Jun 6, 2010
May 13, 2010
Classroom Management for Young Learners
Definition of Classroom Management
Classroom management refers to the ways in which student behaviour, movement and interaction during a lesson are organized and controlled by the teacher” Richards (1990, 10).
Definition of Discipline
* To maintain order and to keep the group on task and moving ahead, not to spot and punish those students who are misbehaving“( Greenwood and Parkay, 1989).
The best teachers anticipate when misbehaviours are likely to occur and intervene early to prevent them. The most effective interventions are subtle, brief and almost private. They do not, therefore interfere with classroom activities.
* Causes of deviant behaviour (Cole and Chan, 1987)
Class Rules
* At the beginning of the school year, establish the class rules.
* Discuss Classroom rules with the students and consequences of misbehavior.
* Post room rules and consequences of misbehavior.
Students’ Seating
The way the students are seated in the classroom will often determine the dynamics of the lesson. Indeed, a simple change in the seating pattern can make an incredible difference to group coherence and student satisfaction.
In many cases the seating has been a crucial element in the success or failure of the lesson.
In some cases, the desks are fixed to the ground or the school has strict rules about not moving the furniture.
Student numbers are also going to be an issue.
Teachers have different preferences for seating arrangements – each group is seated round small tables is often one choice. This is probably the best option for the larger classes.
For smaller numbers and with adult or teenage students I think the horseshoe shape, which I find has all of the advantages of groups, and none of the disadvantages. A horseshoe may be desks in a U-shape with a hollow centre, students in a semicircle on chairs with arm-rests and no desks, or students seated around three sides of a large table, with the teacher at one end.
In any case, whatever seating pattern you choose or is imposed on you, the class is likely to be more successful if you keep the following principles in mind:
Try and maximize eye contact.
Make sure students are seated at a comfortable distance from each other.
Think in advance about how you will organize changing partners or changing groups.
Students’ Names
* Make two sets of name tags – one for the child's table space or desk, and one for the child to wear around the neck to special classes.
*
* Make it private: call to desk, whisper, nonverbal cues.
* Briefly talk to student/assess penalties.
* Time out at desk or another room.
* Communicate positive expectations to students: convey confidence in students’ ability to do well and maintain high expectations.
Teacher Talk & Drawing Attention
* Don't speak when children aren't listening and ready. Wait.
* Establish a signal for getting the group's attention:
1. turn off the lights
2. clap a pattern with your hands
3. Say “Freeze!” and everyone halts right where they are, like a statue. Then say “Melt!” when you are ready for them to move again.
* Practice numbers, in the beginning, even when children are doing well, just so they get the idea of how to respond to your signals. Then praise them.
Example: “One, two, three
eyes on me”
* Establish good listening habits for story time. Sometimes we read and listen, and sometimes we read and discuss, but we always listen.
Giving Instruction
* It is better to make your instructions for primary students precise and concise.
* Use puppets to help with classroom management. Puppets can whisper in the teacher's ear, and they can write messages to the class.
* Compliment leadership in students. "Oh, I like the way Antonio is ready!" will cause everyone to turn to look at the ready student and to get ready also.
* Use the same standards for everyone – no favorites!
Using Pair and Groupwork
* One of the successful ways, if the teacher is resourceful and skilful enough, to motivate his/her students to participate in the lesson is to use “pair work” or “Group work” appropriately.
Language is best learned through the close collaboration and communication among students. This type of collaboration results in benefits for all or both learners. In fact, learners can help each other while working on different types of tasks such as writing dialogues, interviews, drawing pictures and making comments about them, play roles, etc…
Setting Time Limits
1) You should set time to each activity when you are planning your lesson so that you would know if you would be able to finish your objectives or not.
2) You should tell your students about the time assigned for each activity when you give them a task to do in class.
3) Your students should gradually be aware of the importance of the time issue and respect it.
Role Play
* This is a technique to vary the pace of the lesson and to respond to the fundamental notion of variety in teaching. Teachers are advised to use the role- play activity in order to motivate their students and to help the less motivated learners take part in the lesson. Besides, certain tasks in the student’s book are followed by a role- play activity where it becomes a necessity to undergo such an activity. As good examples of that we can state: the hide (item) and guessing game, dramatizing an interview of customer and shop assistant, doctor and patient conversation, etc…
Tasks for Early Finishers
* This especially happens when students finish an assignment while other students are still working on it. That’s why you need to include an “early finisher” activity with every assignment.
