One day before the course - the evening

Yiihaa. I wouldn't actually say that I am on the seventh heaven. Not because I don't want to study, but because I am a bit scared of that 'being intensive, 9.30am-5.30 pm thing'.

Today I printed out the timetable that Robert sent us. I was reading what is going to happen tomorrow, on the first day of the course:

9.30-11.30

Introductions and warmers.
Foreign Language Lesson.

Break
12.00-1.30

Classroom management and speaking activities.

Lunch
2.30-5.00

Course overview.
Introduction to teaching practice (TP) and Guided Lesson Planning (GLP).

Ah well. It doesn't sound that bad. Not yet, at least. However, I admit, it is not very clear what is meant by 'Foreign Language Lesson', for example. That's why I googled a bit and found CELTA timetable (a bit more detailed than the one I have).

So...
Session 1 (90 minutes) Introduction

A whole group session where trainees experience a range of introduction activities.
Aim: to get to know each other, the course and the centre.

Key concepts:
1. dynamics, rapport, warmers;
2. classroom management: seating, names;
3. course administration: timetable, portfolio, course record booklet, tutorials;
4. centre facilities: resources, safety, regulations.

OK, I have no idea what is meant by protfolio, the course record booklet, etc, but I sincerely hope I will find it out tomorrow. Classroom management is something that I already know so that shouldn't be anything painful, either.

Session 2 (90 minutes) Foreign Language Lesson

Format: an approximately 40-minute session teaching the participants a language they are not familiar with, followed by a discussion (small group open class).
Aim: to experience communicative language teaching (CLT)

Key concepts:
1. learning style: experiential vs. analytic;
2. factors affecting learning: anxiety, motivation;
3. teacher roles: organising, facilitating, modelling, correcting;
4. classroom management: grading language, instructions, eliciting, drilling, correction;
5. communicative tasks: interaction, involvement;
6. communicative language teaching.

Some things are more familiar to me than others. I guess, nothing weird and nothing special. At least, the good thing is that I know some of those things already, so it doesn't feel as if I am going to do something that I have not the slightest idea about.

Being a non-native speaker of English, I am lucky of having already experienced a foreign language lesson. I know how it feels when you are taught a language and how frustrating it can be when you are unable to express yourself just because you don't know a specific word or you can't find the correct grammatical construction.

What is 'grading language'? I am not sure. Maybe I will find it out soon.

Student anxiety and motivation - good thing. I have experienced some of that...

Session 3 Who are the learners?

Format: Observation (30 minutes). Focus on the learner, small group and open class discussion.
Aim: to raise awareness reagarding the learners, their backgrounds, their level of comprehension and production.

Key concepts:
1. factors affecting learning: age, cultural and educational background, learning styles;
2. reasons for learning English:ESL, EFL, EIL, ESP;
3. L1 and L2 differences: acquisition vs. learning;
4. monolingualism and multilingualism;
5. comprehension, production; [receptive and productive skills, probably]
6. classroom language: grading.

Session 4 Classroom Management

The first teaching Practice session usually involves all the candidates, divided into two or more TP groups, setting up or monitoring simple activities for about 20 minutes each - for example, find someone who, name learning game, simple speaking activities.
Aim: to familiarise trainees with TP procedures; to learn how to plan classroom management.

Key concepts:
1. groupings: individual, pair, group, mingle, information gap activities;
2. establishing rapport;
3. interaction: T-ss, ss-ss
4. teacher talk: giving instructions/grading language;
5. variety and pace.

H-E-L-P!!!!!!! Teaching practice already on the first day??!!! How? When? WHY? Everyhting is OK, but how to think of a simple activities out of the blue? And if you are asked to do something, do you know how difficult it is to do something on demand? I hope only 2 students show up. At PSU that was quite common.

Session 5 Facilities

Introduction to library, photocopying facilities, resources.

Speaking about resources, I have ordered Michael Swan's book "Practical English Usage", but it hasn't arrived yet. I hope I get it as soon as possible because I have the feeling that I need it already!

OK, Let's see how my first day goes.