Thailand
School of International Training – SIT COURSE JOURNAL 2004 – AUA Bangkok
TESOL Reflective Journal
Monday 8th November 2004
Reflection on Reflective Practice
How do you feel about participating in reflective practice?
How do you feel about your ability to reflect?
What challenges might you face?
Morning Session – Reflection
I feel that reflection is an important part of the learning process. I had a great deal to say about everything we did, and I felt that everybody was willing to listen to and consider my points.
Reflection gives me an opportunity to express my views and, perhaps more importantly, to put my thoughts into words. One of the most valuable aspects of this process is that others can agree or disagree with what I have said. Both responses can be useful because I can take something positive from each.
When someone agrees with my point of view, they may add information or insight that I had not previously considered. Equally, when someone disagrees, I can still take their comments on board. I may not necessarily change my opinion, but understanding another perspective can make me think more deeply and improve my learning experience.
One thing I noticed, however, was that not everybody participated in the reflection. I would have liked to hear everyone’s point of view. I believe that hearing from the whole group would have given me a more complete perspective on the experience.
Afternoon Session
German Class 1
Being a new language learner can be a daunting experience. During the twenty-minute class, I felt that, as a beginner, I was a little slow to engage and found some of the lesson rather boring.
Reflecting on this experience requires me to look at it from two perspectives: first, as a student, and second, as a teacher.
As a beginner, I can understand the need for repetition. Basic language learning cannot consist entirely of games and activities. There needs to be a solid foundation, and repetition is an important part of building that foundation.
German Class 2
I found this lesson much easier. I became more involved and actually enjoyed the experience.
I think this was partly because I had already learnt a small amount of the language. I was able to build on what I already knew and use it again while learning something new. There was still repetition, but I felt that it was more purposeful and less noticeable.
The teacher helped by introducing the language gradually. However, I felt that asking three people to come to the front and role-play the dice activity may not have been the best approach. I was asked to stand in front of the class and demonstrate what I had learnt, which made me more aware of how it feels to be placed in that position as a learner.
Reflection
What have you learnt about learning in general?
What have you learnt about FLL in particular?
What have you learnt about yourself as a language learner?
The major issue I took from this experience is that I found learning a new language difficult. Not everything the teacher presents is immediately absorbed, and remembering new information can be a challenge. Although some people may find language learning easier than others, a teacher has to consider the needs of everyone in the group.
In particular, I think that I, and perhaps many other students, need repetition. Choral drilling can help new words become more familiar, while opportunities to practise together allow students to gain confidence in using the new language.
Another important point is that students can be given too much information at once. If there is too much to remember or too much to do, learning can become overwhelming.
I also experienced difficulties with pronunciation. This made me realise that pronunciation is an area that may require considerably more time and focused practice than I initially expected.
A Metaphor for Learning
To begin with, you need a good foundation. By this, I mean that you need to understand what you are undertaking and have some knowledge of its different aspects.
You cannot build a wall too quickly. If you rush the process, the wall may not be straight or stable. It needs to be built gradually, checking that each section is accurate, secure and level before moving on.
Learning is much the same.
If you take your time and use the right materials, the finished product is much more likely to be what you hoped for.
Tuesday 9th November 2004
My Hopes and Expectations for the Course
My hope and expectation for this course is to get as much from it as I possibly can. I believe that undertaking any course is both a challenge and an opportunity for personal development.
One of my strengths is that I already have four years of teaching experience. However, I now need to reflect on those four years and use that experience as a foundation for developing further.
I would like to finish the course with greater knowledge, a better understanding of teaching and a stronger sense of professional discipline.
Group Work – Poster
My experience of the group work was that there was not really a leader or someone who took responsibility for directing the group.
Despite this, I felt that we worked well together and were generally agreeable as a group. Several ideas for names were suggested, and although we did not reach a decision immediately, we eventually arrived at an idea that everyone was happy with.
I felt that each suggestion was discussed fairly and developed where appropriate. Importantly, everyone’s ideas were treated with respect.
However, I did feel that someone needed to take greater responsibility for moving the group forward. We spent a considerable amount of time discussing ideas, and I think some of that time could have been used more effectively. The main objective was to complete the poster, and stronger leadership may have helped us achieve this more efficiently.
