On Wednesday, October 21st, I observed a writing class in ESL Services

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A Classroom Observation

Elizabeth Spang

University of Texas at Austin

Elizabeth Spang

UT-Austin ESL Services

ELP Writing Improvement 2

10/21/09

Class Observation Report

On Wednesday, October 21st, I observed a writing class in ESL Services. The instructor granted me permission to observe her Writing Class (Section 2, High Beginners) which meets M/W/F from 1:15pm-2:45pm. I do not have any teaching experience in the classroom yet, so this was quite a learning experience.

Before going into detail about this particular class, its important to review UTs ESL Services overall goals. Classes in ESL Services are designed for their students needs and the faculty will help them achieve their English goals. The English Language Program (ELP), which the class I observed is a part of, targets students who wish to expand their English for communication, study, business, or pleasure. ELP students include undergraduates, visiting scholars, businesspeople, and family members of UT Austin faculty and students. Students can enroll in intensive or part-time study. There are six levels of instruction, from mid-beginning to advanced. Classes have an average of 11 or 12 students. There are four main focuses in the Core ELP Courses: listening & speaking, reading & discussion, writing, and grammar & idioms. Electives are offered. As far as admissions, it is recommended that a student knows at least some English vocabulary before enrolling. Academic English Program (AEP), the other program in ESL services, is designed for students who plan to enter a Masters or Ph.D. program at UT-Austin or another university in the United States.

As far as the instructors overall goals for the class, she has many. She strives for her students to improve their writing fluency, writing accuracy, the ability to use the writing process as a writing tool, the ability to use English sentence structure, the ability to write unified, coherent, and developed paragraphs, the ability to use a word processor and to expand vocabulary. A couple focuses in the class, as noted in the syllabus, include writing clear simple sentences and will progress to writing well-developed paragraphs in a variety of types and styles. The class also looks at the process of writing.

For this particular class period, her goals were to introduce a new grammar structure, clauses. By the end of the class period, students should understand what a clause is, and the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause. Before this class, students were given a writing assignment and were also encouraged to submit a scary story for a Halloween contest that ESL Services had designed.

As for the design and activities of the lesson, the instructor included a little bit of everything. A great technique to keep students interested. It was a small, intimate classroom of about fifteen students. Within the first five minutes of class, students were asked to write in their journals. This is a daily activity for them. The instructor handed back writing assignments and collected one that was due during this period. She also collected scary stories for the ESL Services Halloween contest. Students were then asked to pull out their workbooks and go over the answers to the questions that were assigned for homework with a partner. As a class they reviewed the answers afterwards. It was a teacher-centered classroom but included a student-centered activity where they could express themselves through journal writing. The teacher would ask the question, and allow the students to shout out the answer. Once in awhile she would have them repeat the answers (which were sentences). If a word popped up that the instructor did not think her students would recognize, she would explain it. For example she explained to the class that thoroughly means very well.

The instructor kept a smooth pace throughout the class. She spent the next fifteen minutes or so introducing and describing a new topic, clauses, both independent and dependent ones. To explain a clause, she wrote two separate constructs on the board, and then showed the difference. For example, an Independent Clause stands alone, We walk to school. A dependent clause when Mr. Jones yelled cant stand alone and isnt a complete thought. Next came a hands-on part. Students were given an activity and were asked to rip off a piece of paper and write Independent Clause and Dependent Clause on each side. They would have to hold up their IC or DC flashcard when asked for the correct answer. The instructor provided markers for them. Using these flashcards, which is a tool in Communicative Language Teaching, she encouraged interaction in the classroom and visual learning. Also, she briefly went over when to use commas. Overall, the activities and materials the instructor used were engaging enough and encouraged class participation.

What I really liked which I think also kept the students at ease and less anxious, was that the instructor kept telling the students that within the next week they would be getting a lot of practice with this. Students stay motivated and less anxious from the beginning if they know theyll have time to review new material. Stephen Krashen proposed the Affective Filter Hypothesis in the 1970s, which proposed that certain emotions such as anxiety, self-doubt, and mere boredom interfere with the process of acquiring a second language (Hadley, 62). Students were asked to work with a partner again to create a processed paragraph. The instructor provided them an envelope with sentences in it. They had to re-arrange the sentences and provide commas where needed. She drew a jar on the board when students asked what the definition of a lid is. The instructor walked around the classroom helping the groups. They went over answers as a class, and she gave them one last activity to do either individually or with a partner. She allowed students to come up to the board to write down the answers. A great strategy to get students involved and eager to participate. She helped control their affective filters by sparking interest and complimenting them when doing something correctly.

For the most part, I think she used a CLT approach in this class and it was very effective. Communicative Language Teaching, as we have learned from our readings, is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language (Hadley, 116).

