Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

A Teacher’S Journal: An Account Of My Choice And Implementation Of Total Physical Response Storytelling As An Approach To Teaching Beginning Level French, Melinda Heins

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is about choosing an approach to teaching a foreign language that is appropriate for me in my teaching context – public high school French classes – and my attempts to become as proficient as possible in the approach I chose called Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS). For eighteen weeks I taught French I grades nine through twelve and kept a detailed teacher’s journal of the experience.

A Manual For The Training Of Short Term English Teachers As Required By Small-Scale Schools In Japan, Peter Warwick Raymond Gabites

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the business conditions facing small-scale English conversation schools in the increasingly competitive Japanese market. It looks at their staffing requirements and current training methods and then endeavors to develop and effective training programme that can be operated within the limited resources available to these schools. The intention is to provide new staff coming from non-teaching backgrounds a practical introduction to the realities of teaching through a two-week period of observation, team teaching, and supervised solo teaching followed by two months of directed study on classroom management and methodology. This allows for gradual assumption of responsibility for classes, …

Praxis: Do I Practice What I Believe? A Course In Research In The Language Classroom For The English Language Teacher Education Program At Universidad Centroamericana, Nicaragua, Sarah Renata Wright

MA TESOL Collection

I have asked myself to describe my teaching beliefs and analyze my teaching practice in order to see if the two are congruent and if in fact I do have a teaching praxis. This is a professional paper about course development based on a classroom research project. First, through a discussion of theories, experiences, and observations I describe my teaching beliefs. Second, I describe the Research in English Language Teaching course that I designed and taught to a group fourth year student teachers at the Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua. This description is based on a selection of student writings, lesson …

Connecting With Elementary School Esl Students Through Dialogue Journals, Amelia Myers Collins

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents my experiences using dialogue journals with English as a Second Language students at Ephesus Road Elementary School in Chapel Hill, NC. The history and background of dialogue journals is discussed, as well as my philosophy of teaching. The practical aspects of using dialogue journals with elementary school non-native English-speaking students and the benefits and difficulties associated with them are described using student material. In addition, the work covers how my experience using dialogue journals differed from my expectations when I began using them. Excerpts of written dialogues between students and teacher are included.

A Teacher Training Program On Reflection, Niura Regiane Henke

MA TESOL Collection

This paper reports the teacher training program I developed and conducted to introduce student teachers to the practice of reflection. The paper is based on the lesson plans, participants’ reactions and observations, and personal reflections on how the program evolved. The data collected in my research draws on relevant materials published in the literature of this area. As a final conclusion, I analyze the program as a whole. From this analysis I derive conclusions which might be useful to other teachers and teacher trainers interested in the reflective practice.

Two-Week Training Course For English Language Teachers In The Ukraine, Maryna Gayduchenko

MA TESOL Collection

This is a two week teacher training course for Ukrainian secondary school EFL teachers. What is innovative about this particular course is that it was designed and written by a non-native EFL teacher and trainer for non-native EFL trainees. The following advantages make its importance particularly relevant: a non-native trainer is a role model for trainees – living proof that it IS possible to master new approaches and techniques; a non-native trainer is intimately acquainted with the challenges trainees and learners face and the strategies for dealing with them. The main objective of the course is to help trainees develop …

Spanish For School Nurses: A Specialized Program For Use In Teaching Basic Spanish To Nurses Who Work In A Multicultural Environment, William Earl Wood Jr.

MA TESOL Collection

During the past twenty years, there has been a great influx of Spanish speaking people into the United States, especially the state of North Carolina. This increase of Spanish speakers has had an impact on all areas of society: employment, housing, health care, transportation, and education. This project focuses on language training for a specialized group who has a daily need to communicate in this new environment: school nurses. It examines materials that are currently available to teach nurses the Spanish language. It discusses the language requirements that nurses use to function in a multicultural environment. It looks at some …

The Role Of Nifl Content Standards And Casas Competencies In An Esl Adult Education Teacher’S Course Development, Mary Anne Sullivan

MA TESOL Collection

This project explores the relevance of the National Institute of Literacy (NIFL) Equipped for the Future (EFF) Content Standards to an Adult Education ESL Teacher’s course development and the prioritization of the CASAS competencies in an Adult Education ESL Teacher’s course development. It examines their role among other sources of input for teacher course development. And finally it concludes that the degree of implementation of the EFF Content Standards and CASAS competencies is dependent on the appropriateness to the context.

