Video Transcript: Module 02, Building Language Awareness

The focus in Module 1 was on the importance of contextualizing language.  In Module 2, the focus is on the need to be aware of the specific language within that context.  That is, the awareness, the attention, and the noticing of the particular features of language that add to learning.  This means that it is important to pay attention to language form, for example, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.  However, teaching these formal aspects of language through rules, exercises, memorization, and drills does not appear to be entirely effective. Research shows that selectively focusing on aspects of language use within a given context can be even more effective.  Language awareness is the name for this kind of focus. And, because language awareness is a focus on the pragmatic uses of language, the language input must be in context. Two additional requirements of language awareness are that:

• The context should reflect language that learners are most likely to use.
• And, language practice in context should be accompanied by conscious effort and reflection on that practice.

Module Focus: Introduction

Some characteristics of language awareness include….

• The use of meta-language to talk about language and language forms.
• Training of learners to become better, more conscious participants in their own learning. They do the work.
• A balance of inductive and deductive techniques to focus on specific aspects of language.
• Focus on appropriateness of language used, both situational and cultural.
• And, the use of comprehensible input, in the form of materials from authentic sources, from the local environment, and from the Internet, for example.

#1 Viewing Points: Classroom Techniques

Video segment #1. Look for examples of:

• Learners using previous information to understand and make use of new information.
• Pair and group work for collaborative “discoveries” about language and content.
• And, information from authentic sources for language practice, with attention to form, content, and pragmatics.

Transcript

02:02:32:20

MISS ROSS' THIRD-GRADE CLASS WILL ROLE-PLAY

02:02:34:26

ACROSS THE WIDE, DARK SEA: MAYFLOWER JOURNEY.

02:02:37:24

THE CLASS WILL ACT OUT HOW THE PILGRIMS TRAVEL

02:02:40:18

AND STRUGGLE THROUGH A LONG JOURNEY FOR A NEW LAND.

02:02:43:16

OKAY.

02:02:44:19

FATHER, FATHER, PLEASE WAKE UP.

02:02:47:12

I AM SO FRIGHTENED.

02:02:48:28

DON'T BE AFRAID, SON. IT'S JUST ANOTHER STORM.

02:02:52:10

WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL SINCE WE SAILED FROM ENGLAND.

02:02:56:03

I'M AFRAID THAT IT WILL HIT THE SHIP

02:02:58:26

OR THE WAVES WILL PULL US UNDER.

02:03:01:01

I'M TIRED OF BEING COLD AND WET.

02:03:03:25

I UNDERSTAND, BUT WE MUST BE BRAVE.

02:03:06:19

WE ARE ON A LONG, HARD JOURNEY TO A NEW HOME.

02:03:11:04

WE MUST TRUST THAT WE WILL GET THERE SAFELY,

02:03:15:00

WHERE WE CAN WORSHIP IN OUR OWN WAY.

02:03:19:15

IT IS THIS FREEDOM WE SEEK

02:03:22:18

IN A NEW LAND...

02:03:27:09

COLD AND SHIVERING!

COLD AND SHIVERING!

COLD, SHIVERING!

STOP!

02:03:33:28

ALL RIGHT, FATHER AND SON, LET'S PICK UP HERE.

02:03:37:23

LET'S GO.

02:03:40:02

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL...

02:03:42:01

LAND! WE'RE HERE AT LAST!

02:03:45:18

LAND! LAND! LAND!

02:03:47:23

All: LAND!!

02:03:50:17

OKAY, NOW WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE JOURNEY OF THE PILGRIMS

02:03:54:06

GOING THROUGH THE WIDE, DARK SEA.

02:03:56:02

AND NOW WE'LL HAVE MISS WOODS DO SOME QUESTIONS

02:03:58:17

REGARDING THE JOURNEY.

02:03:59:29

Woods: BOYS AND GIRLS,

02:04:01:18

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO LEAVE YOUR HOME OR COUNTRY?

02:04:07:08

YES.

