5 Things Every Language Teacher Should Know About AI from Oxford University Press

 

1. English Teachers are still needed in a world with AI

AI will be able to create mountains of individualized, valuable, interactive content. However, teachers will still be needed to provide a human touch. We need what has been called a ‘human-in-the-loop’ (HITL) to ensure the use of AI is based on our values as teachers and represents the interests of our learners and communities. What this means is that our roles are likely to shift further away from content providers to being mediators of learning. AI is likely to free us from some of the time-consuming and repetitive aspects of our work, such as creating exercises and checking homework. This will give us the opportunity to guide our students through the learning process and provide personal feedback and support. These are the types of work most of us enjoy, are really good at, and are unlikely to be replaced by new technologies.

2. Artificial Intelligence will change Materials development

AI will make our lives easier in many ways. But we need experienced teachers to ensure that the materials that AI produces are suitable, appropriate and in the best interests of our learners. For generative AI to be most beneficial, specialized knowledge and expertise are vital. And it is precisely our pedagogical knowledge and our personal relationships with learners that are needed for this. AI can help teachers create individualized materials for students. But it is up to teachers to turn these materials into engaging, relevant, and effective learning experiences.

3. Artificial intelligence will transform Learner assessment

Using AI to interpret educational data will provide a much more complete view of the learner that no longer limits us to summing their learning up in a single score. Using learning analytics (for example through the various ‘dashboards’ that learning management systems as well as individual apps and websites provide) we can gain insights into what learners do, what they struggle with and how they regulate their learning. What this means is that we can gain insight into the learning process, not simply the outcome. And we can do so in near real-time. This makes it possible to provide truly formative feedback. This will in most cases require a considerable change to current assessment methods to make the most of these new opportunities.

4. There are dangers if no one is in control of AI

Big data carries many risks, not least of all a loss of control on the part of teachers and learners. As we discussed in the podcast, instead of being blindly guided by algorithms without human supervision or intervention, ‘we need to become the algorithm’. Experts in our field (i.e. teachers, materials designers, curriculum developers, and so on) need to shape how AI is built, rather than leaving this exclusively to engineers. This means it is vital for teachers to become involved in the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of new technologies.

5. AI can complement traditional learning methods

AI can be a powerful tool for language learners. It can provide personalised instruction and feedback, adapt to individual learning preferences, and offer learning opportunities outside the classroom. This does come with a number of challenges. For example, how will we be able to monitor what learners do in their own time? And if learners receive personalised instruction, then how can we ensure everyone still benefits from the activities that take place in class? In some cases, such changes may prompt changes in how learners are grouped, supported, assessed, and more. We may have to consider more individualised pathways in which learners can be guided throughout the school curriculum, while still receiving the social support and continuity needed.

Top 3 Tips To Motivate Mixed-Ability Classes

 

What’s the best way to boost the motivation of learners in mixed-ability groups? 

Teachers sometimes feel that it is their job to animate the class. They need to do more, work harder, and monitor each and every student. Such attempts often end in failure, however. The harder teachers work, the more passive the class can become. Why? Well, with mixed-ability groups, boosting learners’ motivation involves turning the classroom from a place where teaching happens to a place where learning happens. Let’s look at three simple ways that this can be done in practice.

1. Listening tasks – let’s open them up

One great way to make listening tasks more engaging and manageable for students of different levels is to open them up by providing options and choices.  

Tell the students you are going to play them a recording. Provide them with some context and perhaps pre-teach some useful vocabulary. Then, instead of looking at comprehension questions, play the recording and ask students “What was going on there?” or “How much of that did you catch?” 

Comprehension questions change the way that students listen, making them more likely to listen out for the answers. In a mixed-ability class, different students will understand different things. This approach acts as a kind of differentiation, allowing students to listen to the best of their ability, and to notice whatever they can. This is a much more effective approach than asking all students to find the same answers to the same questions. 

Alternatively, give students control over how they listen by making the recording available to all students instead of controlling the playback yourself. This gives students the chance to pause, review and repeat the listening as many times as they need.

2. Try again – peer feedback for mixed-ability groups

What has the biggest impact on improved student performance in speaking tasks: is it teacher correction, or repeated attempts?  

The answer is repeated attempts. 

Outside school, when our students are playing video games or learning skateboard tricks, there is no teacher in sight. The learning comes through repeated practice. The same principle applies to speaking. When doing speaking tasks with mixed-ability groups there is no need to try to monitor and correct all students all the time. What they really need is the chance to practise.  

Classroom tasks which have a repetition of turns embedded in them work extremely well. One example of this is a paired speaking task. When students have finished their turn, simply ask them to do it again with a new partner, or get each pair to join with another pair to make a four. You will find that students’ confidence and performance improve with every new opportunity to repeat their part. Just like in the skateboard park, mastery through multiple attempts is the key to improvement.

