Learning...Not Teaching Together Toward a Better Communication

By Kawthar Khalifeh

This book is about the effectiveness of a communicative approachbased program for improving the first and secondary class students achievement in English.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514419236

Kawthar Khalifeh

My name is Kawthr Khalifeh. I am female. I was born in Syria but am of Palestinian origin. I got all my grades from Syria. I got a BA in English and two diplomas in Education. I began working as an instructor for teaching English for specific purposes in 1975. I went back to school in 1984 and got my master’s degree in education in 1990. Then I was promoted to work as a senior academic English Instructor at UNRWA/DTC in Syria. I also was appointed to give lectures in several colleges at Damascus University, including the faculty of education, mass media, etc. In 2008, I got my doctorate degree. I was forced to leave Syria due to the crisis. Currently, I am a resident of the USA, living with my brother and his family in Forest, Virginia.

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Copyright © 2016 by Kawthar Khalifeh.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5144-1924-3

                eBook           978-1-5144-1923-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 06/03/2016

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Table of Contents

Chapter One Introduction

1.1.   Statement of the Problem

1.2.   Significance of the Study

1.3.   Aims of the Study

1.4.   Research Questions

1.5.   Hypotheses

1.6.   Scope of the Study

1.7.   Operational Definitions of Terms

Chapter Two Approaches and Methods to teaching English

2.1.   Introduction

2.2.   A brief history of language teaching

2.3.   Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching

2.3.1.   The Grammar -- Translation Method

2.3.2.   The Direct Method

2.3.3.   The Audio -- Lingual Method

2.4.   Alternative Approaches and Methods

2.5.   Whole Language

2.6.   Competency-Based Language Teaching.

2.7.   Co-operative Language Learning

2.8.   Task-Based Language Learning

2.9.   Communicative Language Teaching

2.9.1.   The information gap

2.10.   The Natural Approach

2.10.1.   Theory of learning

Chapter Three Review of Literature

Introduction

3.1.   Rebecca L. Oxford, David Crookall (1989): Language Learning Strategies. The Communicative Approach, and their classroom Implication.

3.2.   Diane Musumeci (1993): Teacher-learner negotiation in content-based Instruction: Communication at Cross-purposes.

3.3.   Evdokia Karavas -- Dovkas (1996): Using attitude scales to investigate teachers' attitudes to the communicative approach.

3.4.   Policy Ulichny (1996): Performed Conversation in an ESL Classroom

3.5.   Janet Littlemore (2001): An Empirical study of the relationship between Cognitive Style and the Use of Communicative Strategy.

3.6.   Elizabeth K. Knutson (2004): Reading with a purpose: Communicative Reading Tasks for the Foreign Language Classroom.

3.7.   Ann Galloway (2004): Communicative language Teaching: An Introduction and Sample Activities.

3.8.   krashen's theory of second language Acquisition (1985)

3.9.   Wafa' Hreitani (2002): Communicative Language Teaching and Learning in Teacher Training Institute: A practical Paradigm.

3.10.   Yin-Shyan Iren Shen, Susan Chiachin Sung and Cheryl S. Raleigh (2000): A communicative and Structural approach to teaching English Reading at the college level

3.11.   Gamal Gahin and Debra Myhill (2000)

3.12.   Summary of the review of Literature

Chapter Four Methods and Procedures

Introduction

4.1.   Preliminary measures

4.2.   Sample of the study

4.3.   Experimental Design:

4.4.   Method of Research

4.5.   Research Instruments

4.6.   Experimentation

4.7.   The Communicative Approach-Based Program

4.7.1.   Principles and Rationale

4.7.2.   The Communicative Program

4.7.3.   Content of the Program

4.7.4.   Program Activities

4.8.   Achievement Tests

4.8.1.   The Pre/ Post Test

4.9.   The Questionnaire

4.10.   The Pilot Experiment

4.10.1.   First Experiment

4.10.2.   Second Experiment

4.10.3.   Results

Chapter Five Findings of the study

5.1.   Progress Test / Null Hypothesis

5.2.   Testing Hypotheses

5.3.   Validity

5.4.   Assessing Attitude

5.5.   Validity

5.6.   Reliability

5.7.   Discussion of Results

Bibliography

Appendix: A Glossary of Terms

List of Tables

1.   Subjects' marks in the three progress tests

2.   Differences between the means and standard deviation of the subjects' marks in the three progress tests

3.   Means and standard Deviation of the Experimental and control group scores on the pre/ post test

4.   Differences between the means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group scores on the pre/ post and test

