ESPECIALIDAD – INGLES TEMA 22 VARIABLES A TENER EN CUENTA EN LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE LA CLASE DE LENGUA EXTRANJERA INGLESA: AGRUPACIÓN DEL ALUMNADO, DISTRIBUCIÓN DEL ESPACIO Y TIEMPO; SELECCIÓN DE METODOLOGÍAS, PAPEL DEL PROFESOR, ETC... ASPECT ASPECTS S OF CLASS CLASS MANAGE MANAGEMEN MENT T: PUPIL PUPIL GROUPI GROUPING, NG, SPACE SPACE AND TIME TIME MANAGE MANAGEMEN MENT T, METOD METODOLO OLOGY GY SLECTR SLECTRION ION,, ROLE ROLE OF TE TEACER, ETC...
!. INTR INTROD ODUC UCTI TION ON.. 2. PUPI PUPIL L GRO GROUP UPIN INGS GS.. a. b. c. d.
Lockstep. Pair work. Group work. Indi Indivi vidu dual al work work..
". SPACE SPACE AND TIME TIME MANA MANAGEM GEMENT ENT.. a. Spac Spacee mana manage geme ment nt.. b. Time management.
#. TE ROLES ROLES OF OF TE TE TEAC TEACER ER AND LEARN LEARNER. ER. a. The The tea teach cher’ er’ss rol role. e. b. The learner’s role.
$. MET METOD ODOL OLOG OGY Y SELEC SELECTI TION ON.. a. Sele Select ctio ion n of acti activi viti ties. es. b. Planning principles in methodology methodology selection.
%. SUMMARY. &. SYNOPSIS. '. BIBL BIBLIO IOGR GRAP APY Y..
! INTRODUCTION. In this topic we will analyse various aspects of class management which we must take into account for achievement of effective teaching. These aspects include the student groupings" the space and time management" the methodology selection and the role of the teacher. This topic is of prime relevance since class management involves the efficiency of the teacher and the learning activities.
# $ PUPIL GROUPINGS. %e will first discuss the pros and cons of various interaction patterns& lockstep, pair work, group work and individual study. It is advisable to use the different groupings.
2.! – L()*+-. Lockstep is the traditional teaching situation. 'll the students work as a group with the teacher ( they are )locked’ into some activity * and the teacher acts as controller and assessor. This type of grouping is used when the teacher provides feedback or gives instructions.
/0 A1/3/4-+. Lockstep has certain advantages&
The whole class are concentrating and the learner’s attention span is then improved. +veryone can hear what is being said. The students get a good language model from the teacher. ,any students find lockstep very comforting.
50 D6+/1/3/4-+. There are also reasons why the use of lockstep alone is less than satisfactory&
Students working in lockstep get little chance to practise. -esides" they do not use language in real!life situations. Lockstep usually goes at the wrong pace& either the teacher is too slow for the good students or heshe is too fast for the weak students.
2.2 P/67 8(7*. /0 P7()-197-+ (7 /678(7*. It pairwork is to be successful" certain procedures need to be followed. I. ,ake sure the students know e/actly what the have to do. +/plain the activity and practise as necessary. II. 0ivide the students into pairs ( taking advantage of the way the are seated *. 0epending on the type of activity" make sure that students take it in turns to initiate and respond ( e. g. ask and answer 1uestions *. III. 2arry out selective checking" walking round the class and listening in 3oin in with a pair from time to time" especially with those students who are likely to need your help. If you feel that an activity is going badly" stop it" re!present it to the class and let the students start again. I4. 2ontrol noise level by stopping an activity and asking the students to start again more 1uietly. 4. Gauge the amount of tune an activity should go on for. Stop the activity when most students have had a reasonable amount of practice. 4I. Provide any necessary feedback. Tell the students how well they have done.
50 A1/3/4-+. Pair work has the following advantages&
It increases the amount of students’ talking time as they are presented with opportunities for productive practice.
It develops sociali5ation skills and attitudinal contents (cooperation" participation" autonomy and responsibility*" which contribute to create a good atmosphere in the classroom.
)0 D6+/1/3/4-+ 6owever" pair work has several disadvantages&
The students will sometimes use their mother tongue. 'part from selecting activities which we can be reasonably sure are not beyond the level of the students and in preparing them if necessary with some essential language
(especially in the early stages*" there are a number of things we can do to help overcome this problem&
+/plain to the students why they are doing activities of this kind& i.e. that this is an opportunity to use +nglish. 0emonstrate whenever possible how they can )get round’ difficulties " i.e. through alternative e/pressions.
+ncourage the students to consult us if they have real difficulties. 'sk them at least from time to time to impose self! discipline" e.g. through a penalty system which re1uires them to pay a small fine if they use the mother tongue. This can be done in a fun!like way so that the students actually en7oy catching one another out.
Incorrectness is another problem as many students think that if they are not corrected" they do not learn.
Teachers sometimes worry about noise when pair work is used.