02:04:09:11

YES, I HAVE WHEN I WENT FROM -- WENT FROM --

02:04:13:17

I WENT FROM ETHIOPIA TO AMERICA,

02:04:17:16

AND I WAS EXCITED TO GO THERE --

02:04:20:08

TO GO TO A NEW PLACE,

02:04:22:05

AND I'M STILL MAD BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE MY COUNTRY THAT I WAS BORN IN AND HAD A LOT OF MY FRIENDS.

02:04:29:04

WHAT WERE YOUR REASONS FOR LEAVING?

02:04:32:13

REASONS FOR LEAVING YOUR HOME COUNTRY AND GOING TO ANOTHER?

02:04:36:22

SO WE COULD HAVE FREEDOM.

02:04:38:24

SO YOU COULD HAVE FREEDOM.

CYNTHIA?

02:04:40:19

TO START A NEW LIFE.

02:04:41:27

TO START A NEW LIFE. VERY GOOD.

02:04:44:00

OKAY, LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION.

02:04:46:04

HOW DID THE CREW FEEL ABOUT LEAVING THEIR FRIENDS IN THE STORY?

02:04:50:18

HAS ANYONE EVER LIVED IN ONE PLACE

02:04:53:01

AND HAD TO MOVE TO ANOTHER?

02:04:54:26

HOW DID YOU FEEL? EXPLAIN YOUR FEELINGS.

02:04:57:15

HOW'D YOU FEEL?

YES?

02:05:01:07

I FELT SAD BECAUSE I LEFT --

02:05:03:18

I LOVE MY GRANDMOTHER, AND SHE -- SHE DIDN'T WANT --

02:05:07:28

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE.

02:05:10:00

YOU LOVED YOUR GRANDMOTHER, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE.

02:05:12:26

OKAY, VERY GOOD.

02:05:14:14

WHEN I LEFT MY UNCLE, I WAS SAD BECAUSE I WASN'T GOING TO SEE HIM ANYMORE.

02:05:21:17

OKAY, LET'S GO ONTO THE NEXT QUESTION.

02:05:24:07

WHEN THE PILGRIMS ARRIVED ON LAND,

02:05:26:27

WHAT ACTIVITIES, CHORES, OR JOBS DO YOU THINK THEY HAD TO ORGANIZE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE?

02:05:35:22

YES, ANNA?

02:05:37:26

FIND A PLACE TO SETTLE.

02:05:39:07

THEY HAD TO FIND A PLACE TO SETTLE, VERY GOOD.

02:05:41:08

ISAAC?

02:05:42:21

THEY HAD TO FIND MATERIALS TO BUILD NEW HOMES.

02:05:45:25

THEY HAD TO FIND MATERIALS TO BUILD THEIR NEW HOME.

02:05:48:03

VERY GOOD.

02:05:49:12

THEY HAD TO GROW FOOD FOR THE WINTER OR THEY WOULD BE STARVING.

02:05:53:16

THEY HAD TO GROW FOOD.

YES, EMANUEL?

02:05:55:23

WASH CLOTHES.

02:05:56:28

THEY HAD TO WASH THEIR CLOTHES.

02:05:58:19

MY LAST QUESTION:

02:06:00:29

WHAT SIMILARITIES OR DIFFERENCES DO YOU HAVE WITH THE PILGRIMS IN THE STORY?

02:06:05:16

YES.

02:06:07:05

WE GROW FOOD -- WE BOTH GROW FOOD

02:06:10:22

IN -- IN PLACES,

02:06:12:25

AND IN DIFFERENT PLACES, WE PLANT FOOD,

02:06:15:27

AND PEOPLE GO TO

DIFFERENT PLACES TO TRAVEL

02:06:18:22

TO MAKE THEIR OWN LIFE -- TO HAVE THEIR OWN LIFE.

02:06:21:25

VERY GOOD. VERY GOOD.

02:06:23:22

NOW MS. ROSS IS GOING TO TALK SOME MORE

02:06:26:00

ABOUT JOURNEYS AND TAKING TRIPS.

02:06:27:12

MS. ROSS?

02:06:28:13

OKAY, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.

02:06:30:08

PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK. EXCELLENT JOB!

