Module 3:Extending Practice and ELT Specialism

Teaching English in an English-speaking Environment (ESE)

Candidate: Anthony Ash

Candidate Number: 001

Centre Number: 39126

Specialism: ESE

Word Count: 4472

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Contents Page

1

.Part 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………..……………………………….. 4

1.1 Why I Have Chosen This Specialism…………………………………………………………… 4

1.2 English-Speaking Environment…………………………………………………………………… 4

1.3 Academic Theories, Principles and Implications…………………………………………. 4

2

.Needs Analysis …………….…………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

2.1 Principles of Needs Analysis …………………….……………………………………………….. 9

2.2 Group Profile……………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

2.3 Needs Analysis Questionnaire Tools…………………………………………………………… 9

2.4 Diagnostic Test…………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

2.5 Results of NAQ and Diagnostic Test……………………………………………………………. 11

3

.Course Proposal …………….…………………………………………………………………………………….. 13

3.1 Principles of Course Proposal with Relevance to Sections 1 and 2….…………… 13

3.2 Principles of Syllabus Design with Relevance to the Course Proposal………...... 14

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3.3 Course Goals and Objectives……………………………………………………………………… 16

3.4 Course Content and Approach………………………………………………………………….. 17

3.5 Institutional Factors…………………………………………………………………………………… 18

4

.Assessment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19

4.1 Principles of Assessment…………………………………………………………………………… 19

4.2 Assessment with Relevance to this Course………………………………………………… 21

4.3 Assessment Approach and Content……………………………………………………………. 22

4.4 Course Evaluation……………………………………………………………………………………… 22

5

.Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………. 23

5.1 Principles of the Specialism……………………………………………………………………….. 23

5.2 Benefits and Limitations…………………………………………………………………………….. 24

References………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25

Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28

Course Proposal: Overview……………………………………………………………………………………. 36

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Part 1: Introduction (967 words)

1.1 Why I Have Chosen This Specialism

I have recently moved to the UK to do the DELTA, after which I plan to remain in the

UK and find work as an English language teacher. I have chosen teaching in an

English-Speaking Environment (ESE) as my specialism because it is relevant to my

teaching situation and future job prospects. The fact that I plan to teach in the UK

means my learners will be learning English in an English-Speaking Environment. This

means what I gain from specialising and focusing on this specialism during this

module will be ultimately useful and applicable to my future teaching.

1.2 English-Speaking Environment

According to Thornbury (2006: 74) learning English in an English-speaking

environment is “for learners who are living” in such an environment and need

English in order to “become integrated into the environment.” Whereas Thornbury

(ibid.) uses the term “English-Speaking Environment”, Crystal (2003: 8108) prefers

the term “English as a Second Language” and specifies its application to language

education of “immigrants and other foreigners who live within a country where

English is the first language.”

1.3Academic Theories, Principles and Implications

Through my reading and research I have identified four areas of concern with

regards to this specialism:

(1) English as Lingua Franca

Today around one third of the world’s population uses English to varying degrees of

fluency (Crystal 2010: 8). Over the last 400 years English has gone from being a

language specific to the British Isles to being a global language with various dialects:

British English, American English and South African English to name but a few. Across

the globe, speakers of other languages use English as a means of communication,

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which makes English a world “Lingua Franca” (Scrivener, J. 2011: 118). While

teaching adults in businesses in Poland and Germany, I discovered that even national

companies use English as their language of business in order to accommodate their

ever-growing multinational workforce.

Implications:

When teaching in ESE, a course designer must consider whether the learners will

require a specific variant of the English language, for example do they plan to live in

the UK, or will they need to use English mainly as a Lingua Franca i.e. communicating

with other non-native speakers but within an ESE environment, or will they need a

mixture of both?

(2) Environments

Kachru developed what is known as the “Circles of English”, in which the users of the

English language and their environments are categorized into three groups

(Scrivener 2011: 118 – 119):

I. Expanding Circle

Environments where English doesn’t play an official role in

administration but may be used for communicative purposes, such as

in trade deals or in education.

II. Outer Circle

Environments where English has historic roots and might be

considered as a semi-official language, such as in Commonwealth

countries like Jamaica or countries which were once in the British

Empire e.g. South Africa.

III. Inner Circle

Environments where English is used as the first language, such as in

the UK and the USA.

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Implications:

The English used in the Inner Circle is the concern of teaching and learning in ESE.

From my reading, observations and teaching experience the implications of this for

ESE teaching are the following:

- Language and skills content of a course should be relevant to the

environment

- Materials should be authentic

- Tasks and activities should reflect communicative tasks in the

environment

(3) Motivation

A fundamental characteristic of ESE learners is that they are already in the

environment where the language is used. This means their motivation can be

categorised as one of the two (Harmer 1991: 4):

- Instrumental Motivation: They have gone to an English-speaking country

for a certain amount of time to improve their language skills with the

ultimate aim of returning to their country to apply for university studies

or a better job position.

- Integrative Motivation: They have moved to an English speaking country,

such as the UK, because they are interested in the language and the

culture and they want to integrate themselves into the community.

It should be pointed out that some learners move to an English-speaking country

because they have had to flee their own country for political or racial persecution.

