INTRODUCTION

One of the basic principles of good EFL teaching is to make sure that our students
CAN succeed. In order to do this we should consider the following questions at the
beginning of every new group/class.

How do I involve the students?

How do I make students want to learn and look forward to their lessons?

How do I make them work hard?

How do I keep them happy?

UNHAPPY STUDENTS LEARN VERY LITTLE

WE NEED OUR STUDENTS TO BE HAPPY

Relationships

Over the years there have been many varied approaches to teaching English eg
'structural', 'notional', 'communicative' etc. and each promises to be the best, the new
way to faster success. None will work in isolation. Successful English teaching is not
only a question of method, but also of student / teacher relationships. You must be
interested in your students. The student must need/want to learn AND the teacher
must also need/want the student to learn. Encouragement is of great importance.
Students need to feel they are progressing; this feeling comes, on the whole, from
the teacher. (More about this later in this module)

Look after your students

In order to achieve our aim of ensuring that our students are happy (and therefore
able to learn), we not only teach them and give them opportunities to learn, we must
also look after them

Students need to feel at ease

Students need to feel comfortable

Students need to feel welcome

We, as teachers, need to settle them in and while doing so try to 'suss out' any
'hang-ups' they have which will prevent them from learning. For example they may
have old family prejudices against our race; they may have been convinced that they
will find English too difficult; they may have met untrained teachers who turned them
off classes almost for life! Now they are your students - you must help them over
these barriers and make them feel relaxed and happy enough to succeed.

Are you a caring person?

Throughout the course you will be shown how to prepare for a career in TEFL. This
will involve planning lessons; preparing materials; getting to grips with grammar;
setting out your classroom; understanding the students' problems. We hope to make
you a fully-prepared professional who can bring about success in any EFL situation.
We cannot make you a caring person, but if you are not going to care about your
students' success, you will not succeed as a teacher. If you are not going to be
concerned about their happiness you will not be happy and neither you nor your
students will be successful.

HOW DO WE BRING ABOUT SUCCESS?

Everyone likes to talk about him/herself. Likewise, students like to hear about their
classmates/fellow students. When this is allowed in class, you will find that your
students involve themselves far more than if they are talking about a fictional
character from a coursebook.

The teacher shows interest in his/her students by getting to know about their
interests and backgrounds.

Get to know the area the students come from so that relevant discussions can be set
up.

Allow your students to express their opinions about their own environment and about
their experiences in England, USA etc.

If all your students are desperately putting their hands up to tell you something, you
have achieved your aim of involving them.

Giving the student confidence

Role-play, dialogues, sketches - however you do it, acting out involves both the
performing students and the listeners. They will be less self-conscious about the
English as they concentrate on the character or acting role which they are required to
carry out. They may be embarrassed or nervous at first, but hopefully when they have
got through that they will be assured that they can also get over the 'fear' of speaking
English.

Building up the students' confidence in any situation means encouraging them at

every opportunity and never 'putting them down'. (More about this later in the
module)

Using realistic language

Hopefully, gone are the days of courses which taught useless language.

Building up the students' confidence in any situation means encouraging them at

every opportunity and never 'putting them down'. (More about this later in the
module)

"Does your grandmother wear a red dress?"

"Is this a pen? Yes, this is a pen."

are not phrases which students will often need, if at all.

Real situations and examples which the student will meet outside the classroom
should be used as much as possible; equally the language should be taught in
context.

Shortened forms

Use them! I'd, she's, weren't etc. are normal English. In their full form they are not
used unless you want to sound like a foreigner!

Accent

Teachers of EFL do not all have the same accent. On the whole students will expect
this and readily accept regional accents as well as American, Canadian, Australian
etc.

Do not be afraid to use your normal accent, trying to change it and being inconsistent
can be confusing. So long as you do not use very colloquial English or colloquialisms
which are grammatically unacceptable, relax in the knowledge that you can be a
model in the classroom whether you come from Glasgow or Oxford.

However, it is essential that your students are given the opportunity to hear as many
different accents as you can bring into the classroom. This way they will not be
shocked when they hear other accents outside the classroom, and they will not find
themselves unable to understand anyone but you.
Keeping the students' interest

So you've involved the students, they are gaining confidence and desperately wanting
to join in the lesson. How do you keep this level of interest?

Varying the activities is imperative. Monotony will send your students to sleep.
Change the activity regularly, even if you are teaching the same language point.
During the course you will learn many different ways to teach and exploit a language
point, remember to use them. Don't be known as 'the teacher who always does a
reading passage' or 'the one who always uses a tape' - this makes for disinterested
students even before they have reached the lesson.

L.T.T.T.

During your TEFL career you will often hear L.T.T.T. - Limit Teacher Talking Time. This
is important in keeping the students interested and motivated.

You will keep their interest by ensuring that they are allowed to produce a lot of
language in lessons. They will not learn how to speak English if you do all the
speaking.

Correction

When correcting spoken English remember to be encouraging, even completely

incorrect answers need recognition that the student has made the effort (though you
must make sure you do not patronise). There are ways of saying that the answer is
not right without putting the student off trying again. (More on this in Unit 4)

When correcting written work, again it is important to acknowledge that the student
has tried. It is demotivating to see a page full of red pen, especially when it may have
taken the student hours to do it. Choose the most relevant points (ie relevant to the
teaching point), do not correct every mistake.

