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br igham young un ivers i t yengl ish l anguage center

Curriculum Philosophy

Table of ConTenTs

2 curriculum PhilosoPhy 4 Stable

4 Responsive

6 Cohesive

6 CurriculumOversightandImplementation

8 context and definitions 8 MissionStatement

8 LabSchool

8 Administration

10 Affiliations

12 Policies

12 Faculty

14 SupportStaff

16 Students

16 Resources

18 facts, assumPtions, action stePs, and research Questions 20Faculty

©BrighamYoungUniversityEnglishLanguageCenter,2008

getting startedBindingthisdocumentisacontradiction.Anyonewhohasstudiedlanguageteachingandlearningknowshowmuchwehaveyettounderstandabouthowlanguagesarelearnedandtaught.Furthermore,anyonewhohastaughtattheEnglishLanguageCenterunderstandsthecomplexityofalabschoollikethisandhowdynamicthelearningenvironmentis.Forthesereasons,alanguageteachingcurriculumphilosophymustbevibrantandadaptive—indeedresponsive.Whileaboundphilosophywillsoonbeoutdated,thisversionoftheELCcurriculumphilosophyhasbeenboundfortrainingpurposessothattheprinciplesofthephilosophycanbediscussedandunderstood.Furthermore,wehopethateachteacherwillworktowardcreatingapersonalteachingphilosophythatisstable,responsive,andcohesive.Reid(1993)paraphras-ingLeki(1992)onceobservedthatalanguageteacher’spurposeoughttobeto“bringaboutlong-termimprovementandcognitivechange”(p.229).Suchanobjectivewillrequirecurricularandpersonalteachingphilosophiesthatarebasedonsoundteachingprinciplesthatcanadapttothedynamicsofanylanguageteachingenvironment.Itisourhopethatthisworkbookwillleadtothatend.

mission statement

TheEnglishLanguageCenteriscommittedtoqualityteachingandlearningofEnglishasasecondlanguageanddedicatedservice.Weworktogethertoaccomplishthisby:

Educatingstudentsusingthebestmethodsand technologyavailable

Inspiringagospelcenteredlifestyle

Promotingcuttingedgeresearch

Sharingourexpertiseandresourceswiththe churchandcommunity

Trainingfacultyinteaching,administration, andcurriculumdevelopment

Duringitsfirst25years,theEnglishLanguageCenter(ELC)sawthousandsofstudentsdeveloplanguageskillsandculturalunderstandingandhundredsofteachersandbuddingadministratorsgaininvaluableprofessionalinsightsandexperience.Whilepastaccomplishmentsaresignificant,thefuturepossibilitiesoftheELCareevenmorepromising.However,fortheELCtoachieveitspotential,languageinstructionmustbepositionedonaprincipledcurriculum.Justasanywell-preparedlanguageteachermustbegovernedbyateachingphilosophy—basedonasoundunderstandingoftheEnglishlanguageandhowitistaughtandlearned—sotoomustalanguageprogrambegroundedphilosophically.Totheseends,thiscurriculumphi-losophyhasbeendraftedtoserveasaguidingdocumentfortheELCcurriculumandrelatedresearch.

Thisdocumentisdividedintothreemajorsections:CurriculumPhilosophy;ContextandDefinitions;andFacts,Assumptions,ActionSteps,andResearchQuestions.TheCurriculumPhilosophyprovidesadefinitionofcurriculumandpresentstheprinciplesonwhichELCcurriculardecisionsarebased.ContextandDefini-tionsprovidesaclearsettingforimportantissuessuchasstudentneeds,facultyexperience,andbudgetandresourceconstraintsthatmustbeconsideredincurriculardecisions.TheFacts,Assumptions,ActionSteps,andResearchQuestionssectionisthecoreofthisdocument.Itincludesourcommonlyheldbeliefsaboutprinciplesoflanguagelearningandteachingthatinformcurriculardecisionsaswellasresearchquestionsaimedatrefiningourassumptionsandactionsteps.

The ELC curriculum philosophy is based on one definition and three principles. While curriculum has a variety of meanings, Rogers (1989, p. 26) offers a functional description. For ELC purposes:

Curriculum is all those activities in which [students] engage under the auspices of the school. This includes not only what [students] learn, but how they learn it, how teachers help them learn, using what supporting materials, styles and methods of assessment, and in what kind of facilities.

Along with this definition, three interrelated principles are applied to develop and maintain a curriculum that is stable, responsive, and cohesive (see Figure 1). While each of these principles is delineated in greater detail below, the following serves as a brief outline. Though all effective curricula must embrace some innova-tion, a stable curriculum implements change in a way that is orderly, systematic, and principled.

For a curriculum to change in this manner and to remain viable, it must also be responsive to such factors as student needs, institutional and environmental changes, and current research. Without responsiveness, a stable curriculum soon stagnates. Finally, a sound curriculum is cohesive in that there is internal consistency and continu-ity between and across the various elements of the curriculum.

english language center curriculum Philosophy

elc curriculum PhilosoPhy

Youhavetenstudentsinyourclasswhoarerecenthighschoolgraduates,twoareuniversitygraduatespreparingtoentergraduateschoolinaU.S.university,andoneisahistoryteacherhereonleavetoimprovehisEnglishlanguageskills.

classroom management

What challenges might you face in maintaining a stable, responsive, and cohesive class?

institution individual

stable

resPonsive cohesive

InwhatwaysdoyouthinkthecurrentELCcurriculumisStable?

Cohesive?

Responsive?

Howcoulditbemore

Stable?

Cohesive?

Responsive?

Whydoyouneedapersonalteachingphilosophy?

Whataspectsofthecurriculum,asdefinedbyRodgers(1989),doyouhavedirectinfluenceover?

