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TEACHERS OF ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES ŒÓˆÛË ÁÈ· ÙË ‰È‰·ÛÎ·Ï›· ÙË˜ AÁÁÏÈÎ‹˜ ÁÏÒÛÛ·˜ ÛÙËÓ EÏÏ¿‰· A volunteer non-profit professional association

TESOL GREECE NEWSLETTER I‰ÈÔÎÙ‹ÙË˜ TESOL GREECE EÎ‰ﬁÙË˜ Evangelia L. Couri Pipinou 20 Athens 11257 ¢ÈÂ‡ı˘ÓÛË MÈÎÚ¿˜ AÛ›·˜ 40-42 4Ô˜ ﬁÚÔÊÔ˜ 115 27 Aı‹Ó· TËÏ.: 210 74.88.459 TËÏ./fax: 210 74.88.411 EÈÌ¤ÏÂÈ· ŒÎ‰ÔÛË˜ Dimitris Primalis Linda Manney Despena Dalmaris Joanna Dimitrakopoulou George Korbas Maroussa Pavlis Katerina Xafis Cover designed by N√∆∞ DIGITAL BUREAU SERVICES K·ÏÏÈÙÂ¯ÓÈÎ‹ EÈÌ¤ÏÂÈ· N√∆∞ DIGITAL BUREAU SERVICES 34Ô˘ ™˘ÓÙ¿ÁÌ·ÙÔ˜ 2-4 & HÊ·ÈÛÙ›ˆÓÔ˜ 157 73 °Ô˘‰‹ TËÏ.: 210 7775388 TÈÌ‹ TÂ‡¯Ô˘˜ ¢ˆÚÂ¿Ó ÛÙ· Ì¤ÏË

COMMUNICATING ñ From the Chair ................................................................................2 ñ From the Editors ..............................................................................2 DEVELOPING ñ Academic Plagiarism: Theft or Cultural Misunderstanding? by Sara Hannam ..4 ñ WRITING – PART I: PLANNING ACTIVITIES by Nick Michelioudakis ........7 ñ Editing ELT materials: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask! by Michele Crawford ......................................10

ñ Making the change? Working as an author by Kathleen O'Brien ................11 ñ Materials: do we get what we need or get what we deserve? by Malcolm Mann ............................................12

ñ The 27th ANNUAL TESOL GREECE CONVENTION "Feedback on Feedback: Teachers, Learners, Parents, Materials" ................................14

ñ Interviews ........................................................................................20 PRACTICALITIES ñ A Teacher’s Toolbox: Reaching Out to All Students by Jane Mantarakis, Nick Mantarakis, Judy Nelson ..............................25

ñ Vocabulary: Another Approach by Despena Dalmaris ..............................28

NETWORKING ñ EFL At a Glance by Katerina Xafis............................................................29 ñ Developing Examination Writing Skills by Cliff Parry ..............................29 ñ Evaluation of EFL Sites on the Internet by Marianna Katsaounou & Alexandra Tsakogianni ..............................30

ñ Exam Guide ..............................................................................................31 ñ News in Brief ..........................................................................................32

TÚÈÌËÓÈ·›· ŒÎ‰ÔÛË

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

COMMUNICATING reports

From the Chair And, here we are, almost a year after the Annual TESOL Greece Convention in 2005. So many things have happened within this year to each one of us. When we meet again on Saturday, 18 March 2006 (the first day of the Convention), I deeply hope we'll be talking about and smiling at pleasant happenings in our lives. As the TESOL Greece Chair for 2005 2006, I have lots to be grateful for and to be happy about: ñ A dynamic and hard working Board, the best ever, I have worked with, ñ An ever present Executive Secretary, who has supported us all throughout the year, ñ A year full of excellent, well attended TESOL Greece events (with two more to come in Patras on February 4 and at Psychiko College on February 19 2006), ñ An upgraded, full of useful and constructive information Newsletter, ñ A number of dedicated and supporting sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who have made the Board's work much easier, and

ñ A fantastic, enthusiastic group of TESOL Greece members. And, a bit of sadness: The Board must say good bye to three voting members, Nigel Downey, Voula Moustakidou, and our Newsletter editor, Dimitris Primalis. And, to the Oversight Committee member, Anastasia Diamantopoulou. I, personally, thank them for their hard work, their support, and their commitment to our association. However, we are all looking forward to an exciting Annual Convention. Read about our plenary speakers in this issue, note down the date for the General Assembly, and, as soon as you receive the Pre-Programme by post, start getting ready for the challenging, constructive, extremely interesting concurrent sessions throughout the two-day event. AND, yes, do think about nominating yourself to stand for election to the TESOL Greece Board. Our association has so much to offer to each one of us. Serving on the TESOL Greece Board is a professional investment. Do it! I'm looking forward to seeing you all on March 18th at 9:00 a.m. All the best, Lilika Couri, Chairperson, TESOL Greece

From the Editors Had enough with teaching? Before applying for the post of assistant at the local super market, read about different posts in TEFL. Michele Crawford gives us a guided tour on the work of an editor in Editing ELT materials: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask! ( page 10) and Kathleen O'Brien talks about her experience as author (Making the change? Working as an author page 11). If you regarded plagiarism as an outlandish issue, you should reconsider after reading Academic Plagiarism: Theft or Cultural Misunderstanding? by Sara Hannam. Nick Michelioudakis gives practical writing activities in WRITING – PART I: Planning Activities and Malcolm Mann talks about a hot issue in Materials: do we get what we need? For those who missed their TESOL Greece talks, Cliff Parry has sent us a short article on Developing Examination Writing Skills and Marianna Katsaounou & Alexandra Tsakogianni on Evaluation of EFL Sites on the Internet. Want to find out more about the Convention plenary speakers?

Rod Bolitho, Sophie Ioannou-Georgiou, Susan Jenkins, Hester Lott and Pavlos Pavlou (in alphabetical order) answered our questions (Interviews page 20) and send their greetings to our members. You can find more information about the plenary talks on page 15. The pre-programme with more details on extremely interesting talks, presentations and workshops has already been mailed. If you have not received it, you can visit our website: www.tesolgreece.com Don't miss our regular columns: VOCABULARY: ANOTHER APPROACH with activities by Despena Dalmaris, EFL At a Glance by Katerina Xafis and a brand new one: A Teacher’s Toolbox: Reaching Out to All Students by Jane Mantarakis, Nick Mantarakis and Judy Nelson. As you read through this issue, remember too that we really look forward to meeting you at the March Convention at our Newsletter stand. Please come by to tell us your impressions of our recent issues, and to find out how you can be a contributor to an upcoming Newsletter. Our warmest regards to you all, Dimitris Primalis Linda Manney

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The next theme is: Summer Courses Deadlines for articles: 28th April 2006 for advertisements: 5th May 2006

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TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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DEVELOPING reports

Academic Plagiarism: Theft or Cultural Misunderstanding?

by Sara Hannam

Director, English Language Unit, City College (Affiliated Institution of the University of Sheffield), Thessaloniki A Different Approach to the Problem This article will explore a perspective in the debate on plagiarism that is not that widely researched, namely whether culture and perception of ‘knowledge’ play a part in shaping students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards the issue. The impetus for this article comes from the fact that so much of the discussion around plagiarism does seem, much of the time, to focus on areas such as the minute details of different referencing systems, the issue of copy-pasting or whether the paraphrase is too similar to the original (to name but a few examples). These are all, of course, important issues, but there is also a need to take a step back and observe things from a scholarly distance or to take a more top-down approach to plagiarism. Examining the issue from a fresh perspective can help to increase our overall understanding and therefore effectiveness in dealing with it if and when we need to. This article will therefore aim to outline a number of important questions that practitioners should perhaps be asking themselves, if plagiarism has become a bone of contention in their classroom. What plagiarism is and how to deal with it is currently causing widespread concern in academia. It is frequently articulated that there has been an increase in the practice due to the access students now have to sources of information from the Internet. This perception is also reflected in the growing number of research-based articles that are being written. As pointed out by Larkham & Mills (2002: 339), ‘Incidences of cheating – of which plagiarism is a subset – have produced something of an academic growth industry, with papers addressing the moral and ethical issues…the legal problems of pursuing plagiarism charges….and its incidence and treatment in universities’. Although plagiarism is an issue debated in universities throughout the world, this article will specifically focus on how it is understood and theorized in Greece, where English is, in most cases, not the native language of the students. The question to be explored is how are views of knowledge and its dissemination that are imported from abroad (usually from the UK, USA or Australia) perceived and processed within the target country (for example, Greece, Italy, China etc.) Plagiarism: A New Evil? The dictionary tells us that plagiarism can be defined as ‘the act of taking the work of another person and passing it off as one’s own’ (Oxford Concise Dictionary, 1999: 1093). Lexically speaking, phrases that start with the words (caught in) the act of do often denote some kind of criminal behavior. A quick search carried out in the British National Corpus [online at www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk accessed December 2005] revealed that expressions such as ‘the act of stealing a wallet’ or ‘the act of

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

committing an arrestable offence’ or ‘caught in the act of burglary’ are all high frequency in the English language. A picture is therefore being built up of plagiarism as a form of stealing that contravenes a universally accepted moral framework. This is perfectly encapsulated, in the cartoon at the start of this article [reproduced with the permission of Pyrczak Publishing], and in the extract that follows, both taken from The Plagiarism Handbook (Harris 2001:53 & 5 respectively): Plagiarism has become easier…and more common, not just because of a rise in intentional cheating but also because of a growing lack of awareness of the proper research sources. To fight these trends, new approaches to prevention and detection must be added to the traditional ones; and the earlier such preventative knowledge, tools, and education can be obtained, the more likely the problem can be controlled The slightly alarmist language used in this extract (underlined) suggests an epidemic that has gone out of control and might be more familiar to the reader in descriptions of serious social problems: for example–drug trafficking or illegal gun ownership. A quick look at the back cover of the book reveals that ‘a librarian who went undercover to investigate plagiarism [found that a term paper site] was being flooded with 800 orders a day’. This suggests a law enforcement approach to dealing with the problem, according to which a new criminal has been born (the student) who inhabits a ‘virtual’ crime underworld. Their weapon of choice, in this instance, is the Internet.

DEVELOPING reports What Do Teachers and Students Say? Responsibility for teaching students how not to plagiarize often falls on the shoulders of the EAP teacher and, where English is the second language of the student body, is frequently included as part of a course in Academic Writing or Study Skills which might also have a language-based component. Many EAP teachers in such settings have experienced the feeling that the responsibility for teaching plagiarism is being passed to them in their EAP course, and, if students demonstrate problems in their subject-specific courses, the ‘blame’ is often directed at the poor old English teacher! I would argue that one of the many reasons why the EAP classroom is frequently identified as the appropriate place to address issues surrounding plagiarism by other subject-specific academics, is partly because it is so difficult to ‘teach’ this area effectively and it does not yield a very high success rate. Hence, it often gets relegated to the English course. So what makes teaching plagiarism so difficult? To try and answer this question, over the last year I have made a note of some of the informal comments on the subject made by teachers and students around me – these comments do not make up two or more parts of the same conversation, but were collected randomly from different situations both in and outside my classroom and college. I should make it clear that my teaching context is an international college with a student body from Greece, Serbia, Skopje, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria and China all of whom are studying in Greece, in the medium of English, according to guidelines developed at a British University. The comments collected therefore reflect a number of cultural backgrounds. Some selected results are displayed in Table One below under a series of general subheadings developed after analyzing their content.

As a way of trying to understand and interpret the comments above, I asked a separate group of teachers (all working in EAP) to analyze them and find suitable words to describe the sentiments that lay behind what was said i.e. what might the teachers and students who said these things really feel? In relation to teachers, it was felt that comments might reflect feelings of anger (at something that is important to the teacher not being considered so by the students), belittlement (at the

perceived lack of respect from students towards the teacher’s position) and frustration (at the fact teaching methods had not worked). For students, three different feelings were chosen: confusion (at the exact parameters of plagiarism), judgment (from the teacher towards their behavior) and lack of confidence (about the level of their own writing). If we accept that the majority of the teachers’ and students’ comments in Table One are negative, and, if we see them as a tiny snapshot of the bigger picture, one possible conclusion that can be drawn is that teachers and students seem to have fundamentally misunderstood each other when it comes to the teaching of plagiarism. Re-defining Plagiarism In my own personal practice, I have always found it useful to think of plagiarism as a continuum of practices as outlined by Hawley (1984) which might begin with imprecise paraphrasing and end with word-for-word transcriptions from an uncredited source. There are a large number of behaviors between these two polarities and Hawley concludes by saying that ‘definitional precision constitutes one of the most salient problems in any discussion’ (p.35). In other words, when a teacher says to a class of students ‘Don’t Plagiarize!’it is likely that there are many different perceptions of what that might mean present in the classroom – a very fertile environment for misunderstanding. My personal experience has been that the number of students who overtly take an entire text and present it as their own work form a minority of those I have come into contact with. However, the number of students who plagiarize without meaning to or without fully understanding what they are doing are a much larger group. This means that we need to begin by thinking of plagiarism in two distinct categories: deliberate and accidental. If the majority of students fall under the category accidental, the first step any teacher should take when confronted with a case of suspected plagiarism, is to think of it as precisely that – suspected. In other words, the onus is on the teacher to gather the information to prove the case and to follow the well-known trope ‘innocent until proven guilty’ in their reaction and treatment of the student. An important part of that process is for the teacher to sit down and work out whether there might be a conceptual gap in the student’s knowledge that has led him/her to plagiarize. Why is Culture Important? The way that knowledge is viewed in different cultures plays a crucial role in how each individual reacts to the seriousness (or not) of plagiarism as an offence. The basic difference is premised upon whether knowledge is seen as belonging to the individual or whether it is believed to be public property. In the UK and USA, knowledge and ideas are considered the property of the individual or, more specifically, of the individual who is first recorded as having developed them, either in print or in a public forum. Behind this perception lies the individual right to creativity and innovation and, not to be ignored, the profits that can be earned from the publishing rights of such ideas. In fact, this was first inscribed in law in England in 1710 to ensure that writers and publishers could obtain financial reward for intellectual ‘property’ (cited in Rusikoff et al 2003). The practice of academic sourcing and referencing emerged directly from this tradition. This view varies quite dramatically from