02:06:32:00

VERY GOOD. VERY GOOD.

02:06:33:05

NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO SMALL GROUPS,

02:06:35:07

AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE BY DOING A PLAN --

02:06:38:06

BY PLANNING A TRIP.

02:06:39:29

OKAY, NOW WE HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED

02:06:42:12

HOW THE PILGRIMS WENT ON THEIR JOURNEY,

02:06:45:00

AND WE KNOW WE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED

02:06:46:26

SOME SIMILAR JOURNEYS, TOO.

02:06:48:15

SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO PLAN A TRIP, OKAY?

02:06:52:12

WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO BY TABLES

02:06:54:15

IS TO GO TO THE SOCIAL-STUDIES CENTER

02:06:56:10

AND PICK UP ANY BROCHURES THAT YOU NEED TO WORK

02:06:59:16

BY CALLING BY TABLE.

02:07:01:01

LET'S START WITH TABLE THREE FIRST.

02:07:02:27

PICK UP YOUR BROCHURES.

02:07:06:16

START WRITING OUT YOUR PLAN: A TRIP.

02:07:11:05

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, CLASS, IS WRITE "PLACE,"

02:07:14:12

WHERE YOU'RE GOING, PACKING A LIST, THE TRIP ACTIVITIES, AND YOUR LENGTH OF TIME AND TRANSPORTATION.

02:07:21:20

LET'S DO THAT FIRST ON THE GREEN SHEET, AND IF YOU NEED ANY HELP, RAISE YOUR HAND.

02:07:28:02

OKAY, LEAVE A LITTLE SPACE.

02:07:29:27

NOW LET'S WRITE THE NEXT WORD: "LIST."

02:07:31:14

L-I-S-T-.

02:07:35:29

GOOD JOB, EDWIN. PLEASE DRAW THE LINE.

02:07:38:18

WE HAVE TO USE AIRPLANE.

02:07:41:11

OKAY, HE'S GOING TO THE AIRPLANE.

02:07:44:12

OKAY: AIRPLANE.

02:07:46:00

...SIGHTSEEING.

02:07:47:16

SIGHTSEEING.

02:07:49:09

[ indistinct conversations ]

02:07:53:06

Woman: MAKE IT EXCITING.

02:07:54:25

MAKE IT A WAY THAT PEOPLE --

02:07:56:10

"WHOO, I WANT TO GO TO THAT PLACE."

02:07:58:25

OKAY, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?

02:08:01:07

WE'RE GOING TO NEED CLOTHES.

02:08:02:29

OKAY, BUT WHAT TYPE OF CLOTHES?

02:08:07:03

SWIMSUITS...SHOES...AND SHIRTS AND PANTS.

02:08:12:01

OKAY.

02:08:13:24

THREE SUITCASES -- NO, TWO SUITCASES.

02:08:16:24

NO, TWO SUITCASES. PUT YOUR NAME ON IT.

02:08:20:24

THEN WE'RE FINISHED.

02:08:26:05

MAKE IT A CAPITAL "V," RIGHT?

02:08:34:10

I SEE SOME NICE POSTERS!

02:08:37:02

REALLY NICE!

02:08:38:20

GOOD.

Summary

In this class we saw examples of an all-class skit about the pilgrims who first came to the US many years ago. This was followed by a guided discussion in which students related their own travel experiences and how they felt about them. And, finally, students worked in groups—using real travel brochures—to create a travel plan of their own. The teacher, her aides, and various materials posted around the room provided the necessary language support or “awareness” for vocabulary, organization, and writing. Note that this approach and this sequence of activities would also work just as well with teens or adults.

Module Focus: Summary

The focus in Module 02 has been on developing language awareness. We can ask ourselves, “What does it mean to “know” a language feature?”  It is not enough to know  basic form and a simple meaning for a language item; the successful learner must also understand the multiple meanings and uses of that item in a variety of contexts.

We can also give consideration to the global nature of English and to the reasons why our learners are studying English. Who will our learners be talking to, writing to?  What will they be listening to, reading?  What English should be taught? We can reflect on ideas and examples from this and other modules in this video, and then apply them to our classes in ways that work best for each of our unique educational settings.

