More Stories for the Little Ones

I've uploaded more stories on my YouTube channel. They're aimed at little children. Hope they enjoy them!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOdFE3BXeBwT7kqmusj4aA

More Stories

More stories on my YouTube channel "David The Teacher". Feel free to share so kids can listen to stories as if they were in the school. Here's the link:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQOdFE3BXeBwT7kqmusj4aA 

STORYTELLING TIME: LITTLE MOUSE FINDS A FRIEND

Here you have a second storytelling session in my YouTube channel "David The Teacher". I hope you enjoy it! Here you have the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cppx5cF6vW0

STORYTELLING TIME:THE LAST LEMON

Hello everyone! Due to COVID-19, many kids are missing classes and so are mine! Thus, I will be storytelling different texts during these days! I've tried to do it on this blog, but it's been impossible. Thus, I've opened a channel on YouTube called "David The Teacher", where I will be uploading these storytelling sessions! Sorry about any errors and quality, but doing it on a smartphone is difficult! f you want, subscribe to the channel in order to keeep updated. And who knows? Maybe, I'll gather courage and continue with it doing different things once this situation is over! Please, stay home, take care and keep safe! Good luck!  Here you have the link to the first story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ZHqvfG9fo

Native ESL teachers or nonnative ESL teachers? That is the question.

                                                                                       (Interactive-english-studio.com)

Dear all.

I would like to share with you my thoughts on the idea that native speakers of English make better teachers than nonnative ones (as some professionals have suggested me). Actually, this is still a controversial topic in the ELT world that started many years ago and has soared due to the current and fortunate mobility nowadays. Even today I came across this article by Rachel Kamplin, who highlights that nonnative teachers can make great teachers:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/english-isnt-my-native-language-can-i-teach-well-rachel-kampling

To start off, I would like to quote TESOL's "Position of Statement Against Discrimination of Nonnative Speakers of English in the Field of TESOL", which was published in March 2006.

"For decades there has been a long-standing fallacy in the field of English language teaching that native English speakers are the preferred teachers because they are perceived to speak “unaccented” English, understand and use idiomatic expressions fluently, and completely navigate the culture of at least one English-dominant society, and thus they will make better English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers than nonnative English speakers. As a result, nonnative English-speaking educators have found themselves often implicitly, and sometimes explicitly, discriminated against in hiring practices or in receiving working assignments in the field of teaching ESL or EFL. 

However, as English language learners, nonnative English-speaking educators bring a uniquely valuable perspective to the ESL/EFL classroom, and so can closely identify with the cross-cultural and language learning experience that their students are experiencing. Research has shown that students do not have a clear preference for either native English speaking educators or nonnative English-speaking educators, demonstrating that, in general, students do not buy into the “native speaker fallacy.” 

In many cases the nonnative English-speaking educator may also be an immigrant to an English-language-dominant country, and thus had to master both a second language and a second culture. These personal experiences may be similar to those of their students, and thus the nonnative English-speaking educator can serve as a powerful role model for students. 

The distinction between native and nonnative speakers of English presents an oversimplified, either/or classification system that does not actually describe the range of possibilities in a world where English has become a global language. More important, however, the use of the labels “native speaker” and “nonnative speaker” in hiring criteria is misleading, as this labeling minimizes the formal education, linguistic expertise, teaching experience, and professional preparation of teachers. All educators should be evaluated within the same criteria. Nonnative English-speaking educators should not be singled out because of their native language. 

TESOL strongly opposes discrimination against nonnative English speakers in the field of English language teaching. Rather, English language proficiency, teaching experience, and professionalism should be assessed along on a continuum of professional preparation. All English language educators should be proficient in English regardless of their native languages, but English language proficiency should be viewed as only one criterion in evaluating a teacher’s professionalism. Teaching skills, teaching experience, and professional preparation should be given as much weight as language proficiency." 

(https://www.tesol.org/docs/pdf/5889.pdf)


I have used this Position of Statement not only because it comes from TESOL, the most recognized entity in the ELT world when it comes to teaching, but also it contains some very interesting ideas when it comes to this topic. And what's more, I fully identify with it and I'd like to thank my teachers of English, most of whom were nonnative ESL teachers and excellent professionals.

