Chapter 1: Introduction to

Language Teaching

Reflecting and sharing

1

TESOL Principles 5/10/2022

2 Reflection and discussion

Think of an effective English teacher you know.

Discuss in groups and summarize your ideas.
1. What is effective teaching?
2. What contributes to effective English teaching?

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TESOL Principles
 How important is teaching
methodology to effective teaching?
3

What elements does effective teaching base on?

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4
Questions

1. What is the role of foreign language

teaching theory?
2. What is the theory composed of? What is
the role of knowledge of teaching methods?
3. What roles does the teacher play in this
theory?

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5
Background information

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 1986, 2000 (2nd ed.)
6

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 Notes from Richards and Rodgers
7

• The history of language teaching methods attempted

to invent a best method.
• BUT ‘Method’ implies the idea of prescribed
teaching, and there is no one-size-fits-all method.
• There should be a break away with ‘method’, moving
beyond methods.
• How? By drawing on selective methods and
techniques which work for specific contexts
(principled eclecticism)

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 First edition 1980
8

Principles are theoretical foundations (Brown, 2000) 5/10/2022

 Hans Heinrich Stern (1983), applied linguist
9

Since the sixties a number of

attempts have been made to
develop a broad conceptual
framework for language
teaching and thereby to
break away from the
narrowness and partisanship
implicit in the method
nation.

(Stern, 1983, p.482)

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 Stern’s proposal (1983)
10

 Concepts of Language
 Concepts of Language
Learning
 Concepts of Society
(Context)
 Concepts of Language
Teaching as an educational
discipline

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 Larsen-Freeman (1986, 2000)
11

 Techniques = classroom
actions
 Principles are thoughts or
ideas that guide actions
(Larsen-freeman, 1986)

 Method = a coherent link

of thoughts and actions.
Principles guide thought-in-
action teaching OR doing with
a purpose
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 Recent decades: Proponent of beyond-
12
method teaching (2003)
Strategies are guidelines.
Macro-strategies allow
teachers to go beyond a
fixed method.
Macro-strategies can be
subdivided into micro ones.

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 Farrell & Jacobs (2010): Proponents of
13
beyond-method teaching
Essential elements are similar
to macro-strategies or
principles.
Assumption:
“If English language teaching
integrates these essentials, it
will be successful.”

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14
Way/Method

The best
method?

Teachers’
choice?
TESOL Principles and Methods 5/10/2022
15
Summary notes
The theory of (effective) language teaching not
only relies on existing methods.
It covers theoretical concepts/principles that
guide teaching design and classroom activities.
Teaching involves an implementation related to
crucial interrelated elements: curriculum (1)
<=> teaching activities/methodology (2)<=>
assessment (3).
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 Main contents
Didactics
Teaching activity: didactic triangle
16
Goals of teaching activity
Curriculum, teaching, assessment
Teacher professional roles
Theoretical framework of foreign language
teaching
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17 Didactics
Didactics is the science of teaching. It aims to
answer fundamental questions about this
activity.
1.What is teaching?
2.What is it that we teach?
3.Whom do we teach?
4.Where and when do we teach?
5.How do we teach?
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18 Think of a metaphor for ‘teach’ & ‘teacher’

Go to the link sent to you: https://www.menti.com/h5yen1u2wj 5/10/2022

19 What is teaching?

Teaching is a goal-oriented activity.

Teaching is a vocation (service, identity and

personal satisfaction).

Teaching is a scientific discipline/endeavor.

Teaching is an art.

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20

Teaching is a scientific endeavor.

