Page 29 - ELG1903 Mar-Apr Issue 464

SPECIAL FEATURE

Mastering the art of teaching

What should be top of the agenda on every teacher training course? Melanie Butler asked a
group of former Masters students from the UCLan Masters in TESOL and Applied Linguistics
T fascinating, commenting that it environment the UCLan team My UCLan
here was no clear
have created.
“developed my understanding of
consensus. Although
I was also amused by the
the current view on the process
all three Chinese
respondents chose
wrote that she found Language
methodology for the top of of second language use and comment from Sun Guanhua who experience
learning.”
the agenda, their other answers The importance that the Analysis the most interesting
were different: testing and majority of respondents gave to aspect of her course because,
assessment, second language SLA made me wonder whether “I saw our classmates whose first We asked our six
acquisition and learner-centred we shouldn’t be focusing on language is English confused survey respondents to
teaching, charmingly defined as, this earlier in teachers’ careers. by grammar, sentence structure
“how to ensure your students are Remember, every teacher in analysis, etc. I was interested as to describe their feelings
at the centre of the action.” this sample had a first degree, why they didn’t understand their about their Masters in
There was a clear consensus including English language, and mother tongue when it came to
of what they found as best were trained to at least a diploma grammar.” three words.
about of the course: “wonderful or state qualified level. On Elisabeth McGlynn knows just
teachers”, “nice teachers”, average, they had been teaching what Sun means. She admits to
and “incredibly supportive, for five years. finding language analysis the
knowledgeable and inspriring!” Yet, the first time they were most challenging area, saying,
One teacher also had a shout really exposed to SLA theory was “picking the language apart and
out for “the library.” when they did a Masters degree naming the parts did not come
Six former students from one – and for most of them the easily, though I can see now how
university, of course, are not a experience was revelatory. useful it is!”
representative sample, although Testing and Assessment was Sun found it useful too. “I tried
the nationality breakdown another subject that had a lot to compare English and Chinese,” “Fun, stimulating, Challenging”
reflects the reality of UK Masters of supporters. Khoa Nguyen he reports, “ I looked back at –Elisabeth McGlynn
courses across all subjects: two- sums the feeling up: “Teaching what we know about our native
thirds are international students, and testing go hand-in-hand, language … Besides the heated
with the largest group being as there is a backwash effect discussions in class motivated us “Busy, fulfilling, and enjoyable”
Chinese. both ways,” he argues. “I believe students to learn.” –Sun Guanhua
Less typical was the obtaining knowledge about how How a subject was taught, as
educational background of the to properly assess the progress opposed what was taught, comes
participants – every single one students make can help a through as a key strength of the
had studied English language teacher improve.” UCLan programme.
or English education at first All the former students
degree level, though both the Teaching and commented on how much they
native speakers had combined learned about teaching from
this with a foreign language. All testing go hand- their own experience in the
but one of the group were state classrooms.
qualified teachers, and all but in-hand, as there is Yu Haihong sums the general “Enjoyable, exciting, inspiring it
one had three or more years’ a backwash effect feelng up: “The different kinds of … reshaped my world view”
classroom experience. UCLan methods and approaches really –Khoa Nguyen
clearly attracts some very serious both ways... opened my mind,” she writes.
educators. “I deeply enjoyed our group
The importance of Second One thing that struck me, tasks and presentations, for “Joyful. Rewarding. Fulfilling”
Language Acquisition (SLA) reading through the responses, which we had to discuss and –Yu Haihong
was a constant theme in the was how little difference there cooperate with classmates,” she
feedback, with over half our was between the impressions adds. “Each group having to do
respondents citing it as the reported by the L1 English different themes was also very
most useful thing they had teachers and the non-native interesting.”
studied on their course, and speakers. The normal grumbles “The assignments were
three citing it is as one of the about “too many students didn’t practical, for instance asking
most interesting. have enough English” or “the us to reflect on our learning or
“It clued me in and opened my English students weren’t very teaching experiences or to think
mind,” writes Robert Hutchinson. friendly,” were nowhere to be about interventions in specific “Busy, intense, rewarding”
While Khao Nguyen found it seen. A credit to the collaborative classrooms,” she concludes. –Robert Hutchinson
So, what should be on the
UCLAN top of the teacher training
agenda? The message from the
UCLan example is clear: the “Challenging, peaceful,
wonderful”
way you teach your trainees –Li Shufang
is as important as what you
teach them.
editorial@elgazette.com 29