An English Development for 50 Hours - Essay Example

Heading: English Development Program Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction This is an English development for 50 hours, designed for the English for Foreign Learners (EFL) in Australia. It comprises of a description of teachers, learners, and the teaching context that includes learners’ interests, aspirations, expectations, goals, background knowledge, situation constraints, and instructor’s preferred style. Besides, the program outlines the aims, goals, objectives, results and competencies, in terms of the knowledge or content, skill, educational, linguistic, vocational, and cultural. Moreover, it outlines the skills that should be mastered and expected levels of achievement, prescribed syllabus, program components, learners’ present needs, anticipated needs, register analysis, contrastive analysis, and error analysis. The program further describes the use of TESOL program in teaching macro skills, and competencies used to develop the students’ overall proficiency. In addition, it addresses revision, assessment, teaching materials, and the evaluation of the program. Scene This program is designed for the secondary EFL learners in Australia. The students originate from various parts of the world with different native languages. Explicitly, the class comprises of Saudi Arabians, Chinese, Asians, and Africans. Each of these students has unique needs that should be satisfied at the end of the program (Richards 2008, pp. 23-30). Besides, these learners have quite a number of problems in the reading, writing, vocabulary, and speaking English. According to Laborda and Litzler (2011, pp.14-19), some of the problems are the transfer of first language structures to the target language, direct translation from the first language to the second language, grammatical issues, such as, tenses and subject-verb agreement. In addition, the students have a problem with sentence structures, pronunciation, and pronunciation. The program is also tailor made for the EFL teachers who consists of the native speakers of English and non-native ones. These are teachers who have been specially trained in order to assist the EFL learners acquire fluency in both written and spoken English. Besides, Gocer (2010, pp. 10-18) notes that these teachers are not fluent in all foreign languages, and thus cannot explain things in classroom to the learners by use of various languages. This is because their classrooms are always diverse, and the teachers cannot speak all the languages. Therefore, they are required to employ simple strategies to teach theirs students, for example, use demonstrations, repetition and pictures (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). Moreover, there are required to assess their learners’ needs and strive to effectively meet them. In the teaching context, the learners have various expectations that include ability to attain fluency in both written and spoken English. They also expect that their teachers will understand their needs and adequately meet them at the end of the course (Drucker, 2003, pp. 21-26). Moreover, EFL learners expect that their instructors will treat them equally with patience, rather than discrimination. Richards (2008, pp. 23-30) asserts that they also expect that their lessons would be interesting and that the learning environment would be friendly and enabling in order to achieve their objectives. Their goals include attainment of fluency in written and spoken English at the end of the course. They also aspire to excel in English and communicate fluently with the native speakers. They are also interested in attaining the preferred proficiency level in English. Moreover, Drucker (2003, pp. 21-26) states that the learners have basic, background knowledge in the speaking, grammar, sentence constructions and some writing skills. Therefore, the teachers ought to train them to achieve the required proficiency levels by using various teaching strategies. Moore & Hansen (2011, pp. 195-220) assert that some of the preferred teaching methods that the instructors should use in this case include cooperative learning, comprehension passages, role plays, discussions, presentations, scaffolding activities, compositions, audio-visuals, visual aids, brainstorming, and dictation. Nevertheless, there are possible situation challenges that include interference of the native languages, financial issues, instructor who hold other responsibilities like offices, lack of student’s motivation, and inadequate time and resources and materials (Moore & Hansen, 2011, pp. 195-220). Objectives Some of the objectives to be achieved at the end of the program include: to enable learners develop their writing skills to the required standards; to enable learners attain speaking and listening skills; to develop in the learners the ability to construct sentences correctly, and observe grammatical rules in their speaking and writing exercises (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). Moreover, the program is designed to help learners develop fluency in both written and spoken English, and enable learners to communicate freely and confidently with the native speakers of English language. Besides, the program is aimed at enabling the learners excel academically with the achievement of the high proficiency level in English. Outcomes At the end of the program, the learners will be able to communicate excellently with the native speakers of English. Moreover, they will be able to speak and write fluently, for example, with a mastery of grammar, vocabulary, sentence construction, coherence and cohesion, and subject-verb