English Language Learning Magazine CONTACT Evidence-based teaching August 2015 Changing your mind VOLUME 41, NUMBER 3, AUGUST, 2015 ISSN # 0227-2938 Teachers of English as a Second Language Association of Ontario www.teslontario.net/publication/contact-magazine - 1 - IN THIS ISSUE In this issue . 2 Calendar Editor’s Note . 3 September 18–20 The third world congress on Contact Magazine . 4 extensive reading (Dubai, UAE) September 19 BCTEAL: Bridging the Cultural Gap Articles in the EAL Classroom October 2 International Student Success Teaching research-based literacy skills . 5 Symposium Repeated Reading . 11 October 2–3 Ontario Modern Language Teachers Mentoring TESL Students . 16 Association Fall Conference Reflecting Effectively . 21 October 5 International World Teachers' Day Enhance Your Skills with 1-on-1 ESL Tutoring . 28 October 24 TESL Windsor’s Fall workshop Grit: It’s Role in Student Success . 32 October 29–31 TESL Canada Conference (Lake Louise) Changing Minds November 4–5 Educational Computing The role of the teacher in language teaching . 36 Organization of Ontario & the Ontario Association of School Because grammar (and cats) . 38 Business Officials Conference Finding the backbone of a text . 42 November 7 People for Education Annual Mastering the Skill of L2 Writing? . 44 Conference Pronunciation instruction . 47 November 8–14 ESL Week Finding the hidden curriculum . 50 November 12–13 TESL Ontario’s 43rd Annual Conference: “Expanding horizons: Drawing on Viva la Lingua Franca experience and knowledge” Pass The Cultural Hot Potato Part 2 . 52 November 18–20 York Region District School Board Conference Conference November 20–22 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages; ACTFL Annual TESOL Ontario 2015 Conference . 54 Convention and World Language Expo Please, contact us ([email protected]) to let us know about upcoming events. Go Back - 2 - TESL Ontario | CONTACT Magazine | AUGUST 2015 to Top EDitoR’S NotE What is so rare as a change of mind—not a simple switch of dinner plans or a decision to repaint your bedroom, but a fundamental realization that an idea you held to be true was wrong or that one you rejected was right after all? It takes a lot of work and humility to realize and admit that you were mistaken. Nevertheless, in this issue we present a number of short essays from teachers and researchers who have changed their minds. Paul Nation presents a whole list of topics that he’s had to rethink; Tyson Seburn tries to get his head around his antipathy for the trendy because + NP construction; and Maria Glass, Alister Cumming, and Ron Thomson each talks about teaching ideas they’ve only come to accept by giving up their previous ideas. In each case, authors looked hard at the evidence and decided it didn’t support their practice. Along those lines, John Benseman presents a set of evidence-based techniques for teaching literacy skills. Stuart Webb goes more in depth to explain the value of repeated reading. We also have articles on mentoring, reflecting, and teaching one-on-one, the idea of grit, and another installment from Eufemia Fantetti and “Viva La Lingua Franca”. As always, we welcome and depend on your contributions. I hope to hear from you. Brett Reynolds [email protected] Go Back - 3 - TESL Ontario | CONTACT Magazine | AUGUST 2015 to Top Contact Magazine VOLUME 41, NUMBER 3, AUGUST, 2015 Contact TESL OntaRIO Contact is published four times TESL Ontario is a supportive community empowering a year (Feb, June, August, and educational professionals to help English language November) by TESL Ontario. learners to thrive. February is our conference issue and May is our research issue. It is published for the members Contact TESL Ontario of TESL Ontario and is available TESL Ontario #405 - 27 Carlton St. free online to anyone. Toronto, ON M5B 1L2 Contact welcomes articles of Phone: 416-593-4243 or 1-800-327-4827 general interest to association Fax: 416-593-0164 members, including announcements, reports, articles, and http://www.teslontario.net calls for papers. Enquiries regarding membership or change of address should be addressed to the TESL Ontario Membership Personnel Coordinator at [email protected]. Enquiries regarding advertising rates and reservation Editor Brett Reynolds of advertising space should be addressed to the Office EAB members Hedy McGarrell Coordinator at [email protected]. David Wood Hanna Cabaj Webmaster Kevin O’Brien Board Design Yoko Reynolds Chair Sheila Nicholas Vice-Chair James Papple Legal Treasurer Dan Cornish ISSN # 0227-2938 Secretary Irene Kosmas Members-at-large Cheryl Fretz The statements made and expressed in articles are those Bhupinder Gill of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies of Bernice Klassen TESL Ontario. Jennifer