• Goal/purpose
• Process/activity
• Psychological factors/processes
• Situational/physical conditions

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 Teaching is a purposeful and organized
activity that aims to bring about changes
on the part of learners in specific socio-
21
cultural contexts.
Nguyen, Chung & Phan (2021, p.1)

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 Didactic triangle (Tam giác luận dạy học)
Content-oriented approach

Learning-centred approach
Teacher-centred approach

Learner-centred
The basic structure of teaching activity approach
23 Goals of teaching & education

What does
teaching aim Learners’ acquisition of knowledge

at?  Content-oriented teaching

Learners’ competence development
What is it that  Competence-based teaching
we teach? Learners’ personal development
Educating qualities and attitudes

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24

+
21st
Century
Skills

UNESCO 5/10/2022
25

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Core Competences and Qualities in General Education Curriculum

Curriculum: learning outcomes/goals

Curriculum involves not only what pupils learn, but

how they learn it, how teachers help them learn,
using what supporting materials, styles and methods
of assessment and in what kind of facilities (Rodgers,
1989, p.26)
Course syllabus prescribe the content to be covered
by a given course (Richards, 2001, p.39)
Levels of curriculum: program curriculum ->
course/subject syllabus
27 Curriculum: learning outcomes/goals

 Learning goals/outcomes (Mục tiêu/chuẩn đầu ra)

Expected levels of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students
can perform after training.
Ex:
-Students will be able to use English at an C1-equivalent
proficiency level (a program outcome)
-Students will be able to understand long complicated speech
on common academic topics (a listening course outcome)

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Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognition (2001)
Specific activities for each level
 SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome)
30
Taxonomy

Adopted from Biggs and Tang (2011); Originally from Biggs & Collis (1982) 5/10/2022
31

Educare 5/10/2022
32 From course goals to lesson objectives
 Unit or lesson objectives
Statements of specific levels of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students are
expected to perform
Ex:
-Students will be able to describe a person’s routine.
-Students will be able to spell a word.
-Students will be able to identify main message of signs.
-Students will be able to write an invitation letter to friends.
-Students will be able to search for and locate relevant information online.
-Students will demonstrate a cooperative attitude in group work.

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How to write SMART objectives

• Specific: cụ thể về kiến thức/kỹ năng cần đạt

• Measurable: có thể đo lường được bằng 1 biện pháp
• Achievable: có thể đạt được đối với người học
• Relevant: tập trung vào chuẩn kiến thức của chương
trình
• Time-bound: có thể đạt được trong khoảng thời
lượng nhất định
How to write lesson objectives

Think of levels Find suitable

List key
of can-do verbs to
knowledge and
abilities that express can-do
skills
you expect abilities

Begin with ‘by the end of

Write
the lesson, students will
statements
be able to…
Examples

Students will be able to

-greet and respond to greetings in informal
situations
-say their names
-ask for the names
What’s wrong with the following objective
statements?
Students will be able to
a. enhance knowledge of vocabulary on food
b. develop speaking skills about food
c. further understand about complex tenses in
English
d. use correct verb forms in brackets
Curriculum, teaching, and assessment

Source: Shuan Allison

 Constructive alignment
(Nguyên tắc liên kết kiến tạo)
Intended
outcomes/objectives
(contents, skills…)

Intended assessment activities Planned teaching and

How will learning be learning activities
measured? How will learners learn?

Source: Biggs, 2013

39 Example

Ss can describe a routine

How will learning be measured? What activities?

Order routine activities
Task: Talk about a person’s
routine Listen to a person’s routine
Describe a person’s routine

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40 Teaching and assessing: what and how?

How to
Curriculum
teach/assess?

What to
Assessment
teach/assess

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41 Teachers’ professional roles

Reflective Transformative
Technician
Practitioner intellectual
-Imitate/follow
- Selectively Impact learners’
models
apply and reflect development 5/10/2022
on models
42 Teaching – Learning Relationship

Teaching does not Who are my learners? Learning can occur

necessarily result in What hinder/facilitates without teaching.
learning. their learning?

How can I
How is a language most
facilitate their
effectively learned?
learning?

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43 Theoretical Framework for Foreign Language
Teaching (Khung lý luận về dạy & học ngoại ngữ)
• How to facilitate
• Language Curriculum second language
• Skills/competence learning process?
• What teaching and
learning methods,
principles,
WHAT HOW activities?

WHERE-
WHO
WHEN
• Learner differences
• Under what
in needs,
conditions?
motivation,
styles,…. • What context?

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44 Course requirements

In-class discussion and participation

(40%)
Final test/assignment (60%)

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