Ahmad M. Altasan
Introduction In creating a syllabus, the problems remain of (1) defining the local situation, (2) collecting the accounts and records and (3) analyzing the records with respect to the learning situation. These problems can be solved by needs analysis technique. Needs analysis is "concerned with identifying general and specific language needs that can be addressed in developing goals, objectives and content in a language program" (Richards & Rodgers 1986, p. 156). Nunan (1988, p. 14) defines two types of needs analyses: a learner analysis ("what background factors are the learners bringing to the classroom?") and task analysis ("for what purposes is the learner learning the target language ?") In addition, a "means analysis", or analysis of learner styles based on subjective inquiry into how students like to learn best which help in finding out how to approach the material which needs to be learned. However, in this paper I am going to design an ESP curriculum for travel agency workers. The data from the needs analysis , which have been conducted recently, will be used to make decisions about this curriculum.
Need analysis Outcomes Learners' profile: They are twenty Saudi males and their ages are between 20 – 30. They came from different areas of Saudi Arabia and they work for travel agencies. They have a degree in tourism from qualified colleges where the medium of instruction is Arabic and studied only one or two general English courses. Their language proficiency is a high-intermediate. They prefer web-based learning style and they like to learn using visual and audio recording from authentic situation. Most of them will work as a travel agency sales consultant when they first begin to work in this company. This is a demanding job, and one requiring a wide range of different skills hence the learners expectations about the outcomes are a high-level English proficiency in speaking, listening, writing and reading. From their needs analysis I think they need excellent personal skills, especially good listening skills, a wide range of vocabularies related to travel agency, the ability to determine a client’s needs accurately and to communicate with co-workers which needs a good speaking skill, the ability to ask questions and follow instructions, a detailed knowledge of the products the agency offers which needs a good reading skill, a good writing skill to write e-mail, to fill out forms, applications, etc and high level computer skills, especially for using the Internet to research destinations and using computer reservation systems to make bookings 1
Ahmad M. Altasan Funding A very large company with a chain of travel agencies distributed around the major cities in Saudi Arabia will fund this course. They need the content of the course to be related to the functions of a travel agency. The course will be held at the New Generation institute. The length of the course is 4 weeks. The intensity of the course is 4 days per week and 4 hours per day. Since the students of this course are expected to work in the travel agency upon their graduation, the stakeholders want the objectives of the course to focuses on information related to travel agency’ activities, and how such information can be used in communicative conversational situations. Company's profile:( main stakeholder) The company has foreign employees, who do not speak Arabic and they use English as a medium of instruction. It sells a range of products and services. Products can be thought of as items created by other international companies which the travel agent sells for commission. Typical products are: package holidays - air, train, and coach tickets, etc. Services involve: guiding and advising customers as to the best product, giving advice on visa and passport applications, planning travel itineraries and working out costs, representing a client in a complaint procedure after an unsatisfactory holiday, marketing of Tour packages.
Course Rationale The course is designed for Saudi travel agency’s new employees to provide them with sales and customer service skills in English language, to be able to communicate with co-workers in English language, to familiarize them with the basic standards in air travel ticketing, product knowledge and computer reservations systems. It teaches English language communication skills needed to communicate in a travel agency workplace. The course integrates the four basic language skills of reading, speaking, listening, and writing to develop the language needs of students in the area of tourism. The course seeks to give the new employees the confidence to use English more effectively to achieve their own goals and to develop their skills in independent learning outside of the classroom. The entry level for the course is high-intermediate and the exit level is advanced.
