It is increasingly important for education staff to familiarise themselves with the English language, as it is one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide. This training course aims to address this need, recognizing that English is becoming more essential not only for personal knowledge but also as a means of fostering intercultural activities between students and teachers, facilitating educational travelling, and learning new methodologies from teachers around the globe. With a holistic approach in mind, this course will teach participants the fundamentals of English in a natural and practical manner, enabling them to integrate the language naturally into their daily lives. As it was previously named, the course “Basic English Language for Education Staff” took place in Bologna from 22/07/2024 - 28/07/2024. All the participants came from the same country, France, consisting with Régis, Catherine, and Nathalie came from Lycée Saint Jacques de Compostelle, and Stéphane, Assia, Hayet, Sylvia, Samir, Bruno, and Thierry from Collège Edgar Quinet. The course started off with the participants getting to know each other, as they were coming from the same country, but from different educational centres; they were supported by the trainer, who explained the key information for them to learn how to introduce themselves and talk about their daily lives using the present simple tense (for example, describing habits, routines, and general truths, which are common in everyday conversations). They also presented their expectations, contributions, and fears for the course in the “Tree of Expectations” activity; this activity not only works for trainers to set the goals for the course, but also for the student's awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the course went on with discussing the daily routines. By reinforcing the present simple tense, students could confidently talk about their typical weeks and the activities they performed during weekdays, introducing the adverbs of frequency and the verbs used in routines. For example, they talked about their typical plans for the weekends and then, they completed their own schedule with more details, (when do they perform the activity, why, with who…). On Thursday, as the participants were more and more confident in their speaking, writing, and listening abilities, the past tense was introduced by tackling the topic of ‘travelling’. Firstly, the trainer taught the participants how to form the past tense, in regular and irregular verbs, and then the topic of their latest travel was put at the centre, as it was the most natural way to present the past and connect with the language they naturally would use. Each of the participants wrote an essay and presented it to the other participants, explaining their holidays in a detailed way and putting in practice the past tense. The fourth day was dedicated to discussing dreams and future plans. Participants were encouraged to practise the present continuous tense for future arrangements and the "will" and "going to" structures for predictions and intentions. Additionally, talking about hobbies encouraged students to express their interests and passions, making conversations more personal and motivating. Finally, on the last day, the participants participated in a cooking activity to learn how to use imperative verbs and cooking vocabulary. They also practise reading and writing emails, which are crucial skills for both personal and professional communication. This practical approach helps in applying language skills in real-life scenarios. By following this five-day plan, students can effectively improve their English language skills in a structured, engaging, and practical manner. The plan ensures structured progression, with each day building on the previous one to reinforce and expand the language skills learned. Practical application is emphasised through activities like introducing oneself, discussing daily routines, travels, which provide real-life contexts for language use. Tense mastery is achieved by focusing on different tenses (present simple, past simple, present continuous, and future), ensuring a comprehensive understanding of essential grammatical structures. Engaging topics such as travelling, dreams, and hobbies make learning enjoyable and relevant to students' lives. Skill integration is another key benefit, as combining speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities ensures well-rounded language development. Additionally, the participants discussing routines, dreams, and hobbies gave them insights into different cultures, fostering global awareness, and empathy.
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Welcome to the ELA Blog. Here you will find articles and photos of our courses and have a look at the topics addressed during the week in Bologna, Palermo and Tenerife. You will also have the chance to take a peek at our projects and check out what we have been up to.
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