This pamphlet will highlight and
investigate two major aspects of preparing and starting an EFL course to
beginner-level students. They are; 1) the approaches (i.e. the mindset,
theoretical beliefs and methodologies that a teacher applies to the course,
short and long term), 2) the techniques - (i.e. the specific assignments,
arrangements and tools/aids utilized to carry out the teacher & amp ;acute
;s approaches and achieve the student & amp ; acute ;s goals). The article
will move through the various, early stages of planning and teaching an EFL
Beginners Course, in (roughly) chronological order. Its focus will only be to
shed light on common, recommendable teaching approaches and techniques for an
EFL Beginners Course. Along the way, a teacher - in reality - would encounter
more, and have to be prepared for even more. However, my interest is limited to
the two aspects listed above, as they apply to the following: 1) Identifying
the type of beginner, 2) The two most common approaches to teaching EFL
beginners, compared and contrasted, 3) How to get started:
1. IDENTIFYING
THE TYPE OF BEGINNER To simply label an EFL student with little or no knowledge
of English as a & quota ; beginner & quota ;, then mentally group them
together as a homogeneous entity, would be both naive and foolish. There most
certainly will be important distinctions worth drawing, both related and
unrelated to the amount of English that they know. It is difficult to deny that
grouping students together according to the measurable amount of knowledge of
the English language is a solid practice. However, in my opinion, it is just as
beneficial to try to understand a little of the history - the " ;
backstory & quot; - of the students. An EFL teacher that has both learned
and considered the "level" and "type" of
students in their course is a teacher that is better-equipped to approach that
course is most effective manner possible. Below is a brief list of some of the
different types of beginners that an EFL teacher may encounter, along with some
of the implications that are likely to come along with each type:
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS- Students with no knowledge of written or spoken English.
There is no knowledge to elicit from the students. The most basic knowledge
must be taught to the first, before the students can be asked simple questions
or to complete simple requests.
FALSE BEGINNERS- Students that have previously studied or been exposed to
English, but have learned or remembered very little. Generally, they will have
some knowledge (familiarity with the alphabet/sounds, common polite and
introduction phrases) to elicit responses to simple questions and requests.
They will need a review and/or clarification of basic language points, more
often than needing to be taught.
BEGINNERS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF
ROMAN ALPHABET- Students that have 1) not learned
written English, and 2) been raised in a country where the language is not
written with the Roman Alphabet. While this does not necessarily mean the
student will be an absolute beginner (they may have some knowledge of spoken
English), it does mean that the teacher will have to afford extra attention to
basic literacy skills in the earliest stages of the course. ADULT BEGINNERS-
Students at the age of 18 or over. Typical generalizations attributed to this
type of beginner include:1) More likely to be motivated and attentive, 2) More
likely to build a rapport with their teacher and each other, 3) More likely to
have well-defined expectations for their teacher, their course and its style,
and their success (and what constitutes "success"), 4) Less
likely to easily grasp new language introduced and have less language
awareness, 5) Less likely to cause disciplinary problems. YOUNG BEGINNERS-
Students at the age of 17 or under. This can also be further sub-divided into
three additional types of young beginner; Teen (13-17, Adolescent (8-12), Child
(7 and under). Typical generalizations attributed to this type of beginner
include: 1) More likely to cause disciplinary problems, 2) More likely to
easily grasp new language introduced and have greater language awareness, 3)
Less likely to be motivated and attentive, 4) Less likely to have well-defined
expectations for their teacher, their course and its style, and their success
(and what consitutes "success").
