IATEFL BESIG 2010 Annual Conference talk by Cleve Miller

1. Performance-based approaches to BE and
ESP
Driving ROI for our students and clients

3. Web 2.0 complements top-down content
with “bottom up”, user-generated content.

4. English360 is one way to bring web 2.0
approaches to ELT, BE, ESP.

5. The result is personalisation, and one way
of
authentic personalisation in BE, ESP is
Performance-Based Teaching
(PBT).

6. What this session is not...
(not on purpose anyway)
not a new idea not a prescription

7. What this session is...
supporting performance
through an emergent syllabus,
a few software examples,
and results and benefits of PBT.

8. What do we mean by performance?
(...not the “competence vs performance” distinction.)

9. A performance event is an instance of
authentic L2 communication in a professional
context.

10. A specific, upcoming communicative
performance in the target language that
merits sustained efforts to optimize the
results of that event.

11. The authenticity continuum
task authenticity ranges along a cline
Artificial Authentic

12. The authenticity continuum
task authenticity ranges along a cline
Artificial Authentic
decontextualised
gap fill
info gap
role play
simulation
presentation
rehearsal
Because most business people see language study as a
means to an end, the closer we get to authenticity the better.

13. Q: How do we support learner
performance?
A1: Different approaches to BE, ESP course design

14. Course design Selection of outcomes Material and process
Different approaches to BE, ESP course design
Curricular, needs-based, performance-based
Source: Cleve Miller in 2/2010 Business Issues
(BESIG)

15. Course design Selection of outcomes Material and process
Curriculum-based
Needs-based
Performance-based
Source: Cleve Miller in 2/2010 Business Issues
(BESIG)
Different approaches to BE, ESP course design
Curricular, needs-based, performance-based

16. Course design Selection of outcomes Material and process
Curriculum-based
predicts generic
performance goals
Needs-based
Performance-based
Work through a coursebook
Source: Cleve Miller in 2/2010 Business Issues
(BESIG)
Different approaches to BE, ESP course design
Curricular, needs-based, performance-based

17. Course design Selection of outcomes Material and process
Curriculum-based
predicts generic
performance goals
Work through a coursebook
Needs-based
Performance-based
identifies categories of
performance goals
Select from range of resources,
based on needs analysis
Source: Cleve Miller in 2/2010 Business Issues
(BESIG)
Different approaches to BE, ESP course design
Curricular, needs-based, performance-based

18. Course design Selection of outcomes Material and process
Curriculum-based
predicts generic
performance goals
Work through a coursebook
Needs-based
identifies categories of
performance goals
Select from range of resources,
based on needs analysis
Performance-based
responds to specific
performance events
Language needs for the event
define materials, methods
Source: Cleve Miller in 2/2010 Business Issues
(BESIG)
Different approaches to BE, ESP course design
Curricular, needs-based, performance-based

19. Q: How do we support learner
performance?
A2: A 4-step process approach to PBT

20. Step 1: Select the performance event
• Learner drives selection of event
• Teacher supports and guides
• Other stakeholders (HR, line manager) may be involved

21. Step 2: Define the key messages
• Sales presentation: features, benefits
• Business dinner: personal anecdote, questioning
• Teacher identifies language needed (e.g. structures, lexis)

22. Step 3: Plan, resource and teach
• Language needed for messages documented as goals
• Syllabus > material: authentic, courses, learner’s material
• Transition from practice to production closer to event

23. Step 4: Post-performance reflection,
feedback
• Reflective narrative by the learner
• Were the linguistic objectives achieved in actual event?
• Results feed into next stage of syllabus

24. select event
post-performance
reflection
plan, resource,
teach
define
messages

25. 4-step PBT cycle >> emergent
syllabus

26. Some software examples of PBT
...just a few screenshots

38. Performance-based Teaching FAQs
Common questions about PBT
Where is the organization?

39. Performance-based Teaching FAQs
Common questions about PBT
Where is the organization?
“Actually, PTB is extremely organized.
It’s just not pre-organized...we organize
when we have something to organize
around, and not before.”

40. Performance-based Teaching FAQs
Common questions about PBT
How can you use PBT in groups?

41. Performance-based Teaching FAQs
Common questions about PBT
How can you use PBT in groups?
• Group work + guided self-instruction
• Groups sometimes have group events
• With multiple events in a group, often you
can find a common message, language needs

42. Conclusion: stakeholder benefits from
PBT
Potential for higher ROI all the way around

43. Benefits for students
• Engagement, motivation, learning
• Avoids artificial “working” vs. “in English class”
• Improved professional performance

44. Benefits for teachers, schools
• Our tools work better (e.g. drills are more meaningful)
• Differentiation and competitive advantage in market

45. Benefits for teachers, schools
• Our tools work better (e.g. drills are more meaningful)
• Differentiation and competitive advantage in market
• And most importantly: it’s fun!

46. Benefits for customers, training
departments
• Training is directly focused on business results
• Adds another tool to their training portfolio (“BE-CLIL”)
• ROI focus gains buy-in from upper management

47. Performance-based approaches to BE and ESP
Questions and discussion