1

Mohammed Kheidher University of Biskra

Last Name (in Capitals) :.

Faculty of Arts & Foreign Languages

First Name (in Capitals) :

Department of Foreign Languages

Section : ..

Branch of English Studies

Date : 24 J anuary, 2013. Locus : E+F+G+ RR5+6

Group :..

Third Year First Semester Examination Paper in TEFL/

Didactics Keys
NB : All sections are compulsory (i.e., obligatory).

Section One : Let us Find Out (6/6)

Task One : Are the following statements true (T) or false (F) ?I insert T/ F in the blank specified
(2/2).
1. __ F__ . According to Anthony (1963), an approach is procedural, and a method is
axiomatic.
2. __ F__. Didactics refers to what to be taught and how (well) it should be taught ; it is
interdisciplinary in nature.
3. __ T__ . Malcom Knowles considers Andragogy as the process of engaging adult learners
with the structure of learning experience.
4. __ F__ . Syllabus refers to the list of items to be taught. Unlike curriculum, it is prescriptive.
Task Two : I peruse (i.e., read) the definitions(on the right,) and I insert the right term in the blank
specified (2/2).
1. Learning: It refers to the relatively enduring (i.e., lasting for a long time) change in behavior.
2. Formal Education/ School : It indicates the institutionalized, chronologically graded and
hierarchically structured educational system, spanning from low primary school and the upper
reaches of the university (Coombs & Ahmed, 1974 : 8).
3. Design : According to Richards & Rodgers, it includes a definition of the linguistic content
specification for selection and organization of that content, and specifications for the role of
learners, teachers, and materials (Nunan & Bailey, 1996: 57).
4. Teaching : It is the process of assisting learners to acquire positive behaviors, knowledge and
skills.
Task Three : I read the following passage. Then, I fill in the gaps with the words in the box.
Problems

teaching-

curriculum-

spontaneity

What is the Creative ---- (1)----? It is an approach to ---- (2)---young children by being creative, using ---- (3) ----, and the

ability to see and use everyday opportunities to help children solve

---- (4) ----,explore new materials, and find answers to questions.
1

Curriculum

Teaching

spontaneity

problems

Section Two : Let us Analyze (6/6)

Read the text below then answer the questions thoroughly
The Responsive Classroom approach centers on several ostensibly mundane classroom
practices. Each morning students form a circle, greet one another, share bits of news, engage
in a brief, fun activity and review the days agenda. The idea is to build trust, ensure a little
fun (which adolescents crave) and confront small problems before they become big. Students
might welcome one another with salutations from a foreign language. An activity might
involve tossing several balls around a circle in rapid succession. Students share weekend
plans or explore topics like bullying before lessons begin.
Teaching Lessons by Sara Mosle in

(Oct. 27th, 2012)

About the Author : Sara Mosle has written about public education for The New York
Times, The New Yorker and Slate, among many other publications. A member of the first
Teach for Americas corps in 1990, she has taught in New York City public schools and
currently teaches sixth-grade English at St. Philips Academy in Newark, which will
become a public charter school as of September 2013. Ms. Mosle is also the author of a
forthcoming book about a school explosion in 1937 in New London, Tex., which killed
hundreds of children. She lives in Montclair, N.J., where her daughter attends public
school.

A. General Comprehension (2/2)

1. What does Ms. Mosle speak about in her article in The New York Times ?
In her article Teaching Lessons in the New York Times (dated October 27th, 2012), Ms.
Mosle speaks about the Responsive Classroom Approach (RCA) (Line 1).
2. Do teenagers like entertainment ?
Yes, they do. In line 4, the author mentions that adolescents crave for entertainment.
3. Can students exchange greetings in foreign languages ?
Yes, they can. Students might welcome one another with salutations from a foreign
language (Lines 4-5). In multicultural societies such as the American, most classrooms are
composed of different students of different enthnic and cultural backgrounds.
4. What topics can students discuss before lessons begin ?
Before classes begin, sensitive issues come to be discussed by the students. Ms. Mosle gives
one example (i.e., bullying, line 7). Other such issues may comprise racism, teen pregnancy,

drugs,generation gap, dysfunctional families, hacking, sexual harassment, joblessness, and

