DELTA MODULE 3: The Extended Assignment

The Adolescent Learner

Jitesh Patel
Candidate Number: 53
Centre Number: TR054
ITI Istanbul
Word Count: 4,497
06/06/2010
CONTENTS Page Number

PART ONE: Introduction and Specialism 4

1.1 Introduction 4
1.2 Reasons for Choosing Specialism 4
1.3 Issues in Teaching Adolescents 4
1.3.1 Motivation and Engaging the Adolescent Learner 4
1.3.2 Behaviour and Discipline 5
1.3.3 The Multi-level Classroom 5
1.4 Implications on Course Design 6

PART TWO: Needs Analysis and Commentary 7

2.1 Group Profile 7
2.2 Needs Identification 7
2.3 Needs Assessment and Results 8
2.3.1 Motivation 8
2.3.2 Learning Styles and Preferences 8
2.3.3 School Requirements 9
2.3.4 Communicative Needs 10
2.4 Strengths, Weaknesses and Priorities for the Course 11

PART THREE: Course Proposal 12

3.1 Approach, Design and Procedure 12
3.2 Course Objectives 13
3.3 Materials and Course Content 13
3.4 Group and Pair-work 14
3.5 Constraints 14

PART FOUR: Testing, Assessment and Evaluation 15

4.1 Formative Assessment 15
4.2 Summative Assessment 16
4.3 Course Evaluation 17

PART FIVE: Conclusion 18

BIBLIOGRAPHY 19

APPENDIX 1: Needs Analysis and Results 21

APPENDIX 2: Diagnostic Test Results 23
APPENDIX 3: Oral Test Transcript 26
APPENDIX 4: Interview with Head of English 29
APPENDIX 5: Course Plan 30
APPENDIX 6: Blank Student Questionnaire 36
APPENDIX 7: Breakdown of results from questionnaire 38
APPENDIX 8: Blank VAK Learning Styles Test 39
APPENDIX 9: Considerations for Materials 41
APPENDIX 10: Sample Course Materials 42

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 2

 10.1 Directions Worksheet 42
10.2 Murder Mystery Activity 43
10.3 Agreeing and Disagreeing 45
10.4 Pictures of Chindogu Inventions 46
10.5 Pronunciation Game 47
10.6 Continue the Script 48
10.7 Debate Preparation Cards 49
10.8 Sample Peer Feedback Sheet 50
APPENDIX 11: Assessment Criteria and Analytical Scales 51
APPENDIX 12: Course Evaluation Questionnaire 53

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 3

PART ONE: Introduction and Specialism

1.1 Introduction

This paper outlines a 20-hour course designed for school children aged between 15 and 16
at a state-run secondary school in Istanbul. The classes are to support oral communication
skills as part of the main English language programme at the school.

1.2 Reasons for choosing specialism

I have chosen young learners as my specialism due to the challenges I have recently faced
teaching adolescents in Turkey. I hope that research into young learners coupled with my
own experiences will help me to draw some conclusions regarding successful classes for the
adolescent learner.

Large and growing numbers of adolescents around the world are currently learning English
as a second language as it is increasingly seen as a tool to boost opportunities for school and
university leavers. Pennycook (1994:14) speaks of English as an international gatekeeper
enabling people to work and live abroad, widen job prospects in their own country and may
be necessary to pursue further education at university.

Teaching adolescents is particularly interesting due to the fact that so many teachers have
problems successfully engaging and motivating teenage students (Miller 2009). These
problems can prevent students from progressing and reaching the level of language
competency desired by their school, parents, future employer, university or themselves.
Harmer (2006), however, states that even though adolescents are often seen as problem
students they are relatively successful as language learners. The main aims for this
assignment, therefore, are to explore some of the issues surrounding the adolescent learner
and create an effective course to tackle these and in doing so help the adolescent students
to fully realise their potential as language learners.

1.3 Issues in teaching adolescents

1.3.1 Motivation and engaging the adolescent learner

Many of my adolescent students have an awareness of the potential benefits that English
can bring to their lives. In comparison to adult learners, however, they have not made the
decision to learn English and the goals and ends seem much more distant (Puchta, Schratz
1993:1). Additionally the complexity of teenage years in terms of the physical, physiological
and psychological changes can have a serious and negative effect on student attitude
towards learning. Close attention, therefore, needs to be paid to learning styles, preferences
and materials in order to successfully motivate and engage the learner.

Herbert Puchta and Michael Schratz (1993:4) state that problems in teaching teenagers
occur due to ...the teachers failure to build bridges between what they want and have to
teach and their students worlds of thought and experience. They suggest linking language
teaching very closely to the students everyday interests.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 4

Davis (1977), lists a variety of ways which can boost motivation for students in the secondary
classroom:
Having varied activities in one class as the attention span for the unmotivated
secondary school student is often short
Providing immediate and tangible goals, this is likely to come from assessment, which
is also something expected by the school child.
Demonstrations by the teacher Students benefit from being shown what to do
before they have time to practice themselves.

Additionally, Crawford (2008) stresses the need for a personal connection, an appropriate
intellectual challenge and purposeful social interaction as important factors to promote
student motivation.

Social interaction through group-work is also seen as important by Miller (2009), however,
Burden (1997:78) states that At the same time as learning to co-operate, people need to be
individuals, to feel they can legitimately think and feel differently from others, to develop
and exercise their own personality.

