Collections of Professor Dr David Ngin Sian Pau

2. What methodology might you use in a specific classroom setting and why?

The type of students I want to teach English is advance level English learners of any nationality including native speakers of English regardless of BA, MA or PhD degree holder. The number of students in the classroom may not exceed twenty. The classroom style, in which I would teach the students might have 15 to 20 single stools and desks for every student to sit on one set of stool and small desk each. It would be my first choice of classroom if there were things like a podium or lectern, a projector with white big screen, a computer with broadband internet connection and a colour printer, a white board with temporary marker or interactive whiteboard, and a video screen connected with the DVD player of the computer. This is a specific classroom setting that I would choose to teach students of English.

In my lesson plan or syllabus for this particular classroom, I would use all the methods listed in the lesson such as Audio-Lingual Method, Natural Approach, Suggestopedia, Total Physical Response, Communicative Language Teaching, Cooperative Language Learning, and Situational Language as a whole, one method after another or would mix some appropriate elements of each method part by part in every lesson according to students’ response and reaction to my lesson. Because students have to imitate, memorize, practice the pattern, try to be accurate, enthusiastic, improvise, negotiate and even take order, perform, collaborate, guess or immerse, relax and truly believe in what they learn. Without these efforts from the students, the English learning may not be as effective as it ought to be. According to my personal judgment, Suggestopedia might give the students an enjoyable learning in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, and motivate them to experience learning as a fun and enjoyable experience but I am not sure whether the students would learn the language faster in that kind of situation. That kind of learning environment will not give advance level English learners any memorable and unforgettable experience out of the lesson they study. From my own experience, it’s always good to play a short game which makes the learners enjoy and have fun to refresh their brain that their brain may become friendly to the lesson again. At this point, there is no complete excellent methodology for English teachers because the teacher should understand students well in the classroom and teach every class differently without strict rules to follow on a particular methodology otherwise learning can never be an easier task for students.

At the same time, I would not use all the elements I can see in the method of Audio Lingual and Situational Language because of the originated countries, USA and UK. It’s not going to be my priority to follow a method of teaching but the delivery of my teaching should be useful, and it should give a real improvement to that particular class of English learners. The main concentration of judgement would be based on accuracy which includes the main point of a topic whether it’s impromptu speech or a ready made dialogue for role play, usage of the new words which is also called word power, collocation, fluency, intonation and pronunciation. It would be strongly suggested that some students from the same class should be asked to assess other students speaking ability during debate session so that they would learn how other people might assess their speaking ability when their turns come, which I think will finally make them prepare accordingly. And I am sure it will give them a positive psychological effect in their English learning as well.