Project
Specifications
The video, 2-3
hours in length, shows a range of practices and insights,
based on a core list of 14 topics (as listed in the schedule
on the left) that reflect recent developments in the field and
future trends. Each module is on average
approximately12 minutes in length. The video contains a variety of exemplary
lessons and activities, taped in classrooms in the U.S. and overseas, in combination
with interviews, practical recommendations, and theoretical background
information. The users’ manual
contains information and activities to enhance
the training element of the program.
The goals of this project are to:
- Introduce modern English language teaching approaches and techniques to a global audience;
- Cover a wide array of practices and insights, from the standpoint of the teacher and the learner;
- Take advantage of an audio-visual medium to enhance understanding of key teaching skills;
- Address the more fundamental needs of new teachers and the more sophisticated needs of experienced teachers by offering a range of topics and tasks;
- Offer a professional development tool that potentially can be used independent of a trainer; and,
- Ultimately help improve the quality of English language teaching around the globe.
The project specifications stipulate that, whenever possible, the 14 modules :
- Each contain examples of learners at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels (with the exception of Module 12, which is solely on the topic of Younger Learners).
- Include examples of classrooms that represent a range of countries, cultures, and ethnicities. Note that we were able to videotape in schools with populations from the Middle East, Asia, Mexico/Central America, West Africa, and in schools in the USA. While every module may not contain every population or every age level, our goal is to build in as much diversity as we can across the series as a whole.
- Address the needs of teachers who work primarily with beginning and intermediate language level learners, with a smaller percentage of examples for more advanced learners.
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