EFL Teacher Training in the Philippines Using the M.O.D.E. Approach

Nancy Kelley Alvarez, pnalvarez@yahoo.com

According to Murray (2000), "85% of international organizations in the world make official use of English" (cited in Peever, 2003, p. 67), and therefore the need for effective and qualified English teachers is urgent. In this article I describe my experience in a teacher-training program in the Philippines and share the model that I have used in it.

Background
In 1997 I was asked to train EFL teachers at a graduate school in the Philippines. As I was new to teacher training, it was quite a challenge, but over the years I have been encouraged with the development of the program and the enthusiasm of the student teachers. The EFL teacher-training course at the International School of Theology-Asia (now called the International Graduate School of Leadership) in Quezon City, Philippines, is designed to help teachers put into practice current theories and principles of language-teaching techniques. We use a hands-on approach that gets students immediately involved in applying what they have studied. Teacher-trainers model various EFL lessons using a designated principle while student teachers observe, participate in, and then discuss their ideas. Other methods include short lectures, demonstrations, team teaching, group dynamics, peer evaluation, curriculum planning, textbook analysis, research, tutoring of individuals needing instruction at the school, and an internship in a real EFL classroom.

The emphasis of the program is on training culturally sensitive teachers who teach English for the purpose of real communication and developing relationships that make communication authentic. One of our goals is to help improve the economic conditions of those being taught by equipping them with more earning potential and thus bringing about an improved environment for those in developing countries. Another goal is to model the love of Christ to our students through kindness, a listening ear, and practical demonstrations of His mercy and compassion.

Our program is committed to training teachers thoroughly to help with their confidence level and credibility as nonnative-English-speaking teachers. According to my experience and that of our graduates, EFL teachers are asked to teach in a variety of settings: to children, teens, college-age students, business professionals, housewives, and other groups. Because of stiff competition, nonnative-English-speaking teachers must be equipped to continue improving their own language abilities as well as finding ways to compensate for any lack through the many media resources available.

Many short-term (2- to 6-week) training programs tend to give a 1-2-3 approach that is not always flexible for all that is required of the serious EFL teacher. Therefore, our program includes 20 graduate credit hours of teacher training and 20 more credit hours of intercultural studies (cross-cultural communication, history of missions, Asian religions, and the like). I agree with Hamilton (1987) who argued that people going overseas can't count on having time to deal with deficiencies after they are in the field, and thus they should be well-prepared before leaving for their work abroad. It takes 9 months to complete our program on a part-time basis. Students are also required to complete two practica: (a) teaching in a real EFL classroom and (b) developing a relationship and doing research with one person from another culture and then writing a paper on their findings.

Of the 90 student teachers who have been trained so far, many have gone to work in such countries as Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, East Timor, Thailand, Cambodia, and Afghanistan. On the whole, they have been quite successful in their teaching experiences. Most have stayed at least a year in their teaching assignments and found their jobs to be quite satisfying. One was even nominated Teacher of the Year several times.

One of the biggest challenges has been making the program available to those in the area without compromising thoroughness and professional standards. Many who apply have full-time jobs and can't make the daytime classes, but teaching in the evenings was difficult for faculty with small children. In the future we also hope to provide classes to help those less proficient in English to develop their language skills. There are also needs for further training in the areas of lesson planning and pronunciation.

In an effort to streamline the program, a simple system was developed so teachers can use it in the field. It has been found that EFL teachers are often asked to train other national teachers, in countries such as China, Indonesia, or Vietnam. I chose the acronym M.O.D.E. to describe our basic teacher-training model.

M.O.D.E.
M.O.D.E. stands for model, observe, demonstrate, and evaluate. The teacher-trainer models various aspects of language teaching; the students observe and participate as English students. Next they work in pairs or groups to develop a similar micro-lesson plan using the appropriate principle or technique. Each group then demonstrates their lesson to the whole class and appropriate evaluation is given. This method is backed up by such research as described by Gebhard, Gaitan, and Oprandy (1994), who stated that student teachers need to be "prepared to assume the responsibilities for what goes on in their classrooms" (p. 16). The educator must therefore avoid a prescriptive style of teaching, as student teachers need "to gain investigative skills . . . to make decisions as responsible language teachers" (p. 16). They suggest four activities teacher educators can use to train student teachers in these skills:

  • teaching a class (micro-lessons)
  • observing the teaching act
  • conducting investigative projects on some aspects of teaching
  • discussing teaching in several contexts (Gebhard et al., 1994, p. 16)

A M.O.D.E. Example
Let me give an example for teaching the continuous or progressive present verb tense. The trainer models a simple activity such as interviewing other students. First, realia items or magazine pictures are handed out to each student that demonstrate a certain action (such as cooking, playing a guitar, listening to music, fixing a car, or playing a sport). The trainer then asks the various student teachers (who are playing the role of beginning English students), "What are you doing?" The student teacher answers, "I'm talking on the phone" or whatever it is the item or picture describes. To provide practice on other pronouns such as they, he, or we, the teacher trainer can point to other classmates and ask, "What are they doing?" and the student would give the appropriate answer. The trainer can develop the lesson as much as he or she wants with other appropriate activities, such as having the class interview each other about their activities and then reporting back to the class: "Maria is baking a cake, Sean is listening to music."

Because the student teachers observe and participate in the activity, they will be able to apply it much better than if they merely read a written lesson plan or heard a lecture describing the activity. "Learning takes place through active participation of trainees—not essentially or necessarily through activities of the trainer. The trainer's most foundational influence is in designing an environment to stimulate and encourage learning" (Hoke, 1995, p. 88). The student teachers are given the chance to analyze the lesson for strengths and potential pitfalls. They can make suggestions to improve the lesson or to add to it. They can note all the aspects of the language that are being practiced in the activity (such as using correct vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar structure, listening for the question, and responding appropriately).

Next, student teachers work in pairs or small groups to come up with a similar activity, perhaps with a different grammar focus or an extension of the same topic. The students are given time in class to develop a 10-minute demonstration. After they've had enough time to work on the lesson plan, each group then presents their ideas and mini-lesson to the rest of the class. The teacher and peers can then give either verbal or written feedback. The team can also fill out a self-evaluation form.

This format is repeated for different types of lessons and methods. For a functional type of lesson, the teacher can model lessons such as how to make a phone call, how to prepare for a job interview, or how to ask for directions. This thinking is based on the philosophy that we need, as Hoke (1995) stated, to "Focus on learner learning rather than on the teacher teaching. Activities should be enjoyable to the learner in order for most learning to occur. Discussion is useful but to keep it fresh use it in a variety of ways—after observation, case study, analysis, discovery, mini-lecture or application" (p. 95).

Before using this type of model the trainer must be aware of the learning styles of the student teachers. The trainer must be sensitive to their preferred method of learning, as well as any cultural issues that could be possible sources of tension. In the Philippines I found that students enjoyed a participatory style and flourished with the hands-on, practical focus. They learned from observing each other and from the pressure of having to teach in front of their peers. They were able to collect many interesting ideas and handouts from their peers as well as from the trainer. This method was especially helpful because TESOL materials were not only limited but also quite expensive.

Conclusion
This simple M.O.D.E. approach of modeling, observing, demonstrating, and evaluating can be a good framework for a basic teacher-training program, which should be filled out with solid lectures on principles and theories of language learning and teaching and second language acquisition. Students should be required to do research, textbook analysis, and reaction or position papers as well. Standards need to be high, but for those wishing to get started with a practical method I believe the M.O.D.E. model can be a helpful tool.

Nancy Kelley Alvarez has taught ESL/EFL since 1979 in Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. She holds an MA in Intercultural Studies and a TESOL certificate from Wheaton College Graduate School, and is currently doing doctoral research at the Asian Graduate School of Theology on TESOL curriculum development. She has been teaching at the International Graduate School of Leadership since 1997.

References

Gebhard, J. G., Gaitan, S., & Oprandy, R. (1994). Beyond prescription: The student teacher as investigator. In J. C. Richards & D. Nunan (Eds.), Second language teacher education (pp. 16-25). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Hamilton, D. (1987). Tentmakers speak. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.

Hoke, S. (1995). Evaluating training outcomes. In R. W. Ferris (Ed.), Establishing ministry training: A manual for programme developers (pp. 85-104). Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.

Murray, D. E. (2000). Protean communication: The language of computer-mediated communication. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 397-421.

Peever, E. R. (2003). English evangelism: A tool for the new century mission. Journal of Asian Mission, 5, 65-73.

SLW & CALL October 2007 Volume 11 Number 3: Table of Contents