Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language

Self-Development and Methodology Guide

2nd year
CHAPTER ONE : The Self-Developed Language Teacher
 Comparison between Yoshi's and Kathy's Teaching
1. In reference to their styles of teaching, Yoshi goes in a more or less lockstep fashion,
mostly following the text book and to be restricted to the goal(s), activities suggested
in advance, whilst tends to design her lessens with innovative ideas into her teaching.
2. Yoshi doesn’t break from explaining the meaning of the text(translation) whilst the
learners keep following the meaning showing no interest to negotiate the meaning.
Accordingly, Yoshi is the center of the lesson and all instruction. In contrast, Kathy
doesn’t centers the instruction, trying to vary the ways of teaching. She tries to make
the class a community of learners in which learners are free to interact with each other
in English. Using real questions stimulates learners to naturally put forward their
responses. Learners are the centers of the lesson.
3. Both teachers are not prepared to be teachers of English, yet a pre-intensive course can
help acquainting with what EFL teachers do in the classroom. Moreover, cultural
background has something to do i.e. Kathy is a native speaker of English, while Yoshi
has the same native language and cultural background as the learners.
4. The setting is a factor. Yoshi teaches is a corporate where learners’ business
responsibilities take precedence over English classes and assignments. Kathy teaches
at a high school where most of learners are quite motivated to learn English.
5. Both teachers are different in the way they Approach their development as teachers.
While Kathy is eager to take on the responsibility for her own development, Yoshi is
just realizing the need to do this.

 What Factors Are Central to Teacher Self-Development?

First
No doubt that development takes time. It takes time to observe communication in EFL
classrooms and to visit other teachers' classes, as well as to write in a journal and to
talk to others about teaching. The time factor is built into the teacher education
program. Teachers in in-service programs or those working independently on their
development have less time Nonetheless, teachers who believe that development is
important need to make a commitment to devote time to their development.
Second
Development requires a lasting commitment. Teaching development is not something
to do only in a teacher education program or at the beginning of a teaching career.
Rather, even the most experienced teacher can learn new things about teaching, and
development is enhanced when the teacher makes a commitment to ongoing
development.
Third
Development is enhanced through problem solving. When teachers recognize
problems and work at solving them, they can discover new ways to teach and discover
more about their role as a teacher.
Fourth
Development is also enhanced through exploration for exploration's sake. Teachers
can, indeed, discover much by exploring simply to explore, not just to solve a problem.
Such exploration can be based on pure interest, for example, Trying an approach that is
the opposite of one you love simply to see what occurs, or trying a new
approach/technique simply because it sounds interesting.
Fifth
Development is enhanced by paying attention to and reviewing the basics of EFL/ESL
teaching. Although Kathy's introduction to the basics began during her Peace Corps
training, she has continued to study ways to create opportunities for students to interact
in English; ways to manage classroom behavior; and materials and media used to teach
EFL
Sixth
Development is enhanced by searching out opportunities to develop. It turns out that
Kathy talks with other teachers about teaching; she reads about teaching: she attends
teaching seminars and workshops; and she participates in other activities that give her
chances to reflect on her teaching and see new teaching possibilities.
Seventh
Self-development of teaching beliefs and practices requires the cooperation of
others. It takes others who are willing to observe us, listen to us, and talk with us about
our teaching. We need administrators, students, other teachers, and friends to help us
succeed with our development. Without their cooperation, self-development is very
difficult as there is neither any source for feedback nor any stimulus for ideas.
Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language
Self-Development and Methodology Guide
2nd year
CHAPTER TWO: EXPLORATION OF TEACHING

 What are Ways to Explore Teaching

Generally, teachers can explore their teaching beliefs and practices through the
following suggested items;
 Reading journal articles and books about teaching and learning.
 Reading teacher narratives.
 Attending professional conferences.
 Establishing a mentoring relationship.
 To put together a teaching portfolio.
 Learning another language.
 To do action research.
 To observe and talk with other teachers.
 To keep a teacher journal.

