(Se trata del tema 22 del temario específico de la especialidad de lengua extranjera)
TEMA 22: Variables ariable s to be taen into consideration conside ration in t!e organi"ation of t!e foreign language classroom# $upils grouping% space and time management% met!odolog& selection% teac!ers' role% # # # # *eneral +actors ## Age *enerall& speaing% it is said t!at c!ildren learn more ,uicl& t!an adults but t!is is not so clear# -!ildren learn more ,uicl& because of t!eir innate abilities of ac,uisition in primar& le.els# -!ildren% because of t!eir moti.ation moti.ation to become a communicator% communicator% de.elop a better pronunciation t!an adults% but adults /ill ac,uire primar& le.els more rapidl& because of t!eir greater cogniti.e abilities and strategies# #2# Sex 0t !as been found t!at girls and bo&s use different strategies /!en t!e& are learning a language# *irls tends to be mere communicati.e t!an bo&s# #1# Moti.ation and attitudes# *ardner and amberer stabled t/o main inds of moti.ation: 0ntegrati.e: T!e learner !as a genuine interest in t!e second language communit& 0nstrumental: 3is interest is in !o/ t!e second language can be useful to/ards furt!ering ot!ers goals# 0t is clear t!at t!is is not enoug! to be !ig!l& moti.ated% 0t must be acompained b& ot!ers factors suc! as useful strategies# #4# Aptitude and intelligence earning a second language in a classroom in.ol.es t/o sets of intellectual abilities: A general academic or reasoning abilit& called intelligence Specifics cogniti.e ,ualities needed for second language ac,uisition called aptitude T!ere are se.eral problems to stablis! t!e difference of influence of bot! in t!e second language ac,uisition# #5# $ersonalit& 6ras!en argues t!at extro.erted learners /ill find easier to mae contact /it! ot!er users of t!e second language and
t!erefore /ill obtain more input# Also -!aracteristics suc! as extro.ersion asserti.eness and ad.enturesomeness are predictable to be positi.e for learning Social Sills# Allo/ t!e students to be related to t!e /orld and culture of t!e countr&# 7t!er factors /e !a.e to consider are in!ibition and axiet&# A teac!er /!o reduces bot! in t!e /!ole learning process /ill mae students increase confidence /!en producing a language# #8# earning St&les According to Ausubel% learning st&les are define as 9self consistent and enduring indi.idual differences in cogniti.e organi"ation and functioning9# 0t can be inducti.e or deducti.e dependent or independent !olistic or anal&tic ### T!ese cogniti.e learning stiles /ill be de.eloped in t!e c!apter of learning strategies# Age% sex% moti.ation% aptitude% intelligence% personalit& and learning st&le stablis! indi.idual differences in t!e /a& or second language ac,uisition# So /e s!ould consider t!em to stablis! t!e most effecti.e /a& to teac! t!em 2#9T!e good language learner9 (Ellis) and t!e unsuccessful learner a)Ellis c!aracteristics of a good language learner ;
