Week three (W3) was very productive in terms of learning about projects that are being carried out all over the world by people in similar conditions and realities. That fact, itself is very encouraging because language teachers are concerned about doing a better job which adjusts to their students needs, expectations, and desires through assertively incorporating technology in their teaching.
domingo, 15 de mayo de 2011
jueves, 12 de mayo de 2011
AURAL AND ORAL SKILLS
AURAL AND ORAL SKILLS
Much of our language-teaching energy is devoted to instruction in mastering English conversation. However, numerous other forms of spoken language are also important to incorporate into a language course, especially in teaching listening comprehension (Brown, 2001). It is so important to develop Aural and oral skills in our learners because one way or the other their proficiency in the target language is to be judged by how well they conduct themselves in such a language. From a communicative, pragmatic view of the language classroom, listening and speaking skills are closely intertwined. More often than not, ESL curricula that treat oral communication skills will simply be labeled as “Listening/Speaking” courses (Brown, 2001). People will be able to tell whether they understand the language or not by how well their listening and speaking skills are utilized/ commanded.
Depending on the level, a student might claim to perfectly understand when others talk to him/her(listening); however, that is not likely to be believed unless he/she provides a suitable answer in words (speaking/oral production) .Therefore, teachers are not to neglect such skills in the target language. I always tell my students that the more they learn, and practice the better they will produce in whatever language they are instructed. Every skill is important when acquiring a language and; none is to be neglected.
AURAL SKILLS
Such skills are important because in order to properly interact one needs to understand what is said. Otherwise, interaction will be limited. Listening is not a one-way street. It is not merely the process of a unidirectional receiving of audible symbols. But , that is just the beginning of what is a number of different cognitive and affective mechanisms (Brown, 2001). The importance of listening in language learning can hardly be overestimated. Through reception, we internalize linguistic information without which we could not produce language. Listening competence is universally “larger’ than speaking competence (Brown, 2001).
PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING LISTENING TECNIQUES
1. In an interactive, four-skill curriculum, make sure that you don’t overlook the importance of techniques that specifically develop listening comprehension competence.
2. Use techniques that are intrinsically motivating.
3. Utilize authentic language and contexts.
4. Carefully consider the form of listeners’ responses.
5. Encourage the development of listening strategies.
6. Include both bottom-up and top –down listening techniques.
ORAL- SKILLS
Much of our language-teaching energy is devoted to instruction in mastering English conversation. When someone asks you “ Do you speak English?, “ they usually mean: Can you carry on a conversation reasonably-competently? The benchmark of successful language acquisition is almost always the demonstration of an ability to accomplish pragmatic goals through interactive discourse with other speakers of the language (Brown,2001). And yet, as Richards (1990:67) noted, “the conversation class is something of an enigma in language teaching. “ The goals and the techniques for teaching conversation are extremely diverse, depending on the student, teacher, and overall context of the class.
TEACHING PRONUNCIATION
Current approaches to pronunciation contrast starkly with the early approaches. Rather than attempting only to build a learner’s articulatory competence from the bottom up, and simply as the mastery of a list of phonemes and allophones, a top-down approach is taken in which the most relevant features of pronunciation- stress, rhythm, and intonation- are given high priority. Instead of teaching only the role of articulation within words, or at best, phrases, we teach its role in a whole of discourse(Brown,2001). Rita Wong (1987:21) reminded us that contemporary views [of language] hold that the sounds of a language are less crucial for understanding than the way they are organized. The rhythm and intonation of English are two major organizing structures that native speakers rely on to process speech…..Because of their major roles in communication, rhythm and intonation merit greater priority in the teaching program that attention to individual sounds.
PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING SPEAKING TECNIQUES
1. Use techniques that cover the spectrum of learner needs, from language based focus on accuracy to message-based focus on interaction, meaning, and fluency.
2. Provide intrinsically- motivating skills.
3. Encourage the use of authentic language in meaningful contexts.
4. Provide appropriate feedback and correction.
5. Capitalize on the natural link between speaking and listening.
6. Give students opportunities to initiate oral communication.
7. Encourage the development of speaking strategies.
WHAT MAKES LISTENING/SPEAKING DIFFICULT?
1. Clustering
2. Redundancy
3. Reduced forms
4. Performance variables
5. Colloquial language
6. Rate of delivery
7. Stress, rhythm, and intonation
8. Interaction (Brown,2001)
COMMUNICATIVE-COMPETENCE
Given that communicative competence is the goal of a language classroom, instruction needs to point toward all its components: organizational, pragmatic, strategic, and psychomotor. Communicative goals are best achieved by giving due attention to language use and not just usage, to fluency and not just accuracy, to authentic language and contexts, and to students’ eventual need to apply classroom learning to previously unrehearsed contexts in the real world (Brown,2001).
I APOLOGIZE!
I have to apologize to everyone in the program because I have not been able to comply with my assignments as required . I must also say that my life has been really upside-down for I have had tons of trouble and things to work on (work, family issues and even a car accident) . However, I am back and ready to keep on, stronger than ever. I am glad that everybody is doing well and learning so much. I apologize once again and I am so glad to finally be back and able to post my thoughts and feelings about ESL/EFL; I will catch up, I promise!.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED THIS WEEK? (WEEK 3)
Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)
Nowadays, there are many programs that aid the teaching as well as the learning of a target language. It is practically impossible to think that learning a language is not influenced by the availability of materials such as software and different programs aimed at the reinforcement as well as the perfection of an acquired language. Language institutes and universities around the world have developed such programs having the presence of computers in almost every field of expertise. Language acquisition and language teaching cannot be the exemption but the example.
