SHARE

 

An Electronic Magazine by Omar Villarreal and Marina Kirac ©

 

Year 7                Number 164                 April 30th  2006

         
10,155 SHARERS are reading this issue of SHARE this week
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Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being SHARED
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Dear SHARERS,

 

Half way through the long weekend (our weekend starts on Sunday as we both work all Saturday at Licenciatura) and it feels so good knowing we have one whole free day ahead. And no Sunday evening blues even when it is positively Sunday!

We are happy we have managed to tie up another issue of SHARE and to make it one that we like too (which is no small deal as Omar is never completely satisfied) and in good time for you to have it in your mailboxes tomorrow and celebrate Labour Day reading SHARE. This suggestion was meant as a joke, obviously, but it would not be such a bad idea if it is still rainy and unpleasantly cold as today. Anyway, here´s SHARE once again as many other weekends of all these happy years with you.

Two dear friends will come to dinner today. I must get things ready. I´ll leave the final editing to Omar (He hates that part of the story!).

Have a great “shorter” week!

 

Love

Omar and Marina

 

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In SHARE 164

 

1. A Range of Teaching Methodologies.

2. The End of English as a Foreign Language.

3. Vocabulary on the Football World Cup.

4. A Message from Philip Prowse.

5. Dr Lynne Diaz-Rico at the Buenos Aires Book Fair.

6. ACPI Course on Reading Comprehension

7. Literature in the ELT Class and Literature in Higher Education.

8. Teacher Update Courses at Asociación Ex-Alumnos Lenguas Vivas.

9. The Buenos Aires Players on tour in Mar del Plata.

10. Curso de Posgrado por la Dra Emilia Ferreiro.

11. Online Courses for Teachers of English.

12. A letter from Actors Repertory Theatre

13. Workshops and Lecture on Testing.
14. Tea and Reading with The Suburban Players.

15. Annual APPI Congress of Teachers of English.

16. News from The Hopkins Creative Language Lab. 

17. Postergan las fechas de las vacaciones de invierno
 

 

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1.- A RANGE OF TEACHING METHODOLOGIES

 

Our dear SHARER Fabian Wallace has sent us this article from the latest issue of the English Teaching Professional for reproduction:

 

Multiple-choice Methodologies

By Jane Revell

First published in ETp, issue 43, March 2006

 

I was utterly bewildered and overwhelmed. It was 15 October 2005 and I was struggling my way around the book exhibition at KoTesol in Seoul. What a bombardment of books! 'How do teachers even begin to choose?' I asked myself.

 

I have had a break from ELT of several years and have some catching up to do. Going back over past issues of ETp, I am struck by the multitude of exciting ideas shared and the wealth of good practice available. And I ask myself that same question again: 'How  do teachers even begin to make choices about what to do in the classroom?'

Paralysis

Well, perhaps we don't. It's true that most of us like to know about recent theories and to keep informed and up-to-date, yet we don't always actually want to put the ideas into practice. There can be many reasons for this, but often the reason is quite simple: knowing about and doing are different and we're quite happy carrying on doing more or less what we're used to, doing mostly what is familiar and safe.

 

Well, perhaps we don't. It's true that most of us like to know about recent theories and to keep informed and up-to-date, yet we don't always actually want to put the ideas into practice. There can be many reasons for this, but often the reason is quite simple: and are different and we're quite happy carrying on doing more or less what we're used to, doing mostly what is familiar and safe.

But there's no doubt that if we do want to implement new ways of teaching, then too many choices can lead to complete paralysis - and perhaps a slight feeling of inadequacy in the face of so much brilliance!

 

Preferences

 

One area where the abundance of choice is evident is the different learning styles methodologies: how teachers need to take account of their learners' preferences in taking in and processing information, in interacting with other people and so on. In recent issues of ETp, for example, Herbert Puchta has written very compelling articles on the advantages of working with Multiple Intelligences in the classroom.

Interestingly, Jim Wingate wrote about Multiple Intelligences in the very first two issues of ETp almost a decade ago. Since then, others (including myself) have written about brain-friendly teaching, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Spiral Dynamics and many more. All of these articles contribute to our knowledge of how our brain works and how people learn, and in doing so, potentially make teaching and learning richer, more effective, more rewarding ... and infinitely more complex.

 

Problems

 

Teachers already have lots of balls to juggle in the classroom: accuracy and fluency; the four skills; grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary; the coursebook and supplementary materials; maintaining motivation with the demands of a syllabus and exams; mixed-ability classes; group needs and individual needs; discipline issues and learners who behave disruptively (and possibly even bosses, colleagues or parents who behave disruptively too!).

Teachers already have lots of balls to juggle in the classroom: accuracy and fluency; the four skills; grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary; the coursebook and supplementary materials; maintaining motivation with the demands of a syllabus and exams; mixed-ability classes; group needs and individual needs; discipline issues and learners who behave disruptively (and possibly even bosses, colleagues or parents who behave disruptively too!).

In addition to all of this, we might or might not wonder from time to time whether we should be using a lexical syllabus or task-based learning, as we search desperately for the class CD and worry about how on earth we are going to get little Sam to the dentist on time.

 

Pointers

 

So are there any solutions? And if so, what are they? Well, I don't know that there are necessarily 'solutions', so much as other possible ways of thinking about things.

 

If you can begin to think differently  about something, you inevitably begin to feel differently about it and are also ableto do something different in relation to it.

So are there any solutions? And if so, what are they? Well, I don't know that there are necessarily 'solutions', so much as other possible ways of thinking about things.If you can begin to differently  about something, you inevitably begin to differently about it and are also ableto different in relation to it.

This is the NLP 'Mercedes' Model. It says that if you change any one of the three elements, then the other two will also change because, as part of the same system, they are all interconnected. Here are some ways of thinking that might be useful in helping you feel different and do something else.

 

Recognise just how much you are already doing.

 

Not just in terms of juggling all the things - and more - mentioned above, but notice as well how your classroom methodology already reflects many of the suggestions of different learning style theories. For example, when I first came across the NLP theory of sensory preferences, about 15 years ago, and became aware of the importance of teaching in a multi-sensory way (ie making sure that learners receive a variety of input through different channels: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic), I realised I was doing that anyway. And, like many other teachers and trainers, I had been doing it for years - for other reasons. The new framework was not superfluous, however. What it did was validate my classroom and training practice and reassure me that I was doing some good stuff. It added a new rationale and dimension to what I was doing, encouraging me to be more creative and take more risks in trying things out.

 

Observe points of overlap.

 

Ideas recur in the different theories, so begin by putting those ideas into practice. If I come across an idea just once, I may or may not take any notice of it, but if I encounter it (or something very similar) several times, coming from completely different sources, then it begins to have more credibility for me.

Ideas recur in the different theories, so begin by putting ideas into practice. If I come across an idea just once, I may or may not take any notice of it, but if I encounter it (or something very similar) several times, coming from completely different sources, then it begins to have more credibility for me.

I am certainly not an expert in all the different learning theories, but I have noticed one or two patterns that seem to crop up more frequently than others, and often enough to make me want to take action.