                                                                                             (europeanlanguagejobs.com)

I have suffered the cases both explicitly and implicitly. I remember one occasion when I had succeeded in my job interview, but was later told that the company would only hire native speakers. So, after traveling for a long while and sitting this long interview with oral and written parts, I found myself discriminated against just because I was a nonnative ESL teacher. Then, more job interviews came up and I had the same problem stated overtly after the selection process or covertly after some time. Even nowadays, how many job offers do we come across where it is explicitly stated the company is only hiring native ESL teachers?

Don't get me wrong, if  a person is objectively more prepared or a better professional than me, I have no objection at all. Actually, if I had my own business, I'd try to hire the best possible professionals regardless of their native language. That's simple, isn't it? However, I've found myself, as many other colleagues, in that unpleasant situation where you are not chosen just because of being a nonnative speaker.

Now, as TESOL argues, being a native speaker doesn't mean being a better teacher. Years ago, any native English speaker would have a definite advantage over nonnatives. Even if they had no experience or qualifications! I've seen this happening in many countries. One example comes to my mind. I usually travel to Ireland with my students on an English language immersion trip for a month. As you know, students attend ESL classes in the morning and then have afternoon and evening activities in these programs. The case is the teachers who were working at that summer pogram were all native speakers of English, but none of them was actually a teacher and they didn't even have any qualification to teach. That happened many years ago and ,of course, we stopped going to that program. Not only classes were useless; they were a waste of time and money for my students.

                                                                                               (inboxtranslation.coom)

Luckily, since this debate started many years ago, most educational companies ask for qualifications (TESOL certs). It is true that legislation has enforced this in many countries, but at least there is a real standard so that the selection of professionals is fair and objective. However, discrimination still exists because, in marketing terms, it's easier to sell a program or a course in a language school if  prospective students (and their families) are told teachers are native speakers.

We cannot blame these people interested in learning a language, as they probably won't know whether having a native speaker will mean better teaching methods or practice. Nonetheless, what about the company itself? They have a real responsibility, but just care about marketing. Fortunately,the number of businesses which act in this way has decreased, but still there are a lot. Just take a look at LikedIn job offers!

I'm not going to write here about the advantages and disadvantages of having a native or nonnative ESL teacher. This is not a yes/no battle. There's lots of literature on this topic, but I will provide you with some links if you want to have a more in-depth knowledge about it:

a) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812017259

b) http://www.academia.edu/download/6334580/vol_31_3.pdf#page=178

c)https://books.google.es/books?hl=es&lr=&id=DSpGAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA145&dq=native+vs+nonnative+esl+teachers+tesol&ots=Kq2TomG_wt&sig=Hw7edCF054mTIlf-n8TV9-Ezmx4

d) http://www.academia.edu/download/4886644/mahboob.pdf

As I see it and according to literature, nonnatives, as long as they are fully prepared and show a C2/bilingual level, can offer many advantage to a learner. First of all, they have been in that situation before as learners. Thus, it is easier for them to anticipate problems and set solutions in advance or estblis parallelisms if tey share the same L1. These are probably the most important, but there is one I consider essential: our minds are shaped culturally as well as linguistically, which means processes of understanding may vary depending on where you are broght up. In other words, these factors shape you and your way of learning as well. It is at this point where nonnative ESL teachers could play a crucial role.

                                                                                                       (esolcentre.uk)

Of course, native teachers may make great teachers, but they need to be fully prepared. Actually, in cultural terms, they are able to bring elements nonnative speakers can't unless they have lived for a long time in an English speaking country. Nonetheless, it could be argued that cultural input is easier to obtain and transmit with new technologies, although I prefer "the human touch".

Finally, I'd like to focus on English itself as a language. I remember the times when every single English textbook came with a picture of London's Big Ben, the stereotypical red telephone box or the British flag. Everything was completely British, from the very first page to the last one. Then, as a counter response, there was a change and we started receiving American English textbooks that were like the British English materials,, but American.

