A framework for teaching English to beginners

Introduction
Being a teacher is a lifelong learning process which requires one to stay attuned to students' changing needs and goals, keep acquiring new knowledge, and be open to feedback and self-examination. My job as a teacher is to ensure that my students learn how to communicate well in English. However, this is only one aspect of my role. More importantly, I would like to tap into my students' internal drive to arouse genuine interest in the language so that they continue learning actively on their own. Although classes are important because they provide structured environment and allow students to learn from a teacher, it is outside classroom where most of the learning process occurs. That being said, having a structured environment with a teacher who can guide you is essential for most beginners and can be valuable for many students at higher levels. In this essay, I will describe a general framework for teaching English, based on introspection and the knowledge acquired during Oxbridge TEFL studies. I will also outline a simple syllabus designed for beginner students. I focus on beginner students for several reasons such as my limited teaching experience, time and space constraints, and a strong desire to lay a good foundation for my students.

My approach and method
In order to facilitate my students' learning process, I need to understand what motivates them. Since I am mostly interested in adult students, using insights from constructivism, which takes into account students' beliefs, skills and experiences, can be valuable in teaching. Although I agree with the cognitive approach, which emphasizes thinking and problem-solving in learning a language, I am not so eager to disregard the now-infamous behaviorist approach. We are complex entities with many needs and desires, many of which involve social approval from our peers and authority figures such as teachers. Our behavior gets constantly shaped by positive and negative reinforcement in our environment, whether we are aware of it or not. Using positive reinforcement in form of (moderate) praise can be quite effective in helping students build self-confidence and in increasing motivation.

I would like to be able to teach people of all ages and levels but I prefer working with adults, either in private sessions or in very small groups of four to six people. There are several reasons for this preference. Adults are usually intrinsically motivated while children are typically forced by their ambitious parents to study English (with a few exceptions). Although I am fond of children, they do require an extraordinary amount of attention, energy and patience. If I were to work with children, I would prefer older children (from ages eight or nine) or teenagers, but in this case, the group size needs to be even smaller, about two to three students per class. I am open to teaching adults of all ages and all levels. Having a smaller group size would allow me to focus on each student, identify his or her strengths and weaknesses, and design a class in a way that is enjoyable and useful for both advanced students and beginners. 

Ideally, I would like to teach private classes and small groups where everyone is more or less at the same proficiency level. I am also inclined to work with students over a period of several sessions to build rapport and tailor my syllabus to their needs. It takes time to learn about students' motivation, personality and other affective factors that influence their learning process. While some (mostly extroverted) students may quickly adapt to constantly changing teachers, it may be more beneficial for introverts to work with the same teacher for some period of time, at least in the initial phases of learning. But there are also advantages to having lessons with different teachers, as in the Oxbridge model, since students get to be exposed to different accents and ways of talking, and teachers get to notice any improvements when they meet their students again. 

I don't think that there is one right method in teaching English. Teachers and psychologists all over the world have developed many methods, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. Instead of choosing only one method, I am in favor of adopting what make sense to me at this point in time, and combining relevant aspects of various methods to create a flexible framework of teaching. I think that the direct method provides a great foundation for teaching beginners. For young children, I would also use the total physical response (TPR) but I will not focus on it in this essay. Of the teaching approaches we have covered last week, I like most the communicative approach. 

What appeals to me in the communicative approach is its emphasis on interaction between a teacher and students in the target language, and focus on developing broad conversational skills that can be applied outside classroom. Students are encouraged to share their ideas and personal experiences, and to develop metaskills of learning, which is very much in line with cognitivism and constructivism. The teacher acts as a facilitator rather than an authority figure, which leads to a more relaxed learning environment. Of the four macro skills, I would prioritize speaking and listening over reading and writing. I absolutely agree that verbal and listening skills are most important since they allow one to communicate, function and thrive in a foreign environment. I strongly believe that a foreign language needs to be used actively and in context from day one, and simulating a natural environment allows students to learn by immersion. 

