Customizing Teaching by Developing Appropriate Materials

Customizing Teaching by Developing Appropriate Materials Carlos Lizárraga

Why customize?Why customize?

Customize: to modify or build according to individual or personal specifications or preference, e.g. to customize an automobile (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/customize)

Why customize?Why customize?

Customize: to modify or build according to individual or personal specifications or preference, e.g. to customize an automobile (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/customize)

Why customize?Why customize?

Customize: to modify or build according to individual or personal specifications or preference, e.g. to customize an automobile (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/customize)

The legacy of CLTThe legacy of CLT

Meaningful communicationFluency & accuracyInnovation and varietyIntegrated skills developmentScientific body of knowledge

Dissatisfaction with MethodDissatisfaction with Method

One-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach Top-down processes Emphasis on technical aspects of teaching Teacher as a technician

Postmethod ConditionPostmethod Condition

Bottom-up processReconfiguration of theorizer and practitionerPractitioners generate location-specific, classroom-oriented innovative strategies

An ideological awakeningAn ideological awakening

Critical pedagogyTeachers as transformative intellectualsSociocultural relevanceGlobal consciousness

Available materialsAvailable materials

TextbooksReflect “a social construction that may be imposed on teachers and students and that indirectly constructs their view of a culture.” (Cortazzi and Jin, 1999)Spread globally = not grounded in local sociocultural milieuChanging, but not quite there yet

What to do?What to do?

Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL)An international language: one which is used by people of different nations to communicate with one another. Smith (1976) quoted by McKay (2002)

TEIL – Assumptions (McKay 2002)TEIL – Assumptions (McKay 2002) English is used globally for international

communication, and locally as a language of wider communication within multilingual societies.

The use of English is no longer connected to the culture of Inner Circle countries.

English becomes embedded in the culture of the country in which it is used.

As English is an international language in a global sense, one of its primary functions is to enable speakers to share with others their ideas and culture.

TEIL – Assumptions (McKay 2002)TEIL – Assumptions (McKay 2002) English is used globally for international

communication, and locally as a language of wider communication within multilingual societies.

The use of English is no longer connected to the culture of Inner Circle countries.

English becomes embedded in the culture of the country in which it is used.

As English is an international language in a global sense, one of its primary functions is to enable speakers to share with others their ideas and culture.

Transformative IntellectualsTransformative Intellectuals

Situate the class in the words, concerns, and experience of the students.Are sensitive to pluralism. Are concerned with the affective dimension of human beings.

Cultural contentCultural content

L2 cultureL1 cultureGlobal culture

Cortazzi and Jin (1999) quoted by Kumaravadivelu (2003)

What’s missing?What’s missing?

L1 cultureL2 cultureGlobal culture

Cortazzi and Jin (1999) quoted by Kumaravadivelu (2003)

L1 Culture MaterialsL1 Culture Materials

Which themes could we teach our students?

Sample ThemesSample Themes

Developing our own materialDeveloping our own material

Finding a suitable textProducing a textDesigning the lesson plan

Finding a suitable textFinding a suitable text

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/

http://www.argentinaindependent.com/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/argentina

http://m24digital.com

Producing a textProducing a text

SimplificationAdaptationProducing the text from L1 sources

SIMPLIFICATION of authentic texts

Ragan’s criticism to simplification Ragan’s criticism to simplification

Drawbacks

Potential Benefits

Strategies to simplify a text Strategies to simplify a text

(Alex Ragan and D. Young)Substitution of technical or infrequent vocabularyShortening sentencesDeletion or rephrasing of idiomatic expressionsRestructuring sentences to reduce complexity, i.e. using simpler syntax.

Characteristics of elementary textsCharacteristics of elementary texts

Genre

Text structure

Language and literary features

Sentence complexity

Illustrations and graphics

Substitution of technical or infrequent vocabularySubstitution of technical or infrequent vocabulary

ORIGINAL: A new condition dubbed "Facebook depression" may affect teenagers who spend a significant amount of time on the social-networking site, researchers warned in the latest issue of Pediatrics Journal.SIMPLIFIED:There is a new condition called "Facebook depression”, which can affect teenagers who spend a long time on the social network, scientists say.

Text Adaptation Text Adaptation

Producing a text from L1 sourcesProducing a text from L1 sources

Let’s design our Lesson Plan!Let’s design our Lesson Plan!

Phillips’ 5 stages for lesson planning

1) PRE-TEACHING / PREPARATION STAGE:Anticipation and prediction.

Activities:• Brainstorming• Looking at visuals, headline, titles,

graphics, etc.• Predicting from title or first lines

From Omaggio, A.

2) SKIMMING / SCANNING STAGES:

Getting the gist (skimming) and locating specific info. (scanning)

Activities:• Identifying topic sentence and main ideas• Multiple choice on best paraphrase• Matching subtitles and paragraphs• Filling in charts• Creating headlines for different sections• Making global judgements or reacting

3) DECODING / INTENSIVE READING:

Guessing meaning of unknown words from context.

Harmer addresses the ‘vocabulary

question’

4) COMPREHENSION STAGE:

– Wh-questions– True/False questions– Multiple choice– Gap-filling exercises– Tables/charts to complete– Sorting/grouping– Sequencing– Matching

Comprehension Questions

Types of comprehension questions:•Literal•Reorganization•Inference•Evaluation

Forms of questions:•Yes/No•Alternative•True or False•Wh-•Multiple choice

5) TRANSFERABLE / INTEGRATING SKILLS:

Exercises to go beyond the confines of the specific passage.

After interacting with the text, Ss argue, reflect on content and give their point of view.

• Summarizing• Discussing• Relating topics to own reality• Think-pair-share• Response journals• Extension activities of various kinds

Sample Lesson PlansSample Lesson Plans

Suicide: Today’s World EpidemicPatagonian Brothers’ Adventurous JobsThe Coquena LegendEl Apóstol – The First Animated FilmThe Family Dog – An Urban MythOf Trees and Men - South American BonsaisPato, Our National Sport

Useful tipsUseful tips

Collaborative workBrainstorm to select theme, and types of textSearch for textsDivide up the task“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” –Lyndon Johnson