International conference at Dubai Men's College describes how good teaching practices can lead to more effective learning.
The 14th International Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Arabia Conference was held at Dubai Men's College (DMC) last week under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the UAE University and Higher Colleges of Technology and President of Zayed University.
The three-day conference highlighted some of the major concerns in teaching English as a second language. Under this year's theme, 'Finding Your Voice: Critical Issues in English Language Teaching (ELT)' issues pertaining to the teaching context and profession were discussed.
Experts from six countries came to Dubai to conduct workshops as part of the conference development course titled "Re-igniting, Retooling and Retiring in TESOL."
Students from various universities attended to improve their English language skills. Teachers and professors also participated to enhance their methods of teaching English in the classroom.
How should English be taught?
Students believe that their instructors should use an engaging approach to teaching English since it is often perceived as a dry subject.
"Teachers should mix the use of books with practical learning," said Mariam Al Hajiri, Applied Linguistics student at the UAE University. "They should use methods where students can also improve their communication skills through interaction."
According to students, using literature such as novels, poetry and plays helps to involve the student in the learning process.
"Each teacher usually has his or her own methods of teaching," said Khowla Mohammad, English literature student at the UAE University. "But whatever method they decide to choose, it should involve a two-way channel of communication."
Applied linguistics
Very few universities in the region offer a major in the field of linguistics. UAE University is one of them. Applied Linguistics enables students to learn about second language acquisition.
"We learn about the elements that form a language, particularly the English language such as syntax and semantics," said Huda Al Hajiri, Applied Linguistics student at the UAE University. "We also learn the effective approaches to teaching a foreign language."
Some universities also offer drama courses under which students are asked to become a part of the content they learn. By actively being engaged in the material, students absorb the information and are forced to delve into literature.
Why is English important?
Why is so much emphasis being placed on English? Why not Spanish, French or Italian? Speakers said that while all languages are equally important, English has been acclaimed as the primary language of communication across all cultures.
According to English Professor Sami Al Shwairkh from Imam University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, English has become the "international language".
"It would be fairly difficult to learn about other cultures if you don't learn English," said Al Shwairkh who made a presentation on vocabulary development. "Even the most famous literary works are translated into English."
Shwairkh said that in order to maintain his students' interest, he tries to integrate the material with things that appeal to them – like technology.
"I try to incorporate technology in everything I do," he said. "For example, I created a web portal for students where they can interact and discuss topics based on course material."
An approach that is sure to go down well with students, keen on teachers adopting more engaging methods of teaching English.
Thank your teachers
Dr Keith Folse from the University of Central Florida, USA, explained how instructors can use various teaching approaches to make teaching easier for themselves and more effective for their students.
Recounting small anecdotes from his experience as a student, Folse said that most budding teachers initially start teaching the way they themselves were taught.
Speaking to the instructors in the audience he said: "Most of you are teachers today because your teachers probably did something good for you in the past."
Folse said that teachers must study their students — their interests, culture, values, history and communication styles in order to create an ideal classroom atmosphere in which both the student and the instructor can learn from each other.
Folse used the bumper sticker culture in the United States as an example to portray the interests of society. In the US bumper stickers are often used to express individual opinions concerning different issues such as politics, education or pop culture.
One of the common stickers runs along the lines of, "If you're a good citizen, thank your government," or if "If you are a good child, thank your parents".
Folse said that reading those bumper stickers often made him wonder, if you're a good teacher, whom do you thank?
"Thank your teachers," he said.
By Manal Ismail