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.

more about the activities of each method

Hello everybody!!! 

Today`s activities were very nice. I liked to see Quike as our teacher. He is very creative and I like the way he applied his method. I think that is the way in which our teachers have been teaching us since we began our studies at the university. I think Quique`s method is very useful with beginners because it is mostly about repeating and reapiting. That`s why I think that advanced learners would get bored with repetition activities.  Of course we all know that there are some other activities in this method which are useful for the other levels.

I guess that I`d apply it in my classes if I taught to beginners.

Jonathan`s activity was kind of different. I really wouldn`t apply this type of activities with my students because I think that when people is being recorded they feel uncomfortable, and they don`t behave naturally, so that they don`t learn as they should.

But that was funny to listen to my classmates`  recordings, and that was awful to listen to myself. I sound weird, and I didn`t know! 

Luis did very well. I enjoyed reading the funny job application, and I liked to fill my own application. That was nice.

About Xavier activities... what can I say???

uhmmm I liked the activities that he developed even though I didn`t like the topic at all. (Sorry Xavy) ...Unfortunately the rain was a big problem because we couldn`t hear what he said. At the end I was like "guessing". Nevertheless I like the activities because they were like the activities that we are acostumed to.

I would apply Xavier`s method  in my classes if I worked with advanced students.

Thanks everybody for sharing you creativity with me.

Sencond Activities Presentations

Well, these acivities have been great!
I think that my classmates have been doing well and I think they have enjoyed it as well as we have.

I really like when all of us colaborate with our classmates.
Henry`s activities were a little bit difficult, and the topic was kind of weird. I would`ve preferred to study something a funnier, but anyway, everybody has different tastes. What I enjoyed of Henry`s activities was listening to my classmates` stories.

About Rose`s activities I think that they were very funny I felt as if I were in Kindergarten and I learn how to use the TPR METHOD. I think this is very usefull and relaxing. Students don`t get bored, so that they learn better.


Anita`s activities were very nice because she had a lot of material to develop her activities, and I liked the pictures she showed. Besides I enjoyed coloring the marvin the marcian's drawing.

Lili`s activities were my favorites ones because I love role-plays and it was interesting to work with teacher Aida and Xavier to develop that activity.

I think that all my classmates are very creative and they are giving their best. I am glad because this saubject is not boring and I am learning a lot. I hope to be a good teacher!

About the activities of some methods

Today`s class was so interesting and funny! I loved the way my classmates developed their activities. I really liked Claudia`s musical instruments and I wanted to steal the guitar jajjaja... just kidding!

Seriously, I enjoyed all the activities, and I learn a lot about the methods. Now that I have seen my classmates developing each method I have a clearer idea about those methods. Iwould have liked to participe in Claudia`s activities, unfortunately I had that awful and unexpected problem with my activity; but anyway, things happen like that!

What I can say about my presentation is that at the beginning I felt very very nervous. I was so much different than having a normal presentation because it was as if I were a teacher already, and I just couldn`t assimilate it! I felt as if my vocabulary disappeared from my mind, and I had nothing to say, that was my first experience in this type of things. I am sure that I will never forget this day!

At the end I felt really good, I felt relaxed and happy because my classmates (in that moment my students) colaborated a lot with me. I enjoyed to see them involved in my activities; I really appreciate it. Finally I felt proud of myself even though I know that I didn`t do it as well as I should have done it, but I`m sure that I will improve it next time!

About my classmates I have to say that they did it very nice! Congratulations to all of them. I liked vanessa`s tongue twister and alex`s hands movements.  jajaja That was so funny!

Thank you teacher Aida for assigning us these type of activities!

NOTE: 

After the class some people were calling me "teacher Aida" because they say that I was trying to imitate the way she teaches. Actually that`s not true at all! I just wanted to be like an enthusiastic teacher, and teacher Aida is a good example of that. So I clarify this point to my classmates. jjajajaja And stop calling me "teacher Aida" please! She is unique and I am tooxD

God bless you classmates and teacher!!! 

CONTENT BASED INSTRUCTION (CBI)

Actually I don`t like this method at all! In my point of view it is not useful as the other methods are. I think that this method doesnt fullfill the student`s needs to learn a second language because students need to understand certain things in order to learn a foreign language, but what can they do if they don`t understand even a word of the content they are studying???

It`s important to mencion that students learn about interesting topics that they like, and that`s good, but I think that it would be better if they first learn the basis of the language and then we as teachers assign them tasks in which the content of the things they like is involved.

This method is similar to the whole method because it is based mostly on reading what students like. As I said once it might be so much difficult to the teacher to choose the topics, the activities, etc. Because we all know that students are very very different and almost all of them have different tastes. 

Nevertheless it has something good because it develop student`s analizing in every topic they study because at the end they make like a conclusion about the content they have just studied. I would apply it not in order to teach a second langage but to make student get involved with interesting topics after they have learned the foreign language!

