Free English Language Dissertations - The Provision Of Different Learning Styles The Course Book And The Ancillary
The provision of different learning styles
The course book and the ancillary materials together cover all types of learner: visual reading, pictures, watching films; auditory tapes, oral instructions, discussions; kinaesthetic physical activity, active participation. A good balance has been struck between receptive and productive skills, although at times listening tasks seem rather onerous, e.g. in Unit12 there are three consecutive listening comprehensions.
Although the book is aesthetically pleasing, the staging is problematic since it constantly promotes the inductive TTT method. To prevent lassitude, the teacher will need to vary the lesson and be creative in his/her adaptation to ensure that stronger students are challenged and weaker students are not discouraged. Moreover, the inductive approach to grammar, which is often presented en masse, and steep grading (new topics every unit) may be daunting, e.g. Unit1 students are expected to know how to use present simple and continuous, present perfect simple and continuous, and past simple in one exercise alone. The Workbook, grammar reference sections and tri-unit tests assist in consolidating student knowledge.
Verdict
In conclusion, I would recommend the New Headway Intermediate course in the context of a private language school in Israel, but with provisions. The course goes a long way towards meeting student needs in terms of context, themes, practical grammar and its emphasis on communication. However, the course requires revision to prevent repetitive and exclusionary classes this can be achieved through different teaching styles (PPP and TTT) and maintaining interest through continuous personalisation.
As summarised by Cunningsworth, The teacher should use the course book actively, by which I mean that the teacher should formulate objectives with the needs of the learners in mind and then seek out published material which will achieve those objectives. No teacher should permit the coursebook to set the objectives, let alone allow ‘teaching the coursebook’ to be the objective.
Supplementary materials
Aim: To provide students with practice of target language through a semi-controlled exercise to supplement Unit8 teaching of the (unreal) 2nd conditional.
Instructions: Ask students to turn over 2 cards to make a positive, negative or question sentence. For example, if a student overturns love and go, they could make the sentence, I were in love, I’d go to Venice. If they can’t make a sentence or their partner thinks the sentence is no good, they must turn the cards back around again. If the sentence is good, they can keep the cards. After one round, students move to the next table.
