Assignment 1: Focus on the Learners Part A: Class Profile The class fluctuates between roughly 15 to 20 students of university age

ersity age or older; on an average day, there are some 15 individuals present. While they hail from many countries, Iranians make up one-quarter to one-third of the students, another one-fifth is from Morocco, and another one-quarter block is evenly made up of French, Algerian, and Russian students. The rest of the class is made up of individuals who have no fellow countrymen in their midst. Two-thirds of all students have some experience with English in a secondary-school setting, and one-third has studied English in a post-secondary institution. Learning styles are difficult to discern as the students do not hand in any material for evaluation. All of the students have been classified as being intermediate, however, this does not mean that they are equally intermediate in all aspects. Oral comprehension is the weakness which is the easiest to detect; roughly one-third of the students do not fully understand everything that is said by the instructors. As for motivations for learning the language, two-thirds are present for work related reasons, with the remaining one-third here for academic reasons. The students classroom manner has changed in step with the classroom manner of the instructors: before a rapport was established, the class and the instructors were slightly awkward and shy with each other. Now, after one week, most students and instructors are interacting with confidence. All exercises are carried out with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Apart from those who struggle with oral comprehension, most students follow the class material well--as confirmed both through ICQs/CCQs as well as during monitoring exercises. Crucially, however, the instructors must be careful not to speak to the students like children, and to make tasks challenging without being complicated. The older students in particular furrow their brows when they are told that what they accomplished was very good!, and on at least one occasion, a student commented that x grammar explanation was not very good. More diligence is therefore required from the instructors in their deportment, as well as a keen eye turned towards the material they prepare.

Part B: Error Analysis Section One Error

Something we can make alone

Should be...
Something we can do alone.

Error Type
Vocabulary

Possible Reason
English structures replaced with L1 structures--unaware of collocations. Attempt to use French syntax by using the verb Faire, to do/to make. L1 interference: phonology Certain phonemes do not exist in French--regarding consonants in particular, /h/ does not exist and is often dropped. L1 interference: false friends. This is the problem of a word or expression that has a similar form to one in a person's native language, but a different meaning (for example English magazine and French magasin shop). In this case, assister, fr. v to attend, to go to is used in English due to its similarity. L1 interference: phonology A difficult error to diagnose correctly, as there are many possible culprits--from an attempt to state an infinitive, divorcer, to the common problem of creating verbs by adding an -er (inf) or - (p.t.) ending to a stem. English structures replaced with L1 structures--the construction Je fais x directly translated into English. Necessitates tense review and structure in English. Attempt to form simple past tense as in French, using avoir, as well as a vocabulary error.

A woman who elps with the birth

A woman who helps with the birth.

Pronun.

I assisted at the opera

I attended the opera.

Vocabulary

Get divorc

Get divorced.

Pronun.

I do my masters degree

I am doing my masters degree.

Grammar

She has practiced volleyball

She played volleyball

Grammar/ Vocabulary

Section Two The patterns identified here are a combination of L1 or perhaps even L2 interference, and are the historical result of many of the students already having French as a second language, with English being their third or fourth. Therefore, it is not as simple as looking at a class roster and making note of where the student comes from, as the language errors may not necessarily involve their mother tongue, and may be a combination of L1 and L2 errors. Admittedly, this list had been deliberately chosen to demonstrate a genre of common grammatical or lexical errors which would be suitable to provide the impetus for a particular language lesson; for an instructor must practice classroom triage, and deal first with problems that are common to the whole, instead of beginning with student-specific errors. In this case, when dealing with students whose L1 is French, the study of the present progressive is a good starting point. This would correct the common problem of pr + do + occupation, as seen in the above example, I do my masters. While it is true that proper syntax may be acquired through exposure, a revisiting of said grammar may be useful for those the students in question. Part C: Skills Needs Analysis Oral and aural skills improvement is the primary motivator for most students in the classroom, as it is these skills which impede their advancement either academically or in their search for employment. This has been demonstrated in two ways: x student does not raise their hand for fear of speaking incorrectly, or does raise their hand and makes an error; x student does not raise their hand publically, and then either asks privately to clarify/repeat y instruction, or is noted to constantly be asking their colleagues to explain the task. This may also indicate a need for more, or more careful, ICQs from the instructor. All the students hunger for detail and challenge, and show an open dislike for what they perceive as trivial. Unlike most North American students, these students care deeply about becoming proficient and want to get to it. For this reason, self discovery, while a sound pedagogical technique, sometime frustrates them, i.e. endless match the word exercises. A variety of exercises is therefore recommended, tailored to the needs of a specific class. As fluent speaking is the ideal for most students, the following hierarchy of skill development is suggested: listening exercises of a

