Workshop 3 - French Methodology

Bonjour!

For this entry, I will share with you the third workshop that we had in the Teaching Practicum I: Children. We are at the end of the semester at Don Bosco University, and some of us were studying French this semester and some others will studying it the next semester, and that is why our teacher decided to have a guest for this workshop: a French teacher from El Salvador National University, who shared with us the methodologies for teaching French. Also, she cans talk English in a very good way.

As I said above, this workshop gave to us the opportunity of learn about French’s methodologies. Personally, I know a little bit of French because of the university but I did not know about the things that are important to learn. However, before to start about these things, the teacher gave to us the difference between Methods and Methodologies. Method is the material that we as teachers use in our classes, book, worksheets, etc. In the other hand, Methodologies are the ways in which we teach a class base on the necessities of our students.

Moreover, as I mentioned before we learned the aspects that are important for learning or teach French. First, French is a language that focus the attention in grammar and writing, and I as a French student can assure this, because in my learning process of it, I saw how French Teachers focus their attention in teach the grammar and check carefully the way in which in what we write, because French is a really complex language that requires a lot of attention.

To conclude, I have to say that I really enjoy this workshop because we learned lot things that we did not know, and also, it was a great opportunity to think in teach not only English in a future.

Lessons Twenty Two and Twenty Three

Today were delivered two classes, the first was the grammar class, and the second one was the listening class. In today's entry, I will describe the two classes.

Lesson Twenty Two

Teachers: Felix Lopez
                 Gladis Galvez
                 Lourdes Rodriguez
                 Luisa Zamora

Skill: Grammar

To start to develop the class, Teacher Felix showed to students some flashcards with professions and asked the students what was the profession that he was showing? It was good to see that all the students remembered all the professions that were taught previously.

Then, Teacher Gladis took the stage to presented to the students the grammar structure, for this class the grammar that was taught was the Verb Be using it in questions and answers (Who are you? I am a teacher, Who am I? I am a Doctor, Who are they? They are chefs). Besides Teacher Gladis was a little bit nervous at the beginning of taught the grammar structure, she developed the explanation in a really good way, and the most important thing is that the students understood the grammar structure.

After that, students were commanded to filled the blanks in a chart, they were provided with some labels with the verb be in order to do the activity. Also, they were some posters on the board with scrambled words, students were required to form sentences with the words in the posters.



Lesson Twenty-Three 

Teachers: Jennifer Mejia
                Alejandra Marroquin
                Vanessa Turcios

Skill: Listening

To start to develop the second class, the teachers gave to the students a worksheet in which they had to write the correct name of each profession that was in it.

Moreover, the teachers presented a new profession: Barber. Also, they presented the places were each profession takes place, like Barbershop, Airport, Hospital, School, etc. After that, teacher Jenni presented to the students some questions in order to ask what the profession does?. Also, they gave to the students a worksheet in order to complete the listening exercise about the professions and the places that were mentioned above.

Besides the teacher had some problems with the audio and could not end the lesson, they performance was really good and the activities and material that they brought were amazing.

To conclude, I have to say that I really enjoyed the two classes, besides of the problems that happened, the teachers developed their classes in a really good way and keep the classroom under control.

Lesson Twenty One

Lesson Twenty One

Teachers: Flor Alvarado
                 Tatiana Alvarado
                 Emma Martínez

Skill: Vocabulary

First, the students did and a pop quiz about the previous unit that they studied the past two weeks.

To start the lesson, teachers posted in the board flashcards with professions. The teacher made students repeat each word as many times as possible in order to the students got the correct pronunciation of each word. Then, students worked in couples, each couple were provided with an envelope with two or three words cut in syllables,each couple was required to  form the word and shared it with the class.

After that, teachers made a very interesting activity, they called one by one the students when one of them was called, he/she  was required to throw a dice and say the profession that the dice indicated. Moreover, the labels of each flashcard were removed and the students were required to paste it in the correct place.

To finish the lesson, the students make two teams in front of the board,and when the teacher say the name of one profession, the represent of each team, had to hit the profession with a fly swapper.

Lesson Twenty

Teachers: Luisa Zamora
                Gabriela Paredes

Skill: Reading

To start to develop the class, teachers played with the students a memory game, in which they had to look for the corresponding pair of the school objects in every flashcard. The students really enjoyed the activity and they wanted to participate in it, that is why this activity was so dynamic d funny for them.


