TRABAJO FIN DE ESTUDIOS

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1 TRABAJO FIN DE ESTUDIOS MÁSTER UNIVERSITARIO EN PROFESORADO DE ESO, BACHILLERATO, FP Y ENSEÑANZA DE IDIOMAS INGLÉS Master s degree final project: Theoretical framework, 3rd ESO syllabus and research project Tutor: Andrés Canga Alonso Facultad de Letras y de la Educación Curso

2 Master s degree final project: Theoretical framework, 3rd ESO syllabus and research project, trabajo fin de estudios de, dirigido por Andrés Canga Alonso (publicado por la Universidad de La Rioja), se difunde bajo una Licencia Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 Unported. Permisos que vayan más allá de lo cubierto por esta licencia pueden solicitarse a los titulares del copyright. El autor Universidad de La Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones, 2012 publicaciones.unirioja.es [email protected]

3 MASTER S DEGREE FINAL PROJECT: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK, 3 rd ESO SYLLABUS AND RESEARCH PROJECT DNI: n Trabajo Fin de Máster Máster en Formación del Profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas. Especialidad: Inglés Tutor: Dr. Andrés Canga Alonso Universidad de La Rioja Año académico 2011/2012

4 Table of Contents THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK... 3 SYLLABUS RESEARCH PROJECT INTRODUCTION REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS METHOD PARTICIPANTS INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES CONCLUSION REFERENCES APPENDIX APPENDIX APPENDIX 2: APPENDIX 3: APPENDIX 4: APPENDIX 5: APPENDIX 6: QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX 7: APPENDIX 8:

5 PART I THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 3

6 INTRODUCTION First of all, I have to remark that I have learned a lot of different learning methods focused on English Language Teaching. I will explain some of them and I will try to show all the competencies I have acquired in all the different classes that I have attended. We have to bear in mind that not all the classes have been focused on language learning. We have attended other different ones related with Education and Teaching methods which have been very important for our training too. In this Master we have attended 7 different subjects during the whole year. I will name them and afterwards, I will explain them separately. I will try to remark the most relevant aspects I have found in every subject and the goals I have achieved in this course. First of all, Sociología de la educación has been one of the first subjects we have had. This subject has been important for our training because we have learnt relevant elements and characteristics we have to bear in mind as teachers with our students. These learners can be influenced by different elements as for example: Personal situation at home, economical situation of parents, students behaviour because of the environment or personal situation. The study of social interaction between people includes the analysis of social members in a society and interaction between different people around the world. We can emphasize that Sociology is really closed to different cultures too. Multilingualism and intercultural competence are related to this area and they influence a lot on our students learning. For instance we can have a new student with a different religion, culture, 4

7 problematic personal situation or other different aspects related to the world where we live and we have to face these aspects. In this case, Sociology can be really helpful. Aprendizaje y enseñanza de la lengua extranjera is divided in three parts: - Firstly, we have dealt with some different Websites which can help us to follow several methods related to pronunciation and vocabulary. This websites can be very useful if we want to obtain some information for our students and spread their English knowledge. We have done some practical exercises which have been very positive for our training too. We had been given a list with different elements to bear in mind with our students and we had to explain this information in front of the rest of the class. The notes, I have taken from my partner s work and also from my own work, have been relevant for my development as a teacher. - The second part of the subject refers to a fundamental aspect we have to bear in mind with our students, i.e. multilingualism and intercultural communication. We have learnt different things about multilingualism and relevant aspects related to different cultures. In this part we have tried to work with these elements and apply them to our context; English teaching. I have found it really interesting and I think these elements can help me in a future as a teacher. I have to mention one practical exercise we have made at the end of this part. In this practice we had to design an exercise for our students where we had to add an intercultural factor. Thanks to this exercise we can teach English to our students and at the same time we can teach them some relevant aspects about the target culture. From my point of view, it is really positive to work with this kind of elements because we live in a world which has a lot of different cultures in it and we have to deal with some problems and barriers among us. At the same time, we have to bear in mind 5

8 that we live in a society which is constantly changing and young people are forced to be involved in multiculturalism and participate, respect and know it. - In the third part, and I have to point out that it has been one of the most relevant things I have found in this subject, we have learnt how to create a CLILQUEST. I think that this method can be really helpful for our students and at the same time it is the best way if we want them to interact with other students. In addition, we have acquired information about CLIL, a new learning method which is used in some schools and which is going to be the future for English teachers and students. From my point of view this learning method needs a good explanation to understand it perfectly and in this part of the subject we have acquired all the information we needed to complete our knowledge about CLIL. Finally, we have been recommended many websites to improve our training as teachers and at the same time other different ones focused on different methods we can use to create platforms and sites related to English learning. These online tools are very funny and helpful for us and for our students. It is important to remark that all this information we have been recommended in all the three parts of the subject has one common characteristic which is fundamental in our training: students motivation. In the subject Complementos, I have found different elements which can be really useful for me in the future. We have learned the most important learning methods and we have worked with them. One of the elements we have improved in this subject is how to motivate our students. Our teacher has tried to transmit us how important this element is. Our students need to be active in class. An active participation is fundamental for them. The role of the 6

9 teacher is related with this consequence. It is essential to create a really good atmosphere among learners. In this subject we have learned some steps we can follow to create this atmosphere, some barriers we can find among our students and at the end possible solutions we can find to solve problems with them. Another important point which can be very useful is the list we can see about different types of students. All the steps you have to follow and all the characteristics they can present. Finally we have been given a list with the most important learning methods and we have worked with them. At the end we had to carry out an exercise with every learning method and this have been really positive because I have worked with all of them and after using them I have selected the methods I find more useful. From my point of view and if I had to work these methods with my students I would use: Grammar translation method, CLIL and the Communicative Approach because I think these kinds of methods can be more beneficial for my students and they can acquire a better English knowledge with them. Procesos y contextos educativos has been one of the first subjects we have studied in this Master. I would say that this subject has been the base of our training as teachers. I have learned some important elements which will be essential in my future as a teacher. One of the objectives this subject presented was the principal idea and essential characteristics of being a teacher. We have learned how to create a Didactic Unit. This is one of the most important elements to organize all the work we are going to employ with our students. The organization of a Didactic Unit requires some steps we have to bear in mind and thanks to this learning we have improved our way to create them. 7

10 At the same time, we have acquired the information we needed about how a school works. We have seen important elements as for example all its different areas. We have learned how to elaborate and organize a complete syllabus. We have worked these different parts with some practical exercises and we have been forced to group work to interact with other future teachers. This has been very useful because we will have to work with other people when we become teachers, so that these exercises have shown us how we can organize all the work and how we have to respect different opinions and ways of working. (We have seen some behavioural rules and norms which are essential in a school). Innovación e investigación has been one of the subjects where we have learned some steps to conduct our Research Project. Besides, we have seen other innovative exercises related to English learning. Our teacher has given to us a lot of handouts with some practical exercises related to this topic and we have had to work them in groups trying to develop new techniques to employ them with our future students. At the same time, one thing I have learnt in this subject, which can be very useful for me in the future, has been every different reading we have been given with some relevant information about innovative teaching techniques written by researchers who have applied these techniques among different students and have proved if they worked or not. From my point of view these kinds of handouts have two positive aspects. On the one hand, these studies have helped us to develop our Research Project. In these articles we have seen different structures of a research and the steps that their authors have followed. On the other hand, it is clear that these documents can be very helpful for us in the future because they show us a lot of different techniques which have been applied, so that we can clearly see the barriers it presents among the students and all the 8

11 possible errors and problems a teacher can face if he or she decides to employ this kind of methods. In this subject we have attended some presentations related to English teaching which have been really interesting for our training. We have extracted all the information we could because after these presentations we had to elaborate a complete Portfolio where we had to include them. These presentations have been carried out by different professors, teachers and researchers, some of them were foreigners and the rest of them came from other Spanish communities. In these presentations we have acquired some knowledge about different techniques we can employ with our students, some of them related to modern technology, as for example: presentations carried out with the program Prezi which contains a lot of data in a reduced space and some online games focused on vocabulary learning. During my Practicum I have acquired a better experience in this area. I have worked with students of different levels. The best way to learn something is to practice it and these two months have been really positive for my training. I have learnt some new techniques to motivate my students and to create a good atmosphere in the classroom. If students are not motivated or they feel frustrated during the class they will be lost and some of them will try to interrupt the normal rhythm of the class. It is very important to maintain them motivated and it is essential that they enjoy your classes. In this period I have noticed that you have to interact with your students, know them and their limits and try to obtain the best results you can. If you let students interact with each other, they will feel more self-confident and they will work better so that you will be more satisfied and they will be satisfied too. 9

