KOTESOL National Conference 2018
Research Report (20 minutes)
Allan Chu Lim Cheung, City University of Hong Kong
Charlotte Qianfan Ouyang, The University of Hong Kong
Entry Points: Problems, Pitfalls, and Solutions
Abstract
When considering lesson planning or syllabus design, L2 teachers often consider attempting various ways of delivering information tactfully in order to stimulate student engagement. The entry point approach, developed by Howard Gardner, suggests various pathways that can help learners develop an image of intensive learning goals as the “entering activity” to the study, which could also motivate L2 learners to engage in further in-class learning activities. However, the implementation of entry points in classroom poses potential problems especially when teachers encounter difficulties in involving every student in learning activities. Our goal for this presentation is to provide teachers with two parameters in designing entry point activities, namely, content and form; and also to suggest teaching ideas based on Gardner’s entry point approach, differentiated instruction, as well as previous experience. In this presentation, various student-centered activities as entry points into some general topic in EAP and tertiary-level English courses and creative ways to incorporate them into lesson plans will be introduced and categorized as examples for illustration.
Biographicals
Allan Chu Lim Cheung is currently an Instructor at the City’s ELC who teaches a variety of EAP and ESP courses. More recently, he received his MA in Language Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University where he completed his dissertation titled “What are Student and Teacher Perspectives on Motivation at an Undergraduate University in Hong Kong?” In his 9 years of teaching L2 learners, he has developed an interest in linguistics, applied linguistics, various argumentative writing approaches, EAP, and language and motivation. Allan’s teaching philosophy mostly focuses on a student-centered learning approach though he tries to bring different teaching approaches that would best motivate his students. His current research interests include the usage of entry points, language and motivation, and sentence craft.
Charlotte Qianfan Ouyang is currently studying at the University of Hong Kong and will receive her award for Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Second Language Teaching. She studied her BA at Central South University of Technology and Forestry (Changsha, Hunan) as a French major. She received her post-graduate MA degree in Language Studies (English) at Hong Kong Baptist University and her interests include both theoretical linguistics and applied linguistics.
See the list of Presentations at the KOTESOL 2018 National Conference
