In Chile, every time we survey students we find out something that surprises nobody. It is related to teaching English, in English. As you can imagine, it is a good idea to teach English, in English.
First, here is the question, “Does your teacher speak English during class? The entire class?
In Chile, some students have teachers speak English, the entire class, that is to say, they teach English, in English, using no Spanish. (Teachers like me, for example) When this happens, the students have higher rates of learning than those students whose teachers, teach English, in Spanish.
However, this is Chile. We do things the Chilean Way. That means we have an awful lot of teachers who teach English, in Spanish. After all, if a student begins learning English in 5th grade, then you have to use the Mother Tongue. Right?
Besides, it must be strange if Chile gets positive results from teaching English in English. You can’t trust what students say anyway. Right?
What about Europe? Surely things are different in Europe. They teach their students two, three, sometimes four languages, at the same time. They have a Mother Tongue + 2 policy in Europe. That’s your mother tongue and 2 other languages. They must be using the Mother Tongue. Right?
A recent study sheds some light on that question. In the final report of the First European Survey on Language Competences, which surveyed 16 different language jurisdictions in Europe, to include England, Germany, Malta, etc., they asked the same question that we asked in Chile.
Does your teacher teach English, in English? Further, they asked the students: “Do you speak English in English class? As you can imagine, intuitively, the results were not surprising.
In all countries where teachers teach the English class in English, students have better results. In all countries where students speak English in English class, students have better results. As I said before, this is not a surprising result.
However, they found out something which is new. It seems that when students have a positive perception of the usefulness of English for their personal lives, whether for work, study, travel, enjoyment of some free time activity by using English, then they also have better results.
With this in mind, I can suggest two things for a teacher of English to do. This is for the teacher of English in Chile. This is also for the teacher of English in Europe.
1. Teach English, in English. (the entire class)
2. Help your students to find a way that English is truly important for their personal lives.
In both cases, if you follow my advice, we have reliable research from Chile and from Europe that these two practices will result in better learning outcomes for your students.
I know. This is frighteningly simple stuff. It’s not complicated. It’s not rocket science. In my hometown they call it common sense.
So why not call this a common sense approach to improving your students learning outcomes. For the record, I teach my classes in English, the entire class. I also regularly motivate my students by having lots of different activities in class which clearly bring home the idea that English is important.
The main way I do this is by always trying to have fun in class. Every single day. Sometimes it doesn’t work. You can only have fun, if you have fun. But I try. Tomorrow we are going to be singing songs in class. We are getting ready for the annual “Festival of English” talent show.
Yes, I recommend you try it too. Singing in English is a lot of fun. Especially when the students sing a thousand different songs because they can’t make up their minds which song to sing. Volume and repetition is happening naturally.
Now, if you said, today we are going to sing 200 songs in class, it would not be fun. It has to be their idea. You just facilitate a classroom, a guitar, and then you simply slip into the background, while they sing, and sing, and sing, in English…
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The Mother Tongue in the Chilean EFL Classroom: How We Learn English [Kindle Edition]
Book Description
Publication Date: September 21, 2012
The Mother Tongue Taboo (speak only English in the classroom) addresses all the “Taboo Topics”: Monolingual Fallacy, Native Speaker Fallacy, Early Start Fallacy, and More is Better Fallacy.
This book transparently shows 2 countries, one successful, one with marginal results at best, where Linguistic Imperialism, ie. the Four Fallacy Thinking…is not a Fallacy, but Reality, or Evidence-Based Results. In other words, it’s not ideology, not philosophy, but responds to the real world rather than an imagined world.
When you read this book, do so with an open mind. Above all, prepare to have your thinking challenged.
If you teach English, or if you have children, if you don’t trust ideology and instead prefer factual evidence, this book is a must have, it is for you, it is for those like you…
“The Mother Tongue in the Chilean EFL Classroom” is told from my point of view. Yet, in a larger sense, it’s an ELT story that makes the effort to share, a moment in time, with some very special people, in a very special country – Chile, a place time forgot, a place where we do things the Chilean Way.
Don’t bother looking for it on the map. Be content to know it is located at the end of the world, literally.
One of the most defining characteristics of an EFL classroom in Chile is the quality of the teacher. If the teacher teaches English in English, they display what the quality of their beliefs are, namely, “in this classroom there is no place for the mother tongue.”If the teacher teaches English in Spanish, maybe they read my book, but weren’t impressed. The teacher’s beliefs are also on display, namely, “there is a place for the mother tongue in this classroom.”
Who is right? Who is wrong? At any rate, the language that the teacher teaches in, is crucial. It will ultimately define the students’ achievements.
As you read the book, stay with me. I have not chosen the direct path, because, if you do not have the background on what it is like to use language as an instrument of national policymaking, then you will end up with a misinterpretation of a simple question: Should the mother tongue be used in the Chilean EFL classroom?
After reading this book, you will understand why the Chilean teacher teaches as s/he does, and be in a good position to reexamine your own practice…
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Product Details
File Size: 938 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B009F51VCW
The Mother Tongue in the Chilean EFL Classroom: How We Learn English [Kindle Edition]
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Memoir: The Last Shot
The Last Shot: A Season Like No Other: 1980 Luxora Panthers [Paperback]
Thomas Jerome Baker (Author)
“The Last Shot” is told from my point of view.
Yet, in a larger sense, it’s a story that makes the effort to keep something alive, a memory of a moment in time I shared with some very special people from a small town called Luxora, Arkansas, my hometown, population 1,317.
Don’t bother looking for it on the map. You won’t find it unless you know exactly where to look.
Be content to know it is located about 4 miles east of Osceola, Arkansas on Highway 61… or 12 miles west of Blytheville, Arkansas, same highway.