* Think in advance for possible activities, options including extension activities related to the current topic, journal writing, silent reading, and educational games
Whole Class Feedback
* Take a look at the following classroom exchange:
Whole class: He bought a sandwich. (Sea of noise in which the teacher hears the answer)
Teacher: And number 4?
Whole class: He drank orange juice. (Sea of noise in which the teacher hears the answer)
* Sound familiar? How many times have you done feedback like this? Probably many. Why do we fall into the pattern of getting feedback in this way? Is it the easiest way? The quickest?
* I began to realize that generally it was only the stronger or the more confident students who would shout out the answers. When I looked at individual student’s work, I saw that they didn’t always have the correct answer and, more importantly, they didn’t know what the correct answer was.
* Feedback is better checked through each student’s response on a written form paper.
Using Whiteboard
Make sure students easily see the board.
Have your lesson objectives clear for your students. Write them on the board or get the kids to know them at the beginning – by the end of this lesson I will have learned……
These clear objectives provide a guide to what you want to achieve and can be the basis of the lesson structure. A map on the board can help to show the kids where you are going with the lesson.
References
Cole and Chan ( 1987), cited by Gary Sturt http://www.garysturt.free-online.co.uk/classman.htm
Elementary Classroom Management Survival Tips
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/pro-dev/classroom-management/6752.html
Emmer, Edmund & Evertson, Carolyn, Teach a Book: Classroom Management forMiddle and High School Teachers, PowerPoint presentation. http://www.google.com/search?q=tasks+for+early+finishers+for+classroom+management&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Greenwood and Parkay (1989), cited by Gary Sturt http://www.garysturt.free-online.co.uk/classman.htm
One stop english http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?docid=146446
Richards (1990, 10), cited in Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, edited by Keith Johnson and Helen Johnson. http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631214823_chunk_g97806312148237_ss1-12
Prepared by Noamen Amara
Classroom management refers to the ways in which student behaviour, movement and interaction during a lesson are organized and controlled by the teacher” Richards (1990, 10).
Definition of Discipline
* To maintain order and to keep the group on task and moving ahead, not to spot and punish those students who are misbehaving“( Greenwood and Parkay, 1989).
The best teachers anticipate when misbehaviours are likely to occur and intervene early to prevent them. The most effective interventions are subtle, brief and almost private. They do not, therefore interfere with classroom activities.
* Causes of deviant behaviour (Cole and Chan, 1987)
Class Rules
* At the beginning of the school year, establish the class rules.
* Discuss Classroom rules with the students and consequences of misbehavior.
* Post room rules and consequences of misbehavior.
Students’ Seating
The way the students are seated in the classroom will often determine the dynamics of the lesson. Indeed, a simple change in the seating pattern can make an incredible difference to group coherence and student satisfaction.
In many cases the seating has been a crucial element in the success or failure of the lesson.
In some cases, the desks are fixed to the ground or the school has strict rules about not moving the furniture.
Student numbers are also going to be an issue.
Teachers have different preferences for seating arrangements – each group is seated round small tables is often one choice. This is probably the best option for the larger classes.
For smaller numbers and with adult or teenage students I think the horseshoe shape, which I find has all of the advantages of groups, and none of the disadvantages. A horseshoe may be desks in a U-shape with a hollow centre, students in a semicircle on chairs with arm-rests and no desks, or students seated around three sides of a large table, with the teacher at one end.
In any case, whatever seating pattern you choose or is imposed on you, the class is likely to be more successful if you keep the following principles in mind:
Try and maximize eye contact.
Make sure students are seated at a comfortable distance from each other.
Think in advance about how you will organize changing partners or changing groups.
Students’ Names
* Make two sets of name tags – one for the child's table space or desk, and one for the child to wear around the neck to special classes.
*
* Make it private: call to desk, whisper, nonverbal cues.
* Briefly talk to student/assess penalties.
* Time out at desk or another room.
* Communicate positive expectations to students: convey confidence in students’ ability to do well and maintain high expectations.
Teacher Talk & Drawing Attention
* Don't speak when children aren't listening and ready. Wait.
* Establish a signal for getting the group's attention:
1. turn off the lights
2. clap a pattern with your hands
3. Say “Freeze!” and everyone halts right where they are, like a statue. Then say “Melt!” when you are ready for them to move again.
* Practice numbers, in the beginning, even when children are doing well, just so they get the idea of how to respond to your signals. Then praise them.
Example: “One, two, three
eyes on me”
* Establish good listening habits for story time. Sometimes we read and listen, and sometimes we read and discuss, but we always listen.
