Useful Concepts and Acronyms for English Language Teaching

Useful Concepts and Acronyms for English Language Teaching

By Sarah Handsworth

As with any industry English language teaching is full of specialist terms and acronyms that mean nothing to those outside the industry. This article will take you through some of the most common terms used to help you prepare if you are considering entering the English language teaching industry. I use the term industry, as private language schools exist worldwide generating considerable incomes - some of the larger organisations are franchised on every continent.

Firstly acronyms, here are some of common ones in use today:

TEFL - means teaching English as a foreign language. TESOL is teaching English as a second or other language. A distinction exists between those students who are learning English because they are now living in an English speaking country and those that are studying English as part of their education. These latter students often need English to progress in their careers. Other acronyms exist along the same lines, such as ESP - English for Specific Purposes; this labels courses with a particular focus, for example, it may be a course for nurses and therefore the course content will use medical contexts and vocabulary to teach the students. One particularly large area of ESP is Business English, having a business background is a great asset to have for an English language teacher.

As an industry set in education there are a lot of acronyms for the various qualifications for both students and teachers. CELTA and DELTA are teaching qualifications that have become industry standards, at least for UK based teachers. CELTA is the Certificate in English Language Teachings to Adults and DELTA is its higher diploma progression.

Students wishing to enter universities in an English speaking country will need to demonstrate they have enough English to properly access their chosen course. TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are examinations that provide universities with internationally recognised competence tests for academic English. The former is North American in origin and the latter British. An equivalent exam exists for workplace English which is TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication which has its origins in Japan. Other popular examinations include the suite of exams provided by the Cambridge Examination board - FCE (First Certificate in English), ACE (Advanced Certificate in English), CPE (Certificate in Proficiency English Test) are the most popular.

Levels in English language teaching can be described in various ways according to the organisation. Generally, the following levels are observed in most language schools - beginner, elementary, lower intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced. False beginner is a level that is recognised for students who may not have studied for a long time and have knowledge but need to retrieve it. Inside the classroom training courses continue with the acronyms - TTT and STT are useful concepts to grasp. TTT is teacher talk time and the concept is that if a teacher is doing all the talking in the classroom the students are not learning. STT is student talk time which should be higher than TTT.

Gap-fills or information gaps are exercises designed to focus on certain language points, be they grammar, vocabulary or another language focus. They often occur between pairs of students that have different pieces of information. In order for students to obtain all information they will need to use English to get it - this is the gap to be filled or the information to be found. An example may be to practice asking for prices with one students with a shopping list and another with a price list, thus armed students can communicate with a purpose.

L1 and L2 are abbreviations used to denote first and second languages and usually occurs in a teaching course in the context of considering how a student's native language can impinge on their learning. An example is false friends, these are words from two different languages that appear similar but have different meanings, for example, the word 'puxar', pronounced 'pushar' feels like push but in actual fact means pull.

Elicitation and concept questions are techniques that from an important part of teaching. Elicitation is a technique whereby a teacher will attempt to tease out answers from students. It is the reverse of spoon-feeding. It is designed to achieve 'cognitive engagement', that is, getting students to think and analyse the language. A simple example of elicitation is a teaching showing pictures and asking students what is in the picture - this is more effective than the teacher showing the picture and simply saying 'this is a..'. Concept questions are questions that aim to pin down ideas, meaning and concepts. For example if a teacher is teaching the word 'sprint', he or she might ask if sprinting was a fast or slow way of running, is it quicker than jogging? can a hundred year old man sprint? can you sprint for a mile? These questions will refine the definition for students.

Controlled practice is an activity in which the language a student can use to complete the task is restricted. A multiple choice activity restricts the language a student can use to the choices he or she is given. By contrast, authentic practice is an activity in which there is no restriction or control over what language a student can use. Authentic practice tries to give the students an opportunity to use English in a real way. Role plays are a popular method of doing this.

I hope this has given some taste to the ideas and jargon used in English language teaching. It can be a wonderfully rewarding career to follow, giving you the opportunity to see countries and cultures from the inside.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Handsworth


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How do you Structure an English Language Lesson?

