English Department Workshop

[Kh Atikur Rahman]

                       English Department Workshop - Day 3 (13.07.2009)

We-
       Md Mustafizur Rahman Sameen
       Ms Nahid Kaiser
       Kh Atikur Rahman
fell under group-3 bearing the title"Student activities".

Our suggestions:

1. All interections MUST be in English:

          a) students-students
          b) students-teachers
          c) students- Authority
          d) students- officers

    Steps to ensure this:
           a) Regular monitoring
           b) Chief monitor---teachers by turn
                                                  + 
                                        10 students also taken
2. A reading room should be introduced.
                    a. Each student must attend it for 20 minutes.
                    b. their attendence must be recorded.
                    c.  Diverse Reading materials should be provided.
                    d. 5 marks should be awarded for this activity.
3. Teachers should encourage students to WRITE DIARIES in English.
                    a. Diaries can be written in Blog.
                    b. 5 marks should be awarded for this activity.

We know it will be a challenging and massive task, yet we must make it happen.because NO effort, No gain.

Expecting everybody's active participation we end here for today.

Kh Atikur Rahman
On behalf of my group.
       
                           

[kulsum]

English Department Workshop  Day 3 13th July 09

Group # 2, Members  IRINA ISHRAT, ASMA ALAM, UMME KULSUM

We were supposed to  think how  AUTHORITY and OTHERS can contribute  for improving students' proficiency in English

MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION
      
             a)Emphasize more on the necessity of English in every sector of DIU
              
              b)Marking system in test taking should be reviewed ,more marks in speaking and presentation can be proposed

              c) Forums and Clubs can be more active and participatory for motivating all in this regard

               d) Visionary, appropriate and dynamic senior professors from renowned public university who are considered as experts in home and abroad can be employed

                e) Teachers' training and seminar can be organized in this regard for making teaching technique more effective
  
                 f)university library should subscribe for more research journals so that teachers can get more research materials for improving their skill.


INVOLVING OTHERS
  
                    a) All speakers in any formal programmes of the university must speak in English, specially  in orientation programmes

                     b) All faculty members of all departments must speak in English in and outside class and they also can be benefited for self improvement and higher studies

                     c) Any official conversation between student and officials should also be in English

MORE IMPORTANCE ON READING

                     a) Everyday in campus there can be a reading hour for all  only for 15 to 20 minutes

                      b) Best reader of the year can be rewarded.
                    

[shamsi]

Dear all,

We have already participated in three sessions.Last day( 13th July) we, Nusrat Jahan and Shamsi Ara Huda of group 1, jot down the following suggestions to improve our classroom management:

1. Marks Distribution:

# More marks should be allocated on presentation
# More marks should be allocated on reading

2. Motivation

# Students should be motivated to reading
# Realistic goals should be connected to motivate learners

3. Teaching Writing

# Selective extracts can be used for improving writing
# Students can be instructed to rewrite selective reading materials
# Editing should be emphasied by peer review

4.Teaching Materials

# Need based innovative materials can be used
# Diverse sources like Readers' Digest, Star Insight, Star Campus etc. can be introdued
# Some extra story books can be introduced for each semester and learners' progress has to be assessed.

5. Equipments

# Internet
# Multi-media
#E-book
#Blog

We gave emphasis on presentation as in many cases, speaking is the only skill to be tested to evaluate a person's level of communicative competence.We have also emphasised on reading as it is realated with the improvement of writing.By building a habit of regular reading,a person can himself/herself improve his/her style of writing.Here the teacher can only play the role of a facilitator.

We have connected assessment with almost everything as our students are very much instrumentally motivated.They have always a tendency to secure a good grade in exam.Moreover, they are suggested to be motivated integratively by connecting realistic goals.For example:if a teacher , now and then,reminds his/her students about the importance of English in their real life,they are bound to address this need.

By innovative materials, we in fact meant authentic materials.We felt that students will feel motivated if they can attach themselves personally with the reading materials.Besides a smooth support of technology is a must to ensure more exposure in English.

Shamsi Ara Huda
Lecturer
Department of English

[shibli]

I totally agree with your views and suggestions, Samsi

[shamsi]

Thank you sir.Your guidelines to improve our classes also deserve appreciation.We the English teachers infact think a lot about how to improve our students' English but sometimes their 'no reaction' attitude makes me frustrated.At present, I am thinking about some specific plans.I hope to share it very soon.

Shamsi
Department of English

[ymislam]

Thank you all for posting the results of the workshop.

Thank you all for being so enthusiastic - this is what makes life interesting - aiming higher all the time. Most of all we would be adding to our professionalism as teachers!

When you have time, we could all reflect on the three postings and put the ideas on the back boiler and let them simmer. I am really looking forward to the next workshop to see how your ideas blossom and bloom!

-Yousuf

[Kh Atikur Rahman]

                                   Developing Students' Speaking Skill:

1. Resolution from the VC & top management that Campus Language MUST be English.
2. Meeting by the VC to motivate all faculty members & officers
3. Workshops by Dr Yousuf to motivate all faculty members & officers
4. Using posters to create awareness & motivate.

Trial Period - First Phase -2 months:

1. Class language should be English.
2. All the interaction in the class must be in English
3. If student speak Bangla, They must be instructed to speak in English otherwise his/her questions will not be answered.
4. All the classes of ALL department must be in English.

