June 2015
Issue 9
MODERN TRENDS AND
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Journal
Published by
American Councils Moldova
“Modern Trends and Resources for Teachers of Foreign Languages Journal” was registered at
National Book Chamber of Republic of Moldova on 7 November 2012.
www.bookchamber.md
ISSN 1857-3193 (online version)
ISSN 1857-3207 (pdf version)
The online version can be found at www.americancouncils.md/news/1136
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Message from the editing team
Dear readers,
We are proud to present the 9th edition of the American Councils
Moldova Teacher Journal. Conceived in 2013 to celebrate our 20th
anniversary in Moldova and offer Moldovan teachers and university
professors the opportunity to learn from our expertise, in 2015 the
publication aims to connect educators around the world and publish
methodology articles and lesson plans on a variety of issues.
The Journal is designed to serve as a practice-oriented quarterly
publication for all those involved in the field of teaching English as a
foreign language devoted to publishing practical papers in various
aspects, fields and scope of the English Language, such as but not limited
to teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It
encourages a variety of practical cross-disciplinary interests, especially in
the following areas: psychology and sociology of language learning and
teaching, testing and evaluation, professional preparation, curriculum
design and development, instructional methods, materials, and techniques
and professional standards.
We are grateful to all authors who contributed original content to
the 9th edition to be published in 2015. We value your expertise and hope
that the electronic version of the publication will keep you informed
of the most recent developments in the field of teaching modern
languages.
Kindest regards,
Journal Editing Committee
Daniela Munca-Aftenev, PhD (Moldova)
Natalia Alhazova, PhD (Moldova)
Vanita Chopra, PhD (India)
Sheryl Feinstein, PhD (USA)
Amy Samuelson, PhD (USA)
Dorina Calinovscaia, CELTA (Moldova)
Lana Salatski, DoS Sydney TAFE (Australia)
Olga Morozan, PhD cand. (Moldova)
Carolina Andronic, PhD cand. (Moldova)
Marina Chirnitcaia, MA (Moldova)
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Inside this issue:
Carolina ANDRONIC, Alla MAMALIGA (Moldova)
Pedagogia evaluării curente a competențiilor lingvistice:
calitatea testelor și corespunderea acestora programelor de
studiu................................................................................5
Nadejda BACIMANOVA (Moldova)
Enhancing Students’ Creativity…………………………9
Rodica NEDELCIUC (Moldova)
How to Teach Public Speaking in School ……………...13
Olga NIKITENKO (Ukraine)
ICT as a Tool to Develop Students’ Communicative
Competence in a Foreign Language …………….……..17
Liudmyla SHAPRAN (Ukraine)
Improving the Effectiveness of Learning Languages for
Specific Purposes: Case Study Method ………………..20
LESSON PLANS
Marina CHIRNITCAIA (Moldova)
Workshop-presentation “Teaching English to Young
Learners”…………………………………………..…...25
Inna TRYHUB (Ukraine)
Functional Areas of a Business Organisation. Company
Chart. Talking About a Company………………...….…33
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PEDAGOGIA EVALUĂRII CURENTE A COMPETENȚIILOR LINGVISTICE:
CALITATEA TESTELOR ȘI CORESPUNDEREA
ACESTORA PROGRAMELOR DE STUDIU
Carolina ANDRONIC, University Lecturer
Alla MAMALIGA, University Lecturer
Academy of Economic Studies
Republic of Moldova
The concerned article refers to the pedagogy of formative assessment of language skills in which we try to make an
appreciation to the quality of the assessment tests and their compliance with the aims, i.e. study programs that have
been developed in accordance with the requirements of the CEFR.
Key words: formative assessment, motivation, aims, items, learning objectives, docimologic test
Articolul vizat se referă la pedagogia evaluării curente a competenţelor lingvistice unde facem o
apreciere a calităţii testelor şi corespunderii acestora cu finalităţile, adică cu programele de studiu care au
fost elaborate in conformitate cu cerinţele CECR. Pentru a aprecia corect calitatea testelor şi corespunderea
acestora programelor de studiu este esenţial, în primul rând, de a numi şi defini careva termeni de reper
care sunt părţi componente indispensabile a pedagogiei evaluării:
Docimologia – ştiinţa evaluării, care studiază procesul de elaborare şi de aplicare a probelor de evaluare
necesare pentru notarea şi examinarea cât mai obiectivă a celor implicaţi (studenţi, profesori).
Evaluarea didactică care este o componentă esenţială a procesului de învățământ, alături de predare şi
invăţare şi furnizează informaţii despre calitatea ţi funcţionalitatea acestora.
Metode de evaluare: tradiţionale, complimentare
Testul docimologic – reprezintă un instrument de evaluare complex format dintr-un ansamblu de sarcini de
lucru (probe sau întrebări – numite itemi), ce permit măsurarea şiaprecierea nivelului de pregătire al
elevilor precum şi a nivelului de formare şi dezvoltare a unorcapacităţişi competenţe de diverse naturi.
In primul rând, vom vorbi despre funcțiile şi rolul evaluării curente, în al doilea rând, despre etapele şi
criteriile de construire a unui test docimologic, apoi despre corespunderea testelor programelor studiu şi in
final venim cu careva concluzii şi recomandări. Activitatea de învăţare a studenţilor este puternic
influențată de sistemul de apreciere care vizează atât evaluarea sumativă cât şi cea formativă care mai este
numită continuă sau curentă. Evaluarea curentă se realizează pe parcursul procesului de instruire şi are
rolul de a indica unde se situează rezultatele parţiale faţă de cele finale.
Evaluarea curentă facilitează şi motivează învăţarea, evidenţiază progresul unui student sau lacunele şi
obstacolele în învăţare. Feedback-ul furnizat de evaluarea curentă poate fi utilizat imediat pentru
ameliorarea rezultatelor învăţării.
În cadrul acestui tip de evaluare pot fi folosite verificările orale,
scrise şi practice. Ritmicitatea aplicării evaluării continue depinde de
mai mulţi factori: numărul de studenţi, timpul disponibil, situaţia
particulară a fiecărei grupe şi a fiecărui student, specificul obiectului
de studiu etc.
Evaluarea curentă sau continuă la ASEM presupune cele două teste
semestriale care sunt propuse studenţilor cât şi alte teste curente la
sfârșit de capitol, unitate sau temă şi verificările orale în cadrul
lecţiilor practice care presupun evaluarea celor patru competenţe
lingvistice de citire, audiere, exprimare scrisă şi orală în limba străină. Aici ar trebui să ne punem
următoarele patru întrebări:
Ce dorim să înveţe studenţii,
Ce cunoştinţe, ce competenţe, ce comportamente,
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Ce condiţii şi ce posibilităţi li se oferă în acest scop,
Ce conţinuturi, ce logistică didactică, ce strategii de instruire,
Care sunt obiectivele aprecierii,
Ce criterii vor fi folosite.
După părerea noastră testele sunt construite astfel încât să răspundă la aceste întrebări.
Conform programelor de studiu obiectivul aprecierii pregătirii studenţilor îl constituie:
-nivelul asimilării cunoştinţelor prevăzute de programele analitice;
-capacitatea studenților de a opera cu aceste cunoștințe;
-capacitatea de îmbinare a teoriei cu practica, prin utilizarea corectă a cunoştinţelor asimilate, atât în
spaţiul universitar cât şi nemijlocit în cadrul unor întreprinderi şi instituţii
-gradul de dezvoltare a priceperilor şi deprinderilor formate în procesul de învățământ.
Programele noastre de studiu precizează de la bun început sistemul de cerinţe faţă de studenţi, modalităţile
de evaluare iar criteriile de acordare a notelor însoțesc fiecare test în parte. În condiţiile în care evaluarea
pregătirii studenților pe parcursul instruirii constituie in jur de 50 procente din nota finală, obiectul
evaluării curente şi criteriile care stau la baza acesteia devin fundamentale. Evaluarea în sine respectiv şi
evaluarea curentă îndeplineşte funcţii sociale şi
pedagogice:
1. Analiza rezultatelor academice oferă societăţii
posibilitatea să se pronunţe asupra învăţământului ca
subsistem, să confirme sau să infirme acumularea de
către cei instruiţi a cunoştinţelor şi abilităţilor
necesare unei activităţi social-utile.
2. Din punct de vedere pedagogic evaluarea oferă
informaţii referitoare la relaţiile dintre componentele
interne ale procesului educaţional, în special a celor
dintre profesor şi student. Cunoscând performanţele
studenţilor putem aprecia dacă activităţile proiectate
şi-au atins scopul.
Dacă am constatat funcţiile şi rolul evaluării curente
aici este necesar de menţionat şi importanţa rezultatului testului docimologic. Testul docimologic pune în
evidenţă progresul sau regresul înregistrat de student într-o perioadă de timp, constituind şi un indicator
de eficienţă a activităţii profesorului, deoarece oferă, pe baza unor măsurători şi aprecieri, informaţii
pertinente cu privire la modul de realizare a obiectivelor didactice, la direcţiile de intervenţie de perspectivă
a cadrelor didactice pentru ameliorarea şi/sau optimizarea demersurilor instructiv-educative.
La fel de important este urmat anumite etape de elaborare a uni test docimologic. Astfel trebuie să se ţină
cont de următoarele etape:
stabilirea obiectivelor (informative, formative) urmărite;
stabilirea materiei (teme, capitole, grup de lecţii etc.) din care se va susţine testarea;
elaborarea itemilor (întrebări închise/deschise; itemi obiectivi/semiobiectivi/subiectivi – cu variantele
aferente) şi a etaloanelor de corectare (rezolvările vizate);
cuantificarea testului (atribuirea punctajelor: maxim specific şi minim acceptat; echivalarea în note/
calificative);
organizarea testului (înştiinţarea elevilor, prezentarea instrucţiunilor de lucru, precizarea timpului de
execuţie, asigurarea condiţiilor de aplicare a testului);
aplicarea testului;
notarea rezultatelor obţinute (transformarea punctajului obţinut, în urma testării, în notă).
Deosebit de importantă în elaborarea unui test docimologic este stabilirea numărului de întrebări/probe
(itemi) şi formularea lor. Aceste întrebări trebuie să fie reprezentative şi relevante pentru materia verificată.
De asemenea, se impune şi întocmirea unei liste cu performanţele vizate (PMS şi PMA), performanţe care
pot varia de la un obiectiv la altul şi în funcţie de întinderea materiei din care studenţii vor fi testaţi.
