7th Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

Today I learned about Factors Affecting English Language Teaching & Learning in High Education. There are 3 factors as follows:

          1. Age

          Yong children – response meaning, learn indirectly, understanding come not just from explanation, but from they see, listen, and touch. They want to talk about themselves and have limited attention span. They can easily get bored and losing interest in 10 minutes. 

          Adolescents – discipline problem, like challenges, less motivated, need approval, individual identity

          Adult learner – come with experience, have expectation learning process, more discipline, struggle, have clear understanding of what they learn, have more motivation, critical teaching methods

          2. Learner differences

          Ø Aptitude

          Ø Good learner characteristics

          Ø Learner styles

             ØLanguage levels

          Ø Individual variations

Today I knew about factors that affect students’ learning.  It was very helpful for me. Knowing the style of the learner makes me more aware of learners’ needs.

But some vocabulary about learner styles that teacher presents on the board are difficult for me, so I consulted online dictionary.    

6th Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

Teacher assigned me to study about classroom learning context in Malaysia, Mozambique and China. Teacher lets me to study in pair then answer the questions;

1. Make comment on each classroom learning context

w Malaysia: Good atmosphere for young students, teacher can motivate students by using activity.

w Mozambique: Teacher teaches in meaningless, give only pattern to students and isn’t related with the context in daily life.

w China: Teacher dominate classroom

2. Which classroom do you like most?

I like classroom in number 1 because students and teacher can interact and make a good relationship. Students was activated by teacher. Teacher set the activity appropriate for students. It makes students feel relax and warm.

3. What are strengths and weaknesses of each classroom?

classroom learning context	strengths	weaknesses
Malaysia	- good atmosphere - motivate students	take time
Mozambique	correctly according to the dialogue pattern	students can't speak without pattern in dairy life with contexts
China	give the chance for students to ask questions	students not active and feel bored

After that, teacher involved me to summarize factors affecting ELT and learning consists of 3 factors;

          1. Teacher - teaching experience

                             - technics

                             - teaching strategies

                             - teaching ,methods

                             - managing classroom

          2. Students         - learning style

                             - background knowledge

                             - attitude

                             - motivation, attention

                             - age

          3. Learning environment   - role of teacher and students

                                                - relationship between teacher and students

                                                - activities

                                                - time management

                                                - large class

From examples classroom, the text is contained with simple vocabulary for me. I can read

text easily. I understand the text and feel happy to work in pair.

Finding factors that affect learning English is still difficult for me because learning English

well is caused by many factors, both teachers and the environment.

But working in pairs helped me get more new ideas. I have a friend who help me to think

and we help each other to find the factors. It is a good way to work smoothly.

From the lesson, I feel enjoyable and happy with class.

5th Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

Teacher assigned me to study articles about "The roles of English Language Education in Asian context by Bok-Myung Chang:  Namseoul University" I knew about the history of English Language Education in Asian countries: Singapore, Philippine, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. After that teacher lets us to present in front of the class.

The Roles of English Language Education in Asian Context

          1. To recognize the importance of NNS (Non-Native Speaker) interactions in communicating through English, to activate people for using English in daily life.

          2. To emphasize the bi-directionality in communicating among NS and NNS in global social.

          3. To accept the effectiveness of NNS teacher in teaching English in Asian

The importance of non-native interactions in Asian context  

          Prof. Yana; pointed out the effects of NS-NNS as follows:

          1. Using English in the NS-NNS help Asian students to expose themselves toward NS

          2. Using English for communication in English, learner in Asian helps them to be positive and active in the international communication and forces them to be ready to interact immediately.

          3. Non-NS realized that the main important of using English is able to discuss and express their ideas and opinion. So, Non-NS often makes the grammatical mistakes. 

Moreover, good teachers should be good in various factors, including psychological factors, social factors, ability to adapt different strategies and creating interesting activities for students.

          Some content in the article is quite easy for me. Group discussion is a good way to make me understand the article because my friends explain some topics or vocabulary that make me clear more.

          For my difficult, the article are contained many content. I have to read and try to understand, so I have to spend a lot of time.

          For this reasons, I ask my friends to explain more.

          I rather like group discussions because everyone in my group express opinion, share ideas fill the knowledge together. These things make me happy in learning.

4th Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

For this week, I learned about 21^st Century Learning: Pedagogical Perspectives. It makes me know about information of teaching and learning in 21^st Century and helps me to prepare myself for my teaching in the future as follows:

Key subjects

? English, reading or language arts

? World languages

? Arts

? Mathematics

? Economics

? Science

? Geography

? History

? Government and Civics

Themes

          ü Global awareness

ü Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy

ü Civic literacy

ü Health literacy

ü Environmental literacy

From these information, I learned new vocabulary. It is “ literacy (n.) ” It means the ability to use…….

