lunes, 13 de enero de 2014

Interaction and Dialogue in the CLIL classroom


            I would like to star introducing a question, what is the meaning of language? According to Cambridge Dictionaries is “a system of communication consisting of sounds, words and grammar, or the system of communication used by people in a particular country or type of work”.
Of course language is very important and it is essential for the humans because is the way that we have to communicate with others and also is the way that we use to express our opinions.

  As we could see, language is primordial to human and to society but how the is language used in CLIL classroom by teacher and by the students? In CLIL classrooms the students are able to develop speaking skills; also this classroom provides them the possibility to interact with their classmates and with the teacher. The students have to understand and be able to produce wide range of language early in CLIL and the teacher has to in the best way to develop the spoken and the writing language in their students.  (Bentley, K. 2010)


            Interaction has a main role in the process of teaching- learning. The process of teaching – learning, is relative to the interaction how is produced among the teacher and the students through the language and also through the communicative relation established among them. We can say that the level of communication and how is established among the teachers and their students determines the results in the learning process. If the teacher is able to achieve a good interaction with his students probably he will get an effective learning. (Moral Santaella, C. 2010). 
The first research on the importance and effectiveness of classroom interaction dates from the decades of the 60s and 70s made by Rosenshine and Stevens (1986) and Brophy in the same year.




Ana Llinares writes about the roles of interaction in CLIL classrooms (2013)

 “For many advocates of CLIL, the most important advantage of the approach is that it encourages more meaningful spoken interaction in the classroom than traditional language teaching. Through engaging in cognitively demanding and meaningful activities, students will have more opportunities to communicate in the foreign language, and will be more motivated to do so. While many language teachers do use language-rich, meaningful tasks in the classroom, this is a powerful justification for using a CLIL approach. Yet, the nature of classroom talk in CLIL lessons is not always very well understood by practitioners.”

(Llinares, A. 2013, The roles of interaction in CLIL classrooms, website       Getxolinguae)

 As I believe if we use the interaction in our CLIL classrooms we will get great results because interaction is a good tool to develop the communication and the motivation in our students.
 To develop interaction we can use the dialogue, in a research published by Muijis and Reynolds in 2005 stand out the positive effects of the interactive teaching; using questions with the students, promoting the active participation in the classroom and solving problems in cooperation among all the students. The dialogic dimension has a lot of positive aspects and benefits, for example “some research in L2 has demonstrated how dialogic collaboration among peers can resource a level of achievement which “outstrips ... individual competencies” (Swain 2000:111). Swain’s findings in L2 contexts complement Mercer and Littleton’s (2007) findings in L1 contexts offering reason to believe that the same may be true for CLIL.”                  (Moate, J. 2011, Reconceptualising the Role of Talk in CLIL).

 A dialogic collaboration helps us to give to our students communicative activities, this activities develop social skills because they interact with their classmates also the students develop the collaborative skills, something that is essential in the process of learning and also a skill that they will have for all their lives.

         To sum up, I would like to emphasize the importance of communication and of course how with a good interaction we could get an effective learning. If we use the interaction as a tool to improve the language of our students I am sure that we will have a great result, and if we work in that way our students will be motivated and they will develop collaborative skills, which are a very important skills not only in the school also in the life and for their develop as human.




 Bibliography: 

Books:


  •           Llinares, A. Morton, T.  Whittaker, R. (2012), The roles of language in CLIL. Cambridge University Press.
  •           Bentley,K. (2010), The TKT course CLIL Module. Cambridge University Press.
  •           Moral Santaella, C. (2010), Didáctia, teoría y práctica de la enseñanza. Editorial Pirámide.

Websites:


  •        (Llinares, A. 2013, The roles of interaction in CLIL classrooms, website Getxolinguae)


Articles:


  •           Moate,J. (2011). University of Jyväskylä. Reconceptualising the Role of Talk in CLIL, Apples – Journal of Applied Language Studies, Vol. 5, 2 , 2011, 17–35. 







jueves, 9 de enero de 2014

Music as a good tool for learning English as a L2



 It is a fact that music belongs to culture and it is art and with no doubt music have the power to transmit a lot of feelings. With songs we can also express things that we are not able to express with words. For that reason I think that is a good way to learn and also a perfect way to teach because it can be a motivating resource for students and also for teachers.

