Hello dear bloggers! Welcome to your last blogging assignment of the semester. This time you'll have to write about some challenges you've had to face learning English.
In order to accomplish this task you'll have to answer the following questions:
- What comments can you make about your experience learning English at university?
- What about the use of blogs?
- What aspects of your English need to be improved and how do you plan to do this?
- Outside the English class, how much are you using English these days? What for?
- Upload pictures
Remember to leave comments on three of your classmates' posts + one on mine too.
Write no less than 240 words.
English Language Challenges
Even though I haven't been learning English at university this semester, I've been teaching it, so that's the experience I'm going to write about.
We could all agree that this has been an unusual semester, as a teacher, I've been engaging learners to learn English in traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms, in flipped or hybrid classrooms, and I've even found myself completely online.
Unusual as it may seem, there are some things that never change like organization, dynamism, a sense of humor, and the ability to break things down...these are hallmarks of instruction that I've been able to see on my teaching at any level and in any context during this semester.
Finding myself giving classes online again, however, has presented an additional and particular challenge.
I've discovered that while there are many activities that can be modified to suit any context, there are some activities that are different precisely because of the change in medium or learner. Even familiar activities have needed adjustment in order to work in the online world, but always keeping in mind that those activities will help my students with their real needs and concerns.
I've also discovered that being able to project pictures, videos, or activities on the screen is particularly helpful.
Having slide presentations is an extremely effective tool for visually displaying content. With just my voice and a slide presentation, I can often share entire lessons. Adding video clips into my presentations can give added interest as well.
About the blogs, I once read about a discovery that stated that successful language learners are able to master a language better and faster because of their abilities to extend classroom practice outward. This means that good language learners understand this simple truth:
In determining language success, what learners do OUTSIDE the classroom has much more impact than what happens INSIDE.
Thus, writing blogs outside the classroom can and should still play an important role in language learning.
About the aspects to be improved, it's important for me not only to teach learners within a classroom setting (online or otherwise), but to help them extend their language experience to the greater world beyond the classroom.
If you asked me to modify the English program somehow, one thing that I consider might improve English learning at university is the formation of conversation groups. You can do this in several ways. For example, you might form "after class" reading circles, conversation clubs, or movie nights (and yes, all of these can also be done online, in case of any other pandemic wave or faculty strike!).
In short, while I think it's important that a learner must take control of his or her own language learning, the teacher's role is still significant, since we can and should incentivize students to participate in the world outside of the classroom through a diverse system of activities and incentives.
Hello teacher, during this semester I have realized that the learning method through conversation and social interaction are for me the most effective since it is an active learning where we all learn from each other, thank you very much!
ResponderEliminarHi teacher! while it is true that we are in different roles, I think a good way to learn (or at least reinforce what you have learned) is to teach, and not just reproduce the information, but to make others understand it. In my opinion, it would be impossible for you not to learn something this semester.
ResponderEliminarhello teacher, i liked reading this blog, i felt it personal and it allows me to know the teacher's perspective behind the work they do. i like that they reinvent themselves according to the conditions that make their work a little difficult and that they create activities that serve to meet the needs.
ResponderEliminarHello teacher! I must start this comment by writing about how much I love the idea of conversation groups. That would be a really efective way to learn about English in different context and, off course trusting the students, learning how to talk with freedom.
ResponderEliminarYea, that´s everything.
Good bye.
Hello teacher I'm glad you teached us, your way of teaching is fun and I opened Blogger again for making my own blogs
ResponderEliminar