Second phase: 2 months

1. Students' interactions in the faculty room & offices in English

Final phase:

1. All the interactions in class and out of class in English

Monitoring:

1. One monitoring team of 10 members for each floor of the campus-      1(teacher)+ 9 (students)
2. One faculty will monitor the other faculty.
3. Every student must hung ID over the neck to be identified easily.
Monitoring team's identity will be kept secret.
4. The team will work for 1 semester by turn.

Extra  marks:

Provision for Extra/bonus marks for using English while in the campus can be kept.It will work as impetus to use English.

Penalty:

If a student is caught 3 times using Bangla for doing any sort of communication, he/she will be penalised in form of marks deduction.

READING ROOM:

1. Setting up a reading room for each department with essential & diverse reading materials and other equipments.

2. Students MUST attend the reading room for at least 60 minutes per week.They may attend on every alternate days for    20 minutes or on those days of a week when they are in the campus.
3. Attendance must be recorded.There will be option of PENALTY for not attending regularly.
4. Students will be given fixed time of attending the reading room.
5. Membership in the reading room is Compulsory.TK-100/200 per semester.

Extra  marks:

Provision for Extra/bonus marks for attending it will be kept.Say 5 marks. It will work as impetus.

Monitoring:

1. Regular monitoring must be ensured.
2. Teachers by turn will work as monitors.

Reader's Blog:

1. The students will write the summery or opinion about the article they have read and post it in the blog.
2. It may be Daffodil University Forum.
3. The aim is to make a habit of writing.


We repeat once again that We know it will be a challenging and massive task, yet we must make it happen.because NO effort, No gain.

Expecting everybody's active participation we end here for today.

Kh Atikur Rahman
On behalf of my group.

[R i Y a D]

wow its really a great step i think. t wd also be great for the students. Hope its gonna start soon.

[nusrat-diu]

Hello everybody!

Here are some ideas on classroom management from group 1 of the workshop. The group focused on the ways to develop reading and speaking skill inside the classroom. special thanks to my group members Shamsi & Fatema who prepared powerpoint slides and presented some excellent ideas on classroom management.

                                   Class  Room Management
                                    Reading  and Speaking
 
 
How to implement reading
 
 
20 MINUTES TEXT BOOK READING IN EACH  CLASS :
 
o   Teacher’s  Briefing on the topic.__ 2 min
o   Students’ Reading   __ 8 min
o   Students’ Discussion   ___ 5 min
o   Presenttation in 1min(5×1) __ 5 min
 
 
Teacher's  Role :

-Dividing  the class into 4/5 groups.
-Advanced planning on the materials to be read. Making lesson plan.
-Selecting students randomly to speak on the topic and maintaining a register.
-Encouraging students to bring the text book.
-Forcing the defaulter students to collect the text from the library/ seminar.
-Recording  information of the students’ performance and assessing  continuously.
-Giving bonus marks for good reader and speaker.
 
Department’s  Role :

-Encouraging  the teacher’s to start the  reading practice.
-Keeping at least 10 text books of each subject.
-Charging 50 taka for not bringing the text in the class.

That's all. Hope we'll get feedback from others soon.

Thanking u all.

Nusrat Jahan
Lecturer, Dept. of English

On behalf of Ms. Shamsi Ara Huda & Ms. Fatema Begum, Lecturers, Dept. of English

[ymislam]

Dear All,

The Vice Chancellor has given one-hour for presentation on the implementation plans on Aug 19th from 10:30am to 11:30am in 306.

All senior faculty including the Advisor will be invited.

Do we need to rehearse the entire presentation for the 19th? If yes, when?

I can come to the English department at around 2:30pm on Monday Aug 17th. Is this time ok with you all? Pls let me know.

-Yousuf

[kulsum]

Dear All,

It is our pleasure to share with you all that our final presentation before VC sir and senior officials of DIU was  successfully made. All of them specially our Honourable Vice Chancellor Sir and Advisor sir appreciated our ideas and they are going to take positive steps in this regard immediately.

I would like to thank Dr. Yusuf Sir who  played  the role of facilitator for generating our ideas. I congratulate my team members and all participants of ENGLISH DEPARTMENT who made the plan for developing English speaking Environment in DIU.

Here is our plan. Plz feel free to share your views and opinion.This is only a plan and suggestion from our part, we all can modify it further with your active participation.

Thank you.

Umme Kulsum
on behalf of group 3

[ymislam]

Dear Kulsum and workshop members,

Alhamdulillah, it was a great effort and good show by all of you!

Congratulations!

Pls add your presentations here. Kulsum, thank you for being so prompt. Could you pls upload you presentation in 2003-2007 format. Thanks.

Next we have to work out how to formulate to start the implementation plan for next semester.

-Yousuf

[md]

Dear Dr. Islam & your team,
Congrats !
Hope u and your team make DIU a unique campus in our country. Any support pls let us know.

[kulsum]

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for your interest and appreciation.

Hope we will be successful if we all work together and feel in the same spirit to create an English speaking Environment in DIU.

With best regards,

Umme Kulsum

[kulsum]

Dear Yusuf Sir,

Thank you for your reply.

I am trying to upload in mentioned format but repeatedly it's showing file is too large. May be i have to delete the older one but i am facing problems doing that.

I will try again when i can manage some time.

Best regards

Umme Kulsum