It is important that the students can read and understand the corrections which you
make on their work. A chart showing the abbreviations which you use is a good idea.
You might also suggest that they write on alternate lines so that your corrections can
be seen. It is really up to you what method of correction and abbreviation you use but
it is essential that this is understood between you and the students and that once a
method has been established that you stick to it. (More on correction of work in
Module 5 Error)

Visual Aids

Don't become the school magician - something different to pull out of the hat every
day, and a lesson built around it. Aids aid your lesson, they are not the lesson! If you
are a technical whizz-kid, good for you, but you are not there to impress your
students with your technical know-how, you are there to teach and as such you
should use aids to assist you in your task. (More about this in Module 4 Visual Aids)

LEVELS

Classes should, in theory be made up of students who are at exactly the same level
of language learning. Those levels are as follows:-

Beginners, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

As you can see this in itself would cause problems for a very small school which can
only offer 2 or 3 levels. These problems can be overcome through clever timetabling
and you should not be faced with mixed levels in your class.

If, however, you look at the following, more extensive list, you will see that there could
be a need for a much larger number of classes:-

true beginners, false beginners, elementary, post elementary/lower intermediate,

intermediate, post intermediate/upper intermediate, advanced

You will rarely see the number of students' levels taken account of in this way, so it is
obvious that you will, to a certain extent, have mixed levels in your classes.

You will, of course, also have mixed abilities. You will always have students studying
for the same level whose language aptitude is far from the same. You must take
account of this and closely monitor those who need extra help. (More about this later
in this module)

Exams

Most classes of EFL students are working towards exams. They use these
qualifications to further their studies and/or their careers so they are very important
to them.

As teachers we must have an understanding of the stress which exam entry exerts
on many students, especially those who need to pass in order to further their
careers.

TEACHING FOR EXAMS

Teaching for ESOL international examinations constitutes an important part of an
ESOL teacher’s career. Any English teacher can be asked by the school, institution, or
private persons to prepare students for these examinations. All teachers will
encounter these exams at some time in their teaching career.

Why are students taking these exams?

The reasons are extremely diverse:

● To have an internationally recognized language certificate

● To work and/or live in a country where English is the language of
communication
● To seek further education
● To improve employment prospects

What are the most sought after ESOL examinations?

1. Cambridge ESOL examinations

The most prestigious, and widely known examination board is Cambridge ESOL,
which is part of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers
of Other Languages) examinations are the world’s leading range of certificates for
learners of English. They are recognized by a huge number of employers and
educational institutions all over the world. Since around 2 million people from 130
countries take them yearly, the demand for teaching for these exams is continuously
growing.

Cambridge ESOL is part of the world-famous University of Cambridge. Its English

language exams are linked to the Common European Framework for Modern
Languages, published by the Council of Europe.

SELF CHECK

Follow this link

https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/ to
find out:

1. What does CEFR stand for?

2. What is CEFR?

3. Is it used only in Europe?

4. Does it refer to measuring the proficiency in the English language exclusively?
1.1 The most popular Cambridge ESOL exams:
Examinations Description
Young Learners of Three levels: YLE Starters, YLE Movers, and
English YLE YLE Flyers
Key English Test - the general KET is for adults, while KET for
KET (general, for schools is directed towards pupils.There are
schools) three papers: 1. Reading and Writing; 2.
Listening; 3. Speaking (interactive).Final
grades are correlated with CEFR (common
European Framework) at A2 level (Basic
user): pass, pass with merit, and pass with
distinction
Preliminary English - the format is similar to KET. - paper-based
Test PET and computer-based exam options. Final
grades are correlated with CEFR (common
European Framework) at B1 level (pass) or
B2 (pass with distinction).
Certificate English This exam uses real-life situations.There are
FCE 5 Papers: Reading, Writing, Use of English
(grammar and vocabulary), Listening, and
Speaking (interactive).Final grades are
correlated with CEFR at B1 level. Passing
grades are C, B, and A as the highest grade.
Certificate in This is an examination in academic
Advanced English English.There are 5 Papers: Reading, Writing,
CAE English in Use (grammar, vocabulary,
register), Listening, and Speaking
(interactive).Final grades are correlated with
CEFR at C1 level. The passing grades are, in
order from lowest to highest, C, B, and A.
Use
These exams give a consistent measure of
how well 7–12 year–olds are doing in the
skills of listening, speaking, reading and
writing. Tests are designed to make learning
fun. They train the young learners to work
towards certificates. There are no grades but
the pupils earn learning ‘shields’ that record
their progress, which encourage children to do
better.
KET is a basic level qualification that shows
that the learners can use English to
communicate in simple situations and have
achieved a good foundation in learning
English.
- an intermediate level qualification in English
that opens the doors to opportunities for
work, study and travel.
-accepted by thousands of employers,
universities and government departments
around the world as a qualification in
upper-intermediate English. A wide range of
educational institutions for study purposes
also accepts it.
CAE the ideal qualification to prove that that
students have mastered English at such a
level that will enable them to deal with
complicated academic and professional tasks
in English: following academic courses,
carrying out challenging research,
communicating appropriately in diverse social
and cultural contexts. It is accepted by a large
number of universities on all continents.
 Certificate of This is the most advanced exam, for
Proficiency in learners who have achieved an extremely
English CPE high level of skill in the English
language.There are 5 Papers: Reading,
Writing, Use of English (grammar,
vocabulary), Listening, and Speaking Final
grades are correlated with CEFR at C2 level.
The passing grades are, in order from lowest
to highest, C, B, and A.
CPE exam uses real-life situations that are
especially designed to help learners
communicate effectively and learn the
language skills they need to function at the
very highest levels of professional and
academic life (native or near native academic
and professional language proficiency).It is
accepted by a much larger number of
universities and employers than the CAE all
over the world.