TESOL Greece Newsletter 88 ñ October-December 2005

DEVELOPING other contexts where knowledge is viewed more collectively in terms of its production and distribution. In such a setting, quoting both orally and in written form directly from the words/ideas of others might be actively encouraged and seen as quite normal. Knowledge might be viewed as more inter-textual in nature and meaning understood as deriving from the interaction between different types of text (novels, poems, songs, newspapers) and individual experience. Within this framework, it might be considered totally acceptable to appropriate ideas from different sources without any penalty. Here lies the conceptual gap that I referred to in the previous paragraph. It is not just the details of how to synthesize and reference sources that need to be addressed, but why it is considered necessary to do so in the first place. Taking a look at the average Academic English Skills syllabus, I think it is fair to say that most of the time the approach to teaching plagiarism avoidance skills starts with the details of the referencing system and works up to assessing a source and integrating it into an essay or vice-versa. My suggestion would be for teachers to start with a more critical session on the way in which knowledge and ideas are viewed within the institution and framework they are working, thereby giving students a valuable insight into what differences there might be from the system they are used to. In other words, allow the students a chance to consider the concept behind plagiarism, which might represent a very different way of looking at things. The most important insight we can gain, therefore, is that there is no point in taking student behavior in this respect personally as the motivation behind the action is not meant, most of the time at least, to offend or upset an individual teacher. As summed up by Lake (online at www.hltmag.co.uk accessed December 2004): ‘the gravity with which plagiarism is regarded in the West needs not just to be emphasized but also justified with an explanation of its own cultural rationale’. We cannot assume, without checking, that this concept is transparent to all our students. Asking the Right Questions As an EAP teacher who is about to embark on this area in the classroom, you might want to refer to this quick check list of points (and to carry out the necessary research required to answer them) before you begin planning what you are going to do: ñ Have my students had any contact with the concept of plagiarism before? ñ Are they likely to think of ideas and knowledge as intellectual ‘property’? ñ How seriously is plagiarism taken in the target culture of each of my students? ñ What has been their writing background until now (has quoting other people’s ideas without sourcing them featured strongly or not?) ñ Are general copyright laws implemented strictly in the target culture of each of my students? If the answers to the above questions show that this is an area that students are unfamiliar with, take some time to devise a lesson that deals with these issues first. My own approach is to draw two columns on the board and to write on the left hand side Western Views of Knowledge listing the following points as examples: (i) the private ownership of ideas, (ii) the idea of unique creativity and individualism, (iii) the importance of intellectual property rights. I then ask my students to define how these concepts might be viewed in their culture, if

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

different, and the answers are written in the right hand column, for example, (i) collective ownership of ideas etc. When it does come to talking about the details of how not to plagiarize, the teacher can then refer back to this list so constantly keeping the student conceptually informed. This also makes it clear that the Western way of viewing knowledge is only one of many possible ways – this does not make it universally correct, only necessary in the context in which they are working. This attitude demonstrates a respect for difference. A Final Word To conclude, there are, of course, cases where students do knowingly plagiarize, and, if they have several years experience under their belt, the only conclusion to draw is that their behavior is deliberate. In that case, the necessary action should be taken. Additionally, it is very upsetting if one’s own ideas are ‘taken’ without permission. I know personally how this feels as I once had the unfortunate experience of attending a teacher training session in which I saw several of my own original worksheets being presented and passed off as another trainer’s work! I was so shocked, that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything at the time and decided instead to put it down to experience. In relation to the teaching of skills to avoid plagiarism, I see my primary responsibility as ensuring that all the students in my care are able to operate effectively within the academic community they are part of, which dictates that they have a solid grasp of what is acceptable and unacceptable and how this varies from their own background. A deeper look at the issues will help to make the situation less stressful for teachers and students, as well as encouraging trust in the classroom. If plagiarism is seen as a crime, and the student as a criminal, it is likely that everyone will become defensive which does not encourage the open dialogue I believe is necessary in this instance. Surely a calm and understanding approach is more likely to yield the results we want in the long run, and by gaining the students’ trust and making sure they understand the why of plagiarism we are more likely to achieve our goal. I would be happy to hear from any TESOL members regarding their personal experience or problems in the teaching of plagiarism at hannam@city.academic.gr.

REFERENCES Harris, R. A. 2001. The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting and Dealing with Plagiarism. Pyrczak Publishing: Los Angeles, CA. [Please note that written permission was sought from the Editors of Pyrczak Publishing to reproduce the cartoon at the start of this article] Hawley, C. S. 1984. ‘The thieves of academe: plagiarism in the university system,’ in Improving College University Teaching. 32. pp. 35-39. Lake, J. 2004. ‘EAP writing: the Chinese challenge; new ideas on plagiarism’ in Humanising Language Teaching. 6/1. accessed from www.hltmag.co.uk December 2004. Larkham, P. J. 2002. ‘Plagiarism and its treatment in higher education,’ in Journal of Further and Higher Education. 26/4. pp. 339-349. Russikoff, K., Fucalore, L., & Salkauskiene, D. 2003. ‘Plagiarism as a Cross Cultural Phenomenon’ in The CATESOL Journal. 15/1. pp. 127-142.

DEVELOPING

WRITING – PART I: PLANNING ACTIVITIES Nick Michelioudakis (B. Econ., Dip. RSA, MSc [TEFL]) has been working in the field of ELT for more years than he cares to remember. He likes to think of himself as a ‘front-line teacher’ and is particularly interested in one-to-one teaching. When he is not struggling with students, he likes to spend his time in a swimming pool or playing chess. What do you do when your next class is in half an hour and you have noth...Start again: What do you do when you decide that your class needs practice in writing essays and you want to go about it in a methodical way? The answer is, you start from the beginning, with some planning activities! Who is this article for? This article is for all teachers (Ts) who need to train their students (ss) to write essays / compositions. In particular I have three categories in mind: ñ Ts who prepare ss for public exams (e.g. FCE, CAE, CPE, ECCE, ECPE) ñ Ts who prepare ss to study abroad (e.g. ss who need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exams) and ñ Ts who teach English for Academic Purposes. Why Plan? Writing an essay is arguably one of the most difficult activities to do in a foreign language (it is certainly one of the most despised ones among ss!) in part because of its artificial nature (Byrne 1990:111). If one compares writing and speaking the writer’s difficulties become immediately apparent. A writer lacks gesture, prosodic features like stress and intonation and reference to time and place to help his meaning get across. What is more, s/he lacks feedback from the listener, so s/he must make absolutely certain that the reader can follow him/her. (Hedge 1988:5). To ensure clarity, planning is essential. Yet, few of our ss take planning seriously. Why? I believe part of the answer lies in the fact that ss are used to tasks requiring little planning. Writing activities however cover a whole spectrum from ‘spontaneous’ ones requiring just a few seconds of thought (e.g. a postcard) to highly structured ones requiring careful planning such as an academic paper (Hedge 1988:22). Essay writing comes within the latter end of this continuum which means that it is vital that we train our ss to take this stage of writing seriously. Approaches and planning. (Must you really read this? – you can always skip it and move to the next – more practical – section!) Tribble (1996:37) distinguishes three approaches to writing: the first focusing on form (the ‘Product Approach’), the second on the writer (the ‘Process Approach’) and the last focusing on the reader (the ‘Genre Approach’). While few Ts would admit to using the (rather outdated) first, the two others combine to make up the prevailing ‘paradigm’ in the field of writing. The difference is one of emphasis; the former

by Nick Michelioudakis

(‘Process’) stresses the importance of the writer being free to express him/herself. The latter (‘Genre’) points out that in order for the writer to be successful in getting his/her message across, s/he has to take into account the reader and his/her expectations. The activities presented here, would normally be considered to belong to the ‘Process’ approach, as at this stage we do not take the conventions of the ‘Genre’ (the Essay) into account. However, the two approaches are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, many people advocate the need to combine the best elements of each (Richards & Renandya [eds.] 2002:304) while others stress the importance of a principled ‘eclecticism’ in the selection of approaches and techniques (Carter & Nunan [eds.] 2001:32). In any case, regardless of the current ‘orthodoxy’, I believe that through experience Ts develop a feeling for what works well for them and their ss – what Raimes calls the ‘Wisdom of Practice’: ‘a sense of plausibility about teaching’ (Richards & Renandya [eds.] 2002:314). The Activities What follows is a series of seven activities which can be used independently, but are basically meant to be seen as a complete lesson. Activity 1: Mapping-Linking-Ordering. [The class brainstorm ideas on a topic. These are arranged on the board by the T. Then the class discusses which ideas should be grouped together and what the right sequence might be] (Hedge 1988:30). Comments: This is the standard planning activity – and a very efficient one it is too. It has the advantage over making a list that it does not automatically suggest a certain order. The Mind-Map is flexible, it allows new ideas to be added easily, it makes it easy for ss to link relevant ideas and it might even show the right proportions – how much space an idea should occupy in the essay (White & Arndt 1991:34). Activity 2: Monologue. [Students jot down ideas on given topic. Then, in pairs, they take turns to make a presentation of their views/arguments to their partner] Comments: This activity often takes ss by surprise – they do not often associate writing with speaking! Quite apart from the change however, making a monologue gives ss the chance to ‘flesh out’ their ideas. Moreover, having spoken on the topic for some time, most ss find that their original plan has changed; some ideas have become clarified, some appear less relevant than before, a new sequencing might suggest itself, while many may end up with more ideas than they started off with! Activity 3: Quickwriting. [Students are given a topic. Then they are told to write down their views together with as many arguments as possible, in continuous prose, within 5 minutes. They should try to write as much as possible, non-stop, without worrying about grammar, spelling or word choice] (Hedge 1988: 44). Comments: This is a technique used by expert writers when

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

DEVELOPING

they encounter ‘writer’s block’. Here is the idea: imagine you have an untidy drawer, full of clothes. If you take hold of a Tshirt and gently pull it out, you will end up with your T-shirt but nothing else. If you yank it out however, the chances are that many more things will come out as well! The same principle works with planning. This activity is meant to generate ideas not practice drafting. For it to work like this, it is imperative that the T stresses that ss are not to be distracted by grammar or spelling. If they do not know a word, they should leave a blank or use even use the L1! (Hedge 2000:304). Activity 4: Responding to audio-visual material. [Students either listen to people arguing on a topic or (better still) read articles from different viewpoints and they make a note of the arguments for/against]. Comments: This activity kills many birds with one stone. First of all, it provides a change of skill – from writing to reading. Moreover, it is less demanding since ss are not asked to ‘generate’ ideas, but rather to identify them. However, this is a most important skill in itself (Byrne 1990:72) and one moreover which ss will need later in their academic careers. In addition, if they get to read articles/letters, this exposure to real-life examples gives them really useful models for their own writing (Tribble 1996:150). Activity 5: Debating. [Students are divided into pairs. They are given a topic and they prepare notes (for/against). They then have a debate trying to support their views as well as they can and to counter the arguments of their partner]. (Idea adapted from Hedge 1988:32) Comments: This idea is the ss’ favourite and it is ideal for the ‘For/Against’ type of essay. It has all the advantages of Activity 2; students use speaking instead of writing, they have the opportunity to think their ideas through and to see how effective they are. In addition, they learn that in an essay of this kind they have to take the arguments of the other side into consideration – which is actually a plus, as it gives them more to write about. Activity 6: Brainstorming (voc). [Students brainstorm vocabulary around a given topic. As an extension, they might then come up with a mind-map, like in Activity 1]. Comments: This activity is faster than Activity 1. The rationale behind it is that words carry ideas with them. For instance, if the topic is ‘Ways of protecting the Environment’ and ss come up with ‘poaching’, ‘pollution’ and ‘recycling’ they are half-way towards completing their plan. However, this is also an opportunity for the T to support the ss with the vocabulary necessary for the drafting stage. When the students have thought of enough words/expressions, they can then use them as a basis for making a ‘proper’ plan, like a Mind-Map. Activity 7: Sclecting-Ordering. [Students are given a list of points on a given topic. They have to decide which are relevant to it and which are not, which ideas go together, and how they might best be arranged]. (Hedge 1988:35-6). Comments: As an IELTS examiner, I am often struck by the apparent difficulty many ss have of distinguishing between ideas which directly relate to the subject they have to write on

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

and others which are only remotely connected with it. Similarly, they have difficulty distinguishing between main arguments and supporting statements. Activities like this one can help them clarify these notions. The activity is ideal for difficult/unfamiliar topics, while it can also function as a ‘backup’ should the ss fail to come up with ideas during ideasgenerating activities like 1, 3 and 6. (For a good example, see White & Arndt 1991:57) Advantages This sequence of activities has numerous advantages. It is a complete, self-contained lesson. Although some of the activities can be used independently, the T using them does not actually need any extra material for a 90’ lesson. What is more, the lesson can be used as the first in a series of writing-skills sessions with follow-ups such as ‘Drafting’ and ‘Editing’ thus giving the course a sense of coherence. It requires very little preparation on the part of the T. In fact, all the T needs is a list of Topics (like the official list of ‘Writing Topics’ for the TOEFL exams). The handout for activity 7 can be easily prepared, while audio extracts or articles for activity 4 can be found in almost every coursebook. It has great flexibility. Despite the recommended ordering, it is up to the individual T to decide which activities to use first, which to leave out and how long each one should be. This can help the T adapt to external constraints or the mood of the class on the particular day. It has coherence and clear individual aims. The ss know that the overall aim is learning how to plan, and at each stage they have to do only one thing, which prevents confusion and makes the activity purposeful. The activities are short and (mostly) fast. With the possible exception of Activity 4, all others can finish in less than 10 minutes, which means that the ss do not get bored. Moreover, the pace of the activities is generally so fast (esp. in the case of 1, 2, 3 and 6) that they do not have the chance to lose interest. There is great variety. Ss use different skills: note-making (Act. 1), speaking (2, 5), reading / listening (4) and writing (3). Moreover, they work on a different topic in each one. Finally, they switch from high-intensity activities (3,6) to more relaxed ones (4,7). The ss get to choose most of the topics. It is advisable before starting to give ss a range of topics to select the ones they might find more interesting / easier. The T can then select which topic might be the most suitable for each activity, but the ss feel that they have a say in the process which increases their motivation (Tribble 1996:153). Many of the tasks are (or can be) collaborative. (E.g. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7) As writing is inherently a solitary activity, it makes sense to alleviate this whenever possible by giving ss the opportunities to collaborate (Richards & Renandya [eds.] 2002:313). Ss are exposed to a range of planning strategies. Different people have different styles in planning (Hedge 2000:308). As is the case with vocabulary for instance, it makes sense to expose ss to different ways of generating / organizing ideas and hope that they will choose to use the ones which suit them best (Carter & Nunan [eds.] 2001:30).

