Training the (Non) Natives – A Comparison Of Issues On Teacher Training Courses

Training the (Non) Natives – A Comparison Of Issues On Teacher Training Courses

Nick Kiley

Teacher Training Manager

Apollo Education & Training (International

House)

What’s it all about?What’s it all about?

• The people we train

• What we train

• The difficulties / issues they have

• Reflection on how EFL courses / methodologies fit with the Vietnam context

• Thoughts on what’s required

The traineesThe trainees• Cambridge CELTA

o Native-speakers

o Non-native speakers (European)

o Non-native speakers (Vietnamese)

Experience of teaching English

Experience of teaching other subjects

No classroom experience

• ‘Local teacher’ training courses

o Vietnamese teachers of English (vocational colleges)

Previous teacher training

No previous teacher training

Approaches taughtApproaches taught

• Communicative Approaches

o Presentation; Practice; Production (PPP)

o Task-Based Learning (TBL)

o Test-Teach-Test (TTT)

Discovery Approach

Lexical Approach

Student-centred Learning

Learner Training

Contrast with ‘traditional’ approaches?Contrast with ‘traditional’ approaches?

• Grammar translation

• ‘Rote’ learning

• Direct method

• Teacher-centred

• Emphasis on grammatical accuracy over communicative competence

• Vocabulary taught in single-item units

• Reading used as primary source of language input

Native Speakers - The ChallengesNative Speakers - The Challenges

• Language awareness

• Grammar; lexis; phonology

• Previous language learning experience

• Limited / ‘traditional’ approaches

• Lack of awareness of target culture

• Lack of awareness of students’ L1 language systems

• Previous experience teaching English

• Habits - formed through ‘trial and error’

• Unclear career goals

• Unclear personal goals

• Inter-trainee cultural awareness

Non-native Speakers - The ChallengesNon-native Speakers - The Challenges

• Fossilisation

• Own English Level

• Confidence

• Cultural differences

• Educational background

• Other trainees

• Trainers

• Access to resources

• Cultural / work expectations

• Student expectations about classroom use of L1

Benefits of Training in Communicative Approaches

Benefits of Training in Communicative Approaches

• Emphasis on student communication

• Less focus on teacher

• Receptive skills (reading; listening)

• Emphasis on strategies

• Integrated Approach

• Interactive / communicative activities = ‘interesting’

• Several approaches (TBL; TTT etc.) focus heavily on students’ needs

• Emphasis not necessarily on grammatical accuracy

A Quiz…A Quiz…

When Vietnamese teachers of English come on our training courses, what do they say are the biggest problems facing them?

Challenges of converting communicative approach training to Vietnamese classrooms

Challenges of converting communicative approach training to Vietnamese classrooms

• Class sizes

• Most approaches and techniques taught can be converted to larger classes

• Resources

• Requires adaptation

• Students as resource / creators of resources

• Own language / confidence

• Using texts as a learning resource

• Learner training

• Differentiation between ‘teaching’ & ‘learning’

Who Wants to be a (TEFL) Millionaire?Who Wants to be a (TEFL) Millionaire?(Answer = Nick)

• Question One (Worth: Past Simple)

• Who finds the training courses hardest?

• Answer: The School Cleaner…

• Question Two (Worth: Passive voice)

• How easily can communicative approaches be adapted to Vietnamese classrooms?

• Answer: Fairly, depending on your situation

• Question Three (Worth: Future perfect continuous)

• Why should we bother with communicative approaches?

• Answer:

So, what does the future hold?So, what does the future hold?

• Openness of Vietnamese teachers to new methodologies

• Cascading?

• Development of training courses relevant to Vietnamese situation?

• Integration of methodologies and Vietnamese experience

• More English teachers required by government

• More Vietnamese move into teacher training?