INTRODUCCIN

El conjunto de las asignaturas que se presentan en el mapa curricular de la especialidad en lengua

extranjera se propone que los futuros profesores desarrollen las competencias, las habilidades y la
sensibilidad necesarias para la enseanza del ingls a los adolescentes que asisten a la escuela
secundaria. Desde esta perspectiva, la formacin del profesor de lengua extranjera tiene
particularidades en relacin con otros campos disciplinarios, pues se requiere que adems de tener
un conocimiento formal de la materia (la lengua extranjera), adquiera la habilidad para emplearla
como medio de comunicacin y de enseanza.
En los cursos que forman parte de los estudios de la especialidad, los contenidos y las actividades se
caracterizan por ser flexibles. Esta flexibilidad radica en las variadas formas de presentar los temas
o contenidos que dan sentido a las asignaturas, en las mltiples estrategias que el maestro puede
implementar para el tratamiento de stos en los grupos de las escuelas normales, y en el empleo de
recursos y materiales. La intencin es que los estudiantes enfrenten situaciones que les demanden
el uso de as cuatro habilidades bsicas (escuchar, hablar, leer, y escribir), en el marco de las tres
lneas de formacin especfica: perfeccionamiento de la competencia comunicativa, desarrollo de la
competencia didctica y conocimiento de los adolescentes, y prctica educativa. Para ello es
necesario que los profesores y los alumnos tengan presentes los propsitos de la formacin de la
especialidad en general, as como los de cada asignatura en el semestre que cursa.
El trabajo con las asignaturas de la especialidad demanda prcticas en las que los profesores son
actores centrales para promover los cambios deseados en los estudiantes normalistas, lo que incluye
en constante mejoramiento de las formas de enseanza y el trabajo coordinado entre los profesores
que imparten los distintos cursos del campo de formacin especfica.
En los semestres anteriores los alumnos normalistas han realizado actividades diversas que, en el
conjunto de las asignaturas de la especialidad, les han permitido avanzar en el dominio del Ingls
como instrumento de comunicacin, as como en el plano de la competencia didctica.
Se han planteado como meta que para cursar Ingls III los estudiantes hayan logrado un dominio
del idioma equivalente al examen PET de la Universidad de Cambridge o a 400 puntos en el TOEFL.
Algunos probablemente tengan un nivel superior, lo cual no implica que dejen de cursar la
asignatura, sino que continen mejorando a su propio ritmo.
En este semestre, aun teniendo en cuenta la diversidad de los grupos, la diferencia entre los
estudiantes con mayor y menor domino del idioma es ms pequea que en cursos anteriores. El
aprendizaje logrado en ellos y las evaluaciones que pasar al siguiente curso deben haber reducido
las diferencias de nivel. El curso Ingls III debe caracterizarse por ser flexible, tanto en los
contenidos como en las actividades que pueden llevarse a cabo, tomando en cuenta la diversidad
sealada.

PROPSITOS GENERALES
A travs del curso de Ingls III se pretende que los futuros profesores:
1. Desarrollen las habilidades comunicativas (comprensin auditiva, expresin oral, comprensin de
lectura y expresin escrita) y habilidades integradas.
2. Avancen en el dominio que poseen del idioma hasta lograr un nivel equivalente al examen PET
de la Universidad de Cambridge o 450-475 puntos en el TOEFL, como nivel deseable.

3. Ejerzan la autonoma en el aprendizaje, incluyendo la capacidad de autoevaluarse y reflexionen

respecto al proceso de aprendizaje/adquisicin del idioma en ellos mismos y en sus
compaeros.
4. Continen desarrollando la habilidad de usar el ingls como medio de instruccin y comunicacin
en general en el saln de clase.
El primer y cuarto propsitos se favorecen especialmente a travs del uso del ingls como medio de
comunicacin general en el aula, ahora cada vez con menos concesiones de parte del profesor de la
materia al hablarles a los estudiantes: antes de titularse como maestros de educacin secundaria
que imparten la asignatura de ingls, los alumnos deben enfrentarse plenamente a la realidad de la
comunicacin oral en la lengua de su especialidad. Adems, conviene que se siga dirigiendo la
atencin de los estudiantes peridicamente hacia expresiones y estructuras tiles en el aula, y a la
correccin de errores tpicos de los maestros de ingls.
El primer propsito se favorece a travs de actividades y proyectos diseados para fomentar el
desarrollo de las cuatro habilidades comunicativas. En estas actividades se deben utilizar materiales
autnticos: para la comprensin auditiva y de lectura, textos extrados de fuentes donde el ingls
se emplea como primera lengua (extractos de programas de televisin y pelculas, artculos de
revistas, etctera) y con el nico fin de la prctica de la lengua (el intercambio de experiencias y
opiniones personales, la resolucin de un problema, la produccin de una propuesta, etctera). La
mayora de estas actividades deben hacerse en grupo.
El segundo propsito se sustenta en un diagnstico inicial (que podra basarse en parte en un
anlisis del examen final de Ingls II) y en la evaluacin continua de las deficiencias lingsticas de
los estudiantes sobre todo de quienes tienen menor dominio de este idiomatomando como
referentes los inventarios sugeridos en el apartado Contenidos del curso. As como la organizacin
de sesiones enfocadas especficamente a la prctica del idioma. En el apartado correspondiente a
orientaciones didcticas se recomiendan tcnicas para estas sesiones (trabajar con ejemplos de
lenguaje en contexto, involucrar a los estudiantes en el descubrimiento de las caractersticas del
ingls, correccin de errores tpicos, y practicar con el uso del lenguaje en tareas comunicativas).
El tercer propsito se logra, en parte, a travs del manejo de las actividades recomendadas para los
propsitos 1 y 2; por ejemplo, el trabajo en grupo en las actividades comunicativas, o el
descubrimiento guiado en las sesiones enfocadas hacia el aprendizaje de la lengua. Los estudiantes
tambin deben reflexionar sobre la necesidad de alcanzar un grado de autonoma para tener xito
en el aprendizaje de una lengua. En cuanto a la autoevaluacin, se proponen algunas ideas en el
apartado Orientaciones didcticas.
El cuarto propsito se favorece no slo mediante el uso del ingls como medio de comunicacin en
el aula, sino tambin a travs de sesiones de trabajo sobre el mismo tema.

ORGANIZACIN DEL CURSO

Con el fin de organizar y poner en marcha las actividades y proyectos diseados para fomentar el
desarrollo de las habilidades comunicativas, conviene definir ciertos temas en torno a los cules se
pueda trabajar (como se ha sugerido desde la Gua de Ingls I). En este caso, el curso de Ingls III
se organiza con base en un tema general, a partir del cual se derivan otros temas que, a la vez que
contribuyen al uso del idioma, ofrecen a los estudiantes posibilidades para explorar y conocer mejor
a los alumnos con quienes se desempearn como profesores en la escuela secundaria.
A continuacin se presenta el tema general y algunos temas especficos que pueden trabajarse, pero
cada profesor podr elegir otros que considere adecuados e interesantes para los estudiantes, o
mejor an, podr involucrarlos en la seleccin de los temas del curso.
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TEMA GENERAL: LOS PASES Y SU GENTE

Temas especficos:
1. Los rasgos culturales tradicionales que distinguen a los pases, regiones y comunidades:
lenguas, religiones, ropa, comida, arquitectura, etctera.
2. Las culturas juveniles en los distintos pases: la cultura tradicional vs. la moda juvenil
internacional (ropa, msica, televisin y cine, internet, actitudes sociales y polticas, etctera).
3. Patrimonio turstico de los pases: lugares arqueolgicos, atracciones tursticas deportivas,
ecolgicas, culturales, religiosas, sociales; las tradiciones de los pases (e.g. en Mxico: Da de
Muertos, posadas tradicionales, baile folklrico, etctera).
4. La migracin: causas y consecuencias econmicas y culturales, sociedades multirraciales.
Esta forma de organizar los temas, adems de favorecer el tratamiento de contenidos relacionados
con el desarrollo de las habilidades comunicativas, permite el estudio y anlisis de nociones y
funciones de la lengua que son indispensables para comprender mejor la estructura del idioma
ingls, y para adquirir los conocimientos bsicos en torno a los cuales se llevar a cabo su
enseanza en la escuela secundaria (estos contenidos se detallan en el apartado siguiente).
Las actividades se pueden organizar de muchas formas y en general implican el uso de habilidades
comunicativas integradas, por ejemplo, conversacin (comprensin auditiva con expresin oral),
investigacin (lectura con la toma de apuntes, discusin con compaeros, etctera). Pueden
incluirse actividades y tareas basadas en artculos de revistas, extractos de videos de programas de
televisin y pelculas, y proyectos de investigacin en internet, entre otras. En los siguientes
apartados se dan ejemplos especficos relacionados con el tema Los pases y su gente.

CONTENIDOS DEL CURSO

El desarrollo de las habilidades comunicativas debe propiciarse dentro y fuera del aula, procurando,
sobe todo, que los estudiantes utilicen materiales autnticos como libros, peridicos, revistas,
canciones, extractos de programas de televisin y de pelculas e Internet.
En caso de considerarlo convenienteya sea porque hay dificultades para acceder a los recursos
sealados, o porque ciertos estudiantes as lo requieranse puede utilizar un libro de texto
apropiado, en el entendido de que nunca un libro de texto ser recurso nico ni suficiente para
lograr el desarrollo de las competencias comunicativas que se pretende (vase la bibliografa). La
seleccin de libros de apoyo se har considerando las necesidades de los alumnos con menor
dominio de la lengua para proporcionarles el input accesible que se considera esencial para el
progreso eficiente de quien aprende una lengua extranjera. En este caso, tambin es importante
recordar que el libro de texto ser un recurso, pero no el nico, para desarrollar las actividades de la
asignatura. A veces, los alumnos con un mayor dominio del ingls pueden trabajar en pequeos
grupos en tareas ms difciles basadas en el mismo material o en otro.
La comprensin auditiva es una habilidad que puede favorecerse de manera muy importante por
medio del uso natural de ingls en el aula. Mientras en Ingls I e Ingls II se familiariza a los
alumnos con un repertorio en crecimiento de expresiones rutinarias, en Ingls III se debe abrir el
discurso libremente para que se asemeje todava ms a la experiencia de una persona que aprende
una lengua viviendo en un pas donde sta se habla. Adems, el tema de Los pases y su gente se
presta para el uso de videos de televisin y pelculas autnticas, canciones, artculos de divulgacin,
etctera. Se debe seguir trabajando en el desarrollo de estrategias especficas tales como las
siguientes:
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La prediccin del lenguaje y del contenido de un texto hablado segn el contexto y las
pistas iniciales.
La activacin de ideas acerca de un tema que se sabe que se va a tratar en un texto
hablado.
La identificacin de la(s) idea(s) general(es) de un texto hablado.
La identificacin y comprensin de ideas especficas en un texto hablado.
El reconocimiento de las actitudes, planteamientos, cuestionamientos, etctera, de los
participantes.
El reconocimiento de algunos rasgos de los participantes por su estilo de hablar
(nacionalidad, regin, contexto social y cultural, entre otros).
La reconstruccin de un texto hablado que no se puede escuchar o entender con toda
claridad.

La expresin oral tambin se favorece de manera muy importante por medio del uso natural del
ingls en el aula, sin menospreciar la repeticin de expresiones comunes que se emplean en la vida
cotidiana fuera del aula. En Ingls III tambin se debe animar a todos los alumnos a que tengan
participaciones ms variadas, cuando menos en el trabajo en parejas y grupos. Algunas de las
actividades que se pueden organizar son:

Conversacin centrada en un tema (por ejemplo: la moda).

Entrevistas reales o simuladas con turistas extranjeros.
Transacciones simuladas (negociacin de un acuerdo internacional).
Debates informales o formales.
Plticas preparadas o improvisadas sobre distintos temas.
Planeacin y reportes de proyectos de investigacin.

Es conveniente examinar de manera sistemtica cmo se relacionan las formas y funciones del
lenguaje para realizar estas actividades. Ello puede favorecerse en una sesin previa o posterior a la
realizacin de las actividades.
La comprensin de lectura se puede desarrollar empleando material autntico con ejercicios o tareas
elaborados por el profesor o bien, los libros de texto. Adems de la lectura general, en la cual se
suelen combinar estrategias de una forma gil, es muy til trabajar en el desarrollo de estrategias
especficas, que deben incluir:

La prediccin del contenido de un texto escrito segn el contexto y las pistas iniciales
(ttulo, ilustraciones, etctera).
La activacin de ideas acerca de un tema que se sabe se va a tratar en un texto escrito.
La identificacin de la(s) idea(s) general(es) de un texto escrito (skimming).
La bsqueda rpida de informacin especfica (scanning).
La identificacin de ideas especficas en un texto hablado.
La identificacin de las ideas entre lneas: la intencin y actitud del autor, etctera.
La lectura de investigacin en internet.

La expresin escrita se puede desarrollar a travs de actividades como ejercicios o tareas

elaboradas por el profesor, a partir del contenido revisado en materiales autnticos, o de ejercicios
planteados en algn libro de texto. Asimismo, se puede ligar con la lectura, analizando la estructura
de un texto que se ha ledola coherencia y cohesin del texto y su organizacin en general. Ciertos
tipos de textos tienen una estructura tpica, por lo cual tambin se debe tratar lo siguiente.

Correspondencia formal de distintos tipos (solicitudes, pedidos, respuestas comerciales,

etctera).
Correspondencia informal.

Breves artculos y composiciones de distintos tipos (narrativo, descriptivo, polmico,

etctera).
Trabajos acadmicos ms extensos.

Este ltimo gnero ya debe ser trabajado formalmente.

Gran parte del trabajo para desarrollar las habilidades comunicativas se puede y se debe hacer
combinando las habilidades (como en la conversacin o en la preparacin o en la preparacin en
grupo de un trabajo escrito). Tambin debe extenderse fuera del aula con tareas que requieren, por
ejemplo, la lectura de fuentes impresas o en internet. Es conveniente, asimismo, tener una
biblioteca de libros de referencia, cuentos y novelas, audiocintas, videos, y animar a los estudiantes
a utilizar estos recursos para su aprendizaje y esparcimiento.
El uso del idioma para tareas comunicativas y la prctica consecuente de las habilidades lingsticas
es imprescindible para el aprendizaje eficaz de una lengua extranjera, pero la investigacin y la
teora lingsticas recientes indican con claridad que se aumenta la eficiencia del aprendizaje
enormemente con atencin explcita hacia la lengua misma.
Es conveniente establecer durante la formacin inicial de los futuros profesorespor variado que sea
su conocimiento del idioma al ingresar a la Especialidad en Inglsniveles mnimos comunes
conforme avanzan en la licenciatura, y dichos niveles se miden en relacin con la lengua misma,
adems del dominio de las habilidades comunicativas. Por esta razn, a partir del diagnstico
realizado, la escuela y los estudiantes (de manera personal) buscarn opciones para reforzar el
dominio del idioma, de tal manera que al finalizar el quinto semestre cuenten con un nivel
equivalente a un punto medio entre los exmenes PET y FCE de la Universidad de Cambridge o
aproximadamente 450-475 puntos en el TOEFL. Es necesario tener presente que no deber limitarse
el nivel del curso para los estudiantes ms avanzados. Esto implica un programa lingstico para
Ingls III que extiende los inventarios de Ingls II de la siguiente forma:
a) Inventario de nociones, funciones y tareas comunicativas
Hacer propuestas razonadas.
Ejemplificar ideas.
Argumentar a favor y en contra de propuestas.
Desarrollar argumentos lgicos extendidos por escrito.
b) Inventario gramatical
Verbos: logical modals must and can not (He must/can not be French. She must have/can
not have done it); multi-word verbs, separable and non-separable (look up a word/a word
up/it up, look after the children/after them).
Tiempos: Present perfect Continuous (I have been working), Future Perfect (I will have
finished), Future Continuous (I will be working), modal perfect (could have, should have,
might have, etcetera).
Voz pasiva: Present Continuous (It is being repaired), Present Perfect (It has been repaired),
Past Continuous (It was being repaired), Future Simple (It will be repaired).
Condicionales: 3 (If I had studied less, I would have failed), I versus 2 for the future (If my
ticket wins, I will buy a carthe optimist. If my ticket won, I would buy a carthe
pessimist).
Reported Speech: different tenses in affirmative/negative (He said he had done/was
doing/would do it), interrogative (He adked me if I had done/was doing/would do it/what I
had done/was doing/ would do); say versus tell.
Sustantivos: multi-word groups (table leg, leather jacket, two-hour flight, man-eating tiger,
gold-plated knife, etcetera); modification with contact clause/contact clause with end
preposition (The man I saw/work with).
Artculos: use/non-use of the definite article (cats/the cats. The Thames, Windsor Castle,
Everest, etcetera).
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Adjetivos: order of adjectives (an old, red, Italian, leather jacket); another/(some/any/the
other + noun /one/ones.
Pronombres: Wh-ever (Whatever you do, dont, Whoever did that must be);
another/(some/any/the) other/others.
Adverbios: Wh-ever (Wherever she goes, Whenever I see you, However we do it).
Conectores: however/but/although, therefore/so/as a result, moreover/and/also/in addition,
and the prepositional connectors in spite of, instead of, because of.

c) Inventario lxico
El aprendizaje de vocabulario est en estrecha relacin con los temas, funciones y tareas
comunicativas (los pases y su gente, la globalizacin, la argumentacin, la televisin, el turismo,
etctera). Esto cubre tambin el vocabulario funcional, como se indica en el rengln de conectores.
El comportamiento autnomo es imprescindible en el aprendizaje de una lengua. Una lengua no se
aprende para fines comunicativos slo a travs de explicaciones y prcticas guiadas o supervisadas;
a fin de cuentas, quien aprende tiene que descubrir y reconocer las formas, sistemas y funciones del
lenguaje por s mismo. Con el fin de desarrollar la autonoma en el aprendizaje, se deben organizar
sesiones en las que el estudiante se de cuenta de cmo se pueden descubrir facetas del lenguaje y
probar su uso en la comunicacin, y reconozca cules estrategias le sirven ms den esta tarea.
Estas sesiones deben incluir:

La reflexin acerca de las caractersticas de cada estudiante (analtico, comunicativo, visual)

y las rutinas o tendencias que tiene en el estudio de la lengua (renuencia a participar
hablando, memorizacin de palabras, etctera).
La exploracin de formas en que puede avanzar ms como estudiante de una lengua.
La exploracin de estrategias especficas para avanzar en el aprendizaje de vocabulario,
gramtica, comprensin auditiva, expresin oral, comprensin de lectura y expresin escrita.
La autoevaluacin del progreso y el establecimiento de metas propias, tales como identificar
errores fosilizados o deficiencias lxicas y trabajar para remediarlos.

Como futuros profesores de ingls es importante que los alumnos empiecen a tomar conciencia
sobre la experiencia de aprender una lengua extranjera y que el aprendizaje / la adquisicin de
una lengua extranjera no quede slo como un asunto terico. Este tomar conciencia con la reflexin
sobre etapas de aprendizaje / adquisicin anteriores (progreso / sentimientos / problemas como
principiante / bsico / intermedio, etctera).
Estas experiencias podran registrarse en un diario que elabore el alumno sobre su progreso /
sentimientos / problemas durante el curso Ingls III.
Puede ser importante reflexionar acerca de experiencias con el uso del ingls fuera del aula tales
como contactos con extranjeros y el uso del Internet.
Tambin se deben organizar sesiones en las que se propicie que los estudiantes tomen conciencia
del uso del ingls como medio de instruccin y comunicacin en general en el saln de clase,
identificando las distintas formas de lenguaje para los siguientes fines:

Iniciar y terminar una clase.

Organizar las condiciones fsicas en el aula.
Organizar actividades en pleno, en parejas y en grupos, y cambiar de actividad.
Reconocer y responder a las participaciones de los estudiantes.
Manejar situaciones problemticas e imprevistas.
Manejar las clases en forma conversacional, sobre todo las de nivel intermedio y avanzado.

ORIENTACIONES DIDCTICAS
1. De manera anloga a Ingls I e Ingls II, este curso debe desarrollarse mediante el uso
permanente y sistemtico de la lengua extranjera oral y escrita, y ya en forma plenamente
natural, es decir sin un control obvio del discurso. Es esencial intentar involucrar a todos los
estudiantes en la conversacin y la interaccin de la clase. La participacin de los alumnos en las
distintas actividades orales y escritas ser la mejor oportunidad para evaluar su nivel en cuanto
a sus habilidades comunicativas y sus recursos lingsticos. Con apuntes sobre la participacin
oral de los estudiantes y muestras de su trabajo escrito en las primeras clases, el maestro podr
determinar qu materiales y actividades sern ms apropiados para favorecer el progreso de los
alumnos con menos dominio del ingls, y a la vez ofrecer oportunidades de prctica a los
estudiantes ms avanzados. Se debe recordar que se ha propuesto el nivel de PET de Cambridge
o 400 puntos en el TOEFL como nivel mnimo para pasar a Ingls III, y se est proponiendo el
nivel de FCE de Cambridge o 550 puntos en el TOEFL al trmino de la Licenciatura; esto implica
una meta de aproximadamente 475-500 puntos en el TOEFL al trmino de este curso de Ingls
III o nivel del libro Intermedio/Intermedio Alto en caso de emplear libros de texto publicados.
2. Al igual que en Ingls I e Ingls II, se deben planear clases integrando distintos recursos y
propsitos (desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas, atencin a la lengua como sistema, fomento
de la autonoma en el aprendizaje, y toma de conciencia respecto al uso del ingls en el aula) y
no dedicar periodos prolongados a un solo objetivo, una sola actividad, un solo tipo de material.
Con frecuencia es posible relacionar un propsito con otro, o aprovechar una actividad para ms
de un propsito. Por ejemplo, despus de trabajar en el desarrollo de la comprensin de lectura
o la comprensin auditiva, se puede usar el texto para descubrir y aclarar algn aspecto de la
gramtica o el vocabulario del ingls; adems, se puede presentar ese enfoque en el idioma a
los estudiantes como una investigacin que ellos tienen que realizar y no como una presentacin
del profesor que los estudiantes deben escuchar pasivamente; de esa forma se fomenta la
autonoma en el aprendizaje.
3. Las mejores oportunidades para el desarrollo de la comprensin auditiva y la expresin oral se
presentan en el discurso regular de la clase si ste se lleva a cabo casi siempre en ingls, o sea
en grupo, en parejas o en equipos, estos ltimos tipos de interaccin son ms propicios para los
estudiantes que an no logran expresarse con confianza. Sin embargo, tambin es importante
organizar actividades especficas. En relacin con el tema sugerido, Los pases y su gente,
existen mltiples recursos cuyo empleo propicia el desarrollo de la comprensin auditiva:
Programas de televisin y pelculas en idioma ingls (francesas, alemanas, italianas,
mexicanas), disponibles o grabables en video. Se pueden aprovechar extractos y escenas
con o sin audio para expresin oral en caso de que no estn en ingls.
Canciones norteamericanas, britnicas, australianas y canadienses, y estrellas
internacionales.
Libros de texto que toman un enfoque globalconsiderando el ingls como lengua
franca internacional ms que una manifestacin cultural de un solo pasy cuentan con
material para la comprensin auditiva.
4. Las actividades de comprensin auditiva muchas veces pueden propiciar actividades orales como
las siguientes:
Juego de roles en las mismas situaciones o situaciones parecidas.
Intercambio de experiencias personales en situaciones parecidas.
Discusin informal del tema.
Debates formales del tema.
Adems, se pueden usar textos de lectura o imgenes de revistas para desencadenar
actividades orales o trabajar con censor o cuestionarios: por ejemplo, los estudiantes podrn
hablar de las diferencias tan marcadas entre ellos y sus padres en cuanto a sus gustos en ropa,
msica, cine, u otras diversiones o actividades.
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Tambin existen muchos recursos para desarrollar la comprensin de lectura con el tema Los
pases y su gente.
Folletos y videos tursticos y culturales.
Extractos de pelculas con temas de actualidad sobre la juventud en distintos pases.
Revistas extranjeras con reportajes internacionales de todo tipo: culturales, ecolgicos
(Time, Newsweek, Life, Nacional Geographic).
Internet es una fuente casi inagotable de material y actividades de investigacin.
La letra impresa de canciones con temas a favor o en contra de la globalizacin (por
ejemplo: un viaje o la proteccin del medio ambiente).
Artculos y extractos de libros sobre temas diversos.
Muchos libros de texto que toman un enfoque globalconsiderando al ingls como lengua
franca Internacional ms que una manifestacin cultural de un solo pas--, y cuentan con
material para la comprensin de lectura.
5. Las actividades para la comprensin de lectura son muchas y variadas, desde la lectura de
ojeada hasta la lectura de rompecabezas en la cual los estudiantes leen diferentes secciones
de un texto (que puede ser ms largo que de costumbre ya que no tienen que leer todo) y en
grupos arman una idea del texto completo.
6. La expresin escrita tambin puede surgir de la prctica de otra habilidad o relacionarse con ella,
por ejemplo, la comprensin de lectura:
Un breve resumen de un texto que se ha empleado para comprensin de lectura.
Un prrafo adicional para un texto.
Un punto de vista contrario al del texto.
Tambin los libros de texto suelen presentar una variedad de tareas escritas al nivel del alumno,
y en el caso de Ingls III puede ser muy conveniente emplear material de un libro de texto que
pretende desarrollar la redaccin y composicin formal de manera sistemtica: el anlisis de
modelos (estructura general): introduccin, cuerpo, conclusin, organizacin en prrafos,
mecanismos de coherencia y cohesin), la definicin de un tema, la lluvia de ideas, la seleccin
y organizacin del contenido, la redaccin de un borrador, la edicin y correccin, la lectura y
comentario en parejas/grupos, etctera.
7. Gran parte del trabajo sobre la lengua misma puede desarrollarse a partir del trabajo sobre las
habilidades comunicativas:
El profesor toma nota de los errores ms comunes de los estudiantes en el trabajo oral en
grupo, en pareja y en equipo, as como de los ms comunes en el trabajo escrito. Se
escriben ejemplos de enunciados con estos errores en el pizarrn o en una hoja con copias
para los estudiantes, y tambin se pueden incluir algunos enunciados correctos producidos
por los estudiantes, sin dar a conoce5 sus nombres. Los alumnos en parejas deciden cules
son los errores (y, en su caso, cules enunciados son correctos) y cmo corregirlos. Para los
errores ms significativos y ms comuneso mejor an, las formas o usos correctos, sin los
erroresse puede organizar una sesin de prctica.
El profesor identifica en los textos para comprensin auditiva o de lectura formas o usos de
los inventarios de esta Gua que muchos estudiantes desconocen o conocen poco. Despus
del trabajo de comprensin auditiva o de lectura, dirige la atencin de los alumnos hacia
esas formas o usos, de preferencia como una tarea de descubrimiento: por ejemplo, ilustra
el uso del superlativo y pide que encuentren los otros tres ejemplos en el texto. Luego
organiza una sesin de prctica.
8. Para el desarrollo de la autonoma en el aprendizaje, se deben usar tcnicas de descubrimiento
guiado, como se ha sugerido anteriormente, ms que presentaciones y explicaciones del
maestro. Un principio fundamental es: El profesor nunca debe hacer lo que un estudiante podra
haber hecho. Los alumnos son capaces de:
8

Autocorregirse.
Corregir a un compaero.
Proporcionar una palabra o una definicin que no saben algunos otros estudiantes.
Descubrir o recordar cmo funciona un elemento gramatical.