3. Time limits, not word limits

Try time limits instead of word limits for in-class writing tasks. Asking all students to write as much as they can in 10 minutes is an equitable and effective alternative to demanding that all students satisfy a word limit. 

This is an example of applying principles of differentiation to student output, rather than to teacher input. As well as being easy to implement and agreeable to students, it also requires no preparation for the teacher. 

Ultimately, two things need to be in place for students in mixed-ability groups to feel motivated. Firstly, students need to feel that they are valued for who they are and what their current capabilities are. Secondly, lesson tasks need to be flexible and formative, helping learners find their way forward, assisted by tasks which give opportunities to practise within a supportive and learning-oriented classroom environment. 

Ed Dudley is a professional development manager for Oxford University Press where he works on developing the Oxford Teachers’ Academy courses. He has extensive experience in training, teaching and materials writing. He is the co-author of Mixed-Ability Teaching (OUP, 2016) and the author of ETpedia Teenagers (Pavilion Publishing, 2018). 

6 steps to Learning with Concepts from Oxford University Press

 Learning with Concepts is a methodology that involves exploring universal ideas such as change and community. It can be applied across different disciplines and provides opportunities for learners to engage with the curriculum in an active, personalized, and memorable way. It also fosters creativity and critical thinking skills and helps learners to become more independent. Beyond this, by linking concepts to the world outside the classroom, we can provide opportunities for learners to see the positive effects their actions can have.

If you’re looking to integrate Learning with Concepts into your English language classroom, here are some ideas to get started.

1. Choose concepts that are relevant to your learners

Use your learners’ needs and interests as a starting point. Many concepts, such as identity and creativity, can be explored and revisited at different stages in a meaningful way. A concept like freedom might work very well with older teenagers but be more difficult to tackle meaningfully in the pre-primary classroom. If you have a particular topic or language area to teach, consider what concepts it links to. For example, if you need to cover jobs vocabulary, it could be an opportunity to explore the concept of community or cooperation.

2. Start at the end

Think about what understanding of the concept you want learners to work towards. For example, if you’re exploring the concept of communication with very young learners, you might want them to reach the understanding that we can communicate in lots of different ways. From here, think about the ideas that underpin that understanding: who we communicate with; what language(s) we use; how we use our voices, faces, and body language; how we use writing, pictures, and technology.

3. Match up the concept and the language

From these ideas, you can start to pin down the language that learners will need to build the concept. For example, if learners are going to explore how people communicate with facial expressions, they will need to be able to talk about feelings and parts of the face. Identify the new language learners will need, but also look for opportunities to review known language.

4. Find out what your students already know

This is a very important stage in using concepts effectively. Even the youngest learners come to the classroom with different experiences, knowledge, and understanding, and this profoundly affects how they learn new concepts and language. Introducing the concept in an exploratory way allows you to assess the concepts and language that your students already have. For example, you could use visuals to stimulate discussion or do a hands-on activity such as sorting or modelling. This enables you to identify gaps but also interests. If a student already knows a lot about something, could they share their knowledge with others? If a group of students is interested in the same thing, could this form the basis of a project?

5. Aim for a variety of activities

By approaching a concept in different ways, you enable your learners to deepen their understanding while also accommodating their different needs and preferences. With young learners, stories can be a great way to explore concepts from different viewpoints. Photos and videos can help to anchor concepts in real-world contexts, both familiar and unfamiliar. Games and role-play provide opportunities for learners to play with language and concepts. Finally, hands-on activities and projects (e.g. science experiments or creative crafts) can create memorable learning experiences, particularly when they are linked to the world beyond the classroom walls.

6. Be flexible

One of the most exciting aspects of teaching with concepts can be its unpredictability! While preparation and resources remain important, students’ interests and ideas may mean that some activities take more time than planned or may lead you in directions you hadn’t anticipated. By allowing space for this in your planning, you can make the most of the opportunities that arise and ensure that your classroom is a motivating and inspiring space for your learners.

Результати II етапу Всеукраїнської олімпіади з англійської мови

 Вітаємо наших переможців та їх вчителів:

11 клас

I місце Бандура Софія 11-А (вч. Варивода О.В.)

II місце Новоселецький Іван 11-А (вч. Варивода О.В.)

III місце  Іванченко Інна 11-В (вч. Волошин В.А.) 

10 клас

I місце Ринковий Всеволод 10-Б  (вч. Галата Л.В.), Яковенко Наталія (вч. Галата Л.В.)

9 клас

I місце Кузява Анна 9-В (вч. Волошин В.А.)

II місце Ратушний Максим 9-В  (вч. Волошин В.А.)

8 клас

I місце Дурбанов Анатолій 8-А (вч. Волошин В.А.)

Результати I етапу Всеукраїнської олімпіади з англійської мови

 

11 клас

I місце Бандура Софія 11-А (вч. Варивода О.В.)

