The New Role of the SS in ELT

MODULE 6
Active Learning-Autonomous Learner and Learning Strategies
I think that I’m not totally autonomous teacher. I would say that I’m able to self determine the overall direction of the ss learning and I have the freedom of choice in relation to some available learning resources and activities but I need to guide and develop on the ss to be aware of the goals, to involve them on selecting alternatives and also to make changes, to be creative and evaluate their own learning process. So if I want to be a 100% autonomous teacher I need to change from being a controller of their processes to be an advisor and guide of their learning. Also being more a reflective, observator and listener to the student suggestions allowing them to have some control in some of the activities.
When we refer active learning, I would say that the ss would be more active and less passive in the class activities. In this case the teacher give to the ss the opportunities to be engaged in the material and help them to understand and apply the information given.
In this academic year experience I had, which is teaching to ss with especial pedagogical needs is kind of difficult, but I would adapt some of the activities in a formal way according to each one abilities of language production. I used to be very explicit telling them why I am doing some of the activities, also ask them how his /her performance was and telling them how they can do it better showing them some of their production stages already developed.
Learning strategies are actions that the ss do in order to make his/her learning easy, more self directed and use in the best way the information given from the teacher.
The student should be aware of these strategies in order to know how to manage the information and decide what is the best option o tools to choose according to his/her singularity in the learning process. This develops on the ss leadership, autonomomy, and useful skills in planning, problem solving and evaluating themselves.
I used to apply some of the learning strategies on my classes but only knowing my self. From now on I should socialice these strategies to them in a practical way.
Lesson Plan
Grade: 5th low intermediate SS
Language Skills: Listening, reading, oral and writing
Giving the students goals for the lesson about some comprehensions question after one reading activity
The teacher explains to the ss that is very helpul to know the goal of the activity. He will predict with the student what should be their personal objectives of the activity and also the purpose.(Developing understanding of a reading)
The teacher will explain what strategy and why (predicting) that helps to activate background knowledge and remember some vocabulary needed for the activity
The students read the text presented to the lesson and the teacher ask them at random some comprehension and write down on the board some of their answers.
The teacher check their answers.
The teacher starts expressing some “wh” questions modeling and telling to the ss first to know the meaning of the questions (focusing on key words) and second asking what information it is requiring me ? what “wh” command is ? and bring up some answers. The teacher clarifies the steps to answer comprehension questions from a reading.
The SS will do the activity in pairs. They read some questions and answer them. They have to check their answer revising the steps already given. Then they switch with other groups to discus some of their answers
The students develop the activity arranging the conditions that helps to develop the activity. The ss verify information, recognizing, using formulas and patterns, analyzing and producing information.
The teacher asks to the ss how the strategy used helped to answer the comprehensions questions.
The teacher assigns other text whit some comprehension questions and they have to answer at home. In other lesson the ss share their answers and also the strategies used.
Learning Strategy: Selectivily attend / Ask if it makes sense.

By Patricia Vásquez Z.

Reflection on language skills

Knowing about the processes and principles on each language skills gave me a better way to approach the ss' L2 learning. Also what I liked most were the activities that we shared and practiced during the sessions because we were performing as students and we understood in a better way ( practical) how to apply them. All of this feedback makes me be more aware of my teaching performance.
Because the kind of students I have under my guidance I have to addapt some of the activities to their pedagogycal needs. Also I had the opportunity to share some ideas to one of my colleagues (one Who is has a very traditional method to teach L2) and he was surprised because the ss enjoyed the class a lot. I hope this will be an starting point to him to do a real change.

Communicative Compentences

What kind of classroom activities do you find most appropiate to develop your Ss' comunicative competence?
According to the group of students with especial pedagogycal needs, for me is more appropiate to do is, to include in the topics their life experiences or family experiences when I ask them on Mondays about their weekend activities with thier families. I ask questions in L2 and most of them at their stage of their lenguage acquisition they usually answer in L1. I repeat their answers in L2.
Also on fridays I use "Show and Tell" activity, in that they bring one "special" object or photograph that belongs to them to express something about it following a pattern. They use the L2 according to their own language abilities. In this activitiy they have to use the vocabulary and form I already taugh, in that way they practice with out stress what they have learned. they write on their notebooks what they have expressed.
They like songs so I use a listening activity to develop this language skill. They enjoy repeating and singing. Takes more time of course because their special needs, abilities and learning styles than other regular students.
I sarted using very short dictations in order to apply what they listened and recognize from the visual aids then they use self correction when I write on the board the information.
I prepare like a little booklet where they cut, paste, color and write information realted to the topic we are on.
I do with them cooking time activities. this activity is very motivating one. Usually I use very short recipes. They start participating when I send the notes to their parents informing about date and ingredients; the Ss' have to explain them what is all about. I prepare the vocabulary they learn about it and some of the procedures. after the cooking activity I do a short evaluation in order to know.
It is not so often I look for some readings for them using a lot of visual aids.

Current and future situation of English

I think that we as a teachers must be aware of the differences when we talk about acquisition and learning a language. As researches expressed in the articles of the readings that the human mind is prepared to be multilingual and "the earlier, the better" is true but we must respect first the L1 in order to don't mix up both languages and have learning problems and confusions with the young learner. As we acquire the mother language being in a natural inmmersed enviroments, same way should be the acquisition of the L2. The young learner uses their right side of their brain to acquire the language whe they reach up 7 years they uses their left side of their brain which uses rational part learning patterns formal way of language. Teacher should use meaningful, contextualized enviroments in order to be sucessful to teagh the second language.
English is already an international language used by the mayority of verbal exchanges ( Native and non-native speakers). We need to be for next future to teach content based approach and also to learn another language to be multilingual person as wll teacher.

Patty