TESL 0100 – Unit 8 – Reflections

 

TESL 0100 – Unit 8 – Reflections

Assessments have always been an afterthought for me. My experience as a learner was that assessment occurred after the course was finished. I had no concept of assessment before or during the course teaching. Furthermore, my understanding of assessment was strictly Normative based testing. Prior to this course, I had no idea of criterion-based testing. To use a set of objectives rather than simply making questions regarding the content of the entire course is a new concept to me. Being new to me, developing criterion-based tests is very daunting. Identifying a set of objectives for the test and drawing up specifications is challenging. After that, it seems that drafting, revising, and finalizing the test is a little easier. However, a big concern regarding developing tests is test validity. Am I actually testing what I am wanting to test? In language testing, it can be difficult to validly test for proficiency. Much of the scoring can be subjective. Therefore, developing a set of objectives is important. The objectives help identify what the test taker has accomplished. The validity of the test comes from ensuring the test is testing the objectives. It is also important that the test looks like it tests what the test taker is expecting. It is possible that even if the content of the test is valid in assessing the set criterion, the test may not look like it to the test takers. It is important that the test be carefully constructed, clear, and organized. Developing criterion-based tests and ensuring their validity will take some time for me to become proficient.

TESL 0100 – Unit 6 – Reflections

 

TESL 0100 – Unit 6 – Reflections

I usually find lesson planning challenging. Especially the more unfamiliar I am with the topic. Trying to explain something to someone when you are only partially sure of the topic is difficult. At the same time, it also adds to, or allows for, personal growth as I try to understand the topic better to teach it. However, the more unfamiliar with the topic I am, the more difficult it is to judge the appropriate level of difficulty for teaching. Assessing the difficulty of a lesson plan is important so the learners can understand but not be bored by the content. I find that often textbooks and prescribed lessons are too simple for my audience. Or at least that is how I perceive the situation. On the other hand, developing my own lesson plans is time consuming and can still be the wrong level of difficulty for the students. I find that I can also fall into the problem of not planning through an entire course and instead focusing on lesson to lesson with no overall goal in mind. I have often added to and modified existing lessons in textbooks to what I perceive to be an appropriate level of difficulty. This brings up the issue of assessing the abilities of the students. I have never realized the importance of assessing the abilities of the students before and during the course teaching. I always believed that assessment occurred after the course was finished. This is a result of my own learning experiences in school and university. There will be more on assessment in another unit.

TESL 0100 Unit 1 - Reflections

 

TESL 0100 Unit 1 – Reflections

Brown and Lee (2015) have a discussion regarding native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) (p. 165). They claim that non-native English-speaking teachers have an advantage over native English-speaking teachers for several reasons: they can serve as role models of successful L2 learning; understand the students’ culture and language; understand the challenges of learning an L2; can provide better explanations using the L1; can simplify the L2; and can understand the role of the L2 and the suitability of the teaching and materials.

However, most of these advantages are only advantages if the teacher’s L1 is the same as the students L1. If the NNEST is teaching students with a different L1, they are in virtually the same situation as the NEST. They no longer necessarily understand the students’ language and culture and they are less likely to be able to provide efficient explanations and simplify the L2 by using their L1. NNESTs still may have an advantage in knowing what it is like to learn the target language, but a NEST who has learnt another language will have some idea about the difficulties learning another language.

The potential advantages of being a NEST were not discussed by Brown and Lee (2015). I see a few possible advantages of being a NEST. A NEST is more likely to identify pronunciation problems in the students’ speaking, although there are some instances where pronunciation differs between different groups of speakers. NESTs should be more likely to identify grammar mistakes such as missing articles and noun/verb agreements with the students’ speaking and writing. A NEST should be able to help more with idioms and colloquialisms having been using them for longer than a NNEST.

I do agree with Brown and Lee (2015) when they indicate that training and experience are the best qualifications for any language teacher. All the advantages for the NESTs and NNESTs become less important and less distinguishable with the more training and experience a teacher has.

Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (4th ed. revised).

My New PLN

 My PLN has not changed too much in the last three months, except that I realize the necessity of connecting to more ESL professionals. Internet resources are good and useful, but real connections are very important. The ability to communicate and share ideas with each other is vital for growth. As soon as Covid is over, I look forward to actually attending conferences.

TESL 0100 Unit 7 Trent's Class

 This is how I envision my classroom for TESL. I see myself teaching online to one or more students.