Teaching FESI Methodology

Methodology for intermediate English courses

Communicative activities

Warm-up

Modelling

10

Learning awareness

Tasks

Function Review/Insight or UoE Review

Strategies for competences

Verifying

Practice in context

Vocabulary hub

+ INFO

FESI Method - Intermediate courses

Function Insight or UoE Review

Communicative activities

Stages in each lesson

Stages at the end of the unit

Stages for live classes

Warm-up

Modelling

10

Learning awareness

Tasks

Strategies for competences

Verifying (PC)

Practice in context

Vocabulary hub

How a unit is designed?

Function Insight or UoE Review

Communicative activities

Stages in each lesson

Stages at the end of the unit

Stages for live classes

Warm-up

Modelling

10

Learning awareness

Tasks

Strategies for competences

Verifying (PC)

Practice in context

Vocabulary hub

How a unit is designed?

Words and phrases for the lesson

This teaching sequence must have:

1. A cover with the label "VOCABULARY HUB".
2. The objective of the vocabulary activities related to the linguistic function.
3. An image related to the linguistic function.

This lesson must include the activities: Presentation | Meaning Verification | Practice in Context

SAMPLE

Vocabulary hub

A short question that can focus the student on the linguistic function

Warm-up: The trigger question

Use a royalty free resources

Warm-up: Resources to spark student interest

Short exercise just before the Modelling

Warm-up

SAMPLE

This stage must have: 1. Contextualized models of the linguistic function (use texts, audios, videos or images). Make sure there is enough input for the students to understand the function. 2. Highlighted items of the linguistic function. ​3. An interactive activity where students approach the linguistic function for the first time. The aim of this activity is to identify the function. It is neither a test nor a verifying activity.

Modelling

SAMPLE

In order to help students to acquire their own independent vocabulary and to use grammatical forms correctly, we must emphasize the importance of context in language practice. British Council (2021) As we do not speak or write in isolated sentences, texts must be used for this practice. We speak or write using meaningful units of language produced within some kind of context. Noticing the use of language is not enough for learners to acquire the structures and vocabulary. Thus, learners need to practice what they have noticed at the modelling stage, also within context. Jones and Lock (2011)

Focus on grammar

Practice in context

Focus on linguistic function

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

Sociocultural skills to achieve communication effectively

Culture & Society

Skills to achieve writing effectively

Writing

Skills to achieve reading effectively

Reading

Skills to achieve listening effectively

Listening

Skills to achieve speaking effectively

Speaking

In this individual practice, students develop language competencies through practicing strategies with guidance.A lesson focused on developing strategies must include all the elements of a pedagogical sequence (Sánchez, n.d.):

1. Introduction or Activation of prior knowledge. (Before)
2. Development or Guided Practice. (While)
3. Reinforcement, self-evaluation, or a production activity without guidance. (After)

Strategies for competences

Interactional/ Conversational strategies

Intonation thecniques

S.T.A.P.R. thecniques

Fluency thecniques

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

Pronunciation thecniques

SAMPLE

To work with this strategy, you may take samples from the modelling and practice in context.

Speaking strategies

Inviting others to contribute to a conversation→

Self-correcting slips and errors→

Taking initiative in interaction→

Speculating→

Expressing reaction→

Using formulaic expressions→

Getting someone's attention→

Using fillers→

Assessing how well your interlocutor is understanding you→

Appealing for help→

Rephrasing ideas→

Emphasizing information→

Using appropriate registers, styles, implicatures, pragmatic conventions, and other sociolinguistic features→