 

The person skills

 

One of these is the distinction that Howard Gardner makes in his Multiple Intelligences between intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. The second might be over-simply defined as good rapport skills coupled with a real need for, and enjoyment of, other people's company. The first is an enhanced ability for self-awareness and a need and pleasure in being alone. Well, these two intelligences together pretty much make up what Daniel Goleman calls 'Emotional Intelligence' and they are also quite close to the 'Extrovert/Introvert' dimensions in the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) which are to do with whether we tend to get our energy from other people or from within ourselves. In addition, intrapersonal and interpersonal tie in with several of the NLP metaprograms, most closely with our preferred style of working: co-operative (as an equal part of a team), proximity (as a leader of others) or independent (alone) and also with the proactive (go for it) / reactive (think about it) program.

One of these is the distinction that Howard Gardner makes in his Multiple Intelligences between inpersonal and inpersonal intelligence. The second might be over-simply defined as good rapport skills coupled with a real need for, and enjoyment of, other people's company. The first is an enhanced ability for self-awareness and a need and pleasure in being alone. Well, these two intelligences together pretty much make up what Daniel Goleman calls 'Emotional Intelligence' and they are also quite close to the 'Extrovert/Introvert' dimensions in the MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) which are to do with whether we tend to get our energy from other people or from within ourselves. In addition, intrapersonal and interpersonal tie in with several of the NLP metaprograms, most closely with our preferred style of working: (as an equal part of a team), (as a leader of others) or (alone) and also with the (go for it) / (think about it) program.

 

The intrapersonal/interpersonal distinction has implications for how we set up activities in class. We've become good over the years at organising learners into groups and pairs to collaborate on tasks, but now we find that some learners really value their privacy and space. I have personally experienced this need for a certain amount of 'independence' as a learner for years ('Oh no, please don't ask me to "share" with my neighbour again!'), but I always thought that everybody else must be quite happy. Apparently not.

 

Once you realise how important it is to ensure adequate provision for learners to reflect and work on their own as well as with each other, it isn't difficult to re-adjust. One thing you can easily do is give learners 'alone thinking time' before any interactive task: 'Before you begin to discuss this in your group, take two minutes to think about it on your own. Write notes if you want to.'

 

The 'K' factor

 

A second recurring theme in many of these theories is 'K': K for kinaesthetic in the NLP sensory preferences theory, B-K for bodily-kinaesthetic in Multiple Intelligences and K for kinesiology in educational kinesiology, more commonly known as brain gym. This also links in with movement as being an essential ingredient of brain-friendly teaching (see Mark Fletcher's article in Issue 1 of ETp) and with all the philosophies, ancient and modern (and including current stress management theory), that tell us that mind and body are connected and part of the same system.

 

A second recurring theme in many of these theories is 'K': K for in the NLP sensory preferences theory, B-K for in Multiple Intelligences and K for in educational kinesiology, more commonly known as . This also links in with movement as being an essential ingredient of brain-friendly teaching (see Mark Fletcher's article in Issue 1 of ET) and with all the philosophies, ancient and modern (and including current stress management theory), that tell us that mind and body are connected and part of the same system.

'Yes, we know all that,' I hear you cry. And are you actually applying that knowledge in the classroom? There are certainly lots of good reasons not to: K activities can be noisy, chaotic, timeconsuming, hard to find space for, perceived as childish, dismissed as trivial and so on. There are, however, many more good reasons to use them judiciously as part of your approach, not just at primary and secondary, but also at tertiary level. The overriding reason is that movement helps learners learn much better. Not just those groups of learners with a K or B-K preference, but all learners.

 

This doesn't mean you have to get learners leaping about with every single activity, but it could mean, if you're not already doing so, that you make sure you balance fairly static activities with more physical ones like roleplays, mingles, running dictations and so on. It could also mean that you 'punctuate' sedentary periods with opportunities to stand up and stretch, walk around or do exercises or brain gym. In order to get students to cooperate happily, it helps to tell them why (at any age) and also to ask them what benefits they notice themselves.

 

Aim long-term.

 

Think about what is ultimately important in order to begin thinking short-term. To do this is to put into practice Stephen Covey's second and third habits for highly effective people:

 

'Begin with the end in mind' and 'Putfirst things first.' Sometimes we're so busy day to day that it's hard to see the wood for the trees. Step back and ask yourself where you're heading with a particular class. What is your overall aim in teaching them? What is their overall aim in learning? If you haven't done this before, writing things down can often help clarify your thoughts.

 

Once you're clear about the long-term big picture, it becomes easier to select what is most useful to you in the short term in order to move in the right direction. Which, out of all the frameworks and ideas you're presented with, are the ones which are going to be the most helpful in achieving what you want in your teaching?

 

(These kinds of questions are, of course, hugely useful when applied to your own personal life - if you ever have a moment to sit down and reflect on them!)

 

Do it yourself.

 

Use the ideas first and foremost on yourself. Remember two things. The first thing is that none of these learning theories are absolute truths. They are possible models or ways of thinking which can be useful. The second thing is that these theories are talking about preferences rather than hard and fast categories fixed for all time. Their aim is not to pigeon-hole people, put us in boxes and label us, but to serve us as an evolutionary guide. Their chief usefulness is, in my opinion, to give us important conscious insights into how we tend to behave unconsciously, and to enable us to make changes if we wish to. All of the theories provide us with a profile of our own strengths and, by implication, our weaknesses. With this, we are not just able to play to our strengths more confidently, but we can also work on our weak areas. By doing so, we become more flexible and enrich our experience. And once we have used any theory in our own personal development, we are, anyway, in a far better position to apply it to the classroom.

 

In conclusion, don't despair about the wealth of ideas and advice out there. Be bold, turn it to your advantage. I was driving with my son, Max, yesterday and he asked me about the article I was writing. I gave him the gist and he said, 'That's Multi-Option Inertia, MOI.' 'Really?' I exclaimed. 'Is that a well known thing, then?' 'No,' he laughed. 'I just made it up.' But he got me wondering what an alternative to MOI might be. And suddenly, there it was in right front of me. The ROAD ahead!

 

Recognise just how much you are already doing.

Observe points of overlap.

Aim long-term.

Do it yourself.

 

About the author

Jane Revell is a well-known teacher, trainer and coursebook writer with over 30 years' experience in ELT.  She is also an NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer, a Myers Briggs assessor, co-author of In Your Hands and Handing Over and author of Success over Stress (all Saffire Press). She runs workshops all over the world and teaches English and runs NLP summer courses at her home in Brittany.

 

For subscription to Etp, please contact Mr. Wallace at mep@wallaceconsulting.com.ar  or visit: www.eltevents.com.ar  

 

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2.- THE END OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

 

 

English Next was commissioned by the British Council and written by researcher David Graddol - a British applied linguist, well known as a writer, broadcaster, researcher and consultant on issues relating to global English.

The report draws attention to the extraordinary speed of change to issues affecting English identified in the 1997 publication: The Future of English?

The new report argues that we are already in a very new kind of environment and a new phase in the global development of English. What are the new rules and who will be the winners and who will be the losers? In this new study David Graddol suggests some of the answers by analysing demographic and economic trends in the Twenty First-Century which affect Global English and language policies worldwide and will influence its future.

Read English Next (1.89MB - PDF) and find out why global English may mean the end of English as a foreign language. http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research-englishnext.htm?mtklink=learnng-research-english-next 

 

 

Which model?

LEARNING ENGLISH

 

There is no single way of teaching English, no single way of learning it, no single motive for doing so, no single syllabus or textbook, no single way of assessing proficiency and, indeed, no single variety of English which provides the target of learning. It is tempting, but unhelpful, to say there are as many combinations of these as there are learners and teachers. The proliferation of acronyms in ELT reflects this diversity of models.

