“How effective is using technology in the EFL/ESL classroom”.
Assessed essay: The Proposed Intervention (weighting 70%) The aim of this task is to enable you to demonstrate your understanding of classroom action research as a tool for teacher development and demonstrate your understanding of key concepts in methodology. You will consider an issue related to a specific teaching context with which you are familiar, preferably one from your own teaching experience, and ideally one related to a recent or current teaching post or language learning experience. Based on an analysis of this context, you will propose an intervention which is linked to methodology in some way (e.g. a possible solution to a teaching problem, the introduction of a method or technique, or an innovative way of presenting new language). You will also show why you feel this intervention is necessary through critical analysis of the area focussed on. The assignment requires you to explain how the intervention could be introduced into the context which you identified and then evaluated to determine its success. Note: this exercise is hypothetical; you do not need to carry out the intervention itself.
You must include:
• The context and rationale for the intervention
• The proposed intervention – critically outline the principles of the chosen technique or method What would you do? How would you do it? What may limit or affect the process? How would you evaluate the findings?
• You need to refer explicitly to the action-research cycle to support the above
• You must show evidence of background reading and support your points with clear reference to literature.
This assignment enables you to demonstrate your understanding of both Action Research and current concepts in language teaching methodology. We discuss how you might go about this assignment in the session on Researching Practice in TESOL (week 7), but it would be helpful for you to start keeping a list of potential intervention projects as you work through the module and reflect on your professional life as a teacher. The assignment should be written up in essay format, using appropriate organisation, academic style and language, and Harvard referencing. You may use headings/ sub-headings in this essay. The first-person voice can be used where relevant
“How effective is using technology in the EFL/ESL classroom”