   Many researches support that the inclusion of songs and music elements during the teaching process of a second language have a lot of benefits in the learning process. Using music to learn English as a L2 not only increases listening comprehension, but speaking, reading and motivation as well.

   Language and music are two similar human abilities; the melody and the rhythm of speaking are connected with the intonation in music. I would like to add some of the aspects that music and language have in common:
             
 Language and music

  •            Both are universal human abilities.
  •       Both have 3 ways of expression: vocal, gestural, and written.
  •         Are developed spontaneously in children           Both follow a set order in the structure, some grammatical rules using words or using musical notes.


   
   Now I would like to set out the following question, why are songs a useful tool to acquire and learn English as a second language? 

Songs are constantly present in our daily lives, as I said before everybody enjoys music; frequently teachers of second languages use songs at the beginning or at the end of their class, also songs are used to support some topics. For example, if they are studying the human body, the teacher can use the some songs related to the vocabulary of the unit as for example the popular “head, shoulder, knees and toes”.
We have many types of songs which can be used in the classroom, from nursery rhymes to pop music, and we cannot forget a lot of music written specifically for English language teaching.

 If we use the music that our students usually listen or the songs that are popular in that moment it could be very motivating for the kids.
Howard Gardner once said: “It’s not how intelligent you are, but how you are intelligent.” In our classroom we have different kids; we have not two students who learn exactly in the same way for this reason, we will have to use different learning styles.
Garner says if a student is good at picking up sounds, remembering melodies and rhythms; they like to singing, humming, playing instruments and listening to music, learning through songs will be very beneficial for him.

(Mol, H. 2009)     
I am going to add another question, when and how should we use songs in the classroom? We can use songs in different moments, for example at the beginning of the class, when we change from one activity to other, to introduce a new topic, new vocabulary, to revise language, if want to get everyone´s attention….

(Brewster, J. Ellis, G. Girard, D.2002)

Summarizing I would like to add some five reasons why we have to use songs in English class:
  •          Songs are real materials.
  •           With songs we can teach culture and history.
  •           Songs have repetitions of vocabulary.
  •           It is a good and motivating way to teach and develops vocabulary pronunciation.
  •           They are fun and motivating.

(Teaching English, British Council, BBC website 2011)

To conclude I would like to say that this topic it is very important and interesting. Motivation is one of the most important aspects that as teachers we should get with our students, because if our students are motivated they will learn successfully and if we teach with songs I am sure that we will have wonderful outcomes. This is not only motivating for our students, also is motivating for us as teachers.


Music has to be an important part in education. Music is indeed an excellent vehicle for communication, language and culture, hence thinking of education without a musical approach would be nonsense.” Plato, The Republic






Bibliography

Books:

  •          Grüner, R. (2009) Teaching English Through Songs. Seminar paper in the subject English - Pedagogy, Didactics, Literature Studies.

  •     Brewster, J. Ellis, G. Girard, D. (2002) The Primary English Teacher's Guide (Penguin English) 


Articles (pdf):

  •           Contreras, A. Flores, A. (2010)  Can Music Improve Foreign Language Learning?


Webs: 

-          Teaching English, British Council, BBC website 2011


-          Mol, H. (2009) Humanizing Language Teaching



martes, 12 de noviembre de 2013

L is for Learning Strategies

   

   First of all I would like to start with a definition that I found in an interesting book. (Individual differences in L2 acquisition, Survey). That book is about the learning strategies that learners need to learn a L2.

 “Learning strategies are the particular approaches or techniques that the learners employ to try to lean to L2.”(Survey, 1997, p. 76).

It said that the learning strategies can be of two different types, it can be mental (for example using the context and focus on leaning new words also using the linguistic context) and behavioral (saying and repeating new words in order to help the students to remember them).

  Learners use the different kinds of learning strategies when they think they are able to solve some problems. Survey gives two different kinds of learning strategies, cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies. 

“Cognitive strategies are those that are involved in the analysis, synthesis, or transformation of learning materials. An example is ‘recombination’” (Survey, p. 77, 1997)

“Metacognitive strategies are those involved in playing, monitoring and evaluating learning. An example is selective attention.” (Survey, p. 77, 1997)
(Survey, 1997)

 I would like highlight another important aspect, which is to know the different kinds of strategies that are used by students while learning a L2. Some studies investigated and also have tried to find answers to the question: how do ‘good language learners´ try to learn L2?

