The effectiveness of extra –curricular works

Contents Introduction … 3 I The methodological basis of planning extra –curricular work in teaching English….4 1.1 The effectiveness of extra –curricular works in language learning in schools….5 1.2 How to organize extra –curricular work… 9 1.3 The content of extra –curricular work and how to conduct it…… 12 Chapter 2.1 Plans of extra –curricular works 2.2 The effectiveness of extra –curricular works Conclusion…

Bibliography… Appendix…. Introduction The theme The effectiveness of extra –curricular works Topicality In teaching a foreign language the learners are not expected to know not only the language, but also the culture of the nation which language he or she is learning. In order to gain this aim, we suggest that teachers should carry out the extra –curricular works. Teachers are expected to build the relationship between culture and language and to explore effective

ways to bring a cross –cultural element into the classroom: pupils are to be aware of the following: a way of life; a system of beliefs; a shared history or set of experiences. A culture may be synonymous with a religion, though followers of Christianity or Judaism or Islam. They may also come from different cultures. Language itself is defined by culture. We can not be competent in the language if we do not understand

the culture that has shaped and informed it. We can not learn a foreign language if we do not have an awareness of that culture. Learners should be aware of the culture of a nation, then they are expected to master the language. This fact and the fact that there is a lack of material devoted to the study of the effectiveness of extra –curricular works in teaching English have influenced on our decision to study the given theme.

So, the theme of our course paper is The effectiveness of extra –curricular works. We state that the given theme is one of the actual issues in the Methods of teaching English. The aim The aim of our course paper is to investigate the effectiveness of extra –curricular works in teaching English. Objectives - to study the content of extra –curricular works in teaching English; - to give advice how to organize extra –curricular work - to introduce types

of them. The problem The problem of our course paper is to what activities must extra – curricular works include The object The object of our course paper investigation is extra – curricular works in teaching English. The subject The subject of our course paper is the effectiveness of extra – curricular work. Hypothesis By using effective extra –curricular works we develop all the necessary skills in teaching English if they are designed according to the curriculum.

Methods of investigation While investigating the problem of our course paper the following methods of investigation were used: description, observation and analysis. Basis of investigation School named after 40 жылдық Recourse center, libraries, Internet sources. Theoretical value The given course paper presents of effectiveness of extra –curricular works in teaching

English and may be useful for the teachers to giving lectures. Practical value The material presented in the course paper can be successfully applied in teaching English. Structure of the course paper The course paper includes: introduction, 2 chapters, conclusion, bibliography and appendix. Chapter I The methodological basis of planning extra –curricular work in teaching

English Extra –curricular work in foreign languages becomes more and more popular. This work is carried out both in town and village schools. Various books and articles on the subject recently published are a proof of the popularity of this work among foreign language teachers and its importance in attaining the aims and objectives set by the syllabus. However there are many schools where teachers either do not carry out extra –curricular

work of this kind is not obligatory; it is just additional, therefore they may do it only if time permits. These teachers do not realize that their success in foreign language teaching depends to a great extent on what interest they can evoke in their pupils. Practice proves that extra –curricular work helps the teacher to promote greater interest in learning the language. It is necessary to bear in mind that extra –curricular work in our schools must be an integral part

of the educational process. It is a mistake therefore to consider this work as optional, additional. Through extra –curricular works students learn to discuss the assigned topics, justify their position, and come to a consensus. These interactions give pupils opportunities to express themselves and understand other opinions. As they question and challenge each other, pupils develop their critical thinking skills. Because of the higher level of participation inspired by group discussions, cooperative increases individual

retention of the assigned content. 1.1 The effectiveness of extra –curricular works in language learning in schools Cooperative learning groups are typically made up of students or pupils with heterogeneous backgrounds and abilities. By working together to succeed in groups, they learn to appreciate differences in skills, aptitudes, learning styles, personalities, goals, and interest. Cooperative learning also helps learners to reach higher academic achievement levels.

The best way to avoid interpersonal problems, whether in pairs or small groups, is to structure the cooperative learning activities so that the content is challenging and the pace is appropriate. Avoid monotony by planning a balance of whole –class, pair, small group, and individual activities. When you feel comfortable with your students, you are ready to experiment. This confidence may surface the first day, or it may take a few months.

