developing thai efl teachers’ confidence and competence through partnerships ursula wall jonathan...

Developing Thai EFL

teachers’

confidence and competence

through partnerships

Ursula WallUrsula WallJonathan C. HullJonathan C. Hull

Wilaksana Wilaksana SrimavinSrimavin

©2007 Ursula Wall, Jonathan C. Hull and Wilaksana Srimavin

Abstract:

While EFL inservice teacher training generally aims to improve teachers’ content knowledge and teaching practice, it is equally important for the external ‘experts’ who provide the training to understand the constraints under which the teachers work, and to make teachers themselves aware of what they are already doing well. Arising out of our experiences conducting inservices in two rural Thai communities, this paper examines some ways of integrating learner-centred principles into a teaching workshop, thereby encouraging participant teachers to apply new practices to their teaching, while at the same time acknowledging their experience, strengths and ‘local expertise’.

“Partnership”

“reciprocity and collaboration”

“everyone teaches and everyone learns”

everyone’s expertise is acknowledged

context specific and responsive

ongoing negotiation Auerbach, 2002.

Negotiating – “win-win”

“…the end-product of all education should be an independent learner.”

but:

“What if our students do not share this view of the teacher/learner

relationship?”

McDevitt, 2004.

The situation in Thailand: Thai society is very hierarchical Traditional views of ‘teacher’

and ‘teaching’ Many EL teachers are not

confident about their English Many EL teachers are not

confident about their teaching Most EL teachers have little

practice designing or modifying materials and tasks themselves*

Teachers have little time, and like things to use in their classes*

*Education Watchdog, 2006

So: to develop teachers’ confidence

and competence, we need to explicitly: start where they ‘are’ (conduct ongoing needs assessment)

acknowledge existing knowledge and expertise

incorporate needs and wants (negotiate syllabus)

bridge the gap between existing and new knowledge (use scaffolding)

We also need to create a comfortable atmosphere by:

using structured pair- and group-work

focusing on referential questions and open questions (not right-wrong)

allowing wait time for responses

having fun and ‘allowing’ mistakes

The workshop aims:

English activation “Teaching tips”

(Methodology) Adapting

materials + curriculum design practice

The workshop:Task Purpose Process /

Activity

Introductions

• Set the tone• Demonstrate simple activities• Make underlying principles explicit

“Find someone who…”

Nametags – Two ‘important’ things

Session Summary: What? How? Why?

The workshop:Task Purpose Process /

ActivityGroup-work “Rules”.

Set theWorkingparameters

“ClassroomManagement”

Whole groupbrainstorm:

“What will make iteasier for you to

feelcomfortable for the

workshop?”

The workshop:Task Purpose Process /

Activity

“SWOT”

Informal needs assessment Acknowledgement of difficultiesSolidarity between schools/teachers

Small group discussions:

(cross-schools)

strengths? good things about working in your school/community?

weaknesses? the not-so-good things - the issues

threats? Why have you come today? opportunities? What would you like?

The workshop:

Area Purpose Process / Activity

“Getting to know you”

Affect & Personalization Activity modellingMake underlying principles explicit

Brainstorming:free time activities

Surveying (thinking,writing, asking,recording, reporting):one question about one

activity: e.g. What is your

favourite kind of movie/sport/ music, etc..

Session Summary: What? How? Why?

The workshop:Area Purpose Process /

Activity

Warmers

and

Semi-structured speaking exercises

Positive atmosphere Personalization Language improvement Demonstrate simple games and activities

PostcardsSimon Says: Please/____

“From me, to ____”Guess the word

Word BINGO Multiple choice

DefinitionsShh! Shh!

Activity Rap

The workshop:Area Purpose Process / Activity

the 4 skills + thinking

“Student-centred learning”

Pedagogic focus

Modelling activity types

Eliciting, reviewing, acknowledging and building on prior learning

Small group activities:

“Hot Potato”Strategies and activities –

brain-storm, /discusses/rotateRunning Dictation

The workshop:Area Purpose Process /

Activity

Community and Curriculum focus

Unit Focus (1)

Informal assessment of understanding, acknowledgement of local expertise, and building on existing strengths

Learning/Reviewing how to “read” the textbook – step one in adapting…“Scaffolding”

“What are you doing now?

What would you like to do”

“Model”

Build an example of relating a unit to the local community.

The workshop:Area Purpose Process /

Activity

Community and Curriculum focus

Unit Focus (2)

Building strength through collaboration

Sharing expertise - partnerships between different kinds of ‘experts’

Adapting activities in the book to local conditions

“Scaffolding”

Small Group Task (By book)

– Pick a unit to focus on

The workshop:Tasks Purpose Process /

ActivitySession Summaries(in English and Thai)

To relax participants

To reinforce understanding

To make the relationships with classroom practice explicit

What? Activity names How? Activity process

Why? Activity purpose

Structure: T-Ss, S-S, G, S-T

Whole group – pair work – small groups

Process:

Think write talk

write share

The workshop:Tasks Purpose Process /

Activity

Reflections

Evaluations

Certificates

Personalization

Modelling evaluation and feedback processes

Promoting self- directed learning

Making the relationships with classroom practice explicit

Recognition

The most useful idea…

“Note to me”Private plan for the

new teaching year

Evaluation forms

SWOT:(S) Good things? (W) not so good?

Colleagues and sharing and team work (7)Computers (1)Good students (3)Good school management (2) Good working environment (1)

The students: too many, are stubborn, naughty, don’t pay attention, weak in English, not responsible. (3)The teachers: not enough + non- academic work + some colleagues are not active (4)Materials: not enough (3)Schools are far away town (1)

(O) What ’ld you like?

