Teach English in ZhongshAn Zhen - Tianshui Shi

This unit went over the various materials/teaching themes that can be used to teach Business English and example lessons. The first teaching theme introduced was that of case studies. Case studies provide a whole range of learning activities, and serves as good practice of what has already been taught. Case studies can also introduce students to new vocabulary and language structures. Having a selection of case studies to use is important and it is a sensible idea to use non-authentic material (case studies from a textbook etc.) until you have some practice with researching and selecting your own appropriate ones. This unit gave a list of ways on how to use case studies for teaching. The are as follows: Introduce and give background information to the topic (i.e. build up motivation and skill for the tasks; inform students clearly of the aims and objectives of the exercise), pre-teach the language of the activity (i.e. try to elicit vocabulary from students, create lists on board, etc), set up the mechanics of the activity (i.e. assigned roles - chair person, note taker), demonstrate the process of the activity (keeping it as visual as possible) and follow up with a check of understanding, give students a framework to use (i.e. they will need to take out relevant information to discuss the issues then write about their findings; tell students what the main issue is), let students work on it (i.e. try not to interrupt the flow of the activity, monitor the language use noting common errors ready for feedback later), give feedback (allow each group time to prepare their work; avoid corrections here), and lastly, debrief and correction (praise greatly then offer corrections and room for improvement). Frameworking is a second teaching theme presented in this unit, and is commonly used in theoretical physics and economics. The model of framworking is as follows: input (starting conditions) -> process (what happens in the intermediate step) -> output (what you end up with). It is helpful during the teaching of frameworking to study the language of change (i.e. where are we now/past, this is where we want to be, what do we have to do to achieve these aims). A teacher should also create language examples for the students to refer to. In terms of tenses, input is written in past simple, process in the present perfect continuous tense, and output in the present simple tense. It is therefore vital that students are familiar in these tenses when working with frameworking. A third learning theme presented in this unit is problem based learning. In this theme, the teacher becomes a facilitator and students work in groups to solve problems. Problem based learning requires student roles, such as a chair person fo the group and someone designated to keeping minutes. Students should begin by reading the problem and identify any words not understood (i.e. look up definitions in a dictionary), followed by identifying the problem in their own terms/words. Students should then carry out a brainstorming session and list key issues. The group should then decide on tasks (appointed to people) and work on tasks. When the exercise is completed, students/groups must present their research to the class. With case studies, problems are overt. However, with problem based learning, students are given the opportunity to identify what they feel are the problems to be addressed (more critical based thinking). A fourth teaching theme presented in this unit is that of games, and almost all games can be adapted for practice. For example, hangman is a good warm up activity for vocabulary; monopoly can be adapted by making each square a question - no money is needed - if you answer correctly, you get a house; and Pictionary can also be adapted. The unit gives examples of how games can be used in the Business English classroom, as well as the advice to start with a teaching point first and then think about which games could be used to cover those points (rather than selecting a game first). A fifthy teaching theme is Computer Aided Language Learning. The internet provides great access to authentic material, lesson planing outlines, student research topics, and aids in teaching development. The internet is a resource that also provides for reading and writing practice (i.e. formatting, examples). To find authentic reading materials, you can visit business biography websites. A sixth teaching theme is called Speech Act Theory (language acquisition theory), where there are different levels of language building. The first level is Utterance: saying a word or short phrase with no particular meaning (reflex action). The second level is Propositional Utterances (identifies something and involves interaction; a specific kind of utterance; there is a speaker and a listener; does not have to mean anything/do not expect a response). The third level is called illocutionary utterances, which consist of propositional phrases, having the intention of communicating with a listener. The meaning of a set of words in this level depends on the speakers intentions (i.e. question, statement, request). The fourth and last level is called Periocutionary Utterances, which are the most important aspects of speech and have the intention of affecting the behaviour of the recipient. These utterances are followed by a response and are most normal conversations. To be able to produce a higher level, lower levels must first be mastered. Lastly, this theme provided examples of how to put theory into practice (i.e. questioning, negotiating, making offers and requests). A teacher can also help correct problems created by cross-cultural mistakes using this teaching theme. The last section of this unit provided three extensive examples of lessons for different learning objectives and language levels. The lessons provided gave detailed examples of how a lesson in Business English is carried out, and what activities will help students stay engaged and learn best.