Nowadays, we fortunatelly have materials which highlight the fact that English is a global language spoken around the worl, a lingua franca, that doesn't really belong to a nation, country or group of people. I love it when I come across listening tasks where you can listen to a variety of accents from native to nonnative, from English to Australian, from American to Indian, from Spanish to French, from Russian to Japanese... That's our reality: different nationalities with different backgrounds and native languages getting together and communicting in English most of the time.

                                                                                         (onlineteachersuk.com)

We need to prepare our students for this world, so why shouldn't a nonnative teach as effectively as a native one? Both can, and that's the answer. Why should marketing strategies separate and confront rather than focus on the current multicultural reality? English belongs to everyone who uses it and there are millions of uses shaping it everyday for whom it is their L1 or their L2. This is the reality. Maybe, some companies had better start redesigning their stances on this issue. First, because research has shown both natives and nonnatives can make excellent teachers. Second, because the idea of hiring only native speakers on the grounds of origin has got a not very lovely name: discrimination.

Please, feel free to share, post and comment! All my best.

David.

Choosing the Right Coursebook(s): a Complex Decision.

Dear all.

In any English Department, there are decisions to be constantly made. Some may be more important than others but there is one which is essential: selecting coursebooks for the different courses and your classes profiles. It is true that there are schools and teachers who don't really have to choose this type of materials because these are provided by the school, the district educational authorities or just because they prefer creating their own. To be honest, I really like this option, as you will be able to cater for your students' needs more effectively.

However, there are many situations when teachers have to use a coursebook and they have a hand in the selection process. If this is your case, it's important to take different elements into account in order to make a sensible decision. Of course, there is not  a perfect coursebook, as we all know (even if we created our own) and you will need to adapt parts of it, supplement certain skills with extra materials, change the order of the units to make the contents more logical within the learning process and even skip parts which you deem unnecessary.

It is essential to have in mind the central pillar of our teaching practice: students. It'd be more than advisable the type of students you have. I'm not only referring to age here. There are other factors that prove really meaningful such as why they are learning English (is their objective getting a certificate, for example?), their learning styles or common interests. Moreover, assessing their socio-economic context might help you to make a better selection. First, the price of coursebooks vary; second, we should try to have materials which are close to our students' realities in order to engage them, and third, do they have access to new technologies?

Then, the context of your school is also essential when it comes to choosing coursebooks. Is it more traditional or technological? What type of learning culture exists in your school? Is it book driven or do you already use online resources? Do your work students on collaborative projects? And your students... Do they like it or want to have a change? These are some characteristics we need to assess so as to narrow the wide choice of materials available.

Once you have reflected on these aspects (and there are more, I'm sure), it's time to get in touch with ELT publishers ( such as Cambridge or Oxford, just to mention two big names in the market. There are plenty of them and sales representatives will be more than willing to send materials for you to assess. Fortunately, most will send you the real complete materials (samples have nearly disappeared: potential customers need to be happy), so that you will be able to take a look in-depth. What's more, if you plan to use a series, it's good to have all the coursebooks to check if there is a logical progression. And, please, don't forget small publishing companies, as they more than often offer very interesting materials. Lastly, take a look at reviews! They aren't hard to find and they might become a very useful source of information.

What are the goals of the coursebooks? To prepare for an exam? Just to learn English? Or a mixture of both? What about the layout? Is it appealling? Are the different sections clear? Will it be easy for your students to "navigate" the coursebook? Do activities take into account students' different levels of performance? In other words, are there challenging tasks an tasks for students that may come accross with difficulties? Are tasks varied? What about recycling activities? Are they good enough? Does the book offer different accents in Listening tasks? These are just some examples you'd better think about before making any decision, but I'm definitely certain you will have many more.

Once you have the different coursebooks, share them with the rest of teachers to get feedback. They will be working with the coursebooks, so it's necessary to check how they feel about them. You don't want to have dissatisfied teachers when it comes to this aspect. Actually, at this point I would even show students the new materials to get their opinion about them.

