”Authentic English Language and Culture”
A Training Programme for Teachers
with Tutors Mark Andrews, Uwe Pohl and Péter Medgyes
at SOL, Barnstaple, Devon
Aim of Programme
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To offer teachers a chance to develop their
own English language knowledge through a
total immersion in the language in a
supportive and positive environment.
To give teachers an insight into the everyday
life and culture of the people living in
England through first-hand experiences,
meeting a range of people and subsequent
discussions of what they see/hear.
To capture real life experiences of language
and related realia for use in their own
teaching.
To develop a fieldwork observational
philosophy in raising awareness and
developing interest in the English language.
To increase the teacher’s own confidence in
using English in everyday situations.
To share with other teachers in
neighbouring countries ideas for teaching
and motivating students.
July 3rd – 14th 2016
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Techniques used
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Teachers teaching at all language levels will
gain greatly from this type of immersion
giving them a greater authenticity when
using contexts based on life in Britain.
Teachers teaching at all age groups will also
gain greatly, and the flexibility of the
programme
enables
appropriate
experiences to be gained.
Teacher trainers are also welcome and the
combined 130+ years of the highly regarded
course trainers ensures that what is offered
will be valuable and offering fresh insights
into how to help teachers!!
Themes
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Participants will meet a wide range of
people and have a chance to hear and
question them about their work and any
related issues.
Fieldwork will play a very important part of
the course – teachers’ own observations and
conversations will be used throughout and
this sharing of different experiences is a core
part of the work.
Recording of conversations, images, signs,
activities will be encouraged and then shared
Activities planned
Target group of teachers
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Participants will discuss a wide range of issues
which impact on the UK but which will also be
able to be considered in the light of the
teacher’s home country.
The environment, charities/ volunteering,
home life and ‘the Sea’ play a great part in our
daily lives and will be major aspects
considered as well as comparing between life
in the UK and home.
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Visits include ones to a local charity shop, a
fair trade shop, a maritime museum, a lifeboat
station, a surfing beach, a harbour port, a
historical house, a school and a church.
Talks and discussions with a local
environmentalist, a musician, a politician, a
teacher, an entrepreneur, a pub landlord, a
surf instructor as well as their own host
family.
Cultural experiences can include church-going,
skittles, sea swimming, folk singing, coastal
walks, and a visit to one of the gardens. “The
Classroom” is not confined to a room, but is
wherever there is something to see, listen to
or discuss. This can involve a pub, a bus, a
coach, a café, a shop or a train.
The Approach & Philosophy of our ”Authentic English Language and Culture” Course
This course gives teachers an opportunity to explore
a part of Britain which is very different from most
people’s stereotypical images of the biggest island in
North-west Europe.
It has been developed over the last four years into
an interactive experience where participants meet
people from the local community so that the
experience goes beyond seeing Devon as a tourist to
one where you will gain insights into the values,
attitudes and beliefs of the people living there.
The methodology of the course is intercultural and
we model ways of working with students which can
be used in teachers’ own contexts when they return
home.
Traditional ways of teaching culture focus more on
facts rather than developing intercultural
understandings and helping students to find out
about and interact with people from other cultures.
In fact one of the aims of learning another language
and finding out about other cultures is to
understand one’s own culture better , finding ways
of contributing to improving your own culture
through having being exposed to other cultures and
having opportunities to compare the two. This is in
line with an approach to education which sees
active citizenship as a key aspect of preparing young
people for 21st century life.
On the SOL “Authentic Language and Culture
course” we familiarise course participants with an
intercultural approach to language learning and
create many opportunities for teachers to interact
with members of the local community, to practise
their English and find out more about Britain at the
same time.
There is also space for teachers from mostly Central
and Eastern Europe to share their professional lives
and learn from each other. After all, in our busy
professional lives we rarely get opportunities to do
this and the course provides a framework for this
sharing to take place.
The topics on the course are important topics in
themselves and not just about learning English
through them. In this way teachers get insights
into ways of looking at the environment,
approaches to geography and history which may
be relevant in their schools back home when
doing project work across the curriculum in these
areas.
Fieldwork visits to local towns and the Atlantic
coast are an integral part of the course, forming
the basis for a range of project linked classroom
activities.
Fieldwork is demonstrated as a way of working
with students that gets them to do out of class
activities which can then be brought back to the
class and discussed in English, written about in
English and then presented in English in the form
of posters or frontal presentations.
