Teach English Adrian Doff Cambridge University Press 2004
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Introduction This book is a training course for teachers of
English as a foreign language. It can be used on refresher courses
or on in-service/ pre- service courses. It contains practical
instructions It handles a wide array of teaching situations 2
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How the book is built It contains 24 units. It caters for all
levels (elementary through advanced) Each unit is built around a
topic and stands as a training session. Each training session is
made up of an introduction, workbook activities, lesson preparation
and further readings. 3
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Content Presenting Vocabulary; Asking Questions; Presenting
Structures; Using the Board; Using a Reading Text; Using Visual
Aids; Planning a Lesson; Teaching Basic Reading; Teaching
Pronunciation; Teaching Handwriting; Pairwork and Groupwork;
Writing Activities; Eliciting; Teaching Basic Reading Reading
Activities; Correcting Errors; Listening Activities; Communicative
Activities; Using English in Class; Role play; Using Worksheets;
Classroom Tests; Planning a Weeks Teaching; Self-Evaluation 4
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Who the Course Is For This book is designed to met the needs of
teachers who: Teach in large classes with few resources Follow a
set syllabus and textbooks, and have little control over content or
choice of material Are not native speakers of English Have little
time available for lesson planning 5
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Stucture of the Course The course contains 24 units, each
focusing on a different area of methodology and provides material
for about four hours training. The units can be tackled
independently as they are self- contained. The course comprises a
Trainers Handbook and a Teachers Workbook. 6
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Using the Course To be effective, this course should be used
with groups of not more than 30 teachers. Every teacher should have
a copy of the workbook Using the course involves three main kinds
of activity: demonstrations, discussions and pair and group
activities 7
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Demonstrations When a new technique is introduced, itis usually
demonstrated. The demonstration is sometimes at the teachersown
language level; sometimes it is at the language level of their
students. The trainers handbook gives notes onhow to conduct each
demonstration. 8
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Discussions New ideas are presented in the form of disussions,
in which the teachers participate and contribute their own ideas
This involves the teachers and allows them to bring their own
experiencesto bear on the topic under discussion It also helps the
trainers to see how well the teachers have understood the new ideas
For a successful discussion, it is important for the trainer not to
impose his ideas and to accept different points of view. 9
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Pair and Group activities Pair or group activities have three
stages: 1. Introduction to the activity 2. The activity itself:
teachers work independently in pairs or in groups 3. A round-up
stage where the pairs or groups share their answers or conclusions.
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Lesson preparation It is the final activity in each unit.
Teachers plan a lesson incorporating ideas and techniques that have
been introduced in the training session. The preparation can be
done under the trainers guidance or in the teachers own time, in
pairs or in groups. The Workbok provides detailed instruction for
Lesson Preparation. Teachers should try out their preparation soon
after the training session in their classes. They can also practice
peer teaching or write detailed lesson plans 11
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Self-Evaluation Sheets These sheets aim to: Develop teachers
own self-awareness, so that they can improve their own teaching
independently. Encourage teachers to think of their lessons from
the learners point of view, and shift the focus of attention from
teaching to learning. 12
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These sheets can be used in several ways: Teachers complete the
sheet privately after they have tried new ideas or techniques The
sheet can be used for informal discussion sessions organized by
groups of teachers in case they are attending the same training
program. It can be completed by both teacher and supervisor
observing the lesson, and then used for discussion and comment. It
can be used by as an observation sheet by other teachers in the
case of peer teaching 13
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Adapting the Course Examples, vocabulary and situation can be
replaced by equivalent ones from the teachers own textbook. Where
necessary, situations can be adapted to make them locally relevant
Where texts are intended as examples for use in class, they can be
substituted by equivalent texts from the teachers own textbook.