1.3.2 Behaviour and Discipline

Behaviour issues are a common problem in many of the adolescent classes I have taught and
the disruption can seriously effect the sucess of the class. Although motivation can have an
effect on behaviour, in my experience even the highly motivated and enthusiastic learner
can be disruptive and difficult to manage at times due to a variety of factors. Adolescence,
according to Erikson (1963), is a complex world marked by a struggle with social interactions,
need for peer approval, as well as a period of withdrawing from responsibilities.

A specific, and common, example of bad behaviour I have experienced is the refusal of
students to co-operate and listen to each other. They instead adopt a me first attitude
during presentations and role plays and struggle to constructively comment on their peers
work. Piaget (2001) comments that adolescence is charactericed by egocentrism, causing
them to believe that everyone else shares ther opinions and concerns and giving less value
to the ideas of others.

With regards to discipline, a formal system is non-existent at the school. All issues are
expected to be resolved in the classroom with minimal involvement from the department
head, headmaster or parents.

1.3.3 The Multilevel Classroom

One of the most striking differences I have come accross between teaching adults and
younger learners is the wide variation of individual language competence in the adolescent
classroom. The obvious reason for this is the preference for secondary schools to group
students based on age rather than language proficiency (Moys, 1996). Large variations are
due to the fact that adolescent learners brings with them previously learned language or
exposure from schooling at primarily level, exposure to the language through friends,

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 5

relatives and the media (Moon et al, 2002:31), not to mention the students natural ability
and interest in learning English.

In my experience it is difficult to satisfy the learning needs of lower ability students whilst
challenging exceptional students using a class plan aimed at one particular level. There is a
clear need for activities to be flexible enough for all students to participate fully and be
challenged.

1.4 Implications on course design

The implications of the issues discussed on course design are as follows:

1. Materials - Students should be involved when choosing topics to promote
engagement and increase motivation. There should also be a variety of activities in a
single class as well enough flexibility to cater for varied levels. Finally, language goals
need to be established with appropriate and regular assessment.
2. Peers Attention needs to be paid to how and when students are grouped and
paired. Individual work and opinions should also be promoted along with peer work.
Presentation based activities must have a need for listening to encourage students
to listen to their peers.
3. Rules - Clear rules on general class behaviour as well as specific guidelines for
activities in the course need to be identified to create a positive atmosphere of
respect and co-operation.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 6

PART 2: Needs Analysis and Commentary

2.1 Group Profile

The group is a class of 25 male and female adolescent learners aged between 15 and 16. The
institution is a prestigious state run secondary school in Istanbul with a strong focus placed
on English. The students have a total of 18 hours of general English classes a week with non-
native teachers and 2 hours with a native-English speaker, myself, to support oral
communication skills. Classes are in a 2-hour block with a 15-minute break. All students are
required to reach an intermediate/upper-intermediate level of English by the end of the
academic year. There are three official exams on the English course, however, the speaking
classes are currently not assessed by the school.

2.2 Needs Identification

A variety of tools were employed to gather information regarding students needs:

A. Student Questionnaire (See appendix 1 and 6) Information was gathered on factors

such as: motivation, learning preferences and students own assessment of their
strengths and weaknesses. The questionnaire was created with the adolescent
learner in mind and questions written in a manner unlikely to confuse lower level
students. According to Hague (1993: 45) Questions must be within the scope and
interest of the learner. The adolescent, as discussed in part 1, can have a short-
attention span, Hague (1993) suggests having a variation in question types in order to
keep the responder interested.

B. Head of Department Interview (Appendix 1 and 4) Needs regarding the institution,

which Brown (2002) calls situational needs, must be considered, as the principal
objective of the course is to support the main English programme at the high school.
The head of department was interviewed in order to gage their expectations of the
classes as well as views on student strengths and weaknesses

C. Diagnostic Test As well as situational needs, Brown (2002) identifies communicative

needs and defines this as The specific forms and functions that needs to be
programmed into a course(Brown, 2002:13). A diagnostic test was created where
students were asked to perform a typical task requiring group-work, planning,
rehearsing and presenting. The activity involved a question-answer element from the
audience so that both planned and unplanned communication could be assessed.

The class was recorded and students assessed on a number of criteria (See Appendix
2 and 3). Mead (1985) calls this the observational approach as it involves
observation and analysis of a typical classroom activity rather than a traditional test,
the advatage being that student stress and anxiety levels are reduced, leading to
more accurate assessment.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 7

 D. Modified VAK Learning Styles test (Appendix 1 and 8) This was used to identify the
percentage of students who are visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners. The test
was modified to make it suitable and relevant for adolescent students.

2.3 Needs Assessment and Results

2.3.1 Motivation

In general, student attitude and motivation towards learning English seems to be very
positive. The questionnaire (See Appendix 1) shows that:
Speaking is preferred over writing, listening and reading
65% of students like or love speaking English
80 % of students said that it was important or very important for them to improve
their speaking skills. Many of them commented upon potential job prospects and
further education opportunities.
Regarding motivation type, a distinction is often made between extrinsic and intrinsic
motivation. Harmer (2007:98) says that extrinsic motivation comes from outside factors,
such as the need to pass an exam, the hope of financial reward or the possibility of future
travel. Intrinsic motivation comes from the learner being motivated by the learning
process itself or by a desire to make themselves feel better (Harmer, 2007:98). The results
show both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation amongst students with the former being more
common.