Los alumnos tambin deben darse cuenta de sus propios estilos de estudio y aprendizaje, y de
las prcticas y caractersticas de quienes tienen ms xito en la empresa de aprender una
lengua extranjera, para luego intentar adoptar otras opciones. Algunas formas de tratar el tema
sobre autonoma se presentan en los dos libros de la seccin correspondiente a la bibliografa,
donde tambin se dan sugerencias para la autoevaluacin y la reflexin sobre su propio proceso
de aprendizaje/adquisicin de la lengua.
9. El mismo curso proporcionar infinidad de oportunidades para examinar y practicar las formas
ms idneas del ingls como medio de instruccin y comunicacin general en el aula. Muchas
ideas se presentan en Willis (1981). Tambin se pueden tratar algunos puntos por medio del
reconocimiento y la correccin de errores tpicos en el ingls de los alumnos o profesores, entre
las ms comunes se mencionan: Im going to pass the list, en lugar de Let me call the roll;
Put attention, en lugar de Pay attention; Very well, en lugar de Very good; Pass to the
borrad, en lugar de Come /Go to the borrad; I want that you work in pairs, en lugar de I
want you to work in pairs.
10. En este semestre, al igual que en los dos anteriores, los estudiantes realizarn dos jornadas de
observacin y prctica en la escuela secundaria (es recomendable revisar e programa de la
asignatura Observacin y Prctica Docente III para conocer las caractersticas de cada jornada).
El maestro de Ingls III deber incluir, de acuerdo con las caractersticas del curso y con la
planeacin que disee, las actividades que es necesario llevar a cabo antes de estas jornadas,
las que se realizarn durante las estancias en la escuela secundaria y el tipo de anlisis que se
har de la experiencia. Conviene que algunos de los temas que se incluyan en Comunicacin
para la organizacin de la clase, se aborden antes de asistir a estas jornadas para que los
estudiantes puedan poner en prctica algunos de los temas revisados y el maestro de la
asignatura cuente con los elementos suficientes para valorar el avance de los alumnos, as como
con la informacin necesaria para identificar los aspectos que es necesario reforzar.

EVALUACIN
La evaluacin debe ser continua e involucrar al estudiante como individuo. Este ltimo aspecto se
trata en los dos libros citados sobre autonoma (vase la bibliografa). Hay que recordar que un
profesional tambin debe someterse a la evaluacin formas, por ello se proponen, para Ingls III,
varios ejercicios de evaluacin en la forma de los componentes del examen PET de la Universidad de
Cambridge, as como del examen TOEFL. As, el estudiante se familiariza con este tipo de evaluacin
y puede tener, en consecuencia, un mejor rendimiento en los mismos, una vez llegado el momento
de sustentarlos.

BIBLIOGRAFA GENERAL

Davies, P. and E. Pearse (2000), Success in English Teaching, Oxford University Press.
Harmer, J. (1992), The Practice of English Languaje Teaching, Longman.
Scrivener, J. (1994), Learning Teaching, Heinemann.
Ur, P. (1996), A course in Languaje Teaching, Cambridge University Press.

El desarrollo de las habilidades comunicativas (adems de los sealados en la bibliografa general)

Hedge, T. (1988), Writing, OxfordUniversity Press.
9

Nolasco, R. and L. Arthur (1987), Conversation, Oxford University Press.

Nuttal, C. (1996), Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Languaje, Heinemann.
Seligson, P. (1997), Helping Students to speak, Richmond.
Underwood, M. (1989), Teaching Listening, Longman.

El enfoque en la lengua (adems de los que se anotan en la bibliografa general)

Gairns, R. and S. Redman (1986), working with Words, Cambridge University Press.
Willis, J. (1996), A Framework for Task-Based Learning, Longman.
Yule, G. (2000), Explaining English Grammar, Oxford University Press.
La autonoma
Ellis, G. and B. Sinclair (1989), Learning to Learn English, Cambridge University Press.
Lowes, R. and F. Target (1998), Helping Students to Learn, Richmond.
El ingles y la interaccin en el aula
Hadfield, J. (1992), Classroom Dynamics, Oxford University Press.
Willis, J. (1981), Teaching English Through English, Longman.
La evaluacin
Hughes, A. (1989), Testing for Language Teachers, Cambridge University Press.
Libros de texto
Hopkins, A. and J. Potter (1994), Look Ahead 3-4, Longman.
Naunton, J. (1993), Think Ahead to First Certificate, Longman.
Nunan, D. (1995), Atlas 3-4, Heinle. Richards, J. et al. (1997), New Interchange 3-Passages 1,
Cambridge University Press.
Soars, J. and L. Soars (1986), Headline Intermediate, Oxford University Press.

BLOQUE I
PERFECCIONAMIENTO DE LA COMPRENSIN AUDITIVA Y LA EXPRESIN ORAL

PROPSITO
Avanzar en la escala de competencia lingstica mediante el uso del idioma ingls en el saln de
clase.
1. Afianzamiento de la comprensin auditiva
El contacto con los materiales autnticos de video
- Extractos de programas de televisin
- Fragmentos de pelculas
- Comerciales
La prctica con los materiales autnticos de audio
- Secciones de programas de radio
- Charlas de grupos de alumnos
- Plticas entre parejas de estudiantes
Ejercicios con el uso de audio de libros de texto
Trabajo con audio de programas de aprendizaje de ingls
2. La consolidacin de la expresin oral
El intercambio de puntos de vista sobre el material de audio y video analizados a travs
de:
Opiniones personales
10

Discusiones formales
Conversaciones
Sugerencias
Propuestas
Debates formales

BIBLIOGRAFA BSICA

Frankel Irene Kimbrough Victoria (1998), Gateways 2, Nueva York, Oxford University Press.
Rixon Shelagh (1986), Developing Listening Skills, Londres, Macmillan Publishers LTD, pp. 1-15.
Richards Jack C. and Sandy Chuck (1998), Passages, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press,
pp. 9,22,25,30,37,46,47,51,63,93,106.
Ur Penny (1984), Teaching Listening Comprehension, Nueva York, Cambridge University Press.

ACTIVIDADES SUGERIDAS
(Nota: Todas estas actividades y las de los siguientes bloques ser cien por ciento en ingls)
1. Escuchar y analizar un video (se sugiere el video New Interchange 2), para predecir, en forma
individual, el contenido de ste con slo ver el inicio, y luego escuchar las opiniones de los
alumnos que deseen participar con sus ideas. Enseguida se debe ver el video hasta el final para
identificar la idea principal del mismo, opinando en equipo cul es sta. Posteriormente es
necesario reiniciar el audio para identificar, ahora, las ideas especficas, las actitudes de los
hablantes, as como la nacionalidad, religin, cultura, etc.
El maestro controla el video y modera las participaciones de los alumnos, aportando su opinin
despus de ellos.
Esta actividad nmero 1 se puede realizar con cada uno de los materiales propuestos y con
temas diferentes; se le pueden agregar aspectos de identificacin de palabras desconocidas,
palabras clave, expresiones y otros ms, hasta lograr la ms eficiente comprensin auditiva.
2. Realizar los ejercicios de listening de las lecciones 12,14, y 15 del libro de texto Gateways 2
(material de apoyo) para practicar la comprensin auditiva (audio en el Dpto. de Programas y
Materiales). Si es necesario se repite el audio dos veces, para revisar las respuestas y para
escucharlo en forma de repaso.
3. Conformar equipos para realizar, entre ellos mismos, breves entrevistas reales y simuladas
(parecidas a las que se hayan visto en video) que deben presentar frente al grupo y grabar en
audio para efecto de una auto evaluacin.
El maestro ordena la participacin de los equipos y anota los aspectos que deban mejorarse para
mencionrselos despus de cada participacin.
4. Intercambiar en voz alta, para el grupo, experiencias personales de situaciones parecidas a las
escuchadas en audio o videos para practicar la expresin oral y la comprensin auditiva con
temas que puedan improvisarse.
El maestro modera las participaciones de los alumnos y los apoya con lo que requieran en su
intervencin, adems de aportar al grupo su propia experiencia personal.
5. Ver, todo el grupo, una pelcula corta seleccionada por el profesor, para mejorar la comprensin
auditiva y la expresin oral, y al trmino de sta formular las siguientes preguntas para ser
11

contestadas en forma individual, sin previa estructuracin de las ideas y en voz alta para el
grupo.
De qu trat la pelcula?
Te gust? Por qu?
Qu le eliminaras o qu le agregaras para mejorarla?
Cmo la catalogas?
El maestro controla el video y plantea las preguntas, auxiliando en lo que necesite al alumno
participante y contribuyendo con su punto de vista.

BLOQUE II
FAVORECIMIENTO DE LAS HABILIDADES DE
COMPRENSIN DE LA LECTURA Y EXPRESIN ESCRITA

PROPSITO
Mejorar el nivel de competencia lingstica para desenvolverse en el aula como futuro profesor de
ingls
1. La comprensin de la lectura dentro del aula
Utilizacin de materiales autnticos
- Peridicos
Revistas
Libros
Folletos
Internet
2. La expresin escrita dentro del aula
Correspondencia informal
Recados
Mensajes
Cartas
Postales
Correspondencia formal
Solicitudes
Pedidos
Respuestas comerciales
Composiciones breves
Narrativas
Descriptivas
Polmicas
Trabajos extensos
Ensayos

BIBLIOGRAFA BSICA

12

Dixson J. Robert (1971), Modern Short Stories in English, Nueva York, Regents Publishing
Company, Inc. pp. 53-69
Griffin Suzanne (1981), Follow me to San Francisco, Nueva York, Longman Inc., p.p. 35,45,55.
Richards Jack C. and Lesley Tay (2000), New Interchange Intro, Nueva York, Cambridge
University Press, p.p. 1C-11, 1C-13, 1C-15, 1C-17.

Richards Jack C. with Hull Jonathan and Proctor Susan (1997), New Interchange 2, Nueva York,
Cambridge university Press, p.p. 21, 33, 53, 57, 58, 85, 87, 93, 94, 97, 1C-2, 1C-7, 1C-15, 1C17,1C-20.
SEP (1996), Libro para el Maestro. Ingls. Secundaria, Mxico, SEP

ACTIVIDADES SUGERIDAS
1. Planear por equipo, clases de 20 minutos simulando estar impartiendo la materia a alumnos de
secundaria. Es importante escoger un tema diferente para cada equipo (moda, deporte, turismo,
msica y otros).
El maestro organiza la participacin de los equipos y anota los aspectos que deban mejorarse
para presentrselos al final de cada una de las presentaciones.
2. Solicitar que cada equipo proporcione un texto diferente para leer en clase. El equipo debe tener
identificada con anticipacin la idea principal, el vocabulario nuevo y su opinin respecto al
escrito que presentan, para explicar todo esto al grupo en general. Al trmino de la participacin
de cada equipo se hacen comentarios y comparaciones con los dems para enriquecer el
aprendizaje.
El maestro organiza la participacin de los equipos y toma nota del tipo de texto que le
corresponde a cada uno. Al final, los dems alumnos y el profesor hacen observaciones sobre su
trabajo a los equipos en cuanto a lo que pudiera mejorarse.
3. Escribir en equipo un mensaje dirigido a determinado personaje famoso y leerlo en voz alta al
grupo para practicar la expresin escrita y la comprensin auditiva. Proponer que los mismos
alumnos hagan las correcciones pertinentes.
El profesor controla las participaciones y apoya a los equipos en lo que requieran.
4. Escribir en equipo una postal dirigida por ellos mismos desde el pas o la ciudad que ms desean
conocer y leerla al grupo. Solicitar que los dems estudiantes den su opinin sobre cada una de
las postales ledas y que hagan las correcciones necesarias.
El profesor modera las participaciones de los equipos y supervisa el contenido de las postales
para hacer las adecuaciones pertinentes.
5. Leer una historia corta en forma individual y elaborar un resumen de dos prrafos para practicar
la expresin escrita y entregarlo al profesor para su revisin y correccin.

BLOQUE III
AVANCE SIGNIFICATIVO DEN EL DOMINIO DE LAS
CUATRO HABILIDADES DEL LENGUAJE

PROPSITO
Combinar equilibradamente las cuatro habilidades del lenguaje para superar el nivel general de
competencia lingstica
1. El idioma ingls con enfoque comunicativo como un solo elemento de las cuatro habilidades del
lenguaje
13

Comprender ingls
Hablar ingls
Leer ingls
Escribir ingls

BIBLIOGRAFA BSICA

Frankel Irene Kimbrough Victoria (1998), Gateways 2, Nueva York, Oxford University Press,
pp. 78, 94, 100.
Richards Jack C. and Lesley Tay (2000), New Interchange Intro, Nueva York, Cambridge
University Press, pp. 1C-11, 1C-13, 1C-15, 1C-17.
Richards Jack C. with Hull Jonathan and Proctor Susan (1997), New interchange 2, Nueva York,
Cambridge university Press, pp. pp. 21, 33, 53, 57, 58, 85, 87, 93, 94, 97, 1C-2, 1C-7, 1C-15,
1C-17, 1C-20.
Richards Jack C. and Sandy Chuck (1998), Passages, Cambridge, Cambridge university Press,
pp.9, 22, 25, 30, 37, 46, 47, 51, 63, 93, 106.
SEP (1996). Libro para el Maestro. Ingls. Secundaria, Mxico, SEP.
Scout, Foresman (1976), English for a changing world 4, E.U.A., Scott, Foresman and Company,
p. 44.

ACTIVIDADES SUGERIDAS

1. Llevar a cabo sesiones enfocadas al aprendizaje del ingles, para aclarar dudas sobre gramtica,
pronunciacin, fontica, morfologa, y las que surjan durante las mismas sesiones.

2. Solicitar a los alumnos de la especialidad que escriban en equipo los errores tpicos de
profesores de ingls al expresarse en escuelas secundarias, para luego, todo el grupo,
analizarlos, compararlos y evitarlos al estar fungiendo como maestro de ingls. Discutir cules
son los errores y hace las aclaraciones necesarias.
El maestro supervisa el trabajo de los equipos y los apoya en lo que requieran; modera las
participaciones; y propone formas de eliminar los errores.

3. Comentar en equipo la importancia de pensar en ingls permanentemente, para enriquecer

nuestro aprendizaje que siempre se encuentra en proceso, y escribir en el pizarrn las diferentes
ideas de cundo y dnde se puede realizar esta prctica.

4. Ver una pelcula y escribir en equipo un resumen en slo diez enunciados para practicar la
comprensin auditiva y la expresin oral. Leer los enunciados de cada equipo y comparar las
ideas con los dems para analizar las diferencias y similtudes de los enunciados.
El maestro hace las correcciones necesarias, si es el caso, y modera las participaciones de los
equipos, escribiendo en el pizarrn lo que sea significativo para su anlisis.

5. Escribir, en equipo, un prrafo utilizando los diez enunciados de la actividad 4, agregndole un

ttulo, un enunciado (al principio) que tome el papel de topic sentence y una conclusin. Cada
equipo lee su prrafo en voz alta y se hacen las comparaciones con los dems escritos.
El profesor ayuda a los equipos en lo que requieran; controla las participaciones de lectura de los
prrafos; y apoya a los alumnos en las posibles correcciones de los prrafos.

14

BIBLIOGRAFA GENERAL

Scrivener, Jim (1998) Learning Teaching Activities and lessons Oxford, McMillan pp. 25-32
Davies, Paul and Eric Pearse (2000) Testing and evaluation, in success in English Teaching
Oxford, Oxford University Press (Oxford handbooks for language teachers) pp.169-184
Ur, Penny (2000) Tests in A Course in Language Teaching Practice and Theory Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press (Cambridge teacher training development) pp 34-41
Lowes Ricky and Francesca Target (1998), Self-evaluation in Helping Students to Learn. A
guide to Learner Autonomy
London, Richmond publishing (Richmond handbooks for English Teachers) pp. 75-77 Jack C.
Richards & Chuck Sandy

15

16

MATERIAL

DE

APOYO

17

18

Dont say, Its time for bed. OK?

Instead, say, Its time for bed, kids.

PASSAGES
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Students Book 1

Dont make rules quickly and then

change them. Its very important to
be consistent. Once you make a rule,
stick to it.

Pay less attention to your children

when their behavior is bad and more
when it is good. Do not reward bad
behavior by giving extra attention to
it. Instead, save your attention for
when the child acts appropriately.

Dont allow your kids to call you by

your first name. This removes the
authority figure in a childs life.
Children need parents, not another
friend.

Parents and children

Reading
Pair work Discuss these questions. Then read
the article, and compare your ideas to the
authors.
1. Look at the title of the article. What do
you think its going to be about?
2. Do you think parents should be strict
with their children?
UPSIDE DOWN FAMILIES
The parents set the rules and the children
obey, right? Wrong. In a going number of
North American families, adults have let their
children take over. Parents want to be
nurturing and make their small children
happy, but many have become confused
about the best way to achieve this, explains
a noted child psychologist. Large numbers of
parents are being controlled by their child, to
the point that entire families end up
organizing themselves around a small childs
emotions.
The problem is that many mothers and fathers
try to be a friend to their children. However,
parenting is not a popularity contest.
Challenging authority is a normal part of child
development and is strongest between the
ages of four and six. Setting rules and
enforcing them teaches the child that he or
she is equal in worth but not equal in
authority. Then the child feels safe and secure
and can be a kid again. Believe it or not, its
frightening for children to realize they are in
charge of a situation. In upside-down families,
when parents back down from rules they set,
children become very insecure, anxious, and
out of control. They dont trust their parents
to protect them. Parents should follow these
tips to avoid this situation and keep control.

Be a leader. Parents cannot guide a

child and seek his or her approval of
their decisions at the same time.

Pair work Which of these statements would

the author agree with? Which ones do you
agree with?
1. Children
dont
usually
challenge
authority.
2. Children like to feel that they are in
charge.
3. Its important for parents to discipline
children.
4. Parents should be leaders, not friends.

Group work Discuss these questions. Then

share your answers with the class.
1. Do you think your parents were too
strict? Why or why not?
2. Will you use the same rules in raising
your children?
Its my kind of city
Contrasting lifestyles
Starting. Whats important when choosing a
city to live in? Rank these items from 1 to 5
Point (1=the most important).
___cost of living ___crime rate ___jobs
___nightlife ___weather

19

Pair work Read the descriptions of these two

cities. Using the categories in Exercise A,
which do you think has more to offer?

museums and concerts, all over 60 miles

away..
Pair work Add these sentences to the
descriptions in Exercise B where gaps are
indicated by (). Does the added information
change your opinion about these cities?

If youre looking for an exciting place with lots

of street life, consider moving to this city,
where the streets are filled all day, bars and
nightclubs re open until 4:00 A.M., and the
buses and subways run all night. Most
evenings you can choose from among many
concerts and plays or visit one of the many
museums that have late hours..
There are lots of jobs for newcomers to the
city, and the average salary is around $2,500
per month..And dont forget to budget for
air-conditioning. The heat and humidity can
be quite high in the summer..

1. On the other hand, the beach is only

an hours train ride from the city!
2. And even though youll feel safe on the
streets at almost any hour, theres not
much action, and youll probably prefer
to curl up in front of the TV.
3. But be carefulin spite of all the latenight activity in the streets, the crime
rate is high.
4. Unemployment, however, is quite high
these days.
5. Just the same, youll need more than
that to find a nice apartmenta two
bedroom apartment costs on the
average $2,000 per month.

Talking about two cities

Discussion Group work Discuss these
questions about the two cities in Exercise B.
1. In which city would you have the best
chance of succeeding at a career?
2. Which city is better for a single
person? For raising a family?
3. Which city has the best recreational
activities?
Travel tips

If you want a large apartment in a picturesque

little spot in the mountains, move to this
town, where you can find a place for just $800
a month, and average monthly salaries are
around $2,000..The weather is great too,
with temperatures ranging from a low of 55 F
to a high of 75 F in the summernot warm
enough to want to go to the nearest beach,
located 200 miles away.
Transportation in town can be difficult as
there is no subway, and buses run
infrequently. Youll need a car not only for
work and shopping, but also to get to
20

Pair work Discuss these questions. Then read

the article, and compare your ideas to the
authors.
1. What would be the best way for a
visitor to get to know your city?
2. What do you like to do when you first
arrive in a new city?
Get yourself LOST
Travelers to new cities are often told to
short their trip with a bus tour. The
thinking is that they can then return to
the places that interested them.
Nonsense! what you see from. The

inside of a moving bus is unreal and

completely
removed
from
the
authentic sights, sounds, and smells
outside.
Be adventurous! The best way to
experience any place is on foot and
with absolutely no travel plan. Simply
go wherever your feet and your
interests lead you. You eventually will
get to the same sites that are on the
bus
tourthe
museums,
the
monuments, city hallbut you will
have seen much more. You will have
felt the contemporary life of the city.
But what if I get lost? People might
ask. No one ever gets hopelessly lost
in a major city. Eventually, you can
find your way book to a well-known
location. If it frightens you to be lost,
just find a taxi and go back to where
you started. However, the nicest
things can happen if you get lost. You
stop at a sidewalk cafe to sit and relax.
You ask instructions of the local people
at the next table. And even if they
dont speak your language, your trip
becomes more memorable because of
the experience. Here are a few more
ways to get the most out of your
travel.

Know before you go Spend a few

hours before your trip learning
about the history and culture of
your destination. This will help you
understand what youre seeing.

Move around like a local Use the

subways and buses of the city
youre visiting. Youll not only save
money, but youll also learn how
people really live.

