Unlearning to learn

A friend emailed me a notice about a talk by the grammarian Michael Swan recently. The seminar had a very intriguing title: What is happening to English, and how much does it matter? & Getting activity, movement and creativity into grammar lessons. But hey and wow, it’s Michael Swan! I have his book on the shelf. This definitely merits a long drive into Jurong, I thought to myself.

There was a very good turnout for the talk and Swan began the talk by telling us that we need to unlearn many things about grammar that we learnt in school because those rules are not in use anymore. He then went on to give 5 principles (well, it’s 4 +1 but I’ll explain later) to consider when teaching English and I thought these may be useful to you if you weren’t there to listen to him.

1. The room is your enemy. An intriguing statement but Swan simply meant that as teachers, we are often too concerned with what we should be doing in any lesson. But the really important issue should be what pupils do in a lesson. This means getting pupils actively using the language is more important than all the teaching that we try to do.

2. Quality and quantity are both important. We need pupils to use a large amount of language but we also want this language to be rich. How often do we have pupils talking during our classes and using a variety of structures, vocabulary and expressions? How can we create such a situation in our classroom where this can happen?

3. Group work and pair work are important for grammar practice. To allow for this we need to be tolerant of some noise and a loss of control. Teachers often worry about the mistakes pupils make in group and pair work and they are also worried that pupils may resort to using their mother tongues to get the task done. Well, you can’t do much about this but with group and pair work, you’d be assured that many more pupils will have opportunities to speak in English.

4. Activities that have an information gap present the most opportunity for language use and practice. An information gap simply means that one party has some information that the other party lacks. When this is the case, there is more motivation to communicate as the need for communication becomes real.

5. This fifth principle was not shown or clearly mentioned (as it often happens in talks) but from my notes, I decided that this could be it: Don’t try to teach too much. Rather focus on giving a lot of practice so that pupils learn and are able to use a smaller number of structures but with greater confidence. In other words, do more with less.

In any lesson, who gets to be most interesting? Swan said that it should not be the teacher or the materials. The students should the most interesting. So while their English might not be perfect, we can make them the most interesting by creating activities that allow them to be creative. One activity that he used to illustrate this is writing horoscopes for each other after reading some examples. A book that he mentioned which has good activities for grammar and oral fluency is Penny Ur’s classic Discussions that Work. I know that this is in RELC library but I’m sure it’s in NIE too.

Swan’s presentation was witty and full of old fashioned charm and he certainly was not the dull grammarian I’ve always imagined him to be. What he said about the changes in English also made very good sense. In a nutshell, his message is language change and variation is natural and inevitable. He pointed out that while native speakers are a valuable model of the language, native speaker competence is not a realistic aim. His advice to language teachers amidst the changes in English is simple:

1. Keep calm as these changes are merely small ripples in the vast English language ocean.

2. Stay informed by using good grammars and usage guides and good dictionaries. And keeping company with young people can also help us keep up with the changes and be more contemporary in our language use.

3. Be realistic. He suggested that teachers can only teach a small part of the language so they should concentrate on what matters most. He advised against perfectionism and to remember that rules are approximations. And as for accuracy think about: how much do we need; how much can we achieve? And how much can we afford.

I am not sure what you make of his views but here’s my take and let me summarise it in 5 points.

1. We need to unlearn old rules instead of hanging on to them and passing them on to our pupils mindlessly. Teachers often tell me that they were taught certain rules for example, not to use because to begin a sentence and they say this to their students without explaining why. Swan gave some other examples like the use of shall and whom, both of which are on their way out. Times have changed and so have rules.

2. We cover too much material in class but we don’t have enough opportunities for pupils to use real language. Worksheets don’t teach language and we do the most harm when we rely on worksheets to teach English. In short, we have quantity (of the wrong sort) and not enough quality.

3. Teachers are still too focused on what they want to teach rather than what students should learn, and on what they need to cover, than on what students need to be doing with the language taught. Try writing a lesson plan focused on what pupils will do instead of what you will do.

4. We still need to teach less. Do more with less. Help students master the basics of grammar well rather than teach the whole gamut.