It’S All About M.E. (Motivation Through (Self) Evaluation), Wendy Pillars

MA TESOL Collection

Middle school is a paradox. Students want nothing more than autonomy, while classrooms become more structured and demanding. With the increased structure, however, are increased expectations for the students to determine what to do and when to do it, on their own. This rapid increase in personal responsibility creates confusion in an already tumultuous time in their lives, and a common retaliation, out of fear, apathy, or simply not knowing, is to do nothing. It is a given that students differ in their motivation to learn, and tapping each one of those sources becomes, in effect, a quest for the …

A Teaching Resource For English Education In Japanese Elementary Schools, Jody Shimoda

MA TESOL Collection

Instruction in English in elementary schools in Japan was mandated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2002 and is being rapidly implemented in schools across the nation. This paper describes the development of a Teaching Resource for use in teaching English in Japanese elementary schools. The Resource is based on almost a decade of teaching experience in Japanese schools by the author, the shared experience of colleagues, and the concepts derived from the published literature on language development and instruction. The content of the Resource is discussed within the framework of Ministry guidelines, is conceptually …

Introduction To Bridge Procedure Guide (A Course Development In Maritime English), Olena Svitlychna

MA TESOL Collection

The paper presents a course development in maritime English and provides justification of the main pedagogical bases and principles of the materials. Introduction to Bridge Procedure Guide is designed to enable trainees with lower intermediate and intermediate level of English to discuss bridge procedures as well as to improve their general productive and receptive skills. The paper includes Introduction setting for the main teaching methods and techniques, Table of Contents, Introduction to Bridge Procedure Guide with Jigsaw Activities, the Key to the exercises, and English-Russian Vocabulary, Bibliography. The course materials have been field tested and will be used in Odessa …

A Two-Week Intensive Teacher Training Course For European Teachers, Olga Shepel

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a teacher-training course designed for the Eastern European context. The aim of this course is to introduce trainees to different ways of teaching the language, to give them a chance to analyze their actions and to share their knowledge with their colleagues during the course. It covers most of the teaching aspects, such as presenting new materials, classroom management, problem solving and many others. This paper can be used as a manual for teacher trainers.

A Certificate Program In Teaching English To Brazilian-Portuguese Speakers, Sonia Regina Moussalli

MA TESOL Collection

This paper intends to present and describe a project of a teacher certificate program for Brazilian EFL teachers. First, I will introduce relevant information on the context and background where this project will take place including the reasoning behind this program, and an investigation of the prospective participants’ needs. Second, I will explore a study of some educational assumptions including teaching effectiveness, efficiency, competence, performance and some principles for the preparation of effective EFL teachers. Third, I will provide the readers a description of the goals and objectives of the program, along with, a detailed description of the courses. Finally, …

Using Children’S Books In The Adult English As A Second Language Classroom, Patricia Connors Little

MA TESOL Collection

This paper reports my personal story of using children’s books in the adult English as a Second Language classroom. The introduction explains how and why I came to the decision to use the books. Chapters One through Four are an overview of the books I used in my classroom and explain our collective classroom experience using them. Additionally the paper contains my classroom observations and reflections which helped guide me in selecting stories and lesson planning. The document highlights some of the advantages of using children’s books as well as some suggestions for ESL teachers who are interested in exploring …

A Journey To The Edge: Autobiographical Writing In The Esl Classroom, Deborah Lafferty

MA TESOL Collection

I teach ESL at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. One class project was the creating and publishing of a collection of the students’ autobiographical writings. This paper documents the process that my students and I engaged in. We used the process approach to writing and peer response. This paper discusses the theory behind this approach and its practical application in the classroom, the questions, concerns and dilemmas that I encountered and my responses to them. I also include the changes I would implement in a future project of this kind. The final product, The Golden Gate of Hope, …

Movement, Rhythms, And Music: Active Curriculums For Teaching Foreign Languages To Beginning Learners, Patricia Guillemin Gregory

MA TESOL Collection

Our task as educators is to fit our teaching methods to our learners. Middle school students have specific characteristics that can seem to interfere with learning. Among these characteristics are a bounty of energy and restlessness. The key for the teacher is to channel this energy into learning activities.

