Unit 23 · Consulting reference resources to help in lesson preparation

Reference resources are all the sources of information about language and about teaching that we can refer to for help in lesson preparation — reference materials such as dictionaries and grammar books, articles in teachers’ magazines, supplementary materials in a coursebook, websites, and people such as colleagues and the head of department. We consult them by knowing where the information is and how to find it, and by comparing them to judge their quality and usefulness.

◆How do we consult reference resources?

Reference resourcesThe materials which teachers and learners can use to find or check information, e.g. grammar books, dictionaries and online teaching resources. click to keep open · see glossary are all the sources of information about language and about teaching that we can refer to for help in lesson preparation. They include reference materialsThe materials which teachers and learners can use to find or check information, e.g. grammar books, dictionaries and online teaching resources. click to keep open · see glossary, such as dictionaries and grammar books, books and articles in teachers’ magazines about language, supplementary materialsThe books and other materials which teachers can use in addition to a coursebook, e.g. pronunciation practice materials. click to keep open · see glossary in a coursebookSee book. click to keep open · see glossary such as phonemic charts or lists of irregular verbs, and websites on the internet. Reference resources may also include people, for example, the head of department or colleagues who teach foreign languages or other subjects. We consult reference resources by knowing where we can find the information we need and how to find it. There is a lot of information available to teachers and it is important, therefore, to develop the ability to compare reference resources and decide on their quality and usefulness.

◆Key concepts — checking language

There are many reasons for using reference resources. Think of at least three.

Checking the form and use of grammatical structures

Some grammar books are written for teachers and have very detailed explanations. Others, designed for learners at different levels, use simpler language to give essential information about grammatical structures. Grammar books for learners can help us to see what information our learners need about grammatical structures and can provide us with suitable ways of describing or explaining grammar. The easiest books to use are those organised in alphabetical order, or which have a detailed index or table of contents. Some grammar books also include practice exercises, which teachers (and learners) often find useful.

Some more recent grammar books are based on huge electronic collections of examples of spoken and written language in use (corpora). These books now tell us how people really use the language.

Checking the spelling, pronunciation and use of lexical items

Advanced learners’ dictionaries are very useful for teachers to use themselves, as they include example sentences, as well as information about the form and use of words. Most of these are also available on CD-ROM and online on publishers’ websites. Bilingual dictionaries (where the word and its meaning are in different languages), including electronic dictionaries, are useful when learners are looking for a word that they don’t know in English. But these dictionaries usually give very little information about how to use a word, so it’s a good idea for learners to check the words they find in a monolingual dictionarySee dictionary. click to keep open · see glossary (where the word and its meaning are in the same language). Learner dictionaries, like learner grammar books, can help teachers to find the most suitable ways of defining words and giving examples of their use. All languages change over time, and because English is so widely spoken in so many parts of the world, it changes faster and more frequently than many other languages. So new editions of dictionaries are published every few years. The most recent editions of monolingual learner dictionaries include many new featuresFeatures such as speed of delivery and accent are part of connected speech click to keep open · see glossary, such as information about collocationWords which are regularly used together. The relation between the words may be grammatical, for example when certain verbs/adjectives collocate with particular prepositions, e.g. depend on, good at, or when a verb like make or do collocates with a noun, e.g. d… click to keep open · see glossary, synonyms, antonyms and related words, indications of frequency, notes warning learners about common errors and extra examples on a CD- or DVD-ROM, or on a website.

There is also a wide range of special dictionaries, e.g. dictionaries of collocations, of idioms and of phrasal verbs, pronouncing dictionaries, dictionaries of culture and dictionaries of common errors, dictionaries of synonyms, picture dictionaries for younger learners and dictionaries of different curriculum subjects for secondary and university students.

◆Key concepts — other reasons for consulting reference resources

Developing your own understanding of language

There are a number of books for teachers which aim to increase our language awarenessA teacher’s or learner’s knowledge about language; an understanding of the rules of how language works and how it is used. Teachers need to develop their language awareness so that, for example, they know about and understand different verb tenses so they can … click to keep open · see glossary (our understanding of how language works) and our awareness of how to teach language. They often include tasks that we can do by ourselves or with a colleague, and detailed explanations and comments as well as answer keys.

Anticipating learners’ difficulties

Reference materials about learners’ errors can help us anticipate particular language problems that our learners might have. Many difficulties with vocabulary or grammar are the result of interferenceInterference happens when the learner’s mother tongue affects performance in the target language, especially in pronunciation, lexis or grammar. For example, a learner may make a grammatical mistake because they apply the same grammatical pattern as they use i… click to keep open · see glossary from L1. Books or articles about specific differences between the learner’s L1 and English can help to explain these problems.

Looking for new approaches to teaching lessons and new classroom activities

If we are looking for new approaches or activities, or if we want to give our learners something different from their coursebook, there is a wide range of supplementary materialsThe books and other materials which teachers can use in addition to a coursebook, e.g. pronunciation practice materials. click to keep open · see glossary (i.e. materials you can use in addition to or instead of your coursebook), focusing on grammar, vocabulary and particular skillsThe four language skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. See develop skills, subskills, receptive skills, productive skills. click to keep open · see glossary. There are also very many teacher’s resource books with ideas and materials for all kinds of lessons, as well as a growing number of free websites with articles, ideas and activities for teachers on different teaching topics.

Finding out how to use the material in your coursebook

Teacher’s books provide suggestions about how to use the material in the coursebook. Many teacher’s books also include suggestions for alternatives to the proceduresWhat are the tasks and activities for each stage? click to keep open · see glossary in the coursebook, as well as explanations of answers to exercises and extra resourcesSee aids, reference materials, learning resources. click to keep open · see glossary (i.e. things teachers can use to support their teaching in the classroom), such as homework tasks and activities for further practice. Many new teacher’s books provide extra material, such as supplementary worksheets (pieces of paper with an exercise or task for learners to complete), progress tests, photocopiables (practice material for teachers to photocopy), and a choice of easier or more challenging activities for classes with mixed levels.

Getting advice about particular lessons or teaching materials

Colleagues who have taught at the same level or used the same teaching materials may be able to offer useful advice. As with the suggestions in teacher’s books, a colleague’s approach may not suit us, but may help us to think about our own planning.

◆Key concepts and the language teaching classroom

Read these tips and tick the ones which are most important for you:

• Some grammar books and dictionaries may contain clearer explanations or examples. So when checking a language item, we should try to look at more than one reference resource.
• Language changes, as new words appear and people stop using some older words. Grammatical usage, too, changes slowly over time. One way to keep up-to-date is to use the most recently published grammar books and dictionaries.
• Dictionaries on CD- or DVD-ROMs have many extra features, such as practice activities, collocation searches and audio recordings of pronunciation.

✎Follow-up activity

💡Reflect

🔍Discovery activities

✎TKT practice tasks

These multiple-choice tasks are exactly as in the book, but interactive: pick your answers, check your score, and retry anytime. The scoring uses the official answer key from the back of the book.

📖Glossary terms in this unit

Key terms highlighted in this unit — study them on the flashcards page.