Demonstrations

Welcome to my last entry😭

This entry is about our last activity, where we did groups; each group had to explain different activities for listening, speaking, writing and reading, just like a normal class, so this time we became teachers.

Here is the Fernando´s group, that it was about listening.

They gave us some general details and tips. 

At the end, they asked us to listen to a song, they gave us the lyrics on pieces of paper and we had to order the lyrics according to what we were listening to, although I already knew the song, it still wasn't too easy since it was a rap.

Here it should go my group, but I don´t have any photo from that day😟

We did three speaking activities, from basic to advanced level. First, Aby did a spelling bee, in which she divided two groups, then she went around saying the words and the group with the most correctly spelled words was supposed to win. Then, in my activity, I implemented the Modal Verbs, so that they could give me suggestions to particular scenarios, the funny thing is that I gave each participant only 15 secods to say as many examples as possible. Then, Rodrigo, also had two groups, he showed them an image without context and they had to create a story, one had to start it, the next one continued it and the last one gave it an ending. I really liked all 3, as our classmates had to work very hard to successfully complete these speaking activities.

Afterwards, we had the reading group. 

They gave us very good advices and asked us if we liked to read, what disinterested us while reading or what distracted us.

Then, we were asked to read an article, which was somewhat complex, and that was the idea, to read something that not many people were interested in, to identify if we could understand the topic and so on. Then we did a word search game, which I really liked, although it had some errors in some words. 

Then, we had the writing group.

First, we completed these sentences.

Then we did some grammar exercises, in which we were told that we could use some conjunctions, such as coordinates, subordinates, comparatives, etc., to improve our composition.

Here is the structure of a letter:

And my example of a thank you letter:

Then, unfortunately, in Tuesday's class I was unable to attend, but I asked my classmates to send me some photos from that day. Here are the 4 remaining groups:

Overall, it was a good semester, and this subject definitely exceeded my expectations, as I mentioned in my final test, I never thought of becoming a teacher until I studied English Didactics. I can only say thank you teacher for being so passionate in what you do, for transmitting us that energy, and for giving us your example as an excellent teacher.
 

Teaching Receptive Skills

 Welcome everyone to another blog's entry! 

Receptive skills refer to the ability to understand and comprehend spoken or written language. These skills include listening and reading comprehension. Teaching receptive skills is important for students to be able to communicate and interact effectively with others.

To teach receptive skills, it is important to create a conducive and engaging learning environment. This can be achieved by using a variety of teaching strategies, such as authentic materials, interactive activities, and differentiated instruction.

Listening comprehension is an essential skill for effective communication. To teach listening comprehension, it is important to use authentic materials such as videos, podcasts and songs. These materials expose students to real-life situations and help them develop their listening skills.

Interactive activities such as role-plays, group discussions and listening games can also be used to make the learning experience more engaging and fun. In addition, if learners receive feedback on their listening skills, they can improve and increase their confidence.

Teaching Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is another important receptive skill. To teach reading comprehension, it is important to use materials appropriate to the level and interests of the students. These can be authentic materials, such as newspaper articles, stories and novels.

Interactive activities, such as reading circles, summarizing exercises and discussion groups, can also be used to encourage engagement and comprehension. In addition, teaching students strategies such as skimming, scanning, and predicting can help them become more efficient readers.

Differentiated Instruction in Receptive Skills

Differentiated instruction is an important approach to teaching receptive skills. It involves tailoring instruction to the individual needs and abilities of each learner. To do this, teachers can use a variety of strategies, such as flexible grouping, tiered tasks, and a variety of instructional materials.

Through differentiated instruction, teachers can ensure that all students feel stimulated and engaged in the learning process. This approach can also help students develop their receptive skills at their own pace and in a way that best suits them.

Assessment of receptive skills

Assessment of receptive skills is important to determine the progress of learners and identify areas in which they need improvement. This can be done through a variety of assessment methods, such as questionnaires, tests, and performance tasks.

It is important to use a variety of assessment methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of learners' receptive skills. In addition, providing learners with feedback on their performance can help them understand their strengths and weaknesses and guide their learning.

What makes a passage easy or difficult?

In general, listening texts are easier if:

1. They are fairly short.
2. They have one or two easily distinguishable speakers.
3. The speaker speaks slowly (yet naturally), with a standard accent.
4. You can hear the speaker well. 
5. The topic is familiar. 
6. The structure of the text is simple and straightforward. 
7. The students are interested and prepared for what they are about to hear.

On the other hand, reading texts are easier if they:

1. They contain simple language
2. Are short
3. Contain simple sentences
4. Are clearly organized
5. Are objective
6. In standard English 
7. The subject matter is concrete and familiar
8. Are supported by layout, headings, images, graphics, etc.

In conclusion, teaching receptive skills is essential for learners to communicate and interact effectively with others. Teachers can help learners develop their receptive skills by creating a supportive and engaging learning environment, using authentic materials and interactive activities, providing differentiated instruction, and assessing learner progress.

Ultimately, teaching receptive skills is about enabling students to become effective communicators and lifelong learners.