UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SALLE BOGOT, COLOMBIA

IV SIMPOSIO DE INVESTIGACIN EN LENGUA EXTRANJERA

UNIVERSIDAD SURCOLOMBIANA

EFL Didactics:The description of the instructional sequences of University teachers

Jos Aldemar lvarez Valencia joseaedu@yahoo.comUniversidad de La Salle, Bogot.

AGENDA0. Some inquiries 1.Research objectives 2.Research questions3. Some relevant constructs 4. Research design5. Findings 6. Discussion and conclusions

Some inquiries : Teaching as a jigsaw puzzle

Jigsaw puzzle: Fit together an image or structure, replica of photographs or paintings

Role of methodology or didactics classes

When there is a model to follow

When there isnt a model to follow

1. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

-To identify the elements that structure the instructional sequences of the teachers of English of the Languages Program of Universidad de la Salle.

-To describe the instructional sequences that are found in the classes of the teachers of English of the Languages Program of Universidad de la Salle.

-To identify and analyze the most common instructional sequence in the pedagogical practice of the teachers of English of the Languages Program of Universidad de la Salle.

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the elements that articulate the instructional sequences of the teachers of English of the Languages Department of Universidad de la Salle?

2. What instructional sequences can be identified in the classes of the teachers of English of the Languages Department of Universidad de la Salle?

3. What is the most salient instructional sequence of the teachers of English of the Languages Department of Universidad de la Salle?

3. SOME RELEVANT CONSTRUCTS

Didactics a discipline that explains the teaching-learning processes, and at the same time it purports to build its knowledge based on reflection and dialogism among the axes (philosophical, epistemological, historical) that conform it and the agents that participate in the pedagogical practices.

DFLT

1840 TO DATEEMERGENCE OF METHODS AND APPROACHES

-Grammar Translation Method -Direct Method-Situational Language Teaching -Audioloingualism -Silent Way-Total Physical Respon.-Community Language Teaching -Suggestopedia-Communicative Appro.-Others

Instructional sequences

Instructional (didactic) sequence: A set of activities ordered, structured and articulated as a way to achieve certain educational objectives (Zabala Vidiella, 1997).

Activity:

is a segment of classroom life, is intended to cover all distinguishable behavioral segments in a classroom... (Crookes, 2003 p. 144)

Instructional sequence

J. Dakin (1973) Stages of teaching and learning Chastain K. (1989) Parts of a class Nunan, (1999) Willis, (1996)Task based approachGower et al. (1995)Lewis & Hill(1999)Doff, A. (1988)Woodward (2001)Instructional sequence Teaching sequenceESAHarmer (2007)Presentation Pre-view Presentation Pre-taskIntroduction to topic and task Presentation Stage 1 Introduce structures Introduction Presentation TeachPre-stageE: Engage Practice View Practice Task-cycle-task-Planning report -Report Practice Stage 2 practice saying the model sentences Presentation Practice Test In-stageS: Study Development Review Production Language focus Analysis and practice Stage 3 Guided practice using cue cards Exploitation Production TeachPost-stageA: Activate Testing Stage 4 Freer practice using new context Reading Listening Review Stage 5Students make a record of the form and uses of the structure

4. ISSUES ABOUT THE RESEARCH DESIGN

-Qualitative study -Descriptive-interpretative (Seliger & Shohamy,1990) -Instruments: class observations (68 Obs. 136 h.), teacherslogs, semiestructured interview. Piloting process in 2006, data gathering in 2007. -Population and context: Languages Department, area of English at Universidad de la Salle, 6 teachers: 1st, 3rd and 5th semester. -Data analysis: Identify common patterns in the three instruments, establish coding procedures (Corbin y Strauss, 1990,1991).

5. FINDINGS

Elements of the instructional sequence PHASES OF THE CLASSTeaching- learning activities Language skills and subskills

Lets recap FIRST QUESTION: COMPONENTS OF INSTR. SEQ:SECOND QUESTION: ARTICULATION OF COMPONENTS OF INSTR. SEQ:

AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE? Activities(39) Skills (4)Subskills (3) Phases of a class (5)Components ISSequential regularity

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE OF THE PHASES OF A CLASS PER TEACHER

AndrsMaraFlorMargarethJohnyMarthaGENERAL SEQUENCEPresentation /Practice/ProductionPresentation Homework CheckPracticePracticeWarm-upPractice Presentation Presentation PracticePresentation Presentation PracticePresentation PracticePresentation /Practice/ProductionProductionPracticePracticePresentation Practice PracticePractice Presentation Presentation PracticeProductionPresentation PracticePracticePresentation Presentation /PracticeEvaluationProduction/Evaluation Presentation Practice/Presentation Presentation /Evaluation

SEQUENCE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLSa= listening b= speaking c= reading d= writing e= pronounciation f= grammar h= vocabulary

AndrsMaraFlorMargarethJohnyMarthaGENERALSEQUENCEd bfcbbbf/bd/f/bgb/fe/c/fb/cf/bbgfc/fg/fbfb/gbbfgb/c/fbbfcfbf/bgbfbd/bbb/fcgb/gb/ggffbff/gb/g/c/e

6. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS -The importance of classroom arrangement activities (Tsui,2003; Chastain,1988); Brown, 2001; Nunan,1999; Crookes, 2003; Gower et al.,1995).