agreement (Richards 2008, pp. 23-30). Competencies According to Laborda and Litzler (2011, pp.14-19), some of the outcomes include the learners’ ability to identify stressed syllables in phrases, words, and sentences that are found in intonation patterns of common English. Students should also be able to provide a distinction between the suitable use of informal and formal language. They should also recognize symbol and sound relationship between diphthongs and long vowels in some familiar words (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). In addition, learners should employ primary vocabulary in describing place, event, and person. Moreover, the program should enable the learners start and maintain conversations by using suitable address forms and register. In addition, students should manage to pronounce consonant blends, consonants and vowels in normal phrases and words or expressions. Laborda and Litzler (2011, pp.14-19) note that learners should state their interests and skills explicitly, whether in a job interview, social or in life skill situation. The program should enable learners to orally explain information from simple diagrams, maps or graphs. Moreover, Drucker (2003, pp. 21-26) says that learners should show suitable rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns in phrases, words, questions, and statements. They should negotiate and advocate for others and self in different circumstances. Additionally, the program should enable the learners to analyze non-verbal behavior among people, appreciate conversation amenities, and orally summarize and clarify information that is received from different sources. Moreover, Gocer (2010, pp. 10-18) argues that they should be in a position to start, maintain and end conversations by employing the right conversational techniques that include interruptions, pauses, and apply active listening skills. More so, Drucker (2003, pp. 21-26) notes that learners should speak well by concentrating on pronunciation, grammar, and choice of words that are suitable for the audience and purpose. They should also be able to use subordinate clauses, conditionals and complex sentences in various situations, such as, community, wok or educational set-up. Skills The program should enable the learners to be highly proficient in the writing, speaking, listening, and reading skills. In writing skills, they should be able to learn different types of writing, which are formal and informal styles. Moreover, learners should construct sentences with ease while paying attention to grammatical rules, such as, subject-verb agreement, coherence and cohesion, and use of passive and active forms of writing. Moreover, Laborda and Litzler (2011, pp.14-19) assert that the learners should be proficient in writing texts by employing a wide variety of vocabulary a well as using the right phrasal verbs, adjectives, phrases, and conditionals. The program should also enable the learners to use tenses appropriately in writing, such as, present, simple present, future and the past tenses (Drucker, 2003, pp. 21-26). The mastery for the aforementioned skills will make the learners highly proficient in English language. Another significant skill that the program is intended to instill in the learners is the speaking skill. Students should be able to speak fluently with other students who are native and the non-native ones (Gocer 2010, pp. 10-18). Here, learners will be able to express themselves by use of the language in different situations. They should also be able to use both the active and passive forms of speeches. Learners should also be able to use a wide range of vocabularies in their speaking exercises. In addition, the program should enable learners to speak while pronouncing words in the correct way (Laborda & Litzler, 2011, pp.14-19). For example, they should master vowels and consonants; long vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs, and short vowels. Here, the proficiency level should be determined by how the students speak fluently in relation to the aforementioned skills and competencies. The program is also deigned to equip the learners with the appropriate reading techniques. Here, they should acquire high proficiency in reading by paying attention to punctuation, stress, and intonation in sentences. They should also be in a position to recognize and locate words, items and numbers in numeric or alphabetical order (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). Moreover, the program should enable the learners to extract date and time information from various documents like calendars, schedules, and correspondence, in order to satisfy their survival and basic skills in life. Moreover, the program should enable students read some short texts on known topics with explicit structure, for instance, sequential and clear major idea. Listening skill is another vital skill that the program ought to develop in the learners. Through the use of various strategies, learners should be able to start, sustain and end conversations while employing the suitable conversational methods like interruptions, pauses and application of active listening techniques (Celce-Murcia, 2001, pp.35-40 ). Moreover, learners should demonstrate an appropriate use of organizational patterns, such as, topical, chronological and problem-solution. They should also be able to clarify and summarize orally information that is obtained from various sources. Moreover, Richards (2008, pp. 23-30) says that they should be able to use critical thinking skills, such as, identification of inferences, distinguishing facts from opinions, recognizing loaded