Instructional Narrative

Naomi Waterhouse-Johnson
C&T 491: June 17th, 2016

Prof. Manuela Gonzalez-Bueno
Instructional Narrative
Section 1: English as an International Language
As a trainee teacher in South Korea, knowledge of the applications of EIL (English as an
International Language) principles and methods is incredibly important to have. As stated by JinKyu Park in his article English Fever in South Korea: Its history and its symptoms, the
development of English as an internationally utilized language has had a profound effect on the
South Korean educational system. The concept of English as an International Language is the
main focus of Suresh Canagarajahs article, In Search of a New Paradigm for Teaching English
as an International Language. Canagarajah describes English as a heterogenous language with
many valid geographically specific varieties such as Singapore, Indian, or South African
English as well as a common lingua franca, or language spoken between people with different
native languages. In this view, English does not have a most correct variety, and therefore must
be taught and learned with specific respect to the local cultural norms of English.
In teaching and learning English internationally, Canagarajah stresses the importance of
procedural knowledge the how of language being the focus, rather than the what and cultural
contextualization. In order to focus on the procedural knowledge of the language, teachers must
conform to more communicative teaching and learning strategies, rather than reverting to heavy
translation and memorization teaching techniques. Communicative Language Teaching, as
discussed by Patricia A. Duff in her chapter of the same name, draws from the belief that
language should be learned for the main purpose of communication with others, focusing on
situational resourcefulness and personal experiences of students. As Rod Ellis asserts in his
chapter Principles of Instructed Second Language Learning, language is an inherently social
medium. Therefore, when teaching English as a Foreign Language, it is important to give

students ample opportunities to interact with one another and to practice the form of the
language.
Section 2: Lesson Planning

As my partners and I have come to understand, teaching English at Kyunghwa Girls
Middle School requires an understanding of the different teaching techniques as well as the
incorporation of communicative principles. My partner, Katie Anderson, and I are the lead
teachers for the second grade at the middle school level. Most of our girls are between 13 and 14
years old (in American age), and their level of proficiency ranges from novice (in their case, little
to no comprehension) and intermediate (low-mid, some of the girls are more articulate than the
others).
Due to the lower level of the students in our charge, we decided to base our lesson on the
subject they seem to have the best knowledge of vocabulary and content; food! Our unit topic
focuses on American restaurants, our first lesson teaching grammar and phrasing involved in
ordering food at a restaurant, and the second lesson concerning directionality and the question
How do I get to ____ restaurant? Currently the middle school is finishing up speaking tests and
preparing for finals, so our creativity has been limited to specific grammar and topics. We have
attempted to create communicative lessons despite the difference in methods exhibited by the
Korean English teacher at the school. The difference in teaching styles the Korean education
system still relies heavily on the concept of teaching to the test present a challenge for
conversational English teachers to change the dynamic of language learning, but for only one
period a week. Students are also used to a different style of classroom management, often being
allowed to run about and scream if the main content of the class has been completed, but also
being subjected to severe scolding and embarrassment if they make missteps. The techniques
used in the middle school are not what we might consider communicative or conducive to
retaining the language; many of the teachers do not incorporate all four elements (reading,
listening, speaking, and writing) into their lessons, instead leaving the native English speaking
teachers to compensate for the students lack of authentic practice. With this in mind, our task in
the middle school is to construct a lesson which incorporates all elements of language learning
but does not overwhelm those who are extremely low level in their general knowledge of the
language.
With our first lesson plan, we have incorporated each of the elements as communicatively
as the level of the students will allow, attempted to take into account the students previous
exposure to the language, and have tried to keep in mind their local use of English. The structure
of the lesson offers input and output in two stages for each. In the first stage, we offer input by
introducing different types of restaurants (Italian, American, Mexican), then we move to student
output by engaging them in a menu activity (reading comprehension). The second stage begins
after the completion of the menu activity with input in the forms of a clip from the Pink Panther
(I would like to buy) and instruction on appropriate phrases to use when ordering food at a
restaurant. We switch to student output again with restaurant-based conversation practice within
their groups of four, incorporating the social aspect of language as well as emphasis on speaking.
Overall, Katie Andersons and my goal was to create a lesson in which the students would
be exposed to authentic restaurant situations, practice restaurant interactions in social settings,
and be able to use the forms outside the classroom in their future endeavors.

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Naomi Waterhouse-Johnson

C&T 491: June 17th, 2016

medium. Therefore, when teaching English as a Foreign Language, it is important to give

Section 2: Lesson Planning

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