Ministry of Education and Training
Lower Secondary Education Development Project-II &
National Institute for Educational Strategies & Curriculum Development



WORKSHOP
ON TEACHING & LEARNING OF ENGLISH
AT LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

Do Son, 21-25 August 2006
Nguyen Quoc Tuan
National Institute for Educational Strategies and Curriculum
Theme 1: Viewpoints on teaching and learning of English at L.S.S.L

FIVE MAIN TOPICS
1. Teaching-learning approaches
2. Objectives of teaching-learning
3. Content of teaching-learning
4. Textbooks
5. Methodologies of teaching-learning
Topic 1
TEACHING AND LEARNING APPROACHES

Three basic approaches
1. Communicative approach
2. Thematic approach
3. Learner-centered approach

1. Communicative approach
Communicative/language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are the way/mode as well as the last goal of teaching-learning of English at L.S.S
English language (pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar) is the means, condition to develop language skills
Through learning the language and practicing the skills, Ss receive/acquire information/understanding about countries, people and culture of which English is used as a native/second language
2. Thematic approach
Themes are the sources/bases to develop the teaching-learning content and recycled/repeated throughout the grades
Topics are under the themes. They make the units of the textbooks
Language competences (language functions or communicative tasks) are the main objectives of each unit
Language knowledge/Language focus are chosen and introduced to meet the requirement of the formation/ development of the language competences
3. Learner-centered approach

Ss practice and develop the language competences/skills through listening, speaking, reading and writing
Ss involve/participate in communicative activities purposefully, actively, initiatively and creatively
Ss practice the English language interactively (through pairwork/groupwork/whole classwork)
Teaching-learning content should be authentic and closed to Ss’ needs, interests, knowledge and experiences
Topic 2
OBJECTIVES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING
1. General objectives
Forming and developing Ss’ communicative competences through listening, speaking, reading and writing
Understanding and using English language such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar in communication
Receiving information/knowledge about countries and their people and culture

2. Concrete objectives
By the end of each grade, Ss will be able to:


Topic 3
CONTENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The three sources that make the content of the curriculum/textbooks
1. Themes and topics
2. Language competences or language skills
3. English language (Language focus)
1. Themes and topics
6 themes are developed in an upward spiral (from grades 6-9)
Personal information
Education
Community
Health
Recreation
The world around us
Each theme has some topics making the units of textbooks
2. Language competences/language skills
3. English language (language focus)
3.1 The structure of the curriculum (Theme 1, grade 9)
3.2 Standard/Criterion of language & skills
Topic 4
TEXTBOOKS
The three approaches of textbook development
The content of textbooks for grades 6,7
The content of textbooks for grades 8,9



1. The approaches of development

Communicative approach
Thematic approach
Learner-centered approach

2. The content of textbooks for grades 6,7
1. The bookmap: Overview the whole book
2. The content: There are 16 units in each textbook, each unit consists of 2-3 sections
2.1 The bookmap
2.2 The content
3. The content of textbooks for grades 8,9
1. The book map: Overview the whole book
2. The content: There are 16 units in textbook of grade 8 and 10 units in textbook of grade 9
3.1 The bookmap
3.2 The content
Topic 5
METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING-LEARNING
The roles of students/teachers in the teaching-learning process
Methods of teaching-learning


1.1 The roles of students

Active participant in learning process
Observer, receiver
Initiator, path-follower, experimenter
Active/creative listener, speaker, reader, writer
Researcher, explorer
Learner of how to learn
Self-check
Negotiator (in pairs, groups)
1.2 The roles of teachers
Lesson planner
Investigator
Researcher on the body of knowledge and range of skills
Instructor
Performer, language modeler
Observer
Controller, organizer
Prompter, resource provider
Participant
Assessor
Tutor
2. Methods of teaching-learning
General teaching-learning methods
Method renovation
Two groups of methods

2.1 General teaching-learning methods

2.2 Method renovation

2.3 Two groups of methods
Methods of teaching language skills
Teaching the receiving language skills: Listening and reading
Teaching the producing language skills: speaking and writing
2. Methods of teaching language knowledge
Teaching pronunciation
Teaching vocabulary
Teaching grammar
Theme 3: Lesson planning and lesson organization at L.S.S.L

THREE MAIN TOPICS
1. Procedures of teaching-learning
2. Lesson plans
3. Lesson organization
Topic 1
PROCEDURES OF TEACHING-LEARNING
1. Traditional procedure
2. Three components procedure (PPP)
3. Three-stage-procedure
4. G-I-P-O procedure
1. Traditional procedure
Reviewing and testing the previous lessons
Introducing and explaining the new lesson
Practicing
Reviewing, strengthening, applying new lesson
Guiding the homework
2. The three component procedure (PPP)

