MODERN TRENDS AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES JOURNAL

Published by American Councils Moldova Chiinu, February 2013

American Councils for International Education Moldova

January 2013 Volume 1

Modern Trends and Resources for Teachers of Foreign Languages Journal

Message from the editing team
Dear readers, We are proud to present American Councils Moldova first Teacher Journal. The publication was conceived to celebrate our 20th anniversary in Moldova and offer Moldovan teachers and university professors the opportunity to learn from our expertise. In 20 years of experience in teaching English, Russian and Romanian and administering exchange such programs as Carnegie, FLEX, LFP, Access and Open World we accumulated valuable teaching techniques the Journal would help sharing with you. The Journal is designed to serve as a practiceoriented quarterly publication for all those involved in the field of teaching English as a foreign language devoted to publishing practical papers in various aspects, fields and scope of the English Language, such as but not limited to teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It encourages a variety of practical cross-disciplinary interests, especially in the following areas: psychology and sociology of language learning and teaching, testing and evaluation, professional preparation, curriculum design and development, instructional methods, materials, and techniques and professional standards. The electronic version of the publication will also be available online. We hope this publication will keep you informed of the most recent in the field of teaching modern languages.
Inside this issue

Reflections on Effective ProjectBased instruction Designing, Evaluation and Implementation

Genul Neutru n viziunea unui vorbitor de rus WebQuests for Business English Teaching Leadership Through Movies (Re)Tired Teacher on Adult Learning & Adult Teaching Creating a Capzles Project Best Moldovan Brands: Facebook Group Project Business Vocabulary Exercises Based on Film Script Youve Got Mail by Nora and Delia Ephron

Authors:
Olga Morozan Cristina Cornovan Daniela Munca-Aftenev Corina Ceban Natalia Alhazov Valeria Guivan Marina Chirnicaia Olga Malcov

Kindest regards, Journal Editing Committee Daniela Munca-Aftenev Dorina Calinovscaia Valeria Guivan Marina Chirnicaia

SECTION 1: METHODOLOGY ARTICLES

1. Reflections on Effective Project-Based instruction Designing, Evaluation and Implementation, Olga Morozan 2. Difficulties of teaching Business Romanian to Russian speakers, Cristina Cornovan 3. WebQuests for Business English classes, Daniela Munca-Aftenev, PhD 4. Teaching leadership through movies, Corina Ceban 5. (Re)tired teacher on adult learning & adult teaching, Natalia Alhazov 6. Designing an ESP course: challenges and outcomes, Valeria Guivan

Modern Trends and Resources for Teachers of Foreign Languages Journal

The first edition of the Journal is dedicated to teaching modern languages for specific purposes, such as Business English and Romanian and teaching to special groups of students, such as adult learners and high school students.

1. Reflections on Effective Project-Based Instruction Designing, Evaluation and Implementation

OLGA MOROZAN, MA, PhD student
The experience as an English teacher and program coordinator of Access Micro-Scholarship Program proved that one of the most efficient and integrative approach in EFL teaching is Project -Based Instruction, meant to engage students in acquiring new knowledge and skills through a meaningful inquiry that leads towards a purposeful research of the real-world. John Thomas (2000) explains that project-based learning requires complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems, that involve students in design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative activities; give students the opportunity to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and culminate in realistic products or presentations. Thus, the students are asked to learn concepts, apply information, and represent knowledge in a variety of ways; collaboration among students, teachers, and others in the community so that participants can learn from one another; and use of cognitive tools that help learners represent ideas by using technology (Marx et. al. , 1994). In this context, the teacher plays the role of a facilitator, working with students to frame worthwhile questions, structuring meaningful tasks, coaching both knowledge development and social skills, and carefully assessing what students have learned from the experience (David, 2008). The personal teaching experience showed that to provide a Project-based Instruction in any level classes requires a good teachers preparation and competence in developing a well-designed and carefully thought project. For this reason, there are have to considered some effective principles to follow in creating, modeling, implementing and evaluating a project, such as: Begin with the end in mind and plan for this end result; Craft the driving question; select and refine a central question; Plan the assessment and define outcomes and assessment criteria; Map the project: Decide how to structure the project; Manage the process: Find tools and strategies for successful projects (Ravitz et al., 2004) According to a group of researchers from The Buck Institute for Education and Boise State University (2008), beginning with the end in mind and planning for this end result improves the ability to plan projects, as well as communicate the purpose and context of a project to students. When students realize the meaning of what they are leaning the instruction becomes more purposeful for each of them, keeping them highly motivated to acquire new skills and achieve goals. Developing a project idea as a teacher, I usually start: 1. Working backward from a topic. Project ideas come from articles, issues, current events, conversations, and wonderment. Often they emerge from discussions between members of a teacher team. Once an idea comes to you, work backwards to shape the idea to meet your curriculum outcomes and standards.

KEY TERMS Project-Based Instruction a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks.

Access Micro-Scholarship Program

a free English teaching program for teenagers from economically Moldova educational project-based disadvantaged on 3 environment of the regions of based approaches: instruction,

content-based instruction and internet-based instruction.. The program is financially supported by US Embassy, Moldova and run by the American Councils, Moldova

www.americancouncils.md/ access/

Sample of a project ideas Project: "Does the Internet Develop Ourselves?" Problem: the risk of internet addiction among adolescents (80% stay online uselessly more than 5 hours per day) Goal: to reduce the Internet addiction by enforcing students awareness about negative and positive impact of the Internet on their personality; and developing digital skills for constructive online activity. Time: 1 month Resources: educational online tools and platforms, 20 students per each site, Flex assistant. Action Plan: 1. Conceptualize the meaning of Internet by creating word clouds on www.wordle.net

2. Using the standards and competences my students have to acquire at the end of course. They represent the indices for projects assessments. 3. Finding projects and ideas on Internet. The following sites usually inspire me in finding original project ideas for any subject and detailed descriptions of successfully implemented projects: http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/e-reading-worksheets/schoolproject-ideas/, http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/ project_ideas.shtml, http://mygreenapple.org/projects, http:// www.gysd.org/ideas, https://education.skype.com/projects, http:// www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/servicelearning/ project_ideas.htm 4. Mapping the community my students live, as outside the classroom lies a multitude of projects. I usually practice involving my students to examine their local community for some project ideas. This can be a very exciting and informative way to begin asking questions and developing project themes. 5. Matching what people do in their daily work. Projects can be modeled on questions and problems people face in their work and day-by-day life, especially relating to students close people. This way, they get interested to have their own contribution to these problems solving. 6. Connecting projects to local and national events; thus developing my students responsibility to have a certain attitude towards a particular event and not being indifferent of what is happening around. 7. Focusing on community service. Authentic projects can be developed easily around community needs. Crafting the driving question is central to the inquiry process which comes before drafting the project activities. It requires multiple activities and the synthesis of different types of information before it can be answered. Although it is usually easier to focus students' attention on a single question, some topics will require multiple Driving Questions. As for me, in formulating the questions I usually ask myself how the studied content relates to real-life situations; thus trying to approach the project idea to authentic domain. Then, I address open questions such as: How could we?, What if?, What are the sources/causes of ?, How different is?, What is the impact of?, What are the possibilities of?, How it could be improved? etc. This way, creating Drafting Questions takes time and careful thought, but often just a simple brainstorming with colleagues could generate a series of good Driving Questions on a particular topic. Planning the assessment in a project is a step that comes before the project begins in the classroom. Good assessment practices mean that students should know exactly what will be required of them, and what criteria will be used to evaluate their performance. They have to address to 3 main questions: 1. How well do the students know the content of the topic of the project? Core content can be assessed in presentations, exhibitions, or through traditional methods, such as tests. Remember, that it is important that students be required to master the conventions, core principles, and vocabulary of a topic. Assessments should be designed to help you find out how well they have done in this important task.

2. How well have they mastered the key skills learned in the project? Teaching skills is central to every good project. But skills cannot be assessed through a paper and pencil testthey need to be demonstrated. Projects should include performance assessments, or rubrics, that measure each skill to be learned in the project. 3. How well did they apply their knowledge and skills as they prepared their products? Projects require students to provide products for assessment, but the process of a project can also be assessed. There are many ways to do this. For example, rubrics can include measures of progress over time or improvement. Students can be required to submit artifacts, such as records of their research efforts or interview notes that document their efforts and progress in a project (The Buck Institute for Education and Boise State University, 2008). To address all these questions I usually prefer developing a balanced assessment plan including multiple formative and summative tasks performed online for recording the evidence of students progress. This way, the traditional activities become more innovative and technically assisted due to the use of WEB 2.0 applications. Additionally, the collaborative character of the online tools make the students interact while expressing their feedback on an online published media file, for example. This way, leaving online comments is an effective method of peer-assessment. Plus, the teacher has the possibility to observe the progress of the person to post the comment and the one who created the media file. Some examples of the online products I used to ask my students to perform while realizing the project are: Written stories, essays, and reports on http://www.readwritethink.org/ files/resources/interactives/essaymap; Posters, brochures on http://www.zoho.com; Crosswords, quizzes, word-finds, cloze sentences and tests on http:// plasq.com/downloads/mac; Their own written scripts and made podcasts on http:// audacity.sourceforge.net; Created digital books on http://www.magmypic.com; Turned photos into virtual tools including interactive maps, images, and comments http://www.mapwing.com; Created funny newspapers on http://www.fodey.com/generators/ newspaper/snippet.asp; Designed new magazine cover on http://bighugelabs.com/magazine.php; Generated word clouds from a provided text on http://www.wordle.net; Converted English text to any several comic dialects on http:// rinkworks.com/dialect; Made movies on http://www.xtranormal.com/makemovies; Designed quizzes on http://www.mystudiyo.com; Created diagrams on http://www.drawanywhere.com; Their own digital stories on http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr; Created timelines and embed into Blogs and Wikis on http:// www.dipity.com, http://www.wikispaces.com; Created cartoons and comics on http://www.toondoo.com/Home.on, http://www.bitstrips.com/landing . (Morozan, 2011) Analyzing instructional needs, planning activities, estimating time, and preparing resources are key tasks in a project. This section represent the mapping of the project.