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Ahmad M. Altasan
Broad Aims: The English for Travel Agency course aims to improve students’ four English Language skills: Speaking, Listening, Writing and Reading in order to communicate effectively in workplace as a travel agent: It aims:
To study language texts and behavior related to customer service
To increase your ability to interact with clients both orally and in writing
To increase and enhance your English vocabulary and be able to use it effectively
To improve your e-mail, forms, documents and report writing skills
To develop confidence & fluency in the language beyond intermediate level
Objectives: The objectives of the course are derived from the aims and are used as the basis for the selection of the topics and contents. Each objective has an assessment tasks(see, p.). At the end of the course, students will be able to communicate effectively in English in a wide range of travel agency-related situations. Students will be able to: 1. Ask questions both orally and in writing to investigate a client’s holiday needs 2. Use expressions of suggestions and advice as to guide customers to the best product 3. Write a report on travel agency quality and features 4. Write a complaint for a client after an unsatisfactory holiday 5. Read and understand job-related brochures, manuals, notices, newsletters, or short reports 6. Listen and identify which product do customer want? 7. Understand texts about travel agency work today 8. Take a holiday booking from a client using listening and spoken skills 9. Explain holidays terms and conditions using speaking skill. 10. Issue a ticket and check the booking details with the client both orally and in writing 11. Read and understand simple articles about marketing 12. Understand people talking about marketing and promotion using listening skill 13. Use a range of adjectives to write simple advertising texts 14. Write a press release describing a promotional campaign 3
Ahmad M. Altasan 15. Understand someone talking about package holidays using listening skill 16. Ask questions to get information about a package tour both orally and in writing 17. Produce a tour itinerary for a web page or brochure using writing skill Course length: Hours per day
Days per week
Weeks
Total hours
4
4
4
64
Course Topics: Topics are derived from the objectives of the course Objectives 1. Ask questions both orally and in writing to investigate a client’s holiday needs 2. Use expressions of suggestions and advice as to guide customers to the best product 3. Write a report on travel agency quality and features 5. Read job-related brochures, newsletters, etc. 6. Listen and identify which product do customer want? 8. Take a holiday booking from a client using listening and spoken skills 9. Explain holidays terms and conditions using speaking skill 10. Issue a ticket and check the booking details with the client both orally and in writing 11. Read and understand simple articles about marketing 12. Understand people talking about marketing and promotion using listening skill 13. Use a range of adjectives to write simple advertising texts 15. Understand someone talking about package holidays using listening skill 16. Ask questions to get information about a package tour both orally and in writing 17. Produce a tour itinerary for a web page or brochure using writing skill
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Topics
Unit 1: Customer Service
Unit 2: Reservation and Sales
Unit 3: Marketing and Promotion
Unit 4: Tour Operators
Ahmad M. Altasan
Teaching Methodology & Syllabus design Richards (2005, p.6) states: “In planning a language course, decisions about the content, what vocabulary and grammar to teach at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels and which skills and microskills to teach and in what sequence, belong to the field of syllabus design or course design. Decisions about how best to teach the contents of a syllabus belong to the field of methodology”. He argued that there are various types of syllabus which include a skills-based syllabus, this focus on the four skills and the microskills, and a functional syllabus which is organized according to the functions the learner should practice in English, etc.
However, the organization principles for this curriculum are functional-based syllabus. Functions sequenced from receptive to productive skills and on the basis of usefulness of each function A sequence of activities similar to the P-P-P lesson cycle will be used to present and practice the function. In addition, the teaching learning cycle sequence will be used for some lessons. The methodology for this course will be a competency-based learning. Moreover, the language competencies are linked to the use of whole texts. One of the features of implementation of CBL in language teaching reported by Richards (2005, p. 38): “A focus on life skills. Rather than teaching language in isolation, CBLT teaches language as a function of communication about concrete tasks. Students are taught just those language forms/skills required by the situations in which they will function. These forms are normally determined by needs analysis”. Richards (2001, p.159) states that: “ Competency-based syllabus: one based on a specification of the competencies learners are expected to master in relation to specific situations and activities”. According to Hutchinson & Waters (1993), to establish English competencies needed in a particular workplace, a course designer can start from target needs by analysing responsibilities/duties/tasks of professional workers in the target situation where the language is going to be used. The responsibilities are then translated into competencies (skills and subskills) needed in workplaces in order to be able to master the language needed in the particular workplace. The following are suggested steps in finding out English competencies needed in a particular workplace (Sujana, 2001). 5
Ahmad M. Altasan Identification of Target Group ▼ Identification of Duties of Professional Workers ▼ Assessment of Communicative Needs ▼ Translation of Needs into Competencies ▼ Translation of Competencies into linguistic and other specifications ▼ Teaching/Learning Activities to develop competencies The following is an example of how to translate a need into competencies (Sujana, 2001). STEPS 1. 2.