After that, teacher Luisa  explained to the students that in the class, they will be related emotions with the school objects (Pencil case = Happy, Pencil = Sad and so on). They have to draw a face that described the emotion in every school object. Moreover, the teachers read a story to the students, the story was about school object and the feelings that they had a little fight. After listened and read the story, students were required to answers some questions in a worksheet that was provided by the teachers.

Besides this time the students were a little hyperactive, I have to say. that  the teachers did they best in order to keep working on the classroom management and made a big effort in order to develop the reading comprehension in students.

Lesson Nineteen

Teachers: Vanessa Turcios
                 Enma Martinez

Skill: Listening

To start the class, students were provided with a worksheet, in which they had to look for different school objects in a word search.

Teachers started to activate previous knowledge of students by showing them flashcards with the vocabulary that they already know. However, teachers show other flashcards with the new vocabulary related to school objects.

After that, a worksheet was given to the students. After the students check the worksheet in order to get familiar with it and the teacher explained what they were going to do, the audio was play and students started to select the correct answer to each question according to what they listened to the audio.

Moreover, students were required to match the label with the name with the corresponding name of the objects that were posted on the board.

Lesson Eighteen

Teachers: Alejandra Marroquin
                Jennifer Mejia

Skill: Grammar

To start the class, a worksheet was given to the students, in which they had to find and circle the 7 school objects that were hidden.

The questions "Is it a..." and "Are they..." with their answers "It is a..." and "They are..." where introduced by using flashcards. Students were provided with as many examples needed in order to they got the idea and differentiation between the questions and answers (singular and plural).

Students were provided with three differents worksheets, in each one, they had to practice the grammar structure that was thought by the teachers.

Lesson Seventeen

Teachers: Gladys Galvez
                 Lourdes Rodriguez
                 Feliz Cruz

Skill: Vocabulary

To start the class, students solved a quiz about the previous unit. After solved the quiz, students played a game in which they had to touch the part of the body that the teacher said: head, shoulders, knees and toes.


After that, the new vocabulary was presented to the students, the new words were: desk, chair, scissors, backpack, board, marker, ruler, eraser, pen and pencil. Moreover, the teacher asked the students "What is this?" and the teacher answer "This is a___" in order to model how to response to the question.  Moreover, students were divided into three groups,and each group had to said the name of the objects that they had.

Lesson Sixteen

Teachers: Alejandra Marroquin
                Jennifer Mejia

Skill: Reading

To start the class, students were required to stand up and made a circle, flashcards with animals were given to them, after that, students presented themselves and the animal that they had.

The new vocabulary was presented to the kids by using flashcards, and in order to activate previous knowledge, students were asked if they know where each animal lives.

Moreover, a reading was giving to the students, the name of it was "At the zoo" which they had to read it alone. After that, students did an activity in which they had to write the name of the animals that live on the ground,in the trees or in the sea, then had to compare answers with a partner.

Lesson Fifteen

Teachers: Tatiana Alvarado

                 Flor Alvarado

Skill: Listening

For starting the class, students were divided into two groups, in the board, were posted pictures that had wild animals, every time that the teacher said the name of an animal, the students that had the fly swatter will hit the animal. 

The vocabulary was presented by using flashcards, and repeated it as many times possibles in order that the students got the correct pronunciation. Also, the teacher gave to students some labels with the name of the animals, students had to match it with the corresponding animal. 

The teacher provided a worksheet to the students, after that, teacher model how to students had to make the activity. The teacher played an audio, and after the students answer the questions, they were required to compare their answers with a partner. 

To finish the class, the teacher gave a dice to the students, one by one, students were required to pass a throw it, if the student got a happy face, he or she will not answer questions, but if the contrary happens, he or she will answer a question.

Lesson Fourteen

Teachers: Adonay Avila
                Monica Cuellar

Skill: Grammar

To start the class, students make a circle, each student were required to make an animal sound,then the student that was the next, had to reply the sound that her/his partner made and make a new one.

After the presentation, teacher activated previous knowledge of students by showing them flashcards with wild animals, the teacher showed each flashcard and said the name, after that, the teacher only showed the flashcard and asked the students was what the name of the animal. Moreover, the teacher presented the grammar structure "What's that? and What are those" to the students, by using flashcards with animals in singular and plural.


Also, the teacher provided to the students with a worksheet, they have to complete the questions that were in the worksheet and select the correct answer. After doing the activity, students had to compare with a partner their answers.