12 Evaluation is one of the most important parts of this job, because you have to check their knowledge and you have to confirm that students have understood all the information you have tried to transmit. During my Practicum I had the opportunity of evaluating one group of students and I have learned some techniques to evaluate their knowledge. Finally, I had worked with other teachers who have given me a lot of information about being a teacher. I have been involved in this atmosphere and I have experienced how to work with other people with a same objective: education. In Aprendizaje y desarrollo de la personalidad I have been given a lot of information about all the different stages a student suffers from childhood to adolescence. One of the most important things I have learned in this subject has been all personal characteristics students can present depending on his age and the problems and barriers you have to face with them in those situations. Our teacher has shown us some different solutions we can find if we are dealing with a problem. These solutions have been given to us thanks to practical exercises where we had a problem with a student and we had some questions to solve them. From my point of view this has been really positive and dynamic because it is the better way to put yourself in that situation and at the end if you have one problem with a student in the future you will have to use your psychology to try to find a solution. We have observed some social problems which are always present in our life, as for example: bullying, anorexia, bulimia, and economical problems. Nowadays, we live in a world where you can easily find one of these problems and if you have a guide to try to solve them or if you have an experience in this kind of problem it will be easier to deal with it. 10

13 Finally, I have to remark that this subject has provided us a better understanding of teenagers and what they think. It is not easy to interact with them, but if you have a guide and some possible solutions to this reactions and behaviours it will be much easier to create a properly atmosphere. To sum up, all the subjects have contributed to our training and if you mix all the information we have been provided, it will be easier to deal with your work and to become a great teacher in the future. 11

14 PART II SYLLABUS 12

15 JUSTIFICATION Nowadays we are living in a world where people really depend on different languages. English has become one of the most important tools to communicate with other parts of the world in different contexts. In these Didactic Units I will try to develop the 4 skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. My students will have to acquire different elements related to these skills. In order to develop them I will have to make them communicate with each other in English thanks to some role plays and oral activities depending on the topic and the unit. I will also have to help them to improve their written skills with the help of compositions. In addition, I will focus my attention on some linkers which are really helpful for their oral and written skills. We will try to learn and revise the most important grammar structures and we will use some practical exercises to improve their learning. These grammar structures will be used in role plays and in written activities too. I will play some listening tasks related to every unit to improve their listening comprehension in English. This activity will be practiced one or twice per unit. Finally, at the end of every term, they will sit for a test to check their knowledge and the mark they obtain will be added to the rest of the elements included in the part concerning evaluation. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT All these units will be carried out in the same educational context with a 3 rd ESO group. There will be 23 children in the class who study at IES Inventor Cosme García. This 13

16 group is presented as an average group with a lower intermediate level of proficiency in English, and without any particular problem worth to be highlighted. OBJECTIVES - To value language and communication as basic tools of comprehension to participate in a multicultural society where stereotypes and discriminations are avoided. - To achieve the communicative oral, written and audiovisual competences in English to communicate with the other people and to express opinions and personal ideas. - To use the information and communication technology (ICT) to find, to obtain, elaborate and present information, opinions and feelings using different types as power point presentations, blogs, wikis, web quests, and social networks. - To interact, produce English conversations and understand spoken discourse, adopting a cooperative attitude and taking active. - To express in a foreign language in situations of communication adopting a suitable, participative and respectful attitude. - To understand oral and written speeches in social and cultural contexts. - To understand and create texts and compositions using the basic knowledge and all grammar structures learnt during the academic year. - To show an active attitude in learning foreign languages and to participate in the process and evaluation and classroom language acquisition. 14

17 COMPETENCES All these competences will be applied to the syllabus presented in this Master s Thesis: - Linguistic and audiovisual competence: Ability to express thoughts, feelings and opinions in both oral and written form and to interact in different cultural contexts. It is also the ability to use different kind of tools to communicate. - Artistic and cultural competence: Importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions thanks to music, literature, and the visual arts. Students should be able to be creative and sensitive towards artistic works. - Digital competence: The use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Students should be familiar with Web quests and Wikis. They should know how to use Power point and to find and select materials from the Internet. - Learn how to learn: Ability to organize their own learning, individually, in pairs, or in groups, awareness of methods and opportunities. At the end of each unit students should evaluate themselves. Students should apply learning strategies they have learnt. - Sense of initiative and autonomy: Creativity and innovation and the ability to carry our projects to achieve objectives. Students should be active and creative. They should be autonomous and contribute in all the activities. - Knowledge and interaction with the world: Knowledge of social and political concepts and structures. Students should know how to cooperate in workgroup. They will have to negotiate all the time the contents present in their activities and works. - Social and civic competence: All forms of behaviour to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life. 15

18 TIMING Every unit will be developed in 7 sessions of 50 minutes. The 4 skills my students have to acquired will be included in these sessions. Every unit will be finished more or less in 2 weeks approximately. SESSIONS SKILLS TIME 1 st Session Reading/Listening/Writing/Reading 50 min 2 nd Session Reading/Listening/Writing/Reading 50min 3 rd Session Reading/Listening/Writing/Reading 50min 4 th Session Reading/Listening/Writing/Reading 50 min 5 th Session Reading/Listening/Writing/Reading 50 min 6th Session Reading/Listening/Writing/Reading 50 min ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY This group does not need any special attention and there are not curricular adaptations to be made. There is one girl who has a little hearing disability but she does not need any particular adaptations. It is important to take into account all different cultures this group presents. We must have intercultural awareness. We will work with multiculturalism and intercultural in communication. Students will be forced to interact with other students and to learn about other cultures and habits. 16

19 MATERIAL AND RESOURCES One of the most useful I have found is PowerPoint presentations together with the slide projector. Students are more motivated when you use this kind of material with them, and, at the same time they have more time to take some notes. I will use Prezi too. This program can be a little bit more difficult than the PowerPoint but it contains a lot of information in a reduced space so I think it can be really helpful for my students learning. I have used other resources as for example YouTube which can show a lot of information and at the same time it can be really funny among students. This technique is really useful because it improves their motivation. I will use this program to play one video related with the intercultural communication too. In their Textbook and Workbook they can find some extra activities and explanations which can be very useful if they want to continue working at home. I have decided to create with this group a new "blog" for all the students and the teacher. There, students will share their feelings and opinions about some topics I will propose every week. Once a week we will see one or two blogs in the class and we will try to correct some mistakes. I will read follow their bogs weekly. It is important to bear in mind that this blog will be all written in English. METHODOLOGY I will use English as the vehicular language in the classroom since they are students who will be adults in the future and they will have to travel abroad so that they will 17

20 need another language to communicate with other people. They have to be aware of the different cultures they have around them so I will try to focus on some relevant aspects related to multiculturalism. The use of the first language will be reduced during the class and they will have to express themselves in English all the time. If one day they want to go abroad and meet different people they will have to speak in other language to interact with them, thus I will try to help them develop the ability to speak in English all the time. There will be some exceptions as for example when they do not understand a word or an exercise. Then, I will have to try another technique, as for example translating the word or the sentence into Spanish, to explain this kind of doubts. As regards spoken production and interaction, they will have to work individually and in pairs. They will have to create different conversations so that they will need a partner to practice their oral skills. Teenagers live in a world where they feelings are really important and they are changing their emotions all the time. As the responsible of the class and the unit, I will try to encourage an active participation of all the students during the class. I will not correct all their mistakes, only the most important mistakes. Sometimes, they will have to take notes about some mistakes which can be considered as typical mistakes in English because students tend to commit this kind of mistakes when they are learning English and we will have to correct them. ASSESSMENT The assessment of all their work will be checked in the following way: 18