EXAMPLE Front Office (FO) receptionist Responsibilities of FO 1. Welcoming and registering guests
3.
In order to be able to do these responsibilities the FO receptionist must have language ability on: 1. how to welcome and register guests appropriately.
4.
One communicative needs can be translated into several English competencies: 1. how to welcome and register guests appropriately. can use greeting and leave-taking can enquiry guests' identity can check room availability etc. To find out the learning needs (language input for class activities), the competencies can further be translated into detailed linguistic and other specifications. For examples: can use greeting and leave-taking expressions for greeting and leave-taking; selecting correct form of address; etc.
5.
can enquiry guests' identity questions (yes/no and informative questions/ direct and indirect questions); spelling; numbers, etc. The results of the analysis will form teaching materials (learning needs), which can be in the form of language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and supporting skills (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) From the materials listed above, it can then selected appropriate strategies to impart the language input. The strategies and methods must be adjusted with the materials. Therefore, in the teaching and learning process more than one method should be applied depending on the focus.
6.
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Ahmad M. Altasan
Content 1. Principles of choosing and organizing The content of the course are related to the functions of travel agents and will be related to the objectives above. The organization principles for this syllabus is a functional-based. Vocabulary and grammar are then chosen according to the functions being taught. The course content organized around the functions commonly used in travel agency workplace such as presenting product, then identifying customer’s need, suggesting and advising, and finally booking. It sequenced on the basis of usefulness of each function and according to learners’ needs and interest. 2. Language knowledge: 1. Vocabulary: This course contains a large amount of vocabulary which organized into categories rather than simple alphabetical lists. Students will learn the meaning of the words and the right pronunciation of them. 2. Grammar: This focus on the grammar generated by the topic of the unit and concentrates on its practical application. Also, there is a grammar test at the end of each unit as a revision for the students. However, the grammar part of the syllabus will always be oriented towards the achievement of communicative competence. 3. Pronunciation: This includes recordings in the pronunciation. I should repeat the recordings until I feel that my students have mastered a particular sound or features 3. Language skills: These activities give realistic and communicative practice of language skills needed in travel agency workplace. 1. Listening: students are exposed to travel agency situations, including dialogues, presentations and interviews. They also hear a variety of English accents for both native-speaker and nonnative speaker. 2. Reading: students read a variety of travel agency-based texts. These cover basic tourism concepts that they may be familiar with already from their previous study at college. 3. Speaking: students should use English during speaking activities, particularly those involving some discussion. Encourage this by teaching any functional language students may need. 4. Writing: this include meaningful writing tasks. 7
Ahmad M. Altasan 4. Non-language skills: This encourage students to take an active role in the learning process, both in terms of their English language work and the subject of travel agency itself. Activities can be set as homework, but help can also be given by brainstorming some standard places and sites where they can gather information. Also, students should know how to do internet searches using engines such as www.google.com
Materials and Resources The course syllabus explores different communicative areas. Selected authentic material from professional resources such as newspapers, journals, websites, adverts and magazines is incorporated in the corpus to enhance learning. Also selected tour brochures and tour pamphlets are used so that students have input from up to date language structures. The tourism input data is also used to train students on producing short written texts related to travel agency’s activities such as ticket-booking, flight-reservations, writing memos/ ads, telephone conversations, and corresponding between travel agencies.
