LEARNING ENGLISH

LEARNING ENGLISH Summer English Programme

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners?

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners? A Czech proverb says: "You live a life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you only live once." What Nelson Mandela said about learning another language. "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners? Why Should I Learn English? • Learning a language makes your thinking and communication skills stronger. • English is the language most widely spoken throughout the world. • It builds self-confidence. • To do well in reaching a goal that China has set for all its students • English is the main language for the greatest variety of news coverage.

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners? • To go to a good college or graduate school, and perhaps study in another country. • To get a good job. • To build friendships with foreigners. • To improve your abilities and attitudes in many positive ways. • English is the main international language for business. • You may have the chance of a government career with strong English skills. • To understand more about foreign cultures

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners? • 80% of computer data is stored in English, so one can use a computer to do research more effectively. • English will continue to become even more important in China. • In times of emergencies, like earthquakes, the language shared by international workers is English. • English is the main language of diplomacy, science, International Conferences and athletics.

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners? Role/a role model: • someone students should try to be like. Ex: Prof. Wang is an excellent role model. She not only tells her students to study hard; she also studies hard herself. Self confidence/self respect: • to feel good about yourself, to take a pride in what you do ;to be proud of yourself.

Unit 1 Why should language teachers be language learners? "Ten rules for learning English" • Imagine that a young Chinese student comes to you and asks for advice about how to learn English. Based on your experience learning English, what would you tell him/her? In groups: 1) Make a list of ten "golden rules" for learning English. State each as a rule. (Ex: "Regularly review vocabulary words.") 2) Decide which three are the most important. 3) Be ready to present your rules to the class, and explain why you felt the top three were most important.

Unit 2 What are the most important roles of a good language teacher?

Unit 2 - What are the most important roles of a good language teacher? The characteristics of a good language teacher • High expectations of yourself • High expectations of your students • Good preparation and planning • Clear learning objectives • Good organisation • Good, clear communication. Good instructions. • Someone who has good control of the class • Encourages independent learning and skills • A motivator

Unit 2 - What are the most important roles of a good language teacher? The characteristics of a good language teacher • Good humour • Warmth, care and good relationships with the students • Develops the skills of the students • Able to judge the correct level of work for the students • Good relationships with the parents of the students • Pitch of lessons • Pace of Lessons

Unit 2 - What are the most important roles of a good language teacher? Children learn what they live • If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. • If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. • If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy. • If children live with shame, they learn to be patient. • If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

Unit 2 - What are the most important roles of a good language teacher? Children learn what they live • If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate. • If children live with fairness, they learn justice. • If children live with security, they learn to have faith. • If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. • If children live with acceptance and friendship they learn to find love in the world.

Unit 2 - What are the most important roles of a good language teacher? "The headaches we face." Obstacles blocking the path to success What are the main problems you face in teaching English? In pairs: 1) List the problems you face. 2) Decide which three problems are most important, and be ready to explain why you picked these.

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well?

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? What is the main reason why Chinese students often fail to learn English well? A They don’t want to learn English B They have no chance to use English C They only want to pass the exams D They don’t practice English in their free time

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? Possible Reasons Why: • It simply takes a long time to learn any foreign language. • You have to learn a new grammar system, and thousands of new words. • It also takes a lot of practice to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a new language. • So learning any foreign language generally takes years. • While studying for tests may help students learn English, passing tests is not the same thing as learning English. In fact, it is possible to get good test scores without ever actually developing many usable skills in English.

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? • One problem with tests is that it is generally easier to test language knowledge(vocabulary and grammar) than to test English skills, so tests often encourage students to pay too much attention to studying language knowledge rather than building language skills. • The greater problem is that passing tests often becomes the goal for students, rather than a step toward the goal.

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? • Idea Bazaar - Ways to Study English: • Study methods-tricks for effective English study is one way to bring the issue of language learning strategies into the classroom. How did you learn English? Think about how you study English, and write down one or more tricks (methods, etc.) that have been helpful to you in your language study.

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? Top tips for learning English • Songs • Picture and word cards • 10 words a day • Real life situations • T.V. news • DVD Film/tapes • Say the words/phrases out loud • drills

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? Imagine that you have a friend who is a 25-year old college graduate. She is a low-level official working in a state-owned company that produces electronic appliances. She studied English in university, but didn't learn very much. Now she is thinking about her future, so she comes to ask you whether you think it is worthwhile to go back to studying English. In groups: • List reasons why she should try to improve her English. • Also list reasons why it would not be worthwhile for her to study English. • Decide what advice you would give her.

Unit 3 Why do students fail to learn English well? "Should all Chinese students be required to study English?" An enormous amount of time and energy is spent in China teaching all middle school and university students English, but many students never actually develop functional skills in the language. In pairs: • Discuss this question, and decide whether your answer is yes or no. • Be ready to give your answer, and give at least one good reason for your answer.

Unit 4 What is the best way to learn English?

Unit 4What is the best way to learn English? • There are different ways to develop each of the English skills students need. • While there is no single best way to learn English, there are two basic rules that will help students decide what the best way is to develop each of the English language skills.

Unit 4What is the best way to learn English? Skills • Speaking • Listening • Comprehension • Reading • Writing • Pronunciation Knowledge • Grammar • Vocabulary • Culture

Unit 4What is the best way to learn English? Rule 1: Skills are built through practice. Learning to read certainly requires knowledge of English grammar, vocabulary, and even knowledge of Western culture. But the skillof reading requires being able to put all of this together at the same time, and this can only be learned through practice.

Unit 4What is the best way to learn English? Rule 2: You learn to do what you do. Students who practice speaking English will get better at speaking English.

