HALLIWELL: (2) IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS

Giving high priority to attitude goals: most syllabuses identify two sort of goals; ‘content goals’ and ‘attitude goals’.

o Content goals: are concerned with the elements of language and ways in which they are used. They are arranged in any of these ways:

Structures: set out in terms of grammatical structures. Ex: I like swimming/dancing/reading.

Topics and situations: the word is arranged according to topics or situations like family or the supermarket.

Functions: what the learner can use the language for. Ex: expressing likes/dislikes/preferences.

o Attitude goals: relate to the kind of learning experiencies we set up and the rrelationships and atmosphere in the language classroom.

The balance between the attitude goals and content goals shifts as a child moves through the education system. In the later stages the content goals begin to dominate. We have a responsibility to give high priority to attitude goals at primary level. If we don’t establish rist taking, confidence and general goodwill towards language learning, children will have difficult times in later stages.

The special nature of language: language is a fundamental part of being human. Attitude goals demonstrate in the interaction between teachers and students. In two examples: the checking of understanding and the correction of mistakes.

The significance of the way we check understanding: Teachers expect that children understand every single word they say, and this discourages them to learn. We don’t need to draw attention on the fact that we are checking the children’s understanding. We can just do it by watching what they do, watching their faces, gestures.

The significance of the way we treat mistakes: the way we correct mistakes is going to be very important. Teachers can inadvertently contribute to the undermining and inhibiting process. Constant correction is undermining, for accuracy is vital but for fluency is destructive.

Making language exercises into real exchanges: Real communication in the classroom can be stimulated by spoken interaction between children with ‘information gap’ activities. One participant has the information needed by the other. Ex: Who am I? game.

Teaching language lessons in the target language: teaching a class in English hasmany advantages for the children’s learning:

o Encourages the children to trust that they can understand even if they don’t get every single word.

o Provides indirect learning. Children are not concentrated in learning what they are listening but the brain is processing it anyways.

o Increases the amont of exposure children get to the language.

You can teach a class in small number of phrases, structures, facial expressions and gestures. ‘Don’t do that!’ ‘Do this’ ‘Watch’. We have to show what we mean.

HALLIWELL: (3) BEING REALISTIC

Language classrooms are potentially noisy and demanding places. We need to be realistic in our expectations of ourselves and the learners. This should mean taking realities into account in such a way that good things can still happen.

Knowing which activities stir a class and which settle them help us plan lessons which neither stay stuck in dullness nor get out of hand in excitement. It’s useful to make your own list from expericne of your particular class.

o Oral work always seems to stir and listening usually settles. Knowing which activities engage children’s minds and which keep them physically

occupied: we can identify two main types of involvement:o Mental engagement: the activity makes them think and engages their

emotions.puzzles, imagining. Ex: games, o Actual occupation: the activity makes them concentrate but not think very hard.

The child is physically doing something. Ex: writing, drawing. Choosing the style to suit the mood: we need to adjust the activities to the class mood.

Maybe the children has just come to class after PE or after literature class. To settle them down we can engage them with something occupying. To stir them we can start with a mental engaging game.

Keeping the lesson simple: variation doesn’t mean we have to keep changing the topic. Instead, we can keep to the same topic and materials and change the word we do. Keeping an eye on the stir/settle and involvement factors, it’s possible to devise a varied lesson on as little as five words for as long as an hour.

Reusing materials: some materials are reusable round the same theme. Ex: promptcards and grids can act as promprs for a wide range of different phrases and exchanges as long as we make what we are doing clear. Just keep the promptcards very simple, drawn in black, thickish lines without any writing.

o We can also reduce our thinking preparation by identyfing a core of activity types which we can use and reuse in order to teach different language content.

Reusing a core of ideas: Simple activities are the best because they will transfer to all kinds of topics and situations. Because you use them regularly you will quickly get to know the best way to set them up and the class will take them easy.

VIEWS ON HOW PEOPLE ACQUIRE AND LEARN THEIR MOTHER TONGUE AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

LYNNE CAMERON & GALLINO YANZIhttp://www.quora.com/What-does-the-concept-of-Universal-Grammar-mean

VIEW PRINCIPLES METHODSBEHAVIOURIST (1957) Language is formed by vocabulary and grammar.

Learning takes place through a habit formation process.

Repetition in form of drills, accuracy and no mistakes.

Audio-Lingual PPP: Presentation, Practice and

Production

INNATIST(1959)

CREATIVE CONSTRUCTION HYPOTHESIS

Language is formed by vocabulary, grammar and function.

The ability for learning a language is called Universal Grammar. This theory states that this ability is innate and distinctly human. We humans have a little special something inside our heads and bodies that enables us to learn this amazingly complex system we call language. It's something that we humans all share (Universal) but that we share with no other species and is specific to language itself (Grammar).

Communicative Language Teaching.

Task-Based Learning.

The Natural Approach.

HUMANISTIC APPROACH (1968)

Learning is influenced by how learners feel about themselves: the better students feel about themselves and others, the more likely they are to achieve.

If students learning a foeign language are engaged in developing personal and social values, the learning will be meaningful and positive.

Maslow organized psychological needs in a pyramid according to their importance to the learning process. (Physiologial, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Self-Esteem, Cognitive, Aesthetic, Self-Actualization).

Community Language Learning. Total Physical Response.

PIAGET VYGOTSKY (1978) The talk that supports a child in carrying out an

activity, as a kind of verbal version of help, is called scaffolding.

Scaffolding has been transferred to the classroom and teacher-pupil talk.

BRUNER (1983) Eclectic PPP.