Types of Tasks Activities and Classroom activities are related to real life and based on authentic materials such as online activities from websites. However. they are not necessary derived from authentic text as long as the learning processes were authentic(Richards,2005). Since teaching must be mainly practical, students will be familiarized with all types of activities which include receptive(listening, reading), productive(speaking, writing) and interactive(dialogue, role-play). Some of the tasks focus on fluency while others focus on accuracy. This course includes: Speaking: classes will place special emphasis on fluency in speaking and understanding of oral expressions. Teachers will devote time to oral activities such as dialogues, simulated situational conversations, group discussions and interviews. Listening: listen for specific information; listen for gist; predict; summarise, take notes. Reading: Study of real professional literature in tourism; scanning for specific information; reading for gist; summarising; gap filling, matching and crossword. Writing: The student will be introduced to the structure of compositions and will be given the necessary linguistic tools to organise coherent pieces of work based on real professional tasks. 8
Ahmad M. Altasan Grammar: Study of different grammar exercises such as multiple choice, transformations, cloze tests using tourism vocabulary and professional contexts.
Teaching model and principles Roberts (as cited in Richards, 2001, p.215) identified two types teaching models: the operative model, whereas teacher is restricted to a textbook as planned, and the problem-solving model, whereas teacher has greater autonomy in making educational decisions. The teaching model for this course is a problem-solver which is based on various methods such as the cooperative learning model, the process approach, the communicative approach and the whole language approach. Each lesson will include a variety of methods and techniques. The choice will be determined according to objectives, skills, functions and activities. Major teaching and learning methods
Objectives to be achieved
Method 1
Interactive seminars will be the primary teaching and learning method. Activities in the seminars will include discussions, role-play, individual and group activities.
1,2,4,8,9,16
Method 2
A group project will be employed to give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and language skills related to communication in travel agency context. Through a series of activities in a simulation, students will develop a plan for marketing a product/service, write promotional materials for the product/service and give sales presentations on the product/service.
3,10,13,14
Method 3
Web-based learning activities will be used to consolidate classroom teaching and learning. Students also will practice reading authentic text such as newsletters, magazines, etc.
5, 7, 11, 17
Method 4
Students will practice the language skills learned in the subject using commercial audio-visual and interactive language exercises and activities.
6,8,12,15
Method 5
Self-access learning using facilities in the institute Centre for Independent Language Learning will be employed. Students will be guided to conduct self-directed learning activities related to topics covered in the subject.
All objectives
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Ahmad M. Altasan
Assessment In this course I will use two types of assessments: Formative assessment: At the end of each unit, there will be a formative assessment to gauge the learners’ competency in the four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The formative assessment is based on a number of exercises which will be submitted at the end of each unit. Teacher also will observe students progress during the unit and see if the objective have been achieved. Students also will be provided with a checklist at the end of each unit to assess their progress. Summative assessment: At the end of this course there will be an achievement assessment which will contribute to the course evaluation. It is linked to the course objectives hence it will assess the following outcomes: At the end of the course, students: 1. Can use expressions of suggestions and advice as to guide customers to the best product 2. Can ask questions both orally and in writing to investigate a client’s holiday needs 3. Can write a report on travel agency quality and features 4. Can write a complaint for a client after an unsatisfactory holiday 5. Can read and understand job-related brochures, manuals, notices, newsletters, or short reports 6. Can Listen and identify which product do customer want? 7. Can understand texts about travel agency work today 8. Can take a holiday booking from a client using listening and spoken skills 9. Can explain holidays terms and conditions using speaking skill. 10. Can issue a ticket and check the booking details with the client both orally and in writing 11. Can read and understand simple articles about marketing 12. Can understand people talking about marketing and promotion using listening skill 13. Can use a range of adjectives to write simple advertising texts 14. Can write a press release describing a promotional campaign 15. Can understand someone talking about package holidays using listening skill 16. Can ask questions to get information about a package tour both orally and in writing 17. Can produce a tour itinerary for a web page or brochure using writing skill
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Ahmad M. Altasan The achievement assessment is categorized into: Written Assessment and Oral Assessment. The assessment tasks are related to the course objectives, so these tasks will measure the achievement of the course objectives.
Written Assessment
Name of Paper
Language usage and grammar structures (45 min.)