Sample project ideas Develop online portfolios on www.tumblr.com

Organize a community survey on how different age-group people (children, teens, adults) use Internet in their community, and present the data in a media file published on www.slideshare.net

Analyze the risks of the Internet addiction, and design a commercial on Internet addiction and publish it online on www.youtube.com.

A map helps you identify the requisite skills that your students need to perform, develop the timeline for the project, and gather resources to support critical learning activities in the project (The Buck Institute for Education and Boise State University, 2008). To have a successful project planning it is necessary to: organize tasks and activities; decide how to launch the project; gather all available and necessary resources; and draw the project detailed storyboard. Of course, it should be compulsorily considered the preparations for the needs for differentiated instruction for ESL students, special-needs students, or students with diverse learning styles. Managing a project requires not only to be competent in teaching, but also having strong leadership skills. As a project moderator, I usually have to develop a set a management tools that help me keep the project focused and moving forward. Among multiple tools for project implementation, effective is the students self-reflection rubric/checklist which orients in planning certain activities and analyzing the achieved performance. A good example might serve Student Weekly Planning Sheet, proposed by the experts of The Buck Institute for Education and Boise State University (2008), where students have the possibility to plan for one week activities, products to work on and the investigations to carry out, including people who will help them to achieve that. At the end of the week, they have to write a short paragraph on new things they learnt. To control the whole group participation, a very useful tool for me serves the Group Evaluation Checklist, which provides the information about group members behavior when starting a new task, when conducting research, or when discussing a project work.
Project: Observe a group for five to ten minutes. Check the boxes that best describe group member participation. Agree on an agenda or plan Begin work promptly Get out project materials Figure things out without teacher assistance Group Members: All Most Members Members Date: Some Few MemMembers bers Not Applicable

(Figure 1. Group Evaluation Checklist)

When starting a new task, group members:

Share responsibilities When conducting research, group members: Consult primary sources Take notes Have relevant conversations Evaluate the significance of new information

Stay on task When discussing project work, group members Ask clarifying questions Give each other a chance to speak Make decisions efficiently Record decisions and plans Share essential information Stay on task

This way, receiving a permanent feedback on project implementation through the analysis of self /peer and group observation, supplemented by the upcoming number of expected achievements and project results, it is possible to emerge immediately in challenging situations, assisting and moderating the activity into the right frame and direction. Finally I would like to conclude that for me Project-based Instruction is an intriguing perspective to provoke not only students thinking, but mine as a teacher as well. This is due to the fact that it unconditionally requires to acquire new knowledge and skills and to apply them in a problem-solving context of everyday situations, manifesting critical thinking, originality, imagination and flexibility. References David, J.L. (2008) . Project-Based Learning. Educational Leadership. Volume 65(5): p. 80-82. Marx, R. W., Blumenfeld, P. C., Krajcik, J. S., Blunk, M., Crawford, B., Kelley, B., & Meyer, K. M. (1994). Enacting project-based science: Experiences of four middle grade teachers. Elementary School Journal. 94(5): p. 518. Morozan, O. (2011). Aportul integrarii aplicaiunilor on-line i a inteligenelor multiple n asigurarea calitaii Intruirii Centrate pe Copil n cadrul leciilor de limba engleza. Dimensiuni ale educaiei centrate pe cel ce nva: Din experiena de succes a cadrelor didactice / Univ. de Stat din Moldova, Facultatea de Psihologie i tiine ale Educaiei; coord.: Chicu Valentina; consultant t. principal: Guu Vladimir. Ch. : CEP USM, 265-272. Ravitz, J., Mergendoller, J., Markham, T., Thorsen, C., Rice, K., Snelson, C., & Reberry, S. (2004). Online professional development for project based learning: Pathways to systematic improvement. Association for Educational Communications and Technology Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. The Buck Institute for Education and Boise State University. (2008) . Project-based learning., retrieved from: http://pbl-online.org/default.htm Thomas, J. (2000). A Review of the Research on Project-Based Learning. The Autodesk Foundation.

2. Genul neutru n viziunea unui vorbitor de rus

CRISTINA CORNOVAN
In procesul de studiere a unei limbi straine, dificultaile cu care se confrunta orice persoana in, de obicei, de diferenele dintre limba materna i cea studiata. i acestea sunt identice la toi vorbitorii unei anumite limbi. Numai aa se explica faptul ca cea mai mare parte din greelile comise n procesul de studiu sunt de obicei aceleai, ntr-o proporie considerabila. Modul de percepie a limbii att ca imagine generala, ct i prin prisma unor teme specifice nu se deosebete de la o persoana la alta, indiferent de vrsta, nivel de educaie sau domeniu de activitate. Cnd nsa un student este pus n faa unei teme gramaticale inexistente n limba sa de origine, sarcina devine cu att mai dificila. Dificultatea respectiva este resimita i de profesorul care se pomenete n situaia de a explica un concept care nu exista n limba vorbita de studenii sai. i pentru ca orice profesor de limba romana se va confrunta cu aceste lucruri (ndeosebi n Republica Moldova, unde predarea acestei limbi nu beneficiaza de un sistem integrat), consider importanta mpartairea unei experiene concrete din procesul de predare. Din experiena acumulata am observat ca pentru un vorbitor de rusa este foarte greu sa raspunda la ntrebarea: Ce este genul neutru n limba romana?. Or, pentru a-i putea raspunde la aceasta ntrebare complexa, am structurat o strategie n cinci pai care permite elucidarea treptata a acestui concept: I. Inainte de toate trebuie prezentata paradigma genului neutru, ca un gen care este masculin la singular i feminin la plural i poate fi verificat cu ajutorul numeralului, prin testul un-dou:
Singular Masculin Feminin Neutru un elev o masa un scaun Plural doi elevi doua mese doua scaune KEY TERMS
Genul neutru genul substantivelor care sunt masculine la singular i feminine la plural.

Articolul de faa i propune sa prezinte viziunea vorbitorilor de rusa asupra unei teme gramaticale din limba romana, dar i sa ofere un suport practic profesorului care urmeaza sa o predea. Este vorba de genul neutru. Acesta reprezinta una din temele cele mai dificile pentru un student de nivel ncepator sau elementar. Chiar daca n limba rusa exista conceptul de gen neutru ( ), acesta difera dupa forma (terminaiile) i dupa coninut.

Iar terminaiile genului neutru sunt: - pentru singular, masculine (consoana sau -u); Exemple: telefon, birou, fotoliu etc. pentru plural, feminine (-e, -ii) sau specifice genului neutru plural (-uri); Exemple: telefoane, fotolii, birouri. Prin urmare, tot ce ine de singularul substantivelor neutre va fi de gen masculin, iar ceea ce ine de pluralul acestora, va fi de gen feminin:

articolul hotart. Ex: fularul fularele, liceul liceele, parcul parcurile, etc. adjectivele ce urmeaza dupa substantivele neutre se acorda cu ele n gen i numar. Ex: birou spaios birouri spaioase, palton elegant paltoane elegante etc. adjectivele posesive. Ex: creionul meu creioanele mele, computerul tu computerele tale etc.

