Skill Development in Bangladesh: Readiness and Roads Ahead 

University of Maryland and Oregon: Simplifying language learning

The above are some pictures from that events




On August 24, 2014 a daylong Orientation Program held at BIAM in Bangladesh. The Director General, Directorate of Primary Education, all the Divisional Directors, and District Primary Education Officers of Bangladesh were present in that orientation. There I shared the best practices of TESOL that I learned at the University of Maryland and University of Oregon, USA having the ‘E-teacher Scholarship Program’ of the American Center Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thanks to the State Department! For details Please go here

Instructional Practices in Language Learning Process

Second language instruction can be conceptualized as falling into two broad categories: meaning-focused instruction and form-focused instruction (Long,1996; Ellis, 2001). Meaning-focused instruction is characterized by communicative language teaching and involves no direct, explicit attention to language form. Form-focused instruction generally treats language as an object to be studied through discrete lessons targeting specific grammatical structures and rules. Such instruction can be called an isolated approach because attention to language form is isolated from a communicative context. As defined by Laufer, “FonF attends to lexical items (single words and multi-word units) within a communicative task environment, since these lexical items are necessary for the completion of a communicative or an authentic language task. FonFs, on the other hand, teaches and practices discrete lexical items in non- communicative, non-authentic language tasks (2006). Error correction in this context is often used to ensure that learners accurately use what they have just been taught. The context for error correction that has received considerable attention during the past decade involves an integrated approach to language instruction, incorporating attention to language structures within a meaning-focused activity or task.

The instructional practices establish a balance in our instructional strategies in the classroom- a balance between deductive teaching and inductive teaching, a balance between explicit and implicit instructions, and a balance between procedural knowledge and declarative knowledge. When it comes about this balancing, it refers to balancing over a period of time not in everyday classroom situation. Trying this balance in every level of the learning phase will not bring a good result; it refers to balancing a variable ratio at every level. This balancing is elastic and flexible in nature. The primary objectives of my ESL classroom are to let the students use the language in communication, it starts with fluency practice and this journey of fluency is toward proficiency in communication. While going to the house of proficiency, fluency needs to collect bags of accuracy which are life- saving drinks to fluency. Unless fluency drinks accuracy on its way to proficiency, the journey ends there.

So, to me, fluency is life itself and accuracy is the nutrition to save life. As far as the purpose is to develop the effective communicative competence of the learners in English language, they should start this communication at the first place. Inductive approach, procedural knowledge and implicit instructional strategies support that very much. Unless the students learn the language, how they can become grammarian or ELT experts and what is the use of it? So, learners do not need declarative knowledge, deductive learning experience and explicit instructional support at the first place. They need them at the later stage to shape up their communication, to polish their skills and to repair their learning gaps. However, overdose of declarative knowledge, deductive teaching and explicit instruction may bring unexpected results for learners who want to be proficient and efficient in the communication, it is better not to treat them as future grammar scholars.


References:
Ellis, R. (2001). “Investigating form-focused instruction.” Language Learning (Supplement 1): 1-46.
Ellis, R., S. Loewen, & R. Erlam. (2006). “Implicit and explicit corrective feedback and the acquisition of L2 grammar.” Studies in Second Language Acquisition 25(2): 243-272.
Laufer, B. 2006. Comparing focus on Form and Focus on FormS in second language vocabulary learning. Canadian Modern Language Review 63: 149-166
Seidlhofer (Eds.), Principle and Practice in Applied Linguistics (pp. 125–144). Oxford, UK: Oxford

UMBC: democratizing the horizon of ELTs in Bangladesh through TESOL professional training

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Where & when the pictures were taken: These are the pictures of Government Education Officers and Head teachers (HTs) workshops who assess or observe the practicing teachers in the school of Bangladesh. It held in July 2012.