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It is easy to assign homework. Ts are often faced with the difficulty of assigning H/W which is both relevant to the lesson and easy for the ss to do. As planning is just the first stage of the writing process, it the natural follow-up for the T to ask ss to write on one or more of the topics they have discussed / prepared for in class. [NB: It is vital for the T to stress that the plan should never be seen as a straight-jacket; the writing process is recursive (Richards & Renandya [eds.] 2002 – 315) and ss should feel free when writing to go back to their plans and modify them (Hedge 2000: 304). Last words Some might say ‘Are you really suggesting that ss will have the time to use these activities during a public exam with 40-45 mins to complete their essay?’ Well, not necessarily, but then did Pyrros Dimas only train by constantly lifting weights of more than 200 kg? Unfortunately, the search of ‘face validity’ – the need for ss to see that what they are doing looks like what they will have to face in exams (usually) is often a foolproof recipe for uniformity and boredom. We need to stop seeing the end as the means (Richards & Renandya [eds.] 2002:307). A more pertinent question might be ‘How do all these activities work in practice?’ Well, you can try them out and see for yourself*, or you could attend a presentation I intend to give in the near future demonstrating them.

Oh, and one last thing: Despite the variety, a lesson on planning (or indeed an article on the same topic!) may not be all that riveting, so it might be a good idea to include the odd joke here and there. Speaking of which, have you heard the one about the Englishman, the Scotsman and the Welshman? [* Once again, I would be most interested in feedback. Which of the activities did your students like best? Which did you think were the most useful? Any ideas/recommendations? My e-mail is nickmi@ath.forthnet.gr ]

REFERENCES 1. Byrne, D. "Teaching Writing Skills" Longman 1990 2. Carter, R. & D. Nunan (eds.) "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages" C.U.P. 2001 3. Hedge, T. "Writing" O.U.P. 1988 4. Hedge, T. "Teaching and learning in the Language Classroom" O.U.P. 2000 5. Richards, J. & W. Renandya (eds.) "Methodology in Language Teaching", C.U.P. 2002 6. Tribble, C. "Writing" O.U.P. 1996 7. White, R. & V. Arndt "Process Writing" Longman 1991.

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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Editing ELT materials: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask! by Michele Crawford Michele Crawford has a BA in Modern Languages (Sheffield) and an MA in Applied Linguistics (Newcastle). She has worked as an EFL teacher in several countries, and in the ELT publishing industry as both an editor and an author. She is currently based in Patras and is a member of the TESOL Greece Board this year. Have you got what it takes to be an editor? Are you one of those teachers who picks up a new course book and immediately sees the mistakes in it? These may range from simple typos to sentences that don’t sound completely natural or exercises that just don’t work. ‘Who the #*! edits these things?’you ask yourself. ‘I could do a better job myself!’. If this sounds like you, then instead of penning an irate letter to the offending publisher, why not send them your CV instead? ELT publishers are always on the lookout for good freelance editors, and it’s something that you can easily do on a part-time basis. You’ll need to have a good few years of teaching experience, preferably at a variety of levels, during which you will have familiarised yourself with the different kinds of teaching materials on the market. An eye for detail is also essential, as are good analytical skills and, last but not least, an ability to manage your time effectively so that you can meet deadlines! Content-editing and copy-editing: what’s the difference? There are two main types of editing, for which different skills are needed. A content editor is someone who looks at the manuscript for a book in the early stages and makes general comments on its content. As a content editor, you don’t really need to pick up on things like mistakes in spelling and the numbering of exercises – this comes later. Instead, you are expected to give more general feedback on the manuscript – whether or not it is suitable for the intended level, whether the exercises work, and if not, why not. Part of your job is to give concrete suggestions as to how the material could be improved upon and you might have to decide whether anything needs to be rewritten by the author. A good content editor doesn’t need to have a perfect command of the English language, but must have a good idea of what is expected from a particular kind of book at a given level and an understanding of what does and doesn’t work in the classroom. Once a book has been content-edited and any necessary changes made by the author, the next stage is copy-editing. It is the copy-editor’s job to rid the book of the kind of glaring errors that make teachers wince – spelling and punctuation mistakes (unacceptable in a book that professes to teach English, right?) and any inconsistencies in the look of the manuscript. The content editor will usually have a style guide to which s/he must rigidly adhere when checking each page. So, for example, if grammar section headings are supposed to have initial capital letters (e.g. ‘Past Continuous’), the content editor

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

must spot anything inconsistent with that (e.g. ‘Passive voice’) and correct it. Content-editing involves lots of detailed crosschecking, so a good memory definitely comes in handy, and an excellent knowledge of English is essential. Getting Started A good way to get into editing is to start as a proofreader and work your way up. Proofreading is basically copy-editing in the final stages when (in theory!) there are only a few mistakes left to identify. Publishing companies often give would-be editors proofreading work to start with and only go on to offer them editorial work if they are pleased with the results. Payment As a freelance editor, you will normally be offered a fee for a project, based on the work involved. Before you agree to a fee, it is important that you have as much information as possible about the relevant project – the length, level and kind of book and what your exact duties will be – so that you can work out if it’s worth your while to take it on. Don’t be afraid to ask for a larger fee if you feel that what is being offered doesn’t reflect the amount of work involved. Remember too that most fees offered will be gross, so you will actually be paid the agreed sum minus about 20%, which you might or might not get back from the tax office at the end of the year. As a freelancer in Greece, you will also have to weigh up whether or not it’s worth your while to issue receipts, in which case you will have to insure yourself with TEVE. Otherwise, you can only earn up to about 3,000 euros a year. Dos and Don’ts of Editing 1 Don’t worry, in the beginning, about not being able to understand publishing jargon – you’ll pick this up as you go along – and don’t be afraid to ask questions when you aren’t sure about something. 2 Study the brief you are given very carefully before you start work. Try to anticipate the kinds of problems that might come up and clear them up with the project manager in advance. Although this might be time-consuming, it will save you time in the long run. It’s better to be clear about what exactly you’re supposed to be doing from the outset than get halfway through a manuscript and realise you’ve got to go back to the beginning to check for something new. 3 Be realistic about the length of time that it will take you to do a project and don’t agree to a deadline that you know you can’t meet. Often publishing companies want things doing in an unrealistically short space of time, but don’t be pressurised into agreeing to a submission date that you aren’t happy with. 4 Be professional! The ELT world in Greece is a small place and the amount of work you are offered will depend on the reputation you build up. If you are capable, conscientious and reliable as an editor, you will quickly become known as such, and probably find yourself with more work than you can handle. You have been warned!

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Making the change? Working as an author by Kathleen O'Brien Kathleen O'Brien BA, MA(ED). Teacher, writer, editor. If I were asked how I came to be involved in Educational writing in Greece, I’d have to answer in the same way most people do. Mine’s the typical story of someone coming to Greece to work in a private institute (frontisterio), usually for a year, and ending up staying here. There then followed quite a few years of teaching in institutes, private lessons and examining. Unfortunately, the reality of working in the private sector is that there is no real prospect of promotion as most businesses are familyrun, and there is little security due to the fact that all employment is on temporary contracts. The result of this was, after some years of work, I was ready for a change. This wasn’t easy, so I decided the first step was to improve my employment prospects by acquiring better qualifications. Thus, I enrolled in the Open University MA in Education. Although it didn’t lead directly to my finding new employment, it certainly helped me as a teacher and writer. How I did find employment was through an advertisement. Scanning the newspapers is still the best way, in my opinion, to find vacancies in publishing. Anyway, I was employed as a ‘writer of educational materials’ by a Greek publishing house and it was here I got a solid grounding in editorial work. As is the way at many Greek publishers, I also did a lot of writing and after a few years I was co-credited with another writer as author of my first book. I worked at that publishing house for five years, eventually becoming ‘Editor in Chief’. At this time I began to have problems with being office-based – I had two very young children and I decided it was time for a change. I wasn’t ready for the big leap into the unknown of freelancing without any IKA cover, so I opted for returning to teaching part-time and doing a little freelance writing or editing. Basically, since then I have combined both types of work, gradually cutting down my hours of teaching as the demands of the editing I do now have grown. I think this has worked out for the best because you can get jaded doing the same kind of work all the time so going into the classroom can actually be a welcome change. Also, I don’t think the benefits of remaining in the classroom whilst writing or editing books for that classroom can be denied. Staying in touch with what’s going on in ‘the real world’ is only logical really. I’ve been asked to explain how one can become an author of EFL books and I think my own experience sums it up. Once you have gained plenty of experience in the classroom, start looking in the Athens News etc and you’ll see there are usually some jobs going in EFL publishing. Most of these are for Greek publishers. Generally their organization is different to the British Houses in that they are less likely to work with freelancers. However, they provide a good place to learn the skills of editing and writing and owing to the fact that many are very successful enterprises, there is always the possibility of promotion. It’s a good idea to keep some kind of portfolio of the material you have made for your lessons as this could be shown to prospective employers. Moreover, if you decide the office-based approach to becoming an author doesn’t suit you, you will need to have ideas to show to publishing managers if you are going to directly approach

them. At the very least, you’ll need a draft unit of a book. While you may not have that book accepted, you might find you are offered something as a preliminary test, such as a companion. Also, I would imagine, if you were active in the Greek EFL world – attending seminars, conferences etc, you’ll meet people involved in all spheres of teaching and publishing and this could help you make useful contacts. Plus, it will also add to the experience you can offer any potential employers. If you finally find yourself offered some freelance writing, you may be rather apprehensive about how to deal with it. You’ll want to make a good impression so sticking to deadlines will be important. You can ensure this by planning out the days you have available to do this. You may find that it’ll mean working long hours and having to forget other commitments, but that is the nature of freelance work. Also, you should draw on your classroom experience to check whether you are writing uniformly for the level required. Note that it is always best to stay in contact with your project manager, asking any questions you have rather than rushing on and producing faulty work. Another thing that will get you brownie points is if you lay out your work in the way the publishing house does. The first time you work for a publisher, ask for an example of how a unit is normally organized, how you should give instructions to the artist, designer etc. You will be much more popular with editors if your work doesn’t need too much ‘cleaning up’. Some people also wonder whether writer’s block can be a problem. I don’t think that’s really the case in educational writing if you’ve spent a lot of time in the classroom, but you may find your creativity wanes at times. The only solution I can think of is to chat with other writers and teachers or hit the Internet to see what’s going on in the world. Hopefully inspiration will come to you. It should also be noted that publishers use freelance proofreaders, content editors and copy editors as well as writers. These jobs can provide smaller, less time-consuming employment and are often very interesting projects. (Personally, in the last year I have mostly edited other’s work.) You may well be wondering what is the nature of these jobs. Well, once a book has been written it’s first port of call is to the content editor. This editor will look at the big picture. The writer will have been given a brief – an outline of what the book should be like and the editor will check that everything has been done. Added to that, they’ll have their own brief, which will include checking things like whether the book is the right level, if the exercises work and if the language is suitable. After that, the book goes back to the publisher and they make the final editorial decisions. Then it’s off to the copy editor who finalises the manuscript checking that the material is accurate, consistent, clear and correctly punctuated. Back at the publishers, problems that have cropped up are dealt with and it’s time for proofreading. This is the final check to ensure everything has been laid out correctly and there are no spelling errors or discrepancies before the book goes to printing. Of course, this is a somewhat simplified picture of what goes on, but hopefully it gives you an idea. Anyhow, if you are hoping to make the move into the publishing world, be prepared for hard work as there are always deadlines hanging over your head. Also, you can expect a lot less holidays than in teaching!