See the manual for readings and more information on this and other topics related to building language awareness.

Video Transcript: Module 01, Contextualizing Language

Contextualization is the meaningful use of language for real communicative purposes. It helps students understand how language users construct language in a given context.  Teachers can contextualize language instruction by organizing the content of the language curriculum according to themes or topics. These themes or topics work best when they are threaded throughout the course of study.

Module Focus: Introduction

Some additional reasons for using contextualized language are that…

• Language is constructed through a blend of purpose, situation, and social needs. Classroom learning experiences that incorporate these dimensions are more likely to lead to better learning outcomes.
• A contextualized approach to instruction also supports the use of integrated skills, and pair and group work.
• And, it can foster a deeper level of use of the language, especially when the themes and topics are high-interest and motivate students.

#1 Viewing Points: Classroom Techniques

Video segment #1. You will see several short examples from classrooms that use contextualized language and themes. Look for examples of these kinds activities:

• Games and interactive activities;
• Storytelling, dramatization, or the acting out of language (this can also involve singing or chanting);
• And, student presentations.

Also try to identify the themes or topics in the activities.

Transcript

01:01:56:13    

Teacher:...SENTENCE PATTERING CHART.

01:01:57:24    

YOU REMEMBER?

01:01:58:24    

Students: YEAH.

01:02:00:06    

AND REMEMBER WE STARTED SINGING A COUPLE SONGS?

01:02:02:15    

YEAH.

01:02:04:11    

GUESS WHAT.

WHAT?

01:02:05:27    

WE'RE GOING TO DO IT TODAY, TOO.

YAY!

01:02:08:24    

GISELLE, YOU WANT TO SHARE YOURS?

01:02:11:09    

OKAY, I'LL GET BACK UP HERE,

01:02:12:28    

AND I'LL TRY AND WRITE WHILE YOU'RE WORKING.

01:02:15:18    

OKAY, WE GOT TO PUT OUR LISTENING CAPS ON, PLEASE.

01:02:18:29    

I'M READY, GISELLE, WHEN YOU ARE.

01:02:20:13    

SMALL POISONOUS MONKEYS SCRATCH QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY.

01:02:26:28    

OH, THAT'S TERRIBLE, GISELLE!

01:02:28:27    

POISONOUS MONKEYS!

01:02:31:00    

[ laughs ]

01:02:32:11    

I TOLD HER SHE WAS WRITING A FICTION STORY YESTERDAY.

01:02:35:21    

SMALL...POISONOUS...

01:02:40:04    

MONKEYS...

WHAT?

01:02:43:09    

THAT LETTER LOOKS LIKE AN UGLY SPIDER.

01:02:45:19    

I KNOW, I'M SORRY IT'S AN UGLY "S," ISN'T IT.

01:02:48:09    

IS IT OKAY IF I JUST LEAVE IT KIND OF UGLY?

01:02:51:12    

OKAY, THANKS.

SMALL, POISONOUS MONKEYS --

01:02:53:28    

WHAT ARE THE POISONOUS MONKEYS DOING?

01:02:56:02    

Several students: WRITING.

01:02:58:09    

SCRATCHING.

01:02:59:05    

SCRATCHING... SCRATCH --

01:03:01:27    

HOW WERE THEY SCRATCHING?

01:03:03:15    

QUICKLY.

01:03:05:12    

QUICKLY...AND WHERE ARE THEY SCRATCHING?

01:03:08:20    

CANOPY.

01:03:10:28    

Boy: IN THE CANOPY.

01:03:12:10    

Teacher: IN THE CANOPY?

01:03:13:12     01:03:15:19

THANK YOU.

01:03:21:06    

OKAY, I NEED SOME HELP.

01:03:23:03    

WHO CAN TELL ME WHERE THE CANOPY IS?

01:03:27:27    

I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER.

01:03:30:18    

WE HAVE OUR RAINFOREST STARTED OVER HERE.