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Daca ne referim la structură atunci putem constata că orice test docimologic este compus din următoarele
părţi:
a.obiectivele didactice, stabilite în corelaţie cu conţinuturile de învăţământ;
b. conţinuturile itemilor;
c.rezolvările itemilor şi modul de acordare a punctajelor;
d.performanţa maximă specifică (PMS), care reprezintă nivelul comportamental maxim ce poate fi
atins de elev;
e. performanţa minimă admisă (PMA), care desemnează dobândirea de către student a cunoştinţelor
necesare pentru trecerea în etapa următoare de instruire.
La fel am constatat faptul că profesorii ţin cont de următoarele exigenţele metodologice:
 întrebările sunt formulate explicit (precis, concis);
testul este clar redactat, astfel încât studentul să înţeleagă, din formularea întrebării, ce i se cere:
ă ceva;
ă corectitudinea unei afirmaţii sau relaţii;
eşte o identitate, o dependenţă sau indică o caracteristică;
ază un text cu lacune, un alineat incomplet etc.
 întrebările acoperă întreaga materie parcursă, în aspectele sale esenţiale;
 întrebările corespund, ca grad de dificultate, posibilităţilor reale ale studenţilor;
 gradul de dificultate al întrebărilor/ probelor este eşalonat logic, astfel încât oferă posibilitatea
distincţii nuanţate a diferitelor niveluri de pregătire a studenţilor;
unei
 răspunsurile la unele întrebări nu sugereză răspunsurile la întrebările care urmează;
 punctajul corespunde gradului de dificultate al întrebării sau probei.
După cum am menţionat mai sus este important ca testele să evalueze competențele de a şti, a face şi a fi şi
nu doar conţinutul programelor analitice, ceea ce majoritatea testelor reuşesc să evalueze prin atribuirea
unor sarcini ce vizează atingerea obiectivelor cursului în ceea ce priveşte dobândirea competenţilor
stipulate în programele de studiu ca ascultarea, citirea, participarea la conversație, discurs oral şi
exprimarea scrisă orientnduse spre dezvoltarea acestor competenţe, de exemplu, la anul unu de studii
pentru atingerea obiectivelor cursului de limbă străină sarcinile propuse studenților sunt:
pentru citire
exerciţii cu alegere multiplă, de formulări a ideii textului
sau ideilor fiecărui alineat în parte
sarcini cu alegere duală pentru înțelegerea mai detaliată a
textului
completarea spaţiilor goale cu cuvântul potrivit pentru a
înţelege structura textului
completarea spaţiilor goale pentru a evalua competenţele
gramaticale şi cunoașterea vocabularului necesar.
pentru scriere:
scrierea, compunerea unor texte simple şi coerente pe
subiecte familiare şi de interes profesional
redactarea a unei fişe descriptive simple a unui produs
redactarea unei scrisori personale şi administrative descriind experienţe şi impresii.
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pentru audiere
Dictări curente care testează în acelaşi timp mai multe competenţe: lexicale, gramaticale, ortografie şi
audiere, cât şi alte sarcini de audiere;
Completarea mesajelor, propoziţiilor în urma audieri unui text;
Combinarea unor alineate scurte cu ideile mesajului audiat ş.a.
Referitor la participarea la conversație şi discursul oral noi
suntem de părerea că cele două testele semestriale mai puţin
reușesc să vină cu probe care s-ar focaliza pe dezvoltarea
competenţelor de comunicare orală. Nu negăm faptul că totuşi
profesorii reușesc să includă astfel de teste în evaluarea
curentă, la sfârșit de temă sau unitate sau chiar pe parcursul
lecţiilor practice. Astfel evaluarea competenţei de comunicare
orală nu se înfăptuieşte doar la examenul final.
La anul doi unde obiectivul major este în primul rând dobândirea
şi dezvoltarea competenţei de comunicare scrisă, accentul este pus
pe asimilarea tehnicilor de rezumare şi sinteză, înţelegerea unor
rapoarte detaliate, expunerea acestora din punct de vedere analitic sau comentarea acestora prin lansarea de
opinii şi idei, centrate, în principal, pe situaţii specifice profesiei de economist.
Atât comunicarea orală cât şi audierea sunt mai puţin puse în evidență pe parcursul testelor curente oficiale.
Sarcinile de bază propuse studenţilor sunt exerciţii de parafrazare, scrierea unui memo, scrisori de afaceri,
redactarea unui rezumat. Anumite probe orale cât şi de audiere nu se regăsesc în testele oficiale de evaluare
curentă cu toate că obiectivele tuturor cursurilor prevăd dezvoltarea competenţilor de audiere, discurs oral şi
participarea la conversație. De exemplu la anul doi FB în programul de studiu este stipulat că unul din
obiective este dezvoltarea competenţelor de comunicare atât scrisă cât şi orală. Desigur evaluarea
răspunsurilor orale are loc la fiecare lecție ca şi la anul unu de studiu, însă nu există itemi de evaluare a
audierii sau discursului oral care sar regăsi în testele semestriale oficiale. O sugestie ar fi de inclus în aceste
teste itemi ce ar fi orientaţi spre evaluarea competenţei de audiere.
Prin urmare venim cu următoarele concluzii:
Din punctul nostru de vedere obiectivele didactice ale evaluării curente sunt stabilite în corelaţie cu
conţinuturile de evaluat: cunoştinţe, priceperi, deprinderi, abilităţi, competenţe. În consecinţă, se urmăreşte
progresul şcolar în direcţia cunoaşterii şi înţelegerii, cât şi a aplicării celor învăţate. Astfel rezultatele
obţinute de studenţi în urma testelor curente contribuie la reglarea activităţilor instructiv-educative viitoare.
Conţinuturile itemilor vizează, întotdeauna, atât materia predată de către profesor, cât şi acele sarcini de
învăţare repartizate pentru studiul individual obligatoriu (sarcini de muncă independentă).
Construirea itemilor testului docimologic este deosebit de importantă, impunând respectarea unor criterii
ştiinţifice riguroase. Itemii sunt în aşa fel construiţi încât răspunsurile obţinute să nu fie pasibile de
interpretări diferite, iar notarea se face obiectiv, pe baza unui punctaj stabilit anterior. Astfel putem afirma
că testele aplicate în evaluarea curentă în mare parte corespund programelor de studiu.
In încheiere se impune concluzia potrivit căreia a stabili o strategie de evaluare atât sumativă cât şi
curentă, în învățământ echivalează cu a fixa când evaluezi, sub ce formă, cu ce mijloace şi metode, cum
valorifici informaţiile obținute etc. Desigur în final, în funcţie de concluziile desprinse, studentul îşi va
modifica strategia de învăţare, profesorul pe cea de predare şi îndrumare, iar managerul strategia
managerială.
Referinţe
1. Bloom, B.S., Hastings, J.T., Madaus, G.S., Handbook on Formative and Summative Evaluation of Student
Learning, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1971, ISBN 10: 0070061149
2. Council of Europe, A Common European Framework of Reference for Teaching, Learning and Assessment, 2001,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 9780521005319)
3. Dialogos, Nr 4/2001, ASE Bucureşti, 2001, ISSN 1582 165X
4. Harrison,A., A language testing handbook, ELTS, MacMillan, 1986, ISBN-10: 0333271742
5. Henning, G., A Guide to Language Testing, 1987 Cambridge, Mass: Newbury House, ISBN 0-88377-217-5.
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ENHANCING STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY
Nadejda BACIMANOVA, MA
The Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM)
Republic of Moldova
Creative thinking and behaviour of individuals are greatly demanded nowadays in all spheres of human
activity, so creativity and inventiveness should be widely promoted in the modern educational environment. The
article is devoted to some essential issues related to the process of forming and developing students’ creative
skills: the abilities required for creative work, the factors that can encourage or discourage students’ creativity,
the approaches, methods and techniques that can help teachers to stimulate learners’ creative potential.
Key words: creativity, innovation, creative abilities, creative environment, factors.
“The most important developments in civilization have come through the creative process,
but ironically, most people have not been taught to be creative.”
(Robert Fritz)
Creativity represents an indispensable condition of the progress of learning, of the world’s transformation. It’s one of the major demands of the modern age, and one of the most fascinating ones. Today,
we’re facing major challenges in our global economy, environment, and social issues. The need for creative
ideas has never been greater. Modern thinking is becoming more and more creative, and modern people
have to be more and more inventive and adaptable to changes. “Our society today needs young people who
are flexible, creative, and proactive – young people who can solve problems, make decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work efficiently within teams and groups.” [1, 1] Thus, creativity
should be a necessary attribute of any modern individual, since creative abilities represent driving potential
of prosperity.
That’s why appeal for more creativity and innovation in education has come, not from the education
community but from a global economical emergency, technological advancement and the urgent need for
change. Creativity and inventiveness are more and more promoted in the educational environment, giving
rise to new educational paradigms and it can be used with any level of students.
Stimulating students’ creativity represents not only a task of higher education, but also an important
aspect of their personality formation. Intellectual development at this age is closely connected with creativity development. It is demonstrated through the tendency and capacity not only to acquire new knowledge,
but also to use it in order to create something new. Thus, higher education courses should contribute to discovering and realizing students’ creative potential. Creativity is not just about special people doing special
things. Everybody has the potential to be creative. So, it’s a skill that needs to be developed. Creativity can
and must be educated and cultivated, as it isn’t always something that just happens. It is a skill that everyone can develop and learn. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves
individual work, teamwork and productivity.
According to Robert J. Sternberg, an American psychologist specializing in cognitive psychology,
creative work requires applying and balancing three abilities that all can be developed [7, 88]:
Synthetic ability – the ability to generate novel and interesting ideas, to see problems in new ways and to
escape the bounds of conventional thinking. Often creative persons are particularly good synthetic
thinkers who make connections between the things that other
people don’t recognize spontaneously.
Analytic ability – the ability to recognize which of one’s ideas are
worth pursuing and which aren’t. It is typically considered to
be critical thinking ability. Everyone has better and worse
ideas. Without well-developed analytic ability, creative thinkers are as likely to pursue bad ideas as to pursue good ones.
Practical ability – the ability to translate theory into practice and
abstract ideas into practical accomplishments. Good ideas do
not “sell” themselves. Creative persons use practical ability to convince other people that an idea is
worthy, a new suggestion/solution is better than the old one.