21 During each term: - Compositions will be the 20% of the final mark. - Oral tasks will be the 10% of the final mark. - The Final exam will be the 50% of the final mark. (The exam of the book will be the 10% of this total). - Workbook will be the 10% of the final mark. - Participation during the class will be the 10% of the final mark. At the end of the academic year: The final mark of the first term will be the 30%. The final mark of the second term will be the 40%. The final mark of the third term will be the 30%.. DIDACTIC UNIT 1: LET S TALK ABOUT English! 19

22 INTRODUCTION We live in a world where English is really important for us. If we want to travel or to live abroad we have to speak English because it is one of the most important languages in the world. This unit will be focused on this importance of English and typical situations where we need to use this language. OBJECTIVES To have an everyday conversation with other student in English. They will have to be able to use English in a train station, in an airport or in the street. To write and to pronounce correctly the vocabulary presented on the blackboard. To use the present simple and continuous and distinguish between their usage. To write a short paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific information. - Spoken interaction in simulated situations using verbal written communication CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading and Writing - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to find different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using the Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to students daily routine. - Cooperation in team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common goal. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary (and synonyms) Acquisition of the present simple and continuous. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a useful conversation if they go abroad. 20

23 DIDACTIC UNIT 2: TEENAGERS INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Teenagers are a very important part in Education. Teachers have to know their students and their feelings which are related to their age. In this unit we will know a little bit better their feelings, problems and solutions they try to find to solve this kind of problems. To talk about their feelings and opinions using some linkers and the vocabulary learnt in the unit. To write and to say the correct pronunciation of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To use the relative clauses and their relative pronouns correctly. To write a little compositions about themselves (feelings, hobbies and problems) or other students as the point of view of a teenagers. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to a daily routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. 21

24 BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to teenagers and they feelings. Acquisition of relative clauses. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a useful Role Play about their own problems and worries Ability to understand audiovisual activities. DIDACTIC UNIT: UNIT 3: TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Our society depends on the new technologies which have been increasing in the last years. Teenagers should learn all the information they can about this new world. In this unit, we will try to learn some new vocabulary related to information and communication technologies (ICT) and how to use them in language learning. To know the new technologies and to explain them using English language. To know how to use different technologies which can help them to learn English( websites, PowerPoint, Prezi) To know some vocabulary related to the topic, Technologies. To write and to say the correct pronunciation of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To use the past simple and continuous and to mix them with the present simple and present continuous correctly. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this unit. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2.Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). 22

25 BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to technologies. Knowledge of important technology tools (PowerPoint, websites...) Acquisition of the past simple and past continuous. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text related to the topic. Ability to create their own blog in English (use of technologies) DIDACTIC UNIT 4: FOOD POWER INTRODUCTION Our teenagers live in a world where fast food restaurants have increased. We have to make them to eat properly so that they will be always healthy. We all know that sometimes this obligation can be very difficult to be applied with them. 23

26 This unit tries to show them some good reasons to follow a healthy diet, as for example a diet which contains beneficial nutrients for the brain. It is going to show them some different tricks to keep fit and healthy. It also shows different ingredients and products which are typical in different parts of the world and which can be unknown for us. This can be a good way to interact with other parts of the world and to know typical aspects of other different cultures. We will work two texts in two different sessions each other because we are going to learn important things as vocabulary, pronunciation and new routine expressions. They can also learn how to use conditional sentences which are, from my point of view, one of the most outstanding topics of English grammar. OBJECTIVES At the end of the unit students will be able to: Read two texts and to look for the most relevant vocabulary this text contains. They will have to find some synonyms for the vocabulary related to food habits. Write and to say the correct pronunciation of the vocabulary on the blackboard. They will have some difficult terms to test their understanding. Use conditional sentences. zero, first, second and third types. Describe some situations using conditional sentences. They will have to use the expression If I were you in different situations they will be involved. 24

27 Write a short paragraph using vocabulary and grammar they have learnt in this Unit. They will have to write about this topic "Are you a healthy person? They will have to relate this topic with the food. Learn about typical food and ingredients from other countries. Employ do and make correctly. Know what time clauses mean and the most relevant vocabulary this section contains. They will have to write a composition with this title Yesterday. They will review Past Simple too. Understand some differences among cultures (related to the topic: the food). Acquire new learning strategies which are very useful in a Foreign Language. Use some new technologies in their learning progress. COMPETENCES Linguistic competence: Work of the four skills. Grammar and vocabulary included. Learning to learn competence: Students will have to pursue and persist in learning, to organise their own learning through an effective management of time and information, individually and in groups. Cultural and artistic competence: Students will read a text about ingredients and products typical from other countries of the world. Knowledge and interaction with the physical world: They will find different food habits and they will think about which are the healthiest for them so that they will 25

28 acquire some new knowledge about this topic. At the same time they will learn about other habits of the people (from the text and from other students). CONTENTS I will complement these contents with some extra activities which can be included in the session plans and in the appendix (See appendices 1, 2, 4 and 5) I will show a chart to explain the 4 different blocks we are going to find in this Didactic unit. As I have mentioned before I will add 4 different blocks (according to the LOE). 26

29 BLOCK 1. BLOCK 2. BLOCK 3. BLOCK 4. Listening, spoken production and Reading and Writing Knowledge of the language. Socio-cultural Aspects and Intercultural Awareness spoken interaction - Understanding oral messages related to the topic by using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations by using verbal Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays games and interventions in class. - Appreciation of Foreign Language as an instrument of communication. - Knowledge about important elements as for example interculturality which can condition the process of the language learning. -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). - Interest in studying learning strategies (in writing and reading) to improve English. Linguistic Knowledge - Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using the Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations and other context where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Interest in studying other learning strategies to improve their Foreign Language. Reflection on learning: - Learning of different procedures, audiovisual and computerized support for the acquisition of new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these new technologies to adapt them to their routine. - Cooperation in a teamwork or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. (As for example Role Plays). -Effort to recognize some errors as a natural part of the learning process. - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures where they are learning a Foreign Language. - Interest in other countries which have different habits, cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates to create a good social atmosphere in class. - Respect for the class rules of security and good manners. 27

30 METHODOLOGY I will use English as the main language in the classroom since they are students who will need another language to communicate with other people. I will try to cover the 4 skills with them and they will have to practice their oral and written comprehension. Each student will be encouraged to participate in the correction of the exercises and at least once or twice a week they will have to come to the blackboard and practice their oral expression (individually or in pairs). One of the things I will employ as a method is that every time they have to speak about a topic, I will let them 5 or 10 minutes to prepare it. It is important to point out that students will have to reduce the use of their first language and they will have to speak all in English. I really think this method can be really satisfactory. ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY This group has one student who presents a problem, a hearing disability so that I have to pay attention to this student and check if she really understands all she is learning. At the end, she does not have a serious problem which prevents or hinders the rhythm of the class. I will have to speak louder and repeat her some questions. There will not be any important measures to bear in mind. I have some students which belong to different cultures so that I will have to pay attention to diversity. I will introduce important aspects as for example, intercultural elements, to make my students to be involved in other different cultures and habits and 28

31 at the same time to create a great atmosphere between all my students and make them feel comfortable. ACTIVITIES The activities I have prepared for this group will emphasize the importance of grammar, particularly, conditional sentences, since they are essential to communicate in English. I will also insist on new vocabulary and its pronunciation. They will have to make some exercises about these topics and we will correct them during the class. If we do not finish the exercises they will have to finish them at home and we will continue with the correction the following day. Another important activity will be focused on the improvement of students fluency and accuracy. They have to get used to speaking in class in front of their classmates because in the future they will have to pass some oral exams and at the same time, one day, perhaps they could have to speak in front of a big audience. We are going to employ ICT techniques because nowadays we live in a word where information is totally spread and we can be in touch all the time. ASSESSMENT In the unit Food Power the most important aspects to be assessed are: Complete understanding of new vocabulary (and synonyms) 29

