UNIT 18 ASSESSMENT TYPES AND TAKS

In this unit I learned how and why teachers assess their students and some types of assessments. First, teachers assess students by collecting information about them. Teachers use assessment task for assessing learners. Also they can assess learners formally (assess learners through test or exams) or informally (observe learners to see how well they are doing something) because it helps teachers to know how much students know about the topic or in this case about the target language. Second, there are some types of assessments to assess learners formally such as diagnostic test (what students know and don’t know), placement test (know the level of the student), progress test (how learner know in a part of the course), portfolio (collection of learners´ works), achievement test (at the end of the course) and proficiency test (how good learner is at language). There are some task that teacher uses to assess students such as multiple-choice questions, gap fill, true/false and matching task. Furthermore, assessment task are described as objective (not judge) and subjective (need judgment). On the other hand, learners can also do informal assessment by assess themselves or another classmate. To sum up, whatever assess that you use it have to be in a formal way because it can help teacher to avoid problems with the grades of his/her students. I consider that the best way to assess students is with formal assessment because it could help me as future teacher to know how much my students know about the subject.   

Bibliography:

• Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, Melanie Williams (2001) TKT Teaching Knowledge Test course Module 1,2 and 3

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

This unit focuses on three categories of activities and tasks that are designed to give learners opportunities to practice and extent their use of language, but in different ways. First, the controlled activities gives students repeated practice in accuracy and the form of the target language, and allow them to make few mistakes. In others words the learners can only use certain items of language and this activity gives students practice the target language correctly. Second, freer activities in which the teacher can predict to some extent what language the student will need to use. In other words, it is less controlled and students use language accurately and communicative. Third, free activities allow students to use whatever language thy whish in order to complete the task. In other words, it is an activity with real-world outcome that allow students practice in communicating. To sum up, the productive skills can be classified according to how much teachers control students´ use of language, but it is not always possible to categorized activities as controlled, freer or free as it depends on how teacher uses them. So as future teacher I will use several kinds of activities to make my classes more interesting to motivate my students.

Bibliography:

• Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, Melanie Williams (2001) TKT Teaching Knowledge Test course Module 1,2 and 3 
•   https://prezi.com/fyfhay4r2zel/unit-17-practice-activities-and-tasks-for-language-and-skills-development/#
•  Brian Tomlinson, (2011) Materials Development in Language Teaching

UNIT 16: PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES AND INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

This unit was a little difficult to understand for me because I got confuse in realize what is the different between preparation techniques and introductory activities and it can help students. So I am going to write what each of them means. First, preparation techniques are the ways used by the teacher to focus learners´ attention on form and meaning of the target language, when introducing them for the first time. On the other hand, introductory activities are used by teachers to introduce a lesson. As you can see both are the activities that a teacher uses to introduce a lesson or teaching topic, but introductory activities are different from presentation activities. There are two different ways of presenting new language items; Presentation Practice and Production (PPP) and Task-based Learning (TBL); the first one is more appropriate for beginners’ students, teacher guided the lesson and teacher produce the grammar explanation and the second one is better for intermodal-advanced students, the lesson is more centered in students and scholars have to find out how grammar works. Second, the introductory stage of a lesson helps students to settle into the lesson and focus on its content. There are two kinds of introductory activities that help students into the classroom: warmers -use to raise students ‘energy level- and lead-ins -introduce the content of the lesson motivating students and linking the lesson with students own live (personalization). To conclude, thinking as a teacher I would use both preparation techniques and introductory activities, but I would take into account the level, interest, age, weakness and strength in English and learning style of my students.

http://teachingknowledge.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/pppytbl.pdf

Bibliography:

• Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, Melanie Williams (2001) TKT Teaching Knowledge Test course Module 1,2 and 3
• https://prezi.com/favx3bysftea/what-are-presentation-techniques-and-introductory-activities/

