Mr Hua's training workshops

Report by Jeffie Pan, Branch Director

During this week’s teacher training workshops, Mr Hua once again restated Hua Language Institute’s philosophy and methodology. Teachers were given the opportunity to take part in practical exercises to give them a clearer understanding of Mr Hua’s expectations. For my own part, I came away with new ideas about the future development of English Language Teaching.

On the first day, Mr Hua highlighted the importance of the TELL Road Map: as English is a foreign language, it must be taught in a systematic way. According to the TELL Road Map, the sequence is as follows: Alphabet, Phonetics, Phonics, Phonology, Morphology, Lexicon, Syntax and Thought.

When teaching the alphabet, apart from letter recognition and correct pronunciation of the letter names, students are also made aware of the fact that spoken English is made up of individual phonemes that are grouped together to form words and phrases. In addition, in order to help students pronounce each letter accurately we teach the letters in groups according to which vowel sound they share. Students are also taught that vowel sounds are long sounds and consonant sounds are short sounds.

At the phonetics level, we use phonetic symbols to introduce students to each phoneme used in the English language so that they will be able to articulate each sound accurately.

The teaching of phonics involves introducing students to the sounds letters make in words and developing their ability to translate the sounds they hear into written letters.

Instruction in these three areas is crucial in preparing students to develop solid listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

Following this, students will learn about phonology, ( the grouping of sounds to form syllables, words, language chunks and sentences etc.); morphology, (roots, prefixes and suffixes); lexicon, (sentence structure, parts of speech); syntax, ( sentence formation) and thought, (language on the lips and in print).

Language is a stream of sounds. Therefore, merely learning the alphabet, sounds, words and sentence patterns is not enough to enable you to use a language fluently. In the process of learning these things, students must have ample opportunities to practice what they are learning, beginning of course with listening and speaking.

At the Language Preparing Stage, Sound and Spelling, Rhymes and Songs, Easy Reading Stories Series and Sound of Language form the basis of our teaching materials. It goes without saying that students will only be able to develop clear and accurate articulation after continuous practice over a period of time. All the materials we use aim to develop students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Sound and Spelling introduces students to most of the spelling rules of English, enabling students to learn about sound-letter relationships. Both Rhymes and Songs and Sound of Language make use of nursery rhymes, chants and songs to instill in students a sense of the rhymes and rhythms of the English language. Students do not work through these materials word by word, but rather learn to understand how meaning is conveyed through chunks of language. The ERS Series not only allows students to practice phonics skills, but also exposes students to stress and intonation and prepares them to make the transition to working with sentences.

As for classroom language, the interaction between the teacher and students should be simple enough for students to learn easily. The teacher should make use of classroom interaction to teach students how to communicate in English, without the need to go into lengthy explanations regarding grammar. By repeatedly using certain phrases in the classroom, students will develop fluency and intonation that will eventually allow them to use the language naturally. For example, on completing the first rhyme, students can be taught a phrase such as ‘We have learned rhyme one. We are going to learn rhyme two.’ Without needing to explain the meaning or talk about the perfect / future continuous tenses, students can learn to use the sentence naturally whenever the appropriate situation arises.

For this reason, Mr Hua constantly emphasizes the importance of the Balanced Approach: namely Sound Approach together with Linguistic Approach and Communicative Approach. Sound Approach refers to the use of English to teach English. By firstly training students in listening and speaking skills and teaching them the relationships between sounds and letters, students will systematically develop the skills necessary for reading and writing. According to the Linguistic Approach, students are gradually and systematically exposed to the structure of sounds, words, sentences and texts. The Communicative Approach means that even in the classroom, students actively apply the speaking, listening, reading, writing and translation skills that they are learning.

