Unit 18. Assessment Types and Tasks

Unit 18.  Assessment Types and Tasks

At the end of this unit I learned the reasons for assessing learners with different methods, because a correct diagnostic helps teacher to recognize the level of knowledge and the issues with the learning process at the moment of evaluate them.

    Assessment is considering a tool for teachers, because the test and grading are necessary to determine how the students are progressing. On the other hand, tests are always going to be prejudiced to some degree as a prospective teacher, in this Unit I can understand the need for standardized tests and grading, however at the same time I can recognize that alternative means of assessment are also necessary. Assessment could be: formal and informal, those can include  the way  of diagnose, like Placement Test , Progress test , formative and continues assessment, achievement , summative and  proficiency test, all of them have the purpose based in the recognize level, capacity and aptitude into students.

    On another hand test can create anxiety in students. Also, assessment methods and learning are often completely disconnected; a student might be absorbing class material and learning a lot but static score poorly on tests while another student in the same class might score exceptionally well on tests but derive little meaning from the material, for that reason is mandatory to take the advantage of the assessment in the classroom, because test can help teacher to develop the criteria.

     To conclude this part, tests have their place and from a teacher's perspective they are necessary to prove to parents and school administration that the course curriculum is being followed. Tests do help teachers to know when their students are not understanding certain aspects of the curriculum, and can help teachers assess where individual students might need some specialized attention.

For more information:

1.      http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR836/MR836.ch3.pdf

2.      http://app.griffith.edu.au/assessment-matters/docs/assessment-methods/tasks

Unit 17. Practice Activities and Tasks for Language and Skills Development.

Unit 17.

Practice Activities and Tasks for Language and Skills Development.

The learning process in this unit was significant for me, I learned a variety of activities that I can use in a class for developing the four skills.

        I consider that this lesson is too important for teacher in order to apply the different kind of activities,with the idea of integrate the four skills. Also tasks are part of the way of increasing the knowledge for students, vocabulary and grammatical structures are useful in this part for extend the use of the language and the subskills that reading, writing , speaking and listening have , give to the students theopportunity to uses in different aspects, Of course with the teacher´s help . Also the way that each activity is presented for students need to have variety and purpose for can develop in a satisfactory aspect. 

     Similarly, the controlled activities give students the confidence to increase with accuracy in the target language, in this part is important the way of how teacher models the activity with drill, this can be individual,  choral  , substitution , key word and  transformation drills . Those activities help to maintain a good level of learning. Also students can create sentences with different structures that allow student using the language in a freeway.

      To finish, into this unit is important to mention that teacher should use resources for considering activities likes as internet, books and real materials, all of them, are important at the moment of create or prepare a lesson or any activities, because teacher need to consider   the way of how the language is using, for example role- play is related with the communicative part for teachers and for student is the way of create dialogue and feel assured for acting in front of others. At the end the result will be positive, if teacher takes the advantages and disadvantages in each activities. 

1.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkK06hpQmt4#t=40

2.      http://www.finchpark.com/courses/tkt/Unit_16/activities.pdf

Unit. 16. Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities

PART 3. BACKGROUND TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

Unit 16. Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities

During the process of learning into this Unit I found the importance of the ways that teacher needs in the classroom for make emphasis in an introductory topic.

     The lesson plan that teacher needs to manage in a class, can determine the importance for developing successful topics. This happen in the order of each theme need to be introduced in a class with the idea of familiarize the content with students. Also the procedure is important as part of the lesson, in this stage teacher awake the interest of students applying the different activities whose involves the whole class, this is called introductory activities.

     Furthermore, for a lesson Teacher can manage  a variety of how to present themes, such as: (PPP) Presentation, Practice , Production, this method integrate Target language, situational presentation eliciting, choral drill, in order to controlled mistakes, with the result of incorporate students  in the process. On another hand Teacher has the possibility of (TBL) Task-Based –Language as part of the way to teaching with the form of contextualize the language for establishing meaning, this help to consolidate the language. In addition, students can improve the confidence in the classroom with the comprehension, which works with the intention of used Test –teach-test as the use of the realia part, this means use real materials in the class, for support the learning of the language.

     Finally, in the classroom teacher need to raise students' energy levels or to make them feel comfortable before the main learning of the lesson starts. They are not always connected to the topic of the lesson, however, the suggestion is introduce the content of the lesson with the objective of maintain the focus on the lesson plan, but motivating students as the mean objective into the Daily Plan.

1.      http://quizlet.com/52451546/tkt-unit-16-presentation-techniques-and-introductory-activities-flash-cards/

2.      http://jobs.languagelink.ru/tefl_clinic/teaching_knowledge/glossary/presentation_techniques_approaches_and_introductory_activities.php

3.      http://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/best-practice/instructional-methods/150-teaching-methods

Unit 15. Approaches to Language Teaching

UNIT 15. APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

     In this unit my learning was about the best approach to teach grammar rules, methods whose can work perfectly for students in a classroom.

    First, into the looking for a better techniques that  involves students with grammar is so difficult have the correct, in this part is too important take in consideration the view of language and the way of how the language can takes place in the learning. For this reason is mandatory familiarize student with the environment and the selected approaches, which teacher have  planned and established , with the correct structure and for getting good results in the classroom.

