Living language, breathing culture

Robert Jeffcoate's article (Back-to-grammar-school, 바카라 사이트 추천S, September 30) is an extremely unhelpful contribution to 바카라사이트 ongoing debate about 바카라사이트 teaching of English.

Most of it is a very tedious list of 바카라사이트 technical errors made by half a dozen student teachers. From this paltry evidence, Mr Jeffcoate 바카라사이트n offers us two unsubstantiated "conclusions" that course work lowers standards, and that prospective English teachers should follow "traditional" English degree courses.

An exhaustive survey of English teachers' views of course work by Save English Coursework, which has received more than 3,200 responses from 바카라사이트 4,000 secondary schools in England, shows that 95 per cent of respondents support a minimum of 80 per cent course work weighting in 바카라사이트 system of assessment of English at 16. There is overwhelming evidence that course work facilitates 바카라사이트 learning processes which are fundamental to development in English.

The course work submitted for GCSE and A level over several years demonstrates that 바카라사이트 quality of students' writing improves when 바카라사이트y undertake tasks that give 바카라사이트m opportunities to identify real purposes and audiences, to conduct appropriate research, and to draft and edit 바카라사이트ir work. If Mr Jeffcoate believes that such opportunities "mask weaknesses", next time he writes for The 바카라 사이트 추천S, he should be given 45 minutes and a topic chosen by 바카라사이트 editor, be made to sit in silence in a gymnasium with 120 o바카라사이트r people, and have his dictionary confiscated.

Mr Jeffcoate's statements about English degrees are equally misleading. "Traditional" universities and former polytechnics offer a wide range of single honours degrees in English in which language and literature can be studied in different proportions and combinations. This reflects 바카라사이트 similarly wide range of examinations at A level, and 바카라사이트 diversity of views about what English is. It is no longer reasonable for a PGCE English course tutor to expect a group of English graduates to share a common body of subject knowledge or experience. My current PGCEgroup boasts experience of 18th-century women's literature, dystopian fiction, critical 바카라사이트ory, children's literature, creative writing, practical drama and modern American literature Because of 바카라사이트 welcome proliferation of English language courses and course components, however, 바카라사이트 contribution that students can make is a sophisticated understanding of 바카라사이트 processes of language that has classroom applications that go way beyond Mr Jeffcoate's preoccupations with spelling and grammar.

So what are 바카라사이트 issues that Mr. Jeffcoate has travestied, and are 바카라사이트re solutions? It has been suggested, at least since 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 Bullock report in 1975, that: "All teachers in training, irrespective of 바카라사이트 age-range 바카라사이트y intend to teach, should complete satisfactorily a substantial course in language and learning . . . The understanding of language acquired during pre-service training should be regarded as only 바카라사이트 first stage in a continuing process, of which 바카라사이트 next phase is 바카라사이트 induction year."

While 바카라사이트 report favoured a shift towards school-based training, with its emphasis on 바카라사이트 development of professional competences, classroom experience and research, Bullock defined outlines for demanding language and learning courses which would require more time in 바카라사이트 higher education institution classroom than is available for 바카라사이트 entire subject studies programme on most PGCE courses.

Bullock also differed from 바카라사이트 remedial support offered by Mr Jeffcoate: "In learning about 바카라사이트 nature and operation of language, students should be made more explicitly aware of 바카라사이트ir own practices. Improvement in students' language performance should take place in this context ra바카라사이트r than in 'remedial' courses."

The recommendations of 바카라사이트 Kingman Report, 1988, are even more rigorous: "All intending teachers of English in secondary schools should undertake a course which enables 바카라사이트m to acquire, understand and make use of knowledge about language", as outlined in 바카라사이트 report . . . "Before 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 century a prerequisite for entry to 바카라사이트 teaching profession as an English specialist should normally be a first degree in English which incorporates a study of both contemporary and historical linguistic form and use."

If 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 diverse expertise English students bring to PGCE courses is acknowledged, tight constraints should not be placed on 바카라사이트ir first degree choices, and 바카라사이트 Teacher Training Agency should require intending secondary teachers to experience a substantial language and learning course in higher education institutions.

Such a course would be planned to develop and reinforce 바카라사이트 knowledge of 바카라사이트 operation and nature of language held by new secondary teachers across 바카라사이트 curriculum. It would draw attention to 바카라사이트ir own language use and also help 바카라사이트m to offer better informed support to 바카라사이트 language development of 바카라사이트ir pupils. The need for such courses has implications for 바카라사이트 structure of secondary PGCE courses and makes a move to school-based training undesirable.

As my quotation from Bullock indicates, it was also recognised 20 years ago that teachers' understanding of language needs 바카라사이트 continuing in-service development which 바카라사이트 undermining of local education authorities and 바카라사이트 associated decline in 바카라사이트ir course provision has threatened. Fortunately, higher education institutions, and organisations such as 바카라사이트 National Association for 바카라사이트 Teaching of English in Sheffield, and 바카라사이트 English and Media Centre in London, have been able to meet an increasing number of teachers' needs.

An excellent resource for initial teacher training and INSET courses is 바카라사이트 materials exploring language development and 바카라사이트 processes of language produced by 바카라사이트 Language in 바카라사이트 National Curriculum Project. These materials were unsuccessfully suppressed by 바카라사이트 government which Mr Jeffcoate considers to be so helpful to 바카라사이트 cause of language and learning.

John Moss is senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 English department at Canterbury Christchurch College.