Check
the
bulletin
boards
Sometimes
you
can
find
advertisements for free concerts
and other fun activities on bulletin
boards around universities.
So the next time you see a poster
advertising an introductory bus
tour, save your money-instead,
wonder on your own. I promise

you a time youll remember with

great pleasure.
Source: Get Yourself Lost by Arthur
Frommer, Readers Digest
Group work Discuss these questions. Then
share your answers with the class.
1. Do you agree with the authors view?
Why or why not?
2. In your opinion, what are some
advantages of taking a bus tour?
3. What are some disadvantages of
wandering around a city on your own?
4. Can you learn about a city without
taking a tour? Why or why not?
Unit 4 Day and night
Lesson A Your energy profile

1 Whats your best time of day?

Starting Point. Read these statements. Which
of these people are you most similar to?
As soon as I wake up in the morning, I get
dressed and race off to work. Mornings are
when Im at my best I guess Im an early
bird.
-Cecilia, from Brazil
Untill Ive had several cups of coffee,
breakfast, and a long shower, I dont feel
really awake. Im definitely not an early
bird.
-Tetsuo, from Japan
I always feel sleepy around 4:00 in the
afternoon while Im working at the office! But
if I can sneak a short nap, I can work for
several more hours. Im a catnapper.
-Jennifer, from the U.S.
I dont get much done during the day, but I
get a spurt of energy in the late afternoon and
can concentrate until after midnight Im a
reak night owl
-Yury, from Russia
Pair work. Whats the best time of day for
you to do the following thins?
Complete the cart and then compare with a
partner.
21

morning

afternoon

evening

study for an exam

do something creative
do something that requires concentration
do vigorous exercise
speak English
A: I always study for an exam at night. Its
really quiet after everyone else has gone to
sleep.
B: I try to study for an exam as soon as I get
up. Thats when Im most alert.
THE TIME IS RIGHT
Discussion Pair work Read this information.
Do you agree with the advice gien? Why or
why not?
Does this information make you think
differently about your answers in Exercise 1
B?
When the Mind and Body Are at their Best

22

When you need to study for a test, do it

between 9:00 A.M. and noon. Its the best
time to try to remember information youll
need to use very soon.
Study languages in the early afternoon.
This is the best time of day to learn
something you want to remember for a
long time.
Energy levels fip between 2:00 and 4:00
P.M. As soon as your energy level falls, try
to take a short nap. If thats impossible,
just relax.
Youre most energetic between the hours
of 6:00 and 9:00 P.M. This is another
Good time to do something that requires
concentration.
Whenever you have to work with
numbers, plan to do it around noon. Your
brain is most alert at this time.
Your mind and body are sleepiest at 4:00
A.M. This is why its not a good idea to
stay up studying all night. Wait until
morning.

Source: The secrets of Sleep by Michael

Segeil, Esquire
Avoiding insomnia
Pair work. What should you do if you have
trouble getting to sleep?
Think of four suggestions. Then read this
article, and compare your ideas to the autors
Ten Keys to a Better Nights Sleep
Sleep is a basic human need, as basic the
need for oxygen. Getting a good nights sleep
is not only directly related to how we feel the
next day, but to our long-term health as well.
Still, many of us suffer from at least
occasional insomnia. Even more of us report
at least one night of restless sleep per week
that leaves us feeling ill and irritable. This is a
serious problem. If you think other wise,
consider this. People who sleep four hours or
less per night are twice as likely not to survive
in six years as those who sleep the normal
eight hours or so.
Given the seriousness of sleep, how can we
make sure that we rest well and stay healthy?
While there are no foolproof methods, here
are some suggestions from sleep experts. If
you do have trouble sleeping and these
methods dont help, its important that you
see a doctor before insomnia causes your
health to suffer. Start with these suggestions,
though.
o

If you cant sleep in the middle of the

night dont get up. Exposing yourself to
bright light will affect your body clock and
worsen your insomnia. Stay in bed.
Avoid naps except for a brief ten- to
Fifteen minute nap between 2:00 and
4:00 P.M.

o
o

Restrict your time in bed to the average

number of hours youve actually slept per
night during the previous week. Dont try
to make up for lost sleep. It cant be done.
Get regular exercise each day, but finish
at least six hours before bed time.
Exercising in the evening can help keep
you awake.
Take a hot bath for thirty minutes within
two hours of bedtime. The bath will warm
you, relax you, and make you feel sleepy.
Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and well
ventilated.
Keep a regular schedule seven days a
week. Avoid the urge to sleep late on
weekends. Although it may feel good while
youre doing it, sleeping late on weekends
can lead to insomnia during the week.
Get al least half an hour of sunlight within
thirty minutes or waking. The morning sun
helps set your body clock. Without the
sunlight, your body doesnt know its
awake.
Dont drink alcohol. Although having a
drink
Before bed makes your sleepy, alcohol
changes its effects after a bit of time,
these secondary effects after a bit of time.
These secondary effects of alcohol can
wake up you up during the second half of
your nights sleep.

Its impolite to talk about your

accomplishments too much, but
that doesnt stop the bragger.

Keep the face of the clock in your

bedroom turned away, and dont find out
what time it is when you awaken in the
night.
Pleasant dreams!
Source: The Secrets of Sleep by Michael
Segell, Esquire

Group Work Discuss. These questions, then

share your answers with the class.
1. Do you think the suggestions in the
article are helpful? How many of them
do follow? Discuss each suggestion.
2. What other methods of getting to
sleep do you know about? Do these
methods work?
Unit 6 Interpersonal communication
MAKING CONVERSATION
Conversational styles
Starting A Read about six different types of
people you sometimes meet on a social.
Point
occasions. Can you find an example of
each type in the illustrations?

Excuse me, let me say

Hi. Are you enjoing

the party?

The complimenter knows its

polite to find something nice to
say to others.
Its not good to ignore your
conversation partner, but the
wandering eye does it anyway.

I really enojoyed. . .

I am absolutely the
Best tennis player. .!

That`s a great necktie!

So then I blah, blah,

blah. . .

Its good to talk about topics that

interest you. Unfortunately, the
bores conversation is interesting
to no one else.
Its customary to take turns
speaking, but the interrupter is
always jumping into the
conversation out of turn.
Its appropriate to try different
topics to get a conversation
going, and the conversation
started does just that.

23

B Pair Work Which of the people in Exercise

A have good conversational styles? Which do
not?
Poor Conversationalists
Discussion Pair works Read these comments
about poor conversationalists. Have you ever
meet anyone like this? Tell your partner.

Asking about other peoples personal

business is impolite, but he does it
anyway.
Hearing her stories about all the
famous people she knows is boring.
Im tired of it.
Having
private
conversations
is
normal.
However,
hes
always
whispering secrets to his friends in
front of other people. It makes
everyone feel uncomfortable.
Interrupting someone elses story is
very annoying. She is always doing
that.
Unit 6 Interpersonal communication
Infinitive and gerund phrases

Grammar focus: It+be+adjective+infinitive

phrase is often used to comment on behavior.
Its impolite to ask about other peoples
personal business.
Its boring to hear her stories about famous
people.
These sentences can be restated with gerund
phrases.
Asking about other peoples personal
business is impolite.
Hearing her stories about famous people is
boring.
A Use these adjectives to complete the
sentences about typical or appropriate
behavior. Decide if you need not in front of
each adjective. Compare with a partner.
Acceptable appropriate customary important
polite unusual

24

1. Its ____not polite_____to speak a foreign

language in front of people who dont
understand it.
2. Its _________________to address a
teacher by his or her first name.
3. Embracing a friend when you meet him or
her is_______________.
4. Its ________________ to talk about
politics at work or school.
5. Complimenting a persona about his or her
appearance is___________________.
6. Its_______________ to ask a lot of
questions to keep a conversation going.
7. Asking
someones
age
is__________________.
8. Its __________________ to bring a
conversation to a close before it becomes
boring.
What is typical or appropriate in your culture?
Write sentences about these topics. Then
compare with a partner.
1. Shake hands when you meet a friend
2. Its appropriate to shake hands./Shaking
hands.
3. Kiss a female friend on the cheek when
you see her
4. Stand very close to people when you talk
to them
5. Use your hands a lot when you talk
6. Ask people about their families
7. Ask people how much they earn
8. Ask people about their social plans
9. Interrupt someone whos talking

What should you do?

Discussion Group work What should you do
in these situations? Give advice to the other
people in your group.
Youve been asked to give a short speech
at a friends birthday party.
Someone admires something you own.
You meet someone who has a serious
health problem.
You meet someone whose relative has
recently died.

A: Its important to be prepared if youve been

asked to give a short speech at a party.
B: Yes, your should take it seriously. But its
also acceptable to make a joke to relax the
audience.
Lesson A Making conversation
Statements
They got engaged.

Reported speech
grammar
focus
REPORTED

STATEMENTS

A Rewrite these sentences in reported speech.

Compare with a partner.

Yes-No Questions
Has the date been set?

1. Im not feeling well. She Told me_that

she wasnt feeling well_.

WH-Questions
What are you planning to do?

2. Did you hear the shocking news?

He asked me
___________________________.

Commands
Dont say anything!

3. 3. When are your friends arriving?

They asked me
__________________________.

General truths
The sun rises in the east.
Immediately Reported Statements
Steve is going to be fired.

4. Why arent you going to the party?

She asked me
__________________________.

He said (that)
engaged.

5. Try it again! He told me

____________________________.

they

had

gotten

Reported Yes-No Questions

I asked him if the date had been
Set yet.
Reported WH-questions
I asked her what she was
planning to do.

6. Im getting married next year. She

told me
____________________________.
7. Water boils at 100 C. The teacher
said __________________________.
8. We will be leaving at 7:00. They told
me ___________________________.

Reported Commands
My friend told me not to say
Anything
Reported General Truths
She said (that) the sun rises in
the east.

9. Was the movie scary? The children

asked me
___________________.
10. 10. Our essays are due next week.
The teacher just said
____________________.

Immediately
Reported
Statements
In Reported Speech
I (just) heard (that) Steve is
going to be fired.

25

B Pair work Imagine that you

overheard this conversation. Take
reporting each line of the conversation.

have
turns

MBC studios announced at a Hollywood press

conference last night that they have finished
auditioning for their latest blockbuster movie.
Complete the first line of these newspaper
articles with the present perfect or past tense
of the verbs in parentheses. Then compare
with a partner.

Ryan: I have a secret to tell you. Do you know

Don and Sally at work?
Emily: Ive heard their names, but Ive never
met them.
Ryan: Well, theyre getting married.
Emily: How did you find out?
Ryan: Dons sister told me.
Emily: Whens the wedding?
Ryan: I dont know....
Ryan told Emily that he had a secret to tell
her... Secrets
Discussion Group work Whisper a secret
about yourself to another person in your
group, who will then whisper it to the next
person, and so on, around the group. The last
person reports the secret they heard. Was it
reported accurately?
Last person: Jean said that she was going to
look for a new job.
Jean: Thats right. Im going to start
looking next week.

1. Fire has destroyed (destoy) the Fulton

Hotel, a familiar city landmark.
2. A
convicted
criminal
___________________ (escape) from
prison at 2:00 this afternoon.
3. A
rare
manuscript
____________________
(vanish)
from the city library on Tuesday.
4. Area
department
stores
___________________
(enjoy)
record-breaking sales this season.
5. Some
local
teens
_____________________ (discover) a
rare diamond in their backyard.
6. Last
night
vandals_________________________
(damage)
two
historic
buildings
downtown. They ________________
(break)
windows
and
______________________
spray
graffiti on the walls.
7. A
local
scientist
____________________ (win) the
Nobel Prize for his work in the field of
biology.
8. Zookeepers_____________________
(realize) yesterday that six African
parrots
__________________
(disappear) from their cages over the
past two days. Police are investigating.

Present perfect vs. past

Grammar focus: The present perfect tense
describes an event at an unspecified time in
the past, often the recent past.
The storm has flattened the entire downtown
area.
This new style of music has attracted many
fans.
The past tense is used to describe an event at
a specified time in the past.
Pilot Linda Finch completed her solo flight
around the world yesterday.
26

Past vs. past continuous

Grammar focus
The past continuous describes an event that
was in progress when another event took
place.
While customers were calmly eating their
meals, a college student ate 20 doughnuts
in five minutes.
A large crowd was cheering wildly as the
pilot landed her plane safely.

Use the past or past continuous of the verbs

in parentheses to complete these sentences.
1. During her solo flight around the world,
Linda Finch __visited_________ (visit) 17
Countries
and__________________
(give) Speeches to interested students.
2. While Linda ________________fly from
Honolulu to California, she_____________
(begin) to think about her children at
home.
3. A large crowd ________________ (wait)
for
Linda
when
she
finally______________ (arrive).
4. Linda_____________ (wave) to the croud
as she ___________________(climb) out
of her plane.
5. She________________ (say) she felt glad
to be home, and then she_____________
(kiss) her daughter.
Consumer complaints
Pair work Discuss these questions. Then read
the article, and compare your
ideas to the authors.
1. Do you complain when you experience
consume problems? Why or why not?
2. Do you think complaining is effective?
Why or why not?
GETTING WHAT YOURE ENTITLED TO
Most people who experience a problem while
traveling, shopping, or dining out do not
complain. They tolerate bad service and
inferior products without making a sound.
Why? Many feel complaining wont do any
good but theyre wrong. Complaining works
because companies dont want dissatisfied
customers. Not sure you can do it? Here are
some strategies to use when things go wrong.
1. If you have a complaint, do something
about it right away. The longer you wait,
the harder it will be to get your complaint
resolve.
2. First, complain to service agents, if they
are not going to resolve your problem,
then ask politely to speak to a manager.
And if that doesnt work, you can always
request to speak to the managers
manager!

3. Stand up for your rights. You have the

right to receive a product you ordered in a
timely manner. With airlines, you have the
right to be on a flight youve booked.
Always demand satisfaction when your
consumer rights are violated.
4. Demand a perk or a discount. Lets say
you were promised a hotel room with an
ocean view, but got a view of a brick wall
instead, or you were assigned an aisle
seat in the front of the cabin on an
overseas flight, but for a seat in the
middle section all the way in the back. You
should do something about both of these
situations ask to be compensated with a
special discount or perk.
5. Dont be passive. Stay involved an offer
ways you think the company can satisfy
you. Be reasonable, but be firm.
6. Insist on the price you were quoted. If you
are refused, get a managers name and
telephone number, and promise to follow
up with a letter an a telephone call.
7. If all else fails, wait until you get home
and take action. Call the companys head
office, and speak to the most senior
person possible. The follow up your call
with a letter of complaint. If necessary,
dont hesitate to call the consumer affairs
office in your city and complain.
Group work Read these consumer problems.
What should each person do?
What would you do?
Celia requested a window seat on a flight, but
she was put on the aisle.
Russ asked for a hotel room with a king-sized
bed, but he got a room with two singles.
Carl ordered a toy for his nephew. It came
damaged, but he didnt return it.
Leslie complained to a salesclerk, but the she
left when the clerk refused to help her.
Marissa experienced bad service at a
restaurant while she was traveling. A month
later, she wrote a letter to complain about it.

27

HOW HONEST ARE YOU?

B Pair work Do you think Aaron and Leanne

did the right thing?

What would you do?

Why or why not?
Pair work What would you do in these
situations?
If you found some money on
the street,.....

If you heard a rumor that your best friend

was talking about you behind your back,....
I wouldnt confront my friend unless I
wouldnt confront my friend even it
I knew that the rumor was true. I knew that
the rumor was true.
Finders, keepers?
Listening
A Listen to Aaron and Leanne
talking about what they did when they
found something. What did they find?
Did they keep it?
What they found
What they did
Aaron
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Leanne
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

28

A COURSE IN LANGUAGE
TEACHING
Penny Ur
PRACTICE AND THEORY
CAMBRIDGE TEACHER TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT
Series Editors: Marion Williams and Tony
Wright
Module 3: Tests
Note: This module covers issues of purpose,
design and administration of tests in language
teaching in general. Tests of some specific
topics are discussed in other modules: see
particularly unit Five of Module 5: Teaching
vocabulary and Unit Six of Module 9: Teaching
speaking.

Unit One: What are tests for?

Some preliminary definitions

A test may be defined as an activity whose
main purpose is to convey (usually to the
tester) how well the testee knows or can do
something. This is in contrast to practice,
whose main purpose is sheer learning.
Learning may, of course, result from a test,
just as feedback on knowledge may be one of
the spin-offs of a practice activity: the
distinction is in the main goal.
It is often conventionally assumed that tests
are mostly used for assessment: The test
gives a score which is assumed to define the
level of knowledge of the testee. This may be
in order to decide wheather he or she is
suitable for a certain job or admission to an
institution, has passed a course, can enter a
certain class. But in fact testing and
assessment overlap only partially: there are
other ways of assessing students (an overview
of assignments over a long period. For
example, or the teachers opinion, or selfevaluation) and there are certainly other
reasons for testing (see below, Box 3.1). This
unit concentrates on resting as a teaching act;
some discussion of aspects of assessment can
be found in Unit Two of Module17: Giving

feedback, or for more through coverage see

Brindley (1989).
Inquiry Reasons for testing

Stage 1: Inquiry
Think about and write down the main reasons
why you (would) test in the language
classroom. Ask one or two experienced
teachers what their main reasons are; and
then ask some learners if they think being
tested is helpful or important, and if so why.
Note down the answers.
Stage 2: Critical reflection
Look at the list given in Box 331. These are
the main reasons why I test in the classroomnot necessarily in order of importance.
Consider, or discuss, the following questions
about them.
1. How do the ideas in Box 3.1 compare
with the results of your own inquiry
and/or your own ideas?
2. Are there any ideas suggested by your
respondents or yourself that are not
mentioned here?
3. Are there any ideas here that you did
not find or think of before?
4. Would you reject any of them as not
significant or irrelevant to your
situation?
Stage 3: Reservations
As a by-product of your investigation and
thinking up to now, you have probably come
across some convincing reasons for not
testing: the tension and negative feelings
tests cause learners, for example, or the fact
tat they are very time-consuming. Note down
all such reasons you can think of before
moving on to the summary suggested in the
next stage.
Box 3.1: REASONS FOR TESTING
Tests may be used as a means to:
1. give the teacher information about
where the students are at the moment
to help decide what to teach next.
2. give the students information about
what they know, so that they also
29

3.

4.
5.
6.

7.

8.

9.

have an awareness of what they need

to learn or review.
access for some purpose external to
current teaching (a final grade for the
course, selection).
motivate students to learn or review
specific material.
get a noisy class to keep quiet and
concentrate:
provide a clear indication that the class
has reached a station in learning,
such as the end of a unit, thus
contributing to a sense of structure in
the course as a whole:
Get students to make an effort (in
doing the test itself), which is likely to
lead to better results and a feeling of
satisfaction:
give students tasks which themselves
may actually provide useful review or
practice, as well as testing:
Provide students with a sense of
achievement and progress in their
learning.
o Cambridge university Press 1996

Stage 4: Summary
Which of your list of reasons for testing are, or
would be, the most important for you
personally? And how far are these offset by
the disadvantages of testing you have just
listed?
Summarize for yourself the answers to these
questions,
perhaps
in
discussion
with
colleagues, if you do discuss, note that it may
not be appropriate here to try to reach a
group consensus, even if you all share a
similar teaching situation, as your reasons
may depend to some extent on your own
beliefs and teaching style, and may vary
according to different situations or stages in
the course. But try to come to some general
conclusions as to when, or if, yourself would
in principle give tests, and
Basic concepts; the test experience
Unit Two: Basic concepts; the test
experience
This unit reviews some basic concepts to do
with test design through asking you to
30

prepare and do a test yourself, and then goes

on to discuss the test experience as such.
Experiment

Taking a test

The test presented here is of the conventional

type in which you answer a paper of given
questions in writing within a limited time, in
silence, in the classroom. The material you
will be tested on consists of concepts
associated with testing itself.
Stage 1: Preparation
Prepare for the test by learning the material
you wull be tested on. This consists of the
following.
1. The
theoretical
concepts:
validity,
reliability, backwash (or washback).
2. The distinction between the following pairs
of concepts:
- Achievement v. proficiency tests
- Diagnostic v. prognostic tests
- Discrete-point v. integrative tests
- Subjective v. objective tests.
3. The form of the following types of test
items:
- Multiple-choice (including the concepts of
stem, options, distractors)
- Cloze.
The necessary information can be found laid
our as short sample answers in the Notes, or
more fully in Heaton (1990), and in other
sources listed in Further reading.
Stage 2: Doing the test
When you are ready, try doing the test in box
3.2. You have twenty minutes. Your results
will be expressed as a percentage; each of
Questions 1-10 is worth ten marks. Questions
11 is optional.
Stage 3: Checking
Check your answers against those given in
your sources in the literature or using the
brief sample answers in the Notes. Give
yourself a mark our of 100.
Stage 4: Reflection and discussion

Reflecting on the test experience you have

just had, and perhaps on other test
experiences, think about and/or discuss the
following questions.
1. (If you did optional Question 11, look at
your answer). How did you feel about
being tested? You may hjave felt:
irritated,
unpleasantly
stressed,
acceptably or even pleasantly tense,
indifferent.
Any
other
reactions
or
comments?
Box 3.2: Test on testing
1. What is a valid test?
2. What is a reliable test?
3. What is backwash?
4. What is the difference between an
achievement test and a proficiency test?
5. What is the difference between a
diagnostic test and a prognostic test?
6. Can you give an example of a discretepoint test?
7. Can you give an example of an
integrative test?
8. Are questions 1-7 above examples of
objective or subjective test items? Why?
9. Give examples of:
a) a multiple-choice item
b) an extract from a cloze test
10. Within the multiple-choice item you have
given, can you identify:
a) the stem?
b) The options?
c) The distractors?
11. (Optional) How have you felt about doing
this test?
o Cambridge University Press 1996
2. Did the fact you knew you were going to be
tested make any difference to how well you
learned the material in advance?
3. Would you have preferred not to sum up
your overall result (so much out of 100)? Or
do you feel it important to get some kind of
(numerical?) essessment after a test?
4. Would you have preferred someone else to
check your answers?
Stage 5: Implications for teaching
You have just experienced a test from the
point of view of a testee, and discussed that

experience. Returning now to the role of

teacher, go through your answers to each of
the questions above and think about how they
might affect the way you would, or should,
test in the classroom.
Some comments of my own follow.
Comments on the questions
1. People vary very widely in their reactions
to tests. Some like the sense of challenge;
others find it unpleasant. Some perform at
their best under rest conditions, others
perform badly.
Thus, it would be a mistake to come out
with sweeping statements like: People
get very stressed when they are tested,
or Tests are unpopular. The amount of
unpleasant stress associated with a test
depends on various factors, at least some
of which may be under the control of the
teacher: how well the learners are
prepared for it and how confident they feel
of success; what rewards and penalties
are associated with success or failure (how
important the results are perceived to be);
how clear the test items are; how easy the
test is as a whole; how often such tests
are given; and so on. (Some ideas on
what the teacher can do to reduce test
anxiety may be found in Unit Five).
2. Here one can generalize for most people
the foreknowledge that there is going to
be a test produces more conscientious
learning of the material. Whether this is a
morally or educationally desirable way of
getting people to learn is another
question. My own opinion is that resting is
one acceptable way of raising short-term
motivation to learn specific material, but
that if it is used as such very often, and as
the main source of pressure to learn, then
there may be long-term negative results.
Both teacher and learners may cease to
seek and find enjoyment or satisfaction in
the learning itself, or to see the goal of
knowing the language as intrinsically
valuable: the whole teaching-learning
process is in danger of being devalued, of
being seen merely as a means to get good
grades.

