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National Taiwan Normal University
Shida University, or "National Taiwan Normal University" (國立臺灣師範大學) is one of the most prestigious universities in Taiwan. I have recently joined the English Training Center, teaching advanced level classes with a focus on 'task fulfilment' - in other words, I don't teach language, I teach people how to use language!
In case you're wondering, a "normal" university is one which trains teachers and is therefore responsible for setting standards. The word is derived from the French "normale", meaning normal in the stricter "according to the standard" than the usual English "ordinary". In German, we also use "Normen" to mean a standard. So a Normal University is one responsible for telling people how things should be. (The designation is only used in the English-speaking world in New Zealand.)
I have a series of guest lectures coming up at Shida University (國立臺灣師範大學) to teach high school teachers some new activities and methods.
I'm expecting a class of 30 teachers in early July, for two days, and we'll be looking at some alternative ways to help our students. I think everyone these days recognises that memorising vocabulary lists isn't very helpful, but there is a lack of other material available. So my job is to provide some suggestions.
I haven't finalised the list of what I'll be covering yet, but here are the suggestions I gave to the university when they contacted me:
I've just done a 'guest lecturer' gig at Shida, lecturing to a group of young teachers who are currently doing their 'practicum' - working in schools under supervision after completing their academic training.
My
regular Wednesday evening class is for working adults who are
developing their language and professional skills. We do a lot of
task-related work with particular focus on presentation skills. We role-play activities designed to use and develop the students' real life
knowledge, with an emphasis on student input - I try and keep my mouth
shut as much as possible, working more as a facilitator than a trainer.
They're a good crowd, and bring a lot of different perspectives and experiences to the activities. These classes are rewarding for me because I can usually learn something from someone, and build on the students' knowledge. This helps them a lot more than simple language-learning would do.
My Wednesday morning class is a fun 3-hr session devoted to getting people talking.
The students are mostly in their early 20's and their aim is to develop
fluency and self-confidence. We use realistic role-plays, and
task-based activities designed to stimulate questions and conversation.
Although the class is not "serious" we do also devote some time every
week to improving accuracy: most Taiwanese students have bad habits
learned in high school which affect their ablity to express themselves
clearly. By addressing these we can help students overcome their
biggest single barrier to success and develop new habits that
facilitate improved language use.
