Printable Resources
If you are a teacher and need material for your classes here I leave you a eonderfull web page where you can find Printable material as worksheets, games, crossword and more to teach and learn English, French, Portuguese and history.
http://vanda51.blogspot.com/
task new technology
Motivation in a foreign language is an important factor in the teaching and second language acquisition because when a student is motivated he/she is encourages to participate more actively in class. I think one of the best ways to increase the motivation of the students is using innovative teaching materials and work with activities that allow the student to deduce his/her own knowledge, this gives more security and confidence in itself/herself.
Work with CD-rooms is a novel factor that facilitates the work of students and teachers; it changes the routine in the classroom enable the students to learn in a different and more dynamic way motivating the students but I do not consider it as a necessary or indispensable tool in the teaching of a foreign language because there are many different material and resources that a teacher can use with her/his students.
On the other hand, I think the use of computers and the Internet in education are tools that provide us access to a large number of information of different kinds, besides, they also give people the opportunity to access to the education, today it is possible to study through online courses, but I do not share the idea that computers replace teachers in the future, why? Because computers do not have voice or vote, they do not think and they can not express their opinions about something, the computer can not correct the errors and mistakes, they can not clarify doubts and to respond our concerns, although I agree that these tools facilitate and promote the autonomy of people learning
Resources and materials
Some times to find good material for teaching a foreign language is very dificult, most of time we have to elaborate and create material, we spend a lot of time and money designing new material. I find a very useful web page in which you can easily create worksheets, handouts and game cards to match, phonics materials, projects, games, and more, you just have to click on www.mes-english.com/
poem to the sea
COME WITH ME
Come with your soft breeze
and flood with your wather
my bare feet on the sand
come at dawn and the sun illuminates
with its rays your frozen waters
Come and caress my body
with your calm
come and take me with your waves
to discover your world
to know the stories
that are hiden in the depth
of your being.
Come ans let me enter
in your depth heart
and to know the wonders
that live inside you
Let me travel the world
to caress the transparency of your body
with the touch of my fingers
to enjoy the soft breeze
that caress my face
when the wind runs to youor side
And returns in the nigth
when the moon from the sky
lighsts up to your deep waters
and transport me to a world
made of dreas of sand and salt
by PAOLA ANDREA TORRES DURAN
LITERATURE: IS IT A GOOD TOOL IN THE LANGUAGE TEACHING?
LITERATURE: IS IT A GOOD TOOL IN THE LANGUAGE TEACHING?
By Paola Andrea Torres Durán
By Paola Andrea Torres Durán
Literature is the art of expressing and creating, in an oral or written form, a literary text. In other words, all artistic creations expressed in words, even if they have not been written, but transmitted from mouth to mouth, according to Rafael Lapesa, are literatures. But all written texts are not literary texts. It is only those which are written in an artistic and aesthetic way.
But why should literature be used in language teaching? There are many reasons; for example, literature helps to increase vocabulary and stimulates cultural enrichment, which is important because it enables students to have a better understanding of life and the social context in which language is used.
According to Nazia Hussain, “the use of literature in a language classroom provides enough space for the learners to comment, justify and mirror themselves. Such a class can enhance the critical thinking abilities of the learners and at the same time maintain a learner centred environment. Thus, it gives the teacher an opportunity to open a broad context of language use for the students. By using literary texts the language class can turn out to be lively and motivating. The purpose of using literature in a language classroom is to make the class interactive and it can be stated that an interactive class can obviously improve communicative competence of the learners and keep a lasting impact on their mind.”
As is said in the last paragraph, the use of literature in the classroom does not only improve the cognitive skills, helping the students to develop their capacity to analyze, interpret and understand any text, but also to improve the communicative skills through written and oral comprehension. Moreover, innovation in materials and the way they are used is very important to create a pleasant environment where the students feel comfortable and motivated to participate in class, which breaks the monotony of traditional language classes.
Another good reason to use literature is given in the book: literature in the language classroom a resource book of ideas and activities. “In reading literary texts, students have also to cope with language intended for native speakers and thus they gain additional familiarity with many different linguistic uses, forms and conventions of written mode: with irony, exposition, argument, narration, and so on.”
