A Trainee-centered approach in teaching a foreign language

       Listening is a skill and any help students can be offered, in performing that skill will help them be better listeners. Listening to tapes is a way of bringing different kinds of speaking into the classroom, it is possible to play different kinds of tape to them, e.g. conversation, “plays”, interviews, stories read aloud, telephone exchanges etc.

       One of the main reasons for getting students to listen to spoken English is to let them hear different varieties and accents – rather than just the voice of their teacher with its own idiosyncrasies. In today’s world, they need to be exposed not only to one variety of English (British English, for example) but also to varieties such as American English, Australian English, Indian English or West African English. [6].

       The debate about use of authentic listening material is just as fierce in listening as it is in reading. If, for example, teachers play a tape of a political speech to complete beginners, they will not understand a word. If, on the other hand, students are given a realistic (though not authentic) tape of a telephone conversation, they may learn to gain confidence as a result. Everything depends on level, and the kind of tasks that go with a tape.

       There may be some authentic material which is usable by beginners such as pre-recorded announcements, telephone messages, etc.

       There are numbers of ways in which listening activities differ from otter classroom exercises: firstly, tapes go at the same special for everybody.

       Listening is special, too, because spoken language, especially when it is informal, has a number of unique features including the use of incomplete utterances, repetitions, hesitation, etc., experience of informal spoken English together with an appreciation of other spoken factors – the tone of the voice, the intonation the speakers use, rhythm, and background noise – will help students tease meaning out of such speech phenomena.

       Speaking and writing are the productive skills. Production processes control how well the child can reproduce the model’s responses.

       There are three basic reasons why it is a good idea to give students speaking tasks which provoke them to use all and any language at their command:

       1. Rehearsal: getting students to have a free discussion gives them a chance to rehearse having discussion in project work.

       2. Feedback: speaking tasks where students are trying to use all and any language they know provides feedback for both teacher and students. Teacher can see how well their class is doing and what language problems they are having (that is a good reason for project lessons); students can also see how easy they find a particular kind of speaking and what they need to improve.

       3. Engagement: good speaking activities can and should be highly motivating. Many speaking tasks (role-playing, discussion, problem-solving) can be used in the project work [6, p. 20]

       There are four types of speaking activity:

       - information- gap

       - survey

       - discussion

       - role-play

       One popular information-gap activity is called “Describe and Draw”. It has many of the elements of an ideal speaking activity.

       One way of provoking conversation and opinion exchange is to get students to conduct questionnaires and surveys. If the students plan these questionnaires themselves, the activity becomes even more useful.

       Role-play activities are those where students are asked to imagine that they are in different situations and act accordingly. Teachers can organise discussion sessions in their classroom, too.

       Writing is a basic language skill, just as important as speaking, listening, and reading. Students need to know how to write letters, how to put written reports together, how to reply to advertisement – and increasingly, how to write using electronic media. Part of teacher’s job is to give students that skill.

       There are four writing sequences:

       postcard

       altering dictation

       newspaper headlines/articles

       report writing [23]

       Another factor which can determine teacher’s choice of writing task is the students’ interests. Teacher’s decisions, though, will be based on how much language the students know, what their interests are, and what teacher thinks will not only be useful for them but also motivate them as well.

       To sum up it is possible to say that while project work all language skills should be trained. So, speaking activities may well form one part of a much longer sequence which includes reading or listening and, after the activity, study work. The teaching of reading is intimately bound up with the teaching of writing: the one provides the model for the other. Writing is a basic language skill, just as important as speaking, listening and reading. Listening is a skill and any help teachers can give students in performing that skill will help them to be better listeners.

       The following steps or elements can be useful for teachers when designing effective project-based instruction.

       1) Establish a trusting, cooperative relationship [24]

       It is important to begin slowly. In this way, teachers can design the curriculum that not only reflects mandated standards but also meets learners’ needs.

       Therefore, before embarking on the projects, learners need to acquire basic skills in how to interact with others and manage conflicts as well as various skills related to resources, research, and technology. Moreover, a learning environment where learners feel comfortable, less anxious, and are willing to share their ideas is indispensible.

       2) Set clear learning objectives

       Selected objectives should be based on the target learning outcomes and need to be negotiated and discussed among learners.

