UNIT 18

ASSESSMENT TYPES AND TASKS

Through this unit I learnt that assessments play a critical role in a student’s learning journey, because they measure students’ achievement and skill mastery. In addition, assessments help students to learn and teachers can improve their way of teaching or assessing, too. The aspects that an assessment should have are: practically, validity, reliability, authenticity and washback. Also, assessment can be formal and informal. Let’s start by talking about why are formal assessments. First, formal assessment are standardized, have time limit and directions which are to be followed. For instance, diagnostic test assesses students’ weakness, strengths and prior knowledge. Another example, summative test measures students’ achievements at the end of a course (MID-TERM EXAM). Another example, proficiency test measures the learners’ general skill or ability in the language (TOEFL, TKT). The last one, formative assessment (QUIZZES, HOMEWORK) assesses students’ performance during the instruction process. All these tests are example of formal testing which involves listening cloze, gap-filling, multiple-choice questions, true/false and so on. So, it means that these items are scored or ticked. On the other hand, informal assessment don’t have standard directions; they have a great deal of flexibility, are designed by teachers and have unknown validity and reliability. For example, peer assessment means check in pairs in order to check their language, mistakes and performance better. Another example, debates into small groups provide their own feedback on their strengths or weakness among themselves. As these assessments aren’t graded, if the teacher maybe wants, she will give a bonus mark. To sum up, as future teacher I will apply formative and informative assessment inside the classroom because they will help me to know the learners’ achievements or difficulties presented.

Extra Information:

http://es.slideshare.net/CindsBaares/types-of-assessment-37820430

http://es.slideshare.net/tarikince1/language-testing-and-assessment-27778105

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lBhMSaFNhY

     

UNIT 17

PRACTICE ACTIVITIES AND TASKS FOR LANGUAGE AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT

In this topic I learnt that activities and tasks are designed to give learners opportunities to practice and increase their knowledge in the use of language. Also, activities are designed according the subskills of reading, listening, writing and speaking together grammatical structures. First, in order to teach reading skill, teacher can apply jigsaw reading, reading puzzle, using newspaper, predicting from words and pictures and so on in order to support students’ knowledge. For instance, jigsaw reading let each student to read a short text, then each student needs to tell other students about his/her part of the text, so at the end all students will have all information. Another example, for teaching speaking skill the teacher can apply telling stories, famous people, balloon debates and information-gap activities, drills (individual, or choral. In information-gap activities two speakers have different bits information, and they can only complete the whole picture by sharing that information, there is a gap between them. The following activities are helpful in getting students to practice speaking. Another example, for teaching listening teacher can apply listening for specific detail, jigsaw listening, message-taking, monologues, poetry and so on. These activities provide ample opportunities for hearing speakers of different language varieties. To sum up, each of these activities has a different purpose and uses, and it can be controlled, free and freer activities. It’s controlled because teacher gives students to practice activities and use language accurately; it focuses on the form of language. On the other hand, free activities allow students to use whatever language they wish in order to complete the task; it focuses on fluency. For example, writing e-mails or stories. Also, in this activity teacher may not able to predict what language students will use.  While, freer activities means between restricted practice and less controlled activity in which teacher predict what language the student will need to use like surveys or role-plays. As future teacher, I will apply the activities mentioned before according the productive and receptive skills in order to offer a wide range of tips for improving learners’ need and skills. Using several kinds of activities in our lessons add variety and lessons are more interesting and motivating.  

Extra information:

E Hinkel - Tesol Quarterly, 2006 - Wiley Online LibraryE Hinkel: 

http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume5/ej20/ej20r4/7/ 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY9ksFC5nzA

UNIT 16

PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES AND INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

       Through this topic I learnt to differentiate between presentation techniques which represent learners’ attention on meaning, use and form of the new language and introductory activities which involve activities used to present a lesson or topic.  Let’s start by talking about two most well-known approaches such as: Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP) and Task Based Learning (TBL). In order to introduce these approaches’ topics are most suitable to present lead-in activities (command drills, writing a long sentence on the board, ask questions, etc.) because are used to activate students’ prior knowledge. In addition, teachers do mingle activities (find your partner, shopping speaking, what’s in a name, etc.) All of these activities used by teachers let students’ personalization and motivation because they create a positive atmosphere for learning. After that, teachers present the lesson or topic by following the presentation, practice and production stage. For example, the teacher first puts the target language into a situation, next the teacher models the target language, then students repeat the target language in a choral drill or restricted practice activities,  and then teacher asks the students concept questions to check their understanding. In addition, all these steps involve grammatical structures, guided discovery activities to let students’ comprehension. To sum up, presenting new language involves the teacher in making various choices like warmers, resources and assignment. Consequently, as future teacher I will apply lead-in activities to activate students’ schemata at the beginning, if students feel tired I will apply warmers to wake up students and make them interested and motivated to learn and to check if students understand the topic I will apply a gap-filling exercise, worksheet to work in pairs and so on.  

These links will provide extra information:

http://books.google.com.ec/bookshl=es&lr=&id=_XoAAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR8&dq=techniques+to+teach+english&ots=_F10UIHPeC&sig=Qjq1NmTAudtUoYSxGE7zi-Attf4#v=onepage&q=techniques%20to%20teach%20english&f=false 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wp51XS_acE

  

UNIT 15

APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

     

In this unit I learnt that an approach is a way of looking at teaching and learning, it means how a language can be learnt. In addition, an approach gives methods and ways of teaching something, classroom activities or techniques to help learners learn. I am going to list some examples bellow:

The first one is Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP)

The point of view of this approach is that teacher present or demonstrates language. Then, students practice the language through activities (drills= repeating after the teacher, situational presentations= role-plays & miming). Finally, students produce the language by questions orally or doing written exercises. To sum up, this approach is focused on grammatical structure and a function due to it is guided by the teacher.  