Through this kind of reading it is possible to teach the grammatical and linguistic components of the language, including different registers, types of language use and ways of expression in a language, such as greeting people, expressing gratitude, making requests, and agreeing or disagreeing with someone. It is also possible to know the behavior and intonation patterns that are appropriate in the foreign community to express something, in order to learn correct oral and written expression. Collie and Slater note that literature can familiarize "many features of the written language--the formation and function of sentences, the variety of possible structures, and the different ways of connecting ideas--which broaden and enrich their own writing skills"
But what does a “foreign community” refer to? There are many places where the English language is spoken such as the United States, Britain, and Australia. Even if they have the same language, they do not always have the same ways of expression to refer to something, both orally or in a written form.
Another question that is necessary to answer is; how can we teach language through literature? In the same way that there are many reasons to use literature, there are many forms of teaching a language through it.
Some activities such as question/answer, true/false statements, multiple choices, precise writing, and letter writing, can be used to facilitate the comprehension of texts. Students can also write their comments regarding how they enjoyed the literary piece, which part of the text they liked most, which character appealed most to them and why etc. Through all these techniques the students can improve their creative and imaginative faculties as well.
Another strategy that can be used is the translation of texts as a way to reinforce the interpretative skill. Translation, according to Larson, is a craft, which consists in an attempt to “discover the meaning of the source text and to use receptor language forms which express this meaning in a natural way.” This definition implies that before translation can be attempted, the translator has first to understand the text itself. Hence, interpretation plays a crucial part in the translation process.
When the students are translating the text, they are constantly required to take on the task of examining words, grammatical structures and emotional and cultural contexts of the source text in order to discover its meaning and understand it. But the disadvantage of this method is that it basically emphasizes the writing skill and the learning of grammatical rules.
Translation also helps students to increase their vocabulary in different ways. One way could be that the teacher could help by giving the meaning of certain words from the text and encourage the students to make sentences with them. Another way is using synonyms and antonyms to replace certain words in the text without changing the meaning of the text or making sentences with them, to make a comparison between the respective synonyms and antonyms.
Bedsides all these advantages, the best thing about working with these kinds of readings is the variety of ways in which activities can be developed. Examples of activities which can be used are: interpretation questioners about the text, vocabulary games in which the students have to associate the meaning of some unusual words used in the text, ordering events in a chronological way, role plays and others.
According to Collie and Salter Short Stories for Creative Language Classrooms provide English language learners with an authentic way to learn English and it is short stories that promote creative activities that address all four skill areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The stories and activities are all designed, not only to educate students, but also to inspire, involve and intrigue them. Short Stories develop exercises for the practice of specific grammar or literary points, as well as offering tasks and creative activities that allow the learner to become involved in the story itself, rather than focused solely on language acquisition
To conclude, including literature in the teaching of the English language is an important factor for the Students to have a chance to learn vocabulary, analyze information individually and in group discussion, to stimulate analytical, critical and interpretative thinking and learn many grammatical aspects. But it also enables the teacher to change from traditional methodology and increase the students’ motivation. Finally, as Shanahan says, Literature indeed helps students to expand their “linguistic and cognitive skills, cultural knowledge and sensitivity”.
El ariculo THE
El articulo determinado / the definite article THE
El articulo determinado THE es el equivalente de cuatro de nuestros artículos el, la, los ,las.
CUANDO PODEMOS USARLO
Nosotros usamos el articulo determinado The en los siguientes casos:
Nosotros usamos el articulo determinado The en los siguientes casos:
-Con nombres de personas (apellidos) y lugares en plural:
*People/personas: the Torres (The family Torres); the Jaimes; the Johnsons; the Gamboas.... 
the Simpsons
the Simpsons*Countries/paises: The United States; the Filippines *Groups of islands/ grupos de islas: the Canaries/ the Canary Islands; the British Islands; the Bahamas.
*Mountains ranges/ cadenas de montañas: the Andes; the Alps; the Rockies.
-Con nombres de edificios y lugares
*Hotels/restaurants/Pubs / hoteles/restaurantes/bares-café: the Cariongo Hotel; the Solar (restaurante);
*Museums/galleries museos/galerias: the British Museum; the Anzoategui *Theatres/cinemas teatros/cines: the Almeyda; the Jauregui Theatre. * Oceans/seas/canals oceanos/mares/canales: the Indian Ocean; the Mediterraneans Sea; the Suez Canal
CUANDO NO PODEMOS USARLO
-No podemos usarlo con nombres de personas eje: Paola (not the Paola); Andrea (not the Andrea)
- Nosotros tampoco lo usamos con nombres de Países,
*continentes/continents: Africa (not the Africa); Europe (not the Europe); South America.
