TEMA 1: THE EFL CURRICULUM FOR SECONDARY

EDUCATION
PGINAS DE 241-280
CURRICULUM
A curriculum is a plan of what one intends to achieve through teaching.
Traditionally, several trends have been identified in curriculum theory:
-

Curriculum as a body of knowledge (syllabus) to be transmitted in school:

the syllabus is concerned with the what of teaching whereas methodology is
about the how. In this sense curriculum is a body of knowledge-content and or
subjects.

Curriculum as the achievement of pre-established aims (product) (Tyler

1949, Taba 1962): it starts defining the kind of output or product that will result
after the teaching process. It sees education as a technical exercise.

Curriculum as process (Stenhouse 1975): This paradigm looks at a curriculum

theory and practice via process. In this sense curriculum is not a physical thing,
but rather the interaction of teachers, students and knowledge. So, curriculum
must have three major parts relating to planning, empirical study and
justification.

Curriculum as praxis (Grundy 1987): this model is a development of the

process curriculum and it is proposed by the critical theory. From this
perspective, action is not merely informed, it is also committed. It is praxis.
Praxis is not simply action based on reflection.

ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM
-

Goals are very general and broad.

Aims are more specific, and are long-term the target to be aimed at. The
purposes to which learning will be put after the end of the course.

Objectives are the short-to-medium-term goals. Widdowson means the

pedagogic intentions of a particular course of study to be achieved within the
period of that course and in principle measurable by some assessment device at
the end of the course. In the 1950s objectives were: cognitive, affective and
psychomotor.

SYLLABUS
We understand by it the selection and organisation of language content. According to
Breen, a syllabus is a plan that typically maps out a body of knowledge.

Syllabus was classified as:

-

Propositional plans [ formal syllabus (grammar) and functional syllabus

(capabilities)] and process plans (task-based syllabus)

Synthetic and analytic.

METHODOLOGY
Richards, Platt and Weber define it as the study of the practices and procedures used in
teaching, and the principles and beliefs that underlie them. They define method in
terms of three levels:
-

Approach: a theory of language and of language learning

Design: the definition of linguistic content and a specification for selection and
organisation of content and a description of the role of the teacher, learner and
teaching materials.

Procedure: the description of techniques and practices in the instructional

system.

COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK FOR LANGUAGES (2001)

It provides a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum
guidelines, textbooks, etc. It describes what language learners have to learn, the
knowledge and skills they have to develop to be able to act effectively when
communication with a foreign language.

TEMA

2:

INDIVIDUAL

CHARACTERISTICS

OF

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Learners can optimise their learning process by developing:

-

Metacognitive knowledge (themselves)

Strategic knowledge (what works)

Task knowledge (how to accomplish)

1. Individual characteristics related to person knowledge

o Beliefs about language learning:
-

The importance of language aptitude, the nature of language learning and

the strategies which are likely work best.

Expectations of learning a foreign language in a few months cause

dissatisfaction.

o Age
-

Critical period hypothesis (IMPORTANTE): the existence of a

biological stage beyond which it is more difficult to acquire a L2.

Lost of brain plasticity.

o Language aptitude and intelligence

It is a triarchic concept based on:
-

auditory ability

linguistic ability

memory ability

And related these abilities to the three learning language styles: input, central
process and output.

Affective states
o Motivation (IMPORTANTE)
Motivated person if:
-

need to set a goal

need to feel the desire to achieve it

have to exhibit positive attitudes

to be willing to put effort into reaching it

o Orientation
-

Integrative: positive predisposition and identification with L2

Instrumental: related to external goals such as the need to learn an L2 to

get a better job or to improve salary conditions.

(IMPORTANTE LA DIFERENCIA ENTRE LAS 2)

-

Extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation (deseo de saber por placer)

o Personality
-

Anxiety is a state of fear that can be found in language learning

classroom.

It

disappears

when

the

learner

feels

confident

(IMPORTANTE)
-

Inhibition is a psychological trait that hinders or reduces action a person

normally would take.

Extroversion: extrovert learners are more willing to participate in

classroom.

Introversion: introvert learners prefer to remain silent, probably till they

are completely sure that what they are going to say is an error-free.

Self esteem: It refers to a personal judgement of worthiness that is

expressed in the attitudes that the individual holds towards himself
(IMPORTANTE).

o Sociocultural factors
-

Social class

Cultural level

Home language

Environmental language

Learning styles
Individuals, natural, habitual or preferred way of absorbing, processing and retaining
information which persist regardless of teaching methods or content area.

o Personality or affective learning style: the learners personalities account to a

certain extent for their attitudes and behaviours in the language classroom as has
been mentioned above.
o Social learning style: preferences for working individually or in groups are
individual tendencies that indicate learners social learning style
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o Sensory or perceptual learning style: it is the preference for receiving input.

o Cognitive learning styles: is the particular way in which students learn.

