Working with Large Classes
-Batuk Lal Tamang
In many parts of our country, the teachers find themselves working with groups of 60 or more students. I have made an effort to enumerate some suggestions, which may help a teacher to cope with the practical demands of large classes. They also explore ways of adapting techniques typically associated with smaller groups.
1. Address learners by name whenever you can: This helps learners to feel that you are aware of them as individuals and that their presence and contribution in class are important. We do not underestimate the difficulty of learning so many names, but techniques such as name cards, seating plans, or games at the start of the course can make the task more manageable. At least, we can address the learner by their last name that is easier to remember.
2. Elicit learners’ practical help: Management tasks like recording attendance, distributing and collecting materials and sharing around resources can be time consuming in a large class. Younger learners especially can enjoy taking on some of these responsibilities. We can get them to do such tasks.
3. Call on learners randomly, but equally: During whole class work, it is you who must invite learners to speak and not everyone will get a chance in one lesson. Keep a simple record of who you have asked, so that others can be invited on future occasions. No learner should have to feel invisible. But remember that you need to ask the question to the mass or group before you call out the name of group or individual for answer. It makes the whole class prepare for the answer although you ask it to individual. Asking questions only to the clever students helps you to move the lesson fast, but it doesn’t help you to test your teaching activities actually. A teacher must avoid such habit.
4. Use pair and group work: sometimes this feels chaotic in large classes, but it is the only way to give learners time to use language for themselves. It is also an excellent opportunity for helping learners to start developing independent learning skills, which will be particularly useful to them in a large class environment. You can form a group of two or three benches. The learners should be asked to stay in pair. ie. two or four or six, which helps you on pair work.
5. Agree some alternative group configurations at the start of the course: You may not want learners always to work with the same people, but a lot of time is saved when you ask them to form groups if they know who they are to go with. So having two or three pre-established group sets-according to the constraints of the particular classroom – is a good compromise.
6. Monitor group work selectively: During brief periods of group work you will not be able to monitor every group in detail. So give the bulk of your attention to a small number or groups – and, again, make sure you rotate this fairly over a series of lessons.
7. Agree a signal for quiet: Noise levels during group work can seem high, and it may not be easy to get the class’s attention again. A pre-arranged signal, such as clapping hands or banging table, can bring the group back together. If you don’t want to interrupt quite so brusquely, you could also try raising your arm as a request to ‘finish off’ – groups who finish them also raise their arms, until everyone has stopped. Noisy class is not always bad when they are practising languageorally in pair or group. But make sure that the learners are taking part in oral practice.
8. Take selective feedback on group activities: Some of the groups who you were not able to monitor could be invited to report to the class on what they did. Try to make sure different group members get the chance to act as reporters.
9. Find out how colleagues cope with large classes: There may be some institutional ground rules in operation that you can easily tap into. For example: if the learners are already used to a certain signal for quiet or a certain approach to getting feedback on group activities, it will probably be easiest for you to do the same thing.
10. Checking answers themselves: It is quite impossible to check individual’s homework or class work in the large classes. But you can manage to check one’s from each group changing the member every time you check it. Or, you can let them exchange their answer papers each other and tell the answers, then the learners will check their answers themselves.
Some Ways of Teaching Grammar
-Batuk Lal Tamang
Grammar is the backbone of a language. In the absence of grammar a language can’t stand properly. Actually my parents hadn’t been to any formal academic institutes to acquire the language that they are speaking and neither had they taken any grammar classes of the language. However they can use grammatically correct language. They learn the grammar of that language in contextual situation. They didn’t learn it in isolation neither did they learn the rules of the grammar. It proves that it is not essential to explain the rules to teach grammar. But the situation of ‘Teaching and learning grammar’ in the classroom is quite different from the example as mentioned above. A teacher can adopt any of the following ways to teach grammar in the classroom.
1. Deductive Method:
In this method a teacher first introduces the rules then gives the examples.
For example, to teach punctuation marks:
The sequences of rules and examples are introduced at the presentation stage in this way:
1. Capital Letters:
2. a) The beginning letter of a sentence is written in capital form,
e.g.: Do they know you? Y es, they do. T hey are my friends.
