Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

Ezinma wrote:Thanks Hush! I hope it's helpful.

Please mates, if you have something about the Competency-Based Aproach DO SHARE IT! 4th of Nov

Before defining the concept of competence, three principal constituants should be clearly understood. 1. didactics, 2. Pedagogy , and 3. Learning
1. Didactics means the relation ship between the content of the intended content to be taught( what), the teacher who escorts the content ( who); the method to be used to process the content ( How); the objectives of the task/activity behind each specific chore; and the designed population for whom all these things are directed ( for whom). [i] Mind this definition because didactics is more than this, but for gap comprehension reduction, I purposefully tried to be straightforward and use lexis at the reach of every one.
2. Pedagogy refers to the transfer/process of the subject matter; in other words, it is all about the theories of teaching, curriculum....It concerns the architecture of scaffolding knowledge ( grammar practice, communicative practice, writing, listening task,..) in a convenient ways appropriate to the learners' levet of attainment.! It is just preparing a dish for 5-persons adjusting the ingredients approximatly, ( not excessively nor thrifty).
3. Learning can be defined as a changing behavior. It is the part of learners to achieve goals, develop strategies....(I don't want to stuff your head with verbatim expressions)

Let's have a look at Competence!!!!
preliminary: Competence is a polymorphic term, since it is every where and omnipresent.
In Competency -based teaching, descriptions of the essential skills, knowledge and behaviours required for the EFFECTIVE performance of a real world task or activity. For example ' preparing learners for , let's say ' making a survey on pupils who read newspapers' Unit 2 in 1st year programme ( secondary school education, needs a set of competencies/ units of competency:
* prepare a questionnaire based on questions ( open, close.) your pupils know how to ask questions!!!
* dispatch the questionnaire to a large population ( to overgeneralize the findings)
( initiating pupils to journalism ,isn't it)
*gather the data and start describing and then analyzing using diagramms and sharts
* using the language being taught to build up a repport...and so on
this is called Competency Statements.

( Next time, I 'll explain in details the following concepts inherent to CBA:
* Autonomy -
* Different competencies in the process of teaching/learning
* the role of partners in teaching/learning
* How to bridge the gap between a communicative method and a CBA
* More practical examples so that you start distinguishing between them
* Portfolio, assessment, self-evaluation
* techniques and tips in this CBA


I should mention that my explanations are mainly based on my experience as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language. Next time!!!!!!

Terms and expressions referring to planned targets and teaching objectives

Learning, autonomy, learning needs, consolidation, improving means of learners’ needs, theoretical basis of pedagogical issues, objectives: communicative, language consciousness, methodology structure of *presenting, organizing….culture of target language..
As you notice the list is not exhaustive and never satisfies the avidity of engaged teacher or educationalist in general terms.
For the moment, I have to keep a record on Autonomy which is glossed differently in different issues of field investigations. Well; I have to limit myself to its importance in CBA.
Hence, Autonomy is the final step of a process of learning in this CBA. It is a teaching emancipation of reliance. It occurs once all stages are agreeably achieved and adequately structured trough a well organized teaching methodology.” Au même que les autre disciplines, les langues étrangères contribuent a la formation générale des élèves: développement du raisonnement logique, acquisition des méthodes de travail efficaces développement de l’autonome.. »
To come to realize autonomous learning, students should aim to learn outside as well as during class time. We can’t find everything in one basket! No!!!Not every thing can be taught in classroom. Many students spent a great deal of time in cyber net chatting or surfing here and there, crossing of course, some English expressions or instructions….hence, students are forced to develop their own learning strategies in/outside the tunnel. Not all students succeed in doing so, because self-directed learning asks for individual learning style mainly pointed out by Icy Lee ‘learner contract’. Moreover, Stephen Krashen added that student of high esteem…..I suppose you know the literature. Or just go to the comprehensible input hypothesis to get the gist.

What interesting topics you are posting here Ezinma. May God guide you.
For some readings in Language Learning and Teaching, visit this link:
http://saciblogs.blogspot.com/

thnx a lot ezinma u r so gr8 !!!!!!!!!