In this kind of learning environment, a teacher’s level of professionalism is extremely important. Professional skills refers to communication skills, knowledge of the English language and teaching skills. In terms of communication skills, teachers must have extremely good pronunciation and a high level of fluency. Because our teaching methods center around the Sound Approach, teachers must be able to teach both articulation and grammar structures using this approach. Of course, teachers must have a clear understanding of grammar and structure themselves to be able to teach their students.

During the course of this workshop, Mr Hua focused on fluency. By fluency, we do not mean the ability to speak fast, rather the ability to communicate using the appropriate language chunks, thus enabling the listener to understand one’s meaning. “English is not spoken word by word, but syllable by syllable and chunk by chunk”, so fluency includes conveying meaning through reducing unstressed syllables and clearly articulating stressed syllables, as well as expressing meaning through the correct application of stress and intonation.

Regarding knowledge of the English language, teachers must be familiar with all aspects of English grammar and structure, for example: phonics, word structure (roots, prefixes and suffixes), sentence structure, (parts of speech, tenses, grammar etc.), in order to be able to help students to learn and use them effectively.

With respect to teaching skills, Mr Hua was keen to emphasize the importance of the teacher’s authority and leadership in the classroom. Because the teacher’s role is to impart all his / her knowledge and communication skills to the students, he / she must be an authority figure in the classroom. The teacher need not be overly harsh in demeanor; however, his / her every word and action must be taken seriously, understood and followed by every student so that they can fully absorb the contents of each lesson.

Mr Hua also reminded teachers that as well as being equipped to teach English well, we also have another responsibility. “We work for a cause!” Our cause is one that affects the whole of society: we are not only teaching language skills but also seeking to nurture the moral consciousness of our students. For example, the first theme introduced at the language Developing Stage, in Basic Level Textbook 1, is that of the family; with an emphasis on love, consideration for others, being helpful and respect. The following three volumes revolve around the community, the environment and mankind’s need for interdependent relationships. Therefore, as teachers, our job is not only to teach English but also to attend to the personal development of our students.

Mr Hua told the secretaries that while they needed to explain our teaching methods and course contents to parents, they also had the important job of emphasizing our motto: ‘A school for serious learners’. Whilst our teachers would do their utmost to ensure that students receive instruction of the highest standard, parents would also be required to play their part by making sure that their children were punctual, did not take unnecessary leave and respected the school’s regulations. Only by working together in this manner will the best results be achieved.

Action Points

Spending time in Mr hua’s training workshops or watching his classes always leaves me with many thoughts on ways I could apply the things I have learned. With respect to classroom language, I am keen to develop the language I use in the classroom, with phrases such as:

T: Do you want to try? S: Yes, I can try.
T: Do you know…? S: Yes, I do.
T: Can you…? S: Yes, I can.
T: Have you learned…? S: Yes, I have learned…
T: Do you know how to…? S: Yes, I know how to…

Apart from using these sentence patterns in particular lessons, they can be arranged together so as to develop students’ ability in summarizing and describing. For example, when students have learned the letters of the alphabet and their sounds and are about to begin studying from Sound and Spelling, an appropriate summary could be:
I have learned Lesson one. I learned the alphabet from lesson one. There are 26 letters in the alphabet; they are 5 vowel letters and 21 consonant letters.

At the BLT level, I encourage students to start extending their language rather than merely relying on the sentence patterns in the textbook. As we finish studying each topic, I ask them to give a speech or do a short written assignment about themselves, based on the language they have learned.

No matter which level I am teaching, I am paying more attention to fluency skills and intonation. As a director, I encourage my teachers to do the same with their students. These are skills that teachers themselves work on improving in training workshops and I will ask our English native-speaker teachers, such as Wil to help local teachers in this area. I am keen to encourage the teachers to share their experience and knowledge and with the assistance of the main office, watch video recordings of teachers in the classroom to check their progress.

Personal study:
I have started to read The Philosophy of Sounds of Language and plan to read 10 excerpts from the collection a week, with a view to seeing how they can be incorporated into our teaching. I will also make them a regular part of discussions and training in branch workshops.