Romanian BSI Experience

1

• Romanian BSI Experience

2
Teacher Training Course

• Period 1 5 February 2008
• Participants
• 11 English teachers
• 1 French teacher

3
Teacher Training Course Assessment

• The method was received differently by each
  teacher, according to his/her background and
  teaching style.

4
Which of the element of BSI method do you find
most useful?
12 answers ? 10

• Enthusiasm

Teaching Phonetics
1 answer ? 1 1 answer ? 2 2 answers ? 5 3
answers ? 7 5 answers ? 8
Using texts
1 answer ? 6 2 answers ? 8 5 answers ? 9 4
answers ? 10
5
Which of the element of BSI method do you find
most useful?
Using clumsy pictures
1 answer ? 4 1 answer ? 5 2 answers ? 6 1
answer ? 7 1 answer ? 8 5 answers ? 9 1 answer
? 10
Using drama techniques
1 answer ? 6 1 answer ? 7 4 answers ? 8 6 answers
? 10
6
Which of the element of BSI method do you find
most useful?
2 answers ? 5 5 answers ? 7 2 answers ? 8 1
answer ? 9 2 answers ? 10
Error correction
Out of class activities
Portfolio
1 answer ? 8 3 answers ? 9 8 answers ? 10
7
Which of the element of BSI method do you find
most useful?
1 answer ? 5 1 answer ? 6 2 answers ? 7 1
answer ? 8 4 answers ? 9 3 answers ? 10
Diaries
MSN/ICQ
2 answers ? 5 1 answer ? 7 2 answers ? 8 6
answers ? 9 1 answer ? 10
8
Which of the element of BSI method do you find
most useful?
1 answer ? 8 4 answers ? 9 7 answers ? 10
Speaking clubs
Voice records
1 answer ? 5 1 answer ? 6 1 answer ? 7 2
answers ? 8 5 answers ? 9 2 answers ? 10
9
Conclusions of the teachers perceptions of the
BSI method

• BSI method helps the pupils to become independent
  learners. It is a good way for developing their
  communication skills.
• BSI method could be applicable for French classes
  too.
• As any new method, not everybody understood BSI
  well from the beginning.
• BSI method could be used in Romania for the
  primary school pupils (2nd and 3rd forms). For
  the other forms it can not be applied at a whole
  (just components could be implemented (the
  syllabus is to extensive for two hours per week).
• BSI method may be applicable mainly for the
  beginners. For the intermediate and advanced
  learners, BSI should be combined with other
  methods.
• The Romanian teachers use new identities for
  the students only in the primary school. In the
  secondary school, when the pupils personality is
  changing it is not recommended to be used due to
  the possible negative consequences. (Inspector
  Ecaterina Tolea)

10
Recommendations

• BSI method should be applied in different ways
  according to the students age and educational
  needs.
• It would be useful to have a guide for the clumsy
  pictures, maybe drawing strategies in order to
  associate images with structures.

11
After Implementation

• The method was received differently by each
  teacher, according to his/her background and
  teaching style.
• Teaching English as a foreign language has been
  performed in active parameters for a good while
  in Romania the good old fashioned way has been
  successfully complemented by the good new ones in
  classroom practice and it seems that the wind of
  change has hardly spared any of us. Broad Sweeps
  of Imagination presented as a new crispy method
  sounds challenging and courageously attempts at
  improving the old didactic pattern of teaching
  English in a social context where it seems to be
  the only one accepted and therefore compulsory.
  (Camelia Vasilescu, School No. 1, Moreni, Romania)

12
After Implementation

• Another teacher describing the implementation
  process of the method in the classroom sad that
  she always had in mind the main belief of BSI-
  methods that if we can delicately create the
  imaginary atmosphere in and also outside the
  language classroom, the pupils become more likely
  to adapt themselves to use the language through
  the context without even being aware of the
  learning process. For being successful, the
  relaxed atmosphere was of great importance,
  in nicely decorated classrooms or halls, with
  very suggestive music, moments of dancing with
  different themes in the books. The music related
  to the topic helped a lot the pupils state of
  mind and the whole integration of fine arts
  created a meaningful and positive atmosphere
  towards the English language. (Aurica Manu,
  School No. 1, Titu, Romania)
• Teaching phonetics is very difficult and we can
  find the easiest way to do it. I try a lot of
  teaching methods for phonetics and I think the
  BSI method for teaching phonetics is easier than
  my methods, so I shall use it in future.
  (Lorelai Vulpescu, School No. 6, Gaesti, Romania)

13
After Implementation

• An important step forward in developing my
  teaching methods has been made by the training
  course Broad Sweeps of Imagination A New Method
  to Teach a Foreign Language. Having in mind
  what I learned during the training course, I
  could apply the new idea of teaching vocabulary
  and grammar structures using the so called
  clumsy pictures . I acted, mimed and made
  suggestive gestures and asked my students to
  practice and repeat several times, both in group,
  pair work and individual activity. The learners
  practiced with excitement, happiness and positive
  attitude generally and it was a real success.
  The assessment was a very positive one and all my
  pupils involved in these creative activities
  could get very good marks. More than that some of
  them got the first prize in the English
  competition organized in April 2008 in
  Targoviste. (Luminita Barboi, Dragomiresti
  School, Romania)

14
After Implementation

• Due to the number of English classes per week,
  the cultural and national characteristics and
  other reasons, the BSI had also some skeptical
  remarks
• For example Monica Spirescu, a teacher of
  English, considered that unfortunately, not all
  the (BSI method) elements are suitable to our
  students. For instance, we think that, using
  clumsy pictures is a waste of time. It's like
  teaching a third language. It's not that we never
  use the so called clumsy pics, but they are not
  the most important elements as in the BSI
  method. (Monica Spirescu, I.Al.Bratescu Voinesti
  School, Targoviste, Romania)

15
After Implementation

• I sometimes use clumsy pictures, but not very
  often because it takes a lot of time and in
  Romania we have only 2 hours of English per week
  and we dont have enough time to this. We can use
  clumsy pictures only for the first and second
  year of study. We have to obey the syllabus, so
  we dont have enough time to use clumsy
  pictures. (Lorelai Vulpescu, School No. 6,
  Gaesti, Romania)
• If we take into consideration the drama element,
  as presented in the BSI, we do consider it
  essential in teaching English and we do use it
  during our classes. But, we do not agree that a
  student should always use a different identity
  (outside the classes or during the breaks),
  because this may lead to confusion. After the BSI
  training we decided that diaries constitute the
  most suitable element considering the Romanian
  educational system. (Monica Spirescu, I.Al.
  Bratescu Voinesti School, Targoviste, Romania)

16
Using the enthusiasm

• The most beautiful class for the Christmas -
  Contest between all the classes from the school
• Lesson Christmas Customs and Traditions
• Teacher Aurica Manu

17
Diaries
18

• Teacher Banica Daniela

19

• Teacher
• Lorelai Vulpescu

20
Projects
Lesson Recycling and Saving Energy Teacher
Aurelia Nicolae
21
Role Play

• Lesson Halloween Party
• Teacher Luminita Barboi

22
Lesson Mickey, Millie and Mut Teacher Camelia
Vasilescu
23
Clumsy pictures

• Lesson Feelings
• Teacher Camelia Vasilescu

24
Clumsy pictures

• Lesson The Trouble Fish
• Teacher Camelia Vasilescu