David MELHUISH
Teacher and teacher-trainer working at MPI-Bell, Macao. Interested in Exam Classes, Cross Cultural Communication, Authentic Materials and Content-based Learning.
Location Macao
Activity
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Hello everyone,
I'm Dave from the UK, now teaching in Macao.
I'm interested in IELTS and cross-cultural communication. -
David MELHUISH made a comment
The audio quality reflected quite poorly on the presentation of ideas.
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What I love. Heady mixture of review and innovation. The need to be creative, the freedom to experiment. A pleasure of both working alone and collaborating with colleagues. The ever-evolving nature of the English language.
My challenges. The ever-evolving nature of the English language.
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Both - surprisingly!
Students liked the freedom of timing, not having to travel.
Teachers liked addressing needs of other learners and keeping accurate records, which can be accessed easily by teachers and students.
Research is ongoing.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Sharing materials, teaching beliefs with colleagues - both in person and online.
I find attending and presenting at conferences helps to crystallise my ideas and beliefs. Sharing with colleagues from other institutions in formal and casual situations helps. We can justify and reference our beliefs and invite feedback from fellow professionals in the...
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David MELHUISH made a comment
All our classes have been moved online, Canvas.
I've canvassed (no pun intended) the views of my colleagues and students about online learning using Survey Monkey. https://www.surveymonkey.com
I'm interested in differences between blended learning and this forced online learning, for which many schools, educators and learners have had little preparation....
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Teaching and language are continually developing. They are an art, not exact sciences. There has never been greater opportunities to develop as a teacher than these days.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Good morning form Macao,
I am originally from the UK and teach for MPI, Macao.
Looking forward to the course. -
David MELHUISH replied to Fiona M
B2 above.
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Motivation is a key factor!
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@AndreaM.Santoianni IELTS - Pron accounts for 25% of IELTS Speaking (3 parts)
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David MELHUISH replied to Rory D
all valid tasks!
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@RoryD Adults do scan in L1. Also I think some learners do need to be re-taught this skill and have practice. There is a tendency (esp low lever) to read and translate word by word. I think there are benefits in highlighting meaning from context, scanning etc in a foreign language as well as native language.
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David MELHUISH replied to Anupama Shukla
Good point. Real listening often involves gestures. Perhaps tests should reflect this more?
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Agree with the problem of a student phonetically transcribing what they hear without being aware of meaning, especially for lower levels.
And it might discourage those with lower motivations to learn correct spellings.
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David MELHUISH replied to Onkar Singh
@RoryD Agree about the positive washback is only correct spelling was accepted. And trains them for high stakes tests, such as IELTS.
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@RoryD I try focus on weak and strong collocation. Can use corpora to confirm. Ss peer-to-peer make collocation exercises.
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Yes, portfolio has a strong use for language acquisition.
During Covid19 it has become more prominent with distance learning.
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David MELHUISH replied to Fiona M
Collocation is a nice way to pile on new vocabulary and make connections. I'm trying to find more exercises which use collocation as a base for acquisition.
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David MELHUISH replied to Fiona M
True, but handwritten scrips are still the main delivery method for Writing Task 1 and 2, with computerised input gaining traction.
I do encourage IELTS students to make handwriting legible, reduce corrections on the final draft to make it reader-friendly for the examiners.
As an IELTS examiner, it's really off-putting to be presented with a messy,...
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David MELHUISH replied to John Wheeler
@FionaM And it takes a lot of work to move up even half a band in IELTS.
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It's a fair point that students may struggle to see the validity of grammar exercises without discrete grammar questions in IELTS.
Grammar is given 25% weighting in Speaking and Writing. I suppose this weighting is a more authentic way to 'judge' a person's grammar skills when we talk to them or read what they have produced.
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David MELHUISH replied to Fiona M
Receptive v productive
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I encourage confidence in test-takers as they reach the end game of IELTS.
Last minute, or even last day cramming can he damaging. Hanging around other test-takers, who don't have confidence in what they already know instills a lack of confidence. That affects performance.