By a 'model' I do not mean a particular variety of English - such as US or British

- though selection of a particular variety may play a role. By a 'model' of English I

mean a complex framework, which includes issues of methodology and variety, but goes

beyond these to include other dimensions of the context and practice of learning

English (see box, right).

 

It is becoming clear that these issues are not easily separable. The appropriateness

of content clearly depends on such things as the age of the learner and whether English is to be used primarily as a language of international communication or for survival communication with native speakers, perhaps whilst on holiday in the UK or some other English-speaking country.

This is why I have identified broad models which can be thought of as configurations

of the factors listed in the box.

There are many stakeholders involved in the teaching and learning process, each of

whom may have a different view. Learners, their families, teachers, governments,

employers, textbook publishers, examination providers - all now possess an interest

in the English language business.

There is, of course, a great deal of debate, often lively, about the best methods and

approaches for teaching English. But much of this debate is cast within only two

models: the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) and the teaching of English

as a second language (ESL).

 

The EFL Tradition

 

EFL, as we know it today, is a largely 19thcentury creation, though drawing on centuries

of experience in teaching the classical languages. EFL tends to highlight the importance of learning about the culture and society of native speakers; it stresses the centrality of methodology in discussions of effective learning; and emphasises the importance of emulating native speaker language behaviour.

 

EFL approaches, like all foreign languages teaching, positions the learner as an outsider,

as a foreigner; one who struggles to attain acceptance by the target community.

There is an extraordinary diversity in the ways in which English is taught and learned around the world, but some clear orthodoxies have arisen. 'English as a Foreign Language' has been a dominant one in the second half of the 20th century, but it seems to be giving way to a new orthodoxy, more suited to the realities of global English.

 

EFL approaches, like all foreign languages curriculums, position the learner as an outsider

The target language is always someone else's mother tongue. The learner is constructed

as a linguistic tourist - allowed to visit, but without rights of residence and

required always to respect the superior authority of native speakers.

 

 

What makes a model of ELT?

 

Each model may vary in terms of: What variety of English is regarded as authoritative?

Which language skills are most important (Reading? Speaking? Interpreting?)

What is regarded as a suitable level of proficiency? How and where will the language be used? Is the motive for learning largely 'instrumental' or also 'integrational'?

At what age should learning begin? What is the learning environment (Classroom

only? Family? Media? Community?) What are the appropriate content and materials for the learner? What will be the assessment criteria? What kind of exams?

 

Designed to Produce Failure

 

Modern foreign languages, English amongst them, have traditionally belonged to the

secondary school curriculum, with learners rarely starting study before the age of 11

or 12. They have focused on the language as a timetabled subject, with stress on such

things as grammatical accuracy, native speaker-like pronunciation, and literature.

When measured against the standard of a native speaker, few EFL learners will be

perfect. Within traditional EFL methodology there is an inbuilt ideological positioning of

the student as outsider and failure – however proficient they become.

Although EFL has become technologised, and has been transformed over the years

by communicative methods, these have led only to a modest improvement in attainment

by learners.

 

The model, in the totality of its pedagogic practices, may even have historically evolved to produce perceived failure.

Foreign languages, in many countries, were largely learned to display social position

and to indicate that your family was wealthy enough to have travelled to other countries.

Even if you do not accept the argument that the tradition is ideologically designed as a

gatekeeping device which will help the formation of elites, it is nevertheless true that

the practice of EFL can and does tolerate high levels of failure. In those countries

where passing English exams has been made a condition of promotion or graduation,

it has often led to considerable stress and resentment by learners, rather than

significantly enhanced levels of proficiency.

 

In recent years, several developments in the practice of ELT have started to take ELT

in new directions. The European 'language portfolio', for example, attempts to record

a learner's experience and achievement in non-traditional ways. The Common European

Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) which attempts to provide a uniform

approach to attainment levels across all languages, employs the concept of 'can do'

statements rather than focusing on aspects of failure. Such developments illustrate the

way that ELT practices are evolving to meet new social, political and economic expectations and I believe significantly depart from the traditional EFL model, even where that term is still employed.

 

English as a Second Language

 

In contrast to EFL, one of the defining features of teaching English as a second

language is that it recognises the role of English in the society in which it is taught.

Historically, there have been two major strands of development in ESL, both dating

from the 19th century.

The first kind of ESL arose from the needs of the British Empire to teach local

people sufficient English to allow the administration of large areas of the world

with a relatively small number of British civil servants and troops. The imperial strategy

typically involved the identification of an existing social elite who would be offered

a curriculum designed to cultivate not just language skills but also a taste for British

- and more generally western - culture and values. Literature became an important

strand in such a curriculum and a literary canon was created which taught Christian

values through English poetry and prose.

Such an approach to ESL helped widen existing divisions within colonial society through the means of English. In postcolonial contexts today, the use of English is still

often surrounded by complex cultural politics and it is proving surprisingly difficult to

broaden the social base of English speaking even where English is used as the language

of the educated middle classes. For many decades, no more than 5% of Indians, for

example, were estimated to speak English, even though it plays an important role in

Indian society.

 

In colonial times there was no strong need to impose a metropolitan spoken standard

and many local varieties of English emerged - the so-called 'New Englishes' - from

contact with local languages. Many new Englishes have since flourished, and have

developed literatures and even grammar books and dictionaries.

In ESL countries, children usually learn some English informally before they enter

school, so that the role of the classroom is often to extend their knowledge of the

language. Where there exists a local, vernacular variety of English, a major role of

the classroom is teaching learners a more formal and standard variety.

The ecology of English in such countries is a multilingual one where English is associated

with particular domains, functions and social elites. A related characteristic of ESL societies is code-switching: speakers will often switch between English and other

languages, even within a single sentence. Knowledge of code-switching norms is an essential part of communicative competence in such societies.

 

A quite different approach to ESL arose in the USA and, later, in countries such as

Canada, Australia and New Zealand where generations of immigrants had to be assimilated and equipped with a new national identity. In the UK, ESL did not become fully institutionalised until the 1960s. ESL is often nowadays referred to as ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

 

ESL in such contexts must also address issues of identity and bilingualism. Some

learners - even in the USA and the UK – will not be quite as immersed in an English speaking world as might be imagined.

Many live in ethnic communities in which many of the necessities of daily life can be

conducted within the community language.

Furthermore, in most such communities standard English is only one of the varieties

of English which learners need to command.

Often, there exist local as well as ethnic varieties of English - such as Indian or Jamaican English in London. In such communities, the communicative competence required by an ESL learner includes a knowledge of the community norms of code-switching.

The learning of English for ESL students is often a family matter, with different generations speaking with different levels of competence

- even different varieties of English

- and acting as interpreters as necessary for less-skilled family and community members.

Translation and interpreting are important skills for ESL users, though not always well

recognised by education providers.

Where ESL is taught to immigrants entering English-speaking countries it is not

surprising that a key component in the curriculum is often 'citizenship': ensuring that

learners are aware of the rights and obligations as permanent residents in English speaking countries. Citizenship rarely figured in the traditional EFL curriculum.

 

Global English brings New Approaches

 

EFL and ESL represent the twin traditions in ELT, both with roots in the 19th century.

It seems to me that in the last few years pedagogic practices have rapidly evolved

to meet the needs of the rather different world in which global English is learned

and used. In the next few pages, I discuss three new models of English which I believe

represent significant departures from both traditional EFL and ESL.

