LISTENING

It is considered the first step on communication and as human beings we are used to listening since we were born (even before it). Children acquire this skill and our role is to provide a meaningful and relevant input. Without listening there is no interaction. It is an active and not a passive operation where students make effort to understand and later speak, trying first to imitate sounds and simple words.
In our country, it is important to reinforce this skill because our environment is pretty much in Spanish so students don´t have the opportunity to interact in the second language. In my experience, I try to speak in English all the time so they must try to understand and follow the instructions. It is not an easy process and there is a big difference between bilingual and not bilingual schools. The accomplishment of this skill is not only based on listening exercises. It is this and more.
This is my advice to all teachers:

• Use a vocabulary according to the level of our students.


• Do not speak all the time. Give some instructions with bodily expressions, gestures or drawings. Don´t translate into Spanish.


• And even make mistakes to find out if the students notice them


• Give the students the chance to repeat after they hear


• Teach songs, rhymes and chants that are very useful with children


• Practice at home listening exercises. I started using this web page http://www.esl-lab.com/

WRITING

Writing as a skill that allows people to communicate through distance and time. History and all we know nowadays is possible because of writing and of course, because of a writer. Personally, I enjoy writing, more in Spanish but with this exercise (blog) I started feeling at ease with English too. I try to remember that the more I write, the more I learn and improve my skills and that´s the reason for doing this reflection with each module.
Writing must be a tool in order to identify what our students know about any topic you are teaching. But we have to be careful. To spend all classes doing writing exercises or copying from the board is not enough and doesn´t mean you are a good teacher. What is really important is to promote writing with a purpose and use games in which students are producing and having fun at the same time.
Finally, what happens with the mistakes? To make mistakes is part of the process - I need to be aware of this idea – We should let students produce a text and depending on the objective of the activity, you can correct them or not. I think is the way you do it that helps the student not to feel frustrated and as teacher we are not smiling and friendly all the time.
Some examples to introduce in our lesson planning:
§ Running dictation: in pairs, one student goes and reads a text that is pasted on the wall and dictates what he/she finds to the other student
§ Ping pong writing: write a word and the next person have to write another one with the last letter of the one you wrote
§ Journals: start with a question so students can write and express what they think and feel
§ Questions on the wall: write some questions and let students write their answers
§ Create a story with some words
§ Write, read and rewrite

Since this class at the university, I created a place in my classroom to paste students production because I know it is important for them to show and celebrate their process.

Reading

To understand how we are supposed to teach Reading in our class, I consider important first to have clear what Reading means. As humans we read all the time and not only words but also gestures, signs, symbols, bodily expression and so on.
Am I a good reader? This question must be answered to ourselves as we must be honest and aware that we can´t demand something we do not practice. Reading is a skill that allows people to obtain knowledge and later communicate or transfer its content in a meaningful way, especially in our daily activities. In order to develop the habit of reading it is necessary to be consistent with our students and share with them the importance of doing it in their lives.
Some aspects to take into account as teachers:

• Let students participate in class, Reading aloud and silently too
• Use a text to introduce new vocabulary and recognize pronounciation
• Invite – if you can do it – students to be part of the selection of the book
• Select the Reading exercises according to your students´s needs, interests and level
• Internalize Reading as part of your life and not only as an academic task
• Be clear with the purpose of the Reading exercises and share it with your students
• Know about Reading strategies and guide students to use them properly in their process in order to improve it

I agree learning can’t happen with a passive attitude so Active Learning means an approach where it is possible to engage material from the students according to the four skills that we teach in English class.
In the past – but still in some schools – teachers used to give all knowledge and students automatically repeated and memorized it, without any sense. Nowadays in our society, there are many requirements and as we read in the other module, competences are the skills students need to develop in order to be successful. During the process, we guide and incorporate student’s needs and interests.