Attitutes towards speaking English

Love Hate
13% 22%

Don't Like
13%
Like
52%

2.3.2 Learning Styles and preferences VAK Learner Styles

Learning styles vary in the group with

the most popular learning style being
Combinations
visual. 17%
Students showed preferences for a Visual
44%
variety of activities but liked Kinaesthetic
worksheet based exercises the least 17%
(see below) Auditory
22%

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 8

 The main interests of the adolescent group are: sports, popular music, television, politics
and science
An equal proportion of students favour individual work, group-work and pair-work.

Activity Preferences

Worksheets
13% Plays
21%
Games
22%
Presentations
21%
Songs
23%

Topic Preferences

Sports
Television
Music
Food
The Environment
Science and Technology
Jobs
Animals
Festivals around the world
Fashion
Politics

2.3.3 School requirements

The head of department suggested that the course should focus on:
Improving confidence, fluency and pronunciation
Preparing students for tasks such as presentations and debates as they will be
expected to be competent with these for their next years of education at the school

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 9

2.3.4 Communicative Needs

The student questionnaire shows that:

70% of students feel confident or very confident when speaking in front of the
class
Students feel they have the least problems with grammar and the most with
pronunciation and vocabulary

Student Self Assessment

100%
Percentage of Students

75%
No Problems
A few Problems
50%
Some Problems
Lots of Problems
25%

0%
Pronunciation
Confidence

Vocabulary

Grammar

Results from the diagnostic test show that:

Most groups scored highly on vocabulary and grammar, both in range and accuracy
Weaknesses were: pronunciation, use of discourse markers, delivery and appropriacy
of language (especially in the case of one of the groups)
There is a wide variety of oral competence within the class

Oral Assessment Scores from Diagnostic Test

16
14
12
Group 4
10
Points
8
Group 3
6 Group 2
4
Group 1
2
0
Pr Us Ac Ra Ap De
o nu eo cu ng pr liv
nc fd ra eo op er
iat isc cyo fL r iac y
ion ou f la ex y/R
rse ng is eg
ma ua an ist
ge dG er
rke r
rs a m
ma
r

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 10

2.4 Strengths, weaknesses and priorities for the course

The results from the needs analysis reveal that students strengths are: range and accuracy
of grammar and lexis. Students are highly enthusiastic and seem to be motivated and feel
confident about speaking. The main weaknesses identified are: pronunciation, use of
discourse markers, communication strategies and the ability to listen and respond to others.
Some students also struggles with appropriate language, often using both formal and
informal structures in the same communication task.

The main priorities for the course will be:

To improve pronunciation
To improve fluency
The use of discourse markers
The use of communication strategies
To promote dialogue as well as presentation and debate skills
Differentiation in language and style with regards to context (e.g. formal vs. informal)

Issues regarding discipline, behaviour and the multi-level class identified in part one will be
taken into consideration together with the course priorities and student preferences,
outlined in this chapter, when planning the course.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 11

PART THREE: Course Proposal

3.1 Approach, Design and Procedure

A framework for the comparison of teaching methods, created by Richards and Rodgers
(1982), divides method into: approach, design and procedure. The approach concerns the
theory of language learning whilst design includes the definition of language content, its
specification and organization and the role of the teacher. Procedure is concerned with a
description of techniques and practices (Long and Crookes, 1992).

A communicative approach based around activities, or tasks, which promote a variety of

communication, would probably be best suited given the needs and preferences of the
learner and institution. Long and Crookes (1992) define a syllabus based around
communicative tasks as Analytic, they offer the learner target language samples which,
while they may have been modified in other ways, have not been controlled for structure or
lexis in the traditional manner as oppose to Synthetic which segment the target language
into discrete linguistic items for presentation one at a time.

The design of the course must take into account the needs of the adolescent learner and
provide enough flexibility for the multi-level class as well as be engaging and motivating.
Tasks should allow and encourage students to be creative and share opinions with each
other with the role of teacher being to observe, analyse and provide new language and
feedback where needed.

With regards to the procedure, the main issue is how and when to focus on language forms.
There are varying opinions on this; proponents of Task-Based Learning (TBL), such as Prabhu
(1980) for example, usually discourage any focus on language forms. In my experience with
the group, however, when undertaking a communicative task they will use simple and often
inaccurate language unless new language is presented or they are corrected. Regarding
tasks, Foster (1999) states learners might be encouraged to prioritise on a focus on
meaning rather than a focus on form and thus be led to use fluent but unchallenging and
inaccurate language.

A Test, Teach, Test (TTT) technique will be employed to combine language focus with
communicative tasks. Focus on language will be encouraged after an initial activity that will
serve to activate schemata and provide information to the teacher with regards to gaps in
student knowledge. The teacher will then present useful lexical phrases and pronunciation
that will aid students in the main task. This main task will involve group work and require
planning and presentation or reporting to the rest of the class.

Peer feedback after group reporting/presentation will be incorporated in order to provide a

need for listening and reduce the chance of students becoming bored and disruptive whilst
listening to their peers. The teacher will also provide feedback to groups after task
completion.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 12

3.2 Course objectives

The objectives of the course are for students to:

3.3 Materials and Course Content

Regarding the type of communicative activity, Stern (1992) provides the following
suggestions:

Give and follow instructions

Gather and exchange information
Solve problems
Give informal talks in the classroom
Take part in role-play and drama activities

After reviewing the needs and objectives of the course I would also add formal speaking
activities such as presentations and debates to the above list. Although difficult to grade
tasks I feel that the order listed above roughly increases in difficulty and will be used to
grade and order tasks on the course.

