Contextualizing EFL Teaching Principles in Palestinian Context

Contextualizing EFL Teaching Principles in the Palestinian Context Dr. Adnan Shehadeh Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Palestine Polytechnic University PPU First Conference Hebron, April 23, 2019

Agenda 1. 2. 3. 4. Conclusion Introduction ELT principles Teachers reflections on: Intensive and rich input. Opportunities for output opportunity to interact in the L2In assessing learner s L2 proficiency, it is important to examine free as well as controlled production

Introduction Methods of teaching EFL The context of teaching English in Palestine 1-4thgrade 3 meetings a week. 5-12th. Grade 5 meetings a week. This is 1664 meeting = 1109 hours

Most Important Principles 1. Instruction needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning. Engage students in real communication They must have opportunities to create pragmatic meaning. 2. Successfully instructed language learning requires intensive and rich L2 input. Amount and quality of input. The more exposure, the more and the faster they will learn. 3. It also requires opportunities for output. includes feedback, syntactic processing, develop discourse skills etc How much time is given for output?

Principles continue 4. The opportunity to interact in the L2 is central to developing L 2 proficiency. Social interaction is necessary, negotiating for meaning. 5. Instruction needs to take into account individual differences in learners. Matching instructions to students aptitude Motivation and learning approaches. 6.In assessing learner s L2 proficiency, it is important to examine free as well as controlled production Backwash effect of assessment What skills do we assess?

Teachers Reflections 1. Successfully instructed language learning requires intensive and rich L2 input.

Teachers Reflections 2. It also requires opportunities for output.

Teachers Reflections 3. The opportunity to interact in the L2 is central to developing L 2 proficiency.

Teachers Reflections 4.In assessing learner s L2 proficiency, it is important to examine free as well as controlled production

Conclusion The educational system. Teachers training programs

References Brookfield, S. (1995) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Wiley & Sons. Ellis, R. (2014) Principles of Instructed Second Language Learning. In M. Celce- Murcia; D. Brinton & B. Snow (Eds.) Teaching English as a Second or Foreign language. USA: Heinle Cengage Learning. Nunan,D. (2015) Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. New York: Routledge.

Reflection on: 12 Principles TEFL 1.Instruction needs to insure that learners develop both a rich repertoire of formulaic expressions and a rule based competence. 2. It needs to ensure that learners focus predominantly on meaning. 3. .to ensure that learners also focus on form. 4. .to be predominantly directed to developing explicit knowledge of the L2 while not neglecting explicit knowledge. 5. .to take into account the learner s built-in syllabus. 6.Successful instructed language learning requires intensive L2 input. 7. It also requires opportunities for output. 8. The opportunity to interact in the L2 is central to developing L 2 proficiency. 9. Instruction needs to take into account individual differences in learners. 10. In assessing learner s L2 proficiency, it is important to examine free as well as controlled production. 11. Learners need to engage collaboratively in talk about linguistic problems and try to agree on solutions to them. 12. Instruction needs to take into account the subjective aspects to learning a new language.