     Second, to refer the view of the language, this is the system of structures used to communicate meaning, with the adequate functions, vocabulary, structures and discourse this parts denotes to the task based learning. In addition, the view of language learning, explain about the how mistakes should be avoided in the class, with the correct form of how is learnt using in the TBL. Finally the classroom practice, helps to familiarize with the structural approach  in a better way, because it refers to the oral skills are learnt before written skills, this with sufficient activities that solve the communicative problems, with grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation for giving the final emphasis in this stage of learning.

     To sum up, Approaches need to be communicative like speaking part for transmit meaning and this need to use communicative activities that focus in the fluency aspect. For that reason Approaches and methods are necessary, interchangeably in the view of the language, lexical approach, functional and communicative are part of the content that teacher need to adapt in the classroom for successful activities and lessons.

Bibliography:

Unit 14. Learner Needs

UNIT 14.        Learner Needs

At the end of this Unit I learned about the importance of needs as part of the learning, according the kind of needs, reason that each Learner need to develop into the acquisition of a foreign language.

      First, during the process of education is vital that Teachers and educators have attempted to uncover the best method for teaching students. The majority of evidence available suggests that multiple factors influence a student's ability to achieve in the classroom, none the least of which is learning styles and preferences. In addition recognition and trying to meet learner needs are part of being a good teacher.

Second, into the kind of needs, which define personal needs because it helps in the classroom with:  security, goals, learning expectations with the reason for contemplate the age, gender, cultural background, motivation and personality. Also Learning needs determine specific ways of learning in the target language, learner autonomy, those characteristics are focused in the learning Style, looking for the suitable level. Finally the need for a future professional needs, specific vocabulary and grammar for the adequate use in training education.

       Therefore, most students have a learning preference related to their cognitive style of thinking that is fixed or innate. Because of, this students will react to material presented to them in the classroom in different ways. It is vital that teachers begin recognizing the significance in learning differences and uncover methods for style differences and preferences within the classroom. The ability of a student to construct meaning from information and apply it to settings and situations as well as a student's ability to perform varying tasks depends on their learning style.

1.      http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring11/efund/lesson3/learneranalysis.pdf

2.      http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107003/chapters/Diverse-Teaching-Strategies-for-Diverse-Learners.aspx

Unit 13. Learner Characterístics

Unit 13. Learner Characteristics

     
This Unit was very interesting, I can learned the different learning Styles and how this can affecting into the learning process.

      First, in this Unit is important to identify that leaner characteristics include motivation, Learning style, learning strategies, and maturity as the process in the classroom and with the learning. Also in this part is important to concentrate the environment that surrounding the class, for that reason is very essential to consider students as the protagonist part and teacher as the Director, like a film, also, lessons, subject are considered the  script, that everybody need to follow as the classroom´s rule in this development.

    Second, is significant to concentrate in Learner characteristics as part of strategies, because, this can influence learner readiness to learn. There are many learner characteristics like visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, group individual, reflective, impulsive, analytic, and autonomous, those of this characteristics help students to learn according their necessities.

    To sum up, teaching approaches consider the diverse learning styles with the perfect process for developing the variation of skills that each student show into a class, this is too essential at the moment of  improve the environment in the class, where teacher is the guide and he/she has the responsibility of identify the adequate way, as the process to develop the suitable skills with an appropriate feedback, that can awake the maturity physically, mentally and emotionally , in  children, teenagers and adults in order to develop communicative part.

You can follow this page for more information:

1.      http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/imprint_downloads/merrill_professional/images/0-205-60827-2_c03.pdf

1.      http://www.hltmag.co.uk/oct08/mart04.htm

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Unit 12. Differences between L1 and L2 Learning

Unit 12. Differences between L1 and L2 

In this Unit I learned the differences between the L1 and L2, in the way of knew that language acquisition involves Age, and Context and ways of Learning with a correct exposure and interaction in a  successful process.

     First, the acquisition of a second language has a lot of implications, in this case we need to concentrate in the manage of Spanish and English as part of the learning process into the classroom, in this section is important know that the age create a big influence into the acquisition, and for teacher is necessary look for e the terms, materials, and organized activities that help them to get the attention and address their needs. In addition, realia plays an important role for learning, because pictures, flashcards, images, help to improve their knowledge.

     Second, the verbal expression, as part of needs when learners are acquiring a second language, here is important to keep in mind that the process of mother tongue, selecting words, are not familiar with the new certain words or concepts into L2, for this reason is important cultivate the confidence into the developmental and contextual vocabulary part, to avoid confusion in the meaning of the messages. In this part focusing on the form in the language with a concrete, abstract and specific way to communicate with the precise Learner´s the style and the Learner´s expectations.

        Finally, during this learning stage learners should be active, with a good Teacher´s creativity too. Also activities are contributing with the improvement  of the learning process, teacher needs to create simplified and useful language, this avoid in an enormous part the silent period, especially with adults, because for them are difficult pick the language and get experience with it.

For more information:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/SLA/L1%20and%20L2.htm

Oxford Journal http://applij.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/1/15.short

https://isabelavillasboas.wordpress.com/category/use-of-l1-in-the-l2-classroom/