UNIT 15: APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

This unit was the most important for me because I learned some different approaches that are important to teach a language. But what is an approach to language teaching; it is the view of language and how language learning takes place. Sometimes approach also refers to the ways or methods of teaching that teachers use in the classroom and it involves the teacher´s belief about teaching, language and language learning. There are many different approaches to teaching L2 and certain approaches have had a great influence on English. I´m going to write some of them and their important characteristics: Presentation, practice and production (PPP) – grammar structure and function; teacher inputs language and guide students. Lexical approach – Vocabulary and chunks such as collocation, idioms, fixes expressions; chunks need to be noticed by leaners. Functional approach – functions are the most important aspect of language. Communicative approaches – focus on communication; fluency is more important than accuracy; use authentic materials. Grammar translation – language is made up of grammatical rules; translate everything from L1 to L2 or vice versa. Total Physical response (TPR) focus on grammatical structures and vocabulary; learners learn by being exposed and often need a silent period. Guided discover – language has patterns of meaning and use; teachers gives examples of the target language. Content-based learning – grammatical, lexical, functional areas and skills are important. Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) language is learning mainly through acquisition and using. To sum up, it is difficult to say which approach is better, but all of these approach teachers can use in their classes. For me the best approach to use will depend on how learners are and what their teaching conditions are.                                                                                                                                           

Bibliography:

·         Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, Melanie Williams (2001) TKT Teaching Knowledge Test course Module 1,2 and 3

UNIT 14: LEARNER NEEDS

 LEARNER NEEDS

In this unit I learned what the needs of a learner are when he/she is learning a new language. The classroom is a place in which both the teacher and students feel empowered to learn together and from one another. Students follow their own curiosities into content, and teachers follow their students into learning. There are some needs that I consider important to mention: personal needs, learning needs and professional needs; the needs of a learner represent the gap between what the learner wants to get out of the learning experience and his or her current state of knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm. Each learner is unique, and brings to the learning situation his or her own different learning style, knowledge set, pool of past experiences, and motivation. It is important for instructors to consider the level of knowledge and skill development attained by the learners prior to instruction. As teacher I would like to ponder the learners need in the classroom and I consider that the best way to get this information is by asking the learners or by observing them in some activities during the lesson. Also I know that teachers cannot meet all learners´ needs all the time for that reason I would use a variety of activities in the class.

Bibliography:

• Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, Melanie Williams (2001) TKT Teaching Knowledge Test course Module 1,2 and 3
• McKeachie. W., & Svinicki, M. (2006). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
•  Noessel, C. (2003). Free range learning support. Interaction Design Institute. <http://www.interaction-ivrea.it/theses/2002-03/c.noessel/need.htm>

UNIT 13: LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS

 LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS 

In this unit I have learned interest things about how learners learn a language and how they respond to different teaching styles an approach in the classroom.  First, there are factors which influence learner´s attitude to learning a language. Those factors are learning characteristics that includes learner´s motivation, learning styles, learning strategies, maturity and language learning experiences. All of them are very important because each student acquire a language in a different way. Second, students respond differently in some teaching styles in the classroom. For example, the ways in which students prefer to get a language are not the same because some of them are visual and learn more easily through watching and looking, but other students are more auditory so they learn best by listening and hearing. Also the strategies that they use are different and they include ways to help themselves identify what they need to learn. In conclusion, there are some learner characteristics that help students to be successful when they are learning a language. Nevertheless, as teacher I will become aware of the learning styles of my student and I will try to train my learners to become aware of and use different learning strategies. Also I will the way in which I teach English to make my learners feel more comfortable and confident in their learning.

Bibliography:

•  Mary Spratt, Alan Pulverness, Melanie Williams (2001) TKT Teaching Knowledge Test course Module 1,2 and 3
• Patsy Lightbown and Nina Spada (1993) How Languages are Learned Oxford University Press
• Michael Orosco AND John J. Hoover. 
• Retrived from: http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/imprint_downloads/merrill_professional/images/0-205-60827-2_c03.pdf

UNIT 12: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L1 AND L2 LEARNING

In this unit I learn that we learn our first language different than we learn a forage language. There are two main important factors when we learn a language that is the age and the context and way of learning. First, the age to acquire the mother tong is in childhood since the learner is a baby until his/her adolescence. For them is easily to pick up the language because they are as a sponge and learn it at the same time as their cognitive skills. Also they are motivated by their environment because they have the need to express and communicate their thoughts. On the other hand the L2 is learning in school. It could begin when a learner is on primary school until when he/she is adult and his/her expectations about language is clear. Second, to learn a L1 it is necessary to be exposure and interact with the members of our family or people who speak the same language as our mother tongue. In contrast, to pick up L2 it has a lot of practice and learner is often focus on structures and individual words in order to avoid making mistake it is not natural.

http://www.llt.msu.edu/vol10num3/yoshii/default.html

Eli Hinkel, (2013)Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning