PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

HELLO, TO READ THIS PART OF SELFINSTRUCTIVE WORK WILL DEVELOP THE

SKILLS OF OBSERVING, ORDERING
INFORMATION, COMPARE, ANALYZE
AND GIVE OPINION, DO REFLECT AND
ANALYZE YOUR TASK
IN THE CLASSROOM TO DETERMINE IF YOU
ARE FORMAL OR ACTIVIST.
FORMALIST
Remember how you drive your classes and complete the following table:
ACTIVITY: 1

IN MY CLASSES:
a) I like that students analyze grammatical structures

ALWAYS

SOMETIMES NUNCA

and how they work.

b) My students use the language they learn in different
Situations.
c) My students come to the rules after having practiced
exercises.
d) My students learn rules and then apply

OFTEN

x
x
x
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PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

exercises.
e) I worry more than communicative purpose of
structures of grammar rule.
f) There is much group work in pairs (activities
Simulated role play, problem solving, etc.).
g) students are passive.

x
x
x

h) I give priority to the spoken language.

i) Prioritize the written language (reading and writing.

HOW TO DEFINE YOUR PRACTICE IN THE CLASSROOM? WHY?

I define my class as an active class, I say this because my students are active persons , in my class they speak, write, read
and listen if I dont make these they bored and I think the English class must be fun.
CURRENTS FORMALISTS AND ACTIVISTS
When we read the history of teaching and learning of languages through time and analyze the basic theoretical positions of different approaches, we can distinguish two main
currents of thought, each develops an integrated system of techniques that emerge from their premises fundamental. Some theorists describe these two groups as formalists
and activists.

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PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

REMEMBER that the approach involves the different theories about

Nature of Language and learning how to perform,
this involves various forms of education, so
METHOD and it offers various types of activities in
Classroom, in other words, the TECHNIQUES.

ACTIVITY: 2
Read the following tables and choose the most appropriate title for each.
3. DEDUCTN OR INDUCTIN?

1. ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE
OR USE OF THE TONGUE?
2. PRIORITY LANGUAGE
ORAL OR WRITTEN TO?

5. A CLASS ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?

4. DETAILS OF GRAMMAR?
O FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR?

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PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

a) USE OF THE TONGUE .

Formalist and activist tendencies are reflected in the teaching of classical
languages. When Latin was required for oral communication among scholars as
medium of instruction and then taught through the active use of language by the
student. gradually
was generalized to a more formal emphasis on the study of shapes. Many
students were then as the principal occupation and learning the detailed
implementation rules. This approach would be adopted later by many teachers
of modern languages. Many voices were raised continuously urging the
presentation of language in its most useful and the acquisition of forms of
language through frequent use of communication in realistic situations.

b) INDUCTION: A LEARNING PROCESS

The formalists were mainly based on a deductive form of teaching (going from the rule
to use in examples.) Activists on the other hand argued that students could discover
for themselves how the language. They preferred that students were to rule or
generalizations themselves after having heard and seen some ways they are worn in
different ways, this is an inductive learning process (going from the examples to the
rule)

c). FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR

Formal education has often been based on artificial exercises and has even
been forced use of language, in which students incorporate, when trying to
communicate orally, in written language features that are
in literary texts. However, teaching the student activist seeks first become familiar
with the language forms used for general oral communication and written forms of
less formal language, leaving the teaching
the formal aspect of language to an advanced level.
The formal places great emphasis on the correct application of grammatical rules,
the activity is more patient with the mistakes of the students and they think that
confidence and success in communication are more important than perfection in a
sterile form.

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PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

e).ORAL COMMUNICATION:.PRIORITY OF THE LANGUAGE

These divergent attitudes regarding various aspects of language learning have
been set up different positions in the order of teaching the four skills:
listening, speaking, reading and writing. The formalistic tends to put a high value
on reading effectively
and write correctly (as demonstrated frequently in the ability to translate).
The activist emphasizes the spoken language and considers the practice in oral
communication
as a necessary accompaniment to fluent reading and an original script.
The teacher who is professionally alert adapt their techniques to their purpose,
personality and what you feel is appropriate for the group she is teaching,
considering the age and educational needs of their students. "Any method
ceases to be effective when applied inflexibly and following established
procedures without considering differences in the groups with which they work"
(Rivers, 1982).

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TO SUMMARIZE: the activist teacher emphasizes the

d). AN ACTIVE CLASS

If we talk about the procedures in
class, a strictly formalist approach
situation favors a passive
student, in which he is instructed
and applied as they said. a
activist approach requires participation
effective student activities
learning. It motivates the student
to discover how the
language and that they use to communicate
their ideas. In other words, the formalist
emphasizes the teaching of language,
while the activist is more concerned
to provide the students opportunities
to learn the language.

PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

Activity 2
1. Make a table comparing the characteristics of a formalist and activist teacher.
FORMALIST
ACTIVIST
Based on a deductive form of teachig going from the rule to use in Based on an inductive learning process going from
examples
examples to the rule
Based on artificial exercises, emphasis on the correct application of Are more patient with the mistakes of students
grammatical rules
Emphasizes on reading effectively and write correctly
Emphasizes the spoken and oral communication

2. - Reflect the answers you gave in activity 1 and answers Is it better to be an activist or formal teacher? Why?

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the

PROGRAMA NACIONAL DE FORMACIN Y CAPACITACIN PERMANENTE 2011

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL SAN LUIS GONZAGA DE ICA

As I mentioned before , my students are active persons and it lend me make an active class
in all sessions is better to be and activist teacher ,because the education aims that students
can speak the language and an active teacher can do it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:

DOFF, ADRIAN. (1990) TEACH ENGLISH.CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.UK.

LITTLEWOOD, WILLIAM,(1995). COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.UK.
RICHARDS, JACK Y NUMAN, DAVID, (1990) SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS UK.

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