Professional Development

and Professional Activities

Inglese Dinamico designs workshop series for teacher training at all levels. The series promote learning about English language phonology and phonetics, speech/language development from pre-school through high school and specialized workshops on narrative development, developing text comprehension and writing skills in participants of all ages. All workshops provide theoretical background for each topic followed by demonstration with authentic materials through videotaped sessions of laboratories utilizing the materials based upon the theoretical principles, discussion of the techniques and their application to classroom teaching. Participants are given an opportunity to evaluate their own teaching and learning styles and how they could adapt these activities in their own classroom settings. The workshops are designed to enhance current teaching methodology with modern, useful and practical approaches promoted in a relaxed, interactive environment. A special private teaching training workshop has been developed for those professional individuals who desire to develop improved speaking, reading and writing skills and strategies for teaching these skills effectively in the classroom.

Workshop formats utilize power point presentations with accompanying handouts. They can be presented in 2 or 4 hour or all-day modules. Please contact us for further details.

Available topics:

Teaching with Confidence Series

Workshop #1: Development of English phonological skills: improving acquisition
Objectives: First, to develop teachers’ knowledge of the phonological system of English: its development from infancy through middle-childhood. This will include discussion of:

1) the need for development English oral language skills as the foundation for later oral/literate language learning. 2) The development of metalinguistic awareness: its importance as a foundation skill for literacy learning and its role in second-language acquisition.

Second, the importance of an integrated teaching approach which utilizes both top-down and bottom-up (phonics) strategies will be emphasized. The concepts of “phonological awareness” and “multi-sensory” teaching methodology for acquisition of sound/letter correspondences in English will be presented.

1. What is “phonics?”
2. How do we teach it?
3. demonstration/practice of a multi-sensory phonics teaching approach in a “language-rich” context.

Outcome: Participants will have an understanding of the English sound system, its formation and the methodology for teaching it effectively and correctly for speech production and oral/literate language acquisition.

Workshop #2: Oral/Literate Transitions: How to teach reading and writing in English

Objective: Participants will be exposed to milestones expected in school-aged children between the years of 6 – 12. Emphasis will be placed upon transitions from oral language use to literate language acquisition and the importance of a phonics approach to teaching reading/writing in English.

1. What do children know about communication when they enter school and how we can facilitate second language acquisition using this. 2. Literacy development during Grades 1-3 and Grades 3-6. How do children learn to read, the importance of phonics and how oral/literate language skills differ but complement each other during the elementary school years. 3. Development of metalinguistic knowledge and how we can enhance it and utilize it for meaningful second-language acquisition and for general classroom learning. 4. How to teach reading/writing and improve speech production with a specific phonics approach.

Outcome: Participants will more fully understand the importance of an integrated oral/literal language approach which focuses upon reduction of didactic teaching and the development of dynamic interaction methods as well as a systemic teaching methodology to foster meaningful development of effective speaking, reading and writing schools through a specific phonics approach to teaching literacy.

Workshop #3: Speaking and Teaching with Confidence in English*

Course Objectives:
1 - Immersion in English Phonology for speaking and listening
2 - Development of Foundations in Grammar for Production and Comprehension
3 - Development of Listening and Production skills with English in Context
4 - Beginning Discourse Skills – Entrance into Conversational Exchanges
5 - The teacher as learner: Individualized language intervention for each
participant -- readjusting attitudes as learners and teachers:


a. Development and utilization of active learning strategies
b. Development of awareness of individuals as learners and teachers – imparting positive attitudes and mutual learning in the classroom

Teachers will have a working knowledge and speaking ability to produce the sound system comprising English (contrasting Italian phonology and English phonology from both an American and British English perspective). They will be in command of the forms which comprise question and comments in order to participate in initiation and turn-taking (interactional skills ) in conversational exchanges. They will have knowledge of the intonational patterns and gestural systems that convey social and communicative information beyond the conventional grammatical forms. They will have the active strategies which will form the foundation and the means for continuing development of their English language skills both within formal instruction (continuing education) and as independent learners (self-instruction using materials such as English language films, music and literature). An important emphasis will be development of each participant’s learning style and individual strategies for maximizing his/her ability to learn, produce and teach English with confidence based upon the concept that speech/language acquisition is a life-long process which can be modified and developed across the life-span. English will be presented as an approachable, beautiful language that is easy and pleasurable to learn and to speak.

*This course is intended for teachers who privately wish to continue their teacher education. It is taught by Nancy Rose Steinbock.



Teaching English in the Age of Necessity Series
New goals, new methodology, new outcomes


Workshop #1: “Building Blocks”: Scuola Materna builds the foundation skills in English
English language instruction has become an important educational initiative in Italy. Increasing emphasis is now being placed on teaching English at earlier ages within the schools. Inglese Dinamico has been a strong supporter of English language intervention at early ages (Scuola Lingue e Moderne,) as well as a teaching project which has been in the forefront of developing methodology and introducing materials which actually result in meaningful and effective communication for children and adults. Further, teacher –training has been an important aspect of the project. “Building Blocks” has been specificially designed to train preschool teachers to develop the necessary active strategies in their young students that build the foundation for developing communication skills including the critical skills necessary for speaking, reading and writing compentently in English. In the workshop, teachers will themselves become learners of strategies and methodology for speaking, reading and using traditional classroom materials in new and interesting ways so that they can confidently and effectively prepare their young children for the bilingual skills they will need to become socially and economically successful in our changing world.

