Summary of "Онлайн форум: «Meaningful and involving communication in the classroom: myth or opportunities?»"
Summary of the Online Forum: «Meaningful and involving communication in the classroom: myth or opportunities?»
Main Ideas and Concepts
The forum focused on enhancing meaningful and engaging communication in English language classrooms, particularly within the context of Ukrainian educational reform and global teaching practices. It emphasized integrating communicative and 21st-century skills into language teaching, moving beyond traditional grammar-focused lessons to more interactive, learner-centered approaches. The event featured a mix of policy insights, practical teaching methodologies, and learner motivation strategies, supported by international cooperation and digital tools.
Key Themes and Lessons
1. Educational Reform in Ukraine: New Ukrainian School
- Shift from traditional knowledge reproduction to competency-based learning.
- Focus on student collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and responsibility.
- Teachers are required to create environments fostering language and 21st-century skills.
- Strong partnerships with international organizations (British Council, Council of Europe, etc.) support teacher professional development.
2. Online Teacher Community Platform (OTC)
- A digital space for over 5,000 teachers in the region to share ideas, access resources, and participate in webinars.
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs) on topics like 21st-century skills, ICT, special educational needs, and climate crisis education.
- Promotes continuous professional development and international collaboration.
3. Integrated Skills Approach (Claire)
- Language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) should be taught in an integrated way, reflecting real-life language use.
- Teaching should include opportunities for learners to use multiple skills simultaneously.
- Practical classroom strategies include:
- Using coursebook materials creatively to add speaking and writing tasks.
- Activities like brainstorming, storytelling, pair checks, and think-pair-share.
- Engaging learners to respond to texts (videos, articles) through speaking and writing.
- Jigsaw and running dictation activities to combine skills and foster communication.
- Encourage natural, meaningful responses rather than mechanical language use.
- Emphasis on increasing speaking opportunities to balance receptive and productive skills.
4. Core Skills Development (Tatiana)
- Core skills include critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, citizenship, digital literacy, and leadership.
- Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to design lessons that encourage higher-order thinking.
- Strategies for critical thinking:
- Ask open-ended, thought-provoking questions.
- Encourage students to justify opinions with evidence.
- Promote active listening and consideration of multiple perspectives.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to include all learners and present content in varied ways.
- Leadership is about taking responsibility for one’s own learning, not just leading others.
- Digital literacy involves critical use of technology, safe online behavior, and sharing information.
- Incorporate core skills naturally with language teaching materials and activities.
5. Flipped Classroom Approach (Mahou)
- Students watch instructional videos or complete preparatory tasks at home.
- Class time is used for practicing communicative activities, expanding on the content learned.
- Benefits:
- Students control the pace of learning.
- More time in class for speaking and interaction.
- Supports differentiated learning and Universal Design for Learning.
- Challenges:
- Requires student motivation and teacher trust.
- Potential digital divide issues.
- Preparation workload for teachers creating or curating videos.
- Tips for motivating students include building rapport, learner training, and initial guided practice.
6. Real-Life Communication and Motivation (Jan and John)
- Emphasis on practical use of English in varied accents and real-life contexts.
- Importance of listening skills for understanding diverse speakers in professional environments.
- Real-life relevance and engaging content motivate learners.
- Recommendations include:
- Incorporating live communication opportunities with native speakers.
- Using multimedia and authentic materials.
- Creating classroom tasks simulating real-world interactions.
7. Practical Classroom Strategies and Q&A Highlights
- Use simple speaking tasks linked to grammar/vocabulary lessons (e.g., making sentences personal and sharing).
- Develop critical thinking by encouraging student questioning, evidence-based reasoning, and reflection.
- Leadership skills can be fostered by assigning roles and responsibilities in group work and encouraging self-directed learning.
- Real-life tasks can be created through projects, digital literacy activities, and connected classrooms (e.g., mystery Skype).
- Assessment of flipped classroom work focuses on in-class expansion activities rather than the preparatory work at home.
Detailed Methodologies and Instructions
Integrated Skills Teaching
- Identify skills present in coursebook lessons.
- Add speaking and writing activities to reading/listening tasks.
- Use pair/group work for comprehension checks and pronunciation practice.
- Employ jigsaw and running dictation to combine multiple skills.
- Encourage learners to respond personally and creatively to texts.
Developing Core Skills
- Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to frame questions and tasks.
- Foster classroom culture of inquiry and questioning.
- Use think-pair-share and project-based learning.
- Integrate digital literacy by having students create and share digital content.
- Promote leadership by assigning clear roles and encouraging responsibility.
Flipped Classroom Implementation
- Create or select short (3–7 min) videos aligned with course content.
- Assign videos and simple comprehension tasks as homework.
- Use class time for communicative practice and higher-order activities.
- Build student trust and train learners on how to engage with flipped materials.
- Monitor and assess understanding during in-class activities.
Creating Real-Life Communication Opportunities
- Organize live interactions with native speakers or other classrooms (e.g., mystery Skype).
- Use authentic multimedia resources.
- Design tasks that simulate real-world scenarios.
- Encourage sharing of personal experiences and cultural exchange.
Fostering Motivation and Engagement
- Personalize language use in tasks.
- Use engaging, culturally relevant, and varied content.
- Build strong teacher-student rapport.
- Encourage reflection and self-assessment.
Speakers and Sources Featured
- Victoria Vanessa – Project Manager, British Council Ukraine (Moderator/Host)
- Aksana Kavalianka – Lead Specialist, Department of Preschool, School, and Inclusive Education, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- Simon Atherton – Director, Future English Program, Wider Europe; Creator of Online Teacher Community Platform
- Olga Pavlianka – 8th President of IATEFL Ukraine; English Teacher and Teacher Trainer
- Maria Planner – British Council Senior Teacher and Moderator
- Claire – Experienced Teacher Trainer, British Council Lead Educator (Integrated Skills Specialist)
- Tatiana Dakshner – Teacher Trainer, PhD in Philology, Core Skills Expert, British Council Collaborator
- Mahou (Marco Galleno) – Educational Technologist, Moderator of Online Teacher Community Platform, Flipped Classroom Specialist
- Jan Kostiniak – Senior Network Engineer, English Learner and User, Slovakia (Learner Perspective)
- John – Architect, English Learner and User, London (Learner Perspective)
This forum provided a comprehensive and practical exploration of how to create meaningful, involving communication in English language classrooms through reform-aligned methodologies, technology use, and learner-centered strategies. It highlighted the importance of integrating language skills, fostering critical thinking and leadership, leveraging digital tools like flipped classrooms, and connecting learning to real-life contexts to motivate and empower learners.
Category
Educational
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