The course plan meets the needs and objectives identified through the careful selection and
grading of activities. Presentations and debates (objectives 1 and 2) were mentioned as a
requirement by the institution and classes 9-12 deal with these specifically. Pronunciation,
discourse markers and communication strategies (objectives 3, 4 & 6) are dealt with before
the main task and linked to the activities carried out by students, e.g. In class 4 students
practice pronouncing words related to music that contain consonant clusters, this is

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 13

followed by the main task which is to plan and present proposals for a music festival. Classes
that practice both informal (classes 1-6) and formal speech (classes 9-12) have also been
incorporated into the course plan (objective 5).

The course also takes into differences in learning styles. Classes 7 & 8, for example, involve
creating and presenting a poster (visual learner) whilst classes 2 & 3 involve movement and
examining objects (kinaesthetic learner) and the debates involve listening and responding
(auditory learner). The tasks are also flexible enough to cater for the multi-level class.
Additionally, the topics and activities chosen reflect student preferences, for example class 4
is based on music and concerts

3.4 Group and Pair-work

Due to the discipline issues related to the adolescent learner and the multi-level class,
grouping and pairing needs to be undertaken carefully. Harmer (2007:168) recommends
placing friends together to avoid conflict. In my experience, however, this can lead to
particular groups being disruptive and others where all members are of a certain level.
Having a variety of levels in one group could be beneficial, as stronger students will help
weaker ones (Harmer 2007:169). The teacher will, therefore, choose groups during the
lesson planning stage with each class having a different group configuration and groups
having a mix of levels.

3.5 Constraints

The main constraints of the course are the limited facilities available in the classroom. There
are no video/audio recording or projection facilities in the classrooms although an external
recording device could be brought in, as well as speakers. Another constraint is the
configuration of the classroom; all students sit in rows with small individual desks fixed to
the ground, this may provide some difficulties during group work activities. The other
limitation is time; all classes are a fixed length (2 hours with a 15 minute break in the middle)
and there can be no changes made to this.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 14

PART FOUR: Testing, Assessment and Evaluation

To differentiate the terms testing and assessment, we can refer to the latter as being
broader than testing; the teacher is looking at progress over time in a variety of contexts
(Law, 1995:5). Testing, therefore, can be viewed as a tool in the assessment process that
gives us information at a specific point in time regarding student language ability. There are
various purposes for assessment such as:

1) To provide information required or expected by the institution, parents or other

institution (such as a prospective college or university)
2) To aid the teacher in understanding the effectiveness of the course
3) To provide feedback for the learner which may then have an impact on their learning,
known as washback (Messick, 1996)

With regards to this particular assignment, the institution does not require any form of
assessment. The interest, therefore, lies in assessing for the purpose of providing
information about course effectiveness for the teacher and also in providing feedback to
students, which it is hoped will inform as well as motivate them.

Assessment is often divided into two types: formative and summative. Brindley (2001:137)
defines formative assessment as being carried out by teachers during the learning process
with the aim of using the results to improve instruction. Summative assessment is usually
at the end of the course, term or school year often for purposes of providing aggregated
information on programme outcomes to educational authorities.

4.1 Formative Assessment

The methodology selected for the course lends itself well to formative assessment due to
the fact that all tasks are observed with the aim of giving feedback to students and focusing
on language accordingly. Rea Dickens (1992) and Underhill (1987) point to the advantages of
using classroom observation for assessment, especially with regards to communicative
activities. In classical testing terms it is based on a bigger and better sample of language
and in comparison to an oral test the learner is more relaxed and confident Underhill
(1987:27). Formative assessment will, therefore, be based on classroom observations of
tasks performed by students in each class throughout the course.

Using observations as a testing method needs to be considered with criteria established

regarding the attributes of a successful test. Harmer (2007:381) states that a good test needs
to be valid and reliable, he defines a valid test as one that tests what is supposed to and
that a reliable test should give consistent results. Brown (1996:231) separates validity into
the following three categories:

Content validity: To demonstrate content validity, testers investigate the degree to which a
test is a representative sample of the content of whatever objectives or specifications the
test was originally designed to measure

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 15

Criterion-related validity usually includes any validity strategies that focus on the correlation
of the test being validated with some well-respected outside measure(s) of the same
objectives or specifications
Construct validity has traditionally been defined as the experimental demonstration that a
test is measuring the construct it claims to be measuring.

Scores given through observation of tasks need to be based on the objectives set in order to
ensure content validity. Construct validity is high, as the tasks set have been designed to
demonstrate language skills set out in the objectives and also due to the larger sample size
of work compared to a one-off test. Criterion-related validity is difficult to measure, as the
school does not currently administer any official oral exams.

With regards to face validity, whether the test looks like a test for the teacher and learner,
this may be a problem as students are accustomed to traditional paper based, one-off tests.
They may not regard continuous assessment of their tasks as testing. Underhill (1987:20)
points out there may be a discrepancy between the objectives if a teaching/testing
programme and the cultural expectations of the learners. In order to combat this he
suggests explanation, preparation and practice so students become familiar with the new
style of testing and hopefully accept it.

Regarding reliability marking gets more reliable when a students performance is analysed
in much greater detail (Harmer 2007: 388). Clear criteria based on objectives, as well as an
analytic scale for each criteria has been created to aid the teacher during the marking
process for each task and produce more reliable results (see page Appendix 11).

