March Newsletter

Year 1 Issue 3

March 2012

English Messages A Monthly Newsletter by and for teachers in Bahrain

The history of English in Bahrain With the building of the first governmental school "Al Hidaya Al-Khalifiya" in 1919, the interest in teaching and learning English laid the foundations for successive generations of Bahraini students who really, as some historical written documents and records reveal, managed to master this language to a large extent.

After the independence of Bahrain in 1971, and with the beginning of an outstanding process of sustained development, the demand for English as a popular means of communication has become more obvious. The need to raise the challenges the economy has been facing and the young nation's amazing interest in openness and the advancement of the whole human race have turned the mastery of the English language into a real national commitment which, fortunately, the Ministry of Education has been continuously trying to achieve by generously investing in education. It was obvious from the beginning that the English language in Bahrain was meant for communicative purposes, and therefore the inclusion of this language as a core school subject expressed the government's strong desire to establish solid ties with the whole world.

(Read More on Page Two)

You read in our Third Issue: • • • • • • •

The History of English in Bahrain The 25th Educational Conference Say it in English The Writing Process ELU News and Events Free Posters Teacher’s Corner: Story Time

Kingdom of Bahrain - Ministry of Education - The English Language Unit (Basic Education)… English Messages—Year 1—Issue 3

English Messages

The history of English in Bahrain * It was obvious from the beginning that the English language in Bahrain was meant for communicative purposes, and therefore the inclusion of this language as a core school subject expressed the government's strong desire to establish solid ties with the whole world.

Nowadays, Bahrainis could really be proud of the great achievements Bahrain has reached in terms of foreign language acquisition. Today, the country does produce a countless number of English language websites, magazines, newspapers, newsletters and so on and so forth. Wherever one heads in Bahrain English is largely heard and used by both Bahrainis and non-Bahrainis alike.

Thanks to Bahrainis' strong will, the government's balanced vision, and teachers' great efforts English has finally become a widely recognized language of communication in the country. This undoubtedly has given this unique island immense opportunities to get actively involved in the world's economy, and especially show the rest of the Gulf and Arab countries that mastering foreign languages, as our Arab foregranfathers used to do ages and ages ago, is not and will never be an impossible dream.

By Mr. Emad Abdulla Al Sediri Curriculum Specialist

The TwentyTwenty-fifth Educational Conference: WHY? Without teaching languages, and definitely without learning languages, countries would suffer a lot in their pursuit of development. In a world where scientific and technological breakthroughs never stop surprising us -on a daily basis- as a result of the huge investments in educational and research facilities, becoming a global citizen would certainly imply learning languages. For this very reason, this year’s conference wants to focus on teaching and learning languages as an essential requirement for any other learning outcome to take place and for any strategic vision to be carried out thoroughly. Actually, the conference is seeking to develop a precise systematic and scientific conception about the challenge of learning languages, and ultimately provide practical solutions and suggestions to help Bahraini learners acquire the necessary literacy competencies since the early years of basic education.

Participants will have a real chance to learn from some teachers' success stories in turning Arabic and English lessons into educational situations which combine both enjoyment and usefulness. By the end, organizers hope the conference will come out with down-to-earth ways to enable Bahraini students to acquire communicative competencies, achieve high proficiency levels, and master dealing with the written script through reception and production since the early years of education.

English Messages

Say it in English The title above certainly means a lot to many teachers here in Bahrain. They would not only recall the contents of the books they used to work with, but mainly the focus shift from "language study" to "language use". What I liked about those books at that time was that they reduced the complex language learning process to the students' ability to use the language as a vehicle to communicate messages in the target language. Thus, stressing the very reason a language is made for; communica-

ing of "linguistic homesickness".

