Motivation - Question 7

Teaching by Principles - An interactive approach to language pedagogy

By H. Douglas Brown – 1994

Answer – Question 7 – Page 45

The school curriculum is dictated by institutions that can be far removed from even teacher’s choice. Parent’s and society’s values and wishes are virtually forced onto pupils, whether they like it or not. The consequence of such extrinsic motivators is that schools all too often teach students to play the “game” of pleasing teachers and authorities rather than developing an internalized thirst for knowledge and experience.

Examples:

• Asking the students to bring lyrics of musics that they like;
• Group work and teaching English with videos and cartoons;
• Viewing the class as a team;
• Using conversation to improve the pronunciation;
• Teaching writing as a thinking process in which learners develop their own ideas freely and openely.

Interactive Questions for Piauí Students

Hello,

I would like to talk to you a little about you and your course...


1. What kind of subject about this course do you like to study?


2. Do you like to use pen-pal or another kind of interactive talking?


3. If you had to choose another prefession, what would you choose?


Se vocês preferirem podem responder em Português...

Thank you so much!!

Parody

Another Kid in the Mall

We don't need no reputation

We are out of control

We don't want to stay in the bedroom

Parents, we don't need to stay home

Hey! Parents! We don't need to stay home

'Cause we are another kid in the mall
'Cause we are just another kid in the mall

We don't need no introductions
We are here to have control
You don't need to stay in the bedroom

Kids, you need to stay home
Hey! Kids! You need to stay home


'Cause you are another kid in the mall
'Cause you are just another kid in the mall

The Practise of English Language Teaching

Writing

Written text has a number of conventions wich separate it out from speaking. We need to take care of some points in our texts: handwriting, spelling, layout, punctuation.


Handwriting: The tacher may help the students how to improve their handwriting. The teacher can write sentences for students imitate that writing, but they will have a personal style.


Spelling: The students are used to write the way they speak. It´s a problem because in English we don´t write the same way. There is a difference between American English and British English, it can confuse the student. It´s necessary to foccus on a particular varierty of English.


Layout and Punctuation: Frequently the punctuation is a personal style of writing. As teachers we need to help them how to use the punctuation following the grammar rules. We can show them different types of letters, like: business letter, comercial letter, etc.


Different approaches to the practise of writing skills both in and outside the classroom:

• The student may write a draft first and then a final text after reviewing it.
• The student read an article and after write with their own words what thay understood about it.
• Creative writing: poetry, stories and plays. According to Gaffield - Vile, creative writing is a journey of self-discovery.
• Using the coomputer: e-mails, pen-pals, etc.
• Writing lessons sequences: Students can look at the pictures and then write a story about it.
• Dictations