REFLECTION 10

Unit 18 Assessment types and tasks

 

The knowledge acquired in this unit is so relevant because always is necessary to measure students previous and recent knowledge in order to know their progress, assessment is not just essential for teachers, but also for students because through a test they realize what they know and what they need to know. We can assess students formallyand informally, the first one is when we just observe students and give feedback and informally is when give students a test in order to get a grade.

At the begging of the school year we can apply a diagnostic test to have a brief idea about what students know or the level of knowledge they have. If we want to know the level ok knowledge a students has to place him/or her in the appropriate level we can use a placement test, but toknow how well learners are getting the knowledge we ca use a progress test. Finally, at theend of the school year we can use an achievement test to know how much pupils learnt during the whole year. All of these sorts of tests include objectiveand subjective questions which are aimed to get specific judgment to the answers and evaluate students’ performance in their skills.

I will apply this knowledge in the classroom by using tests according to the students’ situation level and time, for example, if it is the beginning of the school year I will use a diagnostic test and not an achievement test because it would not be fair. Also, I will use informal assessment to measure how students use new vocabulary, structures without being graded just to get feedback or comments.

For more information you can use the following websites:

• Learning and Laboratory.Retrieved from://tll.mit.edu/help/types-assessment-and-evaluation

• A Sampling of Types of Formative Assessment. Retrieved from: http://www.isbe.net/common_core/pdf/da-form-asmt-chart.pdf

• CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING.Methods of Assessment. Retrieved from: http://ctl.utexas.edu/teaching/assessment/planning/methods

REFLECTION 9

Unit 17 Practice activities and tasks for language and skills development

These refer to the kind of tasks that are chosen to give pupils opportunity to use and practice the language. There are two categories of activities: Controlled and free which are aimed to help students to develop their receptive and productive skills. Controlled activities are focus on accuracy, repetition and language form, these involve choral, individual, substitution and transformation drills, which are restricted. On the other hand, in free activities students can use the language they want to do tasks; it is focus on fluency and requires some control. This type of activities do not allow the teacher know the language students will use in discussions, writing tasks, interaction activities, etc. Sometimes it is difficult to say if an activity is controlled or free, since it can be the two of them according to how the teacher used it in the classroom.

In the classroom I will try to apply free and controlled activities according to the students’ needs and the language forms taking into account that the category of the activities can vary depending how I apply them in the class.

For more information you can use the following websites:

• 2014.HEADS UP ENGLISH.Controlled to Free Activities. Retrieved from. http://www.headsupenglish.com/index.php/esl-articles/esl-lesson-structure/310-controlled-to-free-activities

REFLECTION 8

Unit 16 Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities

Presentations techniques refer to the way the items of the language are presented to the students to get their attention or interest in the lesson. Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP), Task-based Learning (TBL) and Teach-Teach-Test (TTT) are the most common ways of presenting the language. The PPP lesson is more appropriate for beginner students because in this the teacher guides and givesexplanations to the students. The TBL lesson is more appropriate for intermediate or advance learners, in these students are centered and need to find out the language forms by themselveshe gives explanations. In the TTT lesson learners are focusedon understanding the meaning of the target language through the use ofregalia and mine in situations. These techniques vary according to the learner’s age, level, needs, etc. and whether they prefer to focus on the form or meaning of the language.

On the other hand, introductory activities refers to the way new mates, topics, lessons are introduced to the students.Warmers, ice-breakers and led-ins are used to activate or motivate learners for a new class after a hard class, since they help learners to stress out, get positive energy and be ready for a new class.

Personally, in the classroom I will apply the presentation technique according to the students’ needs, preferences and level because of this depends what we what we want to get from them at the end of the class. In addition, I would like to use warm-ups every day of classes in order to get students active and ready to learn a new language item or topic.