01:03:34:15    

IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CANOPY, WHO CAN COME SHOW ME WHERE THE CANOPY IS?

01:03:39:23    

WHO CAN SHOW ME WHERE IT IS?

01:03:43:14    

ALMA, COME ON OVER.

01:03:45:00    

YOU CAN HAVE MY POINTER BECAUSE MAYBE YOU CAN'T REACH IT.

01:03:47:27    

MAYBE I CAN'T REACH IT.

01:03:50:08    

OKAY, WHERE IS THE CANOPY?

01:03:52:09    

EVERYBODY ELSE, HAVE IT IN YOUR HEAD.

01:03:56:03   

OKAY, WHERE DO YOU THINK IT IS?

01:04:02:07    

WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS THAT THE CANOPY?

01:04:04:08    

Students: NO-O-O!

01:04:05:18    

UH-OH, WHAT'S WRONG?

01:04:07:07    

Student:

IT HAS TO BE ON THE TOP...

01:04:12:07    

CAN YOU REACH A LITTLE HIGHER, ALMA?

01:04:14:21    

OHHH!

01:04:17:00    

SO WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE CANOPY? IF THIS IS OUR CANOPY, RIGHT HERE, WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT IT?

01:04:22:10    

WHAT'S IT LIKE?

Thank you, Alma.

01:04:24:09    

WHAT'S IT LIKE, RODRIGO?

01:04:25:27    

Boy: LIKE THE...THE TOP.

01:04:28:26    

IT'S THE TOP, RIGHT?

01:04:30:22    

IS IT THE TALLEST, TALLEST?

01:04:32:27    

NO, IT'S JUST THAT TOP LAYER. AND WHATIS IT LIKE?

01:04:35:18    

Boy: A UMBRELLA.

01:04:37:13    

A BIG UMBRELLA, RIGHT? REMEMBER OUR LAYER SONG?

01:04:40:16    

THE CANOPY IS LIKE A BIG UMBRELLA.

01:04:43:18    

SO THEY'RE FIGHTING ON THE GROUND?

01:04:45:10    

Students:NO.

01:04:46:11    

WHERE ARE THEY FIGHTING?

01:04:48:12    

UP IN THE TREETOPS, RIGHT?

01:04:50:09    

Girl: SCRATCHING!

01:04:51:19    

OH, RIGHT, THEY'RE NOT FIGHTING; THEY'RE SCRATCHING.

01:04:53:21    

BUT IF YOU'RE SCRATCHING SOMBODY, ARE YOU JUST SCRATCHING OR ARE YOU FIGHTING?

01:04:56:28    

Students:FIGHTING. YOU'RE FIGHTING.

01:04:58:13    

SO, YOU READY TO SING THIS ONE?

01:05:01:17    

All: "SMALL, POISONOUS MONKEYS SCRATCH QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY" 

"QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY " 

"QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY "   

"SMALL, POISONOUS MONKEYS SCRATCH QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY"

"QUICKLY IN THE CANOPY"

01:05:25:26    

WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU?

01:05:27:24    

[ speaks indistinctly ]

01:05:31:14    

...GO TO PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS.

01:05:33:24    

I WANT TO PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS NOW!

01:05:35:22    

I'M VERY WORRIED HERE.

01:05:37:10    

[ speaks indistinctly ]

01:05:39:02    

OH, YEAH, BUT I DON'T NEED THE T.V. ANYMORE.

01:05:42:14    

I DON'T THINK SO.

01:05:43:24    

MY T.V. IS GONE, BUT I'M HAPPIER THAN THE LAST WEEK.

01:05:48:02    

I DON'T KNOW WHY. COULD YOU EXPLAIN IT?

01:05:51:15    

MAYBE BECAUSE YOU JUST SPEND A LOT OF TIME WATCHING T.V.,

01:05:55:09    

AND IT'S...

01:05:58:11    

OH, EXCUSE ME,

01:05:59:21    

BUT...MY FATHER.

01:06:01:04    

...PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS.

01:06:04:06    

HI!

LET'S PLAY SOCCER!