       3) Select a real life problem/question

       The topic should be broad enough for learners to choose from according to their interests. In addition, it should be one that has potential in engaging learners in adopting concepts being studied. Project-work topics fall into a wide range of categories, including the six below. Although topics are essentially limitless, the key to effective project work is the selection and definition of topics that will sustain student interest and engagement for the duration of the project (Appendix A).

       4) Describe the real world context where the problem/question usually occurs

       Since contextualization makes transfer of knowledge more easily, it is critical to allow learners see the connection between classroom work and its future application.

       5) Complete authentic material and resources

       Teachers and learners alike should gather whatever sources used in real-world contexts by professionals. Authentic material and resources may include dictionaries, hammer, compass, computers, software, etc.

       6) Consciously employ the facilitator role

       Instead of playing the traditional role of providing the right answer and correctness, teachers need to be sensitive to the students’ needs, aptitudes, learning styles, and abilities. While delegating the responsibilities to learners, the teacher shoulders a more important role that requires interpersonal and communication skills, as well as the ability to animate and supervise adequately to ensure a successful conclusion.

       7) Decide how to assess the learner

       Standardized tests are inappropriate. On the other hand, formative assessments and reflection assignments are better options.

       Portfolios. Learners are allowed to decide what will be included in the portfolios to present their effort and multiple forms of learning outcomes.

       Rubrics. Rubrics should be communicated prior to the project with learners, so that they are more aware of how they will be evaluated

       Reflection assignments. They should be scheduled toward the end of the lesson so that learners can reflect on the processes. This is also the opportunity for learners to figure out the reason why their project is successful or not, think critically, and make improvement.

       8) Outline the appropriate artifact choices

       The final tangible product can be represented in diverse way (presentation, travel plan, video, website, and artifacts) to a real audience. 

       1.3 Project Management Strategies 

       Numerous language educators incorporate what they call “project work” into their learner-centered classrooms, even though the lessons do not maximize the full potential of project work. For example, in some settings, basic communicative activities used to help students get to know one another better and to promote conversation have been labeled as projects. What often occurs in such settings is that students, when given the chance, join groups with their friends. They complete their non-elaborated tasks in a superficial way without much collaboration. Students socialize, but rarely assist each other with the language and information-gathering demands of the task (if there are any demands).

       In some settings, project work is merely a source of entertainment and a break from routine classroom activities. Though projects often focus on challenging, real-world subject matter, students are often solely concerned with the visual attractiveness of their projects, paying little attention to content and language learning. In these settings, teachers often reinforce this misdirected attention by assessing student projects according to their visual appeal, ignoring students’ gains in language and content learning.

       In other settings, students are constrained in their ability to grow from their projects, either because of excessive teacher control or because of the absence of teacher feedback and guidance during the process. In settings characterized by too much teacher control, we find instructors who dictate each step of the process without giving students any voice in defining the project. Generally, such excessive control inhibits students from taking responsibility for their own learning and developing a sense of ownership toward the project. In these settings, students are rarely asked to provide feedback on the project experience; thus, often the same project is incorporated into future instruction, with no modification, which usually results in the same lack of student engagement. Another problem occurs when repeating students influence new students with their negative attitudes toward the project, further undermining the potential of the project.

       Project work can be more effective when teachers relax their control, when students regard the teacher as a guide, and when students provide feedback on the experience so that projects can be improved each year. Finding the proper balance between teacher guidance and student autonomy enhances the advantages of project work in the language classroom.

       Projects that are structured to maximize language, content, and real-life skill learning require a combination of teacher guidance, teacher feedback, student engagement, and elaborated tasks with some degree of challenge.

       Successful project-based learning:

       - focuses on real-world subject matter that can sustain the interest of students

       - requires student collaboration and, at the same time, some degree of student autonomy and independence

       - can accommodate a purposeful and explicit focus on form and other aspects of language

       - is process and product oriented, with an emphasis on integrated skills and end-ofproject reflection.

       One way to maximize the potential benefits of project work is to follow the ten-step process [15].  The ten steps are summarized below.

