CHAPTER 2 THE BALANCE OF POWER

    This chapter was so interesting, because I learned about the ways to characterize college students, this involves the confident a self-motivated learners and the expectation that they have to learn in the class. Then this chapter explained about the kind of learners in the process of education, this involves anxious, indecisive and unsure learners and the reason to provide the power them giving more freedom in the classroom but with responsibilities.

    In addition, in class is important for teacher and students create a motivation´s environment, where students feel confident to learn and teachers show enthusiasm for teaching, here is important  to consider the use of useful  materials, an organized calendar, a content with adequate assignments and tests, that provide good conditions into the acquisition of a second language process, because teacher has the manage and the control of this activity , this means that the power in the classroom  depends in a big part from the an organized curriculum .

    Therefore, when teachers are the learned-centered in the classroom, they can be able to take decisions about learning, in occasions the power can be redistributed in amounts proportional to student’s ability to handle it, this  if teachers take into consideration that it is necessary . The manage of power in a classroom involves aims, objectives, student´s needs and teacher’s goals. Teachers work with this approach in order to give feedback and use reinforcement to get more assertive students. All of changes like control of activities assignments, classroom policies, course content and evaluation activities involves the teacher´s pleasure for teaching in a communicatory way and encouraged students to gain knowledge. 

Resources: 

• Weirmen, M. (2002) Learner -Centered Teaching . Five key challenges. Jossey Bass [Adobe digital Edition versions ] retrieved from:.http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uta/docDetail.action?docID=10653948&p00=language%20eaching

• Erwin, J. (2004 ) Classroom of choice. Power in the classroom: creating an Environment. Chap.4. Retrieved from :http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104020/chapters/Power-in-the-Classroom@-Creating-the-Environment.aspx

CHAPTER 3 THE FUNCTION OF THE CONTENT

     

THE FUNCTION OF THE CONTENT

This chapter made emphasis in the function of content in the classroom, because for teachers is indispensable to know what they need to teach before to start the class, this helps to solve the student’s understanding, in their solving problem situation, then develop their critical thinking. Also in this chapter reflect about that teachers must to consider establishing the knowledge base to promoting an active learning.

In addition to, Content is consider the vehicle to develop learning skills , this means that teachers need to help students to acquire strategies, approaches and techniques with the use of adequate materials, that permit them to develop confidence in their ability to tackle learning task on their own. Moreover, in this way they want to understand how they learn, including their natural tendencies and preferences as learners. Also, Content Integrity help students to develop an accurate assessment of their strengths and weakness for a determined time of the lessons and to build news ways of transmit their experience that comprises a connection with learning.

Hence, I consider that content gives opportunities  in the classroom of teaching using management strategies, also this create multicultural classes, where students share opinions, through discussions, about sciences or any thematic that motivate new ways of learning likes games and puzzles as part of an attractive instruments which helps to contextualize an immediately learning .


Resources:

• Weirmen, M. (2002) Learner -Centered Teaching . Five key challenges. Jossey Bass [Adobe digital Edition versions ] retrieved from:.http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uta/docDetail.action?docID=10653948&p00=language%20eaching

• Busy Teacher Org. (2007) Practical suggestions for scaffolding in the content Clasroom. Retrieved from.: http://busyteacher.org/8916-practical-suggestions-scaffolding-esl-classroomhtml. 

  

UNIT 4 REFLECTIVE BLOG

FUNCTIONS

    This unit was so important, in order to determine what is a function, uses of a language and the different kind of functions that exist. First of all I learned that function is the reason why we communicate. As well every time we speak or write, we do so for a reason, to identify that our expression have a purpose or function to communicate. 

     The different kinds of functions that as a teacher we need to impart in class are apologizing, greeting, clarifying , inviting, advising, agreeing , disagreeing, refusing, taking, interrupting, expressing obligation and expressing preferences , all of them help us to describe the language uses, meaning and the situation or context  in which those are use. Additionally, the language used to express a function is called exponent, it can express different functions at the same time, because the exponent could express feelings and emotional that the circumstance suit. The level that exponent could speak is formal , informal and neutral, in English the appropriacy  helps to determine the situation to communicate, this is another form to motivate the learning with students and create new ways of communication in the classroom, because they can exhibit  the language use and the register in many classroom conditions . 

To sum up, this unit is helpful for teachers when they need to create different circumstances in the development of the class, this increase the knowledge in students and they get more confidence with the language, they are going feel more comfortable during the interaction, in that reason teachers can awake new ways of communication in an active student´s role .

References:

• Ontesol. ( 2014, March 26th)  Teaching Grammar Understanding and Structures. Retrieved from : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW7ziNQadvk

• Bridge, T.(2009, June 30).Teaching Function: Finding an apartment ESL,EFL,TEFL. Retrieved from:. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_BSyFo3IFs

UNIT 5 REFLECTIVE BLOG

READING

      In this unit, I understood that a good way to learn a language is to be exposure to it, and Reading is a clear example that form part of the four language skills, such as reading, writing, listening and speaking as part of the receptive skills. Also identify the characteristics of Intensive and Extensive Reading with the use of authentic material, strategies and techniques to awake the student´s interest in the classroom with the objective of consolidate the vocabulary and language using subskills of reading into the activities.