The English tested in these examinations covers a variety of accents from different
English speaking countries. They are British examinations but the English tested is
not restricted to the accents in the British Isles. In speaking or writing, for example,
American English is accepted as long as the candidates are consistent in using it.
There are two examination periods per year: June and December. These language
certificates are valid for life.

1.2. Other Cambridge ESOL examinations:

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is perhaps the most widely
recognized language qualification in the world. IELTS is jointly owned by the British
Council, IDP: IELTS (International Development Program of Australian Universities
and Colleges) Australia, and the University of Cambridge. These ESOL Examinations
are administered through more than 800 test centres and locations in over 130
countries on all continents. IELTS scores are valid for two years.

Examinations Description Use

IELTS IELTS is of two types: general and academic. Four
Papers: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking
(interview).This is not a pass or fail test. The
scores range from 0 to 9 and half scores is also
awarded (e.g. 6.5). Note: To have an idea about
the correlation between the IELTS scores, the
other Cambridge examination scores and CEFR,
see the table at the end of the section on
Cambridge examinations.
General Training module is for those who
choose wish to migrate to an
English-speaking country, (e.g. Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, UK) or to train or
study at below degree level.Academic
module is for those who wish to study at
undergraduate or postgraduate levels, or
seek professional registration, e.g. doctors
and nurses.

The language tested uses different accents of English and the topics are diverse and
are not connected to any culture in particular. This certificate is valid for two years. If
a person needs an IELTS certificate after the 2-year period expires, he/she has to
take it again. It can be taken any time of the year.

Professional English Examinations:

Examinations Description Use

Business English Three level from low to high: Preliminary,
Cambridge BEC Vantage, Higher. Note: see the correlation
with CEFR in the table below.
Business Language It tests all the skills and grammar/vocabulary
Testing Service in businness manner.
BULATS
Cambridge English: ICFE gives an in-depth assessment of
Financial ICFE learners’ ability to operate in a financial
context at levels B2 and C1 of the CEFR– the
internationally accepted system for
describing language ability.The exam takers
are tested on all the four skills.
Cambridge English: ILEC is an in-depth assessment of one’s
Legal ILEC ability to operate in a legal context at levels
B2 and C1 of the CEFR.The examination
covers all four language skills: Reading,
Writing, Listening and Speaking. Each test is
based on realistic texts, tasks and topics
similar to those expected to be encountered
when working as a lawyer.
Teaching Knowledge TKT is divided into four separate modules
Test TKT that can be taken all, or just the one/ones
that meet the person’s needs. There’s total
flexibility in how and when the modules are
taken and a certificate for each one
completed will be received.
All BEC’s are recognised by employers,
ministries, government bodies and
professional organisations throughout the
world. This valuable suite of three
qualifications provides clear proof that you
have the English skills to make you an asset
to your employer.
BULATS is set of language benchmarking,
training and assessment tools for measuring
the language skills of the workforce, job
applicants and students wishing to study
business-related subjects. It provides an
economical, flexible and easy-to-use
approach to specifying and assessing
language skills for business and industry. It
is available in English, French, German and
Spanish.
It is directed towards improving the learners’
skills to seek employment or promotion in a
finance context, study towards an
accounting or finance qualification, improve
ability to conduct business internationally or
with international clients and colleagues,
improve exam and classroom performance
in finance and accountancy exams.
This is a high-level qualification that will help
exam takers to demonstrate that they have
the language skills for a successful career in
international law.
TKT has been developed for people who are
already teaching, but would like to take an
internationally recognised qualification to
gain formal recognition for their experience,
want to enhance their career opportunities
by broadening their teaching experience into
specialist areas, or want to keep their
teaching skills up to date.
In-service Certificate This is a language and teaching skills
for English certificate.ICELT is divided into two modules.
Language Teaching Module 1 (Language for Teachers) can be
ICELT taken as a standalone module or together
with Module 2 (Teaching and Methodology)
to achieve the full ICELT qualification.
These exams are of great importance in a large part of the world and are usually
administered by The British Council.
2. Other English language proficiency tests
ICELT is ideal for teachers who are already
teaching English in a specific context, e.g.
teaching adults or young learners in the
private sector, teaching within a university
environment, teaching primary or secondary
school learners. This qualification can help
teachers to deepen their knowledge and
develop their ability to reflect on and
improve your teaching.
2.1. TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language has long been the favourite English
language proficiency qualification for foreign students who wanted to study
anywhere abroad where English is the language of instruction. More than 8,500
colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries, including Australia,
Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.A, recognize it.

Examinations Description Use

TOEFL The TOEFL test measures the candidates’ The TOEFL test is usually taken by students
ability to use and understand English at the planning to study at a higher education
university level. It evaluates how well the institution. Scholarships and certification
candidates combine their listening, reading, candidates, English-language learners who
speaking and writing skills to perform want to track their progress and students or
academic tasks. workers applying for visas, also use it.
There are two formats for the TOEFL® test.
The candidates choose the format depending
on the location of the test center. Most test
takers take the TOEFL iBT (internet-based
testing). Test centers that do not have Internet
access offer the PBT (Paper-based Test).
Each test component gets a score of maximum
30 in TOEFL iBT test. The maximum total score
is 120.
The TOEFL PBT papers are: Listening: Structure
and Written Expression, and Reading, with a
total score between 310 and 677. Writing is
tested separately in a test called TWE (Test of
Written English). There is no speaking test in
this format.

TOEFL PBT is soon going to be replaced completely by its iBT format. TOEFL is
exclusively a test of American English and culture, although we can see elements of
more diverse cultural topics in the reading paper. Its scores are valid for two years.