 

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL)

 

CLIL is an approach to bilingual education in which both curriculum content - such as Science or Geography – and English are taught together. It differs from simple English-medium education in that the learner is not necessarily expected to have the English proficiency required to cope with the subject before beginning study. Hence, it

is a means of teaching curriculum subjects through the medium of a language still being

learned, providing the necessary language support alongside the subject specialism.

CLIL can also be regarded the other way around - as a means of teaching English

through study of a specialist content.

 

CLIL arose from curriculum innovations in Finland, in the mid 1990s, and it has

been adopted in many European countries, mostly in connection with English. There is

no orthodoxy as to how, exactly, CLIL should be implemented and diverse practices have

evolved. CLIL is compatible with the idea of JIT education ('just in time' learning) and is

regarded by some of its practitioners as the  ultimate communicative methodology.

Teaching curriculum subjects through the medium of English means that teachers

must convey not only the subject content and disciplinary language but also the practical

problem-solving, negotiations, discussions and classroom management in ways that characterise disciplinary pedagogic practices. In that sense it differs from ESP.

In most cases, CLIL is used in secondary schools and relies on basic skills in English

being already taught at primary level.

 

CLIL changes the working relationships within schools, and requires a cultural change of a kind which is often difficult to bring about within educational institutions.

English teachers have to work closely with subject teachers to ensure that language

development is appropriately catered for and this implies making sufficient non-contact

time available for planning and review.

English teachers may largely lose their 'subject' as a timetabled space and may take on

a wider support and remedial role.

 

For these reasons, although CLIL seems now to be growing quite fast in some countries,

it is doing so organically rather than within 'top-down' reform programmes. CLIL is

difficult to implement unless the subject teachers are themselves bilingual.

When English is developed within a CLIL programme, assessment of English proficiency is made partly through subject assessment.

 

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has emerged as a significant curriculum trend in Europe. Similar approaches are now used, under different names, in many other countries.

An inexorable trend in the use of global English is that fewer interactions now involve a native-speaker. Proponents of teaching English as a lingua franca (ELF) suggest that the way English is taught and assessed should reflect the needs and aspirations of the ever-growing number of non-native speakers who use English to communicate with other non-natives.

 

Understanding how non-native speakers use English among themselves has now become a serious research area. The Vienna-Oxford International Corpus of English (VOICE) project, led by Barbara Seidlhofer, is creating a computer corpus of lingua franca interactions, which is intended to help linguists understand ELF better, and also provide support for the recognition of ELF users in the way English is taught.

Proponents of ELF have already given some indications of how they think coventional

approaches to EFL should be changed. Jenkins (2000), for example,argues for different priorities in teaching English pronunciation.

Teaching and learning English as a lingua franca (ELF) is probably the most radical and controversial approach to emerge in recent years. It squarely addresses some of the issues which global English raises.

 

English as a lingua franca (ELF)

 

Within ELF, intelligibility is of primary importance, rather than native-like accuracy.

Teaching certain pronunciation features, such as the articulation of 'th' as an interdental fricative, appears to be a waste of time whereas other common pronunciation problems (such as simplifying consonant clusters) contribute to problems of understanding.

 

Such an approach is allowing researchers to identify a 'Lingua Franca Core' (LFC) which provides guiding principles in creating syllabuses and assessment materials.

Unlike traditional EFL, ELF focuses also on pragmatic strategies required in intercultural

communication. The target model of English, within the ELF framework, is not a native speaker but a fluent bilingual speaker, who retains a national identity in terms of accent, and who also has the special skills required to negotiate understanding with another non-native speaker.

 

Research is also beginning to show how bad some native speakers are at using English for international communication. It may be that elements of an ELF syllabus could usefully be taught within a mother tongue curriculum.

ELF suggests a radical reappraisal of the way English is taught, and even if few adopt

ELF in its entirety, some of its ideas are likely to influence mainstream teaching and

assessment practices in the future.

 

© 2006 by The British Council

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3.- VOCABULARY ON THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP

 

Countdown to Copa 2006

By James Banner (MA, Dip TEFL)

For The British Council Brazil ELT Community

 

With the build up to Copa 2006 well underway and with just 47 days to go till the competition kicks off everyone`s starting to talk football.

Over the coming weeks James Banner and his son, Tim are going to bring us up-to-date on a bit of football banter - terms and expressions we may need to discuss the finer points of the `beautiful game` in English.

If you don`t have it in your diaries already, Brazil`s first game is 13 June against Croatia.

 

You might like to know that nearly everybody in the UK supports Brazil in the World Cup. Of course, the English would prefer to win but we are very good losers and the minute we are out of the cup most of us are relieved to be able to settle down, support Brazil and enjoy the rest of the show.

In July 2002, just after the last World Cup, Anna (Banna) and I took a group of 20 teachers from the British Council Parana project on a tour of London.

The teachers wore yellow t-shirts. We were all amazed by how many people shouted out "BRAZIL!" or "Well done Brazil!" as we walked past Buckingham Palace, the Mall, Trafalgar Square, Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare`s Globe, the London Eye and on to the Houses of Parliament.

 

At Westminster Abbey the security guard dashed up and said, "Well done girls! We wanted to win but when we lost, we wanted you to win!" We were so moved by this. So proud to be Brazilian and so proud to be British! (If anybody from the Parana group reads this, please send us an email to confirm my story).

 

So, this summer, you can expect the English (and some 66% of Scots and 80% of the Welsh, according to BBC research) to be fully behind the England team but you can bet, once England are out, nearly everybody will support Brazil!

Another certainty is that everybody will very soon be talking World Cup.

Football is now a leading cultural and intellectual activity among all classes and both sexes. I am amazed, for example, how even in the staffroom at Hilderstone College, teachers, both men and women, talk football at sophisticated, master-class levels.

 

The fact is that it is now not only cool to talk about football but it is intellectually and culturally respectable too: professional people, academics, church leaders and members of the Royal family are all likely to talk football.

 

Here in the UK, what was once a male, traditionally working-class, preserve has achieved a cultural status that cuts across class and gender divisions and that often puts literature, films, art, politics - even the weather - into second place as subjects of conversation and debate.

 

In preparation for the World Cup, I have asked my son, Tim, to help me identify some of the vital functions and notions to enable anyone to get started in talking football in English.

 

Talking about Positions

 

The positions of a football team fall into three fundamental categories:

defenders, midfielders and forwards. Included in the defenders is, of course, the

Goalkeeper.

 

These three categories are sufficient when speaking generally about football. However, in order to express true tactical knowledge it is necessary to know a little more. For example, what`s the difference between a right-midfielder and a right winger?

Should Sven, the English manager, stick with his midfield diamond?

These are all vital considerations for the football buff.

Here, and in the coming weeks, Tim and I will provide you with a brief guide to some of the important football terms to describe positions on the pitch:

 

1. Goalkeeper: Goalie or Keeper

2. Central Defender: Centre Back, Centre Half or Sweeper

3. Full Backs: Left / Right back or Wing backs

4. Central Midfielder: Centre Mid, the Anchor Man or Defensive midfielder

5. Left/Right Midfield: Winger - On the left / right etc

6. Forward: Centre Forward, Wing Forward or Striker

 

Some of the names for the positions in which players play can be specific either to a player`s style or to a tactical system. For example, a wing back is not the same as a full back.

 

They both play in the same position for their teams but wing back refers a specific style of play - attacking, like a winger - while a full back has a more defensive role.

 

The term `sweeper` refers both to a player`s role in a team (Ruud Gullit was a sweeper) and to the way the team plays as a whole (the Dutch team of `88 played a sweeper system).