At this point, you will probably have narrowed the number of books you are really interestd in. Now it's time to take a look at other aspects that are sometimes "forgotten". Does the publisher offer free teacher training programs?  What support will they give you and your school during the academic year? Will they offer specific workshops or events for your students? Is there any real support for students as well with extra materials that can be accessed for free?

Besides, does your school have an online platform or LMS? Do the new coursebooks offer their own LMS? Is it user-friendly? Could it be easily integrated into your own LMS or online platform? How useful is it for teachers and students?

I'm aware there are lots of other aspects to consider, but this article is neither a thorough study on how to make decisions nor a "Complete Guide to...", but will have hopefully provided you with some new ideas to think about. At the end of this page you have some links to several ELT publishers, but if you want to have a complete list, check The Professional Development Exchange

Please, feel free to participate in this blog and enjoy teaching! We are very lucky!

All my best.

David.


Major ELT Publishers Links

Oxford University Press         

Cambridge English Language Teaching         

Collins ELT

MacMillan Education             

DELTA Publishing                                         

Garnet Education      
              
National Geographic Cengage Learning   

Richmond ELT

Pearson English

ABAX ELT

Work/Life English

Bacon & Hughes

Benchmark Education

English Certifications for Students.

Hello everyone!

It's taken me a while to write this new entry, but it's been impossible as the first couple weeks have been hectic in my workpplace. In any case, I would like to share my thoughts with you on the topic of ESOL certifications for students.

As everybody knows, this type of certifications have existed for quite a long time, but at present there is such a wide variety that it's very difficult to choose the most appropriate one for your students. Cambridge, Trinity College, TOEFL, Oxford... There are so many possibilities that some students find it really diffficult to select one. This happes to me every year and nowadays even more due the the mobility that exists both at an academic and a professional level.

However, having in mind a clear idea of what your students want to do with it and with some research online, it's not a real problem to help them choose the certification that best suits them. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that Cambridge certificates are the most recognized one nearly all over the world, but competitors are on the rise and their standards are being accepted as well in many places.

Why do so many students take these examinations? To be honest, there is a demand at academic and professional levels and they even have pressure coming straightaway from their parents. Actually, I sometimes feel that these examinations have lost, in terms of social perspective, their real focus. They are designed to assess the level students have in English (or whatever language they're learning).

By this I mean the "need" for certificates is a truth which is affecting the primary purpose of taking these exams (I won't talk about the business of the institutions and the profit they make) and, ultimately, education and the pocess of learning themselves. And this poses some real problems.

First of all, I'd like to focus on learners who may not pass these examinations. Occasionally, I come across some who feel demotivated because they haven't succeeded in these exams, but whose level is even higher than the one they have to demonstrate in the exam (this rings a bell, doesn't it?). Then, it is very difficult to convince them that their level is "X" despite the examination they took says the contrary, which makes it extremely difficult for teachers to "recover" them or help them get over this issue. Moreover, when we're talking about young learners and teenagers, learners have the extra pressure of their families, which of course affects them at a personal level. Psychologically speaking, it is a real blow and teachers have to be very careful and act as counsellors so as to help students.

Second, external assessment is positive and I support it. We, as teachers, need to know if what we are doing is right and how to improve our teaching practice. And this is when these exams play an important role. Nevertheless, we might feel "trapped" as well, as we might receive pressure from the Administration, the board of an institution or the director of the school as well. In other words, we may need to show good statistics as they "indicate" whether we are good professionals or not.

This leads to the third point I want to mention: the fact that an amount of teachers (under pressure) change their teaching style and focus on examinations, not on learning. We've seen this happening in countries like the USA, where external assessment may have become, in my opinion, a burden rather than an advantage. In other words, teaching might be transformed into just a means of production to comply with official requirements.

