UNIT 18: ASSESSMENT TYPES AND TASKS

  

 Test types and Assessment

     In this unit I learned that assessment is the judgement given to learners  due to their performance. In order to assess students, the teacher uses different methods for it. As I learned in this unit, there are two types of assessment, formal nad informal. 

     Formal assessment is when we grade students through tests so that they receive a score. Meanwhile, informal assessment in when we see students performance often by giving comments with no any score. That would be wildly optimistic to mention other types of assessmet that I would surely apply in my classes, for example: at the beginning of the school year I would give students a diagnostic test to measure how much and well they know the subject they have studied before. We need to bear in mind the fact that tests take place according to the pace and lesson. For example, a placement test is given before getting enrolled in a course to decide in which level the student should go into. I consider it is important to give feedback after students have taken the test, usually being positive, avoiding negative attitude and making students feel they are okey, but they need extra effort to make it better. This feedback can be used to feed into our teaching and help learners become aware of their strenghts and weaknesess, which is called formative feedback. 

     Therefore, we can use another type of assessment which includes subjective and objective tasks. For example, subjective tasks need students' judgement that involves their oen thoughts. For example, students can be asked to write about a experience they have had. On the contrary, objective tasks do not have to judge whether an answer is right or wrong, or how right or how wrong the answer is, because there is only one answer. Objective tasks can include questions such as: multiple-choice, gap-fill, true/false, and other accurate answers.  

     To sum up, there are many types of assessments, in which students can work together and do peer assessment, or instead they can realize their own mistakes which is known as self-assessment. 

Web pages you can visit:

1. Edutopia, (2014). Building Formative Assessment into Game-based Learning. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c2-kYxNyMc

2. University of Cambridge, ESOL Examinations. (2009). TKT Modele 1, Assessments Types and Tasks.

3. UNSW, Australia. (2014). Library. Informing your Studies: Type of Assessment Tasks. Retrieved from: http://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/c.php?g=100219&p=649269

UNIT 17: PRACTICE ACTIVITIES AND TASKS FOR LANGUAGE AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

     

     In this unit I learned that practice activities and tasks are the help that every student needs to extend their knowledge and usage of language. Thus, they can get them through lots of training, mainly in vocabulary, functional exponents, grammar, English skills, etc.

     In addition, from my point of view, there are activities that I can apply in the classroom, for example: controlled or restricted practice such as giving students worksheets in any topic they have been learning, so that they have to fill in the blanks with any grammar or lexicon learned. It is important to be very accurate, by using grammar structures. tenses, linkers, etc. Moreover, there are activities which are known as freer practice, for example: asking students to write a letter, an e-mail, etc. It is not just completing with isolated words, but finding out extensive tasks. It is less controlled, and encourages communication with the real world. 

     It is interesting to know that we as teachers can put practice activities into use through drills which is modeling and repetition. It can be done individually or as a class that is called choral drills. I do not entirely agree with the fact that replacing words in the same sentence is relevant for students to learn. Instead, we can ask students to come up with their own examples, maybe by using key words, specific language and recolling the content previously learned. 

     Also, we can ask students to  take the risk of interaction and communication. Per sure, they can be part of classroom discussions, problem-solving activities, sharing or comparing their own ideas, giving information or real experiences. Furthermore, we can include a wide range of classroom activities such as rank ordering/prioritising which is putting a list of things in order of importance, we can also prompt students to participate in role-plays and surveys. It can be done by giving them specific topics in which they have to learn the script by heart and act it out in front of their classmates. 

     To sum up, there are lots of interactive activities which can be applied in several ways, using the skills, subskills, interaction patterns and mingling. 