2. Individual characteristics related to strategic knowledge

o Communication strategies: they are the tasks to establish an affective
conversation
-

Interactional strategies

Reduction strategies

Achievement strategies

o Learning strategies (IMPORTANTE): specific actions taken by the learner to

make learning:
-

easier

faster

more enjoyable

more self directed

affective

transferable to new situations

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(IMPORTANTE METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES)

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TEMA 3: CURRECT APPROACHES AND TEACHING

METHODS
Terminology (page 158): applied linguistics, approach, curricular design, curriculum,
method, methodics, methodology, procedures, programme, syllabus, strategies,
teachers guide and techniques.
1. THE GRAMMAR- TRANSLATION METHOD (pag. 159)
-

Reaction: Direct method (pag. 161)

Compromise: Reading method (pag.163)

2. EMPIRICISM AND TECHNOLOGY IN FL TEACHING

-

Structures and habits: the Audiolingual Method (pag. 165)

Meaning and context: the Audiovisual Method (pag. 167)

Bosco and DiPietros conceptual analysis of methods (pag. 169)

3. COGNITIVE THEORY (pag. 170)

Language acquisition device (LAD): it is an innate predisposition to induce the rules
of the target language form the input they are exposed (pag. 171)
4. THE SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION TRADITION
-

Natural approach (pag. 175)

Total physical response (pag. 177)

5. HUMANISTIC APPROACHES OR DESIGNER METHODS

-

Community Language Learning (pag. 180)

Silent Way (pag. 181)

Suggestopedia (pag. 183)

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6. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING (pag. 185)

7. THE POST-COMMUNICATIVE PERIOD
8. RECENT APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE LEARNING (pag. 191)
-

Task-based Language Learning

The Lexical Approach

Neurolinguistic Programming

Multiple Intelligence Theory

Cooperative Learning

Content-based Instruction

9. BILINGUAL PROGRAMMES

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TEMA 4: THE FL TEACHER AND CLASS MANAGEMENT

1. THE EFL TEACHER
Success in English class depends on great extend on teacher.
Teaching takes place under many personal constrains:
-

teaching social background

his ideas and conventions

his educational experience

Each teacher:
-

will use his intelligence

motivated

methodological tradition

2. SOME MODELS OF FL TEACHING

-

Humanistic models

The search for efficiency: technical rationalism

o Promotes student learning that meets desired outcomes
(IMPORTANTE)
o Provides recompense for the appropriate completion of
language learning tasks
o The student role is a passive one (IMPORTANTE)
o Little personalised interaction

The move towards learner-centred teaching

o The teacher act as facilitators of the learning experiences
(IMPORTANTE)

Teaching as magic

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Critical theory
o Teaching involves the analysis of classroom reality with the
aim of facilitating personal and collective participation from it.
(IMPORTANTE)

Reflection in action:
o

It considers teachers as professionals who think and reflect

about their roles activities and pedagogic action in the
classroom. (IMPORTANTE)

o When teacher reflect about their pedagogic, they becomes

researchers

2. THE FL TEACHER IN CLASS

-

Non verbal communication

Gestures used to: (IMPORTANTE)
o Help clarify the linguistic input
o The reinforce the meaning of instruct
o Provide information
o Reduce verbal explanations
o Attract students attention

3. INTERACTION
Voices can be used in some tasks.

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TEMA 5: LISTENING COMPREHENSION, SPEAKING

AND ORAL INTERACTION
Listening is a psychological phenomenon (inside our head). Also, it is a social
phenomenon.
INPUT:
-

Provides the stimulus from which we learn languages.

The amount of exposure to listening in the FL that the learner has.

(IMPORTANTE)

Psychological dimension of listening:

Recepcin
-

Interpretacin

Evaluacin

Respuesta

Los ms importantes

(IMPORTANTE)
2. PROCESS
The capacity to correct ourselves when we communicate after we have experienced
conscious learning may take place thanks to the monitor. (IMPORTANTE)
TEMA DE LISTENING: PG. 281- 304
TEMA SPEAKING: PG. 321-332

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TEMA 6: READING
Pg. 350-375
1. TEXT AND DISCOURSE
-

Recognition of the symbol-sound relationship within a given semantic

context.

