Building confidence to teach in English

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL CURSO  Building confidence to teach in English

A short course in university teacher development delivered by Professor Ian Smith, Geotechnical and Educational consultant.

This two half-days long course will provide university lecturing staff with an enhanced awareness of the challenges faced in teaching non-native English speakers. With a significant practical element to the course, the attendees will learn how to teach these groups of students more effectively and, in doing so, gain an increased confidence in self-ability.

About the tutor. Prof Ian Smith is a Geotechnical and Educational Consultant with over 25 years experience of teaching and researching in the UK higher education sector. He is widely acknowledged as an authority in the teaching of Geotechnical Engineering and is author of the leading textbook on the subject, Smith’s Elements of Soil Mechanics. Following a successful career in academia during which he reached the senior academic position of Dean of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment and Professor of Learning and Teaching at Edinburgh Napier University, Ian is now a freelance Geotechnical and Educational consultant offering advice and training to universities across Europe. See http://www.profiansmith.com

OBJETIVOS - OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

Attendees of the course will:

1. Improve their confidence of teaching (in English) students whose first language is not English;
2. Learn useful vocabulary and grammar and observe practical examples for using these in teaching. Similarly, attendees will learn the most common English grammar mistakes and experience how non-native speakers use English.
3. Learn good practice classroom delivery techniques for these students.
4. Encounter some case studies and examples of good practice;
5. Give a short presentation in English and (more importantly) receive constructive feedback and advice.
6. Engage in other practical exercises in the course, such that the overall benefit gained will be largely through interaction, rather than by note taking.

A set of course slides/notes will be provided.

For “Practical Session A” (see Programme) attendees should prepare in advance a short (5 – 8 minutes) presentation on a topic of their choice to be given in English. A PowerPoint or Prezi presentation should be prepared too.

CONTENIDOS - PROGRAMME

Day 1                         

               Time                         Topic

• 09:00 - 09.20           Introductions and course objectives
• 09:20 - 09.40           Why teach in English? Global trends in education
• 09:40 - 10.00           Open discussion: Experiences to date: challenges, successes
• 10.00 - 10.10            Break
• 10.10 -11.00             Practical session A (first group of presenters)
• 11.00 - 11.30             Break
• 11.30 - 12.30             Practical session A (second group of presenters)
•  12.30 - 12.40            Break
• 12.40 - 13.00            Teaching in English to non-native speakers (i)
• 13.00 - 13.20            Practical session B
• 13.20 - 13.30            Questions and open discussion session

Day 2                                      

            Time                          Topic

• 09:00 - 09.10            Quick recap of Day 1
• 09:10 - 09.40            Practical session B
• 09:40 - 10.00            Teaching in English to non-native speakers (ii)
• 10.00 - 10.10             Break
• 10.10 - 10.30             Teaching in English to non-native speakers (iii)
• 10.30 - 11.00            Practical session C
• 11.00 - 11.30              Break     
• 11.30 - 12.00            Support for learners: academic, pastoral, personal, financial etc
• 12.00 - 12.30             Open discussion on what we've learned so far. What issues remain concerns?
• 12.30 - 12.40              Break
• 12.40 - 13.00             Repeating some of Practical session A to observe improvements
• 13.00 - 13.30            Q&A session, recap and close

Explanations of Practical sessions and “Teaching in English…” presentations are provided over the page… /

Practical sessions:

A:

• All attendees, in turn, to present a 5 – 8 minute long lecture on a topic of their choice.
• Individual feedback provided at end of each presentation.
• All attendees expected to present and to offer their own observations/ feedback to each speaker.

B:

• Conversations in English with each other on a specific topic, and feedback

C:

• Setting up a group work exercise involving students of multi nationalities, and feedback

“Teaching in English…” sessions:

(i)

• UK / US / “BBC” English
• Accents
• Common errors

(ii)

• Understanding how Generations Y and Z use English language
• Understanding how non-native English speakers use English
• European versus Far/Middle Eastern styles

(iii)

• Structured lesson plans
• Maintaining attention
• Setting up and managing activities: giving instructions, helping learners get started, organising and managing pair and group work

FORMADOR

Ian George Nesbitt Smith, PhD, FHEA; Freelance Geotechnical and Educational Consultant; Professor of Learning and Teaching; Past Dean of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment; Edinburgh Napier University; Visiting Professor Shanghai Normal University, China.

FECHA DE REALIZACIÓN

12 y 13  de julio.

HORARIOS

 09.00 -11.00 y 11.35 - 13.30.

LUGAR

Aula A18 EPS Milanera.