Workshop #2: “I am is Mattia”
This workshop is specifically designed for elementary school teachers. Traditionally, children are introduced early to didactic teaching books which rely upon pencil and paper tasks with intermittent use of audio-lingual materials that are often confusing and do not promote the consistent listening and speaking skills necessary for acquiring real speaking, reading, writing and listening skills. Teachers will be introduced to self-evaluation of their goals and methodology, to examination of the purposes of communication in both English and Italian and to critical issues in speech/language acquisition in English.

Workshop #3: “Learning how to learn and speak in English instead of learning about English”
This workshop is designed to promote effective speaking, reading and writing skills in middle and high-school students. Teachers will be shown how to move away from didactic teaching methodology and the over-reliance upon pencil and paper tasks and workbooks which often complicate the acquisition of English. New, simplified materials designed to promote speaking and literacy skills will be introduced with the methodology for using them in classroom teaching to develop the active strategies which their students need for continuing the process of being English speakers, readers and writers. Teaching strategies will be emphasized that engage all students to participate and to learn effective communication skills.

Lexia Learning: Top quality software SPELLS “Success”

Inglese Dinamico has been experimenting with this leading reading software program from America since November 2006 in children and adult programs. When integrated into regular English language activities, it has been shown to significantly raise students' level of awareness of the sounds of English, the structure of words and spelling patterns, ready recognition of vocabulary (spoken and written), reading comprehension and importantly, more precise pronunciation. It is now available to all students in our afterschool programs, adult sessions and special programs designed for research funding.

Lexia Learning Workshop

Research has demonstrated that without a strong oral language foundation, children fall seriously behind in their ability to read, understand and produce written language. And, the base for oral language development is the acquisition and ability to manipulate the sound system of English. The phonology or sound system provides the pathways for coding, storage and retrieval of words and grammatical units. Access to active listening and active imitation of English as well as practice to attain the phonological foundation and awareness to hear and to speak clearly is essential for meaningful acquisition. While computers are still not readily available in many Italian homes, most schools are equipped with computer “labs” that introduce children to the technology available worldwide. A key ingredient that could be successfully inserted into the daily teaching routine of all teachers, and particularly for English teachers, is computer software that, alongside classroom teaching, could assist teachers and their students in the ready acquisition of fundamental and increasingly sophisticated English language skills that would naturally prepare students for competent communication, spoken and written as well as enhance their success with tasks such as formal English examinations. This workshop is designed for preschool, elementary and secondary classroom teachers. It can be presented in modules from 5 to 25 hours within regional schools.

Objectives:
1) Development of teachers’ knowledge of the phonological system of English (Standard American English). Included will be an overview of need to develop adequate oral language abilities as the base for competent conversational, reading and writing skills.

2) Development of phonological and metalinguistic awareness: What are they and what are their importance in the development of competent literacy skills.

3) Teaching computer-assisted
methodology for enriching classroom teaching:
Lexia software and the importance of effective, correct speech/language models
a) Addressing the needs of all students through individualized, intensive practice
b) Informed and differentiated instruction to accelerate students’ skill acquisition
c) Documentation of individual student’s progress and attainment of skills


4) Learning to navigate the program
a) Understanding installation and “Set Up.”
b) Understanding where to begin for each class and its individuals
c) Understanding the progression of the tasks for effective learning


5) Bringing together traditional teaching methodology and technology to facilitate English language acquisition.
a) The importance of active strategies
b) Transferring active strategies to traditional classroom instructional approaches

Workshop Presentations

Workshop Presentations conducted by Nancy Rose Steinbock, M.A., CCC-SLP


2008 – November
“Teaching English in the Age of Necessity: Development of Active Oral/Literate Language Strategies for Lifelong Learning,” E.C.I.S., Nice, France

2008 – November
“English Ownership: Innovative teaching insures success for ALL Students”, TESOL-Italy, Rome, Italy

2008 – October
“Achieving English Ownership for ALL Learners: Building Active strategies for lifelong learning,” A.N.I.L.S. Conference, Cento, Italy

2008 – February
“Moving from Theory to Active Strategies in the Classroom: Language Intervention” as a Dynamic Teaching Model,” Global English Conference, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

2007 – December
“Teaching English in the Age of Necessity: Development of Active Oral/Literate Language Strategies for Lifelong Learning,” TESOL-Italy, Rome, Italy

2007 – November
“Getting from here to there: the role of oral language development, phonology and Lexia Learning software in achieving communicative competence in English”, Learning Technologies: Bridging the Gap between Technology & Pedagogy, British Council , Milan, Italy

2007– May
“I am is Mattia: Teaching English in the Age of Necessity,” TESOL-Veneto, La Scuola Polo, “Luigi Stefanini, “Venezia-Mestre (VE), Italy

2007– March
“I am is Mattia: Teaching English in the Age of Necessity.” A workshop for elementary school teachers organized by Dott.ssa Giovanna Ceiner, Scuola Media Statale “V. Zanon”, Castion-Belluno (Italie), Italy

2006 – November
“Development of English Phonological Skills: The Critical Element in Acquisition,” organized by TESOL-Italy, Universita` “Federico II,” Naples, Italy

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