32 Acquisition of the grammar structure: conditional sentences. (Identify between the 1 st, 2nd and the 3 rd and their structure) Ability to read a text and pronounce its words. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to produce a conversation related to this topic. This can be very helpful if they go abroad and they want to go to a restaurant. Ability ton have a conversation with people from different countries. Students will have to study some different and important elements related with other cultures. For example: polite questions. I will observe students and I will check their progress at the end of this unit. I will be focused on the most important aspects and I will try to check if students have understood I explanation. For this purpose I will employ some practical activities and exercises and I will correct them with the students during the class. During the term, they will have an exam which will be a test about a particular book. This mark will be the 10 % of the final mark as I have pointed in the Assessment. At the end of the term students will have to sit for a final exam which covers all the units developed during the term. I will evaluate students work as follows: - Compositions will be the 20% of the final mark. - Oral tasks will be the 10% of the final mark. - Final exam will be the 50% of the final mark. 30

33 - Workbook will be the 10% of the final mark. - Participation during the class will be the 10% of the final mark. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES I will show in detail all the materials I need to develop this unit on the chart. Some of these materials have been used in other units and with other groups too. One of the most useful materials I have found is the PowerPoint and the slide projector. Students are more motivated when you use this kind of material with them, at the same time they have more time to take some notes and so that it can be a really useful tool for them and for me. I have used other sources I have found on the net and they will be specified on the chart below. Besides, I designed a wiki to be implemented in this unit: There, they will find some texts about food and restaurants, some links with more information about the topic and one question they will have to answer and I will review at home. DISTRIBUTION OF THE UNITS IN TIME This unit will be divided into 6 different sessions. I will finish it in 2 weeks approximately. 31

34 SESSIONS TIME 1 st Session 50 min 2 nd Session 50min 3 rd Session 50min 4 th Session 50 min 5 th Session 50 min 6th Session 50 min 1 st session ACTIVITY SKILLS DESCRIPTION INTERACTION MATERIALS TIME Introduction Listening I introduce the unit to the students. In this case they will have to talk about the healthy and unhealthy food T S 5 min Textbook: Reading Speaking Listening Students will have to pay attention to the listening. After that they will have to repeat the text and underline the words. T S S T Food power Blackboard 15 min Cd Room and computer 32

35 Vocabulary and pronunciation Writing Speaking Students will go to the blackboard and they will divide their work in three steps: - Vocabulary T S S T Text Food Power Vocabulary underlined 10 min - Meaning - Pronunciation Blackboard Listening Questions about the text Speaking Writing Students will have to answer some questions about the text. I will show them the questions in a slide and they will have to think about them T S PowerPoint Slide projector 10 min S T Text Food power Role play Speaking Listening I will show the students a slide with some vocabulary and the most important elements required to order in a Restaurant. This role play will help them to interact with other people of different cultures and at the same time they will be able to order in so many different restaurants of the world. S T T S Blackboard (to write the most relevant ideas) 10 min 33

36 2 nd session ACTIVITY SKILLS DESCRIPTION INTERACTION MATERIALS TIME Introduction Listening Speaking I will introduce the content of this class and students will be able to ask for doubts about these explanations T S S T 5 min Listening comprehension Listening Writing Students will have to listen the second listening. I will play this listening 3 times and they will have to take some notes about it. T S S T Recording CD Room Textbook 15 min (3 times) Exercises and questions Listening Writing Speaking Students will have to answer the exercises which are in the textbook related with this listening. Page 74. After that they will have to correct them with my help. S T T S Textbook 10 min Writing Writing Speaking Students will have to write a brief composition about Fast Food Restaurants After, two of the learners will have to show his or her composition to the rest of the class T S S T 20 min 34

37 3 rd session ACTIVITY SKILLS DESCRIPTION INTERACTION MATERIALS TIME Introduction Listening Speaking I will introduce the content of this class and students will be able to ask for doubts about these explanations T S S T 5 min Grammar explanation Listening Writing I explains the grammar with the help of the PowerPoint presentation T S PowerPoint Slide Projector 15min Blackboard Grammar exercises Writing Listening Speaking Students will do the grammar exercises according to the unit T S S T Blackboard 15min Working in pairs Speaking Writing Students will have to work in pairs and they will have to discuss what would I do If I were rich? S< S T S 15in S T It will be a discussion at the end of the class about this question 35

38 4th session ACTIVITY SKILLS DESCRIPTION INTERACTION MATERIALS TIME Introduction Listening Speaking I will introduce the content of this class and students will be able to ask for doubts about these explanations T S S T 5 min Textbook Reading ingredients grow up in other countries" Reading Listening Students will have to pay attention to the listening which is going to read the text. After that they will have to repeat the text and underline the words I requires. The text will be related to other cultures because it is named Ingredients grow up in other countries so that students will have to interact among them about this topic and they will be focused on different countries. T S S T Blackboard Cd Room and computer 15 min Vocabulary and pronunciation Listening Writing Students will go to the blackboard and they will divide their work in three steps: - Vocabulary T S S T Vocabulary underlined Blackboard 10 min Speaking - Meaning - Pronunciation 36

39 Listening Questions about the text Speaking Writing Students will have to answer some questions about the text. They will find these questions in the textbook where the text is. T S Text book Blackboard 10 min S T Personal opinion about the topic Speaking Listening Students will have to speak in front of the rest of the class and they will have to say some new curiosities they may know or ingredients grown up in other countries. The rest of the students will have to take notes about these curiosities. S T T S Blackboard (to write the most relevant ideas) 10 min 5 th session ACTIVITY SKILLS DESCRIPTION INTERACTION MATERIALS TIME Introduction Listening Speaking I will introduce the content of this class and students will be able to ask for doubts about these explanations T S S T 5 min 37

40 Discussion about other cultures. Listening Writing Speaking I will propose a discussion among the students which will consist on Food of other countries which can be strange for us. We will see some different varieties and we will compare. This discussion will help us to learn a little bit more about other countries. T S S T Blackboard 15 min Comprehension exercises Writing Students will have to do the exercises about made and do They will have some time to complete these exercises before correcting them S-->T 15 min VIDEO ABOUT TRADITIONAL MEALS IN OTHER COUNTRIES (Intercultural activity) Listening Speaking I will play a video (thanks to YouTube) which will include some different examples different traditional meals in other countries. be.com/watch?v=l BR7hZij7Pw S T T S Video 10 min After the video, we will discuss the most delicious dishes and we will translate some of their names. 38

41 6 th session ACTIVITY SKILLS DESCRIPTION INTERACTION MATERIALS TIME Introduction Listening Speaking I will introduce the content of this class and students will be able to ask for doubts about these explanations T S S T 5 min Vocabulary Explanation Time clauses Listening Speaking I will explain the Time clause. Students will have to take some notes. Teacher will use PowerPoint T S S T Blackboard Textbook PowerPoint 10 min writing Pronunciation Listening Speaking Students will go to the blackboard and they will divide their work in three steps: - Vocabulary - Meaning T S S T Blackboard 10 min - Pronunciation Review Intercultural activity (Grammar revision and knowledge about other countries and cultures) Writing Speaking This revision will be related to Interculturality They will be given a text related with some stereotypes and they will have to create a conversation where they will use the grammar structures learnt and at the same time they will improve their cultural knowledge. S T Blackboard 20 min 39

42 DIDACTIC UNIT 5: COMMUNICATING PEOPLE INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES We all know the importance of being communicated all the time. We have to take into account that maybe in a future we will have to live abroad so it is really important to learn how to communicate in a new language. English can be a really important tool to carry out this communication. In this unit we will learn how to express our opinions and ideas in English. Have a typical conversation in pairs or in groups about different topics I will propose to them. To know and to write the correct phonetics of this vocabulary learnt on the blackboard. They will have to write a composition about this topic, communicating people. To use the present continuous and to be going to for future arrangements.. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral messages by using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions using verbal Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays games and interventions CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. 40

43 BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to Acquisition of the grammar structure: to be going to.. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a conversation about different topics proposed DIDACTIC UNIT 6: BOOKS INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Books can be a great time to spend some time, to have funny and to acquire some knowledge and culture. In this unit we will learn curious things about books and new vocabulary related to them. We will also observe different ways of explaining yourself in order to give different reasons about something. To talk about their favourite book and the book they hate most and the reasons they have. To know how to explain negative and positive reasons about something using some determined linkers. To use some linkers to express their ideas and opinions about something. To use will in the future and to differentiate it from to be going to. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). 41

