One of our interests in the course is language learning.
Different linguistic and learning theories have contributed to the development
of language teaching. Their principles have influenced the way languages are taught.
We have our own views after observing ELT classes.
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February 26, 2007 at 11:27 am02
Yalexda Navarro
The class tha I observated was the last class of English V, in that class we did the progress check units 14 and 15, the teacher expalined us the future perfect in a special way, the teacher always do his class funny and dinamics, we dis all the progress check and review the grammar references of the units from 12 to 15, because we had the last test the next english class.
February 26, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Myrsi Sosa
The class I observed was a 4Th grade High School English’s class. It was important for me to observe a class-session because there are a lot of language theories but teachers usually don not use only one. The classes are usually eclectic and teachers try to explain their class based on their students. The teacher of my class observation used a lot of Spanish to make the explanations, I think this is not very good, but I suppose she was trying to make her students understand clearly what they had to do. Students at this level usually do a lot of mistakes but the teacher patiently correct them. It was a beautiful class-session beacuse the teacher and the students felt confident, they were not stressed or anxious, that is very important because students felt free and they were not worried about making mistakes. In conclusion, it was a really nice experience which serve us as future teachers and to realize what we will do and what we won’t do in our classroom.
February 26, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Carla Monarde
After observe an English class I realize teachers should apply different language theories in a eclectic way, due to it will make the process of learning English more effective. not all English teachers use the information they give to make students understand what for they can use it in day life, mainly because high school students are not interested in learn just in “past the subject”. At this moment teachers should take in account what students’s interest are and look for activities and methodologies that work best for those students in order to motivate them to learn English as a useful tool to communicate with other people.
February 26, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Rincon Gabriela
The teaching and learning processes depends on two main factors:
the student and the teacher.
The student needs motivation to be interested in the class, the teacher should provide the class’ material using some strategies to catch the students atention.
The class that I observed was great in all aspects.
This was and eclectic class, due the fact that the teacher did not use only one learning theory, but on the other hand, she took into consideration the differences between the students’ learning processes, the multiple inteligences and the TPR Total Physical Responce where students where able to learn by relating movements with information, which will remind them the learnt vocabulary.
What is more, there are some advances in terms of english teaching, because some teachers, have noticed the necesity of new strategies. In student’s books, authors have included the four main skills reading, writing, listening, speaking what facilitates the teachers’ work.
In conclusion, there is not excuse for teachers to not improve their work, and knowing about linguistics will help them understand better what language is and the way they can teach it.
February 26, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Mariángeles Salazar
Human and language theories are of main aid when it comes to regular classes, because not only describe the professors’ and students’ behavior but also give us a great instrument in order to improve and explore both teachers’ and students’ actions and how the interact in a classroom. During my observation of an English class at a regular high school, I’ve noticed an eclectic system, in which all theories unify together with the intention of taking advantage of all the positive sides of the theories and bring into being a great amount of knowledge. In this way, English is not observed as a regular subject but as a useful and practical device to communicate effectively and efficiently.
Mariángeles Salazar
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 am02
Ronny piñero
None of the theories learnt during this subject should be put apart; there is a reason, a why, and others principals which determine them as a Theories; the point in here, is that every of the theories and insights studied gave a bunch of knowledge needed to see another characteristic carry by a language, helping in the study of it. And a teacher should use every single tool presented in matters of language learning to improve her/his performance and efficiency teaching making students really learn it. Being eclectic is the tool that let the teachers having a wide open range of work. This conclusion was written after have seen the English class,to the final project, Jesús Obrero ninth grade high school.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 am02
Luisana Rosales
i observed a fifth grade class and i realized that effectively not every English teacher applies the same theories as many others. When it comes to an English class, i think there are three main factors: the student, the teacher and the environment.
The student needs to be self-motived as well as h/she needs the teacher’s motivation. In the class i observed i noticed that the teacher motivated the students but not as much as she, as an English teacher, had to do.
The teacher has turn into an important factor involving the language teaching process, though it depends on his or her techniques used with his or hers students that will help them to feel motivated or de-motivated towards the subject.
The environment also plays an important role when it comes to the language teaching procces. Everything that surrounds the student affects h/she motivation towards English, and it is important to be sure of making the place the knowledge is acquired a nice one.
