Teach English in Qicun Zhen - Zaozhuang Shi

Providing the materials required to learn a foreign language is one thing, but being able to keep students engaged is another challenge altogether. Keeping students engaged while teaching a productive skills lesson can be achieved by discovering their interests and discussing topics they can relate too. Exposing the students to a range of different learning materials, particularly the use of technology and authentic materials will spark interest. Encouraging engagement can be achieved through relatable topics and allocating assignment tasks that involve student interaction. A number of key factors a teacher should consider prior to a lesson to ensure students remain engaged during a productive skills lesson will be discussed. As a student the main goal in learning a new language is to be able to communicate successfully to another in the target language. In order to achieve this goal teachers’ must be creative in designing activities that will spark the student’s interest and encourage them to speak (Rusma, n.d). Shamim Ara states that Learner’s receive language by listening and then produce language through productive skills (Nipa, 2013). Sourcing authentic materials like newspapers, songs, news and weather broadcasts are a great way to expose students to variation of real life situations. Getting to know the students will help in choosing appropriate material, as they are more likely engage on a topic they can relate too. Drilling, prompting, role-plays and simulations are engaging methods to reduce teacher talk time and assist in developing many aspects of speaking such as pronunciation, accuracy and fluency. An example of a simulation activity could be getting the students in pairs or small groups to act out a weather broadcast or cooking demonstration to record and present to the class. Prior to the activity it’s essential that the students are familiar with all the necessary language required to complete the task. Seeing their speaking skills develop can give learners a real sense of progress (Aryadlin, F. n.d), encouraging students to be more active both inside and outside of the classroom. Although as a teacher you are a model of the English language it’s crucial to reduce teacher talk time and encourage student interaction to really engage the students. If they are talking and participating they won’t be daydreaming about last nights leftovers or their dream house. However, often students can be reluctant to speak and participate in class discussions because they could be shy or embarrassed about getting the answer wrong. In this case the teacher could ask simple open-ended questions, like “what is you favourite animal?” that they know will answer correctly. Participation levels can be increase and the fear of making a mistake reduce when a friendly environment is established and achievable tasks are set. Writing is often neglected during class time, as it’s common for teachers to assign written tasks for homework in order to focus on other skills in the classroom (ITT, Unit 8). However, writing skills are equally as important as speaking, listening and reading and teachers should allow time for students to practice their writing in the classroom. There are many aspects to teaching writing as a skill including grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation, neither of them very exciting. Writing tasks can be designed to encourage creativity and teach the students to express themselves in different ways. The world revolves around the use of technology in both a social and professional capacity. A range of different writing activities can be completed through the use of technology. For example, ask the students to go to an English speaking restaurant like an Australian outback steak house and order their meal in English, and then have them write a Google review on their meal. This particular activity is great because it involves the use of both productive skills. Another task involving technology could be asking the students to create an Instagram caption for a picture of their choice, then “posting” them on the whiteboard. The use of technology would be very appealing especially for those students learning a second language for professional reasons, where the use of technology is required. Time efficient writing tasks that could be completed in the classroom include writing a shopping list, post card, email or an advertisement for a piece of clothing or furniture to post on Facebook market place. It’s crucial to prepare students with the skills needed to complete the task. If the students are having difficulty understanding during the study stage, they will likely lose interest and will probably have trouble completing the task in the activate stage. Some students might find writing quite daunting. I personally did not enjoy writing in class especially at school when given a short time frame and was nervous when writing with people watching me with the fear of making a mistake. I preferred to complete any written tasks at home in my own time, as I could have more time to process my thoughts in a more relaxed environment. Allowing enough time for the students to think about their task will result in a higher standard of work. To reduce the pressure of an individual student, written tasks could be completed in pairs or small groups. However it’s important to ensure all students participate equally. From my experience in school shy or lazy learners will often sit back and let the stronger students complete the task. Although writing tasks requires a greater degree of accuracy and is more time consuming its important for teachers to encourage students to write as much as possible both in and out side the classroom. It’s a teachers’ responsibility to teach and improve a student’s productive skills, to do so successfully it’s crucial to be able to engage and captivate the learner’s attention. Sparking a need and desire can stimulate a student’s motivation. There are a number of techniques and exciting learning materials that a teacher can bring to the classroom. A key method to engage students is to consider their interests by selecting meaningful tasks that allow for student to student interaction like a role-play of real events or writing a review on their favourite cafe are both ways of practicing productive skills. The appropriate level of difficulty for a specific class is another important factor to take into account. Setting tasks above a student’s skill level can diminish their self-esteem, resulting with them being more reluctant to participate in class. Establishing a friendly environment and only teaching content that coincides with the students knowledge will encourage students to participate without the fear of making a mistake. Providing students with the opportunity to practice real life speaking and writing activities will motivate them to engage and participate and ultimately retain information. Aryadin, F. (n.d) Teaching Productive skill. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/4912958/Teaching_Productive_skill Bashrin, S.D (2013) Productive Skills: Teaching Beginners In English Medium School. Retrieved from http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10361/2732/Binder1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Rusma, Z. (n.d) Fun activities to improve speaking skill. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/29665605/ESSAY_WRITING_-_FUN_ACTIVITIES_TO_IMPROVE_SPEAKING_SKILL.docx Unit 8. Teaching productive skills. ITTT course