The instructor corrected errors when she felt it was needed. Krashen, one of the theorists we have studied, believes correction should be minimal in the classroom. He believes it is of some limited use when the goal is learning, but of no use when the goal is acquisition (Hadley, 62). I think the instructor handled correction appropriately; she would help them with pronunciation and use repetition if a certain aspect needed to be reinforced.

There was a nice balance between teacher and student talk. As I briefly mentioned above, I had noticed early on that it was teacher-centered but included a learner-centered activity. A teacher-centered classroom has an instructor dictating everything. A student-centered classroom has content that interests the student, but also sticks to the curriculum. Providing a discussion board, allowing students to choose topics, task-based group activities, and providing readings that they like would all be examples of a student-centered activity or environment. In this class, the instructor demonstrated her knowledge on clauses on the board and had the students interact and answer questions. This is still considered teacher-centered. The instructor chooses the topics and evaluates the students comprehension. The students were also asked to evaluate their learning when asked to review their own homework questions. I thought the beginning of the class was more student-centered. As I mentioned above, every day they get time to write in their journals, on any topics. A blend of both, in my opinion, will produce successful language learners. Class was dismissed after she handed out the homework assignment due next week. After my observation, I asked the instructor a few questions. I wanted to learn more about her students. Most of her students have moved here specifically to learn English or for school. Before the class had started, a couple students from West Africa and Korea had made conversation with me. They were all very friendly.

I asked her about her students background in English. She commented that some have had experience in their country and others in ESL Level 1 here at UT-Austin. As for future plans, some of the students might move back to their original country or others may stay. This led me to believe that some of her students have integrative motivation and others instrumental. Integrative motivation, as we learned from previous readings, refers to a wish by the learner to integrate into, become an accepted member of, the community whose language that person is learning. If a student has instrumental motivation, he/she would be learning the language to obtain a certain goal (ex. graduation, for a job, etc.).

She plans on teaching this topic throughout the next week. Overall, she was pleased with the lesson plan. She got through everything she had planned and felt that her students were making progress with it. Like most teachers, she always wishes she has more time, but makes the most of each class period.

The instructor had a genuine character and created this warmth in the classroom that I hope to create with my language learners. Before class had started, one of the students asked me if I was a new student. I felt pretty proud telling him that I was here to observe because my goal is to one day become a teacher

Chronological Description

1:15pm - Class starts. The instructor hands back last weeks writing assignments

1:20pm - The instructor asks the students to do their daily Journal Writing

1:32pm - Students are asked to pull out their workbooks and review the HW questions with a partner.

1:37pm - The instructor breaks up the pair work and together as a class they answer the questions. She says the question, and students shout out the correct multiple-choice answer.

1:41pm - The instructor introduces their lesson topic, Clauses. She writes definitions and examples on the blackboard

2:00pm - The instructor assigns a workbook activity. She asks them to rip off a piece of paper and write IC on one side and DC on the other (will be used as flashcards)

2:05pm - The instructor asks the questions from the activities, and students raise the appropriate side of their flashcard to answer

2:12pm - The instructor tells her students that they will practice this a lot together throughout the week

2:15pm - The instructor tells her students to work with a partner to create a processed paragraph. She walks around the classroom and hands each pair an envelope containing sentences

2:30pm - The instructor breaks up the pair work and goes over the answers with them as a class

2:35pm - The instructor gives them an activity from the workbook (students are allowed to work individually or with partners)

2:42pm - The instructor picks a couple of students to come up to the blackboard and write down the answers

2:45pm - The instructor hands out the homework that is due next class and dismisses them

Bibliography

1) Class notes and slides

2) Gass, S. M. & Selinker, L. (2008). Second Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

3) Hadley, A. O. (2001). Teaching Language in Context. Illinois: Heinle Cengage Learning.

Chronological Description

1:15pm - Class starts. The instructor hands back last weeks writing assignments

1:20pm - The instructor asks the students to do their daily Journal Writing

1:32pm - Students are asked to pull out their workbooks and review the HW questions with a partner.

1:37pm - The instructor breaks up the pair work and together as a class they answer the questions. She says the question, and students shout out the correct multiple-choice answer.

1:41pm - The instructor introduces their lesson topic, Clauses. She writes definitions and examples on the blackboard

2:00pm - The instructor assigns a workbook activity. She asks them to rip off a piece of paper and write IC on one side and DC on the other (will be used as flashcards)

2:05pm - The instructor asks the questions from the activities, and students raise the appropriate side of their flashcard to answer

2:12pm - The instructor tells her students that they will practice this a lot together throughout the week

2:15pm - The instructor tells her students to work with a partner to create a processed paragraph. She walks around the classroom and hands each pair an envelope containing sentences

2:30pm - The instructor breaks up the pair work and goes over the answers with them as a class

2:35pm - The instructor gives them an activity from the workbook (students are allowed to work individually or with partners)

2:42pm - The instructor picks a couple of students to come up to the blackboard and write down the answers

2:45pm - The instructor hands out the homework that is due next class and dismisses them