The Making of

a Professional Teacher
2007 師德 全台 巡迴講 座

Michael Tsai

師德 種子 講師
知名連 鎖品牌 美語 師資 培訓講 師
英國劍 橋 TKT 國際認 證講 師
快速 記憶 及心智 繪圖 講師
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 Agenda

1. Approach, Method and Technique

2. Teaching Methodologies

3. How to choose the “best” method?

4. Teaching very young learners

4. Practical games and activities

2
 What is it to be
a professional teacher?

3
A professional teacher is…

4
Approach, method or
technique?

5
6
 METHODOLOGY

APPROACH METHOD TECHNIQUE

• Theories • Principles • Activities
• Belief • Goals • Skills
• Nature of • Syllabus • Procedures
language and • Roles
language • Materials
learning • Plans

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Teaching Methodologies

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 Before we start…

Don’t look at your handouts!

How did you learn your first foreign
language?
How did you learn your mother
tongue?
Which teaching method or methods do
you usually use to teach English?
Talk with your partner.
Share with us.
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 Now, let’s have a little test…

Look at the handouts now.

Discuss with your partner which
teaching methods fit into the different
descriptions.

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Teaching Methodologies

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1. The Grammar-Translation
Method

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 General description

Focus
 Translation
 Grammar
Traditional way to teach
 Latin
 Greek
19th century
 European languages
Develop

Reading skill
 cognitive ability 14
 Activities

Presentation of grammar rules

Study of lists of vocabulary
Synonyms, antonyms, roots, prefixes,
suffixes
Translation exercise
Reading comprehension

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2. Natural Approach

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 General description

 1970s-1980s, Krashen & Terrell

 Focus
 Spoken language
 Oral communication skill
 Use of objects and actions in teaching
 Natural principles of first language acquisition
 Content, not form
 Meaningful communication
 4 Hypothesis
 Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
 Monitor Hypothesis
 Natural Order Hypothesis
 Input Hypothesis: i+1
 Affective Filter Hypothesis 18
 Activities

Use pictures, drawings, gestures

TPR
Commands
Classroom language

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3. The Direct Method

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 General description

19th century
Target language only
Meaning “directly” communicated using
 Actions
 Objects

Mime

Gestures
 Situations
L & S before R & W
Grammar: inductive learning
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 Example 1

Example 4
Grammatical Example 2
Rules

Example 3
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 Example 1

Example 4
Grammatical Example 2
Rules

Example 3
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 Activities

Reading aloud
Q & A
Self-correction
Conversation
Fill-in the blanks
Dictation
Listening comprehension
Paragraph writing

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 Berlitz

 Never translate: demonstrate

 Never explain: act
 Never make a speech: ask questions
 Never imitate mistakes: correct
 Never speak with single words: use sentences
 Never speak too much: make students speak much
 Never jump around: follow your plan
 Never go too fast: keep the pace of the student
 Never speak too slowly: speak normally
 Never speak too quickly: speak naturally
 Never speak too loudly: speak naturally
 Never be impatient: take it easy 26
4. The Audio-Lingual Method

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 General description

1950s-1960s, US
Army Method
Behaviorism
L & S before R & W
Use

Dialogues
 Drills
Discourage the use of mother tongue

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 Behaviorism

+ REPEATED
REINFORCEMENT BEHAVIOR

STIMULUS REPONSE

NO / - NO
REPEATED
REINFORCEMENT BEHAVIOR

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 Activities

 Repetition
 Inflection: he she; singular plural
 Replacement: “Helen is a girl.” “SHE is a girl.”
 Restatement: indirect speech direct speech
 Completion: “I want a hot dog and you want…”
 Transposition: “I’m hungry. (SO…)”
 Expansion: “I enjoy it. (…very much)”
 Contraction: “I play at school.” “I play THERE.”
 Transformation: I am… I am not… Am I…
 Integration: “I am glad.” + “You are here.”
 Rejoinder: Introduce yourself in a polite way…
 Restoration: students/ waiting/ bus
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5. The Silent Way

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 General description
 1970s, US, Galeb Gattegno
 Use
 Gesture, Mime, Visual aids, Wall chart,
Cuisenaire rods
 Vocabulary is the key
 Force learners’
 self-awareness, self-reliance, self-responsibility
 Teaching should be subordinated to learning.
 The teacher works with the students, the student
works on the language.
 The teacher is not a language teacher, but a
teacher of language learners. 34
Rectangle Chart

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English Fidel

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Word Chart

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Cuisenaire Rods

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 Activities

1. Pronunciation (stress, intonation)

 Word
 Phrase
 Sentence
2. Structure
 Vocabulary
 Sentence pattern

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6. Desuggestopedia

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 General description

1970s, Bulgaria, Georgi Lozanov

Rich sensory learning environment
 Picture, color, songs, music, poster
Positive expectation of success
Use a varied range of methods

Dramatized texts
 Music
 Active participation in songs and games, etc.

