Holly Morgan – Teacher Trainer & Academic Coordinator @English Path.
Holly Morgan is the Academic Coordinator at English Path and has been working and teaching in the ELT industry since 2014. She has worked in Spain, Japan and the UK and holds a BSc in English Language and a DELTA certificate from Cambridge Assessment. She has taught a variety of levels and ages but is particularly interested in Business English and Teacher Development.
What you will learn
In this workshop, we will look at the role of emerging language within the classroom. We will look at what emerging language is, how to listen for it in the classroom and how to share it with students via board work.
Emerging language is very briefly dealt with on initial teacher training courses, but it is an area which can really make a difference to our students’ progress.
Being able to react to our students’ needs is an essential teaching skill and emerging language gives them the vocabulary and structures they really need both inside and outside the classroom in their real lives. Let’s reframe how we look at emerging language, rather than simply ‘dealing’ with it, let’s embrace it!
Workshop Summary
Introduction to the Webinar
In this TEFL Webinar, the speaker discusses the significance of emerging language in the English Language Teaching (ELT) classroom and provides practical tips for teachers to effectively incorporate it into their lessons.
Understanding Emerging Language in ELT
Emerging language is the language that arises spontaneously during class as a result of students’ needs or gaps in their language skills. It is crucial for teachers to identify these instances and use them as opportunities to develop their students’ language abilities.
Illustrating Emerging Language
To illustrate the concept of emerging language, the speaker presents three example sentences with potential focus areas. Teachers can work on upgrading the language by refining the sentence structure, changing basic nouns, and discussing different activities that relate to the sentence’s topic.
Key Considerations
There are three key considerations when addressing emerging language:
Noting emerging language during class: Teachers need a method for quickly recording emerging language during lessons. This could involve using scrap paper, a digital device or having a dedicated section on the whiteboard. It is essential to circulate around the classroom and listen to as many students as possible.
Boarding emerging language: Teachers should board the emerging language as soon as possible after the speaking activity, while it is still fresh in the students’ minds. Having a separate section on the board or a visible Word document can help students understand where to find the language. When boarding, focus on meaning, form, and pronunciation, and provide examples in context. Additionally, share related collocations, expressions or forms to expand students’ language options.
Sharing emerging language with students: It is important to explain to students why emerging language is being addressed and how it is relevant to their learning. Teachers should be flexible and ready to modify their lesson plans to meet students’ needs. By prioritising emerging language, students receive more than just textbook knowledge, leading to a more personalised and motivating learning experience.
Practical Strategies for Managing Emerging Language
Some tips for managing emerging language include having a dedicated section of the whiteboard or a Word document for recording emerging language, focusing on meaning, form, and pronunciation, and providing examples in context. Teachers should be flexible and adapt their lesson plans to address students’ needs as they arise.
Conclusion: Benefits of Focusing on Emerging Language
In conclusion, focusing on emerging language in the classroom is essential because it allows teachers to be more responsive to students’ needs, motivates students to work harder, helps identify gaps in language skills, and gives the language real-life applications. By incorporating emerging language into their lessons, teachers can provide a more personalised and effective learning experience for their students.
Reflective Questions
Have a quick think about the reflective questions below in order to get the most out of the workshop:
- How often do you work with emerging languages in the classroom? How confident do you feel doing this?
- How do you currently share the emerging language with your students? Is this the best way of doing it?
Recommended Further Reading
- Chinn, R. & Norrington Davies, D. (2022). Working with Emergent Language. Pavilion (due to be published in October 2022).
- Language Moments. (2011). Dealing with emerging language. [online] Available at: https://languagemoments.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/dealing-with-emerging-language/.
- Norrington-Davies, D., (2020). Emergent language: working with spontaneous language. [online] Modern English Teacher. Available at: https://www.modernenglishteacher.com/emergent-language.
0 Comments