Composition (30 min.)
ReadingComprehension (45 min.)
ListeningComprehension (30 min.)
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Type of Task This paper contains a number of exercises which test students’ active control of language usage and grammatical structures. The exercises include: blankfilling, multiple choice, transformation exercises on sentences involving verb forms, prepositions, comparatives. and other exercises including word formation, changing sentences and vocabulary within travel agency areas. From a choice of two topics, one composition – between 100 and 120 words – is to be written. The choice of topics includes a letter, and a description or a report based on a travel agency topic. Students are expected to be able to read and to show understanding and to comprehend the detail and structure of texts related to travel agency. The paper contains reordering or matching information, labelling and filling blanks as well as multiple choice and true/false questions. In this part of the assessment a cassette recording is played to the students. The recording consists of one long or two short texts, which include conversations, interviews, discussions, presentations. Each text is heard twice on the cassette. Test questions include reordering or matching information, labelling and blank-filling as well as multiple choice and true/false questions.
Outcomes to be assessed
1, 2, 13, 16
3, 4, 14
5, 7, 11
6, 8, 10, 12, 15
Ahmad M. Altasan
Oral Assessment
Type of Task
Outcomes to be assessed
Name of Paper
Theme-based conversation (5 min.)
Newspaper article (5 min. + 15 min.)
Situation (5 + 15 min.)
The assessor’s material consists of a number of theme-based pictures related to travel agency conversation topics from which the interview is conducted. The conversation should move from specific commentary on the situation shown in the picture to associated themes, with the students encouraged to speak freely. It should be remembered that it is the students’ language skills that are being tested, not their personality, intelligence or knowledge of the world. Students are referred to a piece of original material, for example a leaflet, advertisement, extract from a newspaper or magazine. They are expected to summarize the passage and then asked to comment on it. The oral part of the assessment is completed by a role-play activity. Students are expected to participate in a role-play exercise. The role-card provides a situation, often with an “information gap”, leading to a realistic exchange of information and ideas between the students. Tasks include finding out information, giving and exchanging opinions and problem-solving discussions.
2, 8, 9, 10
5, 11
2, 8, 9, 10, 16
The feedback of the assessment will be presented to the company as the main stakeholder of the course in order to determine the suitability of the course. Each students also will get his own feedback in order to be aware of his weaknesses. As a course designer I will use the feedback to evaluate the course and determine the weakness and the strength nesses.
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Ahmad M. Altasan
Applying the principles of validity and reliability in the assessment activities A good test should meet the principles of validity and reliability. I tried to apply the principles of validity and reliability when I chose these exercises. According to Hughes (2003), my exercises can meet the principle of validity because they measure what are intended to measure. My activities have the following characteristics : (1) Content validity: A test requires the testtaker to perform the behavior that is being measured. (2)The scoring is based on what is intended to be measured. (3)Face validity: A test is testing what is supposed to test and the students perceive the test to be valid . With regard to reliability, a test is considered to be reliable if it is consistent and dependable and the test result would be similar if you give the same test to the same student on two different occasions (BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1297910). According to Hughes (2003), my activities can be considered reliable because they have unambiguous items, clear and explicit instructions, and objective items. My scoring can be considered reliable, too, because it is linked to agreed standards of assessment, and again by limiting as far as possible the range of answers (BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1297910).
Principles of implementing online activities According the needs analysis, my learners prefer web-based learning hence I used a lot of online activities. The way I integrate online activities into this curriculum is based on teacherdetermined lessons. There are a variety of ways to integrate internet-based materials into ESL curriculum design. Brandl (2002) suggests three ways to achieve this purpose: teacherdetermined lessons, teacher-facilitated lessons, and learner-determined lessons. According to Brandl, my activities are teacher-determined lessons. In this kind of lesson, teachers prescreen and select reading materials or cultural reading from Internet-based or other resources, and design comprehensible activities which can be accessed through their Web page. This type of text-specific approach allows students to explore authentic resources, and teachers can make the contents and tasks to meet learners’ proficiency levels by pre-selecting and preparing the readings. ( I provided an example of a lesson based on authentic web site which developed by Scott South, at iteslj.org/t/ws) (see materials samples).