Maintaining a conversation→

Starting and Terminating a conversation →

Interrupting someone or intervening in a conversation →

Explaining abstract ideas through examples →

Explaining new ideas through comparisons →

Defending a point of view→

Asking different kinds of questions to elicit specific responses→

Convincing, developing, and making persuasive arguments →

Fielding questions during a presentation→

Disagreeing politely→

Contributing additional information to a discussion→

Asking to clarify or confirm ideas you hear→

Voicing and allaying concern→

Changing the topic and resuming or continuing it→

Responding to an argument→

Talking about problems and solutions →

Expressing interest in ideas you hear →

Refuting an argument →

Interacting with a presenter→

Expressing your attitude towards something →

Managing questions from the floor using key language→

Explaining something you don't know the word for→

Comparing and constrasting using different discourse markers→

Asking for clarification or repetition→

Turn-taking→

Offering advice and suggestions→

Giving reasons and explanations→

Interactional/Conversational strategies

Scanning specific information →

Skimming for the main idea of a paragraph →

Identifying transition words →

Using context to guess meaning of words →

Making references →

Finding similarities and differences →

Arguing for and against a topic →

Paraphrasing sentences →

Identifying exact vs approximate numbers →

Understanding pronoun reference →

Annotating text →

Using definitions to find meaning →

Supporting ideas with examples →

Summarizing using a concept map →

Understanding pros and cons →

Understanding a writer’s use of quotes →

Inferring information →

Understanding sequence →

Identifying reasons (arguments) →

Identifying reasons (why things happen) →

Classifying information →

Finding key details →

Identifying main ideas in paragraphs →

Understanding the gist →

Reading strategies

Listening to figures and statistics →

Listening while reading→

Distinguishing facts from opinions→

Determining the speaker's attitude→

Recognizing pros and cons→

Recognizing problems and solutions→

Listening for examples →

Predicting→

Listening for emphasis on main ideas→

Listening for Vocabulary in Context →

Note-taking →

Categorizing information →

Supporting ideas and evidence, with examples and/or explanations→

Summarizing information →

Listening for key terms and definitions→

Inferring information →

Understanding sequence and transitions →

Identifying reasons (arguments) →

Identifying reasons (why things happen) →

Classifying information →

Finding key details →

Identifying main ideas in paragraphs →

Understanding the gist →

Listening strategies

Excluding what is not relevant for the audience →

Eliminating repetition and digressions →

Highlighting key information →

Giving examples →

Modifying style to explain things more explicitly →

Using gender-inclusive language→

Organizing, drafting, editing, and writing an opinion blog post→

Organizing, drafting, editing, and writing a narrative→

Organizing, drafting, editing, and writing a questionnaire →

Organizing, drafting, editing, and writing an essay→

Organizing, drafting, editing, and writing a summary →

Expressing opinions →

Connecting ideas →

Paraphrasing →

Organizing, drafting, editing, and writing an email →

Setting a scene and narrating a sequence of events →

Writing conclusions →

Using graphic organizers to organize ideas →

Summarizing and making notes →

Writing strategies

Recognizing and Interpreting differences between customs, usage, attitudes, values and beliefs →

Performing language functions in an appropriate way (Register)→

Recognizing and Interpreting sociocultural references and cues→

Expressing yourself in a way appropriate to the context →

Inviting participants to contribute and react to each others' ideas →

Expressing understanding and appreciation of different ideas, feelings and viewpoints →

Discussing similarities and differences in views and perspectives →

Showing awareness that some questions may be perceived differently in the cultures concerned. →

Anticipating, dealing with and/or repairing misunderstandings arising from sociocultural and sociolinguistic differences. →

Demonstrating sensitivity to and respect for different sociocultural and sociolinguistic perspectives and norms →

Using questions and showing interest to promote understanding of cultural norms and perspectives between participants →

Intercultural/Socioling Competences

Three Progress Check separate questionnaires

Listening

Reading

Vocabulary and use of English

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

Verifying

This Function Review is to be done at the beginning of the first synchronous session (in person or online) of a unit. Remember that the focus of this activity is to review the language function, not grammar structures. To do this, you may elicit students' responses by giving them prompts to express something, e..g giving personal information, describing someone's physical appearance, etc. Or have a more guided review by giving them the prompts and asking questions. You can also have a quick reading or listening activity, or even a short communicative exercise such as a dialogue or a text they need to complete.

Review of Vocabulary and Grammar in Use

Function Review/Insight

Function Review/ Insight

This UoE review is to be done by making a revision of the Progress Check Use of English section with students. All units have a Progress Check almost at the end of them, which includes Reading and Listening too. Every unit requires 2 synchronous sessions (in person or online) on average. The UoE section review needs to be carried out during the last session for a unit, ideally before working on the tasks for the synchronous session.

Review of Vocabulary and Grammar in Use

Vocabulary and use of English

UoE Review

Communicative activities are the core of synchronous sessions, either online or in person. In these activities, students practice what they have learned in the assigned lessons prior to the session. Activities at intermediate and advanced levels can be semi-controlled or controlled as students have achieved a higher communicative language competence.

Let the students do it on their own. Encourage them to communicate their ideas and not to be afraid of making mistakes.

Free

Set up in class how controlled you want these activities to be, by using options students can choose.

Semi-controlled

To do in live classes (in person or online)

Communicative activities

To design these activities remember to include: A real-life context, a task, an academic product, and writing length.

Tasks

To design these activities remember to include: A real-life context, a task, an academic product, and speaking time.

Speaking tasks

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

Writing tasks

It's time to know how the students feel

Make a Moodle survey to ask the students about their learning and perception of the materials

Learning awareness

+ INFO

Single or multiple presentations

Strategies

Single or multiple presentations

Practice in context

For each unit

(with rubrics)

Writing & speaking

Tasks

Using the Moodle survey

Closure

These steps can be in a single presentation

For each lesson (function)

Single or multiple presentations (only for new vocabulary)

Vocabulary hub

Warm-up, modelling

Three questionaries:

• Vocabulary and UoE
• Reading
• Listening

Verifying

What are you going to design?

Methodology designer

Academic section

Head of department

Mtra. María Teresa Ortiz Melo Mtro. Moroni Moya Luna Mtra. Hortensia Camacho Barco

UNAM FES Iztacala

Departamento de Idiomas