To finish the class, students played "Hot potato", the student that had the balloon and the end of the counting, had to say the name of the animal that the teacher pointed out in a chart.

Lesson Thirteen

Teachers: Luisa Zamora
                Gabriela Paredes

Skill: Vocabulary

To start the class, students made a circle in order to present themselves, at the time that they said their name, they were required to make an animal sound.

The topic was introduced by the teacher by using colorful flashcards. Moreover, the teacher provided to the students a worksheet in which they matched the picture of an animal with their corresponding name.

Then,  for finish the class, students were selected by playing the game "hot potato" the student that had the ball at the end of the counting, will pass to the front and say her/his favorite animal.

Lesson Twelve

Teachers: Gladys Galvez
                 Felix Cruz
                 Lourdes Rodriguez

Skill: Reading

For the beginning of the class, the teacher asks the students to stand up and walked around the classroom. Every time that the teacher said "Sharks are coming, groups of 4" the students were required to form a group with the number that was indicated by the teacher.

Then, the teachers presented in a very creative way the topic "family and emotions". They presented the members of the family with representative faces of each one (mom, dad, brother, and sister) and for the emotions, they use emoji's emotions that were linked at the end with every member of the family (sad, happy, angry, surprised and worried).

Moreover, the teacher read a story about a family and their emotions.After the story, students were provided with a worksheet with questions that they were required to answer and compare with a partner.

Lesson Eleven

Teachers: Adonay Avila
                Monica Cuellar

Skill: Listening

To start the class, students introduced themselves by making a funny sound when they mentioned their name.

Also, Teacher activated previous knowledge of the students by singing a song about the members of the family. Teachers were very creative because they create the song by their own. Moreover, in the song, they introduce the new vocabulary, by relating each member of the family with an activity or hobby.

Moreover, Students listened to a story about the favorite activities of a family, then, they had to answer to questions about the story, for that, a worksheet was provided for the teacher.

Then, the teacher said to the students that they have to share the favorite activity of one member of his/her family with a partner. After that, the teacher selected three students that had to pass in the front and share with the whole class the favorite activity of the member of the family that he/she selected.

Lesson Ten

Teacher:Tatiana Alvarado
              Flor Alvarado

Skill: Grammar

At the beginning of the class, students presented themselves to the teachers and to their classmates because some of them are in different classrooms. Also, teachers presented themselves. They made two lines, they were in front of other kid and ask the question "What's your name" the activity finish until everyone asked the question to every classmate.

After that, the topic "Possessive Adjectives" was presented to the students. The teacher explained the topic very clear and explained in a clearly way, what possessive adjectives they have to use with every subject. Moreover, some examples were given for the teacher using students as models. The topic was explained as many time possibles in order that the students got the idea and the correct pronunciation of each possessive adjective.

Then, a worksheet was provided by the teacher. Students worked in pairs, and they had to circle the best option in each sentence, students had to choose only one answer.

Also, students played a game, students were passing a balloon while the teacher was counting, when she stops,  the student who had the balloon, had to pass in front to say the possessive adjective of the subject that was written in the back of his or her nametag.

Finally, a feedback was provided by the teacher. Students made a line and each one had to say any possessive adjectives to the teacher

Lesson Nine

Lesson Nine

Teacher's name: Vanessa Turcios
                             Enma Martinez
Skill: Vocabulary

This class, was very excited for everyone, not only for teachers, it was excited for us that we were observant; because it was the first time that we met the kids that we will teaching the whole semester.

Firstly, the teachers start with an activity called “Land & sea” which consist in divide the classroom in two sides, one side is the sea and the other one is the land. Every time that teacher says the name of a side, students have to jump to the corresponding side.

The topic for this class, was “The Family”, to introduce the new vocabulary teacher Enma command to students to sit down on the floor and teacher did too. I really love the fact to sit the kids on the floor and the also sitting on, because it shows that teacher is at the same level of student. Moreover, doing that, you can also get more involved with the kids.

The vocabulary was represented with the characters of “Sherk” and they were present in flashcards.

After that, a worksheet with six squares was given to the students, in that page they have to paste it correctly the character with the proper name of it (mother, father, sister, etc.). Besides that, for the final activity, students were drawing one member of their family in order to show the comprehension of the topic. 