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English Teaching methodology The book does not preach one
single method or approach, but draws on what is of value both in
traditional and in more recent approaches. The book also follows
the recent trend in methodology and shifts the the emphasis from
the teacher to the learner. Teachers are asked to experience and
evaluate techniques from the learners point of view. Although the
subject of the book is teaching English, the course aims to make
teachers more aware of their role as helpers in the learning
process. 15
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1. Presenting Vocabulary Vocabulary can be presented in
different ways: pictures, visuals, gestures, drawings, and facial
expression Giving an example, using the word in context. This works
well with abstract words. Translating the word into the students
mother tongue A combination of different techniques. For example,
the word smile. 16
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Which words to present? Active vocabulary: words that students
need to understand and also use themselves. Passive vocabulary:
words we want the students to understand, but which they will not
need to use themselves. It is worth emphasizing that students
should understand far more words than they can produce, so we
should not treat all new words as active vocabulary. 17
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2.Asking Questions Why do teachers ask questions? To check that
students understand. To give the students practice To find out what
students really think or know. 18
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Types of Questions There are different types of questions:
Yes/no questions used mainly to check comprehension Or question,
sometimes called alternative questions and the reply is usually a
word or phrase. From the question itself. Wh- questions, also
called information questions and the natural answer is usually
short. 19
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Questioning Strategies The teacher asks the question and simply
lets students call out the answer, He asks the question and pauses
to give the whole class a chance to think of the answer, He may
first choose a student, and then asks him a question, He may ask a
question and let students raise their hands if they think they know
the answer. 20
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This strategy encourages bright students and makes the class
seem to be successful because students are volunteering answers. If
it is the only strategy used, it allows the class to be dominated
by the best students while weaker and shy students tend to be
excluded. It also makes it easy for students to avoid answering
questions. it is a good strategy to use for difficult questions
that only some students will be able to answer. 21
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3. Blackboard Use Presenting new words Showing spelling Giving
a model for handwriting Writing prompts for practice Drawing a
picture Presenting structures Drawing tables, diagrams Eliciting
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Writing on the Board Write clearly Write in a straight line
Stand in a way that does not hide the board Talk as you write. The
most important item should be written in the centre. Key vocabulary
should be written down the side of the board. Drawing should be
simple (stick figures) Draw quickly to keep the interest of the
class. 23
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4.Using a Reading Text The purpose defines the way a text is
used: To develop reading comprehension skills? To present new words
and structures? To practice language? 24
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Silent Reading Students need to develop the skill of reading
silently as this is the case in the real world. In silent reading,
students concentrate on the text and think about meaning. Students
read at their own speed, and if they donot understand a sentence,
they can always go back and read it again. 25
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Reading Aloud Reading a text aloud while students are following
in their books means that they are compelled to follow the speed of
the teacher. Can be useful at the earliest stages of reading Is not
a very useful technique because only one student is reading at a
time; Students attention is focused on pronunciation. It is not
only unnatural, but also time-consuming 26
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Activities before Reading Presenting new vocabulary. Only the
words which make it very difficult to understand the text need to
be presented. Introducing the text (theme). Guiding questions: give
the students a reason to read the text and to lead them towards the
main points of the texts. 27
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Checking Comprehension Short-answer questions to break down the
meaning of the text Teacher asks his/ her own questions and leaves
the questions in the textbook to be answered in pairs or as
homework. 28
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Follow-up Activities Texts can be used as a basis for language
practice Discussion questions Reproducing the text Role-playing
Gap-filling 29
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5.Practising Structures The presentation of a structure is
followed by different ways of practising it: Repetition
Substitution Single-word prompts Picture prompts Free substitution
A single lesson would not of course include all these stages. The
stages are in no fixed order; some of them overlap. Students
practise in meaningful situations They say real things about
themselves 30
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6. Using Visual Aids Visual aids include: the teacher, the
board, real objects, flashcards, charts, flannel boards, magnet
board, slides, film strips, colored rods etc They focus attention
on meaning, making the language used in class more real and alive
They keep the students attention, making the class more interesting
They can be used at any stage of the lesson 31
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Flashcards Flashcards can be used for a multitude of purposes:
To present a new word To imagine a situation To use a particular
structure When we use a picture, students see what meaning to
express but have to find the words themselves. This focuses their
attention on meaning and prevents the activity from being
completely mechanical. 32
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7. Planning a Lesson Four main things a teacher needs to know
before going into the class to teach a lesson: The aim of the
lesson What new language the lesson contains. The main stages of
the lesson (the different activities) What to do at each stage
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The Stages of a Lesson: Presentation Practice Production
Reading Listening Review The students need to know the aim of the
lesson as a whole and the purpose of each stage. 34
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Writing a Lesson Plan Helps the teacher to decide exactly what
he will do and how he will do it. Boosts the teachers self
confidence. Allows the teacher to look at it after the lesson and
use it to evaluate what happened It can be kept and used later.
