The following represent our values and beliefs regarding language teaching, learning and curriculum development. Our curricular philosophy is divided into four sections dealing with curricular development and curricular change, pedagogical practice, teaching specific language skills, and student learning.
We define curriculum as: all of our school-sponsored activities along with the associated materials, resources, and facilities needed to maximize meaningful student participation. This encompasses what the students are to learn and how they are to learn it, including how the teachers and the institution facilitate, assess, and respond to this learning (adapted from Rogers, 1989, p. 26).
All efforts associated with curriculum development and change seek an appropriate balance between three interrelated principles to ensure the curriculum is stable, responsive, and cohesive (see Figure 1).
Though all effective curricula must embrace some innovation, a stable curriculum implements change in a way that is orderly, systematic, and principled. For a curriculum to change in this manner and to remain viable, it must also be responsive to such factors as student needs, institutional and environmental changes, and current research. Without responsiveness, a stable curriculum soon stagnates. Finally, a sound curriculum is cohesive in that there is internal consistency and continuity between and across the various elements of the curriculum.
ELC teachers strive to exemplify the following pedagogical practices for themselves, their students, and all who may observe their classes.
Teachers understand the course outcomes for the skill and proficiency level in which they teach and effectively communicate them to students. They can describe student behaviors that demonstrate these outcomes, and they successfully design classroom-learning activities that help students progress toward achieving them. Teachers engage in ongoing informal and formal assessment activities and provide personalized feedback based on the course outcomes.
Teachers carefully plan lessons so language development will be optimized during the class period. Teachers plan to incorporate an appropriate number and variety of learning activities that are meaningful and engaging. These activities build incrementally from more simple uses of language to more complex uses that are authentic and communicative. Teachers consider the best ways to ensure that communication of explanations and expectations are clear and concise in order to maximize student language practice. This includes preparing the board or other materials well ahead of class time. Teachers also prepare contingency plans in order to adjust for a variety of unforeseen circumstances and changing student needs.
Teachers feel a sense of urgency about using as much of the classroom time as possible for meaningful language practice. They convey this sense of urgency to their students by starting class on time and by carefully managing activities and transitions in order to maximize communicative language practice. However, rather than rushing through their lessons, teachers skillfully connect activities and ensure that students achieve the needed level of mastery before moving on. They anticipate potential threats to effective use of class time such as problems with technology, excessive student questions, inappropriate student behaviors and so on. Their responses to such challenges are principled and appropriately bring the class back on course. Teachers also end class on time.
Teachers understand the necessity of a positive learning environment in order to optimize learning. They recognize that positive teacher-student interaction is at the heart of the environment they seek to cultivate. They foster genuine concern for their students and their learning based on principles of respect and trust. They leave personal concerns behind as they plan and teach their classes. They are consistent and equitable in their classroom practices and help students to see how classroom policies and activities facilitate language development. They create a non-threatening learning environment that is cheerful, upbeat, and optimistic. They inspire students to do their best, and they help them experience the joy of effectively applying what they learn. They sincerely praise students and regularly express confidence in their abilities.
Teachers are committed to the ongoing evaluation of student learning. They skillfully use diagnostic tests, classroom instruction, language practice, and formal and informal assessments to clarify individual learner needs in relation to established course outcomes. They also regularly solicit qualitative input from their students regarding learning materials and methods. This information is then used to make appropriate adjustments in lesson planning and the selection of materials and methods used in the classroom. Teachers help students to understand the rationale for adjustments that are made as well as areas where continuity may be necessary.
Teachers understand the potential for effective homework to help students achieve course outcomes. Rather than assigning busy work, they carefully consider the quantity and specific kinds of learning activities that are needed by their students in order to foster language development or to help them better understand and diagnose learner needs. They are able to effectively communicate the rationale for various types of homework to their students. They demonstrate the value of the homework in the way they follow up and process the homework. They know when it may be appropriate to review certain types of homework in class and when the class time should be used for other activities. They utilize student performance on homework to inform their ongoing instruction in the classroom.
Teachers know that feedback is essential to effective learning. They regularly provide students with feedback that is meaningful—it focuses on the most important language elements for each learner; students understand the feedback, why it was given, and how to apply it. Though teachers ensure that ongoing feedback is timely, they are careful not to overload the students’ cognitive ability to process and apply the feedback. Along with feedback, teachers provide students with abundant opportunities to practice and apply the feedback in a variety of learning contexts.
Teachers value and participate in orientations, training, and workshops. They are well prepared, punctual, and complete all administrative tasks on time. They act and look the part of a professional in the classroom including adhering to the dress and grooming standards and maintaining appropriate teacherstudent boundaries. They are respectful and courteous with their students and other teachers with whom they share resources such as classrooms, offices, technologies, and learning materials. They consistently evaluate their own teaching and seek to improve through feedback from students, administrators, and peers. They appropriately apply the relevant feedback they receive.