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 Activities

1. Presentation
 Relax
 Positive frame of mind
 Learning is going to be easy and fun.
2. First Concert - "Active Concert“

Active presentation

Accompanied by classical music.
3. Second Concert - "Passive Review“
 Relax and listen to some Baroque music
 Text read very quietly in the background
4. Practice
 Games, puzzles, etc.
 Review and consolidate 43
7. Community Language
Learning

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 General description

 1960s, US, Charles  Group learning

Curran  Mutual trust, help,
 Whole persons cooperation
 “Language is people.”  Counseling learning
 “Language is persons  Teacher: Counselor
in contract.”  Non-defensive
 “Language is persons learning
in response.”  Security
 “Learning is persons.”  Aggression
 Highly learner  Attention
centered  Reflection

Retention

Discrimination 46
 Activities

 Translation

L decides what T teaches; T translates
 Group work
 Group prepares materials, e.g. a talk, a topic, a story
 Recording

Piece by piece, in target language
 Copying
 Write down the scripts
 Reflection & Observation
 Share feeling with others, with group, or with class
 Listening
 Listen to teacher’s or learner’s own recording
 Free Talk
 With others or teacher, about content or experience 47
8. Total Physical Response

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49
 Let’s have a French lesson now!

Assis!
Debout!
Venez ici!
Allez la-bas!
Dormez!
Levez!

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 General description

 1960s, US, James Asher

 Key concepts

COMPREHESNION
 ACTIONS


RESPONSES
 It’s all in the way we learn.
 “Do not attempt to force speaking from students.”
 Comprehension before expression.
 Focus on the content, not on the form.
 Verb is the king!  Imperative!
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 How does a baby learn to utter the
first word and then speak?

Language-body conversation
Babies don’t learn by memorization.
Words without actions in the primary stage
 Meaningless!
 No matter how many times they are repeated!

Try with your dog!

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 Procedure

1. T says & acts; C observes

2. T says & acts; C acts
3. T says; C acts
4. T says; C says & acts
5. 1 L says & acts; both C & T act
6. 1 L says & acts; C acts
7. 1 L says; both C & T say & act
8. 1 L says; C says & acts

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9. Communicative Approach

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 General description

 1980s
 Linguistic + Communicative competence
 Knowledge of language
 Knowledge of rules of speaking
 Knowledge of different types of speech acts
 Knowledge of how to use the language appropriately
in different kinds of social contexts
 Authentic language, materials
 Specific vocabulary and expressions
 Functions

Requesting, describing, expressing likes & dislikes
 Use language to perform different kinds of tasks
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 Activities

 Johnson and Morrow 1981

 Real communicative activities:
 Information gap
 Choice
 Feedback
 Same forms Different functions

“How are you?”
 Same functions Different forms
 Introduce yourself
 Role play
 Interviews
 Surveys
 Pair work
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10. Content-based Approach

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 General description

 Language across the curriculum

 Language immersion
 Target language is a medium to learn other
content areas
 Language immersion

Immerge language teaching with authentic contents,
communication and other school subjects
 Develop communicative skill
 Satisfy learners’ needs
 Choose their own materials, topics, activities
 Encourage independent learning!
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 Activities

Listening
Language

Social
Math
Studies
Topic
Writing Theme Speaking
Health Edu
Art
P.E.
Science
Technology
Reading 61
11. Task-based Approach

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 General description

Lesson based around the completion of a

central task
Language determined by what happened
during the completion of the task

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 Procedure

Pre-task Task Circle Post-task

•Defining the •Task •Reporting

task
•Pair or group •Feedback
•Preparing for work
•Analyzing
the task
•Planning for the
•Practicing
report
•Oral
•Written

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 Activities

 Information gap
 Exchange info

No continuous negotiating
 Opinion gap
 A given topic
 Out of control
 Reasoning gap
 New info concluded from given info
 The best
 Project work
 Problem solving
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12. Cooperative Learning

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68
General description

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 Procedure

1. Planning
2. Grouping
3. Explanation
4. Assigning roles
5. Completing tasks
6. Observation
7. Presentation
8. Evaluation
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 Activities

Peer tutoring
Jigsaw
Co-operative projects
Group investigation

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13. Multiple Intelligences

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 Yea
me
too.

