International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
Follow-up
study
64 64
Bachelor + USP = 6874
Erasmus+PhD+Follow-up Study = 240
Although it is not compulsory as in 14 other EU countries, according to Key Data on Teaching Languages at
School in Europe (further only KD), the Czech Republic is following a similar pattern of preferring learning
English, which is basically reflected throughout the European Union [6]. Language learning sessions, mostly at
secondary grammar schools, business academies or technical/vocational schools, are generally divided into 2
weekly periods of 45 minute study, instead of the more concentrated form at universities.
Once reaching university students choose a (first) language to study and are generally offered its study for the
first two years. Students studying English (which this paper focuses on) at VŠB-TUO (as indicated in Table 1)
are placed into groups of about thirty. There are also language labs, and classes offered at a lower level for
smaller groups of “weaker” students, and for those who did not have English as a first language. Students are
expected to be present in class the majority of the time, and have the course material in either written or
electronic form. Students with language certificates (such as FCE and CAE ) or a superior knowledge of English
have the option to take a pre-test in the 4 th /5 th week of study, and not attend study in a semester if they have
shown they have already mastered the study material. This reduces class sizes, and hopefully concentrates
teaching on students more or less at the same level. All remaining students have to pass a standardized test in
electronic form at the end of each semester. This is accompanied by an oral exam after the successful completion
of the last test during the final semester.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING SECOND
LANGUAGES
Since language learning has become systemized, there have been conflicting linguistic and
cognitive/psychological theories, methods and approaches on how to best learn a language. Applebee in [1] has
traced how the “interaction between the shifts in school populations, educational philosophies, psychology and
scholarly disciplines… have all had a more or less influence upon instruction patterns”. In the course of time,
traditional methods such as the translation of isolated phrases (literal translations or working with interlinear
texts originally derived from learning Latin) or the natural method of only using a target language, rote repetition
and drills have been largely replaced as new methods were tried, such as code switching, sandwich techniques,
mother tongue mirroring, back changing, mnemonic devices and scaffolding processes.
Whatever method preferred, no one learns or retains information in the same way. And of course, learning may
occur whether one is aware of it or not. One area of general agreement is that the more actively interested a
person is, the more he/she generally remembers. Part of the philosophy of both Waldorf and Montessori
education is based on this concept of using hands-on activities or discovery modules. One way to depict how
activity improves learning is by using learning pyramids, which can slightly vary in percentages and categories,
and compare the effectiveness of passive and participatory teaching and learning methods. They mostly show
that the more involved a student (and teacher) is in speaking, teaching and writing activities, the more he/she
learns. For an example of a learning pyramid see Figure 2.
Method
The Learning Pyramid
Lecture 5%
Reading 10%
Audio Visual 20%
Retention
Passive
Learning
Demonstration 30%
Discussion Group
50% Participatory
Practice by Doing 75% Learning
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