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

DEVELOPING

Materials: do we get what we need or get what we deserve? Malcolm Mann is an EFL teacher and freelance ELT materials writer. He has taught for many years in Greece, first in Alexandroupolis and more recently in Athens. He has written a number of books for ELT in Greece and other countries around the world. Malcolm is also involved in the production of the PALSO English language exams. He served as Chairperson of TESOL Greece from March 2003 to March 2005. The problem At two recent TESOL Greece events – one in Athens and one in Patras – at which I gave a workshop with the same title as this article, I asked the audiences to come up with some things that they like about published materials which they’ve used in the classroom. They were able to produce quite a substantial list, including motivating and effective activities, interesting texts, good illustrations (particularly in books for junior levels), and clear and accurate grammar presentation. This is undoubtedly positive, and is to be celebrated. There was a general feeling, however, that these positive elements found in particular books were not the norm. Indeed, the lists of things that the audiences weren’t happy with in books that they’ve used proved to be much, much longer. The relationship between teachers and the materials they use in the classroom does seem to be quite strained. Criticisms include poor exploitation of texts, an over-emphasis on exam tasks, few pair work and communicative tasks, mistakes in the answer key, books that are too large to be finished in the school year, inaccurate and/or incomplete grammar presentation, phrasal verbs presented and taught by main verb, lack of background cultural information in the teacher’s book, lack of integration and a poor balance between skills, and the existence of Companions, to name but a few. The list appears to be endless. Teachers and school owners – or at least those attending the workshops – appear not to be getting what they want in terms of published materials. So what’s going wrong? Certainly things like ‘mistakes in the answer key’ are the responsibility of the publisher in terms of employing competent writers and editors. But is it all the publishers’, writers’ and editors’ fault? I don’t think so. ELT is an industry This first thing we have to understand is that ELT is an industry, and market forces apply. If a frontisterio doesn’t make enough money, it closes down. The same is true of publishing companies. They have to produce a product that will sell. Fifteen or twenty years ago, when materials production in Greece was still in its infancy, the market was mainly ‘producer led’. By that, I mean that it was the producer (the publisher, the editor and/or the writer of a particular book or course) who

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

by Malcolm Mann

essentially determined the structure, syllabus and content of a book or course. Even when I started writing books for the Greek market just over ten years ago, I had enormous freedom in determining how many units, for example, my book would have. As the market has developed, however, the power has shifted away from the producer towards the consumer. Today, the market is predominantly ‘consumer led’. It is the consumer who determines the structure, syllabus and content of a book or course. We can see this clearly with companions. Greece is one of the very few markets in the world which has them. It’s practically inconceivable for a publisher producing a course for Greece to produce the course without a companion. Why is this? Is it because the publisher is convinced that the companion is an essential educational tool and that they wouldn’t be fulfilling their moral responsibility to provide teachers with the finest materials it’s possible to produce if they didn’t provide a companion? No, not at all. It’s because if they produce a course without a companion, the course won’t sell. The consumer – rightly or wrongly – demands that a companion is included in the package. The consumer is in control. This is true of almost all aspects of book production in Greece, for example, how many units a book has, the structure of each unit (e.g. whether each unit should start with ‘reading’ or not), the grammar syllabus, the activity types, the components (e.g. companions), etc. All of these today are, for most publishing companies (there are still one or two companies which follow the ‘producer led’ model), determined by the consumer. Who is the consumer? This does, of course, raise the question: who is the consumer? In many cases, the parents of the student actually pay for the book, the teacher and student uses the book but it’s the school owner or Director of Studies who makes the purchasing decision, sometimes with input from the teacher. Are books therefore just designed to appeal to the person making the purchasing decision? The answer is no. This is because although persuading the school owner alone that this is the ‘best’ book may be enough to ensure the school adopts the book for the first year, it will not guarantee that the school readopts the book the following year. Books are therefore designed to appeal to school owners or DOSs, teachers, students and – to a certain extent – parents too. The school owner or DOS must initially be persuaded that a particular book meets their needs. Their needs are to provide the teacher with the materials they need to educate their students. The teacher must find the book easy to use, and an effective resource. The students must benefit educationally from studying the book. The parents must be persuaded that the school has chosen effective and appropriate materials for their child. If this is not successful, i.e. if the teacher, students and/or

DEVELOPING

parents are not happy with a book for some reason, the publishers know that the chances of the school re-adopting the book for the following school year are reduced. And just one year of sales of a book will not usually recoup the initial investment in the project. Publishers need their books to be selling for several years to make a profit. Large investment Although ELT is a badly paid industry for teachers in Greece, it’s an industry which demands a heavy investment on the part of publishers. Producing a course is expensive. An intermediate course, for example, consisting of a student’s book, workbook, companion, teacher’s book, test book, class cassettes and/or CD, and possibly a CD ROM) may cost something in the region of x200,000 to produce. A new three-level course could therefore require an initial investment on the part of the publisher of well over half a million euros. And that’s not to mention the salaries of the in-house editors and designers, the salaries of the sales reps, managers and secretaries and the costs of exhibiting at book exhibitions and couriering thousands of sample copies to schools up and down the country. One false move – such as not producing a companion – resulting in the course not selling can be catastrophic financially for the publisher. So, the publisher cannot afford to ignore the demands of the market. The book production process All publishing companies have their own procedures. In general, though, publishers carry out a lot of market research before they’re willing to invest heavily in a project. Let’s briefly examine how an ELT book in Greece comes into existence. Firstly, the publisher either recognises a gap in the market (e.g. a new exam is introduced and there are currently no books to prepare students for it) or believes it can take a share of the existing market (e.g. there are three current junior courses but the publisher believes they can produce a junior course which enough school owners or teachers will consider ‘better’ and will therefore switch to). There then follows a period of market research. This probably involves feedback from the sales reps in terms of what school owners and teachers have told them: focus groups with school owners, DOSs and teachers, and the editor and/or writer carrying out a series of school visits. The book is structured and the syllabus is produced based on the results of this research, with the writer and editor’s experience of the market also being taken into account. There may well be further market research at this stage, where a number of school owners, teachers and DOSs comment on and ‘approve’ the structure and syllabus. The writer then produces the draft manuscript. Then there follows a further round of market research. This may take the form of piloting the material in the classroom, or the draft manuscript being read by school owners, DOSs and teachers. The draft manuscript is then revised and edited on the basis of the results of this research and the book goes into production in terms of proofreading, design and printing.

The majority view With all of this market research, then, why are so many books produced for Greece so “conservative”? Why are they so examoriented? Why do they contain so few communicative and pair work activities, for example? The main reason is that the majority of teachers and school owners in Greece are “conservative”. The majority do not want pair work activities but they do want exam practice tasks, the majority want companions with the Greek translation of words and phrases, the majority want a list of phrasal verbs with ‘put’ rather than to teach ‘put on’ and ‘take off’ within the topic of clothes and fashion, for example. A brighter future? Having said that though, I’m optimistic. We, as a market, are becoming more aware and ‘educated’. Organisations such as TESOL Greece, through their professional development seminars, annual convention, newsletter and other activities, are actively promoting a more ‘progressive’ agenda, and I believe that it is, albeit slowly, having a positive effect on what teachers do in the classroom. And I believe that as teachers and school owners become more aware that there are more effective ways to teach English than the methods that are currently used by the majority, they will and should start saying to publishers: ‘You produce a product. You want that product to meet my needs and the needs of my students. So listen to what those needs are.’ A role for TESOL Greece? There’s little doubt though that a publisher is not going to pay much attention to a lone voice calling for a change in their materials. It is only when there is a loud collective voice that any change will be brought about. And, once again, I believe that organisations such as TESOL Greece may have an important role to play in this. Publishers cannot afford to ignore the views of many hundreds of English teachers in Greece when they speak collectively and clearly. So how can TESOL Greece be involved in this process? I made several suggestions in my workshops, which I shall repeat here. It is for others to decide whether they are practical and sensible or not. Perhaps TESOL Greece could carry out its own research into what its members want from materials. This could be in the form of focus groups or questionnaires. Perhaps the creation of a Materials Special Interest Group would be useful to oversee this and explore some of these issues in more detail and more systematically. Perhaps TESOL Greece should contact all the publishers in Greece, offering to participate in their future market research projects. It is in all of our interests for our voice to be heard by the publishers. If we know what we want in terms of published materials, and if we can express our view clearly and loudly, then it seems to me that we’re far more likely in the future to get both what we need and what we deserve.

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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The 27th ANNUAL TESOL GREECE CONVENTION

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"Feedback on Feedback: Teachers, Learners, Parents, Materials" Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th March 2006 Hellenic American Union, 22 Massalias St., Kolonaki, Athens

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The TESOL Greece Board of Directors and Convention Organising Committee are proud to present the plenary speakers for the 27th Annual TESOL Greece Convention:

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Rod Bolitho Sophie Ioannou-Georgiou Susan Jenkins Hester Lott Pavlos Pavlou

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The Convention Pre-Programme has been mailed separately. If you have not received it, please visit our website: www.tesolgreece.com

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TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 単 January-March 2006

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Introducing the plenary speakers Sophie Ioannou - Georgiou Pavlos Pavlou Feedback on Feedback: Is anyone getting any? (or Who receives feedback and how?) All of us offer feedback to our students, their parents, our Headteachers or Directors of Studies. We act with the best of intentions and follow what we think are appropriate procedures. This presentation will, however, take all of our established feedback procedures to task and offer feedback on how we offer feedback. The presentation will focus on how we offer feedback to students, parents and to ourselves as teachers. Once the most popular methods of offering feedback are critically presented, a range of practical ideas which can further improve the current situation will be suggested. Sophie and Pavlos have been working together on common projects since 1998. They share a common interest in language teaching and learning issues in general and a particular interest in assessment issues and young learners. They are co-authors of the award-winning book "Assessing Young Learners". They also have their personal pet interests. Sophie is very much involved in classroom interaction and the applications of new technologies in the teaching of foreign languages whereas Pavlos is very interested in issues of fairness and professionalism in language testing and sociolinguistics. Pavlos is an Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus and Sophie is a teacher trainer at the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute. "Saturday 18th March, 10:20-11:20"

Hester Lott "The Art of Grammar – grammar in the 21st century classroom" Grammar is a tricky business – some people love it but most people hate it. Is the problem in the way it has been presented and tested as a separate discipline or skill? How can we achieve harmony between the various strands of our teaching? I will be looking at new ways of approaching the teaching of ‘difficult’ grammar areas, and considering positive and appropriate ways to asses a student’s progress in grammar awareness. Hester Lott has worked for many years as an editor and an author of ELT books, specialising in grammar and methodology. She is an experienced English language teacher, having taught in Italy, London, and Oxford. "Saturday 18th March, 14:00- 15:00"

Rod Bolitho Feedback: an irritating noise or music to our ears? In this talk I will look at feedback from four different perspectives; those of a learner, a teacher, a trainer and a materials writer. I will look at ways in which feedback is given or made

available to us in these roles, how we respond to it and what we might usefully do with it. I will consider the impact of feedback on those giving it as well as those it is meant for and will examine the links between feedback and motivation, learning and professional development. I will illustrate my talk with accounts drawn from my own practice. I have been involved in ELT for nearly 40 years now, as a teacher, teacher trainer and as a trainer of trainers. I have derived most professional satisfaction from helping others along the way, whether students trying to improve their English, teachers on their individual professional journeys, or textbook authors with their struggle to burst into print. My current duties include tutoring on postgraduate courses in Plymouth and overseas and providing consultancy services to textbook, trainer-training and curriculum projects in a number of countries in Europe and beyond. I have spoken at TESOL Greece twice before and am delighted to have this opportunity to return. "Sunday19th March, 10:30-11:30"

Susan Jenkins Trainee Teachers and feedback: how to avoid syllabus design as disconnected activities. Over the years, many different "methods" of teaching EFL/ESL have evolved, and for each, the trainee teacher is exposed to a myriad of method-specific examples of teaching activities and tasks. During the practicum experience of teacher training programs, students put the theory into practice by developing and teaching lesson plans. But all too often, trainees plan a series of disconnected activities (albeit fun and engaging for the learner), which make it difficult for the supervisor or learner to discern the goals and objectives of the syllabus, and whether the desired results have been achieved. This presentation describes an approach to syllabus design which helps trainee teachers plan instruction through a three-stage "backward design" process. The process emphasizes identifying the desired results and the evidence that they have been achieved before planning instruction and learning activities. Susan Jenkins has a Ph.D in Speech Communication with a TESL Specialization from the Pennsylvania State University, USA, and an M.A. in Linguistics and English Language Teaching from the University Leeds, England. She is an Associate Professor of TESL and Chair of the School of International Studies at Saint Michael’s College, Vermont. She directed the ESL Program at the University of Cincinnati, and the Intensive English Program at Penn State, and has taught ELT in England, the USA and Poland. Dr. Jenkins’ research interests include Teacher Training, Teaching English for Academic Purposes and the socio-cultural context and discourse pragmatics of EAP. She has published in TESOL Quarterly, The Modern Language Journal, English for Specific Purposes, The Journal of Second Language Writing, The International Journal of Intercultural Relations, and Intercultural Education.. "Sunday 19th March, 19:15-20:15"

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

Useful Information

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MEMBERSHIP AND ENTRANCE Convention registration starts at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, 18th March. Registration continues throughout the convention.

Arriving by train: Larissis Station is on the metro. Travel by metro to Panepistimio. A metro ticket costs 80c.

H, Membership Fee: 60H University students' membership fee: 30 H, on production of a valid student card. ñ Entrance is free to all paid-up TESOL Greece members. ñ Renewing members, non-members and lapsed members may pay and/or join TESOL Greece at the Registration Desk. ñ TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece members: Convention Fee 30 H. (The student reduction does not apply to the TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece convention fee.) N.B.: Anyone wishing to join TESOL Greece, irrespective of whether they are TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, N. Greece members, must pay 60 H. BOOK & ELT MATERIALS EXHIBIT The Exhibit will open at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday 18th March, and will remain open throughout the two-day event. Nonmembers are welcome to visit the Book & ELT Materials Exhibit. FURTHER CONVENTION INFORMATION For the most up-to-date information, visit TESOL Greece's website at www.tesolgreece.com Transportation The closest metro (underground train) station to the Hellenic American Union is Panepistimio (see map). Arriving by plane: There is a metro station at the airport. There are several different ticket types to choose from: Single airport ticket (single journey): H8,00 Airport ticket with return within 48 hours: H12,00 2-person airport ticket (single): H12,00 3-person airport ticket (single): H16,00 To get to the venue from the airport, take the Monastiraki line. Change onto the other line at Syntagma station, and take the train to Panepistimio. A taxi from the airport to the venue should cost around H25. There are also buses (E95) that go from the airport to Syntagma Square. The fare is around H3 and you pay on the bus. From Syntagma, you can either walk to the venue or take the Metro to Panepistimio. A metro ticket costs 80c.

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

Accommodation Visitors from outside Athens have a number of options for hotels. The following special rates have been negotiated by TESOL Greece and will apply only when TESOL Greece is mentioned when you make your reservations. 1. ATHENS IMPERIAL Hotel, Karaiskaki Square, at the Metaxourgio Metro Station. Take the metro to Panepistimio Station and walk to the HAU (10 minutes total metro and walk to Convention Centre). Rates per night: Single Room B/B 90 H Twin Room B/B 100 H Telephone: +30 210 52 01 600, Fax: +30 210 52 25 521 e-mail: reserv_ai@grecotel.gr Call or e-mail Reservations DO NOT FORGET to mention TESOL Greece. 2. TITANIA Hotel, Panepistimiou Ave., Omonia 15 minutes walk to Convention Centre Rates per night: Single Room B/B 118 H Twin Room B/B 133 H Telephone: +30 210 33 26 000, Fax: +30 210 33 00 700 e-mail: titania@titania.gr Attention: Lia Karagianni Call or email Mrs. Karagianni and mention TESOL Greece

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Excursions and Visits You might like to combine your visit to Athens with some tourism. Tour prices are standard. The Reception Desk at your hotel will be glad to give you pertinent information. More Sites of Interest You can find out more about Athens, including information on museums and other attractions at the following sites: www.athensguide.com or www.greece.gr and www.hau.gr.