However, after accepting their new situation, their motivation might be one of the

above; for example, they begin to learn the language to integrate into the

community and/or to be able to apply for jobs or a place at a university.

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Implications

Motivation can have profound effects on how engaged ESE learners are with the

course of study (Harmer 1991: 4) and on the course content (Hedge 2000: 350).

While teaching Chinese learners at the University of Newcastle I noticed my learners

had strong instrumental motivation, as they have a clear goal, such as getting 6.0 in

IELTS in order to gain a place at university.

(4) Materials

While observing experienced teachers at International House Newcastle running ESE

courses, I noticed the focus of lessons was not communication for communication’s

sake but rather real-life communicative exercises. For example, during one lesson I

observed the learners had to read a text; however, instead of reading any text from

a course book with the aim of developing reading skills, the teacher had chosen an

information leaflet about Newcastle upon Tyne, which meant the reading text was:

I. Appropriate for ESE learners

II. Relevant to the learning situation of ESE learners

III. Interesting and useful for ESE learners

All of the three aspects above (Appropriacy, Relevance and Usefulness) must be

considered when developing courses for ESE learners because what they learn in the

classroom must be transferable to real-life (Harmer 1991: 7). This means all

classroom activities, tasks and materials must be appropriate, relevant and useful for

the English-speaking environment which the learners are operating in (Hedge 2000:

350).

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Part 2: Needs Analysis and Commentary (957 words)

2.1 Principles of Needs Analysis

As Hedge (2000: 342) states Needs Analysis is the first step in designing a course

because it identifies the “priority areas of language use” relevant to the learners and

their learning context. According to Abrar-ul-Hasan (2012: 6) an effective needs

analysis should provide “the what and how” of a proposed course. This can be

achieved with three fundamental questions:

I. What is the intended use of language in context?

II. What are the specific language skills?

III. What is the target proficiency level?

With the aim of answering these questions, the course designer must gather as

much relevant information as possible about the learners to “enlighten the course

design process” (Hedge 2000: 343). Information can be gathered in a variety of ways

but teacher observation and learner questionnaires are highlighted as most effective

(Hedge 2000: 343).

In terms of what information should be gathered, Munby (1978) suggests the

following areas:

- Participant: Objective information about the learner and their life,

including name, age and education so far

- Purposive Domain: In what area does the learner need to use the

language e.g. with friends or at work?

- Setting: In which situations the learner uses the language

- Interaction: Who the learner uses the language with

- Instrumentality: Whether the language interaction is primarily spoken or

written and heard or read.

- Dialect: Which variety of the language does the learner need to

understand and/or produce?

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- Communicative Event: What the learner needs to use the language for

e.g. for writing e-mails at work.

- Communicative Key: What register the language needs to be in

2.2 Group Profile

The learners are a mixed group of multilingual, mixed-gender, upper-intermediate,

educated adults aged 18 to 33 (see Appendix A1). They have been in the UK from

between 6 weeks and 3 months and their intended residency ranges from 2 weeks to

1 year (A2 and A3).

There is a range of L1’s from Latin American and Castilian Spanish, through

Portuguese and Italian to Bulgarian. Some of the learners have already learnt

another L2 or are bilingual (see A1).

Almost all of them are learning English with the aim of gaining a better job or a place

at university – only a few are learning with the sole aim of better integration into

society (A5).

The vast majority prefer group/pairwork over working alone (A6) and there is an

even split between an inductive and a deductive approach to learning (A7).

2.3 Needs Analysis Questionnaire Tools

I decided to design a Needs Analysis Questionnaire (NAQ) specifically for this group

instead of using a pre-made NAQ, because such questionnaires can often overlook

key areas with the aim of gathering a global picture of the learners/the group rather

than identifying the specifics of the learning purpose and the learning environment

(Davies 2006). Taking this into consideration as well as Munby’s suggestions (see

2.1), I designed a NAQ which gathered information on the following areas:

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- Objective Information about the Learner:

Name, age, nationality, L1, any other L2’s, job, educational background,

language learning to date, residency in the UK

- Subjective Information about the Learner:

Reasons for learning English

Opinions about learning experience to date

How they feel they learn best: deductively/inductively, working

alone/pairwork/groupwork

How they learn best and why

- Linguistic and Skills Information about the Learner:

Which skill they feel strongest/weakest in

How good/bad they feel their grammar is

How much they need to work on their vocabulary (if at all)

Which in-class activities they prefer

- Interest and Hobbies of the Learner:

What topics interest them

How they like to spend their free-time

I opted for a questionnaire because this allows learners to give thought-through

personalised responses (Hedge 2000: 343). Several of the questions are open-ended:

this allows the learners to write what they think in their own words. Other questions

require the learners to put items in order of preference: I opted for this because to

my experience if you ask learners to pick out one or two from a list they will always

struggle.

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2.4 Diagnostic Test

Despite the fact learners did an initial diagnostic test when they entered the school

(their determined level was upper-intermediate) another diagnostic test was carried

out specifically for this course.

I decided to base the diagnostic test on a communicative task (see Appendix B)

because in the NAQ the learners highlighted the need to work on a range of skills

and this particularly specialism requires a multi-skills approach to language.