Giving Instruction
* It is better to make your instructions for primary students precise and concise.
* Use puppets to help with classroom management. Puppets can whisper in the teacher's ear, and they can write messages to the class.
* Compliment leadership in students. "Oh, I like the way Antonio is ready!" will cause everyone to turn to look at the ready student and to get ready also.
* Use the same standards for everyone – no favorites!
Using Pair and Groupwork
* One of the successful ways, if the teacher is resourceful and skilful enough, to motivate his/her students to participate in the lesson is to use “pair work” or “Group work” appropriately.
Language is best learned through the close collaboration and communication among students. This type of collaboration results in benefits for all or both learners. In fact, learners can help each other while working on different types of tasks such as writing dialogues, interviews, drawing pictures and making comments about them, play roles, etc…
Setting Time Limits
1) You should set time to each activity when you are planning your lesson so that you would know if you would be able to finish your objectives or not.
2) You should tell your students about the time assigned for each activity when you give them a task to do in class.
3) Your students should gradually be aware of the importance of the time issue and respect it.
Role Play
* This is a technique to vary the pace of the lesson and to respond to the fundamental notion of variety in teaching. Teachers are advised to use the role- play activity in order to motivate their students and to help the less motivated learners take part in the lesson. Besides, certain tasks in the student’s book are followed by a role- play activity where it becomes a necessity to undergo such an activity. As good examples of that we can state: the hide (item) and guessing game, dramatizing an interview of customer and shop assistant, doctor and patient conversation, etc…
Tasks for Early Finishers
* This especially happens when students finish an assignment while other students are still working on it. That’s why you need to include an “early finisher” activity with every assignment.
* Think in advance for possible activities, options including extension activities related to the current topic, journal writing, silent reading, and educational games
Whole Class Feedback
* Take a look at the following classroom exchange:
Whole class: He bought a sandwich. (Sea of noise in which the teacher hears the answer)
Teacher: And number 4?
Whole class: He drank orange juice. (Sea of noise in which the teacher hears the answer)
* Sound familiar? How many times have you done feedback like this? Probably many. Why do we fall into the pattern of getting feedback in this way? Is it the easiest way? The quickest?
* I began to realize that generally it was only the stronger or the more confident students who would shout out the answers. When I looked at individual student’s work, I saw that they didn’t always have the correct answer and, more importantly, they didn’t know what the correct answer was.
* Feedback is better checked through each student’s response on a written form paper.
Using Whiteboard
Make sure students easily see the board.
Have your lesson objectives clear for your students. Write them on the board or get the kids to know them at the beginning – by the end of this lesson I will have learned……
These clear objectives provide a guide to what you want to achieve and can be the basis of the lesson structure. A map on the board can help to show the kids where you are going with the lesson.
References
Cole and Chan ( 1987), cited by Gary Sturt http://www.garysturt.free-online.co.uk/classman.htm
Elementary Classroom Management Survival Tips
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/pro-dev/classroom-management/6752.html
Emmer, Edmund & Evertson, Carolyn, Teach a Book: Classroom Management forMiddle and High School Teachers, PowerPoint presentation. http://www.google.com/search?q=tasks+for+early+finishers+for+classroom+management&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Greenwood and Parkay (1989), cited by Gary Sturt http://www.garysturt.free-online.co.uk/classman.htm
One stop english http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?docid=146446
Richards (1990, 10), cited in Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, edited by Keith Johnson and Helen Johnson. http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631214823_chunk_g97806312148237_ss1-12
Prepared by Noamen Amara
Dec 4, 2009
Use TV as an English learning tool
Early English learning through TV entertainment can also help ease the worsening social gap stemming from English competence.
