Introduction Why this book? The idea for this book originated during a workshop. A group of teachers were lamenting about the absence of a one-stop resource which covered a variety of contemporary approaches, techniques and methods for teachers wanting to experiment in the classroom. Instead of continuing to gripe, we decided to put our 26 years of ELT experience together to write this book. Who is this book for? Whether you are a new or experienced teacher, this book gives you five ways to experiment with your teaching. You may want to get out of a teaching rut, develop professionally, solve old problems with new solutions, or even just shake things up. For candiates doing the Cambridge DELTA, this book can be used to guide your Experimental Practice assignment and help you address the unique challenges and opportunities that each selection in this book provides. What is experimental practice? Also known as exploratory teaching or action research, experimental practice (referred to as EP in this book) is simply trying out something new for you as a teacher, and then evaluating what transpired afterwards. What special features does this book have? To get the most out of this book, go to the chapter that most interests you. Each chapter follows the same format with both theory and practical classroom application. Each chapter consists of: 1. History & Background 2. Experimental Practice 3. Sample Lesson Plan 4. Lesson Principles 5. Opportunities 6. Risks 7. Dos and Don’ts 8. Toolbox Why these five chapters? We surveyed Cambridge DELTA tutors in Europe, asking them about the Experimental Practice assignment in DELTA Module 2, and the choices their diploma candidates made. The top 5 experimental practice topics from the results (see charts below) were selected for this book. Alternative historical approaches such as Suggestopedia, Total Physical Response and the Silent Way were not picked as we felt these already had sufficient resources. Fig. 1 DELTA candidates’ choices Fig. 2 DELTA tutors’ recommendations Now, let’s set out on an EP journey – take a Walk On The Wild Side with us! Dogme History & Background When Scott Thornbury was first inspired by the film director Lars von Trier in 2000, he was presumably unaware of the revolution and debate he would start in ELT. The Dogme movement initially took its core ideas from Lars von Trier’s "Dogme 95 manifesto" which vowed to move towards traditional filmmaking without the use of special effects or props. Thornbury's creation of his own vows of EFL chastity came from witnessing a dependency on materials as a teacher-trainer. As a result, the movement began as a way to wage “war on material driven lessons” (Thornbury, 2000). Luke Meddings is another founder of the Dogme ELT movement and after nine years of articles, talks, and Yahoo! Group discussion, Meddings and Thornbury published Teaching Unplugged: Dogme in English Language Teaching. The book contains a description of Dogme principles as well as activities and considerations for applying Dogme to the classroom. In Teaching Unplugged, the basic principles of Dogme ELT are outlined: • Interactivity between the teacher and learners leads to co-construction of knowledge. • The most engaging material will come from the learners themselves. • Language is not acquired. It emerges organically given the right conditions. • If materials are used, they should have relevance for the learners. • The teacher’s role is to draw attention to features of emergent language and “optimize learning affordances.” adapted from (Meddings and Thornbury 2009, p.7) The principles of Dogme are not revolutionary in and of themselves. Thornbury plainly admits this, saying: “There’s nothing very original in Dogme” (Thornbury 2005, p.3). It has roots in humanistic education, the communicative approach, critical pedagogy, and other materials-light approaches. It also ties in with motivational factors discussed by Dörnyei (2001, p. 35), who advises teachers to “let [learners] know they are expected to be curious” to increase motivation. Although the ideas of Dogme may not be new, giving a name to this approach to teaching has helped create a community of ‘Dogmeticians.’ This does not mean that they teach exclusively in Dogme style, but they do recognise the value of consciously integrating the approach’s principles into their teaching. Experimental Practice Dogme is considered a natural choice for experimental practice. It appeals to teachers who wish to sever their dependency on materials, and those without access to materials or resources due to technical limitations or financial restraints. The ultimate experimental practice for those who feel they are constantly at the photocopier, frequently relying on technology during class or relentlessly handing out materials. For even the most experienced, qualified or skilled teacher, Dogme can be a challenge. Some find the experience exciting, thrilling and risky, the equivalent of throwing away the rule book. Others feel it successfully