As they are at upper-intermediate level, I decided to design a test based around

language points found in coursebooks for that level (cross-referenced with Speak-

Out Upper-Intermediate and English File 3rd Edition). Although Hughes (2003) feels

tests should have high face validity, I decided on a test with low face validity but high

reliability: if the learners don’t feel like they’re doing a test, then there is greater

chance they will show me their true linguistic performance (Fromkin 2002). The test

can be found in Appendix B.

2.5 Results of NAQ and Diagnostic Test

6 out of 8 have instrumental motivation for learning English: better job prospects or

university studies (A5). 6 out of 8 prefer pair or group work (A6). There is a 50/50

split on inductive and deductive approach to learning (A7). The learners indicated a

preference for more traditional classroom activities: Speaking, Listening, Writing and

Reading exercises (A10). They identified Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation as the

most difficult areas (A9) while areas which needed greatest work are Speaking &

Listening, Vocabulary and Grammar (A8).

During the diagnostic test, the following language areas were identified as

problematic:

- Questions with WH-words

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- Narrative tenses

- Conditionals

- Articles

- Relative clauses

- Passive

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Part 3: Course Proposal (1209 Words)

3.1 Principles of Course Proposal with Relevance to Sections 1 and 2

Nunan (1988) says course design is an “on-going process” and Hedge (2000: 344)

stresses the importance of the need to match “course to context” i.e. the results of

the NAQ and the diagnostic test should influence the course design process (Nunan

1988).

In light of this, bearing in mind the theories and principles of the specialism outlined

in section 1.3, I have opted for the following for the proposed course:

- Materials should be authentic where possible

- Activities and tasks should reflect authentic use of the language or should

be easily transferred to authentic use

Any materials taken from published sources will be taken from upper-intermediate

coursebooks, as the diagnostic test indicated this level.

Based on the results of the NAQ, class activities will be predominantly pairwork or

groupwork and there will be an even mixture of inductive and deductive approaches

to language points. I have opted to focus on Listening, Speaking and Grammar (with

lexis integrated into all) in order to respond to the learners needs (see NAQ and

Diagnostic Test). I have also opted for as many multi-skilled activities as possible on

the basis of the principles of the specialism (see section 1).

I will also select materials which cover topics the learners are interested in, such as

travelling, sport and cinema (A11).

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3.2 Principles of Syllabus Design with Relevance to Course Proposal

When considering a syllabus, factors such as structure and content need tobe taken

into consideration, as these determine the type of syllabus. Richards (2001) provides

the following outline of possible syllabus type:

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Grammatical - organised around grammatical functions- organised into sequence that facilitates learning- identify grammatical item that allow for

development of basic communcative skills Lexical - identifies target vocabulry to teach according to level

- ususally considered as one strand of a more comprehensive syllabus

Functional - organised around communicative functions- addresses communicative competence above

linguistic competence- can be readily linked to other types of syllabus

content Situational - organised around the language needed for situations

- often used in travel books- present language in context with immediate practical

use- has been incorporated as an element of more

comprehensive approaches Topical - content rather than grammar or function is start

point- used as framework for linking a variety of different

syylabus stands together- allow use of authentc materials

Skills - involving reading, writing, listenign and speaking- teach skills that can be transerred to other situations- more relevant to students with specific and

identifiable needs Task-based - oranised around tasks resembling real life situations

- students receive comprehensible inout and modifeid ouput

- grammar acquisiition is by-product of carrying out tasks

- motivating and engaging sudents in meaningful comminucation

A syllabus can be “analytic” or “synthetic” (Nunan 1988: 27). A synthetic syllabus is

where the “different parts of language” are taught “separately and step by step”

with the aim of gradual accumulation of parts and ultimately until the whole

structure of language has been acquired (ibid.) – this is comparable to Richards’

Grammatical Syllabus above (Richards 2001). An analytic syllabus is where the

syllabus is organised in terms of the purposes for learning the language: it focuses on

the language performances required, rather than the individual parts which make up

that performance (Nunan 1998: 28) and is comparable to Richards’ Situational

Syllabus above (Richards 2011).

Furthermore, Nunan (1988: 27 – 50) distinguishes between product-oriented syllabi

and process-oriented syllabi. The British Council (Online) explains that a product-

oriented syllabus focuses on the end-product or the “outcomes” of the learning

process e.g. a discrete item of grammar; whereas a process-oriented syllabus focuses

on “the learning process itself” and the skills involved in that process e.g. a process-

approach to a writing task.

Given the grammatical points identified in the Diagnostic Test, I have opted for a

synthetic syllabus for this course. However, it isn’t a truly traditional Grammatical

Syllabus (Richards 2001) in that there is also a strong skills focus, specifically on

Speaking and Listening. The syllabus for the proposed course can be described in

Nunan’s words as “product-oriented” (Nunan 1988: 27) because it will look at

discrete items of grammar within a communicative setting and will test those items. I

have opted for this because this gives the learners measurable results and progress.