What is happening in the picture: These are the parts of the discussion about learning style and the ways of assessment that he learned from the UMBC through Discussion Board (DB). For further details you go here: http://connect.state.gov/photo/album/show?id=2118480%3AAlbum%3A923272&xg_source=activity

UMBC: democratizing the horizon of ELTs in Bangladesh through TESOL professional training

                                                         Caption: 1

                                                           Caption: 2

Where & when the pictures were taken: These are the pictures of primary school teachers’ workshop who teach to the very rural parts in Bangladesh. It held in June, 2012 at ASOD training center Rangpur, Bangladesh.

What is happening in the picture: This is a part of large classroom management by using posters and real objects that he learned from the UMBCTEOSL professional training  course through Discussion Board (DB). You can follow it from here: http://connect.state.gov/photo/album/show?id=2118480%3AAlbum%3A923272&xg_source=activity

Way of writing Cover letter

House -469

Village: -College Para

Post- Akkelpur

Post Code-5940

Thana: -Akkelpur

District: -Jaipurhat

Zip Code-5900.

Cell Phone: 01717291243

Email: m.nurunnabi@yahoo.com

July 18, 2011

The hiring authority,

The HR Division

BBC Media Action, Dhaka

Dear Sir,

I was excited to read about ‘’ job opening at. I have several years of experiences in the fields of  Training Development and Communication as a ‘Director- External and Internal Affairs’ in SAELTS (South Asian English Language Teachers’ Society) ǀ www.saelta.org , a ‘Program Assistant’,  ‘Senior Trainer’ in BRAC Education Program, PACE (Post-primary basic And Continuing Education), ǀ www.brac.net  and ‘Core Trainer’ English in Action (EIA) ǀ www.eiabd.com. So, I would like to apply my above said experiences for the advertised post.

In education , I have both nationl and internationl degrees. I have my MA degree on English and very recent I have completed my e- teacher scholarship on ‘Methodology for TESOL’ from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA. I have also a Diploma on IT Technology namely “Enterprise System Analysis & Designing with VB. NET from IDB-BISEW (Islamic Development Bank-Bangladesh Islamic Solidarity Educational Wakfaw). I believe my educationl qualification can be best used in your organization

 Again in the area of  professional training, I have my trainings on Quality Assurance (QA), General TOT (Training Of Trainer), two special TOTs,  Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction(CBDRR), and ‘Teaching Without Methodology’ from national and international organizations.

                       

I have a demonstrated ability to work collegially with leaders across material development units and lines of education. In addition, I have been responsible for benefits communications, employee relations, as well as liaisoning with the organizationa’s sakeholders and vendors.

These are just a few examples of my accomplishments. I hope that you will find that this brief view, in combination with the attached resume. It is my goal to combine my range of experience with my ability to be a compassionate, enthusiastic, intelligent individual who will make a positive contribution to your organization. I would welcome an interview and hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours truly,

Md. Nurunnabi

UMBC: Paving its blessing to the marginalized rural part of Bangladeshi ELTs through TESOL professional training

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Where & when the pictures were taken: These are the pictures of the Government Primary schools teachers’ who teach to the students of grade 1 to grade 5. They attended on a workshop that held on October 14, 2012 at Rangpur division, Bangladesh.

What is happening in the picture: In the 1^st picture the participants are giving short demo to their own group.  In the 2^nd picture number of enthusiastic teachers who are now blessed from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) USA and ready to contribute their learning to the marginalized rural part of Bangladesh. You can go here to see it

http://connect.state.gov/photo/album/show?id=2118480%3AAlbum%3A923272&xg_source=activity

UMBC: Paving its blessing to the marginalized rural part of Bangladeshi ELTs through TESOL professional training

                                                     
                                                                 Caption: 1

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Where & when the pictures were taken: These are the pictures from an orientation of the Government Education Officers’ who supervise the secondary schools of Bangladesh for quality education. It held on November 19, 2012 at Hotel Marino, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

What is happening in the picture: Here I am sharing with the officers the best practices of TESOL as well as the ways of  the communicative English classroom observation that I learned from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), USA TESOL professional training course through Discussion Board (DB). You can go here also: http://connect.state.gov/photo/album/show?id=2118480%3AAlbum%3A923272&xg_source=activity

The Benefits of Failure

It is only failure that reminds us the exact and central point from where we sow the seeds of wrong. That is why it is the best defined friends of human being.