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Ahmad M. Altasan
Developing instructional blocks Richards (2001, p.165) refers to two types of instructional blocks modules and units. I choose to plan by units which is longer than a lesson but shorter than a module. According to Richards, the unit is a group of lessons based on a single instructional focus which provide a sequence of activities that lead toward a learning outcomes. Content organized into four week units based on themes taken from the travel agency field and each unit includes three lessons. Each lesson has at least two or three tasks.
Unit
1. Customer service
2.Reservation and sales
reading
-All in a day’s work
-The sales process
-Investigating a client’s needs
-A new customer presenting a product
-The impact of the internet
-Suggesting alternatives and making a recommendation
Taking a booking Handing over tickets
Computer reservation system Holliday bookings Promotional techniques The role of tour operator
3. Marketing and promotion
Analyzing your product
4. Tour operators
Why choose a package holiday?
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Language skills speaking
listening
writing
grammar
-Writing responses to complaints
-Open and Closed questions
-a report on a travel agency
-Suggesting and advice expressions
Checking the details Explaining booking conditions
Confirming a booking
‘If’ clause
Presenting a campaign Talking to tour operators Designing a package tour
Language knowledge vocabulary pronunciation
Non-language skills Customer Find out care Identifying Local travel agency needs evaluation
Sales terms
The alphabet
/ei/, /i/, /ai/
Putting on the pressure
Local use of GDSs
Verb forms
Reservation system for travel agency
adverts
Superlatives & comparatives
The language of advertising
Pronunciation transcriptions
Local tourism promotion
A web page for package tour
Asking questions Preposition of time
Tour operation
Word stress
Learn from your customer The personal touch
Tour operators in Saudi Arabia
Ahmad M. Altasan
Unit of work Unit 1: Customer Service Objectives: At the end of this unit, student will be able to: 1. Use expressions of suggestions and advice as to guide customers to the best product 2. Ask questions both orally and in writing to investigate a client’s holiday needs 3. Write a report on travel agency quality and features 4. Write a complaint for a client after an unsatisfactory holiday 5. Read job-related brochures, manuals, notices, newsletters, or short reports 6. Pronounce the letters of the alphabet and spell aloud 7. Understand texts about travel agency work today This unit has three lessons. The lessons are based on the unit objectives, so lessons tasks will try to achieve these objectives and each outcome has an assessment task Lesson
Tasks
Objectives Students will be able to:
Listening : ‘specific information’
1. Products and Sales process
Reading : ‘skimming & scanning Vocabulary : ‘multiple choice, gap filling, matching’ Listening : ‘true/false questions’
2. Dealing with new customer
3. Suggestions and advice
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Listen and identify stages of the sales process. Read and understand job-related brochures, adverts, magazines etc.
Speaking : pair work ‘information gap’. Grammar ‘multi-choice’
Listen and identify which product do customer want? Investigate a client’s holiday needs using “Open” and “Closed” questions
Writing: a complaint ‘punctuation’, ‘correct the sentence’
Write a complaint for a client after an unsatisfactory holiday
Reading: ‘multiple choice, gap filling, matching.
Understand texts about travel agency work today
Listening: ‘comprehension’ Speaking : pair work ‘jigsaw’ Grammar: ‘multi-choice’
Use expressions of suggestions and advice as to guide the customer to the best product or service
Writing : a report ‘re-arrange’
Write a report on travel agency quality and features
Ahmad M. Altasan
Unit Content 1. Principles of organizing content The starting point for this unit is a functional type whereas elements are organized around the functions commonly used in travel agency workplace. It sequenced according to chronology of each function. 2. Language knowledge This consist of ‘Open’ and ‘Closed’ questions, expressions of suggesting and advice, vocabulary related to products names and sales terms and pronunciation of the alphabet. 3. Language skills Listening: this include a conversation between customer and travel agent and a presentation(travel agent presenting a product). Reading: this contain texts such as the ‘Sales process’ , the ‘Impact of the internet’ and short passages from brochures and websites. Speaking: this include pair work activity such as ‘investigating a client’s need’ and ‘suggesting and making a recommendation’ .Writing: this include a report in travel agency and a complaint 4. Non-language skills Using the internet to find out about local travel agency, to compare products prices, to practice writing an e-mail, etc.
