The Benefits of Theme-Based Teaching - Essay Example

?Summary of chapter 8 Chapter 8 talks about the teaching technique known as the ‘theme-based teaching.’ The chapter focuses on the benefits of theme-based teaching in the development of different aspects of student’s learning process. It also discusses the benefits it can give to the development of relationship and bonding between the teachers and the students. The theme based teaching acts as a connecting thread between teachers and students as it increases the communication level by linking different activities together and by making the theme central to everything that happens in the classroom. This also increases the exchange of information and interdependence between students and teachers rather than keeping the information flow in the classroom only in one-way, i.e. from teacher to student. Hence, although theme-based teaching need lots of preparation and planning, it is an excellent technique for quality communication and bonding between teachers and students. Theme-based teaching has been recognized as best technique for teaching young students. As theme-based activities makes a student to think about a particular chosen theme, or topic, in multiple ways, it broadens the thinking pattern of a student and makes him to look at a topic in multi-dimensional way. Due to the quality of increasing the thinking skills of a student, theme-based teaching has been applied to the classes that teach English as foreign language. The activities of brain storming and creating web-chart in theme-based teaching increases the possibility of students learning English as foreign language, to learn new words and to enhance their sentence constructing ability. Through activities like measuring, sorting, playing games, using material, making charts, brain storming for sub-topics, making web-charts, preparing models etc., the theme-based learning can also help foreign language students to learn words and content related to different subjects like math, geography, physics, history etc., in an easy way. Hence, theme-based teaching has a potential not only to make students learn huge amount of content in short period of time, but also to learn it in interesting and entertaining way. The dynamic nature of the technique enhances the communication between teacher and students while planning the activities, and transforms the conversation pattern into discourse like communication. However, due to the drawback of theme-based teaching of inability to teach some aspects of language that need total focus in learning, it can be used in foreign language classes only twice or thrice a week. This amount is enough to enhance the quality of foreign language learning. In this way, when used by skilled and experienced teachers, theme-based learning is an excellent way to teach foreign language. Theme-based learning is activity based technique that gives an opportunity to students to learn new things about a theme or topic by understanding different aspects of the theme. The brainstorming, subtopics, web chart and games related to the activity introduces new ideas and new words to the existing vocabulary of the students. This expands the students’ knowledge and also builds their language acquisition skills. The new words learned increase their ability to learn and recall the information grasped during learning. Moreover, it also enhances the decision making of students as they have to make choices regarding the material, games and activities for theme-based learning. The interactions between students and teachers during the activities and planning of themes expand the vocabulary and the analytical skills of the students. Hence, theme-based learning is a technique that enhances the overall cognitive, mental, language, memory and motor skills of the students. In this way, chapter 8 has focused on the benefits of theme-based learning for the overall development of students. It has also explained how theme-based learning can help in developing the vocabulary of students and hence, enhance not only their language learning but also their social and communication skills. Summary of chapter 9 Chapter 9 focuses on the issue of choice of language while teaching the foreign language in class. It is understood that using the target foreign language during the foreign language class is more practical approach as it increases exposure to foreign language. The reason behind this understanding is that the more the students hear the language, the more they will learn. However, it has also been found that this approach increases the pressure on students by demanding more concentration, focus and alertness. Also, in spite of the policy to conduct foreign language classes in foreign language, teachers are found to make use of mother tongue while teaching foreign language. This shows that there is a gap between the practice and the policy regarding choice of language. The reasons are that the teachers lack the confidence in using foreign language for all classroom activities, and going against the natural force of communication, i.e. interacting with students in mother tongue, becomes extremely difficult and unnatural for teachers. It has been observed that the choice of the language in classroom comes from teacher’s habitual reaction to what is happening at the moment and hence, mother tongue is mostly used when teacher has to manage classroom activity and behavior of students. Moreover, study of eight teachers, by Pennington (1996), revealed that their use of mother tongue in classroom varied not on the basis of their own proficiency but on the ability of their students. That is, with more able students, mother tongue was used less but with less able students, mother tongue was used more than the foreign language. However, it has also been found that the use of mother tongue by teacher is based on problems that are ‘perceived’ and hence, are not always ‘real.’ The teacher’s choice of using mother tongue while teaching foreign language can be based on wrong perceptions and hence, is inappropriate. The choice of mother tongue or foreign language also depends on the interpersonal factors. Firstly, it has been found that when teacher uses mother tongue while teaching foreign language, the students feel that the teacher is ‘on their side,’ and hence, feel closer to teacher emotionally, socially and mentally. The foreign-ness of foreign language is emphasized when the teacher is aligned with the students by interacting with them in their mother tongue. Secondly, the use of native language emphasizes the seriousness of what s being said. Hence, if teacher is to discipline, or correct the mistakes, of the students, then use of native language is more effective and influencing than use of foreign language. This is because the feeling behind what is being said is emphasized more when it is said in mother tongue. Thirdly, the purpose of the class, which is to study the foreign language as subject, is reinforced when the teacher uses foreign language only to teach the content and uses native language while communicating otherwise. In this way, the value of foreign language class is increased when it is taught as a ‘subject,’ and is not used as means of communication. The dynamic view of language choice emphasizes that teachers should switch languages according to the situation rather than deciding beforehand which language to use for particular purpose. As teacher is proficient in foreign language and has more power over students, it is the teacher who should take decision regarding switching the languages at the right time. Also, the choice of language depends on the past teaching and social experiences of the teacher. However, it is teacher’s responsibility to adopt a different attitude while teaching foreign language and use it as much as possible while teaching. Instead of talking to students in native language, teachers can ask students to make efforts to ask questions in foreign language, repeat instructions in foreign language, explain what they have understood through drawing and pictures, make comparisons between foreign language and native language words, etc. When students experience difficulties during these activities, then the teacher should use native language to solve them. Hence, the first language should be only used to enhance and support the foreign language learning by students. Summary of chapter 10 Chapter 10 discusses the issues and problems in assessment in children’s foreign language learning. While designing assessment, factors like age specific motor and skill development in students, content of language learning, methods of teaching, aims of teaching and theories used while teaching, are needed to be taken into consideration. Moreover, the purpose of assessment, due to the social and political factors, has been affected. Instead of increasing the quality of language teaching by providing the feedback on students’ development and their preparation for next level, the assessments are driving teachers to teach only those things which are going to be assessed in the test. This has affected the purpose and the goal of language teaching. That is, rather than aiming to improve the language proficiency of students, teaching is aimed at getting good grades in assessment. This has affected the quality of teaching by making it shallow. The assessments have increased the stress level of children as instead of aiming to increase the skills and proficiency of children, parents and teachers are making them to study the assessment related topics in mechanical way. The emphasis is given on ‘passing’ of a child and not on the overall progresses of a child. This scenario has also led to building of multi- million dollar business of testing material. However, as the testing material is formed on the basis of research theory around language testing, and not in consultation with teachers, the teachers fail to understand the learner’s progress or what he has written. Hence, due to language education being driven by ‘testing results,’ the quality of language learning has been deeply downgraded. It has also been found that when teachers prepare the assessment for testing their students, there is a mismatch between the nature of teaching and testing. For example, the paper-pencil tests are used to assess the children when they are taught languages through discourses and social interactions. Hence, instead of testing the oral skills of students, the written skills get tested, which is comparatively easier than the oral skills. This again downgrades the teaching as the main aim of learning language, which is to be able to communicate in that language remains untested. Hence, assessment should be designed keeping in mind the learning-centered perspective. Firstly, as Vygotsky has suggested, language learning should be assessed not through paper pencil tests, but through social context and student’s interactions with other people in foreign language. It is through social interaction that children learn and expand their skill of foreign language. Secondly, by explaining to parents and teachers the purpose and the limits of assessment in assessing the true growth in language learning, their emphasis on assessment rather than real progress should be reduced. This will make assessments supportive, and not disrupting, in learning. Also, assessment should be done by skilled teachers through portfolios, observation, oral skills etc., rather than through tests. Children can be observed for progress during lessons and discussions. Also, teachers can use check lists to assess children by ticking when the goal of learning is achieved by the pupil. Moreover, the assessment should be performance oriented and not marks oriented as performance assessment gives an idea of student’s progress or lack of it in certain area while marks don’t give any such idea. Also, self assessment by children can help them in understanding their own growth and to plan their own learning pattern. Peer-assessment can also help a child in developing the language learning skills. In this way, by designing assessments which can help gain specific and growth oriented feedback by teachers and students, the assessment can be utilized in increasing the pace and quality of teaching foreign language. Hence, assessments should aim at genuine growth and development of children which can be achieved only when the overall language learning skills of children are assessed. Works Cited Cameron, Lynne. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print  Read More