By experiencing this kind of work for themselves
in England, teachers might then be encouraged to
do similar things with their students in their own
countries.
Homework tasks will encourage participants to
discuss contemporary language and cultural
issues with their host families. This year’s courses
will take place very soon after the British general
election and so finding out about the impact of
the election results on the lives of British people
and in particular the lives of the host families
where the teachers stay will provide a strong
focus for understanding life in contemporary
Britain.
Through the use of course journals teachers
reflect on their experience and collect new
language that they encounter whether it be on
food labels, through eavesdropping on
conversations, recordings on whatever hand-held
devices teachers’ bring with them, reading the
local paper or wherever.
One of the main aims of the course is that
teachers return to school after their visit to
Britain both refreshed and inspired to continue in
their profession and to incorporate some new
ideas on teaching language and culture
“Authentic Language and Culture”
Programme with tutors Mark Andrews, Uwe Pohl and Péter Medgyes
at SOL, Bridge Chambers, Barnstaple, Devon. 3rd - 14th July
(Arrival day in London July 3rd)
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Monday 4th July
08.30
Everyone meets at The Heritage Centre
08.40 – 09.10
Mapping our course participants on our own map
“Getting to know each other” activity where we all from each country
find out about each other
09.15 – 09.30
Orientation
Getting to know the SOL building and to meet the SOL staff
09.45 – 10.45
Launching our course in the Watergate pub. “Suitcases”
The pub is a national chain but displays many aspects of local life in
Barnstaple on the walls which you can find out about and record.
The local manager gives a presentation of the philosophy and approach
of the company.
In “Suitcases” everyone writes down what they are bringing in terms of
expectations and outcomes and how they think the course fits to both
their professional development and their school's approach to ELT.
11.00 – 12.00
Barnstaple Town Tour
The local Town Crier guides the group through the town giving an
overview of the extensive and important history of Barnstaple
12.00 – 12.45
Lunch
12.45 – 13.15
PÉTER MEDGYES: “How to be an alien”: George Mikes revisited
13.30 – 17.45
Visit to Woolacombe and Ilfracombe
You will get your first impression of the Atlantic Ocean and are
encouraged to observe what the differences are from your own (beach)
holiday experiences in the past. There will be a chance to collect some
exotic and mystery shells.
The beach has historical importance as seen at the local D-Day memorial.
In Ilfracombe you will see the remarkable Verity statue by Damien Hirst
and also visit the RNLI lifeboat station.
The group will be encouraged to think about how such topics might be
incorporated in their own lessons (and also in a presentation at the end
of the course).
Tuesday 5th July
08.30 – 10.00
Review of beach language. Principles and Practice of doing Fieldwork
with a focus on interviewing.
Modelling intercultural skills by showing examples of good interviewing
techniques and introducing the concept of fieldwork – going out into the
community, speaking observing and listening
10.30 – 12.15
Visit to Braunton Surf Museum
Surf culture is part o North Devon life and museum pedagogy is an area
which is useful for all teachers to think about when taking students to
museums and galleries
12.30
Bus to Croyde Bay
13.00 – 14.00
Lunch
14,00 – 15.00
Fieldwork in Croyde
An opportunity for you to see how a village has been transformed over
60 years and also to experience what it is like to ask your own students to
find out about changes in their own town or village
15.30 – 16.30
Talk on Surf Culture
Surfing is a very important part of British culture, whether as a sport or a
leisure holiday pursuit. Here you will get a chance to meet with an expert
instructor. (there may be an opportunity to book a surf lesson too)
Return bus to Barnstaple
16.45 – 17.45
Wednesday 6th July
08.30 – 09.30
Mark: Review of Croyde experience Uwe: Working with language
and emergent language
09.45 – 10.45
Uwe: Working with language
11.00
Mark: Review of Croyde experience
and emergent language
Bus to Appledore
12.00 – 13.00
Lunch
13.00 – 17.30
Fieldwork in Appledore
including visits to the Maritime Museum, Victorian classroom and the
RNLI station
17.45 – 18.30
“Fish and Chips” dinner
18.45
20.00 – 22.00
Bus to Barnstaple
“International” Folk Singing evening
An opportunity for all to contribute songs from their own country as well
as listening to a local folk group singing local songs, sea shanties and
other well-known songs
Thursday 7th July
08.30 – 12.30
Focus on Identities: from Local to National
Intercultural learning is about how one views one's own identity and in
this session we look at Devonian/English/British identities and how the
individuals in the group view their own. We also look at stereotypical
attitudes and ways of negotiating/challenging these.