31

3. Most learners like to know how well they

did on a test, and the assessment is
perhaps most conveniently expressed as a
number. Even people who do not like
being tested may feel cheated and
disappointed if they are not told their
score. They often do not, however, which
other people to know: so it may not be a
good idea to publish results by name.
4. Peoples responses to this question depend
to a very large extent on what they Are
used to in their own learning experience.
Perhaps most tend to prefer their work to
be checked by someone they perceive as
authoritative; but even more important is
their reliance on that persons fair and
unbiased evaluation.
Unit three: Types of test elicitation
techniques
Formal and informal testing
Tests in the classroom may be of the
conventional type exemplified in the previous
unit, where the testees are told in advance
what they need to know, what the criteria are
for success, and so on. But they may also be
informal: a homework assignment may in fact
function as a test if the teachers main aim in
giving it is to find out whether the learners
have learned some language point or not;
questions asked during the routine give-andtake of classroom interaction may serve the
same purpose, as may some textbook
exercises.
Analyzing elicitation techniques
Test, whether formal or informal, utilize one
or more of a large number of elicitation
techniques. Some of the more common of
these
are
listed
in
Box
3.3;
more
comprehensive taxonomies can be found in,
for example, Hughes, 1989.
Which you will choose to use for certain
testing purpose will probably depend mainly
on the following considerations:
1. What will it tell me about the testees
knowledge? In other words, for what
type of knowledge might it be a valid
test?
2. How easy is it to compose?
32

3. How easy is it to administer?

4. How easy is it to mark?
BOX 3.3: ELICITATION TECHNIQUES
1. Questions
and
answers.
Simple
questions, very often following reading, or
as part of an interview: may require short
or long answers:
What is the (family) relationship between
David Copperfield and Mr. Murdstone?
2. True/False. A statement is given which is
it to be marked true or false. This may
also be given as a question, in which case
the answer is yes or not.
Addis Ababa is the capital of Egypt.
Is Addis Ababa the capital of Egypt?
3. Multiple-Choice. The question consist of
a stem and a number of options (usually
four). From which the testee has to select
the right one.
A person who writes book is called
a) a booker b) an editor c) an author d)a
publisher
4. Gap-filling and completion. The testee
has to complete a sentence by filling a gap
or adding something. A gap may or may
not be signaled by a blank or dash; the
word to be inserted may or may not be
given or hinted at.
They (go) to Australian in 1980.
Or
They _____ to Australian in 1980 (go)
Or
A_______ is someone who writes books
Or
Ive seen that film. (never)
5. Matching. The testee is faced with two
groups of words; phrases or sentences;
each item in the first group has to be
linked to a different item in the second.
large
small
unhappy
many
a lot
big
little
sad

6. Dictation. The tester dictates a passage

or set of words; the testee writes them
down.

My own comments follow.

7. Cloze. Words are omitted from a passage

at regular intervals (for example, every
seventh word). Usually the first two or
three lines are given with no gaps.

1. Questions and answers

These can be used to test almost anything.
The more closed the question is (that is, the
fewer the possible options for correct
answers), the easier the item will be to mark.
It is fairly easy to compose and grade closedended questions; more open, thoughtprovoking ones are more difficult, but may
actually test better.

The family are all fine, though Leo had a

bad bout of flu last week. He spent most
of it lying on the sofa watching
_____________ when he wasnt sleeping!
His exams ______ in two weeks, so he is
______ about missing school, but has
managed to _______ quite a lot in spite
____________feeling ill.
8. Transformation. A sentence is given; the
testee has to change it according to some
given instruction.
Put into the past tense.
I go to school by bus.
9. Rewriting. A sentence is given; the
testee rewrites it, incorporating a given
change of expression, but preserving the
basic meaning
He came to the meeting in spite af his
illness. Although
10. Translation. The testee is asked to
translate expressions, sentences or entire
passages to or from the target language.
11. Essay. The testee is given a topic; such as
Childhood memories, and asked to write
an essay of a specific length.
12. Monologue. The testee is given a topic or
question and asked to speak about it for a
minute or two.

Cambridge University Press 1996

TASK
Critical study of elicitation techniques
Try applying the above considerations to the
set of elicitation techniques shown in Box 3.3.

COMMENTS

2. True/false
This does not directly test writing or speaking
abilities; only listening or reading. It may be
used to test aspects of language such as
vocabulary, grammar, content of a reading or
listening passage. It is fairly easy to design; it
is also easy to administer, whether orally or in
writing, and to mark.
3. Multiple-choice
This may be used for the same testing
purposes as true/false items; it does test
rather more thoroughly since it offers optional
answers and is obviously very easy to mark. It
is administered more conveniently though
writing; but note that since the reading of the
question-and-options is fairly time-consuming,
the process of comprehension of the actual
question items may take more time and effort
than the point ostensibly tested, which raises
problems of validity. Another important
problem
is
that
good
multiple-choice
questions are surprisingly difficult to design:
they often come our ambiguous, or with no
clear right answer, or with their solutions
over-obvious. They are to be approached with
caution!
4. Gap-filling and completion
This usually tests grammar or vocabulary, as
in the examples. It is tedious to compose,
though not so difficult as multiple-choice; it is
more easily administered in writing than in
speech; the marking is usually simple. You
mayo need to be aware that there is more
than one possible right answer.
5. Matching
This usually tests vocabulary, and is rather
award to administer orally; thus it is best
presented written on the board or on paper,
33

though responses may be either oral or in

writing. Items can be time-consuming and
difficult to compose, and again, there may be
alternative right answers to any particular
item. Answers are fairly easily checked.
6. Dictation
This
mainly
tests
spelling,
perhaps
punctuation, and, perhaps surprisingly on the
face of it. Listening comprehension: people
can only usually write words down accurately
from dictation if they understand them. It
does not, however, test other writing skills or
speech, and involves very little reading. It
may supply some information on testees
passive knowledge of pronunciation, grammar
and vocabulary. It is very easy to prepare and
administer; it is relatively easy to mark,
though there may be a problem deciding how
much weight to attribute to different
mistakes.
7. Hoze
This tests (intensive) reading, spelling, and to
some extent a knowledge of vocabulary and
grammar. It can be adapted to target
specific language items, by, for example,
omitting all the verbs (in which case it is not,
strictly speaking, move, but rather gapfilling). It is fairly easy to prepare and
administer.
Making can be tricky: you may find it difficult
sometimes to decide if a specific item is
acceptable or not.
8. Transformation
This item is relatively easy to design,
administer and mark, but its validity may be
suspect. It tests the ability of the testee to
transform grammatical structures, which is
not the same as testing grammar: a testee
may perform well on transformation items
without knowing the meaning of the target
structure or how to use it in context. Marking
is fairly straightforward.
9. Rewriting
This tests the same sort of thing as
transformation, but is likely to reflect more
through knowledge of the target items, since
it involves paraphrasing the entire meaning of
a sentence rather than transforming a
particular item. It is, however, more difficult
to compose, and the marking may be more
34

subjective. It is, as its name suggests, usually

done in writing.
10. Translation
A technique which, at the time of writing, is
for various reasons rather unpopular, but in
my opinion undeservedly so. In a monolingual
class whose teacher also speaks the learners
mother tongue, the translation of a bit of
language to or from the target language can
give very quick and reliable information on
what the testee does or does not know,
particularly when it involves entire units of
meaning (phrases, sentences) within a known
context. Translation items are also relatively
easy to compose-even improvise, in an
informal test-and administer, in either speech
or writing-marketing may sometimes be more
difficult, but not prohibitively so.
11. Essay
This is a good test of general writing abilities.
It is relatively easy to provide a topic and tell
the class to write an essay about it but
marking is extremely difficult and timeconsuming. It must be clear in advance, both
to you an to the students, how much
emphasis you are going to lay on language
forms,
such
as
spelling,
grammar,
punctuation, and how much on aspects of
content, such as interest and originality of
ideas,
effectiveness
of
expression,
organization (see Module 11: Teaching
writing).
12. Monologue
This tests oral fluency in long turns
something not everyone can do in their
mother tongue! It also tests overall knowledge
of pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. To
choose a topic and allot it is not so difficult; to
assess is very difficult indeed, demanding
concentration and a very clear set of criteria
and weighting system (see the Unit Six of
Module 9: Teaching speaking).

LEARNING TEACHING
Jim Scrivener
Chapter 4

Activities and lessons

1 Classroom activities
25
2 Four kinds of lesson
32
3 Using a coursebook
38
Introduction
This chapter offers some basic information
and ideas about running lessons and
activities. As a starting point we look at the
mechanics of a single classroom activity. The
aim, is to start small and then gradually widen
the focus. This chapter comes before Chapter
5 on planning because this reflects the way
that I myself learned to teach: I found it hard
to worry about the bigger questions until I
hag gained at least some initial confidence in
the basic mechanics of running activities and
working with students. If youd rather have an
overview first you could begin by reading
Chapter 5.
1. Classroom activities
A basic skill in teaching English as a foreign
language is to be able to prepare, set up and
run a single classroom activity, for example a
game or a communication task or a
discussion. This section looks at some typical
activities, and considers one in detail: There is
also guidance on planning similar activities.
Task 1
Here is some material from a student
cousebook. Which of the following activities
would it be possible to use Fig. 4.1 for?
a. A whole-class discussion of ideas and
answers;
b. Individual written homework;
c. A dictation
d. Students prepare a short dramatic sketch.
B A father wants his 18-year old daughter

A A teenager wants to go to a party that

finishes late. His mother wants him to come
home by 10 oclock, but the teenager wants to
stay until midnight. How can he persuade his
mother? to go on holiday with her parents,
She doesnt Want to goshe would prefer to
go and stay with her friend. How can she
persuade her Father?
Commentary...
Each of these activities is possible by using
the same material in different ways. For
example:
A The class discuss the problems and possible
solutions.
B The students write their feelings about the
situations at home or perhaps turn them into
a story.
CHAPTER 4 ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS
C
The
teacher
dictates
a
situational
description to the students and then invites
one student to invent and dictate the first line
of the dialogue, then another student does
line two, and so on.
D Students make up dialogues in pairs and
perform them.
Here is a short random list of some other
activities often used in EFL classrooms (out of
thousands of possible activities):

Learners
do
a
grammar
exercise
individually then compare answers with
each other;
Learners listen to a taped conversation in
order to answer some questions;
Learners write a formal letter;
Learners discuss and write some questions
in order to make a questionnaire;
Learners read a newspaper article to
prepare for a discussion;
Learners play a vocabulary game;
Learners repeat sentences their teacher is
saying;
Learners roleplay a shop scene.

Task 2
Add a few more activities to this list.
35

Task 3

Read this activity from a student coursebook

and answer the questions on content and
classroom procedures.

Write down the names of three important

people in your life (outside your family).
Now work in pairs. Exchange lists with
your partner and ask each other
questions.
Whos....?
How long have you known him/her?
Where did you meet?
Whats he/she? Whats special about him/her
Do you get on well? Why (not)?
a. Content. What language will the students
be practicing when they do this activity?
What other purposes (apart from getting
students to practice language) might this
activity serve?
b. Classroom procedures. How can the
teacher organize this activity in class?
(how can she turn the printed coursebook
material into a classroom activity?) How
will the instructions be given? What
preparations does she need to make? Are
any special materials or visual aids
needed?
Commentary...
a. when doing this activity the learners will
get practice in:
Describing people;
Describing their feelings about people;
Asking questions about the past;
Talking about the past;
Using English to talk about something
of personal importance.
As well as working on language, the
activity involves students in talking and
listening to one another on a personal
level. This may help to build good
relationships within the class and help
create a good working atmosphere.
b. There are no special materials or visual
aids needed. The teacher has a number of
options in organizing the activity. For
example, the giving of instructions:
36

She could simply tell the class to read

the coursebook instructions and do the
activity.
She could give instructions orally,
perhaps separating three steps: (1)
giving
instructions
for
students
individually to write three names, and,
only
when
the
students
have
completed that, (2) telling them to get
in pairs-and only when the pairs have
settled down, then (3) explaining what
they have to do in their pairs.
Separating activities and instructions
into different steps is an important
technique. At each point the learners
know what they need to know without
possible confusion from instructions for
later parts of the activity.
She could demonstrate the activity in
front of the whole class, working
through an example, rather than
simply explaining the instructions. By
doing this the learners may become
clearer about what the activity
involves.

The teacher could, of course, expand on or

after any of the coursebooks suggested steps.
She could start with an introduction to the
activity or she could include a feedback
discussion after the students have finished the
communication
task.
Remember-the
coursebook is a starting point and resource, I
doesnt have to be precisely obeyed step by
step. An important part of your lesson is in
the working atmosphere and the relationship
that you build with your class-and that is
unlikely to be particularly close if you simply
direct them mechanically to do exercise after
exercise.
Even a simple coursebook instruction like Now
work in pairs offers the teacher options. For
example, she could tell each student who he o
she must work with (ie Petra work with
Christina), or the students could choose for
themselves, or the pairings could be the result
of some random game or humorous
instruction (eg Find someone whose shoes are
a different colour from your own).
Task 4
Below is a brief description of a teacherRiccardo-using the above activity in his class

of seventeen young adults. Before you read it,

visualize for yourself what might happen.
What are the learners doing? What is the
atmosphere in the classroom like?
Riccardo says, Ive been thinking about
important people in my life. Not my family-but
other people. For example-George. Do you
know George?
Some of the students say No.
Ah -you dont know George? Continues
Riccardo,
putting
on
a
mysterious
expression. Ask me some questions can you
find out some information about George?
The students have had their curiosity aroused
by this very simple withholding of information
and now begin to ask questions to find out
about this person. When it gets too noisy
Riccardo uses gestures to indicate which
student
should
speak
next.
He
also
encourages students to rephrase or correct
each other when their questions contain errors
related to the language aim of the activity.
Sometimes he corrects an error himself.

When they are sitting down again, he says

Show your partner one of the names you have
written. Your partner must ask questions to
find out information about the person. You
can use the questions on the board to help
you. The students start talking in pairs. There
is a lot of noise from the conversations.
Riccardo wanders around the room at the
start of the activity to check that the students
have understood the instructions and are
doing what was asked. He then sits quietly in
a corner of the room apparently taking little
notice of what the students are doing. At one
point a student asks Riccardo for help a word
he cant remember but Riccardo politely
refuses to help. The conversations continue
for about seven minutes.
When most have finished talking, Riccardo
calls attention back to himself by standing up
and saying OK, and waiting for silence. Then
he asks Did you find out about any interesting
people? A short feedback discussion starts.
One student says Mario has a friend who
fishes sharks...
Task 5

Finally, after eight or nine questions and

answers, the identity of George is established
as the person who is teaching Riccardo to play
the saxophone. A brief conversation about
musical likes and dislikes ensues. When that
finishes Riccardo asks the students to think
back to the questions they had asked him. As
they recall questions (eg When did you meet
him?) Riccardo writes them up on the board.
When a number of questions are up, Riccardo
says OK now its your turn to play the game.
Write down three names of people who are
important in your life. Dont write any
information -*just their name. and chose
people that no one else here knows. So for
example dont put my name because you all
know me!
He waits while the students do this, keeping
an eye out for the moment when the majority
of them finished. Then says Were going to
work in pairs find someone to work with.
Chaos follows for a minute or so while
students reorganize themselves. Some walk
across the room to find a partner, some just
turn to the person next to them.

Look back at the description of the activity.

Which of the following sentences are true?
a. The teacher demonstrated how to do the
activity. Rather than simply giving
instructions.
b. The teacher clearly separated the various
steps of the planned activity.
c. The teacher corrected the students in
some parts of the activity but not in
others.
d. The teacher made sure that the students
had some idea about the language they
could use before he asked them to do the
activity.
e. The teacher had thought of one possible
problem with the activity and therefore
tried to prevent this by giving an
additional instruction.

Commentary...
a. True. Riccardo started by telling the class
Georges name and encouraging them to
question him precisely what the students
would soon do themselves.
b. True.
37

c. True. He corrected (and encouraged

student correction) at the beginning when
the class was working with him but when
the pairwork started he did no correction
at all.
d. True. He gave the students the chance to
hear and use the language during his
George example and some of these
sentences were later written up on the
board for students to refer to if they
needed to.
e. True. Riccardo had thought that the
activity would probably work less well if
thy chose people their partner already
knew (there would be less need for
questions and answers).

Task 6
What is your opinion about the following
things that happened during the activity do
you think they were appropriate or useful?
Would you do the same or not?
a. Some of the activity involved the whole
class working together. Some of the
activity involved students working in pairs.
b. There were a number of very noisy stages
in the activity eg when the students were
changing places, and when they were all
talking to each other.
c. Riccardo allowed a brief diversion from his
plan while they talked about music.
d. Riccardo refused to help a student who
wanted his help.

without deviating from the original lesson

plan for too long. I usually feel that such
moments are using English to do
something they want to do rather than
something I have asked them to do!
d. At first glance this seems rather cruel. Is it
possible that it is sometimes more useful
for a teacher not to help than to help?
The following plan describes one possible
route-map for running a simple activity:
Before the lesson
1. Familiarize yourself with the material and
the activity. Try the activity yourself.
Imagine how it will look in class. Decide
how many organizational steps are
involved. How long will it probably take?
Do the learners know enough language to
be able to make a useful attempt at the
activity? What help might they need?
What questions might they have? What
instructions are needed? How will they be
given? (Explained? Read? Demonstrated?)
Prepare any aids or additional material.
You also need to think through any
potential problems or hiccups in the
procedures. For example, what will
happen if you plan student work in pairs
but there is an uneven number of
students? Will this student work alone or
will you join in or will you make one of the
pairs into a group of three?

Commentary...
In the lesson
a. There are four typical arrangements
common in English language teaching
<<Classroom classrooms: whole class;
small groups; pairs; and individual work.
It is often useful to interaction p 13
include a variety of groupings in a lesson.
b. Learning is often quite a noisy business. If
people speak or move or do things then
there is very likely to be noise especially
if lots of people are doing things at the
sometime. Obviously sometimes noise
serves no useful purpose but it is often
evidence that a lot of important work is
going on.
c. This diversion allowed students to talk
about something of interest to them
38

2. Pre-activity: introduction and read-in to

activity. This mayo be to help raise
motivation or interest (eg discussion of a
picture related to the topic), or perhaps to
focus on language items (eg items of
vocabulary) that might be useful in the
activity.
3. 3 Set up the activity (or of it is complex,
set up the first step of the activity).
Organize the students so that they can do
the activity. (This may involve making
pairs or groups, moving the seating, etc).
Give clear instructions for the activity. A
demonstration or example is usually much

more effective than a long explanation.

You may wish to check back that the
instructions have been understood (eg So,
Georgia, what are you going to do first?).
In some activities it may be useful to allow
some individual work (eg thinking through
a problem, listing answers, etc) before the
students get together with others.
4. Run the activity (or the first step). If the
material was well-prepared and the
instructions clear, then the activity can
now largely run itself. Allow the students
to work on the task without too much
interference. The teachers role now is
much more low-key, taking a back seat
and monitoring what is happening without
getting
in
the
way.
Beware
of
encumbering
the
students
with
unnecessary help. This is their chance to
work. If its difficult, give them the chance
to rise to that challenge, without getting in
the way. Beware of encumbering the
students with unnecessary help. This is
their chance to work. If its difficult, give
them the chance to rise to that challenge,
without leaning on you.
5. Close the activity (or the first step). Allow
it to close properly. Rather than suddenly
stopping. The activity at a random point,
try to sense when the students are ready
to move on. If different groups are
finishing at different times, make a
judgement about when coming together
as a whole class would be useful to most
people. If you want to close the activity
while many students are still working, give
a time warning (eg finish the item you are
working on or Two minutes).

to get as many students as possible

involve in speaking and participation. For
example, when checking answers it may
be more interesting for groups to
exchange and compare their answers
themselves, than for the teacher to be up
at the front asking for and checking them.

Fig. 4.3: Procedure for running an activity

Task 7
Here is an excerpt from a student coursebook
aimed at beginners (the students may know
some English but are very limited in
knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, etc).
The instructions for activities 1-4 have been
removed. Write in appropriate instructions for
each activity.

6. If the activity is complex and involves

more than one step, repeat points 3,4 and
5 for subsequent steps.
7. Post-activity. It may be useful to have
some kind of feedback session on the
activity. This could involve comparing
opinions from different groups, checking
answers, looking at problems arising,
discussing the purpose of the activity and
reactions to it, continuing interesting
discussions, etc. It can be rather dull
simply to go over things that have already
been done thoroughly in small groups. Aim

1. a headache a backache a toothache a

stomachache an earache a cold
2. Example: a. whats the matter b. Ive got
a cold
3. Example: a. Ive got a headache b. You
should take an aspirin
go to bed go to work
drink hot lemon go to the dentists
39

eat anything
drinks
go to a party
go to the doctors

have lots of hot

take an aspirin

4.
A.
B.
A.
B.
A.
B.

How are you?

Not very well.
Oh dear! Whats the matter?
Ive got...
Im sorry, you should...
I know, youre right.

Commentary...
The original instructions were:
1. Match the words to the picture above.
2. Ask and answer with another student.
3. Use the ideas below to five advice, using
should/shouldnt
4. Have a complete conversation with
another student.
Your instructions may have been different, but
possibly equally appropriate. Any one piece of
material could be used in a variety of ways.
Task 8
Choose one of the four activities you looked at
in Task 7. Plan a basic procedure for using it
in class, using the seven steps described on
pp 29-30.
In your early lessons as an English teacher
you may find that survival is your main
priority. You would like to teach well and for
your students to learn and enjoy what
happens, but above even that you want
something that you can prepare easily,
something that is guaranteed (or nearly
guaranteed) to work; something that will let
you go into the classroom, do some useful
work with the learners and get out alive.
If you have a coursebook then you have an
instant source of material. Many teachers also
use ideas books, known as recipe books,
which do exactly what that nickname
suggests-give you everything you need to
know to be able to walk into class with the
right ingredients to cook up a good activity.

40

As a starting point, a survival lesson could

be simply a series of activities following on
from each other, one after the other. For one
or two lessons this is probably workable.
Clearly, though, it is soon going to be
unsatisfactory as the basis of a whole course:
where is the direction, the growth, the
progress? What about the students needs,
their personalities, their likes? Activities such
as we have been looking at are the building
blocks, but we now need to consider much
more carefully how we connect them together.

to anybody and dont touch anything that a

strange child has handled.

PREFACE
All the stories in this book have appeared in
current magazines. They have been written by
well-known authors and deal almost entirely
with present-day American life. The stories
should be of particular interest to the many
students everywhere who, while studying
English, also want to learn something of the
American scene.
The stories have been adapted only slightly,
and the book is designed for use by advanced
students. Slang expressions and designed for
use by advanced students. Slang expressions
and words of unusual difficulty have been
eliminated, but otherwise the stories remain
as originally written. No attempt has been
made to alter in any way the style of the
individual authors. The stories fall within the
form known today as the short-short story.
Stories of this type were intentionally selected
to provide a very convenient study medium.
Each story is only four or five pages in length
and can be studied easily within one or two
class sessions. Such a story, as any teacher
will recognize, has a great advantage over the
old-fashioned short story, which sometimes
stretched itself over thirty or forty pages.
Each story is supplemented by study aids.
There are vocabulary review exercises. There
are also questions based on the story for
conventional purposes. The teacher can easily
expand upon these questions if more
conversational material is required.
IRENES SISTER
Vina Delmar
This is a store of 19--, the year that the
schools did not open on time, the year that
plague descended and caught us as terrified
and as defenseless as though we were
inhabitants in some medieval city faced with a
new and terrible sickness.
I was a child at that time. My friends and I did
not understand. We asked questions but the
grown-ups were as confused and as
frightened
as
ourselves.
Its
infantile
paralysis, they told us. It kills you or else it
leaves you crippled forever. Dont go too close

Fear held us so completely that we forgot how

to laugh or to play. I can remember lying in
bed at night waiting for the disease to strike
at me. I had no idea what form it might take
and I lay very quietly praying that when next
I wished to move my legs or arms I would be
able to do so as I had always done in the
past.
There was one among us, however, who had
no fear of the terrible plague. That girl was
Irene Crane. In my minds eye I can still see
her as she was back there in those difficult
days. She was a yellow-haired child with a
happy ring to her laughter and the greatest
capacity for fun of anyone Ive ever known.
She was the school beauty, popular with
teachers and pupils alike and if she was not
the most intelligent of our group that was
easily forgiven for one does not expect to find
genius in a flower.
Irene had a sister who was a year younger.
Her mother called her Caroline, but outside
the house she was known simply as Irenes
sister. It was natural for her to be Irenes
sister just as it was natural for us to be a
nameless group of girls known as Irenes
friends. Irene was the center of our small
world and we revolved about her brilliance
and asked for no recognition for ourselves.
Irenes sister, conscious of her inability to
compete with the beauty and enhancing
manner of Irene, was perfectly content to be
only a pale reflection of our yellow-haired
commander.
Only once were we unable to think with Irene.
That was when she said: Im not scared of
that infantile paralysis. We wont get it. Youll
see. None of us will.
We were ashamed of our fears but there they
were just the same.
I can remember the day that we all went over
to Ginny Smiths house for games and light
refreshments. For our healths sake, the
grown-ups looked upon the party with some
doubts, but for the good of our morale they
consented.
After all, they said to one another, its the
same group of girls who see each other
almost every day anyway. Itll be all right.
41

Its the same group except for Irenes

sister. She hadnt been invited because she
was not in our grade at school and Ginny
Smith hadnt known that Irene had a sister.
It doesnt matter, Irene said. Caroline isnt
feeling well. She has an upset stomach, I
guess.
The games were fun, the food was wonderful,
we thought. It had been a beautiful day in
which we all seemed to forget for a while that
something strange and terrible walked
everywhere about us beyond the pleasant
comfort of Ginny Smiths house. We were just
collecting our hats and coats, ready to leave,
and thanking Ginny for a lovely day when the
phone rang.
I can still see Ginny Smiths mother as she
stood talking on that phone. I can see the
look of horror that appeared upon her face. I
can still see the tears that were in her eyes
when she hung up the receiver and turned to
face us.
Irene, she said in a choked voice, that was
your mother. Your sister has infantile
paralysis. You cant go home. Youll have to
stay here. There was a horrible pause. Then,
Its too late for us to be afraid of you, child.
Youve been here all day.
We went away without touching Irene, some
of us without speaking to her. The plague had
reached out and struck at us. We hurried
home afraid of each other, ashamed of our
fear and unable to keep back the thought that
tomorrow we would all be attacked by death
or lameness.
Irene stayed with the Smiths, I suppose. I
dont know. I hurried home and wrote at once
to my father. It must have been an emotional,
crazy little letter in which I begged him to
come and get me and take me to safety
somewhere, anywhere. I did not know that
the plague was widespread. I thought it was
just in our town. Anyway my father came and
took me away. I went happily, thankfully, but
I did not know as I went that it would be
fifteen years before I ever saw that town
again.
I was a woman when I returned to visit and
the first night I was back I was surprised to
find that my hostesss living room was
decorated as though for a party.
42

Just the old group, she explained, and

their husbands. You remember Ginny Smith,
Lila Day, the Crane girls and that group.
A strange feeling of terror ran through me at
the mention of the Crane girls I was a child
again frightened before a terrible mysterious
force that wanted to kill me.
I remember them all, I said. How are the
Crane girls?
The same as ever, just exactly the same.
One popular and one a complete failure.
Its cruel to say that, I protested. Caroline
had paralysis. How can you expect her to be

But its Irene whos the failure. Shes silly.

