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Teaching Grammar using the C.E.N.T.R.E model (Video)

21/3/2020

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7 useful verbal techniques to improve discipline in the English classroom with Young Learners

5/6/2019

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When it comes to building discipline in the English classroom, teachers usually give many verbal directions to stop or discoirage students's disruptive behavior. However, these verbal directions might not always be appropriate. In this short blog entry, we want to provide teachers with some ideas that can be helpful guidelines.
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Technique 1: Use positive directions

When we use positive directions, we get higher compliance than when we use negative directions. Compare the following types of directions:
"Don´t make noise"  
Compared to
"Stop talking"
or even better
"talk ina quiet voice"
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Technique 2: State rules impersonally

For example you can say “the rule in this class is not wearing caps in the classroom”, or the rule in this house is not pushing your sister rather than you taking ownership of the rule.
“In the classroom we always use English to ask for permission to go to the bathroom”
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Technique 3: Give Alpha Commands

Alpha commands involve a clear, direct, and specific statement without additional verbalizations, and they allow reasonable period of five to ten seconds for the child to respond. Alpha commands are short and they tell the child exactly what to do.
“Put your toys on the shelf”
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Technique 4: Give more request and fewer commands

Do not give a command if a request would do it as well. When doing it consider the following:
-Stay close to the child
-Make eye contact
-Limit yourself to two requests, making the same request only twice.
-Use soft, but firm voice.
-Give time for the child to comply with your request.
-Reward compliance with a mile and a “Thank you”
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Technique 5: Use forced choices

To make sure the child does the behavior we want, we limit the choices given to the child to only two.
“You can paint the book right now or you can start completing the workbook”
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Technique 6: Use pauses

We can add a pause before or after the key message, suggestion, or command in a sentence or paragraph to enhance the persuasive power of the message. 
“Would you please…sit down?”
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Technique 7: Voice regulation

This technique has four sequential steps:

  • Step 1: Your first word needs to be louder than the child’s voice. This creates a surprise element and the child will become still.
  • Step 2: Speech pause. By pausing and being silent, we show the child what we expect from her.
  • Step 3: Start whispering. This causes the child to become more attentive and to listen more closely.
  • Step 4: Continue speaking and move from whispering to using your regular voice.
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A checklist to effective questioning

25/4/2019

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When teaching English, classroom interaction is a key element in order to develop students' language abilitites. In order to promote this interaction teachers have to use questions all the time for different purposes. The use of questions happen through all the different instances of an English lesson because they allow the teacher to elicit information that can help identify students' needs, opinions, levels of achievement, preferences, and so on. How can teachers be sure that the questions they ask are of real value for their students?

Penny Ur (2012), in her book "A course in English Language Teaching," presents a simple checklist that can easily guide treachers in the construction and discrimination of the type of questions they ask, This classlist can refine the questions used to promote interaction in the classroom and at the same time maximize students' responses and demands on their practice of English. The following chart shows the checklist:
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Adapted from Penny Ur (2012) "A course in English Language Teaching"

Let's analize how the next two quetions adjust to the checklist:

"what are three things you like to do on your vacationS?"
Comment The question seems clear. Then, talking about vacations should be a topic of interest to most of the students. If the teacher has considered that students are capable of answering the question at the level of proficiency they have, then accessibility is covered. The question requires from students to answer with at least three activities which means that the  demmands of the question are clear, This question might have learning value if it is used to elicit some previous knwoldege, or if it is used to culminate a lesson about vacation activities. We take for granted that teacher's reaction would be appropriate when students are stating their ideas.

do you like to eat dates?
Comment: The use of the word 'dates' could immediately confuse students if they are nor familiar with this very low frecuency vocabulary about and unusual dry fruuit. Most might think of dates as a romantic meeting. As for interest, this question seems to be very valuable if students are developing English related to the very specifc field of gastronomy. Due to the level required by the key word 'date', this question might not be accessible to all studebnts. The answer in Yes/No questions is usually rectricted to an affirmative or negarive response which lowers both the level of answer and the learning value. Even if we take for granted a supportive reaction of the teacher, this might be limited by the fact that the students' response will be a simple yes or no taking away the possibility to continue a long conversation.

It is clear that having a amore defined criteria as the one presented by Ur can help teacher make better decissions on the questions they ask and refine their questions when planning lesson.
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How to teach private lessons-Video

20/3/2019

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Para aprender más sobre metodología solicite información aqui.
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Algunas sugerencias para la enseñanza del inglés con propósitos específicos

1/2/2019

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Por : Ivan Aguilar. Originalmente de la Revista Psicológica Vivamente

El contexto actual
Hoy en día el conocimiento de un segundo idioma es una necesidad indispensable para cualquier profesional ya que esta capacidad puede significar la diferencia entre tener acceso inmediato y efectivo al avance de la ciencia,  cerrar una negociación de manera exitosa, formar parte de la comunidad virtual de profesionales, o poder comunicar nuestros logros académicos y nuestra propia cultura al mundo. En este contexto el inglés se ha transformado en el idioma de mayor uso por los profesionales de diferentes áreas en lo que conocemos como la aldea global.