-Differences between logs and observations: Content explanation, identification activities, deductive approach to contents.

-Grammar and speaking as the main language components (communicative competence and linguistic competence)

-Focus on the practice stage in the classes, less emphasis on production. Learn by doing. Observed in all instruments. -Controlled and simulated use of language is privileged, leaving aside the creative and free use of language.

-The paradox of the definition of instructional sequence (activities, skills, phases of a class)

The impossibility to define an instructional sequence doesnt mean it doesnt exist.

This impossibility shows we cannot limit the pedagogical activity to a static scheme, it confirms the subjective and indetermined nature of humans social and linguistic interactions.

-Who builds the didactic sequence? (Coll, 1991; Zabala Vidiella, 1997; Woodward, 2001; Richards and Rodgers, 2001)

-Emergent didactics (Kumaravadivelu, 1994; Prabhu, 1992; Edge, 1996, lvarez, 2007, 2008).

-The instructional sequence and its components are only some tiles of the larger language teaching jigsaw

PRODUCTIONEVALUATIONPRACTICEHOMEWORK CHECKLANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLSLANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLSLANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLSLANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLSLANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLSACTIVITIESACTIVITIESACTIVITIESACTIVITIESACTIVITIESFOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSTHE DYNAMICS OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE AND ITS COMPONENTS

A class is not a monological construction PHASES OF THE CLASSTeaching- learning activities Language skills and subskills

Joseaedu@yahoo.comThank you!!

-Who builds the didactic sequence? (Coll, 1991; Zabala Vidiella, 1997; Woodward, 2001; Richards and Rodgers, 2001)

-Emergent didactics (Kumaravadivelu, 1994; Prabhu, 1992; Edge, 1996, lvarez, 2007, 2008).

-The instructional sequence and its components are only some tiles of the larger language teaching jigsaw

1. TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITIES

OBSERVATIONSTEACHERS LOGSA3 (Organizational) 30%A16 (Identification) 20%A9 (Checking) 15%A9 (Checking) 11% A4 (Content explanation) 10%A3 (Organizational) 8%A11(Question-answer display) 8%A24 (Cued narrative 7% dialogue) A10 (Correction or feedback) 7%A23 (Referential 5% question- answer)

A3. Organizational: Managerial structuring of lesson or class activities. Includes disciplinary action, organization of class furniture and seating, general procedures for class interaction and performance, structure and purpose of lesson, assigning homework or any other out of class task, etc. (Adapted from Brown, 2001)

Sample:

The teacher is in the classroom, she greets them (students) and arranges the chairs like in a round tableshe writes on one side of the board the agenda for the day. She calls the roll and asks students about their namesshe gives instructions for the first activity and goes around the classroom arranging it for students to start (Observation, Martha, January, 29, 07).

A9. Checking: Teacher either circulating or guiding the correction of students' work, providing feedback as an activity or within another activity. It can happen when students socialize work or after activities when it is necessary to check students answers to a given exercise. It also includes students peer correction. (Adapted from Brown, 2001)

Sample

The teacher assigns students to work on an activity in which they have to create an adjectiveshe goes around in order to monitora group of students are discussing about how to say the word aroma in English and the teacher says smell. The teacher asks if students have finished the activityA student asks: Teacher how do you say autoestima in English, the teacher replied self-esteem (Observation, Flor, Feb. 13, 07)

A16. Identification: Student picking out and producing/labeling or otherwise identifying a specific target form, function, definition, meaning or other lesson-related item. Reading comprehension exercises make part of this activity.(Adapted from Brown, 2001)

73 MARTHA: Eh I take the book, the scripts of the book and I make (sic) different kind (sic) of exercises from the book! Yes? You have to complete, you have to say right or wrong, you have to correct the false ones, you have to complete the lines, you have many activities (Interview Margareth, Marzo 23,07).

Sample

(Teachers log, Andrs, Feb. 22, 07)

Sample

ActivityObjective Material 4. The family tree-To foster the identification of the members of the family

-Correct students possible mistakes when creating sentences Board

2. LANGUAGE SKILLS AND SUBSKILLS (Madsen, 1983)

OBSERVATIONTEACHERS LOGSf (Grammar) 28%b (Speaking) 27%b (Speaking) 21%f (Grammar) 24%g (Vocabulary) 18%g (Vocabulary) 16%c (Reading) 11%c (Reading) 13%a (Listening) 8%d (Writing) 8%d (Writing) 7%e (Pronunciation) 6%

Researcher: so, we can say that you organize or your plan your classes based on skills? Johny: On skills, yeah! Basically. (Interview, March 28, 07) Martha: OK. In order to plan my classes I consider the number of students, their needs, the time I have for teaching a specific topic and the four skills and also the kind of activities I have to include for all kind of students (Interview, March 23, 07)Sample

3. PHASES OF A CLASS

OBSERVATIONSTEACHERS LOGSPractice 53%Practice 66%Presentatin 16%Production 14%Production 12%Presentation 12%Evaluation 10%Evaluation 6%Homework check 4%Homework check 2%

17. MARTHA:... Started (a class) with the explanations of grammar and with the exercises, with listening and maybe they have finished with evaluation, right? (sic). Maybe, because its something traditional that you have to start with the presentation, with the explanation, with the internalization of the knowledge, right? And then you have to evaluate if the students learned... Interview, Marzo 23, 07) Sample