Dr. Rob Waring Sanyo Lectures, May 2017 Balanced Language Dr. Rob Waring Sanyo Lectures, May 2017

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Many learners think learning English is like building a wall The …est Logarithmic As … as Holdall Churlish Watch Centralize Thermostat Not only but… Statue Monument Culture Diverse Ought Container Radiate TV Might Wise Justice Need to Deceiver Eyebrow Couldn't Get Eraser Government Special Yellow Kitchen May Hair Going to Smile Window Must Car Go Blonde See In Out of By Dog Have to Apple Can Should Happy Bus Book Be Buy Tennis Will

Get more input (feedback) The Cycle of Learning Notice something Add to our knowledge Get more input (feedback) Try it out

We forget about the ‘Forgetting Curve’ Knowledge The Forgetting Curve Time

Make a list of say 20 activities learners most often do in English classes. e.g. explain things on the board, use the course book, discussions, pronunciation practice, read aloud, ask learners to repeat after the teacher ……. Compare with a partner

Example Activities Comuni-cation Receptive Productive Language Study Explicit teaching Dictionary work Studying from a vocab book Intensive reading Language awareness activities Conscious word learning Controlled language production activities. Language and pronunciation drills Gap fill exercises Memorized dialogs Sentence completion tasks Tests Extensive reading Extensive listening Watching movies Browsing the Internet Listening to the radio or music ‘Free’ language production activities. Casual conversations Debates and discussions Email, and online chat Diary writing Essays Receptive Productive Language Study Comuni-cation

The Balanced Curriculum Receptive Productive Language Study Explicit teaching Dictionary work Studying from a grammar book Intensive reading Language awareness activities Conscious word learning Controlled language production activities. Language and pronunciation drills Gap fill exercises Memorized dialogs Sentence completion tasks Tests Repeat after a teacher Communication / Using language for meaning Extensive reading Extensive listening Watching movies Browsing the Internet Listening to the radio or music ‘Free’ language production activities. Casual conversations Debates and discussions Email, and online chat Diary writing Essays

Why can't many learners read, listen, speak and write well? They haven't met the words and grammar enough times to feel comfortable using them They CANNOT speak until they feel comfortable using their knowledge They haven't developed a 'sense' of language yet Their language knowledge is often abstract, separated, discrete and very fragile so they forget This knowledge can't be turned into use easily There's too much work on “the pieces-of-language” and not enough comprehensible, meaningful, connected discourse

A linear structure to our syllabuses Unit 1 Be verb Simple adjectives Unit 2 Simple present Daily routines Unit 3 Present continuous Sporting activities Unit 4 can Abilities Unit 5 …. ….. Each unit has something new We don’t meet language again enough times i.e. teaching causes learning

What will naturally happen to the learning? Unit 1 Be verb Simple adjectives Unit 2 Simple present Daily routines Unit 3 Present continuous Sporting activities Unit 4 can Abilities Unit 5 …. …..

Course work and Graded Readers work together Unit 1 Be verb Unit 2 Simple present Unit 3 Present continuous Unit 4 can Unit 5 …. Introducing language Consolidating and deepening language knowledge Extensive Reading