DIDACTIC OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE 3

English Language Education: The Essentials

The Essentials

• represent a practical approach to teaching second language, yet all the activities are backed up solidly with clearly explained theories about where they came from.
• Also the word essential means thing or something functional and necessary.

integrating the eight essentials

• we consider our Eight Essentials as a type of “paradigm shift” and when a paradigm shift takes place, we see things from a different perspective.

1- Learner Autonomy:

• this essential generally means our learners have greater choice over their own second language learning, both in terms of the content of that learning as well as processes they might use to accomplish the learning.

2- The Social Nature of Learning

• this essential emphasizes that learning a second language is not an isolated individual private, but rather it is a social activity that encourages and really depends upon successful interaction with others.

3- integrated curriculum:

• this essential suggests that the connection between different strands of the curriculum should be emphasized, so that English as a second or foreign language is not seen as a stand-alone subject but is linked to all other subjects in the curriculum.

4- Focus on Meaning:

• this essential meaning is viewed as the catalyst for real learning. Within second language learning, content-based teaching

5- Diversity:

• this essential urges that teachers not forget that all our students are different, and that these differences can be positive for second language learners, because, for instance, they learn in different ways and thus have different strengths

6- Thinking Skills:

• this essential maintains that learning a second language should serve as a means of developing higher-order Thinking Skills, also known as critical and creative thinking, and not just listen and repeat.

7- Alternative Assessment:

• this essential suggests that new forms of assessment are needed to compliment the more traditional modes of assessment, such as multiplechoice.

8- Teachers as Co-learners:

• this essential suggests that teachers do not just teach and students learn; rather, teachers are viewed as facilitators who constantly try out alternatives, i.e., learning through doing.

Reflecting on the essentials

we suggest that each of the following questions be considered with other learner teachers and/or experienced teachers, so that you can all share your reflections.

Perhaps you can form a teacher development group and different members can take responsibility for leading the discussion on each of the questions below.

The idea is that the group as a whole should not just meet
and leave it at that hoping for some inspiration to take place on its own; rather, we see this book as a beginning of your journey into your classroom as you reflect on what works best for you and your students.

it is all classroom.