More about AUTONOMY

I can’t ask my students autonomy if I don’t have autonomy first. That means, if I want to educate in the development of autonomous behaviuor, it is essential to be aware of it in my life. Our planning lessons, our classes, our activities… everything that we do reflects the point of view that we have about education, knowledge, teaching and pedagogy.
Autonomy is a tool that helps us but you can’t confuse it with freedom or with doing what you want. It is not necessary to exclude the traditional teaching skills but it is really important to improve the learning experiences of our students. Most of the teachers try to repeat their own experience at school and we all know that everything is changing, even people and strategies to teach. We should be “true believers” that learning in an autonomously way is the opportunity to create a meaningful environment in which students will learn with joy and pleasure.
Finally, I hope I won’t forget all these reflections. It could be interesting to abandon some ideas that we still carry, confront them and decide, having always in mind all the things I can strengthen in those kids that visit everyday my classroom and give sense to my career.

Learning strategies. Sharing an activity

Learning strategies are tactics or different ways that you can choose according to your personality or experience in order to learn something. It is also to learn in an easier, faster and more enjoyable way.
Teaching English can be a wonderful adventure for both, students and teacher. We must motivate and guide the process of learning in a meaningful and useful way so students can achieve the goals they are supposed to reach.

Name of the activity: Learning about tickets
Objective:
- Recognize a kind of text
- Associate what they know with new words
Grade Level: 3rd grade
Preparation: Organize all the materials previously. Introduce the activity with a listening exercise about a dialogue in a theater and show a picture too.
Presentation: Draw on the board a ticket and ask students to give me information that they think must be writen in a ticket. Show different real tickets and compare with the one designed by the group.
Practice: Give a piece of cardboard and let students individually design a ticket for a special activity. It could be a festival, show, concert or a party.
Evaluation: Share the tickets with the whole class. Admire the creativity and check if it is clear and complete information. If it is necessary, show some tickets and identify by groups what is missing. Celebrate and ask them: Did you like it?
Expansion: Small Project. Celebrating our birthday. Each student will create a ticket according to the party and will choose a peer to give it.

• How can I reinforce autonomy in my students?

I think autonomy is an attitude in which you are able to be independent, having the skills to do it and being in charge of your own process. It is the ability for making decisions with responsability.

How can I reinforce autonomy in my students?
This is a very important question that I always try to have in mind when I am planning so that reminds me that I don’t have all the knowledge and I won’t even pretend to promote a passive attitude in my students. The following are some ideas I will share:
- Ask students to participate. They always know something about any topic
- Do not give all the answers. Ask some one in the class and finally you can talk about what you know
- Have extra material for those students interested
- Let students decide. And if it not possible in your school, try to give the opportunity in each topic, to create sub topics taking into account what students need and want
- Give responsibilities to your students, such as helpers in the class. Use and channel the energy of those that have plenty.
- Provide an environment that encourages reflective attitude

- Help them accept their own process and try not to compare.The most important comparison is the one you make with yourself.

- Return to them the questions, especially those ones that include decisions

Autonomy is the key to be owners of our process and that means that you can open many doors if you feel able to do it.

Personality treat

I included this part because it was a good activity. Not all the time people are used to think about themselves and identify a word that defines their personality. I remembered what I said in that meeting but I will complete the answer.
Natalia is a dreamer and a positive woman.
As all humans I have my doubts but with the energy to decide and face life as it comes.
And finally, with the passion to teach and think about what I am doing as a teacher, because I am aware that our role is very important. Maybe this society doesn´t recognize it at all but if it is clear for me, that´s enough.

What do I think about Grammar Translation Approach?

This method is considered the oldest one of TEFL, so we can start saying that the world changes, people change, students change and that´s the reason for teachers changing their way of teaching a language. Maybe in the past it was a good method but nowadays we need to have an open mind and recognize humans necessities. We also realize that the process of learning is complex. And this method is still used by some teachers in our schools.
I think translation is not enough but sometimes I need to explain something in class and after I use all the possible ways, there are some students that don’t understand. So what I use to do in those cases is to let a student explain in Spanish what I had already said. There is another point that is a little bit difficult and it is when you are talking about behavior and the rules of the class. During the first two weeks, my students and I made an agreement about the importance of behavior to learn more and better. But, you know kids have “plenty of energy” so it is not easy for them to pay attention all the time and listen to the teacher. Of course I let students participate in class but there are some moments in which I am explaining or introducing a topic. I repeat the rules in English but when I feel tired – with my voice – I prefer to talk in Spanish and invite them to reflect about what is happening in the class.
Also – and this is an intrapersonal exercise – I try to speak in English all the time but it is not easy in my School because, as you know, Hispano is not a bilingual school. This means that 3 hours a week and only with me they have the opportunity to interact in the second language. Not all parents know the English language or have time to spend with their kids so it´s very little they can help them.