“This curriculum philosophy is designed to be used as a tool for all who have a stake in the ELC curriculum.”

Stable Cohesive Responsive

2

Figure 1. Curriculum Principles

3

PurPosesThiscurriculumphilosophyservestwoprimarypurposes.First,itdefinestheprinciplesthatguideELCcur-riculardecisions.Thisisparticularlyimportantinalabprogram(seeContextandDefinitions)suchasthatoftheELC,wherefrequentturnoveroffacultyandadministratorsiscommon.Similarly,sincetheELCisexposedtothelatestthinkingandtrendsinlanguageteaching,withoutguidingprinciplesthecurriculumcouldeasilyevolveintoacollectionofwell-intentionedideas.AsPatriciaA.Richard-Amato(2003,p.195)hasobserved,“Ahodgepodgeofactivities...doesnotacurriculummake.”Second,thisdocumentestablish-estheguidelinesforcurricularimplementationandrelatedresearch.Inthisregardithelpsestablishamuch-neededinstitutionalmemory.Ratherthanjustbeingmovedbygreatideas,theELCcurriculumisgroundedonacommonbase.

useThiscurriculumphilosophyisdesignedtobeusedasatoolbyallwhohaveastakeintheELCcurriculum.Inparticular,theFacultyTrainingandCurriculumCommittee(FTC)andtheExecutiveCouncil(EC)mayuseitasaguidelinetoanalyzecurriculumandresearchquestionssuchaswhataspectsoftheEnglishlanguagewillbetaught,whyandhowtheywillbetaught,andwhentheywillbetaught.EachofthesequestionsmustbeaddressedclearlyandconsistentlyascurricularchangesareconsideredfortheELC.Thisdocumentalsoservesasaguideforteachertraining,whichisanessentialaspectofaqualitycurriculum.Additionally,thisdocu-mentiscentraltothemissionandpurposeoftheTesting,Research,andEvaluationCommittee(TREC).

stableAstablecurriculumisbuiltonprovenprinciplesoflanguageteachingandlearningthataregarneredthroughyearsofresearchandexperience.Atthesametime,acurriculumresistanttoinnovationwillsoonstagnate.Whileappropriateinnovationsarevitaltokeepthecurriculumviable,current,andvibrant,astableprogramwillhaveadeliberate,principled,andsystematicprocedureformanagingcurricularchange.Unwarrantedchangesmadewithoutconstraintcanbedisruptiveandcounterproductive;rather,curricularchangemustbeplanned,purposeful,andcontrolled.ThisisparticularlytrueinalabschoolsuchastheELC,wheretheremaybethetendencybasedonthelatestteachingtrendstochangethecurriculumfrequently.StabilityandchangearecomplementaryconceptsintheELCcurriculum.Astablecurriculumisdynamicandintunewiththeinstitutionalenvironmentofteachingandlearning.

Stabilitycanbeachievedinanumberofdimensions—suchascontinuityoftextbooks,materials,faculty,teachingtechniques,andapproachestoassessment.Inordertomaintainastablecurriculuminaclimateofchange,theELCcurriculumhasoversightbyandinputfromanumberofkeycommittees:FacultyTrain-ingandCurriculum(FTC),ExecutiveCouncil(EC),theCoordinator’sCouncil(CC),andtheTesting,Research,andEvaluationCommittee(TREC).PrincipaloversightofthecurriculumistheresponsibilityoftheFTCcommittee,whichreviewsandrecommendschangestotheECandCCforfinalapproval.Inaddi-tion,TRECdiscussesandrecommendschangesinassessmentandresearch-relatedissues.

resPonsiveResponsivenessinthecurriculumisdirectlyconnectedtostability.Foracurriculumtoremainviableandstable,itmustberesponsivetoavarietyoffactorssuchasstudentneedsandexpectations,teacherability,materialresources,sponsoringinstitution,andassessmentandresearch.Whilesuchresponsescaneither

“Stability and change are complementary concepts. . .”

institution


Sincethisisyourfirstsemesterteaching,manystudentsintheclassdonottrustyourabilityasateacher;somestudentshaveexpressedthisverballyinfrontofotherstudents.Youinturnhavedevelopedamistrustofthestudents.

What impact will this situation have on the three key principles of a sound curriculum?

individual

Whatdoesprincipled curriculummean? Stable, cohesive,andresponsivearekeyprinciplesoftheELCcurriculumphilosophy.Howaretheseelementsapplicabletoyourpersonalphilosophy?

Stable

Cohesive

Responsive

Whataresomepossiblefactorsthatcouldbringinstabilitytoyourclassroomcurriculum?


4 5

bereactiveorproactive,theELCactsproactivelyinitsresponsetofactorsthatinfluencethecurriculum.Suchaposturecanonlybemaintainedbyestablishingacultureofawareness.Thisawarenesscomesthroughstayinginformedofstudentneeds,interests,andattitudes;keepinginvolvedininstitutionalmatters;partici-patinginhighlevelsofprofessionalactivity;andmaintaininganactiveandinformedresearchagenda.Suchresearchisdrivenbyquestionsarisingfromongoingprogramassessmentandevaluationandinturnrefinesandinformspractice.