4.2 Summative Assessment

The results of individual tasks throughout the course will be combined to give an overall
impression of student progress. In comparison to a one-off test Ana Huerta-Macias
(2002:342 ) sees it as more beneficial as it gives as more knowledge about the students
goals, progress and interests. It helps us understand the student. Law (1995:31) also argues
that single occasion tests are not a good measure of student competence and they do not
easily measure growth. The combination of scores from assessment of the tasks for each
student will be used to create a report giving an overall impression of their progress,
strengths and weaknesses.

Harris and McCann (1994:21) also suggest a broader view of assessment that includes
learner characteristics as well as language ability (see figure 1 below). Due to behavioural
issues surrounding the adolescent learner this is see as particularly relevant and will
therefore form part of the assessment procedure and included in the final report. The
following points will be used as by the teacher as a framework to comment on student
characteristics:

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 16

Figure 1: Student Behaviour (Harris and McCann, 1994:21)

4.3 Course Evaluation

A distinction can be made between assessment and evaluation; the former concerns
passing judgements on students learning potential and performance and the latter is
concerned with making judgements about the curriculum (Skilbeck 1984:238). The course
will be evaluated in the following three ways:

1) Student questionnaire to determine opinions regarding the classes and suggestions for
improvement (See Appendix 12)

2) Teachers notes and student feedback after each class - In my experience, students are
often vocal about activities and classes they particularly liked or disliked. The teacher is often
aware if a particular task has been successful or not. The teacher, therefore, should make
notes after each class with their own evaluation of the class as well as feedback from
students.

3) The main English teacher for the class will be interviewed to determine improvements
they have seen in the students communication skills.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 17

PART FIVE: Conclusion

This assignment outlines a 20-hour course for adolescent learners of ESL. Issues concerning
the adolescent learner have been analysed and a course proposed with both the learner and
institution in mind. The course is based around communicative activities with a TTT (test,
teach, test) framework. Activities have been selected which should engage the adolescent
learner and allow for a variety of learning styles, preferences and levels. Measures such as
careful pairing and grouping of students and creating a need for listening during student
presentations have been used to tackle issues regarding poor behaviour and motivation. Pair
work and group work activities have also been used extensively to increase the speaking
opportunities the learner has.

Regular assessment is incorporated into the course and is seen as a further measure to
increase student motivation and provide feedback for the teacher. The overall student
progress at the end of the course will be gauged by combining all individual assessments of
tasks as well as an analysis of student behaviour and attitude.

The limitations of the course proposed are mainly due to restrictions in time and also factors
concerning student discipline and preferences. Individual presentations, for example, have
not been incorporated in the course, as most students prefer group work and some lack
confidence to speak alone in front of the class. The strong focus on group work may also
cause problems regarding discipline issues, as it is difficult for the teacher to ensure that all
members of a group are participating fully, not speaking in their L1 and cooperating well.
Some students may also resent the fact that so much time is spent speaking to their peers
rather than the teacher and prefer a more traditional style of teaching and learning.

Despite its limitations it is hoped that the course will benefit learners by greatly increasing
the quantity and quality of speaking practice in the classroom. They will also have the
opportunity to practice speaking in different contexts and to a variety of their peers.
Through basic presentation and debate tasks it is hoped that students are better prepared
for further and higher education and are able to express their opinions and ideas effectively.
Learners should also be aware of discourse markers and communication strategies and use
them appropriately to improve the quality of their speech. This will be further improved due
to the courses focus on pronunciation, intonation and stress. Finally, students should be
able to recognize some differences between formal and informal speech and be able to use
appropriate register according to context.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 18

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performance assessments (Technical Report 18). Honolulu: University of Hawaii

Nunan, D. (1993). Task-based syllabus design: selecting, grading and sequencing tasks. In In
G. Crookes & S.M. Gass (Eds.). Tasks in a Pedagogical Context. Cleveland, UK. Pp 55 66

Pennycook, A. (1994) The Cultural Politics of English as a Second Language, Longman Group
Limited

Piaget (2001) The Psychology of Intelligence, Routledge

Puchta, H., Schratz, M. (1993) Teaching Teenagers: Model Activity Sequences for Humanistic
Language Learning, Longman Publishing Group

Prahbu, N. S., (1980). Reactions and predictions. Bulletin 4(1). Bangalore: Regional
Institute of English, South India

Rea-Dickens, P., Germaine, K. (1992) Evaluation Oxford University Press

Richards, J. and T. Rodgers (1982) 'Method: approach, design, procedure'. TESOL Quarterly,
16: 153-68.

Stern, H. 1992. Issues and Options in Language Teaching. Oxford: OUP

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Williams, M., Burden, R. (1997) Psychology for Language Teachers Cambridge University
Press

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 20

APPENDIX 1: Needs Analysis Results

Skill Preferences
Attitudes towards confidence in speaking English
14
Number of Students

12
10 Reading
Very Very Shy
8 Writing Confident 0% Shy
6 Listening 30% 30%
4
Speaking
2
0
1 2 3 4 Quite
Confident
(1 = Favourite, 4 = Least
40%
Favourite)

Attitutes towards speaking English

Attitudes towards speaking English in front of
the class

Love Hate
13% 22% Hate
Don't Like
Love 0%
4%
39%

Don't Like
13%
Like
Like
52%
57%

Activity Preferences Topic Preferences

Sports
Television
Worksheets
13% Plays Music
Food
21%
The Environment
Games Science and Technology
22% Jobs