language, and evaluation of sources. Program components and their relationships Some of the components in this program include centralized development, mandatory assessment, tutoring training, mandatory placement, counseling or advising, and program evaluation (Drucker, 2003, pp. 21-26). Studies show that there is a relationship existing among these components and the performance of the learners. Nevertheless, centralization, evaluation and tutoring training components displayed the strongest connection with the students’ performance. Linguistic content The program looks at how learners’ current needs are assessed, how the anticipated needs are judged, how language varieties are used, and what errors are likely to occur. Here, content could be themes, genres, situations, lexical areas or grammar. In this case, grammar is the main content component analyzed. (Moore & Hansen, 2011, pp. 195-220) notes that learners current needs include the proper understanding of word classes, tenses, temporality, sentence structures, modality, voice in terms of active and passive. Moreover, students need to properly use punctuation in written English, use of syntactical roles, valency and thematic roles (Shrum & Glisan, 2009, pp. 189-195). Valency entails the capability of the verb to combine with noun phrases in sentences grammatically. These needs can be assessed by writing, reading, and speaking exercises. Consequently, instructors can determine whether the learners have attained the target proficiency levels. According to Hinkel (2011, Pp. 539-620), the judgment of the projected needs is done through asking learners questions regarding those needs, and giving them pre-exercises before teaching that particular concept. From their performance, the instructors can tell what the learners need to achieve at the end of the program. In the teaching process, instructors may use register in terms of variety of languages in which they are proficient. Because the learners are diverse, teachers can try to incorporate their native languages as a way of comparing items or explaining some things to the students (Choi, 2007, pp. 88-94). Moreover, teachers can use both the American and British varieties, especially when comparing the grammatical rules in both varieties. Register can be used in the translation in order to teach learners on semantics. In addition, the program analyzes some of the errors that might come up in the teaching and learning process. Drucker (2003, pp. 21-26) notes that some of the errors include redundant inclusion of plural marker -s in sentences or words, incorrect combination of subject-verb elements, exclusion of direct object, unsuitable verb construction and fragmented or incomplete clauses. Teachers, therefore, ought to guide the learners in the achievement of the target proficiency levels through the reduction of the aforementioned errors (Moore & Hansen, 2011, pp. 195-220). In contrastive analysis, instructors ought to identify some of the challenges that learners might face in their learning process. Some of these challenges include inference or influence of the first language on the target language (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). Secondly, a problem might arise when learners transfer first language features and structures into the second language. This is often noticeable in the learners’ spoken and written exercises. Therefore, it is critical that the instructors guide their learners towards the elimination of these language learning issues in order to achieve the desired proficiency levels. TESOL approach The program also proposes the use of the TESOL approach in an attempt to achieve the set objectives. TESOL has two major approaches that include deductive and inductive approaches (D'Avolio, 2007, pp. 182-186). To begin with, the deductive approach entails a more traditional method of teaching whereby grammatical rules or structures are read out to the learners first. Therefore, learners will learn and employ the rule after being taught about it. Here, the instructor is the center of the students and responsible for the explanation and presentation of the new material (Choi, 2007, pp. 88-94). Secondly, there is the inductive approach that concerns a more modern method of teaching whereby the new grammatical rules and structures are demonstrated to the learners in actual language situation (Choi, 2007, pp. 88-94). Here, students learn how to use apply structure by practicing language in context and eventually realizing the rules from the real examples. The purpose of the approach is to offer meaningful situations in which the use of the rule is encouraged, while learners use the rules for examples in their practice. Nevertheless, each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages. D'Avolio, (2007, pp. 182-186) argues that deductive approach is only appropriate for the higher level students that already have the knowledge of the primary structures of English. It is also suitable for the students who are used to very little traditional method of learning and anticipate grammatical presentations. Nonetheless, Choi (2007, pp. 88-94) notes that the approach is inappropriate for low level language learners in the presentation of complex language structures in meaning and form. On the other hand, inductive approach enables learners to use language without interference from rules and terminology, promotes enhanced learners’ participation and practice in meaningful situations (D'Avolio, 2007, pp. 182-186). However, the approach is hard for the learners who are used to a lot of traditional teaching method. Therefore, the teachers should use both approaches