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Introduction

In this chapter we define success in English language teaching and learning. That involves deciding on valid goals for English language courses. The development of an ability to communicate in English must be a major goal of any effective course. We present a general model of English language teaching (ELT) that integrates the use of English as the main classroom language from the start, appropriate focus on language, and regular communicative activities. For any approach to work, certain conditions are essential, such as dynamic lessons and motivation. Specific teaching–learning situations also have to be taken into account.

Recognizing success in teaching English

Many institutions and teachers have a reputation for real success in teaching English. Others have a poor reputation. For example, some people will tell you they learnt a lot of English at their school. Others will say they studied for three, four, or five years or more, and learnt almost nothing. The main test for real success in teaching and learning should be whether or not the learners can communicate at all in English. Can they understand instructions in class, or questions in an interview, or talks at a conference? Can they ask for directions in the street, or provide personal information, or explain business proposals? Can they understand simple articles, or business letters, or technical books? Can they complete application forms, or write letters or reports? Can they pass recognized examinations in English, like the UCLES exams or the TOEFL tests?

We can all recognize such real, practical success in teaching and learning English. We know success is not just being able to repeat memorized sentences or complete grammar exercises – though they may contribute to learning. Success is not the same as getting an 8, 9, or 10 in course tests – though that may indicate some progress. It is the ability of learners to use English effectively in real communication situations.

Teachers and teaching

Successful teachers and the institutions where they teach may differ in many ways. For example, in the teachers’ experience, training, and level of English, or the size of classes, hours of class per week, and the methodology and materials used. However, successful teachers tend to have certain things in common. They usually:

1 have a practical command of English, not just a knowledge of grammar rules

2 use English most of the time in every class, including beginners’ classes

3 think mostly in terms of learner practice, not teacher explanations

4 find time for really communicative activities, not just practice of language forms

5 focus their teaching on learners’ needs, not just on ‘finishing’ the syllabus or coursebook.

As far as point 1 is concerned, a teacher’s development of a command of English should be a life-long hobby as well as a professional obligation. Of course, a knowledge of the rules and terminology of English grammar and vocabulary is also useful. But teaching, especially language teaching, is much more than just the transfer of knowledge. If teachers follow point 2, this means that their learners constantly experience the real communicative use of English. It increases their exposure to the language through listening comprehension, and gives them opportunities to speak English. Point 3 relates to two general observations about teaching and learning languages. First, explanations often become long, complicated discussions in the learners’ native language (often referred to as their L1), which may leave little time for the practice and use of English. Second, most people seem to learn much more from use of a language than from explanations about it. Point 4 again recognizes that language learning is essentially about communication. And point 5 puts the learners at the centre of teaching. Your success as a teacher is based entirely on their success as learners.

Co-ordination of English language departments

Most institutions where teaching is generally successful have systems to set standards related to the five points discussed above. For example, there is careful selection of teachers. Their work is co-ordinated by means of meetings and seminars, class observation, materials, and tests. All the teachers are in general agreement about principles, goals, and methodology. There is continuity in the courses and co-operation among the teachers.

Obviously, it is better for teachers to teach and learners to study in such institutions. But even in a poorly co-ordinated institution teachers can begin to change things by teaching their own classes as effectively as they can. If they then establish some co-operation with one or two other teachers, they have started something important.

Questions

(Use your experience as a learner to answer these questions if you are not yet teaching.)

Do you agree that successful English teachers usually speak English in class?

Do you agree that they give much more time to practice than to explanation?

Do you agree that teacher co-operation in an English language department is important?

Establishing goals and objectives in teaching English

The absence of clear or appropriate goals in education is bad for both teachers and learners. At school, children and adolescents often seem to be required to study algebra, or Roman history, or English, only because these subjects are on the official curriculum and there are tests to pass. This can have a very negative effect on the learners’ attitude towards these subjects. The clear definition of appropriate goals is vital to successful English language teaching and learning.

Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes real success in English language learning. Some teachers and learners do not look beyond the grammar and vocabulary currently being practised, or the next test. Also, the long-term goals of teaching are not always explicit in course syllabuses. In fact, course syllabuses, materials, and tests sometimes seem to present only a sequence of short-term objectives. Although short-term objectives are important in giving learners and teachers a feeling of making progress, it is important never to lose sight of the overall long-term goal of English language teaching, to enable learners to communicate effectively, and as far as possible accurately, in English. We will look at goals and objectives in more detail in Chapter 8.

Variations in course goals

English is taught as a foreign language in very different contexts around the world – to schoolchildren and working adults, in small and large groups, for three hours or ten hours a week. Obviously, the goals of English courses vary according to the contexts in which they are taught.