Call for Volunteers Say "I was there" in more ways than one! Volunteer two hours of your time during the Convention.

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We're looking for volunteers to work at the welcome desk, sell raffle tickets, stuff envelopes, staff the floors. It's fun work with a chance to network with interesting people, and you'll be supported by experienced Board members.

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A great way to become more involved in the Convention and TESOL Greece!

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If you’re interested, please e-mail chairperson@tesolgreece.com or phone Eleni Giannopoulou, our Executive Secretary, on 210 7488411, or fax or leave a message at 210 7488459. Be sure to include the following information when replying: Name, Phone, E-mail. Once you’ve volunteered your time, you’ll be contacted in the fortnight prior to the Convention and given your time slot. It’s a great way to become more involved in the Convention and TESOL Greece!

The TESOL Greece Maricelle Meyer Scholarship What is this Award? In fond remembrance of Ms. Maricelle Meyer, the Maricelle Meyer Scholarship is awarded each year at the TESOL Greece Convention. The x400 scholarship has been designated to provide financial support for one TESOL Greece member to attend a professional training course of his/her choosing. The scholarship is not a cash award; it will be paid by TESOL Greece directly to the selected training programme.

Who can apply? All current TESOL Greece members are eligible for this scholarship. Simply complete the form below (next page) and submit it to the registration desk on the first day of Convention. A drawing will be held at the General Assembly during the Convention (Sunday, 13.15 pm). Application forms will also be available at the registration desk during Convention. You must be present at the General Assembly to win.

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Maricelle Meyer Tall, personable, with a great sense of humour and a wise, shy smile which hid a great deal of tenderness and understanding, especially for the young colleagues in the field, Maricelle Meyer was one of the first ELT professionals who conducted teacher training seminars in Athens. She came to Greece in 1960 as the Hellenic-American Union’s first Academic Director, and within a short period of time, she organized and co-ordinated teacher training seminars for the Ministry of Education SELETE School and for the State School teachers of English. A founding member and a strong supporter of TESOL Greece, Maricelle offered her expertise and skill and worked hard whenever the association needed her. In the early years of TESOL, when photo-offset was the only way the association could print a decent convention programme, Maricelle had volunteered herself to be the official typist, making sure that the program would be ready on opening night. As a Board member and during a difficult two-year period, Maricelle practically moved to the TESOL office to support the Executive Secretary and to make sure that everything would run smoothly. Maricelle was always present, always there. She was present at the 10th Annual convention to blow out the birthday cake candles and to celebrate the ten years of TESOL Greece. And she was ‘present’ again a year later, when the TESOL Greece Board was informed that Maricelle had bequeathed $3,000 in her will to the association. In 1992, the TESOL Greece Board, chaired by Vicky Megas, voted to establish the Maricelle Meyer Scholarship Fund, and since then, Maricelle has been present at each convention. The Maricelle Meyer Scholarship is not just a welcome financial support. It is an honour in memory of a great lady, a teacher, and a true friend to all those who knew her.

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The Board urges all members to take advantage of this very special member benefit. Good luck! TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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The Maricelle Meyer Scholarship @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@

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The TESOL Board and the Annual General Assembly What is the Annual General Assembly? The Annual General Assembly is a meeting that takes place during the Convention every year. The TESOL Greece Board reports to the members on the activities of the organization. It’s also when the Maricelle Meyer Scholarship Award is drawn (you have to be present to win) and when new members of the Board are elected Is my voice, as a member, heard? The only way to ensure that your suggestions, recommendations and wishes will be considered and, whenever possible, implemented is through your presence at the General Assembly. The Board discusses the most essential matters and oversees the elections' procedure as efficiently as possible. Your presence at the Annual General Assembly is your chance to get more involved. What do you mean... ‘more involved’? First of all, financial reports are presented at the Annual General Assembly, so members have the chance to learn about how their money has been spent. In addition, important decisions, such as whether or not to increase the membership fee, are voted on by members. Finally, at the Annual General Assembly, some members of the Board reach the end of their term of office. New people can get involved by standing for election to the Board.

continue on the Board for any reason, an alternate member takes over. A three-member Oversight Committee, with one alternate member, oversees the activities of the Board. Oversight Committee members serve for 2 years. So what do they do? Being on the Board involves attending Board meetings about once a month, organising events, as well as overseeing the finances and running of TESOL Greece. Members also volunteer to edit the Newsletter, represent TESOL Greece at book exhibitions, coordinate volunteers and organise the Resource Room. Who can be on the Board? Any fully-paid up member – although once you’ve been on the Board for three years you can’t be on the Board again for another 3 years after that. Members of the Board represent many aspects of teaching English and at the moment include teachers, teacher trainers, writers and school owners, amongst others. I’m not sure I’m experienced or qualified enough… A desire to be involved and a sense of humour are more important than years and years of experience or letters after your name. Through being on the Board, you’ll learn a lot and get a huge amount of satisfaction from helping other members get the most out of TESOL Greece. So what do I have to do to get involved? Anybody can nominate themselves or be nominated for the Board before or during the Annual General Assembly. Those present then vote on a common ballot (you vote for as many people as you like, including yourself) and those with the most votes are elected.

If you want to know more, ask any current Board member about their experiences and they’ll be glad to help you. Get involved and get more out of TESOL Greece.

What is the Board, exactly? The Board consists of 9 voting members and 4 alternate members. The voting members serve for 3 years and the alternate members for 1 year. If a regular member is unable to

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

TESOL Greece General Assembly The TESOL Greece Annual General Assembly will initially take place on Sunday, March 12th 2006 (the week before Convention) at 13.15pm in the Theater, at the Hellenic American Union, Massalias 22, 106 80 Athens, Greece. If this meeting is not quorate the General Assembly will take place at 13.15pm in the Theater on Sunday, March 19th 2006 (during the Convention).

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- - - A G E N D A - - ñ Chairperson’s Report, General Secretary’s Report, Treasurer’s Report, Newsletter Editor’s Report, Oversight Committee Report ñ Maricelle Meyer Scholarship Drawing ñ Any other business ñ Nominations and Elections of: o Three (3) Board of Directors members (3 year tenure) o Four (4) Alternate members (1 year tenure) o One (1) Oversight Committee member (2 year tenure) o One (1) the Oversight Committee alternate's tenure is 2 years. All current members are eligible to vote. Only members who are present may be elected. Members may nominate themselves or colleagues who are members. Please detach and return this nomination form by March 12th 2006 or hand in to the registration desk at the Convention. @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@

a) I nominate myself to serve on the TESOL Greece Executive Board

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Name………………………………………..........................................………

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Address……………………………...........…Telephone………….............……

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b) I nominate my colleague to serve on the TESOL Greece Executive Board

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Name………………………………………..........................................………

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Address……………………………...........…Telephone………….............……

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TESOL Greece would like to say a special thank you to: ñ The Hellenic American Union – for providing the venue and sponsoring Susan Jenkins and Pavlos Pavlou, the Convention bags, the Convention Party (amongst other things!) ñ Marshall Cavendish ELT – for sponsoring Hester Lott ñ Macmillan Hellas for sponsoring Rod Bolitho and the Sunday evening Closing Party. ñ Oxford University Press for sponsoring Sophie Ioannou - Georgiou

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ñ Burlington Books for sponsoring the out-of-town presenters' and Convention Exhibitors' Friday evening party, and for providing the pens.

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ñ Helbling Languages for providing the Convention pads.

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ñ EDUCATIONAL & TRAINING CONSULTANTS for sponsoring the Closing Party music.

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ñ All the exhibitors at the book exhibition (full details in the Convention Programme)

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ñ All the advertisers in the Convention Programme

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ñ All the donators of prizes to the raffle (full details in the Convention Programme) ñ Your support is very much appreciated!

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TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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Interviews We invited the convention plenary speakers to give our members their views on a range of issues. Rod Bolitho, Sophie Ioannou - Georgiou, Susan Jenkins, Hester Lott and Pavlos Pavlou responded promptly. We hope you will be pleasantly surprised by their answers (below in alphabetical order). If, however, you would like to ask them more questions, feel free to do so at our Convention, March 18th and 19th.

How important is feedback in TEFL? How can it be used constructively? R. Bolitho: You know, with this question, you are in effect asking me to give a summary of my conference plenary talk. So I’m going to give a ‘politician’s answer’ here and say that of course it’s important, and if you want to know why I think so, please come along to the talk! S. Ioannou: An issue relevant to the above is the fact that feedback may sometimes be more useful to the learner, if it is offered in the mother tongue. This is especially so for beginner learners of course. Informal feedback is also very important for the learner. Whether it is oral or written as a quick note on a card poster or other creative work, it often captures that just-in-time requirement. That is, it offers feedback to the learner just when she is ready to receive it. S. Jenkins: I believe that feedback is at the core of what we do as teachers and learners. Feedback is essential to our growth. There is evidence that feedback during social or classroom interaction, whether through negotiation or recasts, plays a role in language acquisition. We don’t know exactly how it works, but at a certain developmental stage, it seems to focus attention on form, so that students notice it, and this saliency builds understanding and awareness. This kind of feedback works, I think, because it can occur in a naturally communicative manner, and is not threatening or critical. We busy teachers, however, often don’t have many opportunities to receive helpful feedback from our experienced colleagues, and this is a pity. I have always relied on a "reflective approach" to my own teaching, and teach this in my graduate teacher training classes. It’s through constant questioning, reflecting and action research on what I do in the classroom, that I become aware of possibilities for professional growth. H. Lott: As I understand the word feedback, it can go two ways. One is feedback to the student on their progress. ELT is very rich in tests, in the sense that every sentence or phrase written or spoken in English is a kind of a ‘test’, so it is relatively easy for the teacher to get a realistic picture of

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a student’s progress in the language. It is sometimes our natural inclination, as teachers, not to comment when someone gets things right, and only comment when there are mistakes, but positive feedback is also very important. I think it is valuable for students to be made aware of how much they are actually getting right, or even just better than before, and of course constructive criticism is the best kind. Even when there are errors, it is better to say ‘Well done. I understood what you were saying, but it would have been clearer if….’ and then proceed to explain how the utterance could have been more successful. Feedback coming the other way can be information from students or their parents concerning their general feelings about the course. The relationship with the teacher is, at heart, a human relationship like any other, and it is very beneficial for students to feel they have some personal contact, of a non-academic kind, with their teacher, and feedback facilitates this. Of course, when you are teaching large groups of students, this can be time-consuming, but I believe it makes our job easier in the end. Relaxed, confident students are good learners, so the way a student feels about his or her English lessons matters a great deal. It is worth while taking time to listen to what students have to say about their course, and teachers may well get some very confirming responses. P. Pavlou: Even though students should develop their own criteria for their progress, until this happens the teacher should inform them about their performance. This can only happen through oral or written feedback, which can be either formal, or formalised or informal. Formal written feedback can be given on the term or year report or on the individual written assignments and products of written assessment. Formal oral feedback can be given during conferencing with the student. Informal oral feedback can be amply given during the lesson. Of course, as we know input does not always become intake. The same goes for feedback. The recipient of feedback may not always be able to process what is offered to him/her and use it constructively. To achieve this, students need direct or indirect training.

Has the Common European Framework influenced TEFL? If not, is it likely to do so in the foreseeable future? R. Bolitho: I’d rather give a European answer to a European question. There is growing evidence that in public education, authorities are beginning to acknowledge and use the framework as a point of reference in defining standards. For example, the new national university-level

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ESP curriculum in Ukraine is benchmarked entirely against standards laid down in the framework. And of course, the major commercial exam bodies such as Cambridge ESOL simply cannot afford to ignore it, largely because they are committed members of ALTE (The Association of Language Testers in Europe), an organisation which also norms its standards against the CEFR. S. Ioannou: On the other hand, I think its effects will take time to show, but I think it will eventually strongly influence the field. At the moment, many of our colleagues are not familiar with it. It’s already, however, such a must-read document that one is made to feel pretty awkward if one’s not familiar with it. S. Jenkins: I am not familiar enough with the Framework to comment. In the U.S.A. we have no national standards (other than TESOL’s). So far as primary and secondary education is concerned, control is at the state and local level, so there is quite a bit of variation. I’m looking forward to learning more about the CEF. P. Pavlou: I believe that on the surface CEF seems to have influenced TEFL because everybody seems to refer to it and people view it as a panacea. I have my doubts as to what extent practitioners really understand it and to what extent it is applicable in all settings. Time will show how useful it will be.