How Do You Structure an English Language Lesson?

By Sarah Handsworth

There is no simple answer to this question but this article will describe a typical journey through a lesson that is often used. The journey is aimed to take the student through an introduction and through individual components that he or she will be able to use in a final phase at the end of the lesson. This process is often described as PPP or presentation, practice and production.

The start of a lesson is often initiated with a warmer which can be a short fun activity designed to settle the class into learning mode and raise the energy of the class.

A presentation is designed to inform the students of what they are going to be tackling in the lesson. It allows the teacher to assess how much the students already know of the aim of the lesson and maybe adjust accordingly.

Practice is where the students are given tasks by the teacher that focus on individual language skills. These should be geared towards helping students complete the final phase of the lesson. The activities used in the practice part of the lesson are often referred to as 'controlled practice' in contrast to the production phase of the lesson which is often referred to as 'authentic practice'. Here the teacher sets strict parameters as to what the students can do in terms of their language.

The production phase of the lesson is where the teacher sets an activity that requires students to use language in as real and as an authentic way as possible. Here there are no definite parameters for language use, rather, the task sets an aim for students to achieve with whatever language ability they may have.

In planning this kind of lesson it is perhaps a good idea to work backwards, considering what the students are going to be doing at the end of the lesson. In this way the teacher can consider the language skills necessary to achieve this and thus plan to teach these components.

Here is an example: the teacher decides that the students will write about what a partner did on their last holiday. In order to do this the students will have to be able to ask past simple questions and write about the past. Therefore the teacher can plan a logical sequence of activities starting from a presentation in which the class find out what the teacher did for his or her last holiday and are shown the forms for past simple questions (for example), the lesson then moves onto a practice phase which would include various past tense practices (speaking, listening, gap-fills, error corrections etc.) and thus leading to a final phase where students interview each other and write out their findings.

There are of course many other types of lesson structure but PPP, presentation practice production is the structure that is most commonly taught in English teacher training courses as a good basis with which to plan lessons.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Handsworth


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Teaching English Abroad Guide

We have created a Teaching English Abroad Guide which we believe could benefit your site and your readers if you choose to share it with them. Here it is:

http://www.tripbase.com/d/teaching/

The guide itself breaks everything possible teachers may need to know before helping children throughout the world.

If you feel that the guide would benefit your readers then please feel free to link it on your site.

Many thanks for your time,



Kindest Regards,

Claire

I was going to be the next Steve Martin.......

I was going to be the next Steve Martin. My heart was set on becoming a comedian. Never did I think I would be in Japan - English teaching!

When I was younger, I was interviewed and had even performed some comedy on CBC radio in Canada. I also performed at Yuk Yuk`s and Punchlines in Vancouver.

I had majored in theatre and felt that was where I was headed - a career in comedy and comedic acting.

However I came to the realization that I didn`t want to be living out of a suitcase, traveling to various cities in Canada. While at first it would have been excitng, I could see that I wanted a wife, kids and a nice home. I wanted to be based in the same town.

Read More

C/D Borderline Kids need Social,Emotional and Motivational Interventions

From our many years experience of working with C/D borderline kids we know that they need social, emotional and
motivational interventions to help them through their exams. Revision techniques on their own are no good.

Our pre-exam course Pump up the Volume for year 9, 10 and 11 students incorporates two important things:

Why Education is important to Your Future.
This part of the course paints a bleak future for those who will leave
school with low or no qualifications. It is a form of 'negative' motivation that is
intended to make students sit up and think about their future. We also highlight
the benefits of leaving school with good qualifications especially the relationship
between education and greater choice of career paths.

Accelerated Learning Techniques.
This part of the course shows students how they can memorise and recall
many items of information over a short period of time using visualisation. On average
most young people can memorise from 50 to 100 bits of information, chronologically,
in approximately 1 hour.

Pump up the Volume is presented by Tom Hendry whose background includes children and foster homes, father in prison,
mother on benefit, leaving school with no qualifications and doing dead-end jobs for the first few years of his working
life. He has experience of working with over 80,000 young people since 1999.

If you would like further information please do contact us or visit our website.

