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REFLECTIONS ON THE LEARNING UNIT “STILL FRIENDS” AND THE RESEARCH PROJECT “GAMES IN L2”. MASTER OF SECONDARY EDUCATION. María Jesús Horno Graus Tutor: Mª Pilar González Vera MODALIDAD A SEPTEMBER 2012 TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 1 INDEX 1.INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 2 1.1. WHY TO BE A TEACHER? WHY TO STUDY THE DEGREE MASTER? . 2 1.2. OVERVIEW OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE MASTER .................................... 3 2.JUSTIFICATION .......................................................................................................... 7 3.REFLECTION ............................................................................................................... 8 3.1. INVESTIGATION PROJECT: GAMES IN THE L2 CLASSROOM .............. 9 3.2. LEARNING UNIT: STILL FRIENDS? .......................................................... 11 3.3. HOW THE LEARNING UNIT AND THE RESEARCH PROJECT ARE LINKED. ..................................................................................................................... 14 4.CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE. ........................................................................................................................................ 16 4.1. CONCLUSIONS AFTER THE MASTER ...................................................... 16 4.2. FUTURE PROPOSALS .................................................................................. 17 APPENDIXES ................................................................................................................ 20 DOCUMENTAL REFERENCES : ................................................................................ 33 GAMES IN THE L2 CLASSROOM PROJECT LEARNING UNIT: STILL FRIENDS? TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 2 1. INTRODUCTION A truly special teacher is very wise, and sees tomorrow in every child's eyes. ~Author Unknown 1.1. WHY TO BE A TEACHER? WHY TO STUDY THE DEGREE MASTER? As I studied EGB, BUP, and COU, I studied English as second language all those years. So when I decided to study a university degree, I thought I would not have any problem to study English Philology due to all the years I had studied that language. At first, I did not think to be a teacher, I wanted to have a degree and improve my knowledge in this language. However, I got to university and I noticed that I was not able to speak or write in English. When I was young, English classes were implemented in Spanish and my generation did not have the opportunity to watch TV in English, to chat in English or to listen to real language on the internet. Travelling to an English-speaking country was very expensive and only few families could afford the expenses. After three year at university, I had to change from the “old” study plan to a “new” one. The “old” plan had a lot of common subjects with the rest of Philologies, mainly with Spanish Philology, whereas the “new” plan was mainly focused on the study of English language. I consider the change was necessary and reasonable. Nevertheless, the change was a new handicap to me, due to the fact that my classmates were much more qualified than me. I do not think that I have had bad teachers, because, in fact, they made me love English language. I only think that it was not the right method to learn a second language. It was there when I started to be a teacher. I wanted new generations not to have the same problems as I had had. Ten years ago, I started to work as an English teacher in a non-formal language school and I work there since then. I have learnt all these years a lot. And I have lived a lot of experiences, which have reinforced my vocation for teaching. I believe that teaching is a job that demands a sense of vocation, and I am lucky to pursue my vocation as a teacher. After about eight years teaching, I began wondering whether I was doing well or I was fossilized. Then I decided to study this Master. I knew that it would be quite hard to work and study at the same time. However, I could not imagine that it would be as hard as it has been. Actually, I thought several times about giving the Master up, others if I would be able to pass it and even about my vocation as a teacher. Now, when the master is almost finished, I can consider that the Master has been a positive experience. I have learnt more than I expected in the whole areas of life, both professionally and personally. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 3 Personally, this master has given me the opportunity to understand how important it is to have the support of your people. Besides, I have known a lot of new peers who are my friends now and who encouraged me to keep on working on those difficult days. Professionally, this master has given me some useful tools to improve my teaching. In the first term of the master course, I learnt the importance of laws that regulates teaching inside and outside the classroom and the personal and psychological aspects of teaching in general. On the other hand, in the second term, we worked more specifically on how to create and implement activities to teach English as a second language. 1.2. OVERVIEW OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE MASTER “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people” Chinese Proverb. The Master is divided into five different modules. Each module reflects a part in the teaching-learning process. Every part seems independent at first but all of them are important to educate people. 1.2.1. Module 1: CONTEXTO DE LA ACTIVIDAD DOCENTE. My education was interrupted only by my schooling” -Winston Churchill (1874-1965) The subject of this module, El Contexto Social y Familiar del Proceso Educativo. El Centro Educativo: organización, proyectos y actividades, showed me the different organizations that form an educational institution. Although there is a hierarchy, all the members are, and each member is equally important in order that an educational institution runs well. While my Practicum I placement in EOI in Utebo, I analysed the different files that regulate the school. In spite of being different, both a high school and an official language school are regulated in a quite similar way. Moreover, students have less decision power in the board of governors at the EIO in Utebo than in a high school. I was quite surprised that almost all the teachers have a role in the school organization chart (APPENDIX I). Formal meetings are less frequent than in a big high school or in a big official language school, because communication flows constantly among the different bodies, as EOI Utebo is a small school. However, my peers and I had the opportunity to be present at one of these meetings and it was very interesting to observe how the different organization members took decisions and how the heads of the different organizations had to defend their position to do the best for the school. 1.2.2. Module 2: INTERACCIÓN Y CONVIVENCIA EN EL AULA. “Experience fails to teach where there is no desire to learn.” - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) This module has to do with psychology. It was very interesting for me because it was the first time in my life I study people’s behaviour. Although I am not a psychologist, the subjects of this module introduced me some knowledge about psychology, for TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 4 example, what a group leader is, different group leader roles, observation as tool, “happiness”, positive thinking, emotional education, etc. I attended to two subjects from this module 2: Psicología y desarrollo de la personalidad Tutoría y orientación Dinámica del grupo en el aula and Educación emocional en el profesorado. The former taught me how to face the problems I could find in a classroom. Adolescence is a difficult age, we feel lost; our body and our mind suffer changes constantly and we do not feel the control of anything that happens. So adolescents usually express themselves in many different ways and some of these ways is through violence, lack of concentration, moody behavior, etc. I think that teachers should be aware of these changes in order to avoid some conflicts. I would rather observe before trying to solve a conflict. I would like to recommend Tiempos de Transformación by Izcowich (2005). This book introduces parents and educators in the understanding of a crucial stage in the development of their children and students, which takes place between 12 and 15 years, proposing a series of guidelines and guidance that enable better relations with them. Besides in this subject, I also learnt different theories in the interaction process. We studied a summary of one chapter from Berkowitz’s A survey of Social Psychology. The chapter is an introduction to work in groups and work groups. For me, his ideas about leadership and the leaders are very interesting. Educación emocional en el profesorado, in turn, teaches teaching students to look for a psychological balance in order to sympathize with their future students. In order to teach, teachers should be educated emotionally as we have been educated in other skills. I learnt that absolute happiness does not exist and that we have to learn to enjoy every happy moment we have. Personally, I have to learn to behave and think as happy people. Besides I consider that we, teachers, can motivate our students if we are motivated first. There is a very noteworthy article by Lorenzo (2003) about “burnout”. According to the article (APPENDIX II), “burnout” is the new illness of teachers. There are five steps in teaching. The first step is the teacher feels an enthusiasm; then the teacher fossilized; in the third step, the teacher feels frustrated and finds teaching as meaningless; in the fourth step the teacher wants to do too much things and he or she feels apathy; and finally, the teacher feels burnout, so the teacher feels tired physically, emotionally and cognitively and in some cases teachers have to stop teaching. Another concept that I started to study in this subject was the Pygmalion effect. I think that the Pygmalion effect is a very fascinating concept. Rosenthal and Jacobson talked about this effect for the first time in the book Pygmalion in the classroom (1968). In 1965 the authors conducted an experiment in a public elementary school, telling teachers that certain children could be expected to be “growth sputters,” based on the students' results on the Harvard Test of Inflected Acquisition. In point of fact, the test was nonexistent and those children designated as “sputters” were chosen at random. What Rosenthal and Jacobson hoped to determine by this experiment was the degree (if any) to which changes in teacher expectation produce changes in student achievement. And it is clear that teacher expectation does produce changes in student achievement. So, in my opinion, a teacher must expect the best of his or her students to get the best of them. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 5 As it is seen, the subjects in this module are mostly based on adolescent students. Since my placement took place in the EOI, I did not have the opportunity of fulfilling the new learnt knowledge with the students. Nonetheless, I have tried to handle some of these acquaintances on myself and I have to say that some of them have simplified a bit more my life even though I have to keep working on them. 1.2.3. Module 3: EL PROCESO DE APRENDIZAJE. “Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty” Albert Einstein (1879-1955) In this module, I learnt diverse teaching-learning patterns, mainly those which are based on interaction and communication processes as way of motivation. The subject took the Curriculum of Aragon as keystone to develop the curricular elements in the teaching-learning process. The teachers of this subject explained in great detail all the basic sections in a didactic unit; in other words, they described the competences, objectives, contents, evaluation in the teaching-learning process, interdisciplinarity as tactic in the acquisition of the basic competences; the use of ITC in the teaching-learning process; attention to diversity; tasks and organization; and didactic resources. The worthiest points for my future teaching are tasks and organization and evaluation. Even Spanish education is organized by homogeneous groups by ages, it cannot be said that those groups are homogeneous at all. We can find as many different levels in a class group as students in the class. Consequently, we have to organize our students in various styles resting on the task and the purpose. If we bear in mind the task and the purpose, students will obtain a great success in working in homogeneous groups, heterogeneous groups, in pairs, or individually. So as to that success, we have to know our students (what I consider is one of the drilling ideas in the Master). Now I also know that there are many different ways to assess and evaluate. I can apply diverse types of tests and assessments depending on what I want to assess and the time I have. I have also found out that assessment is as important for teacher as for students who are able to become conscious of their progress in the learning process. In my view, this module is one of the most relevant in the master since we have to make several didactic units this year and we will have to make even more in the future. As a result, it is essential that all the concepts must be clear. 