Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N.
I am an accomplished Oil and Gas Operations Safety Leader with cumulative experience from different oil companies. Having taught English to learners of all ages for years, ELT is now my main focus.
Location I am from Gabon.
Activity
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I am ok.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I have a WhatsApp group of professionals, and we are all being supported by the British Council.
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I guess a teacher could make up a survey consisting of a very limited number of questions. Upon completion by the learners, the teacher may draw the required conclusions.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
The answer is through a course like this one.
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Thanks
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Noted.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
There are several online tools for testing, here is an example: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/online-english-level-test.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I liked the idea of having an interview with each learner prior to kicking off the training. This should be the occasion for all clarifications.
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I would create a website of my own to advertise my prospective activities.
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Almost all of them are quite new to me. I am willing to try them out. Sometimes I use the following: https://www.english-corpora.org/coca/
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Here is a language point I could teach using one of the online tools above. The learners would be A2 level. The learners will be able to use the simple past with - ED in the affirmative form. The context would be a short text. I think the https://storybird.com/educators/ would be an appropriate tool to set the context.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Setting the context can happen in several ways, using the following could be one of those.
https://www.english-corpora.org
https://www.english-corpora.org/bnc/ -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Adaptation could be made possible through the share screen feature; if using the Zoom platform.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Thank you.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
No question in particular.
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I guess Write & Improve will be appreciated by my learners because it gives them the chance to review as they wish.
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I would select Google Docs because it is a collaborative working tool. You can edit, proofread, and provide feedback as and when required.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Writing a collaborative letter.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would suggest that a feature like Google docs could be appropriate for such a task.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Writing an advertising article about your city based on the example article studied together during an online course. The required vocabulary, the grammar items linked to the description such as - there is - there are, etc. will have to be worked out during the virtual session. The article by the students can be done at home. During a future online session,...
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I think that the following online tool would be helpful to my online learners: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/pronunciation
This tool has more than one feature that would help not only with pronunciation as such but also with other aspects of language learning. -
Recording myself, and recording them for playback is one way of helping my learners with pronunciation. Youtube and other technologies can help as well.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Although through the poll result, very few of us favor asking the students permission to record a lesson for playback to establish the diagnostics concerning the pronunciation challenges, I voted for that approach anyway. I think that during the class, the learners are spontaneous, natural, and true.
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I chose Voice Spice.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would not say that the task was easy, but I do not think that it was way too challenging either. Julia, Joanna, and Carolina are fluent enough to keep telling their respective stories without much hesitation. I notice in each storytelling a couple of accuracy errors that required proper feedback. In each case, real-time correction or delayed correction would...
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For speaking activities, delayed correction is what I usually do in a face-toface context; the reason being that I focus on fluency rather than on accuracy. But if I have to provide some feedback on a language item, I may provide immediate correction. The application of this practice onmine seems doable to me.
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To me, the way teachers are able to monitor breakout rooms online, and the fact that they can’t see all learners at once is an opportunity for learners to take more control. Too much monitoring increases teacher talk time, and by the same token, diminishes students talking time.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
In broader terms, I think any type of activity can be adapted to online teaching: roleplays, dialogues, discussions, expressing opinions to name only those. Putting learners into breakout rooms is effective for practice, for close monitoring, for feedback, you name it.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would get the weaker learner in a breakout room with myself as a partner in the pair work. In this way, I can monitor accordingly, get the required feedback, and provided any scaffolding as deemed necessatry.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would assume that with a group of learners; she would keep more or less the same staging but would divide the group into breakout rooms. Before sending the learners into dedicated rooms, she would give the instructions first, and provide some modeling. Indeed she could use the chat box; if required.
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Here is a short list of speaking activities which, I think , can be adapted for online teaching: dialogues, Qs and As, Role plays, Debates, Expressing opinions.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
In a face-to-face context, interviews, gap-filling, matching, prompts, unscrambling to name only those. I think these forms of assessing can be applicable to the online context.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
https://www.voanews.com
The learner can download the podcast and listen at a convenient time. -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Here is a shortlist of listening tasks and the learning goals thereof intended, just to name only those:
- Gap-filling: focus on vocab,
- Unscramble texts/paragraphs/sentences: listening comp,
- Showing picture: focus on vocab and pronunciation. -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
As a live listening task, I would use a video from Youtube. I would have a question as a listening for the gist activity. Then I would have a set of limited questions as a while listening activity. The feedback that would follow will therefore be based on these questions.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
For some reasons my platform is denying me access to a live event for now. Will try again later on.
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I would presume that the technical handling of the platform is key. Are the audio features of the platform working properly? To overcome technical issues, I would suggest having a "dry run" of the lesson prior to delivering it in a live session.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would use the following: Cambridge Assessment English – Learning English. This is user-friendly to me, and it offers ready-made material that I can easily adapt. The offers are provided according to level and age, which is quite useful. Here is another online resource worth using: https://learningenglish.voanews.com
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would use Zoom as a platform, and the share feature for sharing the reading material; focusing in turn on paragraphs rather than on the whole text.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I think all activities requiring modeling should be carried out synchronously, and practice meant to consolidate acquired knowledge can be done asynchronously. Synchronous activities require live feedback, all the rest can be done through an LMS.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I have downloaded every support documentation, and I will make good use of it.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Can I use the Group feature on Facebook as a platform for my online teaching? Could going live on Facebook be useful as a teaching device/feature?
