Phase 2: Recognition of the initial situation.

 The challenges you would like to take into account to be an excellent

English language mediator.

 First, I would like to recognize and understand the learning styles of the students to use techniques better suited to them. The idea is to help and assists the pupils to learn more effectively, improving the speed and quality of their learning process, and in this way, they would increase their academic growth and development of all their potentialities. 

     Figure 1.Overview of Learning Styles


            Second, I would like to know how I can improve the experience of the students during the classes, not only to be better on a second language but also to be emotionally intelligent. This skill is so important because the students develop the capability to manage and control their emotions, which affect how and what they learn. To be successful in life people not only need academic results, they need more awareness of their emotions to communicate better and fit better into society.

                        Figure 2. Emotional intelligence

Third, I would like to know what activities I must choose for the students according to the teaching purposes, and increase the motivation, creativity, and interest of them in the class. The idea is to incentive the pupils to learn and develop the skills necessary for the language.


Useful ideas for mediating pleasant English language learning experiences

in the classroom and outside of it.

These are some ideas that I made for mediating pleasant English language learning experiences in the classroom and outside of it, based on the article The Changing Face of Language Learning: Learning Beyond the Classroom by Richards, J. and of course, in this list appears my ideas according to the experience that I have as an English teacher.

                                Figure 3. 50 tools for teaching English online              

§           As you know education has changed dramatically, rising e-learning. Hence, teachers have a lot of tools on the internet that provides greater opportunities for meaningful and authentic language use during classes. Then, teachers must preparer the lesson plan involving activities from the internet.

§     Most of the students have different gadgets they can use to download different apps to help keep engaged with their process of learning. It could be in or out of the classroom. Some of them are Duolingo, Cake, Google translate, English podcast, Head up! And so on.

§        Another way for learning English, and building conversational confidence is by entering a chat room to interact with other language learners or with native speakers.

§        Most of the students love playing video games. Then, they may enter game sites and play video games that require them to understand and use English.

§       Learners may watch a TV program or movie in English, following with subtitles if necessary. I love NETFLIX! For me is the best way to relax and improve my English level.

§      As teachers, we must create learning games, I use Kahoot, and is amazing, because it allows me to introduce new topics, practice grammar or vocabulary, and funnily grade my students.

§      Lyrics training is another platform that I like it a lot because learners spend time listening to music. Then, this is a perfect site to practice the language joyfully.

§           Joining to debating club to practice public speaking in English.

§  Read books have always been a powerful tool to improve vocabulary, grammar, and writing at the same time.

§         Some of my students watch anime series and they say that is an excellent way to learn English.

§     TED talks are great not only for developing different language skills but also as a learning resource about different update topics.

§        Make videos using video editors like VideoShot, Inshot, Filmora go, Open shot or others is fantastic. Despite the fact, the students don´t see each other face to face is possible to do a presentation in groups related to a specific topic. The result is unbelievable! 


Ideas about new possibilities for teaching according to the suggestions

given in the video and the text about creativity.

                                                        Figure 4. Creativity in the classroom

Having in mind that the impact of creativity is essential for helping the learners succeed, it is so important to add new things to the lesson plan that allows the students to engage in the process of learning. Some new possibilities for teaching that come to my mind after checking the video and the texts are:

¾    Create challenge lessons that allow the students to work in pairs or groups to prepare and carry out a task according to the topic that we are studying.

¾    Take into consideration the students´ view about the way that they want to practice something. I need to leave the students to go with different ideas.

¾    During these days the students are using computers for the classes. Hence I can explain to them something related to grammar for example, and after that, they solve personalized follow-up activities using online tools.

¾    After reading activities it will be fine to exploit them with challenging comprehension activities where students produce their own opinions related to the topic.

¾    Give my students prompts or role-cards to stimulate their speaking, rather than entire dialogues.

¾    Bring more fun learning to the class using more creative teaching techniques, for example, role-play and simulations that require students to use their imaginations and think creatively.

¾    Incorporate games during the classes with specific purposes like improve their vocabulary, grammar, or specific skills.

¾    Planning learning and assessment activities that include prompts that include creativity.

¾    I need to motivate the students involving them in, what is going on? The principal idea is to avoid them feel bored and increase their confidence in their ability to learn successfully.

¾    Offer the students something a little different and unexpected each class.

¾    Prepare activities that engage the learners´ fantasy and in this way they can use their imagination for creating stories.

¾    Help the students to connect the learning of English with their knowledge and interests.

¾    Assess the student´s learning refocusing on the goals and procedures. I must prepare the evaluations according to the individual needs of the learners.

¾    Regularly, I must ask the learners to write on a class forum. What they remember about the class and their suggestion and complaints, to reflect on my teaching process.

  

Identification and description of a problem or a purpose to improve your

pedagogical practices in English language learning.

                                                            Figure 5. A New Pedagogy is Emerging

         At this moment, I am working at a private school named Colegio Antonio Nariño as a full-time professor and the institution gave me a coursebook that I need to finish by the end of the academic year.

       Well, I recognize the coursebook is great, with excellent resources related to vocabulary, grammar, and all the skills – reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Nevertheless, the students sometimes feel bored because the methodology is so similar in each unit. For that reason, I want to add the novelty element: “aspects of an activity that are new or different or totally unexpected” (Richards, 2013, p.12). I want the learners to feel that each class will experience something different and unexpected.

The idea is to increase the motivation and interest of the students in the class. Hence, I want to spend 10 minutes of each class doing something new that allows the students to increase their skills in a funnily and take time to do a reflection about life.

Some ideas that I have in mind are: read a fragment of a poem or a fable, or a quote or an infographic, and then invite the students to express their personal opinions about it, play a short game in the middle or at the end of the class, post jokes and riddles and students will explain it, share online resources such as Ted Talks or a video that the learners find interesting to talk, design activities where the pupils´ let fly their imagination and creativity. 

REFERENCES

American Psychological Association. (2016). Creativity in the Classroom [YouTube]. Recovered from https://youtu.be/oQqFFaJJ8gc

Tebar, L. (2011). El panorama educativo en la sociedad actual. In El profesor mediador del aprendizaje (2nd ed., pp. 19–53). Bogotá D.C.: Editorial Magisterio. Recovered from: http://bibliotecadigital.magisterio.co.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/libro/el-profesor-mediador-del-aprendizaje-0

Richards, J. (2002). 30 Years of TEFL/TESL: A personal Reflection. Singapore. In RELC Journal, Vol 33, 2, 2002, pp.1-36. Recovered from: https://www.professorjackrichards.com/wp-content/uploads/30-years-ofTEFL.pdf

Richards, J. (2014). The Changing Face of Language Learning: Learning Beyond the Classroom. In RELC Journal, Vol 45, 1, pp.1-18. Recovered from: https://www.professorjackrichards.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Changing-Face-of-Language-Learning-RELC.pdf

Richards, J. (2013). Creativity in Language Teaching. Plenary address at University of Hong Kong, 5th June 2013. University of Hong Kong. Recovered from: https://www.professorjackrichards.com/wp-content/uploads/Creativity-in-Language-Teaching.pdf


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