01:06:06:14    

LET'S GO! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

01:06:09:12    

I DON'T NEED THE T.V. ANYMORE.

01:06:11:16

[ laughter ]

01:06:15:19    

OKAY, THE OTHER STEP

01:06:17:09    

IS INDIVIDUAL'S GENETIC INFORMATION

01:06:19:06    

WILL BE USED AGAINST THEM.

01:06:20:25    

EXAMPLE: DISMISSAL FROM WORK.

01:06:24:12    

STEPS FORWARD

FOR SCIENCE FIRST:

01:06:26:24    

NEW GENETIC RESEARCH MAY MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIFETIME RISK OF CANCER, HEART ATTACK,AND OTHER DISEASES.

01:06:35:25    

THEREFORE -- CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THIS?

01:06:38:19    

WHY IS THIS A GOOD THING?

01:06:40:02    

WHY IS THIS A STEP FORWARD?

01:06:42:06    

Boy: BECAUSE IT'S USEFUL...

01:06:45:16    

OKAY. GOOD.

01:06:48:05    

OKAY, THE OTHER STEP IS GENETIC TESTING, IT HAS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING HEALTH CARE.

01:06:55:06    

VERY GOOD. SO THEY'RE REALLY RELATED.

01:06:57:01    

YES.

01:06:58:04    

THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS.

01:06:59:13    

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Summary

In these classes we saw examples of both lower and higher levels of language learners.  And, examples of both light-hearted and more serious topics. The themes and topics were from the “real world” and were of obvious interest to the learners. The teachers used a variety of activities to get students involved in both the language and the content or “context.”

Module Focus: Summary

The focus in Module 01 has been on the context of language teaching. Contextualizing language through the use of themes, topics, and real world situations can be a way to bring English alive for learners and actively engage them with both language and content.

See the manual for readings and more information on this and other topics related to contextualizing language.

Video Transcript: Introduction

Welcome to the teacher training series “Shaping the Way We Teach English, Successful Practices Around the World.”

These introductory materials are designed for English as a Foreign Language educators who share the following two goals:

1. Building an academic or “pedagogical” foundation; and,
2. Improving classroom practices.

If you have these same goals, then these materials are for you!

Shaping the Way We Teach English contains 14 individual modules. The modules are grouped in the following 4 categories and sub-topics:

Category A, with a focus on Approaches to Language Teaching, Foundations, is made up of…

Module 1 on Contextualizing Language;
Module 2 on Building Language Awareness;
Module 3 on Integrating Skills;
Module 4 on Pair and Group Work; and,
Module 5 on Learner Feedback, with a focus on formative evaluation.

Category B, with a focus on Approaches to Language Teaching, Extensions, is made up of…

Module 6 on Classroom Management for large classes;
Module 7 on Learning Strategies;
Module 8 on Using and Adapting Authentic Materials;
Module 9 on Critical and Creative Thinking; and,
Module 10 on Alternative Assessment, with a focus on performance assessment.

Category C, with a focus on the Learner, is made up of…

Module 11 on Individual Learner Differences; and,
Module 12 on Younger Learners, with an emphasis on ages 5 to 10.

And, Category D, with a focus on Professional Development for Educators, is made up of…

Module 13 on Peer Observation with an emphasis on formative evaluation practices; and,
Module 14 on Reflective Teaching practices.

Recommendations

At the heart of each module is a 10 to 14-minute video segment with examples from classrooms and educators around the world. Each module also has corresponding readings and support materials in the manual. We strongly recommend that you go through the pre-viewing activities and the supporting resources in the manual before you view the video. We also encourage you to stop the video at any point to view it again or discuss what you see. This will help you interact more fully with the video materials and come away with a deeper understanding of each content area.

In the video, you will have an opportunity to observe other teachers’ practices. Some of these examples are from primary level classes, while others are from secondary level and post-secondary level classes. A variety of teaching styles and cultures are reflected in these examples.