En años recientes hemos visto, sin mucha sorpresa, que las nuevas leyes universitaria ha establecido de manera clara la necesidad de certificar el conocimiento de un segundo idioma para poder lograr el grado de bachiller en todas las universidades y escuelas académicas. Algo que ya era un requisito indispensable en todos los programas de maestrías. Por ello, se hace indispensable para todas las universidades diseñar o reconsiderar sistemas que permitan garantizar que los alumnos manejen un segundo idioma y esta habilidad no  se transforme en una carga más sino en un instrumento útil que forme parte del desarrollo de los profesionales

En ese sentido este artículo pretende explicar algunas recomendaciones recogidas desde las  experiencias de enseñanza y aprendizaje en el dictado de las clases de inglés técnico en la facultad de psicología de la Universidad Alas Peruanas en la filial Huancayo.

Competencia a lograr
El syllabus del curso de inglés técnico de la facultad de psicología busca desarrollar en los alumnos la capacidad de comprender y traducir textos académicos relacionados a su área profesional específica. Es importante destacar en este caso que estos dos aspectos Comprensión y Traducción serán los ejes que orientaran el desarrollo de la asignatura y de ellos se derivaran su singular metodología.

Algunas sugerencias didácticas
  • Definición del objetivo especifico
Como sabemos el primer paso para lograr un efectivo proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje es la correcta definición del objetivo que el estudiante debe lograr. Este proceso no es ajeno a la enseñanza del inglés con propósitos específicos. Lógicamente, los objetivos se centrarán en aspectos de la habilidad a desarrollar y estarán condicionados por la terminología  o las funciones comunicativas de cada carrera.
  • Selección de materiales
La selección de los materiales a utilizarse y presentarse a los alumnos es el segundo aspecto de crucial importancia. Debido a que se intenta poner a los alumnos en contacto con articulo o publicaciones en inglés relacionados a su especialidad es necesario contar con fuentes confiables y actualizadas de dichos materiales.
  • Adaptación de materiales
Probablemente los alumnos no se encuentren en niveles homogéneos en el manejo del idioma, y esto podría crear demandas muy altas para algunos alumnos. Entonces es necesario  procesar los , artículos de tal manera que puedan ubicarse en un nivel accesible para todos. Esto requiere que el docente tenga la destreza suficiente para poder manipular el texto original sin cambiar su sentido o significado. Para ello el docente de inglés técnico debe también empaparse de conocimientos de la profesión que esta enseñando. Esto desde luego no significa que ha de llegar a los niveles expertos de un profesional en la carrera que está enseñando ya que principal misión es la enseñanza del idioma.
  • Recolección de conocimientos previos
Un principio que no se puede obviar es el de recoger los conocimientos previos de los estudiantes. En el caso del inglés técnico los estudiantes toman este curso en semestres superiores lo que garantiza que ya tienen amplio conocimiento de sus áreas profesionales y que el curso los proveerá de un nuevo sistema de símbolos y reglas comunicativas para un contenido ya conocido.
  • Desarrollo de estrategias de comprensión
Es bien sabido que la comprensión de un texto no depende solamente del conocimiento de la gramática y vocabulario del idioma en el que está redactado sino que esta mediatizada por las estrategias de comprensión que puedan utilizarse. Por ejemplo, se busca que los estudiantes desarrollen estrategias como tolerancia a la ambigüedad, buscar el significado de las palabras basados en el contexto del texto en el que se encuentran, prestar atención a referencias dentro del texto, hacer predicciones sobre lo que se va a leer, y utilizar lo aprendido en una situación familiar para recordar mejor.
  • Desarrollo de estrategias de traducción
Aun con los más potentes traductores electrónicos no se ha podido lograr traducir textos de manera eficiente a un 100%. Básicamente la maquina no distingue aspectos humanos como el propósito de la traducción y la audiencia a la que va dirigida. En este caso el estudiante puede encaminarse por elegir la traducción literal o la interpretación. Desde luego que la primera supone amplio conocimiento ambas lenguas en cuanto a su vocabulario, reglas gramaticales, estilos de redacción, e incluso aspectos culturales. Pero la otra opción es la interpretación del texto para lo cual se busca más bien crear una traducción adecuada para la audiencia que ha de recibirla en este caso el mismo estudiante. Además, como hemos señalado ya el alumno tiene amplio conocimiento de su área lo que le ayuda a distinguir y aclarar los conceptos o ideas que está traduciendo.
​Conclusión
Las sugerencias aquí señaladas reflejan cómo se pueden aplicar los principios de enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas, pero en un contexto de un área profesional específica. El desarrollo de comprensión de textos en inglés puede mejorarse a través del desarrollo de habilidades de comprensión y la adecuada selección de materiales. El rol del docente se refleja como esencial en este e proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje.