Listening instruction focuses on comprehension through the use of effective listening strategies and ample exposure to authentic, level appropriate texts. Student interaction with texts includes both extensive and intensive listening, and often includes listening to the text more than once for different purposes. These strategies are explicitly taught, and students have opportunities to practice them on a variety of text types and genres. Additionally, as appropriate, students learn conventions of speech that convey meaning beyond the words such as facial expressions and gestures, tone and intonation, and rhetorical devices.A multi-modal approach to assessment includes open-ended prompts where students respond to listening through speaking and/or writing and closed-response prompts such as multiple choice items.
Speaking instruction focuses on developing fluency and accuracy when speaking about topics that are both authentic and level appropriate. Opportunities to use presentational speech, dialog, and group conversations provide students with a balanced approach to developing speaking proficiency. Speaking fluency is also fostered by listening to and analyzing both level-appropriate speech models and students? speech. Regular assessments of both planned and spontaneous speech inform classroom instruction.
Reading instruction focuses on increasing students? proficiency in both reading rate and comprehension, by applying level-appropriate skills and strategies. Explicit strategy instruction and intensive practice will contribute greatly to reading fluency and proficiency. Instruction should include both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Top-down instruction includes regular structured intensive reading activities, structured extensive reading, and self-driven extensive reading. Bottom-up instruction may range from phonics exercises to more advanced activities that help increase overall passage-level reading fluency. Assessments include both closed-response items such as multiple-choice questions and open-ended prompts that elicit spoken or written feedback about the reading. Instruction is tailored to deficiencies identified in the assessments and result in feedback that allows students to revisit the reading material.
Writing instruction focuses on developing fluency and accuracy using both process and product writing approaches. Writing instruction also provides students with models and sufficient practice of drafted, timed, and integrated writing. Fluency is developed by providing extensive and regular practice and by training students in English writing conventions pertaining to organization and transitions, audience and tone, and purpose and rhetoric. Accuracy is also developed through ample opportunities to write and use appropriate grammatical forms and standard document formatting in a variety of genres. Activities and practice are targeted at authentic writing tasks that the students will encounter outside of the language classroom. Timely feedback is then given that is focused on content and accuracy. This feedback is used to inform instruction.
Grammar instruction focuses on increasing student proficiency and is both engaging and authentic. It is an essential aspect of the other skills, which can help improve proficiency. Course structure is grounded on the forms, meanings, and usage in both speaking and writing contexts through recurring needs assessments. Feedback should then be modified to target principles and structures relevant to the course learning outcomes. Additionally, grammar instruction focuses on real-life application of the rules and patterns found in conventional English. Every opportunity should be taken to highlight real-world examples and encourage students to produce the target grammar accurately.
Pronunciation instruction focuses on accurately hearing and producing specific prosodic or segemental features of spoken English to improve students' intelligibility. Feedback addresses patterned and/or problematic errors that fit within the course learning outcomes.
Vocabulary instruction focuses on strategies and skills for learning and mastering high frequency words. This learning is driven by students and supported by teachers by addressing vocabulary as it occurs organically within each skill and level and also through direct, intentional instruction. Teachers encourage students to use the target vocabulary in their productive language and provide feedback to the students on their vocabulary use when appropriate.
We believe that student learning is optimized when students are:
Students know why they are studying English at the ELC. They set specific goals for their English development and prioritize their time commitments. They choose to learn the policies of the ELC and follow them, resulting in a more pleasant and productive experience. They understand their course outcomes and know what assignments are due in each class and when. They identify what they need to do in order to improve their English language skills.
Students establish beneficial patterns in their lives such as a healthy diet, getting enough water, exercise, and sleep, so they can be alert and optimize their learning. Students seek a positive and optimistic outlook and are patient with themselves and others. They also seek help when they experience mental or emotional difficulties.
Students work hard every day to improve their English. They complete their homework on time and strive to master the principles behind the homework. They are disciplined, focused, and persistent in their English study and practice. They fully participate in class. They also seek opportunities to use English whenever possible outside of class.
Students learn about a wide variety of strategies for learning and using English effectively. They determine which strategies may work best for them in specific contexts. They identify and successfully implement those strategies that best facilitate their English language learning and use.
Students regularly evaluate their English language learning. They are reflective and perceptive about their progress. They understand their own strengths and weaknesses and how to access resources that may help them. They also identify challenges and make appropriate changes in their attitudes, behaviors, routines, or approaches to learning. They continually seek for and apply feedback they receive.