Many years ago, my friends and I were at the movies watching Steven Spielberg's film "Full Metal Jacket". Suddenly, an emergency door next to us got wide open. Two men dressed in uniforms came in. I remember that for twenty seconds, through the dazzling daylight, I had a close up view of 'life" outside the cinema. It was about 4 P.M. There were passersby looking at the windows of busy shops. There was a Boy Scout march on the other side of the pavement and we had some curious peeping heads before we had that door closed.

Because of this incident, I had lost every interest in watching the film. 'It is a pity that we live in a real world" I thought to myself as I decided to leave.

Why am I telling you this story? It is just to tell you how easy it is to spoil the fun students may have learning a language. If you are speaking in Arabic in class, you are having that door wide open. If you cannot see the problem, you are probably giving lessons which contradict your students’ expectations.

tion. However, it is completely different when students use their mother tongue to ask about how to say things in English!

The use of the mother language has certainly become a clutch both students and teachers cannot do without. This easy simple and quick way to introduce new vocabulary and lexical items has always lured teachers. No need for visual aids or monolingual dictionaries. It's a kind of magic! Just say it in Arabic!

For students, the mother language has become a comfort zone, assuring a safe "linguistic adventure" and ironically heightening the cultural and linguistic gap between mother and target languages. We teachers are taking advantage of their need to fight back this feelPage 3

If you want your students to enjoy your lessons and learn English, remember why they have come to your lesson. Remember what they expect from you and your lessons. Let them realize how enjoyable learning the English language is.

“The use of the mother language has certainly become a clutch both students and teachers cannot do without.”

By Mr. Iyadh Labadi English Language Teacher, Tariq Ben Zeyad Intermediate Boys School, Muharraq, Bahrain

English Messages

Writing as a Process: “Hatching” new ideas is what writing is all about!

The five steps of the writing process 1

2

4

mation.

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• Do your research.

STEP 2: DRAFTING WRITE • Put the information you researched into your own words.

• Write sentences and paragraphs even if they are not perfect.

• Read what you have written and judge if it says what you

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• Show it to others and ask for suggestions.

STEP 3: REVISING MAKE IT BETTER • Read what you have written again.

• Think about what others said about it.

• Rearrange words or sentences.

• Take out or add parts.

• Replace overused or unclear words.

• Read your writing aloud to be sure it flows

Why Writing as a Process?

Writing as a Process is an approach to incorporating writing skills from the very beginning of the English learning process. It was developed by Gail Heald-Taylor in her book Whole Language Strategies for ESL Students. Process writing focuses on allowing students - especially young learners - to write with plenty of room left for errors. Standard correction begins slowly, and children are encouraged to communicate through writing, despite limited understanding of structure.

Writing as a Process can also be used in an adult ESL / EFL setting to encourage learners to start working on their writing skills from an early age. If you are teaching adults, the first thing learners need to understand is that their ability to write will be well below their native language writing skills. This seems rather obvious, but adults are often hesitant to produce written - or spoken - work that is not up to the same level in their native language. By easing your students' fears about producing written work, you can help encourage them to improve their writing abilities.

Only mistakes made in grammar and vocabulary that have been covered up to the current point in time should be corrected. Process writing is all about the process of writing. Students are striving to come to terms with writing in English by writing in English. Allowing for mistakes and refining based on materials covered in class - instead of "perfect English" - will help students incorporate skills at a natural pace, and improve their understanding of materials discussed in class in a natural progression.

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STEP 1: PREWRITING THINK • Decide on a topic to write about.

• Consider who will read your work.

• Brainstorm ideas about the subject.

• List places where you can research infor-

mean.

smoothly.

STEP 4: PROOFREADING CORRECT • Be sure all sentences are complete.

• Correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

• Change words that are not used correctly.

• Have someone check your work.

• Recopy it correctly and neatly.

STEP 5: PUBLISHING SHARE • Read your writing aloud to a group.

• Create a book of your work.

• Send a copy to a friend or relative.

• Put your writing on display.

• Illustrate, perform, or set your creation to music.