II місце Іванченко Інна 11-В (вч. Волошин В.А.)

III місце  Новоселецький Іван 11-А (вч. Варивода О.В.)

10 клас

I місце Ринковий Всеволод 10-Б  (вч.Галата Л.В.)

II місце Ткаченко Діана 10-А  (вч.Галата Л.В.), Яковенко Наталія (вч.Галата Л.В.),

9 клас

I місце Кузява Анна 9-В (вч. Волошин В.А.)

II місце Петренко Вадим 9-А (вч.Галата Л.В.), Ратушний Максим 9-В

 (вч. Волошин В.А.)

III місце  Горник Даша 9-В (вч. Волошин В.А.)

8 клас

I місце Дурбанов Анатолій 8-А (вч. Волошин В.А.)

II місце Макогон Максим 8-Б  (вч. Волошин В.А.)

III місце  Волошин Артем  (вч. Волошин В.А.)

5 Simple Ways To Use Coursebook Images In Mixed Ability Classes ( Oxford University)

 

How coursebook images support mixed-ability classes

Mixed-ability classes are a big challenge. Some students find activities too easy; others find them too difficult. When students read a text, some reach the end while others are still struggling with the first sentence. Photos are a great way to solve this problem.

Unlike a written text, students don’t need any language to understand a photo. They only need their eyes and their brains. That means that students at different levels can all process the same material using the same amount of time. But photos do more than that. They can encourage students of different levels to be creative. They also let students use language they already know to express themselves. Best of all, they’re a way to get students of different levels to work together to solve problems. Let’s look at some examples.

Activities using coursebook images

1) Find your partner

Find a few different pictures from your coursebook. These could be pictures from a story, images from different chapters in the coursebook or even flashcards.

Print one image per student.

Give each student a picture. Make sure that at least two students in the class have the same image.

Tell students they need to find someone with the same picture as them. But they cannot show their picture to anyone else. Students must mingle with their classmates, describe their images, and listen for a match.

This works well with mixed-ability classes. Lower-level students can start by listening to their stronger classmates. The stronger classmates can use more advanced language in their descriptions. Lower-level students might only use single words in their descriptions. Everyone uses the language they already know to work together to solve a problem.

2) Coursebook Treasure Hunt

I use this activity at the beginning of every new course. When students open a new coursebook, there are so many images to explore. This activity also works equally well at the end of a course as a review.

Start by telling students that they need to race against their classmates.

You (the teacher) will describe a picture from the coursebook. They must listen, flip through their coursebook, find the picture you described, and hold up the right page.

After a few rounds, ask a stronger student to lead their peers in doing this activity in small groups.

3) Lie About the Photo

Lying is something that we all do. But lying rarely gets practised in language class. That’s a pity because students love trying to deceive their classmates. Lying is different from most speaking and writing activities. Lying successfully requires more than grammar and vocabulary. It needs critical thinking and creativity. Start by demonstrating.

Find an image from your coursebook and show it to the class.

Tell the students to talk about the image with their classmates.

Then hide the picture. Tell the students you will read them three sentences about the image. They must try to remember the picture and decide which sentences are true, and which are false.

Next, get students to play in groups. Higher-level learners can use more advanced language in their descriptions. Lower-level students can use simpler language, or just listen and try to find the lies. This lets everyone play and have fun together.

4) Picture Splash

Lots of teachers get their students to predict before reading a text. I like making images part of this prediction.

Prepare by copying some images from a coursebook story or a text. Stick these pictures on the walls around your classroom. Put a blank piece of paper under each picture.

Tell students to walk around the classroom with a partner, pausing next to each image. Under each picture, students should write at least one word. Students can write anything, as long as it matches the image. This helps students remember vocabulary they’ve learned before which might relate to the story. Lower-level learners can write simple words like colours and objects. Higher-level learners can show off more advanced vocabulary.

After reading the story or text, ask students to note which words they wrote appeared in the text.

5) Fill-in-the Story

We’ve all done fill-in-the-blank activities (or gap fills) in class. But this activity is different because there are no wrong answers.

Take a story from your coursebook. Blank out all the text in speech bubbles so that only the pictures are left.

Show students the story with all the words removed. Ask them to guess what the characters in the story might be saying.

Show them that any answer, no matter how short is okay, as long as it makes sense. I like to give an example of people in the story communicating using single words, like “Hello”, “Yes” or “Sorry!” Then ask students to work with a partner to fill in all the blanks.

Afterwards, ask students to act out one part of the story. While they act, ask the rest of the class to guess which part is being acted out.

