TESL 0170 - Assignment #1 Observation report and journal

Over the course of my practicum, I had the opportunity to observe 3 sessions of 4 different courses, totaling 12 sessions of ESL courses.  These courses ranged from about 10-18 learners and most of the students were from Japan or China, though there were multiple other countries represented in these courses.  Most of the learners were between the ages of 18 and 40. Most of these courses were based upon English for Academic Purposes and ranged from verbal communication to reading for context. The learning outcomes for all of the courses were similar as they focused on being able to effectively communicate either orally or through written text, as well as being able to evaluate and interpret information.


Observing my sponsor instructor taught me about the importance of using textbooks as guidelines while not relying to heavily upon them. The instructor also clearly gave learners time to interact with materials, particularly reading materials. When using materials, the instructor worked hard to explain the usefulness of different materials to the learners and why those materials were being introduced at during that particular lesson. Finally, observing this instructor helped me to realize adult learners tend to take elaborate notes and that makes it important to allow them to take photos of materials that can later be used to make notes. This is different from my personal experience teaching as the use of cell phones and other electronics are usually not allowed.

Additionally, the instructor clearly indicated the importance of building rapport with the learners to help get them to actively participate in the class.  Related to this, the instructor showed that not knowing the answer to a learner’s question was acceptable and informed learners that they would discuss the question and answer more fully in the following lesson. Through these two actions, the instructor was able to create a bond between themselves and the learners.  This bond allowed the learners to feel more comfortable interacting in class and asking questions.

Observing this instructor, and adult education in general, has shown me that there is less need for explicit classroom management than with young learners.The only real issue I saw was the use of cell phones during class. Arguably one of the most important aspects of classroom management that I experienced was building rapport between the instructor and the learners. This instructor did a great job of building rapport through multiple activities, including writing projects that had learners discuss their own experiences and opinions.

The instructor emphasized the importance of using technology but also the importance of not relying too heavily upon it. Technology is extremely useful for activities like audio recordings for listening.  

When errors occurred during the courses, the instructor used timing to effectively correct the learners while not breaking up the flow of their thought process or dialogue with others. Also, the instructor made it clear to the learners that the correction being made was meant to help them and how the correction is necessary. This helps build rapport because it helps learners to realize the instructor is there to be helpful.

Observation Journal