44 BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects and Intercultural Awareness - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to different types of books. Knowledge about how to speak about advantages and disadvantages. Acquisition of the present simple and continuous. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a useful conversation expressing ideas about advantages and disadvantages. Ability to create a composition related to books. Ability to use linkers to give reasons DIDACTIC UNIT 7: WORK EXPERIENCE INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES In the future, we will have to face a new job. We will have to deal with interviews and to acquire some work experience. In this Unit we will try to develop our knowledge about this kind of context. To play a little job interview with a partner to use some of the vocabulary and expressions learnt in this unit. To learn some vocabulary about different professions and to write the correct phonetics of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To learn how to use I wish/if only structures. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. 42

45 BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects and Intercultural Awareness - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to different works and expressions needed in an interview. Acquisition of I wish/if only structures. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a Role Play based on a job interview. 43

46 DIDACTIC UNIT 8: MEETING CULTURES INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES We live in a society which is constantly changing. Around us, there are a lot of different cultures and habits and we have to live with all of them. To be communicated with all kind of people we will have to learn a little bit more about their cultures. In this unit we will face two important element in this context: multiculturalism and interculturality. To know a little bit more about different cultures and habits. to communicate with people with other nationalities and cultures. To use the present perfect and the past perfect and distinguish each other. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. 44

47 BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to different cultures and habits. Knowledge about important elements as interculturallity and multiculturalism. Acquisition of the past perfect and present perfect.. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a conversation between two persons of different cultures. Knowledge about some barriers you can find in a conversation among two persons from different cultures. DIDACTIC UNIT 9: CELEBRITIES INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES To be a famous person is not as easier as we think. They have to face a lot of problems and barriers everyday. In this unit we will observe both parts, negative and positives reasons to live as a celebrity. We will learn some expressions related to this topic. To know some expressions and vocabulary related to famous people and their habits. To write and to say the correct pronunciation of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To use the passive voice. To acquire some knowledge about the causative form. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit (In this case, related with Celebrities, as for example: Why I would like or not to be a famous person?) CONTENTS BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). 45

48 BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) Reflection learning on - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects and Intercultural Awareness - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary and expressions related to the world of the Celebrities. Acquisition of the causative form. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to write or talk about this kind of profession. DIDACTIC UNIT10: FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES This big world is full of feelings. We can find love feelings or hate feelings or maybe we can find other different feelings as for example feelings of indifference. We will learn some new vocabulary related to this feelings and emotions. The unit will contain 8 sessions of minutes each one. It will be completely worked more or less in 3 weeks. To practice their oral and written strategies and techniques. (Related to feelings and emotions) a for example with role plays. To expand vocabulary about feelings. They will have to acquire new vocabulary on the lesson topic and to learn some new synonyms. To practice all the verb tenses, they have learnt. To review two essential elements in English as too and enough 46

49 BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to feelings and emotions Acquisition of too and enough structures. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to express themselves about their feelings and emotions Ability to get a good comprehension about a text and write about this topic 47

50 DIDACTIC UNIT 11: FAMILY INTRODUCTION To be member of family is a really important matter for every of us. In this Unit we will observe and describe different types of families and the vocabulary related to it. The unit will contain 8 sessions of minutes each one. It will be completely worked more or less in 3 weeks. OBJECTIVES To acquired some vocabulary related to members of the family. To write the correct phonetics of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To learn the reported speech structure and to do some exercises about this grammar correctly. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication CONTENTS - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) 48

51 Reflection learning on - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary, members of the family and elements required to describe them. Acquisition of the reported speech. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to speak about your family members and describe them DIDACTIC UNIT 12: SUPERHEROS INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Kids and teenagers are really involved in the world of superheroes. This topic really enjoys them so that we will use it to motivate our learners. In this Unit I will try to use this topic to encourage learners to participate orally and improve their oral tasks giving advantages and disadvantages about something. The unit will contain 8 sessions of minutes each one. It will be completely worked more or less in 3 weeks. To understand different texts related to this topic and extract the most important vocabulary. To write the correct phonetics of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To learn how to use simple modal verbs. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. To explain advantages and disadvantages of being a superhero and using some linkers. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. 49

52 CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) Reflection learning on - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary related to his topic. Acquisition of the simple modal verbs. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about two different texts. Ability to describe something and to argument it with some reasons. DIDACTIC UNIT 13: RISKS AND ADVENTURE 50

53 INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Sports are really important for our students. They really love doing any kind of sport. In this Unit we will focus our attention on risk sports. We will learn some English names and vocabulary related to risk and adventure. The unit will contain 8 sessions of minutes each one. It will be completely worked more or less in 3 weeks. To acquire some vocabulary and expressions in this unit related to adventure sports. To learn and to write the correct phonetics of this vocabulary on the blackboard. To learn some ing and to+infinitive structures. To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar they have learnt in this Unit. BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) Reflection learning on - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. 51

54 BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary- Acquisition of the ing and to+infinitive structures. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to speak about sports and hobbies. DIDACTIC UNIT 14: FAST FOOD, A NEW WORLD INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Teachers are also starting to realize the importance of 'feeding the brain'. It is important to educate our teenagers with respect to food too. In this unit we I will try to explain some food vocabulary and some rules students should follow to be healthy. We will also learn some expressions you can use in a foreign restaurant. The unit will contain 8 sessions of minutes each one. It will be completely worked more or less in 3 weeks. To learn some vocabulary related to food and different ingredients and some expressions used in a restaurant. To create a conversation with the waiter of a restaurant where they can order some food. (Role play) To learn some courtesy questions. To practice prepositions of place BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). 52

55 BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) Reflection learning on - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to daily routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary (and synonyms) Acquisition of some prepositions of place. Acquisition of some courtesy questions. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to face a conversation in a restaurant with a waiter. DIDACTIC UNIT 15: MARVELLOUS IN OUR WORLD INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES We live in a world full of marvellous cities and monuments. Nevertheless, our teenagers do not know so much about marvellous in our world. In this unit we will mix English and culture again to improve their culture knowledge and we will learn some new vocabulary to describe places and people from other different cultures. The unit will contain 8 sessions of minutes each one. It will be completely worked more or less in 3 weeks. To acquire some knowledge about other cities in the world. To learn new vocabulary (adjectives and adverbs) to describe places and people. To know some new linkers to describe places. To create a conversation with a friend about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a different city To write a little paragraph using the vocabulary and the grammar learnt in this Unit. 53

56 BLOCK 1. Listening, spoken production and spoken interaction - Understanding oral using audio-visual and technologic tools to extract specific Information. - Spoken interactions in simulated situations using verbal written Communication - Interest in participating actively in role plays and interventions. CONTENTS BLOCK 2. Reading Writing and -Reading and understanding texts in order to use the information in the development of different oral and written tasks - Reading and writing texts related to feelings situations and focused on their reading and writing skills. - Use of PowerPoint to read/write information and use the Internet to search different information. - Interest in the presentation of written texts (weekly). BLOCK 3. Knowledge of the language. Linguistic Knowledge Reflection on learning Identification of aspects of phonology, rhythm and intonation of the Foreign Language, and their use in the comprehension and production of spoken texts. - Identification and use of vocabulary and grammar structures with fluency and accuracy. - Interest in using Foreign Language correctly in varied situations. (Personal opinions and situations where they have to express their opinion and feelings) - Learning of different procedures, new vocabulary and grammar structures - Use of all these technologies to adapt them to routine. - Cooperation in a team-work or in pairs in order to achieve a common work. BLOCK 4. Socio-cultural Aspects Intercultural Awareness and - Interest and receptive attitude in discovering information about other kind of people and different cultures. - Interest in other countries with different cultures and ways of living. - Respect for classmates and teachers to create a good atmosphere in class. ASSESSMENT Complete understanding of the new vocabulary and descriptions of different places. Knowledge about other countries and cultures. Ability to read texts and pronounce words correctly. Ability to get a good comprehension about a text. Ability to create a conversation with a friend about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a different city Acquisition of some linkers to describe places and different situations 54