2.2. TOEIC (Test Of English for International Communication)

The TOEIC tests directly measure the ability of non native speakers of English to
listen, read, speak and write in English in the global workplace. The TOEIC tests are
used by over 9,000 organizations around the globe in more than 90 countries to
assess English proficiency in the workplace. If you teach in Japan, it is very likely that
you will be asked to prepare the students for this examination. Like IELTS and TOEFL,
the scores are valid for two years.

2.3. TSE (Test of Spoken English)

The Test of Spoken English / TSE examines the "American English" language skills,
just like the TOEFL and the TWE. It is required for admission to most of the
universities in the US. The TSE tests your oral skills in university simulated
surroundings.

Other English Language examinations include ECPE Michigan, Trinity College London
ESOL, Pearson Test of English - General and Academic (former London Test of
English), etc.

Different countries and language schools have a preference for one or another
examination depending on its popularity among the students and their parents, on
the degree of “difficulty” and not necessarily on the needs of the learners. For
example, one of the most popular examinations with Greek students is ECPE
Michigan although this qualification is of no real value in Europe. That is why it is
crucially important for the English teachers to get detailed information about each of
these examinations and the students’ future study plans so that they can provide the
best advice on the most appropriate English language qualifications that the
students need for their future careers or life in general.

3. Comparing the most popular English examinations.

The following table gives an approximate comparison between the different exams.
The exams all use the CEFR proficiency levels.

* BEB stands for British English Board * CEFR stands for Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages

You can find more examples on the internet through popular search engines.
(Google, Yandex, Bing etc.)
SELF-CHECK 2

What examination would you recommend to the following students?

1. Mihai is a 10 year old student who has been learning English for four years at
school. He and his parents would like to know his level of English in a formal manner
so that they know where to go from here.

2. Boris is a high school graduate and wants to study Physics at Berkeley College,
U.S.A.

3. Carmen is a Brazilian nurse who wants to emigrate to Australia

4. Massimo is a lawyer already specialized in International Law. He would like to

work at the International Criminal Court in the Hague and he has found an
opportunity to achieve his dream.

4. What are the differences between teaching general English and teaching for
examinations?

Normally, there should be no huge difference between the two but given the
constraints of time, responsibility, and teaching strategies teaching (or rather
training) for examinations has its own specific features.

Motivation: One of the biggest differences is the level of the students’ motivation,
which is usually very high because the stakes are high.

There is also the financial aspect: the students or their parents have to pay for these
examinations and some of them make huge sacrifices to be able to get these
language qualifications.

Teacher’s responsibility: It is not an understatement to say that the candidates’

whole future can depend on getting the right certificate with the right score. Under
these circumstances, the teacher has a huge responsibility to help their students
achieve their goals. Usually, the teacher is held responsible for the students’ results.
A teacher will be evaluated according to his/her students’ results in these
examinations so his/her reputation will be directly connected with these results.

Time: The preparation courses for examinations are usually short. Generally, they
take four hours per week for three months, i.e. about 56 hours, whereas the general
English courses can vary a lot, from years to short crash courses. Exam preparation
courses are usually held at the weekends or in the evenings, so sometimes the
teacher needs to teach two two-hour sessions twice a week, or one four-hour
session once a week.

Tasks and activities: There is a lot of constraint in choosing activities that will
engage students emotionally, cognitively, kinesthetically, and so on. Although they
might be beneficial for the students, any activity that is not directly connected to the
test items in the examination is regarded as useless and a waste of time. In general
English courses, the teachers can make use of all their imagination and creativity to
make the lessons fun as well as effective, but examination students can become
‘hooked’ on their goal of passing the exams and can become quite stressed if
introduced to anything outside the exam syllabus.

Administrative responsibilities: Unlike regular English courses, exam courses may

require some administrative duties from the part of the teacher. The teacher may be
responsible for the enrollment of the students in the examinations, keeping the
students informed about examination locations, dates, times, organization of
transportation to the exam site, regulations of the exam itself, etc.

5. How to teach for examinations ?

A) The teachers’ first responsibility is to know the examination they are going to
teach for inside out. First, the teachers need to know the use of the examinations to
be able to give the prospective candidates the best advice on which best suits their
needs. They also need to get informed about the types of papers (exam
components) and their number, how long each paper takes, the times when these
examinations are taken, the closest locations, the administrative bodies (e.g. British
Council, a university). Information about how each paper is graded and the rubrics
for both speaking and writing have to become a teaching tool.

B) Besides reading about the examination on the official websites and talking to
colleagues who have taught for it, the teachers need to take a practice exam
themselves under exam conditions to get familiar with the format of the exam and
try to predict the students’ main difficulties with it (e.g. reading in a very limited
time).

C) Before the students enroll on such a course, it is best for them to take a “mock”
examination that will serve as a diagnostic/prognostic test. Thus, the teacher will
know the chances a particular student has to at least get a pass score. For some
students, it might be important that they get the highest possible score in that exam.
For example, the university they want to study at requires a CAE with an A, not a B or
a C, which are pass scores. What is important to know is that a 56-hour course can
bring a student who got a C in the mock test to a B, but not to an A. So, if that
student needs an A, he or she will have to take two preparation courses. Naturally,
there are exceptions to the rule, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

A mid-course mock test is also advisable for both the students and the teacher to
measure the progress made and to identify areas that need more attention. A mock
exam at the end of the course before the examination itself is compulsory to draw all
the strings together again.

D) The teacher must know the grammar of English very well to be able to explain any
point clearly and briefly when asked by a student, besides teaching it both formally
and sometimes informally during the grammar slots of a lesson. Grammar must be
taught in the context offered by the units in the course book.

