Catch up with Penny Ur, author of Penny Ur’s 100 Teaching Tips, in this webinar recording, where she discussed the relationship between tips (practice) and theory.
What is the relationship between practice and theory in language teaching?
We often refer to theory as:
- Theory as generalisations, accounting for a range of real-world phenomena.
- Theory as concepts, hypotheses or general recommendations.
There are pros and cons of theory in the language classroom and, in Penny’s experience, teachers don’t tend to react well to theories that are vague and complex. But not all theories are this way! As Kurt Lewin puts it:
‘There is nothing so practical as a good theory.’
Practical procedures are a great tool for teachers in the classroom and can immediately be used, but once you have used them they only help you create more ideas if you understand the underlying principles. Penny has created her own tips that bridge the gap between theory and practice.
During this webinar, Penny describes and suggests tips for use in the language classroom, describing the theory behind them.
Tips suggested cover a range of topics and skills, including:
- Games
- Error correction
- Grammar
- Interactive Games and so on….
As professionals, you need a range of strategies and you need to understand underlying theories so you can create ideas and develop the tips. Don’t worry if some practical ideas don’t work so well, as some teaching tips have come from these experiences.
Penny concludes the webinar by highlighting the importance of experienced teachers passing on accumulated wisdom onto new generations, which she hopes to do in her book Penny Ur’s 100 Teaching Tips.
To watch the webinar in full please click on the video below.
Hopefully you’re feeling inspired to find out more about Penny’s new book: Penny Ur’s 100 Teaching Tips.