To understand a class and develop a teaching strategy for that class, the teacher should analyze the learning styles of the students. From the results of this analysis, the teacher can build effective lesson plans which match the trends that appear in the class.

With this data in hand, the teacher …

“Making Teaching Lexis And Structures To Adult Efl Learners More Effective Through Creating A Learning Community And Fostering Some Specific Learning Skills.” (A Curriculum For A Short-Term Development Course For Non-Native Speaker Efl Teachers), Oleksandr Klyevanov

MA TESOL Collection

Nowadays, EFL teachers are exposed to a large number of different approaches to teaching English. All of them, no matter how much they differ, focus on the objectives shared by all teachers regardless of their theoretical background, namely teaching lexis and structures. However, some approaches ignore what I have come to believe are necessities: creating a learning community, teaching strategies for retention and recycling lexical and structural items. By learning community I mean a group of learners who are focused on learning the target subject of knowledge, who expend their energies on learning, who feel secure being together and working …

How To Define A Word For Your Students: An Introduction To Lexicography For Classroom Teachers, Christopher W. Decker

MA TESOL Collection

Classroom teachers are often required to define words for their students, yet few have any training in how to do so. With proper training, however, classroom teachers are able to provide their students with definitions superior to those in any dictionary because they are uniquely able to determine what information the student needs and how to convey it in a way that the student can understand. Without principles and techniques for defining words, however, teachers will find it difficult to select appropriate content for their definitions and present it in ways that are comprehensible and useful to their students.

The …

Esl Curriculum Guide For Seoul Foreign School, Brian Brumsickle

MA TESOL Collection

The ESL Curriculum Guide for Seoul Foreign School (SFS) was written as a map for ESL teachers to follow in order to organize and prioritize curriculum in a sequential manner for students. The guide can also be used for parents as well as other faculty at SFS to inform them of materials and content taught during the academic year. The first document in the Guides relates “Best Practices” which encapsulate the vision for the subject area and serve as the anchor document from which the second, the “Standards” document, was developed. Throughout “Best Practices,” there is linkage with SFS’s expected …

Using A Story As A Basis For Working With Language And Culture, Marie Finnigan Miyashi

MA TESOL Collection

The focus of this paper is the development of linguistic materials for adult ESL/EFL students based on the use of a story involving and ethical or moral dilemma. The story and follow-up activities which are presented can be utilized in a variety of settings. This paper will describe how this framework was originally used for intercultural seminars as well as how it can be used to teach linguistic aspects of language in the ESL/EFL classroom. I relate my personal history in learning to use stories with adult learners, and discuss my beliefs regarding their value in the classroom. A module …

University Students As Near Peer English Teachers In A Weekend English Camp For High School Students In Japan, Annie Marquez

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents a way to use university students as near peer role models and student leaders for a weekend English camp experience for a small group of high school students. It explores the basic design for the project, and outlines the rationale for the syllabus for preparing the near peer role models in a semester conversation class at a Japanese university. It details each of the activities used during the English camp experience, and shares reflections from the participants on the community experience.

The Evolution Of A Reflective Practitioner: One Teacher’S Story, Anne K. Reagan

MA TESOL Collection

Becoming a reflective practitioner requires and active, disciplined process as well as support from colleagues according to the experiences of one elementary school Spanish teacher. This paper provides an overview of the learning experiences in a MAT graduate program that shaped this teacher’s initial thoughts about reflective teaching. It also reviews several experts’ ideas on reflective thought and teaching. Finally, it narrates and analyzes her experience of creating a reflective teachers’ group using a text as the impetus for discussion. The conclusion offers ideas for future development of a reflective teachers’ group.

