Week 6: DISCUSSION: Engaging Students, TASK: Create an *Interactive* Power Point and PROJECT STEP: Implement the Change

Hi colleagues,

1. Engaging Students: I do agree with Rosbenraver's idea. He said, "Teachers are being a facilitator or an actor for students". Because I could bring entertainment to students. I guided the fun way to learn. They enjoyed it very much. They wanted to study and happy at the same time. Their ages are around 8 to 20 years old. Moreover, when I devided them to work with peers or groups, I walked around and monitor them very carefully. One more thing, I did care of their homework and asignment. It was very effective with that methodology. Students will never forget their tasks that I had provided to them. They're happy to study with me even they've passed in my class. They did not want to continue their level because they wanted to study with me again. Finally, I explained them that you have to go on your level. However, you could come to visit me when you have a break time.

This kind of active engagement of students in their learning and use of English for genuine or simulated acts of communication is, as I have seen, rewarding and enjoyable. The whole class is using English to communicate and is focused on a topic they are all interested in and even excited about. This, after all, is why English medium instruction is so effective. Language acquisition studies have shown that when students are wrapped up in a topic which interests them, that is when they absorb the language.

An effective way of encouraging students to speak in English is to give them some language games. They enjoy the games and, naturally, this makes them feel more relaxed so that they are able to practice their English without becoming self-conscious. A game I have used in my own teaching is Bingo. I write some of my favorite fruits on the board and then give the students a few minutes to write 3 or 4 words in their notebook. Finally, they will speak the words that they have written when the game starts. It is easy for them to find their words and they have to say them individually. Even if their word is right or wrong, they will try to say the correct one. I remember one student who was so silent and shy, but I noticed that when we played this game, he grew very excited and spoke the words so loudly. I was very surprised when I saw him like that and I felt that it was a good thing that I could make him speak up in class. So I found that this method was effective in helping Cambodian secondary school students to say some words in English.

Another activity I have found effective is role-play, which can be based on just about any topic. I give my students a role and a problem to solve. Roles can be given on cards so the students can choose one, which makes it more like a game. The kind of roles and situations given are: (i) two neighbors discussing a barking dog; (ii) a customer speaking to a call center staff member about a problem; (iii) a parent explaining something to his/her child. In such dramatic situations I have found that students are happy to speak and perform their role, because they are performing a part in a drama, they don't feel they are being themselves and that is 

2. Create an *Interactive* Power Point: I usually use Power Point to teach my lessons. Because it's very useful and effectively. My students could see the lessons very clear. They could copy some notes to their books. One more thing, I can keep those files to teach my students for the next class. It helped me to save my time. So using Power Points slide is one of the best way in teaching students.

3.PROJECT STEP: Implement the Change: For instructors who have never experienced such a learner-centered classroom, however, this situation can be off putting, even intimidating, and for several reasons. Firstly, more activity in the classroom produces more noise, with students often working in pairs or groups. Other teachers might feel critical about this situation, because they mistake the noise of lively class discussion with ill discipline.

Secondly, an increase in student participation and activity requires more management, while, thirdly, this management requires more preparation time. While teachers might not have either the experience or the confidence to manage such a lively class, they might also be unwilling to have their workload increased – not to mention the increased marking required. When the students are activated, the teacher may feel that his class is getting out of control. While the students are working in pairs or small groups, the classroom can become noisy. The teacher might also not be comfortable with the idea that students are making mistakes which, moreover, are neither heard nor corrected. In this situation, the teacher who is not used to a learner-centred environment, begins to feel he is losing control.

Students, however, need to make mistakes, because that is how languages (including our mother tongue) are learnt. We learn by our mistakes, although, unfortunately, in a teacher-centred classroom this is not appreciated. There this exaggerated focus on grammatical correctness actually inhibits foreign language learners from using the language, from communicating in it, from speaking it. They are afraid of making mistakes, because their teachers have subjected any student who makes a mistake to constant criticism in front of their classmates. If, however, we want our students to use English to communicate, to speak without constantly monitoring for grammatical correctness, they must feel comfortable about speaking and not feel embarrassed or self-conscious about their ability or inability to speak fluently. They may be naturally shy, in which case the teacher needs to create an atmosphere in the classroom where students can feel relaxed and, through such activities as role play and drama, overcome such natural inhibitions. In the learner-centred classroom, the teacher's role is to facilitate and give encouragement and support.

In order to change what goes on in the classroom from a teacher centered to a more learner-centered methodology will take time, because it is not easy. More teachers need to be trained in learner-centered methodologies and such training also needs to be available for practicing teachers. In-service professional development courses and follow-up support from teacher training institutions will help teachers to bring about change, but the teachers themselves need to be exposed to different ways of teaching and learning. Hopefully this will happen during their university or college course.

We have seen that learner-centred classrooms are lively and can be quite noise. That is because the students are enjoying themselves; it isn’t a sign of ill discipline. Actually the students are using English enthusiastically during an enjoyable activity and this is the way they will learn the language effectively, especially with regards spoken English. Teachers, however, may feel intimidated by the energy and liveliness of students in such learner-centred classrooms. This is why they need support: support from their trainers, support from their head teachers and support from their colleagues. If such support is made available, it will help to bring about change and move the teacher centered type of classrooms that are to be found throughout Cambodia towards a more effective, learner-centred approach. The result will be that students in Cambodia will be able to improve their language acquisition, including their spoken English. 

Cheers,
Davith Vann (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)