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3.3 Course Goals and Objectives

On the basis of my reading and research in the specialism, the NAQ and the

Diagnostic Test, I propose the following course goals:

By the end of the course, learners will be better able to:

G1. Use English as a Lingua Franca in an ESE context

G2. Automate the use of a specific number of grammatical features

G3. Communicate in real-life language situations specific to ESE

In order to achieve these goals, this project proposes a Grammar Course with a

Listening and Speaking skills focus. Thornbury (1997) writes about the necessity for

learners to “notice” grammar, so learners will have this opportunity throughout the

course (G2). The course will contain a number of information gap exercises which

will provide learners with the need to communicate through the medium of English

(G1 and G3). The materials and exercises will reflect real-life language usage (G1). In

order to be more fluent (the skills part of the course and G3) learners need more

knowledge of systems and better production of that knowledge (G1), which is

supported by Thornbury’s writing on the fluency/accuracy dichotomy (Thornbury

2005: Chapter 2).

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Out of the Course Goals I devised the following Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, learners will:

- Have been exposed to inductive and deductive approaches to learning

grammar (G2)

- Have used noticing techniques to identify gaps in their systems

knowledge (G2)

- Be better able to express their own ideas, opinions and emotions, such as

agreeing/disagreeing (G1)

- Have developed a number of sub-skills for processing listening both top-

down and bottom-up (G3)

3.4 Course Content and Approach

The course consists of 10 lessons of 120 minutes in length taking place everyday

from Monday to Friday over two weeks. Due to this time constraint, of the six

grammatical items identified in 2.5 through the diagnostic test, I have extrapolated

three which I felt took priority to form the grammatical basis of this course:

- Questions with WH-words

- Narrative tenses

- Relative clauses

Lexis is not dealt with as separate system in a dedicated lesson but incorporated into

lessons throughout the course because new lexical items are best learnt in context

and while learners are cognitively (and possibly emotionally) engaged with it

(Thornbury 2002: 171).

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Speaking and Listening skills development is incorporated throughout the course in

the form of skills-focused lessons, whose aim is to develop receptive and productive

sub0skills, and systems-focused lesson, where the target language is presented in a

context and co-text to be noticed by the learners.

Turning back to what was outlined in section 1 about the specialism and the results

from the NAQ and diagnostic test in section 2, the course materials and activities will

be authentic or semi-authentic, because these will more representative of what the

learners will encounter in the English-Speaking Environment – this goes back to what

Hedge (2000: 344) says about matching “course to context.”

With regards to the approach to teaching, the exact staging of lessons is to be left up

to the teacher. However, into the course proposal are incorporated materials and

skeleton lesson frameworks which assume a Task – Teach – Task (TTT) approach on

the basis that the learners have already met language points to be taught but

require further practice. A TTT approach is preferred because it is born out of Task-

Based Learning, which assumes the learners “improve on a task” and encourages

authentic use of language for authentic communicative means (Willis 1996).

3.5 Institutional Factors

Lessons at International House Newcastle are 120 minutes in length, including a 10

minute break, and take place each morning 1100 - 1300. The course is two weeks in

length from Monday to Friday, cumulating in 10 classes of 120 minutes – in sum 20

hours.

Courses at IH Newcastle take a multi-skill approach and try to prepare learners for

real-life use of language, which is what this course aims to achieve.

At IH Newcastle courses follow a syllabus and not a coursebook but materials are

taken from course books if they suit the aims of the syllabus. School resources are

well equipped to meet all the materials outlined in this course.

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Part 4: Assessment (1101 Words)

4.1. Principles of Assessment

The course design process must also consider assessment. Thornbury (2006: 18)

distinguishes between “assessment and testing” in that assessment includes

“informal procedures”, such as a teacher listening in on their learners to assess their

language usage, whereas a test is a form of assessment which looks like a test. In

other words, learners are constantly “informally” assessed throughout a course but

it is only during a more “traditional” looking test they are aware of this assessment.

Thornbury (2006: 227) distinguishes between three criteria by which “the worth of a

test is judged”:

- Validity

A test is valid if it “measures accurately what it is intended to measure”

(ibid.) The British Council (Online) also distinguishes between “face and

content validity” in that a test should look like a test and its content

should test what it sets out to test.

Thornbury (2006: 227) goes on to point out that an activity in a test can

often be valid in one area but invalid in others, such as a multi-choice

grammar exercise which tests “a learner’s ability to match grammatical

forms to their contexts” but it fails as a test of “communicative ability or

overall proficiency.”

- Reliability

A reliable test is one which produces the same results; for example, if two

learners of the same level with the same language knowledge take the

same test they should gain similar results (Thornbury 2006: 228).

Thornbury (ibid.) also stresses that reliability is often “an effect of the test

design” in that a poorly designed test, where the answers are easily

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guessed, lacks reliability – this is also true of tests where it is easy to

guess the answers.

- Practicability

In short, Thornbury (ibid.) states that other factors of validity are

sacrificed for practicality’s sake, such as using a gap-fill exercise because it

is provided with the book, it is easy to type up or easily photocopied.

Thornbury stresses that this ought to be limited to “informal progress

testing” where the “stakes are not high.”

Hughes (1989: 4) writes about “the need” for assessment and testing in that they

produce quantifiable results and provide both learners and educators with

measurable, tangible scores. They can also give a learner a sense of achievement.