In most of the places in Bangladesh, the misconception about failure is noticeable and everyone takes it as bad omen. Not in the sense that everyone is failing, but more in the way that failure is seen as the thing that must not happen at any cost. We are surrounded by children who get a trophy just for showing up, while we have others who will never get a trophy even though they work hard every day. Unfortunately, in an effort to make sure no child is left behind, adults are trying to make sure that children do not have to experience failure, which is an unrealistic goal.

When we think of failing our minds quickly go to testing or being retained in a specific grade. Failure happens in so many different areas of life and is not contained to high stakes testing. It can happen on an assignment, at recess and is a part of our daily lives. Unfortunately, too many people do not want to focus on failure because it is often equated to weakness, which cannot be any further from the truth.

Why is failure considered so bad? Besides the obvious reasoning that failing doesn't feel good; failure can offer many learning lessons to the person failing. No one wants to fail. Few people wake up in the morning and say, "I hope I fail." However, if failure was not an option for people, it wouldn't exist, and we all know that failure is something everyone will have to deal with in their lives.

For full disclosure, I have failed many times. I have failed as a friend, and as a teacher. As a young student I was retained in elementary school and spent a great deal of my formative years failing a variety of subjects. I have seen failure many times and learned a great deal. First and foremost, I never wanted to fail again.

When I began sending CV to various organizations for getting job, I was equipped to receive rejection letters or phones. It didn't matter if I received a few hundered no’s, just as long as I received one yes. Students need to understand the same. Rejection, when looked at positively, can help us work harder in an effort to succeed. The reality is that when we do not prepare students for failure we are doing our students a disservice. They must learn resiliency and how to move forward in the face of failure.

What we get from Failing
When looked at correctly, failure can teach us where we went wrong in the first place, and how we can learn to pick ourselves up again in a pursuit to succeed. There are valuable lessons in failing. Too often people keep trying the same solution and keep getting the same result. Failure can teach us that it is not that we are bad at something, just that we have to try a different method to find success.

Many students enter college not understanding what it means to fail. They have spent years in their formative schooling where they had an adult who catered to their every need. If they began to fail there was an adult, whether a parent or teacher, ready to intervene in an effort to help get them back on the right track. This is after all, the job of the adults around them when they are in school. However, they enter college and lack the number of adults around to keep them on track and find the freedom equated with college to be intoxicating. Very often they cannot maintain the important social and academic balance and end up dropping classes or dropping out of school.

Some students learn from this experience and enter the college setting again with a new set of expectations. Very often they seek help when they need it and find a better balance between their social functions and academic obligations. Other times there are students who cannot handle failing and end up never trying again because they have a fear that they will not succeed. Sadly, they never take it one more step to figure out where and when they went wrong.

In fine we can say, failure comes in many forms. It happens when students or educators try something new and it doesn't work out the way they thought. These situations are a perfect time to learn how to deal with failure, or even better, teach students how to work through it. Failure can offer great learning lessons for us all if we choose to approach it with a positive attitude.

As adults, we should share our stories of struggling and failure with our students so they understand that it is a part of life. The resiliency students can gain and the lessons they can learn from failing will help them find success in the future.

Here are six ideas about changing our conception of professional growth for teachers:

Ask teachers what they need. Asking teachers what they want to learn next, what their own skill gaps or passionate interests are, should be part of every formal evaluation. What if teachers routinely created their own professional learning objectives? A reflective teacher should be able to identify and articulate areas for improvement. What if a principal's job was helping teachers find the information, skills and colleague networks they needed to help them improve?

