From Teaching to Learning

1. From Teaching to Learning A Materials Design Algorithm For ELT Fernando Silva , UPTC Tunja

2. Have you heard these comments? • The success of ELT in Colombia is poor. • The results of the ICFES English test is not satisfactory. (ICFES) • 70% of the teachers of English in Colombia are below a B2 level. (MEN) • Scholarships are lost in Colombia because candidates don`t pass a basic English test (ICETEX) • .... And others like these ...

3. I want to go to London (or the US) to learn English • I have studied English all my life and I don’t know a word. • I can’t do this task because the sources are in English. • Students come to the university without a word of English. • Students graduate from the University without a word of English.

4. When can we say that a person “knows” (or “doesn’t know”) a language? • S/he can understand what other people say to him/her. • S/he can initiate a conversation. • S/he can describe things around him/her. • S/he can tell an anecdote or story. • S/he can understand a professional text. • S/he can write a letter or take notes of a lecture. • S/he can read for pleasure. • S/he can write an extended text. • Etc.

5. After studying from 6 to 15 years of English, what can the average Colombian DO (not do) with English? • S/he can pass school English exams. • S/he can pass university English exams. • S/he can say a few words. • S/he can read or translate a text with difficulty. • S/he cannot handle spontaneous conversation. • S/he cannot handle extended writing.

6. Knowing vs. Doing. • “Learning a Language” • 35000 words • Hundreds of rules • Hundreds of idioms and “social rules” • Etc. (Even native speakers don’t “know it all”) • “Using a Language” • Developing competence in limited events • A few words (50) • A few sentence models • (A learner may become competent in a couple of weeks)

7. What is an “episode”? • An “episode” is a languge event that may reasonably happen in real life: • Describing something • Telling an anecdote or story • Understanding a text • Singing a song ... • It may be circumscribed in a limited inventory of words and sentence models • It can be learned in a few hours • It can “pile up” towards high level proficiency

8. Curricular Options • Make the student “learn the language” so that in the long run s/he may be able to use it • (Traditional approach, “linguistic”) • Make the student “use the language” so that in the long run s/he improves his knowledge and command of it • (Episodes approach, “pragmatic”)

9. Episodes Approach Design Model (1) • What do I want my student to be able to do with English? • Understand what other people say to him/her about a particular type of event (e.g. Descriptions). • Initiate a conversation about a particular topic. • Describe particular things around him/her (animals, people, objects). • Tell a specific anecdote or story. • Understand a particular text. • Write a letter about a particular event. • Write an extended text about a particular topic. • Etc.

10. Episodes Approach Design Model (2) • What must s/he KNOW in order to do it? • A particular lexicon • A particular set of sentence models • A particular set of pronunciation “problems”

11. What must s/he DO in order to learn them?(3) • Be taught? (Learning is not a result of teaching) • Get down to learn? (Learning is the result of personal engagment.) • Learn the words. • Learn the sentence models. • Learn the pronunciation “problems” • Practice and practice and practice until ....

12. What must the teacher DO to make him/her DO it? (4) • Traditional answer: Prepare good classes • Learning is not the result of teaching. • Are you a good, conscientious teacher? • Do all your students learn everything you teach them? • Do some of your students learn only a fraction of what you teach them? • Might some of your students learn little or nothing of what you teach them? • Might some of your students learn some, or most, or all without your teaching them? • Learning is a result of personal engagement. Even in the absence of teaching. (Autonomous learning)

13. What must the teacher DO to make him/her DO it? (5) • Alternative answer: Don`t teach.Make them learn • Prepare a task-based, student-centered lesson that will get the student engaged with the object of learning. • Define your target behavior. • Define the necessary lexical set. • Define the necessary sentence model inventory. • Design a set of activities that are challenging (not necessarily easy, but easy to follow) • Design a system to check progress & results

14. Practical exercise: • What do you want your students to be able to do with English? Make it specific. • What must they know to be able to do it? • What must they do to learn it? • What must you do to make them learn it? • Lexical inventory • Sentence model inventory • Activities • How will you ckeck results?

15. What is “Trails to English”? • “Trails” is a secondary school series that follows the “episodes” model: • Activity based • Learner centered • Self-determined learning (autonomous) • Competence oriented (minimal grammar) • Luxurious, full color edition, abundant support • Incredible price • 6 to 11 (Primary grades upcoming)

16. How does “Trails” work? • Planning: invoking learner commitment • Lexicon: context, flash cards, audio CD • Sentence models: context, audio CD • Conversation: Context, audio CD, flash cards • Writing: Innovative, analytical writing. • Speaking: Extended oral reports. • Personality growth: responsibility, self esteem • Evaluation: Peer evaluation.

17. Where can you get “Trails”? • autores@trailstoenglish.com

18. What about University level? • ABC English • “A Basic Course in English” • Same methodology • Great price • Incredible results • Levels 1 to 3 (Level 4 upcoming) • Fully