Assessment can be formative or summative i.e. the former refers to assessment

which is carried out continuously throughout a course and the latter is a form of final

assessment usually given at the end of a course (Thornbury 2006; Hughes 1989;

Scrivener 2011). Formative assessment is continuous in nature but it can be both

formal (a sit-down test with pen and paper) and informal (the teacher listens in on

the learners or reads their written work). Although formative assessment is

important for everyone involved, it is particularly important for the teacher, as it

shows signs of progress or lack there of. Summative assessment is the form of

assessment which learners most often identify with and this is where Thornbury’s

three criteria of validity come most strongly into play: learners need to:

- know they are doing a test

- know how to do the test

- have the necessary knowledge to complete the test

The validity of test is very important, because it can profound effects on both the

learner and the learning process. According to Hughes (1989: 1) these effects can be

positive or negative and are generally referred to as “backwash.” Negative backwash

is where the preparation for the test outweighs the content of the test (Hughes

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1989: 1). On the contrary, positive backwash is where the test contains activities and

tasks which the learners are already acquainted with (ibid.).

2.2 Assessment with Relevance to this Course

Taking into consideration the principles of assessment outlined above, this course

should contain both formative and summative assessment. Due to the timing of the

course – it is an intensive course 2 weeks in length with a 120 minute lesson each

day – formal formative assessment will take place one at the end of week 1: this is so

that the teacher can assess how much has been achieved in the course so far and

then can respond to the learners’ on-going needs by altering the course plan

appropriately.

Informal formative assessment will be present in the form of the teacher taking note

of the learners’ language usage: this has been incorporated into the Notes section of

the Course Proposal Map, though when and how this is carried may be left to the

teacher’s discretion.

Given that the syllabus is product-oriented and contains what Hughes (1989: 16)

refers to as “discrete items” i.e. the grammatical points the course covers, this would

suggest a “discrete item test” should form part of the summative testing. However,

given the principles and theories outlined in section 1 and the results from section 2,

it was determined the course should include a focus on Speaking and Listening,

which shouldn’t be discrete item tested, as that would run counter to the principles

of the specialism, whereby the language is to be taught and used in a multi-skill,

communicative setting. However, a test that lacks face validity might well fail in

other areas of validity. In light of this, the summative assessment will consist of two

parts:

1) A discrete item test which will be high in face, content, reliability and

practicality validity. It will test the grammatical points covered during the

course.

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2) A communicative task which involve both Listening and Speaking. It will

be valid in that it will take a similar form to the diagnostic test but the

content will be altered, which means the learners will be acquainted with

the task, they should have the knowledge/skills to complete the task and

it will give both them and the teacher measurable results to determine

their improvement over the duration of the course.

2.3 Assessment Approach and Content

Given that the teacher needs to respond to the learners’ needs constantly

throughout the course, the exact content of the summative test will depend largely

on the results of the formative test half-way during the course. For example, if the

learners are tested on their narrative tenses and the results are poor, then the

teacher should opt to revisit this topic in lieu of another topic, which means the final

test will be one topic short. In any case, I suggest the teacher use exercises and tasks

which the learners are acquainted with in order to avoid any negative backwash. The

exact materials of the test are down to the teacher’s discretion based on the

learners’ needs but please see Appendix E for some suggested examples.

2.4 Course Evaluation

This is normally a questionnaire. However, by the end of this course learners will

have completed several questionnaires. In order to avoid any negative backwash,

such as completing the questionnaire as quickly as possible to get it over with,

course evaluation and feedback will take the form of a class discussion incorporated

into the final lesson, maximising opportunities for collaborative work and speaking

practice as highlighted in the NAQ. The results will inform me of any necessary

future changes to the course. Please see Appendix F for a sample of the questions

and tasks the learners will get.

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Part 5: Conclusion (410 words)

5.1 Principles of the Specialism

In section 1 I highlighted four key areas related to the specialism of ESE:

1. English as Lingua Franca

2. Environments

3. Motivation

4. Materials

The course has successfully incorporated all of these into its planning and designing

process because:

- English as a Lingua Franca:

The proposed course took this into consideration during the designing

stage and incorporated communicative activities for the learners to do in

class, such as information gaps, which force the learners to communicate

in order to complete the tasks through the medium of English.

- Environments:

The designing process recognised the fact the learners use English in an

English-speaking Environment and responded to this this with

appropriate materials.

- Motivation:

The course recognises that the learners have different reasons for

learning English. Why the learners were learning English was identified in

the NAQ and then the results were relayed into the course design

process.

- Materials:

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Taking into account that the learners are learning English in an English-

speaking environment it was essential that all materials and activities

reflect the kind of language contact they will have outside of the

classroom – this was incorporated into the course design process.

5.2 Benefits and Limitations

Due to the fact the learners only have one lesson a day for two weeks, they are

limited to as how much they can achieve in this short time. For example, the NAQ

identified six grammatical areas of weakness but the course proposal can only cover

three of these due to time constraints. If the learners need more time than

anticipated to improve their performance in a grammatical area, then this will result

in having to revisit a grammatical point at the cost of another.

However, regardless of whether the learners cover two or five grammatical points

during this course, they will have benefited in the following ways:

1. They will have improved their knowledge of several grammatical points

and come a significant step closer to automatizing their use of this

knowledge (G2)

2. They will have practised and developed their Speaking and Listening skills

by using them to complete real-life tasks (G3)

3. They will have used English as the medium of communication to complete

tasks with other non-native speakers within the ESE environment (G1)

This means that by the end of the course the learners will have met all of the course

goals, but to what degree will depend on their on-going needs and in-class

performance.