develops teaching skills, fostering observation skills and the ability to rapidly respond to emerging learner needs. The popularity of Dogme for experimental practice is further enhanced by the buzz around the movement. Since its inception, Dogme has attracted the interest of the entire ELT field and has been both praised and criticised. Many say it allows learners to experience “language and learning in a profoundly human way” (Meddings and Thornbury 2003) while others lambast Dogme as “winging it elevated to an art form” (Ibid 2003). From both sides, however, the buzz is not fading. Dogme has maintained its vigour with years of articles, talks, Yahoo! Group discussions, blog posts, tweets, a wiki entry and a book. Rebels love it, financially strapped teachers adopt it, and those with a hatred of coursebooks embrace it. Dogme came first in our survey of DELTA tutors as the most common choice for the DELTA EP assignment by candidates. To be a valid choice for the EP assignment however, the candidate must not have previously experimented with Dogme. Although all DELTA candidates have doubtlessly already taught unplanned lessons or lessons which are materials-light, the rationale and research behind preparing a Dogme lesson differentiates it from simple improvisation. True experimentation with Dogme allows teachers to thoroughly evaluate and reflect on their teaching, giving the DELTA candidate a substantial amount of material to assess and discuss. As Thornbury himself stated in 2010 when asked about the appropriateness of Dogme for the DELTA EP assignment: “[Dogme] certainly qualifies as experimental given the current state of orthodoxy is to work safely within the materials paradigm,” (Thornbury, 2010). Sample Lesson Plan Note: The unpredictable nature of Dogme means that no single outline would accurately reflect the diversity and choice within a “typical” Dogme lesson. Rather than provide a linear outline, a flow chart representing the numerous choices available has been provided. Lesson Principles In Teaching Unplugged, Meddings and Thornbury qualify Dogme ELT as being “conversation-driven, materials-light, and focus[ed] on emergent language” (2009:8). This does not mean Dogme rejects the use of materials. It simply means the direction of the lesson is determined by what emerges in conversation between the teacher and the learners. As seen in the flow chart of the sample lesson, these conversations could also take place between learners, with the teacher acting as a facilitator, helping learners to reformulate and express ideas clearly, and drawing attention to relevant linguistic points. In Dogme, the language that emerges from the learners, guides the lesson. The various roles of the teacher and learners, as well as how working on emergent language shapes the lesson can be found throughout the flow chart. Note that although the starting point of the flow chart does not include materials, Dogme does not have to be materials-less. Materials that are relevant to learners’ lives will encourage dialogic learning, which is vital to Dogme. Dialogic learning can be defined as “that in which both teachers and pupils make substantial and significant contributions and through which pupils’ thinking on a given idea or theme is helped to move forward,” (Mercer, 2003). Thus, relevant materials could be introduced during this opening stage. In the opening stages, the lesson is based around conversation. The teacher initiates a conversation, materials-mediated or not. If learners have something interesting to share, the teacher can encourage the discussion to develop, listening carefully, but stepping aside to allow learners to talk. The teacher helps as needed to scaffold the discussion. If, however, learners are less forthcoming the teacher may build on whatever is provided by learners. To try to spark a discussion among learners, the teacher can directly ask a question related to the topic, such as but not limited to “What’s the most…you’ve ever …?”, “What would you do if…?”, “What kinds of… do you…?” (i.e. “What kinds of dishes do you like to cook?”, “What kinds of problems do you have with your neighbors?”, etc.) Aim for open questions, which are more likely to generate conversation. As Meddings and Thornbury (2009, p. 35) point out: “Asking the right questions can help to nudge the conversation into new directions, and this will encourage people to extend their language use.” Another alternative to encouraging participation from hesitant learners is to get them working on language earlier in the lesson as indicated by the light blue box on the right of the flow chart. Some learner groups may feel more comfortable working from a structured activity towards discussion as they ‘warm up’ to the session. However, this activity should be built on the conversation that has already begun. It may be a dictogloss, as presented in the flow chart, but could also include creating a questionnaire, having students try to note new words they heard in your story, etc.