English Teaching Methodologies

Final Questions June 8, 2009

Dear all,

Please follow this link to get the final questions. I suggest you do some research before taking the exam.

Best,
Alice

Microteaching (June 4) May 31, 2009

Here comes the order of the presentation on June 4:

1. Allen
2. Phil
3. Carol
4. May
5. Karen
6. Peggy
7. Seamore
8. Apple
9. Patty
10. Sharon
11. Requal
12. Linda
13. Zoe

Since we have 13 presneters in total, make sure to come to class on time. See you soon.

Microteaching: What and How (May 21 and June 4) May 16, 2009

Microteaching gives you a chance to practice what you have learn during this semester. In the microteaching sessions, you are not required to do anything very complicated but please pay attention to the following instructions to see how to go about it.

1. Choose one (very small) task, exercise or activity you learn in the course.

2. Try out the activity in the 20-minute Microteaching Sessions.

3. Peer Evaluation Time: Immediately after the activity, ask 2 open-ended questions for your participants and give them 3 minutes to think and write answers in the evaluation form you prepare. (Note: Ask the kinds of questions which provoke real thought and promote truth value.)

4. Materials you can prepare for your teaching/action research include
1) A lesson plan to Alice (required, downloadable from the course files)*
2) Handouts (required)*
3) Peer evaluation form with 2 open-ended questions (required*)
4) Worksheets (optional)
5) Visual aids (optional)

Please refer to the list below to check the order of the presentation on May 21:
Allen, Sunny, Carol, Vivian, May, Beatrice, Phil, Patricia, Daniel and Jill.

Should you have any questions, please leave a message here. Thanks.

Lesson Plan Form and Samples (0502) May 2, 2009

Dear students,

I’ve uploaded some lesson plan samples and a blank form for your information. Please click “course files” or follow this link to take a look at the plans.

Please finish the lesson plan you started to work on last Thursday. We will talk more about it in the next class meeting.

Groups and the schedule on April 9 April 7, 2009

Dear students,

Just in case that you forget which group you signed in, please refer to the list below. And follow this link to get to know the schedule.  Should you have any questions, please e-mail me. I’m looking forward to meeting you in LSSH.

School Visit on 0409 April 5, 2009

Dear students,

After coming back from the trip to Shanghai, I spent most of my time in Taipei Science Fair my school is coordinating. However, Hedy and I talked on the phone for a couple of times, exchanging our new experiences in different situations. I hope you enjoyed the class as much as Hedy.

Now, here come some tips about the school visit on April 9.

1. Grouping: As you know, there will be two groups of 10. Group A arrives at 7:50 and leaves at 11:00 while Group B arrives at 8:50 and leaves at noon. If you have classes in the afternoon, say like at 13:00, it’s better that you sign up for Group A.
2. Learning activities: During your stay, you’ll observe two teachers’ classes. A Class Observation Form will be handed out so that you can take notes when observing the teaching.  
   • Group A:
     8:00-8:50 Teaching observation (Lillian)
     9:00-9:50 Teaching observation (Mimi)
     10:00-11:00 Discussion
   • Group B:
     9:00-9:50 Teaching observation (Lillian)
     10:00-11:00 Discussion
     11:10-12:00 Teaching observation (Mimi)
3. Please follow this link for transportation.

Please remember to summit a 2-page report on April 16. I wish you have a great time in LSSH.

Listening Lesson Plans & class activities on 0326 March 24, 2009

Dear students,

Don’t forget to upload a lesson plan for the listening activities you (or your group) design to your group blog. I’ll check it in my free time.

I ask Hedy (your substitute teacher) to watch your teaching demonstration on listening on March 26. Please send a group representative and do it according to your lesson plan. I think you would get a lot of feedback from Hedy.

Hedy is a wonderful teacher, from whom you can learn a lot. Please feel free to ask her about lesson planning, teaching recruitment exams and her teaching experiences in different schools. Wish you have a good time.

How to teach listening (0319) March 19, 2009

As we say in class, a skill-based lesson would involve more than one skill; therefore, it’s likely that when students work on the listening activity you design, it would give them opportunities to practice speaking, reading or even writing. As long as the listening lesson has a focus, and you apply the strategies to help overcome the difficulties you students  encounter, and the listening activity is meaningful and relevant, I think you would have a successful lesson.

Now, here the sets books I introduce in class today:

1. Pair Work (A & B), Cave Books. ( ISBN: 014 08 1320 9)
2. Beginning Listening, (Longman)
   • From the Start  (ISBN 0 582 90727 6)
   • Moving On   (ISBN 0 801 30119 X)
   • Taking Off  (ISBN 0 582 90756 X

Wish you enjoy the lesson as much as I do.

How to teach grammar (0312) March 19, 2009

Here are the resource books I brought for you:

1. Games for ESL Students, Caves Books. (ISBN: 957-060-064-8)
2. Games for Language Learning, 文鶴.
3. Language Teaching Games and Contests, Oxford. (ISBN: 0-19-432716-7)

You are welcome to recommend some books that you think are helpful to grammar teaching.

How to Teach Vocabulary (0305) March 5, 2009

We spent some time discussing how to teach vocabulary. But to know is one thing, to do is another.  That’s why I emphasize the importance of  teaching practice. I will revserve more time for teaching demonstration next time so that more of you can try to put the ideas into practice.

Here are some online resources about vocabulary teaching:

1. Seven Steps to Vocabulary Learning
2. Presenting Vocabluary
3. Remembering Vocabulary

Please share your feedback or good experiences of learning vocabulary in your blog.