UNIVERSIDAD SANTO TOMS

VICERRECTORIA DE UNIVERSIDAD ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA

FACULTAD DE EDUCACIN
LICENCIATURA EN LENGUA EXTRANJERA INGLS
PEDAGOGY AND LANGUAGE TEACHING
Task 2
FULL NAME_ALBEIRO VERJEL BALLESTEROS
PEDAGOGICAL MEANS

CODE_6218576_CAU_OCAA

1. Is it possible to apply all the principles studied in the principles chapter when
developing a class? Give reasons to support your answer. (5 points)
When coming to the application of all the different Cognitive, Socioaffective, and
Linguistic principles, one must understand that it is not possible to see all of them
in action, or to apply all of them, since this fore mentioned application needs
several requirements to be accomplished. For example, in the case of principle
nine (Language - Culture connection) there might be set ups in which different
cultural barriers already created, would prevent the second language acquisition.
2. According to Brown, how does a reward serve to reinforce behavior? Give
some examples to illustrate your answer. (5 points)
In the process of learning a second language, as in any human activity, the
sense of having a retribution is a natural part of us. Children, mainly, are
motivated by rewards, both physical and psychological such as gifts, candies or
praise and applauses when performing a task. In the case of adults, nowadays,
the main motivation is based on items related to career development.
3. How making their own decisions can help students to increase their
motivation? How can this create a sense of autonomy? Do pertinent citations
to support your answer. (10 points)
Learners, when seriously committed to their process or engaged in any particular
project, should have the opportunity to make choices about their work and to
express his or her opinions related to the content they are studying and the way
they are receiving that content. This of course will result in a better sense of
autonomy, and responsibility for their results and for what they are expecting to
see at the end of the learning process.

4. Analyzing all the elements Browns gives in the chapter 6, about teaching a
foreign language to children, adults or teens, please design a table to
determine the following aspects (15 point)

Population Main characteristics

(intellectual
and
affective factors)
Children
-Centered on here and
now.
-Little
notions
of
correctness
-Extremely sensitive
-More fragile
-

What to do

What no to do

-Show patterns
-Use repetition
-Laugh
at
mistakes
-Be patient and
supportive
-Be firm
Elicit
Oral
participation

-Explain grammar
with
technical
terms
-State rules in
abstract terms

-Affirm
talents
and strengths
-Allow mistakes
-Encourage
small-group work

-Emphasize
competition
-Embarrass
students

-Superior
cognitive
abilities
-More able to imagine
-Are
usually
more
confident
-Deal
with
language
outside the here and now

-Show respect for

the way they
express at their
level
-Give
students
the chance to
make choices

-Treat adults like

children
-Discipline adults
the same we
would with kids

Teens

-Can solve problems with

logical thinking
-Teens are ultrasensitive
about
how
others
perceive them
-Less attached to the
here and now

Adults

5. After having studied the chapter about how to teach English to

children, teens and adults, now you have a great deal of elements to
assess a real sample of lesson in your context. So, arrange a meeting
with an English teacher to observe his/her class with children, teens or
adults and complete the following information form. Have always in
mind to establish correlations between the theory studied and what
actually happens in the classroom (15 points).
Classroom Observation Form
Instructor Marina Snchez Course 9th Grade Institution Col Quintero Caldern
Date June 6th, 2014 Observer Albeiro Vergel
Topic of the lesson Describing the weather Time 55 minutes
Directions: Right below, there is a list of questions that you must answer based on the class observed.
Please be careful when describing the facts. Try to be as objective as possible, and then confront these facts
with theory by having in mind what you studied in the textbook of the course.
It is recommended to complete the last column after having done the observation, that way you will be
focused only on what is happening in the classroom in regards each question.
Questions/ topics

Facts observed

1. How is language
conceived in this
class? So, which
approach seems to
be the foundation for
the lesson?

-The teacher uses Spanish 99% of the time

-When using vocabulary she invents the
pronunciation of the words she does not
know
-The emphasis of the class is on grammar

2. Which method
seems to be guiding
the teachers actions?

The grammar- translation method is the

one applied here in this classroom.

3. Are Browns
teaching principles
taken into
consideration in this
lesson? Which ones?

No. None.

4. Which are the most

relevant
characteristics of
these students?

They feel embarrassed of their own

pronunciation and performance.
They mock at each other when mistakes
happen.
They like to solve the exercises in pairs.
Their attention spans are shortened since
they use smartphones even in the
presence of the teacher.

Personal reflections / contrast

with the theory studied
There is a lot of frustration from
teachers part. Students are not
really motivated due to their socioeconomic reality. They do not see
how English is going to applied in
their future.
The teacher uses an old book to try
to explain Grammar and vocabulary
to students. She, herself, does not
have much motivation since she was
forced to teach by the Educational
System.
Unfortunately the resources and the
understanding of the application of
the principles is totally ignored by the
teacher in this academic context
Even though their potential is great, I
believe the excessive concern with
self-image and relations they have,
has clouded the possibilities they
have to learn

5. Are the lesson

activities coherent
with type of learners?

Unfortunately not. The lesson activities are

more suitable for adults.

6. Which level are the

students supposed to
have? Do they have
it?

They should be at B1, according to the

CEFR.

7. Is the teachers talk

according to the level
of the students?
8. What other relevant
aspect did you
observe in the
lesson?

NO. Since these students should be at a

higher level, the teacher does not seem to
address the topic with the proper words.
There are no visual aids or other resources
to make the class more appealing

Taking into account that these are

kids, I believe the activities should
involve more attractive and daily life
contents.
They should be learning more
complex contents and structures. It
seems that they have not received a
proper ESL instruction at earlier
grades.
She is repeating whatever the book
says, without actually explaining it.
The lesson was about the weather
and the teacher did not show
anything like clouds, or wind. She
never related the vocabulary to
examples in real life.

General conclusions and implications for your future practice

Although I understand the limitations and the lack of resources public educational institutions
have at this part of the country, I would suggest a greater sense of responsibility from the teachers
and make the right choices which will result in more attractive and live classes. On my part, I am
very concerned of what a proper attitude should be when exercising this very important role in
society, the educator.
Designed by Emilena Hernandez (2014)