       Step 1: Students and instructor agree on a theme for the project

       The students and instructor come to an agreement on a project theme. Because projects range from structured, semi-structured, to unstructured in terms of the degree to which the teacher defines the project, instructors should identify ways (large or small) in which students can develop some sense of ownership toward the project.

       Step 2: Students and instructor determinethe final outcome of the project

       With the nature and objectives of the project in mind, the students and instructor determine the final outcome of the project (e.g., bulletin board display, written report, debate, brochure, letter, handbook, oral presentation, video, multimedia presentation, theatrical performance). At this point, the students and instructor negotiate the most appropriate audience for their projects (e.g., classmates, other students, parents, program director, city mayor, a local business).

       Step3: Students and instructor structure the project

       After the theme and final outcome of the project are determined, the students and instructor work out project details that guide students from the opening activity to the completion of the project. In this step, students consider their roles, responsibilities, and collaborative work groups. After negotiating a deadline for project completion, students reach a consensus on the timing for gathering, sharing, and compiling information, and then presenting their final project.

       Step 4: Instructor prepares students for the demands of information gathering

       At this stage, the instructor prepares students for the language, skill, and strategy demands associated with information gathering. With student ability levels in mind, the instructor prepares instructional activities for each of the information-gathering tasks. For instance, if students will be conducting interviews to gather information, the instructor may plan activities in which students have to form questions, ask follow-up questions, request clarification, and take notes. If students are expected to write letters, the instructor might review the format and language of formal letters. If they intend to conduct an Internet search, the instructor may review search procedures and introduce useful note-taking strategies.

       Step 5: Students gather information

       After practicing the skills, strategies, and language needed for gathering information, students are ready to collect information using methods such as interviewing, letter writing, and library searches. Whenever possible, the instructor brings in relevant content resources to get students started on their information quests.

       Step 6: Instructor prepares students to compile and analyze data

       At this stage, students need to master the language, skills, and strategies needed to compile, analyze, and synthesize the information that they have collected from different sources. The instructor prepares students to do much of this on their own through tasks that involve, for example, categorizing, making comparisons, and using graphic organizers such as charts and time lines. Numerous training sessions might need to be planned, depending on the types of information collected and the ways in which it was collected (e.g., taped interviews, brochures received in response to solicitation letters, library research, and note-taking).

       Step 7: Students compile and analyze information

       After engaging in teacher-guided preparatory activities, students are ready to tackle the demands of compiling and analyzing the gathered information. Working in groups, students organize information and then discuss the value of the data that they have collected, keeping some and discarding others. The goal is to identify information that is critical for the completion of their projects.

       Step 8: Instructor prepares students for the language demands of the final activity

       As in Steps 4 and 6, the instructor designs language-improvement activities to help students successfully present the final outcome of the project. Those activities may focus on skills for successful oral presentations, effective written revisions and editing, persuasive debates, and so forth. Some focus on form might be greatly appreciated by students at this point.

       Step 9: Students present the final product

       Students present the final outcome of their projects, as planned in Step 2.

       Step 10: Students evaluate the project

       In this last, often neglected stage of project work, students reflect on the language mastered and the subject matter acquired during the project. In addition, students are asked to make recommendations that can be used to enhance similar projects in the future. It is during this stage that teachers provide students with feedback on their language and content learning. 
 

       Summary of Part 1 

       Project work focuses on content learning rather than on specific language targets. Real-world subject matter and topics of interest to students can become central to projects.

       Project work is trainee/student centered, though the teacher plays a major role in offering support and guidance throughout the process.

       Project work is cooperative rather than competitive. Students can work on their own, in small groups, or as a class to complete a project, sharing resources, ideas, and expertise along the way.

       Project work leads to the authentic integration of skills and processing of information from varied sources, mirroring real-life tasks.

       Project work culminates in an end product (e.g., an oral presentation, a poster session, a bulletin board display, a report, or a stage performance) that can be shared with others, giving the project a real purpose. The value of the project, however, lies not just in the final product but in the process of working towards the end point. Thus, project work has both a process and product orientation, and provides students with opportunities to focus on fluency and accuracy at different project-work stages.

       Project work is potentially motivating, stimulating, empowering, and challenging. It usually results in building student confidence, self-esteem, and autonomy as well as improving students' language skills, content learning, and cognitive abilities.