- Nosotros tampoco lo usamos con nombres de Países,
*continentes/continents: Africa (not the Africa); Europe (not the Europe); South America.
*estados o regiones/states,regions: Texas(not The texas),
*islas/islands: Bermuda (not The bermuda), Corsica, Sicily.
*ciudades/cities: Pamplona (not the Pamplona), Cúcuta (not The Cúcuta), Bogota, Cali. *montañas/mountains: Everest (not The everest), Kilimanjaro (not the kilimanjaro)
Eample: Mapuche Mountain NOT THE Mapuche mountain
- cuando nosotros usamos Mr/mrs/Captain/Doctor/President.... + un nombre no usamos THE
*Mr Pedro is blond (not The Mr pedro...), Mrs Sofia is nurse (not the Mrs sofia)
* Doctor Pedro (not The Doctor Pedro)
*Captain Pedro ( not the Captain Pedro)
* President Pedro (not the President Pedro)
*Princess Sofia (not the Princess Sofia)
*Aunt Sofia (not the aunt Sofia)
" nosotros podemos decir" - I call the doctor - but -I call Doctor Pedro ( not I call The Doctor Pedro)-
textos de las ECAES
hola compañeros los textos para el examen ECAES ya se encuentran disponibles en siguiente enlace:
http://w4.icfes.gov.co/guias/TEXTOS_INGLES.zip
1. Alderson, Charles et al. Language Test Construction and Evaluation. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1995. Capítulo 10. “Developing and improving test”. Páginas 218 a 234
2. Brown, Douglas. Language Assessment – Principles and Classroom Practices. Longman, The United States. 2004. Capítulo 1: “Testing, Assessing, and teaching. Páginas 1 a 18
3. Madiedo, Nohora en: Madiedo, Nohora et al. Reflexiones en Educación Universitaria II: Evaluación. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá. 2008. “Procesos de la evaluación formativa”. Páginas 41 a 47.
letter to my mum
Hi
I write this time, not to ask you something and not because I have something to say, I just feel wishes to do it. I do not know how begins or what to say. You have done so much for me, and I have done nothing for you, just cause headaches; you have taught me so much about the life, you have given to me a lot of advises about how to live, and weather some times looks like I do not listen them, I do it.
You taught me to love, and although some times seems like I do not love you, I really love you, you cannot imagine how I love you; you taught me to play and although it was a long time a go I have not forgotten how to do it; you have taught me how difficult and hard this life is, you taught me to laugh and cry and the most important you taught me to not do it alone.
You gave me the best gift that there is in the life
Your company, your dedication and the most important your love.
Your company, your dedication and the most important your love.
Thank you mom to give it a light to my life.
I love you.
I love you.
Paola Andrea Torres Duran
Why is importan the teaching culture in the second language classroom?
WHY IS IMPORTANT THE TEACHING CULTURE IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOM?
When a person decide to study a foreign language, it is very common that he or she learns the grammatical and linguistic components of the language, how to write and speak in the foreign language, but there is an important factor that is not included in this learning process, that is the teaching of culture connected to the language that a person is studying.
To understand why the culture is important in this learning process, it is necessary to know what the meaning of this word is. According with the National Center for Cultural Competence, culture is an “integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, courtesies, rituals, manners of interacting and roles, relationships and expected behaviors of a racial, ethnic, religious or social group; and the ability to transmit the above to succeeding generations”. This means that language is not only part of how people define culture, it also reflects culture.
When a person decide to study a foreign language, it is very common that he or she learns the grammatical and linguistic components of the language, how to write and speak in the foreign language, but there is an important factor that is not included in this learning process, that is the teaching of culture connected to the language that a person is studying.
To understand why the culture is important in this learning process, it is necessary to know what the meaning of this word is. According with the National Center for Cultural Competence, culture is an “integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, courtesies, rituals, manners of interacting and roles, relationships and expected behaviors of a racial, ethnic, religious or social group; and the ability to transmit the above to succeeding generations”. This means that language is not only part of how people define culture, it also reflects culture.
Besides, acquire a new idiom requires to know everything about it, that include how people express some thing whit it, how they use it to communicate in an oral or writing way, and the best manner to achieve this, it is knowing the culture, the customs, the history, and the behaviour of the people who live and are natives in the country or countries when English is spoken.