     In addition reading involves the understanding of connections, responding to text while making sense of the writing text, and create a linking between the message and the text with our previous knowledge of the world. As well, a text, contains a sequence of sentences, and it includes Connected text to refers a Discourse. In reading is important a good manage of grammar and vocabulary to develop ideas with our understanding and adequate coherence and cohesion , this help in classroom to identify reading skills that confirm that students reading for specific information (Scanning), Reading for detail, Deducing meaning from a context , understanding text structure, Reading for gist (skimming), Inferring and Predicting. 

     As a conclusion is necessary to take account that some types of text involves the way of how a certain text was created and develop for the audience, this occur with the intention of get the reader´s conclusions about the text, article, letters, postcards, stories, brochures, leaflets and poems, all of them help to determine the Extensive or Intensive reading. In this situation to determine if reading  is helpful tool  to use introductory activities focusing on the topic to motivate students to get confidence with reading skills. 

References:

• Day, R., & Bamford J., Extensive Reading in the second Language classroom. (1998) Cambridge language Education. Retrieved from : https://books.google.com.ec/booksid

• Oxford University Press. (2013, January, 6th). Strategies for Teaching Reading 1: Teaching Reading to Learners. Retrieved from : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MS-5k-yj2w

UNIT 6 REFLECTIVE BLOG

WRITING

       To develop this unit was necessary concentrate in the writing concepts, text types, review the key concepts to establish the function of writing as part of the four skills. What is writing? this Was the question that this unit contained, and the answer was that writing is a productive skills, because it involves producing language rather that receiving it, for example when students  want to write they need to have something to communicate , then they start  to join a series of words into a sentences that together express a message . 

      Similarly the uses of shopping list, a postcard, a birthday card, some emails, your dairy, or a story are activities where teachers can employ in their syllabus with the intention of develop the student´s skill with writing in an active way. Then Students can manage different kind of texts materials in the classroom, those tools contain different characteristics, degrees of formality and layouts that include the complexity of the grammar, register and range of the vocabulary to communicate their ideas using logical way of organizing the information. 

      To conclude, this idea, I think that students can work developing their ideas, planning, drafting, editing using  proofreading and re-drafting to get the quality of what they need to transmits to others. in this part the responsibility of the teacher is vital to create a good environment where students can have the access to authentic materials, teacher can create an author’s chair, motivate them to create dialogue, role plays, script for readers theaters preparation, autobiography, they can write reflections in a writer´s notebook, also they can compose songs, poems and is necessary to establish routines and expectations, and simple activities like “if I were a giraffe” etc., those kind of  activities increase the knowledge and construct new key forms to start write with more confidence. 

More information :

Orange county Publish school. The Writing Process : A writing Resource Day [ adobe Digital Editions Version] retrieved from:

 https://www.ocps.net/cs/services/cs/currareas/lang/IR/Documents/The%20Writing%20Process%20A%20Writing%20Resource%20Guide%20Final.pdf

• Pleught,. (2014,January,11th). The Writing Process. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Y2uIyJM4g

UNIT 8 REFLECTIVE BLOG

SPEAKING

    In this unit I learned that speaking concentrate a variety of activities and tasks that give learners opportunities to practice and expand their use of language and vocabulary in the classroom. Also I can say that speaking is a productive skills that use the language as a tool for communication.

    To this, I consider that speaking needs to use a group of main words that  this process involves , such as pronounce words, answer question, use of intonation, ask for clarification, appropriate register, use grammar and vocabulary, paraphrase and hesitate. So, those words require be explained in the class, because they will construct a familiar relation at the moment of start to speak and for   they getting oral fluency when they transmit meaning during the speech in an accurately form. Also, Controlled practice activities, will help students to make up a large of speaking practice, this contain drills, repetition and saying things learn by heart.

    To sum up, in classroom, is necessary to create activities where teacher can ask them to reproduce a dialogue, and give them a model script and vocabulary list which they may use, also newspapers contains write-ups that are based on the reality that give the opportunities to read, use the language in a real content and share ideas with their classmates, those of activities increase the opportunity for interaction to establish a solid language comprehension.

 Resources:

• Electronic Book  Doi :  Qureshi, I. (  The Importance of  Speaking skills for EFL learners) The electronic Journal fro English as a second language , 6-10, [Adobe Digital editions version]. Retrieved from :  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Speaking_Skills.pdf

• Johnson Keith. ( June, 1997) (Communicative approaches and communicative processes, Psycholinguistics and Language Teaching .  Language Teaching and Skill Learning , doi: Volume 2, # 4. Retrieved from: http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume2/ej08/ej08r9/?wscr=

UNIT 7 REFLECTIVE BLOG

LISTENING

    At the end of this Unit I learned about the importance of listening as a receptive skill, because this involves responding to language rather than producing. Also in the process of the acquisition of language, is important to mention that listening implicates making sense of the meaningful sounds of language.  

