Teacher Training

Course
 Learning Strategies

 What is meant by learning strategies?

 How do we know our students’ strategies in
learning?
WHAT KIND OF LEARNER ARE YOU?
• Two Corners Activity:
After each statement,
move to the corner of the
room that represents
your opinion.

A- Agree D-Disagree
STATEMENT ONE

• I learn best by
listening to lectures
and taking notes on
well documented
facts and examples.
STATEMENT TWO

• I learn best
through
collaborative
engagement and
discussion with
other participants.
STATEMENT THREE

• I learn best
through problem
solving based on
provided data and
a solid
organizational
structure.
STATEMENT FOUR

• I learn best through

creative extensions of
presented information;
reorganizing
information into unique
combinations.
KNOW YOUR STUDENTS!

• The Professors: Data-driven learners engage with facts

• The Friends: Interactive learners engage with feelings
• The Scientists: Experimental learners engage with
problems to solve
• The Inventors: Creative learners engage with
artistic expression
It’s an individual approach to complete a
task.
It includes how a person thinks and acts when
planning.
Successful language learners tend to select
strategies that work well together,
Kinds of strategies:

 Predict
 Selective attention
 Prepare
 Practice
 Monitor
 Ask question
 Take notes
 Use imagery
 Find an answer in multiple ways
 Physical response
 recombination
The “good language learner” studies showed
that good learners…..

 1- show a concern for language form

 2- show a concern for communication (functional practice)
 3- have an active task approach
 4- have an awareness of the learning process
 5- show a capacity to use strategies flexibly in order to
complete a task
Assignment:

 Are good teachers born or made?

Contextualizing Language
Teaching Meaning:

 You should:
 1- show
 2- use few words
 3- use known words
 4- Elicit
 5- Demonstrate
 6- Don’t hammer the point
Techniques for teaching meaning:

 1- mime and gestures

 2- facial expressions
 3- draw
 5- pictures and photos
 6- objects (realia)
 7- things in the classroom
 8-Mimic sounds
 9- Use a text
 10- translate
Activity
Teaching Context

 1- Real Context
 2- Simulated Context
 3- Context taken from books, newspapers,
magazines………
When choosing a suitable context
answer the following questions first:
 1- Will the students be interested in this topic?
 2- How can I make this language activity relevant to a particular context?
 3- Is this topic specific?
 4- Is the context dramatic or memorable?
 5- Does the language of the topic help the learner to understand the new
language?
What is meant by concept checking
questions? Why should a teacher use
them inside the classroom?
Thanks for joining!
See You next lecture
Correcting
Errors
Errors vs. Mistakes
What’s the difference between errors and
mistakes?
What’s lapse? How is it different from errors and
mistakes?
 ERRORS
If a learner has not learned a grammatical form or structure and
consistently gets it wrong, the learner is making an error.
For example, a student might say
“I have seen it yesterday” instead of “I saw it yesterday”
Errors are signs for teachers that their learners need more
information and knowledge about a certain aspects in language.
Remedial practice should be given at an appropriate time for the
errors, especially those that are common to many students in a
class.
 MISTAKES
If a learner has learned a grammatical form or structure
and consistently gets it wrong, the learner is making a
mistake. Teachers should give time to the learner to correct
him/herself.
For example,
“I have seen it yesterday” instead of “I saw it
yesterday”
 LAPSE