Yours faithfully
Lyn Hendry
T: 0044 (0)1706 229858
F: 0044 (0) 1706 211849

Esteem/Confidence/Motivation Courses Available
www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/coursesavailable.html

Join our Motivation Newsletter for Free.
www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/motivationnewsletter.html

Do you have problems with disruptive students? Here is a solution guaranteed to reduce disruptive behaviour.
www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/behaviourmanagement.html

Teacher Testimonials
www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/teachercomments.html

Interested in becoming licensed to run our Motivational Courses?
www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/licensingopportunities.html

MoodleMoot Japan 2011

Submission deadline: November 1, 2010

Event: MoodleMoot Japan 2011 includes presentations and workshops to learn about Moodle, the very popular open-source course management system.

Venue: Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan

Details: Anyone interested in sharing and/or learning about Moodle is welcome to participate. Attendees vary in expertise from newbies to developers and administrators, and represent various academic disciplines and non-academic areas. Presentations will cover a wide range of topics including Moodle course development, Moodle module and plugin development, system administration, and teaching techniques, testing and evaluation using Moodle. Details of the conference are here. (You will need to create an account to submit a presentation or register.)

Learn More

Genki English Newsletter October 2010

Genki English Newsletter October 2010
-------------------------------------

Contents:

1. Song of the Month: Who is in the haunted house?
2. Song of the Month 2: Let's make a monster!
3. Game of the Month: Monster Making
4. And finally

Hello,

I hope you are all enjoying being back at school. October for a lot of teachers means Halloween. I find it a great excuse to not only teach all the Halloween style bat, mummy, vampire etc. but to also teach many of the other topics we teach throughout the year, but in a funky, slightly scary, Halloween way. The kids love it, and it's great fun to teach. So to help you out I have two brand new songs, and a classic Halloween game, for you!

.

1. Song of the Month: Who is in the haunted house?
---------------------------------------------------

This song is a time limited (get it now!) free download for VIP members.
http://genkienglish.net/hauntedhouse.htm

The rooms are the same as the "Where is Baby Monkey?" Rooms of the House song (Who is in the kitchen? Who is in the bedroom? etc. ) so it's a great chance to review, and very easy to teach!

.

2. Song of the Month 2: Let's make a monster!
----------------------------------------------

Once you've done body parts (with Doctor, Doctor, Skeleton Soup, Heads and Shoulders, Make a Face etc.) and the numbers you can try this song where the kids draw the monster they hear in the song!

Adding in the music really makes a huge difference to the class.

They come up with some very funky designs!

http://genkienglish.net/letsmakeamonster.htm

.

3. Game of the Month: Monster Making Game
------------------------------------------

This game has been a classic on the site for ages. But this time ....

1. Do the song above so the kids know what to expect.
2. Play the song whilst passing 2 balls (or Halloween toys!) around the class.
3. Stop the music!
4. Whoever has the first ball has to say a "Draw " plus a number.
5. The other person has to say a body part.
6. Everyone draws this body part on their piece of paper.

This is great practice of the plural body parts and also gives the kids something funky to take home.

.

4. And finally
----------------

There are tons more Halloween ideas (the Halloween masks are a huge hit) on the site:

http://genkienglish.net/halloween.htm

and lots of new games on the blog this month,

http://genkienglish.net/teaching/

Plus keep checking back as I've got a ton of new things coming over the next few days!

See you next month,

Be genki,

Richard

======================
Richard J. Graham
The Fun Way to Teach.
Primary School Games, Songs and Ideas
www.GenkiEnglish.com

Tokai FLC / JALT Professional Development Symposium 2010

Tokai FLC / JALT Professional Development Symposium 2010


Helping Learners Build Multiple Skills by Setting Clear Goals, Developing Effective Methodologies,
and Creating Appropriate Materials

Date: Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Tokai University, Shonan Campus, Building 14, 2nd Floor
(4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292) Read More

JINES Newsletter

The JINES iPhone App now available!

Well, it has taken a lot of computer hours, a few computer headaches (and maybe a few more grey hairs) but our Systems Manager, Mr. Brian Dentry has created the new iPhone application for Jines and it’s available now as a free download. In the Apple iTunes Store, search for "jines".