2.". G7(9 8(7* /0 O74/36+634 47(9 8(7*. a* 8orming groups. The si5e of the groups should be worked out in relation to the total number of students in the class. 's a general rule" we could say that there should be 9!: students in each group and not more than 9!; groups in the class. The teacher should normally form the groups" usually on the basis of mi/ed ability ( i.e. good and weak students together* since as a rule learners do help one another. b* Group leader. +ach group should have its own )leader’. The function of the group leader is not to dominate the group but to coordinate their activities and to serve as a link between the group and the teacher.
c* The role of the teacher. These are some of the things the teacher must do&
Select activities carefully. The teacher should ensure that the activities can be done reasonably well with the language the students have at their disposal.
%ork out the instructions for an activity carefully.
Present the activity to the class. Give plenty of e/amples and give the students a )trial run’.
,onitor the students’ performance. %hile the activities are in progress" the teacher’s main task is to move around the class and to )listen in’ discreetly in order to find out how the students are getting on. The teacher should not" as a rule" correct mistakes of language during a group activity but make a note of them and use them as the basis of feedback.
d* Provide feedback.
50 A1/3/4-+ Group work offers the following advantages&
It increases the amount of student’s talking time.
It gives the students the opportunity of using language to communicate with each other.
It develops sociali5ation skills and attitudinal contents.
)0 D6+/1/3/4-+ Group work has the same disadvantages as pair work& use of the first language" incorrectness and noise. The si5e of the groups depends on the activity type" whether it is a dialogue" a debate" a game" etc. %hen the class is divided into two groups" we speak of team work. Team work is not often used because it involves less pupil participation.
2.#. I316619/ S91< %e must try and let students work on their own and at their own pace at some stage during the class. This type of grouping can be used for reading and writing work. == SPACE AND TIME MANAGEMENT
".!. S/)- >/3/4->-3. Space bears a direct relationship to the activities to be done" and an indirect relationship to the methodology. There are different ways of organising the classroom&
a* Traditional seating arrangement . The students sit in rows facing the teaching. It is up!front teaching& the teacher is at the front of the class as the focus. There is not a close relationship between the teacher and the students. Therefore this seating arrangement does not foster communication. This type of class arrangement is suitable for the beginning and the end of the lesson" the representation stage" and individual work& e/ams" written e/ercises" compositions" silent reading. This distribution does not favour communication" and the position of the teacher is of distance and difference with respect to the pupils. b* Circle, teacher out . This kind of arrangement favours communication" since the pupils can see each other. 's the teacher is out" the pupils feel more comfortable. This type of arrangement is suitable for debates" discussions" games. It is typical of the methods 2ommunity Language Learning" Total Physical >esponse and The Silent %ay. c* Circle, teacher inside. The role of the teacher is to provide help when necessary. It is suitable for every kind of communication activity. d* Horse shoe. The students are seated in a semicircle and the teacher is in the middle. It is suitable for every kind of activity& drills" games" debates" etc. This grouping favours communication.
e* Boarding meetings. It is used for activities involving a lot of material (reports" pro7ect work *. The desks are placed together and the pupils sit around. f* Streams. The pupils are seated in two parallel rows facing the blackboard or facing each other. The most suitable activity to use this type of arrangement is the debate.
g* Mix and mingle. +very student is in a different position" all looking at the teacher. This type of arrangement is suitable for many oral games.
h* Learning stations. The class is divided into groups of ?" ; or eight students" each group like a station in which different activities are done and where the pupils can change positions.
".2. T6>- >/3/4->-3 Time plays a decisive role in the learning process" since we can plan ob7ectives" contents and activities according to the length of lessons. %e must take into account the psychological characteristics of our pupils and design varied and short activities as their concentration span is short.
@n the other hand" w should plan realistic timings for the completion of certain activities (games" discussions* and design activities for the end of the lesson" in case we run out of material. %e will now present the different types of timetable& a* @pen timetable. It allows the students to plan the activities of the day" and so re1uires careful activity& planning and material organi5ation. b* 8le/ible timetable. Lessons can be shorter or longer. The advantage of this type of timetable is that it is adapted to the needs of the syllabus. c* Traditional timetable. There is a fi/ed number of fifty!minute lesson given by the same teacher in the same classroom. d* ,odular timetable. The school day is divided into modules of #A minutes. The +nglish lesson may cover two successive modules one day" three the ne/t day" two the ne/t day. There are certain activities that can be done in one module" like conversation in small groups.
#= TE ROLES OF TE TEACER AND LEARNER #.!. T?- -/)?-7@+ 7(-. The role of the teacher" then" will depend to a large e/tent on the activity type. %e will e/amine the roles of controller" assessor" prompter" participant and resource.
#.!.!. C(37(-7 C(319)(7 The teacher acts as a controller at the presentation stage" at the practice stage and in lockstep activities. 't the presentation stage" the teacher checks that all the students have understood the form and meaning of the new language item. 't the practice stage" the teacher elicits responses" provides cues in drills" works out the instructions for the activities and check that the pupils are doing the activity in the proper way.
#.!.2. A++-++(7 The teacher will correct the students’ mistakes at the practice stage. 6e She should also assess how well they are performing. @n the other hand" the teacher will encourage self!assessment. In this way the pupils will become more responsible" autonomous and independent" and they will get more
involved in the learning process" which is very important" as it is the centre of learning and a point of reference. The teacher must also assess hisher own work as teacher.
