EFL and ESOL Teaching Methodology

 

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ESOL and EFL Teaching Methodology

The origins of language teaching in the UK are rooted in the teaching of Classics - specifically Latin and Greek grammar-based studies.

However EFL teaching does not directly stem from typical language teaching, but from a combination of natural teaching methods employed by people who have found themselves teachers by surprise and sometimes in very restricted circumstances, combined with those who have arrived at EFL through an English Literature Route.

Much money has been spent on finding out the best way to teach this sought-after skill, and many studies in linguistics have been diverted to the Teaching of English as a Foreign or Second Language, making it one of our least traditional but most studied teaching subjects, taught by a very wide range of people - some, as a result of a 4-week CELTA certification, and some after up to four years' study and more. This focus on the subject makes it a language teaching area which is arguably more advanced than any other language teaching areas from a perceive need for success inthis area.

Whilst grammar remains a vital building block in the development of multi-lingualism and in access to the educated forms of most languages, the premature predominance of grammatical ideas in advance of speech can act as an impediment, both to the natural acquisition of good language habits and acceptable accents and intonation. Language is a social function and develops through interaction and communicative necessity, with grammar describing the function as an afterthought. In educated speech the two activities weave in and out of each other with necessity being the driver of the whole learning process. In order to learn to speak confidently, therefore, activities should focus on real live situations and impulses, and make use of a controlled margin of stress(but not too much!) supplied by situations that prompt natural speech.

How Does UTTA Meet The Need For Active Language Learning?

UTTA provides a mechanism for accrediting language courses in this respect, in ensuring that language courses are providing the requisite situational imperatives for natural learning, and also that they are linking in to the cultural features which add colour and flavour to different languages, that they are providing the natural idiom and cultural reference which makes the speaker identify and proxy-identify with native speakers to enable him or her to permeate the target society effectively.

As such UTTA accredited language courses are ideal for learners who are intending to work or visit in the target country in the near future, as well as being fun to follow and great confidence-boosters for younger students.

UTTA's Language Teaching and Learning Policy

aims "to help create an environment in which the drive to assimilate new languages, cultures and sounds is a normal and joyous reflex." The words "joyous" and "normal" are two key features to the UTTA style of teaching . Given the normality of language learning reflex in life on a "need to know" basis UTTA seeks to tap into that facility by placing the student in a position where they "need to know" the target language, whether for work, social purposes, to convey critical information, to understand a joke or to learn how to make or do something enjoyable or useful.

To different teachers, this may arise differently. To me, for example, this may mean the inclusion of humour and music in my lessons...to another person, videos may be they key. It all depends firstly on what the teacher conveys the best, and secondly what is of interest to the student.

Is Language Learned in a Vacuum?

Clearlynot. UTTA places great value not only on learning, but on the wider range of skills acquired through the learning process and the enduring enhancement to human existence which these provide. These are skills and understanding which may be presented and reinforced by a whole spectrum of learning environments. UTTA therefore sees its role as facilitating the learning of language, the acquiring of cultural connotation and the appreciation and production of sounds and sound organisations for a wide range of academic, vocational, social and personal objectives and using many different vehicles.

UTTA strives to provide coherent and useful courses and programmes for students of all ages, from all ethnic backgrounds and language groups in a variety of learning contexts. Throughout its activities, UTTA seeks to create ongoing learning for all its students and teachers and provide them with skills to equip them for future learning. Continuous enhancement and addition to our courses is therefore an integral part of our work. Most specifically we want to develop in our students not only the skills and information needed for the levels of activity referred to in their courses, but to encourage them all to continue into Further or Higher Education or into practical applications for their skills.

UTTA is currently spearheaded from Torrevieja from where it operates its pioneer courses and provides teacher training courses in a variety of language teaching techniques as well as UTTA methodology.

Briefly, UTTA courses and accredited courses must conform to the following general descriptors:

1. The course should be taught by a trained teaching professional (E.g. Relevant PGCE, DELTA, Trinity Dip TESOL).
2. The course should be taught by a languages specialist of at least degree level.
3. The aims of the course will be to increase oral fluency, listening skills, use of idiom, cultural understanding, written and reading skills and to above all focus on spoken confidence.
4. The course should be taught and designed for an immersive / active context, using activity to promote and encourage speech.
5. The course should include elements of cultural assimilation to add meaning.
6. The course should include dramatic and musical features as vehicles.
7. The course should incorporate routine testing and self-testing by the CEFR scale.
8. Role play should be an integral part of the course.
9. Numeric skills should be an integral part of the course.
10. Humour should be valued in the course material.
11. Course material should challenge or engage students' cultural perceptions.
12. Group and pair work should be important in the course.
13. Realia - real extracts of native speech - should be important in the course and a wide variety of materials should be used during the course.
14. Copyright regulations should be strictly adhered to.
15. The course should be structured but flexible - using modules for selection.
16. Modules should be differentiated and teaching should reflect differentiation in every circumstance.
17. Schemes should be in place at the start of the course and lessons should be planned which relate to the scheme and take into account student progress and needs.
18. Students should be offered recommended book/video/media lists and ongoing learning suggestions.
19. A leaflet or online page should be provided to the student outlining course details prior to student acceptance.
20. The course should take into account the well being of the student during lesson times.
21. Registers should be taken, and no student having attended fewer than 75% of lessons should be considered to have passed the course.
22. A certificate and brief report should be provided on completion of every course.
23. Student and staff feedback should be a part of the course
24. Where an organisation rather than an individual is involved, a course should be supported by proper administration, management policy and procedure in line with a logical an coherent structure, including the provision of a clear and well structured management system, full online course details, a welcome booklet, staff recruitment, appraisal and enrolment procedure, the maintenance of student records, proper job descriptions, course descriptions, student attendance policy and staff cover policy, proper staff training, teacher observation, teacher meetings and CPD provision. The following policies are ideal : Education Policy, CPD Policy, Learning Resources Policy, Assessment Policy, Teacher Observation Policy, Teacher Substitution Policy, Equal Opportunities Policy, Recruitment Policy, Health and Safety Policy, Student Complaints Policy, Student Attendance Policy, Staff Discipline Policy

The full set of conditions for UTTA accreditation are available on application.

Language Levels
UTTA courses accredited are generally provided at A1-A2 or B1-B2 levels and some C1 courses may also be considered. These types of course may also be used as a refresher for students who have C1/2 literary, reading or writing skills, but who have speaking issues or have not used their English communicatively in the past, as a warm-up. Courses are likely to be especially suitable for Business use, or for students who are likely to be working or residing in the target language country, and who would like to be confident in social and work situations

As well as accrediting language, ESOL and music courses, UTTA provides its own language, ESOL and music courses under licence, which may also be delivered subject to regular accreditation checks.

There are two language and two ESOL/EFL courses, one at A1-A2 Level, and one at B1-B2 Level, music being assessed differently. B1-B2 Level is aimed at students who have already spent some time in the target country and who have taken the A1-A2 course or an equivalent course already.

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