Метод кейсов в преподавании английского языка. Плюсы и минусы.

CASE STUDY METHOD

PROS AND CONS

It is not a secret that Russian people are very poor at languages. I often travel abroad and usually people from Russia are not expected to be able to speak even one foreign language. Why the situation is like this? We usually do lots of exercises, tests, listening, reading which is really helpful at the lessons of Russian (which is our native and we can speak Russian, we just master the language). So theory is important, but it is not the case in learning foreign languages. I am not sure that I will make a discovery and give the solution of this problem, but anyway connected with the technic I’m going to talk about is closely with this problem. The point is there is a lack of practice. Not only at our English lessons but first and foremost- in our everyday life.

The method of case-study is a tool to apply theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems. Солиева М. А. Case-study method in teaching English for Specific Purposes [Текст] // Проблемы и перспективы развития образования: материалы VIII Междунар. науч. конф. (г. Краснодар, февраль 2016 г.). — Краснодар: Новация, 2016. — С. 19-22. — URL https://moluch.ru/conf/ped/archive/187/9601/ (дата обращения: 17.02.2020).

What is case study method?

In Case Study Method, students review a real-world situation (a case) that poses a thought-provoking problem or dilemma. Students are placed in

the role of decision maker and asked how they would resolve the problem. The real-life nature of case arises interest and relevance to the usage of

theory in practice. Students have to sort out and analyze data presented in the case, consider relevant theory, draw conclusion and present solutions?

Understanding the pros and cons of each and weighing benefits.

How it appeared.

First this method was used in the fields of law and medicine in the 19th century. In 1910 it was introduced at the Harvard Business School and then

gradually adopted by other disciplines such as psychology, teacher training and language learning.

‘Cases are stories with a message. They are not simply narratives for

entertainment. They are stories to educate”, says Clyde F. Harried- a distinguished teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo and director of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.

Stories can influence our behaviour, attitude, and opinions.- the words belong to

Paul Zak – a scientist, neurologist, entrepreneur and the author of several books,

professor at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California.

Advantages of the method:

-it is learner-centered and is based on interactions between students and teacher and students within a group

-effectiveness: students discover knowledge on their own under the guidance of the teacher while learning 'how to learn'

-it refines students' communication and critical skills in the process of applying theoretical knowledge and searching for solutions, fostering students' nformation literacy» and increasing thier collaboration and team work

-cases combine theory and practice and are effective in sharpening the students' ability to differentiate facts form opinions, relevant data form irrelevant , and trivial information form that which is vital for decision making. It helps 'bridging the gap between theory and practice'

-it teaches children that there may be more than one 'right' answer

-it makes students be active, giving the equal opportunity to all the students to be successful

-it is effective and motivating language teaching methodoly.

Disadvantages of the method:

- Teachers might find the case method difficult.

- There is a lack of suitable material.

- It is not so easy to come out with the case adapted to suit the language learning purpose.

- Preparation is time-consuming.

- The new role of a teacher as a facilitator instead of being just a specialist can cause some discomfort among both teachers and students,

- The length and difficulty of cases may be a problem for some students.

-The limit of time.

-Case study requires a considerable volume of reading and preparation so it takes longer time to cover than a traditional one.

- It is not so easy to evaluate the quality and quantity of students contribution and how to measure critical thinking.

How to prepare:

1. Choose the case.

2. Plan the discussion strategy.

3. Find a way to conclude the case.

‘The best learning happens in real life with real problems and real people and not in classrooms’. – said Charles Handy an Irish author/philosopher specializing in organisational behaviour and management.

Possible cases:

1. Grocery store.

2. A fly in the soup.

3. E-mail.

4. Car accident.

5. How to survive in a new school.

6. How to help stray animals.

7. Arranging a birthday party.

8. I want to have a pet.

9. How to see Saint Petersburg within 2 days.

10. Let’s create the Gallery of …..

11. Cartoon characters.

12. You are invited to visit Elizabeth II.

13. Who will save our planet?

Etc…..

Examples of using case study method.

I want to have a puppy.

What do the students do?

