Reading Skill

Reading Skill

      Over fifty years ago we focused on many of thought, research and consideration. Starting from Grammar- Translation to Community Method, the best English Language Teaching is discovered several times. However, teacher has taught and students have learned continuously. While English Language Teaching Method has changed much time until good teaching is timeless. Both using smart board and chalkboard, the teacher should be able to connect students with the real material and each subject.

       There are three subjects that indicate to timelessness of good teaching approach. Firstly, the communication class, Acy L. Jackson incorporate many properties of good teaching discussed in print matter of that era to modern classroom effectively. In addition, he refers that the colored slides can be implemented in extension activities each class. He describes to create conductive atmospheres available for relevant learning. His technique, lesson, idea, plan and extension activities can give students opportunities to connect with target language powerfully.

        Secondly, Alen C. Mclean’s 1980, her own article “Destroy the teacher”: The need of “Child-center teaching” tells us about good teaching is started from era of Plato until today had involved students to become initiators in learning. McLean’s article rather remind effective teacher to guide and care for students into hearing theirs. Mclean describes that understanding individual students is important and showing how the teacher provide opportunities to students for connecting in their learning.

          Finally, Patricia Miller (1987), she is a teacher for a long time and she always put herself on the other side of desk for identifying and seeing through every students. Her method tells us about principle qualities of good teaching. Now, this article and the others were written in the past. These methods still reflect that good teacher have been doing forever. I think good teaching should be maintained and developed all the time for offering opportunities to students. What do you think?

Original Manuscript

 Good Teaching Is Timeless

BY JERROLD FRANK

    Over the past 50 years the how and why of what we teach has been the focus of much thought, research, and deliberation. From Grammar-Translation to the Communicative Approach and beyond, the best methodology for English language teaching (ELT) has supposedly been discovered many times. Yet through it all, or perhaps despite it all, teachers have continued to teach and students have continued to learn. While many changes have occurred in ELT over the past five decades, good teaching is timeless. Whether using a SMART Board or a chalkboard, an effective teacher must be able to help each student connect to the material and the subject.

   The three articles reprinted here illustrate the timelessness of good teaching. In the first selection, “The Conversation Class,” Acy L. Jackson (1969) incorporates many of the traits of good teaching discussed in the literature of that era into a lesson fresh enough to plug into any modern classroom. While the colored slides he refers to in his extension activities could be implemented in new ways today, Jackson describes how to create an atmosphere conductive to learning that is still relevant. His techniques, lesson plan, and extension activities of-fer opportunities for students to make powerful connections with the target language.

      In the second selection, Alan C. McLean’s 1980 article “Destroying the Teacher: The Need for Learner-Centered Teaching” reminds us that good teaching from the time of Plato until to-day has actively involved students in the process by helping them to become initiators in their own learning. McLean’s article reminds us that effective teachers understand that it is not their job to listen to their own voices but rather to guide and nurture students into hearing theirs. McLean demonstrates the importance of understanding students individually and shows how teachers can provide them with opportunities to make meaningful connections in their own learning.

      

      Finally, Patricia Miller (1987), a long-time teacher, puts herself on the other side of the desk to identify through the eyes of a student what she feels to be ten characteristics of a good teacher. Her list reminds us of some of the central qualities of timeless teaching. While this article and the others were all written in the previous century, each in its own way reflects what good teachers have been doing through-out time and will continue to do as long as there are teachers.

     Jerrold Frank is a Regional English Language Officer. He taught English in Japan for 22 years and has also taught English and trained teachers in the United States and Korea.

verbs	Pronunciation	Meaning
Deliberation (n)	dɪˌlɪbəˈreɪʃn	ความรอบคอบ    the process of carefully considering or discussing something    Ex: After ten hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of “not guilty.”
Methodology (n)	ˌmeθəˈdɒlədʒɪ	วิธีการ    a set of methods and principles used to perform a particular activity    Ex: The instructions changes in the methodology of language teaching.
Supposedly(adj.)	səˈpəʊzɪdlɪi:	ตามที่คาดคะเน    according to what is generally thought or believed but not known for certain    Ex: Police have found the supposedly stolen car.
Despite (prep.)	dɪˈspɑɪt	ถึงอย่างไรก็ตาม    used to show that something happened or is true although something else might have happened to prevent it    Ex: Despite applying for hundreds of jobs, he is still out of work.
Timeless (adj.)	ˈtɑɪmləs	ถาวร    not appearing to be affected by the passing of time or by changes in fashion   Ex: His work has a timeless quality.
Illustrate (v)	ˈɪləstreɪt	ถาวรเป็นตัวอย่างของ,แสดงตัวอย่าง    to make the meaning of something clearer by using examples, pictures, etc.    Ex: Last year's sales figures are illustrated in Figure 2.
Incorporate (v)	ɪnˈkɔ:pəreɪt	รวมเข้าด้วยกัน    to include something so that it forms a part of something    Ex: We've incorporated all the latest safety features   into the design.
Trait (n)	treɪt	คุณสมบัติ    a particular quality in your personality    Ex: Anger and compassion are both very human traits.
Extension (n)	ɪkˈstenʃn	การยืดออก การแผ่ออก    the act of increasing the area of activity, group of people, etc. that is affected by something    Ex: The bank plans various extensions to its credit facilities.
Literature (n)	ˈlɪtrətʃə(r)	สิ่งตีพิมพ์    pieces of writing or printed information on a particular subject    Ex: I've read all the available literature on keeping rabbits.
Implement (v)	ˈɪmplɪment	ทำให้มีผล ทำให้บรรลุผล    to make something that has been officially decided start to happen or be used    Ex: A new work program for young people will be implemented.
Relevant (adj.)	reˈləvənt	ตรงประเด็น    closely connected with the subject you are discussing or the situation you are thinking about    Ex: Send me all the relevant information.
Powerful (adj.)	ˈpaʊəfl	ที่มีประสิทธิภาพ being able to control and influence people and events   Ex: Only the intervention of powerful friends obtained her release
Conductive (adj.)	kənˈdʌktɪv	ที่สามารถเป็นสื่อนำพลังงานได้    able to conduct electricity, heat, etc..    Ex:
Initiator (n)	ɪˈnɪʃieɪtə(r)	ผู้ริเริ่ม    the person who starts something    Ex: Dan is the initiator of the project.
Nurture (n)	nɜˈtʃə(r)	การอบรมบ่มนิสัย    to help someone or something to develop and be successful    Ex: Her teacher recognized and nurtured her musical talent from an early age.
Reflect (v)	rɪˈflek	สะท้อนให้เห็น    to show or be a sign of the nature of something or of someone's attitude or feeling    Ex: Our newspaper aims to reflect the views of the local community
Throughout (prep.)	θru:ˈaʊt	โดยตลอด    during the whole period of time of something.    Ex: The museum is open daily throughout the year.

Reference:

      

       Jerrold Frank. (2012, 1 August).  Good Teaching is Timeless:

                  English Teaching Forum (50); page 28.