II. In al doilea rnd, este nevoie de explicat ce NU ESTE genul neutru: 1. Nu este un gen care fluctueaza de la masculin (sg.) la feminin (pl.), ci este un gen fix, adica neutru prin definiie. 2. 2. Nu are o terminaie aparte prin care poate fi determinat ca gen neutru (cum ar fi n limba rusa ), ci are terminaii masculine la singular (consoana sau -u) i feminine la plural (-e, -uri, -ii). 3. Nu se refera aproape niciodata (excepie facnd unele neologisme) la persoane, ci ntotdeauna la obiecte, lucruri sau concepte abstracte. III. Apoi, este bine de raspuns la ntrebarile de clarificare (mereu aceleai) ale studenilor (sau de anticipat aceste ntrebari):
ntrebare 1. Sunt multe substantive neutre n limba romana? 2. Genul feminin de la singular trece vreodata n masculin la plural? 3. Cum ne dam seama care substantiv e neutru i care e masculin? 4. De unde sa tim cnd la plural este terminaia -e i cnd -uri? Rspuns Da, majoritatea covritoare a substantivelor ce denumesc obiecte i sunt masculine la singular. Nu, niciodata. Genul feminin la singular denota faptul ca substantivul este feminin i la plural. Dar pentru ca majoritatea obiectelor sunt sau feminine sau neutre, pluralul obiectelor din limba romana este preponderent feminin. De cele mai multe ori, daca denumesc o persoana, un animal sau un copac, sunt masculine; restul sunt neutre. Consultam dicionarul explicativ. O sugestie ar fi dicionarul online www.dexonline.ro

IV. Din cauza ca substantivele masculine (la singular) ce denumesc obiecte, de cele mai multe ori sunt feminine la plural (deci neutre), consider ca este mai rezonabil de memorizat o lista cu cele mai uzuale substantive masculine, pentru a evita confuziile. Propun n acest scop urmatoarele substantive masculine ce pot fi confundate cu substantivele neutre: copac, arbust, biscuit, colac, covrig, morcov, cartof, fulg, clopoel, ciorap, pantof, adidas, bocanc, papuc, lap, obraz, umr, sn, cercel, stup, pas, fior, ban, mac, trandafir, ghiocel, bujor, cactus, ciulin, neg, virus, col (dinte), litru, metru, kilometru, codru, cilindru (figura geometrica), parametru, astru etc.

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Substantivele masculine care la singular au terminaia -e (preedinte, frate, dinte, perete, pieptene, cine, burete, nasture, iepure, fluture, etc.) sau -i (ochi, genunchi, ardei, muchi, scai, arici, pui, etc.) nu pot fi niciodata substantive neutre, deci nu risca sa fie confundate cu genul neutru. V. i pentru ca, mai presus de memorizarea unui numar mare de substantive neutre, este nelegerea principiului dupa care acest gen funcioneaza, recomand explicarea logicii care trebuie urmata n procesul de lucru cu cuvintele noi, n vederea eficientizarii acestuia. Ma refer aici la determinarea genului unui substantiv i a formelor corecte de plural. Prin urmare, cnd ntlnim un cuvnt nou, urmam algoritmul de mai jos: Este foarte important de neles i de reinut ca un substantiv neutru, nu are niciodata terminaia -i la plural, n virtutea faptului ca el nu este masculin. Deci, daca am dedus ca substantivul n discuie este neutru, putem evita o greeala comuna comisa de un vorbitor de rusa ce studiaza limba romana: formarea pluralului unui substantiv neutru cu terminaie masculina (doi scauni, doi dulapi etc.).

KEY TERMS

www.dexonline.ro Dicionarul explicativ online al limbii romne

Pe parcursul predarii limbii romane am observat ca genul neutru reprezinta o reala provocare pentru un vorbitor de rusa i chiar multiplele explicaii i repetiii nca multa vreme nu clarifica nelamuririle aparute. Dar de asemenea am constatat ca, printr-un efort individual susinut, cu multa perseverena, acesta poate fi neles i interiorizat. Dar factorul cel mai important ce contribuie la aceasta ramne a fi, totui, practicarea limbii romane vorbite. Cu parere de rau, nsa, n Republica Moldova vorbitorii de limba romana nii comit multe greeli n utilizarea corecta a substantivelor i din aceasta cauza nu pot constitui un model pentru verificarea cunotinelor unei persoane ce studiaza limba romana. De aceea devine necesara clarificarea aspectelor dificile, sistematizarea lor i stabilirea unor repere de ordin teoretic (dar mai ales practic) n procesul de predare, pe de o parte i n cel de nvaare pe de alta. Iar informaia prezentata mai sus este orientata tocmai n aceasta direcie.

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KEY TERMS

WebQuests: an inquiryoriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet.

3. WebQuests for Business English classes

DANIELA MUNCA-AFTENEV
In 2006 the European Parliament and the European Council published a recommendation on eight key competences for lifelong learning [1] which represent a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for personal fulfillment and development, social inclusion, active citizenship and employment. Involving the confident and critical use of information, digital skills refer to basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve, access, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the Internet. I had taught Business English at the American Language Center for over 5 years, mainly working with corporate clients, such as Mobias Banca, JTI Tobacco International, Philip Morris International. My business English students sought to acquire linguistic tools to function in a business setting, which challenged me to take into consideration three important issues: (i) empowering students with the linguistic knowledge and skills that will enable them to use languages to communicate effectively with other business professionals; (ii) preparing students for lifelong and autonomous learning, so that they can cope in a world where communicative situations are constantly changing; (iii) helping students become multi literate, and train them in the active and strategic processes of meaning construction that they will need in order to understand and produce the high variety of texts of society today (including electronic texts). One of the projects I developed for my business students which addressed all three issues above was based on a WebQuest activity requiring them to explore various online sites which publish business news in Moldova, select five which they considered to be the most important for our country, summarize them and create a digital newspaper with an original name. To make their research task easier and help them organize their work within the project, I used Zunal, a web-based software for creating WebQuests in a short time without writing any

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KEY TERMS

Zunal: a web-based software for creating WebQuests in a short time without writing any HTML codes

HTML codes. The platform allowed me to create a step by step guide which included a detailed introduction, task description, resources available for my students, details regarding the evaluation and other useful information, which I shared with them, in one link, using the university group email. WebQuests have proven effective in meeting all the three targets of teaching a foreign language in the 21st century: equipping students with multi linguistic skills, enhancing student autonomy and encouraging strategic thinking. Created by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in February 1995, a WebQuest is defined as an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet [2]. Philip Benz describes a WebQuest as a constructivist approach to learning when students not only collate and organize information they have found on the web, but also orient their activities towards a specific goal they have been given, often associated with one or more roles modeled on adult professions.[3]" A WebQuest can be created in many ways: using a Wiki, a blog, Google Sites, or programming directly with HTML. For university professors not used to handling Web 2.0 tools, using free online software like Zunal would be much more time efficient and user friendly. This tool allows a WebQuest to be created with an unlimited number of pages and an attractive design from 100 available templates. The interactivity and multimedia aspects are provided by the files and videos which you can add from Youtube and GoogleVideos, Google maps and games. Zunal makes it possible to create a Webquest as a test and get a preview before its publication. The creator of a Zunal WebQuest can manage the privacy of its contents, hiding or showing the different pages it contains. When it comes to teaching business English, WebQuests distinguish from other Internet-based research tools by three major characteristics. First, they emphasize higher-order thinking (such as analysis, creativity or criticism) which are as important to business students as linguistic skills. Second, the teacher preselects the sources, emphasizing information processing and use rather than information gathering. Finally, most WebQuests are group-work with the task frequently being split into roles, features which are crucial in language learning. As a rule, a typical WebQuest has six essential parts, each developing a specific linguistic, IT and other valuable skills: introduction, task, process, resources, evaluation, and conclusion. The introduction provides background information and gives meaning to the task. The introduction should have a motivational component to excite the students. Thus, language learning becomes a meaningful process, focusing students attention to the final product of the activity, rather than to the grammatical, lexical or morphological aspect of language instruction so overly used in traditional teaching. The most important part of the WebQuest is the task, which refers to the formal description of what the students will produce in the end. In addition to being meaningful, the task should appeal to students interests, enhance creativity and challenge their critical thinking. Language teachers should invest a considerable amount of effort in creating the task in order to align it to the instructional objectives established by the curriculum. The task is followed by process, which establishes the steps the students should take to accomplish the task followed by a list of resources the students should use. The focus here should be on processing information rather than just locating it. Off-line resources like visiting lecturers, interviewing experts and field trips could

The 8 key competences for lifelong learning published by European Parliament and the European Council:

communication in the mother tongue communication in foreign languages mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology digital competence learning to learn social and civic competences sense of initiative and entrepreneurship cultural awareness and expression