A 13-year-old Korean girl recently made news for getting a perfect score on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language. Reports headlined the fact that Kim Hyun-soo, a seventh grader at Daewon International Middle School, studied English at home and has never been to English-teaching institutes. Her case is mystifying to other students who spend long hours in English institutes almost daily, wrangling with what often seems to be an inaccessible language. Sure, she probably has a natural talent for languages. But that alone cannot explain her mastery of English. She says she had easy access to English for years. She read English books and watched Disney movies. She had been fortunate to converse with her mother in English at home. Such a casual accessibility to English augmented her natural gift. Linguists agree language is best learned at an early age
http://joongangdail y.joins.com/ article/view. asp?aid=2913104
A 13-year-old Korean girl recently made news for getting a perfect score on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language. Reports headlined the fact that Kim Hyun-soo, a seventh grader at Daewon International Middle School, studied English at home and has never been to English-teaching institutes. Her case is mystifying to other students who spend long hours in English institutes almost daily, wrangling with what often seems to be an inaccessible language. Sure, she probably has a natural talent for languages. But that alone cannot explain her mastery of English. She says she had easy access to English for years. She read English books and watched Disney movies. She had been fortunate to converse with her mother in English at home. Such a casual accessibility to English augmented her natural gift. Linguists agree language is best learned at an early age
http://joongangdail y.joins.com/ article/view. asp?aid=2913104
Nov 2, 2009
Applying Noam Chomsky's Surface Structure and Deep Structure on some verses of the Qur'an
We have come across the Chomskian dichotomy of Surface Structure and Deep Structure while studying linguistics and in particular while dealing with ambiguous structures. Yet, rarely do students look for or talk about good illustrations of this case in the Holy Qur'an.
While reading the Holy Book, I came across several sentences which can be taken as good cases illustrative of the different meaning(s) understood from the surface and deep structures. Some of the very discursive phrases (with their semantic translations) are the following:
1) فتلقى أدمُ من ربهِ كلماتٍ فتاب عليهِ إنه هو التواب الرحيمُ" الآية 37، البقرة "
"Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. Sūrah 2 – al Baqarah 37.
2) الآية 28، فاطر " ...إِنما يخشىَ اللهَ من عبادِهِ العلماءُ إنََّ اللهَ عزيزٌ غفورٌُ"
"Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving." Sūrah 35 – Fatir 28.
The first reading of the first sentence shows that Adam is the doer of the action and the sign of him doing the action is very clear and shown in the nominative case –dhammah- (( الضمة " ُ" on the letter "م" of the word " أدمُ "/?a:damu/. So, Adam is the doer of the verb "receive", "تلقى". And the object to/of his action of receiving is the feminine plural noun (WORDS) "كلماتٍ" and the prepositional phrase (from his Lord) " من ربهِ" is the source from which the plural noun (WORDS) "كلماتٍ " have come.
Yet, a deep reading or a profound look into the structure of the sentence reveals that Adam is not the "agent" that is doing the action in the sentence; he is rather "the patient" or the "receiver of the action". In other words, Adam is not acting in the sentence; he is rather an object to the verb receive. Besides, we can deduce two objects to the verb "receive". Thus, Adam is the first object (O1 ) and the WORDS or REVELATIONS "كلماتٍ" is the second object (O2). In addition, the doer of the action or the agent is (His Lord) "ربهِ".
Our understanding of the second phrase when reading it for the first time, is that God or Allah الله" fears from the scholars or does worry " يخشىَ" from them " العلماءُ ". So, God or Allah is concerned that scholars might jeopardize His position or otherwise doubt His existence. In other words HE is the recipient of the worry and object to the main verb (worry), " يخشىَ". And the sign of HIM being the object in this sentence is the accusative case (nasb) ( َ ) on the letter " هَ" at the end of the word Allah "َاللهَ". Whereas the agent or the doer of the action in this sentence is the Scholars " العلماءُ" and the proof of their being doer(s) is the nominative case –dhammah- (( الضمة " ُ" on the last letter "ء". Yet, by relying on our religious background and knowledge and thanks to a deep reading of the same sentence we come to realize that it is the Scholars who fear God or Allah. In other words, they are the ones who are God-fearing. And this fear and worry are mainly due to the level of knowledge they have attained, which leads them to fearing Allah.
We can clearly see that the Qur'an can serve as a source for analyzing current grammatical issues since it is well known among Muslims and even for other communities as a source of so-called verbal miracles.
Last but not least, as we may all know that Chomsky tried to generalize most of his theories of the Universal Grammar so that it can be applied to every Speaker-Hearer throughout our universe when he coined the Universal Generative Grammar or the UGG. His theories of language may turn out again to the surface of truth when we know that The Qur'an had already come as a discourse or speech for all Mankind in this universe regardless of their tongues or languages.
While reading the Holy Book, I came across several sentences which can be taken as good cases illustrative of the different meaning(s) understood from the surface and deep structures. Some of the very discursive phrases (with their semantic translations) are the following:
1) فتلقى أدمُ من ربهِ كلماتٍ فتاب عليهِ إنه هو التواب الرحيمُ" الآية 37، البقرة "
"Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. Sūrah 2 – al Baqarah 37.