Keep working on the right descriptors. Forty years ago, teachers went to in-service days, "make and take" workshops and trainings. For awhile, we agreed that what we needed was professional development--and that morphed into formal professional learning communities. We keep searching for the right labels. What the young woman I met was seeking, however, was renewal of her teacher spirit, and a little professional conversation. If we're having a difficult time investing in genuine teacher quality, we can start with clearer definitions and language.
Get rid of the PD verb "present." Teachers share ideas with colleagues and networks. The value of those ideas and techniques is whether and how they're used. There's no such thing as a fail-safe instructional strategy, a perfect lesson plan, the ideal way to teach a concept. The only productive thing listening to a pre-packaged instructional presentation will yield is a rough idea of how the material might be adapted to fit your particular class. The crucial factor is always teacher judgment.
Invest in teachers as valuable social capital. These days, conferences are construed as a very expensive place to send an envoy to capture current information and skills, then bring them back to base camp. Professional organizations keep holding conferences and seminars however--and people keep attending, because there is value in professional networking and making connections with talented colleagues. Perhaps we should re-think conferences and other face-to-face experiences for teachers. Time spent regenerating is a long-term investment in teacher capacity, a source for rekindling enthusiasm and creativity.

Build more personal learning networking opportunities. Sure, teachers have created or joined on-line groups that feed them inspiration and support. There are virtual communities around subject disciplines, Twitter #edchats and on-line Ed Camps But they're reaching a small percentage of the profession. How can we show teachers how valuable it is to have a gang of physics-teacher compadres to talk with--or how to use the English Companion? Why not encourage interaction by providing in-school time to peruse blogs or participate in online discourse? It's the most cost-effective professional learning available, and controlled by the teacher-learner.
Demand that professional organizations give us what we want. We need to stop thinking of professional development as something done to teachers. We need to insist that our unions and disciplinary organizations attend to our real professional learning goals, around our core work. We can't complain about how useless mandated professional development is if our own associations aren't dishing up top-quality programs, new thinking and research.
All of these ideas presume that teachers are a professional resource, an investment in better educational futures, rather than interchangeable technical workers. Big money is again flowing toward "training" teachers--even highly skilled veterans-- on "new" Common Core standards, assessments and curricula. There will be in-service presentations and teachers who need to be "developed." The cycle continues, feeding the professional development industry.



Md. Nurunnabi
Core Trainer
English in Action Project
BMB Mott MacDonald, Bangladesh

Alphabet teaching to children

There are many interesting ways we can teach our children. Using technology for teaching can be a great source of learning to them. Hence, here I have included some videos that can help your children to learn with amusement.







Md. Nurunnabi
Core Trainer
English in Action Project
BMB Mott MacDonald Bangladesh

Standard Cover Letter

House -469

Village: -College Para

Post- Akkelpur

Post Code-5940

Thana: -Akkelpur

District: -Jaipurhat

Zip Code-5900.

Cell Phone: 01717291243

Email: m.nurunnabi@yahoo.com

July 18, 2011

The Executive Director

I was excited to read about ‘Administrative Assistant’ Job opening at ‘Partners in Population and Development (PPD)’. I have several years of experience in a variety of fields in Administration.

In addition to my extensive office experience, I have strong communication, customer service, and administrative skills. My broad background makes me an excellent candidate for this position.

I would like to put sincere efforts through proper use of educations and experiences to a dynamic organization for leading an honest life with dignity. Also to posses an honorable career with continuous and greater responsibilities by being part of a management team. In this respect my educational background will help me to work with such dynamic team in your organization

I want to provide high quality administrative and management support to the institution, and other senior staffs as requested. Contribute to the institution as a high performing country operation which demonstrates the institution’s values and equal opportunity and diversity policy. I think my professional expertise and skills will help me to implement the above lines in your organization.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you to arrange an interview.

Yours truly,

(Md. Nurunnabi)