TEFL Methodology, 2015

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TEFL Methodology, Course Information

Instructor: Andrew Blyth, PhD (Ed; candidate), MA ELT, CELTA, B.Sc (Bio).

Contact: ablyth@uni.canberra.edu.au; Twitter: @winjeelelt; Web: http://winjeel.com

Reference: Murphy, R. (2012) English Grammar In Use (intermediate, 4th Ed). Cambridge, UK:

Cambridge University Press.

Assessment: Teaching file (30%; see samples in Dropbox); teaching performance (40%), final test (30%).

Materials Required:

• A4 Folder or ring binder with copies of your lesson plans, lesson observations, and handouts

(Student teaching file). Keep your own backup copy of this file.

• A notebook. For class notes.

• USB memory stick & Cloud storage. For keeping all your handouts and lesson plans for ease

of editing for the assessment files you will make, and for future use when on the job.

• Optional: an mp3 audio recorder or mini video recorder for self-observations.

• Mandatory: A sense of humour.

Overview

This module aims to prepare students for the practical realities of Teaching English as a Foreign

Language. Classes will use a holistic approach of small group tutorials, weekly class observations

of TEFL professionals in action, as well as observed and assessed teaching practice sessions.

Teaching file:

Class Observations: Student-teachers will observe a real class taught by a teacher. This will be the

same class that they are going to teach usually in the following week. Students will take observation

notes and keep these in a file as a preface to their lesson plans. Any handouts (or photos of student’s

handouts) and copies of textbook pages used are to be included. The observation notes and lesson

materials usually help student-teachers as a lead into the lesson they will teach. These observation

notes are to be included in the teaching file.

Teaching Practice & performance: Student-teachers will teach about 240 minutes of classes, as

scheduled by the course coordinator. Before each teaching practice student-teachers are expected to

observe the class beforehand and discuss a proposed lesson plan with the cooperating teacher.

Include in your teaching file:

1. Observation notes of the class you will teach (detailed and objective, not subjective);

2. a detailed lesson plan you actually used;

3. after the teaching practice you are to write up your own detailed reflections on your lesson

and to obtain oral and / or written feedback from the cooperating teacher (usually the

teaching observation rubric, or make notes of oral feedback); and

4. an amended lesson plan that shows how you would do the lesson if you could again.

Usually, we teach in cycles, therefore we repeat and tweak our lessons plans as normal

practice.

If you are unable to teach a lesson (say, due to sudden illness), let your fellow student-teachers

know immediately, and the teacher of the class you will teach. You still need to have 240 minutes of

teaching practice, so make-up teaching practice will need to be scheduled. Always thank the

cooperating teacher for allowing you to teach his or her class; we need to keep good relations with

our cooperating teachers.

TEFL Methodology, 2015

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Assessment criteria: Draft criteria for teaching performance and Teaching File is on DropBox.

Professionalism: Please present yourself to classes you observe and teach wearing suitable attire.

We know you’re students, so expensive suits and ties are not expected, but please appear like

aspiring ELT professionals.

Final test:

Student-teachers will sit a one hour end term written test and will be expected to display familiarity

and confidence with concepts and techniques taught and rehearsed during the course.

How to pass this class

It is really easy to pass (if you try).

� Come to every class すべてのクラスに出席し

てください。

� Review and preview every class 毎クラス予

習復習をしてください。

� Ask questions (I like answering questions) もしわからないことがあれば恥ずかしがらず質

問してください。質問は大歓迎です。

� Have fun. ☺ 楽しんでください。

� Also, build up your vocabulary. Get a little

notebook (see right) and write in some

interesting words, expressions and sample

sentences each week during class. (See McCrostie, 2007)

Schedule (subject to change)

Grammar targets

Each week one student-teacher will present the weekly grammar target from English Grammar In

Use, as though they were teaching a class of actual students. Treat this as teaching rehearsal.

Student-teachers will organise amongst themselves the schedule of who will present when. Please

include an introduction, simple explanation, brief practice, and communicative activity using the

grammar target. Maximum 20 minutes.

Skills analysis

Each week a student-teacher will present a short video showing a demonstration of a particular skill

scheduled for that week. For instance, for Week 6 Vocabulary, please find a vocabulary

demonstration. Demonstration videos can be found in the Harmer book, YouTube, and anywhere

else on the web. The student-teacher will give his or her opinion or analysis of the video focusing

on the perceived success of the lesson. Other student-teachers are to discuss their thoughts too.

Student-teachers will organise amongst themselves the schedule of who will present when.

Maximum 10 minutes.

Week 1: 14th Apr. Introduction to ELT and the Communicative Approach

CELTA text: Chapters 1, Who Are the Learners; and 2, Learners as Individuals.

Key Concepts: Course orientation and explanations. Introduction of common abbreviations and

key concepts. Introduction to the Six Steps of lesson activities (Intro, vocabulary, demonstration,

practice, wrap-up, then segue), and practice. Introduction to grammar tenses.

Grammar target: Unit 1, Present continuous.