Second, Lexical Approach’ perspective is that vocabulary is the most important characteristic of language which involves collocations, chunks, idioms, slangs, etc. In this approach teacher’s syllabus focuses on lexis (tasks which contains chunks or idioms), so learner will notice what is the meaning of any lexis.

Third, Communicative Approach’ standpoint is that fluency is the most important dimension, because learners learn a language through interaction. Also, communication means communicate making use of functions, vocabulary, grammar and skills. Here the teacher will present authentic materials (newspaper, stories, menus, TV programs, etc.) to provide learners become active users of language. Finally, as learning is a process, errors are accepted and they are corrected by the teacher.

Fourth, Total Physical Response Approach is based on (silent period) understanding spoken language before developing the speaking skill. The teacher gives instructions and students physically carry out the instructions by applying grammar or vocabulary inside any activity.

As a conclusion, each approach has its own view of language, learning and classroom activities. And as future teacher I will prefer to use the mix of approaches which is called eclectic approach. This approach let to apply different tasks like (Simon says, mime role-plays, experiments, group works, etc.) depending on the aims of the lesson and the learners style. Everything is on teacher’s hand. 

Check these links to find extra information:

Jack_C._Richards_and_Theodore_S._Rodgers_Approaches_and_Methods_in_Language_Teaching/ http://www.academia.edu/5666615

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mk6RRf4kKs

UNIT 14

LEARNER NEEDS

"The needs of a learner represent the gap between what the learner wants to get out of the learning experience and his or her current state of knowledge, skill, and enthusiam." Noessel, 2003

       Through this chapter I learnt that learner needs represent what the learner want to achieve through learning experience. So, there are two types of needs like personal and learning needs. Let’s start by saying that personal needs represent motivation, expectations and interest. It represents motivation because teacher can identify learners’ expectations and goals. Also, teacher will be able to choose materials (board games, computer graphics, listening songs, drawing, experiments, etc.) and topics according learners’ skill and language. For example, teacher asks students to perform a role-play as they prefer, but some students perform it orally and acting, so it means that students’ motivation is high because they enjoy learning. In contrast, learning needs involves specific ways of learning, specific vocabulary and grammar, specific text types and the most important learner autonomy. The teacher should focuses on what approach to teaching and assessment, level of language and skills. For instance, a teacher who is teaching to business professionals, she must know business and advanced vocabulary. As a conclusion, knowing learners need let to teacher be aware what skills and knowledge the learner already have and what expectations on learning. As future teacher, I will set up expectations and goals at the beginning of a year school. I will apply questionnaires, interviews or follow up surveys in order to identify students’ weakness and difficulties. It will help me to adapt suitable materials inside classroom and achieve a good teaching and learning process.

I will share these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyKM4X706qw

http://www.dhpescu.org/media/elip/01421590701881699.pdf

UNIT 13

LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS

"Humans have certain properties and characteristics which are intrinsic to them, just as every other organisim does." Noam Chomsky

While the topic was presented I learnt how learner characteristics like motivation, learning style, learning strategies and maturity involves in the language teaching classroom. First of all, each individual learner has her/his own way to study like kinesthetic (physical rewards, handling objects, interacting, etc.), auditory (enjoys talking and listening activities, remember faces, etc.) and visual (memorize by seeing graphics and pictures, a good speller and handwriting, etc.). All these learning styles are set up inside classroom in order to help students to achieve a good learning process. On the other hand, learning strategies are the ways in which learners learn and remember information such as: paraphrasing, analyzing memorizing, discussion and so on.  Consequently, maturity implies becoming grown physically, mentally and emotionally.  It means that children, teenagers and adults are already learnt in different ways. For instance, a child has a short attention span so the class should have a little brake meanwhile teenagers’ concentration is developed and they pay attention to meaning and to form of the target language. In contrast, adults are aware of themselves and their actions, pay attention and conscious motivation. To sum up, a classroom must be adapted according students’ characteristic, learning style and interest.

For these aspects and reasons, teacher must be aware of what kind of activities allow students to work in a classroom. I suggest some of them:

• Present mingle activities (question swap, talk when the music stop, fish and chips, an old friend, find your partner, etc.)
• Provide a positive feedback at the end of the class (the warm seat, find the ball, the flying carpet, square talk and so on)

Here I will share some links:

Click on this video to find extra information. 

Heinle & Heinle, Inc. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston, MA: Oxford, R. 

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwI-mNRW9Mc

UNIT 12

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L1 AND L2 LEARNING

      I learnt that our mother tongue/ native or primary language is acquired during early childhood. When we are growing up our cognitive skills develop at the same time, but it depends on learners’ motivation to communicate with others. In addition, L1 acquires language without translating and learning grammar formally because they develop their knowledge subconsciously. The most important factor is to be exposed and interact with others to pick up chunks, slangs, idioms in order to expand their language. For example, L1 listens or looks what others say after experiment language (silent period), it helps learner to reformulate or simplified the speech. Consequently, L2 start learning the target language when goes to primary or secondary school, because L2 must practice, imitate to fulfill their expectations. Also, L2 need controlled practice activities and being corrected by teachers because they are learning through specific structures. As a result, I will apply group works, play games, listen to radio programs, write emails to pen pals, extensive reading, record videos, create forums and so on in order to provide students opportunity to pick up and experiment language with motivation and confidence. All of these activities will be presented according students’ age, learning style, multiple intelligence, level and age.  

I will share these links which contains extra information:

• http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/vak_quest.htm
• 
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2QtSbP4FRg