Reading professional books and journals on teaching and learning language can
develop teaching. These books provide essential knowledge about ESL and EFL
teaching. In addition to single-author books, many anthologies are available. These
anthologies include a variety of topics relevant to the field. For example, topics such as
lesson planning, learning strategies, mixed-level teaching, technologies in the classroom
can highly cultivate teaching knowledge especially teachers who are new to teaching.
Another way to work on development of teaching is to attend professional
conferences. These are good opportunities to consider what teachers are doing in their
classes and to present one’s own techniques or action research.
Another new way to explore teaching is to establish a mentoring relationship with
another teacher. The concept of mentoring is “an interpersonal, ongoing, situated,
supportive, and informative professional relationship between two or more individuals,
one of whom ( the mentor) has more experience in the profession, craft, or skill in
question.
A teaching portfolio is another way to explore teaching. Some language teachers
preparation programs ask graduating students to keep a portfolio to consider what they
have learned in the program to think about teaching and learning, demonstrates their
competencies and recognizes the complexities of learning to teach. There are a number of
documents that can be included in a portfolio. For example, written paper for courses,
class presentations, professional conference presentations, original teaching materials,
reflective journal entries, video / audiotapes of teaching, reflective observation reports,
syllabi, letter of recommendation, observation reports, evaluation reports, vitae, and
statement of teaching and learning philosophy.
Another practice language teacher apply is to learn another language. In this regard,
several advantages have been pointed out;(1) to better understand the challenges a
language learner may face. (2) to gain more insight into understanding language. (3) to
gain more insight into ways of teaching.
Another approach to develop teaching is action research, a way to center on problem
posing. The process includes a cyclic procedure i.e.
1. Posing problems based on classroom current situation(s).
2. To systematically create and initiate a plan to work through the problem.
3. Reflecting on the degree to which the plan works.
4. Posing new problem based on the awareness generated from the previous inquiry.
Action research allows teachers to investigate and pose problems in their classes to
solve these problems and to gain more awareness of teaching and classroom interaction.
It has declared that teachers gain much awareness after participating in action research
projects.
Observation is another way to explore teaching including observation of other
teachers and self-observation. Teachers may talk with other teachers to explore new
possibilities in teaching, as in writing about teaching in journal.
Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language
Self-Development and Methodology Guide
2nd year

 How can Teachers Explore Teaching through Self-Observation?

As a matter of fact, there is a cyclic process of describing, analyzing and reflecting
on teaching. This process can be presented into the following four steps:
1. To collect descriptive samples of our teaching, using video or audio, that can be
analyzed.
2. To analyze class interaction . listen/view tape, take notes & sketch, tally behaviors,
code the interaction, study the interaction, and to look for patterns.
3. Reflection and multiple interpretation i.e. teachers are to reconsider and justify their
teaching performance.
4. To consider how the same lesson could be taught differently and to draw up a teaching
plan.

 Collecting Samples of Teaching

Collecting samples of teaching draws clear descriptions to what actually goes on in
the classroom that focus attention on some aspect of teaching and to give ideas of areas of
teaching that can be described. Initially, teachers have some exploratory questions to be
consider. Some are initial descriptive questions where the teachers may consider their
teaching performance i.e. patterns of instructions, content of questions, psychological
aspects, time duration, and the usual seating arrangements. Other questions may briefly
aim to understand what happens when a change in teaching behavior is initiated.
To address an aspect of classroom behavior, it is beneficial to audio or videotape
classroom interaction. Accordingly, it is suggested to use a small audio-recorder or
camcorder. The former is easy to use, yet the latter is preferred due to the possibility to
recognize who is talking and to study nonverbal behaviors.
Taping needs to determine the goals of exploration. The idea is to think about the
objective of the exploration and to consider how to tape the class to obtain useful samples
for later analysis.

 Analyzing the Samples of Teaching

On collecting samples of teaching, analyzing is the second step that is based on the
goal of exploration. For example, if it is interested in knowing the number of questions a
teacher asks, it can be listed or viewed the tape and to tally each presented question.
Another way to analyze is to make short transcripts. In the same way, one can
transcript based on the focus of exploration. It is possible to work opposite to the
intended focus. It is called pure exploration when exploration doesn’t focus on a specific
observation objective , but begins with an empty mind.