Factors

Many factors can have an effect on the results that you obtain from using the video and manual resources. Some of these include…

• Your own personal reasons and motivation for using these materials.
• How closely the materials fit with current practices and curriculum in your educational setting.
• And, the degree of flexibility and creativity that you bring to the task of making innovations and changes in your classroom practices. In other words, your willingness to experiment with and seriously try to use different ideas and techniques in your classroom.

As you observe other teachers in action and listen to their reflections on teaching, think as flexibly as possible.

Look for answers to the questions…

• What new ideas does this example offer me?
• How might I adapt this example to my students’ language and age level? My curriculum and my institutional setting? My teaching style, and my culture?

Please think of your interaction with these materials as a personal challenge to “think outside the box.” And, to creatively “shape the way you teach English” as you experiment with ways you can adapt suggestions or techniques from the video to your own educational settings.

Environmental Education

Preface

Welcome to the Environmental Education volume of the Forum's electronic journal Language and Civil Society. Each of the ten chapters in this volume will focus on a key environmental topic such as endangered animal species or rain forest depletion. Individual topics have been selected because of their global importance, as well as their interest and relevance to students of English as a foreign or second language around the world. Motivated by the excitement of using their English language skills to solve real-world problems, students are engaged, observant and active learners. As teachers work through the activities in this volume with their classes, their students will gain competence in English as well as learn how they can help preserve the world's delicate environment.

The primary author for this volume is Susan Stempleski. Susan Stempleski is Coordinator of Faculty Development at the Hunter College International English Language Institute of the City University of New York and teaches specialized methodology courses in the MA Program in TESOL at Columbia University Teachers College. Internationally recognized as an authority of the use of video and other electronic media in language teaching, she founded the Video Interest Section of the international TESOL association and is a past member of the TESOL Board of Directors. She is series editor of the ABC News intermediate ESL Video Library, ESL director and supervising editor of the Hello, America multimedia EFL course and co-author of the telecourse That's English. She has written more than 30 student texts and teacher resource books including Earth Watch, Focus on the Environment, Video in Action and Video in Second Language Teaching.

Table of Contents
Environmental Education Volume

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Endangered Species
• Chapter 2: Air Pollution
• Chapter 3: Human Population
• Chapter 4: Rain Forests
• Chapter 5: Oceans and Coasts
• Chapter 6: Climate Change
• Chapter 7: Energy Conservation
• Chapter 8: The Ozone Layer
• Chapter 9: Recycling and Reusing
• Chapter 10: Waste Management  

 

Civic Education

Preface
The Civic Education volume is designed specifically for language teachers who are turning toward content-based instruction to promote content learning and language learning in their classes. Through the exploration of topics related to civic education, language teachers can help their students master English and simultaneously become more knowledgeable citizens of the world. The combination of improved language skills and increased knowledge can enhance students' studies, work, and ability to become more active and conscientious participants in their communities.

The primary author for this volume is Dr. Fredricka Stoller.
Fredricka L. Stoller is Associate Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, where she teaches in the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and Applied Linguistics graduate programs. Her professional interests include content-based instruction, language teaching methodology, curriculum design, materials development, and program administration. She has published numerous articles in the English Teaching Forum and has published in the TESOL Journal, Applied Linguistics, and Applied Language Learning. She co-edited a volume entitled A Handbook for Language Program Administrators (with Alta Book Center) and co-authored a reading text for developing readers entitled Javier Arrives in the US (Prentice Hall Regents). She has trained EFL teachers and language program administrators in many parts of the world including Bolivia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Poland, Slokavia, and Tunisia. She is an active member of international TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages).

Table of Contents 
Civic Education Volume

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Rights of the Individual
• Chapter 2: Individual Freedoms: Freedom of Expression
• Chapter 3: Individual Freedoms: Freedom of the Press
• Chapter 4: Individual Responsibilities and Citizenship
• Chapter 5: Responsibilities of the Government
• Chapter 6: Rules and Laws
• Chapter 7: Societal Dilemmas: Finding a Balance
• Chapter 8: Societal Dilemmas: Gains and Losses
• Chapter 9: Cultural Pluralism
• Chapter 10: Building a Civil Society: Breaking Down Stereotypes