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The University of Southampton
Video Resources for English Language Teacher EducationEFL lessons

General english (A 1) Age 16-19

This is a General English class for the 16+ age group focusing on the theme of "vision". Students are from mixed language and cultural backgrounds. Most students join this class while they concurrently study other subjects for UK A-levels (i.e. school-leaving exams

 Material Used:

Wilson, J.J. & Clare, A. 2006. Total English: Advanced Student's Book. London: Pearson Longman, specifically unit 9.

Teacher's own art prints and postcards

Notes:

Students at this school attend classes in a number of groupings, so that a teacher will see the same students in different classes. The programmes are "rolling", so that students can join or leave at any time and in this class we can see the group talking about some who are about to leave and introduce themselves to one who has just arrived (though many know this student already from other classess.

ELT: Advanced Level, Lesson 1 (Neil) from Julia Huettner on Vimeo.

 Teacher Education Task

1) Getting things right fluently? Integrating fluency and accuracy in teaching advanced learners

Aim

To reflect on the roles of activities focusing on accuracy and fluency in promoting advanced learners' language development

Sequence

Before viewing get together in groups of three and make two lists or mind-maps with the characteristics of fluency and accuracy-oriented classroom activities. Consider aim and focus of tasks, role of the teacher, role of correction, predictability of language used, gaps in knowledge/information, etc. Swap with another group to see if decided on different features!

Choose a section of the video of about 30 minutes with activities (e.g. from minute 5:00 to minute 41:00) List the individual activities and their main focus (fluency or accuracy) and the characteristics that made you decide on which is the main focus. Note the start and end time for each sequence.  Compare your list with a fellow student or your teacher educator to check whether you agree.

Choose one activity that showed characteristics of both fluency and accuracy work. Try to find answers to the following questions and compare your answers within a small group.

  • How are the two focuses integrated?
  • When and how does the teacher shift from one focus to another?
  • What are students' reactions to this?
  • What is the overall effect of a combined focus on accuracy and fluency?

Now relate this to your teaching and learning context and discuss the following points:

  • When and how does your focus shift from accuracy to fluency and vice versa?
  • Is one of the two aspects generally more important in your context or to your learners? If so, what are your feelings about this?

Finally, choose a textbook you are familiar with and try to identify within one unit whether individual tasks or exercises are fluency or accuracy-focused. Together with a partner, choose one each and try to consider how the "other" aspect might be introduced to learners using this exercise!

The teacher's views

Listen to Neil talk about his classes (both advanced and upper-intermediate).

Neil talking about his classes from Julia Huettner on Vimeo.

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