2) الآية 28، فاطر " ...إِنما يخشىَ اللهَ من عبادِهِ العلماءُ إنََّ اللهَ عزيزٌ غفورٌُ"
"Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving." Sūrah 35 – Fatir 28.
The first reading of the first sentence shows that Adam is the doer of the action and the sign of him doing the action is very clear and shown in the nominative case –dhammah- (( الضمة " ُ" on the letter "م" of the word " أدمُ "/?a:damu/. So, Adam is the doer of the verb "receive", "تلقى". And the object to/of his action of receiving is the feminine plural noun (WORDS) "كلماتٍ" and the prepositional phrase (from his Lord) " من ربهِ" is the source from which the plural noun (WORDS) "كلماتٍ " have come.
Yet, a deep reading or a profound look into the structure of the sentence reveals that Adam is not the "agent" that is doing the action in the sentence; he is rather "the patient" or the "receiver of the action". In other words, Adam is not acting in the sentence; he is rather an object to the verb receive. Besides, we can deduce two objects to the verb "receive". Thus, Adam is the first object (O1 ) and the WORDS or REVELATIONS "كلماتٍ" is the second object (O2). In addition, the doer of the action or the agent is (His Lord) "ربهِ".
Our understanding of the second phrase when reading it for the first time, is that God or Allah الله" fears from the scholars or does worry " يخشىَ" from them " العلماءُ ". So, God or Allah is concerned that scholars might jeopardize His position or otherwise doubt His existence. In other words HE is the recipient of the worry and object to the main verb (worry), " يخشىَ". And the sign of HIM being the object in this sentence is the accusative case (nasb) ( َ ) on the letter " هَ" at the end of the word Allah "َاللهَ". Whereas the agent or the doer of the action in this sentence is the Scholars " العلماءُ" and the proof of their being doer(s) is the nominative case –dhammah- (( الضمة " ُ" on the last letter "ء". Yet, by relying on our religious background and knowledge and thanks to a deep reading of the same sentence we come to realize that it is the Scholars who fear God or Allah. In other words, they are the ones who are God-fearing. And this fear and worry are mainly due to the level of knowledge they have attained, which leads them to fearing Allah.
We can clearly see that the Qur'an can serve as a source for analyzing current grammatical issues since it is well known among Muslims and even for other communities as a source of so-called verbal miracles.
Last but not least, as we may all know that Chomsky tried to generalize most of his theories of the Universal Grammar so that it can be applied to every Speaker-Hearer throughout our universe when he coined the Universal Generative Grammar or the UGG. His theories of language may turn out again to the surface of truth when we know that The Qur'an had already come as a discourse or speech for all Mankind in this universe regardless of their tongues or languages.
Oct 3, 2009
Using songs to teach English language in the Classroom
For so many years, we have heard much about using songs and stories to teach English as a second (ESL) or foreign (EFL) language. I am going to provide a song in a video section and the lyrics for you and it's up to you to think of suitable activities to motivate (your) students and to overcome the artificiality of the classroom environment.
You need to think of the following points while planning your lesson:
1- The unit ( in the student's book) where you will include this song.
2- The type of activities.
3- The purpose of the activities.
4- You can even make a whole lesson plan and include the song for a whole classroom session or even more.
What a Wonderful World ( by Louis Armstrong)
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin' "how do you do?"
They're really sayin' "I love you"
I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Sorry, I couldn't download the song: you can see it by clicking on one of the following links:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=23463314797130084&ei=0JvHSqiMNpLW-Abf5KzqBg&q=Louis+armstrong+What+a+Wonderful+World&hl=en#
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ysp1_louis-armstrongwhat-a-wonderful-wor_music
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1634259/louis_armstrong_what_a_wonderful_world_song_lyrics/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm2gLx18pC8
Jul 15, 2009
WHAT ROLE DOES THEATER PLAY ?
After watching the Hard Talk programme on BBC and the discussion with the Director Sir Peter Hall, several questions came to my mind. These questions may raise other questions related to our culture, civilization, way of thinking and education. I sincerely want to share these questions with you and I would like to know/ see your answers.
The questions are the following:
1) What does theater mean to you?
2) Is theater part of your culture?
3) How often do you go to theater?
4) Do you enjoy plays presented/ played there?
5) What kind of plays do you like most?
6) Is theater playing any role in shaping the social conduct and behaviour in your town or country?
7) Should theater be included in the teaching curricular?
The questions are the following:
1) What does theater mean to you?
2) Is theater part of your culture?
3) How often do you go to theater?