1. Students get acquainted with a case. They have different roles, different aims.

2. Students answer the questions and discuss them in small groups with those who have the same roles.

3. Students read the text, which give them some useful information to get ready to defend their point of view, make notes, discuss in the same

groups.

4. Students watch the video, which can also help them with the ideas, making some notes.

5. Students are rearranged in a different way. Now there are different roles in each group. They discuss the problem and make a decision ( there

can be different decisions in different groups)

6. They tell other students their solution.

7. As a homework they have writing a short essay on the subject “Advantages and disadvantages of having pets.’ or “Are you ready to have a

pet?” or “ A secret life of your puppy” etc.

What do the teachers do?

1. Prepare beforehand all necessary material.

2. Help their students to arrange team work.

3. Help students with the vocabulary if they need it.

4. Elicit the most active and the most passive students and problem which the students come across during their work with this case in order to pay more attention at the next lessons.

5. Help the students to conclude the case, evaluate their work together with them and give the home work.

Appendix 1, 2, 3, 6

Discovering Saint Petersburg.

What do students do:

1 Get the information (either beforehand or at the lesson)

2 Get acquainted with their roles

3 Study the material and discuss it in the groups

4 Answer the questions

5 With the help of the teacher they make new groups

6 Discus the case, trying to sell as mush as it is possible or to buy what is the most suitable for them, depending on their roles

7 Report their results. There is a sort of business competition.

8 Evaluate their work

What do the teachers do?

1. Prepare all the necessary material

2. Explain the students what is the situation (case) and what they are going to do

3. Arrange the assistance when necessary

4. Help to organize different groups

5. Discuss their activity and give the home task. For example- to create their own 2-day tour around Saint Petersburg for their foreign guests or to work out a program ‘Two magnificent days in London, Rome, Paris etc.’

Appendix 4,5,6.

Appendix 1

I

You are dreaming of a dog. Your uncle wants to present you a puppy for your birthday . You are happy as your dream may come true. But there appear to be an obstacle. Your mum doesn't mind but your dad is stronly against any pets.

You should try to persuade your dad that it is good for you and the whole family and that you are ready to deal with it. So get ready to the conversation with your parents.

1.Answer the questions. Discuss them in a group.

-Why do you want to have a dog?

-Who will feed, train and walk the dog?

-Do you have time to care for a dog?

-Are you ready to get up earlier to feed and walk the dog?

- Are you responsible enough to take care of the dog for a long period of time?

2. Read the text and discuss it.

3. Watch the video, make notes and discuss it in a group. Get ready for the conversation.

II

Your son (or daughter) is dreaming of a dog. Your brother decided to please him (her) and give him(her) a puppy for the birthday. You like dogs though you have never had them at home before. But your husband doesn’t want to change anything in his life. You should discuss everything with your family and make a decision.

1.Answer the questions:

-Do you have a room for a dog?

-How much time do I have every day?

-What benefits do pets provide for children?

-Am I ready to make a life-time commitment?

- What happens when your family travel?

2. Read the text and discuss it.

3. Watch the video, make notes and discuss it in a group. Get ready for the conversation.

III

You are strongly against adopting a dog. Try to defend your point of view.

Appendix 2

Advantages

1. Dogs are fun. They play with you and will run with you.

2. Dogs are loyal. They wouldn’t ever betray you. They'll follow you everywhere, protect you, and don’t ask for much in return.

3. Dogs will help you get exercise at least twice a day. Through regular exercise, you can lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and decrease your risk of diabetes.

4. A dog is not only a pet but a best friend at the same time. Research shows that dog owners fared better when it came to depression, loneliness, disease, self-esteem, meaningful existence, stress, and activity.

5. Dogs are great family members and have the above-mentioned positive effects on the whole family.

6. Your dog might not be dangerous, but by simply barking, he can keep away a burglar who might think of entering your house.

Disadvantages

1. Time commitment. A dog is not happy if he doesn’t have daily exercise and can only do his business in the backyard or at the street corner. That is why it is harder to have a dog, especially a big one, inside the city. Dogs need to run, enjoy their freedom, and use their noses in a natural surrounding. So if you don’t live close to a park, forest, or another green area, you should consider not getting a dog.

2. Cost. You need to buy dog food, go to the vet at least once a year (provided your dog is healthy), and pay a kennel when you go on vacation. Dog kennels are not cheap.