MacKay Acceptance of advertising does not constitute Melita Vrakela endorsement by TESL Ontario nor guarantee accuracy of information therein. Executive director Copyright for all articles published in Contact rests with Renate Tilson the authors, Copyright © 2015. Any reprints require the written permission of TESL Ontario and must clearly Affiliates state Contact as the source along with the original date of publication. For permission, contact: TESL Durham, TESL Hamilton-Wentworth, TESL [email protected]. Kingston, TESL London, TESL Niagara, TESL North York/York Region, TESL Northern Region, TESL Ottawa, Cover image TESL Peel/Halton/Etobicoke, TESL Toronto, TESL https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WrongWaySign.jpg Waterloo-Wellington, TESL Windsor Go Back - 4 - TESL Ontario | CONTACT Magazine | AUGUST 2015 to Top ARTICLES TEacHING RESEARCh-bASED LITERacY SKILLS IN TRAINING coURSES By John Benseman Most second-language teachers are usually trained (either in formal degree programmes or informal professional development) in the methodologies of language teaching, but few are also trained in the teaching of literacy skills. While this omission is usually not a problem when teaching learners with reasonable literacy skills in their first language, it is more problematic where learners have little or no schooling experience. So how are literacy skills best taught with second language learners? The reality is that most teachers teach based on their own personal experience, trial and error, or by observing other teachers around them. The validity of their methods is subsequently rather hit and miss in terms of effectiveness. An alternative approach occurring in many educational contexts is that of basing teaching practices on research findings. While this approach has long been standard in fields such as health and engineering, it has only become a serious consideration in education over the past decade, especially in the schooling sector. This approach has been made possible by the work of educational researchers using large-scale meta-analyses of research (see for example, Hattie, 2009, 2011). This brief article looks at how trainers can include research-based strategies for teaching adult literacy skills. While language teachers’ prime focus is on the development of language skills, the following discussion offers a range of literacy teaching strategies that have at least some reasonable quality research backing for their effectiveness. Research base While there is still only a small body of quality research about the teaching of adult literacy relative to other educational sectors, there is a growing base of studies that can inform our teaching. I have drawn material for this article from three main sources (Brooks, Burton, Cole, & Szczerbinski, 2007; Kruidenier, MacArthur, & Wrigley, 2010; McShane, 2005). It is important to understand that the strategies being put forward are based on high- quality research evidence; they are not just “good ideas” or based on what someone believes is successful. They come out of reputable research studies where there has been a demonstrable gain in reading skills either compared with other strategies or against control Go Back Teaching research-based literacy skills - 5 - TESL Ontario | CONTACT Magazine | AUGUST 2015 to Top ARTICLES groups. Using these findings to guide our teaching is what it means to be “research-based” and therefore more effective than working from hearsay. There are undoubtedly additional effective ways to teach literacy that have not been researched to date and could be included at a future point. It is not that these other strategies are any less effective, it is just that the research evidence is not available to demonstrate their effectiveness as yet. Effective Generic Teaching Strategies Much of the teaching of literacy skills involves strategies that are common to any teaching situation, whether they explicitly identify literacy or not. It is important therefore to reflect good adult teaching strategies as well as those specific to the teaching of literacy. Explicit instruction (also known as Deliberate Acts of Teaching) • Make goals, lesson objectives, activities, and expectations clear • Make connections between lesson activities and broader skill goals • Address background knowledge and pre-requisite skills • Explain and model all aspects of the task • Assume nothing and leave nothing to chance Strategy instruction • Teach learning tools: principles, rules, or multi-step processes to accomplish learning tasks • Model and demonstrate; prompt and cue learners to use strategies Scaffolded instruction • Provide supports for learning as needed: breaking into steps, providing clues, reminders, or encouragement • Withdraw