1.2.4. Module 4: DISEÑO CURRICULAR EN LA ESPECIALIDAD “Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child.” - Charles Handy (b.1932) Social Philosopher & Management Consultant Module 4 consists of two subjects: Diseño curricular de las asignaturas de las especialidades de Lenguas Extranjeras and La comunicación oral en Lengua Inglesa. Curricular design of second languages subjects was implemented in the first term. We had to design an Annual Syllabus according to the Curriculum of Aragon 1 . The syllabus 1 ORDEN de 9 de mayo de 2007, del Departamento de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, por la que se aprueba el currículo de la Educación secundaria obligatoria y se autoriza su aplicación en los centros docentes de la Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón. BOA 1/06/07 TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 6 contained twelve learning units apart from the general context, general contents, general objectives, attention to diversity, evaluation, as well as the specific contents, objectives, activities, attention to diversity and evaluation in each learning unit. Personally, I was not able to contextualize to the level and context in the Practicum because I considered that I would learn quite more if I designed an Annual Syllabus for a Secondary group. Oral Communication of English Language was a subject in the second term. In the learning units that I had designed in the first term, I had included pronunciation in the contents and objectives of those learning units. However, I had not known how important pronunciation is in the teaching-learning process. In addition, pronunciation helps people to understand correctly the message. Pronunciation is more than phonemes and phonetic symbols; pronunciation has to do with stress, intonation, and discourse analysis, pragmatics and so on. I have also learnt that there are different activities from listening and repetition which I can use and adapt to teach pronunciation. I designed two dissimilar lessons. The first lesson was designed for teaching phonetic sounds and the second lesson was designed for teaching suprasegmentals. Both lessons were designed in pairs and then we implemented one of the activities by one in the lessons to a group of peers. I like the way this subject has been implemented. Firstly, I, as a student, knew what I had to do, how to do it, when to do it and why; and I am very pleased to the teacher because I have felt that the Master would rather be better organized many times, however, this subject is excellently organized and I felt that I was doing something meaningful. Secondly, even I had to work hard to pass the subject, the work was progressive and for an untidy person as me, this eases up of work at the end of the term. And finally, it has roused interest on me and I will give pronunciation a further importance in my teaching. 1.2.5. Module 5: DISEÑO Y DESARROLLO DE ACTIVIDADES DE APRENDIZAJE EN LA ESPECIALIDAD “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important,, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs (1955-2011) Module 5 consists of three subjects: Fundamentos de diseño instruccional y metodologías de aprendizaje en la especialidad de Lenguas Extranjeras, implemented in the first term; Diseño, organización y desarrollo de actividades para el aprendizaje del Inglés and Recursos didácticos para la enseñanza de lengua extranjera – Inglés, implemented in the second term. Basics of proceeding design and teaching methodologies in second languages explained briefly different methods and proceedings throughout history. We also had to design a learning unit in groups which we had to show in class. This was the first time in the Master I had to work in group and I had to admit that it was really difficult, since we knew neither each other nor our working habits. Nonetheless, the result was enough satisfactory and in the end we learnt a lot from the others. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 7 “Didactic resources to teach in English language” is my optional subject in the second term. The subject is based on CLIL and it dealt with what CLIL is, how significant interdepartmental work is and the adaptations teachers should do to teach a subject in a second language. In the subject, we designed and implemented an activity, which allowed us to be on the students’ side and learnt about science, history, art, biology, geography, etc. in English. It was a curious experience. In my opinion, Design, Organization and Development of Activities to learn English is a key subject in the Master. I have acquired a lot of knowledge and practical ideas that I will certainly use in my future as a teacher. Personally, I learnt an enormous amount of activities which I have already implemented and I will continue implementing in my teaching. The theory has been very clear and well-organized, but in my opinion, the best has been the practice because as a Chinese proverb says: "I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." 1.2.6. Module 6: EVALUACIÓN, INNOVACIÓN E INVESTIGACIÓN EN LA ESPECIALIDAD "I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think." - Socrates Evaluación e innovación docente e investigación educativa en Inglés is the subject of this module 6. After reading and working with some samples of innovation and investigation, we carried out a research in our teaching placement and then we reached the conclusion about it. The research was carried out in groups. I have chosen the research as one of the project to justify later on. I would like to say that although I found the research really stimulating, we would need more time to ensue truly reliable results, my peers and I did our best and I am very proud of our research. 2. JUSTIFICATION “A man should first direct himself in the way he should go. Only then should he instruct others.” - Buddha (1869-1948) Among all the subjects I studied during the master, there are two of them which I have a special interest to talk about. As I said before, one of the subjects in the Module 5 was “Design, Organization and Development of Activities to learn English”. I think that this is one of the most important and useful subjects in the Master. In this subject I had to develop a learning unit. This learning unit was implemented during the Practium II placement. However, there are some sessions which I could not implement in class due to the lack of time. The learning unit includes certain knowledge acquired along the Master, such as how a learning unit must be coherent in contents, objectives and evaluation taken into account the Curriculum of Aragon. In addition, to be a good learning unit, it TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 8 must contain all the different macroskills, that is, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading and writing since a communicative approach. Writing was an especial challenge to me. As it can be seen, the textbook section I should use does not have any reference about writing skills. So that I had to find a topic related to the unit, to try to be coherent with the objectives of the EOI Annual Programme, and also to look for some activities which students could find interesting, useful and motivating for their learning process. Thanks to what I had learnt in class, I believe that I passed this challenge successfully and then I would like to present it in this section. On the other hand, I would like to talk about a research project. This project was carried out in Module 6 in the “Investigation, Research and Evaluation subject”. I had not considered that a teacher could be a researcher before attending to Investigation, Research and Evaluation class. I had thought that these kinds of projects were made by professors. However, I have found out that this kind of project is a good way so that teachers do not become fossilized. The project that three of my peers and I decided to investigate, research and evaluate was “Games in L2 classroom”. When we were proposed to bring about a project, we started to be interested in the reasons why teachers gave up using games as a resource for teaching at certain ages. We began to wonder ourselves whether games are used in class and we were wrong or they are not used; if so, do students think games are a waste of time; and how do students feel playing games. In short, should teachers use games to teach English as a second language when students are not children? We got some interesting results as you can see in the project and I would like to explain the process in detail, bellow, in section 3.1 and in the project itself in appendixes. 3. REFLECTION "Men learn while they teach." - Lucius A. Seneca (ca. 4 BC – AD 65) The projects I have chosen to study in this section are my Investigation Project Games in the L2 classroom, my Learning Unit STILL FRIENDS? and my experiences while on teaching practice. I have chosen this didactic unit because I think it contains most of the knowledge I have acquired in the Master. On the other hand, I have chosen the Investigation Project because I think that Games in the L2 classroom shows interesting results, which I think they will be relevant for my future teaching. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 15 themselves look fools. So games are the best way to become inhibited and to break a tense atmosphere as at the beginning of a lesson. I thought that the atmosphere would be even more tensed because I was a new teacher for them. Due to that, I started my lessons with a game based on something which they had done before. Playing ‘DIE’ stopped feeling nervous both students and me. Meanwhile students were more motivated and they were really surprised; then they were expectant for the next activity. Besides, even we did not mention in our research, games could be a good timing-controlled for teachers, i.e. some games like ‘DIE’ can be controlled by a timer as part of the game so teachers control the time that the activity should last, which facilitates planning the class. Another game I planned to do in both learning unit and research project was the ‘Impossible word’. Again the game had a clear function; this time was used to introduce new vocabulary. Maybe I should not play two games in a row. Nevertheless these two games were those which the students in my placement in Utebo found the most interesting according to the Reaction Paper I handed out at the end of the session. When I have said that I should not have planned two games one after the other, I have been thinking about the possibility that students could have felt that they were wasting their time. However, I noticed that they acquired the vocabulary better than when did vocabulary exercises like filling in the gaps or the BBC quiz activity. Apart from all this, I want to highlight the fact that I adapted all the games as El-Shanny (2001) recommended in Training Games. In the previous activity, it can be seen that I adapted a TV show using vocabulary words from the unit. In addition, I adapted ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, too. All the questions in the game were taken from the unit. In this way, I gave games a purpose for learners (revision, vocabulary presentation and assessment depending on the game). Providing a purpose is the main argument to support games in L2 classroom. If you give a purpose to the game, students do not feel they are wasting their time or that games are used by teacher to fill/spend time. Some comments of my students are that they learn better with games because: - They have fun while they are learning. - They have to use all macroskills at the same time and they have to do it fast; so their brain has to work faster too. - They assess their learning process by themselves, I meant, games are some kind of assessment for learners because they are aware of their learning. - They receive immediate feedback from the teacher but also from the game when they win a point or a game. - Finally, errors or mistakes are minimized because they are part of the game. Although the students normally practiced several macroskills at the same time, what it is true is that most of them noticed they were practicing spoken interaction although none of the games were planned to practice that skill. One of the most surprising results from the questionnaire was the answer for Question 10. Even though I planned games to review grammar skill, to present vocabulary and to assess their learning, none of the TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 16 students considered that they had practiced all skills but some of them gave more than one option. However, all of them answered, at least as their unique option, that they had practiced spoken interaction. 4. CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” - Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Attending to this Master has made this year one of the most difficult and stressful ever. It could be thought to be because I had to work and study at the same time. And in some way, it could be true. Nevertheless, this year has been too much difficult for other reasons, too. 4.1. CONCLUSIONS AFTER THE MASTER “The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.” - Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790 My conclusions after the Master have been changing with the time. First of all, I thought that the Master was another way to call the previous C.A.P. (Teachers’ Adaptation Course) but it does not have much to do with it. As I saw some years ago, when I started to attend to C.A.P., it was merely a bureaucratic procedure, whereas this Master is a really extensive procedure. I think that there is a huge amount of information to be assimilated in a very short period of time. I do not think that the solution should be prolonged the academic year; in my opinion, the Master would rather focus on the practice than on the theory. Practicums should be extended and then future teachers could have the opportunity to face up to classroom reality instead of knowing them through other teachers or lecturers’ experiences. On the other hand, one of the things I have learnt in the Master is that a teacher must be well organized. However, I was very surprised the lack of organization in the Master. For example, in the first weeks we did not know our timetable or some lecturers, lecturers sometimes asked for activities at the last time, even they thought these activities were easy they did not realized if students had other activities to hand in. This disorganization makes students feel anxious and insecure and unease the learning process. I would also like to highlight the fact that Practicums should be linked better with some subjects. What I mean is that there are some projects and information and which are not able to be implemented in some Practicum placement. As I have learnt during the Master, we all are different, and there are different realities; students in the Master should learn and face up to as many realities as possible and we should be ready to work in as many realities as possible. I have noticed that it is not the same to work in an EOI TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 17 or in a secondary school. So why do students in the Master not have the opportunity of working in both places? Apart from all this, I have honestly learnt a lot in the Master. Not only did I learn as teacher but also did I learn as person. Even I sometimes thought that I should not be a teacher, now I have realized how beautiful this job is. I have more energy and illusion to teach. Besides I have learnt a great amount of resources to motivate my future students as well as the importance of being open to new technologies, ideas and ways of teaching. At the same time, I have learnt how important it is to bear in mind that nobody learns in the same way so we have to adapt our activities and way of teaching to different learning process. Personally, this Master has made me think about myself and question my way of teaching. And even I have to improve many things day by day, now I can say that being a teacher is my real vocation. I enjoy teaching and teaching is what I would like to do in my future. 4.2. FUTURE PROPOSALS "Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself." - Chinese Proverb During the Master I have wondered several times what a good teacher is. Lehmann (2003) wrote an interesting article about the qualities that a good teacher has to have. For Lehmann, a good teacher should always bear in mind his or her passion for teaching. For me, this passion does not mean to jump or become a clown but passion could be shown in a quiet way, as Lehmann (2003) says “some of the best teachers I've known have had a passion that students had to be quiet to catch onto” and I agree with that. Lehmann (2003) said that a good teacher has to love kids. I think it is not love for kids but we must consider the needs and interests of our students. We have to worry about learners and see them as individuals and teach them as individuals. Some teachers talk about their love for their subject but they do not mention their students. I think those teachers see their students as mere furniture in the classroom when they should be the most important for a teacher. Teachers must also love the subject they teach. If we like our subjects we will be interested in finding new ideas or research to transmit it. Additionally, Lehmann (2003) stated “Great teachers not only love their subject, but they love to share that joy with students”. I could not agree more with it. It is not just important that you love your subject; teachers have to transmit this enthusiasm to students and try them to love the subject, too. Furthermore, teachers must bear in mind that the secondary school is more than the sum of the classes the kids have. It is a time to grow, explore, try on identities, and find joys that might just last a lifetime. Sometimes the best teaching we do happens outside the classroom. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 18 One of the most significant things I have learnt in this Master is that I must have a willingness to change. This one gets overlooked sometimes, I think. If you expect students to be changed by their interaction with you, it has to be a two-way street. Personally, I always think that I have to be flexible. I have learnt by experience that I might have been preparing a lesson for hours, and suddenly in class I found out that students need something different from your planning lesson at that time. Or I create what I consider an ideal activity and while I implement it in class, it does not work. So the best you can do is to change your plan. This does not mean teachers do not have to plan their lessons, we must do. This means that we must be willing to change our plans if circumstances require doing it. I think organization is important to learners. Organization makes the students feel that the teacher has everything under control and this gives students and teachers selfconfidence in the teaching-learning process. Students should know what to expect and teachers can still be creative and spontaneous and interesting. Another point I will bear in mind is that teaching is a hard, draining job that will demand all that you can give sometimes. Society, in general, believes that teachers’ life is easy and we are lazy. People only think we work some hours a day and we have lots of holidays. However, I do not know a teacher who works only the hours allocated by the average teacher’s contract. All the teachers I have met put in hours well above and beyond the contract. Even I have to find time for myself, I must also be willing to work more hours than the time I will spend in the classroom. Teaching requires a willingness to cast a critical eye on your practice, your pedagogy and yourself too. This is one of the new things I learnt in this master course. I should assess not only my students, but also myself. I have to learn to be more critical with my work, which does not mean to pay attention all the time to the bad things. I have to analyse the good and the bad things on my teaching. For this, I think a good tool to reflect on my teaching is the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages. The EPOSTL will help me to be aware of my weakest points. I must also understand that being a “great teacher” is a constant struggle to always improve. I have just finished my tenth year as a teacher. I’m pretty proud of what I have accomplished, and I think I have had some moments of great teaching in my career so far, but I also still see all the holes in my teaching - sadly, often times mirroring holes in myself - and I still want to get better because I think I have got a long way to go to be a great teacher every day. And even if I get better at everything I see as weaknesses now, I can only imagine what new challenges will face me on that day. On the contrary, as in other sides in life, we have good days and bad days at work. The tough days will leave you fed up, convinced that you cannot teach or the world is too hard for these students or the work is too much or whatever the problem was that day... you have to have enough sense of self to survive those days. And I realized that even you have enough “ego”, it is not sometimes enough. Then the most important is to be surrounded by a great group of work and good friends. For that, I will have a willingness to work collaboratively. Teachers are part of a school community, and even where that community can be flawed (and lots of schools are), a great teacher should be willing to work to make the community a better place. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 19 Since the beginning of the Master course, all the teachers have repeatedly insisted on the necessity of work collaboratively among us. I have to admit that I was not used to working in groups. In my previous teaching years, I tried to help my colleagues as much as I could but that is not to work collaboratively. At the beginning it was very difficult, we did not know each other, we had different interests, motivations, responsibilities and ways of working and I sometimes disappointed with collaborative work. However, now I think that collaborative work is the best way of working for teachers. I consider I have learnt more than expected from every peer I work this year, even I have only worked with some peer in one activity in one session. So I convince how my teaching can improve in the future if I work collaboratively. Although it could seem contradictory with the quality of having enough “ego”, a good teacher has to have enough humility to remember it is not about you. You have to be self-confident of your vocation but if your ego rules your classroom, if the class turns into “me versus them” or if you cannot understand that a sixteen year-old student might be able to tell you something you do not know, then I should not teach. I wish I could say that I was good at all these things. I wish I could say that I even knew every place I needed to improve. Notwithstanding, the Master has aroused me from wondering how to be a better teacher in the future. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 20 APPENDIXES TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 21 APPENDIX I TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 22 APPENDIX II TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 23 APPENDIX III TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus 24 APPENDIX IV TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus - 31 - Romans / ˈrəʊmənz / Special / ˈspeʃl / Used / ˈjuːst / v mod Most / məʊst / Person / məʊst / Votes / vəʊts / Was / wɒz / Exiled / ˈeksaɪld / Sent /sent/ Slaves / ˈsleɪvz / Years / jɜːz / Some / sʌm / Towns / taʊnz / So / səʊ / Jams / ʤæmz / Vehicles /ˈviːɪklz / Times / taɪmz / Class / klɑːs / Flats /flæts / Kitchens /ˈkɪʧɪnz / Bathrooms / ˈbɑːθruːmz / Use / juːz / verbo transitivo Bars / bɑːz / Houses / ˈhaʊzɪz / Sun / sʌn / hours / ˈaʊəz / Saturnalia / ˌsætəˈneɪlɪə / Holidays / ˈhɒlədeɪz / Christmas / ˈkrɪsməs / Citizens / ˈsɪtɪzənz / Serve / sɜːv / something /ˈsʌmθɪŋ / Sacrifice / ˈsækrɪfaɪs / Toys / tɔɪz / As /æz / Sign / saɪn / Beds / bedz / Sitting /ˈsɪtɪŋ / Considered / kənˈsɪdəd / Specify sub-skills SS will practice: Aural discrimination of consonant sounds. How will you integrate the skills work and language work? Using a text to practice grammar we will identify, discriminate and practice the sounds of the words from the text. Stage aims Procedure Timing Interaction pattern To set the context 4. The teacher shows students the phonetic chart projected on the board. 2’ T-S To listen for aural discrimination 4.a. The teacher plays the CD with the sounds /s/ and /z/. 4.b. Teacher models an example of each sound and students repeat. 3’ T-S TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus - 32 - First activity: To give instructions. To listen for aural discrimination. Students in pairs read aloud different words containing the sounds /s/ and /z/ and find a way from Start to Finish. 5’ S-S Second activity: To give instructions To identify the sounds /s/ and /z/. Feedback: Teacher hands out a text. 1. Students will have to identify and underline the sounds /s/ and /z/working in pairs. 2. Students take turns to read the words aloud while the teacher classifies the words in two different columns /s/ and /z/. 3. Once they decided if the facts are true or false, read them aloud to check their answer. The teacher must pay special attention in how they pronounce /s/ and /z/ and correct mispronunciation. 5’ 10’ 10’ T-S S-S T-S T-S Third activity: Follow Up To introduce a tongue-twister. To create a tongue-twister 4. Teacher models a tongue-twister containing the sounds /s/ and /z/. 5. In groups of four, students will have to create a tongue twister with words containing the sounds /s/ and /z/. 15’ T-S S-S Variations / Follow-up As the Follow-Up activity, we will use two tongues-twisters with the sounds /s/ and /z/, respectively. Later, students will have to create a tongue-twister using these two sounds. Tools for assessment As the lesson develops, we will be checking our students’ understanding by walking around the groups and monitoring them. To make sure our students get some extra practice we will invite them to use the following site: http://es.englishcentral.com/static/teacherregistration. This site will show us our students’ progress. As teachers we will reflect on what has been achieved and what needs to be reinforced in future lessons. TRABAJO FIN DE MÁSTER DE PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA OBLIGATORIA, BACHILLERATO, FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL Y ESCUELAS OFICIALES DE IDIOMAS Mª Jesús Horno Graus - 33 - DOCUMENTAL REFERENCES: WEBGRAPHY http://en.islcollective.com/ (23/03/2012) http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/index.php?