;o/ selfsteam ;=egati.e attributions ;$oor stud& !abits and learning strategies ;+ull of surprises 1#earner in.ol.ement: Strategies +or a successful learnercentredcomunicati.e met!odolog&% t!e teac!er must be no more t!e 9controller9 or t!e 9conductor9# S>!e must !elp t!e learner to be selfautonomous and a/are /it! t!e global learning# According to 3utc!inson t!ese are t!e c!aracteristics t!at s!ould be en!anced /it! t!e classroom: 1## $ositi.e attitudes To de.elop affecti.it& in t!e language% t!e learner and t!e teac!er !a.e to /or toget!er# T!e teac!er role is to turn into a producti.e ingredient in t!e learning pot# 3e is going to decide !o/ to conduct t!e process% materials% # # # 3e also s!ould teac! attitudes% strategies% abilities% sills and ot!er concepts no/ included in t!e s&llabus design# $ositi.e attitudes are t!ose concerned /it! culture a/areness# 1#2# A/areness raising Teac!er must appl& global contents# S>!e must pro.ide t!e learner t!e strategies to become responsible# T!e strategies included !ere are t!ose affecti.e ones# 1#1#Sill de.elopment T!e sills are directed to/ard cogniti.e and metacogniti.e strategies# Metacogni.e strateg& is a learning strateg& t!at in.ol.es t!ining about our no/ledge of t!e learning process# -ogniti.e strateg& is a strateg& t!at in.ol.es mental manipulation or transformation of materials or tass and is intended to en!ance compre!ension% ac,uisition or retention#
Memori"ing structures and using t!em ;Vocabular& Maing up c!arts earning /ords in context earning /ords t!at are associated ?sing ne/ /ords in p!rases ?sing a dictionar& ;istening compre!ension istening to t!e radio Exposing oneself to different accents and registers ;earning to tal =ot being afraid to mae mistaes Maing contact /it! nati.e speaers Asing for correction ;earning to /rite 3a.ing penpals @riting fre,uentl& +recuent reading of /!at &ou expect to /rite ;earning to read eading somet!ing e.er&da& eading t!ings t!at are familiar eading texts at t!e beginners le.el looing for meaning from t!e context 1#5#earner s&llabus design (loopbac) T!e contents t!at a tas based s&llabus% lie t!e Spanis! reform one% S!ould be di.ided into: a)-ontents /!ic! de.elop t!e oral communicati.el& abilities b)-ontents /!ic! de.elop t!e /ritten communicati.el& abilities c)Sociocultural contents T!ese contents must include t!e strategies abo.e mentioned# T!ese strategies /ill ac!ie.e t!e specific and t!e general aims# A progresi.e e.aluation /ill be considered during t!e academic &ear# And one of t!e most important t!ings included in t!e s&llabus is t!e selection of a met!odolog&# 0n summar&% /e are clamming a tas based approac! focused in t!e process /!ere e.aluation and met!odolog& are included in t!e learning contents# 4#-lass management# $upils grouping 7-6STE$ $A0 @76 *7?$ @76 0=B0V0B?A ST?BC A ;An&one can ;0ncreases t!e pupils ;0ncreases t!e amount ;-!ild relax from B !ear /!at practice of pupils taling time outside pressure
V is A being said = ;@e get a T good A language * model E ;@e can S mo.e t!e lass at a fast pace ;0s not .er& stressing
;Moti.ation to learn ;*i.es t!em ;-!ild internali"e /it! ot!ers opportunities to use t!e /!at s>!e is ;0mportant for our language to learning &oungest pupils communicate ;$ermit our pupils ;T!e& learn and teac! select bet/een ex!ibiting a degree of diferent acti.ities selfreliance /!ic! is absent from teac!ing controlled acti.ities ;more d&namic ;=eed a communication more important ;more relax t!an pair /or
B ;-!ildren 0 does not S practice A .er& muc! B ;lac of V !eterogeneit& A ;lac of = effecti.eness T for a A communicati * on E /or
;=oise problems ;?se of Spanis! ;3o/ to group our ;0ncorrectness pupils ;=oise ;Some pupils do not ;Moti.ated clearl& lie to /or in pairs defined goals are ;To moti.ate t!em t!e solution /e !a.e to tell t!em ;Selection of group /!at t!e reason for members t!e acti.it& is ;?se of Spanis!