familiar text to develop the aural capacity for comprehension as well as to provide an example of desired pronunciation, combined with some reading exercises. Finally, since most students are driven by a practical desire to use the English they have learnt, the previous exercises should always be capped with extensive and useful speaking activities: activities that keep in mind and are focused on the reasons the students wish to become proficient in English, i.e. getting a job. Part D: Recommendations for work inside and outside the class Section One As the main focus chosen for this project has been those students who have L1 or L2 French interference--not uncommon in a province that forces French on all immigrants--a crucial exercise to remedy the situation can be found through work on false cognitives. This is the most logical starting point for the intermediate ESL/EFL student with the above characteristics, as it immediately goes to work making their language more natural while at the same time giving them patience for the grammar lessons to follow.

Section Two Skills, while crucial, come with the pitfall of potentially boring the student if presented without context or practical purpose. Therefore, an activity focused on the aims of the students should be chosen to both stimulate interest and help further the students goals. Employment in Canada or abroad, in English, is one such aim. As such, employment related skill lessons, such as those focused on speaking, are an excellent choice; in particular, speaking exercises dealing with the interview environment. It is for this reason that I have chosen a speaking exercise whose context is the job interview as an ideal skill-task that targets a desire uncovered in Part C. Roll Plays for Today, by Jason Anderson, is a brilliant text that contains many practical exercises, and is the source of the attached activity. Speaking is always the most difficult aspect of language acquisition, and there is no better type of exercise for the practically minded student that is seeking a job.

Conclusion As previously stated, as L1-L2 French interference is the problem singled-out by this assignment, and proficiency in speech is the aim of most students, rigorous self study at home will be required. Therefore, the following course of action is suggested, with the use of flashcards implied where relevant and possible: 1: The memorization of the IPA so that vocabulary can be reviewed at home. There is an Anki deck available for this purpose; 2: The memorization of the 1000 most common English words, which should result in a theoretical fluency of close to 70%. An Anki deck is available for this purpose; 3: The memorization of an example sentence in all the twelve possible verb tenses, using each person (1st person sing etc.), for roughly 60 grammar flashcards--and then of any subsequent grammar points; 4. The targeted practice of difficult vocabulary from these exercises in the classroom, in order to work on proper pronunciation and use; 5. The use of a personally bought or licensed copy of Pimsleur: English for French Speakers (or other L1), which involves 15 hours of dialog/speaking practice.

The problem with the classroom is that practice is often hindered by learning. To clarify, while a beginners class must learn in the classroom, an intermediate student already has the tools for self study, and desires thorough error correction and practice in the classroom. The above prescription aims to remedy this problem.

Bibliography and Works Cited 01. Faux-Amis. http://www.eslprintables.com.es/previewprintables/2009/feb/11/ 902111927250905001.jpg. Online. Accessed 19 Nov 2012. 02. The 500 Most Commonly Used Words in the English Language. http://www.world-english.org/english500.htm. Accessed 19 Nov 2012. 03. 1000 most common English words.http://www.rupert.id.au/resources/ 1000-words.php. Accessed 19 Nov 2012. 04. Anki - friendly, intelligent, flashcards. http://ankisrs.net/ anki2.html. Accessed 19 Nov 2012. 05. Anderson, Jason. Role Plays for Today. Delta Publishing, 2006. 06. Pimsleur. http://www.pimsleur.com/ Learn-English-for-French-Speakers. Accessed 24 Nov 2012.