cohesiveCohesionwithinacurriculumimpliesthatthereisinternalconsistencyandcontinuitybetweenandwithinlevels.Thissuggeststhatbothstudentsandteachersunderstandthatwhattheyarelearningandteachingisrelatedtootheraspectsoftheprogram.Forinstance,whathappensinleveltwoisinfluencedbywhatistaughtinlevelsoneandthree.Cohesioncanalsooccuracrossclasseswithinaparticularlevel.Forexample,inawritingclass,studentsmaywriteaboutthesametopictheyarereadingaboutintheirreadingclassorusevocabularyintheirgrammarclassthattheylearnedintheirlistening/speakingclass.Suchanapproachislikelytoreinforcelearning.Cohesionisalsomanifestinmaterialsandactivitiesthatprepareadvancedstudentstomeetfutureneedssuchasprofessionaloruniversity-levelEnglishstudy.Thustheselogicallinkscanappearbetweenlevelsandacrossclasses,languageskills,andlearningresources.Suchcohesion,however,requirescarefulplanningandintegrationofthecurriculum.Thoughfavoringoneoftheseprinciplestotheexclusionoftheotherswouldbeproblematic,togetherthesethreeprinciplesbringadynamicbalanceandprospectivethatprotectsandstrengthensthecurriculum.

curriculum oversight and imPlementationTheFTCcommittee,inconjunctionwithTREC,hasprimaryresponsibilityforcurriculumoversightandimplementationattheELC.Suggestionsforcurricularchangesmaybesubmittedbyanyone(students,teachers,staff,etc.)associatedwiththeELC.However,inordertomaintainaresponsive,stable,andcohe-sivecurriculum,allcurriculumproposalsshouldbesubmittedtotheskillareacoordinatorwiththemostdirectsupervisionoveraproposedchange.SkillareacoordinatorssubmitproposedchangestotheFTCandTRECforreviewandrecommendations.ProposedchangescaneitherbeapprovedforsubmissiontotheECforrevieworsentbacktotheskillareacoordinatorforfurtherrevision.OncetheFTCandTREChaveapprovedproposedchanges,thosechangesarethensentontotheECforreview.FollowingreviewbytheEC,curricularchangesaresentbacktotheFTCforrevisionorimplementation.

Asageneralguideline,FTCandTRECwillreviewproposalsthathavebroad,consequentialimplicationsfortheELCcurriculum.FTCandTRECdonottypi-callyreviewscheduling,logistical,andadministrativechanges(seeFigure2,page8).

“Cohesion within a curriculum implies that there is internal consistency and continuity between and within levels. This suggests that both students and teachers understand that what they are learning and teaching is related to other aspects of the program.”

institution


ItisyourfirstsemesterteachingandyouhaveaLevel4grammarclass.WhileyouareanativespeakerofEnglish,thegrammartermsandconceptsaresonewthatitisallyoucandotogetthroughales-sonwithoutstudentsconfrontingyouandquestioningyourauthorityasateacher.Morepreparationwouldhelp,butyouhaveotherresponsibilitiesthatdemandyourtime.Duetotimelimitations,youaredoingallyoucantoprepare,butthecontentisoverwhelming.

What impact will this situation have on the three key principles of a sound curriculum?

individual

InwhatwayscantheELCcurriculumbemorecohesivewithinandbetweenlevelsandskills?

Howcanyoubuildcohesionwithinandbetweenyourclassroomcurriculum?

Whatmustateacherdotodevelopacultureofawarenessintheclassroom?


6 7

Aphilosophyvoidofcontextislittlemorethanacollectionofinterestingideas.ThefollowingcontextsanddefinitionsserveastheunderpinningsforthecurricularassumptionsandactionstepsoftheELC.

mission statementThemissionstatementdocumentprovidesthebasesfor:• Educatingstudentsusingthebestmethodsandtechnologyavailable• SharingourexpertiseandresourceswiththeChurchandcommunity• Promotingcutting-edgeresearch• Inspiringagospel-centeredlifestyle• Trainingfacultyinteaching,administration,andcurriculumdevelopment

lab schoolTheBYUEnglishLanguageCenterexistsasalabschoolwithadualeducativepurpose.First,thecenterexistsasanessentialcomponentoftheDepartmentofLinguisticsandEnglishLanguagegraduateTESOLpro-grams.Graduatestudentsinthecertificateandmaster’sprogramsusetheELCasalaboratoryforresearch,administration,andteaching.Second,inordertoprovidegraduatestudentswithauthenticteachingexperi-ences,theELCalsoprovidesacademicEnglishlanguageinstructionforESLlearners.

administrationTheELCishousedintheLinguisticsandEnglishLanguageDepartmentoftheCollegeofHumanitiesandisoverseenbytherespectivedeananddepartmentchair.InthisregardtheELChelpsfulfilltheoverallacademicmissionofboththecollegeandthedepartmentbyprovidingafertileenvironmentforpreparingteachers,trainingadministrators,andconductingresearch.

implementation implementation

revision

implementation

revision

teachersstudents

staff

skill areacoordinator

ftc/trec

executivecouncil

implementationinput revision

It’syourfirstsemesterteachingattheELC.Manyofthestudentsarenearyourage,andtheyseemnottorespectyouasateacher.Theymanifestthisdisrespectinavarietyofways:feetondesks,talkingtootherswhileyouareteaching,throwingthingsacrosstheroom,yawningoutloudwhileyouarespeaking.


list some possible effects this situation will have on the curriculum of the class.


Howaretheprinciplesofastable,cohesiveandresponsivecurriculumincorporatedintoFigure2?

Howaretheprinciplesofastable,cohesiveandresponsivecurriculumincorporatedintotheELCMissionStatement?

Howwouldyoutrytogetateachingtechniquethathasbeensuccessfulinyourclassimple-mentedintotheELCcurriculum?

“A stable curriculum is built on proven principles of language teaching and learning that are garnered through years of research and experience. At the same time, a curriculum resistant to innovation will soon stagnate.”