Since grammar instruction plays such an important role in language teaching, could you please describe some approaches to teaching grammar that you think are the most effective? What approaches or methods of teaching grammar do you recommend to teachers of young learners, adolescents, and adults? R. Bolitho:This is a huge question! I can’t really give a thorough and differentiated answer within the scope of an interview like this. However, I will say that I am a strong advocate of awareness raising approaches in grammar teaching at all levels and with all ages. What I mean by this is that we need to help learners and teachers to think for themselves about language and not just to follow rules blindly. Grammar is nothing more or less than an attempt to impose some kind of order on a phenomenon that is essentially dynamic if not entirely chaotic. So many of the rules, which we offer learners, are either half-truths (like the rules of thumb given early in a course about the uses of some and any), seriously unhelpful (like the so-called rules surrounding reported speech) or far too form-driven (like

the way the passive is treated in many coursebooks and pedagogical grammars). If we can offer learners samples of real language and get them to observe what is going on, they will start to work out and internalize everything they need to know about grammar. S. Jenkins: I find that grammar instruction is most effective if it is communicatively based. The approach of decontextualized form-based grammar teaching most often results in students who "know" grammar, but cannot transfer this knowledge to real life communication. Conversely, a communicative approach, which focuses entirely on meaning with no attention to form, results in fossilization. We need a balance, which I see as having three components. First, research shows us that successful learning needs cognitive engagement, so we need to provide content that "hooks" the learner. This is particularly important for children and adolescents, but adults too need motivating content; second, foreign language acquisition needs some kind of feedback loop (see question #1) in which learners can notice and "discover" the rules, and third, systematic practice needs to be provided within a communicative context to ensure that the input becomes intake through controlled and guided practice that leads to transfer. So, the challenge I set myself is to find a content area, topic, or theme that is rich in the grammar structure I’m teaching. For example, life stories, hopes and dreams can hook learners of all ages, and can serve to provide a natural context to notice, discover, and practice several tenses. My goal is to lead students to a performance task that shows their understanding and control of the structure in a realistic context. H. Lott: I could talk for hours about this subject, because, as a grammarian, I am naturally passionate about grammar, but I am aware that this feeling is not universally shared. As a teacher and grammar writer I came to the conclusion that there is sometimes a problem with students’ concept of what grammar actually is. They sometimes see it as an abstract discipline, somehow disconnected from the creative business of communicating. I do not see that there should necessarily be any conflict between a grammatical approach and a communicative approach. After all, grammar is inherent in every verbal communication we make, even if it is only one word. Most grammar learning is subconscious and intuitive, and it is only when this has not occurred that we need to make abstract grammar ‘explanations’ explicit. So I believe grammar should not be introduced as a separate discipline until after the initial stages of language learning, particularly with children, when language is learnt in ‘chunks’ and grammatical correctness is not an important feature. For a small child ‘Me call Sasha’ (rather than ‘I am TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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called Sasha’) is, to all intents and purposes, correct. In the right context it does the job of communicating information effectively. Children love to get things right! A confident, enthusiastic adolescent learner will then want to move on to more sophisticated communication, necessitating a greater grasp of the subtleties of grammar, and will absorb them readily, given a good, supportive atmosphere, and plenty of stimulating, and visually interesting content. Adults, on the other hand, will either love grammar in itself (which is not always a good thing, as it can get in the way of spontaneous production) or regard it rather like medicine – it tastes nasty but is good for you! So if we teachers can incorporate grammatical awareness into all language learning so it does not feel like an alien discipline imposed on top of words, then we can help students to absorb an intuitive understanding of grammar structures, and facilitate creative use of the language. A really good, contextualized, grammar book is of immense value in this, of course!

In this era of globalization and English as an International Language, how can we adjust our English language teaching so that it is more sensitive to the specific needs of our local community? Rod Bolitho: Again, a very big question. However, one angle on it is to ensure that the teaching materials you use in class have relevance to the learners you are working with, in terms of language, topic and cultural content. This means that there ought to be a good market in any country for locally-authored coursebooks, which include locally relevant material. My experience in textbook projects with local authors in Romania, Russia and Belarus is that teachers will bite your hand off if you offer them good quality locallyproduced teaching materials. I think the process of globalization is as evident in the coursebook market as it is in, say, fast food, and it’s important that teachers use careful and appropriate criteria when choosing teaching materials. S.Jenkins: The fact that English is regarded as an international language should mean that it doesn’t belong to any one nation or people. I’m not sure that this is the case in the "inner, outer and expanding circles" of English users. I’ve read studies that indicate users often regard themselves as the guardians of normative standards of usage, and tend to promote these over local versions. I follow the English Premier League football games on television, and of course the players come from around the world. I’m always struck by the fact that I can more easily understand the "nonnative" English speakers much better than I can the "native" English speakers with their pronounced regional accents and dialect usage! So who owns the English here? I’m still asking the question, and don’t have any answers to offer yet.

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internationally recognized standard varieties of English, or should each territory develop and teach its own local variety of English? Or is there another way to deal with this question? Rod Bolitho: Perhaps I can answer with a truism. Languages, and least of all English in the modern age, can’t be ‘owned’ by any single speech community or interest group. There are plenty of organisations such as The Queen’s English Society in the UK or the Academie Française in France, that try to exercise some control over the languages they represent. But they are doomed to fail. Trying to dictate what people should or should not say is a bit like King Canute, one of the early Kings of England, trying to stop the tide from coming in. In reality, each part of the English-speaking world, including the regions and sub-cultures of Britain, for example, has developed and is still developing its own variety of English. What is important is that we should strive to teach a variety of English which is internationally intelligible rather than getting sucked into arguments about the superiority of one variety over another. Quality judgments like this have no useful place in the decisions we take as teachers. S. Jenkins: Again, I’m still exploring this issue. Whose English would we choose if we wanted a "standard?" There are so many immigrants enriching the English language that it is changing rapidly. How many of us can understand Anglo Saxon English now, for example? I guess my standard right now is comprehensibility; the variety doesn’t matter to me, but I want it to be comprehensible to me in all essential ways, just as I hope I can make myself comprehensible to my interlocutors.

What are some of the newest technologies in CALL / Multimedia that we can use to make our teaching more effective? S. Ioannou: From the range of the newest technologies that are currently available, I would suggest Audioconferencing and Virtual Learning Environments such as MOOdle. Audioconferencing has recently become extremely easy. Skype, an audioconferencing programme, offers very good quality audio and performs reliably every time. It only takes a minute to download on your computer and can bring authentic oral interactions into the classroom. If you have English-speaking contacts abroad, the students can practice at extended discourse. If the students are carrying out project work, they can interview knowledgeable others. If the students have pen pals, or e-pals, ‘skype conversations’ can be scheduled at regular intervals. The options are endless… You can download Skype at http://www.skype.com Moodle is a Virtual Learning Environment or Learning/course Management System that allows you to create your own online environment for your students. In

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this online space for your class, you can keep your class notes/handouts, homework assignments, quizzes, extra practice material for your students and more. It enables you to get organised as a teacher but, more importantly, it enables the creation of a tailor-made online course for your students, which they can access from home or at school. Students don’t have to miss lessons if they are sick. It also facilitates differentiation of instruction so that various learning styles and learning abilities are addressed. This can be achieved through offering a wide range of materials, which can be hyperlinked so that students follow their own paths. You can even program MOOdle to keep records of your students’ efforts and email them to you! Students can also participate in electronic discussion forums either engaging in peer-reviews of essays and assignments or discussing topics online as a form of pre-writing/prespeaking task. Again, there are so many possibilities … You can download MOOdle at http://moodle.com/

What are some of the best ways to assess accurately our students’ progress in learning English?

S. Jenkins: I can only answer this if I know what kind of resources are available, and what kind of training is provided to teachers and students in using the technology.

S. Ioannou: ‘Ways’ is the key word here. I believe there is no single way that can accurately assess students’ progress. In the same way that language is such a multi-faceted skill, assessment itself has to be multi-faceted. Nevertheless, if I had to choose single methods that can give information on all aspects of students’ progress, I would suggest observation and portfolio. Observation is a very informative method – although you might have to stimulate certain behaviours, especially by shy students, otherwise there will be nothing to observe. Portfolio is all-encompassing, due to the fact that it incorporates many different types of assessment. A portfolio can include formal tests, written essays, selfassessments, audio or video recordings. If it is implemented in the right way, it can bring together the many pieces that form the wonderful jigsaw puzzle of a students’ learning progress.

Rod Bolitho: I’d rather pass on this one, and the next one too: not my field of know-how.

What kinds of computer technologies are accessible to small schools and small-scale organizations that can’t afford to pay for licenses and expensive equipment? S. Ioannou: Both the applications, which I’ve mentioned above, are available for free. I work in a relatively low-tech / low-resources environment so I’ve become pretty adept at making the most of what little is available. In the case of Skype and Moodle, however, you would not be making any compromises. They are both of top quality. In fact, many prominent organisations around the world are switching to Moodle and giving up its commercial counterparts (WebCT and Blackboard). In the case of schools, I’d also like to recommend extensive use of Computer-Mediated Communication programmes. Whether you choose asynchronous (e.g. email or blogs) or synchronous (MOOs, IM, or various Chat programmes), they are all available for free and can prove very motivating for language learners, if they are appropriately implemented in a language programme. S.Jenkins: When resources are tight, I would always go for the best and most reliable internet connection possible. There are so many excellent and free resources available to a simple Google search that we don’t really need to buy expensive, proprietary software packages.

Rod Bolitho: Three things that I think are really important here: ñ Test or assess what you teach and the way you teach; ñ Assess your students against shared and negotiated criteria and involve them in assessing their own progress, if possible using ‘can do’ statements (the European language passport in conjunction with the portfolio is a good starting point for this); they need to understand what you are looking for in assessment and you need to understand what they want to achieve in English; ñ Assess your students’ performance, especially their speaking, continuously over a period of time rather than testing it in snapshots; it’s much fairer to them and will give you a much more rounded view of their progress.

S. Jenkins: For me, this means thinking like an assessor before I plan instruction: Given the goal or objective, what evidence do I need to see to know that my students have achieved the desired results? What counts as evidence? Is it enough to give a cloze test on the present perfect to be able to infer that my students get it? No. The cloze test will give me valuable information, but it’s a snap shot only, and I’m looking for a photo album. So usually we need several types of assessments – informal checks, quizzes, open-ended prompts, and I will always end with an authentic performance task for transferability. P. Pavlou: There are thousands of procedures and instruments that can be employed in order to assess students. It is up to the teacher to decide how much involved s/he will be in that procedure. Accurate assessment of all skills is certainly time consuming and TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

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therefore teachers should use the most effective methods, which of course are not always the ones that are currently widely used. It wouldn’t make any sense to start listing the various ways here but Sophie and I have tried to propose a scheme in our book "Assessing Young Learners", published by Oxford University Press.

How can we get parents to be more involved in the actual learning process of their children and to be less worried about their scores on language proficiency tests? Rod Bolitho: I don’t have any contact with parents these days and would therefore prefer not to chance my arm by answering this one. S. Jenkins: I try to promote a home-school connection, whenever possible, by showing parents a window into their child’s learning process and products on a regular basis. For example, one thing that works is having a child take home a storybook to read to mom and dad. Involving parents in projects that need parental input, such as building a family tree, or writing "a book about me" works too. A strategy that takes a little more teacher time is to send home a short monthly newsletter about class work and achievements. P. Pavlou: Parental involvement in children’s language learning is very important. In some recent research I have indicated that parents should be involved in choosing the appropriate test for their children. Parents’ involvement in the portfolio procedure is very important as well. Parents should also understand the real meaning of scores on language proficiency tests. Tests are often unable to give a real picture of the student’s competence. They can give only an approximation of this competence and sometimes they present a real distortion of the reality. I have in mind exams that are so predictable that all students pass. On the other hand, I can think of exams that do not allow even the best students to show how good they are.

How can we raise the standards of instruction to promote quality learning when schools and colleges are often faced with budget cuts and increased teacher workload? Rod Bolitho: Definitely a very political question and one to which there is no easy answer. As is so often the case, I think managers in institutions rely on the dedication and professionalism of their teachers. Most teachers will go to great lengths to ensure that their students are not disadvantaged, and the quality of learning is very often dependent on the quality of the relationship, which a teacher builds up with her students. In the private sector,

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however, I’m sure that market forces will continue to have an impact. If students don’t get the quality they expect at the school they are attending, they’ll go to another one. Quality standards are also increasingly laid down in the state sector, which means that institutions can’t really afford to make budget cuts that have a negative impact on the service they deliver. A final point here about teachers’ workload. Evidence from state schools in the UK suggests that the workload placed on teachers is very close to being unsustainable. Many young teachers are leaving the profession, recruitment is becoming more and more difficult and the incidence of stress-related illness is on the increase. Managers in all sectors need to realize and take account of the need to look after teachers as their greatest asset, and to be aware that there is a point beyond which they can’t be pushed. S. Jenkins: I wish I knew the answer to this one! This is a perennial problem in education. I write grant proposals whenever I can, but don’t always get them funded.

If the teachers at the convention asked you to give them a tip, what would you advise them? Rod Bolitho: Never stop learning, stay open to new ideas and never forget what it is like to be a learner yourself. S. Ioannou: Meet colleagues. There is no resource more valuable than or as supportive as a circle of good colleagues. S. Jenkins: As I've mentioned above, always make sure that you can articulate your objectives for the lesson you’re planning, and that you know what kind of evidence of understanding you’re looking for. This will make sure that you don’t limit your focus only to designing an activity, rather than thinking also about the desired results. H. Lott: I’m sure most of them could give me a tip or two! But speaking as a teacher and not a grammarian, I would suggest that we should remind ourselves frequently how valuable and important our job is. In common with teachers of all subjects, we have it in our power to influence the next generation in many ways, and to enable them to go out into the big, wide world with a tool, which may enable them to flourish. We can help them to develop a sense of their own value, and give them the confidence to realize their maximum potential. We should also appreciate the good fortune we have in being able to spend so much time in the company of a varied and fascinating selection of people, of whatever age, and to appreciate the unique beauty of each and every one of them, however difficult they may seem to be.

