When Rain Clouds Gather ENG1501

7/25/2019 When Rain Clouds Gather ENG1501

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PST131J/201/0/2013

Tutorial letter 201/0/2013

Home and First Additional LanguageTeaching

PST131J

Semester 1 & 2

Department Language Education,Arts and Culture

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

This tutorial letter contains important informationabout your module.


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Dear Student

The second semester is drawing to a close and I hope that you are already preparing for the

examinations. I do not discuss the assignments in detail in this tutorial letter, but I share a few ideas

about the teaching of languages.

I want to thank those students who have really made an effort to do the assignments.

A LANGUAGE SKILLS

Hearing, reading, speaking and writing are language skills that need to be taught. Quite a number of

activities can help learners to acquire these skills.

Reading

Separate the different frames of cartoons and ask learners to work in groups to put the cartoons

together in the correct sequence.

Listening

This includes wordplay, sentence completion,listening to directions, listening to a story told or read by

the teacher, listening to oral instructions or directions and identifying sounds. Invite different speakers to

address your learners about different interesting topics.

Writing

Try our new starting points, encourage discussion during the writing process, encourage a wide range

of writing activities such as keeping a journal and involve learners in self-assessment. Beware of too

much writing. Display learners' work and publish or make a book (a story or poetry) written and

illustrated by the class.

Speaking

Show the learners a cartoon and ask them to pretend they are the characters in the cartoon. In other

words, the learners should interpret the characters in the cartoon and talk to one another without the

original cartoon in front of them. They have to react spontaneously.


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Thinking

We often think of language skills only include listening, speaking, reading and writing. However,

underlying all of these is the ability to think. The ability to think is an important aspect of language.

Experience has taught us that learners improve their ability to think if they have a school programme

rich with challenging and authentic language experiences. A good teacher focuses on the intimate

connection between thinking and language.

Developing hearing skills

The following three examples of activities can help learners to acquire hearing skills:

The learners listen to a song while reading the lyrics of the song. The lyrics should have missing

or wrong words and the learners should fill in the missing words or correct the wrong ones.

The learners listen to a talk by the headmaster or to a discussion on a radio talk show. They

should identify five main points and write them down, or answer questions about what they

have heard.

The learners listen to a talk on the radio and discuss it in their groups afterwards.

The importance of listening

Learners have no information on the first additional language in their long-term memory (LTM)

when they start to learn the language. Teachers should ensure that they give the learners the

opportunity to listen to something (not too long at first) and then to repeat the information

aloud and write it down to ensure that it is transferred to their LTM. The more information there

is in the learners' LTM, the easier it will be for them to make the connection between new

information they hear and what they already know.

Can you see why themes should be chosen that reflect the child's everyday life? These things are

already familiar to them in the mother tongue and are stored in their LTM. In additional-

language instruction where the teacher is not a mother-tongue speaker, it is important that the

learners should regularly listen to mother-tongue speakers. Additional-language learners should

be given enough time to get used to listening, speaking, moods, situations and so on. Tape

recordings play an important role here; however, the teacher should always remember that

when a tape recorder is used in the classroom, the learners are expected to do something that is

quite difficult and in fact unnatural (namely to listen to a speaker they cannot see). There are no

facial expressions, gestures or body language, which usually help a speaker to get the message

across.


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Reading logs

When learners use a variety of reading materials in different situations during the day, it may be a good

idea that individual learners keep a reading logbook in which they record what they have read. This

logbook serves as a diary of reading experiences and should be a separate notebook with an index page.

Reading conferences

Teachers should hold regular reading confere nces with their learners . Conferences consist mainly

of the following:

Checking and discussing learners' logs, and discussing what they have read or found interesting

Reading the same text silently and discussing it to enable the teacher to assess the learner's

understanding

Reading aloud from familiar material to give the teacher the opportunity to listen as the learner

interprets the text with voice tones, inflections and so forth

Reading aloud from unfamiliar material that contains unknown words and language usage

Undertaking interesting tasks identified by the teacher

Writing at the teacher's request or voluntarily in response to a text that has been read (to share it

with the teacher)

Assessment of reading

The following should be taken into account when you evaluate reading: intonation, reading speed,

fluency, volume and accent.

Assessment of oral competency

Examples of criteria are: participation frequency, fluency, shyness, tentativeness, stuttering,

enthusiasm, politeness, courage, self-confidence, clarity, creativeness, sense of humour, sense

of drama, level of abstract ideas used, and a child's favourite topics chosen to talk about.