A sweeper is a player who plays behind the two traditional centre backs and provides cover should they be beaten. A sweeper is also allowed to move freely around the pitch as a creative force (or playmaker) as he does not have an opposing player to mark. Good examples of the sweeper system are the legendary German and Dutch national sides of the late eighties.

 

It`s not easy to find an example of a contemporary team playing this way as it is currently fashionable for sides to play or spring the offside trap.

This is when the defending team purposefully moves forward with the intention of catching one of the attackers offside.

 

The rule determining what constitutes "offside" is so esoteric that we won`t attempt a definition here, except to say that generally an attacking player should always have an opposing player between him and the opposing goalkeeper before a ball is passed to him.

 

Then there is the utility player. This is the name given to a player who has the ability to play anywhere on the pitch. The former Barcelona player, Luis Enrique, is a classic example: a player who can play defence, midfield or attack as well as being able to play on both left and right equally well.

 

By the way, `play` in a football context is a very versatile verb. For example:

`Kaka played (passed) the ball to Robinho.`

`If he played (touched) the ball then it wasn`t a foul.`

`Roberto Carlos clearly played (put) Henry onside.`

In each of these cases the verb in brackets could have been used. However, the use of "played" shows that the speaker is a master football talker, at ease with the topic.

 

James Banner (MA, Dip TEFL) is Director of Marketing and of External Courses at Hilderstone College, Broadstairs, UK. He directed the Cambridge/RSA DipTFLA programme which Hilderstone College piloted in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh and a Certificate programme in ELT with Kent Adult Education and the University of Kent. He has taught and lectured for schools, universities and the British Council in Brazil, Turkey, Dubai, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland.

 

A version of this article was first published on www.youandmelink.com  website.

April 23 2006

Problems with the vocabulary in this text? Try our double-click dictionary.

http://www.britishcouncil.org.br/elt/novidades.asp?index=1

 

© British Council Brazil ELT Community April update at www.britishcouncil.org.br/elt

 

 

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4.- A MESSAGE FROM PHILIP PROWSE

 

Our dear SHARER Philip Prowse writes to all of us:

 

Hi Omar
Nice new issue and Easter card - many thanks.
Could you possibly include this in the next edition of SHARE? It's a really good chance for students and teachers to get excited about reading and get involved in voting for the winners.
Many thanks as always
Philip


2006 Extensive Reading Foundation (ERF) Language Learner Literature Award.

At the IATEFL Conference in Harrogate UK on April 10, Alan Maley announced the finalist books for the 2006 Extensive Reading Foundation (ERF) Language Learner Literature Award.  From new graded readers nominated by publishers, the ERF's international award jury chose six finalist books--three books for Adolescents & Adults, and three for Young Learners. They are:

Young Learners
The Slippery Planet by Rosemary Hayes (Cambridge Storybooks Level 4)
The Special Cake by June Crebbin (Cambridge Storybooks Level 4)
Thumbelina retold by Sue Arengo (Oxford Classic Tales Beginner 2)

Adolescents & Adults
The Amazon Rain Forest  by Bernard Smith  (Penguin Readers, Elementary, Level 2)
Ned Kelly: a True Story by Christine Lindop (Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 1)
Within High Fences by Penny Hancock (Cambridge English Readers Level 2)

Now the fun begins.  Teachers can use the award to raise enthusiasm for reading in English among their students--by inviting as many of them as possible to read, vote for and comment on the finalist books over the next few months.  It could be a class project, with all the students choosing one favourite, or each student can vote individually.

Voting is on the Extensive Reading Foundation website: http://www.erfoundation.org/
Click on the banner headline "Obtain Books and Vote for the 2006 LLL Awards Now!"

In past years, some people have had difficulty buying the newly-published finalist books in time to vote, so this year the voting page has a link to an independent bookshop where you can buy the books online.
Voting closes on July 14, 2006.  The jury will take into account votes and voter

comments from around the world in order to pick a winner in each  category, to be announced on the ERF site.
  

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5.- DR LYNNE DIAZ-RICO AT THE BUENOS AIRES BOOK FAIR

 

Our dear SHARER Noris Zerdá from the Public Affairs Section of the American Embassy in Buenos Aires has an invitation to make:

 

9º Ciclo Internacional de Enseñanza de Lenguas Extranjeras

Feria del Libro "Enseñar lenguas hoy: desafíos y propuestas" - 3 y 4 de mayo de 2006

 

Miércoles 3 de mayo - 9:00 Acto de Inauguración. 

9:30/12:30   Encuentros y Mesa Redonda: Desafíos que presenta la lengua para los Niños, Adolescentes  y Adultos.

 

12:45/13:30  Conferencia: "Seven Billion Languages-Inter languages and Individual Learners" by Dr. Lynne Diaz-Rico, California State University, San Bernardino - USA

(Sala José Hernández) Presenta: Vivian Morghen, ICANA

 

13:30 a 14:15 Receso 

Las jornadas se retoman después del receso y continúan el Jueves 4 de Mayo

Información sobre el programa:

http://www.el-libro.com.ar/32feria/educacion/html/9ciclo_lenguas_ext

 

Inscripción previa e Informes: Fundación El Libro

Hipólito Yrigoyen 1628, 5º Piso - C1089AAF Buenos Aires

Tel: (54-11) 4374-3288 - Fax: (54-11) 4375-0268

Horario de atención: lunes a viernes de 9:00 a 17:00

E-Mail: educacion@el-libro.com.ar 

 

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6.- ACPI COURSE ON READING COMPREHENSION

Our dear SHARER Marcela Ramos invites all SHARERS to:

Asociación Cordobesa de Profesores de Inglés

2006 professional development courses

 

 

Reading Comprehension

Strategies, guidelines for material design and an introduction to technology-based reading comprehension materials

 

Lecturers:

 

Marcela Viviana Ramos holds an MA in TEFL from the University of North London, England and has specialised in the use of technology in language teaching environments. She has also published articles on the implementation of the NTIC in education. As the academic coordinator at IUA Idiomas from the Instituto Universitario Aeronáutico, Marcela is in charge of the management of the virtual campus for language courses.

 

Juan O. Díaz is a teacher of English Language Literature and an English translator, and has completed the Master's Degree Program in Applied Linguistics at Facultad de Lenguas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. He has specialised in Reading Comprehension and Material Design for ESP courses. He is also a teacher of Language and Linguistics at Universidad Siglo 21, and a material designer for distance education at Instituto Universitario Aeronáutico.

 

Sessions:

 

Friday, May 5 -              5:00 pm - 9:00pm

Saturday, May 6 -           9:30 am - 1:30 pm (Break) 2:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Friday, May 12               2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Saturday, May 13            9:30 pm - 1:30 pm

 

This seminar has been approved for 20 clock hours of credit by Red Provincial de Formación Docente Continua. Credit certificates will be issued upon successful completion of the evaluation. Non-credit certificates of attendance will be issued to all attendees.

