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Licenciatura en Enseñanza del Ingles 04 de Octubre de 2008 Autor: Eduardo Hernández Rangel Second Diary
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Page 1: Self-directed learning

Licenciatura en Enseñanza del Ingles

04 de Octubre de 2008Autor: Eduardo Hernández Rangel

Second Diary

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October 4th, 2008

Reflexion on the exam

1. What are the advantages of introducing the concept of autonomy to language students? Name as many reasons as you can.

Practical reasons Individual differences Language learning aptitudes Educational aims Motivation Learning how to learn foreign languages Responsibility in learning process Learn self consciously Learners needs to be freedom from direction and control of

others (self corrections) Time The growth of technology in education. Serves as a focal point for educators to re-conceptualize their

roles from humanistic perspectives (information explosion, rapid increase in the number of people attending educational institutions)

Our interest in the world around us. Our intrinsic motivation. Accepting responsibility for their own learning The learner is his own teacher His success depends on how motivated and committed he is.

Are the main advantages that involve the concept of autonomy, all of these advantages to permit the students to concentrate in their goals. In my opinion the best are:

Practical reasons. Its consists of apply different circumstances that permit to improve the skills in language learning.

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Motivitation. If a student doesn’t have motivation to learn something, it is difficult to have a effective progress.

Learn how to learn language. We need to discovery how to learn languages and how to make plan for learning something.Eduational aids. Now day’s technology permit study as autonomous without the necessity to stay in a classroom.

Cost. Learning English without invest a lot of money is the easy way for people who doesn`t have time neither money.

In this question I got 10 points.

2. What personal factors may affect an individual in the process of second language learning?

To have personal positive motivations for learning languages it is the main factor that permit to the learner have a significative progress. Ages, needs, time and motivation are the primordial factors that can produce negative or positive attitudes in our progress. If we are younger, we have the necessity to learn, we have time and motivation it is present, the acquisition of the language is faster.Personality and intelligence. How you are convinced of learning something and what it is the way that you learn better, are fundamental factors that can improve your skills in language learning.

I got 8 points because I omitted to talk about personality and intelligence.

3. You are working for a private school and are designing a course for adult English classes or the following semester, Develop a needs analysis questionnaire that will help you to plan an aspect of your course.

In my questionnaire and my teacher make me some questions about “why too many questions about technology” I considerate the use of technology, because in these days is a useful tool that permit increase the acquisition of the language, with the internet now you can practice your reading, writing through chats, listening through audio and speaking through voice, you can contact a native speaker

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and practice a lot. Now we have social networks that permit interact between too many people and practice and practice.

I got 17 points

4. Write a full explanation of the exact purpose of the questionnaire.

My teacher make me the same question that in the 3rd question “why too many questions about technology”, the answer was the same but I forgot to explain why, but I insist, it s the best way to have a extra compensatory strategies for acquire a new language..

I got 8 points

In general I am not happy with this score but I am doing the effort for taking a higher score. Believe me ;)

October 11th, 2008

International Mextesol

I couldn’t go to the International Mextesol event but undoubtedly next year I am going to be present.

October 18th, 2008

Learning styles

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. It suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. Instead, Dr. Gardner proposes

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eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults. These intelligences are:

Linguistic intelligence ("word smart"): Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart") Spatial intelligence ("picture smart") Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart") Musical intelligence ("music smart") Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart") Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart") Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

During the class we answer a question based on these multiple intelligence topic for determine what is our learning style. My results show that my kinesthetic and visual styles are the strongest.

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11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.

October 25th, 2008

Language learning strategies

According to Oxford (1990) learning strategies are divided in two main classes, direct and indirect, and these are subdivided into 6 groups. In Oxford's system, metacognitive strategies help learners to regulate their learning.