I use positive thinking exercises and myth-busting about IELTS examiners - they...
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Yes, in high stakes tests such as IELTS Listening, incorrect spelling will be marked as incorrect. Punctuation such as CAPITALISATION must also be correct.
In the Writing Task 1 and Task 2, spelling is given less importance as a discrete item. If poor spelling impedes comprehension then test takers will lose marks.
I think it's important for test takers...
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Yes, agree. And we can create a positive environment prior to listening which would replicate authentic listening situations. Such as :-
Brief discussion of the topic prior to listening (as people do in a conversation, a lecture).
Brainstorm one, two, three words which Ss predict may come up.
Kahoot quizzes to encourage competition. -
@KatyaKirichenko That could cause problems as who decides what is closest enough to the 'correct' spelling? Also the test-taker may transcribe what they hear phonetically without being aware of the meaning.
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@MustafaIsmail Ask questions to a colleague and record. They are likely to be sensitive to the process of language acquisition and adapt delivery suitable to student level.
I've tried it with success.
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@VictoriaKorotun The student may have transcribed what they heard without knowing the meaning.
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Listening to an interview with a colleague.
Questions for gist.
Questions for specific information.
Questions for inference. -
@AndreaRosero Diagnostic tests are maybe more specific and focused on particular language requirements learners may need to work on.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
A question . . . how valid is IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 these days ?
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Things we try and avoid
Writing a letter
Using dictionaries to write
Speaking in front of the full class
Presentations to the full class -
David MELHUISH made a comment
18-22 year olds as undergraduates.
Peer to peer testing is popular as formative assessment. Together teacher and students construct a rubric. Things such as, did my partner :-
speak clearly and with confidence
maintain good eye contact
speak with few hesitations
use a certain number of adjectives
use at least one learnt collocation
speak for the... -
Portfolio assessment helps teachers give a fair assessment of student proficiency and improvement. There is less pressure for learners to perform in one final exam.
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We sometimes use portfolio as assessment for our courses.
Particularly during Covid19 lockdown as students keep online records of their output.
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Very good points on the video.
Self-assessment feeds into language awareness, which is crucial to language acquisition.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I am involved in placement testing for IELTS short courses. (30 - 45 hours).
These placement tests include
Writing a short essay.
One-to-one speaking.
Motivations and knowledge of the text.Some students are attracted to IELTS to improve their English by the huge IELTS brand. I think students need to have achieved a band score minimum of IELTS 4.5...
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Final year for undergraduate students at university.
Curriculum might include:
writing a CV
applying for internships
online interviewsAspects to help students achieve these goals:
Mock job interviews with colleagues
Analysis of authentic online CVs
Video clips of internship tips -
David MELHUISH made a comment
Good analogy from Elaine about kids asking questions to their parents (about a bird living in a tree).
As an educator keep drilling down, asking students why, why, why. By not being satisfied with the first, perhaps superficial answer, it may encourage your charges to open up and expand ideas.
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Agree. More focus on formative assessment that summative.
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David MELHUISH replied to Sheena Brabazon
Anecdotal evidence has shown that curated lists, ones that focus on word families, collocation and vocabulary groups helped those motivated students of a higher level, taking IELTS.
I think it may have made a positive difference.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Agree with Elaine that students need to be reassured that they are learning.
Assessment may take on a different form during these times ,but it is necessary to feed into student motivation and forms a part of language acquisition.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Useful tool to help assessing Oral English. Students record an audio file, relating to a set rubric. They have unlimited chances to finesse their language before submitting.
The language can be assessed more efficiently than face-to-face speaking.
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Many high stakes tests have been suspended during these times.
One idea if to accept that learners will use online resources to produce work. It can be run through software which flags plagiarism.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Thanks for the ideas.
Agree with Barry's point about turning this situation to your (and students' advantage).
Set an essay with a much longer time frame for research and submission. Have faith and trust in your learners to use youtube and other internet resources. Encourages learners to produce more, richer language to be assessed.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I am from the UK. I teach at MPI, Macao. I am interested in exam classes, assessment and authentic materials in the classroom.