 

Fee: Non-members: $60 - Students: $30

Members: $20 (membership dues must be paid by April 30)

Venue: Asociación Argentina de Cultura Británica - Av. Hipólito Irigoyen 495 - Córdoba

Registration: Librería Blackpool - Dean Funes 395 - Tel. 4237172 - Córdoba

 

Contact us: info@acpi.org.ar

 

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7.- SEMINAR ON LITERATURE IN THE ELT CLASS AND LITERATURE IN HIGHER 

     EDUCATION

 

Our dear SHARER Martha Ortigueira has sent us this information:

 

Departamento De Lenguas

Facultad De Filosofía Y Letras - Universidad Católica Argentina

 

II Jornada de Actualización para Profesores

"Literature in the ELT Class and Literature in Higher Education"

 

May 4th 2006

17.30 hs. - Registration

18 a 19.00 hs. - Literature in the ELT Class

a)        Why Literature in the ELT Class?

b)        Materials Design and Lesson Planning

c)        Workshop: Working on a Literary Text

 

Literature lets life into the classroom. One reads and listens to stories; one learns the secrets of language while watching human behaviour; one shares and discusses views, in short, one has one's share of pleasure and growth at an aesthetic, linguistic and personal level.

 

Speakers: Profesoras Graciela Presedo /  Ma. Constanza Escurra/ Lidia Adaglio

19.00 a 19.10 hs.- Break

19.10 a 20.30 hs.- Literature in Higher Education

a)         An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Teaching/Learning Process in Higher

       Education: Introduction to the subject and workshop

b)         Poster Presentation

 

'al ser la verdad sinfónica es menester practicar el diálogo interdisciplinario'

Mons. Zecca, Revista UCA, 2da.Quincena , Nov '05

 

An interdisciplinary approach presupposes the joint efforts of at least two different specialists bringing together their expertise to work on a common target so that a given subject may be covered with maximum effect in a minimum period of time. It is therefore particularly well-suited to short-term courses.

 

Speakers/ Expositores: Profesoras Malvina Aparicio / Susana Biasi

Certificates of Attendance

Aranceles:     $15...........................público en general

$12...........................profesores y graduados U.C.A

$10.......................... alumnos U.C.A.

 

              

Informes e inscripción:   Los participantes deberán inscribirse previamente en  la oficina de Extensión y Posgrado de Facultad de Filosofía y Letras:

Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1500, 1er piso (Ed. San Alberto Magno) en el horario de 12 a 14/ 16.30 a 18.30 - Srta.Julia San Martín - julia_sanmarting@uca.edu.ar 

4338-0789.                                            

 

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8.- TEACHER UPDATE COURSES AT ASOCIACIÓN EX-ALUMNOS LENGUAS VIVAS

 

Our dear SHARER Leonor Cozzolino wants to invite us all these two courses with puntaje by DIEGEP

 

Welcome to an insightful and stimulating experience!

 

A Critical Approach to Global Issues          

Tutor: Susan Hillyard

A reflective course dealing with current concerns such as human rights, peace and  conflict, the environment, global warming, species in danger and genetically modified organisms. These issues will be raised through recent films, video clips, protest songs, and news reports.

The course, aimed at developing thinking skills and promoting intercultural communication, leads to advanced presentation skills and argumentative writing skills.

Students will be strongly encouraged to participate through activities integrating art, music, DVD, discussions, debates and games.

 

 

Schedule: April 29 - May 20 - June 24 - Aug 5 - Sept 9 - Oct 14

Time: Saturdays from 9:00 to 12:00

Venue: Asociación Ex Alumnos del Profesorado en Lenguas Vivas 'Juan R. Fernández', Paraguay 1935, Capital.

Monthly Fees:$45,-

 

Creativity in ELT

Tutor: Susan Hillyard

An experiental course intended for in-service teachers who wish to enhance their teaching of English as a foreign or second language through developing a more creative classroom. It will define creative thinking and examine myths about creativity in order to rediscover each individual's creative skills. There will be set readings and homework in the shape of building a small portfolio of activities and doing a small scale action research in the classroom.

 

Schedule: April 29 - May 20 - June 24 - Aug 5 - Sept 9 - Oct 14

Time: Saturdays from 13:00 to 17:00 p.m.

Venue: Asociación Ex Alumnos del Profesorado en Lenguas Vivas 'Juan R. Fernández', Paraguay 1935, Capital.

Monthly Fees:$55,-

 

Registration for both courses: 4814-0545 (from 10:00 to 6:00) Sofía or Gloria alumnoslibres@sion.com

 

Certificates from DIGEP. Those participants who enroll in both courses pay only $80,-

Consult about special discounts for advance payment for the first quarter!

 

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9.-    THE BUENOS AIRES PLAYERS ON TOUR IN MAR DEL PLATA

       

Our dear SHARERS from ELT Consultancy have sent us this announcement:

 

The Buenos Aires Players" theatre company will be on tour in Mar del Plata on 31st May  organized by  ELTeam Consultancy. Don't miss this unique opportunity to treat your students to this magical educational experience.

"The Buenos Aires Players" is a pioneer theatre company committed to creating outstanding educational theatre in English as a second language and offering the audience the play that suits them best taking into account their interests and level of English acquired. The company was founded by Celia Zubiri and Liliana Riera in 1992 and since then it has gained a reputation of excellence.

 

ELTeam consultancy is proud to announce themselves as official representatives in Mar del Plata and surrounding districts.

 

Venue: Nuevo Teatro Güemes (Ex La Subasta) - 2955 Güemes Rd. Mar del Plata

 

Plays 2006

9.00 am: "Pandora's Box"  (EGB 2 and EGB 3)

11.00 am: "Dead Buddies" (EBG 3 and Polimodal)

14.00 pm: "The Sleeping Princess" (EGB 1 and EGB 2)

16.00 pm: "Dead Buddies" (EGB 3 and Polimodal)

 

(Ticket price $8)

 

18.30 pm: "Taming Caterina" based on "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. (For Teachers, Teachers To-Be, Coordinators, Adults, Advanced Students)

 

(Ticket price: $12)

(Elteamembers, Students attending  "Profesorados" $10)

 

Booking Deadline: 10 May to 0223 494.0396 (Mr. Sergio Morale) or 475.8631 (ELTeam)

or write to  rep1_elteam@yahoo.com.ar

 

Contact us for further information on the plays. Free Educational CD Rom  (once you have made your reservations) Photos, synopsis, songs and activities of each play. Download: www.thebsasplayers.com . Due to the extraordinary demand for performances and as we are generally sold out, we highly advise to book the approximate number of seats in advance. We want to optimize organization and your students' safety.

 

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10.-      CURSO DE POSGRADO POR LA DRA. EMILIA FERREIRO

 

Curso de Posgrado: El Proceso De Alfabetización: Perspectivas Psicolingüísticas y Psicogenéticas

 

 

 

 

Será dictado por la Dra. Emilia Ferreiro, por invitación del Departamento de Ciencias de la Educación de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires

Características: el curso se desarrollará en cinco encuentros que tendrán lugar durante la segunda quincena del próximo mes de mayo, los días lunes 15, miércoles 17, jueves 18, lunes 22 y miércoles 24 de mayo de 2006

Horario de los encuentros: de 17 a 20 horas

 

Inscripción: la inscripción debe hacerse en la Dirección de Postgrado de la Facultad: Puán 430, Planta Baja. Ciudad de Buenos Aires. El horario de inscripción es de 12 a 15 horas.

