What does a jar of ready-made curry sauce and a coursebook have in common? Using this paradox, I explore how a ready-made curry sauce is comparable to a coursebook. Specifically, a sauce is enhanced when extra ingredients are added. Equally, coursebook activities and tasks can also be enriched and spiced up with the help of a distinct ingredient – creativity.
The majority of secondary school ELT contexts use a published coursebook as their prime source of input. Indeed, most coursebooks come as a complete package, founded on various teaching approaches and methods and strongly supported by a clear rationale. There is usually a student’s book, workbook, teacher’s book and some have online resources, a very detailed step-by-step commentary explaining exactly how to teach the coursebook unit as well as expected outcomes and solutions.
The extensiveness of a package appears to be advantageous especially for new teachers. However, as everything is prescribed are coursebooks actually hindering a teacher’s creative potential? Does it restrict individualism and opportunities to foster creativity in the language classroom. Referring to ideas in literature on creative language teaching approaches, my workshop encourages participants to explore ways to creatively adapt activities in a coursebook. I shall achieve this by structuring my workshop in the following way:
- Providing a brief outline of creativity – what it is and its implications for language teaching.
- Through a paradoxical connection, explore how a coursebook is alike to a readymade curry sauce in order to justify the creative approaches proposed.
- Based on these findings, actively engage participants, by asking them to generate ideas for producing creative coursebook activities and tasks before revealing my own.
- Providing participants with a handout of the main points explored during the workshop on how to creatively adapt their coursebook in their own teaching context.
Dina Blanco-Ioannou MEd, BA (Hons) ELT
Dina is a professional English Language Teacher and Teacher Educator with over 21 years experience. She presently works as a teacher educator & trainer at the PH Institute for Secondary Education (SEKI), FHNW Switzerland. Dina is also the coordinator for the ETAS Swiss Cantonal Teacher & Teacher Educator (SCT&TE) SIG. Her ELT professional and personal interests lie in effective and affective ELT approaches.
In particular, she is interested in methodologies and approaches that embrace a more creative approach to language teaching and learning. This includes using language as a tool to creatively develop and foster a positive sense of Self as well as to learn and develop key life skills. With this in mind, she has founded Lessons-in-Self, an unique transformational educational programme. With a two-fold objective, the ELT Programme engages participants in a unique English language learning experience. Whilst developing and furthering their English language skills, learners simultaneously learn key skills that support them to achieving their professional and/or personal goals. All in all, innovative, creative and transformative English Language Teaching for the 21st century. To find out more visit: www.Lessons-in-Self.com
This event will be followed by the ELTAS Annual General Meeting.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.
