Cambridge DELTA Module 3

Assignment
Teaching Monolingual Students

Name: Raghdah A. Al-Madany

Centre No: SA102
Candidate No: 10
Word Count: 4577

Statement of Originality
Plagiarism is defined as submitting as one's own work, irrespective of intent to deceive, that which derives
in part or in its entirety from the work of others without due acknowledgement. It is both poor scholarship
and a breach of academic integrity.
University of Cambridge statement on plagiarism (2011), retrieved 24.10.2014
from:http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/plagiarism/students/statement.html
I confirm that I have read and understood the University of Cambridge definition of plagiarism. I confirm
that this submission is my own work and that all sources used are properly referenced.
Name: Raghdah Al Madany
Date: 4/06/2015

Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 1

Contents
Part one...................................................................................................................... 4
1.1Introduction........................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Literature........................................................................................................... 4
1.2.1 Monolingual versus multilingual classrooms..................................................4
1.2.2 Shared mother tongue................................................................................... 5
1.2.3 Motivation for L2............................................................................................ 6
1.2.4 Issues for the teacher in the monolingual classroom.....................................6
1.2.5 Using English outside the monolingual classroom..........................................7
Part 2 Needs Analysis & Results.................................................................................8
2.1 Needs Analysis.................................................................................................. 8
2.2 The Findings of the Needs Analysis...................................................................9
2.3 Diagnostic testing............................................................................................. 9
2.4 Results of the diagnostic test..........................................................................10
Part 3........................................................................................................................ 11
3.1 Aims and Objectives........................................................................................ 11
3.2 Syllabus........................................................................................................... 12
3.3 Contents and course constraints.....................................................................12
3.4.1 Scaffolding................................................................................................... 12
3.4.2 Learners Autonomy and interactive tasks...................................................12
3.4.3 Linking words and academic collocations.....................................................13
Part 4........................................................................................................................ 13
4.1 Assessment..................................................................................................... 13
4.2 Monitoring progress......................................................................................... 13
4.3 Evaluation....................................................................................................... 15
Part 5........................................................................................................................ 16
Conclusion............................................................................................................. 16
Reference................................................................................................................. 17
Course Books/ Material.......................................................................................... 18
Website Based Material......................................................................................... 19

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Appendix 3- Needs Analysis and Interviews - Main Findings.....................................20
Appendix 5 Weakest Areas in English....................................................................21
Appendix 6 Writing Techniques to Be Developed...................................................21
Appendix 7 - Topics of Interests................................................................................ 22
Appendix 9 Diagnostic Test Findings......................................................................23
Appendix 10 Course Plan....................................................................................... 24

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Part one

1.1 Introduction
I have chosen the Monolingual Class as my specialism as I have been
teaching monolingual classes in Saudi Arabia for the past three years as
opposed to multilingual classes. Another reason for my choice is that as a
non-native speaker and a language learner myself, I understand the
difficulties my learners go through when learning new vocabulary, making
sense of things in a different language, and coping with different skills. As
indicated by Wechsler Learners cannot escape the influence of their first
language (Wechsler, 1997). Also, No matter how good the students are
the majority keeps mentally translating (Kavaliauskiene & Kaminskiene,
2007:133). Having said that, monolingual classes are somewhat easier to
teach than other classes, students share the same culture and aspirations. To
an extend most monolingual students also make the same mistakes helping
the teacher plan in a more focused manner to address what they need
Many concerns relating to delivering language to monolingual learners will
be discussed throughout the assignment.

1.2 Literature
1.2.1 Monolingual versus multilingual classrooms
According to the Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied
Linguistics (Richards & Schmidt, 2002), monolingual has two definitions; the
first, a person who knows and uses only one language. The second, a person
who has an active knowledge of only one language, though perhaps a
passive knowledge of others, suggesting that a monolingual person can be
bilingual even with the knowledge of other languages. Shorter Oxford
Dictionary describes monolingualism as a monoglot meaning That speaks,
writes or understands only one language. Whereas in multilingual classes
this is a person who knows and uses more than one language. A multilingual
speaker does not necessarily use all the languages to the same level. For
example; the multilingual person may use one language at home and
another at work, and may speak or write well in one language only (Longman
Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics: Richards & Schmidt,
2002).
There are advantages and disadvantages in both of these classes. I can
empathise with students from both classes, because I am originally from
Saudi Arabia, and have worked in England with multilingual students.

