Dr. Silvio Avendano addressing NNESTs in EFL environments

2. Dr. Silvio Avendano – Instituto Especializadode Nivel Superior, Centro Cultural Salvadoreno Americano and Binational Center of El Salvador

3. Leo Schmitt – The Pennsylvania State University

4. Dr. Julie Yang – San José State UniversityTESOL 2010/Intensive English Programs and Nonnative Speakers of English in TESOL Intersection 1

5. Profile of the NNS Teacher in EFL Environments The NNS teacher in an EFL environmentissomeonewho Isproficient in English Attended a universitydegreeprogramfor 3 years Attended a universityprogram in English, translation, orliterature Lived in theUnitedStates TESOL 2010/Intensive English Programs and Nonnative Speakers of English in TESOL Intersection 2

6. WhatTeachersStudy ConversationalEnglish ComparativeGrammar Reading & Writing Reading & Vocabulary EnglishTeachingMethodology American Literature ESP Englishgrammar Translation Linguistics Tourism TESOL 2010/Intensive English Programs and Nonnative Speakers of English in TESOL Intersection 3

7. Experience as a NNS Teacher It's been a nice experience but I've been a little difficult because students want to know things that I don't. It has been kind of difficult because we tend to translate students some phrases thinking in our own language. My experience is a positive one, I know my pronunciation is not the best but I understand and use grammar properly. I believe that teaching for people who speak my own first language is somehow easier because I can explain them contrasting both languages. I have been teaching English for 16 years, and it seems you never finish learning. The accent is something quit difficult to overcome, but you can do it well. For me is a nice experience and the only thing that can make a difference is my accent or my fluency but if I prepare and study before my classes is ok. TESOL 2010/Intensive English Programs and Nonnative Speakers of English in TESOL Intersection 4

8. HowPrepared Do YouFeel? I feel better prepared for beginners, pre-intermediate and intermediate levels of instruction. For advanced levels I may hesitate about something or not feeling quite sure The teaching practice is different from the theory. I've learned more with the experience I've gotten. But, at the same time the things I studied at the University have helped a lot when teaching. The demands in the Institution are different from what I learned, but what makes it more difficult is the changes that are made every time. I do find discrepancies for I have been to universities where classes are given in the mother language. Besides, teachers are not always told to teach functions. Therefore, some teacher end up giving grammar lessons. I feel fine. I don't have any problem myself, but i think the problem is that sometimes we ask about something and we get different answers from different authorities. Too many contradictory theories. TESOL 2010/Intensive English Programs and Nonnative Speakers of English in TESOL Intersection 5

9. HowAdministration Can Help? Workshops are good for this, and also try to adapt the content to our context. Look for different ways to make English teaching easier, and not complicated to teach and learn. By promoting exchanging programs on the teachers to be trained abroad where English is spoken in a native language environment. I think teachers should be given clear and standard guidelines. Through coaching, supporting and teaching their teachers what they have learned through their teaching experience, and what has made them become successful. Giving positive feedback, using encouraging language. Giving teachers the opportunity to trust them, and not to see them like they are enemies. Another way to support teachers is to ask them their opinion and take it into account about the books being used in different programs, because the teacher knows the necessities for each group. TESOL 2010/Intensive English Programs and Nonnative Speakers of English in TESOL Intersection 6

10. TESOL Seminar for Program Administrators Overview of management practices in IEPs English Language Curriculum Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Clinical supervision of English instructors Action research in the EFL class Academic/Student services Faculty support Marketing strategies

11. Rationale for taking an IEP management course To find new ways to look at the work we do as administrators To be able to have some formal training in English program administration To find ways to do my management job more efficiently To acquire more pedagogical and managerial skills to deal with challenges at the level of the ministry of education To broaden understanding of second language methodology and teacher assessment To understand how technology fits into the IEP curriculum

12. What challenges do IEP administrators face in Latin America? Changing faculty attitude towards supervision Developing an appropriate formative supervision plan Developing locally suitable curriculum for EFL classes Conducting small-scale research without overwhelming teachers Designing and conducting innovative workshops Selecting the right textbook for the IEP courses Finding the joy of being an administrator with a low-wage, multi-task and time consuming position Motivating faculty through non-monetary means Working without an established curriculum

13. How did class discussions enhance participant’s understanding of EFL program management? Sharing experiences on different approaches to address similar issues was really worthy Learning about the diversity of experiences, situations, and points of views broadened our vision and provide us with new tools for the improvement of our programs Learning how others manage their language centers and solve the problems that we all face Learning about EFL management techniques that have been successful in other countries Making some management decisions in our program based on the experience that some colleagues contributed in the discussion forums

14. What skills were enhanced by the course? It has given me more structured tools to face tasks in which some of this knowledge is essential to achieve the objectives There are some things that I was not aware of like the fact that marketing plays an important role in the successful administration of a program. I have learned how to organize my time in a more efficient way I have learned how important it is to have a curriculum and see how every piece of work done in the department should aim to fulfill the institutions goals in order to satisfy the needs of the clients It has helped us to include other areas to be considered in the administration of our national English curriculum

15. What type of projects did participants develop? Pre-service teacher training program (Nicaragua) Supervision of an IEP Program (Colombia) Upper Intermediate and Advanced EFL Course Syllabi (Peru) Advanced EFL Course for Teacher Candidates (Peru) EFL Teacher Preparation Course (El Salvador) Supervision Plan for National EFL Programs (El Salvador) Curriculum for a Professional Development Inservice Program (Peru) Curriculum Evaluation Plan (El Salvador) EFL Methodology Course (Peru)