Presentation Animals
Festivals around the world
s
Fashion
Songs 21% Politics
23%

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 21

 Student Self Assessment
VAK Learner Styles

Percentage of Students
100%

Combinatio 75% No Problems

ns
A few Problems
17% 50%
Visual Some Problems
44% 25% Lots of Problems
Kinaestheti
c
17% 0%
Auditory

ce
ry
ar
22%

io
la
m

en
at
bu
m

ci

fid
ra

ca

un

on
G

Vo

on

C
Pr

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 22

APPENDIX 2: Diagnostic Test Results

Delivery Appropriacy Range of Accuracy Use of Pronunciation

Lexis of Discourse
Language Markers
Group 1 2 4 4 3 1 2
Group 2 2 3 3 3 2 2
Group 3 3 2 4 3 3 3
Group 4 3 3 4 3 2 2
Total 10 12 15 12 9 9

CRITERIA

Delivery
0 - Very poor use of voice and body language
Max. 5 - Excellent use of gestures, body language and pitch

Appropriacy
0 - Language is either too informal or formal for considering the context
Max. 5 - All language is appropriately selected with regards to the task

Range of Lexis
0 - Lexis is very simple and repetitive; only one or two basic tenses used
Max 5. - Broad range of lexis and some expressions used

Accuracy of Language
0 - Many basic grammar mistakes made and inaccurate use of lexis
Max. 5 - Both grammar and lexis is used accurately

Use of Discourse Markers

0 - No use of sequencing, connecting or finalising devices
Max. 5 - A broad range of discourse markers used in an appropriate and effective manner

Pronunciation
0 - Poor pronunciation makes it very difficult or impossible for the listener to understand the
speaker
Max. 5 - No problems with pronunciation, intonation or stress

COMMENTS

Group 1
Strengths
Fairly good range of lexis e.g. home-school is widespread.

Weaknesses
Delivery was poor The audience had problems hearing the group and they also
failed to engage the audience

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 23

 Accuracy of language was average but some basic mistakes e.g. Name of the island is,
Every children have to
Very little use of discourse markers (for sequencing and connecting) and
communication strategies.
Pronunciation problems with consonant clusters e.g. plants and long words e.g.
discrimination

Group 2
Strengths
Accuracy of language was good but some basic mistakes e.g. The students doesnt
have to

Weaknesses
Delivery was OK but the group interrupted each other during the presentation
causing breaks in the presentation. They did not use any phrases to interrupt (e.g.
sorry but can I just add, etc.)
Range of lexis is average for the level but only simple structures and basic grammar
used
Appropriacy was poor e.g. What are you gonna..?
Little use of discourse markers to connect contrasting ideas and to sequence and
poor pronunciation due to sentence stress problems

Group 3
Strengths
Overall the best presentation given. Good delivery and some use of communication
strategies e.g. I want to say something more
Good range and accuracy of lexis e.g. marital arts, loyal but some simple mistakes,
very similar to those see in other groups
Some use of discourse markers Our first job is but none used for finalising

Weaknesses
Pronunciation was good but problems with /w/ and /v/ sounds e.g. we pronounced
as vee
Some very inappropriate language was used e.g. We gonna protect them

General Comments:

Although students were asked to give a short 3-minute presentation to describe their island
before taking questions, all gave a very brief presentation. Students seemed to lack
confidence and language ability to sequence ideas into lengthy prose. Students generally
used a wide range of vocabulary but made a few basic grammar mistakes, possible due to
nervousness. The audience were very enthusiastic regarding question asking but conversely
didnt listen to answers and often had to be asked to be quiet and listen to the speakers.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 24

Group 4
Strengths
Good range and accuracy of lexis e.g. Oligarchy, dominate.

Weaknesses
Very brief sentences with little connection between ideas
Delivery was OK but students gave no introduction and all answers were fairly brief
Minimal uses of discourse markers and communication strategies
Pronunciation problems with the th sound in there

Oral Test Results by Group Oral Test Results by Criteria

16
18 14
Delivery 12
16 10
14 Appropriacy/Register 8
6
12 4
Range of Lexis and 2
10
Grammar 0

Range of Lexis and

Appropriacy/Register

Delivery
Use of discourse

Accuracy of
8

Pronunciation
Accuracy of language

language
6

markers

Grammar
4 Use of discourse
markers
2
Pronunciation
0
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 25

APPENDIX 3 Oral Test Transcript

The Perfect Island

Students were asked to imagine that a new island has been discovered and they have been
chosen as the first inhabitants. They must decide how island will be governed and managed.
They must think if issues such as: Style of government, immigration, transport, energy,
education, the financial system and agriculture. Students will have time to prepare to give a
presentation to give an introduction of their island to the audience who act as potential
inhabitants. After an introduction, the audience should ask the group questions regarding
life on the island.

The following is a transcribed section of student oral output during the presentation phase:

Group 1

S1: Name of the island is Miterion. The population has 2000 people. It is a republic.
Q1: What will you do about education?
S2: Home-school is widespread on our island, children dont have to go to school. Every
children have to home school.
Q2: Where will energy come from?
Turkish Babble from group
S3: Energy comes from water. Produced from water
Q3: What about terrorism?
S4: 55% of population is old people Umm, so there is no discrimination or terrorism
Q4: What about natural disasters?
S3:If you want to live on the island you have to think that, we cant prevent disasters
Q5: What types of jobs will people have?
S5: Umm They are working special plants, there are lots of special plants, other countries,
dont have it. People made of..Uh, um, drum. Papers are made from hemp because papers
made from hemp harm less than others.