TESOL Acronyms
S – Students
T – Teacher
SWBAT – Students Will Be Able To
VAKT – Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile
PDP – Pre, During, Post
PPU – Presentation, Practice, Use
Wednesday 10th November 2004
Planning Teaching and Receiving Feedback
How was the experience of planning teaching and receiving feedback in your group?
My experience was one of knowing what I wanted to do myself, but not necessarily making sure that my partner had the same understanding.
In hindsight, we should have produced a more detailed lesson plan that we had both discussed and agreed upon before beginning the teaching.
The teaching itself went reasonably well, although at times I think I raised my voice too much. I may have been a little too forceful, and I noticed one student looking at me in a way that suggested I might have been making him uncomfortable. This made me reflect on the importance of considering not only what I say, but also how I say it.
Another important point from the feedback was that I had not properly considered the level of the students. They were fluent speakers, and I should have recognised this and adapted my lesson plan accordingly.
Although some of the feedback was critical, I found it constructive. I was told that the lesson was too slow, that I should have made better use of the board and that some aspects had not been modelled clearly enough.
These are areas that I would like to practise and develop further.
Strategies for Future Group Planning
In future, I think we need to spend more time agreeing on the lesson plan before teaching. Each person should understand their role, the aims of the lesson and how the activities will be delivered.
Clear communication at the planning stage should help to prevent confusion during the lesson.
How Can We Overcome These Challenges as a Group?
As a group, we need to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to contribute while also ensuring that someone takes responsibility for keeping the group focused and moving forward.
PPU – Presentation, Practice, Use
Presentation
- The teacher does a great deal.
- Processes are structured.
- Modelling is important.
- Eliciting is used.
Practice
- There is more student action.
- Practice is controlled initially.
- Activities become less controlled.
- Target language is available to students.
Use
- Students present and explain.
- There is less teacher control.
- Students have greater responsibility for using the language.
Reflection on Observation
As always, there are a number of changes I would have made to the class.
I thought the teacher presented himself very well. His voice was clear and at a level that was easy to understand. I also liked the way he organised the students into different group sizes, including groups of three and five.
During the fifty minutes I observed, the students completed a considerable amount of work.
The main area for improvement was that not every student appeared to be actively participating. More concise instructions and clearer time limits may have helped to keep everyone involved. I also felt that limiting the number of questions for discussion could have made the activities more focused.
Friday 12th November 2004
What Significant Things Will You Take from the Speaking Module?
Looking at the module as a whole, I have recognised that there are many different facets to teaching, and that we have only touched the surface.
Each activity has given me enough information to begin building a clearer picture of what effective teaching involves.
Perhaps the most significant lesson for me has been the importance of looking at teaching from the perspective of the students. We experienced many interesting activities ourselves, and I think this will influence my attitude towards teaching in the future.
Monday 15th November 2004
First Day of Teaching
I felt that I had achieved something because the students did what I had asked them to do.
One situation I had anticipated was when the students were writing down their three numbers. I made sure that I went around the class and checked each student’s work to ensure that they were completing the exercise correctly.
A situation I expected to be more difficult was eliciting answers from the students. However, they participated readily and contributed their answers, which made this part of the exercise much easier than I had anticipated.
One of my beliefs that was challenged during my teaching practice was the importance of keeping students attentive and preventing them from losing focus.
Something I want to remember for my next teaching practice is not to repeat what students have just said unnecessarily. I also need to be more conscious of the speed at which I speak.
Tuesday 16th November 2004
Reflection on the Listening Module
The main issue I need to remember is the importance of PDP and PPU.
I need to make sure that I understand and remember the different stages of the PDP approach. In particular, during the post-listening stage, students should have an opportunity to personalise what they have learnt.
I should also remember that as soon as the actual listening begins in a PDP lesson, the Pre stage has finished.
Wednesday 17th November 2004
Using Listening or Reading to Introduce New Language
One advantage of using listening or reading material to introduce new language is that students are exposed to different voices and situations.