Remember how she used to laugh and play
jokes all the time? Shes still the same, but
now everything she says sounds a little silly.
But you cant invite Caroline without inviting
Irene so we
But is Caroline well?
Of course she is. She had good care and
good sense used on her and shes as fine as
anyone. A lot finer, I guess. She went through
so much pain and suffering that she has more
depth and understanding than most people.
Shes so strong and dependable. Of course
she thanks her doctor and her nurse and her
mother for everything and they say that it was
Carolines patience and courage that helped
them to help her. Wait till you see her.
Shes
It was at that moment that the doorbell rang
and that my hostesss mother, who was
looking out of an upstairs window, called to
us. Ill never forget her words. She called,
Daughter, go to the door. Its Carolines
sister.
My hostess looked at me and laughed. What
did I tell you? she said.
COMPREHENSION AND DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS
1. Of what plague is the author speaking in
this story?
2. Why was Irene Crane so popular as a
child?

3. Why was Irenes sister Caroline always

referred to, out-side of her home, simply
as Irenes sister?
4. Was Irenes sister jealous of Irenes
popularity or was she content to be only a
pale reflection of her more popular
sister?
5. Why did the grown-ups look with some
doubts upon the party at Ginny Smiths
house?
6. Why hadnt Irenes sister been invited to
this party?
7. Just as the girls were leaving the party,
what sad message did Mrs. Smith receive
by phone?
8. Why did the author write to her father
asking him to take her away from this
town?
9. When, finally, did she return to this town?
10. What changes had occurred in the Crane
girls in the meantime?
Vocabulary and idiom Review
A. Match the word in the left-hand column
with its OPPOSITE in the right-hand
column:
1.

popular

2.

happy

3.

late

4.

strong

5.

upstairs

6.

true

7.

lower

8.

hard

9.

lost

_____________________early
___________________ambitious
___________________downstairs
___________________soft
___________________sad
___________________weak
___________________false
___________________clean
___________________unpopular
10. dirty
___________________found
___________________higher

B. Use the following expressions in sentences

of your own:
1.
2.
3.
4.

be known as
be ashamed of
hang up
play jokes on

5. on time
6. at night
7. in the past
8. for the good of
9. after all
10. not to matter
11. for a while
12. all day
C. Nouns can be formed from some verbs by
adding the ending-ment. For example:
They met together to decide how the
country
should
be
governed;
the
government they established has lasted
almost two hundred years.
Change the following verbs to nouns by
adding-ment. Then use each of the
resulting words in a sentence of your own:
1. develop
2. establish
3. manage
4. retire
5. fulfill
6. refresh
7. improve
8. employ
9. arrange
10. excite
THE WRONG HOUSE
James N. Young
The night was dark. And the house was dak.
Dark-and silent. The two men ran toward it
quietly. They slipped quickly through the dark
bushes which surrounded the house. They
reached the porch, ran quickly up the steps,
kneeled down, breathing heavily, in the dark
shadows. They waited-listening.
Silence. Perfect silence. Thenout of the
blacknessa whisper: we cant stay out
here....Take this suitcase....let me try those
keys. WeVe got to get in!
Tentwentythirty seconds. With one of the
keys the one man opened the door. Silently,
the two men have entered the house, closed
the door behind them, locked it.
Whispering, they discussed the situation. They
wondered if they had awakened anyone in the
house.
43

Lets have a look at this place. Careful,

Hasty! Oh, there isnt anybody awake! And
the soft rays of a flashlight swept the room.
It was a large room. A living room. Rugs,
carefully rolled, lay piled on one side. The
furniture-chairs, table, couches was covered
by sheets. Dust lay like a light snow over
everything.
The man who held the flashlight spoke first.
Well, Blackie, he said, were in luck. Looks
as if the familys away.
Yeah. Gone for the summer, I guess. We
better make sure, though Huh:
Together they searched the house. They went
on tiptoe through every room. There could be
no doubt about it. The family was away. Had
been away for weeks.
Yes, Hasty Hogan and Blackie Burns were in
luck. Only once in the past ten days had their
luck failed them. It had been with them when
they made their big robbery-on the Coast. It
had been with them during their thousandmile trip eastward, by automobile. It had been
with them every moment-but one.
That moment had come just one hour before.
It came when Blackie, driving the car, ran
over a policeman. And Blackie, thinking of the
suitcase at Hastys feet, had driven away,
sweetly.
There had been a chase, of course. A wild,
crazy chase. And when a bullet had punctured
the gasoline tank they had to abandon the
car. But luck, here they were. Alone, and
without a car, in a completely strange town.
But safe and soundwith the suitcase.
The suitcase lay in the center of the table, in
the center of the room. In the suitcase neat
little package on neat little package, lay
nearly three hundred thousand dollars!
Listen, said Mr. Hogan. We have to get a
car. Quick, too. And we cant steal oneand
use it. Its too dangerous. We have to buy
one. That means that we have to wait until
the stores open. That will be about eight
oclock in this town.
But what are we going to do with that? And
Mr. Burns pointed to the suitcase.
Hide it right here. Sure! Why not? Its much
safer here than with usuntil we get a car.
44

And so they hid the suitcase. They carried it

down to the cellar. Buried it deep in some coal
which lay in a corner of the cellar. After this,
just before dawn, they slipped out.
Say, Blackie, Mr. Hogan remarked as they
walked down the street, the name of the
gentleman were visiting is Mr. Samuel W.
Rogers.
How do you know?
Saw it on some of them books. Hes surely
got a wonderful library, hasnt he?
The automobile salesrooms opened at eight
oclock, as Mr. Hogan had supposed. Shortly
before nine, Mr. Hogan and Mr. Burns had a
car. A very nice little car. Very quiet. Very
inconspicuous. And very speedy. The dealer
lent them his license plates and away they
rode.
Three blocks from the house, they stopped.
Mr. Hogan got out. Walked toward the house.
Hed just go around to the rear, he thought,
and slip in.
Fifty yards from the house he stopped.
Stared, swore softly. The front door was open.
The window shades were up. The family had
returned!
Well, what bad luck. And what could they do?
Break into the cellar that night, and pick up
the suitcase? No-too dangerous. Mr. Hogan
would have to think of something.
Leave it to me, kid, he told Mr. Burns. You
drive the car. Ill do the special brain work.
Lets find a telephone. Quick!
Ten minutes later, Mr. Hogan was consulting a
telephone directory. Yes, there it was
Samuel W Rogers, Plainview 6329. A moment
later he was talking tot the surprised Mr.
Rogers.
Hello, he began, is this Mr. RogersMr.
Samuel Rogers?
Yes, this is Mr. Rogers.
Mr. Hogan cleared his throat. Mr. Rogers, he
saidand his tone was sharp, official,
impressiveThis is Head-quarters, Police
Headquarters,
talking.
I
am
Simpson.
Sergeant Simpson, of the detective division
Yes, yes! came over the wire.

The Chief the chief of Police, you know,here Mr. Hogan lowered his voice a littlehas
ordered me to get in touch with you. Hes
sending me out with one of our men to see
you.
Am I in trouble of some kind? asked Mr.
Rogers.

Its quite simple, said Mr. Rogers. It just

happens that I am the Chief of Police!
COMPREHENSION AND DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS

Within ten minutes Sergeant Simpson and

Detective Johnson were conversing with the
surprised Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers was a small
ma. Rather insignificant. He had pale blue
eyes. Not much of a chin. A funny little face.
He was nervousa badly frightened man.

1. What seemed to indicate that the family

was away for the summer?
2. What was the single occasion during the
previous the days that the luck of Mr.
Hogan and Mr. Burns had failed them?
3. Why did they have to abandon their car?
4. Where had they obtained the large sum of
money which they carried in the suitcase?
5. Where did they finally decide to hide the
suitcase?
6. Why did they choose a rather quiet,
inconspicuous car?
7. When they again went back to the house,
what did they discover?
8. When Mr. Hogan called Mr. Rogers by
telephone, who did he say he was?
9. When Mr. Hogan and Mr. Rogers were
about to leave, what three men were
waiting for them?
10. Who did Mr. Rogers happen to be?

Mr. Hogan told the whole story. Somewhat

changed. Very much changed. And Mr. Rogers
was surprised, but delighted.

A. Match the word in the left-hand column

with the word in the right-hand column
which has the SAME meaning:

No, no, no. Nothing like that. But I have

something of great importance to talk to you
about.
Very well, came the voice of Mr. Rogers. Ill
wait for you.
And Mr. Rogers, Mr. Hogan cautioned,
please keep quiet about this. Dont say
anything to anybody. Youll understand why
when I see you.
On the way back to the house. Mr. Hogan
explained his idea to Mr. Burns.

He accompanied Mr. Hogan to the cellar. And

together they dug up the suitcase. Took it to
the living room, opened it, saw that it had not
been touchedthat it really did hold a small
fortune. Bills, bills, bills!
Mr. Hogan closed the suitcase.
And now, Mr. Rogers, he announced, in his
best official manner, Johnson and I must run
along. The chief wants a reportquick. We
have to catch the rest of the robbers. Ill keep
in touch with you.
He picked un the suitcase and rose. Mr. Burns
also rose. Mr. Rogers also rose. The trio
walked to the door. Mr. Rogers opened it.
Come on in, boys, he said pleasantlyand in
walked three men. Large men. Strong men.
Men in police uniform who, without fear,
stared at Mr. Hasty Hogan and Mr. Blackie
Burns.
What does this mean, Mr. Rogers? asked Mr.
Hogan.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

yellow-haired
whisper
silently
speedy
hot dogs
brown-haired
terrified
softly
8. grown-ups
9. enchanting
10. silly

_______________charming
________________brunette
_____________frankfurters
_____________hamburgers
_______________frightened
_________________foolish
__________________speak
_________________blonde
__________________fast
_________________quietly
__________________adults

B. Use the following expressions in sentences

of your own:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Kneel down
have to
have got to
be in luck
make sure
be away
run over someone
get in touch with
be in trouble
45

10. keep quiet

11. safe and sound
12. shortly before
13. shortly after
14. on the way back

married twenty minutes after she arrive.

Theres no use in my trying to explain how I
knew all this but after youve watched people
waiting at the head of the stairs for eighteen
years as I have done then it is easy.

C. Some of the nouns ending both in-tion and

ment form adjectives with-al.
He had some very educational experiences
while he was traveling aboard.
Change the following nouns to adjectives
by adding al. Then use each of the
resulting words in a sentence of your own:
1. environment
2. government
3. vocation
4. division
5. recreation
6. tradition
7. ornament
8. occupation
9. conversation
10. addition
DETOUR TO ROMANCE

Well, the passengers came up and I had to

get busy. I didnt look hoard the stairs again
until nearly time for the 9:18 and I was very
surprised to see that the young fellow was still
there.
She didnt come on the 9:18 either, nor on
the 9:40, and when the passengers from the
10:02 had all arrived and left, Harry was
looking pretty desperate. Pretty soon he came
close to my window so I called out and asked
him what she looked like.
You would have thought that I had checked
her among the packages in my checkroom
from the way he came over and half crawled
through my window. Shes small and dark,
he says, and nineteen years old and very
neat in the way she walks. She has a face, he
says, thinking a minute, that has lots of
spirit. I mean she can get mad but she never
stays mad for long. And her eyebrows come to
a little point in the middle. Shes got a brown
fur, but maybe she isnt wearing it.

Gilbert Wright

I couldnt remember seeing anybody like that.

Located in the checkroom in Union Station as

I am, I see everybody that comes up the
stairs.

He showed me the telegram hed received:

ARRIVE THURSDAY. MEET ME STATION. LOVE
LOVE LOVE LOVE.-MAY. It was from Omaha,
Nebraska.

Tonywho owned the magazine stand to my

leftstudied the laws of probability because
he liked to bet on the horse races. He claimed
that he could calculate, according to his
system, that if I held my job one hundred and
twelve years more I would know everybody in
the world by sight.
And I came to the theory that if you wait long
enough in a big railroad station like Union
Station youll see everybody that travels.

Well, I finally says, why dont you phone to

your home? Shes probably called there if she
got in ahead of you.
He gave me a sick look, Ive only been in
town two days.
We were going to meet an then drive down
South where Ive got a job promised me. Sheshe hasnt any address for me. He touched
the telegram. I got this general delivery.

Ive told my theory to lots of people but

nobody ever did anything about it except
Harry. He came in a little over three years ago
and waited at the head of the stairs for the
passengers from the 9:05 train.

With that, he walked off to the hear of the

stairs to look over the people from the 11:22.

I remember seeing Harry that first evening.

He wasnt much more than a thin anxious kid
then. He was all dressed up and I know he
was meeting his girl and that they would be

Did she work anywhere? I asked.

46

When I came on duty the next day he was still

there and came over as soon as he saw me.

He nodded. She was a typist. I telegraphed

her former boss. All they know is that she left
her job to get married.

Well, that was how it began. Harry met every

train for the next three of four days. Of
course, the railroad lines made a routine
checkup and the police looked into the case.
But nobody was any real help. I could see that
they all figured that May had simply played a
trick on him. But I never believed that,
somehow.
One day, after about two weeks, Harry and I
were talking and I told him about my theory.
If youll just wait long enough, I says, youll
see her coming up those stairs some day. He
turned and looked at thje stairs as though he
had never seen them before, while I went on
explaining about Tonys figures on the Laws of
Probability.
Next day when I came to work Harry was
behind the counter of Tonys magazine stand.
He looked at me rather sheepishly and says,
Well, I had to get a job somewhere, didnt I?
So he began to work as a clerk for Tony. We
never spoke of May anymore and neither of us
ever mentioned my theory. But I noticed that
Harry always saw every person who came up
the stairs.
Toward the end of the year Tony was killed in
some argument over gambling, and Tonys
widow left Harry in complete charge of the
magazine stand. And when she got married
again some time later, Harry bought the stand
from her. He borrowed money and installed a
soda fountain and pretty soon he had a very
nice little business.
Then came yesterday. I heard a cry and a lot
of things falling. The cry was from Harry and
the things falling were a lot of dolls and other
things which he had upset while he was
jumping over the counter. He ran across and
grabbed a girl not ten feet from my window.
She was small and dark and her eyebrows
came to a little point in the middle.
For a shile they just hung there to each other
laughing and crying and saying things without
meaning. Shed say a few words like, It was
the bus station I meant and hed kiss her
speechless and tell her the man things he
head done to find her. What apparently had
happened three years before was that May
had come by bus, not by train, and in her
telegram she meant bus station, not
railroad station. She had waited at the bus
station for days and had spent all her money

trying to find Harry. Finally she got a job

typing.
What? says Harry. Have you been working
in town?
All the time?
She nodded.
Well, Heavensdidnt you ever come down
here to the station? He pointed across to his
magazine stand. Ive been there all the time.
I own it. Ive watched everybody that came
up the stairs
She began to look a little pale. Pretty soon
she looked over at the stairs and said in a
weak voice, II never came up the stairs
before. You see, I went out of town yesterday
on a short business tripOh, Harry! Then she
threw her arms around his neck and really
began to cry.
After a minute she backed away and pointed
very stiffly toward the north end of the
station. Harry, for three years, for three solid
years, Ive been right over thereworking
right in this very station, typing, in the office
of the station-master.
The wonderful thing to me is how the Laws of
Probability worked so hard and so long until
they finally got May to walk up those stairs of
ours.
COMPREHENSION AND DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS
1. Why had Tony, who owned the magazine
stand, made a study of the Laws of
Probability?
2. Why did Harry first come to Union Station?
3. For how many days did Harry continue to
meet every train that arrived?
4. Why was Harry unable to get in touch with
May and why was she unable to get in
touch with him?
5. Where did Harry finally get a job?
6. Did Harry cease to look for May or did he
watch everyone who came up the stairs?
7. What cry and what noise did the
checkroom attendant hear one day coming
from the direction of Harrys magazine
stand?
8. How was the checkroom attendant able to
recognize May immediately?
9. What station had May meant in her
telegram of three years before?
47

10. Where had May been working in the

meantime?
Vocabulary and idiom Review
A. Circle the word in parentheses which
completes each sentence correctly:
1. He grabbed the paper; that is, he
(installed it/waited for it/went up to
it/seized it roughly).
2. The best place to leave packages for a
while is in (a railroad station/a
magazine
stand/a
checkroom/an
elevator).
3. We use the word mad to describe a
person who is insane and also one who
is
simple
(small
and
dark/neat/excited/angry).
4. We
find
(bushes/couches/sheets/tanks) on a
bed.
5. If someone is walking on tiptoe, he is
probably
trying
to
walk
(well/quickly/carelessly/quietly).
6. Grown-ups
are
(children/youngsters/adults/parents).
7. An enchanting woman can also be
called
a
(healthy/scared/frightened/charming)
woman.
8. He was whispering; that is, he was
(speaking
softly/speaking
loudly/yelling/crying).
9. If someone does something silently,
he
does
it
(impressively/well/quickly/noiselessly).
10. He wanted to borrow some money
from me, but I didnt want to
(ask/lend/need/beg) him any.

48

THE PERFECT JOB

NEW INTERCHANGE

A Pair work Youre looking for a job. Which

of these things do you want in a job? First,
answer the questions. Then ask your partner
the same questions.

ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL

COMMUNICATION
Jack C. Richards
Tay Lesley
INTRO
Job Survey
Do you want to...?
Talk to people
Help people
Perform in front of people
Work from 9 to 5
Work at home
Use a computer
Use the telephone
Work in an office
Have your own office
Work outdoors
Travel
Have an exciting job
Have a relaxing job
Wear a uniform
Wear a suit
Wear blue jeans

Me

My partner

Yes

No

Yes

No

work from 9 to 5

work outdoors

B Class activity Think of a good job for yourself. Then tell the class.
I want to be a musician because I like to work at home....

work at home

perform in front of people

travel
49

INTERCHANGE ACTIVITIES
HIDDEN TALENTS
A Class activity Go around the class and find one person who can and one person who cant do
each thing. If possible, write a classmates name only once.
Names

Can you...?

Can

Play a musical instrument

Dance the tango
Say Hello in 5 languages
Swim underwater
Write with both hands
Sing a song in English
Ride a horse
Juggle
Sew your own clothes
Do magic tricks

Dance the tango

Juggle

..
..
..
..

..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..

write with both hands

ride a horse

sew your own clothes

do magic tricks

A: Can you play a musical instrument?

B: Yes, I can. OR No, I cant.
50

Cant

B Class Activity Share your results with the

class.

Mei-Li cant play a musical instrument, but

Wen Pin can.
INTERCHANGE ACTIVITIES
PAST AND PRESENT
A Pair work Ask a partner questions about the past
And about the present. Check () the answers.
A: Did you clean your room as a child?
B: No, I didnt. (Yes, I did.)

A: Do you clean your room now?

B: Yes, I do. (No, I dont.)

Did you...as a child?

Do you... now?

Clean your room

Make your bed
Get up early
Sleep late on Saturdays
Fight with your friends
Argue with your family
Listen to rock music
Listen to classical music
Play a musical instrument
Play a sport
Wear glasses
Wear braces

As a child
Yes
No

Now
Yes
No

play a musical instrument

fight with your friends

Make your bed

Wear braces

B Group work Join another pair. Tell them about your partner.
Paulo didnt clean his room as a child, but he cleans his room now.

51

Interchange Activities
HELPFUL ADVICE
A Pair Work Look at these problems. Give advice to each person.

I Cant lose weight. I really

work
Like dessert. Cake is my
I
favorite food
almost

My job is very stressful. I usually

10 hours a day and on weekends.
have backaches and headaches
every day.

I can never get up on time in the

Im new in town, and
Morning. Im always late for work
I dont know any people
I guess Im not a morning person.
Here. How can I make
Some friends?

B Class activity Think of two problems that you have.

Then tell the class. Classmates give advice.
A: I Cant sleep at night.
B: Get up and do some work.
C: Dont drink coffee in the evening.
52

ENGLISH FOR
INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
Jack C. Richards
With Jonathan Hull and Susan Proctor

Then, in the summer, the problem became

really bad, and it was difficult for Sharon to
eat. Her doctor asked about her diet. She said
she had a tomato garden, and she ate about
ten tomatoes a day. Sharons doctor told her
not to eat tomatoes. When she stopped eating
tomatoes, Sharons mouth got better.

Ive never heard of that!

Do I have a food allergy?
A. If a kind of food always makes you feel sick
in some way, it may mean you have a food
allergy. Do you have any food allergies? Is so,
what shouldnt you eat? What happens if you
eat it?
B. Read
allergies.

about

these

people

with

food

FOOD ALLERGIES

Fred is a mechanic, but he was not able to

hold his tools. His hands were swollen. First,
he went to his doctor, and she gave him some
medicine, The medicine didnt work. He still
couldnt hold his tools. After that, his doctor
asked him about his diet. Fred told her he ate
a lot of bread. She told him not to eat bread
or pasta. After ten days, Fred could hold his
tools again.

C. Complete the chart.

Problem
Luis ______________
Sharon ______________
Fred ______________
Luis
always
had
headaches
and
stomachaches. First, Luiss doctor gave him
some medicine, but it didnt work. Then his
doctor asked him about his favorite foods.
Luis said he loved cakes and ice cream. His
doctor said, Stop, eating sweets. Luis
stopped, but he still got headaches and
stomachaches. Next, his doctor asked more
questions about his diet. Luis said he ate a lot
of fish. His doctor said to stop eating fish.
When Luis stopped eating fish, he felt much
better.

What didnt work

_________________
_________________
_________________
What worked
________________
________________
______________

Sharon often had a very sore mouth after

eating. First, She stopped drinking milk and
eating cheese, but this made no difference.
53

Sure. No problem!

Strategy: ______________________

The power of persuasion

2. Father to daughter: Pick up that mess in

your room, right now.
Cant you do anything right?

A How do you make a request? What do you

do when someone says no?

Strategy: ______________________
B Read this article.