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Multilingual classes have a number of advantages which have implications
for the monolingual class;

The learners get opportunities to practice English in the classroom

during pair work and group work, and also outside the classroom when
doing simple tasks like shopping. Whereas in monolingual classes, the
teacher has to encourage the practice of English inside and outside the
classroom. The teacher has to use techniques and equipment to teach
the language to the students, for instance audio with examples of
authentic language.
The learners are able to bring different cultures and backgrounds to
the classroom, which according to Schumanns theory of acculturation
(1978), reduces the distance in language learning. However, the same
cannot be said for the monolingual class, where the teachers role has
to be very inventive. The teacher has a lot of responsibilities, and has
to find many ways of making the classroom activities fun and
interactive.
The rewards of the multilingual classes are clear. However, the
monolingual class comes with many advantages in itself. It is difficult
to decide which is better. It all depends what sort of learner you are
dealing with. Sometimes a mixture of both multilingual and
monolingual teaching methods can aid the students to acquire the
language. (Atkinson,1993)

1.2.2 Shared mother tongue

Using the mother tongue (MT) is a natural tool for anyone learning a
language. Along with other teachers in the EFL field, I agree that the mother
tongue helps towards the acquisition of L2 (Schweer, C 1999). Advocates of
mother tongue usage in the classroom such as David Atkinson (1987) and
Ferrer, V (2000) support the benefits that come along with L1, for example
using the mother tongue with caution in the classroom can save time and
allow the teacher to devote more time to other priorities. A teacher should
however, integrate a principled approach to the use of the mother tongue
and clearly know when it needs to be used and when not to be used in class.
The older lower level English learners may rely on the mother tongue,
especially if they do not know another language. Late learning tends to
increase the reliance on the mother tongue and it is a natural tool when
learning a language that has been ignored in the field of language learning.

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However, normalising the use of the mother tongue in the classroom can
also be a distraction to the teacher as the students might rely on their MT
too much (Swan and Smith 2001)

1.2.3 Motivation for L2

According to Harmer (2001) Motivation is Some kind of internal drive which
pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something. Motivating
monolingual students to speak in English can be quite difficult, given that
they find it very easy to communicate to each other using L1.There are two
types of motivation when acquiring a second language as defined by Gardner
and Lambert (1972).
Motivation can be either integrative or instrumental. Integrative motivation is
usually observed with learners who acquire the language out of love and
admiration for its culture and to become integrated to a particular society
where the language is used (Falk, 1978), whereas an instrumental motivation
learner is normally concerned with achieving social respect, better jobs or to
pass an exam (Hudson, 2000).
Many writers such as Dornyei (1994) have emphasised on the importance of
motivation in second language acquisition. Dornyei proposed that second
language teachers can develop their students by providing them with topics
related to the students & their culture. In light of what Dornyei suggested, I
look to facilitate motivation by giving them ownership of their own
development and empowering them to develop themselves.

To increase the motivation of my students, I look at different tasks such as,

self and peer correction to give them the chance to analyse their own work. I
also encourage the students to read different styles of writing and then give
them the chance to brainstorm the pros and cons of each style, so they can
find ways of improving their own writing. Guthrie & Humenick (2004) speak
about the importance of encouraging teachers to provide students with a
large selection of written texts, as it will have an influence on the learners
motivation.

1.2.4 Issues for the teacher in the monolingual classroom

Monolingual classrooms are normally found in countries like South Korea and
Spain where normally the immigration rate is high from Eastern Europe and

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Morocco. Monolingual classes are also more popular in the Middle East, one
of them being Saudi Arabia where I teach at the moment. There are
disadvantages and advantages for the teacher in a monolingual class:
The advantages include; for beginners monolingual students will find it
difficult and unnatural to speak in a different language other than their own,
therefore, creating an English speaking environment inside the classroom
and in the building is a challenge for the teacher. This will involve persuasion
and motivation as the students need to buy into this new language being
learnt in a natural way. However, the advantages of monolingual classes are
many; students share the same problems such as phonological problems,
transfer of similar items from mother tongue, false friends which make
writing skills easier making it like a monolingual class, and the sharing of the
same culture which helps when choosing subjects of interest. (Swan, 1997)
One disadvantage in a monolingual classes in that they are being taught in
the students own country like my course where the course is compulsory to
progress to a different level which is very limiting to the students motivation
and desire to learn the new language by choice.

1.2.5 Using English outside the monolingual classroom

According to Shin (2007) The classroom has to be a place where language is
taught in a meaningful way, this is helped by creating contexts that mirror
real world discourse. Because learners have limited exposure outside the
classroom, teachers need to provide authentic material (reading and
listening skills) to help them connect with the outside world, and to ensure
the acquired language is used outside the classroom, in real life situations
(Harmer, 2007:273). When choosing educational materials, there are certain
things to bear in mind such as needs of the learners and cultural sensitivity,
not forgetting that the classroom is the place for rehearsal (Krieger, 2005)

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Part 2 Needs Analysis & Results
2.1 Needs Analysis
In relation to the topics discussed in Part 1, I will use several methods to
assess the needs of my students. This will help me in collecting and
assessing information relevant to course design; it is the means of
establishing the how and what of the course (Hyland 2006:73).
I will use various methods of needs analysis tools including questionnaires,
surveys and interviews, to collect information about the students preferred
needs (David Nunan, 1998). A needs analysis has to be carried out
throughout the course as it is a systematic and ongoing process (Graves,
2000).
Nunan (1988) suggested that language syllabus designers need to break
needs analysis into two parts learners analysis and task analysis. The
learner analysis approach for data collection is what I will use as it will collect
relevant language learning data.
To assess the learning needs and expectations of my students, I will use an
adapted VARK learning style questionnaire (Fleming, 2012) (Appendix 1&2).
The questionnaire will allow me to collect factual and objective information
about the learners. (Nunan, 1988 & Graves, 2000).
As well as collecting preferred learning styles, the NA will also help me
collect information about the learners interpersonal skills and the learners
context (Graves, 2000) including information about the learners physical
and social context.