E) The teacher should guide students to learn independently. They should encourage
the students to read extensively, to watch quality movies (a list of such movies would
not be a bad idea), to listen to the radio in English (recommended list of channels
would help). The students need a very good dictionary such as Oxford Advanced
English Dictionary, or Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. The students
who have iPads or iPhones can buy the applications for these dictionaries and many
other study materials, including Oxford A-Z Grammar and Punctuation and
professional dictionaries. One of the most stunning dictionary applications is Oxford
Wordflex Touch Dictionary, which combines an interactive dictionary with a
thesaurus in the form of mind maps organized around topics.

F) There is a lot more feedback and “grading” involved than in regular courses, so the
teachers need to be prepared to spend time outside class. Because of the amount of
preparation, “mock” testing, and one-to-one feedback, the groups must be kept small.
An average of six students per group would be ideal. One-to-one exam teaching
should be avoided, if possible, but pairs are acceptable. One reason for this would be
the speaking papers in the Cambridge ESOL examination, which have an interactive
part (the speaking examination is done with pairs of students who, besides the long
turns, have to interact to “solve a problem” using English in their discussion).

G) Last but not least, besides language teaching, the students need training in
examination taking skills. This will be done on a regular basis through exercises and
tasks that replicate the test items but also through specific activities that will train
the students to cope with the difficulties that might arise during the exam (e.g. not
remembering a key word during the speaking examination, or not being able to
decide between two possible answers in a multiple-choice reading task). The ones
who take the computer-based examinations or the online ones need special training
as well.

6. Websites with information about different international English examinations

Cambridge Examinations:

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/

TOEFL and TOEIC plus a number of other American examinations for college
placements (SAT, GRE):

http://www.ets.org/tests_products

BEB Exams by British English Board:

http://www.britishenglishboard.com/beb-exams

7. Course books for different examinations:

You can use this link to find the right course books for your examination classes:
http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exam-preparation/books-study.php

Follow this link with recommendations for TOEFL preparation:

http://gmatclub.com/forum/best-toefl-preparation-books-resources-reviews-comme
nts-79121.html

ANSWERS TO SELF-CHECKS

SELF-CHECK 1

1. Common European Framework of Reference for Modern languages

2. CEFR is framework of reference designed to provide a transparent, coherent and

comprehensive basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses and curriculum
guidelines, the design of teaching and learning materials, and the assessment of
foreign language proficiency.

3. It is used in Europe but also in other continents.

4. No. As the name suggests, it provides a framework to measuring the proficiency in

a number of other languages learnt by the students as second or foreign languages
all over the world.

SELF-CHECK 2

1. Mihai: one of YLE examination (Movers) or KET for Schools.

2. Boris: IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, or CPE. High scores are crucial.
3. Carmen: IELTS Academic.

4. Massimo: Cambridge English: Legal (ILEC)

USE OF MOTHER TONGUE

One of the most frequently asked questions posed by those considering a career in
TESOL/TEFL is - 'Do I have to speak their language?' The stock answer is 'Only for
your personal life and to get about in the country'. We also believe that learning your
students' mother tongue when you are in their country shows that you are serious
about living and teaching there and that you do not expect everyone to speak your
mother tongue whilst making no attempt to learn theirs.

In class however you do not need to speak the students' language. This would, in
fact, be an impossibility if you were teaching a mixed nationality class such as a
summer school in which you may have 10 or more different nationalities.

Having said that, if you are teaching higher levels and you are finding it difficult to get
the meaning of a word across to your students, why waste time miming, drawing
pictures etc? If you know the word in their language tell them, it's quicker!

GRAMMAR

If you are a native speaker, you 'know' the grammar of English perfectly - that is, you
are able to produce an infinite number of correctly formed sentences. Your problem
is to see it as a foreign language; to know about and be able to explain its most
characteristic systems and classes and to understand the problems they pose to a
foreign learner.

Do not depress yourself with the idea that there is somewhere one ultimate set of
rules which all experienced EFL teachers and applied linguists 'know' and which you
must learn. This is not so. There are many descriptions of the grammar, fashions
change, and one description may be better than another in some areas.

However, you must know your stuff. You don't want the students to know more than
you do or you will lose credibility and they will eventually not have enough confidence
to succeed.

Beginners do not need the terminology, advanced classes do and they will ask for it.
More important than the terminology however is the teacher's ability to explain and
to give examples on request.
Grammatical Approaches

Grammar Translation as a Teaching Method - The use of the word 'grammar' in the
grammar translation method, to a large extent means the grammar of words. Tables
showing:- walk, walks, walked, and boy, boys, boy's, boys' are presented. Words are
classified into parts of speech and functional categories are defined eg subject,
object etc. Then rules are given re: the usage and combination of these elements
into clauses and sentences. This is not very helpful to the learner of a foreign
language who tries to translate parts of a text, using pieces of grammatical
information - he / she may eventually know what was meant but does not acquire
any amount of fluency in speaking, listening or writing the language.
Grammar-translation has its place but is not widely used today in teaching foreign
languages.

The Structural Approach - Grammar also plays a leading part here, the structure being
referred to, being a grammatical structure. Course writers list what they consider to
be the most important grammatical elements. Here the terminology is unimportant,
but the patterns of the grammar are, of course, very important. The grammatical
elements are placed in a practical order for teaching purposes and each is taught,
practised and drilled. This method is still widely used, though when used alone can
become repetitive and boring. However, beginners are taught by this method as no
other has been proven, at this level, to be as good.

Command of grammatical structure is essential to complete understanding and any

form of meaningful communication in ESOL. Good teachers and materials writers do
not use mindless drills (which are also boring) but include situational practice,
always checking the student's understanding of what he is repeating.