For example, listening to two foreign speakers having a conversation can introduce students to a situation and type of language that they may not otherwise encounter in their everyday lives.
What Makes a Good Context?
I think a good context is one that students can relate to.
If the class is younger, school and education may provide a useful context. If the students are older, subjects such as employment and work may be more relevant.
The context should also feel current and meaningful to the students.
Friday 19th November 2004
Error Correction
I think error correction is important, but it must be handled in the right way.
A teacher needs to correct errors without embarrassing or offending students and should provide a clear explanation or answer that helps them understand what they have done incorrectly.
I also think that all students should have the opportunity to participate. When an error or point of language arises, it can sometimes be useful to open the issue up to the whole class so that everyone has the opportunity to think about it and learn from it.
What Will You Take from the Grammar Module?
I think students need their grammar to be checked and developed, but there are many ways of doing this without making lessons boring.
Grammar can be presented in different ways and, with the right approach, it can be made interesting and even enjoyable.
Monday 22nd November 2004
What Is the Relationship Between Culture and Language?
I think language has a great deal to do with culture.
Something that is considered acceptable in one country may be considered rude or inappropriate in another. For example, in Thailand it may be acceptable to ask more personal questions, whereas in England people may be more likely to wait for the other person to volunteer that information before asking.
This highlights the importance of teaching students that language is not simply about vocabulary and grammar. There is also an etiquette associated with how language is used.
Making students aware of this allows them to think carefully about how they communicate before using language in different cultural situations.
What Is Your Definition of Culture?
I would define culture as a system of ways in which people within a particular society relate and respond to one another.
It includes shared values, behaviours and methods of interaction. However, these can vary considerably between countries and cultures.
Tuesday 23rd November 2004
What Do You Want to Take Away from This Discussion?
I want to come away from this discussion with a better understanding of all the issues involved in creating the right learning experience and atmosphere.
I want students to feel relaxed, comfortable and ready to learn.
How Will You Apply This to Your Classroom in the Future?
I will apply these ideas to my classroom by considering everything that contributes to the learning environment, from practical issues such as having the air conditioning at a comfortable temperature to my own manner, posture and attitude.
I want students to feel that I am approachable and that they can communicate with me comfortably.
What Else Do You Want to Take Away?
I think it is important to remember that, as a teacher, you are not simply teaching a language. You are also teaching about the wider culture associated with that language and country.
This means helping students develop a fuller understanding of what it means to communicate within a particular cultural context.
I also think it is important to consider classroom culture. The classroom should be a positive working environment, with clear expectations and rules. These should be consistent, fair and respectful, much like the expectations we encounter in society outside the classroom.
Thursday 25th November 2004
What Does the Skill of Reading Involve?
The skill of reading involves much more than simply recognising and reading words.
It involves extracting meaning from those words and understanding the message the writer is trying to communicate.
What Does It Take to Be a Successful Second-Language Reader?
A successful second-language reader needs to understand that written texts can develop in many different directions and that meaning can change depending on the sentence and the wider context.
Simply knowing the individual words is not enough. A learner may understand every word in a sentence and still fail to understand its overall meaning.
Understanding the text and its context is therefore essential.
Friday 26th November 2004
What Are You Going to Take Away from the Writing Lesson?
Writing can take many different forms, including formal and informal writing.
One of the main considerations is the person or audience being addressed. Certain types of language are appropriate in particular situations and not in others.
Writing is also different from spoken language. When we speak, we can correct ourselves immediately if we make a mistake. Written language is more permanent, so greater care is needed before the words are committed to the page.
How Would You Describe a Successful Piece of Writing?
A successful piece of writing should be clear and logically structured so that it does not confuse the reader.
It should fulfil its purpose and be written in a style appropriate to the particular format and audience.
Ultimately, effective writing is about communicating meaning clearly, appropriately and successfully to the intended reader.
SIT TESOL Certificate Course
Lesson from the Classroom
Essay #3
(1193 words)
I would first like to say that I have enjoyed this last month immensely while learning a great deal of new material. I feel as though I have further recognized, with the help of the SIT course, what the teacher’s role is in the class, as much as the student’s role. I have learned not only about the teaching side, but also the manner/presence of the teacher in the classroom.