Group 2

S1: Our islands name is Choro, population

--Interruption from audience <What, what, dont hear?!>
Turkish babble from group
S1: Population of island is 500. <Laughing from group>. And our management style is
democracy and er um um and our islands money unit is araba.
Q1: What about corruption
S2: There arent any <laughing>
S3: There isnt any corruption because everybody is rich
Q2: What are you gonna do about bad role models?
S4: Actually there arent many bad role models but some take drugs but they went to
hospital but now they sleeping
S1 interruption: recovering in hospital.
Q3: What about schools?

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 26

S4: The students doesnt have to wear uniform and we teach English in primary school and
seven yeas old so English is important in our island. We have got a lot of foreign languages
for example, French, Spanish, German.
Q4: What about overpopulation?
S1: Terrible, there are much traffics so we do 5 bridge so we solve this problem
S2 Interruption: We need new roads

Group 3

S1: Our island name is island of lights, we can say IOL. Are..Are you listening? Alright.
Our first job is we are going to give a speech to our people about republic, our people like
republuc so it havent been a problem to choose the system. Eer. So we got to go question.
Q1: What will you do about overpopulation?
S2: Theres enough house in our island so erm it isnt help overpopulation. So many house in
our island, no problem.
Q2: What can you do on the island?
S3: Lots of theatres, sports centres, culture centres, some things like that
Q3: What about war and terrorism?
<Turkish babble from group, deciding who will speak> <I wasnt going to speak actually>
S4: Errr Terrorism err there are going to be a lot of soldiers so they are going to solve this
problem and everybody has to be loyal of our island because it is necessary
S5: I want to say somethinhg more Our soldiers will be know all about all martial arts, all
type of martial arts
Q1: What about discrimiation?
S6: Everoyne is equal. If discrimination they errm <Turkish question to group member> they
will be punished, thats all.
Q2: What about natural disasters?
S5: We gonna protect them by um how, erm we put the hats or something like that and they
gonna protect the island/
Q3: What about the schools
Our national language is Turkish but we give education about other languages also so
students can speak almost all languages in the world. Also our island is clean so nobody can
smoke or drink alcohol. If you want to drink you must go far away from the island. There are
lots of school, the whole students have got their laptop.

Group 4

The name of the island is Peaceee. Peaceful island. It will be an Oligarchy. A group, we,
dominate the island.
Q1: What about pollution?
<Turkish babble>
S1: There are lots of workers on the island, there are lots of rubbish bins, people dont drop
any litter they always put them on a rubbish bin
Q2: But what about cars?
There arent lots of cars, bicycle but they use cars for good environment.
Q3: What about tourism?
S2: We will fishing maybe,

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 27

S3 Interruption: We will make hotels, a lot of beaches. tourist come from all of countries.
T: Any more questions?
<Wait for question>
Q4: Will there be television on the island?
S5: There will be just radio, the island is very peaceful. Reggae music on the radio
Q5: Where will energy come from?
S2: It will come from sun, wind, water, natural.
<Chatter from audience>
Q6: Will you have a film industry?
S3: Yes of course, bigger than Hollywood. We will make money, also from farming and
tourism

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 28

APPENDIX 4: Interview with Head of English - Transcription

1. What are the main strengths and weaknesses that students have with their oral
communication (fluency, accuracy, pronunciation, confidence, range of language)?

They have many problems. Students are generally not confident, they are quiet and dont
talk for a long time. Some of them need to improve pronunciation but they remember new
words and dont have a big problem with new vocabulary.

2. What level would you say the students are when they start the preparatory year? How
much do student levels vary in a particular class?

Some students are from very good schools and they have been studying English since they
were young. The others are maybe not so good when they start but they still have some
experience, maybe high beginner but usually by the end of the year they are all intermediate
level.

3. How motivated are the students to improve their speaking skills?

I think they know that they need to have good English for good jobs and for university. So
they are motivated. And they also like speaking class with the native teacher.

4. How willing are students to speak in English whilst doing group work or pair work?

We do pair work, group work in other classes so this is no problem for them.

5. Do students feel comfortable giving individual or group presentations in front of the

whole class?

They dont have so much practice but its very important for then to improve because they
must give presentations maybe at university and also debates, group conversations, yes.

6. To what extent do you feel the speaking support classes should be linked to the main
curriculum?

It doesnt matter too much. They dont have a test but they need to generally improve
speaking skills for different purposes.

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 29

APPENDIX 5: Course Plan

Colour Coding:
Objectives
Pronunciation and intonation
Communication strategies
Discourse Markers
Informal conversation
Presentation Skills
Debate Skills

Abbreviations:
LF Language Focus
PFB Peer Feedback
TFB Teacher Feedback
PP Pronunciation Practice
CS Communication Strategies

Class 1
1 Hour 45 minutes

Objectives Task Type: Giving and following instructions Materials

Introduction to course:
Outline course aims, objectives and style
Set and agree upon general rules regarding
tasks and behaviour
Initial Task Maps/Directions
Pair Work: Information gap activity: Students A Worksheet (See
has a map must give directions to student B who Appendix 10.1)
has the same map but with missing information.
Reverse roles

Suggested Language Focus Pronunciation

Discourse markers on sequencing: game (Appendix
Firstthenfinally 10.5)
Fillers: Well, actually
PP: // and // sounds by practicing words such
as: third, then
Main Task
Brainstorm different skills students have: e.g.
play guitar, cook a traditional meal, play
backgammon, etc.
Planning: In groups of 4/5 students select a skill
and identify a sequence of steps
Present: Each group member goes to another
group and teaches their skill
Peer and Teacher Feedback Scoring Card