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It is necessary to develop all these three abilities as their confluence is important. Creativity requires balance among them. The person who is only synthetic may come up with innovative ideas, but cannot recognize or “sell” them. The person who is only analytic may be an excellent critic of other people’s
ideas, but is not likely to generate own ones. Practical ability in the absence of the other two skills may result in societal acceptance of ideas not because they are good, but rather, because they have been well and
powerfully presented. Thus, it’s necessary to encourage and develop creativity by teaching students to find
a balance among synthetic, analytic and practical thinking.
Development of creativity and creative techniques is a process that is accepted and promoted as being necessary in the academic world. It goes without saying that education system should intensively use
creative techniques. According to R. S. Nickerson, an American Research Professor of Psychology, some
of the creative techniques, developed by both academic and business world, are the following [3, 10]:
establishing purpose and intention; building basic skills; encouraging
acquisition of domain-specific knowledge; stimulating and rewarding
curiosity and exploration; building motivation, especially internal one;
encouraging confidence and willingness to take risks; focusing on mastery and self-competition; promoting supportable beliefs about creativity; providing opportunities for choice and discovery; developing selfmanagement (metacognitive skills); teaching techniques and strategies
for facilitating creative performance.
Another aspect that contributes to stimulating and promoting
creative potential is building creative environment, where people feel at ease expressing their ideas and
where positive backing is given in the development of those ideas. Creative education environment is
closely connected with the atmosphere created in the classroom by the teacher. There are some factors that
can encourage or discourage students’ creativity. Actually, students are in a creative environment when [3,
p.9-10]:
diversity of opinions/ideas/solutions/suggestions is solicited, welcomed, accepted and encouraged;
they can suggest solutions to others without feeling they are interfering;
they are encouraged to share their ideas/solutions and to consider those of others;
their ideas are listened to and studied before judged;
the teacher helps them turn their unformed ideas into reality by giving encouragement and suggestions and
by asking helpful questions;
they feel appreciated when suggesting new ideas, the generation of good ideas is rewarded (verbally or
otherwise);
they are given autonomy to work in their own way;
they feel at ease talking with anyone in the classroom (both the teacher and groupmates);
they are treated with respect and as someone who can contribute;
everybody present in the classroom seeks first to understand, then to be understood;
they are appreciated for what they do/say/suggest and for who they are.
“Evidently, along with the factors contributing to the development of students’ creative potential,
there are others that can hamper and block it. Stimulating students’ creative behavior and thinking should
be accompanied by eliminating some of the obstacles that can discourage them. There are several types of
barriers to utilizing creative potential, affecting both teachers and students. They can be categorized in the
following way: [2]
Psychological barriers. Being creative involves risk-taking, doing something different from the norm.
That requires a high degree of confidence and a willingness to face an unpredictable outcome. This
category also includes fear of making a mistake, looking foolish or being proved wrong, looking too
extravagant or ridiculous, being in the minority or being criticized, difficulty in changing the habitual
way of thinking, excessive dependence on the opinion of others, rapid discouragement, lack of selfconfidence, a shaky self-esteem, timidity, anxiety, etc.
Institutional barriers. Being creative often involves breaking rules, challenging assumptions, taking issue
with convention, questioning tradition. By contrast, colleges and universities are greatly concerned
with order and structure, represented by bells, timetables, assemblies, rules, etc. It is understandable
why they have to function in this way, but it establishes a mind-set that makes it hard to step outside
the norms, it may tend to suppress creativity, innovation and risk-taking activities.
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Physical barriers. The spaces in which learning takes place set limits to the extent to which creativity can
occur. The normal sized classroom, with standard desks and chairs, can prevent some types of teaching/learning that may require more open, flexible spaces and call for different types of furniture and
equipment in order to encourage new behaviors and dynamics.
Cultural barriers: discouragement of individual self-expression and distinctiveness, conformity to social
models of behavior and thinking, norms, old habits and expectations, stereotypic ways of thought and
action, some rules and traditions that restrict, inhibit or prohibit personal initiative, exaggerated belief
in statistics and past experience, too strict time-management, sticking to false disjunction between
work and play, excessive exaltation of the group spirit, compliance to the
ways people think others expect them to behave and fear of being different. These things can result in a loss of individuality and creativity.
Perceptual barriers. People are accustomed to perceiving things in their
own ways, often making it difficult to see new meanings, relationships,
and ideas. Such predisposition to perceive things in certain ways is a perceptual set, a mental set, or functional fixedness which is opposite to
flexible and innovative thinking.
Resource barriers: shortage of people, money, time, supplies, and/or information, needed for creative thinking or for the implementation of creative ideas”. [2]
Taking into account all the above mentioned, it is very important both for teachers and students to
identify the presence of these barriers, acknowledge the seriousness of these obstacles in order to reduce
their negative effect on the creative process and innovative spirit.
Besides the barriers, which can lock students’ creativity, there are many ways to inhibit creativity as
well. Some of the creativity enablers are the following [3, p.342-343]:
Collaboration and cooperative learning in classrooms.
Collaboration is commonly seen as a condition for creativity and innovation. One individual is
rarely able to come up with original and valuable ideas without interaction and influence from other people.
Therefore, one of the key conditions for more creative education process is more collaboration and cooperation both among teachers and students, leading to stronger social community, better interaction and
more creative environment, where each individual through interaction with others will be able to create
more novelty than they would do alone.
Risk-taking in the process of teaching and learning.
Creativity and innovation require risk-taking. In the process of teaching and learning there shouldn’t
be any fear of trying new things or alternative ways of doing old things. It is only possible in an environment that is based on mutual trust, respect and honesty. That’s why building creativity-friendly environment is vital for more creative teaching and learning.
Learning to be wrong.
Being right is often considered to be one of the main goals of education. But it is not enough for
success in an unpredictable and complex world. Creativity is often blocked by the fear of appearing strange
or wrong. Consequently, it’s necessary to provide learning environment free from this kind of fear, to establish trust that is a critical condition for creativity to flourish. Rewarding effort and ideas, not only rewarding correct answers, is essential for promoting creativity. Thus, being prepared to be wrong is an important part of developing creativity.
It is difficult to imagine teaching that promotes creativity without the teaching methods themselves
being creative. There is a number of things that can be done across the whole teaching and learning process
to enhance students’ creativity. Some of them are the following: Brainstorming, Thinking Hats, Plus-Minus
-Interesting (PMI), Carousel, Hot Seating, Ideas Funnel, Jeopardy, Mind Maps, Mind Movies, Simulation,
Drama Techniques, Snowballing, Debate, Think-Pair-Share, Five Questions, Heuristic Conversation, Stellar Explosion, etc.
These methods/techniques help teachers foster creativity by encouraging learners to think laterally
and make associations between things that are not usually connected, reinterpret and apply learning in new
contexts, look at things from different points of view and experiment with alternative approaches to solving
problems. In this way teachers will help learners to see possibilities and challenges and be more creative
and inventive.
11
One more important factor influencing development of students’ creative potential is teacher’s creativity. Teachers cannot develop the creative abilities of their students if their own creative abilities are undiscovered or suppressed. Without any doubt, creative learners need creative teachers that can be compared
to “engines” launching students’ creativity. To do it effectively, they, first of all, need all the characteristics
of good teaching, including high motivation and expectations, the ability to communicate and listen and the
ability to interest, engage and inspire. Second, creative teachers need expertise and should be able to use
the techniques that stimulate curiosity and raise self esteem and confidence. Third, they must recognize
when encouragement is needed and confidence threatened. Finally, they must be able to balance structured
learning with opportunities for self-direction, as well as to manage group work while giving attention to
individuals as well. To encourage creativity, teachers should give students time to explore and do their best
work, create an inviting and exciting classroom environment, provide an abundant supply of interesting and
useful materials and resources, and create a classroom climate where students feel mistakes are acceptable
and risk taking is encouraged. Teaching with creativity requires more time, resources and planning to generate and develop ideas, more confidence to improvise, experiment and risk. Of course, it is not an easy
option, but it can be enjoyable and deeply fulfilling. [5, p.4-6]
The following approaches can help teachers to promote creativity in the classroom [2]:
Ensuring that planning incorporates a range of teaching and learning styles.
Providing regular opportunities for hands-on experimentation, problem solving, discussion, debating and
collaborative work.
Creating opportunities where students are encouraged to actively do the work and question what is going
on.
Making use of creative thinking and cooperative learning techniques.
Sharing the learning intentions with students and providing them with opportunities for choosing how they
are going to work.
Encouraging students to question, make connections, explore various ideas, improvise, experiment and
think outside the box.
Facilitating open discussion, encouraging learners to share ideas with others and to talk about their progress.
Using failure or setbacks as opportunities to learn.
Ensuring that assessment procedures reflect and reward creativity, enterprise and innovation.
Making effective use of encouragement, praise and positive language.
A lot can be done to make classes more creative and engaging and teachers should bear it in mind and use
various techniques with their students.
References
1. Active learning and teaching methods for key stages 1&2. (2007). Retrieved from:
http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/docs/key_stages_1_and_2/altm-ks12.pdf
2. Fostering creativity. The journey to excellence. Retrieved from:
http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/resourcesandcpd/research/summaries/rsfosteringcreativity.asp
3. Hagemann, M. How to enhance creativity using innovative and advanced level of ICT tools? Retrieved from:
http://openinn.eu/system/files/resources/howtoenhancecreativityusingict.pdf
4. Humes, W. (2005). Barriers to creativity in the classroom. Retrieved from: https://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?
storycode=2113383
5. Morris, Wayne. (2006). Creativity. Its place in education. Retrieved from: http://www.creativejeffrey.com/
creative/Creativity_in_Education.pdf
6. Sahlberg, P. The role of education in promoting creativity: potential barriers and enabling factors. Retrieved from:
www.greenschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Pasi-Sahlberg.pdf
7. Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The nature of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, Vol.18, n.1, pp. 87-98. Retrieved
from: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2013/cs7601_spring/papers/Sternberg_Nature-of-creativity.pdf
8. Sternberg, R. J., & Williams, W. M. (1996). How to develop student creativity. The Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development. Retrieved from: http://ozpk.tripod.com/000000creat
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HOW TO TEACH PUBLIC SPEAKING IN SCHOOL
Rodica NEDELCIUC,
IInd Didactic Degree
English Teacher at “Prometeu-Prim” Lyceum in Chisinau
Republic of Moldova
Debates have changed the pupils in an amazing way, and as a result, many of them are not afraid of the audience anymore, they knew that a language is not enough to become a great personality in front of the public, but
what about Public Speaking? The main goal is to teach pupils to express their thoughts in an optimistic and positive
way. The article offers some examples of activities the teacher could use during the lesson in order to practice Public Speaking and to encourage pupils to speak freely and meaningfully. It is not easy to practice speeches in the class
that is why we have to take into account some of the issues like vocabulary, a speech outline, eye contact, body movement and the voice, etc. In short, being a good public speaker can enhance students’ reputation, boost their selfconfidence, and open up countless opportunities.