 Some of the characteristics that define successful language learner are:

-          - Pay attention to both form and meaning.
-          - The student should be very active.

Language learning strategies were defined by Oxford (1990) as “specific actions taken by the learners to make learning easier, faster and more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective and more transferable to new situations”(p.8) 
Oxford had created a term, in which it joins different strategies of learning, and it was known as Strategy Inventory for Language and Leaning (SILL). Later Oxford divided in six categories which were: memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, affective and social.

During the last years of the eighties different authors worked on language learning strategies, like Rubin and Wenden. Also in the nineties, O´Malley and Chamot did the same. 
When the XX century began, educational psychologists decided to ditch the term strategies for self- regulation.
Self- regulation, which is the involvement or participation of the students in their own learning. Also including factors like cognition, metacognition, motivation and also includes environmental and behavioral variables that are used by students to develop their own learning.

Students use the learning strategies to understand and solve their problems. Learning strategies are the key for a person to learn and to use the information.


Often students who do not use good and suitable learning strategies have bad outcomes at school because they learn passively. The goal of Learning strategy instruction is to make the students learn how to be more active, how to solve problems and be successful.

We can find other different kinds of strategies. For example there are reading strategies that help students to know what is the meaning of the word that they are reading at the same time that they learn new vocabulary. Doing this, they also understand the structure of text. Some of these strategies are strategies for studying and remembering information, others for writing and others for motivation.
 (The University of Kansas, 2009)

To sum up, I would emphasize that learning strategies can be very useful for teachers, especially for those who teach a second language, so I think it is essential to develop learning strategies.
Learning strategies also are very useful for the students inasmuch as it can determine whether if they get good results or if they are able to achieve the goal that had been raised. When I said good results I mean that they understand the concepts and effective learning to occur not if the students get good marks.
Definitely, the successful development and evolution of a student depends on many things but one of the most important are the strategies used in the learning process but we must not forget that it is equally important teaching strategies employed.







REFERENCES

Books:

-          Survey (1997), Individual differences in L2 acquisition. Oxford University Press.
-          Griffiths, C. (2008), Lessons From Good Language Learners. Cambridge University Press.

Web:

-          Pearson Hall, J. (2009). The University of Kansas. Learning Strategies. Retrieved from:

Videos:

-          uwlanguageinstitute. (2009, September 29). Language Learning Strategies. Retrieved from:




viernes, 25 de enero de 2013



Estas historias fueron creadas por los alumnos de 2º de primaria de la clase en la que realicé las prácticas. 






















¿ Jugamos a ser cuentacuentos?


Os quiero dar a conocer un curioso y divertido juego de mesa. Se llama DIXIT.
Es una maravilla de juego, no tiene desperdicio y las ilustraciones son geniales y una preciosidad.


Las reglas del juego:


“Cada jugador se convierte en un cuentacuentos en su turno. Recibe una única imagen, mientras que el resto de jugadores recibe seis cada uno. Entonces, el cuentacuentos debe decir una frase o palabra relacionada con su imagen, y el resto debe seleccionar con qué imagen de su mano quedarse, y por qué imagen apostar.
Si nadie o todos aciertan, el cuentacuentos se anota cero puntos y cada jugador dos puntos.
 En otros casos, tanto el cuentacuentos como los que acierten se llevan tres puntos.

Las reglas son sencillas, un diseño precioso, y una dinámica que anima a dialogar entre los jugadores.
El juego contiene 84 cartas de gran formato, y tablero de puntuación, fichas para votar, y pueden participar de tres a seis jugadores.”

Imagina, imagina



Os ofrezco una de las creaciones literarias que hicimos en clase con Irune. 
La actividad se llama la bandera, consiste en inventar el nombre de un país, decidir sus reglas, sus habitantes, su situación……
        Y dibujar la bandera.

Imacreativilandia

Imacreativilandia es un pequeño país situado en la ladera de las montañas pringosas.
  Los habitantes de éste país eran muy felices pues, Imacreativilandia era un país democrático y todos sus habitantes eran escritores, músicos, artistas….
 Todo era imaginación y creatividad pero un lluvioso día llegó un malvado hombre llamado Prohibini Creativinni e impuso  su fuerza y se proclamó dictador del país.  Imacreativilandia  se volvió gris y triste pues la creatividad y la imaginación estaban prohibidas, pero un buen día todos los habitantes de Imacreativilandia salieron a la calle e imaginaron que Prohibini Creativinni jamás existió y así fue como los habitantes de  Imacreativilandia recuperaron su creatividad y libertad de imaginar. 