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successfully complement the digital component of the task. The last two steps of the method include a well organized, clear and concise evaluation and conclusion, which is essential for final reflection through group discussion and student feedback [3]. In addition to developing digital skills, as students work with online resources, WebQuests can also work on students linguistic skills. Processing the texts, learning new vocabulary, writing reflective papers and sharing feedback on peer work motivate students to learn a new language from authentic resources, a language which is alive, in action, and relevant to the world outside the classroom. WebQuests do not simply extend students' thinking to the higher levels of Blooms taxonomy, i.e . analysis, synthesis and evaluation and support critical thinking and problem solving through authentic assessment. They are valuable language teaching tools as they foster cooperative learning through collaborative activities with a group project, encourage independent thinking and motivate students to learn language structures actively used in professional networks, reputable publications and real world situations, skills which are so important for content based instruction, including business English. Webquests support most of the eight requisite conditions for successful language learning defined by Egbert et al in 1999 [4]. The last stage of the WebQuest, the evaluation, requires both teachers and students to comment on each others work, suggest improvements and edit the final project to fit the requirements established in the task section, which meets the first condition for successful language learning, which states that learners need to have opportunities to interact and to negotiate meaning [4]. Webquests support most of the eight requisite conditions for successful language learning defined by Egbert et al in 1999 [4]. The last stage of the WebQuest, the evaluation, requires both teachers and students to comment on each others work, suggest improvements and edit the final project to fit the requirements established in the task section, which meets the first condition for successful language learning, which states that learners need to have opportunities to interact and to negotiate meaning [4]. As they require students to work with authentic resources posted online, WebQuests also meet the second and third conditions defined by Egbert et al, according to which learners need to interact in the target language with an authentic audience while involved in authentic tasks. As part of the final stage, students need to submit a project which would be original and individual, thus respecting the fifth condition, which suggests that language learners should be exposed to and encouraged to produce varied and creative language. WebQuests allow students to monitor and plan their own work, which can be accomplished online, while working independently at home or in the library for example, and thus giving them sufficient time and feedback while working in an atmosphere with an ideal stress/anxiety level. Johnson, Johnson and Holubec explained that classroom activities that employ collaborative problem solving seem to have the potential for teaching students how to deal with complex tasks they would encounter in real, adult life outside the classroom [5]. As they require students to work with authentic resources posted online, WebQuests also meet the second and third conditions defined by Egbert et al, according to which learners need to interact in the target language with an authentic audience while involved in authentic tasks.

KEY TERMS

Within the key competences framework developed by the European Council, WebQuests could function as effective teaching tools, as they develop several digital skills included in the basic recommendations: they require students to: - search, collect and process information and use it in a critical and systematic way; - produce, present and understand complex information; - access, search and use Internet-based services; - have a critical and reflective attitude towards available information and a responsible use of the interactive media; - develop an interest in engaging in communities and networks for cultural, social and/or professional purposes.

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As part of the final stage, students need to submit a project which would be original and individual, thus respecting the fifth condition, which suggests that language learners should be exposed to and encouraged to competencies that will be necessary to complete the task, and to consider how they would need to use language in real communication. WebQuests can effectively work as valuable Business English teaching tools as they develop students digital skills and enhance language learning according to the recommendations established by European Council by facilitating many of the key characteristics of second language acquisition, such as authentic input/output, social interaction, creativity and learner autonomy. This qualifies them as powerful Web 2.0 applications which can open up new opportunities in teaching business courses while supporting authentic and varied language interaction in a digital era. References 1. Official Journal of the European Union, L 394/10. (2006). Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning. European Commission, Digital Agenda, Brussels, 31 May 2011. 2. Dodge, B. (1995). Some Thoughts About Webquests. http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/ about_webquests.html 3. Benz, P. (2001). Webquests, a Constructivist Approach. http://www.ardecol.ac-grenoble.fr/ english/tice/enwebquests.htm 4. Egbert, J., C. Chao, and E. Hanson-Smith. (1999). Computer-enhanced language learning environments: An overview. In CALL Environments: Research, Practice, and Ccritical Iissues, ed. J. Egbert and E. Hanson-Smith, 113. Alexandria, VA: TESOL. 5. Chapelle, C. (1998). Multimedia CALL: Lessons to be learned from research on instructed SLA. Language Learning & Technology. 2(1), 21-39. 6. "WebQuests Explanation". Concept to Classroom Workshop: Webquests. Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). Retrieved 13 March 2012.

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4. Teaching leadership through movies

To work, the 21st century skills movement will require keen attention to curriculum, teacher quality, and assessment. A growing number of business leaders, politicians, and educators are united around the idea that students need "21st century skills" to be successful today. It's exciting to believe that we live in times that are so revolutionary that they demand new and different abilities. But in fact, the skills students need in the 21st century are not new. CORINA CEBAN
Movies are a great way to learn about leadership. Movie watching is also a great way to model complex ideas for people who are more visual in their learning preference. Using purposeful viewing, participants can key into leadership behaviors that are both positive and negative. They can reflect on their own reactions to those behaviors and whether the behaviors are conducive to good leadership. Children and adults feel their interest quicken when language is experienced in a lively way through television and video. This combination of moving pictures and sound can present language more comprehensively than any other teaching medium. And more realistically too. [1, p. 3]. Video can present a communicative transaction in its totality. The learners can see the people and the situation (the setting where the interaction is occurring). They can see and hear the attitude of the persons involved (the interlocutors). They can hear the linguistic registers and the appropriateness of the language within the situation. They can appreciate cross-cultural relationships by asking themselves if this piece of business would be conducted in the same way in their country. They will become aware of other cultural aspects, such as the gestures used and the distance maintained between the people involved. It is a replica of natural conversation in the real world. [2, p. 151]. Video is a valuable and possibly underused classroom tool. There is always the temptation to simply put a video on at the end of term and let our students watch a film without even challenging them to be actively involved. Video as a listening tool can enhance the listening experience for our students. We very rarely hear a disembodied voice in real life but as teachers we constantly ask our students to work with recorded conversations of people they never see. This is often necessary in the limited confines of the language school and sometimes justifiable, for example, when we give students telephone practice. However, we can add a whole new dimension to aural practice in the classroom by using video. The setting, action, emotions, gestures, etc, that our students can observe in a video clip, provide an important visual stimulus for language production and practice. The activities involve pre-viewing, while-viewing and post-viewing tasks. Using videos in English class is a very helpful and stimulating method to motivate our students to get the most of the subject. There are many practical reasons and interesting ways of approaching this method. As technology develops, written materials tend to get ever less popular for learning foreign languages. People seem to no longer find pleasure in reading books. The art of applying the new technology to practical language learning problems may be very well demonstrated during the lessons with rewarding and motivating results.

Leadership is the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it." Warren Bennis

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As teachers agree, both songs and videos play an important part in teaching and learning a foreign language, as they employ real-life situations with real-life expressions and other particularities [5]. The main difference between songs and videos is that in the latter, there is another sense involved: that of seeing. However, simply watching TV does not account for too good a means to teach English, because it's all there, the pictures, the characters, the script, leaving very little left for our imagination. There are plenty of ideas to use when trying to teach English and leadership with the help of videos. Before watching a movie it is useful to play with imagination. One suggestion might be to turn off the sound and ask students to make up a dialog from a scene they've just watched. Another idea would be to simply let just a part of the class watch a small part of the movie, then have them describe to the others what they've seen and understood. The teacher can also freeze certain moments of the video, by watching and pausing at very exciting moments, then ask students to predict what may happen next. The main functions of using videos during the English classes are that of motivating and helping students to understand this language, but still, there are some rules to follow in order to get good results. First of all, the movie part or video should not be longer than 5 minutes, in order to help them understand properly what it is about and what their tasks are. Secondly, it is advisable to make a correct prediction of the time students might take to perform the tasks. Thirdly, one should also mind the context in which the video is used, the video should be part of the whole lesson management. An essential element is to have a clear aim for using the video and also to be able to understand students' needs like: vocabulary explanations, guessing words from context or from using gestures and facial expressions. Undoubtedly, the teacher has some responsibilities: To view the movie/video before attempting to use it. To pinpoint the purposes of using movie/video. Will it be to help the learners repeat the language, imitate the language and gestures, or predict what may happen next. To collect appropriate movie/video. To think how to teach the English language in an interesting way, not boring. To know the level of the students. Purpose of this kind of activities: Active viewing - active involvement. Vocabulary - vocabulary development and review. Grammar - grammar presentation and review. Pronunciation - activities focusing on sounds, stress and intonation. Listening/speaking skills - viewing comprehension, listening, oral composition, speaking and discussion. Reading/writing skills - reading, note-taking and written composition. Cross-cultural concerns - cultural awareness and cross-cultural comparison [3,4].

KEY TERMS Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Effective leadership is based upon ideas, but won't happen unless those ideas can be communicated to others in a way that engages them.

List Of Leadership Movies The Pursuit of Happyness The pursuit of happy-ness is a story about a mans fight from survival all the way to financial and career success. Braveheart Braveheart is a classic movie by Mel Gibson about how William Wallace of Scotland rallied his men to fight for freedom from the oppression of the English invaders.

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 Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of Heaven is one of my favorite movies of all time. Its a story of a nobody who had done wrong in the past but eventually became a great general who defended the state of Jerusalem against the Muslims. The Thin Red Line The Thin Red Line is an academy award winning movie which is about the horrors of war and mans pursuit of beauty, paradise and peace in a world of chaos. Saving Private Ryan This movie is another academy award winning war movie which is about the D-Day invasion of France. It's a great story about brotherhood, sacrifice and leadership in action. Forrest Gump Forrest Gump is a powerful movie about the simplicity of life and how one man can achieve great things just by being himself. Beautiful story to teach people integrity and about being yourself. The Star Wars Trilogy Star Wars is an award winning movie trilogy that was won critical acclaim and a huge following since its release in the mid 1900s. Learn about the principles of life through the messages hidden in the life of the Jedi. The Million Dollar Baby The Million Dollar Baby is a story of a young girl with a big dream to become a professional boxer. Follow her story and learn the importance of persistence and hunger as key to success. Twelve Angry Men Twelve Angry men is a simple but powerful leadership movie about influence. This award winning film is set in a jury room where one man's doubt about a case eventually swings the decision of a whole room of men. The Last Samurai The Last Samurai is a 2003 drama film/ war film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by John Logan. Its a beautiful story of courage, truth and justice in a world of greed and corruption.