1. b) The beginning letter in the inverted commas is written in capital form,
e.g.: Kiran said, “ Y ou are a fool.”
1. c) The beginning letters of proper nouns, wherever they come in the sentence, are written in capital form, e.g.: I met
K amal B ahadur D He lives in J apan.
2. d) Abbreviation form is written in capital, e.g.: I . C, Dr., M r., MBA
3. e) Pronoun ‘I’, wherever it comes in the sentence, is written in capital form,
e.g.: After having meal, I will go to school.
Then a set of exercises is given for practice .
Punctuate the following piece of text.
1. she lives in butwal. (2 mistakes)
2. gopal bahadur and i went to pokhara. (4 mistakes)
iii. my father said, “where do you want to study?” (2 mistakes)
And the teacher evaluates the students providing similar exercises.
Most of the teachers in our country are adopting this method to teach grammar. They think that it is the easiest and fastest way of teaching grammar. But the linguists say that this method is not appropriate to teach a language. It obstructs the speed of acquiring language; however the teacher may finish the course fast using this method. It is fact that the course should be completed by the students, not by the teacher. Moreover the students spend much time memorizing the rules rather that using the target language, when the teacher teaches them using deductive method. In this method, grammar is often taught in isolation, not in context. It lacks the real situation of language learning. The students can get somehow more real situation when the teacher uses inductive method to teach grammar.
2. Inductive Method:
In this method a teacher first gives the examples then asks the students to induce the rules from the example. For example, to teach punctuation marks:
The well designed examples are introduced at the presentation stage and then asked them to induce the rules in this way:
Once upon a time, there was a boy named Suraj. His full name was Suraj Bahadur Kshetri. One day he went to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. His dream was to be Dr. Suraj. But he was from a poor family so he started to study management course. After five years he passed BBS. Do you know what he did after that? Oh! Yes, he said, “Most of the young guys are being appointed as a lecturer after Master’s Degree, I’ll have MBA degree.”
The teacher can ask these questions to induce the rules from this example:
Read this piece of text and tell me how many capital letters there are and what they are.
Why are they written in capital letter, but not in small letter?
The teacher helps them to explain the reason or to induce the rules, if necessary.
Then for practice she can assign similar piece of text with mistakes and asks them to find mistakes where they have to replace the capital letters.
At last she evaluates them using another piece of text with mistakes.
In this method the students can learn grammar of a language in context, not in isolation.
3. Some Language Games:
The teacher can use some language games to teach grammar in a more interesting way. Here are two language games for teaching grammar.
3.A. Action Mimes
This activity is used to teach present continuous, and can be used to teach other continuous tenses as well. This activity is useful to teach not only grammar but also to practise speaking skill. It needs no resources. It can be done even in the classroom.
Procedure:
The teacher mimes writing (acting to write on one hand with another hand), and asks the students, “What am I doing?” She encourages them to respond “You are writing,” and writes this model sentence on the board. She again asks them the same question. They respond using that given structure.
The teacher mimes reading (acting to look at the palms as if she is reading), and asks them the same question. They will respond, “You are reading.”
Some other examples of miming (using action verbs): sleeping, dancing, walking, smiling, laughing, fighting, singing, crying, playing volleyball, etc.
Then the teacher calls a boy to the front of the class and asks him to mime whatever he likes. And she asks the other students, “What is he doing?” -Response: “He is ………”
Next the teacher calls a girl to the front of the class and asks her to mime whatever she likes. And she asks the other students, “What is she doing?” -Response: “She is ………”
Then the teacher calls two boys to the front of the class and asks them to mime whatever they like. And she asks the other students, “What are they doing?” -Response: “They are ………”
Then the teacher calls two girls to the front of the class and asks them to mime whatever they like. And she asks the other students, “What are they doing?” -Response: “They are ………”
3.B. Twenty Questions
This activity is used to teach location preposition and yes/no questions. This activity is useful to teach not only grammar but also to practise speaking skill. It needs no resources. It can be done even in the classroom.
Procedure:
First practise the students to use some location prepositions in sentence: (in, on, at, under, over, between, near, opposite, against, across, in front of, behind, etc.)