/archives/8-What-makes-a-great- teacher.html(12/06/2012) http://www.superteachertools.com/millionaire/online/game1332713769.php (25/03/2012) http://thinkexist.com/quotations/teachers_and_teaching/ (15/06/2012) http://warmupsfollowups.blogspot.com.es/ (23/03/2012) http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/quotes.HTM (15/06/2012) BIBLIOGRAPHY Berkowitz, L. 1986. A Survey of Social Psychology.Rinehart Holt and Wiltson: New York. Izcowich, M. 2005. Tiempos de Transformación. Ed. Síntesis: Madrid. Leddan M. 2011. “Speaking Games”. Paper presented at TESOL. Madrid, March 11-13. Oxenden C. 2008. New English File Intermediate, Ed. Oxford University Press. Rosenthal, R. and L. Jacobson. 1968. Pygmalion in the classroom: teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. El-Shami, S. 2001. Training Games: Everything you Need to Know about Using Games to Reinforce Learning. Ed. Stylus: Sterling, Virginia. Ellis, R. 2008. Principles of Instructed Second Language Acquisition. CALdigest: Auckland. ORDEN de 9 de mayo de 2007, del Departamento de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, por la que se aprueba el currículo de la Educación secundaria obligatoria y se autoriza su aplicación en los centros docentes de la Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón. BOA 1/06/07 Authentic games in the L2 classroom Curso 2011-2012 Máster en Profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanzas de Idiomas, Artísticas y Deportivas Authors: Beatriz Calvo Elena Chacón Catherine Dolan Mª Jesús Horno - 1 - INDEX 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..2 2. PREVIOUS LITERATURE ON GAMES……………………………….3-6 3. GAMES IN OUR SCHOOLS´ TEXTBOOKS………………………….7-8 4. METHOD……………………………………………………....................9-12 4.1. PARTICIPANTS……………………………………….......9-11 4.2. INSTRUMENTS…………………………………………….12 5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION…………………………………………13-18 6. CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………..19-22 7. REFERENCES……………………………………………………………23 8. APPENDIX (SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRES)……………..24-39 2 1. INTRODUCTION In this study we will try to observe how genuine games are integrated in the L2 classroom. Firstly, we will look at games in three different textbooks (New English File Intermediate, Outcomes Intermediate, and New English Alive, all published by Oxford University Press). Secondly, we will introduce “genuine games” in our teaching and analyse how they work in the Official Language School of Utebo and in Ramón y Cajal, a Secondary School in Huesca. We have chosen this topic because we consider that authentic materials should be implemented in the L2 classroom, a principle set out in the Aragonese curriculum. As for the purpose of this research, we will try to demonstrate that textbooks do not offer real games at all but roleplay situations which are unreal in most cases. In addition, we believe that introducing a “genuine game” in the classroom would be a motivating experience for our students, the idea being that if they are having fun they will learn better. Finally, we will pass round a satisfaction survey among our students to collect data and reflect on the use of “genuine games” in a learning environment. We hope this experience helps us to improve future teaching and go some way to finding the value of games in the classroom. 3 2. PREVIOUS LITERATURE ON GAMES “You must train the children to their studies in a playful manner and without any air of constraint with the further object of discerning more readily the natural bent of their respective characters” said Plato (ca. 428 a. C. /427 a. C. – 347 a. C.). In other words, teachers must train their students in a relaxed and “close to life” atmosphere encouraging them to develop their own attitudes towards life. Following this trend, foreign language teaching has always been a source of debate. Throughout history, there have been many approaches and teaching methodologies in the study of second language acquisition. However, not all of them considered a communicative side of the target language. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand of communicating in a second language and most of the current teaching methods are based on the communicative approach. In this sense, games help teachers to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. Therefore, in the following statements we will focus on the reason why games are effective tools, the contributions that games can make, the way we can use them, at which level they can be put into practice, real games in everyday life, and how games contribute to create a good classroom atmosphere. After this first analysis, we will focus on the Communicative Approach and the Affective Filter Theory in order to support our ideas. 4 First of all, as we mentioned above, games help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. As A. Wright (1979: 1) suggests, students want to be part of the language lesson. In this sense, games give students the opportunity to initiate the communication, in contrast to teacher-fronted lessons. This is the main contribution that games can make in the L2 classroom. It is very important to take into account how we use these games in order to make them meaningful. We agree with A.Wright (1979:3), when he states: “it is essential to choose games which are appropriate to the class in terms of language and type of participation”. This links with our beliefs on using games for specific purposes, which implies being more specific about the type of games for which aspects of language learning. For instance, games for vocabulary acquisition, fluency development or specific grammar points. After carrying out exhaustive research, we noticed that most of the articles we found referred to games to be implemented with children or Primary students. However, we implemented games with both teenagers and adults and the results were satisfactory. This goes along with Wright’s thoughts on creating games according to the students’ level. On the other hand, games benefit from small group work and the interaction between students. We base our thoughts on the use of games in the L2 classroom on two well-known theories on second language acquisition: Krashen´s Affective Filter Theory and Motivation and Communicative approach respectively. 5 The term "affective filter" refers to the level of anxiety or frustration that a student experiences when confronted with a learning task. This anxiety may prevent a student from learning or accomplishing the learning task. If there is a high anxiety level, or high affective filter, a student may be unable to focus on learning. Under conditions that lower the affective filter, students can concentrate on the learning task and learn what is being taught. In this sense, teachers can provide “low affective filter” conditions during instructions incorporating games. One of the advantages of including games in the L2 classroom is that learners are motivated to use the language when they are in the game. Students get absorbed in the game because there is a feeling of competitiveness arising, which stimulates their interest and as a result they become willing to learn. Many teachers believe that competition should be avoided because there is always a winner and a loser. However, our experience tells us the opposite, as we will comment on in our conclusions. The use of games in the L2 classroom echoes many of the principles of another theory: the Communicative Approach. This is reflected in the use of games, because when you play a game with your students the understanding and use of the language is necessary, whereas the analysis of the language itself is not. Also, when playing a game another principle of communicative methodology arises because the teaching situation must be learner-centred. In addition, Communicative Language Teaching makes use of reallife situations that need communication. When introducing games in the 6 classroom, the teacher sets up a situation that students are likely to encounter in real life. In this sense, learners are often more motivated with this approach as they have an interest in what is being communicated. What is more, playing games students seem to learn new vocabulary or grammar structures quicker and better than in a usual classroom situation. 13 5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1. - How often do you watch quiz shows on TV? As we can see in this graphic, half of the students we asked sometimes watch quiz shows on TV. We can assume that they like watching them in their spare time, so quiz shows are not new for them. However, a large amount of students are not used to watching these kinds of TV programmes in their free time. They like doing something different. 2. - Do you like playing game versions of quiz shows at home? Our students play game versions of quiz shows at home from time to time, but we cannot consider this as a habit for them. 3. - How often do you play genuine games at home? As expected, we saw that as people grow up, they played games less frequently. However, we were extremely surprised that twelve-year-old NEVER 8% HARDLY EVER 39% SOMETIMES 50% EVERYDAY 3% NEVER HARDLY EVER SOMETIMES EVERYDAY 27 47 30 0 14 students mostly answered they never played games. We do not understand this result as we expected that students of this age would play as a way of interacting with others. 4. - Who do you usually play with? (Here you can choose more than one option) 15 The answer to this question does not depend on the age or the social level. Most of students play both with their families and their friends. Surprisingly, only 22 per cent of them play on computers. 5. - Which feeling arises when playing genuine games in your leisure time? (Here you can choose more than one option) Competitiveness and group spirit are the feelings which arise when they play. Furthermore, only a small group feels they are wasting their time. 6. - Which feeling arises when playing genuine games in class? (Here you can choose more than one option) 16 Contrary to what we had thought at first, first year PAB and third year ESO students considered games to be a waste of time. Meanwhile, very few adults considered it a waste of time when they were playing games in class. In general, all of them agreed that games encourage group spirit and competitiveness. 7. - Where do you prefer playing genuine games? We are not sure if the third year group can be taken as representative of their age, but they are largely against games in class. We have found it more interesting to compare the answers of both fourth year groups. As we can see in the graphic, group A prefers playing games both at home and in class whereas DD group mainly answer in class. This answer could be either misunderstanding the meaning of both or the vindication of games at school. It is also interesting to note that when we implemented games in our classes, we obtained the best response in 4th DD students. 17 8. - Were “genuine games” a worthwhile learning experience? Despite saying that they preferred playing games at home, the third-year- ESO students overwhelmingly found games worthwhile, as did both the fourth-year groups. 9. - How often would you include “genuine games” in your English classroom? The fourth-year diversification group, who responded better than any others in class, wanted to include games every day. Students at the EOI liked the idea of games and generally agreed they should be included regularly, perhaps once a week or once a month. 18 10. - Which skill do you think you practised playing “genuine games” in the classroom? (Here you can choose more than one option) It is interesting to see the students’ perception of the skills which were practised during the games sessions. Although all the games involved spoken interaction, students felt they were practising vocabulary most. How do you feel when playing a “genuine game” in class? This question was only asked in the First Intermediate group. Due to the fact that we adapted the questionnaire. This question appeared in the first 13% 39% 4% 14% 30% GRAMMAR VOCABULARY READING LISTENING SPOKEN INTERACTION 19 questionnaire. However, we would like to say that most of the students felt involved when they play games in class. Important factors to consider: not all the same games were played with each group. 1st and 2nd year PAB played Pelmanism/Memory and Taboo (adapted for their level). 3rd year ESO played a selection of board games, including Scrabble and Half Minute Topics. 4th year ESO played 20 Questions in teams. 4th year Diversification played team Pictionary (adapted for their vocabulary content). 