5. We need better references for grammar and we need to be more diligent about looking up things that we don’t understand. Doing this will also help us understand the changes going on in the language.

And incase you're wondering, yup that's a photo of Michael Swan taken at the talk.


Speaking of unlearning reminded me of a Youtube video on unlearning featuring my favourite Star Wars guru, Yoda. You can watch it here:

Fill That Bucket

July and August have been good months. I have had many rich and happy moments and if I sound like I am trying to chalk up such experiences, you are right. Good times don’t come easily although I also believe that one must go looking for good times. And good times don’t mean shopping trips or anything involving money. I revel in my positive moments and I try to stretch them as much as I can.

Recently, this notion of a positive moment was confirmed in a book review by Gary Tomlinson. The book reviewed is How full is your bucket by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton. Don Clifton proposed the idea that our lives are shaped by the kind of interactions we have. He said we all have an invisible bucket which can be filled or emptied depending on what others do or say to us. When our bucket is full, we feel good. When it’s empty, we feel awful.

We also have a dipper with which we can fill our buckets or dip into others’ to empty or fill their buckets. By now, you should have gathered that if you constantly empty other people’s buckets by saying or doing negative things to them, you will cause them misery and suffering. Filling their buckets with good deeds and words though will give them joy and the more unexpected your act is, the better the recipient feels. So on a daily basis, we can either fill a bucket to make people feel good or we can dip into someone’s bucket and take away their joy. A very simple concept really, and as I read that I remember someone I’ve met who consciously fill other people’s buckets.

I don’t know if I’ve recounted this experience before but it merits retelling. My husband and I sometimes walk around Bedok Reservoir and some mornings we will meet this elderly uncle who is also walking around the reservoir. But what is amazing about him is his unfailing good humour. He shouts good morning to all and sundry and sometimes we can hear him well before we see him. He also tells everyone to take it easy and watch their step and he does this all with a big smile on his face. Few people remain unaffected by his bonhomie and many people respond positively. Imagine all the good cheer going around the reservoir and the park each morning when this uncle takes a walk.

One morning, I watched him approaching us from a distance. In between, a woman was sitting on a bench dressed more to be seen than to take a walk. She also had a less than friendly looking face. My husband would say that I should not pass judgements but you probably know what I mean. There are friendly approachable faces and there are those whom you’ll want to avoid. As the old uncle approached her, she lit a cigarette, completely unaware of him. I watched the old man and wondered if he would say good morning. He walked past her, looked at her warily, as if he was trying to make a decision. Then, as if he sensed that he would not get a good reception, he just turned and walked on without his customary greeting.

When I think back on this episode, I often wondered if the woman would have been unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by the man’s greeting. It might have filled her bucket. But then again, I know that sometimes no wonder how giving you are, there are some moments when you probably should not give and if you do, you may get hurt. I have no doubt that some people groan when they see this old uncle approaching; sometimes, we just want to be our grumpy selves in the morning and the last thing we want is to meet Mr Happy-go-lucky. So not everyone appreciates his good naturedness and I am sure that it has backfired on him a few times. But that hasn’t stopped him and I guess the secret to his success is to fill buckets with no expectations at all.

But ultimately, making strangers feel good is a piece of cake compared to making those we love feel good. It seems that the people we love are the ones who try us the most. Be that as it may, working towards a positive home environment must be the number one priority in our lives. Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman is reported to have said that there are 20,000 individual moments in a waking day, and we always remember a positive or a negative moment but never a neutral one. This is something worth remembering as we go about our lives. We can create a positive or negative moment even as we put one foot in front of the other. John Gottman’s research on marriage suggests that a magic ratio of 5:1 in terms of the balance of positive to negative interactions is crucial for a successful marriage. This means 5 positive interactions to one negative interaction. Educators may take this same ratio and apply it to their daily interactions with pupils. Bosses and workers can use this same ratio in their working environment. We too, can use this ratio in our daily interactions with people.

How can we increase our magic ratio of positive to negative moments? The five strategies are well documented so I will just provide you with the link and you can read about them yourself here.