I have taught four-practice lessons so far since starting the course, and I have been trying to become more student-centered while challenging them also. I am more aware now that in the class everyone is equal. I am also aware that the teacher is there to help the students and to facilitate their learning and not lecture. This is why I have tried to focus on each student and recognize the weaker ones. There are various levels of students in the class and also different characters. I realize after doing this course to value every one of them.
I have also valued constructed criticism. One issue in mind was my voice and my delivery of speech during class. During some practice lessons, I have modeled some stories in the class and they have become a bit disjointed, by this I mean incomplete sentences. I am glad the instructors recognized this in me and I think I have tried dealing with it but I would still like to continue to work on it. Likewise, I am pleased that there were a lot of positive points from the instructors, namely my strengths in eliciting questions, answers, and information from the students as well as getting a more student-centered class. I feel as though my fourth practice teaching gave me this experience to adapt to what I had been taught. One case in point is, I had the students in two groups, then four groups, and then pairs all the time monitoring and eliciting. I think this made for a great lesson as long as there was a purpose to do this.
I also watched some of my peers from the course that gave me a great insight into what it is like to be a new ESL teacher. Some of the teachers, because they were absolute beginners, showed some telltale signs of teaching infancy, which was interesting and fascinating to watch. The best example would be talking too much during the class. I guess even more experienced teachers can still fall into that habit. But all the same, it makes a new teacher think that they may do it without thinking.
I think this course has made me see both sides of the classroom from the teachers’ and the students’ perspectives. I have definitely become more aware of how much effort and time the students need to put into a class to get any benefit out. I would like to use my German class as an example. I was an absolute beginner and found the lesson a little challenging. It made me think about how the students in my English class must feel. We have had many practice lessons like the German class where we (SIT Students) had lessons given to us (sometimes as imaginary students). One thing, I took from these was that they were interesting and kept me attentive. It made me feel that if the teacher loses the students’ interest the lesson is so much harder. I think that keeping the students’ interests includes recognizing their learning styles as well. For example, I am the sort of student who likes learning by doing. I cannot sit for long periods. I think Thai students are a bit like this as I have found if there is a game in the lesson, they love moving about. I remember one of Anna’s lessons. She had some slips of paper on her desk at the front. Two groups had to come up to the desk one from each group at a time and take a slip of paper. They then had to take it back to their group and read it out and try and guess the movie. This kinesthetic activity got the students excited and maybe more prone to learning. I think it worked well and showed how some students prefer learning. This is why it was interesting having these practice lessons because we could find out about students’ learning. The classes for the practice session I found were very mixed. We had students from many backgrounds. There were people from Korea, Japan, and Mexico. All of them had their reasons for studying English. It made for a range of styles and backgrounds to work on which I think is very helpful, especially for new teachers.
I have found over the course that I have come to focus more on being a facilitator to the students. I have started concentrating more on my lessons and what the students will get out of my teaching. I feel as though I want every lesson for the students to leave with knowing that bit more than they did before. I have also come to believe that the students need challenges. I think the students like that and anything less would not be just. I saw one lesson by another peer in our group whose delivery was excellent with added humor. I felt he had prepared and wanted to teach us (students for his lesson). It made me realize that if the students recognize that you are serious they will be as well.
I think also the ESL instructors have shown that they can make a hard job look easy. One trainer actually gave a lesson on how to give instructions. After the lesson, I realized that some teachers make their jobs so much harder by talking too much. Furthermore, I have come to realize that the teacher must do their job, but it is the students who need the practice in speaking not you, the teacher. I believe clear instructions that are based on an interesting lesson that challenges the students will work. I also have liked the feedback session. There have been times when I thought things did not go very well but the instructors always remained very positive. I think it made me think that there are always more positives than negatives and if anything you should just be constructive. Most of the practice lessons I saw, mine included, needed some work on but the feedback was always positive and constructive. Even things that didn’t go well can be positive as long as the teacher learns from the experience.
The question I am left with is where do I find more information to continue where I left off. This course has sent me on the right path. It has given more a lot of information that has expanded my teaching knowledge. It is now my goal to continue this. First of all, I would like to keep everything fresh in my mind so this means continuing to read books and articles because I am sure I can refer back to this course. I would also like in the future to be more fully qualified in teaching.