Classroom Activities

 Web pages you can visit:

1. Sharpen, (2010). ESL Activities, Classroom Activities, Mirror Words. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmUIzJQJABs

2. King, D. (2012). Teaching English the Fun Way, The Game. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpE7Wi-F0ZA

3. Cox. J. (2014). Book Activities for Grades  3-5. About Education. Retrieved from: http://k6educators.about.com/od/BookResources/a/Book-Activities-For-Grades-3-5.htm

 

    

UNIT 16: PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES AND INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

  

 Introductory activity:

 

   In this unit I learned that presentation techniques are the way used by the teacher to focus learners' attention on meaning, use and form of language when it is presented for the first time. Meanwhile, introductory activities are activities that are used to introduce the lesson. Also, I learned that there are presentation stages on the Presentation, Practice and Production Approach and the Task-based Learning.

     Firstly, the book presents a contrastive lesson-plan chart stating the differences between PPP and TBL. As mentioned in the previous unit, Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP) approach refers to introducing the language in context, practicing exercises, and putting what you learned into practice, as in the example presented. And, Task-based Learning is based on the presentation of new language which  is later used, so to allow students to focus on meaning rather than on form. I consider it is a way to buld up confidence in students, mainly if they are kids, because they learn through meanings rather that grammar rules. In addition, both can be seamingly used, for example, in our classes, we can apply either both with reading and listening exercises in order to build comprehension. 

     When teaching through PPP and TBL we can also use guided discovery activities to introduce the lesson. I find useful to encourage students to do oral presentations because through this, they can start using the language, figure the topic out and pick new features out so to put them into practice usually using realia and common life matters. Furthermore, another way from which students can get activated to the language is by taking part in short warmers or lead-ins. Thus, the figures prove that lead-ins have to do with the content to be learned, while warmers have to do with short activities which are used only to wake students up, even though it does not have a connection with the subject.

     In conclusion,  all the activities mentiones can be done in class to help to personalize the content. Bearing in mind the fact that breaking the ice in the class help students feel comfortable and be open-minded toward the environment.

The ball game

 

Lead-ins

 

 You can visit these web resources for extra information:

1. ESOL Examinations, (2009). University of Cambridge, TKT Module 1: Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities. 

2. Tutoring Class, (2009). Part 3, Background to Language Teaching. Week 7. Retrieved from: http://www.cambridgeesol.org.tw/index.php?FID=10&CID=55

 

    

UNIT 15: APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

   

     In this unit I learned that a language approach refers to our view of how language takes place. It is clear that labguage has a lot to do with grammar and structures, but it also involves methods of teaching which are based on our views. In addition, the books presents a chart which displays how Language Approaches can be applied in the classroom. For example, the Structural Approach may be used in class through viewing the language as a system of structures used to convey communication. For this, the teacher can focus on meaning, through flashcards, posters, etc. Thus, students can get lots of  functions usage, practical structural, and discourse. 

     Another activity to be used in class is prompting learners to talk in pairs or in groups, so that they learn through controlled practice and can be corrected by their own classmates. Also, classroom practice may be conveyed through the appliance of oral skills development, then focusing on writing.

It’s worth considering that inside the classroom, we as teachers  need to apply a series of problem solving tasks. 

     Furthermore, The Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP) approach refers to introducing the language in context, practicing exercises, and putting what you learned into practice. Moreover, The Lexical Approach focus on isolated words and chucks such as collocations, idioms, and any other type of fixed expressions. Therefore, the Functional Approach focuses on functions, graded according to practical daily life situations communicatively. On the contrary, Grammar Translation applies grammar rules, learning content by heart, and emphazing accuracy. Also, Total Physical Response (TPR) give a lot of attention to grammar structure and vocabulary, but in here students learn by being exposed to the language not by heart anymore. 

     And there are so many other approaches used when teaching and learning such as Guided Discovery, Content-based Learning, Content and Language Integrated Learning, etc. So that they can be applied by following their own requirements and focus. 

