Learning and Teaching the English Language

Millions of people learn English as a second language in order to trade. That is the reason why it has become a very important lingua franca nowadays. A lot of people get in contact with it every day. It does not matter you do not speak English, most of the people can identify it in manuals or magazines. For this reason, teachers take this thing for granted when teaching English and they just start their job assuming students know a lot even though they are beginners. We have to be careful when we classify beginners because there are big differences of levels within people who have just started studying the language. Students should know what is English before they begin the process of learning. They should know that English differs from Spanish – as an example, because words are written in one way but they are pronounce in different ways. They should know adjectives are placed before a noun. Just imagine a teenager from Tokyo trying to read English the way they do in Japanese. As a conclusion, I think students need an overview of some basic concepts regarding English as a language, especially if they are going to do some writing, because it is a very simple word for all the elements it involves. In my opinion, it is one of the most difficult skill to learn and teach. Why? Because it implies different aspects such as syntax, grammar and mechanics (starting with the fact that many people- including me- think about these terms as synonyms), word choice, purpose, audience, the writer´s process and content. Writing process seems to be like driving your car in a highway; you have to be aware of many things at the same time, otherwise you may have some troubles.
I can say I am not the same teacher I was the first day I stepped at Centro Espiral Mana. Throughout these three weeks I have been a kind of silent witness of my own learning. I just compare myself as If I had read a book without reading it. It sounds weird, but that is true. I am learning all of this knowledge because I am experiencing it myself. Now I know how it feels to be a learner and what it involves: fears, hinders, powerless, happiness and success. These three weeks also taught me how to become a better teacher or at least try to be a good one in terms of planning my lesson from a learner´s point of view- listen to their needs. Also, I acquired important tools to help students in the process of learning English. For example, the MFU framework, which is a way to anticipate possible problems and be ready to act. ECRIF and DAPA framework are crucial to help students improve their language skills with scaffolding activities.

I have to reinforce the importance of reflection. It really makes the difference. I cannot wait to go back to my high school and start putting all this knowledge into practice. I can stop now, look back and say that these three weeks I have spent here really worth it.

Thanks to: Annie, Brian, Roger and Mary

Reflecting on your teaching gives you...

the oportunity to do a kind of selr-research and find important data to help you improve as a teacher. Then, you can find ways to use technology to create projects and innovate new teaching methodologies to help students learn in a creative environment.

What have I learned so far?

This is like falling in love again! Teaching is great!

Learning and Teaching the English Language

Millions of people learn English as a second language in order to trade. That is the reason why it has become a very important lingua franca nowadays. A lot of people get in contact with it every day. It does not matter you do not speak English, most of the people can identify it in manuals or magazines. For this reason, teachers take this thing for granted when teaching English and they just start their job assuming students know a lot even though they are beginners. We have to be careful when we classify beginners because there are big differences of levels within people who have just started studying the language. Students should know what is English before they begin the process of learning. They should know that English differs from Spanish – as an example, because words are written in one way but they are pronounce in different ways. They should know adjectives are placed before a noun. Just imagine a teenager from Tokyo trying to read English the way they do in Japanese. As a conclusion, I think students need an overview of some basic concepts regarding English as a language, especially if they are going to do some writing, because it is a very simple word for all the elements it involves. In my opinion, it is one of the most difficult skill to learn and teach. Why? Because it implies different aspects such as syntax, grammar and mechanics (starting with the fact that many people- including me- think about these terms as synonyms), word choice, purpose, audience, the writer´s process and content. Writing process seems to be like driving your car in a highway; you have to be aware of many things at the same time, otherwise you may have some troubles.
I can say I am not the same teacher I was the first day I stepped at Centro Espiral Mana. Throughout these three weeks I have been a kind of silent witness of my own learning. I just compare myself as If I had read a book without reading it. It sounds weird, but that is true. I am having this knowledge because I experienced it myself. Now I know how it feels to be a learner and what it involves: fears, hinders, powerless, happiness and success. These three weeks also taught me how to become a better teacher or at least try to be a good one in terms of plan my lesson thinking not in me as a teacher but in my students. Also, I acquired important tools to help students in the process of learning English. For example, the MFU framework, which is a way to anticipate possible problems and be ready to act. Action points are just a key to unlock a world of investigation in the classroom. We could write a book based on action points and how they help teacher improve their teaching styles, but more important what they can do regarding learners´ improvement. Also, the ECRIF and DAPA framework and their different stages. I think they are crucial to help students improve their skills. But nothing can be well done without reflection. It puts all of them together to make sense. I cannot wait to go back to my high school and start putting all this knowledge into practice. I can stop now, look back and say that these three weeks I have spent here really worth it.

My Writing Module

Great way to learn how to teach writing and all the elements involved. I got great ideas how to teach writing. Also, determine the criteria to evaluate writing.

Reading Module: Monday November 16th, 2009

I remember the first day I stepped on this place and Mary shared some details of the S.I.T TESOL Course. I was so excited and I just remember her saying "Experienced teacher judge themselves a lot". Today, I could understand Why?
I was in the Reading Module Class. An This was my experience as a learner:

We were asked to read a letter. It was written in Russian. I have never had any kind of contact with that language. I felt as a beginner. I just could understand some numbers, puctuation marks and the format. Then, I was asked to read the same piece of writing but in Italian. This time I felt better but, I did not understand a lot. I just identified some cognates, more puctuation marks, and very global ideas infered from the cognates.
Later, I had the chance to read the letter in English. There were some idioms I could not understand. I really understood the whole text once I had the change to read it in my own native language.
It was really hard. I felt really bad when I could not understand anything in Russian.
Then, our trainer told us to think about how to teach according to the levels based on the strategies we had listed - FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE AS STUDENTS- Wordless! I had to cry! How unfair I had been to my students. How many students felt like I did! It definitely made me think about it. I have been teaching for 9 years, but today I learned something that is going to change my life as a teacher. I hope I can also change my students lives.

At Centro Espiral Maná November 2009