Humanising Language Teaching
Year 4; Issue 1; January 2002

By Alain Cabache, Director, Children's Courses.

'OK class, please turn to page 75 in your Student's Book.' How often have we uttered these immortal words to our classes? As the vast majority of us have worked in syllabus bound environments it's hard to avoid them. Is there an alternative?

I've been teaching EFL for about 8 years now. I jumped through the same hoops as most of the teachers in the UK scene – Cert. then Dip – and except on rare occasions, I've had to stick fairly closely to a prescribed syllabus linked to the course book of choice at that time. Originality and resourcefulness were measured in how well I covered up or replaced the deficiencies of a course book by using my own or other teacher-prepared material. Once in a very long while, I managed to sneak in a lesson of my choosing on a language point, skill or topic not on the syllabus. It was at those times that I truly came alive as a teacher, because I could see that the students were being challenged and were curious as to where it was all leading.

I've worked for a number of ELT providers and until recently had thought that course book--driven syllabi were standard fare. That is until I joined Pilgrims and found out otherwise. Don't get me wrong, a course with no syllabus is a course with no aims and spells the doom of whatever institution decides to do away with syllabi. The Pilgrims difference, however, stresses the need for functional language and aims to improve the whole person and not just their English ability.

On our courses, there are a wide range of materials and resources available to staff, not prescriptive but there to be used based on the needs and desires of the students. Each course is staffed by a mix of qualified EFL teachers, primary and secondary practitioners, sports teachers, art and drama teachers and an assortment of others who enjoy working with children. Each course has a director, a head of EFL and a programme co-ordinator. The team meets some time before the beginning of a course to set up the centre, plan and prepare. Daily meetings ensure that the programme is being followed, alterations are discussed and agreed upon, all the while keeping the students' needs at the forefront.

To this end, our courses operate following an integrated syllabus that links every aspect of the course. That is to say, from the moment a student wakes up till the time they go to bed, they are practising and recycling the input they have received up to that point. Constant contact with their multinational peers and the staff encourages them to use English constantly, builds their self-confidence, motivates them to learn and reinforces the tenet that learning can be fun.

So what do we consider fun on a Pilgrims course? From a student's point of view, we can say that it is days filled with activities that will form the basis of long-lasting memories and the student going to bed exhausted but eagerly anticipating the next day's programme. It is a student on departure day, standing at the school's front door with mixed emotions because they are sad to be leaving and separating from their newly acquired friends. What do Pilgrims do to generate such emotions and feelings?

The centres we use have been carefully selected to offer students a wide range of programmes. Harrow School is conveniently located in North London facilitating easy access to the city and all it has to offer. Uppingham School is 30 minutes from Rutland Water in Leicestershire and provides students with hours of water sports and adventure activities. Cranbrook School is in the heart of the 'Garden of England' with easy access to nature, the beaches of Brighton and Hastings and historical sites. Kent College is in Canterbury close to the Cathedral and the school itself provides a wealth of facilities.

Mornings on our courses are typically taken up by 3 hours of English lessons, in which students are presented with and practice the language they will be using later that day or on the course. This could be the language necessary for an afternoon of orienteering in the Kent countryside, the language for sailing or simply language useful for interacting and co-operating with their peers. As a teacher, you are aware of the course programme, what is in store for the afternoon and evening or the next day's excursion. You will then work with your students to build up their self-confidence and motivation so that they can determine for themselves that what they are doing in class will be of immediate practical use. Lessons provide the foundations for the students as they allow the teacher the flexibility to adapt and present the target language in the way best suited to the students' needs and personalities.

In the afternoon and evenings, staff provide and participate in a range of activities designed to further develop the students' fluency, independence and confidence, by using and recycling the English they have been learning. Activities include a variety of team sports, drama workshops, water sports, go-karting, talent shows, visits and excursions to name a few. Mother tongue quotas coupled with a very high (1:6) staff to student supervisory ratio make it easier for students to use English and for staff to encourage them to communicate in English.

I realise that Pilgrims does have the advantage of running 2 to 3-week fully residential courses only in July and August to captive audiences. The majority of us have to cope in a year-round environment with students who come when they want, revert to their native language if they have a chance, and whether studying at home or abroad, harbour resentment to the course book formula.

Fancy a change? Come and experience the Pilgrims difference next summer. Take advantage of our teachers' special offer – send us 4 students and you get a free Teacher Training course of your choosing, and then, if you are so inclined, sign up to work on one of the many courses for students aged 8 to 23.

'Teacher, how can I improve my listening?' 'And my speaking?' My advice now would include suggesting a Pilgrims course in the summer.

To find about more about our Kids' Courses go to: www.pilgrims.co.uk/courses/en/ct_1.asp