As we can see, many factors like these three has its influences in language teaching and it is only up to us, as English teachers, to use them in order to make their knowledge the best one.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 am02
José Freddy Herrera López
After a term studying Linguistics and all the processes it involves, I had to observed an English class believe or not was in that particular time when I realized that one as a teacher is eclectic, in the process of using the Languages teaching and Learning theories, and the schools of thought.
The English class that I observed was a 4th year of diversified level, it contained 38 students, and for me the quantity of students is one of the bigger problem that one needs to deal with, because even that you are very hard worker you do not have enough time to work teaching the 4 skills of the language, even that at this level teachers know the all elements or theories learning and teaching languages.
In my opinion time is one of the negative factors to acquire language at high schools.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Raiza Uzcátegui
My class analysis project was conducted at the UPEL-IPC. During the class observation process, I perceived that the teacher presented the information in different ways (structural, functional), and she made use of all the schools of thoughts and human learning theories, this means, that the way language was taught in that session was eclectic. The variety of theories, approaches, methods and strategies used in this class might have helped students to develop a positive attitude towards the language and it might have increased students’ enthusiasm regarding the topic discussed and L2 learning. Therefore, teachers have to be influenced by the different linguistic and learning theories to develop the language teaching practice and intensify students’ motivation to learn a foreign language because of its implications with complex social, cultural, and psychological aspects.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Sharon Urbina
Human Learning Theories have had an important role on Language Teaching through the ages bacause it has emphasized the way Languages are taught. Those Linguistics and Learning Theories can change the way people learn and encouraged them or not them to keep practicing and acquiring experience. Afterwards, this represents a big step in the Educational Field. When I observed the class I noticed that teachers often based their classes on Teaching Theories and that sometimes they take some notions and they do it an eclectic way.Teachers take some main notions from those Theories to apply them in their classes.For instance,the teacher from the class I observed was very Humane.He always was aware abiut student´s neccesities and He wanted to learn their students to understand what they didn´t undestand. Doring the class the teacher used different methods to obtain answers from the students but not in a rude way. He tried to do the class as dinamic as possible and the students felt encuoraged to participate.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Luis Gutiérrez
I consider that the report has given me the opportunity to know and analyze how different theories of language have influenced and contributed in the development of the English language teaching process in Venezuela. Language learning involves internalizing the structure of language and this is not a easy matter to the students; however, through the different EFL issues such as constructivism, cognitivism and behaviorism, TGG, Structuralism and Functionalism the learning process turn to be a easier to understand by giving students choices and by providing language practice that is interesting and important. Conscious reflection on the language might help learners build a knowledge of the language.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
sailet leon
With this final project I have had the chance to get to know a little bit of the reality of second language leaning in our country.
In general, English techers in high schools, do not teach how to communicate in this languge, they just introduce some information to students about it, even though they try to be ecletict with respect to language and learning theories, the objectives of the language/learning process are not being reached.
After having seen the class and analyzed it, I can say that even though all classes are based in, at least, one of the theories we studied in linguistics, it does not matter which theory you use if the students or the teacher are not motivaded for learn or teach because this is (the way I see it) the most important thing of the teaching/learning process
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
Luis Tequia
In my view all of the learning theories are considered by teachers at a certain point of time depending of what is needed to have a more efficient process. the class that I observed was at an English institute in Guatire. The theories used by the teacher in the class were behaviorism, cognitivism, structuralism because in some pats of it he limited the students to give a response from a stimuli and he taugh the material making more emphasis in structures and not functions and for me both are important. he made too much translalions and I think he should explain the words in English instead of saying them in Spanish and he should use and take into consideration all the theories.
In my opinion a teacher; should eclectic and not focus only on one o two theories; he/she should determine which one is better, more convenient and help students to understand a specific topic. As a future teacher I can say that will give my best to make the class for my students pleasent, efficient and enjoyable.
February 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm02
saavik Espinoza
hello everyone
in my opinion, teachers use many different tools in order to teach effectively students; in my personal observation, teachers use the behavior theory in their classes because it helps them to get better results when they are teaching language. So, we as students learn in automatically way almost whatever in terms of language.
teachers can use a mix between one or two theories for teaching and getting better results than they can not obtain easily when they use only one.In the future, I can work with more than one theory in order to learn or to get whatever by the students who are learning English.