Методичні рекомендації щодо національно-патріотичного виховання у загальноосвітніх навчальних закладах

 Іноземні мови 

Комунікативна спрямованість іноземних мов надає вчителю широкі можливості у вихованні громадянської позиції, патріотизму, високих моральних якостей особистості. На особистісному рівні патріотизм виступає як важлива стійка характеристика людини, що виражається в її світогляді, моральних ідеалах, нормах поведінки. Розвиток патріотичних якостей учня засобами іноземної мови враховує особливості вікового періоду і передбачає різні його етапи. Початкова школа. Патріотизм зароджується разом із формуванням родинних почуттів до своєї сім’ї; матері, батька, бабусі, дідуся, родичів. Провідною темою у вивченні іноземної мови у початковій школі є, безумовно, тема «Сім’я», упродовж якої учні розповідають про своїх найближчих людей і родинне коло. Під час вивчення матеріалу з теми «Свята і традиції», молодших школярів слід ознайомити з елементами культури країни, мова якої вивчається. Знання, які учні отримують на уроках іноземної мови мають подаватися через призму знань, сформованих в процесі оволодіння рідною культурою. Тому, знайомлячись із святковими традиціями зарубіжних ровесників, необхідно обговорити сімейні традиції, традиції святкування у власній родині та у дитячому колективі, в якому перебувають діти. При вивченні теми «Помешкання» (4 клас) – звернути увагу учнів на будинки в українському стилі сільської місцевості, що викликає почуття трепетної поваги до домівок батьків і дідів. При вивченні теми «Погода» учням можна дати завдання намалювати карту України і порівняти погоду з мовою країни, яка вивчається. 

Основна школа. Це час для виховання любові до своєї малої батьківщини – села, міста, учнівського колективу, місцевих традицій, до історії. В основній школі учні досягають такого рівня володіння мовою, при якому стає можливим діалог із зарубіжними ровесниками засобами інтернету чи проектної діяльності, в ході яких відбувається самоідентифікація маленького українця. Матеріал навчально-методичного забезпечення сприяє розумінню важливості розвитку уміння співпрацювати і контактувати із представниками інших країн. В основній школі відбувається формування навичок та умінь школярів розповідати про своїх друзів, рідне місто, село, країну, національні свята, столицю своєї Батьківщини, надавати інформацію про основні пам’ятки культури, особливості вітчизняної шкільної освіти тощо. Широко застосовуються драматизації, пошуково-ігрові завдання, вікторини, конкурси тощо. 

Для учнів середньої школи завдання стають складнішими і відповіді на питання, вимагають певної аргументації. Тому при вивченні теми «Подорож» учням можна запропонувати екскурсії у фортецю Хотин, Подорож у Карпати. При вивченні теми «Україна» учні повинні презентувати столицю з метою заохотити іноземних туристів приїхати у Київ. У цьому ж розділі учні вивчають матеріал про Україну та її історичні і пам’ятні місця, описують світлини мальовничих куточків нашої Батьківщини. Виховують почуття патріотизму і матеріали про народні свята (Різдво в Україні, колядки, щедрівки, фото з державною символікою під час святкування Дня Незалежності 24 серпня). 

У 6-му класі слід звернути увагу на розповіді про відомих сучасних українських співаків (Руслана, Олег Скрипка, Славко Вакарчук); на особливості відпочинку у Карпатах і на Півдні України; на тему місто: Київ, вулиця Грушевського, Європейська площа, Володимирська Гірка, легенда про заснування м. Києва, карта столиці України .

 У 7 класі варто більш широко висвітлити теми: «Подорож»: діалоги про Україну; «Дозвілля»; «Туризм» додати тексти про переваги зеленого туризму у регіоні Карпат додати текст про національні парки України; 

У 8 класі у темі «Місто»: учням варто запропонувати розповідь про 7 чудес України та проаналізувати фото Кам’янець-Подільського чи фортеці Хотин; розповісти про народні звичаї та традиції, характерні для певного регіону; бажано організувати дискусійний клуб на тему «що ви можете запропонувати місцевій владі, щоб відродити древні традиції наших предків, символи України».

 Старша школа. Це час на формування власне патріотизму, виховання любові до України як своєї Батьківщини. Розвиток уміння презентувати свою країну у світі, культуру і побут свого народу, святкові обряди і культурні цінності, національні особливості та реалії життя в спілкуванні із зарубіжними ровесниками та гостями набуваються засобами активізації отриманих у попередні роки навичок та умінь за допомогою рольових ігор, творчих проектів, організації молодіжних конференцій, змагань, культурних заходів і т.п. У навчально-методичному забезпеченні з іноземної мови для цього етапу є чимало культуро-країнознавчого матеріалу та завдань, що передбачають використання інтерактивних технологій, націлених на практичне застосування українознавчої інформації, на проведення соціокультурних паралелей, на виховання відчуття себе майбутніми громадянами своєї країни, рівноправними партнерами інших європейських країн, покликаних розвивати свою Батьківщину і збагачувати скарбницю світової цивілізації.