Celta

CELTA ASSIGNMENT 2 – Teaching The Skills This assignment will look at creating a lesson teaching the receptive skill of reading. The receptive skills are so called because they are to do with “receiving and decoding information” (Watkins, 2005, p57). The topic of the lesson will be about the issue of sunbathing. This would follow on from a previous lesson on holidays. The lesson will be aimed at the intermediate level and requires reading the native language effectively, using skimming for gist, scanning and reading in detail. The authentic material is taken from The Daily Telegraph. Watkins (2005, p57) suggests that ‘authentic texts’ give exposure to ‘real’ English and can be very motivating for learners. ENGAGE (3 minutes) Endorsing Harmer’s ESA method, I would engage the class by showing them some photographs of people sunbathing ( Appendix A). Upon eliciting from the students what the pictures are showing, I would ask them “can anyone predict from these pictures what we will be reading about today'” In pairs, they would then be asked to discuss briefly whether they sunbathed and if so, when and where' The lexis used here will come later in the text. STUDY (20 minutes) Having introduced the theme of the lesson with the engage stage, I would hand out a sheet (Appendix B) with an article from The Daily Telegraph. Before asking the students to skim the article, I would pre-teach some of the more complex vocabulary and elicit meaning in order that they do not become frustrated while reading. I would highlight two key words, deficiency and paranoia and drill pronunciation if needed, using the phonetic alphabet. However, the students need to practice dealing with texts where they do not know every word ‘as this is much closer to their real life experience’ (Watkins, 2005, p59). This article has a heading and sub heading. Firstly, I would ask an individual what they think these headings mean. I would then ask them to quickly skim the article to discover if their predictions were correct. I would give them 2 minutes. This time limit creates the need to read quickly and therefore reinforces the technique and gives practise of gist reading. To be sure that the students understand exactly what needs to be done, I would use instruction checking questions, such as “how long do you have to read” and “what are you trying to find out” (if they have understood what the headings are suggesting). After 2 minutes, I would ask individual student s what they understood from the article whilst using concept checking questions such as “so, is the article telling us sunbathing is good for us”, and “If so, why (not)'” After the skimming task, I would put the class into groups and provide them with a question sheet (Appendix C). I would give them a minute or so to read these questions. This is important as it gives the students a purpose for reading. The students would then be asked to scan the article again in more detail in order to find the answers to the questions. I would ask them to compare their answers in their groups, to build confidence, before feeding back with correct answers on the OHP. Next I would split the students (down the middle) into two groups, As & Bs. Both groups are given a handout with a survival story and questions (Appendix D). In this exercise, both groups have to read for specific information. I would ICQ making sure all students are clear which article they are reading. Ask the students to look at the set of questions and use them as a memory aid to tell their partner in their own words what they have read about. Beforehand, I would try to elicit the meaning of the word ‘dermatologist’, by asking questions : “ do you know another word for a skin specialist'”. If unknown, I would introduce it, drilling if necessary. Reading in greater detail, according to Scrivener (2011, p264) often means “students can answer comprehensive questions. It is typically a stop/start kind of reading which involves going back over small pieces of the same text a number of times to find out more”. A time limit would be set for the students to read the survival stories. Once this is done, I would ask the Bs to pair up with an A. The As would tell Bs what they have read, using the questions on their sheet as a guide. Once done, the Bs would repeat the process using their story. I would monitor the pairs and encourage them to use their own words. ACTIVATE: (10 minutes) The activate stage of the lesson is designed to ‘get students using language as feely and communicatively as they can’ (Harmer, 2007, p53). I would put the students into small groups and hand out another question sheet (Appendix E) and ask the students to read the questions that relate to sunbathing habits. They would discuss these questions in their groups for a few minutes before reporting back to the rest of the class. This makes the final task very student-centred. This freer exercise would provide the opportunity of speaking/listening practice in the context of the text. The aims of this stage are to consolidate or reflect upon what has been read and to relate the text to the learner’s own knowledge. To finish the lesson, I would highlight any errors on the board that I noticed during monitoring of the last two tasks. By the end I, as the teacher, will have gained a greater understanding of the reading level of my students. In turn, the students will have been given practise in skimming, scanning and reading in detail which would cover the lesson aims of improving their reading skills. Word count : 993 BIBLIOGRAPHY WATKINS, P. 2005. Learning to Teach English. Surrey: Delta Publishing HARMER, J. 1994. The Practice of English Language Teaching. London: Longman HARMER, J. 2007. How To Teach English. Essex: Pearson Education Limited SCRIVENER, J.2011. Learning Teaching : The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching. 3rd ed. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Limited DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2013 Saturday 23rd February www.seventeen.com/health/tips. Accessed on 23rd February 2013 APPENDIX A APPENDIX B The Daily Telegrpah – Saturday 23rd February 2013 Sunbathing can be good for you, say health charities Experts have overturned years of advice by urging people to go out in the midday sun without sunblock – because the dangers of missing out on Vitamin D can outweigh the risk of cancer. After years of ordering us to cover up to avoid skin cancer, a leading group of charities are now telling us to go out in the midday sun unprotected – at least for the first few minutes. The change of heart comes as it emerges a large proportion of Britons are at risk from vitamin D deficiency which can lead to a host of health problems. Paranoia about sun exposure has become so great among some parents that doctors are even seeing a return of rickets in children – the bone disease that it was thought died out 80 years ago. This statement, by seven leading health groups and charities, including Cancer Research UK, the National Osteoporosis Society and Multiple Sclerosis Society, is designed to clarify conflicting messages. It concluded that surrendering your body to the sun for 10 minutes should take place at midday during the summer months because that is when the sun is strong enough to trigger the body into making vitamin D For the whole of winter, and before 10am and after 4pm in summer, the rays are too weak in the UK, to stimulate vitamin D synthesis in the skin. But they reiterated the message that people should "never be red" at the end of the day and that foreign sun was much stronger. After 10.00 am it is time to go indoors, cover up or slap on the sunscreen, they said. Prof Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, denied that it was a great "change of position" or that there was an "epidemic of vitamin D deficiency." A little sun exposure and often is a good way to get optimal vitamin D levels without adding substantially to the real risk of skin cancer," he said. "It is important to strike the right balance with the risk of skin cancer and vitamin D deficiency. This statement is designed to bring some sort of clarity." APPENDIX C What was the original advice about going out in the sun' What are a large number of Britons at risk from' Who has made this statement about sunbathing' How long do the experts recommend people should stay in the midday sun during the summer months in the UK' Why is this time recommended' Is it recommended to go out in the midday sun in Britain AND abroad' When are the sun’s rays weakest in the UK' Is it ever safe to ‘go red’ in the sun' APPENDIX D A : Sue Stigler – Diagnosis Skin Cancer I was diagnosed with melanoma (skin cancer) in July 2004 My friend Laura, practically forced me to see a skin specialist (dermatologist) after noticing an irregular mole on my right forearm It was just a little darker than my skin, and didn't look at all like the pictures I've seen of melanomas. At the time of my diagnosis, Lori and I had 4-year-old so we would often meet to chat. One time, Lori asked about the mole on my arm, saying she'd been diagnosed with melanoma a few years earlier. I admitted that I hadn't had it checked and she suggested that I call my doctor as soon as possible. At the time I was six months pregnant, and didn't want to bother with another check-up. When Lori heard I had not made an appointment she made the call for me! At my appointment, the dermatologist told me he needed to remove the mole immediately. Exactly one week later I received the news that I had a malignant melanoma and would need additional surgery to ensure the removal of all cancer cells. There I was, seven months pregnant and being told I had cancer. Looking back, it's no wonder. I spent many years soaking up the sun without using any sun protection at all, as no one really did in those days. I am so grateful to my friend for saving my life! Glossary 1. Melanoma – a tumour (swelling) associated with skin cancer 2. Malignant - a malignant tumour consists of cancer cells that can spread in the body 3. Soaking up – to spend time experiencing something, ie lying in the sun | * When was Sue Stigler diagnosed with skin cancer' * What had made her finally see a dermatologist' * What happened upon meeting the dermatologist' * Did Sue need more surgery' * On what does Sue blame her skin cancer B :Katie Donnar – Teen Tanning Risks I tried tanning for the first time in when I was 16. I was a cheerleader, and I felt like the pale girl on the team. Everyone on the squad was tanning. We had the same outfits and makeup, so we thought our skin tones should match too. By the time I got to high school, I was tanning every other day. My family even bought me a tanning bed! We hoped it would save money as I’d been spending $100 a month to tan at the salon. That summer, I noticed a strange mole on my leg. I asked my mom to make a dermatologist appointment, but we couldn’t get in for nine months, because there was only one dermatologist in our county. I wasn’t that worried, but my family doctor noticed the mole during a visit — and got an appointment for me the next day! That freaked me out. A week later, I had the mole removed and I thought everything would be fine. But it wasn’t, as the results came back saying I had skin cancer! I had the mole removed and I still have to get skin checks with a dermatologist every four months, and check my lymph nodes for swelling because the cancer could resurface there and spread. Now I never tan (only spray tan) — though some of my friends still do. They don’t get it. So many girls think that cancer is just something that happens to old people. I’m just glad I have the chance to tell someone who’s using tanning beds to make a better decision." Glossary1. Tanning – turning skin darker2. Squad – a sports team3. Freaked – to become or make you angry, surprised, excited ... | * How old was Katie Donnar when she started tanning' * How often was she using sunbeds and why' * What made her visit the dermatologist' * On what does Katie blame her skin cancer' * How does Katie tan now' APPENDIX E Q U E S T I O N N A I R E Do you sunbathe' If so, do you enjoy it and how often' What concerns, if any, do you have about sunbathing' Are you aware of the dangers of sunbathing' Do you think more can be done to warn people about sunbathing safely' Give some suggestions Do you believe people look more attractive with a tan than without one' Do you use sun protection' If not, explain your reasons Are there certain times of the day you stay out of the sun' Has anyone close to you ever had a skin problem because of sunbathing too much' What other ways can you get a tan without sunbathing' Appendices ________________________________________________________ Engage Stage Appendix A – pictures of sunbathing Study Stage Appendix B – An article from The Daily Telegraph Appendix C – Questions relating to the authentic article Appendix D – Survival stories and questions Activate Stage Appendix E – Questionnaire