Keywords: public, speech, audience, teacher, pupil, class.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
A teacher has always wondered about how to teach pupils to speak freely in front of the audience.
Of course the main process in teaching a foreign language is to make students learn the language itself, to
be able to make up sentences, to communicate on different topics, to write an essay and to write a motivation letter for a university if consider the purpose of knowing English by pupils in our country. But when
pupils seem to speak English very well, they want something more, more than just retelling a text, writing
an essay or discuss different matters using the right vocabulary.
Since I started teaching, we have had a lot of opportunities to participate at different national and
international contests. Debates have changed the pupils in an amazing way, they are not afraid of the audience anymore, they know that a good command of a language is not enough to be a great personality in
front of the public, but what about Public Speaking? What about the pupil being in front of a great audience
who is waiting for some reasonable arguments and an orator that they will remember forever.
Communication is the process of sending and receiving a message,
and it occurs whenever we express ourselves in a manner that is clearly understood. The pupils are sometimes afraid of making mistakes, but the biggest problem is for them to speak in front of the class, that is the public for
them. That would be the first skill for the teachers to encourage and to develop, speaking in front of the audience.
The pupils are usually evaluated at the lesson that is why it is very important
for them to know how they are evaluated. First of all, communication consists of a sender, the one who transmits the message that is said or sent. The sender starts the communication process by using words. Words are symbols they use to convey ideas. Words must clearly communicate to the listener the exact message someone is trying to convey. There is a receiver on the other side,
who intercepts the message and then decodes, or interprets it. Feedback includes the reactions that the receiver gives to the message offered by the sender. When words are clearly put together, they build a solid
communication system intended to communicate a specific message.
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When making up a speech there are a lot of things that matter, first of all the entire message itself,
because it is something that is going to get to people’s minds, it has to satisfy their expectations and emotions. That is a great responsibility. Responsibility goes hand in hand with ethics, but what does it mean to
be responsible?
The children learn to be responsible at home, for instance to wash up or clean up room. At school
teachers encourage their pupils to become responsible for class assignments. Well, that is pretty the same
when it comes to a speech. The students have to be responsible for the words they say, because the words
mean something. They have to be answerable and accountable for their actions. If they are responsible, people can count on them.
It is difficult to teach pupils Public Speaking during English
classes, there is so much to be taught, there is a curriculum to be fulfilled
and there is so little time sometimes. And when we have them in front of a
contest, like International Public Speaking contests with deadlines and
some very strict rules, the teachers realize that their student lack that ability
that is called Public Speaking. And then you see that there is no time to
make them learn and do what has to be learned on time, at every lesson.
I have been once accused of the fact that I make my students come
and speak in front of the class. Actually my class has never complained
about that, they like it, they like to be in front of their classmates, who listen to them very attentively. I
have been accused of not respecting the privacy of the children. That is absolutely not true. Everything is
about confidence. Confidence is something that is learned during life. You cannot buy confidence or just
borrow it from your friend. [3. P.36]
The pupils are afraid of the public, they are afraid that they will not be understood, they will make
mistakes or they will be judged, because they do not look very nice, appearance is also something that matters until you open your mouth. Many of us are petrified at the thought of having to speak in front of other
people. Some even suffer from a phobia that involves the fear of being evaluated by others. They are even
afraid to look stupid. The rates of the heart of a person, who is nervous being in front of public, can increase to nearly 200 beats per minute at the height of stage fright, nearly double the normal heart rate. One
thing is true: Stage fright is real and affects countless numbers of people.
It is up to us to teach the student that confidence. You can encourage the students to make short
speeches in front of the class, even at a very early age, from the 5th form s or 6th up to high school. For instance in the 5th for the pupil make short speeches about the importance of speaking English( “ We Speak
English”, Lesson 4, Unit2) or in the 9th form the pupils can make a speech about what makes a good president( “The Executive Power”, Lesson 2, Unit4) .
Speeches have made people famous. The problem is to teach the pupil express their thoughts in an
optimistic and positive way. Here you can come up with some examples of great personalities who influenced the world. On the one hand we can present the example of Nick Vujicic, who teaches people to be
optimistic and never give up, to make the world a better place to live. On the other hand we have the example of Adolf Hitler, who was a powerful speaker, yet his words led to the deaths of millions of people during the World War II.
It is not easy to practice speeches in the class that is why we have to take into account some of the
following issues. A proposed speech course should include, in some form or another, the following topics:
The vocabulary of speech terminology.
How to prepare a speech outline (with an appropriate introduction, body and conclusion).
The key points of presentation, including the importance of eye contact, body movement and the voice.
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The roles of both the speaker and the audience.
Identifying and categorizing different types of speech.
How to judge and evaluate a speech.
By the way, how important is the role of the audience? Actually it is very important. You can have
a good speech only if you respect the audience. The speaker must respect the members of the audience and
show a genuine concern for their thoughts and feelings. The students have to take into account factors like
age, gender, background, education. [3, p. 13] First they have to think about either the material is appropriate for this group, how they would feel if they were asked any question, if the speaker is giving any new
information or if the material is too difficult or too easy.
Here are some examples of activities the teacher could use during the lesson:
The activity performed with a whole class or only half a dozen students elected to actually make
speeches on a given day. The class might be organized as follows:
Divide the class into three equal groups. The first student presenting the speech will speak to the
whole class who will act as the audience. At the end of the speech, one third of those students will be responsible for completing a student evaluation sheet. While that sheet is being filled in, another student can
present his or her speech, but this time speaking to only two-thirds of the class. Again, at the completion of
the speech, the students effectively rotate, so that at any one time, one third are completing and evaluating
the previous speech, while two-thirds of the audience are engaged in the role of audience. [ 2 ]
Peer evaluation is very important, it is even more important than a mark, because evaluating your
classmates, makes you become better next time when you come in front of them. The pupils can also interview people in the streets, make some surveys and then come back into the classroom and present a speech
based on some real facts that makes them feel so important, they feel they get involved directly into social
problems.
A problem might appear when we give to students all these instructions so well, but when it comes
to making up speeches, it becomes so difficult, it is like there are no words, so few ideas and facts to the
point. We should all think about the importance of discussing things in the class, think critically, even the
teacher should get involved in the discussion, expressing points of view. The pupils need examples. They
need to see someone speaking in front of them. A perfect idea would be to show them a great famous
speech, for instance that of Barack Obama.
We should discuss and consider what is that that makes the speech so effective and memorable. Pupils have to understand the fact that making good speeches also can help them in
their career and even in their everyday life. The process of writing a speech is
much like life. [3, p. 197]. We have to organize it, bring evidence that has to be
sorted we have to sift everything that comes in our way. The choices that we make
in our life, as we do in a speech, will certainly lead us to a result.
Attention-Getters
Every time the students start a speech, they have to realize that their first
words have to make the public want to listen. They have to find those words that would make everybody in
the audience attentive and eager to listen.
One of the best methods of gaining attention is asking a question, it doesn’t just wake them up, but
it also makes them active participants in your speech. It depends on the topic, for example at one competition our students participated, a boy started his speech with an amazing question: “What makes you special?” It was obviously a very challenging question, because everybody suddenly felt very special in the
audience and here comes the anxiety to find out how to raise your self-esteem, how to be confident.
15
Another way can be making references. The speakers can refer to a person in the audience, or even
to a larger group, just they have to use good taste and not to refer to a person they barely know.
Giving a Quotation, would be a great way to start a speech, it has to be very well chosen. Winston
S. Churchill’s quotations about public speaking are perfect, for example:
“A good speech should be like a woman's skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough
to create interest.” ― Winston S. Churchll.
One of the most popular attention-getters is telling a story. Everybody loves stories and can be
more persuasive than somebody’s stories. The story has to short and straight to the point.
The pupils have to learn that it is good to speak and share stories of your life, but the stories don’t
have to be too personal. They can be more interesting about other people, events, and so on.
Whether pupils talk in a team or presenting in front of the class or school, they all have to speak in
public from time to time.
They can do this well or they can do this badly, and the outcome strongly affects the way that others
think about them. This is why public speaking causes so much anxiety and concern. The good news is that,
with thorough preparation and practice, they can overcome any child’s nervousness and perform exceptionally well.[ 1]
Even if your students need to make regular presetations in front of a group, there are plenty of
situations where good public speaking skills can help them get ready and advance in their career and create
opportunities. For example, the pupils might have to talk about their organization at a conference, make a
speech after accepting an award.
Good public speaking skills are important in other areas of life, as well. We might be asked to make
a speech at a friend's wedding, give a eulogy for a loved one, or inspire a group of volunteers at a charity
event. In short, being a good public speaker can enhance students’ reputation, boost their self-confidence ,
and open up countless opportunities. However, while good skills can open doors, the poor ones can close
them.
In a nutshell, from primary school children are told that in order to succeed in life they have to be
the best at school, to have good grades at all subjects, to be responsible and hard-working. In other words
from our first step in schooling we learn that everything we do needs content.
And that is great! And where is the problem? The problem is that nowhere in
school neither in gymnasium or lyceum stage, we are not told about the crucial
importance communication has in our professional development. We teach the
students the curriculum and we forget about the fact that we teach them for
life. Sometimes it is better to leave aside for a while grammar and pay more
attention to the way the can express themselves on a specific topic or problem.
Give your pupils a chance to feel themselves leaders, presidents or simply a
VIP. The teachers should not forget that every child is a personality and since we teach individually and
interactively why not to role play a president’s speech or just a speech to encourage a nation. A great idea
would be to organize local public speaking competitions, pupils love it.