Types of Tasks and Activities In analysing the communicative task, Nunan (1989, p.11) identified three main components: 1)goals, the relations between the task and the objectives. 2)input, the data that form the task (pp.53-59). 3)activities, what learners will do with the input. He advocates the use of authentic materials to form the basis of communicative task. Hence, the tasks I used are authentic, related to the unit goals and have a range of activities. Each activity try to assess at least on outcome. An example from this unit is the listening task ‘a new customer’ in lesson two. The goal, to be achieved, is to investigate a client’s holiday needs, the input is a conversation between customer and travel agent, the activities are: 1) multiple choice and gap filling to assess the outcome ‘ Can use Open and Close questions’(grammar focus). 2) true/false questions to assess the outcome ‘Can listen and identify what customer want’(listening comprehension). However this unit include various tasks such as jigsaw, information-gap, problem solving, opinion exchange, etc. 16
Ahmad M. Altasan Integrating language and content in the learning task First I will explain to the students the rules and procedures to carry out the task and check if they have enough background knowledge about the task. Then I will link the task to the linguistic knowledge such as grammar and vocabulary with consideration of learning strategies.
Materials and Resources The content collected from various resources such textbooks, brochures, newsletters, magazines and websites. Materials such as audio and visual cassettes, computers, internet, PowerPoint, etc are used.
Teaching model and principles The teaching principle I followed in this unit vary according to the type of the lesson tasks. The teaching learning cycle sequence will be used for some tasks while a sequence of activities similar to the P-P-P lesson cycle will be used for other tasks. In addition, the web-based learning will be used. The advantage of the web-based learning is the learners can explore authentic reading materials and the online environment allows students to take advantage of a vast amount of images and the hypermedia functions to connect the text and images to a particular text (Brandl, 2002).
Assessment As assessment is continuous aspect of teaching and learning that helps inform everyday practice, it must be set up at the beginning of the unit of work. In this unit of work I will use various types of assessment: Teacher will observe students progress during the unit and see if the objective have been achieved. Students also will be provided with a checklist at the end of each unit to assess their progress. A checklist example:
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Ahmad M. Altasan
checklist Assess your progress in this unit. Tick( ) the statement which are true. Can investigate a client’s holiday needs using “Open” and “Closed” questions Can guide and advise customers as to the best product using expressions for advice Can describe products the agency offers using superlative and comparative adjectives Can write a report on travel agency quality and features Can pronounce the letters of the alphabet and spell aloud
An assessment based on a number of exercises will be submitted at the end of the unit. Each activity will assess one outcome: Outcome Can listen and identify stages of the sales process.
Assessment criteria Listen for specific information and fill in the gap
Can read and understand a passage from magazine Skim and scan the text then choose and vocabulary associated. the correct answers, match synonyms, antonyms Can listen and identify which product do customer want?
Listen for comprehension then mark true or false
Can investigate a client’s holiday needs using “Open” and “Closed” questions
Grammar exercises: multi-choice and gap filling
Can write a complaint for a client after an unsatisfactory holiday
‘punctuation’, ‘correct the sentence’
Can read and understand texts about travel agency ‘multiple choice, gap work today matching and crossword.
filling,
Can use expressions of suggestions and advice as to The oral part of the assessment is guide the customer to the best product or service completed by a role-play, often with an “information gap”, leading to a realistic exchange of information and ideas between the students. Can write a report on travel agency quality and Re-arrange the sentences features 18
Ahmad M. Altasan
UNIT OF WORK PLAN Unit 1: Customer Service
Day
Lesson
Monday Products and Sales process
Tuesday Dealing with new customer
Wednesday Suggestions and advice
9:30-11:30 Listening : ‘specific information’ Pair work ‘jigsaw’ Listening : ‘true/false questions’
Break
1:30-2:30 Reading : ‘skimming & scanning Vocabulary : ‘multiple choice, gap filling, matching’ Grammar ‘multi-choice’
Speaking : pair work ‘information gap’.
