From Teaching to Learning

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From Teaching to Learning

• A Materials Design Algorithm
• For ELT
• Fernando Silva , UPTC Tunja

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Have you heard these comments?

• The success of ELT in Colombia is poor.
• The results of the ICFES English test is not
  satisfactory. (ICFES)
• 70 of the teachers of English in Colombia are
  below a B2 level. (MEN)
• Scholarships are lost in Colombia because
  candidates dont pass a basic English test
  (ICETEX)
• .... And others like these ...

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• I want to go to London (or the US) to learn
  English
• I have studied English all my life and I dont
  know a word.
• I cant do this task because the sources are in
  English.
• Students come to the university without a word of
  English.
• Students graduate from the University without a
  word of English.

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When can we say that a person knows (or
doesnt know) a language?

• S/he can understand what other people say to
  him/her.
• S/he can initiate a conversation.
• S/he can describe things around him/her.
• S/he can tell an anecdote or story.
• S/he can understand a professional text.
• S/he can write a letter or take notes of a
  lecture.
• S/he can read for pleasure.
• S/he can write an extended text.
• Etc.

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After studying from 6 to 15 years of English,
what can the average Colombian DO (not do) with
English?

• S/he can pass school English exams.
• S/he can pass university English exams.
• S/he can say a few words.
• S/he can read or translate a text with
  difficulty.
• S/he cannot handle spontaneous conversation.
• S/he cannot handle extended writing.

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Knowing vs. Doing.

• Learning a Language
• 35000 words
• Hundreds of rules
• Hundreds of idioms and social rules
• Etc. (Even native speakers dont know it all)
• Using a Language
• Developing competence in limited events
• A few words (50)
• A few sentence models
• (A learner may become competent in a couple of
  weeks)

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What is an episode?

• An episode is a languge event that may
  reasonably happen in real life
• Describing something
• Telling an anecdote or story
• Understanding a text
• Singing a song ...
• It may be circumscribed in a limited inventory of
  words and sentence models
• It can be learned in a few hours
• It can pile up towards high level proficiency

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Curricular Options

• Make the student learn the language so that in
  the long run s/he may be able to use it
• (Traditional approach, linguistic)
• Make the student use the language so that in
  the long run s/he improves his knowledge and
  command of it
• (Episodes approach, pragmatic)

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Episodes Approach Design Model (1)

• What do I want my student to be able to do with
  English?
• Understand what other people say to him/her about
  a particular type of event (e.g. Descriptions).
• Initiate a conversation about a particular topic.
• Describe particular things around him/her
  (animals, people, objects).
• Tell a specific anecdote or story.
• Understand a particular text.
• Write a letter about a particular event.
• Write an extended text about a particular topic.
• Etc.

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Episodes Approach Design Model (2)

• What must s/he KNOW in order to do it?
• A particular lexicon
• A particular set of sentence models
• A particular set of pronunciation problems

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What must s/he DO in order to learn them?(3)

• Be taught? (Learning is not a result of
  teaching)
• Get down to learn? (Learning is the result of
  personal engagment.)
• Learn the words.
• Learn the sentence models.
• Learn the pronunciation problems
• Practice and practice and practice until ....

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What must the teacher DO to make him/her DO it?
(4)

• Traditional answer Prepare good classes
• Learning is not the result of teaching.
• Are you a good, conscientious teacher?
• Do all your students learn everything you teach
  them?
• Do some of your students learn only a fraction of
  what you teach them?
• Might some of your students learn little or
  nothing of what you teach them?
• Might some of your students learn some, or most,
  or all without your teaching them?
• Learning is a result of personal engagement. Even
  in the absence of teaching. (Autonomous learning)

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What must the teacher DO to make him/her DO it?
(5)

• Alternative answer Dont teach. Make them learn
• Prepare a task-based, student-centered lesson
  that will get the student engaged with the object
  of learning.
• Define your target behavior.
• Define the necessary lexical set.
• Define the necessary sentence model inventory.
• Design a set of activities that are challenging
  (not necessarily easy, but easy to follow)
• Design a system to check progress results

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Practical exercise

• What do you want your students to be able to do
  with English? Make it specific.
• What must they know to be able to do it?
• What must they do to learn it?
• What must you do to make them learn it?
• Lexical inventory
• Sentence model inventory
• Activities
• How will you ckeck results?

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What is Trails to English?

• Trails is a secondary school series that
  follows the episodes model
• Activity based
• Learner centered
• Self-determined learning (autonomous)
• Competence oriented (minimal grammar)
• Luxurious, full color edition, abundant support
• Incredible price
• 6 to 11 (Primary grades upcoming)

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How does Trails work?

• Planning invoking learner commitment
• Lexicon context, flash cards, audio CD
• Sentence models context, audio CD
• Conversation Context, audio CD, flash cards
• Writing Innovative, analytical writing.
• Speaking Extended oral reports.
• Personality growth responsibility, self esteem
• Evaluation Peer evaluation.

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Where can you get Trails?

• autores_at_trailstoenglish.com

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What about University level?

• ABC English
• A Basic Course in English
• Same methodology
• Great price
• Incredible results
• Levels 1 to 3 (Level 4 upcoming)
• Fully