Up¾at 3 Teacher's Book podrecznik nauczyciela plus odpowiedzi ,testy,klucz answer key Page 021

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Across cuiiures lessons: Writing skiiI^^

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placed on deveÅ‚oping writing skills. Even though writing is not part of the exam, it is, like speaking, an important part of the language leaming process.

The writing sections in the D lessons are designed to recycle the language taught in the previous three input lessons, and to provide specific tips and tasks for writing different kinds of text. The writing tasks are usually linked to reading so that the students can use the reading text as a model. In Upbeat 3,the writing tips focus on structure elements of writing, such as plannmg, organisation and so on. The writing tasks first provide controlled practice, and then ask students to produce a paragraph or short text. It is always a good idea to allow preparation time in class before the students do any writing tasks for homework, to increase confidence and improve performance.

Current teaching issues

Though most teachers are busy with planning, preparation, teaching and marking, it can be useful for a teacher to pause from time to time to consider any ongoing teaching issues and problems which they may have, and to try different approaches in the classroom to find out which ideas work best. This can refresh and renew teaching techniques and keep lessons alive for teachers and students alike. Bebw is a brief review of some current issues with suggestions for modifying teaching techniques.

Teaching teenagers

A typica! class of teenagers will contain students with a wide rangÄ™ of physical development, emotionat maturity and cognitive ability - wider than any class of young children. tndeed, some students will appear to be one or two years older than other students. This is because teenagers develop at different rates. Girls tend to develop faster than boys but there are also different rates of maturity among girls and boys.

Although teenage behaviour can be erratic, most teenagers, given the right classroom environment. genuineÅ‚y want to leam. However, there are certain conditions that turn teenagers off. Most of them dislike being seen as different. Acceptance by their peer group is very important. If asked a question in class, they may not want to answer m case they are seen by their friends as not clever enough or, altemativety, too clever. They are often shy and self-consctous and feel embarrassed if asked to do actk/ities like miming or performing. They also dislike being patronised. Many teenagers have a wealth of knowledge about particular subjects and they are often happy to share this in pairs or smali groups. Tapping into this knowledge and openly acknowledging those areas where students know morÄ™ than the teacher can help to create mutual respect in the classroom. The

lOpics within upbeat nave ueen caiefully seieoted meet these needs *P

•    Avoid asking teenagers to do something which may embarrass them in front of their peers, unless you know that they have a particular talent for performance.

•    Avoid activities which the students might see as ‘childish’ or patronising, such as miming or answering very obvious questions. Upbeat aims always to provide an appropriate level of challenge for teenage learners.

•    Take the opportunity to put students into pairs or groups. This allows them to work in English with a reduced risk of embarrassment and also allows shyer students to make their voices heard. Upbeat contains a wide rangÄ™ of pairwork activities that facilitate speaking.

•    Leam as much as possible about your students as individuals and as learners. A successful class is often one which allows students to achieve the goal in whichever way suits them best.

Discipline

It is unusual for teachers to expenence no discipline problems whatsoever with a class of teenagers over an academic year. It is in the naturÄ™ of teenagers to explore boundaries and almost all teachers will be familiar with this. Sometimes, however, discipline problems will start to interfere with leaming in the classroom. This can occur when, for example, students start chatting too much m their own language, refuse to speak English, fool around, fail to participate, speak rudely to the teacher and so on.

When dealing with discipline problems, it is vital that the teacher does not take the behaviour personally.

The teacher is the Professional in the classroom and all students. consciousty or otherwise, want the teacher to fulfil that role in a fair and consistent manner. By responding to poor behaviour on a personal level, the teacher becomes a part of the cycle of indiscipline and the aim is always to break the cycle.

Although there are many reasons for discipline problems, there are some common them es. Firstly, problems outside the classroom with friends and family can be a reason. In this event it is useful to build a relationship with the student that allows him or her to express this. You may not be able to solve the problem but at least by listening, you will let the student know that you acknowledge them as an individual and not merely as a problem. In some cases you may be the only adult in the studenfs life who does this.

Secondly, students may be bored m class. They may find the pace of the lesson too slow or the topie not relevant to them. Even the most popular of topics will not reach every student. If you suspect that boredom is affecting some of the students in your class, remember