I think, without a doubt, we all love a positive moment. And I also believe that it’s not hard for us to create a positive moment for others. Indeed, the one positive moment we create for someone may be the one that ultimately makes the person’s bucket overflow with happiness. Or we can contribute one negative moment which ultimately breaks the camel’s back. Would we not rather be responsible for the former? So go ahead. Fill some buckets today.

PS: A week after writing this, I receive my usual Happiness project e-newsletter (www.happiness-project.com) and read a discussion on throwing away other people’s thrash to boost our self esteem. Well, I don’t need to boost my self esteem but I must confess that littering is something that makes me mad. Every morning when I walk along the park connector in my neighbourhood, I get really upset by the volumes of thrash left by party revellers, pious worshippers, liquor imbibers, fast food consumers and cigarette smokers. I must confess that the discussion made me think about picking up that thrash instead of complaining about it, but the truth is I will spend all morning working instead of walking, if I embark on this plan. So my resolution is to be more diligent about picking up the thrash around my own condo when I see it. Read the discussion for yourself here and see if it inspires you too.

It's Teachers' Day!

Happy Teachers’ Day everyone!
May this day help you remember why you became a teacher.

I don’t usually make fun of teachers, but on this occasion, here’s a bad limerick for all English teachers.

There was, in Singapore, a teacher of English,
Who, sadly, was often full of anguish.
She said, “There’s so much to teach
You know, those eight parts of speech.
Oh, will the teaching ever be finished?”

A Saturday Stroll

Last Saturday morning, my husband and I took the train down to the Promenade Station and from there, made our way to the Helix Bridge and the floating platform. We could see the Youth Olympic Flame burning brightly and participants were taking part in a bicycle race then. We wandered through the Olympic Park and then across the Helix Bridge, pausing to admire the buildings and the view across the bay. From the Helix Bridge, we ambled past the grounds of the Marina Bay Sands, watching busy workers working at the remaining structures of that complex. Within the hotel, life was already stirring especially in the shopping mall, which was screaming out the names of well- known luxury brands. Outside, a wide deck leads one towards the waters of the bay where once again, the majestic buildings around the bay beckoned.

On we walked and we found ourselves in the Marina Bay Park where we stopped to admire the sculptural like tubes of the misting system designed to spray mists of water into the air to cool the park. That’s a good and necessary idea since the trees there are still young and there isn’t much shelter either. Then it was back along the road again as the rest of the bay front walk was cordoned off for some reason or other that Saturday. We stared up and into some of the fancy, glass enclosed condominium units and wondered about people who live in the middle of the financial district where everyone can look into their apartments. A frumpily dressed woman looked down at us while her active young child pressed his nose against the glass. We could also see stuff that people have tried to hide behind their curtains but are unfortunately completely visible to the outside world. We had some coffee and breakfast later in one of the many food courts in the financial district and then took the train back home after that. The Marina Bay Park is another place on our list of places to visit and to share with friends and visitors.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just got home from a play at the Arts House and while we were there, we had dinner at Boat Quay and took a stroll down the river side. Again, there was a nice buzz there although Boat Quay isn’t as happening as it used to be. When my husband first started Pacific Internet, their office was at Boat Quay and the first Internet café was also located there. Boat Quay was the hottest place in town then and all the beautiful people wanted to be seen there. That was more than a dozen years ago though. Nowadays, it’s full forlorn-looking restaurants and the street is lined with foreign waiters waving seafood menus at passers-by and promising them a good deal. From the other side of the river though, Boat Quay looks prettily lit up. We sat for a while on the benches outside Timbre, the restaurant, feeling the waves of heat rising from the concrete below our feet. If we had waited longer, there would have been free music and already a queue had formed, waiting to go in. I must confess we don’t often linger around after a play but this one ended early and we were so close to the river. I am glad we took that walk because I am reminded of how pleasant the river side can be despite the concrete.

A few days ago, my husband and I also acted as tour guides to my brother and sister in law who have never been to Geylang Serai market. After a good meal of nasi bryani, we showed them around the stalls and the market. My sister in law was so amazed at the range of goods sold that she swore to go back soon for a serious shopping trip. Then she shamefacedly confessed that she was a typical Singaporean who doesn’t visit other parts of Singapore much. Well, that’s a shame really and I was very glad to be able to show her another part of Singapore.