MONOLINGUAL BEGINNERS- Students who only speak one language, a native language with
which they were raised. This type of student will either have, 1) no experience
in foreign language learning, or, 2) no success in past attempts in foreign
language learning. Either way, it is more likely that they will be nervous and
reluctant early on. It is also more likely that they will try to compare and
match their own L1 to English. They will need tips and guidance on how to study
foreign languages. MULTILINGUAL BEGINNERS- Students who already speak two or
more languages. This type of student will probably be more confident, as well
as more fundamentally and conceptually prepared to learn English. They possess
an awareness of some "do"s and
"don´t"s of language learning, and
they´ll have had past success. However, this can come along with
unrealistic expectations (i.e, "my progress should be fast and
easy") and rigidly-defined thoughts/beliefs as to the best way to
approach teaching/learning a foreign langauge. It is worth noting that the
types of beginners listed above are no more of an all-inclusive, rigid
definition than the term "beginner" itself. Very often,
beginner students will have characteristics from more than one category; That
is to say, they are not to be used categorically. They are general descriptions
of a stereotype: psychological sketches of a sort. However, they may provide an
EFL teacher with some insight on what to look for and how to prepare for such
students, after they have been identified as having characteristics belong to
one of the above types. It is also worth noting here that cultural awareness
takes on even more importance than usual with beginners. The reason for this is
two-fold: 1) Beginners are far-more likely to be reluctant and nervous about
their EFL course because, quite simply, it wil be difficult for them to
communicate, to understand and to be understood. A teacher that utilizies that
which is culturally comfortable for them, while avoiding that which is
culturally uncomfortable for them, has gone a long-way towards reducing these
impediments to learning, 2) Language is a gateway (or at least, "a
view") into a culture. To understand some or much of the English
language would give foreign language students an idea of why their teacher
speaks/behaves in a particular manner, or their activities/tasks are designed
and carried out as such. However, beginners will not have any such insight into
English-speaking culture, due to the language barrier, and a teacher can not
overlook this. Misunderstanding could reign supreme if the teacher does not
slowly assimilate the students into both the language and the culture of
English.
2. TWO COMMON
APPROACHES TO TEACHING BEGINNERS The great majority of EFL teachers will
approach the initial stages of an EFL Beginners Course using one of the two
methods below: Approach A: 1) Select simple structures and vocabulary, 2) Move
from one stage to the next slowly and carefully, 3) Emphasize accuracy Approach
B: 1) Choose functional and common material, 2) Present and practice a variety
of structures in each lesson, 3) Emphasize fluency Certainly, both of these
approaches have their advantages. If an EFL teacher has a clear preference for
one of these, it may reflect greatly on their own conceptualization of how to
best teach beginners. From my own independent research, I have formed the
opinion that the choice of methodology should only be made after having some
understanding of both the individual students and class as a whole. The course
curriculum do not need to be fully formed from the first day of class, nor does
their even need to be a proper lesson on the first day. I would recommend that
an EFL teacher dedicate some time, early in the course, ascertaining
information that will help them best understand exactly what type of class it
is that they will be teaching (beyond language level, or a specific needs
course). Knowing such information, then using it to choose an approach
accordingly, can facilitate student learning, comfort and enjoyment. To
demonstrate this point, I will compare and contrast the use of these two
approaches, if they were used with various types of beginners. Absolute
Beginners would probably be better served by Approach A. This would set a more
comfortable pace for them than Approach B. The speed and care with which tis
would be conducted would allow for more choral repetition and pair/small-group
work; Both essential to lessening anxiety and raising participation with these
types of students at this stage. To reduce the anxiety of not having any
knowledge of the language to produce or comprehend, simple, repetitive
structures that are worked on until mastered would provide confidence.
Subsequently, to go from zero knowledge in English to producing a few things
accurately would be viewed as the great accomplishment that it is. While False
Beginners would also benefit from the above, Approach B can (and in some cases,
should) be used effectively. It is worth determining what the goals of the
students are, as well as their personality - individually, collectively and
culturally. In some cases, the students may be more adventurous, willing and
restless to experiment with what knowledge of English they have - and eager to
collect more. If that is the case, and the students are anxious to achieve some
level of English- speaking fluency, Approach B would be more suitable.