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 30

 PFB: Each group gives their favourite using a (Appendix 10.8)
scoring card
TFB

Class 2 and 3
3.5 Hours

Objectives Task Type: Solve problems Materials

Initial Task Logical puzzles
Pair-work: Logical puzzles activity in pairs from Discussions
A-Z Intermediate

Suggested Language Focus

TFB and LF where needed
LF: Past and present modals for deduction
Discourse markers for connecting however, on
the other hand
PP: contractions - shouldve, mightve, etc.,
CS: Asking for confirmation
Main Task Murder Mystery
Group Work: Murder Mystery Game Each Story and clues
group is given a scenario and a series of clues. (See Appendix
They must play detectives and guess who 10.2)
committed the murder

Pear and Teacher Feedback

PFB: Class votes for best detective
TFB

Class 4
1 Hour 45 minutes

Objectives Task Type: Give informal talks to the class Materials

Initial Task
Pair-Work: Students role-play formal dialogues
and then try to change to informal style
Suggested Language Focus
LF: Examples of differences between formal
and informal speech (audio)
PP: Consonant clusters practice words
related to music: instrument, improvise, drum
Main Task Teacher creates

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 31

 Brainstorm: Music Favourite type, when price list of
you listen to music, concerts and festivals possible items
Group Work: Students are asked to design a and locations for
music festival (they are given a budget and a Music Festival
list of requirements)
A member from each group joins another
group, gives their idea and listens to others

Feedback
PFB: Students rate each others ideas and
select a winner
TFB

Class 5 and 6
3.5 hours

Objectives Task Type: Drama Materials

Initial Task Teacher creates
Pair-work: Students are given characters from Character Cards
TV and film. They must list them from best to
worst actor

Suggested Language Focus Jazz chant

PP: Sentence stress practice using - jazz chant From
http://www.onestopenglish
.com
/section.asp?docid=146250
Main Task First half of a
Brainstorm: What makes a good actor? script from a short
Group Work: Students are given a script but play (See
they are told that the second page has been Appendix 10.6)
lost.
They act out script
Write new part
Rehearse
Perform in front of class

Feedback
PFB: Vote for favourite actor/actress and best
play giving reasons
TFB

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 32

Class 7 and 8
3.5 Hours

Objectives Task Type: Presentation Materials

Initial Task Pictures of some
Brainstorm: What is the best invention of the Chindogu
20th Century? inventions (See
Pair Work: Students are given pictures of Appendix 10.4)
Japanese Chindogu inventions. They must guess
what purpose each serves

Suggested Language Focus

LF: Language of persuasion: should/must, cant
live without
Discourse markers on connecting sentences:
However, although, on the other hand

Main Task
Group Work: Students must invent a new
product by either: combining two existing
products, modifying a product or a
completely new invention
They must create a poster advertisement
Prepare to present the product with the aim
of selling it. They must use persuasive
language
Present to the class and answer questions
about product from the class

Feedback Scoring Card

PFB: Students vote for their favourite invention (Appendix 10.8)
and presentation giving reasons
TFB

Class 9
1 Hour 45 minutes

Objectives Task Type: Presentation Materials

Initial Task
Pair-Work: Students presented with a list of
attributes that make a successful presentation.
They must order them from most to least
important

Suggested Language Focus

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 33

 LF: Chart/graph vocabulary

Task Cycle Text and related

Group Work: Each group is given a different question re The
text regarding the Environment Environment
Students prepare a presentation with at least
(http://www.eslflow.com/
one chart and explain it to the class environmentlessonplans.html)
Present to the class and answer questions
All students are given a series of questions
which they should be able to answer after
listening to all presentations

Feedback Scoring Card

PFB: Students vote for their favourite (Appendix 10.8)
presentation giving reasons
TFB

Class 10 and 11
3.5 Hours

Objectives Task Type: Giving and following instructions Materials

Initial Task
Brainstorm: What is the difference between a Agreeing/Disagreei
debate, chat and argument? ng worksheet
The rules and language of debating (See Appendix
10.3)
Pair-work: Students are given a list of opinions
regarding various topics and they must decide if
they agree or not giving reasons
Suggested Language Focus
LF: Agreeing and disagreeing
Giving Opinions
CS: Interrupting and Turn-Taking
Main Task Debate Preparation
Debate topic: School uniform should be optional Cards (Appendix
The number of people who agree and disagree 10.7)
with the statement is counted
Group-work: Class divided in two. Group A must
argue for and Group B against
Groups use debate cards to prepare their
arguments
They each present an introduction and their first
argument and then turn-take for rebuttals and
new arguments

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 34

 Feedback
PFB: The number of people who agree and
disagree is counted again to select the winning
group
TFB

Class 12
1 Hour 45 minutes

Objectives Task Type: Debate Materials

Initial Task
A student is asked to start speak about a topic Interruption cards
without pausing or hesitating, an interruption created by teacher
card is given to another student who must
interrupt and continue the conversation.

Suggested Language Focus

Review: Turn taking and Interrupting
Review discourse markers
Task Cycle
Students think of their own ideas for a debate,
write a statement and put it in a box
Group-work: A topic is selected from the box
and which the class must debate

Language Focus
Peer and teacher feedback on class and entire
course

Jitesh Patel: The Adolescent Learner 35