Writing: a complaint ‘punctuation’, ‘correct the sentence’
Reading: ‘multiple choice, gap filling, matching.
Speaking : pair work ‘jigsaw’ Grammar: ‘multi-choice’
Listening: ‘comprehension’
Writing : a report ‘re-arrange’ Assessment tasks
Thursday
Feedback and review checklist
Friday
No classes
Online activities (computer lab) Web-based learning Speaker from a travel agency talking about customer service No classes
Evaluation At the end of the course I will conduct two evaluation forms: 1) An evaluation form for the learners: This will get feedback from the course participants as to how the course met their needs and expectations. This will be done immediately at the end of the course and all participants will be requested to complete an evaluation form. The evaluation form is short and easy to complete. It includes course content, teacher effectiveness, materials and resources. The following is an example: 19
Ahmad M. Altasan
PROGRAM EVALUATION—SAMPLE FORM #1 Please complete this evaluation and return it to the course coordinator upon leaving. COURSE TITLE: ______________________________________________________ TEACHER: ___________________________________ DATE: ___________________ 1. Was the information presented what you expected? ■ Yes ■ No If not, what were your expectations?______________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Would you encourage others to attend similar courses? ■ Yes ■ No 3. On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 representing excellent), rate the course teacher in the following areas: a. Professionalism
12345
b. Presentation (speech pattern)
12345
c. Knowledge of subject
12345
d. Held interest
12345
e. Use of audio/visual aids
12345
f. Ability to explain information
12345
g. Encouraged and answered questions
12345
Comments: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 4. How did you learn about this course? ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 5. Would you be willing to attend any future courses? ■ Yes ■ No 6. Do you have any suggestions for topics or speakers for future courses? ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________
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Ahmad M. Altasan 2) An evaluation form for me (as the course designer) This includes all the factors that go into planning the course such as the appropriateness of the topic, attendance level, etc.
PROGRAM EVALUATION—SAMPLE FORM #2 Name of Course ______________________________________________________________ Date _____________________
1. How well did the course meet your overall expectations? ■ Very well ■ Somewhat ■ Not
at all
Comments: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 2. Do you feel the course content was relevant to travel agent? ■ Very relevant ■ Somewhat
relevant ■ Not relevant
Comments: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 3. How well did the instructor share his/her knowledge and expertise with you? ■ Very well ■ Somewhat ■ Not
very well
Comments: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 4. Were the physical setting and facilities appropriate for the topic? ■ Yes ■ Somewhat ■ No
Comments: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 5. Were the educational aids (slides, overheads, etc.) and course handouts helpful? ■ Yes ■ Somewhat ■ No
Comments: _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________
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Ahmad M. Altasan
Bibliography BBC: Principles of Language Testing. Retrieved November 14, 2008, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1297910
Brandl, K. (2002). Integrating Internet-Based Reading Materials into the foreign language curriculum: form teacher- to student-centered approaches. Language Learning & Technology. 6(3), 87-107.
Hutchinson and Walters. (1993). English for Specific Purpose. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nunan, D. (1989). Designing task for the communicative classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nunan D. (1988). Syllabus Design, Oxford University Press.
Richards, J. C. (2005). Communicative language teaching today. Singapore: RELC,1-44. Richards, J. (2001). Curriculum Development in Language Teaching . (8th ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C. and T. S. Rodgers (1986) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: a Description and Analysis, Cambridge Teaching Library.
Sujana, M. A. (2001). Establishing English competences for students of tourism. NUESP Articles . Retrieved November 10, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/nuesp_indonesia/articles.htm)
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