12.30 – 14.00
Lunch
14.00 – 15.00
Mark: Fair Trade. We visit a Fair
Uwe: Using signs and language to
trade shop, discuss ethical shopping see how they reflect that culture +
+ how to work with students on this how to work with students on this.
15.20 – 16.20
Uwe: Using signs and language to Mark: Fair Trade. We visit a Fair
see how they reflect that culture + trade shop, discuss ethical shopping
how to work with students on this. + how to work with students on this
16.45 – 17.45
PÉTER MEDGYES: Native vs non-native teachers of English
Friday 8th July
08.30 – 13.00
Visit to Westward Ho! And Clovelly
Clovelly is a unique private village owned by just one person. It has a
lifeboat and a history of fishing. Westward Ho! has a splendid surf beach
and the biggest sweet shop in North Devon.
13.00 – 15.00
Extended lunch
15.00 – 16.30
From fieldwork findings to classroom tasks
The group will come up with activities for their own students which will
be presented at the end of the course. (Mark and Uwe were involved in
a fieldwork project collecting materials for a coursebook back in 1998.)
16.45 – 17.45
PÉTER MEDGYES: Technology and the teacher
20.00 – 22.00
Social Evening at the “Rolle Quay” pub
Saturday 9th July
08.30 – 17.45
Day trip to Tintagel in Cornwall
An opportunity to explore the legend of King Arthur in the spectacular
setting of Tintagel. How the village markets itself and a glimpse of
Cornish identity
Sunday 10th July
Family Day.
A day when you will have time to spend with your host family. The host
family is a key element of the experience in Britain and a place where
you will find out a lot more about everyday life there.
Monday 11th July
08.30 – 13.00
Visit to Lynton and Lynmouth
These unique twin villages are linked by a water-powered cliff railway
and overlook the Bristol Channel towards Wales. The journey takes us
through the Exmoor National Park more about which can be learned in
their information centre in Lynmouth.
13.00 – 13.30
Lunch
13.45 – 15.30
A visit to a local primary school
Seeing an English school at work is an enlightening experience and
different people will visit different schools
16.00 – 17.45
Feedback from the school visits
… plus a chance to discuss the English and Welsh Education systems
20.00 – 22.00
Pub Quiz at “The Rolle Quay”
Tuesday July 12th
08.30 – 09.30
PÉTER MEDGYES: Talk/workshop to be announced
10.00 – 12.15
Meeting with local politician(s)
Ricky Knight, who is a former language teacher is also a local Green party
councillor and activist. As well as hearing the workings of the local and
central Governments, this discussion will also provide an opportunity to
the issues of sustainability which are affecting us all and how this can or
whether this should be part of the language classroom
12.15 – 13.45
Lunch
13.45 – 14.45
Fieldwork at home
First thoughts on how skills and activities experienced on this course can
be transferred to your classrooms back home.
15.15 – 17.45
Preparation for presentations of fieldwork results
Your own fieldwork and research, findings, ideas and those of others in
your group are used to prepare a presentation after lunch tomorrow.
Wednesday 13th July
08.30 – 09.15
“Bringing students to SOL”
How SOL works with students and their accompanying teachers on a
language and culture course in Devon.
09.15 – 10.15
Ways of using Fieldwork approaches back home
Reflection on the role of fieldwork in your own country. What can be
replicated and how.
10.45 – 12.15
Final preparation time for Presentations
12.15 – 14.15
Extended lunch
14.15 – 15.45
Presentations
These may be poster, power-point or realia
16.15 – 17.15
Evaluations and certificates
An important time to reflect on the course and what we take away
17.15 – 17.45
Finale
Thursday 13th July
06.30
Departure for London
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Application for SOL Teacher Programmes
Application for either of our teachers’ courses can be made directly by e-mail to SOL. Please indicate your
preferred course and give your full name, school and home address. This enables us to send the
confirmation so that the school can apply for any grant, such as Erasmus+, for you to join us.
The Full price is €1225 for either course. However for those without a grant the course is subsidised by
SOL and the price is €725 – even less for returners or those with vouchers!
Every day will be part of the programme including the arrival day when we meet you in London and the
departure day when you return to London. The breakdown of costs, which may be required for the grant
application, will be sent with the confirmation.
You will be assured of a warm welcome from all at SOL and an outstanding memorable course.
Our contact e-mail is sol@sol.org.uk