PD workshops online
We bring the latest professional development workshops straight to your screen using innovative online technology we call webinars. Watch and listen to a "live" facilitator and follow the seminar's Powerpoint slides. Some presentations have teaching materials for download.
NEW TEACHERS workshops
This is the Adult Language Training Brach series for "newbies," given by Joanne Pettis, M.Ed (TESL), co-ordinator, Adult EAL Curriculum Development and Implementation.
2008 ALT BRANCH conference
Here are webcasts of the presentations from the 2008 ALT Branch fall conference.
- Keynote address: Willingness to communicate
Peter MacIntyre, Cape Breton University discusses second language communication and practical solutions in fostering a willingness to communicate among students in a social context.
- Accelerated learning techniques
Grace Eidse, director of the ENTRY Program (Winnipeg's immigrant orientation class), discusses whole-brain learning techniques that stimulate all senses, learning styles and intelligences.
- Dynamic delivery
Paul Vieira, program co-ordinator, English for Specific Purposes, University of Winnipeg, shows how to inspire and motivate students through high-level communication and interpersonal skills, igniting your teaching delivery and boosting learner confidence.
- Teaching grammar in context
Gail Tiessen, professor emeritus of TESOL at Providence Seminary, provides a convincing rationale for the Adult EAL instructor's developing a greater understanding of the needs and goals of the EAL learner before developing lessons or curricula to ensure the essential aspects of grammar are included in instruction. Schick then provides a model of how the EAL professional can construct a module or curriculum based on these identified needs.
- Collaborative Language Portfolio Assessment
Jo-Anne Schick of the Adult Language Training Branch discusses CLPA as an example of authentic, task-based assessment, as well as the implementation of the CLPA in the Adult EAL classroom, especially when providing EAL learners with progress reports based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks.
- Teaching multi-level classes
Using her own experiences as an adult EAL instructor, Ann Tigchelaar and the audience talk about the challenges of working with multiple learning levels within a single class, how to overcome these challenges, and how to create a community within a classroom of multilevel learners.
Task-based teaching video
This video, called Taking Teaching to Task, features four Adult EAL teachers observing two different classes and discussing topics related to task-based language teaching. The video has been split into 10 segments to make viewing easier.
- Part 1 - Introduction
- Conversation 1: The Focus on Task
The group discusses task-based learning and the importance of learning language in meaningful contexts. The videos show classroom activities designed to be as close as possible to “real,” using authentic language in role-play.
Part 2 - Focus on Task
Part 3 - Getting Close to Real
Summarizing Conversation 1:
- Teach to the needs of your students.
- Focus on real and relevant communication tasks.
- Build a strong sense of community so that students will take risks with the language.
- Conversation 2: The Focus on Language Development
Learning a language takes time and involves a physiological component that is only mastered through extensive practice. This discussion highlights the importance of teachers stimulating a communicative classroom where cooperative learning has students speaking more and the teacher less.
Part 4 - Less Teacher Talk
Part 5 - Using Repetition
Summarizing Conversation 2:
- Use repetition and recycling to help students become more comfortable with the language.
- Understand that repetition leads to automaticity.
- Have students practice the language using a variety of activities.
- Conversation 3: The Focus on Teaching
When learning is task-based, it can be easy for teachers to focus on content and lose sight of teaching language. This discussion emphasizes the creative ways that teachers help their students notice features of language and build language competency. It also demonstrates the skill of giving clear instructions for classroom activities.
Part 6 - Raising Awareness & Building Skill
Part 7 - Giving Clear Instructions
Summarizing Conversation 3:
- Guide students by having them notice the language that they need in order to complete a particular task.
- Keep your instructions clear and simple; the quality of the explanation adds to the quality of the activity.
- Use a logical sequence when giving instructions: say it, repeat/rephrase it, model it, check it for understanding, and write it (if necessary).
- Conversation 4: The Focus on Correction
In this segment the group discusses error correction. When is it appropriate to correct? How should it be done? Several methods of correcting are examined.
Part 8 - When to Correct
Part 9 - How to Correct
Summarizing Conversation 4:
- Decide what needs to be corrected (according to the objective).
- Correct during accuracy/skill-building activities.
- Do not correct during fluency/skill-using activities (take note of errors for future reference).
- Correct using a variety of methods.
- Give students time to self-correct.
- Conclusion
In this final segment, each member of the group summarizes what the project meant to them and what they had learned from being a part of this community of practice.
Part 10 - Conclusion
Communities of Practice
ALT Branch is active in nurturing the formation of groups of Adult EAL teachers who meet together regularly (face-to-face and online) to share their knowledge to become better at what they do. The purpose of these self-organized study groups (or PODs) is to explore clearly delineated areas of interest relevant to teaching and professional development.
Programs may choose to establish PD activities based on an in-house application of the POD model. That is, a small group of staff - possibly at a particular CLB level or with a pressing question, need or interest - might work together to explore the issue (research, reflect on, discuss...) or develop responses to a need.
ALT Branch is looking at ways to support teachers from different programs meeting together outside of instructional hours. New developments are in the works.
Click below to view a video presentation on Communities of Practice.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
