STEP BY STEP

How should languages being taught? 

Does it depend on the class goals? 

Are EFL methods clear enough?

Hello, my readers!

As you could know from the questions used as headlines, this post will be dedicated to establish a definition of "teaching" as an introduction, and secondly to discuss about the linguistic competences (to be even more precise the multilingual competence). Lately, I will explain several worldwide spread methodologies that you can use as English as a Second or Foreign Language teachers, including comments on their advantages, and some criticism from the language teaching failure at Spanish high-schools.

"Teaching may be regarded as providing opportunities for students to learn. It is an interactive process as well as an intentional activity." (Brown & Atkins: 1988) 

I would like to highlight the adjetive INTERACTIVE modifying the learning process as the key starting point for wondering on the teacher's role in the classroom. The importance of creating the most suitable classroom atmosphere has been an issue examined historically.

WHAT is a methodology? According to my last revision on the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, it is "a set of methods and principles used to perform a particular activity". Therefore on the following list, my readers could find the ones I have used in my career so far:

• CLIL (Content Learning Integrated Language) or Content-based construction. 
• Natural Method (1970s/1980s) based on communication avoiding the representation of grammar as structure that must be memorised. In these days, it sounds more fashionable refering to "language immersion" rather than to "the natural way". That is the reason why some many English summer camps have proliferated in Spain from the 1990s.
• Task-based. This methodology employs short and real-world activities (for example: buying at the market, or going to the doctor). Its origin is to be found the major British approach to teach ESL from the 1960s, when Communicative Approach, it was not a method by itself, was being spread (Richards & Rodgers: 2009). Effectively developed in the SL/FL classroom, the results will be highly motivated and self-competent speakers.

TIP. WHY not combining some of them? Honestly, what works better in teaching continues to be like the Holy Grail of education... Every single learner will need specific adaptations depending on the proposed activity, this being so, for me it is a viable option not to become obsessed with one method or dynamic, but vary as much a possible or mix some of them so to engage your students into the target language (SL/FL). Researching about methodologies can solve teachers' problems and help them to establish routines that match with their own class needs.

References

Brown, George & Atkins, Madeleine. Effective Teaching in Higher Education. Routledge, 1988. Print.

"Methodology" Def. 1. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary Online, Oxford, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.

Richards, Jack C. & Rodgers, Theodore S. Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press, (1986) 2009. Print.

simonfilm. "The Natural Approach" Online video. YouTube. YouTube, 10 April 2011. Web, 24 November 2016 

"Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT)" University of Alberta.  Best of Bilash: Improving Second Language Education, January 2011. Web. 24 November 2016

I really hope this was useful for you all!

Thanks for reading,

Mrs Bacaicoa

WELCOME

Hello my readers,

As an English Philologist and future Secondary teacher in Spain, this PERSONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (PLE) is going to be used with academic purposes in order to practice in my ICT sessions during the Master's Degree from November 2016 to January 2017. Afterwards, you would also be able to find my memories on the internship period in a high school.

The main goal of this project is to help and contact to English teachers worldwide by offering them different resources and current education issues, as well as my own created materials based on a specific didactic plan (1 out of the 15 from my MA dissertation). 

This TEACHING UNIT (TU) here developed will be addressed at students in their last course of high school within the national education system (2º BACHILLERATO, in Spanish). Even though this fact, all the materials could be applied to any intermediate or high-intermediate English classroom. 

On the next lines you can find the sections in which my TU so called "Lost in the States" is divided. The first four areas correspond to the four blocks established by Conselleria d'Educació, all by myself I have added the last two in order to enhance my future students sociocultural knowledges.

1. Listening comprehension skills > American VS. British; formal and informal contexts.
2. Oral expression and interaction > Planning a trip, giving and asking for directions.
3. Reading comprehension skills > Consulting American online travel guides.
4. Writing expression and interaction > Journey diary (reflections on a trip).
5. Culture, history and traditions > Thanksgiving celebration, American idioms.
6. Grammar > Structures: "If only..."; "I wish I had..." 3rd conditional. 

Throughout all of them the use of ICT and dictionaries is highly recommended for success!


Thank you for reading, any suggestion for improvement will be accepted with open arms.

Mrs. Bacaicoa