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To form certain learning stages and build a better picture of the learners
understanding, I will observe the learners in an informal setting in order to
gain understanding of the students natural attitude towards learning the
English language. I will also gather information about their interest for using
English, as they do not have an opportunity or a need to use it outside the
classroom. This will allow me to personalise the course proposal to what they
need and make them more engaged (Graves, 2000)
I will follow this by a diagnostic test (Appendix 8) to assess and analyse the
exact needs of my students.

2.2 The Findings of the Needs Analysis

My group studies general English 5 days a week for 3 hours a day at the
preparatory year of King Saud University Riyadh (KSU). The class is made up
of 22 monolingual intermediate level (IELTS 5) female students between the
ages of 18 and 21. I share the class with a co-teacher who teaches the
speaking and listening track, while I teach reading and writing. We teach 1.5
hours each for five days a week.
The main findings are divided into the following:
Result Percentage Reasons for the given results
%
Learning styles 95% Variety (VAK)
Previous negative experience 92% Because it was teacher-centred
Writing programme 85% No writing programme available
Teacher-centred classes 83% Cultural reliance on the teacher for
preferred everything
Teacher correction 88% Preferred teacher correction only
Peer correction 18% The class is not used to this method
A need for academic writing 90% To pass exams and to progress to
majors
Weakest language skill 75% Writing is the area where most
students wanted help with.

(For more details, see Appendix 3)

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2.3 Diagnostic testing
Diagnostic testing can be carried out in the form of formative assessment or
summative assessment (Brindley, 2001). Baxter (1997) says that diagnostic
tests are designed to test the strength and weakness of the learner. After
analysing the findings of the questionnaire, I realised that the main areas of
weakness in relation to the 2 language skills that I am teaching is the skill of
writing. To put this into perspective and to diagnose the learners linguistic
lacks (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987), I decided to test the students writing
abilities. The students were asked to write 120 words in 30 minutes with the
title of The importance of preparatory year (PY) at King Saud University
(Appendix 8). The test was set under exam conditions. McNamara (2000)
calls this type of testing an integrative test as it would require the learners
to use a range of skills to complete the test. This format of testing will
highlight the learners strength and weakness. The test is a direct test
(Mcnamanr, 2000) as it tests the skill of writing, and has content validity
(Macnamanr, 2000). The test and the rubric for marking (Appendix 8 &18)
was adapted from the students reading and writing book as they will be
tested from materials they are familiar with and are suitable for their level.

2.4 Results of the diagnostic test

Writing strength
Some learners have demonstrated good use of vocabulary in their writing,
for example; The importance, The PY will make you sophisticated, and PY
will prepare you (Appendix 9). About 20% of the class had clear ideas and
good use of grammar.
Writing weaknesses
The main weaknesses were found in the structure and organisation, as
paragraphs were not present in the students presented work. The students
were also unable to address the style and register in a correct manner. At
this level, the majority of the students should have good control of linking
words, which was not present in their work causing it to be less cohesive.
Although, they showed some coherence (Appendix 9).
Again, there was a clear lack of academic phrases and collocations. Most of
the students spelling was quite poor and some minor grammar errors were
made.
The course proposal will give priority to the following:
Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 10
 Use of paragraphing to encourage coherence and cohesion.
Organisation and structure skills so that the paragraphs are linked.
The use of suitable style and register.
Use of linking words and academic collocation.

Part 3
When proposing a course, it is important to have a flexible syllabus that will
accommodate learners needs and deal with any issues that may come up
during a proposal conceptualises content (Graves 2000). Richards refers to
course plan as the what, the why, and the how of a course. (Richards
2001)
After analysing areas of strength and weakness of my students, I have found
that reading is a strong skill across the class therefore, I will concentrate on
their most needed area of improvement which is writing. I have chosen this
skill as it was the skill that they struggled with the most. (Appendix 5)
According to Richards and Renanadya (2002) Writing is the most difficult
skill for L2 learners to master. The students also need help with their
spelling, which falls under the sub-skill of writing, Richards (2001)
In my opinion, not to be able to communicate through writing is quite
disabling and can hinder students in reaching their goals and positions of
power (Tribble, 1996).

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3.1 Aims and Objectives
Aims and objectives are the backbone of a curriculum and it is the
framework of a curriculum (Finney in Richards and Renanadya, 2003).
Graves (2000) discusses that through objectives a goal is broken down into
learnable and teachable units. Krashen and Terrell (1983) highlight the
importance of defining goals before even deciding on the materials of a
course. A decision on the methods and materials to be used in a course is
possible only once the goals of the course have been defined (Krashen and
Terrell, 1983). The course I am proposing is a mixed-focused model
(Richards and Renanadya, 2003).

