Introduction for trainers and tutors on courses

This book can be used as a basis for any training In the session, you may need to play the CD more
courses for teachers of English to 4–12 year olds. than once. Ideas for what to focus on each time are
We recommend that all tutors and teachers begin given in the section itself and there are more ideas in
by reading carefully through the Introduction, as this the main Introduction. Participants might profit from
gives insights into how the book was planned and some choral repetition of short chunks and phrases, to
advice on how to approach each section. focus on stress and intonation, as well as
pronunciation of key words.
Recommendations for training sessions In the Language Focus sections we have focused on
certain aspects of language used in the lesson extract.
There are some activities which would be best done
Participants could, however, analyse other aspects of
in group sessions. Many activities denoted by the
an extract.
symbol i will benefit participants more if done in
pairs or small groups. On all training courses, there teaching tips: participants can read through the
are some participants who feel shy and ashamed tips and relate them to their own experience. Then in
of their level of English, and who hesitate to speak pairs or groups they can
English in front of the whole group. In the relative — tell others about their own experience of similar
privacy of a small group or pair, they are less likely techniques, situations (‘I once did/used ... with a
to worry about making mistakes and are more likely class of 8 years olds ...’)
to try out new words and phrases. Working in pairs — suggest situations in their classes where such tips
increases the opportunities they get for spontaneo might help, and say how they might actually carry
us speech, and helps them develop their fluency them out
and confidence. — give ideas for adapting the tips or setting activities
up differently.
Starting a new section
After this, ask some pairs to report their best idea to
Begin each new section by letting participants
the class. Give the whole group time to prepare what
read the rationale for the activity type, and then
to say, if they are asked.
summarize and/or discuss the main points either
as a class or with participants in groups. extension ideas: participants read through these
ideas, then
Using the CD and the classroom extracts
— choose one they have experience of, or would like
A CD is provided with this book because it gives
to try out, and tell each other what they did/might
teachers examples of English in use in the classroom.
do in class and what the good things/difficulties
It is the simplest and most direct way to show how
were/might be
listening to English can improve pronunciation
— try to suggest another similar activity, or another
and intonation.
topic this could be done with
Before playing the CD, ensure teachers understand
— think of ways to extend them further, and add
the classroom context. As you progress through the
reading or writing activities.
book, you may get to know some of the teachers on
After this, ask some different pairs to report their best
the CD quite well. Note that some of the teachers
idea to the class. Again, give the whole class time to
contributed several lessons at different levels. You
prepare what to say.
may need to explain to participants that the original
teachers’ recordings had to be re-recorded by actors in Language Focus exercises
a studio, which is why some teachers sound rather These can be done in pairs. Encourage participants to
similar to each other. (Reassure them that the actors — add to and adapt the language in the tables
had heard the original tapes and kept as close as (explaining to each other in what context their
possible to the original.) phrases would be used) and then practise in pairs

ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

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8 Introduction for trainers and tutors on courses