This term is used to refer to the wrong usage

when it occurs because the student is tired,
not concentrating, sick, suffering a
momentary loss of memory.
?When to correct
Timing is first and foremost when making corrections.
Choose the right time to correct – if accuracy is the aim
of the activity, then make the student aware of the error
soon after it occurred. But if fluency is the aim, don’t stop
the student in the middle of a sentence to correct him or
her!
For errors in fluency activities, make a note or record the
errors and deal with them after the activity has finished.
How to make corrections
 Self-correction -1
The student makes his own correction.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-

correction?
 Advantages of self-correction
• 1- It helps the learners memory and learning
process.
• 2- Encourages independence and non-reliance on the
teacher.
• 3- Increases motivation when students get it right,
thus building self-confidence.
• 4- Through self-correction, the teacher gets
accurate, immediate feedback on students’ abilities
and knowledge.
Disadvantages of self-correction
• 1- Students who cannot recognize what the error is, or
where it has occurred, cannot correct themselves.
• 2- It’s embarrassing or even humiliating for students who
can’t self-correct when their lack of ability is exposed to
the whole class.
• 3- The student may realize that there is an error but not
know how to correct it; the correct model has not been
learned.
Student to student correction -2

• Students correct one another.

• What are the advantages and

disadvantages of student to student
correction?
 Advantages of student to student
correction
• 1- It may be easier to accept correction from another
student than from the teacher- depending on how publicly
it’s done.
• 2- The student who is able to correct another student
gains confidence.
• 3- The process encourages other students to listen
carefully to one another, which keeps everyone involved.
• 4- the process gives feedback to the teacher about other
students who have learned the correct form or structure.
Disadvantages of student to student
correction
• 1- the student who corrects may give incorrect form.
• 2- the student being corrected may not be able to
understand or recognize the correction because of
pronunciation difficulties of his or her peer.
• 3- It may take too long to elicit the correct model from
other students.
• 4- the student who is corrected feels “put down” by his or
her peer who scores at his or her expense.
Teacher to student correction -3

The teacher corrects the students

What are the advantages and

disadvantages of teacher to student
correction?
 Advantages of teacher to student
correction
• 1- The error or mistake is identified quickly and
accurately; furthermore, students can participate in
analysis of the error (why it’s wrong).
• 2- the correct model is given quickly and reliably.
• 3- there can be a focus on errors common to many
students in the group, thus avoiding concentration on
individual errors.
Disadvantages of teacher to student
correction
• 1- the practice may lead to over-dependence on the
teacher. Students will no longer need to try to work out
the error themselves, nor will they know how to get it
right without the teacher’s help.
• 2- students may lose interest while other students are
being corrected.
• 3- all of the advantages of self correction and student to
student correction apply as reasons against teacher
correction.
 Techniques to use when
correcting
• 1- tell the students
• 2- signal
• 3-Use your fingers
• 4- echo
• 5- use the board
Teaching listening
?Why is teaching listening important
► Listening means paying attention to and understanding what you
hear, it is an essential skill for communication. You can not convers
with someone without understanding what you hear. Listening is in
some way, to most learners, more difficult than speaking. After all,
you can control what you say; you can not normally control what is
said to you.
The listening context

► Successful listening depends on our ability to understand sounds in

particular contexts and circumstances.
► The listening context determines the listening strategy that one
uses. The way we listen varies according to our listening purpose.
As a teacher, you need to realize that students do not really listen
unless they have a purpose (a reason to do so).
:Tips and advices for teaching listening

► 1- Help, don’t test! To help students feel more confident about listening tasks, keep in
mind the following:
► A- Introduce listening materials with simple global understanding questions like: “Is the
dialogue about a football game or a tennis match?”
► B- Assure the students that they will hear the tape more than once.
► C- Place learners in pairs or groups.
► D- Check and reconfirm students’ answers and ideas
:Be aware of different listening strategies -2

people use different strategies to deal with different context.

Accordingly, we must keep these differences in mind when choosing
listening task for your students.
:Select appropriate materials -3

It is important to understand the difference between authentic listening materials and

materials that are specially prepared for the language learner. The latter are easier to
cope with; they are usually graded for particular levels and include audiotapes and
corresponding textbooks.
Authentic materials are more challenging. They require special attention.
However, the aim of a listening task should be prepare students for interaction for
real world, not in the classroom.
:Have a listening purpose -4

► There are four purposes for listening

► 1- listening for gist (or global understanding)
► 2- listening for specific information.
► 3- listening to establish a context.
► 4- listening to provide information for later discussion, role play, or information exchange
► 5- listening to make inferences (TOEFL)
:Preparing a listening task

