My first observation as an observee was done online with a class of three people from cote d’Ivoire. They subscribed for a six-month training, and their long-term goal is to become pre-intermediates. I taught them for three weeks, and we got along perfectly. Daniela was the observer. I was happy to have her watch my video because she has 12 years of experience in teaching people from different nationalities, and I thought that with someone of her calibre, I would be able to gain insight into improving my teaching practices. I wanted her to focus on student engagement and Class dynamics. Her personal aim was to see how I integrate technology into my lessons.
My feedback about how the lesson went
The class was made up of three female students from the Ivory Coast, and their motivation for learning was to get a job or pursue their studies abroad. The level in the group was beginner or A1, and the students all knew each other since they were formerly attending the face-to-face classes. Then the lockdown began, and they were compelled to take the classes online, and I set up a WhatsApp group where they received homework and follow ups daily.
At first, I thought the class went well. The lesson aims were to introduce and practice various modal verbs. By the end of the lesson, the students would have better understood which modals to use when expressing ability, permission, advice, obligation, and possibility. I used a table of modal verbs to clarify when to use them and a range of example sentences (can, could – Ability – David can speak three languages/ Should – Advice – You should visit your dentist at least twice a year). The content was displayed on the screen, and the learners could see the spelling and take notes. They were all eager to participate in the class despite the frequent connectivity issues we had to deal with. After the class, I was convinced that the aims and objectives were reached, overlooking some crucial aspects.
The post conversation discussion with Daniela highlighted my traditional way of teaching, which was teacher-led. It was surprising that I could not notice, but I was ready to challenge my own teaching beliefs and develop my professional knowledge (Manouchehri, 2002).
The first thing my observer Daniela asked me to work on was classroom management. She appealed my attention to the fact that there was no interaction between the learners. I was the one correcting their mistakes, and they were taking notes and answering my questions. Undoubtedly, she was right. I did not get them working in pairs because I found their level too low, and I was wondering what they could learn from each other since they are non-native English speakers. I was wrong. My own beliefs tricked me according to which my students could not learn from each other without the teacher’s help. Reflecting on what Daniela said, I decided to allow my students to speak to one another during the next class. This reminds me of My Duong (2014), noting that the teachers might be willing to help their learners take responsibility for their language learning process but stick to their traditional methodology because of their challenges in promoting learner autonomy.
The second area she thought I should improve is the teacher’s talking time. English is a vivid language, and having a classmate to practice with could be rewarding. She gave me this genuine idea of encouraging my learners to help each other instead of me helping them out whenever they get stuck. This would allow them to speak a lot, make mistakes and receive support from this community of practice that I would succeed in creating where classmates can help each other. As quoted by harmer (1998, p.38), the more a teacher speaks, the less there is for the students to practice their speaking. Therefore, I decided to reduce my talking time by getting the learners to interact, give explanations, ask questions, participate in pair work activities, and practice active listening.
She also mentioned that a couple of students seemed to come and go, and there was no explanation for why it was happening”. Regarding this issue, I would say that this is part of the strategies I use to complete my course within the timeframe. I do notice the in and out of some learners, but to be honest, it is always related to technical issues. Talking and complaining about it will not improve the situation. I repeat myself repeatedly for the person who is back on the platform to catch up on what he has missed. The others with a stable internet connection might feel bored, but repetition in a second language teaching classroom always impacts pronunciation, accuracy, and fluency. At the end of the class, I make sure they receive the recorded video from catching up on what they potentially have missed.
The use of the learner’s First language (L1) in the EFL classroom has led to many controversies, but I think it is one of the most valuable tools EFL teachers can use to help less proficient (A1) learners (Swain & Lapkin, 2000). Fortunately, not everything was negative. She liked that I was using French, the learner’s mother tongue, to clarify misunderstandings. It resonated with her since she finds herself doing the same thing with her Italian learners. For her, the students need a starting point that is familiar to them to get involved in the conversation gradually.
Moreover, she particularly liked the way I explained that English is about intonation and how I gestured with my hand in an up and down manner for the learners to understand (Could I open the window? Could I borrow your computer?). She also commended me on how I fairly corrected my learners mistakes, and none of them felt frustrated but were happy to learn.
When she corrected their pronunciation, she did it in a fair manner, and the students did not seem to mind. She also talked about how structured my lesson was. I prefer quoting her words: ”As I had expected, the teacher gave a well structured lesson, and I liked the online table she used with the various models and instructions about when to use them. Bintou told me afterward that she designs all her worksheets based on the Common European Framework of Languages. She also used the chat to interpret the original information and when she realized that a student needed more clarification. Overall, it was a delightful lesson, and I noticed a few things that I could use to improve my online lessons. It was impressive to watch how well another teacher had adjusted to the new online teaching environment.”
However, we did face some connectivity issues. We had to stop the class over and over and launch a new meeting for some of them to be able to hear us or see what I was writing in the chat box. I was obliged to use the direct repair feature (correct my learners mistakes quickly and directly on the spot). Instead of writing, I would rather spell for the learners to write the orthography in their copybook. This way, I treated them equally and allowed all of them to have an idea about the spelling of the new words.
She also mentioned that a couple of students seemed to come and go, and there was no explanation for why it was happening”. At this point, I will say that this is part of the strategies I use to complete my course within the timeframe (2 hours). I do notice the in and out of some learners, but to be honest, it is always related to technical issues. Talking and complaining about it will not improve the situation. I repeat myself repeatedly for the person who is back on the platform to catch up on what he has missed. The others with a stable internet connection might feel bored, but repetition in a second language teaching classroom always impacts pronunciation, accuracy, and fluency.
Overall, it was a great class, and I plan to integrate the advice of my peer observer regarding classroom management in the next lesson. I learned a lot from her, and I think my next class will be different.
Reference list Harmer, J. (1998). How to teach English. Harlow, Essex: Pearson/Longman.Manouchehri, A. (2002).
Developing teaching knowledge through peer discourse. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(6), pp.715–737. doi:10.1016/s0742-051x(02)00030-6.
My Duong, T. (2014). EFL Teachers’ Perceptions of Learner Autonomy and Their Classroom Practices: A Case Study. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering, 4(2), pp.9–17.
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2000). Task-based second language learning: The uses of the first language. Language
Teaching Research, 4, 251-274.