TEYL Suggested tasks 2nd year/ S4 ISAMT 22/23

Focus: How beliefs affect teaching?

The way teachers plan and organize their lessons and activities reflects their beliefs about
teaching and learning. It gives some idea about what the teacher thinks is the most
appropriate way to help pupils to learn (teaching philosophy).

 Task 1: the following are outlines of two lessons on prepositions for 8 to 9 year-old
children. Study them carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1- How does teacher (A) think pupils learn language?

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2- How does teacher (B) think pupils learn language?

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 3- Which lesson provides most opportunities for pupils to make use of the natural
abilities and characteristics which they bring to language learning? Justify with
examples from the outlines above.

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 Task 2: Read this excerpt where Mr. Ali Raddaoui reacted to the question about his
philosophy of teaching. Answer the questions that follow (Previous exams’ question):
HZ: Describe your teaching experience. What is your teaching philosophy?

AHR: My teaching is guided by several principles and theories that I continually strive to
put in practice, observe, analyze and critique to continue to improve my teaching and to
make sure it is never boxed in a limited, fixed, formula-type recipe. I often refer to myself as
a facilitator, educator, and coach, an intercultural speaker, rather than as a teacher or
instructor. Instead of telling learners about things to remember and reproduce, as is often
done in the transmission model, I aim to create a comfortable and encouraging atmosphere
of interaction and communication with no place for any type of threat. In all of this, I hope
to stand as an example of someone whose questions are answered through negotiation
rather than through decree and dictation (Raddaoui & Zriba, 2020, p. 100).
International Journal of Multiculturalism
Volume 1, № 2, 2020, 97-106
DOI: 10.30546/2708-3136.2020.1.2.97

a. How does Mr. AHR see himself with respect to teaching?

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b. How does he make sure that there is a safe learning environment?

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c. Where in the text does Mr. AHR show that he opts for a learner-centered teaching
approach?

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Focus: Managing behaviours+ reinforcing classroom rules:

 Task 3: Study these two cases and answer the questions that follow (last year’s exam
question)

CONTEXT: Mr. Jones and Mrs. Simmons are both in their final year of their training and are
on their final teaching placement in parallel classes. They are teaching numeracy to their
respective classes of 36 children per class, aged 5. Mr. Jones is half way through his main
 teaching exposition linked to handling data. A graph is shown on the interactive whiteboard.

Case A: Mr. Jones Case B: Mrs. Simmons

Mr. Jones: What does this data tell us about
our original question? Are the results as you
expected?
Will: Sir, I know!
Mr. Jones: Perhaps you do, Will, but we do
not have shouting out in this class. Who else
knows the answer? Thank you, Michael.
Will: But sir, I know the answer! Please ask
me!
Mr. Jones: No, Will. No shouting out. How
many times do I have to say it? Go on Michael
...
Will: Oh come on! I know the answer! The
graph shows that the most popular hobby in
the class is playing computer games!
Mr. Jones: That's it! I told you once! I told you
twice! Take the merits you earned this
morning off your chart now. Go on, no
arguments.
Will: Fine, what's the point anyway?
[Mrs. Simmons is at the same stage in her
lesson]
Mrs. Simmons: So, what does the data tell us
about our original question? Are the results
as you expected? Take a moment to think
about what I have asked. (Pause) I am
looking for someone sitting beautifully with
their hand in the air. Thank you, Suzy! What
do you think?
Suzy: The graph shows that the most popular
hobby in our class is cycling.
Mrs. Simmons: Well done Suzy! Now who
can tell me how she knew that? John, your
hand is up and you are sitting well in your
seat what do you think?