While the communicative approach gives a general framework for teaching English, the direct method offers several techniques that can be concretely used in the class. Just as in the communicative approach, only the target language is used in the classroom. Highlights of the method include focus on speaking and listening, teaching grammar by induction, gradual progression in vocabulary and grammar build-up, using other senses (such as visual and kinesthetic) in learning and emphasis on practical usage of English. Students are taught correct pronunciation from the beginning, which I believe is essential. Pronunciation issues seem to be common among many Spanish-speaking students in my TEFL observations which may cause them to become self-conscious and inhibit them from fully expressing themselves. 

The Oxbridge TEFL model is based on the communicative approach where students are encouraged to be active in their learning. Many teaching techniques seem to be also similar to those of the direct method, such as a high ratio of student to teacher talking in class (80/20), having a gradual progression from simpler grammar and vocabulary to more complex, usage of visuals, teaching grammar inductively and question/answer sessions. Unlike the direct method, though, the Oxbridge model has a wider range of topics and vocabulary, more natural flow and less rigid structure. Teachers have access to a large database of activities (organized by vocabulary, pronunciation and structure) and the system keeps getting streamlined continuously, which makes it appealing to many teachers. The model is also open to feedback from teachers and students which makes it flexible and robust.

Syllabus: a balance of form and function
A syllabus structure depends on the level of students and their goals, number of sessions and other factors. For reasons mentioned in the introduction, this syllabus is designed for four to six beginner students during five one-hour lessons. I will borrow some of the techniques from the direct method as well as from the Oxbridge model. Only target language will be used. My syllabus is mostly function-based but will also include some aspects of the structure-based syllabus. Using basic grammatical terms makes it easier for a teacher to explain and for a student to understand certain concepts since most adults have already encountered these terms in school. These include (but are not limited to) "nouns", "pronouns", "verbs", "past tense", "continuous" and "adjectives". Pronunciation and vocabulary are given high priority in the first few lessons, and simple grammatical structures are introduced gradually. I will focus mostly on listening and speaking, with some reading (of simple dialogues) in later sessions. Vocabulary will be built up using semantic fields and word families to enable students to build associations between words and concepts they may already have. Difficult words will be shown in written form to students.

Basic lesson structure is similar to the Oxbridge model and includes introductory questions, conversation and wrap up questions for each activity and at the end of the class. For pronunciation and intonation, I would ask a student to repeat a word or a sentence after me with a focus on specific phonemes that are particularly challenging for a student. I will focus on the most common nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs to enable student have a basic conversation. Since these are beginner students, I will grade my language to accommodate their level. I will use a simple chart to assess my students' progress, and to focus on weak points, but students won't get any grades. In this case, I imagine a relaxed classroom setting with a round or an oval table, and the teacher and students using their pads or computers to read the material when needed. 

Lesson 1: 
Emphasis is on pronunciation and vocabulary; basic phrases (e.g., greeting, introducing oneself), subject pronouns, basic verbs in Present Simple (like, have, am, are, is) and nouns, common phonemes. Use dialogue and visuals. 

Lesson 2: 
Emphasis is on pronunciation and vocabulary. More (practical) dialogues, roleplaying (at a cafe, at a shop), more basic nouns (food, book, fruit, etc), more phoneme exercises, more common verbs in Present Simple (do, go, get, give), ask a student to create sentences using these verbs.

Lesson 3: 
Emphasis is on pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Will introduce a term for a noun, pronoun, verb. Teach basic verbs (eat, talk, sleep, go, walk, love), ask a student to create sentences using these verbs. Introduce possessive pronouns. Dialogue about family (vocabulary and chart of a family tree).

Lesson 4:
More complex phonemes, more practice of Present Simple and questions, more verbs (work, study, live), more adjectives. Dialogues about daily life, hobbies, work. Read some (simple) dialogues (role playing among students).

Lesson 5:
Focus on vocabulary and basic grammar. Recap of the material for the last four sessions and a quick review to plan future lessons. Dialogues for everyday situations to demonstrate concrete communicative skills. 

Summary
The syllabus above needs to be more detailed and tested in real life but it provides a general idea how I am going to proceed with my lessons. I believe that I have a good starting framework for teaching English and the details will come with the experience. The Oxbridge model is appealing to me, not only because it is based on the communicative approach and has a concrete lesson structure, but also because it is constantly improving based on feedback from students and teachers, and this is what makes it unique. Given my limited teaching experience, I am not in a position to come up with a perfect method. Instead, I am open to learning from others and testing that knowledge in real life.