Welcome aboard!

Designing English Classroom Activities (DECA) is an English teacher education course, so we expect you to be interested in learning BOTH the English language AND how to teach and learn the language, to ensure an enjoyable and fruitful learning journey.  

You don't have to be an English major or an English teacher to learn this course, since we believe this course can help you become an English teacher if you are not one yet and it can help you become a better English teacher if you already are. 

Purpose

DECA aims at teaching you how to design and apply classroom activities to make your class more interesting so the students can learn more efficiently and in a more enjoyable way. 

Topics

DECA lasts 8 weeks and has 8 modules:

• Module 1: Designing pronunciation activities

• Module 2: Designing vocabulary activities

• Module 3: Designing grammar activities

• Module 4: Designing discourse activities

• Module 5: Designing listening activities

• Module 6: Designing speaking activities

• Module 7: Designing reading activities

• Module 8: Designing writing activities

F‍eatures

1. Principles for designing English classroom activities are outlined to guide you; 

2. Example activities are provided to help you discover what is possible when you design English classroom activities; 

3. A sample lesson in each module is provided to inspire you to design and use creative and effective activities for your own class; 

4. A TTK—Teacher’s Toolkit—with easy-to-use resources, tools and activities is created to support you;

5. Opportunities are created for all participants to learn together to become better at designing and using English classroom activities. 

Though primarily designed for middle school and high school English teachers, all of the principles apply to lower- or higher-level English classes and most of the activities can be easily adapted for different levels and needs. 

Join the course and learn together how to design enjoyable and effective English classroom activities! 

Designing English Classroom Activities (DECA) aims at teaching you how to design and apply classroom activities so that your students can learn more efficiently and in a more enjoyable way. Specifically, throughout and by the end of the course, you will be able to analyze and evaluate English classroom activities for their relevance to teaching objectives and teaching context (students, grade level, language background, etc.); design and/or adapt English classroom teaching activities that are appropriate for achieving learning objectives and actionable in particular teaching contexts, and develop a bank of teaching activities that can be adapted and used for future teaching.

Since this course is created for English teachers (both pre-service and in-service English teachers) and taught in English as well, participants should have adedquate English proficiency to participate and learn. In general, English majors and non-English majors who have passed CET-4 and CET-6 should have no difficulty in understanding the content and complete the assignments. 

Reference books

徐泉、王婷. 2018. 英语教学技能训练教程. 上海：上海外语教育出版社.

Pronunciation activities

Martin Hewings. 2004. Pronunciation Practice Activities: A Resource Book for Teaching English Pronunciation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Martin Hewings. 2007. English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ann Baker. 2009. Ship or Sheep? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Vocabulary activities

O’Dell, Felicity & Head, Katie. 2003. Games for Vocabulary Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Watcyn-Jone, Peter.2004. Vocabulary Games and Activities. Penguin.

Hadfield, Jill. 1999. Intermediate Vocabulary Games. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Grammar activities

Ur, Penny. 2009. Grammar Practice Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Scrivener, Jim. 2010. Teaching English Grammar. Macmillan Education.

Zaorob, M. L., & Chin, E. 2001. Games for grammar Practice: A Resource Book of Grammar Games and Interactive Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Discourse activities

Rodney H. Jones. 2018. Discourse Analysis: A Resource Book for Students. 2nd Edition. Routledge.

Brian Paltridge.  2012. Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. 2nd Edition. Continuum.

Betsy Rymes. 2015. Classroom Discourse Analysis. 2nd Edition. Routledge

Listening activities

Miles Craven. 2004. Listening Extra: A Resource Book of Multi-Level Skills Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jill Hadfield & Charles Hadfield. 1999. Simple Listening Activities. Oxford.

Speaking activities

Penny Ur & Andrew Wright. 1992. Five-Minute Activities: A Resource Book of Short Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jill Hadfield & Charles Hadfield. 1999. Simple Speaking Activities. Oxford.

Jill Hadfield. 1999. Beginners’ Communication Games. Longman.

Mick Gammidge. 2004. Speaking Extra: A resource book of multi-level skills activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reading activities

Liz Driscoll. 2004. Reading Extra: A Resource Book of Multi-level Skills Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jill Hadfield and Charles Hadfield. 2001. Simple Reading Activities. Oxford.

Jeff Zwiers. 2010. Building Reading Comprehension Habits in Grades 6-12: A Toolkit of Classroom Activities. International Reading Association

Sara Inskeep. 2009. Complete Book of Reading and Writing Reproducibles - Grades 7-8. Lorenz Educational Press.

Writing activities

Graham Palmer. 2004. Writing Extra: A Resource Book of Multi-level Skills Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jill Hadfield and Charles Hadfield. 2000. Simple writing Activities. Oxford.

For more information about DECA, follow UEL. 

课前十问

1. 这门课程适合谁学？

这门课程特别适合以下学习者：英语师范生、中小学英语教师、英语教师资格考试备考人员、对英语教学感兴趣的人士。

2. 这门课程的总学时是多少？

本门课程设计的周学时为3-5小时，课程持续8周。课程学习所需时间和投入时间因人而异，慕课充分考虑到众多学习者的个体差异，您完全有可能用更少或者更多的时间来完成课程学习。