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A Teacher’s Toolbox: Reaching Out to All Students

by Jane Mantarakis, Nick Mantarakis, Judy Nelson

Over the years various studies have tried to identify traits of effective teachers ( Saphier, 1993; Saphier, Gower, 1997; Stronge, 2002; Stronge, Tucker, Hindman, 2004 ). A good teacher must be knowledgeable in his field, have a clear sense of what he is teaching, set goals for himself and his students and be able to manage his classroom well. A truly effective teacher, however, a) knows his students and understands their needs, b) can differentiate his instruction in order to reach those needs and give every student in his classroom the opportunity to learn. These two fundamental characteristics of an effective teacher are not simple ones and there are no quick "fixes". It takes time, patience and determination to sharpen these skills. According to Mary Ann Corley, planning strategically means identifying students’ needs, deciding on a course of action and making sure that students are provided with various means of approaching their learning and demonstrating what they have understood. This is called differentiated instruction. Corley claims that when teachers differentiate their lessons and units of study they take into account what they are teaching (content), whom they are teaching (individual students) and knowledge of the various levels of readiness, interests and learning styles of their students. Having gathered this information about each student, the teacher can then create various tasks and learning activities to meet the students’ needs. In this article, in order to better understand the students’ needs and maximize the learning potential of each student, we’re going to be looking at three characteristics of students which guide differentiated instruction: learning profile, interests and readiness. We will also provide for consideration a few practical tools useful in uncovering these characteristics. Learning Profile A student’s learning profile takes into consideration the following factors: learning style, intelligence preference, emotional maturity and gender. According to Silver, Strong and Perini (2000), "Two great minds of the 20th century_Howard Gardner (multiple intelligences) and Carl Jung (learning styles)_have supplied us with our two learning models. . . A truly holistic approach to education_one that allows educators to engage a full range of human diversity and meet rigorous academic standards_occurs only in the blending together of these two models." To tap into a student’s learning style, teachers need to consider the four modalities used by students to take in information in the classroom: visual, auditory, kinesthetic or tactile. To assess a student’s preference for a particular modality the following checklist can be used:

(http:// www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/learning_styles.html) To organize observations of students’ intelligence preferences, teachers need to consider putting Howard Gardner’s Multiple

Intelligences Theory into practice. In his book Frames of Mind (1983) and subsequent work, Gardner describes seven intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal. Armstrong (2000) refers to these, respectively, as word smart, logic smart, picture smart, body smart, music smart, people smart, self smart. The concept is not how smart one is but rather how one is smart. In recent years two more intelligence preferences have been researched and added to the list_naturalist-environmental and spiritual-existential. Several checklists are available for teachers and students to use to uncover their particular intelligence profiles. One such checklist is described by Armstrong in Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 2000, and a shorter version, also inspired by Howard Gardner’s work, is the "Learning Profile Questionnaire: How do you like to learn?": (www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template.chapter/menuiteem.b 71d101a2f7e208cdeb3ffdb621). This questionnaire invites students to respond to statements like: I study best when it is quiet. I work on an assignment until it’s completed no matter what. When my teacher gives an assignment, I like to create my own steps on how to complete it. As a third alternative to better understand themselves, teachers and older students can assess their multiple intelligences by visiting the following website: (http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/intro/quickreview.html) It is through careful observation of students engaged in different situations that teachers can begin to identify the skill levels on which their students are functioning and to understand the uniqueness of each individual. For students who may have a learning difference, early detection and intervention is of utmost importance in helping them succeed in school and in avoiding the negative self-esteem which is often associated with repeated academic failure. Teachers should be aware of and refer the student for formal evaluation if he/she is seen to be experiencing the following general difficulties (Friend, Bursuck, 1996; The International Dyslexia Association, www.interdys.org, 2002; Levine, M., 2002; Hallahan, Kauffman, 2003): _ difficulty memorizing _ difficulty with time management _ difficulty with organization _ difficulty understanding abstract language _ inflexibility _ inability to conceptualize similarities and differences _ inability to categorize and classify _ inability to understand cause and effect relationships _ inability to apply strategies to solve problems _ inability to transfer learning to new situations

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More specifically, teachers should be aware of students who demonstrate the following difficulties which may be indicative of dyslexia (Dyslexia International-Tools and Technologies, www.ditt-online.org, 2006; The International Dyslexia Association, www.interdys.org, 2002; Hallahan, Kauffman, 2003): Primary Difficulties _ difficulties with written language _ difficulties with writing _ serious problems with spelling _ difficulties with graphophonemic skills Secondary Difficulties _ difficulties with math concepts such as signs and patterns _ problems with short-term memory _ problems with organization _ difficulties following multi-step directions or a complex sequence of tasks _ reading _ listening comprehension _ inconsistent performance Tertiary Difficulties _ difficulties with spoken language especially sequencing ideas, events _ difficulties with spatial relationships _ difficulties with time relationships In addition, some students may have difficulty learning because of problems of attention or hyperactivity. Below is a list of common characteristic displayed by these learners (Levine, M, 2002; The International Dyslexia Association, www.interdys.org, 2002):

Common Characteristics of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Inattention /Distractibility _ has trouble focusing unless very interested _ has difficulty starting and finishing tasks _ repeatedly "tunes in and out" _ appears not to be paying attention or listening _ easily distracted by sights and sounds _ gives too much attention to details or focuses on unimportant details _ avoids doing things that require concentration _ forgetful Hyperactivity / Impulsivity _ is overactive and fidgety _ is disorganized with time _ does too many things too quickly _ makes many careless errors _ doesn’t recognize when he/she is bothering others _ has difficulty planning work _ doesn’t use strategies to solve problems _ says or does the first thing that comes to mind Interests Students interests seem to be sparked by curiosity and a yearning to know more about a topic. When teachers design

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activities and projects around students’ interests they tend to learn better. Having students complete interest inventories, interviewing students about their interests, and demonstrating interests through games like charades, for example, give teachers a greater understanding of student interests and can be great motivators in the classroom useful for building curriculum. Two examples of student interest inventories can be found on the web at: (http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/adapthand/book/learner /interest.html). These two checklists address interest categories such as play, reading, amusements, television, radio, movies, music, computers, vocational and educational interests for students in grades 1-6 and in grades 7-12. Readiness When planning for instruction, effective teachers consider the readiness of each student, i.e. his present skill level and understanding of the topic. In order to maximize learning, the teacher tries to match lessons and tasks to student readiness. Pre-testing unit skills is an effective way to find out what students already know. Another tool is a concept or idea web, like the one shown below, which can be used at the beginning of a unit of study to activate students’ prior knowledge of the topic. Students fill-in words representing ideas and concepts related to the topic giving the teacher additional glimpses of student readiness. For more advanced language learners or older students, student readiness can be assessed through the use of a KWL chart. On this chart students fill-in K: what they already know about the topic, W: what they wonder or want to learn about the topic and, at the end of the unit, L: what they learned through their study of the topic.

Scholastic Graphic Organizers: Idea Web*

Scholastic Graphic Organizers: KWL Char*t

*These graphic organizers, and many others, are available for teachers to download and use with their classes from http://teacher.scholastic.com. Finally, teachers can practice creating learning profiles for individual students and for their classes by visiting the "Class Profile Maker Tutorial" at (http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/classprofiletut orial.cfm). Here, teachers learn to recognize student strengths, needs, learning preferences and interests and to organize these traits into individual and class learning profiles.

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Students arrive at school with differing levels of emotional and social maturity, different interests and differing levels of academic readiness in various subjects. In a differentiated classroom commonalities are acknowledged and built upon and student differences become important elements in teaching and learning as well.

We hope that by using some of these recommended tools for getting to know students’ learning profiles, interests and readiness, teachers will be better equipped to design learning activities for differentiating instruction in their lessons and classrooms. In the next article, we will be looking at more specific ways in which teachers can meet the needs of mixed ability classes by differentiating content, process and product.

References

Web Resources

Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Atlantic Books.

The Adaptive Dimension – The Learner – Interests, http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/adapthandboo k/learner/interest.html

Bromley,K. Linda Irwin-DeVitis, and Marcia Modlo(1993). Teaching Strategies Graphic Organizers. New York. Scholastic. Friend, M., Bursuck, W. (1996). Including Students With Special Needs: A Practical Guide For The Classroom. New York, NY. Allyn and Bacon. Hallahan, D.P., Kauffman, J. M. (2003). Exceptional Learners: Intro. to Special Education. New York, NY. Allyn and Bacon. Levine, M. (2002) A Mind At A Time. New York. Simon & Schuster. Saphier, J., Rober Gower. (1997). The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills. Carlisle, Massachusetts. Research for Better Teaching. Saphier, J. (1993). How to Make Supervision and Evaluation Really Work: Supervision & Evaluation in the Context of Strengthening School Culture. Carlisle, Massachusetts. Research for Better Teaching. Silver, H., Strong, R., Perini M. (2000). So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, VA. ASCD. Stronge, J.H. (2002). Qualities of Effective Teachers. Alexandria, Virginia. ASCD. Stronge, J.H., Pamela D. Tucker, Jennifer L. Hindman (2004). Handbook for Qualities of Effective Teachers. Alexandria, Virginia. ASCD.

CAST Teaching Every Student UDL Class Profile Maker Tutorial, http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/classpr ofiletutorial.cfm Characteristics of Effective Teachers, http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/sourcebook/teache rs.pdf Differentiated Instruction Adjusting to the Needs of All Learners, Mary Ann Corley, National Center for the Study of Adult Leaning and Literacy, Updated 1/02/06 ::: Copyright © 2005 NCSALL, http://ncsall.net/index.php?id=736 DIFFERENTIATION 03-04 Knowing Students Well Overview, http://www.ihk12.oh.usProcGuides/Knowing StudentsWellProcessGuide.doc Dyslexia International – Tools & Technologies, http://www.ditt-0nline.org Essential Learnings Values and Purposes Statement, http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov Individual Paths Teachers tailor their instruction to meet a variety of student needs, Sue McAdamis, National Staff Development Council, JSD Spring 2001, http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov Fact Sheets about Dyslexia and Related Learning Disabilities, http://www.interdys.org Graphic Organizers, http://teacher.scholastic.com What Is A Learning Profile, Frontier Charter School, http://www.frontierk12.0rg/?q=node/view/616

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

PRACTICALITIES

Vocabulary: Another Approach There is magic in the learning and using of new words, whether it is in a foreign language or our own language. Words are what make the language and how these are taught and consolidated is an important part of the learning process. Teachers are able to help the students learn not only the dictionary meaning of a word, but also the meaning of a word within the context of a sentence. This is often more important than just teaching the student its dictionary meaning. The article by Nick Michelioudakis on ‘Vocabulary Revision Activities’ in the July-September 2005 issue, gave me the incentive to express my thoughts on the matter and to add an activity that you might find interesting when teaching vocabulary. I feel that giving students a list of words (often from the Companion) to learn off by heart is often not only a waste of time, but also very tiring for the student. A student cannot learn thirty or forty words by heart from one lesson to the next and be expected to remember these words and to use them properly. However, if the list of words that is to be learnt is no more than ten words each time, then the student is able to learn how to spell the word, the meaning of it and how to use it. I give the students no more than ten words each lesson. The student has to learn the spelling of the word, its meaning and to use it in a sentence. Below is an example of such an activity. The actual activity is part of their homework and it is then checked in the next lesson. This activity is suitable for any level. 1) Spelling list – chosen either randomly or specifically Ten words are chosen. The meaning of each word is given and the students make a note of it next to each word. The students learn the words for spelling and pronunciation for homework. In the following lesson, the teacher reads the words aloud and the students write them down in a spelling column that they can rule up in the back of their notebook The words are corrected and those who are having spelling problems are required to learn the words again. Example of words for FC level: tear, gossip, saucepan, cures, suffer, reflection, irate, inevitably, reveal, presence, too. 2) Sentences – can either be done at home or in class. The students are asked to chose five words and make up a sentence for each word. This helps the students to learn the meaning of the word within its context. These sentences are read aloud in class and corrected for use and word order. This gives the students practice in forming sentences and using correct word order, i.e. Subject – Verb – Object. Example: 1) Mr. Butterfly tore up the map of the castle and put the pieces in a saucepan. 2) He was suffering from a terrible headache. 3) The presence of the dragon in the courtyard of the castle and the gossip of the next-door neighbour were used as the tools to

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

by Despena Dalmaris

finding the treasure. 4) Mr Butterfly was very irate at not using this information earlier. 5) He reflected upon this as he prepared for bed. The student in this case used more than one word and used them in such a way that a short story was formed. 3) Story Writing Once every 2-3 weeks, depending on the time available, the students are asked to use the words from their spelling list in the writing of a short story – either a paragraph for Junior classes or no more than 180 words for FCE students. This activity is independent from their formal Writing activity. The stories are marked and read in class, paying attention to how the words were used. Below is an example of this activity by an FCE student. @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@

The Mystery of Chantilly Castle In 1858, in a small village in France called Chantilly, a strange story had taken place. The story is about a dangerous criminal and buried treasure. I have decided to share this legend with you because it is a really exciting story. It was on a sunny Sunday in September. Dawn had just broken. All the residents of Chantilly were preparing for a big celebration – the wine festival. The women were all cooking delicious food, the men were filling the jugs with the wine from the barrels in the cellar and the children were decorating the huge courtyard of the old castle. This castle belonged to Mr. Butterfly, but he did not live there. He had a tenant, Mr. Mosquito, a kind and friendly person. Mr. Butterfly arrived at the castle so that he could also take part in the celebrations. Mr. Mosquito informed him that when men had gone into the cellar to fill the jugs, they saw that some of the bricks in the wall had fallen away. There was a big hole in the wall and in it there was a treasure chest full of gold coins and jewellery. The villages said that a dangerous convict who had been found hiding in the marshes by the river many years ago had put it there. The police finally caught the convict, but the treasure had never been found. The gossip was that it had been hidden in Chantilly Castle. The people of the village celebrated the wine festival as well as the finding of the treasure. Mr. Butterfly reflected upon the mystery of his castle as he prepared for bed that night. He was irate that he had not taken the gossip seriously enough to find the treasure earlier and keep it for himself.

The students find it an interesting way of learning words because it does not take them long to do. The story at the end helps them to practice for the narrative part of the FC exam. It can be done at the beginning of a lesson so that it does not interfere with the main part of it. Try it and see what results you might have.