References
1. Better Public Speaking, Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker, (2015). Available URL: http://
www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/PublicSpeaking.htm, (accessed April 17, 2015)
2. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XI, No. 7, July 2005. Available URL: http://iteslj.org/, (accessed March 5 ,
2015)
3. Randal Mc Cutcheon, James Schaffer, Joseph R. Wycoff Communication Matters. West Publishing Company, 1994. – 664 p.
16
ICT AS A TOOL TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Olga NIKITENKO
Senior English Teacher
National University of Food Technologies,
Ukraine
The article deals with the development of students’ communicative competence by means of information and
communication technologies. The utilization and integration of ICT tools can assist students in acquiring a foreign
language competency. The practicability, effectiveness and possibilities ofICT tools in a foreign language classroom in order to achieve learning outcomes are considered.
Key words: information and communication technology, a foreign language, teaching methods, ICT tools, communicative competence
The National Strategy for the Development of Education in Ukraine in 2012-2021 years states that
informatization of education is one of the primary education steps, emphasizing the necessity of
"introduction of modern information and communication technology for improving the educational process, accessibility and effectiveness of education, preparing the young generation to live in the information
society"[5]. In addition, informatization of education imposes new requirements to professional skills and
level of teachers’ training, to methodical and organizational aspects of ICT use in education. The role of
the teacher who uses information and communication technologies at their classes is not only leading, but
also becomes more complex. However, the informatization of education is seen today asa new area of
pedagogical knowledge.
Modern information and communication technologies (ICT) mean the implementation of information
and communication processes, specifically the methods of information search, collection, processing as
well as methods of its distribution. The definition of two terms used in ICT says that ICT is the combination of informatics technology with communication technology. They both are combined, integrated, applied, and used in the process of teaching and learning due to conceptual understanding of informatics.
Students deal with ICT in many areas of life and it is necessary to provide them with opportunities to explore the technology and encourage them to use it as a learning tool.
The common goal of all foreign language teachers is to develop a communicative competence of students that ensures a communication at professional level. It involves a direct link between theoretical
knowledge, professional practical skills and a foreign language study. V. Klochko notes that university
students - future professionals - need to acquire professional competence
as well as communicative competence in a foreign language. It's about
acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills in order to use a foreign
language [3].
It is known, that communicative competence, a term coined by Dell
Hymes in 1966, is the intuitive functional knowledge and control of the
principles of language usage. I.Zimniaia interprets foreign communicative competence as a goal-outcome of a language study, as an ability to
perform language activities and implement linguistic behavior[2].
That is to say, a language speaker has to use the language not only
correctly, but also appropriately (based on linguistic and communicative competences). But, of course,
learning the grammatical rules of a language is still of great importance.
The four components of communicative competence (linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic) should be respected in teaching a foreign language and they are usually employed in second language
teaching by advanced teaching methods.
Communicative competence in a foreign language is considered, on the one hand, as an ability and
willingness of an individual mastered in the learning process to express and understand information in a
foreign language on a particular communicative situation, and on the other hand, as the means for the development of information and learning competences.
17
The modern institution of higher education creates conditions conducive to introduction of new methods to effectively develop communicative competence in a foreign language due to availability of diverse
information resources, the possibility to accumulate and share linguistic information.
In foreign language classroom ICT tools provide more opportunity to develop educational, information and communicative competences of students. Incorporating ICT into the English curriculum you can
solve a series of teaching tasks, namely, develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, using resources from the global network; improve students’ vocabulary; motivate students to study foreign languages, allow them to become competent users as well as consumers in English.
Among the multimedia the following tools are widely used for language teaching: teleconferencing
(interactive educational teleconferences); tests to monitor and check students' knowledge; multimedia educational presentations; blogs for placement of text, audio and video files; web pages; emails; interactive
texts. They offer greater flexibility of the educational process and active interaction between a teacher and
students when exchanging information.
Presentation software such as PowerPoint provides useful tools for performance, creates a more fluid
environment for communicating a message, and elevates a speech to a more filmic medium [5]. Its use activates students’ thinking and their ability to comprehend the language. It creates a positive environment
for the classroom activities such as group discussion, subject discussion and debates between teachers and
students and also lets teachers show ideas dynamically and deliver meaning effectively.
Hypermedia (the linkage of text, audio, graphics, animation, or video through hyperlinks) suggests a
great means to integrate curriculum content with instructional supports and address different student needs.
Digital texts can containvarious instructional supports such as vocabulary definitions, translations, explanatory notes, background information, etc. When using hypermedia, teachers can help foreign language
learners with comprehension problems, to overcome some barriers of printed texts.
The leading position among Internet technologies is occupied by so-called learning platforms
(Moodle, Sakai, ATutor) – educational environment for on-line training courses, maintenance, management, and administration of the learning process. For example, Moodle, developed on pedagogical principles, can effectively organize the process of distance learning, blended learning, including seminars, tests,
work with electronic journals, and many others. It is used to create private websiteswith online courses for
educators and trainers to achieve learning objectives. Claroline LMS - a platform for e-learning and ebusiness, allowing teachers to create effective online courses and to manage learning process based on
web technologies.
It is also necessary to mention a wiki technology. This is a web site that is jointly used by multiple
users and operates on a principle of collaborative trust. The users change the content of the page on their
own using the tools provided by the site. This technology is also used in educational platforms.
It should be noted that the use of new information technologies facilitates teacher’s activity. The use
of E-books, multimedia projectors, interactive whiteboards, teaching material preparation; test making;
distance education and self-education can be easily accessed and used by educators.
Moreover, the use of ICTs in the classroom signalizes a change from the traditional teaching approach
to a more collaborative one to learning. Computer-based activities allow the teacher to undertake the role
of a facilitator (advisor) while students take on an increasing responsibility for their own learning. At the
same time, teachers should play the leading role even if they
implement multimedia technology, meaning that their position should not be replaced by the computers and other devices.
ICT is a valuable tool to improve teaching and learning. For
teachers, ICT is a professional resource, which gives them
many opportunities to diversify the learning process and
make it more productive. For students, ICT provides opportunities to develop their cognitive and creative abilities,
teach them to be independent, communicate more effectively and its integration into the curriculum can lead to improved student learning and better teaching methods.
18
ICT as a classroom tool has many advantages because it provides highly motivational activities for students; increases opportunities for student interaction and decision making; makes complex tasks more manageable i.e.
teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure
students' comprehension; images, pictures and sounds can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of
students; teachers are able to create interactive classes and
make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.
So, teachers can maximize the impact of ICT in their
classrooms by ensuring that they and their students use ICT as
an integral part of lessons, present ideas dynamically, and use
a range of media. Thus, the use of ICT tools in teaching and
learning has positive effects on behaviour, motivation, communication and process skills and it enables
students to learn more autonomously.
References
1. ГончаренкоС.У. (2011). Українськийпедагогічнийенциклопедичнийсловник / С. У. Гончаренко. – вид.
друге, доповн. йвиправл. – Рівне :Волинськіобреги, c. 552.
2. Зимняя И. А. (1991). Психология обучения иностранным языкам в школе. – М.: Просвещение, с. 221.
4. Клочко В. І. (2009). Формування професійно спрямованої іншомовної компетентності фахівців
технічних та економічних спеціальностей засобами сучасних інформаційних технологій: монографія / В. І.
Клочко, М. Г. Прадівлянний. - Вінниця: ВНТ,.c. 196.
5. McKnight, L. (2002) Dancers not Dinosaurs: English teachers in the electronic age EQ. Australia, Summer,
p.75.
6. Національна стратегія розвитку освіти в Україні на 2012–2021 роки. Retrieved from: http://
www.mon.gov.ua/images/files/news/12/05/4455.pdf
19
IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LEARNING LANGUAGES FOR SPECIFIC
PURPOSES: CASE STUDY METHOD
Liudmyla SHAPRAN, Associate Professor
National University of Food Technologies,
Ukraine
The article addresses the impact of case study method on language learning with the view of meeting the requirements of students majoring in economics and management in globalized work environment, emphasizes the
main types cases appropriate for teaching/learning a foreign language.
Key words: case study method, communicative skills, interactive methods of teaching, higher educational
institutions, learning languages for specific purposes
The need to reform the Ukrainian economy requires significant changes in the system and content
of education. Taking into account current demands, the goal of any training can be defined as training of
highly qualified specialists with the knowledge, skills
and abilities that will ensure their competitiveness in the
job market. Still it is not sufficient for business education. [2, p. 197]
For managers and entrepreneurs, it is important to
have not only the ability to find their own position in the
job market through specific (as compared to other professionals) competition, but also to win a specific market segment for conducting industrial, organizational,
administrative, financial, economic and commercial activities.
Thus, we can define the main tasks of business education [2, p.198]:
gaining the required systematic complex of professional knowledge by students;
training energetic professionals focused on success;
encouraging constructive and critical thinking;
familiarizing students with activities and operation of enterprises;
gaining practical skills (decision-making, monitoring, analyzing situations) and development of skills
(leadership, communication) which will be useful for students in future career;
extending human, intellectual and social capital;
developing a system of professional, human, moral, cultural, and other values.
As an independent state, Ukraine has taken important steps to integrate into the world community.
Consequently, the need for specialists who can work internationally is growing. In this context, the value of
a foreign language as a means of business communication has become extremely important in higher educational institutions of Ukraine. The aim of language for specific purposes curriculum is to develop students’ general and professionally-oriented communicative language competences in a foreign language
(linguistic, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic) to allow them to communicate effectively in their academic and
professional environments.
These tasks requite to introduce such teaching methods that can develop students’ capacity for independent learning, develop critical thinking, develop students’ critical self-awareness and self-actualization
in various kinds of creative activities. [4] Interactive teaching methods can solve these tasks and ensure interest to cognitive processes, develop creative potential, mental and emotional sphere of an individual.
Case study method is an interactive method of teaching, which allows teachers to integrate real-life
professional situations into the learning process. It promotes the development of creativity, problemsolving skills, develops the ability to identify and analyze problems, and, in the same time, fosters students’
confidence as users of a foreign language, encourages the positive attitudes and feelings towards learning
the target language.
Case study method is quite simple: descriptions of specific situations are used to provide training.
Most cases are either based on real events, or are a construction of events which could reasonably take
place.
20
They tell a story, one involving issues or conflicts which need to be resolved – though most case studies do not have one obvious or clear solution. The information contained in a case study might be complex
(including charts, graphs, and relevant historical background materials) or simple – a human story that illustrates a difficult situation requiring a decision. [4].