3. 这门课的授课内容是怎样的？

这门课程持续8周，一共8个模块，包括英语语音、词汇、语法、语篇、听力、口语、阅读、写作教学活动设计。

4. 这门课程的考核方式是怎样的？

课程成绩由四部分构成：参与论坛讨论分享（30%）、作业完成情况（20%）、单元测试成绩（20%）、期末考试成绩（30%）。

5. 这门课程开课前，有没有什么内容或任务是需要学习者提前准备的？

学员不需要在开课前提前准备学习内容和任务。您只需按照教学安排学习每单元发布的学习内容、参加论坛讨论、完成单元作业和单元测验就可以了。

6. 如果我报名学习这门课程，我将怎样接收课程的相关通知？

目前主要是通过课程平台的公告和群邮件两种方式。您还可以通过手机APP或者绑定微信了解课程信息。

7.     这门课程是否有测验或者作业？形式是什么？

有的，为确保您学有所获，课程设计了单元测验和两次作业。测验检查学习成效，作业巩固拓展所学。测验题型包括单选、多选、判断、填空，每次测验包含10道客观题，从题库中随机抽取。作业旨在促进英语课堂教学活动设计能力的提升，第一次作业是英语课堂教学活动的分析与改造(Analyze & Adapt),第二次作业是英语课堂教学活动的设计与创造（(Design & Create)。单元作业与测验在课程成绩构成中各占20%。

8.     这门课程中涉及的教学活动适合何种层次的学生？

虽然课程的名称中有“中学”二字，但是在备课过程中团队成员越来越确定课程中介绍的活动设计和实施原则在绝大多数情况下也适用于更低或者更高水平的英语学习者。课程中介绍和分享的大部分教学活动经过改造亦可用于小学甚至大学的英语课堂教学。

9.     这门课程中涉及的教学原则与活动是否适合大班额教学？

在大班中有效开展语言教学确实是个极有挑战性的工作，这门课程中介绍的课堂教学活动确实有一些仅适合或者更适合小班教学，但是我们也充分考虑了大班教学的情境，因此有不少活动也是适合大班额教学的。

10.  这门课程是免费看还是收费的？学习课程有限制条件吗？

本门课程供您免费学习，几乎没有条件限制。但是由于是全英文课程，您需要具备一定的英语听说读写的能力才能顺利完成课程学习。尽管所有视频都配有完整的字幕，我们还是建议您先注册试听，亲身感受一下语言是否是您学习此门课程最主要的挑战。

课中十问

1. 这门课程偏理论还是比较实用？

本门课程理论与实践结合，侧重实践，比较实用。

2.     我的疑问和诉求会在后续课程中得到反馈吗？

会的。课程团队深信教学相长，我们非常看重学员的反馈，会尽量及时答疑，并在后续教学中体现学员疑问与诉求。

3. 如何了解课程学习的进度？

我们会通过课程公告、群发邮件等方式告知课程内容发布、单元测验发布与截止提醒、作业发布与截止提醒等信息。如果您使用中国大学慕课APP，“我的学习”会为您列出您正在学习的课程并显示课程学习进度条。您还可以通过关注爱MOOC微信公众号获得课程（考试）提醒。此外，微信公众号UEL在开课期间也会经常发布与本课程相关的信息，包括内容预告、优秀作业、精彩发言等。

4.     在学习这门课程的过程中，有没有留言互动这一板块?

这门课程非常重视学员主动积极参与学习和分享，这一点在课程考核方式中得到充分体现。课程团队期待学员积极参与论坛分享交流，共同学习。

5. 万一在学习的过程中错过了某一些课程，可以补修吗？

课程进行期间，已发布的学习内容会保持开放，但请您关注单元作业与测验的截止日期。如果感觉学完课程内容的同时参与讨论和完成测验与作业有困难，您也可以报名参加两期的学习，第一期以学习视频和阅读材料为主，第二期可以更充分地参与讨论、从容地完成作业、在测验中取得理想的成绩，拿到合格甚至优秀证书。2021年3月9日是本课程第四期开课，结课时间是5月11日。

6.     课程的课件及相关学习材料是否提供下载？

凡是可以下载的学习材料，我们会尽量提供便捷的下载路径。

7.     课程有没有老师实施教学活动的真实案例？

视频案例有专门拍摄的由师范生执教的示范活动，期待学员中的一线教师无私分享真实课堂教学活动的案例。

8. 课程学习过程中，学员可以参与哪些互动的活动？

学员主要通过论坛讨论和作业互评交流参与互动。

9. 课程学习过程中遇到疑惑可以通过哪些方式得到解决呢？

您可以通过论坛提问，课程团队成员每天都会查看并回复学员的疑问。

10.  好的内容我可以下载、保存、分享吗？

可以。除了学习内容，我们还期待您分享课程学习的经历与收获。

课后五问

1.   课程学习结束后，我会有哪些收获？有哪些内容我能够真正应用到我的教学实践中?

同一门课程的学习收获最终取决于学习者自身的基础与投入。本门课程预期的学习效果主要包括：更新英语课堂教学活动的设计理念、掌握英语课堂教学活动的分析方法、提升英语课堂教学活动的设计与实施能力。

2.     课程学习结束后有没有考核？有的话将以何种方式进行考核？

其实课程学习的考核并非只在学习结束以后才有。本门课程采用形成性评价和终结性评价相结合的方式，特别看重学习过程与学习投入，论坛讨论、单元作业与测验成绩都计入课程总成绩，具体考核内容与比例参见课前十问之4。

3. 我怎样能将学到的内容与我的教学实践结合？

从课程中直接学到的是原则、方法、实例，您可以在各类英语课堂教学活动设计的基本原则指导下通过模仿、改造、设计、实施、反思等途径将所学与您的教学实践相结合。

4.     课程是否可以回放？

课程进行期间，所有已发布的学习内容会保持开放，您可以随时学习。

5.学习结束以后有没有证书？

完成课程学习，成绩达到60至84分的学员可通过申请获得合格证书，达到85分及以上的学员可通过申请获得优秀证书。请注意为了保障证书权威性，平台不再支持免费证书，只提供认证证书。