登录查看更多内容

Q & A with Scott Thornbury

Daniel Israel

发布日期: 2019年2月18日

Scott Thornbury is widely respected for his contributions to TESOL such as his writings on the subject. Here are some myths to debunk about teaching EFL to adults and a few more questions for the maestro from one English teacher to another.

1) In your opinion, should any credence be given to learner styles, i.e. the VAK model?

No. None. Although this is not to deny that learners have different preferences in terms of how they learn – but these are as much to do with their previous experience as with any ‘innate’ capacities. And they can change.

2) Should Teacher-Talking-Time be consigned to history?

No. There’s a great deal of value to be had out of listening to, and interacting with, the one proficient speaker in the room, i.e. the teacher

3) Should metalanguage be avoided like the plague?

Not at all. But it should always be supported by examples.

4) Are lesson plans unnecessary for qualified CELTA teachers?

Writing a lesson plan is a useful discipline, even for experienced teachers, so long as it is not engraved in stone!

5) How could you ensure that the following do not demotivate learners?

a) Reading aloud for fluency

Make sure learners understand what they’re reading, and that they’ve had a chance to rehearse.

b) A custom-made general knowledge quiz

Best if learners have designed the quiz themselves – or at least chosen the topic.

c) An improvised negotiations role-play

Again, role plays should always be rehearsed in advance of being performed, and they are best of there is a some kind of outcome, e.g. a decision to be agreed upon, or a vote taken.

6) How does technology a) benefit or b) hinder the learning process?

Technology comes into its own outside the classroom, allowing learners access to texts (spoken and written) and to other learners, e.g. through social networking. In the classroom itself it has minimal application, since the teacher is much better equipped to scaffold learning opportunities than any algorithm.

7) With which levels of adult learners could formative tests be used successfully for?

All levels.

8) Can you detail part of a Dogme lesson you taught, so the uninitiated can get a flavour of this method?

Here is a description, written by one of the observers, of a Dogme lesson (and translated by Google Translate) given last November to a roomful of Russian adolescents:

Scott Thornberry's lesson plan for the students of the school of Dmitry Nikitin:

1. Scott painted on the board the star. Every Ray imagined important in his life concept (name, year, city, figure, picture). Asked the kids to guess what the data means.

2. Every child has prepared his star.

3. in groups children, asking questions to colleagues, guess what the data means in their stars.

4. Frontal discussed what new we learned about each other. Scott was developing every theme, joking, asking questions.

5. Scott once again divided children into groups and asked to come up with five questions that children would like to ask him.

6. After preparation, each group asked the question, Scott thoroughly answered and asked counterclaims to the group. (we learned that Scott Likes Shostakovich, his favorite pastime in his free time is reading and he doesn't play computer games, Scott's favorite color in clothes is grey and he would like to go Iran, as never there was).

7. Scott gave each group a few strips of paper. On Strip needed to record the question of his trip to Russia. Children in free form ran to Scott and gave a leaf with a question, Scott in writing answered the question in case the question was asked correctly. If there were problems from the language point of view, together pondered what was wrong, again asking questions.

The Ultimate task is to write a short story about Scott's journey.

8. Each group presented its story. (example below)