However, there is to know that a software however advanced it may be will never replace a well-trained language professional. It can always be of assistance, as long as it meets the needs and expectations of the learner. There is to know not only what students want to learn but also what they need to learn. Software is to meet such aspects. Throughout my experience, I have seen different institutions to make the terrible of changing their syllabuses to meet what the software intends to teach rather than using the suitable part of such software to serve the purposes of their programs.
1. Multimodal practice with feedback
2. Individualization in a large class
3. Pair and small group work on projects, either collaboratively or competitively
4. The fun factor
5. Variety in the resources available and learning styles used
6. Exploratory learning with large amounts of language data
7. Real-life skill building in computer use.
The following will whet your appetite for CALL:
v Collaborative projects
v Peer- editing of compositions
v E-mail
v Web-page design
v Reinforcement of classroom material
v Games and simulations
v Computer adaptive testing
v Speech processing (Brown, 2001)
The university at which I work has invested quite a lot in equipping our classrooms with cutting edge technology to be progressively incorporated in the teaching of the several languages we teach at the Institute. Therefore, this training cannot be in better timing. I am so looking forward to using as much material as available in the teaching of my classes. I want my students to benefit of as much as I learn.
Best regards,
domingo, 17 de abril de 2011
OBJECTIVE DRAFTING
OBJECTIVE DRAFTING
I have also learned that the way we write/draft our objectives has such a great impact on how they are perceived, implemented, and even attained. There is to pay attention to what is expected to get, taking into account on which resources our project depend. A misunderstanding of what is attainable with what is available may take a toll on the implementation of one’s project. People often fantasize about things they would like to do; however, such objectives may not be realistic or suitable in terms of need and purpose.
Learning the existence of different and more specialized browsers for academic search was certainly encouraging specially because I would like to pursue a higher degree as I move into the teacher–training field . There is so much information of which the average researcher has no idea. The more information available, the more in depth one’s research will be. One of my professors told me once that the best way to know someone (professionally) is by the rigor of his/her research. In Ecuador, language-teaching- research has been neglected; thus, most language-teaching programs obey trend, not need and reality, as in other countries.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED IN WEEK 2?
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED THIS WEEK?
WEEK 2
(SEARCHES)
It is incredible, how dependable on the internet and its sources for information people have become. There is only to ask people what the easiest way to find information is to know about how familiar with the internet they have become. However, there is to be careful and selective of the websites and search engines one uses since not everything that is on the web is reliable or properly researched; therefore, citation may require a more exhaustive/detailed research.
By far, the greatest source of information not in a book form is , of course, the Internet. However, its sheer size and range make it potentially awkward for users, who often find it difficult to locate the exact information they are looking for . This is partly because searching is a skill in itself which students and teachers need to acquire. Both teachers and students can find almost anything they want on the internet. They can go to online newspapers or broadcasting associations such as the BBC or CNN; they can find song lyrics or access history sites; they can find film guides and jokes sites (Harmer, 2007).
In Ecuador, a great many students do not have an internet-based research culture; therefore, they mostly rely on the first thing they find on the web (which is a typical mistake). Teachers are to teach them how to be more critical of what they read rely on, and cite. On the other hand, the internet when properly used is such a great tool. I cannot even picture myself without it. As a student, researcher or professor one is able to do, find and share so much.
In conclusion , searching on the web requires a certain degree of skill, accuracy, and patience to properly select what is suitable to one’s request/purpose. An internet browser often retrieves thousands if not millions of responses to what is typed; thus, people must be as specific as possible not to waste time browsing through unnecessary websites, which may lead them off their target-search.
Fernando Minda
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED IN WEEK 2?
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED THIS WEEK?
WEEK 2
(SEARCHES)
It is incredible, how dependable on the internet and its sources for information people have become. There is only to ask people what the easiest way to find information is to know about how familiar with the internet they have become. However, there is to be careful and selective of the websites and search engines one uses since not everything that is on the web is reliable or properly researched; therefore, citation may require a more exhaustive/detailed research.
By far, the greatest source of information not in a book form is , of course, the Internet. However, its sheer size and range make it potentially awkward for users, who often find it difficult to locate the exact information they are looking for . This is partly because searching is a skill in itself which students and teachers need to acquire. Both teachers and students can find almost anything they want on the internet. They can go to online newspapers or broadcasting associations such as the BBC or CNN; they can find song lyrics or access history sites; they can find film guides and jokes sites (Harmer, 2007).
In Ecuador, a great many students do not have an internet-based research culture; therefore, they mostly rely on the first thing they find on the web (which is a typical mistake). Teachers are to teach them how to be more critical of what they read rely on, and cite. On the other hand, the internet when properly used is such a great tool. I cannot even picture myself without it. As a student, researcher or professor one is able to do, find and share so much.
In conclusion , searching on the web requires a certain degree of skill, accuracy, and patience to properly select what is suitable to one’s request/purpose. An internet browser often retrieves thousands if not millions of responses to what is typed; thus, people must be as specific as possible not to waste time browsing through unnecessary websites, which may lead them off their target-search.
Fernando Minda
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