TASK BASED

This method could be useful with people who are mature because if we do it with students who are not mature enough we are going to be in trouble. I like this method because it makes students work hard while they research, while they develop the activities that the teacher assign them. So that the student is active and he/she is creating his/her own learning.

In this method the teacher just plan the activities students will do and is like a counselor solving the doubts that students get when they are involved in the task.

In the future I hope to apply this method to make students be active in the class room as well as out the classroom. But I rather used some other methods in order to make my student`s learning effective.

COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LEARNING (CLL)

I think that this method is kind of great because it has some characteristics from some other methods. Now that I have studied the previous ones I can notice it. For example: The teacher is a counselor, learning is inductively, students decide topics, etc. As we can see all these characteristics belong to the other methods, like the whole method, the task based, etc. The only thing that I noticed kind of strange is that the teacher translates. But anyway that was part of the grammar translation method too. 

Basically this method is based in the use of the target language communicatively, that`s why I think that this method is good. It also makes emphasis in the use of technology, for example recording student`s dialogs.

Something that I like is that students learn to analize in the target language. Besides they learn like in a community as its name says. They learn from one another, that means that there is an interaction between them, as a result, they are active. This method develops almost the 4 macro-skills in students and that`s something really important for me, thinking as a student as well as a teacher. I would like to apply it!!!

third presentation about the methods

THE NATURAL APPROACH

I like this method because it foster the comunicative competente in students not gramatical pefection, however, I think that when we learn a second language we need some gramatical structures in order to speak correctly; because there are some people who speak another language, but they have a very bad grammar and it sounds as if they don`t know the language. Another point is that some people can`t understand when they speak.

Another thing that I like from this method is that make students to feel relax during the process of second languae acquisition. In this way students feel the learning process easier and it becomes more effective!

Something that I like from this method is that students are active during the class so that I would like to apply this method in my classes!

What I don`t like from this method is that students speak until they feel confotable and  sure to speak, but sometimes we as teacher cannot wait until students want to speak, so in this point this method is not good at all because we have to make them speak as much as possible. Unfortunately if we don`t force students to do it some of them will never speak.

THE ORAL APPROACH AND SITUATIONAL LANGUAGE TEACHING

I like this method because it is similar to the direct method which is the best one that I have studied up to now!

This method emphazises in the use of the target language since the beginning of the process. It is supposed that teaching skill are more developed in this method, but students also learn writting and reading after they know sufficient lexical. 

Another point that I like form this method is that it goes from the simple to the complex things. In my point of view this is the best way to learn whatever not only a second language. Besides this method emphazises in the fact that if we make mistakes and we don`t correct them since the begginning, we are going to get the bad habit of making mistakes always. That`s why we have to avoid and correct making mistakes since the beginning of the second language acquisition.

I would apply this method because the activity types are very interesting and I guess students would like them.

Second Methods Presentations

THE AUDIO – LINGUAL METHOD.

This method is very useful to teach a foreign language. It is base on the memorization and repetition of dialogues about everyday situatios; which is very important because in this way students learn how to apply their knowledge in their daily life. This is very important because the target language becomes part of themselves.

I like this method because it focus on taking the learning of the target language as a habit-formation. If we as students took our learning as a habit, we would learn better and faster because when we have a habit we cannot live without it, and this should be the way in which we learn a second language.

Another thing that I like of this method is that students learn to comunicate, it means that speaking skills are developed with this method, also students learn to respond spontaneously in the target language. 

What I don`t like of this method is that students are mostly imitators and I think that they should create what they want. I would like to use this method in my classes but I would allow my students to be creative and to produce their own dialogues about what they like. 


WHOLE LANGUAGE APPROACH

I don`t like this method at all, I have to say that there are some things that are good in this method but in my point of view I think that there are more disadvantages than advantages. The whole language approach is basically focused on learning a second language by reading and looping up the meaning of the words.

In fact, reading is good because students learn vocabulary, they learn about the topics that they like and they learn grammar stuctures by looking the way other people write their thoughts. Teachers encourage students to write what they want.

What I don`t like is that the teacher has to work a lot. He/she has to prepare activities per each student. The teacher has to ask the students what they want to read. That`s why I say that this method is not such good neither to the teacher nor to the students, because speaking skills are not developed and that`s something that should be taken into account in every method.


TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

This is my favorite method of the ones which were explained that day of the second presentations because applying this method in a class make students have fun and make the learning process more effective.
This method is focused on the movement of the student`s bodies to internalize a second language.

I think that when the students feel confortable in a class they learn better according to my own experience. I remember that when I started learning English I used to learn more when the teacher applied this method in some classes.

Something that I like of this method is that the teacher encourage students to feel succesfull, and the teacher should be tolerant. In this way the student and the teacher can become friends and the teaching-learning process is more effective.