Persuasion Strategies
In many situations, people try to persuade
others to do things; however, most people are
not aware of how they persuade. Three
different strategies are often used by couples
and by people in business: a hard strategy,
a soft strategy, and a fair strategy.
Hard
I get angry and make the other person
give in.
Well, first, I try to make the other person
feel stupid.
I say Ill leave if my spouse does not
agree.
I just order the person to do what I ask.
I say that I wont give the person a good
report on his or her work.
I get others to support my request.
Soft
I act warm and charming before I bring up
the subject
Im, so nice that the other person cannot
refuse
I act very humble while Im making my
request.
I make the person feel important by
saying that she or he has the brains and
experience to do what I want.
Fair
I say Ill give up a little if the other person
gives up a little.
We discuss our views without arguing.
I offer to exchange favours: You do this
for me and Ill do something for you.
I explain the reason for my request.
C Look at what these people say. Are they
examples of herd, soft, or fair strategies?
1. Wife to husband: Hey, honey. You know,
you make the very best coffee.
Could I have a cup of that terrific coffee?
54

3. Boss to secretary: I need you to stay late

tonight to finish a report.
But you can leave work early tomorrow.
Is that OK?
Strategy: ______________________
D. Which strategy do you use most often?
Which strategy do you think is the most
effective?
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
1. I think Id...
A. What would you do? Check () your
answers. If you would do something else,
write your suggestion next to other.
1. A bank truck overturns and millions of
dollar bills fall out.
collect the money and keep it
collect the money and return it
other: __________________________
2. Someone climbs through your neighbors
window.
call the police
ring the doorbell
other ___________________________
3. Your boss makes things difficult for you at
work.
talk to your boss
look for another job
other ___________________________
4. A friend sounds unhappy on the phone.
Ask your friend if he or she has a
problem
tell lots of jokes to make your friend
laugh
other ___________________________
B Write about what you would do in the
situations in part A.
Use phrases from the box.

Id...
Id probably...

I might...
I think Id...

I guess...

1. If a bank truck overturned and millions of

dollar bills fell out, Id probably collect the
money and return it._________________
__________________________________
2. __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

computers. Applicants must be levelheaded and able to take responsibility for

handling other peoples money. No
Weekend work, but some evening work,
but some evening work required.
3. __________________________________
No previous experience necessary, but
applicant must have a drivers license.
Successful applicant will also be punctual
and
reliable.
Excellent
position
for
someone who enjoys traveling.

3. __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

4. __________________________________
Are you good at communicating with
people and solving problems? Can you
speak at least two foreign languages? Do
you enjoy traveling No abroad? Then this
job might be for you.

4. __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

C. Which would be the best job for you? The

worst? Number the jobs from 1 (the best) to 4
(the worst). Give reasons. List your special
experience, preferences, or personal traits.

I dont like working on weekends!

Job

Reason

Jobs on the Internet

A. Have you ever looked for a job on the
Internet?
What
jobs
have
you
seen
advertised?
B. Read these job ads. Choose a job title from
the box for each ad.
flight attendant
journalist

stock broker
truck driver

INTERNET POSTBOARD

______________flight attendant
Reason:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
______________stock broker
Reason:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
______________journalist
Reason:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Internet Postboard
1. __________________________________
Are you hard-working? Do you enjoy
writing? Do you like learning about world
news? This job is for you. Must be good at
meeting deadlines. Some evening and
weekend work.

______________truck driver
Reason:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

2. __________________________________
Must be well organized, energetic, able to
make decisions quickly, and good with
55

What would you do?

Can you advise me?
A. If you have a problem, do you usually try
to solve it yourself, or do you ask your friends
for advice?
B. Match these problems with the advice
below.
WHAT TO DO?
PROBLEMS
1. You sat on a park bench that had wet
paint on it. You ruined your clothes.
There was no Wet Paint sign.
2. You checked your bank statement and
noticed that there was a deposit of
$1,000. You didnt make the deposit.
Youre sure it was a bank error.
3. You bought a camera on sale at a store,
but it didnt work right. The store manager
said, We cannot do anything about it.
4. You were not happy with the grade you
got in a university course.
5. Your next-door neighbors borrowed your
vacuum cleaner. When they returned it, it
was damaged.
6. A friend gave you an expensive vase for
your birthday, but you didnt really like it.
ADVICE
________ I guess Id take it back to the
stores and exchange it for something else.
________ I guess Id wrtite a letter of
complaint to the manufacturer.
________ Maybe Id ask them to repair it.
________ I think Id make an appointment to
see the instructor to talk about it.
________ Id probably wait until next month
to see if they corrected their mistake.
________ Id write a letter to the city council
and ask them to pay for the damage.
56

C. Would you give the same advice or

different advice for the problems above? Write
S (same) or D (different). If you would give
different advice, write what your advice would
be.

PROBLEM

ADVICE

1. _____ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
2. _____ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
3. _____ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
4. _____ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
5. _____ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
6. _____ ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

INTERCHANGE ACTIVITIES
Interchange 1 CLASS PROFILE
A Class activity Go around the class and find out the information below. Then ask follow-up
questions and take notes. Write a classmates name only once.

Find someone who...

Name

Notes

1. used to look very different.

Did you use to look very different?

_____

_____

2. used to have a favorite toy when he or she was a child.

Did you use to have a favorite toy when you were a child?

_____

_____

3. always listened to his or her teachers.

Did you always listen to your teachers?

_____

_____

4. hated high school.

Did you hate high school?

_____

_____

5. used to fight a lot with his or her bothers and sisters.

Did you use to fight a lot with your brothers and sisters?

____

_____

6. dated someone for a long time in high school?

Did you go steady with someone in high school?

_____

_____

7. wanted to be a movie star when he or she was younger.

Did you want to be a movie star when you were younger?

____

_____

8. had a pet when he or she was a child

Did you have a pet when you were a child?

_____

_____

B Group work Tell the group the most interesting thing you learned about your classmates.
57

Interchange Activities
Interchange 6 THATS NO EXCUSE!
A Pair work Look at these situations and act our conversations.
Apologize and then give an excuse, admit a mistake, make an offer, or
Make a promise.

Student A: Youre the customer.

Student B: Youre the hairstylist.

Student A: You own the puppy.

Student B: You own the backpack.

A: My hair! You ruined my hair!

B: Im so sorry. I....

Student A: Youre driving the red car.

Student B: Youre driving the blue car.

Student A: Youre the customer

Student B: Youre the cashier.

B Group work Have you ever experienced situations like these? What happened? What did you do?
Share your stories.
58

Interchange Activities
Interchange 11 TRAVELERS PROFILE

A. Pair Work What kind of traveler are you (or do you think you would be)?
Look at the three types of travelers. Which one is most like you? Why?

The Just-In-Case Traveler

The Less-Is-Best Traveler

The invisible Traveler

B. Group work Decide together which traveler each of these statements best describes. Check ()
the appropriate column.

When this person travels...

1. The suitcase is packed days in advance.
2. a bag is packed at the last minute
3. airplane tickets are bought months ahead.
4. hotel rooms are usually not reserved.
5. postcards are sent to every friend and relative.
6. no money is spent on souvenirs.
7. meals are often eaten at expensive restaurants
8. every minute of the trip is organized.
9. a lot of photographs are taken.

The Just-InCase Traveler

The Less-IsBest Traveler

The invisible
Traveler

C. Class activity Take a survey to find out which kind of travelers are in your class. Are most
students Just-In-Case Travelers?
A: What kind of traveler are you, Rita?
B: Oh, Im a Just-In-Case traveler. I always pack too many clothes when I go on vacation.
A: How about you Michael?
C:...

59

Interchange Activities
Interchange 13 AT THE MOVIES
A. Complete this questionnaire.
What is the name of an actor or actress...
1. that reminds you of someone in your family?

2. that has beautiful eyes?

3. who does things to help society?

4. who has a beautiful sepaking voice?

5. who isnt good-looking but who is very talented? .

What is the name of a movie...
6. that made you feel sad?

7. that made you laugh a lot?

8. which scared you?

9. which had great music?

10. that was about a ridiculous story?

B. Pair work Compare your questionnaires. Ask follow-up questions of your own.
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:

What is the name of an actor or actress that reminds you of someone in your family?
Tom Cruise.
Who does he remind you of?
My brother, Todd.
Really? Why?
Because he looks like my brother. They have the same smile.

Review of Units 5-8

60

WONDER GADGET
A. Group work Imagine that this is a popular new gadget.
Think of as many possible uses for this item as you can.
A: You can use this gadget for...
B: Its used to...
B. Class activity Tell the class your ideas.
Which uses do you think are the most interesting?

THATS AN INTERESTING CUSTOM.

A. Group work What interesting customs do you know
For births, marriages, the seasons, or good luck? Take
Turns talking about them like this:
When a boy courts a girl in some parts of the Philippines,
he stands outside her house at night and sings to her.
Others ask questions.
Why does he do that?
Is it just a village custom?
Is it common?

B. Class activity Which was the most interesting custom

You talked about in your group? Tell the class about it.

LISTENING
A. Listen to some information about unusual marriage customs. Check () True or False for each
statement.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Marriage customs
When two women of a tribe in Paraguay want to marry the same
man, they put on boxing gloves and fight it out.
When a man and a woman get married in Malaysia, they eat cooked
rice the day before the wedding.
In Italy, before a man and a woman get married, a friend or relative
releases two white doves into the air.
In some parts of India, when a man and a woman get married, water
is poured over them.

True

False

B. Listen again. For the statements that you marked false, write the correct information.

61

10 WORK POWER Consequences

A. Pair work Can you find two consequences for each possible event?
Complete the chart with information from the list.
be able to buy expensive clothes
feel better about yourself
feel hungry a lot
feel jealous sometimes
feel more energetic
feel safer in your home
have to give up your favorite snack
get requests for loans from friends
have to learn a new language
have to take it out for walks
lose touch with old friends
gain weight

Possible event

Consequences

buy a large dog

fall in love
go on a diet
inherit a lot
of money
move to a
foreign country
quit smoking

B. Group work Can you think of one more consequence for each event?

Interchange 9 11 UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES

A. Group work Choose three possible events from Exercise 10. Cne student completed an event
with a consequence. The next student adds a new consequence. Suggest at least five consequences.
Consider the
consequences
Give your opinion
A: If you buy a large dog, youll have to take it out for
about some issues.
walks every day.
turn
to page 1C-12.
B: If you take it out for walks every day, you might have an accident.
C: If you have an accident, you may have to go to the hospital.
D: If you go to the hospital, you wont be able to take care of your dog.
A: If your arent able to take care of your dog, youll probably have to sell it.

B. Class activity Who has the most interesting consequences for each event?

62

5 PREDICAMENTS
A Group work What do you think you would do or might do in these situations?

you found a valuable piece of jewelry in a park

you were on vacation overseas and lost all your money

And credit cards

you saw two people fighting in the street

you discovered your friend has a drinking problem

someone stole your clothes while you were swimming

at the beach

a friend borrowed money from you and didnt return it

A: What would you do if...?

B: Im not sure. I think Id...
C: I might...
B Class activity Choose three of the best suggestions
And tell the class about them.

Interchange 15
6 WORD POWER Antonyms

A. Find nine pairs of opposites in this list. Complete the chart.

Then compare with a partner.

Do the right thing!

What would you do in
some difficult situations?
Turn to page 1C-20

enjoy
admit
agree

lend
save
disagree

admit

borrow
remember
spend
& deny

dislike
divorce
accept

find
forget
lose

marry
refuse
deny

&

&

............... &

&

& ..

.. &

&

&

B. Pair work Choose four pairs of opposites. Write a sentence using each pair.
I can never save money because I spend it all on clothes.
Whats your excuse?

63

4 What a great excuse!

A. Match the invitations to the excuses. Underline the words and phrases that helped you.

B. Read the excuses again. Who is going to do these things?

Write 1, 2, o 3.

__________ be outdoors all weekend

__________ go out on the weekend
__________ work on the weekend
What would you do?
64

12 READING
Ask Alice
Do you read advice columns in newspapers and magazines?
Do you think they are helpful to everyone who reads them?
Dear Alice,
Someone told me that my
brothers girlfriend was dating
another guy. I felt I should let
my brother know, and after I did,
he confronted her with the story.
Although she denied it, it caused
a terrible argument and they
almost broke up. Now it turns
out that the rumor wasnt true,
and my brother has stopped
speaking to me.
Distraught Sister

Dear Alice,

Dear Alice,

I was at a friends house for

dinner recently. During dinner,
I accidentally broke a beautiful
vase. It was my friends favorite
wedding present. I offered to pay
for it, but she refused. Should I
have insisted? I still feel bad
about it.
Feeling Guilty

My son is 23 years old. He

finished college last year, but
he cant seem to find a job
that he likes. He still lives at
home, and Im worried
that he is not trying hard
enough to get a job and be
On his own. Meanwhile
Ive been cooking his
meals and doing is
laundry.
Tired Mom

Dear...,
Well, you learned a lesson. You
shouldnt have listened to
gossip. And you shouldnt
have passed it on. Now you
have to repair the damage.
Apologize sincerely and hope
that he will forgive and forget.
Alice
Dear,
Your making it too easy for
him to stay where he is. Be firm
and tell him he has two months
find a job (any job) and get his
own place. Hes old enough to
take care of himself but you
have to be willing to let him go.
Allice

Dear...
You should have thought more
carefully before you acted. It
wasnt necessary to get angry.
Next time, speak to the child
immediately and warn him or
Her not to do it again.
Alice

Dear..
I thing you did the right to
thing. It was Important
to offer to pay for it,
but its not surprising
that she refused.
Perhaps you could give
her a Special gift to
make up for it.
Alice

A. Read the letters to the Ask Alice advice column and Alices replies.
Match the letters with the replies.
B. Pair work Talk about these questions.
1. Do you agree with the advice in the letters? What advice would you give?
2. Think of a problem you or a friend is having. Ask your partner for advice.
WRITING
Write a letter to Ask Alice about a problem like the ones above. Then put your letters on the
bulletin board. Choose one and write a reply to it.

65

Interchange 15 DO THE RIGHT THING!

A. What would you do in each of these situations? Circle a, b. or c. If you think you would do
something else, write your suggestion next to d.

What Would You Do?

1. If an artist friend gave me a large original painting

that was ugly, I would...
a. say something nice and put it in a closet later.
b. say that I didnt like it.
c. say thank you and hang it on the wall.
d............................
2. If I saw a parent spanking a child for no reason, I
would...
a. do nothing.
b. yell at the parent.
c. call the police.
d............................
3. If I saw a student cheating on an exam, I would..
a. do nothing.
b. tell the teacher.
c. talk to the student about it after the exam.
d.............................
4. If I saw my friends boyfriend or girlfriend with
someone other than my friend, I would...
a. do nothing.
b. talk to my friend.
c. talk to my friends boyfriend or girlfriend
d..............................
5. If I saw a woman standing on a highway next to
her car with a flat tire, I would...
a. do nothing.
b. stop and help her.
c. find the nearest telephone and call the police.
d..............................
B. Group work Compare you choices for each situation in part A.
A. What would you do if an artist friend gave you an ugly painting?
B. Well, I would probably say that I didnt like it.
C. Really? I would...
C. Class activity Take a class survey. Find out which choice was most popular for each
situation. Talk about any other suggestions people added for d.

66

FOLLOW ME TO SAN
FRANCISCO
Suzanne Griffin
IMPROVISE
UNIT 4
Follow the instructions in Unit. 1. Exercise H.
Situation 1.
Your teenage brother has stayed with you for
a month. Your apartment is very small, so this
visit has caused some trouble for you and
your husband/wife. Ask your brother fo find
another place to stay. Be kind but firm about
your request.
Situation 2.
Your neighbor plays his stereo very loudly.
You have telephoned several times to ask him
to turn it down. He says that he is sorry and
turns it down, but plays it loud again the next
evening. You are tires of telephoning him. You
decide to visit him to tell him to stop.
Situation 3.
Your roommate is very messy. She/he doesnt
like to put things away and usually doesnt
wash her/his dishes after meals. You have
asked your roommate to wash the dishes and
clean the apartment, but her/his behavior has
not changed. You are angry about this
situation. Talk to your roommate about the
problem.

1. Talk about yourself

Folow the instructions in Unit 1. Exercise 1.
Story starters
1. Once I went to stay with my relative for a
week. I was having a good time, so I
decided to stay for another week. I was
really surprised when my relative asked
when I was planning to leave.

I talk to her/him about it, we have an

argument.
3. The worst roommate that I ever had was
__________________________________
4. When I started looking for my own
apartment, I had a very hard time. This is
what happened.
5. The best way to find a good apartment in
this area is ____________________
6. I never know what to buy when I go to the
supermarket.
DECIDE WHAT TO SAY
Follow the instructions in Unit 1. Exercise J.
1. You would like some help from your
roommate on a household task. You
should say:
a. You never do anything around here, so
you really ought to help me.
b. Could you please help me with this
task?
c. I know this is difficult for you, but it
would be nice if youd take an hour to
help me.
2. You are sixteen and you have been visiting
your grandmother for a week. To tell her
that you have enjoyed your visit, you
should say:
a. Ive had a great time here.
b. This has been a really enjoyable visit.
c. You were excellent during my visit.
3. Your supervisor has asked you to stop
working and come to his office for a
meeting. You should reply:
a. Certainly. Ill be there in a moment.
b. Just a minute. I want to finish this
task.
c. Im busy right now. But Ill see you
this afternoon.
4. You are a mother and your child will not
clean her/his room. You will probably say:
a. This is an awful situation.
b. Your work has not been satisfactory.
c. Im really getting tired of this.

2. My neighbor plays her/his stereo early in

the morning and late at night. Every time
67

5. Your best friend asks to talk to you right

away. She/he looks very upset. You
should reply:
a. Sure, Whats wrong?
b. Just a minute. Im in the middle of
something.
c. Ill see you in an hour. Okay?

2. You should always be careful about the

rental agreement that you sign. I had
experience when
__________________________________

6. Your sister has called you. She sounds

very excited and happy. She begins by
saying Guess what? You should reply:
a. I dont like guessing games.
b. Why are you calling?
c. What?

4. The worst job that I ever had was

__________________________________
5. I worked with somebody that I really liked
once. In fact, I was a little bit in love with
her/him.

IMPROVISE

DECIDE WHAT TO SAY

3. I remember my first job. I worked in

__________________________________

Follow the instructions in Unit 1. Exercise H.

Follow the instructions in Unit 1. Exercise J.

Situation 1.

1. You are applying for a job at a gas station.

You want to make a good impression on
the manager. You should greet him in this
way:
a. Hello. Are you the manager? Id like to
apply for the job you have advertised.
I have a lot of experience in this kind
of work.
b. Hey! Do you manage this place? Its a
nice place. Id really like working here.
What do you say?
c. Are you the manager? I want to work
at this place. How about it?

You want to rent an apartment, but you cant

pay all of the deposits on time. Convince the
landlady/landlord to let you rent the
apartment and pay some of the deposits later.
Situation 2.
You are applying for a job at a gas station. As
the manager lists all of the tasks you will have
to do, convince him that you are capable of
doing them well. Show how you can change a
tire and pump gas.
Situation 3.
You are a sales clerk in a large and expensive
department store. A very rich customer is
complaining about your poor service. Say you
are sorry and let her/him know that you are
doing your best.
1. Talk about yourself

2. You and your best friend have applied for

the same job. Your friend gets the job.
You are very disappointed but you want to
congratulate your friend. You should say:
a. Well, I guess this proves that youre
better than I am.
b. I really wanted that job. I dont know
why you got it.
c. Im a little disappointed, of course, but
Im really happy for you. You deserve
the job.

Follow the instructions in Unit 1. Exercise I

Story starters
1. I
dont
think
it
is
fair
that
landlords/landladies ask for so much
money in deposits when you move into an
apartment. When I rented my first
apartment, I only had a little bit of money.

68

3. Your friend has visited you unexpectedly

at work. You would like her/him to leave,
but you want to be polite. You should say:
a. You should know better than to visit
me here.
b. Hey! You know my boss gets upset
when you come to see me while Im
working.
c. Its nice of you to come by, but Im
really busy. Can I see you after work?

4. You are visiting a friend at work. You dont

know how your friend will feel about your
visit. You should say.
a. Hi! Can you take a break and visit, or
are you busy?
b. Oh! I see that youre busy. Well, Ill
just stand here and watch you work.
c. Come on! I dont believe that your
boss will get mad just because you
have a friend here.
5. You are a salesperson. A customer is
complaining that you arent serving
her/him fast enough. You should reply:
a. Just wait. Youll get your turn.
b. I dont care what you think.
c. Im sorry to keep you waiting. Ill be
with you in just a moment.
1. Talk about youself
Follow the instruction in Unit 1. Exercise 1.
Story starters
1. Ill never forget the day that I was hired
for my first job. I was so excited.
2. I couldnt believe it when my boss fired
me. It was quite surprise.
3. I used to let other people drive my car,
until one day when
__________________________________
4. I was in a bad car accident once.
5. I thought that it wasnt necessary to have
car insurance until
__________________________________
6. A police officer stopped me for speeding
once.

a. Tough luck, kid

b. Sorry. Youll have to take care of this
problem alone.
c. Thats terrible. Im really sorry.
2. Your friends have invited you to go some
place, but you have other plans. You
should refuse politely by saying:
a. No, I have something better to do.
b. I cant go. I hope you can have fun
without me.
c. I wish I could, but I already have
plans. Thanks, anyway.
3. You have admired X for along time. You
are adking her/him to go to the movies
with you. This is the first invitation you
have made to her/him. You should say:
a. Hey! If you dont have anything better
to do, we could see a movie.
b. How would you like to go to a movie
with me this weekend?
c. Would you consider going to a movie
with me?
4. Your friend is very excited. She has just
been hired for a job that she really
wanted. Congratulate her:
a. Thats terrific! Im really happy for
you.
b. Suppose that you are happy now.
c. Its about time. Youve been trying to
get a job for ages.
5. You are at a job interview. Your
prospective employer asks you to explain
why you lost your previous job. You
should say:
a. My boss just didnt like me.
b. I was fired, but I dont know why.
c. There was a reduction in staff because
business was slow.

Follow the instructions in Unit 1. Exercise J.

6. You are in a car accident. It is your fault.

When the other driver says you caused the
accident, you should reply:
a. Youre right. Im very sorry.
b. If you dont report it, Ill pay for the
damages.
c. Well let the insurance companies
decide this.

1. Your sister has just lost her first job. She

is very depressed. You are sorry for her.
You should say:

7. You are calling your insurance company to

make an accident report. You should begin
by saying:

7. I usually avoid police officers. However, I

was glad to see one when
__________________________________
DECIDE WHAT TO SAY

69

a. Im Tom Williams, one of your policy

holders. I want to report an accident.
b. Please help me. Ive just caused a bad
accident.
c. I need some help because Ive been in
an accident.

70

8. You have been stopped for speeding by a

Highway Patrol Officer. You should say:
a. I was not going any faster than the
other guys out there.
b. Okay! Write the ticket, Im in a hurry.
c. Have I done something wrong?

HELPING STUDENTS TO
LEARN
A guide to Lerner Autonomy

FULL OF PRACTICAL IDEAS

PHOTOCOPIABLE ACTIVITIES
DEVELOPMENT TASKS
JARGON FREE
Ricky Lowes and
Francesca Target

How much you think the students enjoyed

the lesson.
How active the students were in the
lesson.
How much responsibility the students took
for their own learning.

If you can, ask another teacher to tick the

criteria on the list and compare your answers.
Do you think about the same things when you
evaluate your lessons? Are there other factors
you use as well? Add them to your list.
How much the students learned was probably
one factor, but not the only one you used to
evaluate
a
lesson.
In
other
words,
ASSESSMENT is one aspect of EVALUATION.

CHAPTER 13
SELF EVALUATION
The locus of evaluation...resides definitively in
the learner. Its essence is meaning.
Carl Rogers
Students are not going through all the stages
of learning unless they look at their learning
experiences, draw conclusions about what
they gained from them and use these
to plan
TASK
what happens next.
This chapter suggests how we can help
learners develop the skills they need to
evaluate their own learning.
Assessment and These terms are often used
as though they mean the same thing, but
evaluation EVALUATION is much broader and
includes ASSESSMENT as one aspect of it. For
example, you could teach students ten new
words in a lesson and test them to see how
many they remember. This is ASSESSMENT.
Evaluating the success of the lesson would
have to include making judgements about
other things as well.
T A S K Look at the list below and tick the
criteria you use to evaluate one of your
lessons.