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EFL At a Glance

▲ ▲ ▲

NETWORKING

by Katerina Xafis BA, dip RSA, completing MAppLing (TESOL)

THE GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHOD It has been extremely interesting for me to experience the grammar-translation method in practice. Viewing it with an open mind, I have discovered the following: Pros 1. The method allows a mixed ability class to function. 2. It provides insight into how languages are not related lexically and semantically on a one-to-one basis. 3. It helps to improve L1 vocabulary (yes, L1!). 4. It helps students to discover structural differences between L1 and L2. 5. It helps to establish much better rapport, especially with students who do not want to learn L2. Cons 1. Teachers tend to talk in L1 throughout the lesson, thus

exposing students to very little L2. 2. Students talk even less in L2. 3. Students take a longer time to use L2 functions/lexis appropriately and to develop their speaking and writing skills. 4. Despite all the grammar exposure in L1, students’ language competence appears to develop much more slowly compared to those who are only exposed to L2 in class. 5. Students tend to rely too heavily on L1 explanations and definitions, without which they feel lost. 6. There is too much focus on the language at word and sentence level. This quick analysis indicates that there are serious limitations. Needless to say, whether this method is preferable or not depends on the aims and goals of the language programme and the teacher’s ability to discern when it is desirable and why.

Developing Examination Writing Skills Writing is a challenging process even at the best of times and one which can be a solitary even isolating experience when the supportive atmosphere provided by adequate teacher preparation and guidance is lacking. With building a solid and valid foundation for teacher support in mind, we teachers should not miss the opportunity to write the same tasks we require of our students. Why? Simply British Council Cliff has lived and to provide ourselves with the opportunity to worked in Greece since reflect on the writing process itself and come 1986 and taught across to grips with the difficulties our student a range of course types. writers will face. I suppose, in essence what I’m saying is that we shouldn’t preach but practise as well not only to remind ourselves of the writer’s task and reaffirm the validity in the eyes of our students of the guidance we provide them but also to provide students with a model. So what's next? Work with the model! There’s little or no point in presenting students with a model and hoping that the model on its own will help students improve their own writing or understanding of those key ingredients which together make writing successful. Effective writing requires a number of things from a high degree of organisation and development to a careful choice of lexical and grammatical items. Model analysis needs to consider both. On a textual level, students could be encouraged to identify the blocks of meaning rather than the physical boundaries of text or paragraphs. In doing so, we can then draw attention to their relative size; highlighting the importance of balance and development; and their characteristics; pointing out where a richer range of grammar or words is used. It is equally important to consider the words that make the

by Cliff Parry

sentences which then build the text. We could thus encourage students to identify those word sets that give rise to theme, the importance of repetition or replacement, collocation or ellipsis and the use and number of conjunctions. Aiming not only to refresh our insight into the mechanisms of writing, but also to provide concrete hints and tips for students, the preparation and analysis of models is thus of some importance but does support stop there? Is support concerned only with what is done before students write? No, a good deal of support can be provided through the provision of meaningful comments. Perhaps the greatest feeling of satisfaction that a student gets is from a well-constructed teacher comment showing that his/her work has not been treated as a potential source of error but read by an interested reader. But what constitutes a valid and reliable comment? What are its ingredients? Borrowing illustrious labels, I would like to suggest that a successful comment addresses 4 basic principles – those of quality, quantity, clarity and relevance. Much time could be devoted to a discussion of what these encompass but briefly quality is a matter of appropriacy both in terms of word choice and message, quantity is not so much the number of words but rather the number and balance of blocks of meaning. Clarity, on other hand addresses the question and looks at task achievement whereas relevance looks at the particular piece of work as part of the student’s writing history. Summarising the development of examination writing skills necessarily involves presenting students with opportunities to practice the various forms and functions of writing within the examination context. Practice, however, does not make perfect if done in isolation and without the support of adequate guidance from the teacher of which the approaches suggested here a few.

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

NETWORKING

Evaluation of EFL Sites on the Internet

by MariannaTeachers, Katsaounou & Alexandra Tsakogianni Teacher TrainersHellenic American Union

There are many sites on the Internet that are designed to allow the user to practice grammar, reading, and listening skills, and these sites also provide ready-made material for students. They offer various activities that range from mechanical drills to more open ended questions with feedback in most cases. In order to make optimal use of these materials, teachers have to examine the teaching objectives presented, the principles of methodology used, the context given, and the added value built in the tasks. Grammar sites, for instance, give rules, examples and exercises that focus on form rather than meaning in context. Some hardly constitute a challenge and have very limited added value as they give few answer choices and very little feedback. These sites, however, can be integrated into a grammar lesson at the controlled stage, giving students the opportunity to practice form and meaning. The teacher has to be aware of the limitations in order to make the best constructive use of these exercises in class.

When deciding what site to use, the teacher has to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses it has. Both the text and the questions have to be evaluated. The text has to be evaluated on the basis of difficulty, appropriacy and interest. Tasks should be examined on the basis of the sub-skills being developed and in the case of multiple choice questions the quality of the distracters used. Consideration should also be given to whether the site provides a pre-text or a post-text stage, and whether sufficient feedback is provided. Tasks that allow for some diversity leave room for communication and creativity in the classroom and motivate students to take control of their own learning. Websites that are not custom tailored for the teaching of English as a foreign language do not have such limitations, but they need careful planning to be adapted and integrated in the lesson. In this case, however, the teacher has to set the objectives of the lesson, design the task and connect the site through content or structure to the syllabus. On the site http://www.denverzoo.org, for instance, students can be asked to read for specific information to find days that the zoo is open, hours, fees, etc, and read for gist to find which animals would be interesting to visit. In order to do this they can be given the task of planning a visit to the zoo.

Listening sites that have been constructed for EFL can be easy to access but may require real player and media player to function. Some have been constructed with the principles of the communicative approach in mind, with clear teaching objectives, context, and a variety of activities that vary in terms of difficulty. In some cases the script is provided, too. An example of such a site is http://esl-lab.com. This site offers listening material for different levels of English with a variety of activities, teaching objectives and clear pre-text and post-text activities. The students can work at their own pace in the classroom or at home as it provides them with feedback and the script. The site follows the stages of a skills lesson and integrates all the skills.

It is true that interactive EFL sites can help students practice and learn vocabulary and language and some sites are more helpful than others. The Web, on the other hand, offers teachers and students access to authentic resources such as print, images, audio and video that they would not have otherwise. While EFL sites can be useful for specific purposes, the Web offers students the opportunity to learn how to acquire and evaluate information from multiple resources. A combination of ELT sites and authentic material for different stages of the lesson seems to work best in class. The tasks then become more meaningful and the lesson has maximum added value.

There are a great number of reading sites available on the internet for EFL classes for all ages, levels and interests. Some of these are: http://www.mysterynet.com http://towerofenglish.com/eduwebpinturaindex.html http://members.aol.com/Ccochran50/reading.htm

Alexandra Tsakogianni and Marianna Katsaounou have been teachers and teacher trainers at the Hellenic American Union for many years and they both hold an MA degree in TEFL from St.Michael's College, Vermont.They have given a number of presentations and seminars on CALL and have participated in conferences in Greece and abroad.

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 単 January-March 2006

NETWORKING

EXAM GUIDE PART 3 This is the final part of the exam guide. Every effort has been made to include all the examinations available. If, however, we inadvertently omitted any, we will be happy to publish the relevant data in our next issue. We would like to thank George Korbas for the compilation of the data below.

Components

Remarks

Contact: CAMBRIDGE ESOL www.cambridge-efl.org British Council Examinations Services 17 Kolonaki Square 10673 Athens Telephone +30 210 369 2333 Fax +30 210 363 0332 e-mail customerservices@britishcouncil.gr CAMBRIDGE ESOL www.cambridge-efl.org British Council Examinations Services 17 Kolonaki Square 10673 Athens Telephone +30 210 369 2333 Fax +30 210 363 0332 e-mail customerservices@britishcouncil.gr CAMBRIDGE ESOL www.cambridge-efl.org British Council Examinations Services 17 Kolonaki Square 10673 Athens Telephone +30 210 369 2333 Fax +30 210 363 0332 e-mail customerservices@britishcouncil.gr

Listening (20 minutes) Reading & Writing (20 minutes) Speaking (3 – 5 minutes)

Dates are set by centres, taking into account local needs and conditions. Contact your local centre for details of next test dates.

Movers (Level 1)

Listening (25 minutes) Reading & Writing (30 minutes) Speaking (5 - 7 minutes)

Dates are set by centres, taking into account local needs and conditions. Contact your local centre for details of next test dates.

Listening (25 minutes) Reading & Writing (40 minutes) Speaking (7 - 9 minutes)

Dates are set by centres, taking into account local needs and conditions. Contact your local centre for details of next test dates.

Flyers

Certificate

ñ Reading & Writing (1 hour 10 ‘) ñ Listening (30’approx.) ñ Speaking (8-10’)

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KET (Key English Test)

Components

TOEIC

Certificate

TOEIC

Parts TOEIC is a two-hour multiple-choice test, comprising of 200 questions, divided in two parts. ñ 100 listening comprehension questions, administered by audiocassette. ñ 100 reading comprehension questions, divided into 3 parts.

Remarks

Contact:

_Saturday 18 March 2006 PM _Saturday 20 May 2006 PM _Friday 02 June 2006 PM _Saturday 10 June 2006 PM _Saturday 25 November 2006 PM _Friday 8 December 2006 PM _Saturday 18 March 2006 PM _Saturday 20 May 2006 PM _Friday 02 June 2006 PM _Saturday 10 June 2006 PM _Saturday 25 November 2006 PM _Friday 8 December 2006 PM * we can put at certain dates and that they can contact the British council for specific dates.

CAMBRIDGE ESOL www.cambridge-efl.org British Council Examinations Services 17 Kolonaki Square 10673 Athens Telephone +30 210 369 2333 Fax +30 210 363 0332 e-mail customerservices@britishcouncil.gr

Remarks

Contact:

Administered every Monday and at special occasions.

HAU TOEIC Examination Center 15, Didotou street 10680 Tel +30 210 36 80000 www.hau.gr

✃

✁

Starters (below level 1)

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Certificate

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YOUNG LEARNERS

TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006

NETWORKING @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e @@@@@@@@e? @@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@ @@h? @@

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News in Brief

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KPG (State Certificate of Language Proficiency) sets aims at press conference.

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The central examination board of KPG publicised its short and

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long-term aims at the Money Show conference held at the

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Athens Hilton Hotel on December 4th, 2005. B. Dendrinos, V.

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Tokatlidou and A. Tsopanoglou talked about the K.P.G. and

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answered a number of questions posed by state and private

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school teachers, ESP teachers, school owners and publishers.

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Below you can read the main points:

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ñ The first C2 level Certificate exams will be administered at the

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end of 2006 and the B1 level exams in 2007.

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ñ Greek High school education is not a pre-requisite. E.U.

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citizens and others who live or work in Greece are eligible to

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take the exams. However, there are plans to establish a

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stronger link between secondary education and K.P.G.

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ñ Knowledge of the Greek language is necessary in some exam

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modules.

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ñ They are designed for candidates aged 15+.

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ñ It is related to the Common European Framework specifications.

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ñ A unique feature of the exam is the testing of mediation skill

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which should not be misinterpreted as translation.

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ñ The number of items in the first module is to be reduced.

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For more information, visit www.ypepth.gr/kpg

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Trial Period of a new TESOL GREECE SIG

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(Special Interest Group)

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Proposed Name of SIG: Drama and Literature (Drama/Lit) Since our first meeting at the IST event we have submitted a formal proposal to the TESOL Greece Board and we hope to be 'official' by the time of the Convention, when we will hold elections. Our SIG first performed for the membership at the TESOL Greece Xmas Bazaar with a humorous piece presented as readers' theatre and including a group song with audience participation on "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Currently members are putting together a presentation on Storytelling for the February 19th event and rehearsing theatrical 'morsels' for our upcoming Convention. Would you like to join us?! Contact the TESOL Greece office and leave your name and number and/or email address and we will contact you. Purpose/Aims of Drama/Lit SIG: (1) share information , techniques and experiences, etc. on the use of dramatic literature in English language teaching, (i.e. "dramatic literature" includes: (a) poetry readings, (b) dramatized excerpts from any literature written in English (novels, plays, sketches…) (c) T- and/or S-written scenarios, role plays and dialogues, etc.), (2) promote the use of dramatic literature for ELT purposes through TESOL GREECE events, newsletter and website, (3) enhance teachers’ cultural awareness and language development through exposure to the latest dramatic literature and theatre productions in English-speaking countries, (4) perform for fellow TESOL GREECE members at TESOL GREECE events and (5) to explore the development of recorded material for use by TESOL GREECE members & their Ss . Suggested coordinators for Trial Period: Malcolm Mann & Suzanne Antonaros ?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@

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Capacity Building for your Teachers’ Association’s Future, Veroia

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The British Council organized a two-day event entitled ‘Capacity Building for your Teachers’ Association’s Future’ for the board members of teachers associations. The event was held on 21 – 22 October in the beautiful city of Veroia and was kindly hosted by SETUI (State School Teachers’ Union of Imathia). Teachers Associations from all over Greece and the Balkans were represented.

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Aliki Weedall and Cliff Parry, on behalf of the British Council, opened the talks and initiated the discussion on the role and the mission each association should have, the potential problems and suggested solutions. Participants happily shared experiences, thoughts and suggestions on how to empower each association.

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Maria Haritou (PEKADE, Athens), Stefka Kitanova (BETA, Sofia) and Eleni Poulla (EPATHI, Iraklio) shared experiences with the audience on running the associations and explained how they organize events.

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On the second day, The Role of the Board was discussed, focusing on the services provided to the members, as well as the importance

of Teambuilding. Anastasia Spyropoulou (ELT News) talked about Public Relations and the importance of publishing the information about future and past events in the media. She provided the audience with lots of practical tips on how to approach people involved in the media and how to prepare a press-release. All participants appreciated all the useful tips on managing and developing the associations they belong to and decided to make an effort to support each other. TESOL Greece was represented by the Board's vice-chair, Jenny Zimianitou. Although our association has already established many of the procedures and topics discussed above (e.g., the making of the constitution, the quarterly Newsletter, the resource room, to mention but a few), we believe that the new and fresh ideas shared by colleagues, and the opportunity to network with other professional associations essential for the future of EFL in Greece which we all represent. We would like to thank the British Council for organizing the event and for inviting TESOL Greece to participate.

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TESOL Greece Newsletter 89 ñ January-March 2006