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Affective strategies are concerned with the learner's emotional requirements such as confidence, while social strategies lead to increased interaction with the target language. Cognitive strategies are the mental strategies learners use to make sense of their learning, memory strategies are those used for storage of information, and compensation strategies help learners to overcome knowledge gaps to continue the communication. Here are the taxonomy of language learning:

DIRECT STRATEGIES

I. MemoryA. Creating mental linkagesB. Applying images and soundsC. Reviewing wellD. Employing action

II.CognitiveA. PracticingB. Receiving and sending messages strategiesC. Analyzing and reasoningD. Creating structure for input and output

III. Compensation strategiesA. Guessing intelligentlyB. Overcoming limitations in speaking and writing

INDIRECT STRATEGIES

I. Metacognitive Strategies   A. Centering your learningB. Arranging and planning your learningC. Evaluating your learning

II. Affective Strategies   A. Lowering your anxietyB. Encouraging yourselfC. Taking your emotional temperature

III. Social Strategies   A. Asking questionsB. Cooperating with othersC. Empathizing with others

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It is clear that in this graph about my learning strategies, I need to find more opportunities to practice my skill in a real way. Most of them are almost in the same level. I used them in medium level.

November 1st, 2008

Designing activities for class

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Add a WordCreating sentences

Level Any

Main goals Students practice grammar and syntax.

Language focus Nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, pronoun, conjunction and interjection.

PreparationNone

Method: One student begins a sentence by saying only one word. A second student must say a word which continues the sentence. A third must continue, and so on, until someone says a word that does not fit syntactically or grammatically. If the sentence comes to a logical end without error, the next student may say "period" and begin a new sentence with a new word.

The teacher may suggest a topic to get things started. What the students say may also be recorded and played back, so the class can discuss the error that stopped the sentence.

Example:

Teacher: The topic is 'vacations'. First student: "My . . ." Second student: ". . . next" Third student: ". . . vacations . . ." Fourth student: ". . . I . . ." Fifth student: ". . . would . . ."

November 8th, 2008

Feature of language learning

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While the information from learning strategy studies seems to offer opportunities for teachers to help language learners become more effective learners and more proficient language users, there remain many problems which still need to be dealt with, both empirically and theoretically.These problems include:• Disagreement over identification

and description of strategies at a theoretical level• Diversity among claims for the nature of strategies• The essentially descriptive nature of strategy studies so far• The assumption that there are ‘good’ learning strategies (i.e. more

effective, generic/task independent)• Possible differences between strategies that are useful, on the one

hand, for classroom language learning, and on the other, for language learning in a naturalistic setting

• The lack of evidence for causal connections between strategy use and language learning

Advantage:

• Contributed to the main goal. Gain the objective of the learners.• Allow learners to become more self-directed learner. To permit the

learner to be more curious and foment to the learner search their own strategies.• Expand the role of teacher. Teachers are involved in the learning student’s goals.• Are specific action taken by the learners. Specific action permit to the learner focus

your learning.

November 15th, 2008

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Project work and portfolio

During this class we focus on portfolio and project work and discuss about how some partner organize their activities in class, some of them talk about digital portfolio. Project work helps to increase not only the language skill but also on how they manage their language. These reasons are:

• It encourages students to focus not only on languages.• It encourages cooperation between peers.• It integrates the language skills• It creates a real life links with student’s experiences outside the

classes.

PortfolioPortfolios are tools that have been used for a long time by various professions as a means to document a person's achievements. Especially by artists, architects or designers, they collect their work during years in portfolios. They use them to show evidence of their best practice, but also to demonstrate how their skills have developed over the years as a consequence of their learning.

A portfolio consists of three parts.

• The Language Passport section gives information about a student's proficiency in one or more languages at given points of time. In this part of the portfolio, students record formal qualifications and give information about their language competencies. This part of the portfolio can contain evidence of self assessment, assessment by the teacher and assessment by educational institutions and examination boards, e.g. international exams such as Cambridge ESOL or Toefl.

• The Language Biography/Guidelines aims to encourage students to get involved in the planning, reflecting upon and assessing of their own learning process and progress. It gives students an opportunity to state what they can do in their foreign language(s). In this part of the portfolio, students can also list and reflect upon important language

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and intercultural learning experiences, for example, time they have spent studying abroad, intercultural projects they have taken part in, etc.

• Dossier is a collection of materials and data put together by students to document and illustrate their proficiency and the learning experiences which are listed and reflected upon in the Language Passport and the Biography.