Presentation  Practice  Production
Presentation
Introducing topic/situation
Introducing new language
2. Practice
Controlled practice
Freer practice
3. Production
Applying new language
Combining language components


3. The three-stage-procedure

3.1 Pre-stage  Through/While-stage  Post-stage)
3.2 Pre-task  Task cycle  Language analysis
4. The G-I-P-O procedure
Goal:
Listening, speaking, reading, writing, language focus
Input:
Language focus
Activities/tasks/exercises
Procedure:
Step1, 2, 3, 4 …
Output:
Sub-skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, language focus
Results/answer keys
Topic 2
LESSON PLANS



Topic 3
LESSON ORGANIZATION
Theme three:
Testing and Assessment
Five main topics
Orientations/Directions
Objectives
Contents
Assessment
Making questions
Topic 1
ORIENTATIONS/DIRECTIONS
1. Formative and summative assessment
2. Descriptive and objective testing
1. Formative and summative assessment

Formative assessment
Constant testing (shot-term testing)
For both Ss and Ts
Adjust the teaching and leaning
Summative assessment
Periodical testing (long-term testing)
For management
Sum up Ss’ work by the end of a year/4 years
2. Descriptive and objective testing

Subjective testing
Giving an answer to a question/ a statement, description, report that is based on / influenced by personal opinion, understanding, experience
Unfair
Testing speaking and writing
Objective testing
Giving an answer to a question/making a decision that is based on facts (only one correct answer) rather than personal understanding, feelings or beliefs
Fair
Testing listening, reading and language focus
Topic 2
OBJECTIVES

General objectives
Objectives for each grade
Objectives for each test (during lesson testing, 15’ test, 45’ test, term test)
1. General objectives (see topic 2, part 1)

Testing Ss’ communicative competences through listening, speaking, reading and writing
Testing Ss’ understanding and using of English language such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar in communication
Checking Ss’ information/knowledge about countries, people and culture
2. Objectives for grades (see topic 2, part 2)

Listening: Listen to dialogues or monologues about related themes/topics of about 40-140 words (grades 6-9) for general or specific information
Speaking: Talk about related themes/topics or express communicative functions related to themes/topics
Reading: Read dialogues or monologues about themes/topics of about 50-180 words (grades 6-9) for general of specific information
Writing: Write about related topics of 40-100 words (grades 6-9) using suggested idea / words / picture cues or a guideline
3. Objectives for each test (Topic 3, part 3.2)
Look at the attainment targets (column 2)
Ss will be able to:
1. Speaking: - Greet people, - Identify oneself and others, …
2. Listening: Listen to a monologue or a dialogue of 40-60 words for general information
3. Reading: Read dialogues of 50-70 words for general information
4. Writing: Write about yourself, your family or friends within 40-50 words using suggested idea, words or picture cues
5. Language focus:
Grammar: - Present simple of be (am, is, are), - Wh-questions: How? How old? How many? what? Where? Who?, …
Vocabulary: Words describing family members: father, mother, brother, sister, …
Topic 3
Contents
Types of tests
Matrix of tests
1. Types of tests
2. Matrix of tests

Topic 4
Assessment
Scale/ratio of testing & assessment
Scale/ratio of test
Matrix of testing and assessment levels
1. Scale/ratio of testing and assessment
2. Matrix of a 45’ test or term test
3. Matrix of testing and assessment levels
Topic 5
Making questions
Making questions for subjective tests
Making questions for objective tests
1. MAKING QUESTIONS FOR SUBJECTIVE TESTS (SPEAKING + WRITING)
Making questions for speaking tests
Making question for writing tests
1.1 Making questions for speaking tests

Making dialogues/conversation with peers/partners/friends about related topics
Discussing with teachers about related topics
Talk about related topics
1.2 Making questions for writing tests

Writing a letter, paragraph on related topics, using suggested word or structure cues
Writing a letter, paragraph on related topics, using suggested guideline or ideas
Writing a passage on related topics, using suggested both word/structure cues or guideline (frame)
Writing a passage on related topics, using information from a table
Filling in a table, chart, graph
Free writing on related topics to meet the communicative needs
2. Making questions for objective tests (listening + reading + language focus)
Matching items (Dạng câu ghép đôi)
Supply items (Dạng điền khuyết)
Short answers (Dạng câu trả lời ng¾n)
True/False statements (Câu đúng/sai)
Fill in/Complete the sentence /passage /table /form (§iÒn th«ng tin vµo biÓu, b¶ng)
Multiple Choice questions (MCQs) (Dạng câu hỏi đa lựa chọn)
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