For & Against by L.G. Alexander

Our cohort is nearing the end of its secondary education and therefore it is important that we reflect on the ways in which it has shaped our attitudes, values and beliefs. For example, over the past five years, we have read, analysed and evaluated various literary works such as novels, plays, poems and films in our English studies. These texts have expressed various ideologies, explored interesting themes and introduced us to fascinating characters. These elements have left a lasting impression on our attitudes, values and beliefs. In addition to this, English literary texts have provided us with historical knowledge as well as a thorough understanding of the role that aesthetic devices

| Some learners may not feel confident contributing – good ice-breaker required Other learners may dominate discussion – teacher facilitation important Easy to digress from topic – ground rules and teacher facilitation important

JAMES HURST Adapted from: Elements of Literature: Third Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 2003.

The next step was to encourage curriculum based communication. This was implemented during literacy and numeracy sessions. Closed questions were asked and students could respond using highly scripted vocabulary. Whilst these steps were a vital part of the process the school’s main purpose was to provide student’s with a natural means of communication that they could use to both initiate conversation and respond to others. These speaking and listening goals became the target focus of the next stage of the

From start to finish, English this year had been unlike any other I had. From start to finish, each and every book had a deeper meaning than I, before, could possibly resolve from the text. The exposure I had to this deeper level of thinking forever changed the way I see literature. Less about “what” than “why”, Literature distinguishes a meaningful story from another. While what makes a book “good” is different for everyone, what makes a story meaningful is what it teaches. Each book I read this year had a story and logic behind it. Every story was real enough to have actually happened because the plot points are supported with real speculation backed up by the nature of humanity. I, personally, have never gone as deep into literature as I have this year, giving me a new appreciation for the genius behind the speculation these books present.

Advanced Top Notch textbook is an integrated four-skill textbook for adults who want to use English to communicate effectively in daily life. It is also Easy and enjoyable to teach and that it combines proven communicative methodology with a practical outcomes-based approach. That said, it includes a clear part for teaching vocabulary, a small section for grammatical point, and functional conversations centering around dialogues in every unit accompanied by systematic practice of all speaking skill. However, it places special emphasis on helping students become confident and competent speakers of English. Speaking activities at the end of every lesson, tied to clearly label measurable outcomes, enable students to see the results of their learning

This transcript, an extract taken from one of the creative writing controlled assessments I submitted for my GCSE English Language studies, is a sociolect between two East-End Londoners. The complicity and the natural language employed within this private exchange denote a long-term relationship between two middle-class, middle-aged women, on the same intellectual level who are having a tease - a literal 'dig'- winding each other while carrying out casual gardening work.

What do you think the problem of teacher driven talking or lecturing most of the time?

To address Luisa’s speaking in academic and social contexts, the English class must provide Luisa with consistent opportunities to hear English being spoken fluently. To promote fluent speaking in a second language, interaction is also key to learning. During the time when the ELL student is unable or limited in producing language, the instructor must create an environment where the ELL is able to build receptive language through repetition, gestures, and choral reading. One strategy to assist in developing the speaking component for Luisa is Scripting. Scripting is a strategy that prepares the ELL with sample language interactions or situational dialogues appropriate for upcoming events. These dialogues are known as scripts and they are presented and practiced with the ELL prior to the student encountering the situation in which the script will be used. The use of Scripting will complement the English class structure and the nature of the academic content as the class inherently focus on the productive and receptive language skills. As students encounter literature and poetry, the teacher can easily model fluent English during

While teaching the 6th grade class, I had to stop several times to address side conversations that occurred in class. This took away from the amount of time I had to teach my lesson. It also required me to address the behavior. I addressed the behavior with the class by stopping the class and asking the students to pay attention to me. Side conversations are often fine in my classroom; however they cannot occur while I am lecturing or giving directions. With the 7th grade class, I did not have to address any behavior

First, classes are are discussion-based do not rely on a teacher to dump knowledge into a student's head. For example, in my sophomore year of high school, I took a class on the history of the Middle East where nearly every class was a discussion among students. Our teacher assigned us reading and gave us prompts to talk about, but during our discussions he only spoke when we had a question that needed clarification. In this class dynamic, students aren't "'containers,' [or] 'receptacles' to be 'filled' by the teacher," they are learning from each other (Freire).

British Literature is filled with diverse and talented writers who through each period has brought something new to the table. Over the course of the term we have covered the Romantic period, the Victorian Age and the Modern period. Each period has had a hand in developing literature through to the modern age and each writer has influenced the next generation. To best examine each period of literature the paper will be split amongst the three major periods the course has covered. Each period had it’s own style, stories and ways of telling each story as such the paper will explore the writers of each time and their effect on the later generations. Literature in general has grown from the impact the past generations have had on the current writers. Thus British literature in particular has developed over each period a great deal and has ultimately lead us into the modern twenty-first century literature that we read today.

A teacher’s lecture is generally one-size- fit-all. Not every student has the same pace of learning. While some students can follow the teacher’s lecture with convenience, most of the others require time to chow on the information that they are getting.

It would be better if the teacher is able to find common topics to chat with the students. This would let the students feel like they can relate better to the teacher.

The goal of this method is to help the students to be able to communicate in the target language. In order to achieve this purpose, the Audio-Lingual Method contains the following characteristics. Firstly, contextualized dialogs are utilized to present new vocabulary and structures in class. Secondly, the conversations are learned through drills which are considered as an integral part of the Audio-Lingual Method. In my own teaching, backward build-up drill, repetition drill and substitution drill contribute importantly the success of students’ learning. Next, grammar rules are induced from examples. By this approach, students personalize and use the grammatical points naturally like the way they acquire the native language. Based on above features, it is believed that the Audio-Lingual Method has a part in the communicative development of students in the target language.