TESOL Macedonia Thrace 2015 Pecha Kucha

Yes, we did it again!

PK Evening: the time when the TESOL MTh podium is reserved for the brave ;)

Congratulations to our PK presenters:

Using Interactive Whiteboards to Motivate Learners in English Language Teaching by Iakovos Delatolas-Saveris - Report

It goes without saying that many conditions are needed to learn a second language (L2) successfully, but most teachers and researchers would agree that motivation is one of the key factors that determine learning achievement. Interactive whiteboards are becoming more prolific in EFL classrooms around Greece and have the potential to have a significant impact on pedagogy. 

In his presentation Jake Delatolas-Saveris shared the results of his M.Ed. research in which he explores EFL teachers’ use of interactive whiteboards to motivate learners in English language teaching in Greece. A self-completion questionnaire had been designed, which allowed the researcher to gather data in field settings from 126 EFL teachers from various parts of Greece. The data collected were analyzed employing the IBM SPSS statistics 21 software.

According to the quantitative analysis of the questionnaires, the use of IWBs enhances motivation in the EFL classroom in line with the framework for motivational strategies proposed by Dörnyei (2001). 

Regarding creating basic motivational conditions, IWBs increase learners’ interest in class by making learning enjoyable and creating a supportive classroom climate. Moreover, IWBs reduce classroom anxiety as they render learning content less stressful and help learners learn in groups. 

With reference to generating initial motivation, IWBs whet learners’ anticipation of tasks since they make the content more visual and they make tasks more interesting by including novel elements. Besides, IWBs make learners acquire knowledge faster and make learning stimulating by requiring mental and bodily involvement. 

As far as maintaining and protecting motivation is concerned, IWBs create situations in which learners show their particular strengths and motivate hard-to-reach learners by giving them the feeling of making a useful contribution. Besides, IWBs relate the content of tasks to the learners’ interests and promote learner autonomy. 

Finally, as regards encouraging positive retrospective self-evaluation, IWBs not only help learners remember what they learn in class, but also increase learner satisfaction. In addition, learners are encouraged to try harder by being offered encouraging feedback through self-correction.

The researcher concluded his presentation by stating that technology in the hands of educators who have obvious pedagogic and learning aims can be a powerful ally in motivating learners and opening windows on the world of knowledge. Conversely, in the hands of teachers with a blurred idea of what their learners need to achieve, the use of technology can lead to a waste of time and effort in class. Educational technology can be an ideal vehicle to help learners develop their 21st century skills, such as creative and critical thinking skills, in the most enjoyable and productive way.

Changing the World Through New Leadership Skills by Dagmara Mathes-Sobocinska - Report

According to Dagmara Mathes-Sobocinska, English lessons should be more fun. Teaching proper grammar and preparing for exams is no longer good enough. Children do not have to feel the pressure of their parents in order to learn. They can actually enjoy learning and Dagmara explained to us how we can make it happen.

During her presentation delivered within the scope of the 22nd TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Annual International Convention with the title "Back to Basics", Dagmara talked about one of our most basic and inherent needs - the need to play. This is the philosophy behind Better Leaders Academy, the place where students learn English actively though games and role-play, instead of studying from the coursebook.

Dagmara is an advocate of using English as a tool, as a means, to teach emotional intelligence, leadership skills, good listening and speaking practices, rather than as an end in itself. All this is done through gamification.

Students love games because they are fun, they create suspense, and they help us relax. In terms of English language competence, playing games helps us develop the skill of communication.

Dagmara presented a specific example of a project in which her students got involved at the beginning of the year. It was a role-play during which the students became world leaders and in this way they used English to "solve world problems" and engage in meaningful language acquisition. Taking on roles helps shy students express themselves more freely and the new identity creates a safe environment in which they can express their thoughts without feeling embarrassed. Conclusion? When it is a game, people more easily participate. When a task acquires a meaningful context (e.g. saving a princess or flying into space), people get more easily engaged. Learning becomes an adventure in which students develop their English language, their skills, and their emotional intelligence too. For instance, cooperating with others requires the knowledge and skill of expressing anger without offending others, and children often do not know how to express their emotions. They learn that good relationships with others can only be maintained if we know how to be polite. The approach Dagmara presented to us teaches important life skills through English and English through important life skills.

Gamification challenges the traditional way of testing, grading and marking. It is important to involve game mechanics and game design techniques evolving around status and achievement. Students participate in a "quest" rather than complete an "in-class task" and are awarded a "token" instead of a "mark". This approach boosts the students' inner motivation to win the game (the course) and work additionally (do optional assignments). "We all love to play so why we think that the 19th century type of education should be capable of teaching the 21st century children? If you do not understand how gamification works you should look into Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card" Dagmara explains and recommends.