This generation of students is not getting its information from text, so assigning an article or asking students to read a handout is a hard lesson. Movies can teach students a lot about leadership because they can give students concrete models of behavior for observation and discussion. Movie houses love strong leaders because they can tell great stories, so it is interesting to see how students respond to a leadership portrayal. It is also valuable in using the movies listed to discover what the students think about what is reality. When using a film, the teacher has to set the expectations at the beginning and resist any requests to watch a movie with educational value [3]. The experience of watching the film expands horizons, teaches something important, or raises interesting questions. The teacher should not spend more than ten minutes introducing the movie. Students will be drawn into the film; movies that involve children or young adults are favored by students. Most of the class has not seen the film, unless the teacher can show students how to look at the movie in a new way that teaches something about the subject of the class or about life and while there are usually no assignments with films, there can be spirited class discussions afterwards. This article was designed to acquaint the teachers/instructors with the potential value and uses of video/ movies in the classroom. Movies are a major resource for teaching the Net Generation and for drawing on their multiple intelligences and learning styles to increase the success of every student. There is a match between the media and the students intelligences [2, p. 102]. The research on videos and multimedia learning provides an empirical foundation for their use in teaching, especially with introductory courses and novice learners, to increase memory, comprehension, understanding, and deeper learning. It was also clear that additional evidence needs to be collected in all disciplines to support the various uses of video clips in college teaching. Examples of research in a variety of content areas were identified. The technology requirements and the sources for selecting appropriate videos were also described. You only have to decide how you want to use the videos and where and when to embed them. Gradually, you will accumulate your own pool for use semester after semester. Draw on your creativity, imagination, and artistic gifts in applying these clips and those of your own choosing to your teaching. That will inevitably make the greatest difference in your classroom. I challenge all instructors to incorporate video in their teaching and conduct classroom research on the effectiveness of the techniques they use. The movies can add a dimension to teaching that may change how you teach forever; your view of teaching and your students will never be the same. In the years to come, maybe, just maybe, students will request DVDs of your classes to download onto their iPhones and PCs. Then they can play and relive those magical teaching moments.

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References Stempleski, S., & Tomalin, B. (1990). Video in action. New York: Prentice Hall. Finocchiaro, M. (1989). English as a second foreign language: Making effective use of video. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents. Real English: Our ESL/EFL video and CD-ROM methods. Retrieved November 15, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http:// www.realenglish.tm.fr/videos.html Dave's ESL Cafe: Idea cookbook: Video. Retrieved November 15, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/sefer.cgi? Video: Englishclub: Teacher's room: Teacher's workshop: Using video in the EFL/ ESLclassroom. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.englishclub.net/teachers/workshop/video.htm Video rising on line: Using video to teach the four skills. Retrieved November 19, 2000 from World Wide Web: http:// www.members.tripod.com/~jalt_video/vr_OtOg.htm

Ip Man This a story of Wing Chun Grandmaster Ip Man who stands up for what he believes in against its Japanese oppressors and how he ultimately rallies his townsfolk behind him. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe This movie is about how the four Pevensie children discover the magical world of Narnia through a wardrobe. They go on to join in the adventure with Narnia to battle the evil reign of the White Witch. 300 300 is adapted from the historical Battle of Thermopylae where 300 men from the Spartan elite army held off a million advancing Persian forces at a choke point at Thermopylae Pass. Lion King Lion King is a beautiful story of the lion Simba and his journey to kingship, based on the Biblical story of Moses. It takes place in the animal kingdom of Africa. Facing the Giants Facing the Giants is a Christian movie about how an average underdog team's road to victory was paved by the coach's conversion to Christ. The Blind Side The Blind side is based on the true story of how Michael Oher, an NFL player, was discovered by his adopted mother and groomed to become one of the best football players in his high school. Remember the Titans Remember the Titans is an inspirational story about a black and a white coach overcame racial segregation within the football team to achieve triumph in the competition.

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5. (Re)Tired teacher on adult learning & adult teaching

NATALIA ALHAZOV, PhD
When a teacher reaches a certain age, she has more time and inclination for metacognition and introspection. Moreover, she may fall into a habit of pondering on what, why and how she has been doing in the classroom and formulating some tips for herself and others ready to take them. Over four years I have been teaching business English at one of major banks in Moldova to individual and group corporate clients certainly, adult language learners. This practice yielded multifarious experience and multiple thoughts that I would like to sort and share within the framework of this article. An attempt is being made to place some of the ideas on adult language learning and teaching into the context of (1) formal vs. informal education; (2) teacher-centered vs. student-centered instruction; (3) grammartranslation, audio-lingual, and communicative method; (4) content-based and task-based instruction; (5) interactive and collaborative learning; (6) knowledge acquisition vs. skill development; and especially (7) pedagogy vs. andragogy. Being university graduates, practically all my adult learners went through the system of formal, mostly traditional instruction. They received secondary and higher education at the time when memorization, taking notes and reproduction were the three supporting pillars of studies. Lecturers used to provide necessary information, a typical pattern of teacher-centered lesson being Presentation Practice (Re)production. Teaching and learning were more about acquiring knowledge than developing skills. Therefore, elements of informal learning with relaxed atmosphere when everybody is an equal participant are often perceived as a childish game, but not proper study. At the initial stage, there is a certain suspicion on the part of adult learners to less traditional teaching, which is suspected as not serious enough, especially if the instructor is young. However, life proves that students get knowledge and skills better not only by receiving information from the teacher, but also by using critical thinking, i.e. through "the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action"[9]. The latter communication - is both the means and the final goal of study (communicative/ interactive approach) [2]. Thus, after a hectic working day role play, various competitions, debates, and other interactive activities are accepted, though doubted at the beginning. Informality gradually finds its way and appreciation (We get only about 25 percent or less of what we use in our jobs through formal learning) [4]. Here the golden rule of moderate novelty advocated by Howard Gardner in his Multiple Intelligences [3] is applicable and appropriate. Student-centered teaching meets the needs of adult participants who get an opportunity to shine when each of them can, depending on their individual language ability, life experience, sociability level, temperament and reaction, mood and wish.

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Andragogy started in Europe in 1950's, and then developed into a theory in 1970's mostly by Malcolm Knowles, the actual father of androgogy/andragogy [6]. He proposed five key factors involved in adult learning - the five assumptions describing the adult learner as someone who: has an independent self-concept and who can direct his or her own learning has accumulated a reservoir of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning has learning needs closely related to changing social roles is problem-centered and interested in immediate application of knowledge is motivated to learn by internal rather than external factors These assumptions laid the foundation for the theory of andragogy and its principles.

Talking of mood and wish, banking professionals are primarily comprehension-oriented: they are happy or worried if they understand or dont while hearing or reading English. Initially they have a strong impulse to translate every word and stop functioning if they stumble over an unknown word result of their previous learning by means of grammar-translation method. At the beginning of the course their production and pronunciation are pretty poor due to not being exposed to audio-lingual method, due to scarce international communication and - even more - due to studying as a foreign language at school French and not English. By the way, proficiency in French and Romanian are very helpful because up to 75% of the word-stock in English are Romance borrowings. My adult students like using communicative language teaching - the younger, the better, as the subject of general business is mostly familiar and they can try and express their opinion. The course taught at the bank is business English and, therefore, it is content-based [10] by definition and involves a lot of problem solving and task-based instruction [10]. The latter is much more effectively carried out in small groups than individually. In a democratic classroom opinions are manifested and solutions are found in the process of interactive and collaborative learning; which is a better environment for active classroom behavior. Interaction creates a sense of community and team spirit among peers, facilitates developing multiple learning abilities. Pair work, small group activities, team competition are indispensable in problem solving and assessment activities. The instructor coaches students to facilitate their learning by designing experiences through which students not only acquire knowledge but also develop skills. The role of active involvement is hard to overestimate. As a Chinese proverb says, "Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand." Developing communication skills is the principal goal of teaching our corporate clients, adult learners of English. In this connection, let us turn to andragogy a study of adult learning (to be contrasted to pedagogy - the science and art of education in general). Let us see how they were developed [8] and adapted to demonstrate the specifics of adult learning in terms of the agents characteristics, experience, and attitude to learning: 1. The Learner: a) The learner is self-directed. b) The learner is responsible for his/her own learning. c) Self-evaluation is characteristic of this approach. 2. 2. Role of the Learners Experience: a) The learner brings a great volume and quality of experience. b) Adults are a rich resource for one another. c) Different experiences assure diversity in the group. 3. Readiness to Learn: a) A change triggers readiness to learn. b) They need to know in order to perform more effectively. c) Ability to assess gaps between the present and desired position is there.