For this reason, the language learners need to know about the culture of the language they are studying in order to have a good communication and be preparing culturally to express in an appropriate way. Also, it is necessary they know what behaviors and intonation patterns are appropriate in the foreign community to express something. The student needs to understand that language use is associated with a cultural behavior.
Moreover, the studying of culture not only allows the students know in a depth way the context and society in where the target language is used but also it allows the students feel more identify with it and the most important, it makes them feel part of that society, in other words, to learn a foreign language it is necessary the learner adopt the culture of the language is object of study.
But for what reason it is important to adopt the culture? According with kramsch “People who identify themselves as members of a social group (family, neighborhood, professional or ethnic affiliation, nation) acquire common ways of viewing the world through their interactions with other members of the same group. These views are reinforced through institutions like the family, the school, the workplace, the church, the government, and other sites of socialization through their lives. Common attitudes, beliefs and values are reflected in the way members of the group use language-for example, what they choose to say or not to say and how they say it”
Another good reason to integrate the culture in the teaching learning process is given by Elizabeth Peterson and Bronwyn Coltrane, in the article, “Culture in Second Language Teaching”. In this article they discussed the importance of incorporating culture into second language teaching, according with them “Using authentic sources from the native speech community helps to engage students in authentic cultural experiences. Sources can include films, news broadcast and television shows, web sites, photographs, magazines, newspapers, restaurants menus, travel brochures and other printed materials. Teachers can adapt their use of authentic material to suit the age and language proficiency level of the students”.
As is say in the last paragraph, teaching culture allows the teacher use different materials that involve real cultural experiences as readings, videos, songs and so on related with the culture and his language; this is an advantage for the teacher because all these material can be work in the way that he wants, in other words, the teacher must be creative to develop the class, he can choose the activities and the place in where he does the class inside the classroom or out of it, also he can create new teaching strategies which involve the target culture and its aspects.
On the other hand, to incorporate the foreign culture in the learning of a second language does not mean the learner forgives his own culture, on the contrary it helps to know and appropriate more of the own culture, to value it, to respect it and be more conscious of his beliefs, costumes, religious and so on, and also it helps to improve the use of his own language.
To conclude, I can say that culture is a good element in the teaching of a second language because it enables the teacher and the student acquires new knowledge about different cultures, to improve their grammatical and linguistic skills, to create spaces that enable the students have new experiences and change from the traditional methodologies.
EARTH'S DAY
REMEMBER!!! THE EARTH IS OUR HOME, SO DON'T DAMAGE IT, DON'T HURT IT, DON'T DESTROY IT, IT IS YOUR DUTY TO HELP TO TAKE CARE AND KEEP ALIVE THIS WORLD, FOR YOU FOR ME AND THE CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE.
HOW TO BECOME A GOOD STUDENT
How to become a good student
It is very common when a student loses a test or gets bad grades blame the teacher for that, but the truth, the only guilty is oneself.
When I was at the high school, most of the time, I got good grades; I always did my works, participated in class and studied for my exams, but all that was not enough to be a good student, I needed to do more.
I understood that weather I really wanted to be a good student, I should devoted more time with my studies, to be more autonomous.
When I speak about being autonomous I am referring to spend part of my free time studying, to be more dedicated and concentrate me in my labors, but this does not mean that I cannot do other things, it is matter of organizing my time.
To be autonomous was not an easy task, at the beginning was very hard, to study alone was very boring and sometimes I fell asleep, but then I found a way to study without being bored. I discovered to study it was not necessary to be locked into a room; I could do it in a place where I feel comfortable and relaxed.
Sometimes I met with some classmates to express our doubts, to do our homework, to help each other with our works and at the same time we exchanged gossip.
I think that in the past it was not necessary to depth in the knowledge because the teacher was the only who can know and the students just limited to learn that the teacher said, but the times changed and now we can not limit to the concepts and ideas gave by the teacher, we need to be more conscious, responsible and independents and start to look for improve our knowledge.
It is very important to understand that the teacher is only a guide and the time spent at the school or at the university is just a small part of the long learning process; most of the responsibility falls on the student.
The secret of being a good student is to be the owner of their own learning.by: Paola Andrea Torres Durán
essay
Strategies In Learning Of A Foreign Language
When a person decides to learn a foreign language is very common to be taught all the grammatical and linguistic components that conform a language, but in this study plan is not included the teaching of culture as part of the training of language.
