Planning Journal (Essay Sample)

Planning Journal
Overview
Designing a language course involves learners to whom this course will be taught, the goals and the objectives you want to achieve, and resources available for the course designer (Graves, 2000, p. 1). This course is in communicative English that provides speaking and listening practice for students from the elementary level through the intermediate level. It is suitable for students who may have some passive knowledge of grammar and vocabulary from previous study, but lack the skills and confidence to participate in conversation (Saudi Technical Colleges Site, 2010). This course is designed to meet students’ needs once they engage in real-life work
This lesson is the fifth one after three weeks from starting this semester. EFL in a course named "FIFTYFIFTY”. This is taught at the third level at a college of technology as an intermediate course to Saudi students learning English as ESP (technology). The classroom is on the third floor, No. 302. The classroom has 30 chairs, a whiteboard, and a computer system with speakers. The students are 25 Saudi male students, aged 20–22, ranging in proficiency levels from post-elementary to intermediate. In this lesson, the teacher will teach new vocabulary, prepositions, prepositional phrases, and grammar to help students in speaking and listening skills.
Those not able to achieve 50% in their overall grade will take this course again next semester.
Beliefs underlying planning
According to Graves (2000, p. 26), beliefs stem mainly from our past experiences in two areas: our education and our work.
Although there is probably some truth to the maxim that teachers teach the way they were taught, there is probably a lot more truth in saying that teachers teach the way they learned best in school.
When I was student, I preferred to learn in different ways. That means I used educational methods other than books, such as PowerPoint slides, whiteboard presentations, videos, audio speakers, and a computer system. All of these methods help students to acquire information easily and successfully. Now that I am a teacher and know more about students’ needs, I use all of these methods to make lessons appropriate for my students.
Beliefs are also the results of our work or professional experiences. According to Richards and Lockhart (1996, p. 31), beliefs derived from work/professional experiences come from: experience of what works best, established practice, educationally-based or research-based principles. and principles derived from an approach or method.
Speaking is seen as the most important macro skill (Study Guide 8001, 2001, p. 126).
In this lesson, I teach students speaking and listening skills. Some students are hesitant to participate because they do not know how to say the sentences in the correct way. McArthur (1983, p. 96) points out that the Grammar Translation Method did have some success and positive effects on learners. In this lesson, students need to learn the correct way to ask and answer questions about locations in books and in class. I give them a way to translate sentences easily. This course introduces students to many new vocabulary terms and expressions required in their particular field and in general life as well. Communicative language teaching (CLT) has recognised the value of vocabulary and placed it as the core in learning a second language (Harmer, 2002, p. 13). I translate new vocabulary and sentences to help students to speak sentences in the correct grammatical way and to have confidence when they speak and listen.
Needs of stakeholders
What and why students’ need to learn should be taken in consideration when designing language courses (Nunan, 1999, p. 311). Students in colleges of technology in Saudi Arabia are preparing to work in the private sector after they finish their study. Hence, this course is designed to meet both students’ and employers’ needs. Stakeholders need students who have the ability to speak and listen when dealing with customers who speak English. If students can listen and respond well, the chance for a job will be good. In this lesson, the student will practice listening and speaking in class in order to encourage them as in real life.
The Framework
Graves (2000) sets up some factors to consider when designing a language course. First, one must analyse the learners’ needs. Investigating learners’ needs makes it easier for course designers to specify goals and objectives, which is the second consideration when designing a language course. Third, one must choose the methods that best serve the goals and interests of both the learners and the course objectives. Fourth, one must define the context of the course: where it will be held, when it will be held, and to whom it will be addressed. This should also include consideration for cultural differences. Fifth, one must design an assessment plan to measure students’ progress. Finally, one must develop or adapt appropriate materials for use in the classroom. All of these factors constitute the basis of curriculum design.
This lesson will be conducted using three main methods: communicative language teaching, task-based learning, and collaborative learning. Three reasons underpin the choice of these methods and techniques. First, the target students are high school graduates who are not familiar with the CLT approach, which, in fact, can help promote students’ communicative abilities. Moreover, it is well understood that communication skills are greatly required in the business field. Second, English is a foreign language in the Saudi community; therefore, task-based learning will help create an atmosphere in which students can practice situations that largely resemble real-world ones. Third, general education in Saudi Arabia applies the teacher-centred approach, in which students are dependent learners. However, at technical colleges and in other fields of higher education, the emphasis is on the learner-centred approach in which learning is, to a great extent, independent. Hence, it is important to scaffold this gap by using a collaborative learning style that increases the students’ abilities as autonomous learners.
B ii Discuss the content:
Designing a language course involves learners to whom this course will be taught, the goals and the objectives you want to achieve, and the resources available for the course designer (Graves, 2000, p. 1).
This course is focused on listening and speaking skills, so this lesson is the first of five lessons where students will learn how to ask and answer questions through listening and speaking skills that fit into the rest of the course.
Nunan (1999, p. 171) identified the notion of ‘strategy’ as a special technique used to help learn and use language. Teaching different kinds of strategies helps learners master their language learning process (Brown, 2007, p. 258). Needless to say, effectiveness is not measured by how many strategies are used, but by a suitable choice and its flexible application to the learning task at hand.
* Different tasks are assigned to suit students’ styles. It is important when designing a course to provide a variety of activities that suit various learners’ styles (Study Guide 8004; Robyn, 2001, p. 68).
* Different kinds of resources are provided: a CD player, PowerPoint slides, paper sheets, students’ books, a computer, a whiteboard, and an audio system.
* Authentic materials are offered. Authentic materials help learners to use the language outside the classroom. This motivates them and encourages their interest in language learning.
This lesson includes the following activities;
* Warm-up activity: In this beginning stage, I will start by greeting students and then asking them some general questions in order to create a safe atmosphere. This will also encourage students to participate and raise their motivation (Dornyei, 2001, p. 36).
A quick review of the previous lesson: This will help students to contribute to this lesson with the previous one and build up their knowledge. The new lesson should add to what was covered in the preceding one (Graves, 2000, p. 136).
* Introduce new lesson:
Explain lesson`s goals and objectives:
Nunan (1999 p. 308) defines goals as " broad general purposes for learning”.
* I introduce to students the main idea of lesson and I explain the goals and the objectives of lesson. It is very important for students to know what they are going to learn. (Graves 2000, p.79) mentioned that "formulating goals and objectives helps to build a clear vision of what you will teach”.
I need my students to know what they are expected to learn and what the purpose behind that. I will make activities in which they are going to be involved explicit and clear.
* The teacher will teach students in this lesson new vocabulary, prepositions, prepositional phrases and grammar to help them in speaking and listening skills.
* By the end of this lesson students will demonstrate their abilities to do the following;
* Differentiate between prepositions and prepositional
phrases.
- Deal with locations using prepositions and prepositional phrases.
- Use prepositions and prepositional phrases in questions and
Answers as communication.
- Describe locations in full sentences.
- Practice speaking and listening skills in class which encourage SLA.
The number of years’ exposure contributes greatly to the overall communicative fluency of the learners, but starting age determines the level of accuracy achieved, particularly in pronunciation (Nunan, 1999, p. 41). As we can see, age does not affect the route of SLA, so all learners will follow the same d...