But this method has some disadvantages too. I would apply it, if I worked with children or with teenagers, but sometimes there are some people in the class who don`t like to have this type of activities and they feel embarrast, specially if they are adults. I would like apply it, but not in all the classes. 

THE DIRECT METHOD

I think that the direct method is the best if our goal is to teach students to comunicate.

I really like it because you can do a lot of activities which develop reading, listening, writing and speaking skills. The class become funny if the teacher is creative and students are always busy during the class. 

This method is based on the idea that second language learning must be an imitation of first language learning, as this is the natural way humans learn any language. According to the principles the student`s native language cannot be used in the class. Which is important because the students get used to listening to the target language. In this way they are learning grammar structures, pronunciation, etc. But as we know there are some people who have a different learning style and maybe this method wouldn`t be effective for them. 

The direct method has a basic rule: no translation is allowed. The teacher is supposed to demonstrate the meaning of the things but he/she should never translate. The only problem that I see is that not all the teachers are good at demonstrating and not all the students are good at understanding in the way the teacher explains certain things; so in my point of view sometimes it would be a waste of time trying to demonstrate something rather than just say the meaning in the learner`s native language.

As we know this method teaches grammar inductively, it means that explicit grammar rules are not given to the students. This is nice for people who hates Grammar but there are some others that understand better by reading the explanation in grammar rules.

So I would apply this method in my classes but I wouldn`t respect every single principle, because if I see that there are some students that really don`t understand in this way I would use their native language to be more understandable, of course, not everyday, not in all cases. but there are always exceptions.

SUGGESTOPEDIA

This method sound nice! but in another culture, in another country, with other people, etc. 

It would be very difficult to apply this method specially with teenagers. As we know suggestopedia method is about singing, playing musical intruments, playing games, to be in a very confortable environment, listening to classical music, etc. We know that teenagers in our country tend to be rebel and they hate classical music, some of them hate games because they feel like adults and they don`t want to seem as little children. Therefore, I think that suggestopedia wouldn`t be a good method if we work with teenagers in our culture.

Besides, the suggestopedia method is based on the idea that the teacher has to prepare a lot of material for every class. For example, posters, charts, figures, etc. It means that the teacher will have a lot of work to do before every single class. It doesn`t benefit the teahcer because in our country teachers are not well paid as they should be. Also the teacher has to have the skill of drawing well and quickly. If the teachers don`t have this skill they won`t have time neither to themselves nor to their family. Also teachers have to have the skill of paying some musical instruments and it is very difficult to find people who have learnt to do it. Specially teachers.

If we applied this method with adults they would feel so much confortable and they could fall asleep. 

The environment at schools in our country is not confortable and the goverment do nothing to improve it. So that I see impossible to apply this method in its totality.

I would like to apply the activity of singing with my students once in a while just to get relaxed and learn some vocabulary, and I would play games if worked with children.

SILENT WAY

Actually I don`t like this method! I think that it is not useful at all.

It is supposed that the teacher speaks as less as possible. And the students do everithing in the class. At the end of the class the teacher and the students talk about how they feel realted to the class they have just finished and they use the learner`s native language during the class and after the class. It is supposed that when teachers apply this methods students develop their perception because they are like guessing what the teacher needs or wants them to do.

I consider myself as an specific person, I like to be clear since the beginning of whatever, so i think that if I am going to be a teacher; i will be very specific with my students since I start my class and I would like them to understand me as soon as possible, so that i wouldn`t like to apply the Silent Way method. 

The good part of this is that students are busy in the class because they do almost everything, the teacher is the guide. And that is great!

But there is something that I don`t like and it is that the class is given in the student`s native language. It doesn`t help them to get familiar with the target language. As I see this point, the silent way method is not effective if our goal is to develop student`s speaking and listening skills.

As a conclusion I say that the direct method is the best of these three we have been studying; and it`s the easiest to apply if we take into account our country, our culture and the facilities that the goverment provides to the educational area. I think the direct method is the most effective and we can apply it to all the levels and ages of our students.

About Methods Presentations

confused!!!

hello everyone!!! 

I`m still confused about the use of this blog :(

Hi teacher Aida!!! It`s nice to know that you are going to be my teacher once more.

I hope to learn a lot from you in this subject, so I will be doing my best to learn and to get good grades.

What I expect from this subject is to learn how to teach English to different types of people, I hope you will teach us how to prepare a class depending on the level we are going to teach, I would like to learn methodology, techniques, dinamics and all kind of activities that help you to be more understandable as a teacher. Besides, I hope this subject won`t be boring as some others that unfortunately I am taking this semester.

I am glad because I already know you, and I know the way you teach, even though some people say that you are more strict in this subject because of the level. But I am sure that you are going to help me a lot to improve my English and to develope my teaching skills.