Figure 2. Curriculum Input and Implementation

context & definitions

8 9

TheadministrationspecifictotheELCconsistsofthreelevels(seeFigure3).ThefirstadministrationlevelistheELCcoordinator,whooverseestheentireinstitution,alongwithanadministrativeexecutivesecretaryandoperationsmanager.Thesecondlevelconsistsofacoordinatoroftechnologyandassessment,anassociatecoordinatorfortesting,anassociatecoordinatorforcurriculum,anassociatecoordinatorforoutreach,andaspecialistincurriculumandtestdevelopment.ThesefirsttwolevelsmakeuptheELCCoordinator’sCouncil,whichprovidesrecommendationstothedirector,overseesparticularELCneeds(e.g.,curriculum,testing,evaluation,andstudentsupport),andservestomaintainaninstitutionalmemory.Thethirdlevelconsistsofsixfull-timefacultymembers(sevenonthediagram)whoworkattheELCforthreeyears.Thefull-timefacultymembersareassignedspecificresponsibilities,whichmayincludeskillareacoordination(listeningandspeaking,reading,writing,andgrammar),studentlife,theStudentAccessStudyCenter(SASC),labs,TOEFLpreparation,religionclasses,theELCchoir,etc.Responsibilitieswillbedividedamongthefacultyasneededandmaychangeandrotate.ThethreelevelstogethermakeuptheELCExecutiveCouncil,whichoverseesthespecificneedsoftheELC.

affiliationsWhiletheELCisaself-supportingEnglishlanguageprogram,itistieddirectlytoBrighamYoungUniver-sitythroughtheCollegeofHumanitiesandtheLinguisticsandEnglishLanguageDepartment.ItalsoworkscloselywiththeDivisionofContinuingEducation,whichprovidesavarietyofadditionalsupportservices(seeFigure4,page12).Eachoftheaffiliationsdepictedinfigure4hasanimpactonhowtheELCoperatesandmayinfluencefuturedirectionstheELCtakes..

organizational chart english language center – brigham young university

dean of college of humanities

administrativeexecutive secretary

technology andassessment coordinator

conferences& Workshops

associate coordinatorfor outreach

associate coodinatorfor curriculum

associate coordinatorfor testing

curriculum and testdevelopment

listening/speaking

tttc sascWritingstudent

lifereading

computerlab/csrs

graduate-student instructors and Part-time instructors

grammar

coordinator operations manager

chair of department oflinguistics and english

language

Technologyisawonderfulthing,butcellphoneshavebecomeaprobleminyourELCclasses.Somestudentsseemtospendasmuchtimetextingastheydoparticipatinginclass.Inaddition,almostallcellphoneconversationsareinstudents’nativelanguages.


What impact does this situation have on your ability to maintain a stable, cohesive and responsive class?


ThemultipleorganizationsaffiliatedwiththeELChaveanimpactonwhathappensattheELC.InwhatwaysmusttheELCberespon-sivetothesemultipleorganizations?

InwhatwaysmustyouasaclassroomteacherberesponsivetotheorganizationswithwhichtheELCisaffiliated?

“For a curriculum to remain viable and stable, it must be responsive to a variety of factors such as student needs and expectations, the ability of the teachers, material resources, the sponsoring institution, assessment and research.”


Figure 3. Organization of the Enlish Language Center

10 11

PoliciesELCpoliciesandproceduresincludeallwrittenguidelinesforgoverningaspectsofadministrative,instruc-tional,orrecreationalactivityattheELC.TheELCrecognizesthevalueofmaintainingauniformlistingofpoliciesandproceduresdesignedtopreventproblemsandtostandardize,simplify,andstreamlineday-to-dayoperationsinonecomprehensivedocumentandseekstomakeappropriatesectionsasaccessibleaspossibletothosewhoareexpectedtocarryoutthepoliciesandprocedures.the elc strives to accommodate the following groups:1. Students—TheELCwritespolicyandprocedureinformationforstudentsinsimplelanguageand providesappropriatetranslationswheneverpossible.2.Teachers—Duetohighturnoversandhecticstudentschedules,theELCmakespolicyandprocedure informationasaccessibleaspossibletoteachersthroughsummaries,bulletedsections,etc.3.University—Ratherthanoperatingasanindependent,self-supportedprogram,theELCrecognizes itsroleinfulfillingthepurposesofitssponsoringdepartment,college,anduniversity.Therefore, theELCseekstoimplementalluniversity,college,anddepartmentalpoliciesandproceduresinan exemplarymanner.

facultyTheEnglishLanguageCenterfacultyiscomposedoffull-andpart-timestaff(seetable1,page14).Full-timefacultyconsistsofrecentBYUgraduateswithanMAinTESOL,linguistics,andlanguageacquisitionwhoarehiredtononrenewablethree-yearteaching/administrativepositions.Inaddition,full-timeadministra-torsincludetheCoordinator’sCouncil,whosemembersserveforanunspecifiednumberofyears.Part-timefacultyincludesMAandTESOLgraduatecertificatestudentsandcommunityteachers.ThemajorityofELCteachershavehighlevelsofTESOLtrainingbutlimitedclassroomexperience.Theaverageteachingexperi-enceforafacultymemberattheELCisonlytwotothreesemesters.

the church of Jesus christ of latter-day saints

brigham young university

college of humanities

linguistics and english language department

english languagecenter

continuingeducation

Youbeginclassontimeeachday,butalmostwithoutexception,severalstudentsarrivelate.Onsomedaysbarelyhalfthestudentsareintheirseatsatthebeginningofclass.




Whatimpactdopolicieshaveontherespon-sive,stable,andcohesivenatureoftheELC?

Whatimpactdopolicies,bothinstitutionalandindividual,haveonyourabilitytodevelopastable,responsive,andcohesivecurriculuminyourclass?

“. . . curricular change must be planned, purposeful and controlled.”