Licencia de Creative Commons
Algunas sugerencias para la enseñanza del inglés con propósitos específicos by Iván Ilich Aguilar Flores is licensed under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 4.0 Internacional License.
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F.I.V.E.-A technique to write questions for reading comprehension

5/8/2018

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One easy way to write good questions for reading comprehension exercises is by using the acronym F.I.V.E. The letters in FIVE stand for factual, inference, vocabulary, and experience questions:

Factual Questions, questions whose answers can be find explicitly found in the text.
Inference Questions, questions whose answers can be inferred from the information stated in the text.
Vocabulary Questions, questions which help students understand/figure out meaning of words from context.
Experience Questions, questions which help the reader relate the text with their own experiences or opinions.

Let’s see examples of these different types of questions in the following text.

      It looked like rain. The sky was gray. It was almost noon, but the sun was hidden by a gray blanket. It was cool. There were no birds flying anywhere. A couple of birds sat on the telephone wire. Bob was standing outside talking to Bill. They both had their hands in their pockets. They knew that it was probably going to rain shortly. A sudden breeze blew some leaves off a tree onto the sidewalk.

(Extract from: http://eslyes.com/eslread/ss/s004.htm)

  • Factual question: What color was the sky?
  • Inference question: Will Bob and Bill keep talking?
  • Vocabulary question: What does ‘breeze’ mean?
  • Experience question: How often do you see weather like the one described in the text where you live? Explain.
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How to write learning objectives: the ABCD model

17/6/2018

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A learning objective is the first thing teachers have to have in mind when planning a lesson. Learning objectives work as guides and set up what students should achieve in each lesson. These objectives also help both teachers to keep focused on the outcomes of activities and exercises in each English lesson. One model to write objectives is the ABCD. Each letter stands for an important section that each objective should have as described in the following lines,
  • ​Audience: it refers to the group of people who should be able to achieve the learning objective. In the English class, students will be usually the audience.
  • Behavior: it refers to a measurable behavior learners should be able to attain through the lesson or section of the lesson. It is always expressed by an infinitive form. It is advisable not to use too general verbs like learn, practice, talk about, and so on.
  • Condition: it refers to the context or situation in which students should learn. The situation or context should resemble a communicative and realistic situation in as much as possible. For example, reading a recipe, listening to directions, writing a ‘to do list’, talking to a doctor, etc.
  • Degree: it refers to the level of achievement expected. In English teaching, conditions are usually represented by the linguistic aspects students need to develop. In the case of productive skills, writing and speaking, fluency and accuracy might be the essential aspects to consider. In the case of receptive skills, listening and reading, the highest level of comprehension could be seen as the tacit degree expected.
Example:

Audience: Students
Behavior: To write
Condition: A postcard
Degree: Use of the simple present fluently and accurately.
 
Objective
Students will be able to write a postcard using the simple present fluently and accurately.
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9 reasons for using L1 in the EFL classroom

31/5/2018

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Atkinson (1987: 241-247) offers a list of nine reasons for using L1 in the EFL classroom:

1. Eliciting Language
“How do you say ‘X’ in English?”

2. Checking comprehension
“How do you say ‘I’ve been waiting for ten minutes in Spanish?”

3. Giving complex instructions to basic levels

4. Co-operating in groups
Learners compare and correct answers to exercises or tasks in the L1.

5. Explaining classroom methodology at basic levels

6. Using translation to highlight a recently taught language item

7. Checking for sense
If students write or say something in the L2 that does not make sense, have them try to translate it into the L1 to realize their error.

8. Testing
Translation items can be useful in testing mastery of forms and meanings.

9. Developing circumlocution strategies.
When students do not know how to say something in the L2, have them think if (sic) different ways to say the same thing in the L1, which may be easier to translate.

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Verifying Understanding of Instructions

26/5/2018

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One of the difficulties English teachers always have is getting students to understand the instructions to develop one activity or task. This is more frequent when the teachers has to speak only in English in order to provide students with more input. One easy step teachers can take to overcome this difficulty is to use questions to verify understanding of instructions. The following is a sample interaction teachers could follow to be sure instructions were clearly understood:

T: (While delivering instructions) In this activity you need to work in groups, discuss if you agree or not with the following statement: "It's a bad idea for university students to have part time jobs." After five minutes, you will choose someone from the group to present your conclusions to the class. Carlos, What is the statement you'l talk about?
Carlos: We need to talk about university students and part time jobs...Is it good?
T: Fine. Maria, how much time do you have for this activity?
Maria: Ten minutes.
T: Not really, I said you have five minutes.
Maria: Ok, five minutes.
T: Jose, what will you do after the discussion?
Jose: We will select someone to present the conclusion.
T. Yes, that's right...You can start now.

The following are some tips to ask more effective questions when verifying understanding.

-Ask these questions after instructions have been given to students.
-Try to use Wh-questions.
-Call on individual students.
-Provide students with feedback after their responses.
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