My fondness for Singapore is no secret. I think there are so many things I like about living here and being a part of the country. Sure, there are some not-so-good stuff but then there is no good without the bad. I like to count the good things. So on days when you aren’t too busy, take a walk around places you don’t go to very often. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll see. And you’ll see for yourself the beauty that is a part of our everyday life.

My aha moment

I don’t know if I have had many big aha moments in life but the one I most readily recall took place when I was thirteen and in Form 1 or Sec 1 as we know it here. When I was in Sec 1, I had some difficulty adjusting to the tests because we had to write essay-type answers for the first time. We also had to deal with subjects like history and geography where such essay questions were the main assessment mode. Needless to say, almost everyone failed the first few tests.

History was a big challenge then. It was not difficult; I understood the history of British India well but yet my answers to the questions were never adequate enough to get a passing mark. I remember answering a question on the Indian Mutiny one day and not getting a good mark after that. When the teacher reviewed the answers, it dawned on me that I have missed out some of the reasons she deemed important. I decided to take note of these reasons and the next time round, I made it a point to remember the exact number of reasons given for the Indian mutiny and committed them to memory. When the question appeared again, I wrote everything down, making sure not to forget a single cause. Well, guess what? I did well and my answer was held up as a model for all.

Apart from my then small moment of public glory, that was also my aha moment. I realised then that studying did not mean reading and rereading my notes. I should also make it a point to remember the number of reasons, causes, whatever, for the topic and be able to reproduce them accurately. That was what my teachers wanted and they had a mark for every relevant point I gave. I soon began to associate numbers with each topic; for example there were 5 causes ( or so I think) for the Indian Mutiny and perhaps 4 reasons why Birch was murdered. Eventually, I learnt to develop acronyms to help me remember the reasons or causes. I must tell you that my system worked very well for me and I was a straight A student for most of my subjects (except Maths but that’s another story). Let me add that while this system of mine worked for me way back then, I don’t know if it would work as well now although I suspect that some parts of it still does as many subjects require some element of recall.

But my point here is not how smart I was but how important it is for students to figure out what is needed for them to do well in any examination. I say this because I often find that students going into exams have little awareness of what an examiner wants from them and I say this from years of experience working with and marking the scripts of school students as well as undergraduates. It surprises me though since we are such an exam savvy nation.

Knowing about the criteria for doing well in any exam is part of what we would call the knowing how to or the procedural knowledge as opposed to the content or declarative knowledge. Knowing what to do or what not to do is a significant part of doing well in any kind of assessment or evaluation. As teachers, it is important for us to make clear the criteria for any assessment task that students will undertake. When the criteria are clear, students can work towards achieving the grade they aspire to.

Unfortunately, marking and grading remain a mystery in many instances except for the more exact subjects like Maths. Think of essay marking for instance. Do students know what the criteria are for a good essay? They can’t possibly know if they routinely get a numerical mark only. Ditto with comprehension. Teachers argue that this has to be the case because there is always subjectivity in marking. Well the truth is there is always subjectivity in everything we assess. We humans are not that objective and we can’t be. We need to acknowledge the subjectivity in us but we should also work hard at being consistent in our subjectivity. It’s consistency that is important, not subjectivity.

So what does this mean for all of our students going into the exams? Now that they have all revised their work umpteen times, it’s time to review the criteria for success. Work with your pupils and help them identify what these criteria are for each subject. Be as explicit as possible and show clear examples of what you mean by a good introduction or good content. What is even better is to do what Anne Davis, author of Making Classroom Assessment Work, said at a recent seminar here: co-construct the criteria with students. What this means is to have your students work with you, using many samples of essays, for instance, to discover what makes an essay worth reading. Co-constructing the criteria will, I am sure, lead to many aha moments for your students and perhaps even one for yourself.

