Job Discussion Forums

[yaramaz]

OzBurn, Theresa thanks- you guys articulated exactly what I couldnt when I tried to post at 2am... But when you say CLT, OzBurn, are you referring to the communicative method? The teachers at my school were deeply into Grammar Translation and indeed the kids could translate (on paper) but not much else.

[OzBurn]

Yes, I meant the communicative method, but of course grammar-translation has its own set of problems (though I will say that it can teach students some useful skills that can provide a foundation for later oral fluency; whereas CLT seems, for many students, to fail utterly on all fronts).

It seems to me that in many ways the CLT-based textbooks are intended for students who have had years of grammar-translation in their public schools, and need opportunities to practice aural-oral English. I believe that private language school students overwhelmingly arrive requesting classes that will build up their speaking and listening skills, and I can understand why the schools offer the classes that they do (never mind whether they are well taught). However, when you are teaching children and teenagers five days or more a week in a K-12 school, and you have to build up *all* of their skills (speaking, listening, writing, reading, vocabulary, grammar), then these CLT textbooks cannot possibly do the job.

[yaramaz]

We didnt have CLT textbooks, as far as I know- the Turkish teachers relied very heavily on grammar-only books, and I was left with some reading and writing passages. There wasnt much stuctured opportunity for speakng, though I tried to bring in dialoguesand we did a few short plays (which workedquite well, as the kids were parrotting lines for ages afterwards---- more than they'd said all year)

[Gorm]

Just wanted to say I don't know Ozburn personally, but he sounds like a great teacher, in my opinion.

Obviously it's true that they wouldn't prefer native-speakers if they already had plenty of competent citizens to teach English. That's why places like Western Europe are impossible to find work. Also, half or more of their media is American/British (depending on the country).

Most of my family in Norway speaks several languages fluently - not only English.

I'm also doing my share of research into language learning...

Keep up the good work guys!

Thanks,

G

[Baba Alex]