Figure 4. English Language Center Affiliations

12 13

suPPort staff Supportstaffisinplacetoprovideassistancetoteachersandstudents.Thestaffservesintheoperationsman-ager’soffice,theSASC,thecomputerlab,andthefrontofficeatUniversityParkwayCenter(UPC),homeoftheELC.Theoperationsmanagermakesdecisionsrelatedtostudentadmission,studentvisasandI-20verification,andpaymentoftuition.Heorshealsosupervisesthepart-timestudentsecretariesintheoffice,whoanswerthetelephone,makecopiesforteachers,andanswerquestionsforstudentsandvisitorsaboutadmissiontotheELC.

Theexecutiveassistantmanagesthepart-timestudentsecretaries,SASCattendants,andpaidandvolunteerSASCtutors.SASCattendantscheckoutmaterialstostudentsandrespondtoquestions.SASCtutorsmeetwithstudentsbyappointmenttoprovideassistance,input,andfeedbackonassignments;meetwithsmallgroupsofstudentsforspeakingpractice;andassistinmanagingthepart-timestudentsecretaries.Assis-tantComputerSupportRepresentatives(CSRs)andlabattendantsworkinthecomputerlab.AssistantCSRsprovidesupportwithin-housecomputer-andtechnology-relatedquestions.Labattendantsrespondtostudentquestionsaboutcomputerassignmentsstudentshavereceivedinclass.

this table displays information about the composi-tion of the teachers at the elc. data are for the

first two columns are percentages for each segment of the teacher population and data for the other

columns are averages.

highest level ofProfessional training

byu student—first semester

byu student—2 or more semesters

non-student—first semester

non-student—2 or more semesters

executive council—fulltime

byu linguistics & english language faculty

tesol courses

tesol certificate

master’s degree

master’s degree

ma plus coursework

Ph.d.

15% 110% 0

30% 534% 3

4% 14% 1

33% 1336% 5

14%

4%

8

11

15%

1%

3

18

facu

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ompo

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seme

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s tea

chin

g es

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he e

lc

clas

ses p

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mest

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tions

Youspendalotoftimepreparingyourlessonplansandtheactivities.Youfollowtheplansclosely.Yousensethatsomeofthestudentsalreadyknowwhatyouarecovering.Thisissometimesmanifestinopenexpressionsofboredom,butyoudon’twanttorushthroughyourplans.Otherwiseyoumayrunoutofthingstodo.



institution

GiventhenatureofthefacultyattheELCasdescribedinTable1onpage14,howcanastable,responsive,cohesivecurriculumbeestablished?

Inwhatwaysaretheprinciplesofastable,responsiveandcohesivecurriculumappli-cabletotheELCSupportStaff?

“This curriculum philosophy is designed to be used as a tool for all who have a stake in the ELC curriculum.”


Table1. ELC Faculty Composition

14 15

studentsStudentscometotheELCtolearnEnglishforvariousreasons.AlargemajoritystudyattheELCtobecomeproficientenoughinEnglishtoattendanAmericanuniversityasgraduateorundergraduatestudents.TheotherswishtolearnEnglishtopursueotherprofessionalendeavors.Thestudents’proficienciesvarygreatly.Students’proficiencylevelsrangefromnovice-midtoadvanced-low.Therearefivelevels.

ELCstudentscomefrommorethan45nations.Whilethetotalnumberofcountriesislarge,nearlythree-quartersofthestudentbodycomesfromsixcountries:Korea,Mexico,Taiwan,Japan,Peru,andMongolia.KoreaisthemostrepresentedcountryattheELC,butSpanishisthemostcommonnativelanguageamongthestudents.

Studentsrangeinagefrom17toover50withmorethanhalfthestudentbodyfallingbetweentheagesof17and25.Nearly66percentofthesestudentsaremembersofTheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints.OtherreligionsrepresentedattheELCincludeBaptist,Methodism,Pentecostalism,Buddhism,andCatholicism.

WhilesomestudentsstudyattheELConlyonesemester,afewhavebeenknowntostayuptotwoyears.Lessthan1.5percentoftheELCstudentbodyactuallybeginsatLevel1andworkstheirwaythroughallfiveprofi-ciencylevels.TheaveragedurationofstudyattheELCis2.75semesters,excludingsemestersdesignatedforvacationsormedicalleave,which,onaverage,includesapproximately10percentofthestudentbodyatanygiventime.Theaveragenumberofproficiencylevelssuccessfullycompletedduringastudent’stimeattheELCis2.5.Thoughnearly1.5percentofthestudentbodywillskipalevelatsometimeduringtheirstudyattheELC,thesefiguresshowthatmanystudentsneedtorepeattheirclassesoneormoretimesbeforeprogressingtothenextproficiencylevel.Table2illustratestheaveragepercentageofstudentsateachproficiencylevel.

resourcesTheELChasmostoftheUniversityParkwayCenter(UPC)devotedtoitsuse.TheELChasaccesstothebuild-ingMondaythroughFridayuntil6pm.After6pm,onlythefirstfloorisdevotedtotheELC.After6pmandonweekends,thebuildingservesasachurchbuildingforcampuswards.ThefacilitiesoftheUPCincludeacomputerlab,aself-accessstudycenter(SASC),ateacherresourcelibrary,part-timeteacheroffices,full-timeteacheroffices,amainofficewith2copymachines,astaff/storageroom,20classrooms,2kitchensandagym-nasium.Thereareapproximately85student-accessiblecomputersand30computersforfacultyandstaffuse.

BecausetheELCisaself-supportinginstitution,itsbudgetisdirectlyrelatedtostudentenrollment.AndgiventheELC’saffiliationwiththeLinguisticsEnglishLanguageDepartmentandtheCollegeofHumanities,theELC’sbudgetisalsolinkedtothesetwouniversityunits.ThebudgetismaintainedandadjustedbytheCoordinators’CouncilandismanagedbytheOperationsManager.