Jay McTighe and Ken O’Connor, writing in a 2005 article (Seven practices for effective learning, Educational Leadership, Nov 2005, Vol 63, No. 3) discussed the importance of self assessment and goal setting as one of the effective practices for learning. They wrote:

The most effective learners set personal goals, employ proven strategies, and self –assess their work. Teachers help cultivate such habits of mind by modelling self-assessment and goal setting and by expecting students to apply these habits regularly. (p. 16)

I often lament that students don’t have good habits of mind (HOM) and this can be seen in a simple thing like checking and rereading their essay before turning it in. If students can be taught to do this, I am very certain that at least 50% of the surface errors will be taken care of well before the teacher sets eye on the essay. I am disappointed that teachers don’t emphasise this simple and effective HOM.

So in this last leg of the exam race, I would say it’s not too late to have students reflect on their personal goals and their strategies and assess their personal progress. This perhaps will be more effective than pushing another 5 assessment papers. But more importantly, teachers have to make sure students are clear on what matters. What are the criteria for success? What are good habits of mind to practise? What are our personal goals? How would I assess my work?

Our students are often dependent on teachers to tell them how well they are doing. We can’t blame them. But we should also work towards having them think about how well they have done. They should know how many marks they deserve. I used to ask my students to talk to me if they think they deserve a higher mark than what I have given. If they can show me they deserve a better grade, they will get it. Unfortunately, no one has ever taken up my offer. Maybe you can do the same with your students. It may give them incentive to think through the strengths and weaknesses in their work.

Who should do the reading at home?

We all know that we should read to our children; no one doubts the value of this anymore. But there is still the eternal question of who should do the reading? My son used to prefer mum as the reader because “Dad reads with little expression” he declared. Now that’s nice, and although I was flattered, I could not be persuaded to take on the task alone. Let’s face it. On bad days, all I want is to crawl into bed after dinner instead of pouring over several chapters of Harry Potter and his angsty adventures. I needed Dad to do his part. And thank goodness he did and this was especially useful when Junior wanted to read history or science books.

But in case the dad in your home needs more persuasion or you need more ammunition to get dad to join in the act, let me suggest Jane Baskill’s new book Getting Dads on Board, (Stenhouse Publishers). In addition, Stenhouse Publishers has an interesting article on how to get dads to pitch in and do the bedtime reading. Read all about it here:

I know for a fact that Junior benefitted tremendously from his nightly reading rituals with mum and dad. Bedtime reading with dad has been extra special for Junior not just for the literary benefits but also for the sharing, the talking, the laughing, the snuggling and the many countless pleasures that can only come when two people focus their attention on each other and a book and nothing else.

Try it tonight.

Positive Discipline

Following on from my last post about teaching good manners and humility, here is a useful resource for parents and teachers.

Marvin Marshall, author of “Discipline without Stress - How Teachers and Parents Promote Responsibility and Learning” has a very useful newsletter that you can subscribe to. Dr Marshall’s book focuses on the importance of internal motivation in changing behaviour, and he believes that this is more effective than rewards and punishment. He has a companion book for parents, Parenting without Stress- How to raise responsible kids while keeping a life of your own. Both books are available from Amazon or from his website www.MarvinMarshall.com.

Dr Marshall also sends out a very informative newsletter. This month, he answered questions at an interview. Here are 2 questions taken from the interview and reproduced in his newsletter (MarvinMarshall.com):

QUESTION:
What might be three key guidelines that a teacher could keep in mind, or on a small index card, to help remind him/her to stay more positive in the classroom?

RESPONSE:
1. Ask yourself, "Will the person hearing your communication interpret what you say in positive terms?"

2. Ask yourself, "Will the person feel as if I am using coercion in any way?"

3. Ask yourself, "What can I ASK so that the person will feel that I am giving a CHOICE and that I am prompting the person to REFLECT?

QUESTION:
What are a few key mistakes do you think teachers tend to make around classroom management?

RESPONSE:
1. They ASSUME students know what the teacher wants the students to do WITHOUT first modelling, practicing, and reinforcing the procedure to do what is being taught.

2. They confuse classroom management (teaching procedures to make instruction efficient) with discipline (how students behave).

3. They assume that discipline is naturally negative. Not necessarily so! The best discipline is the type where the person doesn't even realize that discipline is being employed.

The newsletter has a section for parents too. To read other interesting snippets and advice, and to subscribe to the newsletter, click here.