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4. Orientation to Learning: a) Learners want to perform a task, solve a problem in order to live in a more satisfying way. b) Learning must have relevance to real-life tasks. c) Learning is organized around life/ work situations rather than subject matter units. 5. Motivation for Learning: a) Dominance of internal motivators: self-esteem, recognition, self-confidence, and self-actualization. b) Some external motivators: increase quality of life. My practice of teaching banking staff mostly proves the above theory. Though no generalization is fully true, adults have reasons for resuming studies, and in our case it may be: 1. Snatching the opportunity to develop English language skills when the course is financed by the administration - economical reason 2. Professional and personal growth, striving for progress/promotion in a current position, developing foreign language skills career reason 3. Retraining to change a work place in the future back-up plan 4. Acquiring self-esteem - I passed a selection and I can communicate with English speakers - ex-pat colleagues, family members and acquaintances. 5. Building confidence and responding to a challenge I made it! 6. Welcoming informal communication: meeting people from various departments, of different age and gender, changing activity as recreation - enjoyable pastime 7. Getting a certificate official acknowledgement The process viewed by a grown-up student as adult learning in the classroom facilitated by an instructor is perceived by the latter as adult teaching. What should you as a teacher expect in an adult classroom [1] and what should be taken into account to meet expectations of adult learners? Here are several keys and teacher tips to keep in mind when instructing adults: 1. Adult classrooms may present great diversity. Be prepared for diversity of cultural background, age, past formal education, previous exposure to English, life experiences, and current life situations. (First, this diversity prompts the multi-level class strategy with giving optional additional tasks: some may be under-challenged, while others overworried by not coping with teachers requirements and even drop out. Second, everybody should get a chance to have a say and the shy ones should be stimulated to participate. Use pair work as much as possible, because it is easier to say something personal and sensitive to a neighbor than to the whole class. Third, adapt your teaching style and modify it if needed. Always have a lesson plan, but be ready to change it to plan B, depending on who comes, who is absent, how prepared/ tired they are.)

KEY TERMS

Besides positive motivation, adult learners suffer certain inconveniences, such as: 1. Lack of time for study because of working long hours and having family responsibilities 2. Contract condition: failing to pass the exit exam or leaving the job one pays back the course cost 3. Boss vs. subordinate psychological syndrome: I am the boss and have to be the best in the group and I dont dare to be better than my boss 4. Peer pressure and kid pressure: If others manage (my group mates, my (grand) children), I must manage it too, To keep the face I may try to cheat if I can 5. Evening time away from home and family: unsocial hours 6. Moments of despair: Im too old to do it 7. The noisy and arrogant dominate in class and the quiet and polite feel unhappy

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2. Adults respond well to knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers. You must be comfortable with the subject matter you are teaching and communicate enthusiasm for the content and your role as a teacher. This will help you gain respect. If a student asks a question which you cannot answer, do not be afraid to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out for you." (Firstly, they are certain to appreciate your language proficiency, erudite knowledge and skillful methods. However, give them a chance to teach you their professional subjects business, finance, management, marketing, etc. Do not hesitate to appeal to them for qualified help. Teach not to the students but rather with them. Secondly, even in a democratic class the leading role is yours. We are considering the group study and, therefore, independence of the learner is relative. Though the learners needs are taken into account while creating the curriculum, in the process of studies participants are functioning within its framework. Being self-guided, they decide to do or not do (home work), which class to attend and which not, to complete optional tasks or not, etc.; thus, regular tests are necessary to revise what was not digested or missed, sending e-mail messages to the group gives them a possibility to be informed about every class and come prepared next time.) 3. Adults need a comfortable and safe learning atmosphere. Trial and error should be encouraged in language learning. Adults will take more risks in an environment where it is safe to make mistakes without embarrassment. You may want to minimize asking students to stand in front of the group to speak. (Be always ready with friendly attitude and timely encouragement as there is never too much of it. Have a part of your class time as informal. Be a good listener. Using first names and remembering personal details about every student helps building a rapport and making relations personalized. The teacher should always find something to praise every student for. In assessing quizzes and tests it may be better to use percentage than grades 75% is a pass.) 4. Adult learning is transformative and educational. Learning in childhood is said to be formative, when skills and concepts are developed for the first time. Adults, on the other hand, are extending and refining their knowledge based on existing knowledge and beliefs. They are changed or transformed by learning experiences. (Teach them not only English, but also culture (of English speaking countries) language through culture. Let them compare, contrast, make conclusions; go from individual facts to generalization. Provide them with the right information as well as resources. Moreover, help them develop humane attitude and relationship, though do not treat them like children.) 5. Adults need repeated practice of a concept or a skill. Adults need patience and repetition to solidify new language concepts or skills. If they have already developed bad habits with English errors, these will take time and effort to break. Adults also tend to have a lot on their minds and limited time to practice English. (Firstly, distinguish between mistakes and errors, correcting only the latter. Do not interrupt speaking and postpone correction. Never say, I told you about it a hundred times, but say it patiently again and wait for the bulb to light; it will finally pay off. Secondly, in adult learning and teaching students self-evaluation is vital. To help make it more objective, the teacher should provide control of the learners progress and they can interpret it horizontally (compared to peers) and vertically (monitoring own dynamics). Trust but verify, the saying goes.) 6. Adults learn well with question asking and answering, problem finding and solving. These activities require mature thought processes which stimulate and motivate adult minds. (Make sure they know how to build questions and provide grammar correction, but do not nip in the bud their curiosity. Stimulate it and reward. Readdress the questions to the group for collective discussion. Refer them to other sources, but check next time how they did it.) 7. Adults want practical contexts simulating real life. The more relevant and useful the subject matter, the more motivated your learners will be. Adults enjoy materials that relate to their personal experiences and interests, and they want to be able to apply what they are learning in the real world. (Doing case studies is a perfect teaching activity for adults. We use relevant cases and adapt them to everyday bank reality. Personalize as much as possible. Turn everything into a discussion and pump for the participants experience and opinions.)

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Thus, adult learners benefit by content-based and task-based instruction that is student-centered and performed by means of communicative method making it interactive and collaborative. The outcome is not mere knowledge acquisition but skill development. Remember that your adult students need to have a safe and friendly learning environment, be respected and heard, be challenged and engaged in their studies, see the relevance and immediate usefulness of the learning.

References Adult classroom. Retrieved January 3, 2013 from http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/esl/ adults.cfm Brown, H. D. (1994). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. Grebow, D. At the Water Cooler of Learning. Retrieved January 3, 2013 from http:// agelesslearner.com/articles/watercooler_dgrebow_tc600.html Harmer, Jeremy. (1998). How to Teach English. England: Addison Wesley Longman Ltd. Knowles, M.S. (1970). The modern practice of adult education: Androgogy versus pedagogy. New York: New York Association Press. Merriam, S. B. (2001). Something Old, Something New: Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century. NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, Volume 2001, Issue 89, Pages: 9396. Pedagogy vs. Andragogy. Retrieved January 3, 2013 from http://www.floridatechnet.org/inservice/abe/abestudent/andravsped.pdf Scriven, M., and Paul, R.W. (1987). Critical Thinking as Defined by the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking. Retrieved January 3, 2013 from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/ defining-critical-thinking/766 Stryker, Stephen B. and Leaver, Betty Lou. (1997). Content-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education: Models and Methods. Washington: Georgetown University Press.

I keep six honest serving men ( They taught me all I knew) Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who. Rudyard Kipling

KEY TERMS ESPEnglish for Specific Purposes is a sphere of teaching English language including Business English, Technical English, Scientific English, English for medical professionals, English for waiters, English for tourism, English for Art Purposes, etc. ESP can be also considered as an avatar of language for specific purposes.

Designing and ESP Course: challenges and outcomes

VALERIA GUIVAN A few years ago I was given to teach an ESP (English for Specific Purposes) course for the employees of the International Relations Department of the Chisinau City Hall . Prior to that I had taught Legal English and Business English for companies, but the experience with the City Hall group turned out to be a unique one. There were a lot of materials they wanted to read and use in class, but no appropriate textbooks. Having finished the course I gained a lot of experience in terms of course tailoring to clients needs. This article reflects some of the teaching tips I in the area of ESP teaching, and course design. Everything I have learnt while working on various ESP courses along my career was by crashing around, making a lot of mistakes and learning from other people. In fact, all our English instructors from the American Language Centre are representatives of that brave group of teachers who expose themselves to the risk of humiliation and trauma by sometimes teaching the subjects that no one else wants to teach. I shall start with identifying the steps necessary in any ESP course shaping. In my experience the first and one of the most important things to do was to carry out a need analysis. It is normally more comprehensive than a simple pre-course questionnaire for General English and includes many relevant details about the target learners and their needs and wants. If a needs analysis for each and every learner is conducted well, then the chances of delivering a quality ESP course that will satisfy its participants are very high. There are many vital questions that an ESP teacher may need to ask to deliver a coursed signed according to the preferences of the learners. I worked out a checklist of 9 basic question sets to be included in a good needs analysis: Am I expected to deliver a tailor-made ESP course or can I adapt or modify an existing course? Who are the learners in my ESP group? Are they university students or a group of professionals employed by a specialist company? Where do they come from? How much information do I have about their age, qualifications and experience? Are they paying for the course themselves or are they being sponsored by their employer? If they are being sponsored, the needs analysis will need to include the expectations of both the learners and their employers. Do the learners in my group expect to be consulted in the process of the syllabus design (in which case the final course will be delivered through syllabus negotiation) or will they delegate this task to me in the hope that I get it right for them? Are my ESP learners homogenous in their skills or are they a mixed ability group? Does any member have a spiky profile (i.e. different levels of ability and performance in speaking, writing, reading, and listening)? Are the learners self-aware enough to inform me of this in the needs analysis questionnaire?