(T) Why are you here?

We can improve/practice our English listening and speaking (4)We can share ideas with other teachers (3)We like to talk with native speakers (2)We want to get new teaching tips (1)We hope to make new friends (1)We want more experience in English (1)

To learn how to: to make students happy (1), write a teaching plan (1), manage learning activities (1), get teaching tips.(3)To do the materials adaptation. (1 group)To practise English speaking (3) & listening skills (2), groupwork (2)To share ideas (1)To gain self confidence. (1)

Evaluation instrument:

Workshop evaluations:

1 2 3 4 5

Content/Topics

Instructions c lear

Handouts andmaterials

Presenters/Trainers

Speed and timing

(1-1.8) Very Unhappy - (1.81-2.60) Unhappy - (2.61-3.39) So-so - (3.4-4.2) Happy - (4.21- 5) Very Happy

Averaged Responses on a Five Point Likert Scale

Day Onen=22

Day Twon=22

Sentence completions:

Sentence stems Day 1 Day 2 Total

Today, the most useful idea for me was: 22/22 19/19 100

%

I liked:*20/22 *18/19 93%

I didn’t like:*6/22 *0/19 15%

Any comments?*11/22 *5/19 39%Number and percentage of teachers writing comments each day

* “nothing”, “no”, “-” = 0

Sentence completions:Day 1 Day 2 Tota

l

Today, the most useful idea for me was:

22/22

22 x program elements:

“ I can speaking, listeni ng, writing, know a ne

w idea about teaching and technique.”

10 x collaboration a nd groupwork:

“ think and share opinion”

19/19

9 x A dapting texts t o local community:

“ Ideas about the lesso n, local community”

6 x program elements:“ Dictation Game: can

use in my class”

Other:“ Encourage student”

2 x “ Reflexion myself”

100%

Number and percentage of teachers writing comments each day * “nothing”, “no”, “-” = 0

Sentence completions:Day 1 Day 2 Tota

l

I liked:

*20/22

18 x program elements:

“thinking and talking (speaking) practice /

warm up game activity”

7 x trainers & training: “all things, especially

the presenters”

4 x interaction: “Group work because

many people speak out and share idea”

18/19 4 x general“Everything that the

trainers show me today”

4 x Local community

“Local communityteaching”

3 x Preparing activities

“Teaching strategies (pre-task, while-task,

post-task)”1 x student-centred learning

93%

Number and percentage of teachers writing comments each day * “nothing”, “no”, “-” = 0

Sentence completions:

Day 1 Day 2 Total

I didn’t like:

*6/222 x activities: “to play game because it’s

not clear how to play?”1 x English: “to use English languages”1 x materials: “because sometime I can’t see words. I’m short light.”2 x other:

“the weather” “food”

*0/19 15%

Number and percentage of teachers writing comments each day * “nothing”, “no”, “-” = 0

Sentence completions:Day 1 Day 2 Tota

l

Any comments?

*11/22

2 x negative about activities: “Some activity don’t clear

and use a long time.”1 x materials: “I would like adds handouts

and materials”1x negative other: “Is far from my school”Others positive or unclear:“Practice speaking more”

“Summaries in the end task is very good review..

*4/19

All positive:“It’s good work

from you to me”

37%

Number and percentage of teachers writing comments each day * “nothing”, “no”, “-” = 0

Discussion: Amount of writing in the Sentence completions!

Very positive reaction to main ideas: that is, using group work to share ideas using learner centred methods adapting published materials, and incorporating students’ own experiences (local community)

Participants had a sense of their skills & strengths, and once shown how, were able to use their local knowledge to adapt materials

Recommendations: EFL Teacher Training Workshops need to

make underlying principles clear, and need to build teachers’ confidence in their own expertise.

If ‘Learners’ are expected to become more responsible for their own learning process, ‘Teachers’ need practice in scaffolding learner-centred activities.

Teachers need more exposure to native/ native-like and/or English speaking environments

They also need more access to educational ‘experts’ as mentors; native or native-like speakers

Conclusion: By both utilizing

(modelling) and explaining collaborative teaching/learning processes, we can help EFL teachers become more confident and competent in their own teaching practices.

References

Auerbach, E. (2002). Shifting roles, shifting goals: integrating language, culture and community. In E. Auerbach (Ed.), Community partnerships (pp. 1-12). Virginia, US: TESOL.

Education Watchdog has faith in the new govt. (2006, November 6th). The Nation, p. A3.

Lewis, M. (2000). Lessons from a jet-in-jet-out expert: cooperation, adaptability, and relevance in Vietnam. In K. E. Johnson (Ed.), Teacher education (pp. 175-188). Virginia, US: TESOL.

McDevitt, B. (2004). Negotiating the syllabus: a win-win situation? ELT Journal, 58 (1), 3-9.

Parkinson, L. and O’Sullivan, K. (xxxx). Negotiating the learner-centred curriculum. In G. Brindley (Ed.), The second-language curriculum in action (pp. 112-127). Sydney: National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, Macquarie University.

Contact us:

Department of Language Studies,

School of Liberal Arts,

King Mongkut’s University of Technology

Thonburi (KMUTT),

126 Prach-Utid Road, Bangmod, Toong-Kru,

Bangkok, 10140, THAILAND

Wilaksana Srimavin: wilaksana.sri@kmutt.ac.th

Ursula Wall: u_wall@yahoo.com.au

Jonathan Hull: jonathan.hull@kmutt.ac.th