How to Teach Low Achievers

English Effectively

Chun-yin Doris Chen

National Taiwan Normal University

I. Introduction About low achievers --- Motivation --- Anxiety --- Learning styles --- Learning attitudes --- Peer interaction --- Information processing

II. English Teaching in the New Era

Student-centered Individual Differences Multiple Intelligences Proportional Considerations Variety

Multiple Intelligences

linguistic interpersonal intrapersonal naturalist musical spatial bodily-kinesthetic logical-mathematical

III. Theories of Second/ Foreign Language Acquisition

Behaviourism: the Second Language View

Cognitive Theory: a New Psychological Approach

Creative Constructive Theory The Second Language

Interactionist View

Creative Constructive Theory

The acquisition-learning hypothesis

The monitor hypothesis The natural order hypothesis The input hypothesis The affective filter hypothesis

The Second Language Interactionist View

comprehension checks clarification requests self-repetition or paraphrase

IV. Teaching Methodologies

Communicative Language Teaching

--- the role of the teacher --- multiple methodologies --- learning by doing

V. What to Emphasize? accuracy vs. fluency grammar vs. meaning linguistic competence vs.

communicative competence

VI. What is a communicative task?

Classification I--- task completion--- problem solving--- game playing--- social interaction

Classification II--- mechanical --- duplication --- repetition --- substitution

meaningful--- identification--- ordering--- completion

communicative--- application

VII. Common Activities chants songs games TPR activities picture-drawing pair work group work

VIII. My Experience First Semester --- Quizzes --- Self-introduction tape --- Weekly e-mail --- Role play 1, 2, 3, 4 --- Presentation of the main idea --- Mid-term exam --- Final exam

During the winter vacation --- A letter

Second Semester --- Quizzes --- Show & Tell --- Weekly e-mail --- Radio play --- Vocabulary teaching --- Mid-term exam --- Final exam

Extra Credits First Semester --- a tape (reading aloud) Second Semester ---

My Visit to the Language Learning Center

--- Feedback from students

Teaching Procedures Warm-up & Review --- Quizzes (but not under 70) --- Self-introduction tape (Listening: Note-taking)

Presentation --- Pre-reading questions (Q & A) --- Vocabulary teaching --- Explanation of the paragraphs --- Emphasis of the reading strategies --- interaction, visual aids, students’ demonstration, etc.

Extension Activities --- Explanation of

the structure of the lesson --- group work 1, 2, 3 --- pair work --- games

Wrap-up --- comprehension check --- singing a song

Structure of this lessonIntroduction: Definition of the culture warMain Text--- Relationship between the culture war and

the mass media--- Statement of the problem--- Two different voices --- Conservatives’ views & strategies --- Liberals’ views & questionsConclusion: Recent report

Questions for Interview What/Who can encourage you to

do more textbook reading? When you feel that reading

textbooks is not interesting, what do you do at that time?

It’s time to debate…

Should we let teenagers watch A-films?

Vocabulary Check diversities attributed devote extensive undertaking stimulating

Comprehension Check – According to the author, what is one

of the hardest jobs a person will have?

– What does it mean when a person takes time to explore career options?

– Why is finding the best occupation important?

My Reflection (1) Asking questions Providing feedback/ Giving praise Encouraging talk Using humor Referring to the class as “our” class Discussing things unrelated to class Addressing students by name Calling on students to ask questions

My Reflection (2) I do have a sense of achievement. They are [+teachable]. It’s easy to change their attitude.

But it takes ...

a long timeto help them pass the proficiency

test.

IX. Concluding Remarks games & scoring activity variations --- listening --- speaking --- reading --- writing compliment & encouragement total immersion vs. partial immersion

Don’t forget… to create a nice atmosphere for students to make students feel English is fun to have students express in English

naturally

The End!