By the end of the proposed course, the learners will be able to

Ob1 Develop learner autonomy and strategies to become more independent

in and outside of the classroom.
Ob2 Students will be able to write coherent and cohesive paragraphs.

Ob3 Students will be able to recognise different types of texts and styles.

Ob4 Students will be able to develop their academic collocation and linking
words.

3.2 Syllabus
The syllabus will follow on from the universitys skill based syllabus which will
help with the needs of my learners addressing certain skills such as; linking
words and academic collocations as discussed above, as well as the skill
based syllabus. I will be using a mixture of a product-orientated syllabus and
a process-orientated syllabus (Nunan, 1988). A product-orientated syllabus
focuses on what the learners have to learn by the end of the course, and the
knowledge and the skills which learners should gain as a result of instruction
(Nunan, 1988). The second syllabus which is the process-orientated syllabus
focuses on the how (Jordon, 1997). The students will learn the skills needed
to write academically by the end of the course. The process-syllabus is a
means to an end (Jordon, 1997) which will help me to accomplish my course
objectives. This will also help in the motivation of the learners as they will
achieve a sense of success of their learning.

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3.3 Contents and course constraints
I am constrained by the syllabus that the university has set for the course
which Q skills 5 for success reading and writing by N. Caplan and S. Douglas
and for this reason, I will be using and adapting from this course book. Also,
the students were positive about using this book during the questionnaire. I
will be developing objectives one to four with the students using this book,
which will activate organic learning principles (Nunan, 2004)
3.4 Principles / methodology

3.4.1 Scaffolding
Most monolingual learners find themselves embarrassed when writing
academically as it is an area they are not comfortable with due to limited
vocabulary and weakness in areas such as; spelling and academic
collocations. Hyland (2006) encourages the use of scaffolding techniques to
build their understanding of texts and their linguistic competence to create
them. Scaffolding is also important when trying to produce a coherent and a
cohesive writing and for that Nunan (2004) highlights that scaffolding should
be introduced to students either explicitly or implicitly

3.4.2 Learners Autonomy and interactive tasks

The success of the proposed program will allow the learners to take
ownership of their writing (Raimes, 1983). During the questionnaire, the
students showed interest for interactive language games and task-based
writing activities. I will use the communicative tasks which will help the
learners find their own style of writing. The students will be asked to discuss
topics they will be interested in and will be given tasks in small/pair groups
to encourage collaborative learning. The students will also be encouraged to
take the teachers role when reviewing certain answers and playing
interactive games. This will take them away from the traditional teacher-
centred style. These tasks require learners to negotiate with each other
(Graves 2000).

3.4.3 Linking words and academic collocations

During the writing test I have set for the students (Appendix 8), it was very
apparent that my students struggled with producing long sentences and
word combinations, lacking the use of cohesive devices such as linking words
and collocations. I will explain the importance of collocations to my learners
as this will help them understand vocabulary and how it is associated
together in context, as supported by Nation (2004) collocations are naturally
associated in context. The students will learn words in combination rather

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than isolated vocabulary memorisation, and understanding the
importance of discovering how words go together. Wallace (1982)
indicates that through collocation, learners will have the ability to use it
with the words it correctly goes with, i.e. in the correct collocation
making their writing more natural and cohesive. Having discussed the
importance of collocation, it is also important for the students to realise the
importance of cohesive devices (linking words). The significance of using
linking words will be highlighted to the students, using various activities
during the course plan.

Part 4

4.1 Assessment

Assessment is necessary to measure the success of any course. As language

teachers, we constantly have to assess methods and theories to evaluate
what works best for our learners and to measure the effectiveness of a
course by achieving the objectives set. Graves (2000) states that objectives
are The benchmarks of success for a course. The course can be deemed
successful and effective if the goals have been reached. Assessments can
be categorised to formative and summative, both needed hand in hand
during any course, to both teach and test/or assess.(Hyland 2006) Formative
assessments are ongoing and find out what is working well, and what is not,
and what problems need to be addressed (Richards, 2001). While summative
assessments assess What the students have achieved with respect to what
they have been learning in the course (Graves, 2000)

4.2 Monitoring progress

To assess the success of my course, I need to use both methods. I will use
both formal and informal assessment to check the progress and to achieve
all my objectives. Informal assessments will be carried out for: Ob1 - Develop
learner autonomy and strategies to become more independent in and
outside of the classroom. Ob2 - Students will be able to write coherent and

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cohesive paragraphs. Ob3 - Students will be able to recognise different types
of texts and styles. Ob4 - Students will be able to develop their academic
collocation and linking words.

