This document provides guidance on teaching English language skills. It discusses four strands of language learning: thread, subject specific, reduces lexical load, and assumes student interest. It also references the work of Paul Nation and his framework of meaning focused input, meaning focused output, language focused learning, and fluency development. Specific techniques are recommended for each strand, including using large quantities of input, encouraging student output through speaking and writing, deliberate practice of language features, and developing language learning strategies. The document also provides advice on vocabulary learning, using computer programs to practice listening and receive feedback, making posters, and using course logs for assessment.

1. M1 2011-2012
This is not a
presentation ;-)

2. Back to basics first
4 strands
Thread
Subject specific
reduces lexical load.
Assumes students are INTERESTED.

3. Paul Nation
2007
Meaning focused input
Meaning focused output
Language focused learning
Fluency development

4. Meaning focused input
• Learners are interested and want to
understand.
• Most of the listening or reading is already
familiar.
• Possible to gain some unknown language
items through context and background
knowledge
• Large quantities of input

5. Meaning focused output
• Speaking and especially writing makes the
student think about the language.
• Corrections are incidental
• When the activity is meaning focused, the
students wants to know how to say/write it.
• Fill the gaps in production with
communication strategies, dictionaries,
previous input.

6. Language focused learning
• Noticing
• Deliberate learning of language features
- pronunciation
- spelling
- vocabulary
- grammar
- discourse (styles)

7. Everything goes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Word lists, word cards
Pronunciation practise
Intensive reading
Translation
Memorising dialogues
Dictation self-dictation dictagloss
Getting feedback from writing

8. Language focused learning also
requires
• deliberate learning of strategies such as
– guessing from context
– dictionary use
– Google search
• spaced, repeated attention to the same features.
• Language features can also occur within the other
strands –> arise from the other strands

9. Fluency development

10. Speaking
Reading
4-3-2
New research on reading
Convince the students that they are
NOT wasting their time reading
something which is easy

11. Lessons which seem important to me
• Give the students the distribution of marks and
come back to it in later classes (once is NOT
enough)
• Early on, before explaining the exam ,do a
students-ask-the-questions session (handout)
• Write up lesson in courselog (this takes 2 sessions)
In the computer lab – work through the clarity
programmes (I use the listening first with whole
group to show them how feedback works)

12. More on “Clarity ” lesson
• Important in “whole class model ” example:
– The aim is NOT to get the right answer
– The aim is to learn – so do it as quickly as poss,
use: >mark > see answers > get feedback
– Then if working at home, do it again (and again) to
LEARN somthing
– this is not a test .. (difficult concept)

13. “Clarity ” lesson - after whole class
example
• Having seen what’s in SSS insisting on “always
read the intro first & do SSS vocab/reading/grammar for M1”
• Then the students chose their subject in Road
to IELTS and do the vocab and reading.
• Students pair up with someone who did a
different topic and talk about what they did.
• Write up lesson in courselog.

14. Advice on recording words
• Glossary section of courselog – (more than
single word translations) min 5 words/session
• Give out“Vocabulary Strategies” from word flo
• Demonstrate mind map (good for deciding
which vocab they’re “lacking”)
• Read / talk about collocation (OALD)

15. For exam bachotage
http://www.dcielts.com/reading-2/

17. Making a poster
• Absolutely all the required info is here
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/
• Or get them to discover that for themselves,
by googling “making a scientific poster”assign two sites per pair and then they explain
to the class.

18. Poster session
• Tell them they must give in the subject of their
poster in week 4 then use the pair
work/computer work time to talk to them
about their sources (because research article
not poss for M1Pro).
• All posters must be printed (21st century) – A3
is OK – less than 2 euros (price of A2???- use 2
A3)

19. Using power point to produce poster, change the page size from:
To A3 paysage:

20. Use the option "guides" in power point to line up your text boxes / images
Lots of references on this page
http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign
And pics here
http://www.flickr.com/gro
ups/368476@N21/pool/

22. Poster Session
• Posters up – in silence everyone goes round
the room taking notes on posters and deciding
questions to ask (5-10 mins)
• Students A stays with poster to answer
questions, Student B goes round asking
questions – then swap.
• Drinks and biscuits really make a poster
session work !

23. I ask my students to bring their courselog with them to the poster session,
and then send me the account of the
poster session by email
Reading exam date :
Friday 16th March 17h30

24. Courselogs
• Are for assessment at this point, and are not
given back
• Need a clear front page (name, speciality,
year, teacher’s name) and a staple in the
corner.
• After marking, courselogs should be given to
the English coordinator. (i.e. comments on the
front are for the coordinator)