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@AnnaPrytkova
Dear Anna,
I would agree with you on the necessity to keep your learners motivated. Indeed, when the learners loose their interest for the lesson, their attendance is still there, but their engagement is no longer there. So yes, we do need to find ways to keep our learners engaged. Now how do we do that? One way is to contextualize the... -
@IvoneBattistela
Dear Ivone,
Indeed self-confidence is a requirement for successful online teaching. I would advise multiple trials to make it perfect.
Cheers, -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I guess the number one challenge is picking up a platform that is suitable to the context you find yourself in. The second is getting customers. The reasons are obvious, your deliverables as a teacher are channeled through a platform; and without any customer, there is nothing to share/sell.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I have attended online lessons, and I remember that rules of etiquette and politeness towards one another were laid out right before the start of the course.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I could get them in groups and task them a gap-filling activity whereby the contents are nothing else but the classroom rules. I have to admit that the list of rules should not be overwhelming.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
From webinar experiences, interaction with the presenter through screen sharing, or through tasks and feedbacks help keep the level of engagement.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Two truths and a lie amongst many other activities is perfect for getting to know you. Once that has been modeled by myself, I can then ask my students to get my students in breakout rooms to do the same about themselves.
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Adapting the activity for the online teaching would imply using the breakout rooms feature from zoom for example.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Wordwall is appealing to me. I would definitely give it a try.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I have attended webinars with Zoom as a platform. I think it is user-friendly. I am open to using it in my turn as an online teacher.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
The onboarding can be used to check if everyone is familiar with the features of the platform, or/and give the opportunity to everyone to get familiar with the same features.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would venture to say that "practice makes perfect."
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
To me, any tools that have been mentioned, and that would help me achieve my goals are for grab.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I am brand new to teaching online. My appetite for this course stems from the fact that the post-pandemic world is never going to be the same. I need to adjust like anyone else.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I am completely new to teaching online, so I am open to any piece of advice.
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Dear all,
I am Jean-Jacques. I come from Gabon. Most of my students are teenagers. I work in a public high school, and occasionally I act as a teacher-educator.
I have taken the following course: https://www.openenglishprograms.org/ET, but I think I really need the nitty-gritty details of teaching online. I believe this course should help me achieve this... -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
It has been a learning curve. Thank you so much for having me.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. replied to Carolyn Westbrook
Will do.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I am grateful for the opportunity.
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Supposing I am not mistaken, I would say that Q2 and Q6 are a bit problematic for the same reason: more students in the lower third got it right. Now looking at the facility values, 0.07 for Q6 would mean that for the entire class, this question might have been too difficult.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Q8:0.19- would seem too difficult
Q9: 0.81- would seem too easy
Q10: 0.72- within acceptable range -
Johnathan,
Thank you so much for reacting to my post. I am thrilled to start online testing as part of a project I am working on. Not so long ago, I took a massive online course: https://www.openenglishprograms.org/ET , and now I am working on cascading what I have learned in that course. I can see that online testing fits within the scope of this project of... -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Are the test tasks relevant to students’ real-life language needs?
Not always. Do the test tasks encourage students to think like they would in real-life communication? Not always. Does the test copy the social conditions in which the students will communicate? Not always. Do the test results give us useful information about students’ ability to use the... -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Awesome piece of advice.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Assessing my student online is something I am looking forward to.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I am in charge of teenagers. The assessment tasks that work well with them are talks, dialogues, and group works. I have noticed that they enjoy the support they can get from their classmates, so having than doing pair or group work for assessment does help. I do have to assess them individually at one point, but I am a bit reluctant to do so when this is not...
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I have to admit that I have never tried portfolio assessment. I guess trying it is worth the while. If I were to do it, I would choose writing, because this format can help the learner monitor vocabulary, grammar, syntax, register, style, and many other features of language command. I would also imagine that with the provisions of the CEFR, the student can...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Where I am coming from, we assess skills separately and all together. With students from A1 or A2 levels, assessing separately is quite common; and with the B1 and above, we tend to assess integrated skills, because their background knowledge and their level justify this approach.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I have several classes, and the age groups range from 10 to 17. Their background knowledge is quite wide as they take several subjects apart from English. Their language levels range from A2 to B1 in the CEFR.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
The purpose of one of the tests I had been asked to produce was to measure the students' ability to talk about a picture.
The candidates for the test were students aged between 16 and 17.
This is an oral test taken in 30 minutes through an interview (face-to-face).
The other users of the test are the education officials at the national level. -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Planning assessment at the same time as course planning helps you keep consistent with the deliverables of the course.
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Let's say I want to teach intentional vocabulary, I would base my teaching upon a text carefully selected. I would probably use a technology tool to gauge the level prior to designing the course. Needless to say that I would have a precise number of target words to teach. My goals would be that the students learn the spelling, the meaning, the pronunciation,...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Thanks.