Communicative Approach

Total Physical Response 

Presentation Practice Production

I suggest you to visit these webpages:

1. Cambridge University Press, (2011). Online TKT Practice Book. Retrieved from: http://www.cambridge.org/other_files/images/TKTtour.html

2. Richards, J. Rodgers T. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge Language Teaching Library.

UNIT 14: LEARNER NEEDS

  

     In this unit there are so much information that I found so worthy. I really appreciated reading it because it contains all the needs students have when studying and consequently learning another language. What truly called my atention was the fact that students may have the need of praise. As a part of being a good teacher it has to be put into practice. Thus, students can be encouraged to become fluent, get complex forms, and become active learners.
     In addition, learners have their own personal needs, as for example: set goals, expectations, praise, etc. In order to cpe with thic accomplishement, we as teachers must be carefull at treating and placing students in the right level depending on their age, gender, interests and motivation though. Another need is of learning language through autonomy. And it is easy to overcome through letting students apply their own personal experiences in the classroom, using realia and making them be aware of the class goals and own expectations. 
     On the other hand, if we are teaching adults or people who need English for different purposes such as professional language requirements, business, travels, etc. We will require to focus teaching on specific subskills, specific vocabulary, grammar, functions, text types, among others. In addition, I found worthy the tips the book suggests for recognizing the learners needs, example, take some activity-based courses, medical lessons, study English as a profession so that students can be motivated to go to English-medium schools or univertities, etc. Moreover, another option is to go to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course, I just realized that it is a course where you learn another subject in English, so that I would like students to get enrolled in it and start using language with no difficulty.
     This is how the learners needs are applied in the classroom. Getting to know studets through having an oral presentation on their, dislikes, preferences, etc. I find myself very keened on making these relevant activities with my students because most of the time we just spend time in class, but we do not know whether they are having problems at home so that we as teachers can not understand what they are overcoming and do not know why they have low grades or can not develop their English skills accurately.

Learner needs

I suggest to have a look at these books:

1. Developing Learner Profiles. Part 1—Making a Differences. Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction.

2. Beetham, H. (2010). Digital Literacy Materials. Meeting the needs of learners. 

3. Campbell, K. (2014). Implementing FELTAG: Meeting Learner Neea (main NIACE presentation).

UNIT 13: LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS

     

  Slideshare on Learners Characteristics

     In this unit I learned that a learner has certain characteristics which are: motivation, learning style, learning strategies and maturity. These characteristics have a great value since they influence on  learning a langugage.

     First of all, we need to bear in mind the fact that learning styles are all the students preferences while attempting to learn. In here students feel comfortable with their learning field and whether active or passive interaction process. Just to keep in mind I would like to mention that a visual learner pick the language up through their sight. An auditory learner, on the other hand, learns by listening. On the contrary of them, kinaesthetic learners get the language by moving around and tauching things, so that they are more practical. 

     I consider teachers have to be so conscious about the way in which their students learn. I suggest having a discussion on this, at the beginning of the course, carry out a learning style test to uncover doubts and be sure on how they accurately pick the language up best. After taking this test, the teacher gets to know his/her students. Therefore, he/she will know if they are impulsive, analytic or autonomous. 

     From the coursebook, I also learned that there are many learning strategies that help students get identified and work on well. Some of the strategies suggested from the book are that teachers learners can be asked to repeat words or expressions so they can keep them in mind, personalize them and put them into use. Giving positive feedback is another way to make students aware of their mistakes and building confidence. In addition, I think confidence may be built up after gaining maturity since it includes a high and mental level of understanding and capability to convey messages. 

     The plain truth of the matter is that learners characteristics are divided into children, teenagers and adults features. For example, if I had three different classes, I would make children move while practicing any task, present a variety of activities since they lose concentration easily and try to develop their cognitive skills. Meanwhile, when teaching teenagers, I would attempt to make they move around, but no so often because as they are growing up, they can become mischievous, and disrespect their own classmates and even the teacher. Moreover, when working with adults, it all differs, they need more time to cover exercises, they can learn in more abstract way and cam make more mistakes thatn children do. So, I would pay more attention to form and transmit more conscious motivation to reach communicative activities perfectly done. I consider it can be achieved through a mingle activity that consists on moving around the class to convey any class activity. 

      To sum up, I suggest to watch this videos and check these extra links that I am sure will be useful for getting main concepts and dealing with all-age-students. 

Identify your learners characteristics.