Lesson Seven and Eight

Lesson Seven

Teacher´s name: Cristian Adonay Avila Rivas
                            Monica Beatriz Cuellar Camacho
                            Gabriela Irene Paredes
Skill: Listening

First, teacher Adonay (me) start with an activity where students were divided in two teams, each team select a representative and the teacher gave a verb to each representative and they have made the mimic that correspond with the verb in order that their teams guess the correct verb.

Later, was the turn of teacher Monica, she introduced to the students the new vocabulary by presenting flashcards and making students repeat after she every word. Then, teacher Adonay played an audio about a mystery, where the vocabulary presented were included, and teacher gave to the students the script of the story. Then, teacher asked question about the story to the students.

Then, teacher Gabriela gave to students a worksheet with questions about the story that students listen previously, they have to answers and compare with a partner their responses. Then, teacher Gabriela gave an envelope to students where the words of the vocabulary cutting letter by letter ant they had organize the letters in order to complete the word.

Note: Despite the fact that teachers got a little confused with the skills, because some of the activities where more for teaching reading, they had a good performance.

Lesson Eight

Teacher´s name: Luisa Zamora
                             Tatiana Alvarado
                             Flor Alvarado
Skill: Reading

First, students played the activity “sharks are coming” which consisted in students walking around the classroom and when the teacher says “Sharks are coming” students have to answer “how many?” and they have to form groups according to the number that the teacher says.  

Teacher Luisa introduced the class saying that the class will have a trip to Bermuda, and showed to students a box with some things that were from Bermuda, students came close the box and discovered the vocabulary related to Bermuda.

Furthermore, teacher Flor gave a page to the students that have a text describing Bermuda and the activities that the tourist can do on the island. After that, students talk with a partner what the text was about. Later on, teacher gave to the students a worksheet with exercises about the text.

Moreover, students have to create a short conversation about what places they would like to visit in their next vacations? The activity was made in couples or trios.

Lessons Five and Six

Lesson Five

Teacher´s name: Vanessa Turcios
                              Jennifer Mejia
                              Gladys Galvez
                              Enma Martinez
Skills: Vocabulary

The class started with an activity called “snakeword”, Teacher Gladys gives the directions for this activity. Students had to stand up, the first word was written in the board for the teacher, and then, students had to write another word that starts with the final letter of the word that was already written for another partner.

After the activity, teacher Vanessa made an interesting activity for sign the attendance, everybody had to sign with the fingerprint. Furthermore, the new vocabulary related to detectives was presented, teacher said to students the words and meaning and then, students had to repeat each word in order to get the correct pronunciation. Besides that, teacher Vanessa command to everybody to stand up and make a circle, teacher gave a ball to students and started to count, when she finished the students that had the ball, had have to take a paper from the ball and say the definition of a word or say the corresponding meaning for the word.

The final activity was a crossword, when each student had to stand up and guess the word that corresponding with each column or line in the crossword.

Lesson Six

Teacher name: Lourdes Rodriguez
Skill: Grammar

Teacher Lourdes started this lesson with an activity that activates previous knowledge in students. The topic for this lesson was “Reported Speech” teacher Lourdes made a variety of activities in order to students understand the use of this structure. An activity that I really enjoyed, was when teacher Lourdes made students working in trios, one of the students saw a picture and then they have to reported to the other what was on the picture. 

Workshop Part II

Workshop pt. II

For start the workshop, Teacher Geovanny suggested us to take off our shoes for being more comfortable during the time that we will spend together. After that, he made us to walk around the room and smiled to our classmates. Furthermore, we made an activity with a balloon, it was representing the life of each of us, and he started to talk in order to make us reflect about how much we care about our own life?

After that, one by one, we pass to tell a little story and a riddle, in order to practice the things that he taught us in the previous session with him (modulated our voice, body expression, etc.) After every of us finish his/her participation, teacher Geovanny tell us some mistakes that we need to improve like fillers, control our nervous, etc.

To finish the class, and I have to say this was my favorite part, I mean every part of the workshop was pretty interesting, but this in special caught my attention, because it was about to take time for ourselves, because, sometimes we tend to give more attention to others needs, and we forgot that we have to care about us.

Lesson Three and Four

Lesson Three

Teacher´s name: Gladys Galves
                             Jennifer Mejia
                             Vanessa Turcios
                             Enma Martinez
Skills: Listening

For this class, teacher Gladys started to divide the class in two groups, then each representative of the group has to guess the word that his/her classmates was mimic. The words were pasting on the board.