The informal assessment will be carried out during the whole course carrying
out different activities such as; writing cohesive and coherent paragraphs
with appropriate topics (Ob 2 & 3). Group tasks where the students will be
put into groups to make decisions of how to rearrange paragraphs in the
right order (Ob 1). Also, the students will be provided with writing checklist
and error correction symbols (Appendix 13 ) where they have to self and
peer correct encouraging them to reflect upon their own learning (Harmer,
2007). This will allow the students to develop learner autonomy and the
students to work with each other to achieve their goal overcoming barriers of
shyness and language issues. To measure students knowledge and ability
(Harmer, 2007) for collocation, I will carry out a discreet/point test to
evaluate how much they know and what have they learned so far. Students
will be given tasks where they have to discover repeated use of collocations
and linking words and the absence of them. (Appendix 15 & 16)

Alongside the assessments, I will be conducting weekly meetings to

determine how well the course is meeting their needs (Graves, 2000),
during this time, I will give the students the opportunity to discuss what went
well and what needs to be adjusted to achieve the course goals.

To test the achievements of goals after the course has been carried out, I will
use summative assessments (Ob 2, 3 and 4) to test the overall achievement
and effectiveness of the course (Graves, 2000). This will provide the
necessary feedback for both myself and my students. Using the universitys
rubric (Appendix 18), I will set a writing test to assess how much of the skills
they have been learning throughout the course have been developed. The
test will require students to use collocations, linking words, paragraphing and
styles to write short essays. This will set a clear criterion of what needs to be
measured in terms of the learners performance (Jordan, 1997)

The writing test is a direct test as it will test exactly what it says it will test
(writing coherently and cohesively) to perform the communicative skill
which is being tested (Harmer, 2007). The test also has face validity and
content validity because it is similar to tests that have been used before,
assessing what is tangible. The test is also reliable as it is based on the
universitys previous tests. The test has construct validity testing the
writing skill itself. Although, the test is subjective, the rubric is designed with
simple guidelines making the test more objective. The students are familiar
with the universitys rubric (Appendix 18) which was provided for them at the
beginning of the course. The rubric makes them aware of what is needed and
what they are being marked against. This helps with their confidence as they
Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 15
know exactly what is expected of them, giving them ownership of their
learning.

4.3 Evaluation
Evaluation is an integral part of the course as it measures and assesses
effectiveness of the course. Evaluation is concerned with evaluating the
effectiveness of the overall course or programme (Thornbury, 2006). As
highlighted by Hutchinson and Waters (1987), a course can be evaluated at
any point. I will evaluate my course using the following methods:

Informal discussions - students will have an open class discussion at

the end of the lesson brainstorming what was good and bad about the
activities of the lesson and how to improve it.
One to one interview - students will keep a journal where they have to
write about a topic every day (to get them used to free writing, without
any judgements).This could be about food they liked, a lipstick colour
or how much they slept. During the interview, we will discuss their
writing and how its improving, giving me and the students a time to
reflect. (Appendix 12)
Self and peer correction - where the students will use a checklist where
they will be given the ownership of correcting their work and their
peers, they will be using error correction symbols to help them with
this task. (Appendix 13)
End of course questionnaire - this will be provided at the end of the
course, giving the students a chance to reflect. The students will be
asked questions that will encourage them to highlight what went well
in the course and what changes can be made for the future. (Appendix
19)

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Part 5
Conclusion

I feel that my course proposal meets the needs of my students (the skill of
writing coherently and cohesively and developing learner autonomy). The
course enables the students to take responsibility for their own learning
preparing them for the years to come in their chosen major at King Saud
University. Improving their writing academically will also help accomplish
their writing needs in their degrees and future employment.

Limitations of the course

Sticking to the course book set by the university is a constraint which has
limited the outside world experience. A fuller immersion with variety of
topics, would have been more beneficial. Also, the time constraints of just
over two weeks can limit what the students can learn. Adjusting to new
techniques such as; self and peer correction can be a constraint that will
hinder learner autonomy.

Benefits of the course

The course is designed to meet needs of the students which will provide
them with adequate practice in writing, using academic collocation and
linking words and building their self-confidence and taking ownership of their
own learning. The course is student-centred helping the students overcome
barriers and obstacles leading to autonomous learning. The feedback
sessions, the journal and self/peer correction makes the students feel in
control and the teacher is only involved when support is needed. The
questionnaire of the needs analysis allowed the learners to think for
themselves and independently notice the areas that required development
from their strengths. The learners will also learn how to work with other
people and be part of a team. Although it is a monolingual class, the learners
are able to use as much English as possible to complete their tasks
successfully using tools such as, checklist and the error correction symbols
(Appendix 14 &18) the course will help my learners gain a deep
understanding of the language and discover new language as they go along.

Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 17

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Hutchinson, T., and Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A
learning-centered approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource
book. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Jordan, R. (1997). English for Academic Purposes. Cambridge. Cambridge
University Press.
Kavaliauskiene, G. & Kaminskiene, L. (2007). Translations as a learning tool
in English for specific purposes, Kalbotyra, 57(3), 132-139
Krashen, S. & Terrell, T.D. (1983). The Natural Approach, Pergamon.