As language teachers, how much of this theory do we need to know? Unless you are
going to continue your studies, fortunately very little. The last sentence of each
paragraph however is of utmost importance if we are to do the job well! We are
teachers of COMMUNICATION, our aim therefore is to facilitate this communication,
this will not happen through translation or through mindless repetition of
grammatical structures. Students need to know not only the correct grammatical
structure but also where and how to use it.

The communicative approach - It is important to keep reminding ourselves that we

are teaching communication. We rarely need to teach declensions and verb lists as
in the Latin or even French classes some of you may remember from your
schooldays. We are teaching non-native speakers of English to effectively
communicate with native speakers of English or other non-native speakers of
English. (As an essential language of the world of commerce, English may
necessarily be the language of communication between different nationalities none
of whom have any other language.)

If you, yourself have not had the experience of being in a position in which you HAD
TO communicate in a foreign language (one in which you are not fluent) you will
doubtlessly have observed others in that position. They adopt different styles
according to the situation, the audience, their own personality etc. Some seem to
relish the task and throw themselves into speaking with as much 'fluency' as they
can achieve with the string of mistakes they make along the way. Others freeze, too
afraid to speak in case the listener cannot understand due to the mistakes they fear
they will make.

Whichever way they tackle the task, we know that most students of EFL want more
than simply to communicate. They want to communicate in good English - why
otherwise would they bother with classes year after year? They do not want to be
laughed at, they do not want to have to resort to paralinguistics (facial expression
and body language) or to have to point and mime. They want their English to be good
enough to allow them to communicate effectively in correct English.

As teachers of EFL we are happy with the concept of 'correct' English. It is our job to
know what is correct and what is incorrect, and to know that when our students are
not making correct utterances, they should be made aware of this fact. However, we
must allow students to communicate - a balance must be struck between effective
communication and correctness. We cannot be seen to accept an incorrect sentence
offered by student A, when student B, or in fact student A after further thought or a
look in his book, is likely to challenge your acceptance. Similarly we must prevent
students from continuing to make the same mistakes which an examiner will mark
wrong. On the other hand, mistakes are inevitable, even from the most advanced
students, but to constantly respond each time a mistake is made would be very
off-putting for your students, and fluency would be impaired.

Classroom technique is of immense importance to good, effective, communicative

teaching. This is dealt with in Unit 4, Module 1.

Striking the balance between communication and correctness can be difficult, but
the following features should be kept in mind if we are to effectively teach
communication.

1) Communication is passing information to somebody.

2) Communication is saying what you want to say, rather than what you are told to
say.
3) Communication is saying what is true and meaningful rather than what is
linguistically correct.

4) Communication is producing authentic English rather than textbook English.

5) Communication is paying attention to what people mean rather than how they
express themselves.

A great deal of research and work in this field has been going on over the last 20-30
years. The above features of the 'communicative movement' are included here for
you to incorporate in your thinking when planning lessons, though not to the
exclusion of all else, including correctness.

The 'communicative movement', we may feel have overdone it a bit in their concern
with communication, but this persistent concern has produced a technique which
has useful applications. Communication, by definition, is the transfer of information
from source to receiver; that information, by definition, is not already known to the
receiver. A communicative exercise, therefore, can be set up by ensuring that student
A has some information which student B does not have, and then prompting an
exchange of information.

The simplest way to do this is to get the students to elicit information from you, the
teacher. You set the scene - ie tell them what they must elicit from you, they can then
ask questions at their own level:-

eg - beginners

Get the students to find out your hobby by asking simple questions which require
yes/no answers (you are less likely to get mistakes from beginners if you use this
restriction, otherwise they are likely to get carried away in their eagerness to find out
about you.)

Possible questions

1) Do you like to swim?

2) Do you do it inside?

3) Do you make something?

4) Are you tired afterwards?

5) Is it a sport? etc. etc...

Intermediate and advanced students can cope with something far more complex and
with 'free' questions in order to elicit the required information.
Another way is to get the students to elicit information from each other. This is more
complex to set up, and needs planning, but will stimulate your students, will liven up
a dull class, and will often prompt the students to ask for further information from
each other - this is invaluable in a mixed nationality class.

TEACHING SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

Modelling

Clear presentation is essential in the classroom. Instructions can be effectively

reinforced by showing students what is expected of them, ie modelling. When you
model an activity, everyone can clearly see what is expected of them. Modelling can
be much more effective than lengthy instructions which can be confusing.

Chorusing

Chorusing is simply the repetition of words and expressions.It plays two important
roles in the classroom: 1) It provides students with a clear model for correct
pronunciation and stress, and 2) It helps students to memorise new vocabulary. Just
because a student hears a word modelled correctly (ie correct pronunciation &
stress), does not mean that he will be able to produce it correctly if he is not given
the opportunity to practise.

Chorus, Isolate, Confirm (C.I.C.)

This is a method of chorusing entire sentences with the aim of promoting sentence
fluency. It focuses on fluency, intonation and liaison (liaison is the running together
of words during normal speech, eg ‘What do you do?’ becomes, ’Whada-yado?’)
Firstly, the entire sentence is chorused once, and then working backwards from the
end of the sentence individual sounds rather than individual words are chorused until
the sentence is built back up. The complete sentence is then chorused again. There
should be a marked improvement. This is an important tool for dialogue practice and
can be used at any level.

Drilling

Drilling is a controlled practice exercise allowing controlled practice of new

structures before moving on to freer practice. There are many different ways of
drilling; it’s aim is to ensure that students are able to use new structures correctly.
Here is an example: after teaching the question, ’What’s your favourite…?’, the
teacher substitutes a variety of pre-taught nouns, eg food, fruit, animals etc.
Then the teacher provides students with the opportunity to practise the structure by
repetitively asking and eliciting responses from the group until they are able to use
the structure fluently.