The advantage of case study method is the possibility to optimally combine theory and practice,
which is significant in training of qualified specialists. Being an interactive teaching method, case study
method arouses students’ positive attitude, who see a case as an opportunity to take initiative, to feel independently in studying theoretical propositions and developing practical skills both in their profession and
mastering the language. Of equal importance is also the fact that the analysis of the situation quite strongly
influences the professionalization of students, contributing to their maturation, it generates interest and
positive motivation to study.
Case study method in learning foreign languages allows developing a number of competencies: subject – by training foreign language communicative skills in specific sphere of professional activity. Sociocultural – working with case develops the students’ ability to work in a team, take responsibility for the
outcome. Students develop negotiation skills, ability to support their position, make a presentation. Working with the case, students have a possibility to demonstrate their teamwork and leadership skills, and intercultural communication skills while studying texts and articles in a foreign language.
Application of case study methods presupposes that students have certain level of knowledge of the
language. In the formation of linguistic competence through case study method, much attention is paid to
work on vocabulary and structures of the language of business and professional communication. The main
emphasis should be on pragmatic aspects of the specialized texts. One of the tasks of professionally-based
learning is to develop students’ ability to create coherent, appropriate for specific situation of communication written and oral reports and summaries/conclusions.
The immediate objective of case study method is for a group of students working together to analyze
the case, real or artificial, and work out a practical solution; the end of the process is the assessment of the
proposed algorithms and selection of the best one. [1, c.2] Thus, the main types of cases appropriate for
learning/teaching foreign languages, are [3]:
1.
Practical cases, which (with the view of foreign language teaching) can be associated with popular
conversational topics such as business trip, choice of venue for conferences, corporate culture, marketing, free trade, etc. The case problem can be represented as an analysis of the specific situation and
modeling of similar situations. Each case must include both an informative aspect, e.g. problem text/
article (a subject of discussion) and active vocabulary of discussion, necessary grammatical structures, and models of possible dialogues.
2.
Analytical cases. Working on the case includes analytical reading of suggested material, analysis of
lexical and grammatical structures, training and learning of new vocabulary and, finally, the statement
of the problem. Besides philological aspect, specialized texts/articles expand professional knowledge
and develop students’ skills in reading original or adapted (depending on the level of knowledge of
the group) texts. After reading and analyzing the text, the procedure of working with analytical case
also implies the same steps as the other case studies: group work, preparation of individual projects,
or a broad debate in groups.
3.
Comparative cases. These are research cases that, when learning a foreign language, can be used in
the classroom to explore issues and challenges of country-specific cultural differences of the country
of target language, and Ukraine. For the analysis, one can use materials connected with styles of doing business in different countries, peculiarities of international advertising campaigns, comparative
analysis of educational systems, career opportunities in foreign countries. Working with the case, students can use the Internet resources, specialized sites, educational and specialized literature in a target
language.
There is a question- where to get professionally-oriented cases? One of the answers is to use the cases
provided by such business-oriented courses as The Business, Intelligent Business, Market Leader and others. They are interesting and methodologically developed but do not always meet the languages for specific
purposes curriculum requirements of the National University of Food Technologies (NUFT). So, we started
to develop the cases (usually mini-cases because of the lack of classroom time) with related university departments like the Department of Management or the Department of Applied Economics adapting them to
the language learning purposes.
21
Here is an example of the analytical case developed in cooperation with the Management Department
of the NUFT. It is a very good case both to develop vocabulary on the topic ‘Employee Motivation’ and
expand professional knowledge on employer branding. Recommended steps for working with this case
study are: (1) brainstorming: What do you know about Kyivstar (history, achievements, current activities,
etc.)?; (2) case presentation; (3) reading the text and analyzing target vocabulary (work-life balance, social security, system of remuneration, etc.); (4) group work on question 1; (4) data mining to answer question 2; (5) group work on remaining questions but the last
one; (5) broad debate about the possible additional instruments and
channels Kyivstarcan use to promote an employer brand; (6) on-the spot (using the Internet) preparation of
a mini-presentation about the employer brand promotion of a food production company using the target
vocabulary.
Employer Brand
Kyivstar is Ukraine’s biggest telecommunications operator, number one in mobile connections and Internet, and also an undisputable leader in the development of mobile and fixed Internet. The company was
founded in 1994. It provides mobile communications services since 1997.
The company has published its annual report for 2013. According to it, Kyivstar employs4,710
staff,17% of whom have been working for it for more than a decade. Attention to workplace quality and
employees’ intellectual development and perfection, as well as maintaining the optimal work-life balance
are the key principles of the company’s personnel policy. That’s why the company constantly takes first
place in the ranking of the best employers, providing good working conditions and an excellent motivation
system. According to the survey of Ukraine’s best employers, conducted by Ernst & Young in 2010, Kyivstar is acknowledged to be the best place of employment.
Kyivstar invests in its employees through training and developing the necessary competencies, as
well as takes care of social security of its staff, provides a high level of salary, motivating work environment and jobs that comply with Ukrainian law on labor protection.
Kyivstar builds its team only with best experts. Kyivstar’s system of remuneration provides its every
employee with competitive and fair income. The level of Kyivstar team members’ salaries is one of the
highest in Ukraine. The Company evaluates performance of every employee annually. According to the
results of such evaluation the company may reconsider the salary rate and determine annual bonus. In addition, the company has a system of incentives and additional social guarantees, including health insurance
program, accident insurance, accumulative retirement savings, targeted financial aid, service cell phone, the
Mobile Family service, travel warrants of the Social Insurance Fund, individual compensation package, etc.
The company has developed a flexible C&B(compensation and benefits) system and system of staff assessment, motivating employees to achieve better results. The Company evaluates performance of every employee annually. According to the results of such evaluation the company may reconsider the salary rate
and determine annual bonus. In addition, the company has a system of incentives and additional social
guarantees, including health insurance program, accident insurance, accumulative retirement savings, targeted financial aid, service cell phone, the Mobile Family service, travel warrants of the Social Insurance
Fund, individual compensation package, etc.
Educational and motivational programs of the company deserve particular attention. Talent development program named “Argentum”, as well as the “Employee of the Year” competition provide additional
opportunities for professional and career development and contribute to shaping a comfortable atmosphere
in the team. The IVC project is unique in its essence. It aims at encouraging employees to express their vision of the future Kyivstar, along with sharing interesting creative ideas and participating in strategic development of the company.
In 2013, 244 employees were officially thanked with corresponding records in their work-books, 60
employees received thank-you letters, signed by top management, 29 employees were awarded honorary
titles and letters of commendation on occasion of Day of Communication. Kyivstar creates all possibilities
to enable its staff to harmoniously combine working and personal life. Employees can set their own schedule or work remotely. Remote out-of-office work, or “virtual office,” has become widespread among the
staff and is now a trend in personnel management. In 2013, each quarter 10 to 20% of Kyivstar employees
worked remotely, and nearly 40% chose for a flexible schedule.
22
Virtual office comes especially handy in unfavorable weather conditions or when transportation is
difficult. Thus, in December 2013 nearly 30% of the staff in Kyivstar’s Central Office worked from virtual office.
The important feature of almost every Kyivstar representative is their desire to learn something
new. In 2013, every third employee participated in corporate training programs, the most popular ones
were related to the development of communication skills, systems thinking, setting the goals, time management. All the executives had trainings according to the program "Managing in a Time of Change". In
addition, 18% of employees took the opportunity to pass
non-obligatory online courses on Kyivstar training portal.
The company’s staff are heavy readers. In 2010, the
corporate library stock was renewed by 10% and today it
has more than 1,500 books. In addition to business bestsellers, there are English-language educational publications as well as audio books which are especially popular
among Kyivstar employees. Most popular were the following books: Mastering Change (Isaac Adizes), Mental
Traps: Stupid Things That Sane People Do To Mess Up
Their Minds (Andre Kukla), Marketing Warfare (Jack
Trout, Al Ries).
Kyivstar is also concerned with leisure time of employees. It has good football traditions. In 2013,
the ninth corporate championship was held in September where nine football teams fought on the football
field. They represented different regions of Kyivstar family.
But perhaps the most striking evidence of Kyivstar promising future is a number of new marriages
and a number of children in families of company’s employees. In 2013, 118 employees got married, and
269children were born (4163 children all in all).
The children of company’s employees are a constant concern of Kyivstar which regularly organizes
holidays and leisure time activities for children. About 700 children took part in the events organized by
the company in 2013. In particular, there were such activities as the drawing competition organized by
the Kiev branch, children’s matinee in Odessa, children’s party in the dolphinarium in Kharkiv.
‘
Questions for discussion:
1.
What is the main idea of the given information about Kyivstar?
2.
What is an employer brand?
3.
What instruments does Kyivstar use to form an employer brand? What other instruments do
you know?
4.
What are the channels used to promote an employer brand? What of these channels are used
by Kyivstar?
5.
How canthe currentemployer brand of Kyivstar influence the attraction and retention of talents
in the future?
6.
What additional instruments and channels to promote an employer brand can Kyivstar use?
Possible answers:
1.
Kyivstar is the best employer of Ukraine in 2010. The company is engaged in the
development and support of its employer brand. It is also possible to assume that the information
published in annual report is an additional means of communication to attract new talents.
2.
Employer brand denotes an organization’s reputation as an employer. Minchington (2005) defines employer brand as “the image of your organization as a ‘great place to work’”. Employer branding
is concerned with enhancing your company’s employer brand.
3.
Used instruments: social security, high level of salary, annual bonus, reconsidering the salary
rate, a system of incentives and additional social guarantees (health insurance program, accident insurance, accumulative retirement savings, targeted financial aid, service cell phone, the Mobile Family service, travel warrants of the Social Insurance Fund, individual compensation package),talent development
program named “Argentum”, the “Employee of the Year” competition, flexible schedule, possibility to
work remotely, corporate training programs, renovation of the corporate library stock.
23
Summary of the possible instruments: (1) developing corporate culture; (2) creating positive image
inthe market; (3) creatinggood (partnerships) conditions for applicants’ selection; (4) motivating employees to use social package; (5) using internal and external PR-policy; (6) developing staff loyalty; (6) price
of labor; (7) EVP (employee value proposition), etc.)
4.
Channels of employee brand promotion: annual report, online courses on Kyivstar training
portal,football championships, new marriages, holidays and leisure time activities for children.
