The practice of English Language Teaching – 4th Edition – Jeremy Harmer
Hd.12 Teaching Language Construction
A. Language Study and Use
1. Language Study Sequences
How to teach the language:
- A variety of ways; Explore a topic and make the students use what they’ve learned
- Teach the students about your subject During a task.. so interrupt the reading session to
teach
- Study after reading, so work with language repairs
- Oppertunistic teaching; Students will offer you chances to teach them. They will sometimes
make clear what they want/need to know. You need to break the tension between your
planned teachings and to responding to what happens in class.
2. Choosing Study Activities
- Use Syllabus/Coursebook explanation and exercises unchanged
- Follow Planning Principles:
- Activities before/after each session (to avoid repetition)
- Use variation in your Exercises (for different learning styles with students and to keep up
motivation)
- Assessing “Study Language Form” in class, a fun learning activity, this should provide to be:
- Economic: Time-efficiënt (30sec to explain.. 10 minute exercise)
- Efficacious: Student learns something
- Appropriacy: The student is engaged and motivated
Before doing/planning these.. consider difference in classes, culture and educational level
of the students
- Evaluating a study activity
After using any of the above study activities, evaluate them, as being economic, efficacious
and approprious.
3. Know or Unknow language?
Mixed abilities in classes. English language: New or known ?
Type of learner: Quick or slow?
You need to find out if somebody doesn’t know anything about English.
How do you avoid teaching the “already known”?
- Students performing a task and judge their skills; example .. make them speak English
together and walk around
- Elicit (ontlok) everyone to use their English skills by asking them questions
Hd.12 Teaching Language Construction
A. Language Study and Use
1. Language Study Sequences
How to teach the language:
- A variety of ways; Explore a topic and make the students use what they’ve learned
- Teach the students about your subject During a task.. so interrupt the reading session to
teach
- Study after reading, so work with language repairs
- Oppertunistic teaching; Students will offer you chances to teach them. They will sometimes
make clear what they want/need to know. You need to break the tension between your
planned teachings and to responding to what happens in class.
2. Choosing Study Activities
- Use Syllabus/Coursebook explanation and exercises unchanged
- Follow Planning Principles:
- Activities before/after each session (to avoid repetition)
- Use variation in your Exercises (for different learning styles with students and to keep up
motivation)
- Assessing “Study Language Form” in class, a fun learning activity, this should provide to be:
- Economic: Time-efficiënt (30sec to explain.. 10 minute exercise)
- Efficacious: Student learns something
- Appropriacy: The student is engaged and motivated
Before doing/planning these.. consider difference in classes, culture and educational level
of the students
- Evaluating a study activity
After using any of the above study activities, evaluate them, as being economic, efficacious
and approprious.
3. Know or Unknow language?
Mixed abilities in classes. English language: New or known ?
Type of learner: Quick or slow?
You need to find out if somebody doesn’t know anything about English.
How do you avoid teaching the “already known”?
- Students performing a task and judge their skills; example .. make them speak English
together and walk around
- Elicit (ontlok) everyone to use their English skills by asking them questions