Unit 4What is the best way to learn English? Pair/Small Group Task: "Reading aloud in the morning" • Most study methods are good for some things and not for others. Learners need to be able to analyze a study method to know what kinds of knowledge and skills the study method helps them gain - and what it does not help them gain.

Unit 4What is the best way to learn English? In pairs analyse the following study methods. For each: • List the kinds of English knowledge and skills you think this study method would help students gain. • List kinds of English knowledge and skills you think this study method would probably not help students gain (but that students might think they were gaining). Study method 1: Reading textbook passages aloud (zao du). Study method 2: Memorizing reading passages from a textbook. Study method 3: "Crazy English."

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard?

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? Individual Activity: Listen to me read the text and answer the questions or fill in the blanks in your student text book

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? Comprehension Questions What is one of the main problems Chinese students face in English listening comprehension? • There are simply too many new and unfamiliar words. • You have to recognize words by hearing them instead of by reading them. • You also have to recognize the words very quickly-listening usually doesn't allow you to pause at all.

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? • To "know" an English word can mean different things. If a student says "I know this English word," what are at least two different possible meanings of this sentence? • According to the passage, what is the best kind of material to use for practicing your English listening comprehension?

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? Word and phrase list • listening comprehension: the skill of listening and understanding. Ex: Xiao Wang's English listening comprehension is very good • to keep right on going: to continue without stopping. Ex: I waved at the taxi, but the driver kept right on going, he didn't even slow down. • The gist-the main sense of what you are listening to • to get the main idea: to understand the most important idea. Ex: I didn't understand everything in this article, but I got the main idea.

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? • Which is more important to practice - speaking or listening? • Obviously both are important. However, there are several good reasons for arguing that students in China especially need to focus on their listening skills. When students' listening skills are good, their speaking is likely to improve also. • Listening is one of the main ways students learn more English and become comfortable with the language, so students who listen a lot generally find that their speaking also improves.

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? • Focused Listening activities are listening tasks in which you help students predict what they might hear by first giving them clues. These clues can be in the form of • outlines; • questions to answer; or • forms or graphs to fill in. • These clues help students focus their listening, and make listening practice easier

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? In groups: • write a definition of “Listening fluency” • Discuss what you think it means and how you can improve your listening fluency

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? Listening Fluency “The ability to understand English words and phrases quickly when you hear them, without pausing to translate.”

Unit 5 Why is listening in English so hard? • Pick up your pencil • Write your name • Stand up • Balance on one leg • Touch your ear • Put both hands in the air • Touch your chin with your left hand • Touch your elbow with your right hand • Pick up your chair Simon Says • Stand up • Put your right hand in the air • Touch your nose • Turn around • Clap your hands • Shake hands with your neighbour • Jump up and down • Face the window • Face the blackboard • Sit down

Unit 6 Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students?

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? • Pair/Small Group Task: "Finding opportunities to speak" • In China it is sometimes difficult for students to find opportunities to practice speaking English, so you need to be creative and actively make opportunities. In pairs or groups: • Make a list of ways to practice speaking English. Be as creative as possible, and list as many as possible.

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? Design an English Corner for your school • What are the problems with English Corners? • Should there be a topic and if so how to choose, promote etc.?

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? Striking up a conversationFinding opportunities to speak in English • Imagine you are walking in the park and you see a foreign tourist. You want to practice your English so you need to strike up a conversation. • List one or more strategies for starting up a conversation with the foreign tourist • First you should…… • Then you should….. • Be willing to explain your strategy.

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? • Hello, I’m very pleased to meet you. • It is good to meet you. Welcome to………… • My name is……. I’m a Teacher at……. • Excuse me. I know that you are a visitor to…… • Would you be willing to spend a few moments speaking with me? • Could you spare the time to speak with me? • I would be very grateful if you could …..

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? • May I ask your name? • Why are you visiting….? • Are you enjoying your visit here? • Do you have family or friends here? • How long will you stay here? • Are you here on business or is it a social visit? • May I ask you…?

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? • Would you be willing to…? • Could I ask you about….? • I am interested in… • Could you tell me about…? • What do you think about……the weather/events…? • Could I help you with? • Is there anything that I could help you with?

The Shopper Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? Xiao Wang is out shopping and in a store he sees a middle aged western woman who is trying to ask the storekeeper how much an item costs. The woman looks frustrated and is using lots of sign language but the storekeeper still does not understand what she wants. Xiao Wang decides that this would be a good chance to practice his English, so he goes over, explains to the clerk what the tourist wants and then tells the tourist how much the item costs. The tourist says thank you, and then begins looking at other items in the store. Encouraged by his success, Xiao Wang asks the tourist if she would like him to acts as interpreter as she shops. The tourist however says “no, thank you” and then walks off to another part of the store.

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? The Shopper • How do you think Xiao Wang might have felt when the shopper refused his offer of help? • What do you think Xiao Wang expected? • Why do you think the shopper refused his offer of help? • List several possible explanations and then decide which seems to be the most likely.

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? What if there are no foreigners? How many methods, places, situations scenarios, plans, and strategies can you and your group think of through which to improve one’s spoken English? Try to list as many as you can, even if you have never tried it.

Unit 6 - Is it useful to practice speaking English with other students? What if there are no foreigners? • Tapes/DVDs/CDs – speak out loud • News/BBC • Internet surfing • Pen pal • Read aloud every day • Speak – anywhere and anyhow • Set up an English Corner • Arrange to meet other English Teachers • Speak to a tree when out walking • Practice English when doing housework • Speech contest • Sayings, proverbs, tongue twisters • Speak English in English class and not Chinese

LEARNING ENGLISH