When we are studying a second language, we must take into account that the language is not just grammatical and structure rules, it is also part of a culture, which means language is culture and culture is language. In other words the language reflects culture.
For this reason I think the communicative approach is the most adequate method in the teaching of a second language. It is most flexible because making error is a part of the learning process; it is centered in the needs of the learners and in the development of the four communicative skills of the language (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and the most important, for me, all the sociocultural components that form part of the language as the context in where is used the target language, the objects of linguistics discussion, their and beliefs and so son.
The communicative approach also let the teacher use a large number of activities in a creative and dynamic way to keep the students motivated and the participation is fluid.
Some activities that can be use with this approach are relationed with real situation in which a person needs to use a foreign language, for example, in the airport, a bus stop, in a restaurant, in a business travel. At the same time all these activities can be developed through different strategies such as role plays, dramatization, reading section, made forums, visual and auditive tools in where we use text, magazines, newspapers and any document that is relationed with the language and its culture.
One of the strategies that I would use to develop a class is to create a environment in which the student feel more in contact with tha language an its culture. That is creating a similar context in a real situation, for example in a restaurant or a café where the students is in contact with a common situation with a real dialogue.
In these activities the student is using some common expressions use in a specific case in order to develop the communicative skill, the grammar and at the same time he/she is acquire new vocabulary.
I think that each teacher has a different way to teach and develop his class and the communicative approach makes that teaching a second language be more didactic, creative and original.
When a person decides to learn a foreign language is very common to be taught all the grammatical and linguistic components that conform a language, but in this study plan is not included the teaching of culture as part of the training of language.
When we are studying a second language, we must take into account that the language is not just grammatical and structure rules, it is also part of a culture, which means language is culture and culture is language. In other words the language reflects culture.
For this reason I think the communicative approach is the most adequate method in the teaching of a second language. It is most flexible because making error is a part of the learning process; it is centered in the needs of the learners and in the development of the four communicative skills of the language (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and the most important, for me, all the sociocultural components that form part of the language as the context in where is used the target language, the objects of linguistics discussion, their and beliefs and so son.
The communicative approach also let the teacher use a large number of activities in a creative and dynamic way to keep the students motivated and the participation is fluid.
Some activities that can be use with this approach are relationed with real situation in which a person needs to use a foreign language, for example, in the airport, a bus stop, in a restaurant, in a business travel. At the same time all these activities can be developed through different strategies such as role plays, dramatization, reading section, made forums, visual and auditive tools in where we use text, magazines, newspapers and any document that is relationed with the language and its culture.
One of the strategies that I would use to develop a class is to create a environment in which the student feel more in contact with tha language an its culture. That is creating a similar context in a real situation, for example in a restaurant or a café where the students is in contact with a common situation with a real dialogue.
In these activities the student is using some common expressions use in a specific case in order to develop the communicative skill, the grammar and at the same time he/she is acquire new vocabulary.
I think that each teacher has a different way to teach and develop his class and the communicative approach makes that teaching a second language be more didactic, creative and original.
STAND BY ME
This song says, no matter who you are,
No matter where you go in your life
At some point you're going to need Somebody to stand by you.
Oh yeah! Oh my darlin' Stand by me!
No matter who your are, no matter where you go in life
You gon need somebody, to stand by you.
No matter how much money you got, or the friends you got,
You gon need somebody, to stand by you....
When the night has come, and the way is dark,
And that moon is the only light you see.
No I won't be afraid, no I-I-I won't be afraid
Just as long as the people come and stand by me.
Darlin' darlin' stand by me, Ooo stand by me
Oh standStand stand by me C'mon stand by me stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Well should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't she'd a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
Oh darling, darling stand by me, ohh stand by me,
Please stand, stand by me, stand by me.
Ohhh baby, baby... (interlude)Oh darlin' darlin' stand la la nomie
Ooo stand la la nomie, O stand O stand standStand by me
c'mon stand by me, stand by me.
Stand la la nomie, oh won't you stand, la la nomie,
Oh stand la la nomie, stand by me, c'mon stand by me.
When the night has come, and the way is dark
And the moon, is the only light you see
I won't be afraid, lala nomie, I won't be afraid
Not as long, not as long as you stand by me
This is a litle piece of a beautiful song, I hope you like it as well as me.
Some body knows what is the meaning of the word " gon"?
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