New Learning MOOC’s Updates

Update #3 - Didactic Pedagogy in English Language Instruction

 
 
Media embedded September 17, 2021

Didactic Pedagogy

For this update, I would like to examine my own teaching context for examples of didactic pedagogy. I teach English as a foreign language in a Japanese university. Generally I aim for my classes to follow an authentic pedagogy (student-centered classes was the mantra of master’s program), I have elements of both didactic and reflexive - transformative as well.

Appropriate

I would imagine in the first few years of English language study some forms of didactic pedagogy are appropriate and effective. Professor Cope mentioned in one of the videos that memorization of vocabulary and grammar rules can be useful in a language learning class. Thus, a targeted list of essential vocabulary and basic grammar, such as word order and verb tenses, that is discreetly taught, practiced and tested as formative assessment is still a useful practice . Choral drills, (“Repeat after me …”) can be effective for new learners of the language, so they can become familiar with the phonemes for reception and production and can aid vocabulary acquisition (Jurianto 2016) . Reading and listening to passages and dialogues from a class textbook and answering comprehension questions can be an acceptable practice to give feedback on learners’ progress for the student and teachers (Habib 2016). De Jong and Commins (2006) suggest leveling students to match abilities for a class to prevent a large gap between the abilities of the most proficient and least proficient to allow the teacher to narrow down targeted language learning needs.

Anachronistic

Many of the above mentioned pedagogy becomes less appropriate as the skill level of the student increases. I would imagine a targeted list of vocabulary and grammar points would be a hit-and-miss proposition for students. From my experience, leveled language programs have students of various vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, mastery, and needs at the upper levels, so a pre-determined list of words and grammatical forms will be a mixed bag of usefulness. Celce-Mucia (2001) believes incidental learning would become a larger influence on learning as the student becomes more proficient in the target language. Lastly, summative tests of vocabulary and grammar use only demonstrate the students’ ability to memorize and repeat and it causes anxiety and esteem issues in learners (Harlen & Deakin Crick 2002).

References

Celce-Murcia, M. (2001). Teaching English as a second or foreign language (3rd ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

De Jong, E. & Commins, N. (2006). How should English language learners be grouped for instruction? In E. Hamayan & R. Freeman, English Language Learners at School: A Guide for Administrators. (pp. 118-121)

Habib, M. (2016). Assessment of Reading Comprehension. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 8(1), 125-147. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18662/rrem/2016.0801.08

Harlen W, Deakin Crick R (2002) A systematic review of the impact of summative assessment and tests on students' motivation for learning. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.

Jurianto, R. 2016 The Use of Drilling Technique in Teaching English Vocabulary to the Seventh Grade Students of SMP Negeri 2 Tanggulangin. Anglicist Volume 05 No 02.

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