► Ask yourself the following :

► 1- what is the purpose of the task?
► 2- what listening skills will be practiced?
► 3- Is the task suitable for the students level?
► 4- What language do students need in order to do the task?
► 5- How can I create interest in the listening text?
:Important notes

► 1- listening materials and especially authentic materials should be

prepared and tested in advance.
► 2- the main function of a listening task is to help learners gain
confidence in their listening ability and help them build their
strategies.
► 3- the success of a listening task depends on your attitude.
Stages for a listening lesson

► 1- Pre listening
► 2- While Listening
► 3- Post listening
Teaching Reading
:Reading Strategies

► Reading for details (intensive reading)

► Scanning
► skimming
Activity
Intensive reading:
reasons
► 1- Mostly to answer comprehension questions for needed information
► 2- looking up for knowledge that helps us explore our own thoughts
and feelings.
► To examine the use of specific grammatical features
► To infer meaning of new vocabulary and gain understanding of new
words in context.
► To learn about discourse markers (how phrases are used to introduce
other phrases
Steps for teaching reading

► 1- Pre reading
► 2- Reading
► 3- post reading
Pre reading -1

Before you give the learners the text, personalize the ►

subject by relating it to their own experience or their
plans. At this stage it’s important to highlight the new
words and teach their meaning. You can do the following
:for example
► 1- do you agree with the following statements and why?
► 2- read the title and predict the content of the text (if the
title was descriptive.
► 3- look at the picture and brainstorm or guess what will
the text be about.
:Reading -2
► Give the students a few questions that you are
going to use to check understanding after the
reading.
► 2-3 minutes of silent reading (no dictionaries)
► Reading loudly depends on objective of reading.
:post reading -3

► Give follow-up activities that can involve

everything from completing tables and
questionnaires to acting out roles and writing
stories.
► These activities should focus on detailed
understanding.
:Basic reading problems
PPP (Present, Practice, produce) methods
Many textbooks and teachers use a ppp structure for vocabulary lessons.

In the presentation stage, teachers introduce the important vocabulary words and their
meanings. Presentation activities introduce new vocabulary by having students listen to,
write, or read the words.

In the practice stage, students practice the form and meaning of the new vocabulary.
Practice activities are usually structured so students can focus on the new vocabulary.

In the production stage, students use the target vocabulary in less structured speaking and
writing activities.

So in text books you can identify the movement from CONTROLLED ACTIVITIES (practice
stage) to more OPEN-ENDED ones (produce stage).

Integrating Skills:
"The added richness of integrating skills courses gives students greater
motivation that converts to better retention of principles of effective
speaking, listening, reading and writing"
What does integrating skills mean?
Why Integrate?
1- Production and reception are quite simply two sides of the same
coin; one cannot split the coin in two.
2- Interaction means sending AND receiving messages.
3- Written and spoken language often (not always) bear a
relationship to each other; to ignore that relationship is to ignore
the richness of the language.
4- For literate learners, the interrelationship of written and spoken
language is intrinsically motivating reflection of language and
culture and society. Often one skill will reinforce another; we
learn to speak, for example, in part by modelling what we hear,
and we learn to write by examining what we can read.
Adapting and Supplementing Textbooks Activities
One of the big challenges in integrating skills inside the class is the
use of text books. So in order to follow the educational rules by
using the given text books and at the same time applying effective
ideas to help students in learning like integrating skills, we can
either adapt or supplement the text books or you choose not to
use some parts of the book.
Why?

Adapting Textbooks Activities

Teachers can change what is not working and add things they
think will help their students learn. Here are some examples of
how an activity might be adapted for different purposes.
Activity: Read a text and answer comprehension questions.