Variables include your own style, the school culture and the attitudes in your classroom. In caring out extra –curricular work various forms should be used to that the majority of the class is able to take part in it. The following forms of extra –curricular work are used at schools: individual, group and mass work. Individual working in teams develop a greater understanding of the variety of approaches that can be used to accomplish any given task.

This understanding of diversity is an advantage that has social significance beyond the classroom. Group work includes : 1. ‘hobby’ groups that work systematically; they are: play and game sections(schools theatre), chorus sections, conversation section, reading and translation hobby groups, drama section, literature and art sections, football, basketball sections. 2. Groups for temporary activities, namely to make up an album, to make a display –stand or a bookstand

with English books and booklets, to illustrate a story read, to organize a school library, etc. Mass work includes: the organization and holding TOEFL section in the foreign language; talks in that language, pleasure parties, conference, olympiads and excursions to films in a foreign language with following discussion: dramatization of the stories read; holding of guessing games; issuing wall –newspapers; making up school display –stands, making posters, etc.

As Jill Bell notes in her book Teaching Multilevel Classes in EFl, mass work offers many advantages. When the entire class is actively engaged in mass work, everyone is communicating. And mass work is easy to initiate. Without a great deal of organization, you can simply ask two learners to help each other with an exercise or assignment. As they discuss their answers, students working as partners have immediate opportunities

to give and receive feedback. For those who are uncomfortable speaking in front of a group or the entire class, mass work offers the lowest stress of all –each student is facing an audience of one.[4;155] One of the most entertaining types –of mass work that wins more and more popularity among pupils is club work. The foreign language club gives an opportunity to have natural situations for communication, in the foreign language. The work of the club may contribute to international friendship among young

people, as one of the main activities of the members of the club is establishing contacts with foreign friends, mainly through correspondence. Sometimes guests from foreign countries may be invited to view performances of the club, in which case direct association with foreigners is established. Club work is varied in form and content. Pupils will resent pair work if they are forced to work with the same partner all the time, especially if a personality clash exists.

Be conscious of the good friends who are entertaining themselves with a little mischief. Partners who aren’t participating need to see that you are holding them accountable through your grading system. And dominant overachievers can be helpful at times but they can also intimidate lower achivers. As you think of pair assignments you have three options: random, voluntary, or assigned pairs. Random pairs are generally formed by asking two students who are sitting next to each other to work

together. This is the most flexible pairing arrangement because it is based on convenient seating. Most teachers who use pair work spontaneously are taking advantage of this option. Random pairs can work together to review each other’s work, complete exercises, practice dialogue, or engage in a conversation. By using a graphic organizer, such as a Venn Diagram, conversation between partners can be carefully structured.

For example, if you want two students to introduce, describe and compare themselves, ask them to write a list of the things that they have in common in the area where the circle overlap. And if they want to identify their unique qualities, each partner can fill in a side of the circle with a list of distinct characteristics. Random pairs can use this graphic organizer to compare or contrast two important quotes or two major characters in a story.

When you allow pupils to form voluntary pairs, they are given the opportunity to choose any partner in the class for a specific project. Classroom projects can include painting, drama, puzzles, or games. Outside of class, voluntary pairs might do some research or conduct interviews together. They can be sent out to a clinic to interview a dentist or to a library to explore a science topic. An interesting assignment is to ask voluntary pairs to describe the activities of a girl and a boy

during an entire day, from the time they get up until the time they go to sleep. One partner observes a girl and the other observes a boy. They try to note every activity of the day. What time does he/she get up? What does he/she do every half hour of the day? What about the evening? What time does he/she go to bed? Pupils then talk about their observations with their partners and

try to generalize about the information they have in their detailed notes. Using a clock as a graphic organizer, each pupil draws a clock and then adds pictures to symbolize the activities of the observed girl or boy. Partner can compare their drawings and share their observations with each other and the class. As a follow- up have pupils write sentences or paragraphs to explain their picture. More advanced pupil can discuss or write about their reactions to the schedules they

observed. But if two pupils are having a problem don’t be too quick to indulge their demands for an immediate change. You may not want them to work together again, but have them finish the assigned task. Pupils need to learn to work with a variety of individuals, not just with their friends. Assigned partners are usually based on proficiency levels. Assigned partners with similar abilities can correct each other’s exercises, work on writing assignments,

or alternate while reading to each other. They can also challenge each other with self –access materials, such as information gaps, puzzles, and games. Pupils at the upper proficiency levels can create dialogues and role plays. They might work together to form questions or exercises relate to magazine or newspaper articles. Pupils at the lower levels can benefit by practicing or working on the dialogues, role plays, and activities created by upper –level pupils. Assigned pairs can also be pupils at different levels.