Asks them to hide a piece of chalk somewhere in the classroom (maybe in the bag) and to make every student know where the chalk is. In this game the explorer can ask only twenty yes/no questions. If s/he finds the position of chalk within the twenty questions, s/he will be winner, otherwise loser. First the teacher shows the model asking questions: Is it on the book? Is it in the pocket? Is it at the window? Is it under the desk? Is it between Ram and Gopal? Is it in the bag? etc. The students respond just saying – “Yes” or “No”.
Then the teacher sends any one student outside of the classroom and other students hide the piece of chalk somewhere in the classroom. After they fix the position of the chalk, the student is called inside the class and s/he has to ask them about the position of chalk using the twenty yes/no questions.
In this way this activity continues. The main aim of this activity is to practise language rather than be winner or loser, that’s why the teacher should encourage them to ask the questions as fast as possible.
4. Communicative Method:
Grammar can be taught even through communication. It is not necessary to assign the rules and examples of grammar of a language as mentioned in the example of my parents at the beginning of this article. It is called communicative method. In this method the teacher has to collect some situations that help the students to produce the language particularly related to the grammar she wants to teach. Actually the students practise the grammar through speaking skill in this method. In this method the students practise the grammar not only in context but also in real life situation. Here are two examples of teaching grammar through communicative method.
4.A. Comparative Degree
Procedure:
Motivation: Talk about students’ brother and show the picture of two brothers (one tall, the others short). Let them guess their names.
Vocab: Teach these vocab – tall, short, fat, thin, dirty, clean- (pronunciation, meaning and use)
Model the new Language : showing the pictures of two brothers. Krishna (shorter than Ram), and Ram (taller than Krishna) Krishna is shorter than Ram. Ram is taller than Krishna.
Drilling: between teacher and students.
Ask them- Who is shorter than Ram?
They will answer – (Krishna is shorter than Ram)
Practice : in group then in pair followed by checking
Introduce the other words in the same way.
Production : Ask them to work in pair and to compare themselves.
I’m taller than _______ and ______ . (name your two friends) ______is fatter than I am.
Homework :
Rearrange these words to makes sensible sentences.
I am/ taller/ Kamal/is/ than.
am/ I/ than/ Hari/ shorter.
fatter/ She/ him/ is/than.
4.B. Reported Speech (Statement)
The teacher selects some statements to teach reported speech. While selecting the statements, the teacher should consider that those statements should include all persons of pronouns, different types of tenses, changeable adverbs, statements of universal truth, etc. And they should be arranged in simple to complex way. Some selected statements are as follows:
A boy: “I can do my homework.”
A girl: “I can do my homework.”
A boy: “I will go to market tomorrow.”
A girl: “I will go to market tomorrow.”
A boy: “We are speaking English now.”
A girl: “We are speaking English now.”
A boy to a girl: “You have stolen my pen.”
A girl to a boy: “You have stolen my pen.”
A boy to another boy: “She walks in the morning.”
A girl: “He helped me last week.”
A boy: “They were playing card.”
The teacher presents a statement at a time. She writes the statement on the board and asks one of the students to read out it. Then she asks the other students, “What did the boy/ girl say?” At first she gives a model – Dipesh said that he could do his homework, and asks them to report his saying. In this way she uses those statements for presentation.
Then she can give similar exercises for
practice and evaluation . Here the teacher has to exploit group work (the group in a desk) and pair work.
Problem Solving Question Answer (LowerSecondary)
Q.No.1. Our school level curriculum focuses on communicative method to teach language to the students. But in many cases, teachers are experiencing difficulties to use the learner centered teaching method due to different factors. List out those possible factors or reasons to employ learner centered method in lower secondary level and also mention the ways to solve them. 4+6=10 (TSC 2070)
Ans: The curriculum of Lower secondary level focuses on communicative method in English language teaching. Communicative approach advocates for learner-centered method of teaching.