Learning and Innovation Skills

µ Creativity and Innovation

µ Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

µ Communication and Collaboration

Information, Media and Technology Skills

& Information Literacy

& Media Literacy

& ICT Literacy

Life and Career Skills

< Flexibility & Adaptability

< Initiative & Self Direction

< Social & Cross-Cultural Skills

< Productivity & Accountability

< Leadership & Responsibility

          I already known some information about 21^st at semester 1, so it was quite easy for me.

          On the other hand, applying with Thai context is difficult. I think Thai context emphasize teacher-center more than students-center because Thai students don’t express their ideas in class, lack opportunities to use their skills to do activities and teacher isn’t support their skills that they have.

          For me, creating various activities for students to learn and practice in the classroom. It helps students to improve their skills.

          I like the content at this week. It is interesting for me and helps me to prepare my teaching as well. It's hard to give students the knowledge and skills I need. But I will do my best. AAA

3rd Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

After we had discussed from last week, we presented the topic in front of the class.

After that teacher lets us watched a video about World Englishes by David Crystal. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_q9b9YqGRY)

I like some his speech that “If you go to South Africa, you don’t understand some of the language. You think I’m a foreigner and not a native speaker of English. Don’t think like that I go to South Africa, I don’t understand the language and I’m a native speaker of English. You see there’s no difference between me and you when it comes to going to different parts of the world and encountering these new varieties of English and everywhere is the point you have to pick up on everywhere in every country in the world. There is a new variety of English going growing which is culturally influenced” that showed English is used as a language which each country use English differently. English is not language of only England or America but it is a language of all.

I have known some information about Global Englishes from last week that it is a foundation make me rather understand. I like the video because Crystal’s speech taught me know other information.

For my difficulty, I think that it is my listening skill because I can’t understand something with listening 1 round. I need to listen more, then I can understand more.

I solve the problem by attention to listen for my first time. Next time I looked description from the video. Moreover I asked my friends about some topic that I don’t still understand.

From watching the video, it make me think that learning from books or sheet are not enough. The teacher should use other materials to encourage or challenge students to learn. For my future, I going to use various materials like my teacher. 

2nd Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

Today, teacher assigned my friends and I discussed about global English, ESL, EFL and EIL in group work.

Global English refers to the use of the English language as a common means of communication across cultures--a lingua franca. Also known as International English and Common English.

By Richard Nordquist

ESL is English as Second Language. ESL classes are for students who do not speak English as their native language.

An ESL classroom is in a country where English is the dominant language. The students are immigrants or visitors. The class is usually of mixed nationalities, so students don’t share a native language or a common culture. Outside the classroom, students have a specific, practical need for English, and ample opportunity to use it. Students have extensive daily exposure to English-speaking culture, although their understanding may be limited by their language skills.

EFL is English as Foreign Language

An EFL classroom is in a country where English is not the dominant language. Students share the same language and culture. The teacher may be the only native English speaker they have exposure to. Outside of the classroom students have very few opportunities to use English. For some, learning English may not have any obvious practical benefit.  Students have limited exposure to English-speaking culture, most often through a distorted lens like TV or music.

By Oxford University Press ELT      

I think the contents for this week is easy for me because I learned some contents about ESL, EFL and EIL from English Teaching Methodology 1 in semester 1.  

On the other hand, I think that finding differences of ESL and EFL students are quite difficult because I have not yet learned about the contexts of both types of students. 

Accordingly I solved the problem by talking with my friends and reading handout that I prepared before come to class.

However, I like discussion with my friends. It help me to understand the contents and change idea between the other. I think group learning / discussion / brainstorming can help students to learn contents very well also.

1st Learning Reflection in Seminar in English Language Teaching Course

      Today is first time that I met Asst.Prof.Dr. Usa Noytim, instructor in this course. This is second time that I have occasion to study with her. I feel happy and glad that I met her again because I like her teaching style. When I studies with her, I always was enthusiastic.

After that she assigned my friends and I thought about four courses that we learned as workgroup as follows:

1. English Teaching Methodology 1

2. English Language Assessment and Evaluation

3. Learning English through Projects and

4. Cultures of speakers of English

My friends and I worked with together. We brainstormed and discussed then, we presented in front of class.

WHAT  DID  YOU  FIND  EASY ?

In my opinion, I like to discuss in small group work because it is a good way and easy to make me review knowledge. Furthermore, Group working can help me be familiar with others’ idea from my friends so I also accept another idea.

What  did  you  find  difficult ? (problem)

Next, I’d like to you about difficulty in this week, I think it is thinking about what did we learn in previous semester because I can’t remember some part in course. But, everyone in my group try to recall content in that course.

What  did  you  solve  the  problem ?

I will review previous contents by reading books or studying from the Internet when I have free time. I think it is a good way to increase my knowledge.

What  did  you  attitudes  towards  the  lesson ?

            Finally, I think this course is quite difficult for me because I must to read and analyze many article and journal. However, I will try to read the content more and prepare myself before come to class.