Boardwork

As teachers we should not forget the importance of the whiteboard in the classroom.
It is an important visual aid which serves to reinforce the language and instructions
and when used effectively can greatly aid teaching. As well as presenting structures
and vocabulary, diagrams and pictures can be drawn to clarify meaning. Pictures and
diagrams can assist us in the same way as modelling does; a simple picture can be a
lot more effective in demonstrating meaning than a long and complex explanation. A
good teacher develops his/her own style and layout which should be the same for
every class. It is useful to divide the board up into different areas, eg new vocabulary,
target language, exemplifications etc.

Instructions

This is one of the most important teaching skills, but is an area where many teachers
experience difficulties.

Clear, precise instructions are essential to avoid student confusion.

Good instructions should be brief; longer and longer instructions given in the attempt
to overcome confusion often have the reverse effect and merely lead to further
confusion. Avoid unnecessary language.

The teacher should a use a set of instruction vocabulary which doesn’t vary; students
should be introduced to these at the start of any course. Examples of basic
classroom instruction vocabulary are: sit, stand, listen, ask, answer, open your books,
work in pairs etc. When introducing these instructions it is often beneficial to use
them in conjunction with gestures to demonstrate meaning.

It is important to prepare and check your instructions before lessons to avoid any
potential pitfalls.

Remember to never use pidgin English in the classroom; we should never model bad
English to our students.

Attention signals are effective time saving devices which can be used in the
classroom to convey instructions. For example, attention signals can be used for:
repeat, be quiet, stand up/sit down, stop, listen, write etc. Gestures can also be
invaluable in the classroom. They are different from attention signals in that they do
not convey instructions, but rather add meaning to the spoken word. Gestures can be
used to express encouragement, confusion, praise etc. For example the thumbs up
 signal to express ‘good’, open hands facing up to express that you don’t know, or
don’t want to say, raised eyebrows to express surprise etc.

Concept Checking Questions (C.C.Q.’s)

We use CCQ’s to establish meaning and check student understanding. They can be
applied both to grammar (structures / tenses/functional language), and vocabulary
(words / phrases). They look at such issues as concept, context, use (eg function,
style, relationships between people etc) and time reference as applicable. CCQ’s
should check and develop students’ understanding by the asking of carefully planned
specific questions.

eg Vocabulary: witty; ‘He’s a witty person’

‘Does he make people laugh?’

YES

‘Would he be a good guest at a party?’

YES

‘Is that because he’s clever or silly?’

CLEVER

What, when, why, how, where, which questions (ie open questions)

How does he make people feel?

HAPPY

What does he make people do?

LAUGH

Once you have verified the students’ comprehension you can ask students to
personalize the vocabulary/structure.

Do you like witty people?’ (why / why not?)

 Do people think you are witty?

Can you think of a witty person you know?

eg Grammar: used to.. ; ‘I used to smoke’.

Are we talking about the past, present or future?

PAST

Did I smoke before?

YES

Did I smoke regularly?

YES

Do I smoke now?

NO

What happened?

I GAVE UP

Personalized questions once understanding has been established:

Have you ever smoked?

When did you give up?

How difficult was it?

What did you use to do 5 years ago that you don’t do now?

We should avoid questions that waste time and that don’t focus on important issues
or clarify meaning. We should not use the target language in our questions, except
when practising, ie personalizing.)

Pairwork and Groupwork

It has been argued that language acquisition will only occur when students are
exposed to, and have ample opportunity to use the target structures of any lesson in
a meaningful and interactive way. It is necessary to provide students with such
opportunities through the use of communicative, task-based activities in the EFL
classroom; this necessitates the use of pair work and groupwork. Pair work and
groupwork can be used for controlled practice of vocabulary and structures, or to
provide opportunities for authentic, communicative language use. Any pair work
activity is part of a continuum, with initial controlled practice activities leading to
more communicative freer practice. Many task-based pair work activities fall
somewhere between the two.

There are many possibilities for how groupwork and pair work can be used in the
classroom; here are a few examples of commonly used activities:

Predicting: During group lead-ins, predictive exercises in pairs or groups can be used
to introduce a topic and to encourage students to think about what they might
encounter in upcoming exercises.

Brainstorming: Brainstorming is useful for activating prior knowledge and ideas. It

can be used to generate vocabulary or ideas and interest in a topic. It ensures that all
students are actively involved. A competitive element can be introduced to promote
fun and motivation. The information generated is then fed back to the whole group.

Information-gap & Jigsaw Activities: Information-gap exercises can be structured to

practise very controlled language structures or to provide real communicative
opportunities. Jigsaw activities are a special from of information-gap exercise where
key information required to complete a task is divided between two students. The
students must pool the information in order to successfully complete the task; they
must both give and seek information.

Opinion Exchange: Students are asked to give and discuss opinions. When carried
out in pairs it ensures that all students have the opportunity to express themselves
and avoids discussions being dominated by more vocal students. It is also less
threatening and can thus help to build student confidence.

Role-Plays: Students are given situations and roles and a task or objective to be
accomplished. They are a way of recreating real life situations in the classroom, and
can be both effective and enjoyable.

Discussion: Discussions can be carried out in pairs or groups, and provide good
interactive language opportunities.

Games: Games are usually carried out in groups, but can sometimes be adapted to
pair work. They can provide students with opportunities to practise language and
vocabulary in a fun and relaxed way, and they can add variety to lessons. They
should have a purpose and be used to meet the objectives of the lesson.

