Apéndice 1 Calendar of Activities Unit Week Date 1 1 26 Sept -1 October Tasks TLC_101 Learners’ belief and learning % 10 strategy use Some of the ins and outs of Teaching Training Practice 2 Deadline: 2 Oct. 2 Integrated Skills 3 Deadline: 9 Oct. 3 Listening 4 4 10 Forum 1 The Communicative Approach 5 TLC_301 Listening 10 17 - 22 October TLC_401 Video and Self-evaluation 15 Forum 2 Oral Communication 5 TLC_601 Writing practice and feedback 10 Final Paper 35 Deadline: 23 Oct. 5 Oral Communication – Speaking 6 10 -15 October TLC_201 Write two lesson plans Deadline: 16 Oct. Reading 5 3 - 8 October 24 - 29 October Deadline: 30 Oct. 6 Writing 31 Oct. – 5 Nov. Deadline: 6 Nov. 7 7 -17 November Deadline: 18 Nov. DESCRIPTION OF TASKS TLC_101 Learners’ belief and learning strategy use Read the text The relationship between EFL learners' beliefs and learning strategy use. You can consult this reading in: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCH46DW7736&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct= C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6de682a68386867 ad6bf36052d967ad5 Reflect on the different sights the author concluded from his study and put down your reflections on paper. Carry out this piece of writing by taking into consideration your own experience as a student and as a(n) (future) English teacher in relation to what the author says. Also, highlight the importance of this text for your students. Write between 250 and 300 words. You need to respect the number of words. Your paper should be written in a formal style. Send it to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0. TLC_201 Write two lesson plans Write two lesson plans using the two integrated-skill instruction: content-based language instruction and task-based instruction. For this task, you must consider: the number of students in your class; your students’ age, needs, language level, likes and dislikes; the time available per class; and, the program you follow in your school. After that, put into practice these two lesson plans and write a report for each. In this report you should include the following information: the way your class was implemented; what you think you need to improve; what you consider needs to be totally changed; what functioned well and you want to conserve; and, the suitability of the material you used. Write between 250 and 300 words per report. Send both your lesson plans and reports to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0. Make sure you really understand what content-based and task-based mean. It must be stated since the very beginning of your lesson plans. Forum 1 The Communicative Approach Read the article “The Communicative Approach in English as a Foreign Language Teaching.” After reading, answer the following questions: 1. Can the communicative approach function in your classroom conditions? Why yes? Why not? 2. What are some of the benefits in using the communicative approach? 3. Is the material set forth by your administration conducive to the communicative approach? If not, how can you adjust it so you could use the communicative approach? Write between 200 and 250 words. Please, respect the number of words. Send your answers to the Forum Room. Give positive feedback to TWO e-mates. TLC_301 Listening Make a mind map based upon unit 3. You need to Start at the centre of the page, mostly with a colourful image; Use key words and pictures. Do not use full expressions. Include relevant information; Use organic lines to make associations between the ideas you are managing; Categorize your ideas and importance of concepts by drawing organic lines with different lengths; Use your own codes and arrows where necessary; Use, at least, four different colours; Make a connection between what you saw in this unit and your teaching context by expressing what you think you need to improve to develop a meaningful teaching of the listening skill in your class; and, Make an original mid map. You should also need to write a brief explanation of your mind map. The number of words is free according to your needs. Send both your mind map and explanation to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0. TLC_401 Video and Self-evaluation To make use of the methodology described above and of what you read in this section, you need to make a lesson plan where you include the different steps proposed, the materials and views. You need to teach this lesson in a real environment and video record it in a CD and send it to me by mail to: Mtro. Copérnico Fernando Pereyra Centella Dirección de la Facultad de Idiomas Francisco Moreno esq. Ezequiel Alatriste Col. Ferrer Guardia C.P. 91020 Xalapa, Ver. Then self-evaluate your Reading Lesson using as a guide the self-evaluating questionnaire below. On the reflections section write what strengths and flaws you found in your plan and actual lesson, including what you would do to improve it in the future. Send your self-evaluation to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0. Forum 2 Oral Communication 1. How important is speaking and listening when learning an L2? 2. Are speaking and listening separated, are they one continuous stimulus? In earlier units we separated them into productive and receptive skills, are they really separated? 3. Are they skills? 4. Send your answers to the Forum Room. Write between 130 and 160 words. Please, respect the number of words. Send your answers to the Forum Room. Give positive feedback to TWO e-mates. TLC_601 Writing practice and feedback Reflect on and analyze: The importance of teaching writing; Your students’ reaction when you practice writing in class; How you encourage your students to write in your classes; The approach you use; Suggestions to improve your students’ writing skills; and, How you respond to your students’ errors in writing; that is to say, how you give them feedback Write a text between 300 and 400 words where you express your reflections. Send it to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0. Final Task For this task, you should choose 1 problem (from one of the units) that you have recognised that your students have in learning and/or managing a particular aspect of language as a means of communication. After defining the problem and explaining possible reasons for its occurrence, propose solution(s) according to your needs and context. This task should be sent to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0, respecting the deadline. Given the importance and complexity of this work, I mention below an evaluation criteria that will be used to evaluate your task and that will be useful during the writing process to guide you. Criteria for the final task: (Adapted from: Mata V., Tito A. (March 2005). From the class Applied Analysis of Academic Discourse I) Your paper must be 1200 – 1300 words. Provide a word count at the end. Give the paper an appropriate title and number the pages. Follow the requirements of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) to submit your paper (http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing/kit/reference-apa.pdf). Your paper should be written in Arial 12, leaving 1.5 space between lines. Flagrant plagiarism can invalidate your assignment and make you fail this component. Write your paper in an appropriate style. You should include relevant and meaningful information. You should have a good management of concepts. You should cite appropriately. You must back up your essay by making reference to, at least, four authors. You can make you the following questions to help you: Does your essay have a clear focus / thesis? Do you demonstrate understanding of the concepts and ideas discussed and apply them successfully? Do you incorporate the idea of others successfully? Do you present a careful and convincing argument? Are the paper well-structured and the order of ideas clearly presented? Are paragraphs coherent and well-balanced? Are sentences properly constructed? Is language sufficiently formal, accurate, precise and concise? Is presentation adequate? Proof read the assignment before you send it. Remember that you should send your paper to my personal e-mail (cfpc73@yahoo.com.mx) or Eminus 2.0.