A Trainee-centered approach in teaching a foreign language

TABLE OF СОNTENTS 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

                                                     

 

INTRODUCTION 

       The topic of the term paper is Trainee-centered Approach in Teaching a Foreign Language.

       The trainee/learner-centered approach to foreing language learning offers teachers many ideas in the organization and implementation of assignments aimed at the profound language acquisition. The quintessence of the approach lies in taking into consideration the differences in the language-acquiring capabilities of school students, their psychological traits and the necessity to put focus on the learning activities carried out by students. According to such scholars as R. Buck, W.J. Cook and R.S. Railsback, all these factors can be integrated in the project activities.

       The present research paper is based on the notion that project-based teaching is centered on the learner and affords learners the opportunity for in-depth investigations of worthy topics. The learners are more autonomous as they construct personally-meaningful artifacts that are representations of their learning. Project-based approach of teaching language is an educational method where students working individually or in small groups analyze and develop”real-life” problem or tackle a present day theme within a preset time limit, working independently and with the division of tasks clearly defined. The project is one of the standard teaching methods. The project is considered to be one of the best and most appropriate methods of teaching. When a student successfully completes a project they demonstrate the information learned and the ability to complete a group of skills. Criterion-referenced assessments help to eliminate competition and may improve cooperation.

       The subject of the investigation is problem of using project-based teaching within the framework of the trainee/learner-centered approach at secondary school.

       In recent years, increasing numbers of language educators have turned to personality-centered education and project work to promote meaningful student engagement with language learning. Through personality-centered education, learners develop language skills while simultaneously becoming more knowledgeable citizens of the world. By integrating project work into personality-centered classrooms, educators create vibrant learning environments that require active student involvement, stimulate higher level thinking skills, and give students responsibility for their own learning. When incorporating project work into personality-centered classrooms, instructors distance themselves from teacher-dominated instruction and move towards creating a student community of inquiry involving authentic communication, cooperative learning, collaboration, and problem-solving.

       In this work, I shall provide a rationale for trainee/learner-centered instruction and demonstrate how project work can be integrated into personality-centered classrooms. I will then outline the primary characteristics of project work, introduce project work in its various configurations, and present practical guidelines for sequencing and developing a project. It is my hope that language teachers and teacher educators will be able to adapt the ideas presented here to enhance their classroom instruction.   

       Project work is work which focuses on completing a task. Project work normally involves a lot of resources – time, people and materials – and learners practise a range of skills and language systems. Project work may provide many opportunities to meet a variety of learning aims but it requires strong classroom management skills. Learners need independence in planning and realizing the work but they also need the teacher to act as a driver in ensuring it is carried out in a way that meets learning aims.

       Project work allows students to consolidate the language that they have learnt and encourages them to acquire new vocabulary and expressions. In addition, it gives learners integrated skills practice. Throughout project work students have extensive practice of the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Using projects with classes provides excellent opportunities for cross- curricular work. The topics should be carefully chosen and have to be presented in a lively and up-to-date manner. It is important to present a new project in an enthusiastic way and encourage the class activity in a discussion about the key topic. The more students are engaged in to a project, the more likely that the project will be a success. The teacher tries to encourage learners to think of their own ideas, to produce something new of their own. Before setting up a project it is essential to explain the final outcome, this will help them to understand what they are doing and why. The teacher explains the students that at the end of the project they will write or design a small leaflet on the topic, a wall display, a poster...

       Project work can cover many diverse activities outside the conventional methods of teaching. It can include management games, role playing, extended essays, taped interviews, surveys, work diaries, mock newspapers, posters and films. An all-embracing definition might say that it is an activity in which students are involved in meaningful situations in the process of acquiring new skills and a greater degree of insight. Projects are also frequently characterized by the use of multi-media material both for presentation to the student and for the student’s work itself.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

       1 THE TRAINEE-CENTERED APPROACH TO TEACHING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE 

       1.1 General Characteristics of the Project-based Teaching as an Instrument of Trainee-centered Approach 

       While there are many different points on the contents and structure of the trainee-centered approach to a foreign language teaching, it seems reasonable to present in such a short research paper one point of view on the problem in detail. This point of view is presented in a number of works by R. Buck, W.J. Cook,                 R.S. Railsback and other scholars. According to this standpoint, the trainee/learner-centered approach at school can be realized through problem and project-based teaching.  Further on this point of view will be presented in detail.

       Project work is not a new methodology. Its benefits have been widely recognized for many years in the teaching of subjects like Science, Geography, and History. Some teachers have also been doing project work in their language lessons for a long time, but for others it is a new way of working. The aim of this research is to provide information to project work. I shall explain what project work is, what benefits it brings, and how to introduce it into the classroom. The best way to answer the question about project approach is to show some examples of projects.

       Here is an example of a very straightforward popular project: My Favourite Animal. The students choose an animal and write about it. They illustrate the project with pictures (photographs, postcards). 

       Projects allow students to use their imagination and the information they contain does not always have to be factual.

       One of the great benefits of project approach is its adaptability. You can do projects on almost any topic. They can be factual or fantastic. Projects can, thus, help to develop the full range of the learners’ capabilities. Projects are often done in poster format, but students can also use their imagination to experiment with the form.

