SHARING IDEAS - A CHAT BETWEEN TWO ENGLISH TEACHERS

Below, it is transcribed an informal conversation between two English teachers - me and my friend Bruno Ferreira, from Rio de Janeiro. We had this chat on May 12th, 2008. The focus of the chat was the topic previously posted "Teaching Speaking".

Marcelo Maciel diz:
Hey, mate!
bruno diz:
hey dude, how's it going ?
Marcelo Maciel diz:
pretty fine
Marcelo Maciel diz:
Could you post a comment on a blog I'm writing about English Language. It's a project I'm into
bruno diz:
hum, a project you've developed.... of course I can make a few remarks.
bruno diz:
ELT is something that really appeals me, you know !
Marcelo Maciel diz:
thank you
Marcelo Maciel diz:
http://www.mmacieldealmeidaprodocencia.blogspot.com/
Marcelo Maciel diz:
I still need to make some arrangements
Marcelo Maciel diz:
It involves my master's degree project
bruno diz:
Great. Don't worry, because I will manage to comment onto it.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
thanks a bunch
bruno diz:
not at all !!!
bruno diz:
did you write the blog yourself ?
Marcelo Maciel diz:
Yes, I did
bruno diz:
can I draw your attention to any eventual mistake I come across with ?
Marcelo Maciel diz:
sure
bruno diz:
ok, I will start reading through it now, then I make a comment.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
I still need to check some mistakes
bruno diz:
"well, to be honest, I've always wondered to which extent ESOL teachers are responsible for their students' speaking development."
Marcelo Maciel diz:
OK, I will check it
bruno diz:
it was a good task you were asked to carry out.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
Please make a comment regarding your personal opinion on the topic
bruno diz:
I will, don't worry.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
What do you think are the teachers role
bruno diz:
We learn about teachers' roles at the many pre- and in-service training courses for teachers in the light of the communicate approach. I am saying so, because roles may vary depending on many things, such as the task's goal, the lesson plan's function, the skill to be taught, and so on. But again, don't worry. I will comment on your blog.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
thank you
bruno diz:
Speaking involves having a listener (to) whom you talk (to). ( choose one of the tos in parentheses) and it is not for talking to, it is for interacting with. I think it suits better. Talking without interaction isn't communication and, it is said that in the communicative approach, you need to have communication for developing the speaking skill.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
ok
bruno diz:
I agree with what Jeremy harmers points out regarding speaking activities. They should all be task-based like, as far as I can say. A task is what you were given to execute when alessandra asked for the groups to separate and choose one of the topics for a discussion.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
all right
bruno diz:
oh god, sorry, you know what a task is... sorry marcelo. I am bein' a pain in the ass.
bruno diz:
rs
Marcelo Maciel diz:
it's ok no problem
bruno diz:
They have a great TTC at CNA language school, which has a lot to do with what you have approached to your Master degree thesis. Every school, whose approach is the communicative one, could be something good for your purpose and surveys.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
That's it
bruno diz:
Yazigi, cultura, CNA, britannia, IBEU, ...
bruno diz:
in the communicative approach grammar is taught implicitly, or by-product, which goes together with what you say for the overcorrection stuff. Basically, your task is about Communicative approach and TBL -task-based learning, which are the most updated approaches in the ESOL market. I will stop to comment here and read through your text as to give the comment you want there.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
ok
bruno diz:
text, I meant - instead of task, in the third line.
bruno diz:
oh, by the way. I have an american girl here beside me now, who is complimenting your writing skill.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
Thank her, Bruno
Marcelo Maciel diz:
Thanks
bruno diz:
I liked the text very much, despite of some minor mistakes. However, I think you should take a TTC in the light of the communicative approach or task-based learning because you would be able to extract great deal of information for developing your own thesis concerning the speaking skill and ways for approaching to its learning process. There are thousands of ways for doing so and every single...
Marcelo Maciel diz:
I need some time to develop it
Marcelo Maciel diz:
I attended two subjects from master's at UFU
bruno diz:
method you follow, if it is a communicative one, you will have to have aims, NOT ONLY TO HAVE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE STUDENTS (WHICH IS ALSO CALLED ACCOUNTABILITY ) BUT ALSO AND VERY IMPORTANT, TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS SHOWING THEM THEIR OWN PROGRESS... goals, aims and objectives have to go along all the learning process, because you have to be able to repond to questions such as : why am I doing
bruno diz:
it for, or, what will it get from it...
Marcelo Maciel diz:
ok
bruno diz:
so it is not only about having the accountability , in other words, not only about knowing whether the student has learnt or not, it is about motivating him with his own progress, guiding him from a level to another and linking the receptive and productive skills to work all together.
bruno diz:
I have a TEP at home, which talks about teachers' roles. I will send you an e-mail with the most relevant pages to your studies. ( TEP stands for Teacher Education Program )
Marcelo Maciel diz:
thanks again
bruno diz:
teachers' roles covers actually just a page of this TEP. I gotta go now. luck with you work.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
thank you
Marcelo Maciel diz:
did you post your comments?
bruno diz:
no, not yet.
bruno diz:
I will post something from home, then I can write something relevant to what your writing poses about the speaking ability.
Marcelo Maciel diz:
ok
Marcelo Maciel diz:
I appreciate it
Marcelo Maciel diz:
It will help my research
Marcelo Maciel diz:thanks a lot