International Teachers of English Conference Abstracts

Turkey

Learning How to Fish: The Relation Between Learning to Learn and Critical Thinking Skills
Hasan Badir - Balcali-Adana, Turkey

Researchers have agreed that no matter what we are doing, good thinking can help us overcome whatever problem we are facing. On the other hand poor thinking causes problems, even makes the problem worse, wastes time and energy, and impairs our reasoning.

What makes the difference between the good thinking and poor thinking lies on the fact that good thinkers make use of the thinking they are capable of, whereas poor thinkers do not.

In preparing our students for life and for rapidly changing world, it is vital that we be aware of what society needs and what we are providing. It is clear that there is a shift from traditional schooling which aims to educate students for what society needs to a new system aiming to enable our students gain such thinking skills as interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. In other words, we should help our students become critical thinkers who fulfill the societies’ needs.

In our courses, we usually focus on the content of the course and expect our students what to think about. We do not specifically teach critical thinking skills (CTs) which help them interpret and evaluate what they are learning. If we do not infuse CTs into what we are teaching, our students cannot learn ideas in a meaningful way, they only memorize important information without being aware of how to alter and improve it.

Educators have become aware that having the students do whatever we want them seems to be unrealistic. Students can be equipped with the information which might be sufficient, but it can be limited for most of the time in the real life situation if it is not modified with correct and appropriate knowledge. Critical thinking provides correct thinking in order to make use of relevant and reliable knowledge about the world.

The aim of this study, therefore, is to elaborate the role of critical thinking in English Language Teaching (ELT) education and to discuss the relationship between study and CTs. Our goals are to find out whether or not ELT students are aware of CT and CTs, to find out whether or not they would be aware of and would be able to use CTs, and to suggest recommendations.

Once Upon a Student’s Class: Using Fairy Tales in Writing and Reading Classes
Maria Guglielmino-Iskenderoglu – Istanbul, Turkey

This workshop will discuss the theoretical underpinnings of using fairy tales in the foreign language classroom and provide anecdotal evidence in order to show that fairy tales are an appropriate methodology. Finally the presenter will provide participants with the chance for hands-on participation in creating their own urban fairy tales and will ask participants to give their feedback on how the methodology can be applied to their own teaching situations.

Fairy tales are common in every culture and the same story exists in many versions. This makes fairy tales ideal for using with second language learners. Fairy tales involve real people or a typical situation, use unusual occurrences or humor to resolve an issue, uses common spoken language, and makes a point about life. Using material that is already familiar in their native language helps students reduce their affective filters.

Fairy tales can be used in a variety of classes. Students can use them to create stories, dramas, images, share memories and life experiences, and write narratives based on unresolved life issues. Fairy tales allow students to find and learn to develop their own authentic voices. When used with cooperative learning, fairy tales allow students to learn both joint planning and individual accountability.

Use of fairy tales can help students with a neglected area—their inner intuitive and image-making abilities and emotional states. When we help students learn to reach these inner resources, we can begin to reach a greater understanding of how cultures are related and get students joining in projects that help their reading and writing abilities while having fun.

Literature Circles: Solving Student’s Reading Problems
Maria Guglielmino-Iskenderoglu – Istanbul, Turkey

This workshop will discuss the theoretical underpinnings of using literature circles in the Foreign Language classroom and provide anecdotal evidence in order to argue that literature circles are not only an appropriate methodology, but also a vital one. Finally the presenters will provide participants with the chance for hands-on participation in a literature circle group and will ask participants to give their feedback on how the methodology can be applied to their own teaching situations.

Literature circles, although quite common in the L1 classroom, are less well known in the field of second language learning. Literature circles are small student-centred reading groups, which provide a specific framework, which allows students to have real, meaningful discussions on the topic at hand. Literature circles are also fun, student focused reading and discussion groups, which magically transform any reading text from a boring, tedious, teacher-fronted lecture into a lively student driven interchange.

Literature circles promote rigorous learning, improve cognitive reading skills, allow students to bring their own experiences and culture into the interpretation of the text and minimizes the embarrassment that many students experience when they are called upon to offer their opinions in front of an entire class. Because literature circles are based upon the concept of small groups evolving into larger groups the student’s attitude towards taking risks publicly evolves along side it. Even the most reticent of students is likely to find himself, almost without realizing it, making confident public statements or offering his opinion.

Promoting Study Skills in Higher Education
Maria Guglielmino-Iskenderoglu – Istanbul, Turkey

Students in Turkish Universities have poor study skills. They generally don’t begin to study for an exam until the night before. Part of the problem is that none or few of their teachers traditionally teach study skills in the classrooms. Successful students are those who have family that is interested in education or they stumble across ways to study that work for them.

This poster will give helpful information for teachers to teach their students in the classroom about time management, note taking, SQ3R, a reading and study system, strategies to use with difficult questions, helpful ways to remember, and tips for better test taking.

These techniques have been presented in three seminars. Two to English instructors and one to second, third, and fourth year English Language and Literature students. When teachers become aware that there are simple ways that they can help their students with study skills and implemented these skills in their classrooms, their students become more active. Students who attended the seminar and began to utilize the techniques said that they were more aware of how they spent their time and how to schedule study time before exams. They also said that they were memorizing less and learning more.