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References: Academic

Abrar-ul-Hassan, S. (2012) “State of the art review: Revisiting the ins and outs of ESP

practice” IATEFL Professional and Academic English: Journal of the English for Specific

Purposes Special Interest Group. Vol. 39: 4 – 11.

British Council (Online) Product-Oriented Syllabus. Available at:

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/knowledge-database/product-oriented-syllabus.

Last accessed 24/11/14

British Council (Online) Validity. Available at:

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/knowledge-database/validity.

Last accessed 28/11/14

Crystal, D. (2010) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Crystal, D. (2003) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Fromkin, V. (2002) An Introduction to Language 7th Ed. Cambridge: Cengage Learning.

Harmer, J. (1991) The Practice of English Language Teaching. Harlow: Pearson

Education Ltd.

Hedge, T. (2000) Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

Hughes, A. (1989) Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.

39216_001_ASH_DELTA3_ESE_1214 25

Munby, J. (1978) Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.

Nunan, D. (1988) Syllabus Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richards, J.C. (2001) Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Ridgway, T. (2000) “Listening Strategies – I bega your pardon?” English Language

Teaching Journal. Vol. 54/2. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Scott, A. (2011) “Which English should we teach?” IH Journal. Vol. 30: 2

Scrivener, J. (2011) Learning Teaching: the essential guide to English language

teaching. Harlow: MacMillan Education.

Thornbury, S. (2006) An A-Z of ELT. Harlow: MacMillan Education.

Thornbury, S. (2005) Uncovering Grammar. Harlow: MacMillan Education.

Thornbury, S. (2002) How To Teach Vocabulary. London: Longman.

Thornbury, S. (1997) “Reformulation and Reconstruction: tasks that promote

noticing.” English Language Teaching Journal. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Willis, J. (1996) A Framework for Task-Based Learning. London: Longman.

39216_001_ASH_DELTA3_ESE_1214 26

References: Materials

Eales, F – Oakes, S. (2011) Speakout Upper-Intermediate: Student’s Book. London:

Pearson Education.

Kerr, P. – Jones, C. (2012) Straight Forward Upper-Intermediate: Students’ Book.

Harlow: MacMillan.

Oxenden, C. – Latham-Koening, C. (2008) New English File: Upper-Intermediate

Student’s Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Oxenden, C. – Latham-Koening, C. (2008) New English File: Upper-Intermediate

Teacher’s Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Watcyn-Jones, P. (1997) Pair Work 2: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate. Londond:

Penguin.

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Appendix A

Results of the Needs Analysis Questionnaire:

A1. Group Overview

No. of Learners 8

Age 18 – 33 years old

L1’s Spanish (Latin American and European),

Portuguese (Brazil), Italian and Bulgarian.

Male : Female 5 males : 3 females

Level upper-intermediate

A2. Length of stay in the UK so far

Length of stay so far No. of Learners1 – 1.5 months 2

2 months 13 months 3

4-6 months 2

A3. Intended Length of stay in the UK

Length of Stay No. of Learners< 1 month 1

1 - 6 months 56 - 11 months 1

1 year 1

A4. Reasons for choosing Newcastle upon Tyne

Reasons No. of LearnersFamily 2

Financial 1Relationship 1

Recommendation 2

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Desire to be in ESE 2

A5. Reasons for doing an English course

Reasons No. of LearnersTo get a better job 4

For better integration 2For university 2

A6. Preferred Style of Working:

Preferred Style of Working No. of LearnersWorking alone 2

Pair work 4Group work 2

A7. Preference for Inductive or Deductive Approach to Learning:Learners could choose more than one if they so wished.

Approach No. of LearnersInductive 5

Deductive 4

A8. What learners need to improve the most in order of preference (number 1 is the most preferred and 7 the least):The numbers underlined and in bold are the areas with the highest number of preference

Area 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Grammar 1 0 3 0 1 1 2

Vocabulary 1 4 1 1 1 0 0Reading 0 0 0 0 1 3 4Writing 1 0 0 0 4 2 1

Speaking 3 0 2 2 0 0 1Listening 3 2 1 2 1 0 0

Pronunciation 0 2 1 3 0 2 0

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A9. What learners find harder and easier in order of preference (number 1 is the hardest and number 7 is the easiest)The numbers underlined and in bold are the areas with the highest number of preference

Area 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Grammar 3 0 1 1 0 1 4

Vocabulary 0 1 2 2 0 3 0Reading 0 1 0 0 3 0 2Writing 1 1 0 5 1 1 0

Speaking 1 0 4 0 1 1 2Listening 4 1 1 0 1 0 0

Pronunciation 0 3 1 0 2 1 0

A10. In-class activities in order of preference (number 1 is the most preferred and number 10 the least preferred)The scores have been added up and the mean average has been calculated:

lower the mean average = higher the preference higher the mean average = lower the preference

Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Mean

AverageSpeaking 3 2 2 1 1 2 5 1 2Listening 1 1 4 6 2 1 2 9 3

Writing 4 7 9 3 3 3 4 3 3Reading 6 8 5 5 8 6 3 5 5

Practice Exercises 2 4 10 7 4 7 1 2 5Discussions 8 6 8 2 5 4 7 7 6

Tests 5 10 3 8 6 5 8 4 6Games 9 5 1 4 10 10 10 8 7

Drills 7 9 6 9 9 8 9 6 8Project Work 10 3 7 10 7 9 6 10 8

A11. Learners’ interests and hobbies outside of class

Hobby/Interest No. of LearnersTravelling 3

TV, Film Cinema 3Sports 5

Reading popular literature 2Music 1

Law and Criminology 1

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Games 1Aviation 1

Business and Marketing 1Food and Cooking 1

Photography 1

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Appendix BBelow is the diagnostic test which was given to the learners. They were given

each section separately. They had read the instructions, use the boxes provided

to make any notes and then talk to their partners about it (with the exception of

the written exercise).

Upper-Intermediate Diagnostic

You’re on a dessert island. There is only you and one person who you have never

met before. What would you need to know about them? How would you find this

out?

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You meet up with a friend who you haven’t seen in years. They want to hear

everything about what has been happening in your life since the last time you saw

each other. You decide to focus on one particularly important event. Make some

notes below to prepare to tell your friend all about this.

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A friend comes to you for help. He is married with two children. Your friend has been

working in the same job for many years: they are bored, it doesn’t pay well but it

offers a stable income. He wants to change jobs but the new job is risky, because it

doesn’t offer a full-time contract until after 6 months of work. During these first 6

months, your friend could be fired if their work isn’t good enough. This is a risk he is

willing to take but he is also worried because he has a family to support.

What would you advise him? The space below is for any notes you want to make.

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One day at the office, you were using a piece of very expensive technology when it

suddenly broke. You aren’t sure what you did to it but you did somehow break it.

Your boss sends you an e-mail that same day asking for an explanation of what

happened. You write back to him, explaining everything that happened but you don’t

make it sound like it is your fault (although you were the only person in the room at

the time when the machine broke). Write your e-mail below:

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Course Proposal: Overview

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*G1, G2 and G3 refer to the course goals.

Lesson Focus Lesson Content NotesRelevance to needs,

theories and principlesMaterials

1Getting to know each other.

Controlled and freer practice of wh-questions

Listening practice and speaking.

Learners come up with questions which can be used to get to know other people better.

Learners do the questionnaire for themselves.

Learners move into groups to decide together on the most interesting points (maximum of 7).

Teacher inputs on subject and object questions. Teacher brings in exercises appropriate for controlled practice.

Support learners with any unknown lexis

Teacher monitors how learners negotiate and take note in preparation for future lesson. (G3)

Deductive Approach: teacher provides input on question formation and controlled practice. (G2)

NAQ = preference for groupwork

Development of interactional listening skills = specifically useful for ESE specialism (G1)

This is also important for informal formative assessment

Questionnaire handout from pg. 53 from Pair Work 2 (Watcyn-Jones 1997)

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Listening practice and speaking.

Learners turn their 7 points into questions and ask these to the person who has been brought in for live listening. (G3, G1)

Teacher brings in person/another teacher who can answer the learners’ questions for live listening.

Materials: genuine questions with genuine answers (no display questions) = essential for ESE

Another person, such as another teacher

2 To practise and produce language for agreeing and disagreeing.

To practise transactional speaking.

Learners do the questionnaire themselves. Learners listen to a recording of two natives discussing and agreeing on completing the questionnaire together. Learners listen out for language for agreeing and disagreeing. (G3)

Groupwork: learners discuss and decide together on the questionnaire answers, using the target language where they feel appropriate. (G3)

Teacher helps learners to extract examples of the target language (G2)

This gives the learners the opportunity to use the target language if they feel ready to. Teacher monitors their use.

Inductive Approach = learners identified a mix between inductive and deductive approach in NAQ. (G2)

This is not listening for skills but listening for language development (Ridgway 2000)

Provides language in context and encourages learners to ‘discover’ the target language and extract it (Scrivener 2011:166)

Questionnaire handout from pg. 19 from Pair Work 2 (Watcyn-Jones 1997)

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Groupwork: learners prepare a short presentation to show the rest of the class what they have agreed on and why.

Learners present their presentations

Learners have the opportunity to practise transaction speaking skills. (G3)

Teacher takes note of how learners interact, particularly with regards to turn-taking and discoursal features in preparation for future lesson.

Groupwork = identified as preference in NAQ.

Transaction speaking useful in ESE for business and university presentations. (G3)

This is important for informal formative assessment (Hughes 1989)

3 New lexis specific to topic of air travel. (G3)

Learners read blurb and try to answer the questions in pairs, then learners read text and do comprehension questions

Teacher might have to pre-teach ‘blurb’Teacher can design a lesson using this material which helps to develop bottom-up and top-down reading skills

NAQ = This vocabulary is relevant to learners’ interests

New English File Upper-Intermediate (2008) pg. 24 – 25

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Learners do vocabulary exercises.