Beginners Without Knowledge of the Roman Alphabet likely will need to be taught
in Approach A. Fluency will be of little use to them if they can not read or
write much of what they can accomplish in a dialogue. Much of the learning of
literacy goes beyond a simple knowledge of the letters and corresponding sounds
of the alphabet. In large part, particularly early on, it is the memorization
of words. They help illustrate what phonics are all about. Approach A will
provide these students with the opportunity to slowly absorb this new, strange
writing and its pronunciation. Young Beginners, especially children, will
require Approach B. Generally speaking, young students do not have the
attention span nor the self- motivation necessary to apply Approach A. They
tend to dislike repetitive drilling, overcorrection and lengthy, monotonous
exercises and homework. In nearly all cases, they would be better served by the
variety and chance to experiment with speaking, in a way that they find
"useful" (functional). While certain individuals/groups of
the Adult Beginner type might also desire and flourish in Approach B, they are
about as likely to prefer Approach A. This is type of beginner student in which
more information will be needed, in conjunction with this type, to determine
which approach to use. As a rule, I would think that Approach A is more
suitable (as these students are often the
´polar-opposite´ of Young Beginners), but the needs,
desires, objectives and expectations of many Adult Beginners (especially,
specific needs groups, like Business English) will necessitate that Approach B
is used. Culture is a large factor here, as well. Monolingual Beginners may
benefit more from Approach A. The main reason for this is simple; Beginner
students, especially older ones, want to compare and match the new language to
their L1. After acquiring some knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, they will
try to "Directly Translate" between the languages. This is a
dangeroous practice, and completely contrary to the necessary mindset needed to
learn a foreign-language. Approach A makes that practice more difficult, as the
student is required to accurately produce the language, while having time to
fully absorb English on its own terms. Multilingual Beginners also might find
Approach A both preferable and beneficial, but for entirely different reasons.
These students will have not only confidence and experience in foreign-language
acquisition, but very likely more patience and a desire to be accurate because
of the aforementioned. Therefore, Multilingual Beginners are far-more likely to
appreciate the challenge of listening to taped dialogue and the benefits of
repetition. I have already touched on the reference I made in Section 1 about
the greater awareness of the culture above, but I will also devote a brief
mention to this point exclusively, on its own terms, independent of any
specific type of beginner. Neither approach is more "culturally
sensitive" than the other. However, there very well could be a
preferable approach for any culture that an EFL teacher find themselves. It
depends entirely on the location, and the specific culture may dictate which
approach would best applied. An easy (yet stereotypical) TEFL example of this
would be to East Asia. Generally speaking, EFL teachers there find that their
students are both: 1) very sensitive about making mistakes: They desperately
want to be accurate, and 2) very reluctant to participate freely in speaking
activities. Combine these two factors in with all that it is to be a beginner
in a foreign-language and, clearly, Approach A usually would be the suitable
approach to starting a Beginners course. While I have dedicated my attention
above to drawing differences, comparing and contrasting the strengths and
weakenesses of these two approaches as the apply to certain types of students,
the following should be noted. Firstly, an EFL teacher is under no obligation
to utilize either approach. These are simply the two directions that many
shcools and textbooks will lead an EFL teacher toward using. If they have an
approach that is sensitive to the type of beginner that they are teaching, and
have given the term "beginner" the deeper examination it
requires, than this is more than acceptable. Secondly, these two approaches to
teaching beginners will still be part of initial lessons that are more similar
than they are different. They will have similar, short-term goals (learning basic
information exchange, numbers, greetings). They will also emphasize the same
techniques to achieve these ends (visual learning) while avoiding other
activities (those that require lengthy or complicated dialogues/directions).
Thirdly (and perhaps, most importantly), if a class of Beginners is so varied,
sharing a balance of so many characteristics of the various types that I have
cited above, then these considerations can be voided. Unfortantely, if nothing
close to a concensus can be reached as to which of these two approaches would
be most suitable, then, by default, the decision of which approach to use does
fall to the teacher.
3a. HOW TO GET STARTED - DAY
ONE There will be a lot of faces, with
varying degrees of nervousness and eagerness written all over them, looking at
their English teacher. However, they cannot really communicate with their new
teacher, nor can the teacher speak as freely as they usually would in English.
What to do? There is nothing close to a consensus upon what is the best handle
the first day of an EFL Beginners Course. Which, in part, is what makes this
particularly terrifying in the eyes of so many EFL teachers that have yet to go
through the experience. On the other hand, there is no shortage of ideas,
opinions and values floating around on the subject. Bearing this is mind; there
really is no need for the fear of this moment that exists in the field TEFL.