Then, teacher Jennifer started to introduce phrases for recommendations. After that, students started to give recommendations to each other about places to go with friends and family. Moreover, teacher Vanessa played an audio with a conversation about recommendations, after the audio, the teacher gave to students pieces of paper with the parts of the conversation; students were command to put the conversation in the correct order.

To finish the lesson, teacher Gladys assesses the activity by saying the correct order of the conversation and made the students practicing it.

Lesson Four

Teacher´s name: Dennis Bonilla

                             Félix López

                             Alejandra Marroquín

                             Lourdes Rodríguez

Skill: Reading

For star this class, teacher Dennis gave some pictures to the students, they have to guess what the picture was about?

After the first activity, teacher Lourdes gave an article to the students about how the chocolate is prepared? Students, were command to read one by one the article, if one student had a mistake teacher Lourdes corrected he or she after the participation; furthermore, if someone doesn’t know the meaning of a word she took some minutes for explaining in clear way the meaning of the word.

Moreover, teacher Alexandra gave to the students the same pictures of the first activity, with the difference that this time, students needed to label the picture with the word that corresponded. After that, teacher Félix gave indications about a little speaking activity, in where students had to tell you a favorite his/her favorite kind of chocolate and favorite branch. 

Lessons One and Two

Lesson One

Teachers’s name:    Adonay Avila

                                  Liliana Coreas

                                  Gabriela Paredes

                                  Mónica Cuéllar

Topic: Food Preparation

Skill: Vocabulary

This was the first class that was teaching having practice before the real ones with Kids. The topic for this class was “Food Preparation” when teachers presented vocabulary related with the preparation of food, like: Boil, Melt, Bake, Fry, Grill, Microwave and Roast. The teacher use flashcards, posters and other material to make the class more attractive.

First, teacher Gabriela started “breaking the ice” with a game where students had to write the name of band, artist or song that starts with the letter that she gave.

Secondly, it was my turn to introduce to the students the new vocabulary that included the words: Boil Melt, Bake, Fry, Grill, Microwave and Roast; these words were related with food preparation that was the topic for the class.

Into the practice time, a worksheet was given to the students, in which they have to looking for the seven words that were presenting in the introduction of the vocabulary.  While students were completing the activity, teacher Liliana was assessing the work that students were doing.

Furthermore, in order to see if students catch the idea of the new words, there were make two activities by teacher Monica and Gabriela, in one students has to guess the word only by seeing the picture of the preparation. In the other hand, in the last activity, students played “Hangman game” in which they have to guess the word that was hiding by spelling it.

Lesson Two

Teacher’s name: Luisa Zamora

                             Flor Alvarado
                             Tatiana Alvarado
Skill: Grammar

The class start with a funny and interesting activity, teacher Luisa command to students to stand up and make two lines, at that point, the students was divided in two teams. Each team has flypaper; teacher Luisa was given verbs in past tense and the member of each team that has the flypaper in his hands have to put the flypaper in the verb that was saying by teacher. The verbs were pasted on the board.

Then, teacher Luisa starts to explain the new topic, using a poster that was pated on the board. The topic for this lesson was passive voice.

This lesson was interesting because of the materials that were very useful and because every teacher was recycling topics of previous lesson in order to make the lesson more attractive for the students.

Introduction

My name is Adonay Avila. I am 22 years old, and I am majoring in English Teacher at Universidad Don Bosco, El Salvador. This is my fifth year at the university, and I have to say that the road has been long, there have been setbacks but all my effort and dedication has been worthy. I am almost in the end of this long road, and I am anxious to see what the future has for me.

I decided to become an English, firstly, because I love English, my first contact with the language was approximately at the age of ten years, when I attended for a year to English courses at Centro Cultural Salvadoreño Americano, from there, the English starts to become part of my life. Secondly, I decided to study this major, because of my experiences as learner, from this perspective, I saw the lack of importance that the language has in public schools and in some private institutions. Moreover, I want to make the difference in students life, with this, I mean that I want them to like the English, I want to share with them, everything that I learned since I attended for the very first time to an English class, that are my goals to achieve as future teacher.

Now that I talked a little bit about me, I want to devote the rest of my blog to share my experiences in the class "Teaching Practicum I" in this class; the course is devoted to teach English to children of second and first grade from Colegio Don Bosco. In the blog I will share with you the experiences of the classes that I will observed and teach in the near future, feel free to comment and enjoy it!