LARGE GROUPS

I think that large classes as stated in the video, like 70 students in a class are not something strange in our country. Many schools, especially the public ones have lots of students. The problem we have is that students in large classes are commonly not very effective. So it is necessary to use strategies that helps us to teach them. From the strategies that were mentioned, I think that the most important is pedagogical planning. If we plan careful, we can make a large class work. I liked what the woman said about learning students name and finding ways to learn them because it makes them feel important, and to provide them with attention using rotation to give them personalized learning.

About classroom learning systems, I think it is more problematic because the rooms are not designed to have many students and this influence the environment because the students make a lot of noise and disorder. The explanations are important because many times the disorder happens because the students don’t understand the explanations and don’t know what to do, and the teachers many times get angry at the students for not to work. I think it is important to give work to the students who finish before because that`s a reason why students make disorder. It can work to have the best students to help the others, but the problem is that they not always like to help others.

The last point about discipline is also very important because the teacher has to consider to put the rules before the classes begin. If we do this, we think about the things that can happen and how to give them a solution. It is better to be prepared for the circumstances; It can be a central point to manage a large class to allow students to help to make the rules give them more participation and makes them feel included in the decisions the teacher makes. It is important to put the rules on the walls because if not, the students can say they don’t know or don’t remember the rules.

As the video mentions, there are no specific ways to deal with these situations, but by considering these strategies we can improve the way we teach.

Using Internet tools with EFL students.

Using internet tools with EFL students is giving the students an extra and better option to learn the foreign anguage. when a teacher make his/her students to work with internet tools is directly helping the students to develop other skills that they may not be aware that they have them.

I remember when I started using internet tools; it was so difficult for me because I didn`t have experience on computer or things like that. However, it has helped me not only to learn the language but also to be less ignorant related to technology deals.

It`s more than important for a student to be working with internet tools since our new globalized world is demanding people that are at the forefront of technology and its advances. A student must be curious when using internet tools specially if it is related to the learning of the foreign language.

It would be nice if all the teachers in our country were involved into this new useful methodology which make our lives boht less complicated and modernized.

CONTEXTUALIZED LANGUAGE

Teaching under the idea of contextualized languge is something that most of the teachers should take into account in order to get our students to learn better.

Contextualized language is the meaningful language use for real communicative purposes. A teacher must be always applying different techniques to teach English as contextualized language. I think that the learning is better if the students feel familiarized with the topics they are studying. If they enjoy to talk about certain topics they will forget about the stress of learning a new language, and they`ll be focused on the content and their interests. When students feel the need of expresing their thoughts and notice the importance of communicating their feelings verbaly, they get involved into the learning process.In this case they really need a contextualized languge.

It`s true that we can`t expect all our students to be happy with the topics or activities we carry out, but we as teachers should at least try to make our class lively for them. There will always be students complaining and misbehaving because of the teacher`s activities, but the teacher should never give up because of those situations.

I think that in El Salvador we need to apply the contextualized language. Teachers should pay more attention to this issue. In my case (as a student) I learn better if I like what I`m doing; so that I strongly support the idea of contextualized language. Getting our students into real situations allow them to feel, that they are part of a society and a reality. In that way our objectives would be accomplished, and their learning would be affective.

CREATING A POSITIVE CLASSROOM CLIMATE

As we have been reading, the teacher plays a lot of roles in the classroom and even out of the classroom. It`s a serious responsability for the teacher to create a possitive classroom climate.

A teacher has to work very hard in order to have his/her students learn as much as possible. So that, it`s essential to have a great climate in the classroom. Experts say that people learn better if they feel confortable, and I think that`s true.

The first thing that a good teacher should do is to stablish rapport.

He or she should become like a friend with the students. Sometimes it`s difficult to achieve a significant learning in our students because they are afraid or they just don`t feel free in the classroom. Some of them fear the teacher, and some others don`t like to attend classes because of the climate that the teacher creates. But if the teacher were friendly, kind, nice, etc. The classes would be funnier, confortable and effective.

The teacher should treat each student in the same way, so that, nobody feels discriminated. Sometimes, it`s very difficult for the teacher, because there are some students that are really especial, and they get closed to the teacher. But a teacher should never show more affection to an specific student or group of students.

Teachers have to correct students when they make an error, but he/she has to be very careful and look for the best way to critize them. It would help to reinforce the level of trust that exists between teacher and student.

Finally an efficient teacher must generate possitive energy, by showing that he/she feels happy of being there. It can be shown by gestures, possitive expressions about the group of students, smiles, etc. If the students see that the teacher is enthusiastic they will get motivated and will participate in the activities.

In conclusion, if we as teachers are able to create a possitive climate in the classroom, we`ll get our students learn better than ever, and it will give us self-satisfaction.

Teaching Across Proficiency Levels

TEACHING BEGINNING LEVELS.

Teaching beginning levels seems atractive to me because it makes me think about my first
English class, my first English teacher, etc.

I would like to be recalled by my students for being their first English teacher. And I would like to be recalled as a GOOD teacher. That reason and some others make me write about it.

I am sure that teaching beginners is one the most difficult things that exist in the world. But I would like to have this experience and overcome it as well.

Teacher`s Role

The teacher plays a very important role in this case because he/she is like a model to follow.

The teacher has to be very careful because the students will learn in the way he/she speaks, pronounces, writes, reads, etc. That`s why the teacher is not allow to make to many errors.

Authenticity of Language.

Beginners want to learn things related to their daily life and real situations. Therefore useful everyday vocabulary has to be taught. We as teachers have to teach greetings, common phrases, introductions, etc. When people start to practice a second language they are eager to apply it to every single thing that happens to them. So that they need to learn the second language as practical as possible.

Student creativity.

We cannot ask our students to be so creative when they`ve just started their second language learning process because they are afraid of producing the language as they are not confident at this moment. But some weeks later, when our students have learned at least some vocabulary; we as teachers must be able to develop in our students the skill of producing the language putting their own style in real situations. For example we can ask them to invent an story, or a dialogue, etc. So that they are producing and being creative as well.

Teaching Across Age Levels

After reading the material and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of teaching across age levels, I think that it`s better to teach CHILDREN.

I used to teach children some years ago, and that was a very nice experience because children are very honest, pure, and intelligent. Even though I didn`t teach English, I enjoyed to work with them. So, I think that if I taught them something that I really like, as English, it`d be something great.

It`s true that you have a lot of work to do when you teach children, but when you do it you see the results, and most of the time the results are good.

Children have a very high IQ, and most of them learn quickly; especially if they like what they are learning, in this case English. They are always active and motivated if you as a teacher make them feel comfortable.

Sometimes children have short attention spans, so it`s challenging for the teacher to make the class interesting for them.

Besides, I would like to teach children because the topics are very easy. For example: the alphabet, the colors, fruits and vegetables, the numbers, etc. You don`t have to explain difficult topics of grammar, things like that.

In fact, I believe that TEACHING is a big deal, and it doesn`t matter if you teach children, teen, or adults, it is very difficult. So I think that we have to experience with all tipes of people. But I would like to start with children.