Introduction

Task

Process

Evaluation

Conclusion

Teachers’ Notes

 

                     

A Webquest suitable for Upper-Intermediate to Advanced ESL students

 

Designed by

Mariela Echeto

 

 

Teaching and learning a language can be fun, but which is the ‘right’ (or ‘wrong’) way to go about it? How do you feel about it now? Will your opinions be altered?

 

 

 

You are an experienced group of English as a Second Language teachers working at a recently established language school which has employed mainly newly graduated teachers.

 

You have been asked by the Director to discuss your views and findings on which teaching method you believe will be the most effective to use in classes.

 

You each have a role as individuals and part of a team to both come to your conclusions and present them. These conclusions and opinions will be presented to your co-workers and employer at a staff meeting scheduled for next week.

 

Back to Introduction

 

 

 

Step 1

 

•     Divide into groups of four.

 

•     Then divide into pairs.

 

Step 2

 

•     You and your partner need to choose which of the positions

        below you would like to work on. If you cannot decide, write

        positions on slips of paper, mix them up and take one.

 

     (Remember. You ‘real’ feelings and opinions need not

     interfere with your new roles.)

 

Traditional Teaching Method

 

You believe learning a language the traditional way is more effective. This means most class time is spent on following course work from textbooks, and interactions are only between teacher and learners present in the class.

 

•       Here are but some questions that may guide you in the right direction:

 

What are the benefits of basing a language course on a textbook or course book, for both teachers and learners? How can they improve students’ learning and provide them with all the skill enhancement they need? How user-friendly are course books? What role does motivation have? What kinds of experiences, apart from learning experiences, can learners be exposed to?

•       Now you may also like to consider the disadvantages associated with using a course book as it is likely your coworkers will be armed with some of this vital information.

 

•       Here are links to some websites you may find of interest in your quest. Also, feel free to Google to other sites you may need.

 

http://www.professorjackrichards.com/pdfs/role-of-textbooks.pdf

 

http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2005/12/coursebooks_ble_1.php

 

http://www.teflweb-j.org

(Click on Volume 1 Number 1, then on Textbook Evaluation)

 

www.asian-efl-journal.com/Litz_thesis.pdf

 

These two sites have online language activities and links you may be interested in looking at. Why not try some activities out?

 

http://www.pacificgateway.net.au/call/call.htm

 

http://www.geos-oceania.com/links/online-esl---efl---language-study-programs.htm

 

Computer Assisted Method

 

You believe teaching and learning a language using the internet is the most effective way to teach and learn. This means you base your course and most teaching and learning activities on the use of the internet, as opposed to textbooks and course books.

•       Here are but some questions that may guide you in the right direction:

 

What are the benefits of basing a language course on using the internet, both for teachers and learners? How can using the internet improve learners' overall skills? Are any skills not catered for?

 

•       Now you may also like to consider the disadvantages associated with using the internet as a main teaching tool as it is likely your coworkers will be armed with some of this vital information.

 

•       Here are links to some websites you may find of interest in your quest. Also, feel free to search for other sites you may need.

 

http://www.roleplaysim.org/papers/default.asp?Topic=toc3

(if you would like to read reading 2, use the password webquest to log in)

http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw95/education2/mak/index.html

 

http://www.globaled.com/articles/ChristelSchneider2004.pdf

 

http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/korean/homun/project/index.htm#1

 

These two sites have online language activities and links. Why not try some activities out?

 

http://www.pacificgateway.net.au/call/call.htm

 

http://www.geos-oceania.com/links/online-esl---efl---language-study-programs.htm

Step 3

 

Now that you have all your information you will need to do the following in order to be better prepared for the meeting:

 

•       Make notes using the main points or arguments you have.

       

•       Decide on an order for discussing these points, perhaps

        leaving the most important to the end.

 

•       Decide which points each of you will cover, but be prepared to back one another up and add extra comments.

 

Back to Task

 

 

 

 

You will all be evaluated by the other group members and evaluating one another individually and as part of a team of two. You will also be evaluated by the teacher while you are presenting your arguments, findings and overall conclusions.

 

Below is a table which explains what to focus on while you are working with your partner, presenting your findings, and listening to your partners. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELEMENTS	SCORES   1	2	3	4
PEER EVALUATION
Researching	Was not interested or cooperative	Was interested but did not take initiative	Was helpful some of the time	Was keen to research and explore and was helpful
Summarising and note taking	Did not read articles or take any notes	Read articles but did not take notes	Read some articles and took some notes	Read all articles we were both interested in and helped take notes
GROUP EVALUATION
Team work	Lack of communication/cooperation/motivation	Most work done individually	Work well together, often need external direction	Appropriate division of tasks, cooperative work
Oral presentation skills	Did not want to present findings or not well organised	Team effort but not discussion not well organised	Team effort, discussion well organised	Team effort, well organized division of arguments, supported one another, expressed themselves clearly

 

 

Back to Process