Extended Reflection on a TEFL Classroom Experience
Lesson #4
I would like to say this lesson was my favorite because I feel as though I got the students to speak more English and be more relaxed doing that. I was very content to say that I gave the students the best opportunity to expand and use their English language. I also feel that the lesson was quite trouble-free. This made me feel pleased
I think right from the start I had the students focused as I got them into groups and had them up off their chairs to the whiteboard. This exercise had them thinking of things that happen in the morning before they go to an appointment. I felt as though this was a good learning experience because they contributed in their two groups, and I noticed that were all laughing at some of the mistakes they were making. I think this was great that they were happy to get it wrong and not worry. I was happy just to hear them trying. I must say though they were on the right track and mistakes were few and far between. I would say I just tweaked their words a bit to make them right. This, I did by using CCQ’s (concept checking questions). I also did some pronunciation, so I feel we all understood even the quiet students who I tried to involve. I am glad I was aware of these students and did something because there were some problems there. The words the students put on the whiteboard were also a great way to add emphasis because I challenged a few of their results by adding further questions like ‘where is the verb?’, ‘Do you really do this in the morning?’ but I did not overplay it which I liked. I think this was a good idea because they were at a lower level. I think now I have been doing this course I have become more student-focused, and I am realizing these problems the students have. I think for a teacher if they can help the class to work as one and help the weaker ones it will be great. I am glad during the lesson I established who the students were who had some little problems.
The only slip-up I noticed, and this was an action point of mine was ‘the challenging of students’. I think there was one point in the lesson that I should have expanded on. This was the ‘during stage’. I had the students watch a video and put their sentence strips of what happened in the order of the video. Even before the video they had to put the sentence strips in an order they thought. This time spent doing this, I think, would have made them accustomed to the words. Thus, if I had taken them away when they watched the video I think they could have retold the story by remembering the strips they had and having also watched the video. I realize that they were a level that was capable of retelling the story. Moreover, it would have given the students more chances to speak. It would have also made the ‘during stage’ longer. I must remember that I was doing a PDP lesson. This is where I must say time hindered me. I know that I should have cut stages down so I could fit in certain aspects, but today they were happy doing the exercise, and I thought that they were showing me that they were learning and using English. They certainly were not just talking Thai which I am aware some do. At that time I thought it would be rude to stop them from using this language. But, now I realize that there could have been other ways to make them talk, namely retelling the story. Even so, I felt they were learning so am I really wrong?
After all that has been said I am not sure my SWBAT (students will be able to..) was fully clear. I did say in my lesson plan the ‘students will be able to talk about plans to go to an appointment’ but that was in the post-stage. So, I think for a well-achieved SWBAT this might have been the wrong choice for this PDP lesson. This doesn’t mean to say I didn’t get the students to achieve anything. I did have them talking about things you do in the morning and being late for appointments. I think with the retelling of the story in the ‘during stage’ there would have been a SWBAT. I think a bit more preparation with the lesson plan will alleviate mistakes like this. I think a bit of foresight into the lesson can help.
I think for my next lesson I will still plan on challenging the students. Also, I would like to think that I will follow the PDP more closely. I am still doing good lessons but I think I still fall short, a little, on achieving the main SWBAT. I see this point because then I can actually gauge how much the students have learned because they should be using the new grammar/sentences.
SIT TESOL CERTIFICATE COURSE
Essay # 1 – Focus on Learning
(814 words)
For this essay, I would like to focus on my experience so far on the TESOL course. Our TESOL group of students have so far been shown many different techniques and been made to feel like students as a way of letting us learners get to see it from the student’s perspective. The crux of my ideas and formulation for future actions with regard to teaching, the TESOL student has to know how it feels to be a learner to understand how they feel and take in the lesson. This of course will relate to the soon-to-be teacher’s future benefit of becoming as valuable a teacher as possible. In relation to this, I will further refer to my SIT course and focus on the learner.