One of the most defining characteristics of a small town in Arkansas is the quality and traditions of its local high school sports teams.
In 1980, I had the great fortune to be a member of two of Luxora’s greatest sports teams ever: the State Championship track and field team of 1980 and the State Runner-Up basketball team of 1980.
I graduated on May 17, 1980 and since I left, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been back to Luxora.
This book, about the Luxora Panthers basketball team of 1980, is a memoir of sorts, pieced together from my memories and from news clippings about our team.
It’s a way for me to go back, in my mind’s eye, like a bird high in the sky, and look once again upon my Luxora, as I remember it to be.
I thank you kindly, if you decide to join me on this journey back to Luxora, Arkansas, home of the mighty Luxora Panthers…
Product Details
Paperback: 116 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
(September 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1479329762
ISBN-13: 978-1479329762
The Last Shot: A Season Like No Other: 1980 Luxora Panthers [Paperback]
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The Last Shot: A Season Like No Other [Kindle Edition]
Book Description
Publication Date: September 15, 2012
“The Last Shot” is told from my point of view.
Yet, in a larger sense, it’s a story that makes the effort to keep something alive, a memory of a moment in time I shared with some very special people from a small town called Luxora, Arkansas, my hometown, population 1,317.
Don’t bother looking for it on the map. Be content to know it is located about 4 miles east of Osceola, Arkansas on Highway 61… or 12 miles west of Blytheville, Arkansas, same highway.
One of the most defining characteristics of a small town in Arkansas is the quality and traditions of its local high school sports teams.
In 1980, I had the great fortune to be a member of two of Luxora’s greatest sports teams ever: the State Championship track and field team of 1980 and the State Runner-Up basketball team of 1980.
I graduated on May 17, 1980 and since I left, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been back to Luxora.
This book, about the Luxora Panthers basketball team of 1980, is a memoir of sorts, pieced together from my memories and from news clippings about our team.
It’s a way for me to go back, in my mind’s eye, like a bird high in the sky, and look once again upon my Luxora, as I remember it to be.
I thank you kindly, if you decide to join me on this journey back to Luxora, Arkansas, home of the mighty Luxora Panthers…
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http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BSD5EU
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This book is autobiographical. It relies on my subjective remembrance. There is a clear delineation between fact and fiction. I have tried to be true, above all, to my own Luxora experience. Everyone who is a Luxora Panther, with black and gold blood flowing through our veins, will find a bit of their story, told in my autobiographical essays. For this reason, I wish to share and thus dedicate this book to all the people of Luxora, Arkansas, my hometown.
Kindle Reader Edition: $0.99
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How to Coach A Debate Team
How to Coach A Debate Team [Kindle Edition]
This book contains all you need to know to successfully coach a debate team. You may need to convince students that debate is a good idea, though. Here are six reasons:
1. Debating ability is a valuable skill.
2. Debate utilizes useful English.
3. It is a unique way to teach grammar.
4. It develops critical thinking skills.
5. It introduces global issues.
6. It develops research skills.
A more powerful reason to coach a debate team is given to us by Dr. Martin Luther King: ““Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace… If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation…” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
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The International Baccalaureate [Kindle Edition]
The International Baccalaureate [Paperback]
The global search for high-quality education, embedded in high-performing education systems, has taken on mythical proportions, almost resembling the alchemists’ quest to turn common metals into gold.
It is my hope that the present day search for global education, equitable and providing equality of opportunity for all, shall not cease until the “gold” we seek, has been found.
I therefore dedicate this book to all the educators, researchers, parents and students the world over, who strive to achieve this elusive goal,high-quality education for all the citizens of the world.
In this endeavour, it is my belief that the International Baccalaureate merits a closer look, based on their more than 40 year history of delivering consistently excellent results.
I add that all of the reflections and views in this book are mine alone, unless otherwise noted, and can not be attributed to my employer or any other organization I am affiliated with, past or present. For any errors or oversights, I bear the complete responsibility.
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Amazon Author Page: Thomas Jerome Baker
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Thomas Baker is the Past-President of TESOL Chile (2010-2011). He is the Head of the English Department at Colegio Internacional SEK in Santiago, Chile.
He is the Co-Founder and Co-Organiser of EdCamp Santiago, free, participant-driven, democratic, conversation based professional development for teachers, by teachers. EdCamp Santiago 2012 was held at Universidad Mayor in Santiago.
Thomas is also an ex-member (2011-2012) of the Advisory Board for the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL), where he also serves as a reviewer and as the HETL Ambassador for Chile.
Thomas was recently selected for membership in the Comunidad de Innovación Escolar, from among hundreds of educators. The CIE promotes innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial-mindedness at the grass roots level, in the education community of its members, as well as in the wider education community.
Thomas enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics, both fiction and non-fiction. Thus far, he has written the following genres: romance, historical fiction, autobiographical, sports history/biography, and English Language Teaching. He has published a total of forty six (46) books overall.
The source and inspiration for his writing comes from his family, his wife Gabriela, and his son, Thomas Jerome Baker, Jr.
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Amazon
The Mother Tongue in the Chilean EFL Classroom: How We Learn English [Paperback]
“The Mother Tongue in the Chilean EFL Classroom” is told from my point of view. Yet, in a larger sense, it’s an ELT story that makes the effort to share, a moment in time, with some very special people, in a very special country – Chile, a place time forgot, a place where we do things the Chilean Way. Don’t bother looking for it on the map. Be content to know it is located at the end of the world, literally.
The Mother Tongue in the Chilean EFL Classroom: How We Learn English [Paperback]
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Pinterest: Paperback Books by Thomas Jerome Baker
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