The application has three main components and is in English and Japanese.

-1- About Jines – gives a general introduction to what Jines is and how Jines can help a student locate and contact an independent English language school.
-2- What’s new – gives us latest information on what is happening with schools and Jines overall and can be updated with ease.
-3- The Directory – lists all the schools contained on the Jines website. Telephone numbers, addresses and internet pages of the individual member schools are also accessible.

The most important area for all of us to note is that the directory is due to be updated by October 22. As such, if you are not already a member of Jines, or you have not updated your information recently, you will not be taking full advantage of this fantastic marketing opportunity, which is free for all independent language schools. This is the first of it’s kind in the iTunes App Store, and is accessible through popular search terms such as (in Japanese) eikaiwa, eigo, English study etc. Already there has been a great response in terms of downloads.

This first version is really for all member schools to look at and give us feedback on. Positive we hope. We will be launching version 2 of the Jines iPhone App early next year.

Remembering there are absolutely no fees or charges to join Jines.

So get to it and update your information and be on the new and improved Jines iPhone App now. There is no time to waste.
To login, just go to http://jines.jp/ and follow the link.

The advantages of Company Classes

Just this week I was in Tokyo finalising a new contract to teach the Ramp Controllers at Narita International Airport. These are the guys and girls who control your aircraft from the gate to the runway. I have been fortunate enough to have this contract for the past 3-years and I can honestly say that it is more exciting than teaching in a classroom in Higashi Osaka.

But the real advantage of doing this program is the extended contacts I have made. Before I started the original contract I had real hesitations about doing it. It meant that I had to miss a day in my own school, find a new teacher to cover for me in the classroom and not to mention the travel involved.

However once starting I have found that this program has opened up opportunities in areas I would never have dreamed of. In addition, some of the people I have met have not only been influential in the Japanese aeronautical industry but also very pro-active in helping my school.

So even if the salary is not much higher than what you can make by teaching in your own school, get out there and take the company class anyway, as you never know where it may lead you next.

And the next time you are flying out of Narita, relax in the knowledge that all the controllers are keeping their English up to the ICAO industry standard, albeit with a little Australian twang.

Take care and happy flying.

Peter Carter
Network Administrator

Jines Jump Start

CES – Winter School groups in Worthing

Are you looking for a well-established school with a first class reputation to take a group of students on an English study abroad next February break time?

Well why not choose CES in Worthing England. Worthing is an attractive seaside town of 100,000 people on England's South Coast. It's located only 10 minutes from Brighton and 1 hour and 15 minutes from the centre of London by train.

The Winter School Group package (7-nights / 8-days) contains:
20 lessons - 15 hours English language tuition
Elementary to Advanced levels of English
Course Content:
 The course is designed for groups of young people (minimum age 14 years). The course combines expert English language tuition with an interesting social and cultural programme. Project work is an important part of the course.
The course includes grammar and use of language, with the focus on listening and speaking in the second session. Students are assessed on their level of English on their first day and placed in a class according to their level. In class students will improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Class is for three hours each day. Courses are subject to demand and may take place in the morning or afternoon depending on demand.
Fees Include:
Full board Host Family Accommodation (2 students per family)
15 Hours Tuition per week in single nationality classes

Book Rental + additional course materials

Certificate of Attendance and individual student report

Griffith University - TESOL for International Test Preparation

TESOL for International Test Preparation (ITP) is designed for qualified ELICOS / ESL teachers who want to develop specific knowledge and skills in international language tests or undertake a pathway program to begin to upgrade their TESOL qualifications to a post-graduate level such as the Cambridge Delta.

ITP is matched in terms of duration and workload to a Unit in a graduate TESOL program offered in a university.
Participants who successfully complete the course receive an Australian nationally recognised Statement of Attainment from Griffith University. Successful participants are also able to articulate directly into the Cambridge Delta Module Three.
Duration - The ITP takes 130 hours to complete with 36 hours face-to-face. In addition to the face-to-face sessions, participants are required to spend approximately 90 hours on directed reading and assignments.