— do the task (for example, pairing, adding, Follow-up presentations

sequencing, spotting the odd one out) first on their After pair or group discussions of Extension Ideas,
own and then compare the way they did it with Teaching Tips, and Topic Talk, participants can be
their partner, reading the phrases out loud. asked to present their findings or best ideas to
Let participants try out some short interactions, role- another small group or to the whole class. Because
playing with each other, and building on the this constitutes a more ‘public’ performance, there
examples a little more. Encourage them to will be a natural urge to be as accurate and as
— exaggerate the intonation and expression they use organized as possible. But before they present their
while doing this, for fun findings in public, they will benefit from some
— say the phrases/examples out loud from memory, planning time, when they plan roughly what they
without reading them from the book will say and try to make their language suitably
— see how many they can remember in one minute accurate. During this planning time, they can ask a
without looking back at the book trainer if they are not sure of a language point, or
— choose the most useful language and tell the class check in a dictionary or with their co-participants.
what it was and when they could use it This process mirrors a three-part Task-based
— write new words and expressions in their approach (Willis 1996):
language notebooks task
— prepare together in pairs what they are going to — done in pairs or small groups
record on their personal cassette at home. — spontaneous talk
During the following session, ask participants if (mistakes don’t matter).
you can hear a short sample from some of their planning
recordings. (Participants can choose what bit to play — pairs decide what ideas to present to the whole group
to the class, and have their cassettes wound back, — efforts made to plan appropriate language that is
ready to play, at the start of the session.) This is a good both fluent and accurate.
way of ensuring that participants actually do make report
the effort to record. And always think of something — tutor asks some pairs/groups to report their ideas,
positive to say about their contributions. i.e. to present their ideas to the whole class
We emphasize getting participants to record — this is more formal planned talk
themselves because we believe that ‘going public’ — the ideas can then be summarized or discussed.
greatly enhances the desire to improve their own
language, and the effort put into preparing for the Further study ideas
recording aids both memory retention and recall. Here we would like to encourage teachers to
Topic Talk and Storytelling continue in their own personal self-development.
These are best done in small groups, to increase Many of the ideas ask teachers to look back again at
opportunities for teacher talk. Topic Talk sections specific activities and language, to listen again to
are set up differently in each unit on purpose to extracts, and then to plan, work out, and write down
give teachers experience of a variety of types of ideas for lessons. Then finally teachers can try out
interaction and activity. See the main Introduction their ideas, teach, and record their own classes.
for further rationale. You may well wish to change or Teachers could keep a record in their journals of
supplement these topics to suit your local syllabus. any comments or analysis, and the self-evaluation
If your participants need more fluency practice they are doing. Using journals helps trainees
and opportunities for sustained talk, ask them to structure their own learning and become more
prepare a simple story on a familiar topic, to tell in aware of their specific needs.
the next group session. They can do this even before You might find it useful to make notes on some of
they get the things you learn from looking at their journals, if
to the units on storytelling. You can set a one-minute you have agreed beforehand that you can read them.
time limit to begin with. Sometimes they can record
their story in their own time and play it back in a
group session. If they are shy, they can tell or play
their story in small groups of three or four.

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 Introduction for trainers and tutors on courses 9

Organizing teaching practice activities with a focus Recommendations for individual study during
on classroom language a course

The following pattern has proved useful for a in preparation for course sessions, as
practising classroom language in training sessions. introductory reading, participants could:
It could be used with the activities or situations — read the Introduction to the book
illustrated in a classroom extract, or suggested in a — read the outline contents and introduction
Teaching Tips or Extension Ideas section. to each unit
Divide participants into groups of three (or possibly — read the beginnings of sections where some
four, but not less than three). rationale is given
Ask them to appoint one teacher, one or two — prepare some ideas for Topic talk or
children, and one language secretary. storytelling.
— Tell and show the ‘teachers’ from each group what
b as a follow-up to course sessions, for language
they have to do.
consolidation purposes, participants could:
— Tell the ‘children’ from each group that they must
— listen to the classroom extracts on the CD again
only do what they are actually told by the teacher,
— practise their personal pronunciation and
and nothing else. (As teachers they may see in
intonation using the CD
advance the point of activities and may do what
— record themselves and play back their
they know is required, not just what the
recordings
‘teacher’ says.)
— prepare to talk about activities that they have
— Tell the language secretaries to write down as
done with their own learners.
much as they can of what the ‘teacher’ says. Some
groups could use a tape recorder if conditions c for preparing class activities and teaching
allow this. practice sessions, and keeping records:
When the activity is finished each group can analyse — prepare new activities to try out in class or in
their performance in terms of language used with the group sessions
help of a form like the following: — write their journal and keep up a language
notebook
Participants’ names — keep a record of successful activities and
teaching materials for a portfolio.
Language What was What was How to
used for clear and unclear and improve
activity why why At the end of the course

Encourage teachers to form local support groups so

Each time you do this let different participants role- they continue to have the opportunity to compare
play the teacher, the children, and language secretary. and discuss teaching ideas with colleagues. After
When all the groups have finished they can pool their the training session they may arrange to meet
findings and see what they have learnt. occasionally or regularly, and to share ideas
This kind of group activity should help teachers and materials.
support one another and help them feel less nervous
about teaching in front of larger groups.
Contact time on training courses is often limited.
You may want to ask course participants to read and
study some parts of each unit on their own. They can
write down in their own language notebook any new
language they see or questions they have, to ask you
in class.

ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

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