1- Activity adapted to be more Cut up paragraphs of text and

kinesthetic have students order the
paragraphs.
2- Activity adapted to be more Have students write new
difficult comprehension questions for
the text in groups. Then
other groups answer those
questions.
3- Activity adapted to be easier Group of students each
answer one comprehension
questions. Then students
share their answers as a
class.

Supplementing Textbooks Activities

Textbooks are not the only materials you can use in the classroom.
Often teachers supplement or add to activities in the textbook.
For example, you can supplement a vocabulary lesson by using
photos from magazines or vocabulary games (crosswords, word
search …..) you can also direct your students to websites with
videos or podcast that are related to the topic. So in brief use
realia and authentic materials.
Lesson plan
 What is the benefit of a lesson plan?
• 1- It structure and shape your lesson.
• 2- It clarifies what you can do in the time available.
• 3- It gives means of stating the learning objectives of the lesson to your
students.
• 4- students will feel that you are a well prepared teacher.
• 5- A good lesson plan helps you to prepare appropriate techniques,
materials, procedures for the achievement of the lesson’s aim.
• 6- it helps you to work out the staging and timing of the activities and
anticipate students’ problems.
 How to plan lessons
• 1- purpose
• 2- interest and motivation
• 3- enjoyment
• 4- practicality
• A- classroom environment
• B- materials
• C- timing and staging
 ..…Lesson plans should
• 1- be specific
• 2- anticipate problems
• 3-decide timing
• 4- have materials ready
• 5- avoid too many details
 What should a lesson plan consist of
• 1- Theme introduction/ Warm-up activities (2-5 min)
• 2- Objective discussion (2 min)
• 3- Modeling and presenting activities (5-15 min)
• 4- Controlled to guided practice (10-20 min)
• 5- Guided to independent practice (10-30 min)
• 6- Home work/ Application activity (open time)
 List of useful abbreviations for teaching
HOP = overhead projector
HO = handout
SS/ ss = student(s)
T = teachers
PW = pair work
GW = group work
CB / SB = course book / student's book
WB = whiteboard/ work book
HW = homework
TTT = teacher talking time
STT = student talking time
S = speaking
L = listening
R = reading
W = writing
WC = whole class
FB = feedback
ICQ / CQ = Instruction checking questions
CCQ = Concept checking question
Lesson Plan Format

The first page of your lesson plan:

(no need to repeat this information everyday)

Name: Wafaa Shakir

Level (class): Elementary level (2nd class)

Class Profile: The class consists of 20 Turkish elementary level students. They are a
variety of different ages and gender. The students are so energetic and eager to
participate in the activities regardless of whether it is practicing the four skills or
working in pairs or groups
Date: February 28th Monday - 8am
Time: 45 min
Section: A
Learning objective(s):
By the end of the lesson, students will be better at knowing how to apologize using an apology form and recognize
different ways of apologizing and accepting others apology.
Students will be able to make apologies for different situations in life and practice them with classmates.

Assumptions: I assume that most SS might Know how to say sorry but don’t know how to take responsibility and say
how to solve the problem.

Personal Teaching objective(s): To use songs in teaching functional language and integrating the four skills.
Vocabulary and pronunciation:
Anticipated Knowledge problems:
1- SS might find the song somehow difficult to listen to.

Solutions: Give them the lyrics in HO and play the song twice.
2- SS might need extra time for understanding the apology form
 Solution: I have extra 2 min in the lesson plan that can be used for extra explanation.
Materials: ● HO ● OHP ● song