With a little bit research, an EFL teacher should be able to find some
combination of task/activity and technique/approach that they feel comfortable
with, that they can use to get things started. Below, I have categorically
listed some suggestions for "Day One" of an EFL Beginners
Course. I will also re-iterate one suggestion previously mentioned; Use this
day to ascertain information (through close observation, questions, survey,
etc.) that will provide some insight into what type of beginners are in the
class and what they want/need. CONCEPTUAL VALUES- *Do not demand that the
students speak. It is counter-productive and, quite possibly, futile. It is of
more importance that the students are attentive to, engaged with and
comprehending the task/activity. *Do not be overzealous in discouraging L1. It
is completely unrealistic on Day One with most types of beginners (only
Multilingual and False Beginners might even attempt to abide by an
´English Only´ rule at this stage). Whatever a
teacher´s view is on the usage of L1 in foreign-language
classroom, an EFL teacher would be well-advised to be both pragmatic and
patient with restricting L1 usage. Far-more important objectives at this stages
- objectives that will go a long way toward decreasing use of L1 - are creating
a classroom atmosphere built on respect, encouragement and patience, and decreasing
the prototypical, Teacher-to-Student power dynamic. Students will choose to use
English more often in the classes to come, once they feel relaxed, confident
and valued. *If a teacher suspects/knows that their Beginners Course will lack
motivation to study English (generally, because they haven´t
chosen to study it), they should make an extra effort to instill a sense of
desire to learn English, from Day One. Students that are motivated will make
for an enjoyable and successful. They are many known
´motivators´ that a teacher can use (some specific
to TEFL), so an EFL teacher has options. One interesting technique that I had
read about would be an excellent way to establish this value: Prepare a written
text in L1 (or, if the teacher can speak L1, they could deliver a dialogue) for
the students to read at the start of the first class. The text should list and
elaborate on the many reasons why the students should be excited about having
the opportunity to learn English. METHODOLOGIES/TECHNIQUES - *Communicate
without relying solely on the spoken/written word. Various ways to replace and
supplement speaking and writing include sound-effects, gesticulation, exaggerated
intonation, pictures/physical objects (with or without words attached) and
mime. If the course is mainly or exclusively Absolute Beginners, a teacher
should plan on utilizing some or all of the above for everything that they say
or write. Controlled language on its own will not be sufficient. *Sit in a
circle with the students. It is more inclusive, more relaxed and reduces the
Teacher-to-Student power dynamic. It fosters a sense of equality -
"We´re all in this together". This method is
strongly-recommended for Young Beginners and many cultures without knowledge of
the Roman Alphabet, who often view teachers as figures of authority. Such a
seating arrangement is also highly-conducive for conducting Activities #1 and
#3, listed below. ACTIVITIES - *Introduce yourself (with visual accompaniment,
if necessary). Encourage the students to do the same. First, collectively,
then, to the teacher and each other. Be sure to give prompts. This activity,
along with the two below, are particularly suggested because they serve a
practical purpose for the teacher as well: It gets the necessary task of
learning all of the student´s names out of the way.
*"The Ball Name Game". Gather the students and yourself into
a circle. Demonstrate how people introduce themselves in English. Then, toss a
ball to another student. When they catch it, remind/prompt them to introduce
themselves as you have just done. Get them to continue in this manner, passing
the ball to one another, and introducing themselves after they catch it. Ideal
for Young (Child) Beginners. *Introductions with a "Speech
Bubble". This can be used as part of the above activities, or stand on
its own (with the exception of Beginners Without Knowledge of the Roman
Alphabet). Draw two faces, with speech bubbles, on the board/large sheet of
paper. Draw arrows pointing from each face to the other, then number them 1
(first speaker) and 2 (second speaker). Inside the speech bubble, insert the
necessary dialogue of introductions. To help this process along, the teacher
can write the name of the students speaking under the faces. This can be done
collectively and, maybe later, in pairs. *If the teacher suspects/knows that
the students have some knowledge of English vocabulary or phrases, any activity
that will make them realize this. Encourage and enable them to share what they
do know. Just as being able to introduce one´s self will be
confidence building/anxiet reducing to Absolute Beginners, eliciting any
sizeable amount of English from False Beginners will do the same. They will
realize that they are not starting from absolute zero, they can communicate in
English if necessary, they can learn English. TASKS - *Have the students study
the English alphabet. Teach the names and sounds of the letters. If the teacher
finds that this focus is necessary and/or desired, and time permits, they could
continue with either of the following; 1) Have the students practice writing
their names, or 2) Studying the International Phonemic Alphabet (relate to
English alphabet, demonstrate how it will be used when consulting the
dictionary). Ideal for Beginners Without Knowledge of the Roman Alphabet. *Have
the students study some common, useful classroom expressions. Examples would
include: "How do you say/spell?", "May I go to the
restroom?", "Excuse Me", "Please",
"Thank You". "I don´t
understand", "Can you repeat that?". The terminology
of instruction (look, listen, repeat, open/close book) and classroom materials (pen,
paper, notebook, textbook, board, desk, chair) are other teaching ideas for
this type of task. This can be very practical, some of these expressions will
need to used from the very beginning of the course, while still others are not
easily mimed or demonstrated.
