About My Future Students.

I will like to know some things about my future students, such as: the things they like, their interests, their family background, what their motivations are, etc. I strongly believe that if we listen to them; we can really improve our classes, that is, the class will be student-centered, instead of teacher-centered. The main idea is to capture and engage students attention, so they can really learn anything they want.

Teacher in CHILE. Do you use Spanish in your English Class?

This is what the teacher in Chile wrote:

"let me tell you that... indeed sometimes it is a need to explain some grammar rules or idioms using Spanish. I often do it during grammar lessons or explanations and according to the teachers evaluation process criteria 2008; as an english teacher there are situations where you can`t avoid using mother tongue. then, you can speak spanish in order to keep communication process on. when I use some Spanish expression immidiately I paraphrase in English and then Spanish and English as a sandwich... but this case is presented mostly in primary and junior classes."

Plan for Gina to Learn Spanish

I was thinking that since Gina is not a Spanish native speaker; she will have to learn some basic but useful words in Spanish, so she will be able to say hi, ask some questions, and say goodbye.

Topic: Greetings in Spanish.

I will write a list of words, and the meaning of them in English:

Hola: Hello
¿Cómo estás?: How are you?
Muy bien, ¿Y tú?: Fine and you?
Bien: Good, fine. or Bien, gracias: Fine thank you.
De nada: Your welcome.
Hasta luego!: See you soon.
Adiós: Good bye.
Sí: Yes.
No: No.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Now write these words in flashcards (one by one)
   

2. Then read them and try to remember their meaning.

3. Try to create a conversation using the flash cards. According to the context.

4. Your teacher is going to dictate the words in Spanish and you will have to write them in Spanish.

5. Now take the flash cards and read them aloud .

Teaching Language through Content, Learning Takes Place in Social Interaction,

• Teaching Language through Content.

Researchers say that children learn language through language, this means that classes can be taught through academic content. As teachers, we should give examples of content-based instruction for English learners.

This content theory comes from Krashen's second language acquistition theory. He argues that students acquire language when they receive comprehensible input that contains items slighlty beyond their present level of proficiency. The input can come from reading or from listening.

Teaching English is not something new. As Brinton points out, most early language learning came when travelers or scholars recognized the need to learn a new language to meet daily needs or to engage in studies of texts written in foreign languages.

Another example of teaching language through content comes from immersion education, for example, teachers focus on academic content and use a number of techniques to make the content accessible to students who have limited proficiency in the language of instruction.

• Learning Takes Place in Social Interaction.

Second and foreing language educators have debated the role social interaction plays in language development. Krashen presented a model that describes how individuals acquired when students receive comprehensible input (messages they understand) that contains language structures that are slighlty in advance of their present ability level.

Although Krashen acknowledges the role of social interaction in the development of thinking.

Social interaction benefits:

1. Group work increases language practice opportunities.
2. Group work improves the quality of student talk.
3. Group work helps individualize instruction.
4. Group work promotes a possitive affective climate.
5. Group work motivates learners, and they take risks.

• Faith in the Learner Expands Students Potential.

As teachers, we have to believe in our students potential abilities to improve themselves. We have to be mentors, who have faith in him and believe in them.

Teachers need to continue to engage their students in meaningful activities. If we show our students that they can learn and that there are things in school worth learning, there is no limit to their potential. We may insist that they work harder, and they may imply that the students are either lazy or not smart enough.

2. What theories from second language acquisition can you use to persuade teachers that group work really DOES lead to better language learning and is

According to the text, some of the theories that support that work group lead to better language learning say that social interaction is critical for effective learning language learning.

The theory says that people develop a second language when they feel good about themselves and about their relationships with those around them, so we can say that group activities are ideal because it increases language practice opportunities, improves the quality of student talk, helps individualize instruction, promotes a positive affective climate, motivates learners.

Besides, if teachers use collaborative group work, individual students have more chances to try out the language they were learning. And when students work in small groups , they take risks and try out more advanced structures and vocabulary than when they have to speak for the whole class, grouping provide students with choice and makes assignments more meaningful.

The Unit that I will Change in the BOOK

The book's name is Introduction to Academic Writing.

Written by: Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue.


I chose the first unit: Writing about People.



Madonna Michael Jordan


In the book, there are two parts for the first activity.

You have to discuss with a partner two pictures of famous people.

For you to know, some questions are:

1. Where does he or she live?

2. What other facts do you know about this person?

3. How this person influenced other people in either a positive or a negative way?


After that students are have to choose a person and write about them if they really like them or not and why.
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Now, I want to show you how I will change this unit.


(Considering famous people, and the writing task as a part of the unit, I really want to keep that in the activity)

In pairs, students have to search on the net looking for a brief video about a famous person that they like or do not like. BUT students can not say who did they choose.

Then, the rest of the class has to ask them questions about the famous person, in order to guess the famous person's name.

Then, when they found out who is that person, they show the video to the class. And after that, they explain to the class why did they chose that particular person.

And as a second part of this activity, they have to write a letter to that famous person saying if they really like them or not.