Aims

The students are encouraged to reflect on the place to be given to vocabulary and grammar study in skill-centered activities. They should be able to analyze recent manuals and to develop skill-centered teaching/learning sequences paying particular attention to efficient lexical and grammatical exercises.
They should also be able to devise adequate skill-centered methods of testing which integrate linguistic elements harmoniously.

Main themes

Critical study of some aspects of English as a foreign language : micro-teaching; use of video; educational software; creative teaching techniques; English for specific purposes; etc.

Content and teaching methods

After an introductory discussion of the objectives of the seminar, we will discuss promoting learner autonomy and developing skill-centered activities that take into account learning styles. The students will present activities around different aspects of the learning of English as a foreign language. Each meeting will consist in the presentation by a group of two to three students of a teaching-learning sequence, of a series of manuals, of creative language teaching activities, of international tests, of educational software or of multimedia materials, which will then be discussed.

The students will be given a short bibliography and grids. Once the students have chosen and prepared their subjects, they will meet the person in charge to narrow down the subject and to discuss the way in which the presentation will take place. The audiovisual room where the seminar takes place is adequately equipped.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisites : The seminar will enlarge upon aspects touched on in general didactics (general didactics of Germanic languages and English teaching methodology).

Evaluation : The oral presentation during the seminar is worth half the marks. For the oral examination the students may present a personal essay related to one of the subjects treated during the seminar. They may do so individually or in groups. They may also describe aspects of their teaching practice showing how they have tried to apply the principles and techniques discussed during the seminar. The final marks will also reflect the students' fluency in English.

Teaching materials : The students will be given a short bibliography and grids. Once the students have chosen and prepared their subjects, they will meet the person in charge to narrow down the subject and to discuss the way in which the presentation will take place. The audio-visual room where the seminar takes place is adequately equipped.

Ideally, the groups should not be larger than 20 students.

Others : The seminar takes place in the Audiovisual room, Collège Mercier.

Other credits in programs