Projects: Giving students projects to work on in pairs or small groups can be very
effectively used in the classroom and can provide useful opportunities to develop a
variety of communicative skills, eg negotiating, agreeing / disagreeing etc.

Pair work: Pair work needs to be carefully set up in the classroom. Students need to
understand the objectives of the activity, the language to be used, their roles and who
they are to work with. To make pair work successful the teacher should prepare and
model the activity first. The teacher should carefully monitor students during pair
work activities ready to give feedback.

The teacher should consider the fact that different students work at different rates,
which can cause a problem if not carefully handled. For example, students who have
finished an exercise early may become noisy and disruptive or feel neglected if they
are left waiting for other students to finish the activity. Therefore, it is important to
plan extension activities which students can work on while waiting for other students
to finish.

Pair work activities which mimic real communication and have a purpose or goal
provide students with meaningful communicative opportunities which prepare them
for the ‘real world’ outside the classroom. Communicative pair work exercises which
allow for choices of what to say promote active listening and appropriate responses
thus mimicking real conversation.

Pair work helps to build class rapport and relationships within the classroom. For
students who are shy, pair work provides them with a safe environment in which they
are given the opportunity to contribute while not being the centre of attention.

Pair work provides the opportunity to practise a variety of communicative skills, eg

turn-taking, negotiating, agreeing and disagreeing with others opinions, etc.

Pair work provides the opportunity to cater to different student levels within the
same class.

Pair work is student centred rather than teacher centred. The amount of speaking
practice dramatically increases when pair work and groupwork are used in the
classroom.

Teaching Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

It is important to ensure that all language learning is effective and meaningful. This
means that new words and grammar should always be introduced in the context of
meaningful, realistic interactions. If grammar and vocabulary are taught in isolation
without showing how they are used in context, students will not be able to learn how
to use them in any meaningful way. When writing new vocabulary on the board for
example, always write the word within the context of a sentence and underline the
word.

Of course teaching grammar plays a central role in the EFL classroom. However, it is
not just a case of explaining grammar rules to the students; teaching grammar
effectively is more complicated than that. First you need to consider the objectives
of the class, the students’ learning styles, student age group, materials and
resources available, students’ current knowledge etc. In other words, each class is
going to have different grammar needs and goals, and it is up to the teacher to
determine those goals and provide the means with which to meet them.

Inductive and Deductive Grammar Teaching

Inductive is known as the ‘bottom up’ approach. In other words, students discovering
the grammar rules while working through exercises.

eg following a reading comprehension incorporating the simple past and present

perfect tenses, the teacher could ask questions such as, ’Has she ever been to
London?’; ’When did she go?’ etc. Then to help students inductively understand the
difference between the two tenses, these questions could be followed by asking the
students to identify which questions spoke about a definite time in the past and
which questions spoke about a person’s general experience.

Deductive is known as the ‘top down’ approach. This is the standard teaching
approach where the teacher introduces and explains the grammar rules to the
student.

eg the teacher starts by explaining that the present perfect tense is made up of the
auxiliary verb ‘have’, plus the past participle, and continues to explain that it is used
to explain an action that has begun in the past and continues to the present
moment…..etc.

An inductive approach means that the teacher is working to facilitate learning.

One-to-One

One to one offers a unique teaching situation with great potential. It offers a real
challenge to the teacher, but also an unrivalled opportunity. The content of a one to
one teaching session is determined to a large extent by the student. The teacher
becomes less of a controller or manager and needs more to respond to changes in
demands imposed by the student.
It is however still an artificial situation. Two individuals who have never met and may
have little in common spend a lot of time together in a confined space. It is essential
that the teacher is aware of this and is able to create space for learning and not
expect the student to be totally active. Silence can be difficult in any teaching, but
never more so than in a one to one situation. Students need time to read through
work, formulate answers etc. and the teacher needs to create the necessary space
for this to happen and also to take account of the learner's style.

Different expectations

One to one teaching in a business/language school setting is often in a small,

cramped room and comes with certain constraints and expectations as it is often
billed as 'intensive'.

One to one in a homestay / private teaching setting is much more relaxed. The host
teacher chooses the room and the student determines the pace.

It is true to say that there is ‘no escape’ in one to one teaching. It is demanding and
can be very tiring, but the advantages for the student are many:

1. The individual learning style, personality and level of the student can be taken into
consideration

2. The student can set the pace, this is not only possible, but necessary

3. The teacher can offer a choice of pattern/timetable in the working day

4. Breaks can be taken when the time suits

5. There are fewer time constraints on the length of tasks and lessons

6. Tailor-made materials can be prepared and revised to suit the individual

7. The student can have choice and can even supply input material

8. The teacher can arrange visits and set up situations to suit the individual

9. Teaching aids can be ‘hands-on’

10. The teacher can constantly monitor and feedback on the progress of the student

11. Communication is authentic at all times

END OF Unit 3 Module 1

 Unit 3 (The Teaching and Learning of ESOL)
Module 1 (The Basic Principles of TEFL/TESOL) Task 1

1. Which approach does this course recommend?

communicative

2. Which of the following is least important in your teaching?

fluency in your student's own language

3. Which of the following activities should all ESL teachers be able to use effectively?

role play

pair work

eliciting students opinions

4. Which of the following will keep the students interested?

varying your activities

involving the students

5. Which of the following is correct?

you should always acknowledge the effort

6. Which of the following is most important in communicative language teaching?

facilitating communication

knowledge of the theory behind TEFL-TESOL

7. Which of the following is an essential requirement of the Communicative

Approach to language teaching?

knowing your students' language

use of authentic English

knowledge of grammatical terminology

8. Which of the following are advantages for one-to-one students?