Job Discussion Forums

[fluffyhamster]

Believe it or not, there are still teachers who think that examples like 'This is a pen', 'Is this a pen?' and so on are actually teaching enough of value (the meanings of the four words involved, how to invert the subject and auxiliary verb, the slot-n-fill gap at the end that can be filled with "whatever" besides 'pen', very generative see? Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, just don't ask me to think of any more lexis than those four words please). This post will be the first of a new series aimed at rectifying this obvious shortage of thinking skills. Without further ado then:

1) What words other than 'pen' can you think of to fill the above gap in not only the example sentence, but possibly also in the students' vocabularies, grasp of authentic contexts, etc?

2) Are CCQs (concept-checking questions) necessary for 'pen'? If not, why not? If so, how about the following? 'Do you sharpen a pen?' 'No, but you don't sharpen an automatic pencil either, Teacher'. 'Hmm, OK, so can you erase what you write with a pen?' 'Yes, if it's erasable ink. But actually, what does erase mean, Teacher?' 'Rub out. Hmm, you still don't understand? OK, like this' <Mimes rubbing while standing at invisible table> Sts: !!!

3) If you picked 'banana' for 1), please enlighten and entertain your fellow readers with whatever CCQs you may be considering to really ram the concept home to students (or at least to trainees, who of course can only ever operate with the "easiest" examples imaginable, that teach nothing other than the all-important pedagogy involved).

Those who are too "experienced" or somehow affronted by these questions, please don't bother to reply. Thanks.

[RedLightning]

If I have more than three students who can differentiate between
This is a pen & Is this a pen at the end of the semester, I'm a happy man.

[fluffyhamster]

Well, yes, but if you're really peddling examples like that (I'm assuming you're joking though!), it shouldn't come as any surprise that your students won't develop that much understanding or communicative ability. It would be more instructive (if grammar is your thing) to ask 'Is this a noun?'.

[sheikh radlinrol]

[fluffyhamster]

What I said actually was 'too "experienced"'. You know, the type who see seem incapable of detecting poor examples and allied practice (or somehow want to defend it), and have likely been ineffective teachers for years, even decades.

Now that I've cleared that little comprehension problem up for you, perhaps you'd care to actually comment (or not, it's entirely up to you). I'll post further examples of underthinking presently to take up the possible slack. Feel free to post some of your own, if you have any.

[spiral78]

One awesome example of underthinking: assuming that many EFL teachers focus lessons around 4-word sentences

[fluffyhamster]

Another even more awesome example of underthinking: assuming that underthinking is not found in "richer" contexts.

Seriously though, I've encountered "This is/Is this a pen"-style thinking often enough (and not just in Asia!) that I think it's safe to say that it's actually quite widespread, and not only in improvised examples but in supposedly "well thought out" lessons.

[spiral78]

You said, hamster:

[/quote]just don't ask me to think of any more lexis than those four words please

[fluffyhamster]

Er, that was meant to be the voice of an underthinking teacher. Sorry you misread it, Spiral!

[spiral78]

Hamster, we teach our students to consider the reader and to make it clear whose voice is whose. In English, the burden is on writer/speaker, not on reader/listener. Maybe you'd benefit from joining one of our writing courses