What to evaluate
As well as assessing their own work, learners
need to make broader judgements about their
learning and this involves deciding what to
evaluate.
Talk to your students about what they think it
is important to evaluate. Look at the activity
on PHOTOCOPIABLE PAGE 93 and ask your
students to do it on their own and then to
compare their answers as a class.
SELF EVALUATION
How often to evaluate
It is not practical for students to self-evaluate
every piece of work they do as the process of
reflection and EVALUATION takes time to do
properly. You can agree with your students
how often to build in self-evaluation. This
could be once a month or term, for example.
How often your students self-evaluate will
depend on things like how old they are:
(younger students may need to confirm their
success more often than older ones) and on
the cycle of action-planning they have agreed.
Recording evaluation

The length of time you spent planning the

lesson.
How much you enjoyed teaching the
lesson.
The cost of the resources you used.
How much you think the students learned
in the lesson.
How long you think they will remember it.

To make effective use of self-evaluation,

students need a way to record their thoughts
and feelings about their learning. Once you
have agreed what to evaluate and how often
to do it, you will need to agree a way of
measuring. Anything too complicated will
71

probably not work so you need to choose a

system that is easy to use.
Look at the two forms on the bottom of
PHOTOCOPIABLE PAGE 93 and choose one to
try with your group. Try it for a few weeks
and then try using the other one. Ask your
students which they found more useful. You
could let them chose which one they want to
continue using. They do not all have to chose
the same form and some may want to choose
a completely different method. That is all right
as it means they are actively involved in
making choices about their own learning.
Here re examples
evaluations.

of

Name: Carol

two

students

self-

Date: 12/4/98

I learned...

how to write letters of

invitation
I learned it because... it was in my course-book
I learned it by...
listening and filling the
gaps and talking in class
to learn.
It was very easy
-quite easy
-OK
- quite difficult
- very difficult
I can use what I have invite my pen-friend to
learned to...
stay
After you have been carrying out selfevaluation with your students, you may notice
a change in their attitude to learning. They
should be more realistic about what they want
to achieve and how they are going to achieve
it.
Name Mark

Date: 20th Jan

This week I tried to learn..

people

how

I can now...

to

describe

(face, body and

personality)
-do it on my own
-do it with a little

help
-do it with lots of
help

72

CONCLUSION
When you reach the top of the mountain,
keep climbing
Zen Proverb
This book has looked at a number of ways to
help students become more autonomous.
T A S K Here is the checklist you first saw in
the introduction.

1. Tick the things your students do.

My students:

Never

Sometimes

Often

choose material
choose how to work with
decide whether or not to use a
dictionary
evaluate their own progress
choose topics for project work
decide what to do for homework
choose which area of language
to concentrate on
talk about their interests in class
know how to use a grammar
book effectively
understand their own strenghts
and weaknesses
2. Now compare this with the your answers
in the introduction. Do your students now
make more decisions about their learning?
Are there other things you can add to the
list?

are inspired to try out new ideas in you

classroom. Good luck!

Where do we go fro m here? Helping to

develop learners Autonomy is an ongoing
process and is not something we stop
doing after we have finisher this book. You
and your students will want to negotiate
and decide your own directions and, of
course, you will have new groups of
learners to work with. You will want to talk
to your students about what happens
next.
o

Talk to your students and decide what

you want to do next in terms of
helping
them
become
more
autonomous.
Choose something you want to try
over the next month. If you can, talk
to another teacher about what you
have decided to do. Have they got any
ideas you could use?
You could keep a log or journal and
write something in it every week about
what is happening in your classroom.
Reflect on the process of trying
something new with your students are
notice any changes in your classroom.

How will you evaluate whether or not you

have been successful?
We hope that you and your learners have
enjoyed working together with this book, and
73

SUCCESS IN ENGLISH
TEACHING
Davies, Paul and
Eric Pearse
TESTING AND EVALUATION
Introduction
In this chapter we look at the connections and
differences between teaching, testing, and
evaluation. Different types of test are
discussed, with a focus on achievement tests.
The key principles of test writing, including
validity and reliability, are explained. Finally,
we consider how teaching, materials, and
courses can be evaluated. All evaluation
should be for the benefit of the learners.
Teaching, testing, and evaluation
No important enterprise should just go on and
on without some kind of evaluation. Teaching
and learning are no exception. A lot of
thought and effort are usually put into testing
the learners or learning, but it is important
to think beyond that.
Teaching and testing
There is an intimate relationship between
teaching and teaching and testing, but they
are not the same thing. Unfortunately, some
teachers convert teaching into a kind of
continuous test. For example, the following
excerpt from a conversation session:
Teacher Where did you go in the holidays,
Sofia?

very good, but Giovannis sentence is not. It

is not real conversation practice at all.
Obviously, you do need to deal with errors like
Giovannis, but as much of your teaching as
possible should be directed towards building
up learnersability and confidence in using
English for effective communication. Especially
when you are trying to develop fluency, it is
very important that the learners should not
feel that they are being tested all the time. If
they do, they will become more inhibited and
never achieve fluency. Most teaching should
not be testing, and should not be seen as a
test by the learners. But you should be
evaluating the learbers performance and
progress and your own- teaching constantly.
Evaluation is essential in teaching.
Testing and evaluation
The two concepts testing and evaluation are
expressed by the same word in many
languages. However, the distinction that is
conveyed by the two different words in
English is important. Evaluation is a more
general concept that testing. You can evaluate
teaching, teaching materials, and even tests,
as well as learning, Also, learning can be
evaluated in several different ways, not only
with the formal tests that you give the
learners.
If the teacher of the conversation session
above had not focused exclusively on the
language of the learnersreplies, he might
have been able to evaluate their progress
much better:
Teacher

Learner 1 I didnt go anywhere.

Teacher Very good, very good. And you
Giovanni, Where did you go?

Learner 1
Teacher
Learner 1

Learner 2 I go to Scotland.
Teacher No, no, Giovanni, no.

Teacher

Test and evaluation

This is a very strange conversation. The
teacher seems to be happy that Sofia did not
go anywhere in the holidays, and he does not
seem to believe that Giovanny went to
Scotland. Of course, what the teache4 is doing
is responding only to the language of the
learnersreplies, not the information. He
indicates that Sofias sentence is linguistically
74

Where did you go in the

holidays, Sofia?
I didnt go anywhere.
You stayed here in Milan?
Yes, I just played with my
friends.
Well, thats always good fun.

A Test is normally carefully designed for a

specific purpose, while some evaluation may
be spontaneous and handled very flexibly. A
test normally consists of one or more
exercises or tasks, each with clear objectives.
The evaluation of learning usually employs
formal tests, but it may also include other
options, one of which is of learning is based
on
class
participation,
progress
tests,
homework, and projects rather than final tests
alone, the term assessment or continuous
assessmentis often used.

However, tests continue to be the main

instruments for evaluation of learning in most
teaching situations. They are part of the
reality of the classroom everywhere. For these
reasons, this chapter focuses mainly on tests
and testing.

To check how well learners are doing after

each lesson or unit, and provide consolidation
or remedial work if necessary. They usually
focus on language that has recently been
introduced and practiced.

(teachers evaluation, Sofia is doing very,

very well) and you, Giovanni. Where did you
go?

Course tests (longer-term achievement

tests)

Learner 2 I go to Scotland
Teacher Thats great! You went with your
family, I suppose.
Learner 2 No, I go...I went with the family of
a friend.
Teacher I see. OK, everyoneask Giovanni
questions about his trip to Scotland.
Teachers evaluation: Giovanni understands
very well, and gets his ideas across, but
erratic with grammar. I must do some
remedial work on the Past Tense.)
BASIC ASPECTS OF TESTING
Types of test

Proficiency tests
To determinate learnerslevels in relation to
generally accepted standards. These are
useful for the objective evaluation of learning,
and also for the indirect evaluation of course
design and reaching. The two best known
systems of international proficiency tests are
the UCLES exams and the TOEFL tests.
Validity and reliability

The purpose of English language tests is to

gather reliable evidence of what learners can
do in English and what they know of English.
This information may be required for different
reasons, and these reasons govern the type of
test used. There are five common types of
test, each with a specific purpose. There are
shown in Table 11.1.
Table 11.1: The five common types of test
and their purposes
Type of test

To check how well learners have done over a

whole course. These are the commonest basis
for the marks teachers give learners at the
end of each course. They are very significant
for learners. They are also the main concern
in testing for most classroom teachers.

Purpose

Placement test
To place new students in the appropriate
course or level. These are essential in large
institutions that frequently receive new
students.
Diagnostic test
To
find
out
learners
strengths
and
weaknesses at the start of a course. They
allow the teacher to adjust his or her teaching
to the needs f the group and individual
learners. They are especially useful with
mixed level groups.
Progress tests (short-term achievement tests)

Professional
test
development
and
management is a highly complex matter.
Anyone who is involved in the preparation of
important tests should have some basic
understanding of two concepts, validity and
reliability, and the relationship between them.
An achievement test can be considered to
have validity if:
-

It contains only forms and uses the

learners have practiced in the course
It employs only exercises and tasks that
correspond to the general objectives and
methodology of the course.

The first type of validity, called content

validity, means that the grammar, vocabulary,
and functional content of a test should be
carefully selected on the basis of the course
syllabus. This in only logical and fait. If the
learners have not practiced the Passive Voice,
they should not be tested on it. The language
content of the test should go outside the
syllabus only when it is not significant in the
exercise or task: for example, in a reading
comprehension test, where the learners may
actually have been encouraged to ignore
incidental language they do not know or to
guess its meaning from context. The second
type of validity, called construct validity,
75

means that the exercises and tasks in a test

should be similar to those used in the course
and correspond to the general approach of the
course. If the learners have never practiced
translating on the course, they should not
have to translate a passage in the test. If the
main aim of the course has clearly been to
use grammar in natural discourse such as
conversations, the grammar should not be
tested only through grammar manipulation
exercises. If a test conforms to these
principles, it will probably be seen as fair by
the teachers and the learners. If it does not, it
will probably be considered unfair, and
justifiably so.

The administration of a test may affect its

reliability. For example, reliability is reduced
if:
-

One group is given much more time than

another
One group is helped by the teacher and
another is not
Invigilation is strict in one group and not
in another, so that there is a lot of copying
or other types of cheating in the second
group.

Balancing validity and reliability

A specific test exercise or tasks is normally

reliable when:

A valid test for a course with communicative

objectives should include exercises and tasks
in which the learners use language in realistic
contexts. For example, they could complete a
dialogue, write a letter, and role-play an
interview. These tasks would test their ability
to use specific grammar and vocabulary (the
dialogue completion), to use written English
effectively
(the
letter-writing),
and
to
understand and produce effective spoken
English (the interview).

Testing and evaluation

Reliability is a manner of how far we can

believe or trust the results of a test. For
Example, you may question the reliability of a
test when two of your own groups that you
consider
very
similar
in
ability
and
achievement get very different results in the
same test, one group doing well and the other
badly.

The
instructions
are
clear
and
unambiguous for all the learners.
The exercise or task controls to some
extent how learners respond, for example,
it should be clear in fill the gap exercises
whether a single word or a phrase is
required
There are no errors in the test, for
example, if the learners have to select
the best answera, b, c, or d, there
should not actually be two or more
acceptable answers.

The reliability of a test also depends partly on

how far it can be marked objectively. Multiple
choice exercises, where the learner has to
select the best answer from a choice of three
or four, are purely objective by nature. Oneword fill-in exercisescompletion of a text
with one word in each spaceare purely
objective when only one word is possible. But
when many different words are possible, they
are fairly subjective, requiring teachers to use
their
personal
judgement.
Composition
marking is by nature highly subjective.
The reliability of a test also depends on its
length and on how it is administered. A long
tests is usually more reliable than a short one.
Any test provides a sample of a learners
English, and a small sample of something is
less reliable than a large one.
76

However, there is often a conflict between

validity and reliability. The most reliable types
of question are multiple-choice. The learners
produce no English themselves, but only
recognize correct language. Their answers can
actually be marked by a computer, with no
need for any subjective human judgements.
The least reliable types of task include
precisely the letter-writing and the interview
role-play proposed above. These have to be
marked subjectively by human beings.
The solution reached by many teachers and
institutions is a compromise. Some exercises
in the tests are of an objective, recognition
type, for example, multiple-choice. These can
cover a range of grammar and vocabulary as
well as listening and reading comprehension.
Other exercises and tasks are of a more
subjective type, envolving production and the
communicative use of English. To reduce
subjectivity, marking guides can be provided,
which include the possible answers for fill-in a
completion exercises, and criteria for marking
compositions and interviews, This compromise
also makes tests more practical. Multiplechoice exercises can usually be answered
faster by learners and marked faster by
teachers than production exercises and tasks.

Writing and evaluating achievement tests

As a teacher you may have to use course
tests provided by your institution, or you may
produce your own course tests. If the course
tests are provided by the institution, you may
still have opportunities to comment on them
and make suggestions for modifications. In
addition, you may want to produce a number
of short progress tests. The following ideas
should help you write, modify, or give
opinions on tests.
Tests should normally be designed for specific
teaching-learning situation. Some situations
may call for more objective language
exercises, others for more communicative
tasks. Some situations may permit quite long
tests, while others require short, easily
administered tests because of a lack of time.
Remember this when examin9ing the sample
tests presented below. They are simply
examples, and neither may be a suitable
model
for
your
own
teaching-learning
situation.
Comparing tests
Test 1 and Test 2 below are both intended for
the same teaching-learning situation-the end
of a first-year secondary school course in
Mxico. The course has communicative
objectives in the four skills.

6. _____________the sun _____________a

lot in the Artic? No, it _______________.
(shine)
B. Complete these sentences with the correct
forms for the Present Progressive Tense:
1. I __________________an English test at
the moment. (answer)
2. I ________________soccer. (play)
3. What
___________your
father
___________ at the moment? (do)
4. He _________________. (work)
5. _______________The
children___________ at
(play)

the

6. No,
they
____________.
__________ (study)

moment?
They

C. Complete this dialogue with: what time,

how old, when, what, who, or where.

Examine the two tests and decide which is

more valid in general. Then examine each
exercise or task and decide how reliable each
one is likely to be.

John________________are you?
Ann Im twelve years old
John________________is your birthday?
Ann Its on August 12th
John _______________ do you live?
Ann I live in Holbrook Street.
John _____________ instrument can you
play?
Ann I can play the piano______________ is
it?
John its eight oclock.
Ann Eight oclock! Oh! Goodbye!

Test 1

D. Read the text and answer the questions.

A. Complete these sentences with the correct

forms for the Simple Present Tense:

2. My English teacher _____________in a

small yellow house. (live)

Mr. Durn is teaching English at the moment,

There are thirty students in his class. They
can understand a lot of English, but they
cannot speak much. Mr. Durn teaches every
day from Monday to Friday. He does not teach
on Saturday, but he studies French. He can
speak three languages. Lets learn a second
or third language!

3. It __________ often __________ in the

Sahara Desert. (rain)

1. What are Mr. Durans students doing now?

_____________________________________

4. Eskimos ______________________ often

____________________ ice cream. (eat)

2. How many students are there in his class?

_____________________________________

5. ____________toy ____________music?
Yes, I __________________. (like)

3. What does Mr. Duran do on Fridays?

_____________________________________

Task

1. I _______________ in the Miguel Hidalgo

Secondary School. (study)

77

Test 2
A. Listen
questions.

to

your

teacher.

Answer

the

(Teacher to say each question twice.)

1. Im years old How old are you?
2. __________________When
birthday?

is

your

3. __________What time do birthday parties

usually start?
4. _________________Can
guitar?

you

play

the

5. ________________What do you eat and

drink at parties?
6. ________What
moment?

are

you

doing

B.
Complete
this
conversation
expressions from the box.

at

the
with

Simon (1) Hello, Mike. (2)_______is it?

Mike Its six (3)________. I have a karate
class at six-thirty.
Simon Yes, and I have a party at eight. Its
Jennys birthday party.
Mike (4) ___________her birthday?
Simon Its (5) ___________, but the partys
today. (6) _______________to come?
Mike Well, I dont have an invitation.
Simon Thats no problem. You (7)_________
right?
Mike Yes, and play the guitar. But I (8)____.
Simon No problem. Take your guitar, sing and
play, talk to people, eat and drink, and
be
happy!
Just
(9)
___________dance.
Mike Well...I (10) __________go to bed at
Nine-thirty on Thursdays...
Simon
Come
on,
Mike!
(11)
______________go to your house and
get your guitar.
Mike Well... OK...and I can probably learn to
dance!
June 5th oclock When is cantt dance
What time How old dont lets
Are you doing always cant sing
Do you want
C. Complete the text of this radio commentary
and interview:
Joe.- Hello! Good afternoon! This (1) is_Joe
78

Green on FM Radio 42.9 in Ensenada, Baja

California, Mxico. The sun usually (2)
________here in June, but today
(3)_____ raining. But Ensenada is
beautiful, sun or rain. And it isnt cold
today, its (4)_____ people are (5)
_____________in the ocean and playing
vollyball on the beach-in the rain here
with
me
in
Hotel
Pen
are
____________(6)
manager,
Juan
Gmez, and an American visitor. Janet
Holt. Juan, (7)____________ it rain a
lot in Ensenada?
Juan.- Well, rain is very unusual in summer,
but Is often (8)_____________a lot in
winter.
Joe.
Janet,
what
are
you
(9)
_____________in
Ensenada? Are you on vacation?
Janet.No,
(10)______________studying
marine
Mammalsdolphins,
shales,
seals. I (11) __________at five oclock
every morning to observe the animals,
while all the tourists are in bed!
D. Complete the lists with more words or
expressions:
Days:
Monday,Tuesday,__________,___________,_
__________, __________,___________.
Family:
Mother,_____________, _____________,
_____________,____________, _________.
Activities:
Study,____________, _____________,
_______________,
______________,
_______________.
Frequency:
Never, _____________, _____________,
________________,___________,
___________.
E. Read the article and answer the questions.
Chameleons are reptiles. They live in Africa,
Asia, and parts of Europe. They usually live in
trees. There are different species of
chameleon. Small species are only 7 cms.
long, but big chameleons can be 60 cms!
Chameleons usually eat insects, but big
species also eat birds and small animals.
Chameleons are famous for one special
characteristic-they can be green among
leaves, brown on a tree trunk, yellow in the
sun. This protects them, and it helps them
trap insects. They trap many victims! It is

very difficult to see a chameleon, but they can

see
very
well.
Their
eyes
function
independently-they can look right and left at
the same time! They are very patient, and
they trap insects with their long.sticky
tongue.
lengua larga y pegajosa.
(i) Put in a circle round T (true) or F (false):
1 Chameleons are mammals. T F
2 They live on three continents. T F
3 They are always green T F
4 There are only two species. T F
5 They can look simultaneously in two
directions. T F
(ii) Answer with one, two, or three words:
1 What are chameleons? _______________
2 What do they usually eat______________
3 What do big species eat? _____________
4 What colours can they be _____________
5 What is their tongue like? _____________
F. Write five sentences of 4 to 8 words about
yourself or your family.
1. My name is
__________________________________
2. __________________________________
3. __________________________________
4. __________________________________
5. __________________________________
Although Test 1 and Test 2 both test many of
the same items (for example, the Simple
Present, the Present Progressive, can, what
time, how old, and weather vocabulary),
there are many differences between them.
Some of the most noticeable are:
a. Test 2 is much longer than Test 1.
b. Test 2 has listening comprehension and
sentence writing, unlike Test 1 as well as
more extended reading.
c. Most of the exercises in Test 2 have a
single topic or situation, while Exercises A
and B in Test 1 consist mostly of unrelated
sentences, and even the dialogue in
Exercise C lacks normal conversational
coherence.
d. There seems to be more effort to make
Test 2 interesting, especially the reading.
e. Test 2 mixes grammatical structures
naturally in discourse, while Test 1 has a
separate exercise for each area of
grammar.
f. Test 2 does not state what is being tested,
while Test 1 does, for example, complete
these sentences with the correct forms of
the Simple Present Tense.

g. Most of the exercises in Test 2 have an

example answer as well as clear
instructions.
These differences all distinguish Test 2 as a
much better final course test than Test 1. The
inclusion of listening, writing, and more
extended reading (b); the use of coherent
topics and realistic situations (c); the effort to
interest the learners in the content of the
texts rather than always focusing their
attention on the language (d); the natural
mixing of different grammar areas (e), and
the absence of grammatical terminology (f),
all make Test 2 more valid for a course with
communicative objectives. The extra length
(a) and the clear instructions with examples
(g) mean that Test 2 would probably also be
more reliable.
Points (e) and (f) are quite significant.
Exercises B and C in Test 2 produce evidence
of whether the learners would be able to use
grammar and vocabulary correctly in real
conversations and other real communication
situations. On the other hand, Exercises A, B,
and C in Test 1 only produce evidence of
whether the learners can produce correct
forms when they are told what the grammar
area is and are concentrating on that specific
area only. Such exercises may be useful for
early practice of a new grammar area, and
perhaps in a progress test, but they are not
really valid in the final test of a course with
communicative objectives.
There is yet another reason for preferring Test
2. Tests can influence the way teachers teach
and learners study. If teachers and learners
know that the course tests will be like Test 1,
They will tend to work one way, and if they
know the course tests will be like Test 2, they
will tent to work another way. Test 2 is likely
to have a more positive influence-or backwash
effect-on teaching and learning.
Test Exercises and tasks
Test exercises or tasks can be classified in
several ways. One way in by using scales like
those in Figure 11.1.
Greater reliability
Greater validity
OBJECTIVITY SUBJECTIVITY
LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION
RECOGNITION PRODUCTION
Figure 11.1: Scales for classifying
exercises or tasks

test
79

Test writers often combine exercises and

tasks at both ends of these scales, with the
aim of achieving a good balance of reliability
and validity. The extremes on the left,
especially objectivity, tend to give greater
reliability. Examples from Tests 1 and 2 are 1.
C and 2, B. The extremes on the right,
especially communication, tend to give
greater validity, though this depends partly on
the type of course and the purpose of the
test. The best examples from Tests 1 and 2
are both from Test 2-2, A and 2, F. The
examples in figure 11.2 go from the most
objective to the most subjective. Many of
these exercise and task types can be used
either for testing language of for testing
communication skills, but some are obviously
more suitable for one purpose than the other.
OBJECTIVE
Select from different options
True-false: for example, Test 2, E (i)
Words in a list or box: for example, Test
1, C
Multiple choice options: for example:
I____________________in Veracruz.
(a) lives (b) living (c) live
Matching: for example:
1 I am__________(a) speak French.
2 I dont _______(b) studying English.
Fill in spaces with one or more words
Assisted sentence fill-in: for example, Test
1B
Open text fill-in: for example, Test 2, C
Write answers to questions
Questions on a reading text: for example,
Test 1, D
Spoken personal questions: for example,
Test 2, A
Write sentences or compositious
Separate sentences: for example, Test 2,
F
Composition: for example: Write 80 to
100 words about a journey or holiday.
Participate in an oral interview
Answer questions asked by the examiner,
talk about a photograph, etc.
SUBJECTIVE

80

Course assessment questionnaire

Course:
________________________________
1 Did you enjoy the lessons?
Yes so-so no
2 Did you learn a satisfactory amount of
English?
Yes so-so no
3 Did you have
practice of English?

enough communicative
Yes so-so no

4 What did you particularly like about the

course?
5 What didn`t you like about the course?

Figure 11.2: Test exercises and tasks

classified on a scale of objectivity-subjectivity
Improving tests
It is extremely difficult to write good original
tests. In fact, it is difficult and timeconsuming even to write bad ones! For this
reason it is usually better not to write new
tests every time you need one. Instead,
analyse the results of each test you use and
decide which exercises and tasks, or parts of
them, seem to work well and which do not.
For example, if most of the learners do
Exercises A, B, D and E reasonably well, but
they do Exercise C badly, change Exercise C
but keep the rest. In this way you can develop
better tests.
Evaluating
courses

learning,

teaching,

and

As we said in the first section of this chapter,

evaluation in teaching English should be much
more than giving tests to learners. Achieving
improvement in teaching English is a matter
of evaluating and developing syllabuses,
materials, and teaching as well as testing. And
real language learning is more then the ability
to do test exercises and tasks. It is important
to remind yourself again and again that not
only learning needs to be evaluated. When
satisfactory learning is obviously not taking
place,
teachers
sometimes
blame
the
learners, but it may not be their fault at all.
There may be something wrong with the
teaching, the testing the course design or the
way the courses are administered. Evaluation
should really apply to the work of everyone in
an educational institution, not just the
learners.

