TEACHING ACROSS PROFICIENCY LEVELS

This chapter talks about how to teach in the different levels since basic to advance. In basic students are able to ask some questions and tell some phrases, so the teacher needs to use effective techniques like repetition and make groups of work. The teacher is the center of attention that’s why he must speak clear and slowly and also use a simple vocabulary. Students do not have to speak in the native language, so the teacher needs to allow just speaking English. To develop fluency in this level is a little difficult, but not impossible. The teacher does not have to correct every mistake the students make for they cut the flow of what the students was saying.

 In the intermediate level, students know more about English, they can speak with a little fluency although they make mistakes they are capable to make and answer questions. In this level learner-centered work is possible because are able to speak more, so the teacher can give topics for discussion, make groups, or work with the whole class. He can give short explanations about grammar.

 In the advance level students are able to manage situation in which the target language is demanded, they are able to understand and speak English, writing essays, discuss about important or controversial topics.

TEACHING ACROSS AGE LEVELS

When a teacher wants to teach to children and adults he has to know that there exist a big difference between them. First, they do not learn and pay attention in the same way, due to the ages, but it does not mean that children learn faster or that adults learn faster than children. Hence, The teacher has to take into consideration some factors, for example Intellectual development in which children learn through repetion, but it is necessary an exaggeration. Also, a sense of humor is necessary although we have to remember the children's humor is different from adult. Children need to feel motivated, and the teacher can motivate them through stimulated Children's five senses. Hence, children can play games or do other physical activities. However, teachers do not be focus only in children's learning but also in children's self-steem, that's why the teacher have to help their students to laught about their mistakes, also the teacher needs to patient with their students. In that way, children will not feel ashame when they make a mistake. 

COGNITIVE APPROACH

What I liked from my presentation was that students learned new vocabulary, writing and memorizing, and at the same time; they could use this new vocabulary in different contexts through sentences; then, they can use this vocabulary speaking.  What I could have improved is maybe the kind of vocabulary that I used. It could be easy for the students make the sentences, but I felt comfortable because students paid attention, and understood the directions Also I think, they felt more confident writing than speaking. What I think about the other activities my classmates presented is that those activities were interesting and I think students could not get bored, and they students can learn vocabulary in different ways, for example community English learning. It is very excited for students because they have to communicate with other people (classmates), and not only write, or speak like we do in presentations. Students also learn to work in groups and share their opinions .

DIDACTIC METHODS

What did I like from my method?

What I like from cognitive approach is that students learn of their mistakes, it is called “the role of mistakes”, and in that way if the students want to learn another language they are going to remind the difficulties they had or what kind of mistakes they made.

What did not I like from Cognitive Approach?

What I did not like from my method is that students have to memorize to understand, and sometimes there are students who find difficult to memorize; thus, they did not develop that area, and if for students is difficult to memorize, learning is going to be difficult, too.

What did I understand from Lexical Approach Method?

What I understood is that lexical approach is a method in where students have to learn phrases instead of study grammatical structures; however, it is easier for learners because they learn the structure of the sentences, and at the same time they learn new vocabulary.

To conclude, both methods are good to implement in the classroom and like teachers we have to look for the best method or the method we think is the best for students to learn.

AN INTERESTING QUOTE FOR TECHING!

I like this quote because it says a lot about our educational system, some teachers in El Salvador and not only here in this country maybe and other countries, become teachers for other interests not because they love teaching, or maybe they want to share their knowledge. Sometimes it is because they want to earn money or the major is shorter than others, etc. Those are some of  the most common problems in the educational system.

Personally, I think that, teachers who love to teach are going to find or look for the correct way to teach their students, and REMEMBER that not all the students learn with the same methods; so, the task of the teachers is  guide their students to find the way to learn and if children find the correct way to learn, of course they are going to love learning, and they will feel motivated.

However, some teachers do not have the vocation to be teachers; but, we have to know what a vocation is? A vocation is something that is easy to do for some people, if for someone is easy to dance, that person has to be a dancer, the same happen with teachers if someone has the characteristics to be a teacher he must be a teacher and a good one.

I remember when I was in high school, my English teacher taught us to write in English and that was all, I practiced speak English once and I did not understand anything about English, I used to hate the English language. However, I decided to study English at university and I realize if I want to speak English I had to practice a lot; it is something that my English teacher did not teach to me and my classmates and it is something that I learn and I understand at the university.

To sum up every student will love learning if the teacher find the way to make the learning easy for their students because everyone has the necessity to learn, for some people it is easy and for others it is not, that’s why if we want students who are more interested in learning, we, teachers have to teach that learn is not boring and at  the same time frustrating; on the contrary, it is interesting and “the more we read the less we know”.