 

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11.-   ONLINE COURSES FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

 

Our dear SHARER Susana Trabaldo has sent us this announcement:

 

Course: Portfolio Assessment

Tutor: Liliana B. Luna, Viviana L. Pisani

Starting date: May 10th - Duration: 5 weeks  

Further information: http://www.net-learning.com.ar/cursos/pa.htm

Fee: AR$ 190 (Argentina) - US$ 100 (Latin America) - US$ 320 (other countries)

Discount on early enrolment: 10% (till MAY 3)       

Certified by Asociación de Ex Alumnos del Lenguas Vivas

 

Course: How To Use Video Technology In The ESL/EFL Class

Tutor: Mónica Aparicio

Starting date: May 11th - Duration: 5 weeks  

 

Further information: http://www.net-learning.com.ar/cursos/video-efl.htm

Fee: AR$ 190 (Argentina) - US$ 100 (Latin America) - US$ 320 (other countries)

Discount on early enrolment: 10% (till MAY 4)       

Certified by Asociación de Ex Alumnos del Lenguas Vivas

 

Further information: info@net-learning.com.ar  or www.net-learning.com.ar

 

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12.-      A LETTER FROM ACTORS REPERTORY THEATRE

 

 

Dear SHARERS,

 

We are pleased to inform  you of our next production, which we are sure will be of interest to you and your students.

By means of a collage of scenes depicting the first theatrical production (done by the transported convicts) in Australia, Our Country´s Good, an award winning play by Timberlake Wertenbaker,  mixes humour, drama, ideas and romances, and touches on the essence of humanity and art for all us.

Our Country´s Good deals with an historical fact of the English civilization and language. It also deals with the value of theatre and culture on a universal level, and how people are changed and improved through the contact with art in any of its manifestations.  

Our Country´s Good  won the Laurence Olivier Prize for best new play in 1988, the New York Theatre Critics award for Best Foreign Play in 1991,  and was nominated for six  Broadway Tony awards in 1991.

 

We hope you can join us.

Sincerely,

Hugo Halbrich

Director, Actors Repertory Theatre.

 

The Award Winning Play

Our Country´s Good

By Timberlake Wertenbaker

 

Opening April 20th.  Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9pm.  Closes June 3.

Performances at 9pm.  At the British Arts Center, Suipacha 1333, Capital. Reservations:  4393-6941

 

Synopsis

In 1788 the First Convict Fleet arrives in what is now Sydney, Australia, carrying a group of 800 undesirables from Britain and her colonies -The first fleet Convicts comprised people from Madagascar, the West Indies, Holland, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden , Norway, Bengal along with the Scottish, Welsh, Irish and English.  Under the leadership of Lieutenant Ralph Clark, with the approval of Captain Governor Arthur Phillip and against the wishes of the military commanders of the expedition, this motley crew stages the first play to be put on in Australia.  Our Country´s Good tells the story of how this production took place, of the love affairs, hangings, escapes and nightmares that had to be endured till the play opened.  It has brilliant characters, contemporary staging, raucous humour and presents a passionate commitment to the value of  the theatrical experience for audience and actors.

 

1.An award winning play:  

Laurence Olivier Award  for Play of the Year (1988),  New York Drama Critics Award  (1991)  6 Tony nominations  (1991)

 

2. Great Educational Value:    

The New York Times said: ''Our Country's Good'' becomes a backstage play with a social conscience, demonstrating the redemptive power of theater and of education. While making political points, Ms. Wertenbaker underlines the humanity of her characters and the grotesque humor that is so endemic to their daily existence"

The Los Angeles Times said: "the play functions both as sweeping historical drama and as a frequently moving allegory about the redemptive power of the theatre".

 

3.   Historical Fact:

"Our Country´s Good" is based on a documented, true event: the performance of the first play ever done in Australia by the convicts of the prison colony established in Botany Bay (Sydney)  in 1789.

 

Cast  (Alphabetical order)

 

 

Sebastián Esposti, Mariela Fernandez, Edward Green, Valeria Hahn, Guillermo Jauregui, Melanie Lenoir, Chris Longo, Harry Brewer, Maite Nuñez, Dan Trugman. Alicia Vidal and (voice) Kevin Schiele

 

Director: Hugo Halbrich  Assistant Director:  Ana O`Toole  Stage Design:   Camila Olivero, Sol Millan   Costumes: Mabel Falcone  Wigs: Roberto Mohr,  Costume Assistant:  Julie Pinsent, Light Design:  Hugo Halbrich,  Sound design:  Edward Green,  Poster, Program Design: Juliana Green Lights Operator: Daniel Campoya,  Sound Operator: Guadalupe Allemand, Subtitles Operator: Cecilia Fontana

 

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13.-  WORKSHOPS AND LECTURE ON TESTING

 

Our dear SHARER Paola Danesi from London Exams announces:

 

Workshop A - Examiner Training for the Oral Component of Certificate of Attainment

Glyn Jones will focus on:

* the roles of the assessor and the interviewer.

* how to be a successful assessor and interviewer.

* the new assessment criteria for the oral.

* practice assessing with recorded examples and live students.

 

Dates & Venues

 

Ciudad de Buenos Aires

 

Venue:                Leeds School of English - Zabala 1686, Capital

Dates:                 Monday 8, May from 11.15-13.30 OR  from 7.00-9.00 pm

Friday 12, May, from 9.00 to12.00 am 

Tuesday 16, May, from 9.00 to12.00 am

Enrolment:            londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Zona Norte

Venue:                Colegio Santa Teresita - Urquiza 2050, Florida

Date:                  Monday 15 May from 5 to 7 pm

Enrolment:            londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Zona Sur

Venue:                ENSPA - Belgrano 355, Avellaneda

Date:                  Wednesday 10, May, from 4 to 6 pm

Enrolment:            londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Rosario

Venue:                Colegio del Sol - Av Francia 1045/57, Rosario

Date:                  Tuesday 9, May, from 2 to 4 pm

Enrolment:            belc@arnet.com.ar  or at londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Resistencia

Venue:                Depto de Idiomas, Sec. de Extensión Universitaria                 

                        Juan B. Justo 354 Aula 1, Planta Baja, Resistencia

Date:                  Thursday 11, May, from 2 to 4 pm

Enrolment:            rmedina@unne.edu.ar  or at londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Comodoro Rivadavia

Venue:                 CELI - Ameghino 1030, Comodoro Rivadavia

Date:                  Saturday 13, May, from 3 to 5 pm

Enrolment:            celiacademica@speedy.com.ar  or londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Salta

Venue:                IEI - Pasaje Zorrilla 239, Salta   

Date:                  Wednesday 17, May, from 2 to 4 pm

Enrolment:            ieisalta@yahoo.com.ar  or at londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

 

 

Workshop B- Assessing Written Skills

 

In this workshop Glyn Jones will:

* analyze common errors of Argentinian candidates.

* explain the assessment criteria for the written part  of the exam.

* offer suggestions on how to overcome candidates' weaknesses. 

 

Dates & Venues

 

Venues:                Colegio San Martin de Tours - Ortiz de Ocampo 2840, Capital

Date:                  Friday 12, May, from 5 to 6 pm

Enrolment:            londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Comodoro Rivadavia

Venue:                CELI - Ameghino 1030

Date:                  Saturday 13, May, from 5.30 to 7.00 pm

Enrolment:            celiacademica@speedy.com.ar

 

Salta

Venue:                IEI -Pasaje Zorrilla 239, Salta    

Date:                  Wednesday 17, May, from 10:30  to 12:00 pm

Enrolment:            ieisalta@yahoo.com.ar  or at  londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Lecture: Reflections on Language Testing - Exams are good for you - True or False?

 

If you think that testing is a vital part of the learning-teaching process,

If you believe that tests can help you motivate your students,

If you see testing as a reliable source of feedback,

don't miss Glyn Jones' talk on Successful Testing.