1. What is the main classroom management aspect that the two cases focus on?
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2. What does Mr. Jones expect from his pupils in terms of behavior?
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3. What does Mrs. Simmons expect from her pupils in terms of behavior?
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4. Does Mr. Jones allows his pupil, Will, to regulate his behavior? Justify.
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Focus: Children L1/L2 acquisition:

 Task 4: Study the two cases and complete the table that follows ((last year’s exam
question)
 Case 1:
Context: A mother talking to her little child at
home.
Age of the child: 16 months
Target language: English as a First Language
Case 2:
Context: Thinking about the Easter Bunny and
eliciting the phrase chocolate eggs
Age of learners: Eight to nine year olds.
Target Language: English as a Second
Language

MOTHER: Now we’re nearly ready… OK now TEACH E R: And it's a holiday, isn't it?
over CHILDREN: Yeah.
your head… good boy… TEACHER: Yes. And on Easter Sunday he brings
put in your other hand…now shoes. us
Where what? Em?
are your shoes? CHILDREN: Chocolate.
CHILD: Sus… TEACHER: Chocolate? Uh uh chocolate. Eh,
MOTHER: Yes. Your shoes. Where are they? chocolate... ice-cream?
[Both look around for the shoes] CHILDREN: No.
MOTHER: Oh there. Look …your shoes…on the TEACHER: No, no it's not chocolate ice-cream.
chair. Eh ...
CHILD: Sus. Sus. chocolate ... eggs? Chocolate eggs.
MOTHER: Yes shoes. Yes?
CHILDREN: Yes.
TEACHER: Do you like chocolate eggs?
CHILDREN: Yes, yes.
TEACH ER: Mm ... Yum yum yum,yes?
CHILDREN: Yes, yes.
TEACHER: Chocolate eggs. OK.
[Later in the class]
TEACHER: And he brings? He brings? Yes?
CHILD: Chocolate eggs.
Easter Bunny/ TEACHER: Do you like chocolate eggs? Do you
Chocolate Eggs like
(Relevant to case 2) chocolate eggs? I love chocolate
eggs.

1. Complete the table below by finding examples of similarities between the two cases.

What the Mother-child examples Teacher-child examples

parent/teacher does
…………………………………………………….... ……………………………………………..………..
1. Repeats phrases
…………………………………………..………….. …………………………………………...…………..
said earlier.
…………………………………………………..….. ………………………………………………………..
2. Keeps children ………………………………………………..…….. ………………………………………………………..
attention by asking ………………………………………………..…….. ………………………………………………………..
questions. ………………………………………………..…….. ………………………………………………………..
3. Reacts positively to CH: Sus -Sus ………………………………………………………..
what children say M: Yes, shoes ………………………………………………………..
even if words are not …………………………………………..…………..
 complete
Or perfectly
pronounced.
4. Adds to or ………………………………………………………..
CH: Chocolate eggs
improves what ………………………………………………………..
T: Do you like chocolate eggs?
children say. ………………………………………………………..

2- In both cases, the amount of talk of the parent and teacher is much more than that of the
children. What is the effect of that on the process of acquiring or learning a particular
language?

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3- Focus on two cases and:

a. decide whether the learning environment in both cases is supportive or threatening. b. pick one
detail from each case and explain how it is as such.

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Focus: Classroom Management: Group teaching:

 Task 4: Read the classroom procedure below and answer the questions that follow.

Prepare items of vocabulary written on one slip of paper and their definitions written on
another piece of paper. Essentially, students holding key vocabulary in their hand have to
find a partner who is holding a corresponding definition. To make it slightly more
complicated, you could get students to keep their vocabulary or definitions secret and those
with the key vocabulary must describe it in their own words or the person with the definition
must guess the vocabulary and say it. Once each student finds his/her partner, then they sit
together and continue with the lesson.

a. What is the type of organization of the activity? Circle the right option
( individual work /pairwork / groupwork / whole class )

b. Does it involve much noise? Why yes/why not?

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c. Is it easy to control the pupils? Why yes/why not?

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 Task 6: Look at the table below and answer the questions:

Context:

1- What would teacher and pupils need to do in order for the group teaching strategy
above to wok successfully?

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2- State some advantages and disadvantages of using this strategy.

Advantages Disadvantages
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