Overall, a very well-received talk with plenty of ideas and food for thought. It is time we changed some of our teaching practices. Teaching a foreign language is not enough. The content matters too.

Watch an interview with Dagmara Mathes-Sobocinska by Theodora Papapanagiotou.

By Margarita Kosior

The Teaching of Speaking in the EFL Classes of Greek State Junior High School by Niovi Hatzinikolaou - Report

Niovi Hatzinikolaou started her presentation with a brief introduction to her research topic explaining her focus on the teaching of speaking and on state school education. She expressed her belief that speaking tends to be a neglected skill which stresses the need for research into how it is administered in the context of the state school classroom and into what should be improved in the current practices. Niovi then went on to present to the audience the speaking aims which are reflected in the syllabus of the state school textbook. As most people attending the talk were state school EFL teachers, this was not new to them. After outlining her research aims and giving some information about the data collection procedures (interviews, observations, syllabus evaluation), Niovi moved to the result part. She showed some quotes from interviews with the teachers where they seemed to agree on the priority of teaching speaking and enabling learners develop spoken fluency. According to the results, however, the teachers rated the effectiveness of textbook speaking activities very low and had a number of concerns about the design and the relevance of the material to real life situations. They also admitted that they supplement activities where needed to achieve their aims. 

Later on, Niovi presented the audience with her classroom observation schedule and explained the procedure she had followed to record the teacher practices in real time. Before coming to what she observed, the presenter showed to the audience two speaking activities taken from the actual textbook and asked them to evaluate them themselves. The feedback was very interesting stressing both positive and negative aspects of those activities. A very obvious conclusion was a mismatch between syllabus guidelines (which reflects material writer’s policies) and actual practices. In other words, a mismatch between what is supposed to be done regarding speaking and what is actually being done. 

At that point, the presenter encouraged the audience to respond to and comment upon the observations. Being teachers themselves and maybe having experienced similar problems in the classrooms while teaching speaking, some of the audience had very strong views about what needs to be done for learning outcomes to be achieved. 

The session ended up with a very fruitful conversation about how teacher practices can overcome textbook boundaries including changes in the syllabus design and even a shift in the Ministry’s policy about teaching English. The positive feedback from the audience encouraged Niovi to conduct further research on the topic: "I was very glad to share my thoughts with practitioners and get a lot of different ideas on the topic which encouraged me (as some people also did) to take my research a step further. I really enjoyed my interaction with the audience and I really felt my topic was worth investing."

Interviewed by Christina Chorianopoulou

Coursebooks: What Good are They? By Dr Luke Prodromou - Report

The use of coursebooks in the ELT classroom is a rather controversial issue. Should we rely on the coursebook? To what extent? Or should we dispose of it altogether and create our own teaching materials? In his, as always, entertaining talk delivered at the 22nd TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece Annual International Convention, Dr Luke Prodromou engaged in a critique of coursebooks, presented a brief history of coursebooks which made us realize that coursebooks reflect an image of the times in which they were written, and discussed why some coursebooks are more successful than others and how some may even become all-time-classics, remembered for decades.

Concern about teaching and learning of foreign languages goes back a long way and has been marked by the emergence of diverse teaching methods and by the developments in the use of technology. However, the surprising fact is that, despite those long years and the many changes in teaching approaches, the content and structure of coursebooks has always included a core of similar components: grammar, vocabulary, functional dialogues, comprehension questions, and so on.

Should we dispose of the coursebook, then? The answer is "no". There are arguments in favor of coursebooks the existence of which we cannot deny. Well-researched modern coursebooks provide a clear lesson structure both for the teacher and for the learner; the content in modern books is often attractive, colorful and diverse; they provide graded content appropriate for the level of your students; they (sometimes) present interesting ideas; and, last but not least, they make our lives easier by saving us time and effort. A good communicative coursebook leaves room for students' self-expression and interaction, but also provides meaningful context and a wide choice of authentic materials.

Right from the start of his presentation, however, Dr Luke Prodromou emphasized that the coursebook should not be the only source of learning for learners.

The limitations of the coursebook are numerous. Many coursebooks seem to follow the same recipe with a similar design and following the same syllabus. The topics selected are still frequently Anglo-centric and the intercultural element is often missing. In other words, some authors do not take into account the fact that English is spoken not necessarily by native-speakers but by L2 users all over the world.. Dr Prodromou also discussed a rather lengthy list of taboo topics which are avoided in ELT coursebooks.