       Each project is the result of a lot of hard work. The authors of the projects find information about their topic, collect or draw pictures, write down their ideas, and then put all the parts together to form a coherent presentation. Project work is not a soft option.

       The projects are very creative in terms of both content and language. Each project is a unique piece of communication, created by the project writers themselves.

       This element of creativity makes project work a very personal experience. The students are writing about aspects of their own lives, and so they invest a lot of themselves in their project.

       There are some selective definitions of the project approach include:

       Project approach is “a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks” [8, p. 67].

       Project approach is “a comprehensive instructional approach to engage students in sustained, cooperative investigation” [12, p. 89].

       Project approach is “an individual or group activity that goes on over a period of time, resulting in a product, presentation, or performance. It typically has a time line and milestones, and other aspects of formative evaluation as the project proceeds” [9, p. 62].

       Overall, project approach is an instructional method that engages learners in learning through inquiry activities in which they work autonomously and collaboratively over a period of time around complex tasks, resulting in realistic products.

       Recently, project approach is gaining its popularity because of two important developments. The first is a need for education to adapt to the changing world where people need to learn not only civic responsibility but also being able to plan, collaborate, and communicate in the workplace [5, p. 71].

       The second is the revolution in learning theory. Constructivist theory assumes that knowledge is constructed by learners as they attempt to make sense of their experiences based on their current and previous knowledge [5, p. 72].

       Learners do not learn with blank slates that passively wait to be filled. Instead, it is through the process of exploring, scaffolding, interpreting, negotiating, and creating that learners are active in interacting with environment and in seeking meaning.

       There are five criteria offered to consider what kind of project can be considered an instance of project approach:

       - centrality;

       Project approach is central to the curriculum, rather than serving to provide illustrations, examples, additional practices, or practical applications for material taught initially by other means.

       - driving questions;

       These are questions that enable learners to make a connection between activities and the target knowledge or skills.

       - constructive investigation;

       Projects must involve the transformation and construction of knowledge on the learner’s part. In addition, the activities must present some difficulty to the learners so that they cannot be carried out with the application of already-learned information or skills; otherwise, the project becomes a simpler and somewhat traditional type of exercise.

       - autonomy;

       Projects are learner-driven. Learner’s autonomy, choice, unsupervised work time, and responsibility are incorporated into the project. Furthermore, neither questions nor outcomes are teacher-led or predetermined.

       5) realism [14]

       Projects are realistic, not school-like. Authenticity should be found in task, topic, roles, collaborators, contexts, audience, and products.

       In addition to the five criteria, there are other defining features in Project approach, including collaboration.

       Encourage collaboration in some form, either through small groups, student-led presentations, or whole-class evaluations of project results so that knowledge can be shared and distributed between the members of the “learning community” [11].

       Lasting anywhere from a few days, to weeks, or even months, the process is defined in three stages:

• beginning the project (Phase I);
• developing the project (Phase II):
• concluding the project (Phase III) [9].

       Project work is a highly adaptable methodology. It can be used at every level from absolute beginner to advanced and with all ages.

       There are many examples around the world of the use of projects with adult learners. Project work can also be expanded into more ambitious activities. Here are some examples of some more advanced projects.

       Tell the story of your country.

       A. Find some information in your books or on the Internet. Or you can talk to your History teacher.

       B. Write about your country. Illustrate your project with maps.

       C. Act out your play. You can record it too.

       Make a project about teenage health.

       A. Choose some topics to write about, e.g. food, exercise, drugs.

       B. Make some rules for living a healthy life.

       C. Find some pictures to illustrate your ideas.

       D. Present your ideas as an information leaflet or as a short TV program.

       Projects using audio-recordings or even video-recordings require a lot of planning, but they can be highly motivating. Students can make mini radio or TV programs.

       As the examples show, there is a wide range of possible project activities, and the range of possible topics is limitless. Here are a few more possible topics and tasks:

       A project on Families might involve:

       - labeling a photograph of your family;

       - drawing a family tree and writing about your ancestors;

       -writing a story about your parents’ or grandparents’ life;

       - comparing life today to life in your parents’ childhood;

       - comparing different kinds of families in different countries;

       - a survey on who does what in the home;

       - writing a play about a family argument;

       - writing a poem about your family.

       A project on Food might involve:

       - writing recipes;

       - conducting surveys on favourite foods, what people eat for breakfast;

       - compiling a tourist guide to the restaurants in your town;

       - describing eating habits in your country;

       - finding out about and comparing the diets of rich and poor countries;

       - writing about diet and health.

       These are just a few examples of possible topics and activities for project work. Which activities are actually done will, of course, depend on many factors including the age, level, and interests of the learners, the resources available, and the constraints of time and space. But hopefully the examples given here indicate the potential range of things that teacher can do.

       So, let us now return to the original question: What is a project approach? In fact, the key to understanding project approach lies not in the question What?, but rather in the question Who? Who makes the decisions? A project is an extended piece of work on a particular topic where the content and the presentation are determined principally by the learners. The teacher or the textbook provides the topic, but as the examples in this section show, the project writers themselves decide what they write and how they present it. This learner-centered characteristic of project approach is vital, as we shall see when we turn now to consider the merits of project work.

       What benefits does project approach bring to the language class? Pupils don’t feel that English is a chore, but it is a means of communication and enjoyment. They can experiment with the language as something real, not as something that only appears in books.