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8. Writing Activities A/Controlled writing Activities:
Gap-filling exercises: Students listen then write out the complete
sentence. Re-ordering words to write the sentences correctly.
Substitution: Students write a true sentence about themselves
Correcting the facts: Students rewrite the sentences so that they
match the picture. 36
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Dictation Advantages: An intensive activity which makes the
students concentrate The teacher can keep good control of the
class. It develops listening as well as writing. Disadvantages:
Time-consuming It develops spelling more than writing It is
unrealistic. Listening is word by word and at an unnaturally slow
speed. 37
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Guided Writing This can be done in two ways: By giving the
students a short text as model. For example, A Students Day and the
students will write about their day. By doing oral preparation for
the writing: the students make suggestions and the teacher builds
an outline or a list of key expressions on the board. The ideas
come from the students themselves, and it does not require
specially prepared texts. 38
Slide 39
Correcting Written Work Correcting work orally in class is a
good idea for a large class. Correcting work immediately in class
means the teacher can draw students attention to problems while
they are still fresh in their minds. Getting students to correct
either their own or each others work takes time in the lesson; but
it gives students useful practice in reading through what they have
written and in noticing mistakes. It is also a good way of keeping
the class involved. Correcting in class works best with fairly
controlled writing activities, where there are not too many
possible answers 39
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9. Correcting Errors Teachers are afraid of their students
making errors and so they feel they must make sure everything the
students say is correct Making errors is a natural and unavoidable
part of the process of language learning. Students errors are a
very useful way of showing what they have and have not learnt.
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Most teachers would agree that we need to correct some errors,
to help students learn the correct form of the language. But this
does not mean that we have to correct students all the time. As far
as possible, teachers encourage the students, focusing on what they
have got right, not on what they have got wrong. Teachers should
praise students for correct answers so that they feel theyre making
progress 41
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Teachers should praise students for correct answers so that
they feel theyre making progress Teachers should avoid humiliating
students. Errors should be corrected quickly so as not to hold up
the lesson. In written work, the teacher could correct only the
errors that seem most important, or only errors of a certain kind.
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10. Listening Activities 43 We cannot develop listening skills
unless we develop speaking skills. Later, the ability to understand
spoken language may become very important (listening to the radio,
understanding foreign visitors, etc.) To develop this ability,
learners need plenty of practice in listening to English spoken to
them at normal speed. Listening to spoken English, especially for
learners with little or no exposure to the language, is an
important way of acquiring it.
Slide 44
Types of Listening in Real Life Casual listening: Sometimes we
listen with no particular purpose as when listening to the radio
while doing homework. Focused listening: At other times, we listen
for a particular purpose, to find out information we need to know.
(listening to a piece of important news on the radio, listening to
instructions) Here we listen much more closely and for particular
information. In class, its this type of listening that we are
usually concerned with. 44
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Helping Students to listen Introduce the topic and give one or
two guiding questions Play the cassette once without stopping, and
discuss the guiding questions Play the cassette again focusing on
important points. Replay particular parts to make sure the students
pick up certain phrases. Divide the listening text into parts Ask
student to follow the text in their books while listening to it on
tape. 45
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Getting Students to Predict An important part of the listening
skill is being able to predict what the speaker is going to say
next. Asking the students to guess what will happen next helps them
develop their listening skills and a way of keeping the class
actively involved in listening. This is specially useful in telling
stories to the class; a natural part of listening to an interesting
story is to wonder what will happen next. 46
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11. Communicative Activities In real life, we communicate
because we have communicative needs. Although this is not the only
reason why people communicate, very often, we talk in order to tell
people things they do not know, or to find things out from other
people. Classroom communication is effective when there is a real
need for it. We can do this by hiding the information, either from
all the students or from one student. 47
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Guessing games : The students ask questions they want to ask,
not ones that the teacher wants them to ask. It is a good idea for
the teacher to stand aside and let the student take over the
activity. Information gap : Two students are given different
information. One student has the information and the other student
has to find out by asking questions. Exchanging personal
information : students tell each other about their own lives,
interests, experiences. 48
