Unveiling quality language education insights: LEA Newsletter Apr 2023 Edition

Greetings on the Language Educators Assemble LEA Newsletter for Apr 2023!

I hope this post finds you absolutely smashing and raring to go for the new month ahead. How are you doing where you are teaching? At my corner of the world, can you believe that we are already nearing the middle of the academic year in mainstream public schools? Time really does fly faster than a student who’s trying to sneak out of class early.

So, I’m curious, where are you in the academic year? Are you feeling the pressure or are you feeling like a boss, breezing through it all with ease? If you ever need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to listen and support you in any way I can. Remember, you’re not alone and we’re all in this together. So, feel free to drop me a message anytime, and I’ll be happy to lend a listening ear.

As 2024 began, the hype surrounding ChatGPT continued to grow. However, with the launch of GPT-4 – the most advanced large language model accessible via API to date – numerous industries are experiencing disruption or intensifying their efforts in the field of AI. Consequently, a cohort of prominent figures from the computer science and technology industry, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, are urging a 6-month hiatus in AI development to allow for reflection on the potential risks associated with the rapid progress. Certainly, this proposal was not without opposition from other members within the same group.

All this happening, as we continue the daily hustle in and out of our classrooms. With all the craze about expediting what we are doing and the fear in mitigating all the “evils” that may arise from this, I thought it be important to revisit our fundamentals. As Scott Thornbury suggested in the webinar on the future of education in light of ChatGPT, we should anchor ourself on core principles as we assess the incorporation and impact of new technologies on our practices. This is also the reason why the published articles this month take a bit much more time to put together: I really want to spend some time reviewing the journey language education has taken.

Our top featured article this month will definitely be “Unveiling the Classics: A Complete Guide in Revisiting 25 Canonical Language Teaching Approaches and Methods (with hidden modern twists on contemporary language pedagogy)”. As language educators, it is integral to possess a strong understanding of various language teaching approaches and methods claim membership to our community of professional practice. Familiarity with canonical approaches and methods prompts us to reflect on our own biases and dispositions in teaching, while empowering us to adopt innovative and effective techniques. With a sound knowledge base, our teaching repertoire has the potential to expand significantly, enabling us to meet the constantly evolving needs of our learners. So, embark on an intellectual journey with me in this article as we explore the diverse landscape of language teaching approaches and methods that have influenced the field over time, with practical suggestions for incorporating them into our current teaching practices with creative twists.

Next up, we have “Effectiveness of Bionic Reading: Seductive Hype or Realistic Hope? 5 key questions Answered”. As language learners or educators, we may come across new language learning approaches or methods that claim to be the next big thing. However, it’s important to be critical (but not sceptical) of these viral approaches and evaluate them before incorporating them into our practices. Despite a long history of debunking certain neuromyths, there are still expensive programs that claim to train specific brain functions in young children. Recently, “Bionic Reading” has gained popularity again, and I have thus decided to use it as a case study to demonstrate how practitioners can approach new language learning innovations. My conclusion is that there isn’t enough evidence yet to make a definitive judgement on Bionic Reading, and it requires further research and scrutiny before we can accept its bold claims.

Last but not least, we have “Buddy Up for Learning Success? An Evaluation of Peer Teaching in Language Learning (9 Benefits and 5 Barriers)”. The inspiration of writing this article came from an episode of the podcast “Choiceology” where many examples of how giving advice ultimately benefits the “advisor”. It then dawned upon me that the age-old method of “peer teaching” can be revisited to discover new inspiration to our practices on language teaching. From improved learning outcomes to increased motivation, peer teaching has a lot to offer. That being said, it was not all sunshine and rainbows – there are some potential barriers to consider if you do want to implement this in your classrooms. Read the article to find out more.

Thank you for your continued support and readership. Please share this newsletter with fellow language educators so that we can all grow together professionally. Till our next newsletter!

Warm Regards,
Chin Yew KIEU
Founder, Language Educators Assemble