Listening
How to prepare SS to the listening task?
Do the pre-listening activity, it can be done in different ways: teacher can give specific words from the listening (not whole sentences); as a class discuss the topic of the listening (lead-in) and etc
What is the purpose of scanning reading?
Doing scan reading you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything
How to prepare SS to the writing task?
1. Discuss together the topic
2. Brainstorm the possible ideas
3. Come up with useful collocations
4. Get to know the criteria, template and strategy of specific writing task
What’s the difference between lead-in and warm-up?
Warm-up isn't necessarily related to the topic of the lesson and is used to "wake up" SS, lead-in actually introduce the theme of the lesson and is used to activate the student's prior knowledge or experience of the topic.
Can we use a L1 for teaching? If yes, in what ways? If no, why not?
In situations when it's justified (such as explaining grammar, giving the translation of lexis) it's even better to use L1 in order to save time of the lesson
What is the definition of connected speech? Where and why is it important?
Connected speech is continuous spoken language like you’d hear in a normal conversation when words bump into each other. Connected speech is important for listening comprehension because learners often don't recognize known words when they occur in speech and tend to think that fluent speech is too fast.
What reading type is about general understanding of the text?
Skimming, reading for gist
Is it OK to let SS assess the writing of their groupmates?
Yes, it's called peer-assessment. SS become well-aware of their own mistakes and pay more attention to what they write about.
What is delayed error correction? What is it used for?
Delayed correction is a technique that teacher uses some time after SS made an error. This is usually done to avoid interrupting fluency practice and in order not to cause a fear of speaking
Is it OK for SS to learn words by heart?
In terms of physiology words that are 'learned by heart' remain in short-term memory. To activate the learned vocabulary in speech, it is necessary that the words remain in long-term memory.
How does pronunciation affect listening?
Neglecting pronunciation can lead to problems with listening comprehension. SS may think that a word sounds one way but in reality it sounds different. Consequently, SS don't catch important information from the audio or misunderstand it. It may lead to mistakes during listening tasks.
What's the purpose of pre-reading and post-reading?
Pre-reading: To prepare SS for understanding a text. The reader activates prior knowledge, establishes reading objectives and creates expectations about the content of the text.
Post-reading: activate new lexis from pre-reading in conversation
Should SS know the structure & requirements? Why/Why not?
Yes, they should because it encourages SS to reflect on their own writing, identify areas of improvement and avoid extra mistakes. Teacher can prepare the check-list with necessary points SS need to cover in their writing. It can help them assess themselves before handing in the writing.
What are the teacher's actions while SS are doing speaking task?
During the speaking task it's better not to interrupt SS while they talk so that SS aren't afraid to make mistakes and can gain fluency. Teacher also can show the mistakes SS made in speaking on the board and discuss them through together.
What are the CCQs? (Concept Checking questions?)
CCQs are questions that you use to test your SS's understanding
Situation: The SS didn’t catch anything from the listening task. What are possible ways to increase their abilities in listening?
1. Pre-listening
2. Decoding information (open the script)
3. Work on pronunciation
4. Teach the examples of connected speech from the audio
Situation: SS always run out of time doing the reading tasks. What are possible strategies to reduce time of reading?
1. Read the questions avoiding options
2. Underline key words in questions
3. Read the text quickly without focusing on translation of all words in the text
How can teacher motivate SS to put more efforts into writing and help them to be more aware about their weak points?
Teacher can write an individual feedback after the writing task with some words of encouragement and comments that tell SS which parts they need to focus on.
Situation: SS are afraid to say something during speaking because of the fear of mistakes. How can teacher help?
1. Emotional support
2. Give ideas and show possible ways for speaking (talk about clothes, weather and etc)
3. Provide examples with stronger SS
4. Think of a sentence in Russian then help to translate
5. Take the weaker SS for yourself
What's the difference between CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) and GTM (Grammar-Translation Method)?
The key differences:
1. GTM uses native language, while CLT uses the target language
2. GTM prioritizes reading and writing, while CLT emphasizes all four language skills
3. GTM involves translation and grammar exercises, while CLT focuses on communicative tasks and group work.