Websites you can visit:

1. Graham, G. (2008).  Adult Learning Gordon Graham, England. Retrived from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k7G6KH7czg

2. Lucid, C. (2014). 3 Factors Affecting Learning Characteristics.
Retrived from: http://www.slideshare.net/cupidlucid/3-factors-affecting-l2-learning-presentation

3. Sands, P. (2014). Characteristics of Slow Learners. Retrived from: http://es.scribd.com/doc/25376434/Characteristics-of-Slow-Learners

UNIT 12: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L1 AND L2 LEARNING

     In this unit I learned the differences between the first and second language which are Spanish and English. Furthermore, I realized that there are a wide range of characteristics that differ between them. For example, with L1 we evolve from babies until we get old. While L2 usually starts in educational institutions that required to pick the language up through studying as well as practicing it. Besides this, I just understood that when we are babies, we learn the language at the same time as we develop our cognitive skills, but in L2, we first develop our cognitive skills, then we can pick the second language up as becoming mature enough. Another aspect is that when we are children language is required for communication so that we become motivated to reach it, meanwhile L2 can sometimes become a frustraing matter. 

     There is not denying that the context in which language is learned is truly important. Even though, language is picked up differently. They both may have seemingly taught. Some of the activities I surely recommend are:

     Taking the role of an English teacher I would like my students have access to very academic resources that are reliable for learning. They can use online material from Cambridge, Longman, Pearson, etc. I consider they are so significant since they have from dictionaries to very advanced books which contain complex grammar, more real life situations such as: bargaining, going shopping, being at the restaurant, travelling by plane, etc, which can be roll played as in real situations.

     Another activity that I suggest is to be an active teacher, so that learners can become active, too. Attempt the use of games, kinaesthetic activities and what is more have an analysis on what the students preferences and learning styles are, with this learners will get lots of enclouragement. thus, they hear simplified and useful language that can be put into practice after they have had their appropriate silent period. As learners go developing their capabilities, thay may have more controlled practice activities in which they take part of the learning process and are able to experiment new features learned. 
As a result, when learners take the active role in the class, I can reformulate what they say, so that they can realize their mistakes and try no to repeat them.

Influence of L1 on L2.

How to teach a second language

Websites you can visit:

1. Palmer, R. (2014). Teaching Language Learners up to their potential, New Zealand. Retrived from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDZKHUDAYKU

2.  Royal, N. (2008),  International Education Studies, L1 use in L2 Vocabulary Learning: Facilitator or Barrier. China.

3. Liu, J. (2008). Quality Development at School in Company Classes: Motivating Teaching & Learning Methods. DG. NY.

UNIT 11: THE ROLE OF ERROR

     In this unit I learned that making mistakes plays an important role in the learning process. It is useful since learners can realize their own errors and learn from them. Furthermore, I kept in mind that mistakes are categorized into two types that are: errors and slips. 

     First of all, errors take place when learners attempt to use grammar or any other feature that they have not learned yet. Meanwhile, slips take place when learners feel tired, worried or with any other feeling that does not let them think accurately. That would be wildly optimistic to say that learners can avoid commiting mistakes by correcting themselves, either doing pair work or re-reading their own works.  Thus, the main reason of making errors is the interference of the mother tongue when trying to use the second language. Another reason is that learners unconsciously participate in discussions or instant conversation in which they work out language without being aware of these developmental errors. 

     Above all,  what really matters is how we as future teachers may apply the role of error in the classroom, and I consider it may first be treated, otherwise learners get accustom to overgeneralization and even fossilization. We can help learners through avoding orrection in public, instead, we have to write notes as feedback, either on writing forms or after giving an oral presentation. it will help learners realize their mistakes and check information about what they do not have to do the next time. 

     In conclusion,  there are so many activities we can apply in order to prompt leaners to do right work. It is all in the teachers hands to make learners aware of their weeknesses, through reformulation and constant interaction. 

Role of errors in the classroom

Websites you can visit the following books:

1. Bllash, B. (2009). Error Correction in the Language Classroom, U.S. 

2. Rezaei, S. (2011). Corrective Feedback in SLA: Classroom Practice and Future Directions. Iran.