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ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD
(Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics)
Dear Student
We welcome you to our Diploma in TEFL Programme. This is basically a programme for training you how to teach English language. However, you might have noticed that a great deal of the course material intends at improving your own English language skills and at the same time acquainting you with the latest trends and strategies for handling these skills in the classroom. I would like to advice you to read the textbooks thoroughly, consult the readers wherever you think you are in need of more clarity and explanation, attend tutorial’s regularly, ask questions and generate discussions in the tutorial meetings, and solve the assignments on your own as it will help you get through the examination successfully.
After you finish the four diploma courses you need to attend a mandatory two week workshop that will either be held in the cities nearest to your hometown or at the AIOU, Islamabad.
Following the assignment schedule, you have to submit two assignments of the course. The three assignment are theory based whereas the fourth assignment is practical/research oriented. You are required to carry out a research and prepare brief report on the findings in the area given and will then submit one copy of your report to the tutor within the scheduled period for the second assignment. You will have to present the report (fourth assignment) in one of the tutorials (the schedule/plan of the tutorial for the presentations will be intimated by the tutor or the Regional director concerned).
Marks distribution for the fourth assignment will be as follows”
Total Marks: 100
Written Report 40
Presentation 60
A few guidelines for writing and presenting the report:
a) The written report should have an introduction, body and conclusion. It should be written in clear, concise and correct English.
b) It should be 5–8 double-spaced typed/handwritten pages.
c) The presentation will be assessed and evaluated mainly in:
i. Contents of the assignment/report
ii. Communication skills
iii. Language accuracy
iv. Language fluency
v. Presentation style
You may use transparencies, charts or any other material for good presentation with the permission of the tutor (if possible). Please share your candid views feedback appreciation and complaints that will enable use make further improvements in tutorials and selection of tutors. Please inform the chairperson of the department about any discrepancy in the tutorials and the tutor’s role, assignments, workshops, examination papers, textbooks and supplementary readers and if you choose to remain anonymous, we assure you of full confidentiality.
(NOTE: Remember that the fourth assignment (both written report and presentation) is compulsory. Students failing to do/complete either of its components will be declared fail even if he/she has passed the written examination).
CHECKLIST
This packet contains study material for 553 course. The checklist is given below:
1. The Language Skills (Textbook and Reader)
2. One audio cassette
3. Four assignments
4. Four sets of assignment forms.
(Note: Schedule for tutorials and assignments will be sent by the regional office concerned).
In case any item is missing please contact any one of the following:
The Mailing Section,
Allama Iqbal Open University,
Sector H-8, Islamabad.
The Chairman,
Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics,
Allama Iqbal Open University,
Sector H-8, Islamabad.
We hope you will enjoy and benefit from the course.
Best of luck,
Course Coordinator
ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD
(Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics)
1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN “AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY”.
Course: The Language Skills (553) Semester: Autumn, 2010
Level: Diploma TEFL Total Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 40
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
(Units 1–8)
Q.1 Why are the listening skills neglected in the language classroom? Explain with examples from your own situation. (20)
Q.2 What is the difference between roughly tuned input and finely tuned input? Construct at least one activity for each to make the difference clear. (20)
Q.3 What are the components of speaking skills? Devise a lesson plan using any lesson from your textbook to teach speaking skills at the primary level. (20)
Q.4 What strategies can be adopted by foreign language learners to help them overcome their deficiencies in speaking skills? (20)
Q.5 What is the importance of non visual information in teaching reading skills in EFL Classroom? Discuss. (20)
ASSIGNMENT No. 2
(Units 9–13)
Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 40
Q.1 What is communicative writing? Describe at least four characteristics of communicative writing with appropriate examples. (20)
Q.2 What are various techniques of teaching paragraph writing? Discuss and exemplify. (20)
Q.3 Select a picture from a newspaper or magazine and develop a detailed lesson plan for teaching narrative writing. Don’t forget to paste the picture in the assignment. (20)
Q.4 Some of the sub-skills used in teaching expository writing are definition, classification, comparison and contrast, analogy, cause and effect, etc. Explain them by designing two activities for teaching expository writing in a language classroom. (20)
Q.5 What are different techniques of introducing new vocabulary? Explain with examples. (20)
ASSIGNMENT No. 3
(Units 14–18)
Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 40
Q.1 Design two information gap activities to develop communicative skills of your students. (20)
Q.2 Select a lesson from the textbook you are teaching in your classroom and calculate the Clarity Index. Attach the lesson with your assignment. (20)
Q.3 Most tests are integrative in nature but to varying extent. How far it is true with reference to our present teaching learning situation? (20)
Q.4 What techniques do you apply for correcting and assessing the writing skills of your students? (20)
Q.5 Design a communicative test to assess the language skills of your students. (20)
ASSIGNMENT No. 4
Total Marks: 100
This assignment is a project based on research-oriented activity/activities given below. You are required to study the relevant material, conduct research and prepare a brief report on what you have done. Submit the report to your tutor which will be required to you with his/her feedback. Keep a copy of it for your record before submitting to the tutor. You have to present the report in the assignment/project presentation workshop (schedule/plan of the presentations will be intimated by the Regional Director). This assignment also carries 100 marks: 40 marks are allocated for the written report and 60 for the presentations. To pass this course, you have to secure at least 40% marks in each of the components. If you failed to obtain the required marks you would be declared fail even if you have passed the written exam and the other three assignments of the course.
A few guidelines for the presentation and the written report:
a. The written report should have an introduction, body and conclusion. It should be written in clear, concise and correct English.
b. It should be 5-8 double-spaced typed/handwritten pages.
c. The presentation will be assessed and evaluated mainly in:
i. Contents of the assignment/report
ii. Communication skills
iii. Language accuracy
iv. Language fluency
v. presentation style
You may use transparencies, charts or any other material for good presentation with the permission of your tutor. Select one of the following projects in consultation with your tutor.
1. Record/collect five samples of roughly-tuned input and design at least five activities for improving the listening skills of the students. Get feedback from the students on the effectiveness of the strategy and activities. Write a report on the effectiveness of the using roughly-tuned input for improving listening skills of the students. Attach recordings (cassette or CD) and feedback (questionnaire) with your assignment.
2. Design a lesson plan to improve communicative writing skills of the students, and execute it in your class. After conducting these sessions get feedback from the students. Now write a brief report on the effectiveness of the teaching communicative writing skills to the students. Attach the lesson plan and feedback forms with your assignment.
3. Students cannot express themselves properly due to lack of vocabulary or appropriate use of it. Select at least 10 new words having more than five meanings from the dictionary. Design one lesson plan having five activities by using the selected vocabulary in different situations. Assess the performance of the students through a test. Write a brief report on the theme and attach list of words, lesson plan and test with the assignment.
4. Select five samples (article, advertisement, news, etc.) of authentic material from the newspaper. Design one lesson plan using the same for developing reading skills of the students. Conduct a test at the end. Write a report on effective use of authentic material for developing reading skills of the students. Attach samples, lesson plan and test with your assignment.
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