Summary of possible channels: (1) company website; (2) HR-practices: selection, adaptation, motivation, training, etc.; (3) using social media; (4) encouraging employees to share positive brand messages
on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; (5) mixing a product brand with employer brand
(including sponsorship, charity events, etc.)
So, the main task of the teacher is to create real-life professional communicational situations in the
classroom. Case study method allows teachers to create an atmosphere of real practice of solving specific
professional problems and requires students to live the part of specialists in the field of economics and
management, enables to independently and creatively obtain required knowledge, make informed decisions, be able to take responsibility for their performance and results, which in doing international business is impossible without the ability to communicate in a foreign language. Thus, case study method allows teachers to make foreign language classes at the university closer to real life and oriented at students’ future professional activity.
References
1.
Антипова М. В.(2011) Метод кейсов (case-study). М.: ФГБУ ВПО «Маргту», 150 с.Retrieved
from: http://mpfmargtu.ucoz.ru/metod/metodicheskoe_posobie-1.pdf
2.
Ситуационный анализ, или анатомия кейс-метода / Под ред. д-ра социологических наук, профессора Сурмина Ю.П. (2002).Киев: Центринноваций и развития, 286 с.
3.
Шовкопляс О. І. (2-13) Використання кейс-методу в процесіпрофесійно-орієнтованого навчання
англійській мові у вузі. Вісник Луганського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка.
Філологічнінауки, 2013. т.№ 14(2), с. 207-212
4.
Daniel A. Goodenough. Teaching with Case Studies.Retrieved from: http://web.stanford.edu/dept/
CTL/cgi-bin/docs/newsletter/case_studies.pdf
24
Workshop-presentation “TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS”
Marina CHIRNITCAIA, MA
ALC, American Councils Moldova
Republic of Moldova
Workshop-PowerPoint Presentation “Teaching English to young learners” (presented at English
Teaching Resource Center (ETRC) Moldova on October 2, 2014)
Purpose: The workshop is aimed at primary and secondary school teachers to outline main points in
methodology of Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL).
Learning outcome(s): By the end of the presentation, the participants would be able to differentiate
between two methods of teaching young learners according to their age; to choose the appropriate learning environment for various class activities; to identify teacher’s role in the class and limiting factors in
TEYL through pair-work, group work, open discussions and working with handouts.
Aids and materials: PowerPoint Presentation (available at https://drive.google.com/file/
d/0BxzlDUSLiPJvZEx3blZkalQtems/view?usp=sharing)
HO (Handout) 1,2,3,4,5
Teacher’s notes
Bridge-in / Warm-up / Ice-breaking activities: Ask the participants to find out 3-5 common things
among all of them and give them 3-5 min. (You can also leave the room, or just stay in the corner and
let them do the activity). Ask them to tell you those common things. Then say (if it wasn’t mentioned)
that one more common thing is that they all teach young learners.
Pre-test / Brainstorming / Introduction: Ask the participants about their background in teaching
young learners (in open discussion or in small groups)
Presentation
Brainstorming. What is a young learner? How old is he or she? Slide 2-3 (A young learner is someone who is 5-13 years old)
A1 and A2
Slide 4. Tell the participants that 5-13 years old is rather a big group to consider regarding methodology used so it is divided into: A1 (5-9) and A2 (9-13).
Slide 5. Speak about methodology tips for group A1 and ask the participants which in their opinion
is the most distinguishing part and why.
Slide 6. Tell the participants that Engage and Practise are two main stages for A1 methodology
Slide 7. Speak about methodology tips for group A2 and ask the parts, which in their opinion is the
most distinguishing part and why.
Slide 8. Tell the participants that Engage, Study, Activate are three main stages for A2 methodology.
Ask the participants if these stages are/can be applied in their classes.
25
Learning environment.
Slide 9. Speak about learning environment. There are four basic types (rows, circular, semi-circular
and group tables). Make sure all table arrangements are clear to the participants.
Ask the participants to form groups and distribute HO1. Ask the participants to identify the learning
environment and think about advantages and disadvantages of each type, and which type they
usually have in their classrooms and how they feel about it.
Slides 10-15. Do a small quiz with questions on learning environment. The trainer or one of the participants reads the questions and try to answer them.(The answer appears on the next slide)
Teacher’s Position and Role
Slide 16. Speak about teacher’s position in the class – dominant and non-dominant. Ask the participants which position they prefer more often, what effect is has on their students. (They can do it
pairs/groups or as an open discussion)
Slide 17. Read or ask one of the participants to name the 6 roles of a teacher in a class. Ask the participants to work in pairs, distribute HO2 and ask them to match the teacher’s role with its definition and then check.
Likes and dislikes of learners
Slide 18. Distribute HO3. (Cut out the heading and the cards in advance. Leave the original for your
reference). Ask for feedback. Accept all the ideas and make a conclusion that there different
classes and students.
Ask the participants why their students like/dislike certain things at a certain age. Lead to the idea of
varying abilities. Slide 19. Do the participants agree with the differentiation? Ask for examples.
Typical classrooms
Slide 20 and 21 describe typical classrooms for A1 and A2. Use it as a summary.
First class
Slide 22-23. Ask the participants to discuss in pairs how their usual first classes look like and what
they do. Then tell them that alongside with get-to-know-you activities, they should identify the
students’ level and carry out needs analysis.
Limiting factors
Slide 24. Discuss the limiting factors in teaching young learners, such as employer, time constraints,
and availability of resources, cultural issues and students themselves.
Assessment
Slide 25-26. It is most important for the teacher and the students, that some regular form of testing
or assessment of learning takes place. This will allow the teacher to measure the efficacy of the
program and allow the students to monitor their progress. It will also provide the teacher with
information to guide any modifications or improvements to the course. Types of test include:
diagnostic, placement, aptitude, achievement, proficiency, progress. Ask the participants to work
in pairs. Distribute HO4 and ask them to match the types of tests and their descriptions.
Class management
Slide 27-28. Three lesson types can create the best learning environment. Teacher’s teaching style
should be flexible and adapt to the situation. What teaching style do they usually have?
Top ten things to avoid
Slide 29. Tell the participants that it would be misguided to think that they could get through a career in teaching without ever encountering discipline problems. Experience has shown that there
are some common traits amongst teachers who have more problems with their students. Ask the
participants if they agree/disagree with the points mentioned and why.
26
Teaching themes
Slide 30. Teaching strategies or themes include a range of activities: songs, chants and music, playing games, using stories, arts and crafts and drama, seasonal activities can be used in many contexts. Useful links:
http://syndicate.com
http://www.yahooligans.com
http://www.thebigbus.com
http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/index.html
www.crayola.com
www.dltk-kids.com
www.enchantedlearning.com
www.kaboose.com
www.theholidayzone.com
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/index.html
http://www.dramaresource.com
http://www.teflgames.com
http://www.teachit.co.uk
http://www.dramainelt.org
Closure: Cut out the cards with questions (HO5). Ask the participants to work in pairs/groups. Distribute the cards and answer the questions based on the material presented. Then check the answers all together.
Check for understanding: Slide 31-32. Time for questions and round up. Elicit the feedback from the
students and thank for the session.
Assessment: Useful material webliography:
www.kidsreads.com
www.linguistic-funland.com/esloop
www.iteslj.org/
www.teflgames.com/games.html
www.esl4kids.net
www.eslgo.com
www.bogglesworldesl.com
Follow-up: The participants can use the materials and ideas in their classrooms, or individual students,
for making their own presentations and workshops as well as reflect on their teaching young learners.
Reference
1.
1. Joan Kang Shin (2006). Ten Helpful Ideas for Teaching English to Young Learners//English Teaching Forum.US Department of State for teachers of English – Vol. 44 – N. 2 p. 2-7
2. TESOL 50-hr online course “Teaching English for Young Learners”.Retrieved from: http://
www.tesolonline.com/online-tesol-courses/specialized-courses/teach-young-learners-tefl/
3. Tetyana Karpova (2012). Personal and interpersonal issues in in-service teacher training//Обмін досвідом –
шлях до професійного взаємозбагачення. - Матеріали міжнародної науково-практичної конференції. –
Київ, pp. 7-23
27
Handout 1
28
Handout 2
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
The teacher’s roles:
Instructor
Facilitator
Mentor
Psychologist
Counselor
Policeman
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
deal with personal problems
role model
give help and advice
the “knower” of a certain body of knowledge
crowd control
the provider of a learning environment
29
Handout 3
A1 (5-9 YEARS OLD
A2 (9-13 YEARS OLD)
MOVEMENT
BEING STATIC
GAMES
STRUCTURE
DOING
LISTENING TO
INSTRUCTIONS
TALKING WITH PEERS
PRESENTING
IN FRONT OF
OTHERS
TALKING/SINGING/
SHOUTING
BEING QUIET
THINKING
OPPOSITE SEX
LISTENING TO STORIES
COLLECTING/
CLASSIFYING
EMBARRASSMENT
PLAYING GAMES
TV AND FILMS
SINGING
DRAW AND MAKE
POP MUSIC
“PRETENDING
”
PRETEND TO BE
SOMETHING/
SOMEONE ELSE
COMPUTERS
STRUCTURE
30
Handout 4
Types of tests
_____________tests – are designed to predict students’ probable future performance on a course. They try
to assess if the student will be able to use the language.
_______________tests – are designed to enable you to group students by their current ability in a range of
areas rather than anything specific. These tests often take the form of multiple choice style questions to
make the marking quicker.
______________tests – are designed to assess students’ progress in learning specific areas taught in the
class. They tend to be less formal than external achievements tests and are often “created” by the teacher
themselves. They can inform the teacher of the efficacy of their program and motivate students by their
“knowing what they don’t know”
____________ tests – are designed to predict students learning of a known body of work (for example, a
syllabus). They are usually designed to give maximum discrimination between students, so that individual
progress can be monitored.
______________tests – are designed to assess the students’ current knowledge and reference this forward
to some future task.
_____________tests – are designed to assess the students’ knowledge and skills in specific areas that have
been acquired due to past experiences. These tests would take place before your course begins.
Types of tests
_____________tests – are designed to predict students’ probable future performance on a course. They try
to assess if the student will be able to use the language.
_______________tests – are designed to enable you to group students by their current ability in a range of
areas rather than anything specific. These tests often take the form of multiple choice style questions to
make the marking quicker.