57 PART III RESEARCH PROJECT 55

58 CHAT-ROOMS OR ORAL TASKS INTRODUCTION I will develop my research project based on two techniques, chat-rooms and oral tasks, carried out in different classes. We can observe one example in the study developed by Hamano-Bunce (2010) where different students have used these techniques and the results have contributed with some notable advantages and disadvantages to an educational research. Students have to face new technologies and they have to handle them correctly. We live in a world where it is very important to know how to use them. Chat-rooms and oral tasks are one of these new tools we can use to communicate. As I have mentioned before, this project will include two relevant elements, chat-rooms and oral tasks. Chat-rooms can be really useful for students because they can develop and improve their written skills and grammar structures as well as interact with other classmates. At the same time, thanks to this method, students can enjoy the class more. Chat-rooms increase their motivation and they really enjoy working with this technique (Hamano- Bunce 2010). Oral tasks can be considered a useful tool for our students too. According to Levelt (1989) this technique focuses on learners oral skills and interaction. Fluency and accuracy must be taken into account and progressively improved. If you want students to practice their oral skills you can find, for instance, role plays which can be very useful to help students create their own stories in English. They also interact and improve their self-confidence speaking in front of a public audience which can be really positive in their English productions too. 56

59 To conclude with this introduction, I will use the definition of these two different methods and afterwards, in further sections of this research project, we will see their implications and a longer explanation about their different uses and barriers. On the one hand, chat-rooms can be considered a way of communicating by sending text messages to people who are in the same chat-room. Thanks to this kind of interaction you can obtain big amounts of data. This technique has been employed with some students because it offers an increase of their motivation and participation in class. However, according to Simpson (2001) there is one important disadvantage of chatrooms is that students can feel lost if they do not use it properly and they can interrupt the normal rhythm of the class. This can be a problem for teachers because they will have to control their learners all the time when they are using this online environment. On the other hand, the term oral task refers to the transmission of information addressed to a public audience. One of the most important advantages of this technique is that it improves students productions in English as well as their self-confidence. As I have pointed out before I will analyze both methods and I will contrast all possible differences and applications. Finally I will try to show my conclusion about this research to develop it with students and to prove which of these methods can be more satisfactory for them. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Chat-room can be a really good tool to make students interact but it contains some barriers we have to bear in mind. In this study we are trying to compare it with oral 57

60 tasks to observe their advantages and disadvantages and which technique can be more useful for our teenagers. According to Hamano-Bunce (2010) when you use Chat-rooms you can create a great interaction among your students. However, he also found some barriers in this technique because this Chat-room interaction was less effective for language learning than face-to-face oral interaction. Chun (1994) found that students asked more questions to their partners when they used chat-rooms, they felt more self-confident and they gave more feedback and requested more clarification in English production. Simpson (2001) gives some advantages of using Chat-rooms too. Firstly, he observes the same positive factor Hamano-Bunce (2010) had pointed out, since this technique allows learners to interact in an authentic context with native speakers without being restricted by location. Language students can use a Chat-room at any time to interact with people anywhere in the world. Another advantage is that chat-rooms can promote learner autonomy. Every line of conversation is saved and can be checked at any time. The advantages chat-rooms present are emphasized in the literature. Thus, Kern (1995) explains that learners are more motivated and they produce more English when they are chatting than when they are working in an oral discussion. Shekary (2006) explains that Chat-room facilitates a comprehensible and contextualized interaction and learners' self-correction, which is really important in language learning, because it creates a good and cooperative atmosphere in the classroom. 58

61 According to Kern (1995) while many studies have investigated corrective feedback types and their effectiveness for language learning in traditional classroom and natural learning environments, to our knowledge there are no published studies that substantially focus on error correction in chat-rooms environments. It is one way that English teachers strive to maximize classroom time in which students have the opportunity to use English and negotiate meaning. Students should be able to observe and analyse their mistakes and finally correct them in a period of time. Levelt(1989), Woodard; Haskins; Schaefer and Smolen (2004), point out that oral task is the best way to make students communicate and Chat-room presents a lot of barriers which can be really significant in their learning process. Levelt (1989) explains that it can be better for all the students to use oral techniques to develop their foreign learning rather than chat-room interaction because oral tasks can be essential for all types of learners and it is easier to use than the former. Levelt (1989) thinks that oral tasks develop in the learner a bigger English production and a better comprehension. Students must improve their fluency and accuracy to success in their English production. With regard to the advantages of oral tasks, Woodard; Haskins; Schaefer and Smolen (2004) explain in their article some characteristics we can extract from using this kind of method: 1. Children worked together in designated pairs at the tables, with little intervention from adults. 2. Teachers modelled literature and vocabulary related to a different topic each week. 3. Opportunities for sharing with others were provided routinely in the classroom. 59

62 According to oral self-correction, Goodwin (2001) mentions that it refers to students correcting an error after the error is pointed out by the teacher, and later in reference to students monitoring a recording of their speech. This author thinks that: "A second way to encourage self-correction is to record student speech, in either audio or video format (2001:117). This can also be particularly effective if some learners listen to their partners and correct them. After that, they will be able to correct their own mistakes. We have to bear in mind that every student has a different level and a different way of learning. Both techniques require some characteristic elements to be developed in a classroom with a lot of different learners who have really different point of views and English levels. This is really closed to Foster s (2000) who tries to explain in his article that learners were dependent on inherent task structure. Fluency was really affected by this structure but the complexity of the language and grammar structures was always influenced by the information they have received previously. Hamano-Bunce (2010) who compares in his article chat-room and face-to-face oral tasks by observation, interviews, and a questionnaire explains that slow typing can considerably decrease language production, negotiation and collaboration among students and he concludes that, unless there is a specific reason for its use in the classroom, chat-room interaction may be practiced outside the classroom, maybe at home with some English friends or forums to discuss different topics, so that learners can profit fully from opportunities for face-to-face oral interaction with other English learners. Tudini (2002) shows some differences and similarities between face-to-face oral interaction and chatting via computer. This scholar also considers the advantages and disadvantages of using one method or the other one. He explains how his study has 60

63 examined a small group of intermediate-level learners of Italian, with some relevant elements underlined with regard to spoken discourse: Variety of speech acts. Discourse markers and feedback. An inter language development which can be transferred to spoken language. In conclusion, the aim of the present research project is to observe all the advantages and disadvantages that we can find in both techniques and compare the results we can obtain from using one or another with students. It is important to bear in mind that using chat-rooms and oral tasks can imply a lot of barriers but we have to find the easiest solutions to carry out these techniques. Depending on the barriers while using them in classroom interactions we will have to choose the most useful to improve and clarify our student s foreign language learning. RESEARCH QUESTIONS I will focus my attention on 2 different research questions: Which group feels more self-confident to correct mistakes? Which technique helps students improve their productions in English? METHOD The methodology, I am going to develop in this research project, is based on a case study carried out with questionnaires. 61

64 A case study is defined as the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular participant (in this case, a leaner) or small group of learners. Levy (1988) established the use of the case study as appropriate for the research project, and this researcher also used the literature to confirm the use of case methodology in the study at Fairfield University. The case study examines the individual or small group, finding some conclusions only in that specific context. It is important to bear in mind that this method also incorporates the idea that students can learn from one another. They can acquire knowledge from the others by engaging with each other and with each other's ideas. According to Yin (1984) there are six sources of evidence for data collection in the case study protocol: documentation, questionnaires, interviews, direct observation, participant observation, and physical artefacts but not all need be used in every case study. In this project I will follow three of these six sources: questionnaires, direct observation and documentation because Yin (1984) suggested this kind of routines for organizing and conducting a case study successfully. According to Levy (1988) in a case study interaction is essential. Students need to interact to acquire and transmit the necessary information to carry out this kind of study. After analysing the ideas that Levy (1988) has provided about case studies, I have decided to use this kind of method for two main reasons. Firstly, as I have pointed before thanks to the explanations given by Levy (1988), this research project requires our students interaction. In this kind of research interaction is totally necessary. The development of a case study needs the interaction of a small group to been carried out successfully. This study employs a kind of connexion between learners to obtain a big amount of data which is going to show some significant results. 62