5.5%

level 1

13.0%

level 2

23.5%

level 3

31.5%

level 4

26.5%

level 5


Onaverage,studentsstudyonly2.75semestersattheELC.Howcantheprogrammaintainastable,responsive,andcohesivecurriculum?

HowdoestheknowledgethatstudentsstudyattheELCforanaverageof2.75semestersinfluencewhatyouteachintheclassroom?

Demandsonyourtimehavebeenparticularlyheavythissemester.TherejustisnotenoughtimetofullyprepareforyourclassattheELC.Youborrowlessonplans,andactivitiesfromotherteacherstocompensateforyourlackofpreparation.Groupworkisusedquiteextensivelytofillgapsinclasswhenyoudon’thaveprepared,focused,meaningfulactivities.




Table2. Percentage of ELC Students at Each Proficiency Level

16 17

GiventheELC’sCurriculumPhilosophyandthecontextsanddefinitionsout-linedabove,thefollowingsectionofthisdocumentincludesthefacts,assump-tions,andcorrespondingactionstepsthatrepresentcommonly-heldbeliefsandguidingprinciplesthatinformELCcurriculumdevelopmentanddecision-making.Essentialfacts,assumptions,actionsteps,andcorrespondingresearchquestionsareincludedforeachofthefollowingsections:

1. faculty

2. students

3. language learning 4. technology

5. research

Youcannotrecallaclasssessionwhenastudentortwodoesnotgetupinthemiddleofclassandwalkout.Theyusuallystayoutoftheclassforprolongedperiodsoftime.




facts, assumptions, action steps & research Questions

18 19

As any good teacher knows, the methods of instruction and the range of material covered are matters of small importance as compared with the success in arousing the natural curiosity ofthe students and stimulating their interest in exploring on their own.(Chomsky,1988,p.135). facts and assumptions1. Experienceandtrainingwillimproveteachers’skills.

2. ThemajorityofELCteachersneedsupportduetotheirlimitedclassroomexperience.

3. Teachers,regardlessofexperiencelevel,needinstitutionaltrainingtosucceedattheELC.

4. TeacherturnoverattheELCwillbehighandfairlyconstant.

5. Teachers’goals,motivationsandcommitmentlevelsvary.

6. Teachersneedeffectiveclassroommanagementskillsinordertofacilitateteachingandlearning.

7. Teachingandlearningarefacilitatedwhenteachersunderstandcourseobjectives.

8. EffectivecollaborationandcommunicationimprovetheELC.

9. ProfessionaldevelopmentactivitiesbenefitteachersandtheELC.

10.Effectivelyassessingstudentskillsimprovesteachingandlearning.

11. Observationsareaneffectiveformofprofessionaldevelopment.

12. ProfessionalismbenefitstheELCandteachercareerdevelopment.

13. Transparentandequitablesubstitutionpolicieswillenhanceteachingandlearning andteachermorale.

14. Effectivetutoringcanenhancestudentlearning.

15. Teachersaffectstudents.

1. Experienceandtrainingwillimprove teachers’skills.

2.ThemajorityofELCteachersneedsupportdue totheirlimitedclassroomexperience.

3.Teachers,regardlessofexperiencelevel,need institutionaltrainingtosucceedattheELC.

4.TeacherturnoverattheELCwillbehighand fairlyconstant.

5.Teachers’goals,motivationsandcommitment levelsvary.

6.Teachersneedeffectiveclassroommanagementskills inordertofacilitateteachingandlearning.

7.Teachingandlearningarefacilitatedwhenteachers understandcourseobjectives.

8.Effectivecollaborationandcommunicationimprove theELC.

9. Professionaldevelopmentactivitiesbenefitteachers andtheELC.

10.Effectivelyassessingstudentskillsimprovesteaching andlearning.

11.Observationsareaneffectiveformofprofessional development.

12.ProfessionalismbenefitstheELCandteacher careerdevelopment.

13.Transparentandequitablesubstitutionpolicieswill enhanceteachingandlearningandteachermorale.

14.Effectivetutoringcanenhancestudentlearning.

15.Teachersaffectstudents.

fact/assumption stable cohesive responsive

Completethetablebelowbyindicatingwhichprinciple(s)youthinkthe15factsandassumptionsabouttheELCfacultycorrespondwith.

faculty

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1. experience and training will improve teachers’ skills.

aCTion sTeps1.1 Wegiveteachersopportunitiestotutorstudentsandmentorteachers.1.2 Wegiveteachersopportunitiestorequesttoteachdifferentskillsandlevels.1.3 Wegiveteachersopportunitiestobeobservedandreceivefeedbackontheirteaching.1.4 Wegiveteachersopportunitiestoparticipateincommitteeworkanddevelopmaterials.1.5 Wegiveteachersopportunitiestoparticipateinongoingresearchprojects.1.6 WeofferrecentgraduatestheopportunitytoapplyforELCpositions.

Research Questions a. Whatimpactdoclassobservationshaveonteacherswhoarebeingobserved? b.WhatobservationmethodsaremosteffectiveforELCteachers? c. WhatpercentageofELCteachersparticipatesincommitteesandresearchprojects, andhowdotheyfeelaboutthoseexperiences? d.WhatimpactdoesECexperiencehaveonemployabilityandcareerdevelopment? e. WhatpartsoftheELCexperiencearemostvaluabletoteachersintheirfuturecareers?