Referring to my language learning first as a supposed language student, I can fairly say that it wasn’t a breeze. You have to write words down, memorize, ask your peers, organize information, play an active part and downright do more, which is hard if you really want to be a successful and competent language learner. I had a few times when I wasn’t really involved and missed a few points, but at those times the auditory experience was enough, I enjoyed sitting back. On the flip side to this experience, I had many times when I sailed through everything because I put the work in and got the benefit out. I suppose that for a language learner it is hard to be attentive all the time and at times the students would just prefer to be looking at the class happening and not playing an active part.
With reference to the ‘Learners Are Individuals’ handout that I have read, it alludes to this point that there are many different styles of learning, you can not have a class of 20 students all with exactly the same way of learning. I empathize with this as I sometimes hear my peers speak and they have a lot more to say or they explain a point better than the way you thought. My reaction to this is that we are all the class together and it should be a shared experience and that everyone should benefit from everyone although there are some students more salient.
Everyone in the class I have found is a vital part of having the successful ambiance that will bring successful lessons. I found that my peers were very helpful, funny at times, and really people who wanted to learn. This made for a worthwhile lesson. The people, my fellow peers, on the course are from a diversity of backgrounds. It is funny really there are people on the course who every morning say they have done the homework and others that say they are going to leave it for another day. Some people just do their writing in note form and those that write full essays. I think this shows that people have their own way of processing information and dealing with set projects to do. I am sure everyone will hand his or her work in on time but not everyone follows the same learning path to the end.
What I have learned from the perspective of a student is that it is hard and materials have to be explained and modeled properly. Students have got to be kept amused and clear instruction has to be given. Now that I am further into the course and having been shown constructional ways of making and doing lesson plans I have noticed the techniques you, the teacher, are using to get the students to reach their goals. An example would be (the instructor) Fran’s class on ‘problems and advice’. The step-by-step process using PPU (presentation / practice / use) allowed the students to learn about giving advice. It basically followed a course of Fran explaining first then some manipulated practice and then the students using their learned language on advice. I think this method helps all individual members of the group who are all of a different aptitude. We worked as a group with Fran making sure everybody had a chance and I felt as though the group moved along nicely if I were that ESL student the class would have instilled that knowledge of giving advice because of the systematic way of keeping the students attentive with varying teaching techniques.
To conclude the focus on learning and In relation to bringing this learning experience to my teaching. I think it gives me a broader perspective to look at the fact that there are many facets to a learning classroom experience and what you take from it is to try and apply these to your classroom. What you are left with a feeling that you can emphasize with the students’ needs and thus you be able to bring that something that will help the students to achieve.
That first TEFL class
So, someone asked me what I thought about starting with a new school abroad and how would a new teacher prepare for such an adventure that would help them settle in smoothly. I thought I should share my ideas with you hopeful educators. Hopefully, it gets you thinking a bit more and helps you along.
…..I would say beforehand go into the school and meet everyone to show them you are willing to learn more about the school and to show that you are friendly. This may be a good chance to find out what books are being used (you could actually take the books home then) and what is the curriculum; also the ages of students, their backgrounds, and their levels. I worked for a school that had 15 levels from basic to advanced, so it is good to know what you will be teaching. I would also see what hours I am working and how long I have the students for. In a high school you may have them for a whole term but in a language school only 30 hours (4 – 6 weeks).
I think you should mention that you would set up a few observations beforehand (and in those first few weeks). With these observations, you may actually be observing the class(es) you will be teaching, the students will be glad to say hello, this may be beneficial when you have that first class. This could be good as you get to see the teachers in action and how they use the classroom (classroom management). It would also be good to get a mentor. He or she could help you with the school’s teaching approach and also observe you in those first classes just to help you along. I would also go out for a drink with the teachers beforehand or have lunch together. They may even have a teacher’s room where they can show you all their available materials and of course your desk.
There are many private schools out there where there are 15 to 20 in a class (high schools I had 60). Above all, this kind of work has a very communicative approach because more than likely the students learn English but not with a native speaker. They usually have to sit and listen. Think about pair work, group work, students facing the board, and being able to come up and write at any time. Your classes need to be active and student-centered because in many ways you are the facilitator.
(420 Words)
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