother tongue in English) is a very important step in children’s language development. It helps - children to know they are understood children’s acquisition of English because they hear what they said repeated in English to strengthen the idea that they can communicate in English as they do in their mother tongue. You may - have to develop the habit of recasting just start by recasting single words into English, then short phrases, and so on.

Recasting: some examples

Recasting: some examples

Responding to mother tongue talk • Look at the table. On the left is a list of questions and comments from pupils, and the answers the teachers gave in English are on the left. The teachers’ answers are mixed up. Can you match the questions and answers? . i) Che cosa significa cooking? a. Well, l didn’t hear you. Say it in a loud voice! ii) Posso andare in bagno? b. Yes, but in English - not in Italian! iii) Posso farlo con Marta? c. I don’t know. . . Let’s see what happens. . iv) Guarda! Un uccello! d. What do you want, Davide? v) Maestra! e. OK, go to the toilet, but that’s the last one today! vi) L’ho detto anch’io f. Yes, you can do it together, but you have to be quiet. . vii) Posso dire la mia? vii) Capiranno che è lui, no? g. What does cooking mean? OK. . . It’s. . . h. Yes, there's a bird.

Rephrasing • Rephrasing is a type of correction – Changing a child’s English into better English without any negative comment is very supportive. – When you do this, you show: • That what they said was not perfect but that it’s OK • That what the child is communicating is valuable • That the child communicated successfully – You are also • Helping individual children improve • Helping the class learn (you are rephrasing for one child but other children are usually listening too. )

When and how to correct

When and how to correct cont. d • Later the teacher, Flaviana, asks Giacomo to take over. • In the next two slides, look at the transcript (the column on the left) – There are several places where Giacomo does not understand, and three where he says the wrong words. • Can you find them? • What do you think Giacomo misunderstood? • How would you correct him?

Resources for teaching English • A coursebook is one of the language resources you can use. Other important resources are: – YOU yourself and the way you use English, the stories you tell, etc. – story books – picture and word cards for various uses – a puppet – wall displays and posters – masks – real objects – photocopiable material – cassettes, video recorders, computers.

Part 3 PLANNING FOR THE ENGLISH CLASS

Planning your English lessons Think about long-term and short-term objectives. • Long-term: course preparation – How will you plan your teaching environment? – How will you introduce the idea of always using English during English lessons? – What topics are you going to teach and how do they relate to each other? • Mid-term: general lesson preparation – What routines might be useful to establish for language practice? – What language will you need to use in nearly every lesson? • Short-term: specific language planning for a lesson – What language will you need for the activities you want to do? – Which activities are core (essential), which are for reinforcement, and which are for extension (i. e. for the pupils who finish early)?

Planning your English lessons Before the course • Before you start a new school year or term, consider how you arrange the classroom: – Set out the desks and chairs so that it is easy to move around – Reserve wall space for displaying children’s work – Create a space for displays that can be used for language practice • It should be at a height which is comfortable for children to point at • You should also think about these subject-related matters – How will you connect the topics you will be teaching? • e. g. from pets at home to zoo animals. – What will you give “quick” children when they finish an activity before the others? • e. g. small puzzles, picture-card games, a book to look at… – How can you create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere • e. g. don’t use English to criticize or punish children – always do these in Italian

Planning your English lessons General lesson preparation – Remember that you teach English by using English in your lessons • Remember what you know about how children acquire language • Use, re-use and then modify the language the pupils already understand • For new language, remember to use context and gesture to help children understand – Plan the content of the lesson • • Build on what they know Include a mixture of listening, speaking, reading and writing Include class-, group-and pair-work Include different kinds of activity (listen and do, look and speak, action games, etc. ) – Plan the sequencing of activities in your lesson. • Revise what they know before you introduce anything new • Create some classroom routines because children feel secure with patterns they know • Try to have a quieter activity after a lively, energetic one. – Remember to prepare all the materials you need in advance.

Planning your English lessons Specific language planning for a lesson – Prepare what you are going to say when you • greet your pupils • talk to your pupils as you start/finish your English lesson – different topics and routines • set up an activity - arrange the room - organize your pupils - say what you are going to do - and give instructions • speak to groups or pairs or individuals if you have the opportunity • want to say something positive to your pupils. – There are many ways of organizing lessons – Many teachers like to have a standard plan that they follow • This gives structure to the lessons, and is reassuring – Other teachers choose to vary their lessons • This keeps children paying attention – Always remember that you know your teaching situation best • Develop your own plan to suit your classes and circumstances.