Assessment of listening

Ask the following questions: Does the child

o Listen to others attentively?

o Listen to an entire presentation and not just certain parts?

o Show an understanding of what is heard?

o Remember important details?

o Remember important details in sequence?

o Listen attentively for a long time?

o Listen respectfully?

o Know how to listen?


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Assessment of writing

Among the factors to be considered are: content, sentence length, types of sentences used,

spelling, vocabulary, effectiveness of communication, punctuation, correctness of language,

sequence of ideas and paragraphing.

A theme and a situation

A theme is a specific topic, while a situation is a sub-theme that is related to the main theme.

The theme should come from the world of the learners. If, for example, you choose "Leisure

time" as a topic, "My favourite TV programme", "A sports meeting" and so on can be sub-

themes. Keep in mind that it is easier to learn vocabulary in the context of a theme.

Word chain/webbing

Another useful method is to construct a word chain about a topic. This helps to develop and

expand the learners' vocabulary. Write down the theme in the middle of the blackboard. Next

write down words that relate to this theme; each word should warrant its own paragraph. Link

these words to the theme. Next, expand each word. The "chain" can subsequently be used to

write a longer assignment.

Teachers may suggest an ordinary topic (for example "My dog") or a more complicated

one (for example "Volcanoes").

Flashcards

The following are examples of flashcards:

What is the name of the dog'? The dog is called Rover.

When did your dog disappear? Rover disappeared yesterday

afternoon.


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Where did your dog disappear? My dog disappeared on the

mountain.

Who found your dog? My father found my dog.

Pictures and posters

A language teacher cannot teach without pictures and posters. Remember that you do not have

to buy expensive pictures; you can draw them yourself or use posters from a magazine. A collage

of pictures from magazines is ideal to depict a story or to use to practise vocabulary. You can

provide the pictures yourself or ask learners to bring their own pictures. The learners could also

draw pictures. For some learners, looking at pictures is the only opportunity they have to

experience the outside world. For example, some of them have never been to the sea and know

it only through pictures.


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D A LESSON PLAN

THE INTRODUCTORY PHASE

The way you start a lesson will determine whether the class pays attention or gets bored. You

have to raise their attention during the first few minutes of the lesson by explaining what you

want them to do. Think of creative ways of starting a lesson.

Bear the learners' existing knowledge in mind when you plan a lesson. If this lesson is a follow-up

lesson, find out what they remember about the previous lesson. Try to link new material to their

prior knowledge or experience. This is why it is such a good idea to choose themes from their

daily lives.

Check completed homework to determine whether they have learned what you wanted them to

learn during the previous lesson. Identify gaps in their knowledge and revise the work to ensure

that they understand it.

Ask yourself the following questions when you are planning the introduction to a lesson:

How can I use the introduction to find out what the class already knows about the new

material?

How can I start the lesson by linking it to the learners' previous experience or existing

knowledge?

How can I use the introduction to build a bridge between their prior knowledge and the

new material I plan to teach them?

How can I raise their interest and how can I motivate them?

THE MIDDLE PHASE


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Presentation of material

The middle phase forms the largest part of the lesson. During this phase the material is

presented systematically in a logical sequence. When planning the lesson, decide exactly what

you and the learners will do during this phase. Make sure that your planning allows alllearners to

participate in the lesson and that all of them are kept actively busy. Remember to follow a

learner-oriented approach instead of a teacher-oriented approach. When you present the lesson,

keep checking whether you still have their attention; make sure you remain on track to reach

your objectives. Everything you do has to be planned carefully. If you note that the class does not

understand the work or that some learners are struggling to follow you, there is no point in

proceeding according to plan: you have to take action immediately. In other words, always have

a plan B ready.

Teachers should know precisely what they want to say or do, how much time should be allocated

to activities, how the learners should be motivated and what the learners should do. If your

planning meets these requirements, the lesson will succeed.

THE CONCLUDING PHASE

The concluding phase of a lesson has to be planned just as carefully as the introduction andmiddle phase. A lesson should certainly not conclude with a few hasty words that are rattled off

when your time runs out.

The final phase include a summary or revision. The learners should be given a chance to apply

what they have learned. You have to assess the learners to determine whether they have

achieved the objectives you had in mind. This is done for a number of good reasons:

It gives you the necessary feedback on what they have learned and what comes next. An

assessment will show you whether your objectives have been achieved or not.

It gives the learners the feedback they need to pinpoint their successes and failures.