ENLACES BLOQUE 5



Una vez más os ofrezco una serie de enlaces de webs y blogs de interés. Espero que os sirva de ayuda para nuestro futuro como profesores.
8 trucos para crear cuentos creativos   
En esta web podemos encontrar una serie de trucos e ideas para crear cuentos. Formaron parte de un Taller de cuentos creativos.


Making Books

 Esta página web la lleva S.Kapuscinski. Encontramos muchas ideas para crear distintos tipos de libros, vienen muy bien explicados paso a paso. Me ha gustado mucho esta web.


El libro viajero

 En esta web podemos encontrar una gran variedad de ideas y consejos para crear nuestros propios libros viajeros, si lo deseamos podemos mandar nuestros libros viajeros y ellos lo pueden publicar en su web.



 Algunos ejemplos que nos ofrece la web:
 Este ejemplo de libro viajero lo encontraron en un blog llamado omilaicos.over-blog.es.


Con este link podemos acceder a una serie de imágenes de fantasía que nos pueden ayudar a  ilustrar nuestros libros.


Temas para el libro viajero.


Blog el lapicero mágico

 Es un blog de animación a la lectura y escritura creativa infantil. Encontramos muchos recursos.  En este enlace podemos ver una tabla que nos puede ayudar a escribir cuentos.


Artilugios para escribir cuentos


Coctel de cuentos inspirado en Rodari, salen cosas muy chulas, visitad la web.


Cuentos con objetos


La caja mágica

Si eres un buen navegante y te gustan las aventuras en este enlace podrás encontrar ideas para crear un libro pirata


 Y  por supuesto todo buen pirata debe tener su carnet que lo acredite



Si nos gusta la magia y lo que queremos es crear un libro de pociones en este enlace podemos encontrar las pautas para hacer una buenísima poción


Para los amantes del misterio y de los cuentos de terror, este es su enlace para crear las historias más terroríficas


Libros de tela

 En este enlace podemos encontrar los pasos que debemos seguir si queremos crear un libro de tela para los más pequeños.


Creando con Pipo

 Creo que Pipo es conocido por todos nosotros, para los que nos lo conozcáis son una serie de juego interactivos educativos, que ahora también están disponibles en internet. Si nos registramos podemos acceder a muchos más juegos uno de ellos nos permite crear cuentos interactivos.


Creando con Geronimo Stilton

 En la web de colección de libros de Geronimo Stilton, no sólo encontramos información sobre todos ellos, también podemos encontrar una gran variedad de juegos muy interesantes. Igualmente podemos acceder a una opción que nos permite crear nuestras propias historias.


3, 2, 1 creemos libros

 Documento en PDF con técnicas e ideas para crear libros artesanales con nuestros alumnos.


Creando poesía

 De nuevo os pongo un enlace del blog el lapicero mágico pero esta vez nos dan pauta para crear poesía con los niños.


Más poesía

 Documento con técnicas para crear poesía


Las animaciones de la biblioteca del colegio Miguel Hernández

Encontramos las animaciones que ha realizado el colegio, aquí un ejemplo de las creadas por el primer ciclo:


El cuaderno intercultural

Nos aporta una serie de enlace de animación a la lectura



 Estrategias para crear textos en verso 

Los mejores consejos para crear rimas que no riman


Ocho reglas sencillas que nos ayudaran en la creación de poesía



Para una buena escritura creativa os pongo este enlace con una presentación  muy buena


         
Para crear teatro

 En este blog podemos encontrar juegos para aprender a relajarse y  hacer teatro en el aula.


En este enlace podemos encontrar los beneficios que el teatro aporta a los niños, es muy interesante.


Creando marionetas

Tutorial para hacer marionetas con papel maché


De tela y gomaespuma




VÍDEOS 


En este vídeo podemos ver unos sencillos pasos para encuadernar una libro. 




 Libro en origami 


 Libro tarjeta 









Creaciones de los niños 

Creados por niños

http://www.impo.com.uy/descargas/DEL%20DICHO%20AL%20HECHO%20DERECHO_web.pdf