6. CONCLUSIONS The following conclusions are based on our experiences in our teaching placements, which were IES Ramón y Cajal (Huesca) and EOI Utebo (Zaragoza). Firstly, we will explain the difference we found when implementing games with our students. Secondly, we will mention some of the advantages R. Ellis states when “doing small-group work and interaction” that 20 we can apply to games as well. Finally, we will conclude with two main proposals for future teaching. IES Ramón y Cajal Huesca vs. EOI Utebo: In the IES Ramón y Cajal, games were particularly successful with PAB and Diversification groups. These groups tend to be considered low-ability and less ‘academic’ students but by introducing games they were taken out of the usual routine and able to use different skills. We will remember this for our future teaching careers and if we find ourselves teaching these groups, we will try to use games whenever appropriate. Adult learners from EOI Utebo responded very well to games, although at the beginning we were afraid of their reactions. What is more, in general students seemed to learn new vocabulary or grammar structures quicker and better than in a usual classroom situation. As we mentioned above, R. Ellis states some advantages of working in small groups and we observed a clear relationship between his words and our teaching experience. One of these advantages is the fact that anxiety can be reduced; since games create a relaxed atmosphere and sometimes teachers need to plan some activities just for fun. Another positive aspect of group work is that group activities help students to become 21 independent learners because each of them has a responsibility within the group and at the same time working as part of a team enables them to get to know each other. Our proposals for future teaching will mainly be the following two: “Games are not just time-filling activities, but have great educational value”: We believe that games should be treated as central, not peripheral to the foreign language teaching syllabus, as we also believe in a student-centred classroom. Probably teachers use games as time fillers, because they think they take too long to prepare and they have no time to do that. However, new technologies make it easier for us and we encourage teachers to use games for revising, introducing a new topic or even to assess their students at the end of a learning unit. “Games are also equally valid learning tools for teaching teenagers and adults, but they need to have a specific didactic purpose”: 22 Games are more interesting than traditional language instruction. Course books rarely offer any games or ideas for real situations in the classroom, neither additional ideas for games in the teacher’s books. For classes that have motivation problems, such as PAB and Diversification, it would be beneficial to introduce a gaming situation because it will increase opportunities for learning. In the case of adults they need to know what the aims are and what they are learning when playing the game in order to appreciate the use of games in the classroom. Following these trends, our research tries to demonstrate that games have an educational value and that they can provide a meaningful context for language use. Surveys have been very useful tools to strengthen our beliefs, since they have provided us with real data of their habits and opinions about how they learn best. 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 - 4 - 2.2.4. Register differences; 2.2.5. Dialect and accent; 2.3. Pragmatic competences: 2.3.1. Discourse competence; 2.3.2. Functional competence; GENERAL OBJECTIVES Intermediate level students will be able to:  Have a sufficient range of language to describe unpredictable situations, explain the main points in an idea or problem with reasonable precision and express thoughts on abstract or cultural topics such as music and films.  Have enough language to get by, with sufficient vocabulary to express themselves with some hesitation and circumlocutions on topics such as family, hobbies and interests, work, travel, and current events, but lexical limitations cause repetition and even difficulty with formulation at times.  Have a sufficient vocabulary to express themselves with some circumlocutions on most topics pertinent to their everyday life such as family, hobbies and interests, work, travel, and current events.  Show good control of elementary vocabulary but major errors still occur when expressing more complex thoughts or handling unfamiliar topics and situation.  Communicate with reasonable accuracy in familiar contexts; generally good control though with noticeable mother tongue influence.  Errors occur, but it is clear what they are trying to express.  Use reasonably accurately a repertoire of frequently used ‘routines’ and patterns associated with more predictable situations.  Pronunciation is clearly intelligible even if a foreign accent is sometimes evident and occasional mispronunciations occur.  Can produce continuous writing which is generally intelligible throughout.  Spelling, punctuation and layout are accurate enough to be followed most of the time. - 5 -  Can perform and respond to a wide range of language functions, using their most common exponents in a neutral register.  Are - aware of the salient politeness conventions and acts appropriately.  Are aware of, and looks out for signs of, the most significant differences between the customs, usages, attitudes, values and beliefs prevalent in the community concerned and those of his or her own.  Can adapt their expression to deal with less routine, even difficult, situations.  Can exploit a wide range of simple language flexibly to express much of what they want.  Can intervene in a discussion on a familiar topic, using a suitable phrase to get the floor.  Can initiate, maintain and close simple face-to-face conversation on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.  Can reasonably fluently relate a straightforward narrative or description as a linear sequence of point.  Can link a series of shorter, discrete simple elements into a connected, linear sequence of points.  Can express themselves with relative ease. Despite some problems with formulation resulting in pauses and ‘cul-de-sacs’, they are able to keep going effectively without help.  Can keep going comprehensibly, even though pausing for grammatical and lexical planning and repair is very evident, especially in longer stretches of free production.  Can explain the main points in an idea or problem with reasonable precision.  Can convey simple, straightforward information of immediate relevance, getting across which point they feel is most important.  Can express the main point they want to make comprehensibly. - 6 - B1 GENERAL CONTENTS LISTENING Learners can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar, everyday subjects, provided there is an opportunity to get repetition or clarification sometimes. Learners can understand what is said to them in everyday conversations, but they sometimes need help in clarifying particular details. Learners can understand the main points of discussion on familiar topics in everyday situations when people speak clearly, but they sometimes need help in understanding details. Learners can follow clearly spoken, straightforward short talks on familiar topics. Learners can understand the main points in TV programmes on familiar topics when the delivery is relatively slow and clear. Learners can understand simple technical information, such as operating instructions for familiar types of equipment. READING Learners can understand the main points in straightforward factual texts on subjects of personal or professional interest well enough to talk about them afterwards. Learners can find and understand the information they need in brochures, leaflets and other short texts relating to my interests. Learners can understand the main points in short newspaper and magazine articles about current and familiar topics. Learners can follow simple instructions, for example for a game, using familiar types of equipment or cooking a meal. Learners can understand simplified versions of novels, and follow the story line in short stories with a clear structure, with some effort and regular use of a dictionary. Learners can understand private letters about events, feelings and wishes well enough to write back. - 7 - SPOKEN INTERACTION Learners can start, maintain and close simple face-to-face conversation on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Learners can express and respond to feelings and attitudes like surprise, happiness, sadness, interest and disinterest. Learners can give or seek personal opinions in an informal discussion with friends, agreeing and disagreeing politely. Learners can help to solve practical problems, saying what they think and asking others what they think. Learners can find out and pass on uncomplicated factual information. Learners can ask for and follow detailed directions. Learners can manage unexpected things that could happen on holiday, e.g. needing a dentist or getting a bike repaired. Learners can make arrangements on the telephone or in person, e.g. booking flights, hotels, rental cars, restaurants, cinemas, etc. Learners can have simple telephone conversations with people they know. SPOKEN PRODUCTION Learners can give descriptions on a variety of familiar subjects related to their interests. Learners can talk in detail about my experiences, feelings and reactions. Learners can briefly explain and justify their opinions. Learners can give a short prepared presentation on a very familiar area (e.g. “My country”) and answer clear questions. Learners can relate the main content of short texts they have read. WRITTEN PRODUCTION Learners can write short, comprehensible connected texts on familiar subjects. Learners can write simple texts about experiences or events, for example about a trip, describing their feelings and reactions. - 8 - Working to a standard format, learners can write very brief reports which pass on routine factual information on matters relating to their field. Learners can write emails, faxes or text messages to friends or colleagues, relating news and giving or asking for simple information. Learners can write a short formal letter asking for or giving simple information. STRATEGIES Learners can ask someone to clarify or elaborate what they have just said. Learners can repeat back part of what someone has said to confirm that they understand each other. When the students can’t think of a word, they can use a word meaning something similar and invite “correction” from the person they are talking to. Learners can ask for confirmation that a form is correct and correct some basic mistakes if they have time to do so. QUALITY OF LANGUAGE Learners know enough vocabulary to talk about their family, hobbies and interests, work, travel, news and current events. When learners explain something, they can make the other person understand the points that are most important to them. Learners can link a series of short phrases into a connected, sequence of points. Learners can express themselves reasonably accurately in familiar, predictable situations. Learners can keep a conversation going, but sometimes have to pause to plan and correct what they are saying. Learners can use simple expressions politely in a neutral way in everyday situations. CONTEXTUALIZATION: FIRST INTERMEDIATE GROUP IN THE EIO IN UTEBO The learning unit will be implemented in a first Intermediate group. This group attends to class in the mornings on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sessions are from 9.45 a.m. to 12.00 with a break of around 10 minutes in the middle of each session. - 9 - There are enrolled thirty students, which is the maximum number in an EIO group. From them, around twenty-six of them attend to class regularly. All students are adults. However, the group is not homogeneous. By age, learners are from 20 to 70 years old. There are about nine students who are from twenty to twenty-six years old. Eight students are from thirty to forty-five. And five students are from fifty-five to seventy. Due to their different generations, it is obvious learners have different interest and goals. Young students learn at the Official Language School because they want to obtain the B1 certificate in order to get a job or improve their present one. Whereas retired students want to learn a second language so as to travel or to acquire new knowledge of that language just for pleasure. As adults, there are not problems with their behaviour. Besides, students are motivated to learn the language. However, moving them from the comfort zone is a challenge for the teacher. They have created learning routine, based on the traditional method of learning, and it is quite difficult to change it to another method of teaching. On the other hand, students have lower speaking level than Intermediate, so they change to their L1 frequently. However, they usually do their grammar, reading, vocabulary and writing tasks at home, even I have observed that some of them do exercises at home before being taught in class. There is a student that could require special attention. This seventy year-old man has hearing problems, but he uses a hearing aid. He is also very shy and he has low-esteem when he speaks in English. ORGANIZATION OF LEARNING UNIT The learning unit is organized in three sessions of two hours each session. In EOI in Utebo class time takes two hours a day every two days. This group attends class on Mondays and Wednesday in the mornings. They use New English File Intermediate as the textbook in class. This textbook will be used as a guide to organize the learning unit, although I will use other materials in order to complete, reinforce and review the unit contents. - 10 - The sessions are divided into macroskills as follows: SESSION 1 SESSION 2 SESSION 3  Vocabulary  Speaking  Listening  Reading  Grammar  Listening  Pronunciation  Listening  Writing LEARNING UNIT OF WORK CONTRIBUTION TO THE KEY COMPETENCES As I said before, Fundamental Law (LOE, Ley Orgánica 2/2006, 3rd May, de Educación) stated, in its Chapter VII Title I, teaching of languages as special teaching regime is implemented in the Official Language Schools, establishing in its articles 59, 60, 61 and 62 the curricula established by this Fundamental Law are in keeping with the European Council principles. Based on the B1 competences, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR), this learning unit mainly contributes to the following key competences: 1. General competences 1.2 Skills and know-how: 1.1.1. Practical skills and know-how; 1.4 Ability to learn: 1.4.1 Language and communication awareness; 1.4.2 General phonetic awareness and skills; 1.4.3 Study skills; 2. Communicative language competences 2.1 Linguistic competences: 2.1.1 Lexical competence; - 11 - 2.1.2 Grammatical competence; 2.1.3 Semantic competence; 2.1.4 Phonological competence; 2.1.5 Orthographic competence; 2.1.6 Orthoepic competence. 