 

Glyn Jones, Pearson Language Assessments Development Manager, will focus on

- the features which make a good exam

- the washback effect which exams can have on teaching

- some ways in which teachers can make exam preparation a stimulating and rewarding activity.

 

This event is free of charge but enrolment is essential. Book your place today at londontests@ciudad.com.ar

 

Dates & Venues

 

Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Colegio San Martin de Tours - Ortiz de Ocampo 2840- Friday 12, May, from 6.30 to 8.00 pm

 

Zona Norte

Colegio Santa Teresita - Urquiza 2050,Florida - Monday 15, May, from 7.30 to 9.00 pm

 

Zona Sur

ENSPA - Belgrano 355, Avellaneda - Wednesday 10, May, from 6.30 to 8.30 pm     

 

Resistencia

Centro Cultural Nordeste -Arturo Illia 350 – Thursday 11, May, from 5 to 7 pm

 

Rosario

Colegio San Bartolomé - Tucumán 1257 - Tuesday 9, May, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm

 

Salta

Camara de Comercio e Industria de Salta - España 339 – Wednesday 17, May, from 4.30 to 6.30 pm

 

Comodoro Rivadavia

SCPL - San Martin 1641- Saturday 13, May, from 10 to 12 am

 

 

 

 

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14.- TEA AND READING WITH THE SUBURBAN PLAYERS

Our dear SHARERS at The Suburban Players have got an invitation for us all:

Come and join us for a nice cup of tea, home-made cakes and a surprise play reading on

Sunday, May 7th - at 5 p.m. at The Playhouse - Moreno 80, San Isidro

 

Cast

Isabella Entwistle

Bernie Hill

Direction: July Banner

 

Admittance: $15 - Make your reservation at: Tel: 4747-4470 –

e-mail: reservations@thesuburbanplayers.com

or reserve online at www.thesuburbanplayers.com/reservations

 

 

 

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15.- ANNUAL APPI CONGRESS OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

 

Our dear SHARER Maria Luisa Bru, President of Asocación Peruana de Profesores de Inglés, has sent us this invitation:

 

Dear colleagues

 

APPI (Asociacion Peruana de Profesores de Ingles) cordially reminds you that we are holding our 11th International Annual APPI Congress of Teachers of English “Paths and Goals in ELT: Where are we heading for?” in Colegio Peruano Británico, (Av. Vía Láctea # 445, Monterrico – Surco) Lima, Perú on July 21-22, 2006.

 

 We would like you to take advantage of our special discounts for early registration and group registrations 225-7003, sending an e-mail to appi@telefonica.net.pe  or at Calle Leonardo Da Vinci 307 San Borja (Alt. 24 y 25 Av. Aviación).

 

Looking forward to hearing from you

 

Maria Luisa Bru

APPI President

 

Fee: Includes all academics material, lunch break, surprises and raffles.

VAT (IGV) is not included.

Discounts for groups of 5: S/. 50.00  each person (until June 3rd)

Early Registration until May 31st Fee: members S/.60.00    Non-members: S/.70.00

Late Registration until June 26th Fee: members S/.70.00    Non-members: S/.75.00

Banco Continental M.N. 0011-0190-60-0200134286

(Provide your full name and exchange the voucher upon Registration)                                                      

 

 

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16- NEWS FROM THE HOPKINS CREATIVE LANGUAGE LAB

 

Our dear SHARERS Alfred Hopkins has written to us:

 

The Hopkins Creative Language Lab

invites teachers, advanced students, actors and storytellers to an applied drama and storytelling class at 2p.m. April 22nd at Salta 745/55, Buenos Aires City.

 

The classes will then continue at the same time and place. The cost: $80 pesos per month..

 

This year there will be three modules:

 

1) >From April to June: Reading, discussion and application of theatrical technique developed by directors from the Greeks to the present. Work with masks, breathing and voice drills and games aimed at "finding your voice."

 

2) >From June to September: improvisation, role-play, characterization, use of body, space and energy and the creation of stories and dramatic sequences.

 

3) >From September through December: the actor in confrontation with the word and the staging of stories, poems, monologues and short plays.

 

All three modules will stress the need to develop the body and the voice as a tool for expression, in the context of discussion and application of different acting techniques directed towards liberating creativity.

 

The only requirement is an adequate command of spoken English, although any experience in acting, dancing, singing, painting or other expressive activities will certainly help.

 

For more information those interested may call Alfred Hopkins at 15 62 52 10 28 or 4334 1561. - e-mail: alfshopkins@yahoo.com.ar  

Additional information has been posted on our page: http://www.a-hopkins.com 

 

Don't forget to check out "The Buenos Aires Voz Journal" at http://www.aglat.com/voz 

for interviews, news comentaries, stories and...

 

 

 

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17.- POSTERGAN LAS FECHAS DE LAS VACACIONES DE INVIERNO

 

LA NACIÓN y PÁGINA 12

La ciudad y la provincia de Buenos Aires postergaron dos semanas las fechas del receso escolar de invierno, que ahora será desde el lunes 24 de julio y hasta el viernes 4 de agosto, de acuerdo con una resolución aprobada por el Consejo Federal de Educación, que reúne a los ministros del área de todo el país.

De esta forma, los alumnos y docentes de ambas jurisdicciones comenzarán las vacaciones de invierno catorce días después de la fecha prevista en un principio -y anunciada a comienzos de este año-, que fijaba el período entre el 10 y el 21 de julio.

También el Ministerio de Educación de la Nación dio a conocer ayer las fechas acordadas con las demás jurisdicciones del país. Quince provincias, entre las que están Córdoba, Corrientes, Chubut, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe y Tucumán, acordaron el receso invernal para la segunda y tercera semana de julio, entre el 10 y el 21.

Por su parte, las provincias de Catamarca, Chaco, Neuquén, Río Negro, Salta, Santiago del Estero y Tierra del Fuego tendrán sus vacaciones escolares entre el 17 y el 28 de julio, es decir, en la tercera y cuarta semana de ese mes.

"Tuvimos una reunión el jueves pasado y se pidió reconsiderar las fechas del receso invernal porque el primer período resultaba más corto que el segundo. De esta forma se equilibran más. Y la ciudad y la provincia de Buenos Aires decidieron trasladar las vacaciones hacia el final para no coincidir con las otras jurisdicciones", explicó el profesor Domingo de Cara, secretario ejecutivo del Consejo Federal de Educación, al justificar los cambios.
 
"Se decidió hacer una nueva consulta entre todos los ministros porque no estaba del todo claro la fecha en algunas provincias. La mayoría de las jurisdicciones tendrán el receso en la segunda y tercera semana y por eso nosotros y la provincia de Buenos Aires tomaremos la cuarta semana de julio y la primera de agosto", indicó Alberto Sileoni, ministro de Educación porteño.

 

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We would like to finish this issue of SHARE with a note that one of our dear SHARERS Ana Lía Cabrera ana-cab@arnet.com.ar sent us to celebrate our 10,000 subscribers. Ana Lía has been an inexhaustible source of support all through these years and, that is why we chose her note to represent all our SHARERS on this occasion.

Dear Omar and Marina,

I´m very glad to SHARE the news. I´ve been reading SHARE for many years (in fact it´s been with me trough thick and thin) and have witnessed your hard work and dedication. You really deserve the success.

Congratulations and keep it up!

A big kiss,

Ana Lía

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK

Omar and Marina.

 

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE : http://www.ShareEducation.com.ar There you can read all past  issues of SHARE in the section SHARE ARCHIVES.