2. the majority of elc teachers need support due to their limited classroom experience.

aCTion sTeps2.1 Wepaireverynewteacherwithaskilledteacherwhohasrecentlytaughtthatsamecoursetwice andiscurrentlyteachingthatcourse.2.2 Weestablisharegularlineofcommunicationbetweenmentors,mentees,andskillareacoordinators. Weestablishasystemofaccountabilitythroughthislineofcommunication.2.3 Wepaymentorsadequately.2.4 Weprovideanonlinediscussionboardforeachskill.2.5 Teacherswhoteachthesamestudentsmeetandcoordinateefforts.2.6 WeprovidethroughtheELCWebsitealistofteacherswhohavetaughteachskillareaandlevel.2.7 Weprovideopportunitiestoobserve,beobserved,andreceivefeedback.2.8 Weprovideinservicetraining.2.9 Weprovidementoring.2.10 Weencouragepeermentoring.

ResearchQuestions a. Howdoteacherandstudentsatisfactioncomparebetweenlabschools(i.e.,theELC) andnon-labschools? b.WhatpercentageofELCteachersparticipatesinpeercollaboration,andhowdotheyfeel abouttheseexperiences?

Studentsintheclassalwaystendtositnexttofriendsandotherswhospeaktheirnativelanguage.Thisresultsinalotofnon-Englishchatterinclass.



Selectoneofthe15FactsandAssumptionsthatseemsparticularlypertinenttoyouatthistimeinyourcareer,andlistthreespecificactionstepsyoucantaketoimproveyourabilitiesasalanguageteacher.1.

2.

3.

BasedonthequotebyRandyBass(above)identifya“problem”inyourteachingthatyoucouldresearch.

“One telling measure of how differently teaching is regarded from traditional scholarship or research within the academy is what a difference it makes to have a ‘problem’ in one versus the other. In scholarship and research, having a ‘problem’ is at the heart of the investigative process; it is the compound of the generative questions around which all creative and productive activity revolves. But in one’s teaching, a ‘problem’ is something you don’t want to have, and if you have one, you probably want to fix it. Asking a colleague about a problem in his or her research is an invitation; asking about a problem in one’s teaching would probably seem like an accusation. Changing the status of the problem in teaching from terminal remediation to ongo-ing investigation is precisely what the movement for a scholarship of teaching is all about.” (Bass, 1999, ¶ 1)


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3. teachers, regardless of experience level, need institutional training to succeed at the elc.

aCTion sTeps3.1 Weprovidenewteacherorientationandfollow-uptraining.3.2 Weprovideworkshops.3.3 WeprovideSASCandresourcelibrarytraining.3.4 Weprovidementoring.

Research Questions a. HowdoexperiencedandcommunityteachersfeelaboutELCprofessionaldevelopment? b.HowdoBYU’sTESOLgraduatestudentsperceivetheusefulnessofthetrainingincourses whenappliedtoteachingattheELC?* c. HowdoELCtrainingopportunitiescomparetootherIEPprofessionaldevelopment opportunities? d.Whattypesoflinguisticsclasses/trainingbestprepareteachersforteachinginadult ESLprograms?* e. WhataretheprofessionaldevelopmentneedsofELCteachers?Dowemeettheseneeds?4. teacher turnover at the elc will be high and fairly constant.

aCTion sTeps4.1 Weprovidesimpleandstraightforwardtrainingmaterials.4.2. Wekeeptrainingmaterialscurrent.

Research Questions a. WheredoELCteachersgoaftertheyleavetheELC? b.WhatcareergoalsdocurrentELCteachershave?

5. teachers’ goals, motivations and commitment levels vary.

aCTion sTeps5.1 WestrivetomeettheneedsofthosewhowillbenefitthemostfromwhattheELCcanofferthem.5.2 Inoureffortstohelpthosewhowanttoactivelyparticipateandimprovetheirskills,wedon’tget distractedbythosewhomaybelesscommittedorlesseagertoimprove.

Research Question Whatskills,goals,andexperiencedoestheExecutiveCouncillookforwhenhiringnewmembers?

6. teachers need effective classroom management skills in order to facilitate teaching and learning.

aCTion sTeps6.1 Weprovidetraininginclassroommanagementissuesandtechniques.6.2 WeprovidetrainingintheenforcementofELCandBYUpolicies.6.3 Weencourageteamteacherstocommunicatewitheachotherintheseareas.

Research Questions a. HowdoclassroommanagementissuescompareacrossELCproficiencylevels? b.Whatclassroommanagementissuesdoteachersfeeltheleastpreparedtoaddress?

7. teaching and learning are facilitated when teachers understand course objectives.

aCTion sTeps7.1 Wemakeskillareabindersasclearandaccessibleaspossible.7.2 Weurgeskillareacoordinatorstocontinuetoimproveandupdatethebinders.7.3 Weensureasufficientnumberofbindersareavailable.

Research Questions a. HowhaveELCcourseobjectiveschangedovertime? b.WhattrendsandneedshaveinfluencedtheevolutionoftheELCcurriculum?

8. effective collaboration and communication improve the elc.

aCTion sTeps8.1 Teachersregularlycommunicatewithteamteachers.8.2 Teacherssharesyllabiandmaterials.8.3 Teachersparticipateinpeermentoring.8.4 Teachersparticipateincollaborativeresearchprojects.8.5 Teacherscommunicatewitheachotherandprogramadministratorsabouthowthe ELCmightbeimproved.8.6 Weprovideopportunitiesforthosewhowanttocollaborate.8.7 Werequireallskillareacoordinatorstodistributealistoffacultyteachingthesamecourses.8.8 Weprovideteacherswithalistofthethreeotherteachersintheirtrack.