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I entitled the ESP course International Relations through news. The beginning went well. Having conducted needs assessment I sadly realized that my learners have very specific needs that cannot be met by using a single course book, thus I had to mix and match materials from several courses using a blended learning platform (such as www.english360.com/StudyEnglishNews.com/earningenglish.voanews.com/ BBClearningEnglish/BreakingNewsEnglish etc.). This also illustrates a common feature of ESP courses: that they are often taught in a blended environment or online.

KEY TERMS

So, selecting the materials for your ESP classes you have to be sure that they cover your learners needs: listening exercises of realistic situational dialogues in which professionals are doing their job, not just interviews with people about their jobs; step-by-step guidance for learners on how to cope in similar situations and role-plays to practice those skills what to say and how to act; authentic texts that represent the types of documents that your learners will need to read and write in their jobs and which they are likely to have problems with; guidance on how to use the model texts to inform the learners own writing. a grammar syllabus, which may come from a separate book lists of vocabulary, which may come from online or printed dictionaries; newspaper articles, which may come from online news sites, etc. And do not forget that the sources of your materials must be crediblethats crucial. Asking myself How can I teach professional communication skills? which I consider to be one of the major aims of my ESP course, I thought Ill succeed by creating an atmosphere in the classroom which is conductive to learning and teaching (in other words, applying the humanistic principle of caring and sharing)

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 by setting a memorable context, with meaningful activities and authentic activities to enhance learning by applying a judicious mix of activities and techniques (depending on the level of the learners), e.g. information gap, opinion gap, role play, drilling, find someone who, pair work, group work, project work to mention but a few by providing learners with meaningful models of good practice to emulate (e.g. TV or radio footage, workplace written correspondence and archived documentation) by identifying and reinforcing aspects of communication most relevant for a particular profession (e.g. identifying the kind of language used in professional communication internationally among diplomats and officials). I tried to follow these points throughout the course and it really worked. Another challenge to face was how to evaluate the learners? This all depends on your aims for the course, which in turn goes back to your original needs analysis. With some ESP courses, the aims are subjective and learner-led, so in many ways the assessment is related to their performance in the workplace: Do they feel better able to perform in the situations that they identified at the start of the course as their needs? Have they learnt useful skills and language that they can use in their work? Are they more confident or sophisticated in their use of English at work? If you need to provide an assessment of progress, or if you feel it would motivate your learners to study harder, here are some ideas which I used to test how much they had learnt throughout the course as continuous assessment: choose some of the situations identified as priorities in the needs analysis, and ask learners to perform a role play or simulation of that situation (in a role play, learners play a character, in a simulation, learners are themselves in an imaginary situation). Examples would include some officials negotiations, diplomats meetings etc. Make sure all learners have a chance to play their own part and only assess them on that part of their performance. set regular writing assignments during the course, designed to simulate the type of writing the learners will have to do in their jobs, and assess them on such criteria as professionalism, successful communication and impact on the target reader. keep a note of vocabulary covered during the course, and come back to it at the end with a matching task (words to definitions), gap-fill (fill in the blanks) or sorting exercise. keep a note also of other important language topics covered during the course, including grammar structures, dependent prepositions, writing techniques and useful phrases. So if you try to follow everything I have touched upon in this article then your ESP course wont be less successful than mine. On top of this I clearly understood that an ESP teacher does not need to know an ESP topic very well to begin with. What is desirable is an interest in, and at times a passion for, a particular subject or discipline, and then the hands -on knowledge will be picked up as you go along. Some teachers of our centre say that during their ESP course they have become so familiar with certain areas that they almost feel as if their knowledge is as good as that of the clients they teach!

KEY TERMS

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SECTION 2: LESSON PLANS

1. Creating a Capzles Project, Olga Malcov 2. Best Moldovan Brands: Facebook Group Project for Business English intermediate level, Daniela Munca-Aftenev, PhD 3. Business Vocabulary Exercises Based on Film Script Youve Got Mail by Nora and Delia Ephron, Marina Chirnitcaia

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Creating a Capzles Project

OLGA MALCOV
Last semester I taught a Pre-Intermediate Conversation group of teenagers at the ALC -American Language Center, Chisinau. Unfortunately the book didnt give my students the whole range of necessary skills and knowledge to open their possibilities and to enhance their vocabulary. My students were very active and wanted something fresh because they were dealing with new technologies every day. They motivated me to use all possible Internet resources and online games, movies and etc. Ive noticed that their writing and speaking skills have improved a lot. So I decided to develop a lesson plan for the next semester that will include students projects dealing with slideshows, voice, presentations, videos, pictures. I wanted to integrate these tools and automatically save the projects online for further activities. Usually I have not more then 7-8 students in class so we have possibility to watch each presentation and to discuss it at the final lesson. For the end of the semester my students will have to work on an individual Capzles project requiring them to: Choose a topic related to the given theme that they found particularly challenging or interesting Research on that topic and put together a file of pictures, videos, quotes, etc. Create a Capzles and save it online Share the project with the rest of the class Watch each others projects and post comments.

Introduction:
Lesson plan

background Objectives

Teacher

General outline

of the Students Projects

Class description

Pre- Intermediate level ESL students Students familiar with word-processing, word editing, Google or Yahoo search engines, website access & pictures and sound recording and downloading. Class size: 7-8 Age: 18-20 years old Students personal portfolios with materials they research on a particular topic and save in different formats Computer needs: PC lab with internet access, microphones, and cell phones. To develop students Web navigation skills, requiring them to research on various authentic sources and put together a project. To motivate personal work and to raise the competitive feeling in them to finish their projects) To motivate SS collaboration, both in class and online (the students have to watch other projects and make appropriate comments and recommendations). To develop students critical thinking required to select, organize and present relevant materials for their project. To improve students writing and speaking skills, to try to rouse their imagination.

Materials required

Language objectives

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 To increase students awareness of effective web-based tools they can

Computer literacy objectives

use to improve their reading and writing skills (online dictionaries, interactive websites, online quizzes, games, videos, etc). To develop students basic research skills and encourage them to use the Web as an authentic reference. To develop students authorship skills, as they will have to create and save online a project available to a wider audience. 1. The EFL students choose a topic they want to research on. 2. The students navigate the Web and put together a file with relevant materials: word documents, videos, pictures, screen captures, etc.

Procedures

Closure Conclusions and Reflections

3. The students edit the information they put together in the project files. 4. The students work in group to decide on a project plan: what to start with, what the order of the slides should be, what to include and what to delete from the project, how to add music and text to the slides, etc. 5. The students create an original presentation and save it at the beginning in their own Capzles account and then online in the intentionally created Blog 6. The students watch each others presentations and add voice and text comments and recommendations. 7. The EFL students present their project to the rest of the class. 8. They analyze all the projects and decide which ones: Were the best organized Were the most creative Provided the best materials 7. The students go back to their projects, read and listen to the comments and constantly update, edit and improve their projects.

Procedures: a). The Instructor demonstrates how Capzles works.

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b). The students explore some of the

Capzles projects available online.

c). The instructor guides the students through step-by-step instructions on how to create a Capzles project.

Tasks:
The EFL students have 2 weeks to work on their projects. During the first week they identify the

band or a singer they want to present and research the web for relevant materials: general information, videos, pictures, albums etc. They think how they will organize their presentation, what kind of videos or photos they would like to include, what kind of information will be the most interesting for the other SS, what are the recent gossips are connected to their band or singer. During the second week they create an original Capzles project reflecting their personal approach to the topic and share it with the rest of the class. They watch each others presentations and leave written comments. Conclusion: Introducing this project in my Pre-Intermediate EFL class I hope to accomplish the following objectives:

To develop my EFL students writing and speaking skills and to get to know them with other music styles and new music trends. To encourage my EFL students to continue learning outside the class by involving them in exciting, authentic projects, like Capzles. To develop in every student abilities of Surfing the Net and finding relevant, authentic learning environments To support students creativity while researching on a specific topic (grammatical or lexical): the students have to create their own presentation reflecting proper point of view on the topic. To develop students critical thinking, as they have to evaluate each others projects.