Finally, I will continue encouraging children to study the English language as it has become a key to open a fabulous new world in our future.

What elements of the different language teaching proposals we have studied do you see in your course book?

In Primary School (first, second and third grade) I am working with Sprint 1, 2 and 3. I looked at the book carefully and what I found was that this is a textbook that includes:
- Multiple Intelligences: there are many activities to reinforce different skills in the students, such as songs, stories, crafts, written exercises, pictures, listening exercises etc. This help us as teachers to create an special environment in which we can develop learning using strategies that are meaningful and attractive.
- Communicative Learning Teaching: there are some dialogues and roleplays that are similar to real life situations so students can imagine and participate, learning to use the language as a way to communicate and interact with others.
- TPR: this method is very important when you are teaching children because they are plenty of energy so you can use that in the class. We can see it when we promote songs and chants and also those games that involve following instructions. In this way, children can learn vocabulary as teachers ask for bodily expression and make clear connections with the topic you are working on.
- Project Based: at the end of each unit there is a small project but usually it is a craft activity. I don’t think the textbook was designed for this method because I have learned a lot about Project Based and the most important principle is to take into account students’ interests in order to maintain motivation during the class. That means that the word project (Sprint´s project) in this case is only an evaluation or even an exercise for homework.

What is the best way to teach?

Remembering our discussions in class, I think we have a big role as teachers and maybe it is not an easy job but it is really meaningful for my life. I am young, I only have 5 years of experience and that is not enough but every day when I wake up and organize myself I look at the mirror and ask God to help me with all the responsibilities and specially with those that influence children because I am supposed to be a good example for them.
But, what about the question? Is there a best way to teach? Or many ways?
I will write some ideas that I use to take into account:
- The more you use English, the better.
- Teaching with games, roleplays, dialogues, stories and posters.
- Teaching with love and passion.
- Teaching and learning as well because when our students participate, we are also learning.
- Teaching the language as a way to communicate, in which all the skills are important to develop.
And finally, it is important as teachers recognize students´ needs and interests. This way, they will feel part of the class and part of your heart too.

HOW DO I ADDRESS COMPETENCES IN MY ENGLISH TEACHING?

Communicative competence is included in my class all the time. The way I used to address all competences is taking them into account during the lesson planning in which any topic will help students to develop them.
This way, the activities must integrate linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic competences although sometimes I reinforce only one, depending on the objective being considered.
As a Teacher, it is easy to promote these competences with the students, using different strategies like: games, songs, written exercises, role-plays, movies, listening exercises, dialogues, etc.. all in order to enrich the process of learning and acquiring the language. It is our role and responsibility to guide students and teach them not only contents but also the skill of using knowledge in their daily situations so they can face life as it comes.

A TEACHER WHO INSPIRED ME

I remember a teacher who taught me when I was in fourth grade. She was the homeroom teacher and she was really friendly and nice with the students.
One day, in social class we made a role play in which we represented human life in caves and that experience was very meaningful because I still consider it great. Also, she created a pleasant environment and she always had something to give us like cards, stickers, sweets, presents..
Since then, she calls me “My little doll”

What I learned today

During the class we talked about English today and the Future of English, sharing some ideas and trying to understand what is happening during the last years. We all agree that English is really important now and we can support that if we see that English is the language of internet, business, travelers, kids, adolescents and many people around the world that are able to communicate by using the language.
As teachers, what we have to do is to prepare and maybe study another language because in the future will be necessary to be multilingual. We are young so we have time to do it.
Also, we discussed about English as a Lingua Franca, in which we analyse that it is not only to be native speaker but also to join high proficiency. Of course, our role is really big in order to help young learners to acquire the language and use it in their environments.
I will continue later...

My first day of class

Hello.
I returned to the University and I really feel glad to study again.
I am an English Teacher since 4 years ago but I know that I need to improve my job. Maybe this opportunity will help me to reinforce my process and transform my practice in order to benefit my students learning.