THE COMPETENCY-BASED APPROACH
The competency-based approach is based on linking learning carried out at school to
varied and relevant contexts-of-use in order to make the learning useful and durable.
The aim is for students to develop intellectual, linguistic and problem-solving
capacities in school that will enable them to tackle cognitively and pragmatically
challenging situations both in and out of school. Students will thus see learning as
being worthwhile and having relevance both for their studies and their future.
Definition of Competency
A competency is the ability to act using a range of skills and knowledge in various
situations that may differ from those in which they were learned. An individual’s
competency in a certain area develops over time. A competency is firmly linked to a
context-of-use. In other words, students will be prepared to use English effectively in
real-life situations by drawing on and manipulating what they have learned in school

Rationale
In this curriculum, language is viewed as a set of interacting competencies.
Therefore, the ability to use language as a speaker, listener, reader and writer is
critical in the goals of the curriculum. The program is therefore always centered on
the students and the development of their capacities in order for them to acquire, in
the most effective way possible, competency in English. Competencies are linked to
their in-school and out of school needs. Students learn to speak, listen to, read, write
and re-use what they have learned in new situations. These skills are taught in an
integrated way, since in real-life that is how they are used. It is no longer sufficient to
dispense information to students, rather the aim is to help students to play an ever
more active role in their own development and make them responsible for their own
learning. In order to take this active role, students need opportunities to find the
answers to questions arising from their own daily life and to become more responsible
and autonomous. In this approach to learning students confront complex and
significant situations; their personal process of adaptation relies on their cognitive and
affective resources while also taking into account the influence of their social and
cultural interactions with the world around them.
By framing the aims of the curriculum in terms of competency, the focus is on what
learners can actively do in and with the language rather than on a discrete list of
items they are expected to remember.
Language competencies and supporting competencies
Language competencies
Language involves three basic competencies:
• Interactive competency
• Interpretive competency
• Productive competency

Interactive competency
Interactive competency is the ability to use language orally to interact with
others in order to create social relations, express needs, understand and address
needs of others and to get things accomplished. Engaging in a discussion is an
example of using one’s interactive competency.
Interpretive competency
Interpretive competency is the ability to understand written language through
reading or spoken language through listening and to interpret it appropriately.
Reading is the ability to understand and interpret written texts, listening is the
ability to understand and interpret oral language. Reading and listening are
thus addressed separately in the curriculum.
Productive competency
Productive competency is the ability to produce coherent, appropriate and
relevant messages in writing and speaking. It is also the ability to effectively
express ideas and organize thoughts appropriately. Productive competency is
more often associated with writing because writing involves producing texts
such as letters or essays. Productive speaking competency is also the
production of texts; it differs from interactive speaking competency in that it
does not involve interaction with other speakers. Giving a lecture or a
presentation are examples of using one’s productive speaking competency.
Learners have different levels of competency at different levels of language
proficiency. A beginning language learner can do less in each competency than an
advanced language learner. This is reflected in the Algerian English Framework in
the next section (Section V). The Algerian English Framework describes the level of
attainment of each of the competencies for each grade in school.
Supporting competencies
In order to develop interactive, interpretive and productive competencies, language
learners also need to develop supporting competencies:
• Linguistic Competency
• Language Strategies
Linguistic competency
Linguistic competency includes the learning and mastery of grammar,
pronunciation and the vocabulary needed in a given context. There is a
separate set of descriptors of linguistic competency for each grade level.
Language Strategies
Language strategies are ways that help students to acquire, remember,
organize and use information on an ongoing basis. The language strategies are
incorporated into the competencies, rather than listed separately.
In the next section, the Algerian English Framework describes in detail the level of
attainment of each competency for each grade in school, beginning with Middle
School 1 through High School 3, seven levels all together.

thnk u so much guys

Kudos to all!

Please cite your sources.

Regards.

YOU ARE AMAZING.

Hi!!!!
plz... could any one provide me with books/articles about reading theories & strategies,??

Dear members I need to know and read about "planning progression" to prepare a plan or a yearly planning containing the following points :communicative tasks,objectives,the know how,skills,resources,vallues and attidudes...

That was really amazing and interesting as i mentioned before i i need to learn about the know how and attidudes in teaching

"In the next section, the Algerian English Framework describes in detail the level of
attainment of each competency for each grade in school, beginning with Middle
School 1 through High School 3, seven levels all together"
Did i miss this section?