McNamara, T. (2000) Language Testing. Oxford University Press.

Nation, I.S. P. (2004). Teaching and learning vocabulary. Benijing: Foreign
Language Teaching and Research Press.
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Nunan, D. (2004) Task-based language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J.C (2001). Curriculum development in language Teaching.
Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J.C. & W.A. Renanadya (eds.) (2002). Methodology in language

teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge. Cambridge University
Press.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2003). Approaches and methods in language
teaching (6th Ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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Applied Linguistics, 429.

Swan, M. & Smith, B. (Ed.) (2001). Learner English, Cambridge: CUP.

Thornbury, S. (2006). An A-Z of ELT. Oxford: Macmillan

Tribble, C. (1996). Writing. OUP

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Wallace, M. J. (1982). Teaching Vocabulary London: Heinemann Educational
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Course Books/ Material

Cambridge University Press (2011). Cambridge IELTS 8 (Self Study Pack)
paper 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Headway Academic skills (Reading and Writing) Level 3 * Sarah Philpot and
Lesley Curnick, 2011)

Website Based Material

Ferrer, V. (2000). The Mother Tongue in the classroom:

www.teacenglishworldwide.com/Articles/Ferrer mother%20tongue% 20in
%20the 20classroom. Pdf

Krieger, D. (2005). Teaching ESL Versus EFL Principles and Practices

English Teaching Forum 43/2 2005

Schweers, C.W. (1999). Using L1 in the L2 classroom, English Teaching

Forum, 37 (2).
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http://echanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol37/no2/p6.htm

Shin, J.K. (2006) Using Radio Programs in the EFL Classroom English Teaching
Forum 44/1 2006

Swan, M. (1997). The influence of the mother tongue on second language

vocabulary acquisition and use. Retrieved 5 October 2011
from http://www.mikeswan.co.uk/elt-applied-linguistics/influence-second-
langauge.htm

Wechsler, R. (1997). Uses of Japanese (L1) in the English classroom:

Introducing the functional-translation method, The Internet TESL Journal, 3
(11).
Retrieved May 15, 2008 from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Weschsler-UsingL1.html

Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 20

Appendix 3- Needs Analysis and Interviews - Main
Findings

1. Talking to the students during the initial interviews 93% of the students
had difficulty with writing. This is because the educational institute did
not provide writing programs. The only time they wrote English is when
they had to write an answer to a question or simple sentences such as
my name is.
2. Although the students were clear about the topics they wanted to write
about (entertainment, travelling, shopping and cooking), the majority
of them wanted to learn all the techniques of writing in the list and
when I tried to discuss this in the individual interview, the response
was that they thought it was important to know types of writing
required for the final exam at King Saud University. That in mind, it
was apparent that writing an academic essay was an important choice
for about 85% of the students.
3. Nearly all of the class did not enjoy studying English previously. The
reason for this bad experience was due to the fact that the English
classes were teacher - centred and all the answers were being fed to
them as well as the teacher using Arabic to teach English at all times.
4. If the PY year was not compulsory, 65% of the students would still
attend it as they are motivated to learn English and see it as an
important language to acquire for future employment and studies.
5. Preferred learning styles although about 30% of the students showed
a mixture of preference. The overall preferred styles were auditory and

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 visual. The majority of the students preferred to work in small groups
rather than in pairs as they believe that more efforts and brains work
together better, making their own positions strong.
6. About 72% of the students preferred teacher centred classes as their
previous experience and classroom culture got them accustomed to
this. Although, when speaking to the students, they were more
confident but just needed reassurance and development of critical
thinking and ownership of their learning.
7. 68% of the students preferred teacher correction rather than self or
peer correction. This is also due to the cultural sensitivity of their
previous learning and the teacher being the only source of knowledge
in the classroom.
8. There was one thing clear about the students preference for games,
almost the whole class wanted to be challenged with games and
competitions during class activities 93%.

Appendix 5 Weakest Areas in English

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 Weakest Areas in English
14

12

10

0
Speaking Listening Reading Writing

Appendix 6 Writing Techniques to Be Developed

Types of writing
16

14

12

10

0
Letters & Emails Application forms Academic Writing Free Writing

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Appendix 7 - Topics of Interests

Topics of Interests

Sports

Cooking

Reading

Travelling

Entertainment

Shopping

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Appendix 9 Diagnostic Test Findings

After completing the test, the following points were found in the
students writing (out of 22 students):
Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 24
 1. 14/22 students did not show good use of academic collocations and
linking words.
2. 7/22 students although I understood what they meant, simple
grammatical mistakes were made including: subject verb
agreement, mixing of tenses and minor spelling mistakes.
3. 19/22 students did not show any organisational skills, as their
writing was all over the place and did not use paragraphing to
separate ideas and topic sentences.
4. 15/22 students did not show understanding of style, as they did not
write a particular group and mixed between formal and informal
styles

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 Appendix 10 Course Plan
Course Objectives

Ob1 Develop learner autonomy and strategies to become more independent in and outside
of the classroom.