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Best Moldovan Brands: Facebook Group Project for Business English intermediate level
DANIELA MUNCA-AFTENEV, PhD Title of lesson: Best Moldovan Brands: Facebook Group Project Business English intermediate upper-intermediate Purpose: This is an integrated skills lesson which involves online research, group discussion, reading, writing and publishing materials online. It explores the area of 'brands' and the associations we have with particular brand names. During this lesson students will explore Brest Moldovan Brands of 2012 selected as part of the Trademark of the Year competition organized by Moldovan Chamber of Commerce, rank their favorite brand names and discuss what they like/dislike about them. They will analyze Moldovan brands advantages and disadvantages, read and discuss the information from the contest official webpage, complete related vocabulary building exercises. Lastly students will predict best Moldovan brands of 2013 and elaborate a press release on the topic which they will post on American Language Center Facebook webpage . Learning outcome (s): By the end of the lesson the students will be able to explore Moldovan brand market in 2012, discuss brands advantages and disadvantages, critique various methods to analyze brand effectiveness and write a press release based on their prediction of best Moldovan brands in 2013. All tasks, activities and student work will be posted on the American Language Center Facebook subpage created by the instructor (sample webpage 1). Bridge-in / Warm-up / Ice-breaking activities (focus student attention) Students will work in teams to brainstorm best Moldovan brands The instructor will give students a list of brand mottos and the students will guess the brand (Handout 1) Students will learn the vocabulary from http://www.englishclub.com/business-english/ vocabulary_marketing.htm (Handout 2) Pre-test / Brainstorming / Introduction (activate and diagnose prior knowledge) Students visit the competition webpage Gold Mercuty (Marca commercial a anului) and name the category the following brands won in (Sample webpage 3): - FLORIS sunflower oil - Niagara fitness club - GreenHills Market - MoldTelecom - Banca de Economii - Grand Hall - Tricon - FRIGO

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Input from you / Teacher activities The instructor helps the students navigate around the website, find the right information and guides students on how to use the online dictionary. The instructor will explain what a press release is and will ask students to create one based on their prediction of Best Moldovan Brands of 2013 at the end of the lesson.

Guided practice / Student activities Reading activity (Sample webpage 4): 2) Read the article on the 2011 Trademark of the Year Competition posted on ALLMOLOVA and answer the questions below: a) Who is Marian Petrova? b)How many files have been analyzed in the period from 19 till 25 of January? c)How many nominations does the competition include? d) When did the formal awarding ceremony of the competition take place? e) Whose initiative was it to establish the Trademark of 2011? f) What does the competition promote? g) What does the participation in the competition allow? h) What does AGEPI tell us about the international trade marks in Moldova? Vocabulary activity: Students work in teams to select new business words and expressions and then use an online dictionary to learn their meaning. They create business vocabulary flashcards which include the English word, its pronunciation, explanation, a sample context and an image to go with. (See sample student work 1) .

Closure: Students discuss the winners in each category and propose their own winners when they disagree with the jury Students suggest improvements in competition rules and judging procedures and create Best Moldovan Brands of 2013 prediction Students exchange vocabulary flashcards among teams and learn new words. Check for understanding: Students have to create a 250 word press release on their predictions regarding Best Moldovan Brands of 2013 The release will have to incorporate at least 5 new vocabulary words from their flashcards or from warm up exercises

Assessment: The instructor will work individually with each student to discuss the press release: content, vocabulary used, grammar and spelling. Follow-up : Students place their press on the American Language Center Facebook subpage and choose two other that they most agree with or find most convincing. They post comments on each other posts, agree or disagree with the predictions, suggest additional changes to the releases.

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Handout 1

Handout 2

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Sustainable business (s -st n -b l) an enterprise to be that has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy

Example: Business sustainability is often defined as managing

the triple bottom line - a process by which firms manage their financial, social and environmental risks, obligations and opportunities. These three impacts are sometimes referred to as profits, people and planet.

Webpage 1

Webpage 2

Webpage 3

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Business Vocabulary Exercises Based on Film Script Youve Got Mail by Nora and Delia Ephron
MARINA CHIRNICAIA
Since we live in an image-dominated culture, teachers often use films and short videos to accomplish various instructional objectives. [1; 52-53] Video material offers background information that activates prior knowledge and schemata, and also integrates the four skills. [2; 161-162] You've Got Mail is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The film is about two e-mailing lovers who are completely unaware that their sweetheart is, in fact, a person with whom they share a degree of animosity. [3] The most frequent vocabulary area in the script that has been detected is business. The suggested level is pre-intermediate and intermediate. Here are the words and word combinations from the script and the exercises to practice them [4]: book district, brilliant businessman, broke, cash, cash cow, cash-only line, cash register, chain store, cheap books, childrens bookstore, competition, construction, corrupt sands of commerce, credit card machine, credit card, customer, decision-making ability, demonstration, destroyer, development, discounts, dollar, enemy, failure, flower district, flower shop, for sale, independent, its not personal, its business, job, meeting, money, office, part-time job, professional life, project, protest, rent control, sales figures, salespeople/salesmen, store, to be driven by discounts, to be in business, to be in trouble, to bite the dust, to buy discount, to buy, to cost, to crush, to deliver, to destroy, to discount, to do some work, to fight to the death, to fire sb., to fold, to go to war, to go under, to have a day off, to have a little money saved, to have in possession, to have plenty of offers, to line up, to lose jobs, to make decisions, to offer smb a job, to open up, to own, to pay the rent, to pay, to picket, to provide service, to put smb out of business, to sell, to spy, to survive, to take over, to volunteer, to win, tweaking, well-oiled machine, work, worker.

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__________________________________ Fill in the right preposition:

in to to under off in up up out of over

to fight ______ death to put somebody _____ business to have ____ possession to open ___ to go ____ war to be ___ business to go ______ to have a day _____ to line ____ to take ______

____________________________________________________________________ Fill in one of the words into the right place in the story:
being in business to fold on sale is going under customers to put her out of business discount has a little money saved professional life makes a difficult decision childrens bookstore failure

Kathleen has a charming __________ in a book district of New York and her __________ are loyal. But everything changes when a new big shop opens down the street. Her business __________ and she __________. She realizes that Joe is going __________ and out of __________. So she __________ __________ as __________ any longer can end up in a complete __________. All her books are __________ for two weeks and the people can purchase them with up to 50% __________.

__________________________ Match the antonyms:

To fold To fire smb To have a day off To offer smb a job To be in business To go to war To deliver To sell To win

To lose To work To fire smb To take away To be out of business To be in peace with smb To hire smb To open up

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_____________________________ Match the expressions:

1. Cash 2. Chain 3. Sales 4. Well-oiled 5. Rent 6. Part-time 7. Cash-only 8. To put smb out of 9. For 10. To make a. machine b. control c. business d. cow e. figures f. decisions g. sale h. line i. store j. job

_____________________________ Find spelling mistakes:

_________________________________________ Separate the words in sentences:

a) TheentireworkforceofthestateofVirginiahadtohavesolitaireremovedfromtheircomputersbecausetheyhadntdoneanyworkinsixweeks. b) Wearegoingtoseducethemwithoursquarefootageandourdiscountsandourdeeparmchairsandourcappuccino. c) ThewholepurposeofplaceslikeStarbucksisforpeoplewithnodecisionmakingabilitywhatsoevertomakesixdecisionsjusttobuyonecupofcoffee.

_____________________________________________________________________________ Which words are more positive and which are more negative and which can be both:
Brilliant businessman To be in trouble To provide service Decision-making ability Enemy To lose jobs To bite the dust Cash cow Competition To be in business To go under Discounts To offer smb a job To win Failure Professional life To picket Development To fold Protest Broke

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__________________________________________________________________ Teachers Notes Fill in preposition: to, under, in, up, to, in, up, over, out of, off. Fill in one of the words into the right place in the story: childrens bookstore, customers, is going under, has a little money saved, to put her out of business, professional life, makes a difficult decision, to fold, being in business, failure, on sale, discount. Match Antonyms: to fire smb to hire smb, to fold to open up, to deliver to take away, to be in business to be out of business, to go to war to be in peace with smb, to have a day off to work, to sell to buy, to offer smb a job to fire smb, to win to lose. Fill in the right letter: volunteer, competition, destroyer, salesperson, independent, customer, commerce, survive, deliver, discount Match the expressions: 1d, 2i, 3e, 4a, 5b, 6j, 7h, 8c, 9g, 10f. Find spelling mistakes: picket, businessman, tweaking, volunteer, possession, professional, independent, competition. Separate the words in sentences: The entire work force of the state of Virginia had to have solitaire removed from their computers because they hadnt done any work in six weeks. We are going to seduce them with our square footage and our discounts and our deep armchairs and our cappuccino. The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. References Goshylyk V., Goshylyk N. (2012). Benefits of using films and short videos in the EFL classroom// the materials from XVII TESOL-Ukraine International Conference English in Globalized World, Kamianets-Podilsky, 52-53 Sobetska O. (2012). Use of video in EFL classes//the materials from XVII TESOL-Ukraine International Conference English in Globalized World, Kamianets-Podilsky, 161-162 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You've_Got_Mail http://sfy.ru/?script=youve_got_mail

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