65 Secondly, a case study tries to examine individual or smalls groups. In my case, I will use it because I need some samples from different groups of learners to compare both techniques and I will have to examine these learners in small groups or in pairs. These small groups are crucial because it will be easier to create a good atmosphere and a better interaction among students. We have to bear in mind that interaction is totally necessary in this study. I will support my study by taking some notes about both activities; chat-rooms and oral tasks and I will divide my notes about all the information I have collected in four different blocks: 1. Repetitive mistakes: I will observe their mistakes and the frequency they are made. I will take some notes about all the mistakes they are frequently produced by the learner without any self-correction. 2. Wrong grammatical structure: I will focus my attention on relative clauses. I will take some notes about the mistakes they make in focusing on their use of relative pronouns. 3. Lack of the vocabulary proposed: I will provide them with some vocabulary related to feelings and emotions and they will have to learn and employ it in different contexts. I will take some notes if they always use the same words to express themselves or if they do not find the correct word to explain what they are thinking. 4. Self-correction: I will bear in mind their self-correction. They will have to be able to correct themselves and be aware about their mistakes. Self-correction will be crucial to obtain good results during the activity. 63

66 The first part of this documentation collected is the test I have provided them at the beginning of the study. I will take some notes about the most relevant aspects they showed in the test after receiving the explanations about relative clauses and the vocabulary related to feelings and emotions and I will classify them in the four blocks abovementioned. The second part of the documentation is the work they have produced on chat-rooms and oral tasks. Finally I will compare both data, the test they have made at the beginning and the results extracted from their activities. Thanks to this process I will be able to check if these techniques have been positive for their learning or not. I will also observe if chatrooms and oral tasks imply too many barriers to be carried out with students of this level. I have decided to carry out this case study 3 times in a year. I have planned it in the following way. At the end of the each term (first, second and third). Applying this study several times during the academic year I will be able to follow the evolution of my students in English learning. PARTICIPANTS The participants needed to develop this case study will be 30 EFL students from 2 different groups of 3 rd ESO. They will be selected by the teacher bearing in mind their English production, fluency and accuracy. The students will be divided in two groups (group 1 and group 2) formed by 15 learners. The level of each group will have to be 64

67 similar. These students usually attend normal classes to improve their foreign language and they do not have any particular curricular adaptation to be mentioned. As abovementioned, students attend regular courses to learn English and the classrooms are equipped with computers, internet connection and a PC projector. This material is going to be really important for the development of my case study because students will them this kind of technologies to develop the activity focused on chat-rooms. I will need these students to test if chat-rooms can be more useful for them than oral tasks. I will try to analyse which method can be more effective for the students. Therefore, I will choose a particular topic (see the following section) to develop my research with them. In this case, the topic they will have to work will be feelings and emotions. The 30 students selected will have to work these two techniques, chat-rooms and oral tasks, producing all grammar structures learnt and the vocabulary proposed in the study by the teacher. The notes taken by the teacher during the development of both activities will be crucial for obtaining relevant results as we will see in the following section. INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES To conduct my case study based on chat-rooms and Oral tasks I have followed six different steps: As we have to work both chat-rooms and oral tasks learners will be divided in two categories. I will name these two groups as group 1 and group 2. Group 1 will have to work with chat-rooms and the group 2 will have to develop oral tasks (I have chosen a role play to interact each other). I will explain more deeply both activities below. 65

68 Group 1 will save their conversation on the computers with their identification and I will take some notes about the group 2 which will face the Role play. I will analyze al the information dividing it in the same four blocks I have used to check their knowledge in the test. Explanation of new grammar: I will introduce relative clauses and the vocabulary related to the topic feelings and emotions. I will use one class to explain these contents. Knowledge testing: I will check their knowledge about the structures abovementioned with a test where they will have to develop their written skills about the topic proposed using relative clauses. Introduction to chat-rooms and oral tasks: I will divide my students in two groups and I will explain to them the technique they are going to use together with the goals of the task. Students views on the techniques: This part will be checked with a final questionnaire (see appendix 6). Evaluation of both techniques: I will examine all the information I have collected from their working. I will use the notes I have taken during their oral tasks and the data saved on the computer. Recommendation of the best technique to be carried out: After finishing the study, I will contrast the results obtained in chat-rooms and oral tasks) and I will point out the advantages and disadvantages we can extract from these two techniques. I will bear in mind the research questions provided in my study according to self correction and English production. 66

69 As I have mentioned in the previous section, I am going to carry out a case study. The most important instrument I will use will be the questionnaire (see appendix 6). These two groups of students will have to work with the following topic: feelings and emotions. I will propose to them 3 different problems (see appendix 7) and they will have to work them in pairs. Students will work in pairs as in a role play and they will have to choose different topics. Before that, I will explain them the relative clauses and after that I will provide them some vocabulary related to this topic and they will have to learn and memorize. At this point I will check their knowledge with a test about all the explanations I have provided to them. (See appendix 8). This exam will be accompanied by a first questionnaire (See appendix 6) and they will have to rate some questions related to the difficulty of the topic and similar aspects. The results of the first questionnaire will be compared with their results at the end of the study. Students from group 1 will have to develop their skills on chat-rooms and they will have to work in pairs and to pick up one of the three different topics related with feelings and emotions that I have given to them (see appendix 7). For this purpose, they will have to work with the computer and they will have to save their conversation as a file at the end of the activity. After finishing the activity they will have to add some commentaries with corrections to the document they have developed about possible mistakes they think they have made. Students will have 15 minutes to explain their opinions chatting on the computer. Since at the same time they are working this activity I will be checking the oral tasks developed by group 2. In addition, they will have more time that each pair from the oral task because chatting on the Net needs more time than speaking. 67

70 Students from group 2 will have to develop their oral expression with an oral task (a role play) and they will have to follow the same procedure. They will have to choose a partner and pick up a topic to develop the activity given. I will control the second group all the time and I will be taking notes about the activity. I will give to them 10 minutes more or less to work on the topic. As I have said at the beginning of this part, once both groups have finished their activities I will implement a second questionnaire (see appendix 6) about these two activities, chat-room and oral task. They will have to write their opinion about some of the questions I will provide to them. For the second part of the study I will gather all the information I have collected from both activities by taking some notes during the oral tasks and observing the work they have saved on the computers in the chat-rooms. Finally, I will analyse it too as I will explain in the detail the following section of this research project Analysis and results The analysis of the results will be divided in two different parts: 1. Questionnaires: comparison of first and second questionnaires. 2. Test and documentation extracted from activities carried out in chat-rooms and oral tasks. In the first part of the results, I will check both questionnaires to analyse their opinions about the activities and how they feel about them. We have to bear in mind that student s opinion is really important because they need to feel comfortable to obtain 68

71 good results. These questionnaires will be compared. I will check their answers which will be counted into numerical data. To compare the results I have obtained I will have to employ the questions I have raised at the beginning of the study. Both questionnaires are divided in two different parts. The first one is focused on self-correction and the second one is focused on English language development. I will analyze all the results obtained by answering the questions abovementioned: Which group has felt more self-confident to correct more mistakes? According to Yin (1994) questionnaires are one of the most important resources of a case study. The researcher could ask for the informant's opinion on events or facts. This could serve to be compared with previously data. In a questionnaire, the student is interviewed for only a short time, and the questions can be rated with numbers to obtain positive results. In my case study I will follow these steps to obtain some answers: if the total number of part in the questionnaire focused on the students mistakes is less than 12 students will have felt comfortable with the technique to self correct a big part of mistakes. If the total number is more than 12 there will be a barrier for these students in this kind of technique. The activity which has a lower number can be more effective than the other one. Which technique helps the student more to improve their productions in English? If the total number of the part in the questionnaire focused on English learning is higher in the second questionnaire, students will have learnt something about each technique. If the total number in the second questionnaire is higher in chat-room, students will prove that this technique is more helpful than oral tasks. 69