ResearchQuestions a. Towhatdegreedoteacherscollaborateandcommunicateacrossclasstracks,andwhatform doesthiscollaborationtake? b.Whateffectdoesteachercollaborationhaveonteacherdevelopmentandstudentlearning?*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the marked research question has come from the ELC Research Agenda Document

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9. Professional development activities benefit teachers and the elc.

aCTion sTeps9.1 Weencouragethedevelopmentofeffectivematerials.9.2 Weencouragecollaborativeactionresearch.9.3 Weencourageconferenceattendanceandparticipation.

Research Question Whatareteachers’goalsforparticipatinginprofessionalconferences,andhowarethosegoalsmet?

10. effectively assessing student skills improves teaching and learning.

aCTion sTeps10.1 TeacherstakeLING660.10.2 Teacherssharetestswithotherteachers.10.3 Teachersarerequiredtoseethetestsbeforetheirstudentstakethem.10.4 Teachersresearchassessmentproceduresfortheskillareasandlevelstheyteach.10.5 Teachersprovidefeedbackonassessmentprocedures.

ResearchQuestions a. TowhatdegreedoesJust-In-Time(JIT)teachingtakeplaceattheELC? b.Howdoteachersuseteststoinformandinfluencetheirteaching? c. Howdoteachersuseneedsassessmentintheirclasses?Whateffectdoesneedsassessment haveonteachingandlearning?*

11. observations are an effective form of professional development.

aCTion sTeps11.1 Weexplainpurposesandconsequencesofobservationstoteachers.11.2 Weprovideobservationfeedbacktoteachers.

Research Questions a. Howdoteachersfeelaboutobservationfeedback? b.Whatformsoffeedbackdoteacherswantfromtheirsupervisors? c. Howdoesobservationinfluenceprofessionaldevelopment?

12. Professionalism benefits the elc and teacher career development.

aCTion sTeps12.1 TeacherscometoclassdressedprofessionallyandadheretoBYUdressandgroomingstandards.12.2 Teacherscommunicatewitheachotherbydailycheckingtheirpersonalboxes,e-mail,andphone messagesandreturningcommunicationspromptly.12.3 Teacherssupportandencouragestudentswhilemanagingclasseswell.

12.4 TeacherssupportandexemplifyEnglish-onlyandotherpolicies. 12.4.1 Weprovideeasy,current,andabridgedonlineaccesstowrittenstatementsofpolicies andprocedureswithfullversionsaccessiblethroughalink. 12.4.2 Wenotifyallfacultyofpolicychangeswithane-mailreferringthemtotheupdated onlineversion. 12.4.3 Werequireallteacherswhomissameetingtomakeupthehoursattheendofthesemester. 12.4.4 Weprovideopportunitiesforfacultytocontributetopolicyandprocedurediscussions throughmeetingnotes,blogs,etc.12.5 Teachersmeettheirnonteachingcommitments. 12.5.1 Teachersattendandfacilitateextracurricularevents. 12.5.2 TeachersrateLevelAchievementTests(LATS).12.6 Teacherscometoclasspreparedandteachwell. 12.6.1 Teachersspendatleastonehourperdaypreparingforclass. 12.6.2 Studentsprovideteacherfeedback. 12.6.3 Teachersareprovidedwithongoing,systematicobservations. 12.6.4 Teachersuseclasstimewisely. 12.6.5 Teachersusecommunicativeactivitiesinclass. 12.6.6 Teachersapplyappropriatefeedbackfromobservers.

Research Questions a. HowdoIEPsandotherintensivelanguageprogramsencouragelanguageuse? b.Howdoteacherlessonplanscompareinstructuresandactivities? c. Howdoesateacher’sparticipationinLATratinginfluencetheirteaching?

13. transparent and equitable substitution policies will enhance teaching and learning and teacher morale.

aCTion sTeps13.1 Weprovideanequitableandaccessiblesubstitutionpolicy.13.2 Wegenerateanauthorizedlistofsubstitutes.13.3 Weprovideasystemforprovidingemergencysubstitutes.13.4 Weprovideteachersonesickdayasemesterforeachcoursetheyteach.

Research Question Howdoteacherschooseasubstitute?

14. effective tutoring can enhance student learning.

aCTion sTeps14.1 Tutorsreceiveorientation(includingtasksheets).14.2 Teachersprovidewritteninstructionstotutors,tutorssignit,andstudentsbringitback.

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14.3 TutorslookattutorbindersintheSASC.14.4 Studentsreceivehelpineachskillarea.14.5 WritingteacherstakestudentstotheSASCandshowthemwhereandhowtosignup.14.6 SkillareacoordinatorsprovidematerialsfortutorsintheSASC.

Research Questions a. Howdostudentsfeelabouttheirtutoringexperiences? b.Whatkindsofhelpdostudentsseekfromtutors?

15. teachers affect students.

aCTion sTeps15.1Teachersareobservedandprovidedfeedbackontheirclassroomrapport.

ResearchQuestion a. Whatexperiences,values,knowledge,andskillscharacterizeeffectiveadultESLteachers?* b.Whatcanadministratorsdotohelpteachersacquiredesirableexperiences,values,knowledge, andskills?* c. Accordingtostudents,whatarethequalitiesofagoodlanguageteacher? d.Howdostudentimpressionsofgoodteacherqualitiescompareacrossculturalgroups?

REFERENCES

Bass,R.(1999).Thescholarshipofteaching:what’stheproblem.Inventio1(1).RetrievedJanuary28,2008fromwww.doiiit.gmu.edu/Archives/feb98/randybass.htmLeki,I.(1992).Understanding ESL Writers: A Guide for Teachers.NewYork:St.Martin’sPress.

Rodgers,T.(1989).Syllabusdesign,curriculumdevelopmentandpolitydetermination.InR.K.Johnson(ed.)The Second Language Curriculum.NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress.

Reid,J.(1993).Teaching ESL Composition.EnglewoodCliffs:PrenticeHallRegents

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