3b. HOW TO GET STARTED - THE
FIRST LESSONS Now that the class has met, the ice has
been broken, and the teacher has had an opportunity to consider what type of
students are in the course, the entire class is better prepared to begin with
their lessons. At this point, a teacher can begin solidifying the individual
lesson plans and course curriculum (although it would be best to still allow
for some flexibility and not to plan too far- ahead). Short-term goals can be
established: objectives to be achieved in the early stages of a Beginner Course
might include learning to conjugate common verbs, giving and asking for
personal information, understanding numbers, time and calendar dates, the
vocabulary of food and weather. Particular activities and study exercises for
individual lesson plans can also chosen at this time. Here´s an
interesting example of an early stage, Beginners Course teaching technique that
would work well within an Approach A teaching-style. The author has dubbed this
technique "The Human Tape Recorder": Have the students repeat
chorally, then study individually, short dialogue exchanges. The students then
need to practice the text until they can do it from memory. They should work on
this study exercise until it has been memorized and can be reproduced without
errors or long pauses. After this has been achieved (or done to the best of the
student´s present abilities), the teacher can either combine the
newly-absorbed dialogue within the stage of the lesson to follow, or simply
distribute/ask questions to check comprehension. The belief behind this
technique is that memorizing the vocabulary and grammar will create a
repertoire to draw from, sharpen intonation and pronunciation and develop the
students motor skills (which, along with cognitive skills, produce language).
Obviously, being intended for a Beginners Course, the dialogue should be both
simple and highly-practical: As the author admits, the technique is designed
more for "ordering a hamburger than critizing government
policy". It is more designed to instill a confidence in students to
communicate frequent, everyday needs than develop greater language awareness in
English. At this stage, the author feels that this can wait until another day.
Below, I have listed general approaches and techniques that are frequently and
successful applied in the intial lessons of a Beginners Course. I have selected
to highlight those which are most universally recommendable to all types of EFL
Beginners: *Allow rehearsal of the known. After this, introduce new vocabulary
and grammar slowly and systematically. The order and pace in which new language
introduced is very important. *Come prepared with extra material, more than you
ever would think to need. At this stage of the course, they will be very little
previously-learned knowledge to refer back to. Free conversation will not be an
option. Essentially, running out of exercises and activities here would be
"dead time", resorting in review ad-naseum or ending class
early! *Encourage the students to talk and read in unison. Usually, this
discouraged in classrooms. However, this would be a case in which the students
are getting much-needed practice in two skills at the same time. *Assign
homework for every lesson. Again, it gives the students much- needed practice.
At this stage, they will still need to encourage to think, produce and receive
English outside of their lessons. Practicing a foreign-language classroom alone
will never be sufficient enough to improve significantly. *Teach through
positive reinforcement. Praise and encouragement, often used in an EFL class to
motivate and relax, also can be directly involved in teaching-learning. Instead
of using the typical strategy of catching a student doing something
"wrong", then correcting them, catch a student doing
something "right", and enforce it. Make the positive the
example! Students do need to know if what they are doing is correct or
incorrect, to have a basis for improvement. However, this can partly be
achieved through reinforcing the positive. *Strategically group different types
of beginners together. The most commonly-utilized grouping of beginner students
that are identified as distinctly different is "weaker" with
"stronger". Another possibility of combining students would
include the "pairing the opposite" strategy: Young and Adult
beginners, Multilingual and Monolingual beginners, Beginners Without Knowledge
of the Roman Alphabet and Beginners With Knowledge of the Roman Alphabet. In
these cases, at least one person in the pair/small group will have a skill,
strength or knowledge that the other does not. At times, the exchange will be
multidirectional.
I still believe it boils down to GREAT teachers that instill the 3 R’s – RELEVANCE, RIGOR, and RELATIONSHIPS in everyday practice.