 Interpreting and Reflection

After analyzing, it is to focus on several questions. For example, How does the
interaction in class provide chances to learn the language? What kind of activities can
foster class interaction?. Such questions can be narrowed based on a particular interest.
For example, if it is interested in error treatment and have analyzed the patterns of
interaction around the treatment of student’s oral errors, a teacher can ask, What treating
provides chances for students to be accurate / hampered?
All questions pave the ways to reconsider one’s own teaching attitude before and
after the lesson. As a matter of fact, some teachers a void certain issues that stir up
negative feelings, such as disciplining students or becoming personally involved in
troubled students’ life. Exploration can help to gain knowledge of ourselves , we need to
fid the courage to seek it as well as the humility to accept what we discover.

 Deciding on Changes in Teaching Behavior

It is the step to decide which changes we want to make in our teaching performance.
Questions such as What do I want to continue to do? What small changes do I want to
make in my teaching behavior? . such questions can help to solve problems that occur
during the lesson. For example, the using of students’ native language, the instructions
are not clear, students are uninterested, teacher-centered etc.. Problem solving is the usual
way that teachers make decisions about what to change in their teaching. This could
include doing the opposite of what we usually do or trying something we have never tried
before. To ask students to write down what they have said or to try real questions instead
of that from the text are endless possibilities. Based on the changes, one can decide to
intend solving the problem or be creative by trying the opposite.

 What Teachers Have Done: Examples of the Observation

There are common teaching behaviors, language teachers share as they present their
lesson. These are designing activities, questioning, and parsing. The main point an
effective language teacher needs to consider is the opportunities when students practice
the target language i.e. communication and negotiation the meanings. Accordingly,
language teachers need to videotape their teaching and to make short transcripts focusing
on how they give instructions and on what the students to do after.
Questioning seems the main part of a language lesson that triggers students to take
part in the lesson activities. Hence, one may determine that questions techniques has the
advantage of;

 It gives the chance to consider the questioning behavior.

 It reflects who dominates class discussion the teacher / students.
 It enables to systematically modify questioning behavior.
 How can teachers explore their own teaching through the observation of other
teachers?

The idea of observing other teachers may seem contradictory, that we can see our own
teaching in the teaching of others. It is to observe others to gain knowledge of self to have
to construct and reconstruct our own teaching knowledge. It is possible to collect samples
of teaching in a variety of ways, such as taking fast notes, drawing sketches, tally
behavior, and note short transcript-like samples of interaction for the purpose of
analyzing classroom behaviors. By doing so , exploration is enhanced for all.

 How can teachers explore teaching through talk?

Talking about teaching can offer chances to learn about and reflect on our own
teaching. Talking can indeed be useful. It isn’t normal that talking goes on among ESL /
EFL teachers. It happens that an observer gives an opening evaluative remark such as “ I
like your class”. This this followed by a three-step evaluative sequence.

 A positive or negative evaluation is made.

 To make a justification to explain why the comment is made.
 Prescriptions about what should be done in the class to improve teaching.

 How can teachers explore teaching a teacher journal?

We can explore teaching by writing in a journal to record our observation of what goes
on in teacher’s classroom. However, journals are also a place to rais doubts, express
frustrations, and raise questions. The following list reflects what some teachers include in
their journals;

 Quickly written descriptions of classroom interaction as well as analyses ad

interpretations of these description.
 Tally sheet, transcripts, sketches and coding as a part of description and analysis.
 Photos and descriptions of what goes on in each photo.
 Summaries and reflections on discussions with other teachers.
 List of alternative ways to teach aspects of a lesson.
 Stream-of-consciousness writing to let ideas flow.
 Reflections on language learning experience.
 Lesson plan and teaching ideas.

 How can this book provide opportunities for teachers t explore teaching?
1. This book contains descriptions of teaching based on own observation of ESL/EFL
lessons to be reconsidered.
2. At the end of each chapter, there is TEACHER SELF-DEVELOPMENT TASKS to
provide a variety of different observation tasks.
3. The book guides the reader ( teacher) to audio-and videotape teaching, tally
observation or to make short transcripts and analyze teaching.
4. The book encourages the reader to work through the reflective exploration cycle
(p.19).
5. Finally, it is to apply the HOWs mentioned in the chapter.

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