depending on the level and nature of their learners. They should organize and vary their lessons so as to keep their classes motivating and interesting for the learners. Strategies What is more, the program proposes some teaching strategies in order to help the learners meet and achieve their needs and objectives. Basing on the four macro skills, instructors should devise appropriate strategies that will aid learners attain the desired proficiency levels (Pasquarelli, 2006, pp. 2-10). Writing skills can be best achieved through compositions on reports and summaries. Speaking skills can be attained through use of debates, discussions, role plays, and interviews. According to Caswell (2004, pp. 2-15), listening skills among learners can be developed through the use of role plays, debates, audio-visuals, dictation, and interviews. In addition, reading skills can be developed by use of visual- aids and comprehension passages. Revision and assessment In the revision of the language items, teachers can use umbrella functions and spiral designs in order to ensure that the learners do not repeat the same mistakes in their exercises. Moreover, the teachers can identify and correct the areas of difficulty among the learners, identify and correct areas that require remedial lessons (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). In the assessment of the students’ learning, teachers can administer exercises, continuous assessment tests, and exams. For example, after teaching every skill, the instructors can give learners assignments in order to establish their understanding of the language and progress of learning. Teaching materials According to Choi (2007, pp. 88-94), some of the materials to use in this program include EFL lesson plans, question forms, grammar chants, dictionaries, text books, movies, stars, cinema, word games, vocabulary charts, articles, hand-outs, comprehension passages, eBooks, and questions. These resources and materials are important in meeting the learners needs of developing excellent reading, speaking, writing, and listening skills (Drucker, 2003, pp. 21-26). In this program, some of the adapted materials and resources include textbooks, movies, questions, grammar chants, and vocabulary charts. Evaluation of the program The program evaluation can be done through the extent at which the program’s objectives are achieved. More so, its effectiveness can be determined by the level at which the learners’ needs are met at the end of the program. Moreover, research can be conducted in order to get the learners’ and teachers’ feedback on the effectiveness of the program. Some of the data collection methods used in the program include self-reports, questionnaires, interviews, and surveys (Gocer, 2010, pp. 10-18). Monitoring and modification of the program can be done by the assessing the students’ learning progress at various stages of the program. It can be modified if the learners’ objectives and needs are not being met adequately. Conclusion This program is designed for 50 hours in which the learners’ needs are expected to be met. The major objectives to be achieved by the end of the program include development of the required writing, reading, listening and speaking skills among the learners. These skills are meant to aid the learners achieve the preferred proficiency levels in English language. Instructors can use the deductive and inductive TESOL approaches as some of the teaching strategies. Besides, the program can be evaluated by looking at the extent to which the objectives are achieved. References Caswell, R. (2004). Strategies for Teaching Writing. Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Pp. 2-15. Celce-Murcia, M. (2001). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (3rd ed). New York, NY: Heinle & Heinle. Pp. 35-40. Choi, S.J. (2007).The Experiences of Non-Native English Speaking Teachers and Their Professional Identity Constructions in an ESL Context. New York: Proquest. Pp. 88-94. D'Avolio, K. (2007). The Influence of Personal, Professional, and Academic Experiences on ABE/ESL Instructors' Development of Teaching Preferences. Proquest. Pp. 182-186. Drucker, M.J. (2003). What Reading Teachers Should Know about ESL Learners: Good Teaching Is Teaching for All. These Strategies Will Help English-Language Learners, but They Will Help Typical Learners as Well. The Reading Teacher, 57(5), 21-26. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002006607 Gocer, A. (2010). A Qualitative Research on the Teaching Strategies and Class Applications of the High School Teachers Who Teach English in Turkey as a Foreign Language. Education, 131(7), 10-18. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5047454131 Hinkel, E. (2011). Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning , Volume 2, Taylor & Francis, New York. Pp. 539-620. Laborda, J.G. & Litzler, M.F. (2011). Review of Teaching English Language Learners through Technology. Language, Learning & Technology, 15(3), 14-19. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5049684612 Moore, K. D. & Hansen, J.R. (2011). Effective strategies for teaching in K-8 classrooms. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. Pp. 195-220. Pasquarelli, S.L. (2006).Teaching writing Genres across the Curriculum: Strategies for Middle School Teachers. Greenwich, Conn.: IAP - Information Age Pub. Pp. 2-10. Richards, J. C. (2008), Teaching Listening and Speaking From Theory to Practice. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 23-30. Shrum, J.L. & Glisan, E.W. (2009). Teacher’s handbook: contextualized language instruction. Boston, MA: Heinle Cengage. Pp. 189-195. Read More