72 After that, I will check all the information I have extracted from their activities to have a proof that they have learnt something through these techniques. I have to mention that as I am following a case study it is really important to collect all the data too. CONCLUSION To sum up, chat-rooms and oral tasks present a lot of different advantages and disadvantages. If you decide to use them with some students you will have to face some barriers too. You are working with young people and it implies a lot of problems, because every teenager is different and every student has a different level, different abilities and knowledge. Therefore, you have to observe all the possible problems, mistakes and relevant characteristics which can influence your work and your students. Carrying out this study I have learnt that it is essential to check your student s selfconfidence and the number of mistakes depending on the technique you employ with them. It is also important for them to feel comfortable to obtain better results. I have observed that in chat-rooms student make fewer mistakes. He really produces a better self-correction because he has more time for reflection. He feels more selfconfident producing English. But on the other hand, oral tasks imply a most direct interaction with the other person. You have to express yourself in English and improvise all the time. This knowledge acquisition is more clear and direct. To conclude the present study, after observing the results I will point out that you must take into account your students level and knowledge when you are going to carry out this kind of techniques. You should also know their skills and strategies they usually develop to acquire language learning. It is important to observe and analyse their opinions to know better which kind of techniques can work with them. 70

73 REFERENCES Chun, D Using computer networking to facilitate the acquisition of interactive competence. System. 22 (1), Foster, P., A. Tonkyn, and G. Wigglesworth Measuring spoken language: a unit for all reasons. Applied Linguistics 21/3: Goodwin, J Teaching pronunciation. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (3rd ed.) (pp ). US: Heinle & Heinle. Hamano-Bunce, D Talk or chat? Chatroom and spoken interaction in a language classroom. East West University. Kern, R Restructuring classroom interaction with networked computers: effects on quantity and characteristics of language production. The Modern Language Journal 79/4: Levelt, W Speaking: From Intention to Articulation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Levy, S Information technologies in universities: An institutional case study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Northern Arizona University. Shekary, M. and M. Tahririan Negotiation of meaning and noticing in text-based online chat. The Modern Language Journal 90/4: Simpson, A The Internet Chat Room as a Learning Tool 71

74 Tudini, V. 2002, The role of on-line chatting in the development of competence in oral interaction. University of South Australia., ISBN Woodward, C., Haskins, G., Schaefer, G., & Smolen, L. 2004, "LET'S TALK: A Different Approach to Oral Language Development. Young Children, 59(4), Yin, R Case study research: Design and methods." CA Sage Publishing. Beverly Hills. 72

75 APPENDIX APPENDIX 1: Role play You are a waiter/waitress in a Fast Food Restaurant. One customer is asking you a healthy menu" for him. You will have to offer him at least 3 different menus to convince him about eating in your restaurant. You are in a Fast food Restaurant and you would like to taste a new healthy menu because you are following a diet at the moment. You will ask the waiter/ waitress many different menus but none of his answers will convince you. 73

76 APPENDIX 2: Useful links - FOOD POWER FOOD AND DRINK VOCABULARY GRAMMAR ROLE PLAY 74

77 APPENDIX 3: Conditional sentences Put in the verbs in brackets and form a Conditional sentence. Mind the negations in some sentences. Example: If we had taken the train, we (not/to arrive) on time. Answer: If we had taken the train, we would not have arrived on time. 1) If they (to listen) carefully, they might hear the woodpecker. 2) If I had lain down on the sofa, I (to fall) asleep. 3) Susan could have worked as a model if she (to be) taller. 4) The soil (not/to dry out) if you water the plants regularly. 5) If you (to give) the young boy this stick, he'd hurt himself. 6) We (not/to take) the wrong tram if Ronaldo had asked the policewoman. 7) If the cat hides in the tree, the dog (not/to find) it. 8) The students would have solved the problem if they (to use) their textbooks. 9) If he washed his feet more often, his girlfriend (to visit) him more often. 10) Max (to read) the newspaper if he went by train. 75

78 APPENDIX 4: Wiki 76

79 APPENDIX 5: Intercultural activity, Stereotypes that will ruin or make your day Generalizations about cultures or nationalities can be a source of pride, anger or simply bad jokes. Some people say that in all stereotype there is some basis in reality, as they don t develop in vacuum. To give a more serious definition: National Stereotype is a system of culture-specific beliefs connected with the nationality of a person. This system includes beliefs concerning those properties of human beings that may vary across nations, such as appearance, language, food, feelings, habits, psychological traits, attitudes, values etc. American arrogant; assertive; open-minded; materialistic; ambitious; progressive; efficient; straight-forward; alert; practical; US-centered world view; egoistic; anxious. Argentineans disagreeable; megalomaniac; warm and friendly people; can be vain & arrogant; beautiful women; cultured society; lazy. Belgians make good beer; poor personal hygiene; good at mathematics; modest; they eat only French & fries, except chocolate and other sweet stuff; multi-lingual. Brazilians body-centric; party animals; impulsive; incestuous; carnivals addicts; British (UK) drinkers;; ultra-traditional; fashionable ; deep thinkers; intelligent and articulate; boastful. Chinese fast-learners; open-minded; ambitious; progressive; efficient; materialistic; great at mathematics:; terrible drivers; arrogant; wear glasses;; drink green tea; eat everything that lives. French good lovers; best cuisine in the world; chaotic; irresponsible; introverted; selfish; cultured; don t speak English; rude to tourists; anti-american; distant and difficult to meet. 77

80 APPENDIX 6: Questionnaires The following questionnaire corresponds to the first part of the study where my students received all the information about some structures they will have to develop in Chatrooms and oral tasks BAD FAIR GOOD VERY GOOD QUESTIONNAIRE 1 About the knowledge acquired Have you understood all the explanations related to Relative Clauses? 2. Would you be able to express yourself using this grammar without any mistake? 3. Would you be able to correct yourself in writing? 4. Would you be able to correct yourself in speaking? 5. Would you be able to express your opinions with the vocabulary related without seeing it? 78

81 6. Do you recognize your mistakes in English when you make them? 7. Do you think it is easier to express yourself writing or speaking QUESTIONNAIRE 2 This second questionnaire corresponds to the last part of my study NOT AT ALL YES, ONCE IN A WHILE YES, MOST OF THE TIME YES, ALL THE TIME CORRECTION Have you felt comfortable enough to correct yourself in this activity? 2. Have you had time enough to plan your speech? 79

82 3. Have you been able to correct your partner in some sentences? 4. Have you observed a lot of mistakes made by you in the activity? 5. Have you observed a lot of mistakes made by your friend in the activity? ENGLISH LEARNING 1. Have you felt comfortable during this activity to transmit your English knowledge? 2. Have you improved your English knowledge related to this topic? 3. Has this activity help you to learn English? 4. Has this activity allow you to produce the English you had planned? 5. Has it help you to memorize the vocabulary and grammar structures? 80

83 APPENDIX 7: Topics proposed for chat-rooms and oral tasks activity 1. A: He is going to fail all the subjects and she is really frustrated and desperate. B: He is going to give some advice to his friend related to his problem 2. A: He has just known that he is going to live in other country because his father has got a new job. B: He is going to encourage his friend. 3. A: He has a lot of problems with his parents and he does not know what to do. B: He is going to encourage his friend and to give him some advices. 81

84 APPENDIX 8: Test Put the correct relative pronoun: A holiday in Scotland 1. We spent our holiday in Scotland last year. Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. Last year we 2. People live in Scotland. They are called Scots. The people 3. We first went to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. We first 4. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories. Arthur Conan Doyle 5. Then we visited a lake. It is in the Highlands. The lake 6. Loch Ness is 37 km long. People know it for its friendly monster. Loch Ness 7. There we met an old man. He told us that he had seen Nessie. An old man 8. We then travelled to a mountain. The mountain is near the town of Fort William. We then 9. The mountain is the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is called Ben Nevis. The mountain 10. I sent you a postcard. It was written on the summit of Ben Nevis. The postcard 2. Write the correct name related to the topic Feelings and Emotions in English: contento / triste enfadado / emocionado / deprimido / sorprendido / asustado / enamorado / preocupado / cansado / enfermo agotado despierto / dormido / 3. COMPOSITION. How would you feel if you win the lottery? Write a little composition ( words) using some of the words you have learnt with the topic Feelings and Emotions. 82