I do believe in the positive aspects of external assessment, but the world we live in draws constant comparisons and analyses learners in terms of data and statistics, which shouldn't happen. I am aware businesses and the academic world use these as it is a quick way to differentiate (or set apart) candidates. However, is this the correct path? According to many companies, it isn't and that's the reason why they interview candidates in the second language they're looking for. And I agree with them. Some learners may have problems succeeding at these examinations even if their level is even higher: it isn't a problem related to their English skills, but a problem with the format of the examinations.

This is just some food for thought and we should all think about it to check if all these pressures I have been talking about are affecting the way we teach in a positive or negative manner.

Wish you all the best.

David.

Would you like to be a conversation auxiliary or language assistant? This could be one of your New Year's resolutions!

Another option to become a teacher in Spain is by opting for a program which hires conversation auxiliaries (or language assistants). There is only a requirement, as far as I know: you need to have a B.A. not necessarily related to education, although it will definitely help you for sure.

In Spain there are currently four main programs where the presence of conversation auxiliaries is essential. Actually, they teach ESL or design and carry out projects with their students. It is true that these programs are really appealing, although each one has its own pros and cons.

The first one is for the bilingual programs in Spain run generally by the Ministry of Education and each autonomous region in particular.

It is the program which offers more positions, but it is also true the support offered to their conversation auxiliaries isn't the best due to its enormous scope. Here you have a couple links in case you're interested, a generic one and one designed specifically for Americans:

a) http://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/ca/servicios-al-ciudadano/catalogo/profesorado/convocatorias-para-extranjeros/auxiliares-extranjeros.html

b) https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/auxiliares-conversacion-eeuu.html 

The second one I'd like to talk about is the CBC program run by UCETAM for state-funded schools and is usually restricted to schools in the region of Madrid and a few in other regions. 

Conversation auxiliaries usually foster interaction in the classroom by using projects, although they might also teach ESL classes and even help prepare students for examinations like those offered by Cambridge or Trinity College. Of course, it is a smaller program where support and help are usually more at hand and more individualized. The school I work for has been involved in this program and conversation auxiliaries are generally happy with it. 

What's more, UCETAM work with Instituto Franklin (Alcalá de Henares University) and conversation auxiliaries can also take an M.A. program in Education while working. 

Here you will find more information about UCETAM and Instituto Franklin:

a) https://colegiosbilinguescooperativos.com/ 

b) https://portal.uah.es/portal/page/portal/portal_internacional/nuestros_estudios/programas_del_instituto_franklin 

The third program is BEDA in Madrid as well. This program is run by the Catholic Schools Association and has been going on for a long time. 

It is similar to CBC, but different at the same time in terms of type of school. Auxiliaries I've met over the years have mixed feelinga about how they are taken care of in case of problems, but their experience has been satisfactory overall.

Here you have a link if you want to find out more:

https://www.ecmadrid.org/es/informacion/96-informacion-programa-beda

The fourth option is Escuela Excelente which has been recently launched. It is similar to UCETAM and they have their own Bilingual Excellent Schools program where conversation auxiliaries are a central element. 

There are many schools which have adhered to this association and, when it comes to marketing, it is undeniable they are better than UCETAM or BEDA. It seems conditions are similar for conversation auxiliaries, but you need to check it for yourselves by getting information from them. This is their web address:

http://escuelaexcelente.es/ 

Finally, there are schools (usually private, although some state-funded ones too) that have established their own bilingual programs. Working conditions and requirements vary, but you must be able to be legally hired in Spain. If you're offered something similar to an intership, think about it twice, please!

I hope this information helps you just in case and I would also advise you to take a deeper look into it if you're really interested. Here you have some more links on this topic:

a) http://wayfaringwanders.com/2016/06/16/auxiliares-de-conversacion-faqs/

b) https://getupgetoutgetlost.com/2017/12/12/teach-english-in-spain-beda-language-assistants/

c) https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-UCETAM-RVW6172915.htm

d) https://ameliesayshola.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/teaching-english-in-spain-ucetam-faq/

e) https://www.studyabroad101.com/programs/universidad-de-alcala-alcala-de-henares-spanish-studies-abroad-with-instituto-franklin/reviews/28418

Good luck and find the program that best suits you! 

David.