Prof.

RADULESCU ANDREEA

20.11.2013 Look at activity 3 and solve the following task: Identify the possible causes residing at the level of classroom interaction for the following negative experiences encountered by students; make some suggestions on how to avoid them. Click on the students' faces and comment on the 2 or 3 most important problems.

We spent 10 lessons conjugating the Past Tense, but on the test there were only two conjugations`. The teacher bases the grade on one test, so if I do not feel well the day the test was given, I flunk the course. I dont have a clue about what the text was about but I got 98% on the reading test. I dont see the connection between the test and my knowledge. How can I explain the fact that I take good grades on English tests but last week when I met an American I couldnt say anything in English? I never learn for test because the teacher never corrects my mistakes I made, so I end up at the same place I was before I took the tests, except now I also have a bad grade.

The role of teachers in classroom management is very important. A well-organized teacher, who has the proper knowledge in teaching English and classroom management, knows how to predict, prevent and solve problems that can appear in teaching process. Teachers role in classroom management is important due to the fact that teachers performance affects students achievement and behaviour. Here are presented some problems which appeared because of teachers failure to connect teaching with the teaching results and finalities. The teacher doesnt fulfill one of his most important roles that of give feedback on Ss work. In this manner Ss. are not motivated to learn anymore because the teacher doesnt correct their mistakes and why to bother if you do mistakes and learn nothing? Teachers should be aware of the fact that Ss. see them as an authority and as an example which can lead them to purposeful ending objectives. There should be strong connections between what is taught and real experiences, the teaching should be done on more levels, not just reading and writing. Everything Ss. learn should help them find solutions to real problems they encounter during day by day life.

Prof. RADULESCU ANDREEA

Teachers should train all four skills not just one or two of them. A problem that appeared was that a young girl takes good marks at tests bur she cant speak English at all. Whats the purpose of learning English if you dont know to use it? So, the teacher should integrate all four skills and pay much attention to productive skills which are harder to train. Another problem is spending a lot of time with an item in the detriment of other items. A teachers great challenge is making a relevant test for the students needs. Teachers should focus on creating tests which are grounded on real life situations in which students could use what they have learnt. In such cases, even the students would be able to see their real level of knowledge.

21.11.2013 1. Look at activity 5 - Ways to improve teaching and learning by using modern technology. Click on the remote control (buttons 1-6) and discuss the relevance of using technology in class vs the traditional textbook. By using technology we can increase time on task, we can reinforce in-class teaching activities using online videos. Technology provides context (technology can help imitate and create the associations, the social settings, the events, the sounds, the sights). Through videos we see things in context, through audio we make associations from the sound we hear, through online social programs we exchange real information with real people who understand what we communicate. Technology free us of limitations of course books-as teachers we are always supplementing our lessons with our own material. Technology provides ways to: 1. Increase the foreign language input that learners are exposed to. 2. Enhance the process of how input is converted into intake. Traditional books are limited, they might be boring because of the poor text and images examples, they can weigh a lot-as oxford dictionary which weighs almost 5 kilos and its not a practical dictionary to use as you need to search and keep it behind you. I prefer using online dictionaries where you can instantly find the words you need. When we use a book we cant hear the words spoken, we cannot make associations from the sounds. And we can reach native English speakers very fast by using the internet. So the internet is a very powerful tool is its used wisely.

2. Look at the teacher's role and discuss which one(s) is the most difficult to carry out.

Prof. RADULESCU ANDREEA

The most difficult role to carry out is the organizer- to tell Ss. what they are going to talk about (or read or write about), give clear instructions about what exactly their task is, get the activity going, and then organize feedback when it is over. The success of this depends on good organization and on the students knowing exactly what they are to do.