CurrentTrendsinELT.pptVIP

Current Trends in ELT Yu, Weihua Doctor of Education Professor of English School of Foreign Languages Hangzhou Normal University What this talk will cover…. Question prompts in ELT Some Popular beliefs about language learning Language Learning and teaching strategies Summary of what the research tells us about language learning Comments and reflections on LT Conclusions Questions that prompted innovations and new directions in LT in the past: What should the goals of language teaching be? Should language teaching try to focus on conversational proficiency, reading, translation, or some other skill(s)? What is the basic nature of language, and how will this affect language teaching method(s)? What are the principles for the selection of language content in LT? What principles of organization, sequencing, and presentation best facilitate learning? What should the role of the native language be? What processes do learners use in mastering a language, and can these be incorporated into a method? What teaching techniques and activities work best and under what circumstances? It is recommended that the following principles be integrated in the teaching: Experiential learning: Learners explore and learn from their own learning or teaching/observing experiences through involving themselves in the activities: Keeping diaries/ journals/ /portfolios/classroom observations Reflective learning: Learners relate their own learning or teaching/observing experiences to the theories, analyze and reflect on the differences between past and new experiences /observations: Develop cognitive/logical thinking/summarize the systematic rules for ss. Collaborative learning: Learners should engage themselves in learning by cooperating in the group tasks such as pair work, group work, or class work; Humanistic approach: Learners are the main doers of the teaching process with instructors playing the role of facilitating, mentoring, and support. Three d