I assigned my Elementary III English students the job of reading an interesting and short article about Culture Shock. The idea was to know about some points that Latin Americans should observe when visiting the United States,Canada and Northern Europe. One of my students, whose name is Ana Camila, read the whole article in three or four minutes, while it took 12 minutes for the others to read it, then she said: "I'm ready" and I told her it was important to read at least twice since the article has losts of interesting vocabulary to check out, and she said again "I'm ready". After that, we were looking into the unknown expressions. Suddenly, the expression "shaking hands" appeared and I asked her to explain me what the meaning of it was. she had no idea about it. So, I told her, that's reason I asked you for sussing out unknown expressions with your classmates or me.
After the reading, we were discussing some questions like: should you kiss North Americans only once on the cheeck? and stuff like that. She was one of participants during the discussion since she could understand all my English questions, but all her answers were in Spanish and she told me how difficult was for her to speak in English.
So guys, Knowing that she neither wanted to check the unknown vocabulary nor read the article twice, do you think the problem she has, when answering in English, is a matter of laziness?
Also, I told her that she must speak , at least, with "crazy words". Guys, do you think is good for students to try to speak with "crazy" words, sentences and expressions, at least?
and why couldn't she answer my questions in English if she was able to get the English questions?
Thanks for your recommendations,
viernes, 28 de mayo de 2010
lunes, 10 de mayo de 2010
Critical Reflection
1. How do you define learning?
To learn is to take on knowledge and skills through different tools that nature has provided with.
2. How do you define teaching?
Apart form being a tool to facilitate someone else's learning process it is aslo a vocation that non all human being obtain easily.
3. How do you define language?
it is a device that humans use to pass on knowledge.
4. What roles are students expected to assume in your classroom?
Students need to understand that teachers are guidance councelors who require disipline in academical and personal behavours to transmit effectively their knowledge. So, the role they are expected to have is that which cries out for attetion and awareness.
5. How do you see your role in your classroom?
My main role in the classroom is to behave as a person who keeps discipline, but also someone who transmits confindence to the students.
6. what are the qualities of a good teacher?
To attract students' attention during a class, to keep a nice atmosphere for students having clear ideas and to encourage them to carry on the process of learning.
7. What kind of interaction occur in your classroom?
I think that teachers should worry about their students' standar of living and conditions to get ready for those who do not need just an academical master. So, I have little chats about life with my students to help them in case it is needed, but of course without getting deeply envolved.
8. what is the most rewarding aspect of teaching for you?
the most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is to see how my students fruitfully succeed in all they have been taught by me.
9. what kind of students do best in classroom?
I think that all of those who are well-behaved and also those who not only maintain discipline in terms of behavour but also in the academic field, they will succeed in any subject.
10.. What kind of training do you think English language teachers in our context need?
I think the training which is given to tecahers nowadays must be full of strategies for a plan or method work like a charm.
11. What kind of support for professional development is there at the place you work or you are familiar with?
At the place I work I found diffrent English books with the correspond guidance for teachers, there you can find the preparation for a class and also what are the objectives, activities and others to put into practice during classes.
12. What are the best ways to learn a language?
the best way to learn a language for me is through good books and teachers who show us how fun and important learning a language is.
13. What dialect of English do you think should be taught (American, British, other)?
American dialect is very important for many people since they say that the world of bussiness and economics is governed by the americans. So, American dialect fulfills people's expectations.
14. What changes would you like to make in your own practice?
More than changes I would like to learn more strategies to work like magic in my classroom.
To learn is to take on knowledge and skills through different tools that nature has provided with.
2. How do you define teaching?
Apart form being a tool to facilitate someone else's learning process it is aslo a vocation that non all human being obtain easily.
3. How do you define language?
it is a device that humans use to pass on knowledge.
4. What roles are students expected to assume in your classroom?
Students need to understand that teachers are guidance councelors who require disipline in academical and personal behavours to transmit effectively their knowledge. So, the role they are expected to have is that which cries out for attetion and awareness.
5. How do you see your role in your classroom?
My main role in the classroom is to behave as a person who keeps discipline, but also someone who transmits confindence to the students.
6. what are the qualities of a good teacher?
To attract students' attention during a class, to keep a nice atmosphere for students having clear ideas and to encourage them to carry on the process of learning.
7. What kind of interaction occur in your classroom?
I think that teachers should worry about their students' standar of living and conditions to get ready for those who do not need just an academical master. So, I have little chats about life with my students to help them in case it is needed, but of course without getting deeply envolved.
8. what is the most rewarding aspect of teaching for you?
the most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is to see how my students fruitfully succeed in all they have been taught by me.
9. what kind of students do best in classroom?
I think that all of those who are well-behaved and also those who not only maintain discipline in terms of behavour but also in the academic field, they will succeed in any subject.
10.. What kind of training do you think English language teachers in our context need?
I think the training which is given to tecahers nowadays must be full of strategies for a plan or method work like a charm.
11. What kind of support for professional development is there at the place you work or you are familiar with?
At the place I work I found diffrent English books with the correspond guidance for teachers, there you can find the preparation for a class and also what are the objectives, activities and others to put into practice during classes.
12. What are the best ways to learn a language?
the best way to learn a language for me is through good books and teachers who show us how fun and important learning a language is.
13. What dialect of English do you think should be taught (American, British, other)?
American dialect is very important for many people since they say that the world of bussiness and economics is governed by the americans. So, American dialect fulfills people's expectations.
14. What changes would you like to make in your own practice?
More than changes I would like to learn more strategies to work like magic in my classroom.
domingo, 2 de mayo de 2010
My English Learning Biography
It used to be my idea of learning English When I was eight years old.Yes! I had a very bad-tempered English teacher. Her name was Alcira de Rueda and she made my first English classes a complete disaster since most of the time she was scolding us.I remember one particular day in which she was teaching us the animals in the forest, through some pictures, and she got totally angry because any of us could remember how to pronounce the majority of the words, but I did keep in mind how to pronounce, wrongly, the word "bear". She taught us to pronounce it like the word "beer" instead of "bear" and some years later, in the high school, I realized that the correct pronunciation was different and I knew the word "beer" meant something dissimilar. Thanks God we just spent two years attending to her classes.
During high school it was an unlike story. My English teacher there was a very nice person who had lived in England for 14 years and she taught us many things which woke us interest in the English subject. We used to do very funny exercises and she used to tell us exciting stories about her living in Europe. After that, I chose to do English at university because of the interest she created in me.