The goals of different courses may be, or at least may appear to be, any of the following:

1 to enable the learners to communicate in real English, both spoken and written

2 to enable the learners to read technical publications in real English

3 to get the learners to memorize English grammar rules and vocabulary.

We use the expression ‘real English’ in 1 and 2 to refer to the English used both inside and outside language classrooms: for example the English of instructions, conversations, magazines, books, airports, and the Internet. In contrast, the information about English grammar rules and vocabulary in 3 is often presented, practised, and tested in ‘unreal English’. The language in the exercises and tests would seem strange to native speakers, or even confuse them. Working with ‘unreal English’ may give learners some useful foundations in grammar and vocabulary, but it is a long way from the use of English for real communication.

Ideally, the goal of most English language courses would be like that in 1: to develop a general command of ‘real English’ for use outside the classroom. If learners can communicate effectively when hearing, reading, speaking, and writing ‘real English’, they will manage in almost any English language situation they meet outside the classroom. But, in many contexts, factors such as the shortage of time or the large number of learners in a class make this goal seem difficult or impossible to reach. When time is short, one common response is to limit the goal to what is considered most important for the learners. For example, in 2 the goal has been intentionally limited to reading technical publications. In higher education, reading is often considered the most important skill to master.

In very difficult conditions, for example large, unmotivated groups with little time, a common response is to work towards a goal like that in 3. The goal in the official syllabus may be more like that in 1 or 2, but in practice teachers find it easier to explain English grammar and give rules and formulas for learners to memorize. However, we believe it is possible to work towards communicative goals like those in 1 or 2, even in quite difficult teaching contexts. With a group of fifteen motivated learners for five hours a week, you can easily work towards the goals in 1. With a group, or many groups, of forty initially unmotivated learners for two hours a week, goals like those in 1 will present a much greater challenge and results will inevitably be modest. But we have seen many teachers working communicatively with groups of forty or more secondary-school learners – those notorious ‘difficult’ adolescents – and achieving good results.

What are ‘good results’? Well, when you observe a class, the first sign of good teaching is the attention and interest shown by the learners. If they are voluntarily paying attention, something good is probably happening. If they are showing clear interest – listening eagerly, following instructions, asking and answering questions, mostly in English – something very good is probably happening. Holding the learners’ attention, getting their interest and their active participation, are essential in English language teaching, as in all teaching. If you do not achieve these immediate objectives in each lesson, you are unlikely to reach the long-term goals of getting learners to master the elements and systems of English and use them in communication.

Last, but not least, your teaching goals and objectives should be apparent to the learners. They should feel that every activity you do with them is worthwhile, and that the whole course is worthwhile. They should never feel that you are just filling time until the bell rings to end the class, or that you are going mechanically through the book or syllabus. Not all short-term objectives will be directly related to communicating in English. For example, you may decide that it is useful to get the learners to memorize some irregular verb forms, or find and underline all the conjunctions in a reading text. But this kind of short-term objective is really worthwhile only when it contributes towards achieving the main goal of teaching English – to develop an active repertoire of English for use outside the classroom. If you or the learners lose sight of this main goal, their motivation for learning English as a foreign language is likely to weaken.

Questions

What was the best foreign language course you have ever taken?

Why was it better than other courses (think about the teacher, the group, the book, and the activities)?

Did you feel that you were really learning to communicate in the language?

Communication first and last

If communication in English is to be perceived by the learners as the main goal of the course, English should be used for real communication in the classroom as much as possible. This means introducing some of the English needed for genuine communication early in the course, for example, that needed for routine greetings, instructions, and requests. And, depending on the overall objectives of the course, as much time as possible should also be given to realistic work on the language skills that the learners need to master, for example, conversation, reading comprehension, or written composition.

This may mean seeing your course syllabus in a new way. It may seem on the surface that the most important element in the syllabus is a sequence of new language items. However, if you look more carefully, you will probably find that you are also expected to enable the learners to communicate in real situations. You may also find that you are expected to run the class mostly in English, avoiding complicated discussion of the new language items in the learners’ native language.

To do this successfully, especially with beginners, you will need techniques that allow you to focus on new language items without using the learners’ first language much. We will be looking at some of these in Chapters 2, 3, and 4. You will also need techniques for establishing and developing English as the main classroom language, for if you simply ‘speak English all the time’ you will quickly drive beginners, and even more advanced learners, to despair!

English as the main classroom language

Among the many possible uses of English in the classroom are:

– greetings and farewells, for example: ‘Good morning. How are you?’; ‘See you tomorrow.’

– instructions, for example: ‘Open your books at page sixty-two. Look at the picture.’