TEFL Methodology, 2015

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Week 2: 21st Apr. Classroom practice

CELTA text: Chapter 4, Classroom Management

Key Concepts: The Six Steps review and practice (each student will demonstrate the six steps with

a grammar target). Introduction to: questioning techniques (pose, pause, pounce, and praise);

classroom language and instruction giving; concept checking: describing vocabulary; use of body

language by the teacher; using props and teaching aids (inc blackboard, drawing, computers, etc);

drawing on whiteboard skills & practice. Simple five minute activities. Basic lesson plans (and detail

required for submitting for assessment).

Grammar target: Unit 5, Past simple

Week 3: 12th May. Grammar

CELTA text: Chapters 6 (Presenting Grammar) and 28 (Tense and Aspect).

Key Concepts: Introduction to teaching grammar; meaning, form, tense, aspect; short in-class

teaching practice. Review of lesson planning.

Grammar target: Unit 8, Present perfect

Week 4: 26th May. Teaching speaking

CELTA text: Chapters 10 (Developing Speaking Skills) and 29 (Meaning, Form and Use—the

Past)

Key Concepts: information gap, role play, discussion, dialogue with variation, gradual dialogue

erasing, Nation’s 4-3-2, surveys, discussion roles, practice outside the classroom, form and

meaning, hypothesis testing, over-generalization, verb timelines.

Grammar target: Unit 12, Present perfect

Week 5: 28th Apr. Methodologies & lesson plans

CELTA text: Chapters 16 (Lesson Planning: design and staging), 17 (Lesson planning: defining

aims), and 18 (Alternative Approaches to Lesson Design).

Key Concepts: staging, pacing, activities, aims, measurable objectives; Presentation Practice &

Production (PPP), Task-based Learning (TBL) Test-Test-Test (TTT). Introduction to teaching

children.

Grammar target: Unit 19, Future present

Week 6: 5th May. Vocabulary

CELTA text: Chapters 5 (Presenting Vocabulary) and 38 (Vocabulary).

Key Concepts: eliciting vocabulary, checking understanding, learner dictionaries, lexis,

compounding, affixation, CALL; teaching vocabulary to children, practice using the “six steps”.

Optional Extra Reading: McCrostie, J. (2007) Examining learner vocabulary notebooks. ELT

Journal, 61(3), p246-255. Or Newton, J. (2001) Options for vocabulary learning through

communication tasks. ELT Journal, 55(1), p30-37.

Grammar target: Unit 26, Modals (can, could, be able to, must, etc)

Week 7: 23rd Jun. Error correction

CELTA text: Chapters 9 (Error Correction) and 34 (The Noun Phrase).

Key Concepts: productive vs. receptive skills, process vs. product, timing, reformulation, request

for repetition, prompting, cuing, marking, coding, Truscott’s studies on grammar correction,

singular, plural, countable, uncountable, adjective, pronoun, determiner.

Grammar target: Unit 38, Conditionals (if)

TEFL Methodology, 2015

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Week 8: 19th May. Teaching listening

CELTA text: Chapters 10 (Developing Listening Skills) and 7 (Presenting Grammar, 2).

Key Concepts: pre-, during and post- exercises, suggested websites, use of songs, brief

introduction to Total Physical Response (TPR) for teaching children; short in-class teaching

practice.

Optional Extra Reading: Blyth, A. (2011) How teachers teach listening in Japan: Part I. PAC-

KOTESOL Conference Proceedings 2010.

Grammar target: Unit 42, Passive tense

Week 9: 2nd June. Teaching reading

CELTA text: Chapters 11 (Developing Reading Skills) and 30 (Expressing Future Meaning).

Key Concepts: intensive vs. extensive; graded readers vs. authentic text; reading circles; reading

strategies. Teaching children’s classes practice. Will vs. be going to

Grammar target: Unit 47, Reported and quoted speech

Week 10: 9th Jun. Teaching writing

CELTA text: Chapters 14 (Developing Writing Skills) and 31 (Modality).

Key Concepts: Nature or writing; fluency vs. accuracy; teaching grammar as writing vs. structure;

scaffolding, drafting; assessing writing tasks and feedback. Modals and pronunciation.

Grammar target: (free choice)

Week 11: 19th June. Workshops: Teaching Children & Examinations Reading / Topic: Each student is to decide for themselves.

Your first teaching job is probably with children. Do a 15 minute presentation on any topic related to

teaching children. The topic can be about teaching vocabulary, reading, speaking, anything. The presentation

should include a brief theoretical introduction, and then a demonstration of a suitable classroom activity.

There are now many practical resources for teachers on the internet. Please share them and help each other

prepare. You can consider using drills; repetition via Jazz Chants and jazz chant skits; TPR; games; among

anything else.

Grammar target: (free choice)

Week 12: 30th Jun. Discussion & final exam

Reading: Review all

Key Concepts: Discussion about professional issues (please prepare questions you might have

about employment, teaching issues, and overseas living), and final exam.