#.!.". O74/36+-7 The success of many activities depends on good organi5ation and on the students knowing e/actly what they have to do. The main aim of the teacher when organising an activity is to give clear instructions and get the activity going.
#.!.#. P7(>-7 The teacher will encourage the students to participate or make suggestions about how to carry out an activity when there is a silence or when do not know what to do ne/t.
#.!.$. P/76)6/3 The teacher will sometimes act as a participant. This will contribute to create a pleasant atmosphere in the class" and will also give the students the opportunity of practising +nglish with someone who speaks it better than they do.
#.!.%. R-+(97)The teacher should always be willing to offer help if necessary.
#.2. T?- -/73-7@+ 7(@ne of the ma7or changes in foreign language teaching refers to the learner’s role. %hereas in the traditional foreign language methods the learner assumed a passive role" the teacher being the focus" in the communicative approach the learner plays an active role and is responsible for their own learning. @n the other methods" such as The Silent %ay and Suggestopedia" the students are encouraged to become independent.
$. METODOLOGY SELECTION $.!. S--)6(3 ( /)666-+ The learning and assessment activities will aim to develop the students’ communicative competence and to practise the four language skills (listening" speaking" reading and
writing* taking into account that following the 8oreign Language 'rea 2urriculum in Primary +ducation" auraloral skills will be stressed over written skills. The activities will be selected according to the stage of the lesson& B't the practice stage" we will design pre!communicative activities" which will prepare the students for using the new language in real communication. The activities will be oral guided& drills" short dialogues" e/ercisesC B't the production stage" the pupils will do free speaking and written activities which engage them in real communication& simulations" role!plays" discussions" information gap activities" problem solving activities" compositions" games" etc.
%ith regard to assessment" there are many ways of assessing the students’ progress from class observation to ob7ective test. +valuation should be continuous and global.
$.2. P/33634 P763)6-+ 63 M-?(1((4< +--)6(3 . @n the other hand" we must take into consideration two planning principles in methodology selection&
/0 V/76-< 4ariety mainly means using a wide range of materials and activities in the classroom. There are many ways of introducing variety within a lesson& ! %e can use a wide range of activities and materials. ! %e can change the seating arrangements for different activities. ! %e can use the coursebook in different ways.
%e should introduce variety for three reasons& ! ! !
The students’ motivation will be better. @ur pupils’ attention span is short and they thus need to do different things. Lessons will be more en7oyable.
50 F-6566< 8le/ibility means the ability to use different techni1ues" activities and materials depending on the students’ level.
% =SUMMARY
In this topic we have analysed various aspects of class management including student groupings" the distribution of space and time" the role of the teacher and the learner" and the selection of methodology.
%e also have described briefly the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of interaction& lockstep" pair work" group work and individual study.
Space bears a direct relationship to the activities to be done" and an indirect relationship to the methodology. Time is also a relevant element in the teaching process" since we plan ob7ectives" contents and activities according to the length of lessons.
The role of the teacher depends to a large e/tent on the activity type. %e have e/amined the roles of controller" assessor" prompter" participant and resource.
In the learning process" pupils are responsible for their own learning and should develop autonomy.
In the last part of the topic we have focused on methodology selection. %e have centred on different types of learning activities according to the stage of the lesson.
8inally we have enumerated two essential learning principles& 4ariety and fle/ibility. 4ariety means mainly using a wide range of materials and activities in the classroom. 8le/ibility means the ability to use different techni1ues" activities and materials depending on the students’ level.
& = SYNOPSIS PUPIL GROUPINGS B Lockstep
! 'dvantages !0isadvantages
BPair work
! Procedures of pair work ! 'dvantages ! 0isadvantages
B Group work
! @rganising group work ! 'dvantages ! 0isadvantages
B Individual work
SPACE AND TIME B Space management
! Traditional seating arrangement ! 2ircle" teacher out ! 2ircle" teacher inside ! 6orse shoe ! -oarding meeting ! Streams ! ,i/ and mingle ! Learning stations
B Time management
! Types of timetable
TE ROLES OF TE TEACER AND LEARNER BTeacher’s roles
! 2ontroller ! 'ssessor ! @rganiser ! Prompter ! Participant ! >esource
B Learner’s roles
METODOLOGY SELECTION BSelection of activities
! Learning activities
BPlanning principles
! 4ariety ! 8le/ibility
! Pre!communicative activities ! 2ommunicative activities
'=BIBLIOGRAPY
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DIXON, R.J. Practical Guide to the Teaching of +nglish. >egent Publishing 2o." Dew ork" HJ9.
ARMER, JEREMY." The Practice of +nglish Language Teaching. Longman 6andbooks for Language Teachers. Longman H:=. This book is a complete guide and reference work for all teachers of +nglish as a foreign or second language.
ONEY MUNFORD" ,anual of Learning Styles. 2ambridge" HH#.
NUNAD, DAVID." 0esigning Tasks for the 2ommunicative 2lassroom. 2ambridge" H:H.
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