I just love to talk

8
8

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 General description

1983, US, Howard Gardner

There is more than one psychological site
of intelligence in the human brain.
 7 basic intelligences
 8th: Naturalist intelligence
 9th: Existentialist/ Spiritualist intelligence
The weak intelligences can be improved
by working on strong ones!!
Use the children’s natural learning
strengths to enhance their weak ones.
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The Intelligence Pizza

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The 8 intelligences
Scientific thinking
Inductive/deductive
reasoning
Pattern recognition

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The 8 intelligences

Sense of sight
learning
Internal image
construction

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The 8 intelligences

Physical
movement
Brain’s motor
cortex

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The 8 intelligences

Person-to-person
relationships
Communication
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 The 8 intelligences

Recognition of tonal
patterns
Sensitivity to rhythm
and beats
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 The 8 intelligences

Inner states of
being
Self-reflection

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 The 8 intelligences

Words
Language

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 The 8 intelligences
Recognition,
Appreciation, and
Understanding of the
flora and fauna of the
nature

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 Logical / Mathematical

 Abstract Symbols/  Logical/Pattern

Formulas Games
 Calculation  Number Sequences/
 Deciphering Codes Patterns
 Forcing Relationships  Outlining
 Graphic/Cognitive  Problem Solving
Organizers

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 Visual / Spatial Strategies

 Active imagination  Mind mapping

 Color/texture  Montage/collage
schemes  Painting
 Drawing  Patterns/designs
 Guided  Pretending/Fantasy
imagery/visualizing  Sculpting

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 Bodily / Kinesthetic Strategies

 Body  Gymnastic routines

language/physical  Inventing
gestures  Physical exercise
 Body  Role playing/mime
sculpture/tableaus
 Sports games
 Dramatic enactment
 Folk/creative dance

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 Intrapersonal Strategies

 Consciousness  Thinking strategies

practices  Independent
 Emotional processing studies/projects
 Focusing/  Mindfulness practices
concentration skills  Silent reflection
 Higher-order
reasoning

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 Musical / Rhythmic Strategies

 Environmental  Percussion vibrations

sounds  Rapping
 Instrumental sounds  Rhythmic patterns
 Music composition/  Singing/humming
creation  Tonal patterns
 Music performance  Vocal sounds/tones

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 Interpersonal Strategies

 Collaborative skills  Intuiting others’

teaching feelings
 Cooperative learning  Sensing others’
strategies motives
 Empathy practices  Jigsaw
 Giving feedback  Person-to-person
Yea me
too.

 Group projects
I just love to talk
communication
 Receiving feedback

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 Verbal / Linguistics Strategies

 Creative writing  Poetry

 Formal speaking  Reading
 Humor/jokes  Storytelling
 Impromptu speaking  Story creation
 Journal/diary  Verbal debate
keeping  Vocabulary

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 Naturalist Strategies

 Caring for  Nature encounters/

plants/animals field trips
 Conservation  Natural observation
practices  Natural world
 Environmental simulations
 Species classification
feedback  (Organic/inorganic)
 Hands-on labs

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How to choose the “best”
method?

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 What affects your choices?

Personal belief
Experience
Teaching styles
Classes
Students
Situations

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 Different choices

Absolutism
Relativism
Pluralism
Eclecticism
Principled Eclecticism

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 To sum up…

There is no perfect method!

A method is suitable only for a certain
environment.
A good method depends on the efforts
furnished by the teacher him-/herself.
All methods are results of wisdom and
experiences of many people.
Consider about your students’ needs!
“Adapt; don’t adopt!”~ Clifford Drator
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Teaching very young learners

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 Teaching very young learners

 Physical and mental differences

 3 phases:
 Listening phase
 Developing phase
 Miming phase
 Classroom management
 Words are not enough
 Play with the language
 Variety in the classroom
 Establishing routines and learning habits
 Cooperation not competition
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Practical games, activities
and scoring systems

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 What is a “game”?

A game in language teaching is defined

as followings:

An organized activity that usually has the
following properties:
 a particular task or objective
 a set of rules
 competitions between players
 communication between players by spoken or
written language

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 Warm-ups or lead-ins?

Warm-ups (warmers):
 To raise students’ energy level
 Make them feel comfortable
 Not always connected to the topic
Lead-ins:
 Focus on the topic or the new language
 Motivate students

Make a link between the topic and students’
own lives

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 Scoring beyond scores

Think beyond points

Use toys, toy money
Combine games, gambling with scoring
Focus on fun, not on competition
Be fair!

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Conclusion

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 What you can do…

Improve your overall English ability!

Learn everything around English teaching!
Reflect upon your own teaching often!
Think about the ultimate destination you
want to take your students to in the end!
Be open-minded!
Be a life-long learner yourself!

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Thank you for your attention!
Any comments or shares of
thoughts are welcome!

huttm@hotmail.com

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