______________tests – are designed to assess students’ progress in learning specific areas taught in the
class. They tend to be less formal than external achievements tests and are often “created” by the teacher
themselves. They can inform the teacher of the efficacy of their program and motivate students by their
“knowing what they don’t know”
____________ tests – are designed to predict students learning of a known body of work (for example, a
syllabus). They are usually designed to give maximum discrimination between students, so that individual
progress can be monitored.
______________tests – are designed to assess the students’ current knowledge and reference this forward
to some future task.
_____________tests – are designed to assess the students’ knowledge and skills in specific areas that have
been acquired due to past experiences. These tests would take place before your course begins.
31
Handout 5
What is a young learner?
What are two groups that young learners are divided into?
What types of tests are there?
What are the roles of the teacher?
What two positions can a teacher have?
Describe a typical classroom for 5-9 year old students.
Describe a typical classroom for 9-13 year old students.
How many levels of language knowledge are there?
What are the levels of language knowledge?
What could be the limiting factors?
What are the things to avoid with younger learners?
What can be the physical environment for the classroom?
32
FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF A BUSINESS ORGANISATION.
COMPANY CHART. TALKING ABOUT A COMPANY.
Inna TRYHUB, Senior English teacher
National University of Food Technologies,
Ukraine
Title of the lesson: Functional Areas of a Business Organisation. Company Chart. Talking About a Company.
Required time: 90 minutes
Purposes:
to form of key competencies (communicative competency, socioculturalcompetency, competency for
professional preparedness future specialist) according to the national curriculum;
to introduce new vocabulary on the given topic;
to practice students’ skills “using companies”-words in their oral speech;
to discuss the business activities of companies;
to motivate students’ cognitive and creative thinking;
to develop students’ communicative skills;
to develop the skills of listening, reading and speaking.
For university level students (Pre-intermediate/Intermediate)
Learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson students will be able to:
pronounce new words from Supplement 1,2,3 correctly;
using new words from Supplement 1,2,3 speak about presentation, its structure, some presentation
equipment and basic presentation skills;
give a short introduction to a given topic;
describe current projects;
exchange information;
ask and answer question about responsibilities or facilities;
give a presentation of a company
Bridge-in / Warm-up / Ice-breaking activities
1. The teacher starts this lesson from Warm-up activity for encouraging the students and preparing them
to learn a new topic by stimulating students´ minds. This teaching technique (warm up activity) is a short
game which a teacher can use with students when they have started learning a new topic. It may be such
game as “Find someone who...”.
Procedure:
1). Before the class the teacher prepares game sheets and offers to find student from the group who...
... likes reading “Financial Times”
... comes from hostel
... has own business
... can manage a company
... is a Sales Representative / Accountant / Receptionist
... has got the most important duties in our group
2). The teacher writes the game sheet on the board and the students copy it.
3). The students have to ask each other questions to find someone who “... likes reading “Financial
Times” or ”... has got the most important duties in our group”.
4). When students find someone they must write their name on the game sheet. They should find a different person for each statement.
(Possible answers: Sopha likes reading “Financial Times”. Andy comes from hostel. Ira has own business. Olga can manage a company. Liza has got the most important duties in our group.)
2. Teacher’s Introduction
In today’s world dominated by increasing globalization and competition, your successful career depends
on your personal skills and goals, knowledge about organizational structure of company. Now I am going
to give you certain information about a company.
33
Pre-test / Brainstorming / Introduction
Pre-test
But firstly we must do some phonetical exercises for correct pronunciation new words from Supplement
1, 2, 3.
1. Listen and repeat these words. The stress is at the beginning. (For example: sale, finance, manager,
company, product, brochure, vacant, revenue, duty …)
2. Listen and repeat these words. The stress is at the end. ( For example: employer, employee, input, consist…)
3. Listen and repeat the words. Is the stress at the beginning or at the end? Write down the odd one. ( For
example: management, direct, capital, internal, external, include…)
4. Listen and repeat these words. Each word has -ea in the middle. Write down the odd one.
(For example: to research, head, headquarter, to deal, colleaque, to create …)
5. Listen and make a note of the words you hear. Then listen and repeat. ( For example: benefit, client,
affair, activity, lobby, recruitment, staff…)
Brainstorming
Five people are visiting your company today. Look at their business cards and ask and answer questions about them (simple business cards were given by teacher to the students at the beginning of
this lesson):
What is his/her name?
What nationality is he/she?
What does he/she work for?
Where does he/she work?
What is his/her position in the company?
Now find out the same information about the students sitting next you.
Put the right question word (Where; What; When; Why; How; Who; Which) in the spaces and fill
these questions:
….. are you here?
To find about the DDL´s newest product.
….. is it?
The ABC data communication system.
….. many people are attending?
55.
….. are they?
European members of DDL team.
….. division do they work in?
Marketing and Sales.
….. do we meet?
At 7 o´clock this evening.
….. do we meet?
In the Regency restaurant at the 1st floor.
Here are some answers, what are the questions?
Jean-Claude Aurelle.
DEUX MONT FRANCE.
I am Frenchman.
The financial department.
I am an auditor.
No, I am single.
They sell services.
French, English, Spanish, Italian.
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Input from you / Teacher activities
Teacher gives students two kinds of work-sheets:
 What are the duties of…( from Supplement 1:
What Are the Duties of…)
 What is your position? ( from Supplement 2:
What is your position?) to match names of position
with their definition and names of departments with
their duties.
The vocabulary section often introduce phrasal verbs,
new words, unknown word-combinations. Firstly, students may find unknown phrases difficult and teacher
may encourage guessing at this stage of lesson. So students may well be able to match the two halves by
studying the context of Supplement 1and from Supplement 2.
Teacher advices to use vocabulary from :
Unit 3. Company; Unit 1-3 (Supplement 3) for describing an organization in terms, for easy talking about
companies and jobs.
Speaking. This exercise introduces vocabulary for
talking about company. Students work through
the list of questions and possible answers to
use for preparing reports. Advice students to
underline the necessary phrases and sentences
required in the job advertisement to help them
to write reports about business organisation.
Pairwork. Teacher asks students to work in group
and answer these questions to each other ( from
Supplement 3: Talking About Companies).
Teacher check that students understand the
concept of exercise by asking them to suggest
example.
Guided practice / Student activities
Students must create short report about
their position in the company;
main information about department;
its responsibilities.
2) Speaking. Students try to retell their reports about business organisation.
3) Pairwork. Students may discuss their
reports about business organization, make notes,
compare their answers with each other, listen
oral speech of each other, correct errors, give
recommendations, compare own answers with
another answers.
Closure
Study the words in bold type in these sentences:
I am
a financial controller.
( a/an + job)
an engineer.
I work for BOSH.
( for + employer)
I am in
marketing.
the chemicals.
communications.
(in + type of work)
Practicing your presentation is essential for any kind of interviews.
Check for understanding
In order to check the understanding the basic notions the teacher can give some questions at the end of
lesson. The first part may be devoted to checking of vocabulary memorization. The second part may be
devoted to checking of man information about personal duties, company structure, the name of department, the name of personal position. Then, the teacher may ask students in random order questions from
Supplement 1: What Are the Duties of…, Supplement 2: What is your position? Supplement 3: Talking
About Companies. If there are enough time, students may work in pair and ask each other about a company.
Assessment
Students will be assessed next lesson after doing the written homework assignment in their textbooks:
Write some questions to ask colleaques. Ask about: their company, their job, their responsibilities,
their hobbies and interests.
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Follow-up
The studied information will be useful in everyday life.
 Supplement 1: What Are the Duties of…
Sales Department
identifying of the clients; carry of communication duties and developing new business; is also responsible of creating worth of produce
Marketing Depart- writes and design promotional materials like brochures, catalogs, direct
mail pieces and advertising for print media, TV, radio, the Internet
ment
Human Resources
Department
R&D Department
is responsible for the recruitment of suitable individuals for vacant position in the company
to develop new products; to discover and create new knowledge about
scientific and technological topics for the purpose of development of
valuable new products, processes, services
Production Department
Personnel Department
to address efficiency in the use of factors inputs in production and the
resulting distribution of income to those factors
to deal with matters involving employees, as hiring, training, labor relations, benefits
Finance Department
controlling expenditures and obligations; receipting and depositing all
revenues; managing the investment of all monies; accounting for all
assets and capital project expenditures; internal and external reporting
 Supplement 2: What is your position?
someone who heads a company and is responsible for its running
Managing Director
someone who does secretarial work for top management
Executive Secretary
Sales and Market- someone who heads the department that advertises and sells the product
ing Manager
Sales Representative
Production Manager
Personnel Manager
R&D Manager
someone who is responsible for selling the product to customers
Finance Director
someone who heads the department responsible for manufacturing the
product
someone who heads the department responsible for staff matters, such
as the hiring of employees
someone who heads the department responsible for scientific research
and development of new products
someone who is responsible for running the company´ financial affairs
Accountant
Receptionist
someone who keeps the accounts in the finance department
someone who sits in the lobby, answers the phone, greets visitors
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 Supplement 3: Talking About Companies
Questions
Who do you work for?
What is the name of your company?
Where is the company located?
Answers
I work for…(name)
I am with...(name)
Our subsidiary/factory/office is located in…
We have branch offices/ subsidiaries in…
What does your company do?
What products/services does your company
sell?
What are your company´s activities?
Where is the company based?
the company´s head office located?
Where
the company´s headquarters loare
cated?
What is your annual turnover?
What are your annual sales?
What is the structure of the company?
It makes/ produces/manufactures/sells/deals in
(with)/distributes…
Our company specializes in…
Our main products are…
It is based in…(city)
The head office is in…(city)
Where does your company operate?
Where do you work?
How long have you worked here?
Our headquarters are in…(city)
Our annual turnover is…
We have annual sales of…
It consists of/is made up of/is divided into…
(number) divisions/ departments.
It operates in…(number) target markets.
I work in…(town, country).
What do you do?
I have worked there/for the company since/
for…
I joined the company in…
I am a…(job).
Which department are you in?
I work in the …(name) department.
Who are you responsible to?
I am responsible to/report to/under the…
(position of a person above you)
My responsibilities include…
I am responsible for/in charge of…
I am in marketing.
I am in the chemicals business.
I am in the chemicals
What are your responsibilities?
What are your responsible for?
What line of work are you in?
What line of business are you in?
What do you do for a living?
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American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS is an
international not-for-profit organization leading the development and exchange
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