3. Be aware that whenever you go on a trip, even if it is only for a couple of days, you will need someone to watch your dog. Whether a close relative, a friend, or a dog kennel, it needs to be someone who has at least some knowledge about dogs and how to take care of them.

4. Training is a commitment. Some people don’t like it if dogs jump on them, especially when their paws are wet or dirty, and it is always useful when a dog is trained to sit. Dogs should get to know limits like what is their food and what is ours, which areas (like the couch or the bed) are off-limits and most important of all, their business has to be done outside (the latter requires a lot of time and patience and needs to be taught from the very beginning to avoid raising a problem dog).

Appendix 3

Useful phrases

Let’s discuss…
We should discuss… …
If we talk about …, it seems necessary to discuss… … Let me start with…
Let’s begin with….
Let’s discuss … first.

Asking for opinion

Do you agree?
Do you share my point of view?

Agreeing

I strongly agree with you.
I couldn’t agree more.
I share your point of view.
I can see your point, but…

Disagreeing

I don’t agree with you.
I’m of a different opinion.
I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you.

Expressing opinions

From my point of view,…
To my mind,…
In fact,…
The way I see it,…
If you ask me, …
I think…
I’m not sure if…

It is obvious that…
It seems (to me) that …

Balancing arguments

On the one hand,… and on the other hand….
It is said that…. However,….

Summing up

To sum up,…
To conclude,…
To summarize,…
Taking everything into consideration,…

I can suggest the following order, …Do you agree?
I believe the most (important) is …
We (have) agreed on the following order,…
We (have) decided that number one is, number two is… and number three

Appendix 4

Answer the questions and discuss in a small group:

1. What are you more interested in: paintings, architecture, history or shopping or all of

these things attract your attention?

2. Would you prefer to spend most of the time in the city or on board the ship?

3. What appeals you more- walking or having a coach ride?

4. What attracts you more- visiting museums in town or walking in the former royal

gardens in the countryside?

5. What is more important for you – taking photos of beautiful buildings or visiting

museums?

6. Are you interested in a local life and cuisine?

7. How much money are you ready to spend on sightseeing?

8. Which places of interest would you like to see (visit)?

Answer the questions:

What would you recommend your guests if they

1. …don’t feel like walking a lot but mostly driving?

2. …are willing to see as much as it is possible?

3. …are not interested in paintings but in history and architecture?

4. …prefer not to spend too much time touring around the city?

5. …are interested in a local life and cuisine?

6. …are ready to spend as much time in the city as it is possible, money doesn’t matter?

7. …don’t know what to choose?

Appendix 5

Useful phrases

-May I offer you….?

-What about…?

-What do you say about...?

-Are you up for...?

-Would you like…?

-I can offer you…

-What do you think of…?

-What if we consider…?

-We have similar tour but a bit shorter and cheaper.

-Lunch Is included.

- I’d love to.

-That would be nice.

-Thank you, I’d like…

- It would be great, but do you have anything cheaper? I’m afraid I can’t afford it/

-Can I discuss it with my husband?

-I think I will go on this tour.

-Is lunch included?

-Do you have any discounts for children?

Asking for opinion.

What’s your opinion on...?

How do you feel about....?

What do you think about....?

What’s your view on...?

Expressing opinion.

My point of view is that...

Well, as far as I’m concerned...

Well, if you ask me...

It seems\ appears to me that...

I think\ believe...\ must...\

In my opinion\ view...

To me...\ may\ might

From my point of view...

To my mind/ way of thinking...

As far as I am concerned...

I am totally against...

I (do not) agree that \ with...

I (completely) agree \ disagree that \ with...

Making Suggestions.

If I were ... I would...

Perhaps they should....

Why don’t we/ they...

How/ what about...?

A good idea would be...

If they..., then...

They can/ should...

I think we/ you should...

You could always...

Let’s...

Have you thought about...

It would be a great idea to...

We can/ could...

A useful suggestion would be to...

It would help/ It would be a good idea if...

Appendix 6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peUVLEUj-AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRqTZfMEW0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssdbYlBhEgE

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/st-petersburg-russia-excursions