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@JohnWheeler Blue Sky thinking!
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I would pilot a test before using it for assessment - particularly for Aviation English ;)
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It's a poor MCQ as all could be used correctly, particularly for spoken text.
I would check in UK Word corpus https://www.english-corpora.org/bnc/
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David MELHUISH made a comment
It's important to highlight good grammar as well as learner mistakes. Motivates students with praise.
In a speaking task I will circulate and make notes of correct language and errors. We discuss as a group.
For writing, play 'grammar gamble' - adds a fun, competitive edge for grammar...
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I use this site to generate review quizzes for vocabulary.
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David MELHUISH replied to Sheena Brabazon
Word lists can be useful for motivated students with limited time.
In high stakes exams like BEC or IELTS particularly. -
David MELHUISH replied to John Wheeler
https://ieltsliz.com/vocabulary/
I use Liz for IELTS word lists and tips
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Corpora shows how language is being used as opposed to how it SHOULD be used.
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No. It's. Not.
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Yes, there are. Many. People live and breathe English as a foreign or a second language.
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Learners pick up language with and without formal classes.
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Similar situation to myself in Macao. How to adapt lessons and expectations from face to face to pure online and later blended classes.
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Similar situation to myself. I teach university classes in Macao. All classes are uploaded to Canvas. I have used Zoom a little. Interested in ideas how best to adapt from face to face teaching to more online lessons.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
During Covid19 pandemic, all schools in Macao were closed. I work full-time at a university. All classes were switched to Canvas and Zoom. This is the current situation.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
In a university in Macao. English majors and non-majors. Teaching IELTS, BEC classes. General English for a range of levels. Teacher trainer courses for local school teachers.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Since Covid19 most of the course content at our college has switched to online. This has been imposed on learners and trainers quickly - a unique, challenging situation.
I would like to discover more about how to maximise learning opportunities in these difficult times.
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This course covers language assessment.
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If the case of high stakes tests, it can be of benefit for learners.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I've used all of these.
I also use peer-to-peer and monitor language output as I circulate. I make notes and later review with learners.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I recorded an interview with my colleague (topic : UK Art), to develop a listening test. It was authentic material as the questions were not known in advance.
As an ESP teacher, he was sensitive to language level, register and speed of delivery.
Thanks, John!
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Kahoot is an effective language acquisition tool. Fun, rewarding.
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@JohnWheeler Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Lexical Resource, Fluency and Coherence, Pronunciation are 25% each.
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Yes, and the text can be adapted to level and age of students.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
In past times online learning was either part of a blended course or specifically selected by the learner.
During these Covid19 times most of our classes are pure online with little or no face-to-face. It has been imposed on learners and teachers and presents many challenges.
I will be interested to hear of other teachers' experiences, insights and...
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I've used British national Corpus in lessons to check with learners the accuracy, the frequency of words and to check collocation of words. It's up-to-date and relevant to language learning.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I make crosswords, which are adapted to individual lessons or modules. It's a change of pace and suits different learning styles. Also, they are easy to construct with free sites such as this one.
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp
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David MELHUISH replied to Mark Joel Ditablan
Agree as a more advanced text can be used.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I frequently use matching in lesson tasks and assessments. I think it's important to include suitable distractors to ensure reliability.
Matching first and second halves of sentences are a good way to test student knowledge of a range of grammatical forms. Students might be aware of the forms but not yet confident enough to try and produce them.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I frequently use MCQs in testing and assessment. They are relatively easy to mark and easier for students to process and be cognisant to what is required.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Piloting a test is important. I use previous tests and fix any errors or inaccuracies to improve and update the test year on year.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I agree with Barry O’Sullivan that Communicative Language Learning is helpful for fluency but there also must be a focus on accuracy, as learners study more of the language.
Accuracy is required for precision, which becomes more important the higher the level.
I grade students' grammar directly and holistically.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Word lists formed from collocations are useful for vocabulary building. They highlight context and nuanced meanings.