Teacher face problem in adopting this method because of many factors. The factors or reasons are given below:
i) Teacher are unable to apply the learner centered methods that demand for adopting teaching methods such as simulation, discovery techniques, demonstration, dramatization, etc. because of many students in the classroom where the teachers cannot pay their attention to the individual work, pair work, group work;
ii) Teaching is taken as a time passing activity,
iii) Lack of motivation of teacher,
iv) Lack of relevant teaching materials,
v) Poor instructional leadership competency of head teacher,
vi) Lack of self-study and creativity of a teacher
vii) No professional support from school supervisor and resource person to the teachers,
viii) Lack of resourceful library,
ix) Weak monitoring
x) The pursuit of teaching is taken up as an easy task,
xi) The teacher take these techniques and methods too strenuous,
xii) Teachers’ irresponsibility in teaching,
xiii) Poor provision of reward and punishment,
To solve the aforementioned problem, the following strategies can be used:
i) Using aids and visual aids (teaching materials),
ii) Conducting group work, pair work,
iii) Assigning leadership to one better student,
iv) Playing the roles of mediator, facilitator, guide, etc. by the teacher,
v) Giving more exposure in English language,
vi) Giving trainings to the teacher,
vii) Providing facility of a resourceful library,
viii) Conducting strong monitoring,
ix) Providing reward and punishment,
x) Taking the responsibility in teaching,
xi) Motivating the teachers,
xii) Sharing teaching methods with each other among the teacher applying continuous assessment system,
xiii) Providing professional support by the supervisor and resources person
xiv) Applying the knowledge of training in the classroom.
Set-1 ( Lower secondary leveL) subject : English Answer
all the questions :
1. Mention the general
objectives of lower secondary
English curriculum. 5
2. What is communicative
approach ? Mention any four advantages and
disadvantages of
communicative approach. 5
3.Mention any five activities
that can be used for teaching
speaking skill. 5 4. What are teaching
materials ? Mention any four
importance of teaching
materials for teaching English
language. 5
5. Change the following sentences as indicated in the
brackets : 5
(a) She has already gone out.
( Negative )
(b) When I met her She ( do)
her homework. ( correct tense)
(c) Ram said to me, ” Why did
you ask me a question ?
” ( indirect speech)
( d) Nobody has called us.
( passive) (e ) He went some where .
( yes/no question)
6. There are many problems
in teaching English in
Government schools of Nepal.
Mention any five problems and solutions of them. 5
7. Mention any five
differences between
subjective and objective test.
5
8. Suppose you are appearing in an interview of lower
secondary teacher. Create a
short dialogue between
interviewee and interviewer.
5
9. What is lesson plan ? prepare a lesson plan about
any topic for teaching English
in grade 8. 10
10. Write an essay on
“Democracy in Nepal ”
PROBLEMATIC QUESTIONS [For TSC]
==========================
Q. N. 1. Mr. Raju teaches English in lower/secondary level. His students are good in reading but are poor in writing. What do you think the reasons behind this kind of difficulties in teaching writing? Make a list of some suggestive activities that can be used while teaching writing to the lower/secondary level students
Q. N. 2. Discuss about the English language teaching scenario in our Nepalese context. Then, mention some concrete ways of improving existing ELT scenario in our context.
Q. N. 3. Scholars claim that many changes have taken place in English language teaching. Today's ELT is significantly different from that of yesterday. However, our English teachers are not aware of this amazing fact. They teach English how they used to teach in the past. People claimed that time has changed the way of teaching English , but English teachers are continuing the past trends in ELT. In this kind of situation what would you think the English teachers should do. Make a list of suggestive activities in order to be updated with the recent trends in ELT.
Q. N. 4. Pesent secondary level English curriculum is a functional communicative. It consists of a long list of language functions to be practised inside and outside the classroom. But, secondary level students very rarely get this kind of opportunity to practise language functions communicatively. Consequently, they can not communicate their ideas with each other. It has created a big question in teacher's delivery part. What causes do you think the possible to happen such situations? Make a list of possible causes and mention some suggestive activities to be followed to utilize the curriculum effectively.
Q.N. 5. Community-based schools have started to run English medium classes in basic level. From the ground experiences what has been realized is teachers have faced many difficult situations to handle it. What do you think the reasons behind this? What do you suggest the Government should do in order to improve present condition of English medium classes? Present your views with constructive suggestions to improve the current situation.