For more information you can use the following websites:

• Icebreakers, Warmups. Retrieved from: http://www.wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html

REFLECTION 7

Unit 15 Approaches to language teaching

When reviewing this unit I learnt that an approach has to do with the ways and methods that are used to teach pupils the language. For example, lexical, Functional,grammar translation, TPR, communicative, etc. These approaches are used according to students’ level, teacher, and purpose, since each one of them includes different view of language, classroom practices, syllabusthat make learners’ succeed or fail in their learning process because of the skills that they develop in each task. Definitely, approaches present several ways to teach the language, so the teacher is the responsible for using the most suitable approach in the classroom in order to make their classes interesting and enjoyable for the diversity of students.

In the classroom I would like to use the eclectic approach because it mixes and matches the most relevant techniques of each approach. This will allow me to apply techniques that are according to the pupils’ learning styles and context, however, I will need to becareful when mixing the methods every time due to students may think that I am not sure about how to impart knowledge.

To sum up, nowadays professors have a variety of old and new approaches that they can use in their classes, but the teaching process does not depend on the approach used by the teacher, it just depends on the way and the context it is used in the classroom.

For more information you can use the following websites:

• Arthur, E. 2007. Language Teaching Approaches and Methods.Retrieved from: http://es.slideshare.net/emma.a/language-teaching-approaches-and-methods
• BRITISH COUNCIL.ECLECTIC APPROACH.Retrieved from: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/knowledge-database/eclectic-approach

REFLECTION 6

Unit 14 Learner needs

The classroom more than a place to acquire knowledge is a place where learners face a discovery process that show them the steps to fulfill their goals and needs. When learning a foreign language learners have several reasons that motivate them to give the best in every task they develop in order to success in their learning process. There are three sorts of needs according to the learners’circumstances such as: personal, learning and professional needs which have specific aims to accomplish each one of them.

Appropriate lessons, topics, sources, feedback, etc. are items that are related with personal needs, so it is the teachers’ job to employ them in the class to get students active and interested in the lesson presented. In addition, assessment, interaction patterns, learning, strategies are part of learning needs, these help learners to develop their skillsin L2 accurately. Finally, specific grammar, functions, text types are items related to professional needs, these refers to future requirements as professionals. Certainly, learners needs give teachers a clue about the methods, topics, language, materials, etc. students prefer in their classes.

In the class I think it is necessary to take into account and identify students’ needs and wants through a discussion with them to have an agreement about the activities and methods they would like the teacher use in the class. Thus, students will be satisfied with the way that the lesson is presented.

For more information you can use the following websites:

• Nachamma,S. 2014. HIHER ED TEACHING STRATEGIES.Understanding Adult Learners’ Needs.Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/understanding-adult-learners-needs/

REFLECTION 5

UNIT  13 Learner  Characteristics

In this Unit I learnt that learners’ characteristics play an important role in teaching and learning L2 because teachers need to be aware of the factorsthat influence on learners’ attitude to learning the language such as: motivation, learning style, learning strategies, maturity and past language learning experience. These factors help to satisfy learners’ likes as well as to choose the style that best work with them, so to know it teachers can use a survey where they canidentify these factors.

In addition, for teachers it is important to incorporate activities that include several learning styles to get all the students involve in the class and avoid using activities that include only one learning style when one student can have more than one. When learners develop autonomous work they have their own methods or ways to do it which depend on the learning style. For example, getting feedback, memorizing, recording your own voice are ways to retain information in your mind for a quiz. To train learners it is also relevant to take into account the age, since children, teens, adults do not acquire knowledge in the same way due to maturity and past learning experience to help them to find pleasure in their learning process.

In the classroom, I will find out students’ learning style through a survey or an observation to be able to apply activities and strategies that make language learning successful for the whole class, so students can get confidence and knowledge in the ways they learn best. Learner’s attitude is the key to learning process that is why teachers have to be aware of how learners prefer to learn based on the physical sense, interaction with others, and thinking style.