Word lists that have word groups are useful for vocabulary extension.
Word lists are transportable - a notebook, smartphone or ipad. Useful for quick reviews.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Interesting test. I did some but not all of the test.
Self-assessment of listening skills was problematic in that the language that the student needed to process was of CEFR C1 or C2.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
When testing students' vocabulary, among other things I test collocation of words. Collocations are common ways that people expand their vocabulary, as opposed to word by individual word.
Are students able to understand strong and weak collocations between different words?
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David MELHUISH replied to Xiuyan Wang
@JohnWheeler Agree. Training in patterns of connected speech is an important skill for improving listening and overall language acquisition.
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David MELHUISH replied to Leah Salayao
IELTS Speaking.
Peer to peer as learners act out the roles of candidate and examiner.
As a class we construct a rubric to assess 2 minutes of speaking.
This rubric might include body language, number of adjectives, tone, pauses . . .
Feedback is given.
Students are lined up to face each other and partners swapped regularly.
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David MELHUISH replied to Leah Salayao
One idea I use for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.
Task 1 is quite dry - students are sometimes required to describe a process using a minimum of 150 words.
As a change of pace, I use a 'How to . . .' video from Youtube - making some foods they are familiar with (noodles in my situation)
Students take notes, brainstorm ideas and we process write an...
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David MELHUISH replied to Jonathan Dixon
Teaching to the construct. Advantages
Vary the pace of lessons.
Broader, deeper knowledge of the language and culture.
More adaptable to students' level and interests.
Chance of more authentic language being presented.
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David MELHUISH replied to Jonathan Dixon
My thoughts on teaching to the IELTS test - advantages
Familiarity and confidence for learners of test format.
Student validity for exercises and tasks.
Time management - IELTS is time-critical.
High stakes exam skills practice.
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IELTS does a generally effective job at assessing a wide range of English language skills.
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David MELHUISH replied to Alex Gussewa
Agree and the internet offers a great many opportunities more suitable, engaging texts. It's never been a better time for language teachers.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I think it's a great idea to ask learners to bring their own reading materials into class, share with peers and then adapt your own reading materials to these texts. Materials are then likely to be of interest and of a suitable level for your learners.
Intrinsic motivation is a highly effective language acquisition tool.
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David MELHUISH replied to Jane Cheok
Agree that accurate grammar is not testing listening skills.
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David MELHUISH replied to John Wheeler
@JohnWheeler - a very entertaining and informative video. Well worth watching. Nice mixture of humour and language acquisition theory.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Spelling is important to reduce the possibility of test-takers merely transcribing phonetically what they hear, rather than decodifying words from context.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
I would play once. Equal level of difficulty for test-takers.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
It's important words are correctly spelt. This is the case for IELTS listening.
This stops students transcribing individual sounds and phonemes as opposed to decodifying what they hear from context.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Interview a colleague, record it and use as part of listening assessment. They are more likely to be sensitive to speed, clarity and language level.
Song lyrics - helps motivation and adjusts the pace of a lesson.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Some listening tests I use -
Counting words in a section of spoken text. Avoids writing.
Minimal pairs.
Predictions (context of the text).
Writing the final word or words from a spoken text without warning. Encourages learners to listen for detail.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Listening for gist should have fewer marks than listening for detail. There is by it's very nature more detail in an authentic text. Therefore more opportunity and expectation to mine the text for details.
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David MELHUISH made a comment
Problems with listening -
Technology fails. Teacher or co-teacher reads out the text.
Uneven level of difficulty within the text. Break the text down.
Invalid and/or unreliable question types. Rewrite the questions.
Outside distractions. Wait until quiet. Accept as authentic noise distractors.
Learners untrained in listening skills. Retrain....
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David MELHUISH made a comment
IELTS, General Training.
Task types -
gap fill
true, false, not given
summary
matchingMost common are gap fills.
Reading tests I develop for my students.
Summary of a written text to a spoken report.
Heading/paragraph matching
Multiple choice with distractors
