Adult Migrant English Program Analysis

Context:
This unit is selected from the self-paced e-learning package in Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). AMEP provides 510 hours of free English tuition to newly arrived migrants and refugees while self-paced e-learning use online package to support or supplement students learning on an independent basis.
Learners are adults, age above 18, from various countries with different language and culture background, learning through e-learning package to improve their English levels and to settle in Australia. This unit is designed for learners at level 1 CSWE (Certificates in Spoken and Written English).
Goals and objectives:
The goal of this unit is to develop learner’s English proficiency in comprehending and composing written recounts.
Text is from real life in everyday language.
Task-based approach and grammar approach are applied throughout the unit.
Roles for teacher and learner:
As an independent online unit, the roles of teacher are not apparent but reflected in the task design.
The instruction is very brief and straight forward which suits the learner’s English level. Pictures are provided to facilitate understanding. Tasks are displayed clearly on website for learner’s participation. The automatic assessment function included in activities.
Therefore, this unit is designed to give clear instruction, facilitating understanding and giving feedback or modelling outcome by click Check, Answers or Try Again buttons.
Learners’ roles are taking responsibility to manage their own learning by participating and completing each activity.
Characteristics of the teaching/learning process:
The teaching/learning process is task based (activity 1,2) or grammar based (activity 3). (Flowerdew & Miller, 2005, P14) Students are required to give answer after reading or listening some information. Authentic materials (or semi-scripted materials to suits learner’s English proficiency) are provided so that learners can use them authentically out of school, for instance government assistance for rent and bond in activity 1 and emergency service in hospitals in activity 8. (Appendix
What areas are emphasised?
Language is viewed as discourse to “make meaning in social and cultural contexts”. (Kumaracadivelu, 2006, P7) While the study of grammar which is included in this unit is an “integrated part of language learning”. (NSW Adult Migrant English Service, 2003-2004) Topics selected are closely related to students’ life need and learning outcomes focus on comprehending and writing English for real life use.
This unit emphasis on an important skill in reading and writing: sequencing. Students need to find meaning of a text by understand the sequence of events within the context of beginning, a middle and an end of a story.( Appendix 2, Activity 8) The sequence of events is characterised by connecting words such as on Saturday morning, in the afternoon, then …(Appendix 2, Activity 5). By practicing sequencing, students can learn to identify a story into pieces with order of event and easily recall it. It also helps students to find out the text structure and will improve their writing skill.

How is culture viewed?
Culture is viewed as relative and group membership in the unit or throughout the e-learning