All this discussion led to reflection - and a question: what are the characteristics of a good teacher in relation to the use of the coursebook? It is easy to blame everything on the coursebook if the lesson does not go as planned. However, we should remember that the book should be just a starting point and each of us should add their own personal element to adapt the textbook and make it a really valuable tool. In this way, we will make the book come alive, we will breathe life into it, and our students will take pleasure in the process of learning.

By Margarita Kosior

Interviewed by Lana Lemeshko

V for Variety by George Topalis & Emmanuel Kontovas - Report

Every learner is different and a good teacher should be able to not only identify those differences, but create teaching content and apply teaching methods which will cover the needs of all the students in class.

The variety of learning styles was not only discussed by George Topalis and Emmanuel Kontovas, but also by one of our plenary speakers, Marjorie Rosenberg, which further underlines the importance of the issue.

It came as an unexpected reflection that it is not only our students that learn based on their own learning styles, but that we, teachers, also teach according to our own styles.

How can we cater for the needs of everybody in the classroom? Variety is the key word. The presenters recommended a number of techniques which will spice up every classroom and engage every student.

Music is a classic choice. Have you tried instrumental music, though? According to the presenters, it has an affective nature, brings out emotions and acts as a key to imagination. Music creates mental images and using songs generate optimal circumstances for effective language learning. A perfect example is that of the song "Friends will be Friends" which can be used as a springboard for a discussion on friendship and a great source of ideas for creating relevant materials.

Using photos in the classroom to introduce new vocabulary and generate discussion is another fantastic idea. I am sure all the participants remember the two chameleons.

The speakers reminded the audience about copyright issues involved in using images available on the Internet and recommended a site with free copyright-free images available to all http://www.gettyimages.com/

Storytelling was among the popular themes during the convention. It is a great way to engage your students. Whereas our plenary speakers, Alec Williams and Andrew Wright, talked extensively about the art of storytelling, George and Manolis recommended a couple of practical tips regarding the use of storytelling in the ELT classroom. If in search of free audio stories, visit http://www.storynory.com/

We are living in the video age and short video clips are more popular than ever. Why not integrate those elements of the digital revolution into our teaching? A short video with the title "Knick Knock" available at https://goo.gl/O8RbZA which is engaging, fun to watch, and a great springboard for in-class discussion at the same time was an interesting recommendation.

The presentation closed with the projection of a short video in which children expressed their views on education and made us realize how happy they are when there is variety in learning.

By Margarita Kosior

Become a YouTube Ninja* by Dimitris Tzouris - Report

How confident do you feel when you decide to use YouTube for educational reasons? Are you really aware of how to use this powerful social medium in full extent?

Passionate with technology, a web enthusiast and a social media evangelist himself, Dimitris Tzouris gave a very interesting and valuable talk at the 22nd TESOL MTh Annual International Convention about how to use YouTube effectively.

Dimitris began his presentation by explaining what the asterix on the title of his talk meant. Well, those of us who did not know that had the chance to find out that the meaning is: “results may vary”.

Then, Dimitris indulged in a retrospection as far as how communication used to be in very old times. He mentioned the cave paintings that people used to draw back then in order to deliver a message. Visual communication gave its place to writing but, as he said, visual communication is in our DNA. This is the reason why the art of photography took ground. Moving image was then developed and along with the written script, the art of video emerged. According to Dimitris, teaching can be more engaging through video use. And he explained why.

First of all, he did a quick comparison between visual language and the printed word and he moved on to explain that a lot of research has been done on visual communication. Animated GIFs, creation of visual images and apps for smartphones like Instagram, Vine, Snapchat and of course YouTube are just some of the examples, products of this research, which prove how powerful visual communication is in the modern world. Constant connectivity can occur at anytime and in any place and this creates a whole new perspective of the world. Video has become prominent, easy and free and the possibilities are endless.

Photographs by Margarita Kosior

Before focusing on the effective use of YouTube, Dimitris informed us that 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute which turns YouTube into a very powerful medium. Millions of dollars are placed on this new trend and YouTube stars appear to become famous among young people. Then, he gave us valuable tips and lots of ideas on how to use YouTube at best way. Books being read aloud, TED talks, watching experiments and lessons from TED Ed (http://ed.ted.com/) are some great ideas which promote the notion of blended learning, the flipped classroom and the opportunity to dive deeper into a topic.

Moving to the practical part he showed us how to use buttons like “watch later," the safety toggle, how to block advertisements, how to save playlists, how to change the order of videos and how to download and keep a video offline.

Finally, he talked about the amazing opportunities that YouTube offers like coding and creating an audio library.

You can find Dimitris Tzouris' presentation here:

http://www.slideshare.net/tzouris

By Efi Tzouri

Interviewed by Lana Lemeshko