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This has been a new step in the right direction for me.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I am pretty much familiar with cloze tasks. I a previous discussion I said that MCQS are convenient for A2 Level/CEFR; similarly, I would rather use close activities for B1 level/CEFR test-takers.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
At a lower level, matching tasks are good and convenient for easy marking; especially for testing vocabulary and grammar. At a higher level, I would look for other tasks.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I do have experience using and developing MCQs. My experience has taught me that when poorly designed a question may have more than one correct answer depending on the meaning or the context. This is all the more true as regards vocabulary and grammar. So piloting here becomes useful, or having a fellow teacher take the test is also of great help.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Well, piloting a test is something I have not really done before; however, I find the idea very interesting when the conditions are met to try it. Considerations of time, age group, and level of students are part and parcel of testing vocabulary and grammar. Indeed, reading skills are often a prerequisite due to the fact that instructions to the tasks are in...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I used to give placement tests to my adult students from private companies. These tests were commercial ones, but they were reliable in the sense that they helped me divide groups of learners along the level lines. Now I am solely teaching in a high school, and the classes are determined by passing or failing assessments from different subjects. As to...
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I guess prior to testing, a thorough study of the grammar item with the help of the corpora is useful. While teaching meaning, form, use, pronunciation are necessary, I also think that students ought to be encouraged to discover how and when to use the grammar item. Familiarising the students with the corpora increases their autonomy in learning. The teacher...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I must admit that for quite some time, testing grammar for itself has not been on top of my head. The wish to see my students make progress as regards reading, writing, speaking, and listening has more or less taken precedence over the need to foster and strengthen accuracy. In retrospect, the time has come to see things the other way around. Giving feedback...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Going from simple structures, A2 Level on the CEFR to complex ones on the same framework is obvious. My students are not all on the same level, even when they are in the same class. This said it is absolutely possible to gauge individual progress through the CEFR.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I would say that these formats are very elaborate. The Aptis one does zero in on grammar and vocabulary. I did try the "CAE - C1 learners", and was equally impressed. Now looking back at what I usually do in class, I must say that there is room for adaptation. I mean to say that designing a test is not easy in the first place, but having a model to use as an...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
Forms, usage, and meaning have been my main focus while testing grammar. It goes without saying that now that know a bit more, I need to adjust to the newly acquired knowledge. As to deciding which aspect to consider when designing a grammar test, I have to admit that the context has been dictating the action.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
My experience with word lists is rather limited. Obviously, now that I am discovering the tool, I need to get familiar with it before I can formulate a fair opinion. As to the text or test that my students may have found difficult, I would say that English as a second language for non-native speakers as is the case for my students, vocabulary has always been a...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I took the vocabulary bit of it, and here is the outcome:
"Placement test feedback
Your score:860
People who score at this level are typically advanced learners, with a very substantial vocabulary. Learners at this level are usually fully functional, and have little difficulty with reading, though they may be less good at listening."
I did not go any... -
Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
My list included meaning and collocations only. I am realizing that I need to do as indicated here: "collocations, meaning, grammar patterns, word families, etc".
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I did have vocabulary and grammar tests, but those were integrated into a single compound test.
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Vocabulary and Grammar can be taught separately, and thus can be tested separately as well.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
A learning curve for me.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
My experience with scoring listening tests is based on material produced by experts. So to be honest, I follow the designers' instructions. Now for the face-to-face interviews, usually there is no need to write anything.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I think that version 2 of the clip is better and version 3 of the task is better as well. I said in an early post that I would play the audio at least three times. My audience is not familiar with native speakers' accents, therefore to make sure they grasp much of what is being uttered, playing the audio more than once does make sense. It was also said that...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
I think that the dialogue could be suitable for A2, the topic of the conversation is authentic, and should be familiar with the learners of the UK, but not where I am coming from. Now writing four words for one mark is way too demanding I would guess. I guess letting the test-takers listen to the audio clip several times could help. The marking scale is not...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
My current practice for scoring reading and listening tests is that each item in a task carries a certain weight, and the total of the items determines the weight of the task. Listening assessments are not common in my context, apart from the face-to-face Q&As. I would say that spelling and grammar mistakes are deductible to a certain degree, but that's also...
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
From the course, I am realizing that the way we construct our tests is not necessarily in line with what I am learning now. I need to digest my training and see how I can be an agent of change by cascading what I am learning now.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
What I take from the web is free of charge. Usually, when copyright is applicable to an item, it is made clear to the person browsing. I take texts from online articles and adapt the length to the needs of my learners. From the iPhones, some apps are quite useful, I sometimes use them.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
The grading and the progression of the different task types are compatible with the higher and lower levels of processing; including the assessment of subskills. As I said before, this is a learning curve for me, my future tests will have to comply with the features and the knowledge that I am acquiring now.
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Jean-Jacques KOUMBA-N. made a comment
On the CEFR, I would locate my learners at A2, and the next step for them is B1. The language topics as already mentioned is key for them to be motivated for the test and feel comfortable during the test. I do not necessarily have to rely on Cambridge tests, the CEFR is indicative enough to allow me todesign a test accordingly.
