TEACH LANGUAGE CREATIVELY

A course for teachers interested in improving their own English and developing English language teaching skills and creativity for use in the classroom.

Dates: Tues 28th – Thurs 30th June 2011
Time: 8am – 4pm
Venue: Howard College, UKZN

Dates: Tues 12th – Thurs 14th July 2011
Time: 8am – 4pm
Venue: PMB campus, UKZN

This 20-hour programme will include the following:
- Skills for teaching groups.
- Classroom management.
- Developing creativity in the classroom.
- Grammar application in the classroom.
- Grammar skills building.
- Teacher talking time and student talking time.

On completion students will receive a UKZN Language Centre certificate of attendance.

Course Cost: R900 per person

DISCOUNT for TWO teachers from the same school!
(50% deposit required before the course begins)

Bring your own lunch, tea and coffee provided

Teach English as a foreign Language Course 2011

The UKZN Language Centre is offering an intensive TEFL course on the Howard Campus.

Dates: 10 January - 4 February 2011, 8am - 5pm
Requirements: Basic degree and 100% English proficiency
Cost: R7000
Call Us: (033)2605308
Write to us: languagecentre@ukzn.ac.za

This course consists of both a theory and a practical component, feedback is given daily. You are expected to teach, observe and learn from your peers.

The theory will comprise of the following and more:
- teaching methods
- teaching materials and resources
- theories of language learning and teaching
- language analysis and linguistic description
- language awareness and the language learning process

There are no formal exams but there are regular assignments and practical assessments.

Saturday Morning Buzz!

Have you ever been to the Language centre on a Saturday morning? We have lots of courses on the go: business verbal communications, business written communications and CBA. The course material integrates grammar in a practical manner within the business context. We discuss meetings, communication, grammar used in job interviews, report writing, letter writing and MUCH MUCH MORE! On top of that, all the topics covered in our courses are practically used in a simulation exercise so that our students get a chance to practise the skills with the guidance of a teacher.

We run these courses for professionals who are second English language speakers and because we are situated in Kwa-Zulu natal, most of our students are isi-Zulu speakers. Our students' opinions are important to us. We consequently have many dynamic discussions around culture in the business world. It is amazing that we manage to communicate considering our cultures and the rules of conduct are so different and sometimes oppositional. A student was saying that in the Zulu culture it is rude for a young person to look an older person in the eyes and in the English culture a person is considered to be hiding something if they don't look you in the eyes. In the Zulu culture you sit down when someone comes into the room and in the English culture you stand up. It is apparent that we need to learn about each other.

All the students who come on Saturday are committed professional people wanting to further themselves and their career. It is wonderful to watch people develop their skill base and sharpen their tools.

For more information about our courses contact the Language Centre: 033 2605308

The New Term.

We have finally got into the swing of things - starting up the engine takes some time after such a wonderful holiday. The language centre is so dynamic and the reason I say that is because there are always new students to change the group dynamics and the timetable is always changing. The teacher trainers are getting ready for the tefl course, which will be held in June. Tefl is a monster of a course, definitely not for the faint hearted and I'm not trying to deter any potential students. Tefl is a life changing experience. Having been on the teacher trainer team, I bear testimony as a witness to the amazing growth that . . . just happens. Quite amazing. I think what is difficult about tefl is the paradigm shift, students need to adjust and there is no time - one month is very short. But in the end our students come out of the experience more solid people.

I'd like to welcome Daniel from Columbia and Bibi from the DRC. I hope your stay at the language centre is perfect.

The Language Centre Excursion!

On the 18th March the students and Teachers of the Language Centre had a fabulous day!

10am was chaos! Students and teachers were trying to find each other (and themselves I suppose). Students were allocated to a teacher and a car and then we were off to Pelhem school! When we arrived at the school we were greeted by a pelhem teacher and were escorted down to where we were going to do our show. I could see that our students were nervous, they hadn't spoken English in front of such a large audience before. Our students told the pelhem pupils all about their countries - the food, the dance, the dress, the languages and the culture. . .

and the pelhem pupils loved them! The brazilian students were the stars of the show, they showed everyone how to dance the brazilian way - and boy did they dance! But the African students had the pupils riveted. As a teacher I watched from the back and I was amazed at how interested and responsive the pelhem pupils were, they were only Grade 6 but they asked our students such insightful questions.

When the show was over, a young boy very eloquently thanked our students. All the pupils were given sweets and then we were off again. . . this time to the Botanical gardens.

I followed Jenny with the brazilian students - we took the back roads. The students found the environment that we travelled through very intriguing.

We eventually arrived at the gardens. Every single time I go there I feel such awe at the majesty of those trees, they must have seen and heard people who have been laid to rest decades ago. They stretch their boughs to the heavens yet they still stay grounded - a lesson we can all learn. Jenny, who knows the gardens like her own garden, knew exactly where we were all marching to and to our delight a beautiful table and bench emerged from the greenery. We unpacked our picnic lunch and started buttering rolls and pouring juice. Everyone seemed content munching their rolls.

Time was ticking. We packed up all our goods and headed towards the coffee shop. We met an incredibly large tree on our path, deciding to measure the circumference - we needed 12 sets of open arms!!

We ended a good day with a fragrant cup of filter coffee.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Language Centre!

We are situated in the basement of the Old Main Building of UKZN and we are UKZN's best kept secret. We teach and learn English as a foreign language and we have had students from all over the world be part of the language centre family. We are known for our caring environment. It is daunting to visit a strange country when you don't speak the language and don't know anyone. We help students adapt to South African life through our support structure and network.

Our course material is "New Headway" which comes from Oxford. The material is very dynamic, utilising the four primary language skills: writing, speaking, reading and listening. We also include grammar practice to consolidate the language taught in the core lessons. We work through the language levels systematically and always adapt to the class.

Come to the language centre, it is the place to be!

"I have been studying in language centre, it was a great experince for me because I learned a lot here and it was a great family." Junior vela from the D.R.C