Evaluating teaching
Learnerstest results are one way to evaluate
teaching. Good results should reflect good
teaching, but the results are only as valid and
reliable as the tests. Tests low in validity
and/or reliability will give a false impression of
teaching. In some institutions the learners
take external proficiency tests at certain
stages. These results are usually both
reasonably valid and reliable. An institution or
teacher
with
many
learners
getting
increasingly good marks in the TOEFL tests, or
passing successive levels of the UCLES exams
can feel very satisfied.
But
tests
are
not
everything.
Learnersopinions should also be taken into
account. To some extent you can see their
opinions on their faces and in their behaviour.
But you can also give adults and even
adolescents
a
simple,
anonymous
questionnaire, like the one below, to fill in at
the end of each course.
In this way, the learners evaluate your
teaching, just as you evaluate their learning.
This is considered very healthy in many
institutions and by many teachers, In some
institutions it is standard practice, carried out
at the end of every course.
You can also observe yourself or ask a coordinator or colleague to observe you. The
tendency in class observation is to focus
critically on the teacher. But it is better to
start by focusing on the learners. This will tell
you more about the effect of your teaching
than focusing on yourself. Obviously, you will
also ask yourself why the learners responded
the way they did, and that will lead you to
useful reflection on the lesson plan, the
techniques used, the relationship with the
group, and so on. Observation is discussed
further in Chapter 12.
Evaluating courses
Courses
can
be
evaluated
by
using
learnerstest results, questionnaires given to
learners and teachers, and class observation.
Criteria for the evaluation of course syllabuses
and course materials can also be useful (see
Chapter 9), as well as criteria for the
evaluation of tests (see page 174 above).
Summary
In Chapter 11
following points:

we

have

considered

the

Teaching, testing and evaluation. Teaching

should not be a continuous test for learners,
but you should be informally evaluating their
performance and progress all the time.
Testing is only one option in the evaluation of
learning, which may also include the
monitoring of learner performance in class,
and
learner
self-evaluation.
Teaching,
teaching materials, and courses should be
evaluated as well as learning.
Basic aspects of testing. There are five
common types of tests, each with a specific
purpose: placement tests, diagnostic tests
progress tests, course tests, and proficiency
tests. Achievements tests are valid when they
contain only language and uses the learners
have practiced in the course, and employ only
methodology of the course. Tests are reliable
(i.e. the results can be trusted)
When, for example, instructions are clear,
exercises limit how learners can respond, and
teachers follow the same marking criteria. The
test should also be long enough to provide an
adequate sample of learner performance. The
reliability of a test also depends on how it is
give, for example, time limits and good
invigilation. High validity , especially for
communicative courses, usually means low
reliability, and vice versa. Good test writers
try to balance validity and reliability.
Writing and evaluating achievement tests. In
general, tests that conform to the criteria for
validity and reliability are better than those
that do not. They should generally test
whether learners could use language in real
life, not just whether they can do artificial
exercises. Tests can influence positively or
negatively the way teachers teach and
learners study. This is called the backwash
effect. There is a great variety of possible test
exercises and tasks. They can be classified on
scales of objectivity-subjectivity, recognitionproduction or language-communication, and
different types of exercise are often combined
to achieve a balance. Rather than always
writing new tests, it is better to improve used
tests by seeing from results which exercises
and items work well and which do not need
changing.
Evaluating learning, teaching, and courses.
Apart from testing, use class monitoring and
learnersimpressions to evaluate learning.
Teaching
can
be
evaluated
through
learnerscourse and external proficiency test
results, questionnaire sseeking learners
81

opinions, and class observation. Courses and

teaching programmes can also be evaluated
using all of the above, as well as criteria for
the evaluation of syllabuses, materials, and
tests. Evaluation should apply to the work of
everyone in an educational institution, not just
the learners.
Project
Developing course tests
Purpose: to develop the ability to procedure,
and improve course tests.
Procedure:
1. Select a coursebook that you use now or
might use in the future,
2. Study the contents up to a convenient
point (for example, up to and including a
review unit), if you are using the book
now, choose a point that you will soon
reach in the course.
3. Select four or five exercises that you
consider cover the main points in the
course up to that stage, and that are
suitable for a test (for example, not
repetitive structure drills).
4. Write the test, using parallel or similar
exercises to those you have selected.
5. If you are able to give the test to a group
of learners, do so and then analyse the
results. Note which exercises and items in
them the majority of the learners got right
and which they got wrong. Consider how
you would modify the test in its next
version. If you are not able to give the
test, leave it for a week without looking at
it. Then go through it considering how it
would seem to a real learner at that level
and what changes might be appropriate.

82

THE ANTI AGING

JOURNAL FOR MEN
PRIME
HEALTH & FITNESS
WINTER 1997
Go Out and Get Fit!
Shape up for the Slopes
Heart Healthy Miracle Supplement
The Meal That Fights Fat
Sexual Seduction
The Alchohol-Longevity Link
Kick The Anxiety Habit
MILESTONES
DIED,
PILAR
MIR,
Pioneering Spanish
movie
director,
who
used
her
discerning art-house eye to
shape the cinematic Madrid.
Mir first captured public
attention with the gritty El
Crimen de Cuenca, which the military
censored because of a vivid scene of torture
carried out by Civil guards. Upon its release in
1979, the film became the first of several boxoffice hits for Mir. Later, as a pillar of the
1980s Socialist government, Mir campaigner
against art censorship and raised generous
subsidies to nurture young film talent.
HOSPITALIZED. MOHAMMED
ALAM CHAANA, 42, dubbed
the worlds tallest man by
the Guiness Book of Records,
for
life-threatening
complications of tuberculosis
and diabetes; in an Islamabad medical ward, where
two
beds
were
pushed
together to accommodate his lanky 2.32- m
frame. The Pakistan Chaana edges out
Romanian Gheorghe Muresan, the NBA tallest
2.31 m ever player, who measures 2.31 m.
MARRIED, NAMIE AMURO,
20,
Japanese
singing
sweetheart, and MASAHARU
MARUYAMA,
35,
suave
techno-rapper, in a secret
lightning
wedding

prompted
by
Amuros
three-month
pregnancy; in Tokyo. Amutos tea-colored
locks and frothy lyrics have bewitched a
normally
fickle
audience,
earning
her
remarkable staying power in a country that
usually makes and breaks its stars overnight.
CHARGED
VANIER,
46,
ex

commander of
Canadian
peacekeeping forces
in Hait, on
eight counts of
fraud
and
accepting
bribes;
by
military police
in
Ottawa.
Vanier
disappear for 12 days this summer after being
informed of the investigation he was later
found disoriented in a river near Ottawa.
Vanier is alleged to have accepted $1,500
from someone having dealings with the
Canadian government and to have falsified
travel expenses. If convicted, the officer could
face up to ten years in prison in addition to
dismissal from the armed forces.
EXTRADITION RECOMMENDED
For SAMUEL SHEINBEIN, 17, American
teenager who fled to Israel to escape
prosecution for the murder of a 19-year old
Maryland
man,
whose
burned
and
dismembered body was discovered last
month; by justice officials in Jerusalem.
Although Israel blocks extradition of its
citizens, local authorities ruled that Sheinbein
is not an Israeli, even though his father is.
Israeli courts can still bar the move, although
that would surely trigger renewed criticism
from American legislators who have been
pressing Jerusalem to act.
DONATED.
By
GEORGE
SOROS, 67, prominent American financier and
philanthropist, between $300 million and $500
million in aid to Russia over the next three
years; in Moscow. The contribution, which
dwarfs Americas $95 million aid package to
Russia last year, will be used to shore up the
ailing nations education and health-care
systems, as well as to retrain demobilized
soldiers for civilian jobs. The Hungarian-born
investors charity portfolios already includes
$1.5 billion in handouts, mostly aimed at
83

bolstering newly emerging democracies in

several former communist countries.
By Hannah Beech
Will <jiang Zernins
trip to the U:S.
have as much
impact as the visit
18 years ago by
Chinas top leader?
Much has changed
Since then-even
TIMEs spelling
Of DENG
XUAOPING.

From a windsw
From a windswp podium on the crest of the
low hill, the two leaders exchanged bland
welcoming remarks,then mounted a
balcony to acknowledge the applauding crowd
of some 1,000 dignitaries. Suddenly,
Chinese Vice Premier Teng Hsiao Ping
departed from the traditional script. He
impulsively grabbed Jimmy.
Carters hand and held it high. They looked
like a pair of politicians just nominated by a
national convention, and there was little
doublt about which man thought he was
running at the head of the ticket. No gesture
better captured the spirit and mood of Tengs
nine-day visit to the U:S: last week.

84

AMERICAN SCENE
David S. Jackson
HES NOT CRAZY, HES OUR NEIGHBOR
In Montana, Ted Kaczynskis
acquaintances insist he was
normal
THE CABIN IS GONE NOW,
PACKED BY FBI FBI agents, its
perimeter ringed by a chain-link
fence with a KEEP OUT sign that
only the occasional rabbit and passing deer
will see. A few feet away, the garden that Ted
Kaczynski once tended so carefully has gone
to ruin; the red bicycle that he rode six km
down a dirt road into town lies in pieces,
rusting and overgrown with weeds. In the
town of Lincoln, Montana, no one talks much
about the ex-neighbor, the Unabomber
suspect. Only strangers ask about him. But
two weeks ago, two strangers showed up at
the small strip of grocery stores, churches and
cafs along State route 200, and they had
questions about Kacynski.
Was he mentally ill?
Or
not?
The
inquisitive
visitors
were
two
prosecution
psychiatrists,
and
the answers they
got may not help
the mental defect
defense
that
Kaczynskis lawyers are planning for his trial,
which starts Nov. 12. I cant imagine
anybody saying hes insane, says Becky
Garland, 41, who Befriended Kaczynsky while
Working at Garlands Town & Country store in
Lincoln. You might say that anyone who
makes mail bombs is insane. But insane by
law? I dont think he was that.
Her sister Teresa, who still works in the store,
said she knew Ted didnt have much of a
childhood, that he was very unhappy because
he always had to study, and he didnt spend
much time around other people. But she has
no doubts about his sanity, and she told the
psychiatrists so. They wanted to know if we
felt he was normal when he came into town,
she says. And I think its fair to say that, yes,
he was.
Dan Rundell, who gave Kaczynski a bicycle
and got a rare tour of the hermits gardenirrigation system in return, had the same

impression. I always thought that he acted,

for a person who was recluse, well within the
bounds of society. He always seemed a little
jumpy. But I put that down to the fact that he
was not a social person.
In Helena, about 95 km southeast of Lincoln,
the psychiatrists met with Jack McCabe,
owner of the park Hotel, where Kaczynski
stayed 31 times since 1980.They wanted to
know what he was like, if he caused any
trouble, McCabe said afterward. But Ted
Kaczynski never bothered me any. I figured
he was some rancher from up in Lincoln who
wanted to get away to the big town for a day
or two. Lot of them did.
Because
of
the
abundance of physical
evidence in the case,
many legal observers
have assumed that his
lawyers would try to
raise questions about
his mental state at
some point in the trial,
either in the guilt phase or during the penalty
phase that would follow a conviction, in an
attempt to avoid a death sentence. But
proving such a defense is difficult. Instead of
arguing that he was insane. Kaczynskis
lawyers seem to be planning a defense that
he suffered from a mental defect that
impaired his ability to form an intent to
commit the crimes. Nevertheless, as far as his
old neighbors seem to think, Ted Kaczynski,
the former math professor, was gentle, softspoken and painfully shy. Last Friday
Kaczynskis lawyers said he was refusing to
submit to court-ordered psychiatric testing at
the federal prison in Dublin, California, where
he is awaiting trial. The defense lawyers have
been waging a stubborn but losing battle to
keep out all the evidence found in Kaczynskis
muntain side cabin. They are certain to raise
more questions when the trial begins but
unless some unexpected decision turns their
way, they are going to have to explain to the
jury why the FBI says his contained such
items as a fully constructed bomb,the
Unabombers manifesto, the typewriter it was
typed on and, most damaging of all,
handwritten journals in which Kaczynski
recorded virtually every bombing. Last week
prosecutors released excerpts, including one
that read, I sent these devices during 1993.
They detonated as they should have.
His attorneys may have little choice but to
reach for a mental-disease or-defect defense.
85

Says Joseph Russoniello, a former U:S.

Attorney in San Francisco: The defense will
need people on that jury who are either
incredibly gullible, or cynical, to argue that
this fellow did not know the difference
between right and wrong. He used incredible
genius and guile and eluded law- enforcement
officials for all this time. And would have until
this day if it werent for his familys turning
him in. Back in Lincoln, many of Kaczynskis
old friends are glad that a jury, not they, will
decide his fate. But they still have questions.
Says Teresa Garland, leaning back from the
cash register at her store: Ive always
wanted to just sit down and ask him. Why?
I cant imagine anybody saying hes
insane. ACQUAINTANCE BECKY GARLAND

86

TECHWATCH
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING PERSONAL
COMPUTER
THE KNOCK AGAINST PALMTOP COMPUTERS
had always been the same: too small to be
useful as PCs and too big to make a mark as a
personal organizer. But computer companies
are getting better at miniaturizing everything
from color screens to disk drives, and the
result is a new collection of very small, very
powerful computers that are surprisingly
useful. Below are the first in a series of small
computers set to hit the U.S. market with in
12 months. They are small enough and
powerful enough to find a real home as
communications and productivity tools.
HITACHI MINI-NOTE Making its U.S. debut in
December is Hitachis Pentium-based, 1.2-kg
micro-notebook. Ideal for Windows 95 users
who need to pack a lighter load. $2,499
(estimated)
SHARP MOBILON The first Windows CE
device to offer a color screen and a snap-on
camera. Its slated to be in U.S. stores by
December. $899 (estimated)
GEOFOX-ONE Britains Geofox came up with a
neat idea: include a keyboard and touchpad.
The handhelds 17.3-cm screen is bigger than
traditionally tiny portable displays. Due out in
the U.S. in November. $499

MITSUBISHI AMITY CN This powerful

micro notebook is roughly the size of a VCR
tape. It runs Windows 95 and can handle
everything from Microsoft Word to Web
surfing. $1,995 in the U.S.
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND IRRITATE
PEOPLE
NOTHING LIKE A FEW LAWSUITS TO help
drum up business. As Internet service
providers mobilize to keep bulk E-Mailers at
bay, the junk E-mail (called spam) has only
become more pervasive. It represents, for
instance, up to 20% of the 9 million E-mail
messages processed by America Online each
day.
For much of the past year the service has
engaged in a running-and losing-battle with
spammers. In the past three weeks, AOL
members with ads for online entrepreneurs.
But techies are starting to accept that junk Email maybe here to stay. The problem: new
technology makes it impossible to distinguish
between mail you want and spam you dont.
Courts may offer temporary relief, but serious
spammers say the new suits dont have them
worried. Weve been through 12 lawsuits
since last year, says Cyber-Promotions
Sanford Wallace, and have still shown a profit
every quarter.

87

MEDICINE
WHATS UP, DOC?
Its very surgery patients nightmare: youre
awake enough fo feel the knife but not enough
to scream
By James Willwerth
WHEN ANDREA THALER, 46, WAS wheeled
into the operating room for routine gallbladder
surgery five years ago, she thought she was
in a safe place. But as soon as the operation
began, the Nashville, Tenessee, health care
executive realized that the sedatives and
pain-killers
administered
by
her
anesthesiologist hadnt quite taken hold. She
could feel the surgeon make six slicing,
burning
laparoscopic
incisions
in
her
abdomen, but she was tapped by the paralytic
drugs given along with the anesthesia, and
she couldnt cry out or even open her eyes. I
was screaming in a black hole, she recalls. I
thought I would know what happened.
Thaler was experiencing a phenomenon that
anesthesiologists delicately call awareness.
These unexpected wake-ups occur in at least
40,000 of Americas 20 million annual
surgeries, according to Emory University
anesthesiologist Peter Sebel, who has studied
the problem. in most cases the pain killers
keep working, and all the patient feel is the
unnerving pressure of a scalped cutting and
scraping. But, Sebel estimates conservatively,
in at least 400 such awareness accidents, the
pains breaks through the veil of drugs. Its
possible, say other experts, that the number
of patients who wake up each year to
excruciating pain in the middle of surgery
could be in the thousands.
Adding insult to injury, many survivors, as
they call themselves, report that doctors and
other medical personnel routinely leer at or
ridicule the inert bodies before them. Jeanette
Tracy, a television producer from Dallas,
suffered this when she was anesthetized for a
hernia operation in 1991. Enduring pain she
describes as a blow torch in my stomach
every tissue tearing like a piece of paper, she
heard the anesthesiologist say she had the
right size breasts and was in great shape
for a mother of two. You cant cover
yourself,
she
says
furiously.
Youre
screaming as loud as you can inside your
head. Its like being raped and buried alive.
The humiliation is not just for women. Tracy,
who went on to found a support group called
88

AWARE (Awareness with Anesthesia Research

Foundation), tells of one male patient who
woke up to a female nurse holding up his
penis and laughing about its diminutive size.
For a variety of reasons, most awareness
survivors never tell their anesthesiologist
about the experience. One study suggests
that only 35% ever say anything. But such
studies are rare, and most anesthesiologist
have no conception of how deeply their
patients suffer. I used to think people who
talked about this topic were flakes, admits
Texas A&M anesthesiologist Charles McLeskey,
who became a believer after a patient told
him what he had overheard while he was
under.
Boston University psychiatrist Janet Osterman
is having trouble recruiting survivors for a
research project on awareness at Boston
Medical Center because so many refuse to
enter the hospital to be interviewed.
Osterman says her subjects display all the
symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,
including flashbacks, irrational fears and,
particularly common, severe insomnia. They
are afraid to go to sleep, she explains.
Letting go feels too much like going under
anesthesia.
The good news is that there may be a
technological solution. At last weeks annual
meeting
of
the
American
Society
of
Anesthesiologists in San Diego, one of the
booths displayed a toaster oven-size device
called the Bispectral Index Monitor, which can
reduce or even eliminate surgical wake-ups. A
specialized EEG machine, the system monitors
the patients brain waves and then translates
them into a single depth of consciousness
figure that the operating-room staff can watch
like a number on a digital alarm clock. Zero is
an induced coma; 100 is fully awake; the ideal
sleep state is 60. Anything higher represents a
potentially dangerous state of awareness.
Anything lower, and the patient could be
oversedated.
This is anesthesias Holy grail, proclaims
Nassib Chamoun, the Lebanese-born inventor
of the device. Without a way to directly
monitor
brain
activity,
he
says,
anesthesiologist have had to gauge sleep level
by monitoring blood pressure and other vital
signs- a method that is too one-dimensional
and distressingly hit-or-miss because it
primarily measures the effectiveness of
painkilling drugs. Ideal anesthesia, says
Chamoun,
involves
a
triangulation
of

painkillers, sedatives and paralytic drugs,

whose collective depth can be measured
only through brain waves.
The device seems to be catching on.
Chamouns company, Aspect Medical Systems
of
Natick,
Massachusetts,
won
U.S.
government clearance last year and has
already placed 711 systems.
But theyre too late to help Andrea thaler, who
won a settlement from her anesthesiologist
but still suffers post-traumatic flashbacks.
When someone introduces himself as an
anesthesiologist, she says, sheer terror
overcomes me. Nightmares and memory
problems also dog Jeanette Tracy as she
lectures and travels.
Both women are trying to reach our to other
survivors. At first you think youre the only
person in the world this has happened to
says Thaler. People have called me on the
telephone and cried for hours. This time, at
least, someone can hear them.

89

PEOPLE
Would You Believe....
A Pillow Fight?
Its a nightmare that wakes tabloid editor in
the middle of the night:J.F.K. JR. has a visible
physical malady, and you dont know why. So
what do you do? Make something up. When
Kennedy appeared in public with a soft cast
early last month, each tabloid came up with a
different explanation. The Star reported that
he had fractured a bone while paddling his
kayak on the Hudson River. The National
Enquirer made the highly dubious claim that
John-John broke his bone by pounding on his
desk in an argument with a staff member at
George. The globe made a hold ratings grab
by saying it was most likely he had a
Moonlighting level fight with his wife that has
resulted in a severed nerve. Kennedy later
gave his own report, stating that he was
cleaning the dishes after dinner with his wife
when he cut his hand on a utensil, severing a
nerve.
Live Pulp
When QUENTIN TARANTINO
spotted Natural Born Killers
producer Don Murphy at the
Los Angeles eaterie Ago, he
didnt send over an air kiss.
Instead, ruming about being
hadmouthed by Murphy, and by
his partner in her book Killer Instinct, the
director went over and punched him
repeatedly, Tarantino was put in a cop car,
while Miramax head Harvey Weinstein helped
broker a truce. No charges were filed but
Murphy is considering legal action.

Janet Under Gass

Hockey players are supposed to be tough Now
it seems so are their wives. When pro
hockeys reining madman, the rangers Ulf
Smuelsson. Slamed a player into the boards,
he sent that 14-kg Plexiglas panel off its
hinges and squarely on the head of teammate
WAYNE GRETZKYS wife JANET JONES, who
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then spent the night at the hospital with a

lacerated lip and mild concussion. Gretzky
finished the final six minutes of the game
before leaving to visit her, though he later
said he maybe should have left immediately
(its not as if he scored in the Rangers 1-0
loss to the Blackhawks) Jones, the New York
Post reported, wasnt angry.

Do You Hear the Drum, Dude?

Picture yourself as a famous, nononsense
Congresswoman married to the man who
founded TIME magazine. Somebody gives you
a small tab of paper, you happily lick it and
youre gone. Thats what happened in 1960
when
CLARE
BOOTHE
LUCE-playwright,
socialite, anticommunist and wife of Henry
Luce-turned on, tuned in and dropped LSD
with her husband. Luces handwritten acid
diaries were made public this month, 10 years
after her death, as stipulated in her will.
Among her Jim Morrisomesque musings:
Capture green bug for future reference. Feel
all true paths to glory lead but to the grave.
And The futility of the search to be someone.
Do you hear the drum?

PREVENTION
NAP DANCING
More Americans are
slumber to siestas

switching

from

By Sada Volkoff
Albert Enstein and John Kennedy did it
frequently. Napoleon Bonaparte also partook,
as What, you might inquire, is the common
thread that concatenates this extraordinary
fraternity?
They all napped apparently, so do most of the
rest of us. According to Gerald Celente,
director of the Trends Research Institute
Rhinebeck, N.Y., 61 percent of American
adults nap at least once a week Once viewed
as a habit of the elderly or simply as a sign of
laziness,
the
midday
nap
is
gaining
acceptance even in the workplace. Its all
part of a fundamental shift in attitude,
declares Celente. Its no longer a 9-to-5
society, and if you take a nap you just extend
your day. Enlightened companies know they
will get more out of their employees if they let
them take a short rest.
Americans may be napping more because
they are sleeping less. The national average
has slipped from seven hours per night to six,
and many people only get four. According to
the National Sleep Foundation, approximately
70 million of us experience sleep-related
problems, with 30 percent of those who work
on a nontraditional schedule experiencing a
sleep-related injury annually. An estimated
one million automobile accidents are caused
each year by drowsiness and fatigue.
We are all chronically sleep-deprived, says
Scott Campbell, phD. Director of the sleep lab
at Cornell Medical School in New York. But
people perform much better (after napping).
Problem solving abilities, logical reasoning and
psychomotor performanceanything having
to do with physical activity that involves
thinking is improved SNOOZE CLUES.

dietetic Association, suggests a lunch that is

high in carbohydrates and low in protein. This
will increase your serotonin levels and create
a greater sense of calmness, she says. Such
foods include pasta, rice and bread, as well as
fruits and vegetables.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals.
Some people, after a calorie-dense meal, will
feel very sleepy, she says. When youre
resting, your metabolism slows down and your
caloric needs lessen.!
As for the actual 40 winks, some people say
anything longer than 15 minutes and youll
have entered a sleep cycle that takes 90
minutes to complete. Campbell disagrees:
There is no such thing as too short or too
long. Youll probably experience sleep inertia
after napping for any length of time. Sleep
inertia is the period of disorientation that
occurs upon awakening, It usually lasts for
about 15 minutes, during which time nappers
should be cautious of what they do.
If you find you cannot sleep, just relax. Lie
down any try to empty your ming. Dont
forget to set an alarm (just in case), but you
dont have to sleep every time and you dont
have to nap every day.
Finally, this may be a fraternity you dont
need to join at all. Studies clearly indicate
that there are nappers and there are nonnappers, confirms Campbell... before drifting
off.

If you are new to the ways of the nap,

experiment with the timing and see what will
work best for you. Morning people are
generally early afternoon nappers, says
Campbell, while night people tend to like a
snooze in the late afternoon.
Next, reconsider your midday meal. Cindy
Moore, RD, a spokeswoman for the American
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