Ob2 Students will be able to write coherent and cohesive paragraphs.

Ob3 Students will be able to recognise different types of texts and styles.

Ob4 Students will be able to develop their academic collocation and linking words.

Week 1 /Day Course Objectives Aims and Objectives of Lesson stages Materials
activity
W1 Ob1 The students will be told about Power point presentation Power point
Ob 2 the course and what they of the course. presentation
Sunday Ob 3 should expect of the course Open class discussion Student journals
Ob 4 and what is expected of them. about achieving course
aims and objectives
What they think they will
learn and how it will
benefit them in the
future.
Writing journals will be
handed. Students will be
told that this is for free
writing that they can
discuss it at the weekly
interviews.

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 H/W bring pictures to
personalise the journals
Monday Ob 1 How to encourage learner Students will discuss PP presentation
autonomy and how to take what it means to take Journal
ownership of your learning ownership of learning Video
What steps can you take
to make it happen?
(pairs)
Students will decorate
their journals
Students will write/draw
a map of steps of
becoming a good writer
and the skills needed to
become a good writer.
Students will write their
own objectives in the
journal
T will show a short video
about happy memories
Students will discuss
their own memories
T will ask students to
write about a happy
experience
Learners will read each
others work and discuss
what they read and ask
questions of things they
did not understand or
get a full picture of while
reading.

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Tuesday Ob 1 A breakdown of writing stages Writing process; Smart board
Ob 2 and skills Teacher will model Presentation
Ob 3 Mingling activity brainstorming ideas and A3 papers
organising it to stages Mind maps
then students will
discuss it in groups
Teacher will give out cut
out ideas
Students will stick it on
A3 papers and add to it
Students will fill out an
empty mind map with
the ideas making their
first draft ready with the
topic of education and
its importance
Students will from other
groups with checking for
organisations
Students will give 2
reasons for why the
draft was organised or
not organised

Wednesday Ob1 Recognising linking words used Students will read short Headway Academic
Ob2 in academic writing paragraphs about skills reading and
Ob 3 /rephrasing cancer in groups writing level 3. Sarah
Ob 4 Students will mind map Philpot Task 1 page
the difference and what 14
was said in each Error correction
paragraphs and what is symbols
the difference
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 Students will discuss
that the paragraphs said
the same things using
different words
Students look at a
summary page 14 and
replace the underlined
words with suitable
synonyms
Teacher will ask
students to organise an
article and choose the
best synonyms to stick
in the gaps
Students will use
symbols to check their
peers work
Students will go around
the room to read
different article and
chose the best
paragraph with reasons

Thursday Ob1 Recognising academic A video about insomnia Video Headway

Ob2 vocabulary/ rephrasing Discuss what the video Academic skills
Ob 3 continued about reading and writing
Ob 4 Use a jumbled up activity to Students will discuss level 3. Sarah Philpot
choose topic sentences what topic sentences teachers photocopy
Developing Learner autonomy are Bale materials
Page 66
Students will read the
paragraph and match
them with correct topic

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 sentences page 66
Students will read to
self-correct then read
others work and peer-
correct
Students will discuss
how topic recognise
sentences their
importance for
organisation
Students will rewrite the
paragraphs rephrasing
the bold words with
synonyms
Students will check their
work using the writing
check lit
Students will match
words in the table with
their synonyms

Week 2 Ob1 Review topic sentences Learners will brainstorm Headway Academic
Sunday Ob2 Linking words - coherent and ideas about organisation skills reading and
Ob3 cohesive paragraph and structure of writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 Developing Learner autonomy academic paragraphs Philpot
Students will prioritise Page 16/17
the importance of topic
sentences and linking
words
Students will complete
the blanks with suitable
linking words

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 Students will look read
study skills explaining
topic sentences, body
sentence and a
concluding sentence.
Students will complete
task 2 with suitable
topic sentences
Students will put task 3
in order and write a
paragraph with a topic
sentences
Students will
Students will complete
task 5 to write the final
sentences
Students will self-correct
and peer correct
Monday Ob1 The importance of academic Students will read a Headway Academic
Ob2 collocation short paragraph about skills reading and
Ob3 The difference between formal healthy diet writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 and informal styles Students will discuss Philpot
Review topic sentences what they read and Page 19
highlight who it was Teachers own
written for and the materials
language difference for
both paragraph,
although they spoke
about the same topic
Students will be handed
features of formal and
informal styles