Reasons for reading L1 and L2 (intrinsic and extrinsic)

Biggest enemy is the lack of motivation

Selection of appropriate materials and texts is critical

Texts do not have unitary meanings, potentially accessible to all, they rather allow for a
variety of interpretation by different readers.
Discourse: we use language to communicate. Discourse consists of language utterances
or sentences that cohere or hang together.
2. READING THEORY
Approaches to reading: passive, active, interactive
Understanding a text (Celce-Murcia, etc):
-

Decode the message

Interpret the message

Understanding what the authors intention was

READER

---

TEXT

----

WRITER

2 process in reading.
TOP-DOWN
Concept driven: the text is sample and predictions are made on the basis of the readers
prior syntactic and semantic knowledge. That is to say, it is assumed that a reader
approaches a text with
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BOTTOM-UP
Data-driven: a reader creates meaning from letters, words phrases, clauses, etc.
Today neither of these two approaches, today is interactive approach.
3. Micro skills and strategies involved in reading
INTENSIVE READING: short texts where language and textual details are deeply
studied.
Characteristics:
-

It is a slow reading procedure

It is more of a language method than a form of reading

It is useful for study purposes because its slow speed allow students to
stop and look words up in the dictionary and to pause and study long or
difficult sentences carefully to get a better understanding of their
grammar.

It makes alone not good readers

Too much int. reading ma cause students develop bad reading habits like
paying more attention to the vocabulary and grammar of a text than to its
overall meaning.

Int. reading tends to be boring so students who fall into the habit of
reading intensively often come to dislike reading in a FL.

EXTENSIVE READING:
-

Reading large quantities of material or long texts

Reading or global or general understand

Obtain pleasure

Individualised reading, students choose what they want to read.

4. Reading stages
o Pre-reading stage:
-

Make use of the students background knowledge about the topic

Elicit some prediction and anticipate the content

Create expectations about the text

19

Improve students interest in the topic

Strategies:
1. predicting
2. guessing
3. setting

o While-reading stage:
-

Evaluate previous hypotheses

Develop an understanding of the writers purpose as well as the structure

and organisation of the text.

Improve comprehension of the text content

Focus the attention on contextual clues to guess the meaning of

unfamiliar words

Make use of inferring and judging abilities

Looking for general information (skimming)

Looking for specific information (scannining)

Stimulate the development of cross-cultural and sociolinguistic

knowledge.

Strategies:
1. annotating
2. analysing

o Post-reading stage:
-

Use the information for further purposes

Transfer acquired knowledge to similar readings

Integrate reading skills with other communicative skills

Make a summary of the reading passage.

Strategies:
1. summarising
2. evaluating
3. reflecting

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5. Preparing a reading programme

The cycle of frustration and the cycle of growth (pag. 363)
Read slowly----- Slow readers do not develop much interest in what they read------dont enjoy reading, the read very little-----do not practice therefore, do not understand
TASKS
-

Open tasks: which permits students control of both product and process

Close tasks: students are limited in choices and decisions.

Respond to a text: comprehension depends on the interaction between the reader and the
text and readers knowledge.
MATERIALS
An important factor to be into consideration to promote the reading habit is the criteria
for selecting texts because these must be enjoyable. Nuttal points out three main criteria:
1. suitability of content
2. exploitability
3. readability
We can choose fiction or non fiction text and depending of our election follow different
methods to treat the text.
6. Assessing reading
It is easy to establish different levels of understanding in a text, as Alderson (2001),
paraphrasing Gray, points out:
-

Reading lines (the literal meaning)

Reading between the lines (inferring meaning)

Reading beyond the lines (understanding what the text implies)

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TEMA 7: LEARNING AND TEACHING WRITING IN THE

EFL CLASSROOM.
Pages: 377-408

TEMA 8: SOCIOLINGUISTIC, SOCIOCULTURAL AND

INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE
Pages: 472-517
Communicative competente has 4 subcompetences:

Speech in act: SOCIOLINGUISTIC COMPETENCE

The context of situation: social setting in which second language acquisition takes place
is important:
-

language used as a vehicle of communication

not used for communication but studied as FL

(importante)
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The difference between the propositional or locutionary meaning and the illocutionary
meaning is crucial for the SPEECH ACT THEORY. (importante)
STEREOTYPE: the process by which all members of a group are asserted to have the
characteristics attributed to the hole group. (importante)

3 preguntas del examen

- What requires speakers to speak and act as themselves, but in tasks and imaginary
situations is called SIMULATION
- The function of spoken language consisting of conveying information and ideas is also
called TRANSACTIONAL
- Self-correction, false starts, repetitions and rephrasing are often mechanisms of
COMPENSATION

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TEMA 9: TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

Pages: 606-638
We have to distinguish between:
-

Evaluation

Assessment (nota final)

Test

Scope of evaluation
-

Accountability
o Revision of the curriculum
o Students achievement
o The teacher

When to evaluate?
a. Formative or continuous assessment:
i.

Systematic observation of students

ii.

Analyses of their work

iii.

Creation of situations

iv.

Comprehension and expression quizzes

v.

Tests, dialogues, conversations, etc.

b. Summative or achievement testing

c. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation

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