Queensland International Business Academy (QIBA)

QIBA is an Australian Government accredited ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) and Vocational Education institution specializing in English, Business and University Foundation programs for Australian and International students.

QIBA’s partnership arrangements with 3 Gold Coast Universities are reflected in a number of integrated Business, Foundation and English Language preparation programs for Undergraduate and Post-Graduate students.
• Important note: For all new students to QIBA they will receive a waiver on their Registration fee which is a saving of AUS$220.00 or approximately 22,000 yen.

Happy Studying!

Ms. Taeko Kashiwagi
Study Abroad Administrator
kashiwagi@jines.jp

Taeko Kashiwagi comes to Jines with a solid background in ESL education. Starting out as a receptionist with Nova Corp., she became an English language student in Sydney, Australia. After completing her language studies as well as additional vocational studies with Southbank Institute of TAFE she then worked in the study tour section of Queensland College of English. After a number of years in the travel industry Taeko returned to education where she took up the position of Centre Administrator for the IELTS test centre at Griffith University, Australia before returning to Japan.

Education News On Japan

Japan teachers may get English training in U.S.
Oct 11
The Japanese and U.S. governments are considering the establishment of a program that would send young Japanese teachers of English to the United States to improve their English ability, it has been learned. Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to expand cultural, intellectual and human exchanges between the two countries, in addition to security and economic cooperation as part of the government's efforts to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance. The government intends to reach an official agreement that includes the English-teacher plan when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Japan in the middle of next month. (Yomiuri)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T101010001858.htm

Nova, Geos now under investment fund's wing
Oct 6
Nagoya-based G. communication Co. last week sold Nova Corp. and Geos Corp., two major foreign language school chains, to an investment fund. The fund, Inayoshi Capital Partners, run by recently retired G. communication founder Masaki Inayoshi, acquired the stakes Friday by purchasing shares of G. education Co., a G. communication spokeswoman said. Seven Geos language schools overseas, in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, will remain G. communication subsidiaries. (Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101006a2.html

Digitizing books stirs copyright controversy
Sep 27
A growing business in which companies are digitizing books into e-books for individual customers is drawing the ire of publishers, who say the practice violates the Copyright Law. The companies remove the spines of books and scan the pages one by one for transfer to e-readers, a practice called "jisui," which literally means "cooking one's own meals." Although it is legal for individuals to digitize their books for their own use, some publishing companies maintain it is a violation of the Copyright Law for companies to do so on behalf of individuals. (Yomiuri)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100926002125.htm

Universities looking to go global
Sep 23
Fostering global human resources seems all the rage these days and several Japanese universities are jumping in, opening their doors to foreign students who aren't proficient in Japanese in a bid to snatch top-class talent from around the world. While the institutions prepare to make their programs attractive to foreign students, university officials say the private sector should also open up so these graduates will stay in Japan and embark on solid career paths. Under the Global 30 project initiated by the education ministry last year, by the end of fiscal 2013 more than 130 undergraduate and graduate courses conducted completely in English will be launched at 13 universities acting as Japan's "global education hubs." (Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100923f1.html

Joining Jines
It's free for independent school owners to list their schools in the Jines Directory.

Follow the link below to register and enter your school details into the database.

At any time you will be able to modify or delete your entry.

Join / Login here!

Jines charges no service fee for the schools to join, nor does it charge the Japanese student to access the information contained within this website.

The purpose of Jines is to provide a gateway for Japanese students to locate a suitable school in addition to providing a forum for school owners to share ideas on improving English language services in Japan.

For more information, contact:

Peter Carter
Japan's Independent Network of English Schools
http://jines.jp/
3-22 Kanda-cho
Higashi Osaka-shi
Osaka 579-8058
JAPAN
Tel: +81 72 981 8806

Tokai FLC / JALT Professional Development Symposium 2010

Tokai FLC / JALT Professional Development Symposium 2010

(Pictured Hiratsuka`s Tanabata Festival by Richard Baladad)


Helping Learners Build Multiple Skills by Setting Clear Goals, Developing Effective Methodologies,
and Creating Appropriate Materials

Date: Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Tokai University, Shonan Campus, Building 14, 2nd Floor
(4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292)
Read More