2.2 Sociolinguistic competence 2.2.1 Linguistic markers of social relations; 2.3 Pragmatic competences: 2.3.1 Discourse competence; 2.3.2 Functional competence; Although some other competences could be involved while the unit is implemented, these are the key competences in this unit. OBJECTIVES At the end of the unit, students will be able to:  Have enough language to get by, with sufficient vocabulary to express themselves with some hesitation and circumlocutions on topics such as family, interests, and current events, but lexical limitations cause repetition and even difficulty with formulation at times.  Have a sufficient vocabulary to express themselves with some circumlocutions on most topics pertinent to themselves everyday life such as family, interests, and current events.  Show good control of elementary vocabulary but major errors still occur when expressing more complex thoughts or handling unfamiliar topics and situation.  Communicate with reasonable accuracy in familiar contexts; generally good control though with noticeable mother tongue influence.  Errors occur, but it is clear what they are trying to express.  Pronunciation is clearly intelligible even if a foreign accent is sometimes evident and occasional mispronunciations occur.  Can produce continuous writing which is generally intelligible throughout. - 12 -  Spelling, punctuation and layout are accurate enough to be followed most of the time.  Can perform and respond to a wide range of language functions, using their most common exponents in a neutral register.  Can reasonably fluently relate a straightforward narrative or description as a linear sequence of point.  Can link a series of shorter, discrete simple elements into a connected, linear sequence of points.  Can keep going comprehensibly, even though pausing for grammatical and lexical planning and repair is very evident, especially in longer stretches of free production.  Can explain the main points in an idea or problem with reasonable precision.  Can convey simple, straightforward information of immediate relevance, getting across which point they feel is most important.  Can express the main point they want to make comprehensibly. CONTENTS LISTENING Learners can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar, everyday subjects, provided there is an opportunity to get repetition or clarification sometimes. Learners can understand what is said to them in everyday conversations, but they sometimes need help in clarifying particular details. Learners can understand the main points of discussion on familiar topics in everyday situations when people speak clearly, but they sometimes need help in understanding details. Learners can follow clearly spoken, straightforward short talks on familiar topics. READING Learners can understand the main points in straightforward factual texts on subjects of personal interest well enough to talk about them afterwards. - 13 - Learners can follow simple instructions for a game. SPOKEN INTERACTION Learners can start, maintain and close simple face-to-face conversation on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Learners can express and respond to feelings and attitudes like surprise, happiness, sadness, interest and disinterest. Learners can give or seek personal opinions in an informal discussion with friends, agreeing and disagreeing politely. Learners can help to solve practical problems, saying what they think and asking others what they think. SPOKEN PRODUCTION Learners can give descriptions on a variety of familiar subjects related to their interests. Learners can talk in detail about my experiences, feelings and reactions. Learners can briefly explain and justify their opinions. WRITTEN PRODUCTION Learners can write simple texts about experiences or events describing their feelings and reactions. Learners can write simple instructions. Learners can write an informal letter/email. Learners can plan what they need to write. Learners can check their writing for mistakes. STRATEGIES Learners can ask for clarification if necessary. Learners can paraphrase when they do not know the exact word for something. - 20 - Time Main Content: Vocabulary New words: Argue, keep in touch, flatmate, know, meet, get on well with, lose touch, colleague. Competences Materials needed 10 minutes Vocabulary & Speakingfriendship. (New English File Intermediate page 60) a. Give SS a few minutes to complete the text with the introduced word in the previous task. Compare their answers with a partner’s. Check answers reading the text aloud. Practical skills and know-how Semantic competence Discourse competence Textbook Page 60. Markers or digital book to facilitate the answers. Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Cooperative learning Time Main Content: Speaking. (New English File Intermediate page 60) Competences Materials needed 10 minutes b. Focus on the task and give SS a couple of minutes to think about their close friend and how they will answer the questions. Put SS in pairs and they take turns interviewing each other about their close friend. While they are doing this, go around monitoring and helping if necessary. Language and communication awareness; Linguistic markers of social relations; Discourse competence Textbook Page 60 Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach - 21 - Time Main Content: Increasing vocabulary about friendship. Idioms Competences Materials needed 15 minutes a. Hand out some idioms with their meaning and project them onto the board. b. SS turn over the sheet where there is a quiz to order those idioms in context. c. Give SS 3 minutes to order the sentences by themselves. While the teacher prepares the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learnin genghish/flatmates/episode40/quiz.shtml. d. Check the order on the website and a Student reads the definition provided by the web aloud. Language and communication awareness; Lexical competence; Linguistic markers of social relations. Flatmate Sheet (Annex V-VI) Internet IWB Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Cooperative learning BREAK Unit/Topic: _STILL FRIENDS?_ SESSION: 1 Lesson: __2__ LENGTH: __50 MINUTES_______ Level:_1ST INTERMEDIATE Outcomes: Being aware of the qualities of friendship, getting a group agreement about the qualities and undestanding a clip of a film. (Key Knowledge and Skills students should achieve in the lesson) LISTENING:  I love you, man (video clip). COMMUNICATION:  Talking about the most important qualities in a friend. - 22 - Lesson Structure: Time Introduction (Set): Pair work activity. I love you, man Competences Materials needed 10 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes a. Put SS in pairs. Hand out a sheet of Student 1 to one student and one of Student 2 to another. Student 1 asks his/her questions to Student 2. Then they switch roles. b. Put SS in small groups of four. They have to get an agreement to rank the qualities or characteristics they believe important in a friend. c. The whole class shares the agreements they get. The teacher elicits information from their agreements. Linguistic markers of social relations; Discourse competence. I love you, man Photocopy (Annex VIII-IX) Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Time Main Content: Listening I love you, man (movie segment) Competences Materials needed 10 minutes 5 minutes 15 minutes 1. Turn over the photocopy. Read the question to focus SS on the task. 2. Watch the clip once. Give SS two minutes to answer some of the questions. Ask SS about the main idea of the segment. 3. Watch the clip again. Give SS two minutes more to answer the rest of the questions. The questions are about general information of the movie segment. 4. Check the answers orally. The three last questions are not from the movie, they are general questions about friendship. Elicit more information in order to express their opinion about friendship. Practical skills and know-how; Language and communication awareness; Linguistic markers of social relations Semantic competence; I love you, man photocopy (Annex X) DVD player or computer or IWB. Movie clip (CD) Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach - 23 - Resources (Include equipment required for class and/or for teacher preparation) SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS/MATERIALS ASSESSMENT A timer. PowerPoint Slide. (CD) Words Definitions (Annex IV) Textbook Page 60. Markers or digital book to facilitate the answers. Flatmate Sheet (Annexes V-VI ) Internet IWB I LOVE YOU, MAN PHOTOCOPY (ANNEXES VIII-X) DVD player or computer or IWB. Movie clip (CD) http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenghish/flatmates/episode40/quiz.shtml. http://warmupsfollowups.blogspot.com.es/ (this website has the movie clip in case there are any problems with the CD) REACTION PAPER: 1. Which activity have you found the most interesting? 2. Which activity have you found the least interesting? 3. Which activity have you found the most useful for you? 4. How did you feel in class today? - 24 - SESSION OBJECTIVES:  Show good control of elementary vocabulary but major errors still occur when expressing more complex thoughts or handling unfamiliar topics and situation.  Communicate with reasonable accuracy in familiar contexts; generally good control though with noticeable mother tongue influence.  Errors occur, but it is clear what they are trying to express.  Can perform and respond to a wide range of language functions, using their most common exponents in a neutral register.  Can convey simple, straightforward information of immediate relevance, getting across which point they feel is most important. (Key Knowledge and Skills students should achieve in the lesson) VOCABULARY:  Phrasal verbs with get: get on well with, get in touch, get rid of, etc. LISTENING:  Understand a speaker’s point of view and opinion READING:  Do you need to edit your friends? COMMUNICATION:  Express opinion, agreements and disagreements. Unit/Topic: _STILL FRIENDS?_ SESSION: 2 Lesson: __1__ LENGTH: __55 MINUTES_______ Level:_1ST INTERMEDIATE Outcomes: Understand and summary a text, learn some phrases with get, and listen and understand speakers’ point of view and opinion, and express agreed and disagreed opinions. - 25 -  Can express the main point they want to make comprehensibly. Lesson Structure: Time Warm up: Text jigsaw. Competences Materials needed 10 minutes Before checking homework (Textbook page 62), give SS the text “Do you need to ‘edit your friends’?” into four pieces. Each piece is a paragraph of the text. SS should order the text. (In case some SS did not read the text at home, they can follow the class; and those SS who read the text before can remember what the text is about. Then some SS read the text aloud to check the order and to correct the pronunciation of some words and intonation. Study skills; Semantic competence; Discourse competence. Photocopies of the text from the book cut it into four pieces. (Annex XI) Teaching Approaches Cooperative learning. Time Introduction (Set): Do you need to ‘edit your friends? (New English File Intermediate page 62) Competences Materials needed 10 minutes Write on the board A FRIEND, A COLLEAGUE, A CLASSMATE. Ask SS what the difference is. a. Ask the three questions one by one to the whole class and elicit some answers from individual SS. b. Focus on the title of the article. Set SS two minutes to read the article once and find out what exactly ‘editing your friends’ means. Language and communication awareness; Study skills; Semantic competence; Discourse competence. Markers Textbook page 62 Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach - 26 - Time Main Content: Reading Competences Materials needed 5 minutes c. Focus on the task. SS now read the article for more detail and choose the best summary for each paragraph. Check their answers the whole class. d. Feedback the new words and phrases they want to learn. e. Ask the questions to the whole class: Do you agree with the article? Do you need to ‘edit your friends’? Elicit some reactions. Practical skills and know-how; Language and communication awareness; Study skills; Semantic competence; Discourse competence Textbook Page 62. Markers or digital book to facilitate the answers. Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Time Main Content: HOW WORDS WORK… (New English File Intermediate page 63) Competences Materials needed 10 minutes 1. Focus on the instructions and give SS a few minutes in pairs to match the get phrases, which have come up during the lesson, with definitions A-G. Check answers and make sure SS are sure what each get phrase means. Point out that the verb get has several different meanings and is one of the most common verbs in English. 2. Focus on the task and give SS a minute to do it. Check exercise and elicit some answers. Practical skills and know-how; Lexical competence; Functional competence Textbook Page 63 Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach - 27 - Time Main Content: Speaking Express agreement or disagreement Competences Materials needed 10 minutes c. Get SS to tick and cross the sentences according to their own opinions. Give SS a few minutes to think about their reasons. They can write notes if they want. d. Put SS in groups and go through the expressions in Useful language. SS discuss each sentence in turn giving their opinion. If there is time, get some feedback from the whole class. Language and communication awareness; Linguistic markers of social relations; Functional competence: Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Time Main Content: Listening Competences Materials needed 10 minutes a. Focus on the instructions and go through sentences A-F. Then play the CD and SS decide the answers. Check the correct answers. b. Play the CD again, pausing after each speaker. SS listen to see if the speakers agree or disagree with the sentence, and for the reasons and examples they give. Elicit answers. Practical skills and know-how; Lexical competence; Functional competence. CD CD player or Digital book. Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach BREAK - 28 - Lesson Structure: Time Introduction (Set): Used to be- Daughty (song) Competences Materials needed 4 minutes Hand out the sheet. Ask the SS to listen to the song and order the stanzas. Then check the order and elicit what the song is about. Lexical competence; Functional competence Used to be (song) Photocopy (Annex XIV) Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Unit/Topic: _STILL FRIENDS?_ SESSION: 2 Lesson: __2__ LENGTH: __65 MINUTES_______ Level:_1ST INTERMEDIATE Outcomes: Listen and understand a song, express present and past habits. (Key Knowledge and Skills students should achieve in the lesson) GRAMMAR:  Express past habits with “used to”.  Express present habits with “usually” and the present simple.  Differentiate “used to” from “usually”. LISTENING:  Interview about Friends reunited people talking about friendship.  Used to – Draughty (song). READING:  Friends reunited. - 29 - Time Main Content: Ask for details from a listening. Competences Materials needed 4 minutes 5 minutes Turn over the photocopy. Listen to the song again and fill in the gaps with the words in the box. Check their answers. Watch the video clip and feedback new vocabulary. Ask what the grammar they will learn later on. Try to deduce the grammatical rules of “used to”. General phonetic awareness and skills Lexical competence; Orthoepic competence; Functional competence photocopy (Annex XV) DVD player or computer or IWB. Song track. (CD) Song video clip (CD) Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Time Main Content: Grammar Usually and used to (New English File Intermediate page 60) Competences Materials needed 10 minutes a. Ask SS the questions: Have you ever tried to get in touch with an old friend? Why? Did you succeed? Elicit any experiences SS have had. b. Get SS to read the information about friends Reunited and answer the questions: What’s it for? / How do you use it? c. Tell SS to read both texts and to answer the two questions: Who did they want to meet? Why? Check answers. d. Focus on the used to phrases in the list and tell SS to read the texts again and to fill each gap with one of the phrases. Check the answers. e. Focus on the task and the two questions: When do we use used to? How do you make negatives and questions? Do this activity as an open class one. Elicit answers. Language and communication awareness; Study skills; Grammatical competence; Functional competence Practical skills and know-how Textbook Page 60. Markers or digital book to facilitate the answers. Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Cooperative learning - 36 - Time Main Content: Reading Competences Materials needed 20 minutes SS have to read an article from guardian.co.uk. Then, they have to answer the questions about the article. This article also justifies the writing that students have to do later. Semantic competence; Discourse competence. Friends Reunited pins hopes on nostalgia. Article. (Annex XXIXXXX) Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach Time Conclusion: Writing Competences Materials needed 30 minutes SS should read the models to write a letter or an email to reunite a friend. Then SS individually decide to write either a letter or an email. The teacher will draw on the blackboard a mind map to help them to think the main ideas of their writing. Then SS will start writing following a model. Teacher monitors and gives them a rubric to check their writings. SS will finish their writings at home to have time to check them, and they hand them in the next class. Practical skills and know-how; Language and communication awareness; Study skills; Lexical competence; Grammatical competence; Semantic competence; Orthographic competence; Linguistic markers of social relations; Discourse competence; Functional competence How to write a letter when reuniting with long lost friend. Photocopies (Annexes XXXI-XXXI) Letter Rubric (Annexes XXXIII) Teaching Approaches Communicative Approach - 37 - Resources (Include equipment required for class and/or for teacher preparation) SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS/MATERIALS ASSESSMENT Textbook Class CD New English File Intermediate Strange, but true? Photocopies (Annexes XXII-XXIII) Textbook Page 62. Markers or digital book to facilitate the answers. Maze photocopy (Annex XXIV) Friends photocopy (Annex XXVII) photocopy (Annex XXVIII) Song track. (CD Friends Reunited soundtrack) Friends Reunited pins hopes on nostalgia. Article. (Annex XXIXXXX) HOW TO WRITE A LETTER WHEN REUNITING WITH LONG LOST FRIEND. PHOTOCOPIES (ANNEXES XXXI-XXXI) Letter Rubric (Annexes XXXIII) Writing class and home work. - 38 - CONCLUSIONS Creating this learning unit, I have noticed how difficult it is. This is the fourth version of this learning unit. I think that I have made a good learning unit in the end. However, I would change something again if I read it once more time. Even taking a textbook, there are a vast amount of resources everywhere, thus, it is complicated to choose the best. Although it is a very difficult work, I feel proud enough to hand in. I am almost sure that I will implement the whole unit in the future. - 0 - ANNEXES 2011- 2012 Hewlett-Packard 2011-2012 I STUDENT’S PORTFOLIO Can do statements I can do this… With difficulty easily 1 2 3 4 Listening I can understand a song. 1 2 3 4 I can understand short anecdotes about friends. 1 2 3 4 I can understand a speaker’s point of view and opinion. 1 2 3 4 Reading I can understand a short description of a person. 1 2 3 4 I can understand a short article about a website. 1 2 3 4 I can understand the main points in an article about friends. 1 2 3 4 Spoken interaction I can ask for and give an opinion. 1 2 3 4 I can give reasons. 1 2 3 4 I can agree/disagree. 1 2 3 4 I can ask and talk about friends and family. 1 2 3 4 Spoken production I can describe past habits or states. 1 2 3 4 Strategies I can ask for clarification if necessary 1 2 3 4 I can paraphrase when I don’t know the exact word for something. 1 2 3 4 I can guess the meaning of words in context. 1 2 3 4 Writing I can write simple instructions. 1 2 3 4 I can write an informal letter/email. 1 2 3 4 I can plan what I need to write. 1 2 3 4 I can check my writing for mistakes. 1 2 3 4 II Portfolio: UNIT PLANNING GUIDE & CHECKLIST Topic: Still Friends? Textbook: New English File Intermediate (pp 60-64) Unit 4c Year Level: 1st Intermediate Teacher: Mª Jesús Horno STAGE 1 – LEARNING CONTEXT – Completed by (date) Teacher 1. Unit Question: Is this open ended (designed so students can explore a variety of possibilities)- relevant and engaging (assumes a degree of prior knowledge, hooks students interests and provides a variety of ways students can be actively involved,) significant (relates to developing the significant concept). Y / N /? 2. Areas Of Interaction (AOI) Does the Identified AOI form the context for the unit with a clear connection to the significant concept. Has the AOI scope & sequence document been used to help phrase the statement? Has the AOI been identified? Y / N /? 3. Significant Concept (Big Idea):Is this clear, related to real life and written as a statement of what you want students to retain into the future. Does it relate to the Unit question? Has a key concept been identified? Y / N /? 4. Approaches To Learning. Have these been detailed using the ATL skills scope & sequence document, use the appropriate ATL code and linked to activities in Stage 2 to show how and when they will be developed? Y / N /? 5. Learner Profile: Have these been detailed and linked to activities in Stage 2 to show how and when they will be developed? Y / N /? 6. Objectives: Have these been identified and suited to the unit? Y / N /? 7. Assessment tasks. Are these open ended and designed to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the significant concepts, unit questions, objectives, subject knowledge and use of ATLs. Do the tasks allow for students to use multiple ways to communicate their learning? Y / N /? 8. Assessment tasks. Have the assessment task been adequately described and linked to objectives? Are a variety of assessment methods used?, Are the number of assessment tasks required of a students realistic (3,4 major tasks). Do the assessment tasks led to the coverage of all the criteria in a reporting period? Y / N /? 9. Content: Is the content listed appropriate in equipping students with the necessary knowledge and ATL skills to allow them to respond to the unit question & assess. Tasks Y / N /? III STAGE 2: TEACHING & LEARNING ACTIVITIES SEQUENCE– Compiled as the unit is taught and to be completed at the end of the unit. Teacher 10. Do the activities have a title? Y / N /? 11. Are activities appropriate in preparing students to respond to the unit question and assessment tasks, are they detailed enough to be followed by another teacher. has adequate front-loading of activities been detailed and has the number of lessons an activity will take been provided? Y / N /? 12. Are the ATL & Learner profile links as outlined in stage 1 been included (using a code) in an activity and detailed enough to show how they are being developed? Y / N /? 13. Are activities varied to cater for differing needs, learning styles interests and abilities of students i.e has consideration been given to differentiation? Y / N /? 14. Are there activities that challenge and engage the student to think at higher levels? I.e., applying, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating, etc. Y / N /? 15. Are resources identified that support the teaching of the activity and have they been referenced and stored appropriately for ease of access? Y / N /? 16. Are the links to other curricula areas real i.e. Do interdisciplinary activities reflect the content & skills targeted for another subject? Avoid incidental or contrived links. Y / N /? 17. Have assessment tasks listed in stage 1 been included in the sequence of learning activities list to show where and when they will be presented. Y / N /? 18. Do assessment tasks have an assessment rubric / guide included? Does the assessment guide/ rubric allow students to achieve the highest levels of the descriptors. NOTE: Students MUST use higher level thinking skills (I.e. applying, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating) in order to achieve the highest levels Y / N /? STAGE 3: REFLECTION - Completed at the end of the unit with information being considered for future units. 19. Have details been provided on what was learnt about students? This maybe be helpful to guide planning in future units. Y / N /? 20. Have details been provided about the unit activities, assessment tasks with regards to what worked or what could be revised for the next time the unit is taught. Y / N /? IV The IMPOSSIBLE WORD DEFINITIONS 1. Argue: to speak angrily to each other about something thaty they disagree about. 2. Keep in touch: to maintain communications with someone. 3. Flatmate: a person who shares a flat with you. 4. Know: to be familiar with someone because you have met him/her and talked to him/her before. 