      In addition, in education and during the process of the acquisition of a language is vital that teachers have attempted to uncover the best method for teaching English in the classroom, the majority of evidence suggests that multiple factors can influence the student's ability to achieve listening as a skill, this is due listening involves spoken language. Another important thing is take account the aspect when students speak they usually don’t have time to organize their thoughts into the language beforehand, for they is important to listen simply structured messages, it indicates the use of sentences and meaningful groups trough stress and intonation , that help them to establish a logical sequence connection with an adequate manage of utterances, hesitations, simply grammar and vocabulary.

To conclude, listening is important for students and the best tool for teachers, they can manage a lot of authentic materials to incorporate in the classroom, such as listening to songs, news, lectures. All of them tools are very significant into the learning process of a second language acquisition, all of them, contain real spoken language and encourage learners to develop confidence to speak in the future.

Resources:

• British Council English Org, (2013,september, 1st) English Teens, Listening Skills practice. Retrieved from: 

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening-skills-practice

• Ms, English Corner, (2011, March 11) TESL - Listening Activities.Retrieved from  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diml8QjWELg

UNIT 3 REFLECTIVE BLOG

PHONOLOGY

     In this unit, I had the opportunity to develop my knowledge about Phonology, I can say that it is the study of the sound features used in a language to communicate a meaning. It is important to notice that in English these features include phonemes, word stress, sentence stress and intonation with the purpose of establish a good clear interaction. 

 In this chapter was possible  to know that symbols represent each phoneme and this is the smallest unit of a sound, for making a difference in the meaning of a word in a language, for example the /s/ in the word books is used to show plurals, in this case the letter s has a denotation and at the same time is a phoneme. Also, the phoneme in a language is represented in writing by the phonemic symbols, each phonemic symbol represents only one phoneme, unlike the letters of the alphabet in English, because those can represent a sound in determine words. 

On other hand, the phonemic script, is useful to show students how the sound can be represented by a written symbol to represent them in a phonemic transcription. Finally, this unit is necessary to familiarize students with the phonemic chart, in order that they could look for the representation the word of a group of words on it. This is the base to teach a second language like English into a classroom, because learners always need to be exposed to the language that they are learning.

To sum up , students have to learn since the very basic forms like vowels, diphthongs, consonants, which are going to help them to recognize between voiced and unvoiced sounds, syllables, word stress, and sentence stress which are the mean characteristics that determine the connected speech in the learning process of English. Un classroom teacher could create games activities like "Syllable hoops" and "Clapping Names " to familiarize students with phonological awareness. 

Resources : 

• McCandlish, S. (2006) .Phonological Awareness for  activities in the classroom . A collection of ideas by Sue McCandlish. Retrieved from:

http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/northernadelaide/files/links/Phonological_Awareness_Bo.pdf

• Underhill, A. (2011, March 04th). Introduction to teaching pronunciation Workshop. Retrieved from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kAPHyHd7Lo

UNIT 2 REFLECTIVE BLOG

LEXIS

    During this unit I learned that Lexis or known as vocabulary refers to the individual words or set of words like tree, get up, first all, which have a specific meaning. Also, when we speak, we often use the meaning of that words to show the idea that describes the sense or thing from a vocabulary item. This kind of meaning is called denotation, when we use this, we can express using denotative meaning, figurative meaning, and imaginative meaning. 

   In classroom is necessary to create some situations (context) that help students to speak in class , the activity can include phrases where students can identify what kind of denotation the teacher is using in that moment. Also, the meaning of some vocabulary items can come from their form such as prefixes, suffixes or compounds nouns, those help to recognize the opposite, similar, or different meaning that they have; to establish the affixation.  

    In addition, collocations like take a holiday, depend on, are words that arrange and give expression´s meaning in a language. On other hand, Idioms are fixed expression which meaning is different from the combination of individual words and they should not translate in a literal way, they need to be understood by the context. If teacher uses this kind of lexis in the class, he or she is helping students to get involved in the variety uses of English as a language. 

   At the end of this unit I can say that teaching by lexis is crucial in a classroom, because students can identify synonyms, antonyms, word family and lexical set to avoid False Friends in the mother tongue, other idea is fomenting the use of brainstorming   (Vocabulary warm-up) with students in order to consolidate  their knowledge of the language with the exposure of it through words and  meanings.

Resources:

• Shepherd, N. (2014. May, 6th). Learn English with Nick Shepherd. Retrieved from :

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQba_DUkz8HBJrGCV0Afiaw

• Warner,  L. (2013, November, 6th) Vocabulary Lesson Demo, Retrieved from : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArHL_k1P5YI