It helps you to understand your class, their abilities and their needs.

It motivates and encourages the class. The learners can be given an oral test to find out

whether they followed the main outlines of the lesson. The teacher can check whether

anything was not clearly understood and perhaps remedy any shortcomings right away.


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You can also give a homework assignment, which you can mark the following day. Homework

assignments should be given due thought. They usually fall into one of three categories: (1)

preparatory activities, (2) extensions of classroom activities and (3) practical reinforcement or

drill. If you want a class to do preparatory activities, practise role-play or prepare for a reading

lesson, give clear instructions and explain why it is important to do the preparation.

REVIEWING

After you have planned and presented a lesson, you have to review it. Ask yourself the following

questions:

How do I feel about the lesson satisfied or dissatisfied?

What contributed to the success or failure of the lesson?

If I have to present this lesson again, what changes will I make?

Did I reach my main objectives?

Was the classroom atmosphere tense, relaxed, supportive or restrictive?

Were there any signs of tension or misbehaviour? Why?

How much learner participation did I get? Was it enough?

Which learners did well and which did not?

Did some of them learn nothing at all? What can I do to help them?

Did I motivate them enough?

Did they have an opportunity to apply the new vocabulary, syntax and language functions I

had taught them?


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E Guidelines for the examinations

The following information about the format of the examination paper are of the utmost importance.

The examination paper consists ofFOURquestions.

There are no choices. All four questions are compulsory.

Question 1 (multiple-choice questions) = 20 marks

Question 2 = 25 marks



The question paper is one two-hour paper.

Some questions require factual knowledge, for example knowledge of the principles of the

communicative approach.

Other questions are open-ended questions, where you have to give your own examples such as a

lesson plan or flash cards.

The questions may be similar to (but not the same as) the questions in your assignments.

Write clearly and legibly.

Number your answers correctly in accordance with the numbering system used on the examination

paper.

Please remember to enter the numbers of the questions in the column on the front page of the

examination script.

Keep your answers brief and to the point.

Answer only what is expected of you.

Make sure that you give facts were applicable; do not generalise.


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I suggest that you prepare for the examinations as follows:

Study ALL the tutorial letters (101, 201, 501 and 502). You do not have to consult the recommended

source.

The following is not a memorandum, but guidelines to help you to assess your assignments.

ASSIGNMENT 1

You will receive the correct answers of the multiple-choice questions automatically.

ASSIGNMENT 2

Question 1

Compare and contrast the behaviourist theory of language acquisition and the nativist theory of

language acquisition

Behaviourist theory Nativist theory

Individual have capacity for learning but no

specific capacity for language learning

Nativism essentially says that we have an

innate predisposition to learn language

Learning a language , results from positive

reinforcement of desirable behaviour and

non-reinforcement of what is not wanted

Treats language learning as essentially

imitation and repetition guided by external

events

Without a biological predisposition, it would

be impossible to learn as quickly and as

thoroughly as we do

The stimuli and reinforcement provide

encouragement to children to make the

effort and to experiment

Argue that everything we know we have

learned through interactions with the

environment

Emphasised the interaction between the

child and adults

We learn language through reinforcement


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Behaviourist say that this is entirely learned Ability to learn language is inborn

You can use the following headings when you plan a lesson:

Topic/theme

Learning outcomes

Teaching media

Pre-knowledge

Introduction

Main part of lesson

Teacher activities

Learner activities

Conclusion

Assessment

Question 3

How to make a word freeze

Collect a set of pictures

Find matching words

Cut them out and put them into envelopes

Separate the words and the pictures

Play the game in pairs

Pictures and words are placed face up between the two players

Question 4

a. Reasons for listening

comprehension

giving instructions

identification and discrimination of sound

selecting and rejecting note taking

role play


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To get information and to establish a basis for sharing their concern

To consider their own thinking process in order to improve their learning ability

c. Ability to understand the spoken word

Selection of relevant information

Focus on key ideas

Improve communication

Appreciate music, movies and other audiovisual material

Any 5 (5)

Question 4

c. Rubric to assess listening

criteria YES NO

Lessons to others attentively

Listens to an entire presentation and not

just part

Show understanding of what is heard

Remember important details in sequence

Listen attentively for a long time

Listen respectfully

Know how to listen

Good luck with the examinations. Please contact me if you have any problems while preparing for the

examinations.

Best regards

Dr MJ Taole

Tel: 012 429 3541 (w)

E-mail: [email protected]

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