5. Meet: to be introduced to someone and beging talking to him or her. 6. Get on well with: you like someone and have a friendly relationship with him or her. 7. Lose touch: to have no longer the latest news or information about it. 8. Colleague: the people you work with, specially in a professional job. V VI THE FLATMATES Quiz: Friendship vocabulary BBC Learning English – The Flatmates The Flatmates © BBC Learning English You can try the quiz online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode40/quiz.shtml For each of the six questions choose the correct words to complete the sentence: 1. A good friend listens to your troubles and is __________ __________ __________ __________ __________. Cry tear a to on head shoulder 2. They __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ on politics But they agree with each other on just about everything else. Eye eye eyes see to for 3. He borrowed loads of money from her and didn't pay it back. Now __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ Love hate they're there there's no lost 4. They used to be best friends but after that huge row __________ __________ __________ __________ __________. Guts hate each stomachs they detest other's 5. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ and now we're pals again. Up differences settled patched mended our We've 6. We're more than __________, we're not __________ __________ but we're __________ __________. Friends mates acquaintances companions good best excellent XIII USED TO XIV by Daughtry 1 – Listen to the song and put the stanzas in the right order. Use the sentences in BOLD as hints. A) I look around me, And I want you tobe there 'Cause I miss the things that we shared. Look around you. It’s empty, and you're sad 'Cause you miss the love that we had. B) We used to have this figured out; We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought. We used to know. At least there's you, and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back to how it used to be? C) You used to talk to me like I was the only one around. You used to lean on me like The only other choice was falling down. You used to walk with me like We had nowhere we needed to go, Nice and slow, to no place in particular. D) We used to have this figured out; We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought. We used to know. At least there's you, and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back to how it used to be? E) You used to talk to me like I was the only one around, The only one around. F) We used to have this figured out; We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought. We used to know. At least there's you, and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back to how it used to be? Yeah. To how it used to be. To how it used to be, yeah. To how it used to be. To how it used to be. G) I used to reach for you when I got lost along the way. I used to listen. You always had just the right thing to say. I used to follow you. Never really cared where we would go, Fast or slow, to anywhere at all. 1 ___ 5 ___ 2 ___ 6 ___ 3 ___ 7 ___ 4 ___ XV 2 – Listen one more time and fill in the blanks You used to talk to me like I was the only one around. You used to lean on me like The only other choice was falling down. You used to walk with me like We had _______ we needed to go, Nice and slow, to no place in particular. We used to have this figured out; We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this ______ _______. We never thought. We used to know. At least there's you, and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back to how it _____ ____ ____? I used to reach for you when I got lost along the way. I used to listen. You always had just ____ ______ _____ to say. I used to follow you. Never really cared where we would go, Fast or slow, to anywhere at all. We used to have this figured out; We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought. We used to know. ___ ______ there's you, and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back to how it used to be? I look around me, And I want ____ ___ ____ there 'Cause I miss the things that we shared. Look around you. ____ ______, and you're sad 'Cause you miss the love that we had. You used to talk to me like I was the only one around, The only one around. We used to have this figured out; We used to breathe without a doubt. When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see. We used to have this under control. We never thought. We used to know. At least there's you, and at least there's me. Can we get this back? Can we get this back to how it used to be? Yeah. To how it used to be. To how it used to be, yeah. To how it used to be. To how it used to be. XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX Name…………………………………………… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Name…………………………………………… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Name…………………………………………… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. XXI XXII XXIX The school reunion site, set up 3 by husband-and-wife Steve and Julie Pankhurst in their suburban semi in Barnet, north London, pioneered the social networking phenomenon in Britain – not that anyone called it that back then. Credited with rekindling 4 classroom romances and blamed for breaking up marriages – invariably at the same time – within a year it had 1 million members and by 2005 it had 12 million – half of the UK households that were then able to access the internet. It spawned 5 a top-selling 80s compilation CD; a sister site about family history, Genes Reunited, and grand plans for spin-off 6 television shows. But then came Bebo. And MySpace. And Facebook. And Twitter, a whole host of social media rivals that left Friends Reunited, handicapped by a lack of innovation and debilitating changes in ownership, at the bottom of the class. Now it is back, although in its new incarnation you might wonder why it is called Friends Reunited at all. School's out and, in the spirit of the Alice Cooper song, the site's original concept has been blown to pieces. Owned by online publishing group Brightsolid, part of the Dundee-based Beano publisher DC Thomson, it was relaunched 7 last week as a "share the memories" site, heavy on nostalgia but no longer so interested in tracking down who you sat next to in geography. Positioning itself as "the place to remember when", it wants people to collect and share their "most cherished 8 moments", from "heart-warming personal experiences" to the Queen's silver jubilee and Live Aid, with photo archives from the Press Association and the Francis Frith Collection…. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/mar/30/friends-reunited-nostalgia 3 If you set something up, you create or arrange it. 4 If something rekindles an interest, feeling, or thought that you used to have, it makes you think about it or feel it again. 5 If something spawns something else, it causes it to happen or to be created. 6 To spin off or spin off something such as a company means to create a new company that is separate from the original organization. 7 To relaunch something such as a company, a product, or a scheme means to start it again or to produce it in a different way. 8 If you cherish something such as a hope or a pleasant memory, you keep it in your mind for a long period of time. XXX Answer these questions about the article in your own words: 1. What was the original Friends Reunited about? 2. Who were the creators? And why? 3. What is the new concept of the website? 4. When was Friends Reunited launched again? 5. Do you think Friends Reunited will be successful? XXXI How to Write a Letter When Reuniting With a Long Lost Friend Here you have to models to write a friend after losing contact for a long time. You have to choose one of these model and write a friend from the past to reunit him/her. 1. Writing a letter to a long lost friend is an ideal way to reunite. Do you have a long lost friend that you have not spoken to in years? It is often hard to know what to say when you write this type of friend a letter. It might be a childhood friend, a friend you met in college or any friend you have not seen in months or years. When you decide to write this person a letter, it is often best to begin it with an apology. Instructions 1 Address the letter. When you are reuniting with an old friend, address the letter "Dear" followed by your friend's name. If you remember the person by a certain nickname, it is appropriate to address it to that name as well. 2 Begin the body of the letter with an apology. By starting with an apology, you can let your friend know that you are sorry for the amount of time that has passed since seeing each other. With sincerity, tell your friend how sorry you are for letting this amount of time pass without any form of contact. 3 Let her know your purpose in writing the letter. This type of letter is generally used to reunite with the old friend. State this purpose early in the letter and tell her that you want to re-establish your friendship by writing the letter. 4 Tell him about your life. There may be a lot of details to state, depending on the amount of time that has passed. You do not need to write a complete life history, but tell him about important details of your life, such as your marital status, your job and if you have children. 5 Ask about her life. After you discuss details about your own life, ask her what is going on in hers. If the person was involved in an activity that you remember, ask her if she still is. Ask several questions, letting her know that you are interested in her life. XXXII 6 Offer your contact information. Tell your friend that you would love to hear from him. Give him your address, phone number and email address. Ask him if he would be interested in meeting or talking on the phone. 7 Close the letter. At the end of this letter, you can write something such as, "I hope to hear from you soon!" Follow this with your name. http://www.ehow.com/how_8400727_write-reuniting-long-lost-friend.html 2. This second model is an e-mail found on a website. As you can see, it is more informal and the structure is different. WAY back in 1951, when I was 13, there was a 13-plus scholarship. It only lasted a few years, but I got through from St Oswald's, to Notre Dame Central School, in Maryland. Only two of us got through to this school that year at that age. The other girl was called Rachel Lyttle (Little?). I never knew her address but I think it was somewhere around Parliament Street. She was the first black person I'd ever met. We got on really well, we both loved singing, were both in the choir. We learned shorthand, typing, book-keeping and the other subjects. All I knew about her family was that her mother was a white Liverpool girl and her father was from Africa. Also, she had a very beautiful sister who was an extra in the film, Cleopatra. When we left school at 15, she said she would never get a decent job here and told me she was going to emigrate. We left school, going our separate ways, and I never saw her again. With the advent of computers, many years later I started searching for her online without any luck. So - if there is any of Rachel's family left in Liverpool, I would be so grateful to hear from you to find out how she got on. She had a profound effect on me at that tender age, and I've never forgotten her, despite the fact that I am now 70. Anne McQuaid. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Letter%3A+Reunite+friends.-a0192784649 3. Now choose a letter or an email and write a friend who you lost contact some time ago. XXXIII Letter/email Rubric 1 2 3 3 Opening Statement Strongly and clearly states a personal opinion. Clearly identifies the issue. Clearly states a personal opinion. Some references to the issue. Personal opinion is not clearly stated. Little or no references to the issue. Personal opinion is not easily understood with no reference to the issue. Supporting Details Provides 2 or more strong details, reasons and/or examples in support of the opinion Provides 2 details, reasons and/or examples in support of the opinion. Provides at least 1 detail, reason and/or example in support of the opinion. Provides little or no support of the opinion. Tone/ Language Chooses words that are clear, descriptive and accurate. Maintains consistent persuasive tone throughout letter. Adequately chooses words that are clear and descriptive. Demonstrates a persuasive tone in parts of the letter. Chooses some words that are clear and descriptive. Lacks consistent persuasive tone. Language and tone of letter is unclear and lacks description. Format/ Organization Sentences and paragraphs are complete, well written and varied. Sentence and paragraph structure is generally correct. Sentence and paragraph structure is inconsistent Little or no evidence of sentence or paragraph structure. Concluding Statement Summarizes personal opinion in a strong concluding statement. Summarizes personal opinion in a concluding statement. Concluding statement is a weak summary of personal opinion. Concluding statement makes no reference to personal opinion. Mechanics and Grammar Contains few, if any punctuation, spelling or grammatical errors. Contains several errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar that do not interfere with meaning. Contains many punctuation, spelling and/or grammatical errors that interfere with meaning Contains many punctuation, spelling and/or grammatical errors that make the piece illegible.