4) Do you enjoy plays presented/ played there?
5) What kind of plays do you like most?
6) Is theater playing any role in shaping the social conduct and behaviour in your town or country?
7) Should theater be included in the teaching curricular?
Jun 12, 2009
FROM EXPERIENCE I TALK: A REPLY TO ALI TAHRI'S ARTICLE
Greetings Mr. Tahri Ali!
First of all, I would like to introduce myself, in brief. I am Noamen Amara, a Tunisian teacher of English working in the Kingdom of Bahrain. I have taught primary, elementary, secondary and even ESP to trainees working at several companies here in Bahrain. Secondly, I would like to say that this research is very original and would have important effects on our way(s) of teaching once the findings and outcomes come and are later published.
What makes this topic of research very authentic is that it comes at a time where curriculum / syllabus designers in many countries where English is taught either as a second (ESL) or as a foreign (EFL) language are caught into a dilemma related to the suitable approach to adopt in order to teach English.
From my own experience in both Tunisia and Bahrain I can say that in the same way the Audio-lingual/Grammar Method in teaching English as a second language proved to be short and unsuccessful, the "natural-communicative" Method, defended strongly by Pit Corder and Stephen Krashen has proven to be "not the best alternative" to the classical approach of teaching. In fact, believing that once students engage in communication in a "stress free" environment," grammar will come by itself" has revealed to be a failure.
Indeed, by following the teacher's guidebook and the student's class book and theories of language acquisition and development that strongly oppose the idea of teaching grammar to L2 learners, students have come to be very "poor writers". So, Students here in the Arabian Gulf in general and in Bahrain as an example manage to get high marks in speaking and listening, while they fail to have the same marks or at least a little lower marks in reading and especially in writing.
Thus, I can say that by adopting Krashen's approach we end up having students who, at all levels, are able to understand spoken language, but unable to produce in the language. Finally, in order to cope with this issue teachers often resort to give multiple-choice questions or short answers in reading activities and short guided writings in the writing tasks because students are not able to form long answers or long sentences. (In writing activities, students are often given tasks where they look at a picture and write one sentence about it or they have a set of ill-organized words to reorder.)
Last but not least, I would like to say that we can not teach English without focusing in some stages on grammar, that is on the form or structure of language and at the same time we should not focus on the form too much and neglect fluency. Instead, we should try to create a balance in which accuracy and fluency can work together.
Comment by Noamen Amara: alexenoamen@yahoo.co.uk
First of all, I would like to introduce myself, in brief. I am Noamen Amara, a Tunisian teacher of English working in the Kingdom of Bahrain. I have taught primary, elementary, secondary and even ESP to trainees working at several companies here in Bahrain. Secondly, I would like to say that this research is very original and would have important effects on our way(s) of teaching once the findings and outcomes come and are later published.
What makes this topic of research very authentic is that it comes at a time where curriculum / syllabus designers in many countries where English is taught either as a second (ESL) or as a foreign (EFL) language are caught into a dilemma related to the suitable approach to adopt in order to teach English.
From my own experience in both Tunisia and Bahrain I can say that in the same way the Audio-lingual/Grammar Method in teaching English as a second language proved to be short and unsuccessful, the "natural-communicative" Method, defended strongly by Pit Corder and Stephen Krashen has proven to be "not the best alternative" to the classical approach of teaching. In fact, believing that once students engage in communication in a "stress free" environment," grammar will come by itself" has revealed to be a failure.
Indeed, by following the teacher's guidebook and the student's class book and theories of language acquisition and development that strongly oppose the idea of teaching grammar to L2 learners, students have come to be very "poor writers". So, Students here in the Arabian Gulf in general and in Bahrain as an example manage to get high marks in speaking and listening, while they fail to have the same marks or at least a little lower marks in reading and especially in writing.
Thus, I can say that by adopting Krashen's approach we end up having students who, at all levels, are able to understand spoken language, but unable to produce in the language. Finally, in order to cope with this issue teachers often resort to give multiple-choice questions or short answers in reading activities and short guided writings in the writing tasks because students are not able to form long answers or long sentences. (In writing activities, students are often given tasks where they look at a picture and write one sentence about it or they have a set of ill-organized words to reorder.)
Last but not least, I would like to say that we can not teach English without focusing in some stages on grammar, that is on the form or structure of language and at the same time we should not focus on the form too much and neglect fluency. Instead, we should try to create a balance in which accuracy and fluency can work together.
Comment by Noamen Amara: alexenoamen@yahoo.co.uk
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