poverty, etc.
B. Detailed Comprehension : (4/4)
1. Why do you think students need to discuss sensitive issues before class begins ?
According to my lights, students undertake to discuss sensitive issues (e.g., bullying) to be
able to confront small problems before they become big (Line 4). Moreover, students have
their own attitudes toward and perceptions of the causes and effects of these issues on their
immediate contexts (i.e., family, friends, and society at large). Also, open discussion of current
issues builds rapport and makes students familiar with complex social challenges. Finally, by
discussing this type of issues, students become empathetic toward one another.
2. What is the point from the responsive classrooms ?
By defintion to be responsive refers to the quick if positive reaction to something. In RCA,
students react quickly and positively to the teacher-initiated tasks (e.g., (Lines 3-4 ) students
form a circle, greet one another, share bits of news, engage in a brief, fun activity and review
the days agenda). The point, therefore is to ... to build trust, ensure a little fun (which
adolescents crave) and confront small problems before they become big (Lines 3-4)
3. How can mundane classroom practices enhance students motivation to learn ?
Orlich et al. (2013 :15) define motivation as the desire to learn. Although mundane, some
activities may enhance learners desire to learn. For instance, salutations (Lines 2 & 4-5)
either in L1 or foreign language can help diffuse cultural differences and misconceptions and
bring about respect and tolerance. Socializing is yet an important source of motivation as is
cooperation instead of fierce competition among students. Self-expression causes the
minimization of inhibition, anxiety, and fear. Non-threatening, friendly atmosphere (e.g., fun
activity, Line3) adds to the entertainment and enterpreneurship among class members.
4. In what kind of tasks do students need to engage ?
In RCA, learners/ students can engage in a host of real-life tasks such as students might
welcome one another with salutations from a foreign language. An activity might involve
tossing several balls around a circle in rapid succession (Lines 4-6). What is more, students
may share weekend plans or explore topics like bullying before lessons begin (Lines 6-7).

Section Three : Let us Think Critically (8/8)

I write a short essay wherein I discuss the following quotation.
Bransford states that Nobel laureate Herbert Simon wisely stated the meaning of knowing has
shifted from being able to remember and repeat information to being able to find and use it
Although Simons statement is succinct, its implications are immeasurable as it
encompasses the spirit and drive of the education priorities reshuffle in the new century. It
basically calls for a paradigm shift in 21st c. education: bringing schools to the Third

Millenium. The latter is characterized by globalization, (nano)technology, and complex

geo-political relations. This short essay undertakes to persuade stakeholders 1that 21st c
education needs to reflect the titanic changes that have recently affected the world.
Unlike 20th c. education, which focused on literacy and numeracy 2, 21st c. education
aspires to provide academic skills and pastoral care 3, demonstrate evidence that teachers
are teaching and students are learning, and target the provision of high-quality education.
Furthermore, students need to be made responsible for their learning and master new
literacies : information literacy, media literacy, ICT 4, etc.

Teaching is not, therefore,

telling, and nor is learning a good mark. Differently stated, knowing no longers refers
exclusively to memorization and recitation. Rather, it is the perpetual quest for knowledge
and the best way to put it to good use.
To do so, learners need to undergo an exceptional learning experience. They need to
master the core subjects (namely, language arts, foreign languages, biology, math, and
history, etc.), learning and innovation skills (such as critical thinking and problem
solving), information, media, and technological skills, and finally life and career skills
such as flexibility, responsability, initiative and leadership. In other words, learners need
to master both hard skills (core curriculum) and soft skills (i.e., interpersonal skills).
Hence, learning has acquired new nuances. A case in point, learning FL is no longer
mastering structures only (i.e., Audio-Lingualism) only but also the appropriate survival
skills 5in the host socio-cultural environments (viz., Performance-Based Approaches).
In the same vein, Toffler argues The illeterate of the 21st c. will not be those who cannot
read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. In sum, 21st c. learners
should be equipped with the skills that would help them survive and thrive in multicultural societies by being flexible, self-reliant critical thinkers, i.e., they rely on their
own to enquire, explore, interpret, and use appropriately whatever they find out.

All people who are interested in the issue such as teachers, administrators, students, and parents.

Ability to count

Generic term for the practice of looking after the personal and social wellbeing of children or students under
the care of a teacher.
4

Information and Communication Technologies

Basic skills (3Rs) + technology and interpersonal skills.