At times it is beneficial to pair the best pupils with those who need help. Peer tutoring has been practiced for centuries for centuries in the Koranic schools of the Muslim countries. The advance pupils who are interested in helping as tutors become Teaching Assistance. Once they finish their exercises they can be available to give individual attention to some of the students having difficulty.

The more advanced pupil can help the less able. Many teachers find that the most successful group arrangements are heterogeneous small groups that have been formed by the teacher. Assigned groups usually stay together to complete a unit and if they are working well together, they may remain together for the entire school term. Before you form cooperative learning groups of four to eight pupils, observe the dynamics between individuals by experimenting with assigned partners.

Think – Pair – Share is a simple cooperative learning structure that allows pupils to share what they already know about a topic. As the teacher provides a topic or stimulus, the pupils have a chance to think to themselves and put their ideas in writing. Then they pair up with another pupil to compare and discuss their ideas. And finally they share their ideas with the class.

Many approaches to language learning use pair work to practice dialogues. The ALM method requires pupils to listen to a dialogue and repeat words, phrases and sentences. Repetition in groups is followed by practice in pairs. Finally, the pupil have memorized the exact words presented in the dialogue. G. V. Rogova gives the club work of one of the Russian schools as a good example.

Many pupils of the school took part in the club work. They worked in different sections, for example, the section of philatelists which made interesting stamp albums or the section of young naturalist, who got different seeds from remote corners of the world. It’s members grew flowers in the flower –beds of the school garden. In our college our ex- volunteer Mark Joshua McCampbell organized clubs.

For example ‘Drama club’, ‘English club’ etc. And we organized last concerts with him. There they have a great opportunity to improve their speaking, and hearing skills. In that clubs they can speak in different theme. To organize both class and non –class activities of pupils properly it is necessary to have a special classroom for the study of the foreign language. The classroom must be decorated with portraits of writers, poets, artists, composers, and other outstanding

people of the countries whose language the pupils study. Decorations should be regularly changed, otherwise pupils get used to them and no longer notice them. Besides, changing decorations will help teachers to mark current events in life (e. g centenary of some writer, scientist, or the visit of a prominent government leader to our country). The room must be equipped with modern technical aids, such as a tape –recorder, an opaque projector,

a film strip projector, a film projector, video player, computer, the Internet, etc. and a set of slides, tapes, films, filmstrips. Using these aids make lesson interesting for each pupil. The teachers should regularly enrich this stock. A map of the county whose language we study should be a permanent visual aid in class. There must be a book –case in the room with books in foreign languages,

the stock of books being regularly increased, too. There must be various visual aids such as lotto, dominoes and other games in the room. To crown it all, a notice –board which shows pupils’ activities must be hung there. On the notice –board one might find lists of pupils engaged, in sections, non –class activity program in the foreign language, hobby group work schedule, lists of recommended literature for independent

reading. 1.2 How to organize extra –curricular work in teaching English In organizing non- class activities for pupils the teacher should bear in mind that work of this type differs greatly from that carried out during the class period both in form and content. The class work must prepare pupils for non –class activities. It is difficult to run successful mass learning groups the first few times that group tasks are presented.

This caveat is true for situations where the language of instruction is the first language of the pupils as well as situations where the language is the second or third. Don’t be discouraged, however. Just realize it will take time to train your pupils how to behave, how to manage their work and how to look to one another as resources, instead of always to you. It is worth the effort because you will able to involve all pupils, increase the amount of time pupils

spend using the language and focus on communicative, pupil-centered activities. If you have organized exciting, mass activities, have prepared clear instructions and have modeled appropriate interactions and social behavior and still your pupils have difficulty working in groups, you may want to set up a system of group rewards for mass behavior. Heterogeneous groups are often organized to assist pupils learning, especially tasks that have academic

implications and a need for proper English usage, such as reading comprehension, writing and oral presentation. You would select pupils to ensure the right ‘mix’ usually by including a stronger and weaker pupil in each group and considering learning styles and personalities. When a more advanced pupil is placed in each group that pupil can act as a leader and a peer tutor to the others. The less advanced pupils will then have a good role model.