• Congratulate yourself on a job well done!

By Imad Mansoor Belaanes Teacher of English The Religious Institute, Juffair, Bahrain

Year 1 Issue 3

ELU News and Activities New Specifications for final exams Members of the English Language Unit (Basic Education) at the Directorate of Curricula are working together these days to come out with clear and precise guidelines or specifications for the construction of final exams.

Through this project, the senior curriculum specialist Mrs. Nawal Al Khaja hopes that teachers will develop a critical awareness of English language tests so that they can better reflect on and evaluate the wide range of tests their students take.

Building on the past to achieve a better future In cooperation with a big number of experienced and well-qualified teachers and senior teachers here in Bahrain, the ELU (Basic Education) is planning to gather some structured feedback from schools concerning the quality and usefulness of the current teaching materials and course books.

Regular meetings are being held at the Directorate of Curricula to deeply analyze the current textbooks and evaluate the impact of some previously implemented programs on the general learning outcomes of students.

Workshops for Basic Education Teachers After analyzing the data we collected from the teachers' feedback forms, the English Language Unit at Basic Education has planned a number of workshops for Semester 2. Actually, there will be a wide range of workshops taking place. Both primary and intermediate teachers will have a chance to attend these workshops.

Group/Pair Work: This workshop will be done by cooperative areas in coordination with the Directorate of Curricula. Each teacher attends one session only as it is the same workshop repeated each day. It will take place on April 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

TEYL Teaching English to Young Learners for Cycle 1 (Grades 1-3) 45 hours This is a 45 hour methodology course spread over one semester for teachers currently teaching in Cycle 1. The general aims of the course are to deepen and strengthen teachers’ understanding of key issues surrounding the teaching of English to young learners in Cycle 1 and to explore these issues in relation to practice in the classroom. Topics include: How children learn, Individual differences, Approaches to teaching English to young learners, Classroom management, Initial literacy development, Practical techniques for working with stories, games, songs & rhymes, Classroom English. The course is very practical in nature and hands-on.

Happy iTools Orientation (Cycle 1) 3 hours The 3 hour orientation is a practical hands-on workshop for teachers in Cycle 1. It aims to familiarise participants with the contents of the Interactive Digital Resources that accompanies the Happy Series in terms of the interactive materials and the worksheet builder. We look at the features of the iTools and experience different types of tasks, very much in hands-on way.

Any teacher who would like to join one of the workshops mentioned in this page could contact the English Language Unit at the Directorate of Curricula for more information concerning registration procedures.

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English Messages

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Year 1 Issue 3

Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Education The English Language Unit (Basic Education)

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English Messages

Ask students to look at the picture and ask them a few questions about the mouse. Introduce some key words in the story.

A mouse was having a very bad time. She could find no food at all. She looked here and there, but there was no food, and she grew very thin.

At last the mouse found a basket, full of corn. There was a small hole in the basket, and she crept in. She could just get through the hole.

Then she began to eat the corn. Being very hungry, she ate a great deal, and went on eating and eating. She had grown very fat before she felt that she had had enough.

When the mouse tried to climb out of the basket, she could not. She was too fat to pass through the hole. " How shall I climb out?" said the mouse. "oh, how shall I climb out?"

Just then a rat came along, and he heard the mouse.

"Mouse," said the rat, "if you want to climb out of the basket, you must wait till you have grown as thin as you were when you went in."

Read and say whether the statements are True or False.

1– The mouse felt sad because she was hungry.

2– The mouse jumped into the basket.

3– The mouse ate the basket.

4– It was very easy for the mouse to climb out.

5– The rat refused to help the mouse.

Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Education Directorate of Curricula English Language Unit (Basic Education)

curriculabh@yahoo.com Tel +973 17 27 86 16 Fax +973 17 24 34 72

“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.”

By Alfred Mercier

Editorial Team Dr. Nawal Al-Khaja Mr. Emad Al-Sediri