For more information you can use the following websites:

• Characteristics of Young Learners. Retrieved from: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0205535488.pdf
• Horwitz, E. K., M. Tallon & H. Luo (2009). Foreign language.  Learner characteristics.Retrieved from: http://coerll.utexas.edu/methods/modules/learners/01/characteristics.php

REFLECTION 4

Unit 12 Differences between L1 and L2 learning

When checking this unit I leant thatL1 learning happens outside the classroom while L2 learning happens in the classroom, L1 learning follow the same process that we developed to acquire our first language: through exposure, interaction, doing, etc. L2 learning is quite complicated specially because of the agesince when learners are younger they do it in the same as L1, however, for adults it is difficult due to their cognitive abilities. L2 Teachers need to motivatestudents by using strategies to make students active in the class. In addition, sometimes it is necessary analyzed learners to know their learning stylesor expectations to satisfy them as well as create an atmosphere where learners can use the L2 as much as possible. In a L2 classroom I will use activities like, pair and group work to encourage learners to become confidentwhen interacting and praise them if they are children. When teaching to adults I will use the language functions to provide them opportunities to use the language as much as possible focusing on form.

For more information you can use these websites:

Video

• Myles, F.Language and Linguistics "Second language acquisition. Retrieved from:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZhqNDCjKQw
• Multilingualism.Similarities and Differences between First and Second Language Acquisition. Retrieved from: http://multilingualism.pbworks.com/w/page/21913433/Similarities%20and%20Differences%20between%20First%20and%20Second%20Language%20Acquisition

REFLECTION 3

Unit 11 The role of error

In this unit I learnt that mistakes are a common part of the learning process because through them learners measure their success or failure when using the language, they are divided into errors and slips. When learners unconsciously use complex or difficult language that is not according to their level, it is called error. But when learners are tired or not paying attention at what they do and they know the language, it is called slip. Learners make mistakes for some reasons: interference and developmental error which causes problems when using tenses or the same sound in the two languages. Errorsgive teachers and students a clue about how well they are learning and progressing in order to help and avoid that errors get fossilized because of the lack of exposureof  L2. In the classroom I will pay attention to mistakes carefully to help and correct them in the appropriate moment through exercises like, reformulation and practice to avoid fossilization. Therefore, errors and interlanguage are part of language learning these let teachers know how much students know and make them realize and correct their own mistakes.

For more information you can use these links:

Grammar Online. Retrieved from:

http://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/tenses/present-simple-progressive10.htm

TFLNET. (2010).ways to correct spoken errors. Retrieved from:

http://edition.tefl.net/ideas/speak/correcting-spoken-errors/

REFLECTION 2

Unit 10 Exposure and focus on form

In this unit I learnt the ways to learn a language: acquisition,interaction and focus on form. Acquisition refers to the way we learnt our first language unconsciously just by listening, hearing or working out the meaning without using it because of the level, it means exposure. Interaction with others is another way to learn the language because here we measure and experiment the level of knowledge we have by being able to understand and be understood by others. Learners find it difficult because they have to use structures and the vocabulary to make their messages understandable. Finally, focus on form helps students to identify how pronunciation, word order and grammatical structures are formed and used. In the classroom I will motivate learners to experiment and use the language as much as possible through tasks like: make English-speaking friends, write emails, read books, listen to songs, etc. which help them to develop their receptive and productive skills as well as notice forms with exercises where they can practice and be corrected in a positive way.

For more information you can use these websites :

REFLECTION 1

Unit 9 Motivation

Motivation is the key to achievegoals and make the language learning successful; in this unit I learnt that a learners need to feel comfortable, confident to make their learning process interesting and keep wanting to do it. In the classroom it is relevant that the teacher finds out students’ needs, interests, learning styles to get them involved in the class and avoid that they become demotivated because of the classroom’s environment or activities. In the classroom I will motivate students especially the ones who are unmotivated to learn by giving them positive feedback, paying attention at what they say, making them feel part of the teaching process and using a great variety of activities according to their age, level, trends, likes, etc. To motivate students it is not necessary to do big things or changes, for learners little aspects like a simple smile make them feel important and the reason to impart knowledge.

This video can be a great tool to shared with little children and motivate them in their first approaches to L2 :

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS. Retrieved from:

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