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Theoretical Frameworkfor the Teaching English to Teens

Workshop

By Claudia Morales Brieño

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Learner Centered Approaches

English language instruction should

encourage learner autonomy while

building a sense of self-esteem as well

as cultural identity. In addition, effective

instruction must incorporate different

learning styles and multiple

intelligences.

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What teachers need to do Recognize importance of learner autonomy for

teenagers in the language learning process. Develop activities that are effective for

teaching English while also building teenagers self-esteem and cultural identity.

Self-assess their own learning styles and intelligences and become skilled at incorporating a variety of themes in English Language Instruction.

Create a more learner centered English class by focusing on the particular needs of teenagers.

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Twelve things to keep in mind while teaching teens Music in the classroom. Up-to-date topics such as IT, sport,

entertainment and media. Group work allows individuals to interact

collaboratively. Role-play activities help to express different

feelings. Teach them learner autonomy and individual

choice. Use their special encyclopaedic knowledge of

a particular field.

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Surprise and humor. Movement around the class. Teaching multilevel classes, effective

classroom management. Use of mother tongue to avoid

misunderstanding, confrontation and potential discipline problems and pressure on individual.

Games provide purposeful contexts, stimulate interaction, competition and are fun!

Project work offers an individual chance to use individual talent.

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Teach to students learning styles.

To know the types of learners they are and the activities they like, give the students the chance to discuss possible solutions to problems.

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Multiple Intelligences Theory

Verbal /linguistic IntelligenceNote takingListening to lecturesReading booksStory tellingDebates

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Musical IntelligenceSingingPlaying recorded musicPlaying live musicJazz chants Logical MathematicalScience demonstration and experimentsLogic puzzles and gamesStory problems with numbersLogical sequential presentation

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Spatial Visual IntelligenceUsing chartsVideos, slides, moviesUsing artGraphic organizers Bodily Kinesthetic IntelligenceHands-on activitiesField tripsRole plays

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Interpersonal IntelligencePair work, peer teachingBoard gamesGroup brainstormingGroup problem solvingProject work Intrapersonal IntelligenceActivities with a self-evaluationComponent interest centersOptions for homeworkPersonal journal keeping

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Questions to be asked at the end of a lesson What parts of the lesson were easy for

you? What was difficult? What was fun? What did you learn? What did you learn about yourself? About you classmates? How would you use these ideas outside of

the classroom?

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Feedback is importantP-Q-P METHOD

Praise- Tell your student or classmate what you liked best about his/her activity.

Question-Ask your student or classmate a question about something you didn’t understand in his/her activity. Or ask a question if you think something is missing.

Polish- Give your student or classmate one idea to make his/her activity even better. We are here to work together as a community to be the best teachers we can be after all.

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Lesson FrameworkThree Stages Process Into- Student’s prior knowledge about a

concept is proved.*Use of visuals, journals, vocabulary previews, free association or visualization exercises and anticipation reaction guides to access to new materials. Entry to the topic prior knowledge, better prepared for new content materials.

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Through- Encounter new content relating it

to the into stage.

*Activities may include grammar

development, vocabulary expansion, reading

guides, idea sequencing, text completion,

exercises into gap tasks. Text explanation

exercises either oral or written. Practice new

language skills.

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Beyond- Students demonstrate their

comprehension by applying their new

knowledge.

*Literary passages, written output, role

plays, debates and essays. Students

demonstrate conceptual and linguistic

mastering.

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Content Based Instruction has at least two categories: content and language

It includes: learning strategies, skills

development, objectives, technology

skills, social skills, cultural objectives.

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Culture objectives- Particular culture-cross, cultural comparisons.

Language objective- linguistic concepts, vocabulary, communicative functions, grammatical structures.

Content obligatory language- language essential for understanding and talking about the content.

Content compatible language- it emerges directly form the foreign language curriculum (additional vocabulary).

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Formula for language objectives

Ss wil use X (grammatical structure) to Y

(communicative function) with Z

(words/word groups).

For example: Students will use prepositional

phrases to identify the relative location of

places with phrases such as to the south of,

to the west of, to the north of, beside,

between, etc.

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Tools for activating materials and tasks in the English Language Classroom

Activating techniques: ellicitation, gapping and adaptation

Ellicitation- as a technique allows students to draw on what they know on existing schemata/scafolding, sharing ideas within a sociocultural context.Ellicitation activities- extended brainstorming and top-down vocabulary.

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Gapping- refers to the authentic

purpose of communication: transfering

information or bridging the gap form

one person to another. Using gapping

activities means that each learner needs

to negotiate, collaborate and exchange

information toward a common goal.

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Extending and adapting- Practical ways to draw on realia and authentic materials.

Activating techniques focus on the Ss in

the class. Keeping them involved or

having them doing and producing rather

than passively receiving information.

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Project Based Approach

Developing a thematic unit plan that

engages teens in projects is meaningful

and fun!

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Project Based Instruction Student centered. Begining, middle, end. Content meaningful. Real world problems. First hand investigation. Sensitivity to local culture. Specific goals related to curriculum. Tangible product. Connections among academic life and work skills. Opportunity for feedback and assessment. Opportunity for reflective thinking & self

assessment.

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Benefits of project based instruction

Preparing children for workplace. Increasing motivation. Connecting learning at school with reality. Providing collaborative opportunities to construct

knowledge. Increasing social and communicative skills. Increasing problem solving skills. See connections between disciplines. Providing opportunities to contribute. Use individual learning strenghts. Practical real world way to learn.

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To work with projects

Examine curriculum standards and required units for the class.

Choose a theme that is meaningful and relevant to students.

Brainstorm ideas to incorporate real-life situation and tasks.

Choose, organize and order the activities.

Incorporate projects that can encourage learner choice and autonomy.

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Eleven steps for working with projects1. Students and teacher agree on a

theme for the project.2. Students determine which the final

product will be.3. Students and teacher structure the

project.4. Teacher prepares students for the

language demands and copes it with what they know.

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5. Students do the research on the topic.6. Teacher helps students to select relevant information.7. Students compile and analyze the information to identify the relevant one.8. Teacher prepares language improvement activities to help students succeed with the presentation of their final product.9. Students present their final project.10. Students evaluate their projects.11. Students reflect about their experience.

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Student self-assessment What were the project’s successes? What might I do to improve the project? How well did I meet the goals? What was the most difficult about meeting the

goals? What surprised me most? What was my group best team effort? Worst team effort? What were the skills I used? How can I practice these skills in the future? What was my final project evaluation?

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Six A’s to Project Based Authenticity

Academic rigor

Adult relationships

Applied learning

Active exploration

Assessment practices.

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For further references check the biblography posted on the blog.