Written Feedback In The Classroom And Beyond, Karen Gould Peltola

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is an in-depth look at the experimentation with and use of written feedback with middle school foreign language students and their parents. It includes my own learning about giving written feedback, the process by which I have trained my students to give written feedback, and finally the extensions of written feedback beyond the classroom, to the parents. Examples of written feedback forms and formats are included, as well as completed examples.

Motivating Adolescents To Be Active Participants In The Language Learning Process, Kier Merill

MA TESOL Collection

Motivating adolescents to be active participants in their own language learning process is a challenge faced by all middle and high school language teachers. This paper provides and overview of tone teacher’s experiences in the struggle to motivate her own students. it also supplies some useful ideas on activities that work to motivate students both inside and outside the classroom. The appendices include step by step plans to help guide other teachers in carrying out some of the activities in their own classes.

The Effect Of Educational Kinesiology On Second Language Acquisition, Tina Lynne Haverstick

MA TESOL Collection

This thesis is a summary of my experience working with the theory of Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K) in the foreign language classroom environment. It may serve as a guide for anyone who is interested in tapping into the full potential of students’ brains within a structured learning environment.

A case study is presented here examining the effects of educational kinesiology on two groups of kindergarten students I taught simultaneously in my EFL classroom in Taiwan.

I chose to assess their attitudes toward different classroom activities, including those geared toward improving listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as the overall attitude …

Reflective Teaching: In-Sights Into The Process And Development Of The Skill Of Reflection, Marie-Claude M. Durand

MA TESOL Collection

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate and document the stages and levels of reflection based on the Millett, Rogers, & Stanley Framework for Reflection as they manifested in the working lives and professional contextual realities of three experienced teachers. Their Framework is a four-step model of reflection that looks at the reflective cycle in terms of the stages of Experience, description, Analysis, and Intelligent Action. It further categorizes the skill of reflection in terms of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. The second goal of the study was to examine the development of the reflective process in a …

Drama Methodology And Its Usage In Removing Barriers To English Language Acquisition In Japanese University Students, C Malcom Barry Duff

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines how drama methodology can be used to remove barriers to English acquisition and to encourage English language production in Japanese university students. The effect of the affective filter and Monitor use in language production will be covered. The use of drama methodology will be analyzed and its usage in the classroom evaluated. The use of drama techniques to create lessons will be demonstrated.

The Elementary Teacher’S Role In Moral Education: An Investigation Of One Albuquerque Public School Site, Melanie L. Bauer

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the elementary teacher’s role as a moral educator. The context is the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) in New Mexico. I have investigated the Character Counts! program, the moral education program which has been adopted and utilized by the school district. I describe the goals and rationale behind the Character Counts! program, as written about in existing documentation and literature. In addition, I have conducted interviews with individuals in APS in charge of creating and disseminating such information. I have reported on the perceived effectiveness and shortcomings of the Character Counts! program as described by the people in …

Building A Teacher Education Program For Efl Teachers: From Process To Product, Eliana Santana

MA TESOL Collection

This IPP contains a teacher education program for a school in the north of Brazil. It also shows the process I used in order to construct it. It shows the context for which the program was developed, the state-of-the-art in TESOL teacher preparation, as well as my own beliefs and assumptions about how learning teaching takes place. Then, it presents the needs analysis as well as the curriculum designed for the program.

Feedback-Who Needs It Anyway? A Project On Humanizing Large-Scale Supervision, Tsylla Maria Balbino De Carvalho Ferreira

MA TESOL Collection

This paper describes the project of humanizing large-scale supervision at the Casa Thomas Jefferson, a binational center in Brasilia-Brazil.

It presents the supervision model used in the past and its current, humanized version. It takes the opportunity to compare them and introduce the author’s beliefs and how these ideas have been developed throughout the years, aiming at an ideal supervision model that is centered on teachers’ needs for growing