Vocabulary game to internalise the lexis

Teacher needn’t pre-teach lexis: the exercises are designed for the learners to figure out meaning. (G3)

Teacher could use a game (such as Pictionary with mini-whiteboards) to practise lexis and give learners the opportunity to internalise it

NAQ = preference for inductive approach by 50% of learners. Handling a text with unknown lexis an essential sub-skill and reading strategy (Harmer 1991) (G3)

Possibly mini-whiteboards

4 Revise narrative tenses.

Learners read text on pg 26 and answer Guided Discovery questions in ex b and c.

The questions guide learners towards finding, highlighting and discovering the meaning and form of the narrative tenses being used. Discovering or ‘noticing’ target language increases “cognitive involvement” and helps learners to acquire language better (Thornbury 1997)

NAQ = preference inductive approach by 50% of learners

Noticing and Guided Discovery (G2)

New English File Upper-Intermediate (2008) pg. 26

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Get controlled and freer practice of narrative tenses

Listening practice

Learners do controlled exercises

Learners listen to the semi-authentic recording of an interview with two pilots

This provides learners with clear rules and very controlled practice.

Teacher needs which exercises to use/develop appropriate for the learners. This will then become an exercise for developing top-down and bottom-up listening skills making use of schematic, linguistic and contextual knowledge. (G3)

NAQ = preference for deductive approach by 50% of learners

NAQ = learners identified listening as most difficult and area they need most practice in.

The listening also contains the target language (narrative tenses) covered earlier in the lesson.

pg. 134 – 135

pg. 27

5 Speaking practice and an opportunity to revise and use

The learners follow the instructions in the materials.

Learners perform their stories

I suggest the learners are in groups in order to make it more collaborative.

In order to make the actual speaking

NAQ = groupwork preference

It’s important language

NEF Upper-Intermediate pg. 27

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narrative tenses

more realistic, when they perform the story you might want to set it up in a real situation, such as talking with a friend at a café.

practice reflects the language and skills learners need to use outside of the classroom = ESE specialism (see section 1)

6 Revise what has been covered

Formative Assessment

Learners need to have revised in advanced what has been covered in the course so far in preparation for formative assessment.

Learners do the formative assessment. Two parts: grammar and speaking/listening

This revision could be done in their own time and during the first half of the class through the use of games for example.

Teacher can use own materials or the suggested materials as guidance (see samples attached to appendices).

The results of formative assessment should be used to determine where course goes next: onto next topic or further revision of already covered topics.

Games bring about a friendly and relaxed atmosphere which has a positive effect on learners’ Affective Filter (Harmer 1991)

Hughes (1989) & Hedge (200): formative assessment should play informative role where course goes next.Assessment materials must be face and content valid (Hughes 1989)

See attached samples in appendices document.

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7 To expand lexis for describing films

Use the lexis above in a communicative way

Listening practice: top-down and bottom-up

Learners do vocab exercise 1 on pg 116

Learners work together in groups to do exercise 2 pg 116.

Learners do listening from ex 4 pg 116

Provides opportunity to grow lexis

NAQ identified groupwork as preferable.

Teacher can use the exercises provided as well develop as some additional ones based on the learners’ needs.

Lexis was identified in NAQ as important. Section 2 and 3 decided it would be “incorporated” into skills and grammar.

Opportunity to develop listening sub-skills: identified in NAQ as necessary.

Speak Out Upper Intermediate Students’ Book pg. 116

Speak Out Upper Intermediate Students’ Book pg. 116

8 To build on knowledge of relative clauses

Learners do exercise 5 pg 117

Learners do whatever adapted exercise the teacher has opted

The materials are self-explanatory and take an inductive approach where learners do first (Task 1), then there are questions to guide to unpacking target language (Input) and then there is a second task (Task 2).

Teacher could life the materials off the page.

NAQ = preference mix of inductive and deductive approach, so this is inductive approach.

Exercise involving movement good for

Speakout Upper-Intermediate: Student’s Book pg. 177

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for.

Learners do listening exercise 7 to “notice” the intonation of non-defining clause.

Teacher could use the listening and then drill a variety of sentences in context for practice.

varying exercise types and catering to all learners (Harmer 1991)

Thornbury (1997) says noticing is important for learning because it involves a higher cognitive processing.

9 Practise speaking and put knowledge of relative clauses into practice.

Learners quickly revise relative clauses from previous lesson.

Prepare for speaking exercise exercise 9 pg. 117

Perform speaking activity ex 9

Teacher could do this using any materials they see fit or simply elicit from the class what they think.

Teacher could use the exercise or adapt it as they see fit for the learners’ needs.

This could be done as a class mingle.

Eliciting from learners is a learner-centred approach.

Speaking is one of the two skills identified in the NAQ and section 3 = syllabus content

Movement = good for kinaesthetic learners

Speakout Upper-Intermediate: Student’s Book pg. 117

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10 Do summative assessment

Do course evaluation task

Learners do the summative assessment for grammar and skills (speaking and listening)

Learners do the course evaluation as a group task.

Teacher can use the materials in the suggested samples in the appendices but will have to choose test materials on the basis of the learners needs post formative assessment

Teacher lets learners do this task and listens in to take notes on what is being said.

Test should be face, content and reliability valid but also practical: for such a short course it’s probably best to use pre-made materials as long as they are appropriate. (Hughes 1989)

Learners will be open and honest with each other, which is why it’s important that the teacher listens in.

Please see attached samples and materials in appendices document.

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