Re: My personal Review of the E-Teachers Conference

elisadelaini — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:24:13 -0000

"But for a "leisure" course, which most courses are, I would strictly leave them out."

Levels A1, A2 and B1 do not include such topics, the focus is 'all leisure,' so to say. starting from B2, the student should be able to discuss a whole variety of topics and delicate matters, as in any advanced program, to master the language from all points of view.

Re: My personal Review of the E-Teachers Conference

elisadelaini — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:15:24 -0000

"...Successful teaching is fact, entertainment and the expression of the teacher's passion. PPt can be an incredible tool when used correctly and ruinous if not. Meaningful teacher-student dialogue ALWAYS follows an excellent lecture - whether PPt or bare-bones educated improv. How does it go?: It's a poor workman that blames his tools."
I absolutely agree with this point Marina. The importance of content, the material which is used in the class and the way the teacher uses it makes excellent lessons or not.

Re: My personal Review of the E-Teachers Conference

elisadelaini — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:00:46 -0000

Thank you for organizing the conference Kirsten.

Some comments on the topic, as you know I focused more on the use of lessons slides in the classroom.

Slides online = books offline. Do we really need them?
My opinion is yes, we need them, they are very welcome unless a student would like to take only conversation classes. In that case a whole variety of tools can substitute the slides, as a variety of tools can substitute books.

But what about combining everything that technology offers, and allowing the teachers to decide what to make with it? It all depends on how these slides are built. Lessons slides are not a presentation given by a lecturer (the teacher) but a base on which a program is built and developed.

A lot of students need a learning path in front of them, that is why we developed programs focused on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. As you can see, during the lesson the interaction between teacher and student is stressed. There is plenty of room to personalize the class. About the topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
At level B2, students have the following competencies:
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

That's why there are lessons which, touching different controversial topics, such as abortion, death penalty, homosexuality, etc., bring the students to acquire these competencies. If a student wants to get ready for any reason (work, tests, university, etc.) for level B2, this 'learning path' will help him and guide him.

So let's keep the two topics separated, or else we end up saying that language programs are useless - we would not make good educators or even language professionals if this is the objective. A good syllabus is vital in every course, for me the biggest challenge is how to share it in the best possible way online - with all the tools/constrictions that technology is offering.

regards,

Elisa

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