Another issue the frequency with which groups are formed is usually determined by the teacher. Some teachers form a new group with each new task. Others form a group that will work together on all small group activities over a period of time. For management purposes, we recommend that your form heterogeneous, assigned groups that work together for a month or two but that you incorporate opportunities for regrouping for special tasks.

By working with a variety of groups – homogeneous, random and voluntary – as well as with the assigned group your pupils will learn to complete tasks with different pupils and experience divers cooperative activities that will help them develop their social and academic skills. A key to group management is assigning each pupil in the group a role which he or she may accomplish so everyone will contribute positively to the activity.

It is important to prepare pupil for these roles through modeling and to make sure they are aware of your expectations for their social behavior. To keep the pupils engaged in each new cooperative task, teacher often vary the role assignments. They can create a variety of tasks depending on the group activity. Keeping in mind your pupils abilities you can choose among the following possible roles: -Group recorder – writing down the group’s ideas or response; -materials collector – gathering needed

materials from the teacher or a central location and collecting them at the end of the activity; -reporter –acting as spokesperson for the group in reporting its progress or giving oral response; -final copy scribe – writing the final version that will be handed in; -illustrator – drawing accompanying diagrams, pictures and so forth; -timekeeper – watching the time and pacing the group through the task; -cheerleader – encouraging the group, keeping the group on task; -monitor – checking for errors, proof-reading -messenger

– seeking or sharing information with the teacher or another group. During extra –curricular work the teacher suggests the pupils should play lotto or a guessing game where these sentence patterns are needed. As you begin to prepare group work activities, you will find that the lesson planning won’t seem easier or harder, just different. In addition to the content objectives of the lesson, you need to create

Extra –curricular work is voluntary. However, for those who wish to take part in this work it becomes obligatory. Since through extra –curricular work the teacher can raise the level of the pupils’ command of the language in general, it is bad practice to draw only the best, bright pupils into the work, as some of the methodologists and teachers recommend. No marks are given to the participants for non –class activities, although the teacher keeps a careful

record of the work done by each of them. The results of extra –curricular work done can be evaluated when the school holds contests, assemblies, reviews of wall –newspapers, amateur art reviews, pleasure parties, etc in the foreign language. Since extra –curricular work is voluntary and based upon pupils’ activity, initiative and creativeness. Pupils should render help to the teacher to carry out this work. The teacher recommends various kinds of non –class activities to his pupils, selects the material and

elaborates methods and techniques as to how this or that work should be carried out. Teachers choose participant in accordance with their aptitude and keep a record of the work done. Extra –curricular work may be closely connected with the work of the school. It is quite obvious the teacher may success in promoting greater interest for studying the language provided his works skillfully in class, explaining new material in a clear and comprehensive way, using

various methods and devices to make his pupils active; and interested in the work done, applying audio –visual aids, preparing exercises which give the pupils satisfaction of a job well done, making them feel their own progress in the target language after energy lesson. At the end you will discover that pair activities can be helpful, quick, fun and easy to implement. With their partners, pupils engage in meaningful discussions and learn to provide helpful suggestions

to each other. They can explore critical issues, analyze their reading assignments, improve each other’s writing and compare notes on what was understood. The social skills that pupils learn through cooperative learning are often more important that the grammatical structures that language classes tend to emphasize. 1.3 The content of extra –curricular work and how to conduct it The content of extra –curricular work is determined by the tasks set for each from by the syllabus,

pupils interest and their age characteristics. For example, after the pupils have assimilate the linguistic material of lesson 4() of the text –book Bibliography 1. Handschin , Charles H ‘Methods of teaching modern languages’, N.Y World Book Co 1926 2. Harmer, Jeremy, ‘The practice English language teaching’; London- New York; Longman,

1991 3. Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rogers ‘Approaches and Methods in language teaching’ Cambridge univ. press, 1986 4. Jill Bell ,‘Teaching Multilevel classes in EFL’ 5. F. Genesee ‘Educating second language children: the whole child, the whole curriculum, the whole community.’ Cambridge, 1994 6. Rixon, Shelagh ‘How to use games in language teaching’,

London, The Macmillan press, 1981 7. Rogova, G.V ‘Methods of teaching English’, M 1970 8. www.teachingenglish.org.uk 9. www.englishclub.narod.ru 10. www.trwipx.com 11. www.bestreferat.com/language 12. www.mirreferat.com.ru