Teaching the Language System - Grammar and Vocabulary
Wrap up:
- Learnt how to incorporate learning strategies for students for both grammar and vocabulary. Discovered how the two are linked and their important roles in learning English. As a strategy I liked the use of student vocabulary journals in which they are taking an active part of their learning process.
- Learnt repetition and practice is key to automisation but lesson plans should be taught in context and not to teach grammar points in isolation. Appreciated the lesson plan checklist, helped with keeping a communicative approach to teaching grammar. Learnt that it is during the focused practice phase that you can interrupt students and correct them for accuracy and to keep the communicative phase fluid.
- Surprised me that explicitly teaching grammar rules speeds up the learning acquisition and that accuracy when using a language is also very important to being intelligible during communication.
- Surprised when creating a "schemata" for a single word on how it branched out to so many meanings and associations of that one word. It put into perspective the complexity of teaching vocabulary.
- Struggling with the inductive approach to teaching grammar and putting it into practice. Need more work on how to provide opportunities for meaningful communication through which students can discover the rule.
- I am still struggling with the grammar itself and not being comfortable with the contents of the material.
Josanne,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you could give me more information or where I can find the info about vocabulary journals. Somehow I missed this idea in my reading.
Like you, I am also still struggling with the inductive approach. I understood the few examples I read, but it's a huge challenge to figure out how to prepare anything from scratch.
I really had to rely on grammar textbooks for many of my ideas. Having a few different ones helped.
Hope I have the opportunity to continue discussions with you in the next course.
Hi Linda: Found the information about vocabulary journals in Module 8 Hedge's paper on Vocabulary, there is an example on page 128 Materials extract 4.A. Hope to talk to you also in the next course, thanks Josanne
DeleteJosanne,
DeleteWe have two new students in my high school who have just come from Korea. On Friday, I was helping them with an informational text from their English class, and there were so many unfamiliar vocabulary words. I am going to suggest they keep vocabulary journals. Thanks for reminding me of this and pointing me in the right direction.
Josanne,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your honest approach to these final questions of the course. I also have had to relearn a lot of grammar terms and functions throughout this course. Every time I write a lesson plan, or examine the curriculum, I am surprised by how much I don't know and reflect on how lucky we are to be living in the age of the internet. I use my online dictionary for every paper I write, and I Google every topic that I need to teach. Sometimes I marvel at how teachers used to get along without these tools.
I agree strongly with the use of vocabulary journals. I saw this used once in a grade one class. They were very simple, but I can now see how they can be adapted for any age and any level of language acquisition. Even learning the English alphabet is something new for some students and asking students to alphabetize words is a challening, but necessary task.
Cheers!
Tanya
Hi Josanne,
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure to read your end of course summary. In your final point, you mention that you are not quite comfortable with grammar, but this will come with time and experience in the classroom. I hope this course has provided a good jumping off point for future learning and growth!
Terena