Stage Procedure Materials Interaction Time Comments

Pattern
Warmer and 1-tell SS that they will listen to a Song SS 11min Want the SS to know that
song and they have to follow HO not every “sorry or excuse
Lead-in with the lyrics that I will give me “ means apology
them.
2- Ask what was the song about T-SS
and elicit a title for it.
3- SS are asked to underline the SS-T
words that mean apology. peer
check
4- Give the SS a HO of different
situations, ask them to identify
the apology situation.
peer check, WC FB SS
Stage one 1-Elicit ideas from the SS How WB T-SS 10min CCQ whenever needed
they apologies, and how do they HO
Presentation accept others apologies.
2- Give the SS the HO for saying
sorry and accepting apology. SS-T
 3- WC with me will elicit the 4
step form of making apology, give
them an example on the WB.
4- give the SS HO of the form HO T-SS
Stage Two 1-tell the SS to go back to the Lyrics of the song SS-SS 12min ICQ are given
lyrics of the song and identify
Practice the 4 stages of the form of
apology PW. SS
2- Ask individually to think of
something this week that they
need to apologize for….
3- tell them to use the form HO of the apology SS
individually to say their apology. form
4- PW each SS will practice
saying his apology to the other SS_SS
Stage Three 1-Divide SS into A and B. Each HO SS-SS 10min
will have different situations to
Production apologize for.
2- let them role play the
situation and ask them to use
the 4 step form.
3- FB of who accepted their
friend’s apology and who didn’t. SS-T
Date: May 24th Monday - 8am
Time: 40 min
Level: Beginers
Section: A
Learning objective(s):
Through a (communicative) information gap activity, students will be
practicing physical descriptions using the target structures "s/he's _____"
and "s/he has ________." They should be able to produce these
structures with a high degree of accuracy and fluency by the end of the
lesson; also to be reviewed and practiced is the expression, "what's
_________ look like?"

Assumptions: I assume that most SS might Know how to use the

expression, "what's _________ look like?"

Personal Teaching objective(s): An efficient set-up to guarantee

high accuracy during the activity and sufficient correction of target
language structure.

Vocabulary and pronunciation: straight, curly, heavy-set, a

mustache, a beard, a bun

Anticipated Knowledge problems:

Possible problems with word order of more than one adjective. I expect
students to have some or all the language of physical description already,
but I will check it nevertheless.

Solutions: Highlight examples of common adjectives and their word

order early on.

Materials: Photocopies of information-gap activity (HO), Family

portraits, from Elementary Communication Games by Jill Hardfield (cut
copies in half to make a "card" for each student)
Procedures Timing Interaction Purpose of the
Warm-up/ personalization 10min
1- Produce photos of my
father and show to one
student; others must ask
questions about his
physical appearance
2- Elicit, "What does he look
like?" Drill quickly if
necessary, but ensure
pronunciation is natural.
3- Monitor carefully for target
structures of physical
description. SS, in pairs,
turn to their partner's and
ask each other about their
fathers or mothers.
procedure
s-s 1- I can address the
target structures in a
personalized setting.
2- This question is a key
part of the structure I
am teaching, and it
needs to be accurate.
Allows me to find out
how much the
students actually
remember.
3- A trail run for later
activity.

Review of word order 8min T-Ss 1- Word order is

1- Use examples from the sometimes a problem
above activity to highlight and students need
order of adjectives: long, review
blonde hair, short, brown 2- students can keep
hair record.
2- highlight on board size + Danger of overload
color (avoid three word of information
combinations, but if asked
about them explain.)
Set-up Activity 8min T- S 1- Familiarize students
1- Divide students into groups with materials.
of four assign roles a BCD
and give out corresponding
cards check rules go over
cards and explain goal of
activity (the objective of
the game is to find out
which family group belongs
 to each player and which
face belongs to each
silhouette. students do this
by describing their families
and asking questions)
2- get one group to 2- Give them more time
demonstrate to others to assimilate
monitor closely and correct instructions.
target structures
Activity 10min Ss-Ss 1- Students work more
1- Give time frames, efficiently keep them
monitored carefully for on track.
"cheating" correct and
encourage correct use of
target structures take
notes of any other
significant language
problems. 2- self-correction is
2- give feedback and let more meaningful and
students check in their more efficient.
groups to see if they were
correct.
Wrap-up 5min T-Ss 1- Validates purpose of
1- Quick review of any glaring activity
language problems. 2- they usually deserve
2- Congratulate students on it
a job well done