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 Students will stick the
features under the
headings of formal and
informal
Teacher will provide the
answers for peer
correction
Students will ask
students to look at the
topic sentences- task 2
and match them with
correct paragraphs
Students will underline
collocations and linking
words and in the
paragraphs and discuss
them
Tuesday Ob1 Learning the process of Students will watch a Video
Ob2 comparing and contrasting and video comparing 2 Headway Academic
Ob3 an academic essay countries skills reading and
Ob4 Encourage learners autonomy Students will discuss writing level 3. Sarah
what the video was Philpot
about Page 7
Students will brainstorm Teachers own
language for comparing materials
and write it under the
heading of similar and
difference
Students will read the
text task 1, and
discuss if they show
similar or different
things
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 Students will write the
difference between the
two countries using
bullet points
Students will use
phrases of comparison,
such as on the other
hand, whereas, to make
the bullet points into
paragraphs
Students will self/peer
correct using writing
checklist and error
correction symbols
Teacher will set homework
write an essay comparing the
weather between The UK and
KSA
Wednesday Ob1 Review language for Students will discuss Headway Academic
Ob2 comparing and contrasting what they remember skills reading and
Ob3 Self/peer correct to encourage about comparison writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 learner autonomy language Philpot
Write and arrange an academic Students will complete Pag3 7
paragraph for coherence and task 2 skim the text Page 22
cohesion and underline language Teachers book page
for comparison 65
Students will use the
words they found to
complete task 4
Students will self/peer
correct
Students will Scan a text

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 Students will work in
pairs to rearrange the
text in the right
order/introduction and
main body so that its
coherent and cohesive
Students will discuss
how they came to
answer and which
language helped them
to put the paragraphs in
order
Students will complete
task 1 teachers book,
to practice language
needed for comparing
and contrasting
Using the same
structure, with linking
words and comparison,
students will write an
academic essay -
comparing two cities in
Saudi Arabia- Riyadh
and Jeddah
Students will use the
check list self/peer
correct
Thursday Ob1 Taking ownership of learning Students will talk about Headway Academic
Ob2 Proof reading and editing their best technological skills reading and
Ob3 self and peer correction invention writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 Running dictation Students will match Philpot
pictures with the right Teachers book page

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 technology 74
Read the article and Teachers own
discuss: technology has materials
negative effects as
much as positive. Do
you agree?
Is the article well
structured?
Running dictation: there
are 6 different errors
outside the classroom,
as fast as you can read
the error, come in read
the article and tell me
and your group the
answer. The same
person is not allowed to
go out again
When you finish, read
the article and correct
any mistakes with your
group
The correct answers are
under your chair/check
and edit any mistakes
Week 3 Ob1 Organising and writing an Students will have Headway Academic
Sunday Ob2 academic essay different words, e.g. skills reading and
Ob3 Review academic vocabulary catch writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 and lining words to produce Teacher will elicit the Philpot
more natural- sounding written words that can Page 26
work go/collocate with this Task 1
Develop learner autonomy- verb, e.g. catch a cold Page 27 1
self/peer correction with Students will discuss the
Raghdah AL-Madany - Teaching Monolingual Students Page 35
 constructive feedback for importance of
peers collocation and how it
helps your writing
Each group will have 5
different words that they
will find the collocation
for
Students will read about
Guritiba in different
sentences, and
underline the
collocations task 1
Students will complete a
gap fill with nouns/verbs
that collocate
Students will brainstorm
the features used to
create a cohesive and d
coherent paragraphs
Students will rearrange
jumbled up paragraphs
task 1
Students will discuss
ways that show
continuity between
paragraphs
Using linking words and
collocation from the text
students will write and
academic essay with the
title of how Urban
planning helped KSA
develop in the last 10
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 years
Students will use check
list to self/peer correct,
giving feedback to their
groups

Monday Ob1 Review linking words to Students will look at Headway Academic
Ob2 produce a coherent and pictures of the holy skills reading and
Ob3 cohesive writing mosque in Makkah writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 Write an essay indicating Students will be asked Philpot
reason and result using linking to describe each picture Teachers book page
words and why are the people 70
Developing learner autonomy in the mosque doing
what they are doing and
what is the benefit of
their actions
Students will discuss
things they do in their
daily lives giving a
reason and a result of
the action
Students will read an
adopted text from the
teachers book task 2
and underline reasons
and result words
Students describe the
reason Luxor temple
was built and what it
resulted in
Students will complete
task 3 matching words
expressing reasons and

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 results with the correct
linkers
Students will self/peer
correct
Students will write about
places to visit in Saudi
Arabia giving reasons or
result with appropriate
linkers
Students will read each
others work to see if
they agree with the
reasons and results
sating why yes or not
Tuesday Ob1 Use writing skills and structure Students will watch a Headway Academic
Ob2 learnt in the course to write a video about persuasion skills reading and
Ob3 persuasive essay Students will discuss the writing level 3. Sarah
Ob4 Learners will peer correct to sort of language and Philpot
provide feedback for their techniques used to Teachers book page
classmates persuade a person to 67
do something
Teacher will tells
students that they have
to write an essay,
persuading people that
cycling is good for them
Students will plan the
information needed to
write a persuasive essay
,
students will complete a
table about cycling to
help with the writing -
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 task 2
Students will write the
steps they need to
follow, to make the
essay coherent and
cohesive.
Students will check the
list with their friends and
compare answers,
adding to the list
Students will write an
essay about the benefit
of cycling in the city
Students will use the
check list to check their
work and their groups
work, giving them
constructive feedback

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