T ;controller E ;assessors A 3 E S D 7 E
;Assessors ;$rompters ;resources
;$ro.ides assistance ;-!ecs t!e tas is carried out satisfactoril&
6 0 = B S
;7$E= $A0S @!o are not Side b& side perform a tas# T!e rest listen t!em ;-7SEB $A0S T!e class is di.ided into pairs and /oring at t!e same Time ;-7SEB 7$E= +orm ne/ ones during t!e acti.it& ;-77$EAT0VE 7ur t/o pupils !a.e to !elp eac! ot!er to complete t!e acti.ities
;ST7=* @EA6 T7*ET3E ?suall& good for @EA6 T!e& could /or different materials at T!e same time ;
5#Space and time management T!e teac!er s!ould consider t!is options: 5##T!e p!&sical en.iroment Seating Voice pro&ection enjo&ment Encouragement Selfconfidence -larit&
5#1#Students' indi.idual sense of belonging to a group teac!er in.ol.ing all e,ualit& Expressing t!eir o/n personalities -onstitution of groups in t!e class 5#4#-lassroom organi"ation and la& out 0n most cases /e do not !a.e total freedom to organi"e t!e classroom#
Sociocultural competence: 6no/ledge of cultural aspects of t!e target language speaing countries 8## -ommunication in t!e classroom @e can stablis! a continuum /!ere communicati.e and non communicati.e acti.ities are t!e extremes# 0n t!e classroom /e di.ide t!e /or into 1 major acti.ities depending on t!e point of t!e continuum /e are placed: $resentation $ractice $roduction 8#2# 0ntegrated Sills 7ur acti.ities /ill sometimes !a.e to concentrate on one single sill to reac! our aims but /e !a.e to use t!at to practicing ot!ers# 8#4# Assessment -ontinuous assessment is no/ t!e more /ide spread met!od of assessment in our sc!ools# T!is assessment !a.e to s!o/ our pupils le.el of attainment% t!e effecti.eness and efficienc& of our met!ods and it start /it! an initial diagnosis# F#A common /oring en.ironment: Teac!ers' role F## Teac!ing st&le Teac!ing st&le is a complex amalgam of beliefs% attitudes% strategies% tec!ni,ues% personalit& and control /!ic! lies at t!e !eart of t!e interpersonal relations!ip bet/een teac!er and learner# F#2# Moti.ation A primar& function of t!e teac!er management roe is to moti.ate t!e learners /!o are demoti.ated# T!ere are se.eral /a&s: Adopting a positi.e attitude to/ards t!e learner# *i.ing pupils meaningful rele.ant and interesting tas to do# Maintaining discipline to be extent t!at a reasonable /oring atmosp!ere is stablis!
F#1# Main t&pes of teac!ers @e are going to anal&"e t!e six main roles t!at 3ammer distinguis!es: -7=T7E# @e are totall& in c!arge of t!e class# 0t is use in presentation stage# 0t is onl& ade,uate during t!e reproducction stage% being /!oll& inappropriate at t!e production stage# ASSES7# Buring t!e presentation stage /e also correct our pupils' error and mistaes but /it!out maing our pupils as!amed of t!eir errors# 7rgani"ing feedbac is a major part of assessing our pupils performance# T!e teac!er /aits until an acti.it& or tas !as been completed and !e tells pupils !o/ t!e& did# 7*A=0GE# is to tell our pupils /!at is our topic and /!at re t!e tass# @e must also get t!e acti.it& going% sol.ing initial problems and finall& organi"e feedbac# $rompter# @e sometimes need to !elp our students /!ere t!ere is a silence or our pupils are confused# @e s!ould !elp onl& /!en it is necessar& $AT0-0$A=T# 0n simulations is interesting to participate /it! our pupils# ES7?-E#0n communicati.e acti.it& it's important to eep our roles as assessors and to be a ind of resource center# F#4# -omunication patterns: 9formal9 or 9informal9H 0f /e allo/ greater freedom of participation from t!e learner% /e /ill de.elop a less formal communication pattern# T!e learners /ill be more read& to s!are meanings and .alues# T!is /ill enric! t!e contents of learning# F#5#Attitude to/ards errors in t!e learning process# T!e mistaes are caused b& an o.ergenerali"ation of t!e second language or b& t!e interference of t!e mot!er tongue# As educators% our porpoise is to encourage ristaers# T!e mistaes taes part in t!e learning process and t!e& assure t!e stage of t!e students' acnoledgement# 7nl& if obstruct t!e comunication are to be corrected#