5.   The means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group scores in the pre/ post test

6.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group subjects scores

7.   Means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group scores on the pre/ post test

8.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group scores on the pre-test

9.   Means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group male subjects on the pre-test

10.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group male students' scores on the pre-test

11.   Means and standard Deviation of the male and female subjects scores in the experimental group on the pr-test

12.   The F and T-value of the male and female subjects' scores in the experimental group on the pre test

13.   Means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group subjects' scores

14.   Means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group subjects' scores in the immediate post-test

15.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

16.   Means and standard Deviations of the experimental and control group female subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

17.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group female subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

18.   Means and standard deviations of the experimental and control group male subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

19.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group male subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

20.   Means and standard deviation of the experimental group subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

21.   The F and T-value of the experimental group subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

22.   Means and standard deviation of the experimental and control group subjects' scores on the immediate post-test

23.   Differences between the means and standard deviations of the experimental group subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

24.   The F and T-value of the experimental group subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

25.   Means and standard deviation of the experimental and control group subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

26.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group female subjects on the postponed post-test

27.   Means and standard deviations of the experimental and control group subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

28.   The F and T-value of the experimental and control group male subjects on the postponed post-test

29.   Means and standard deviations of the experimental and control group female subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

30.   The F and T-value of the control female and male subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

31.   Means and standard deviations of the experimental and control group subjects' scores on the postponed post-test

32.   Number of students scoring less or more than 70% at the pre-test

33.   Kai Square Test results

34.   Number of students scoring more or less than 70% at the Post-Test

35.   Kai Square Test

36.   Number of students scoring more or less than 70% in the Postponed post Test

37.   Kai Square Test

38.   Subjects' Attitudes towards learning vocabulary communicatively

39.   Mean and standard deviation of subjects' attitudes towards learning vocabulary communicatively

40.   Subject's Attitudes towards learning the Use of English communicatively

41.   Mean and standard deviation of subjects' Attitudes towards learning the use of English communicatively

42.   Subjects' attitudes towards learning skill of listening communicatively

43.   Mean and standard deviation of subjects' attitudes towards learning the skill of listening communicatively

44.   Subjects' attitudes towards learning the skill of speaking communicatively

45.   Mean and standard deviation of subjects attitudes towards learning the skill of speaking communicatively

46.   Attitudes of the sample towards learning the skill of reading communicatively

47.   Mean and standard deviation of subjects' attitudes towards learning the skill of reading communicatively

48.   Subjects attitudes towards learning skill of writing communicatively

49.   Mean and standard deviation of subjects' attitudes towards learning the skill of writing communicatively

50.   Subjects' attitudes towards learning the skill of speaking communicatively

51.   Attitudes of the sample towards the integration of the four skills

52.   The total means and standard deviations of subjects' attitudes towards learning English communicatively

53.   Percentages and accumulative percentages of the frequency distribution of learners' attitude towards learning vocabulary communicatively

54.   Percentages and accumulative percentages of learners' attitude towards learning the use of English communicatively

55.   Percentages and accumulative percentages of learners' attitude toward learning the skill of listening communicatively

56.   Percentages and accumulative percentages of learners' attitudes towards learning the skill of speaking communicatively

57.   Percentages and accumulative percentages of learners' attitude towards learning the skill of reading communicatively

58.   Percentages and accumulative percentages of learners' attitude towards learning the skill of writing communicatively

59.   The total accumulative percentage

60.   Reliability co-efficient worked out with the means of Gutman Split-half and Spearman-Brown

Dedication

For my late father and oldest brother

To my dearest mother without whom I could have remained illiterate

Acknowledgment

The author wishes to express her gratitude to the following:

Arabiya Khalifeh: Late mother Arabiya Khalifeh had a teaching Certificate from UNRWA department of Education in Syria. She has over thirty-three years of teaching. She had taught at UNRWA primary schools and had a remarkable impact on the progress of the Palestinian refugees. She was a very dedicated teacher and a very sincere and faithful wife and mother. She devoted most of her life to raise a cultural and educated family. I, my sister and my five brothers still owe her a lot. She paved the way to our success and good reputation. As a teacher, she was highly complimented and praised for her patience and mutual rapport with her learners.

A.Nasser Khalifeh: My brother Dr. Nasser Khalifeh holds a doctorate degree in Medical Physics from the University of Johns Hopkins. He is the Senior Medical Physicist at Centra in Lynchburg Virginia. I admired his loyalty to work and family. I am deeply indebted to him for all his encouragement, advice and supply. I admire his accuracy, devotion to work and enhanced productivity.

Ali Saud Hasan: Dr. Ali Saud Hasan obtained his doctorate degree in Methodology from Britain. He gives lectures on Methodology and teaches ESL/EFL in several colleges and institutes. Dr Ali has written many articles, and regularly presents at conferences and workshops held in the faculty of Education and the Center of teaching English for specific purposes (ESP). His research focuses on developing the four language skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

Warqa Barmada:

Dr. Warqa Barmada holds a doctorate degree in TESL from a university in Britain. She was the director of the English for Specific Purposes center at Damascus University (DU) for a long time. She held many conferences and workshops on teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). The conference bearing the title, The English Language Classroom in the Third Millennium seeks to provide a forum for the airing of practical classroom issues in TEFL as they apply to learners and teachers. Dr. Barmada was a very enthusiastic lecturer, tutor and administrator. I have always admired her perseverance, mutual rapport and encouragement. She is still my motivator to always strive for the better and the best.

These years, the years I have spent preparing this book, have been full of all the difficulties, miseries, heartbreak, contradictions of life, exhaustion, suffering the loss of a brother and a father in a very short period, enduring the terrible pains of my mother struggling against diabetes. Thanks to all my relatives and sincere devoted friends who could bolster my spirits up including Dr. Darweesh, Dr. Ali Khalifeh, Mr. Sulaiman Sulaiman, My faithful brothers Dr. Abdel Monem Khalifeh and the artist Safwan Khalifeh. I am proud of my family and close friends who proved to be 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.

It is worth mentioning that this modest work has been made possible through the assistance of my dearest niece Hiba Alsady, Donna Traz, Abigail Marlow and Jenny Albert. Special thanks to them for their assistance in the process of exchanging opinion and points of view, and publishing.

Foreword

Learning Not Teaching

"Stand for the Teacher and Honor His rank,

For a teacher is almost as a prophet,

Do you know of someone nobler than?

He who nurtures minds and hearts."

(Ahmad Shawqi)

I could not blame myself if I was not impressed by the poem of the Egyptian poet Ahmad Shawqi in which he honors the Teacher and considers him/her as a profit when I began my career as a teacher. At that period I could not stop thinking about the best unforgettable teacher who paved the way to my success and career decision.

Much has been written about the process of teaching/learning. Some even still debate the notion of education and its effect on the learners in this era characterized as the period of the explosion of information. So who is the ideal teacher? What are the characteristics of the effective teacher? The ideal teacher, in my opinion, is that he/she who does not teach; yet able to monitor the process of communication and engineer the learning experience that maneuvers students into the driver's seat.

The word teacher implies the flow of knowledge. It is the easiest and quickest way to impart knowledge and skills. It involves talking with learners verbally or nonverbally with little or no focus on communication. This is, as we all recognize, not an effective way to impart knowledge and skills. Socrates had it right when he only answered a question with a series of questions that trigger learners' minds and encourage dialogue and communication.

In this book, the author endeavors to provide an insight into the way the learning of English overseas is