How to Improve Communicative Skills through Project Based Activities at Domingo Savio 9th Grade Students?

Dayana Cobo Lina F. Carvajal Linsay S. Doncel Adriana P. Oliveros

University of Amazonia English program Florencia- Caquet 2011

How to Improve Communicative Skills through Project Based Activities at Domingo Savio 9th Grade Students?

This project is presented to the teacher: Maritza Housset

Dayana Cobo Lina F. Carvajal Linsay S. Doncel Adriana P. Oliveros

University of Amazonia English program Florencia- Caquet 2011

Index 1. Justification 2. Research Question 3. Objectives 3.1 general objectives 3.2 specific objectives 4. Theoretical framework 4.1 Content Based Instruction 4.1.1 Learners Role 4.1.2 Teachers Role 4.2 The Language-Cultural Connection 4.3 Task Based 5. Methodology 5.1 Participants and Course Description 5.2 Place and Time 5.3 Strategies 6. Results 7. Conclusions 8. Anexos 9. References

INTRODUCTION

A foreign language is the most successfully acquired when learners are engaged in its meaningful use. Language learning and content of subject matter could be brought together within the content based instruction (CBI). The integration of language and content involves the corporation of content material into language classes. CBI is sometimes referred to as language across the curriculum, and has become increasingly popular as a means of developing linguistic ability. Content can provide a motivational and cognitive basis for language learning since it is interesting and of some value to the learner (Brewster, 1999). CBI combines integrated teaching of all language skills and subject matter, which makes it can appealing approach to English for specific purpose (ESP) courses, as at higher levels language can be perfected through subject contents. This project was conducted in order to explore various forms of CBI and integrating the relevant content into the ESP classroom within a slightly different approach with 10 grade at Domingo savior. They were between 14 and 15 years old. CBI can be implemented by teaching English through subject content. Employing learners knowledge of subject, using task-based learning and holistic approach to language instruction through up date authentic materials and involving learners in the meaningful usage of language allows learners to develop their linguistic ability in the target language. Learners responses and self- assessment of successful/ unsuccessful experiences in CBI activities are being presented and discussed.

1. JUSTIFICATION

Through this project we as an English Students tried to put into practice a new way to teach with the intention to acquire a new technique that is based not only on teaching grammar in the same way, using a book, a pen and teaching the rules on the board; this is using information around us with content, giving to student an input and in this way teach them the grammar and make them to used their four skills in order to have an output.

2. RESEARCH QUESTION

2.1 Main Question The main question for this project was the following:

How to improve communicative skills through project based activities at Domingo Savio 9th grade students?

3. OBJECTIVES 3.1 General Objective In this project the general objective was: To encourage students to know more about United States culture using English in a communicative way developing the four skills. 3.2 Specific Objectives To look students attitudes forward this project. To analyze the use of skills by students in the activities. To give students adequate materials and tools to improve their knowledge about United States. To realize if the content based, task based and project based activities taught by the teachers are appropriate for the students. To use key structure which allow students describe typical food, dance and cloth. To practice commands and orders that let students respond in order to dance.

4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This project was framed inside definitions of Content-based instruction, task-based and project-based. 4.1 Content Based Instruction

According to Brinton, Snow and Welsh (1989) is the integration of content learning with language teaching aims. More specifically, it refers to the concurrent study of language and subject matter, with the form and sequence of language presentation dictated by content material. Such an approach contrasts sharply with many practices in which language skill are taught virtually in isolation form substantive content. When language becomes the medium to convey informational content of interest and relevance to the learner, then learner are pointed toward matters of intrinsic concern. Language takes on its appropriate role as a vehicle for accomplish a set of content goals. A recent surge of research and material on CBI has given us new opportunities and challenges. Content based classrooms may yield an increase in intrinsic motivational and empowerment, since students are focused on subject that is important to their lives. Students are pointed beyond transient extrinsic factors, like grades and test, to their own competence and autonomy as intelligent individuals capable of actually doing something with their new knowledge.

Challenge range from a demand for a whole new genre of textbooks and other materials to the training of language teachers to teach the concepts and skills of various disciplines, professions and occupations, and/or to teach in teams across disciplines. According to Freeman (2000) content based instruction using content from other disciplines in language courses is not a new idea for years, specialized language courses have include content relevant to a particular profession or academic discipline. The especial contribution of content based instruction is that it integrated the learning of language with the learning of some other content, of often academic subject matter. It has been observed that academic subject provided natural content for language instruction such observation motivated the language across the curriculum movement for native English speakers in England which was launched in the 1970s to integrated the teaching of reading and writing into all other subject areas. Of course when student study academic subjects in a nonnative language they will need a great deal of an assistance in understanding subject matter texts; therefore, there must be clear language objectives as well as content learning objectives. Because the language objectives are directed by the text content based instruction night fully fits in with the other methods. Principles: The subject matter content is used for language teaching purpose. Teaching should build on students previous experience.

Jack C. Richards and William A. Renandya state that: Content Based instruction has been used in variety of language learning context, thought is popularity and wider applicability have increased dramatically since the early 1990s numerous s practical features of CBI make and appealing approach to language instruction : To stimulate student to think and through the use of the target language. It employs authentic reading materials which require students not only understand information but to interpret and evaluate it as well. It provides forums in which student can respond orally to reading and lecture materials. Students learn a variety of language skills which prepare them for the range of academic tasks they will encounter. According to Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers CBI has a role in other curriculum design, language curriculum skills should also be taught in the content subjects and not left exclusively for the English teacher to deal with. Every teacher, an English teacher like other cross-disciplinary proposals IMERSION EDUCATION The foreign language is the vehicle for content instruction it is not the subject of instruction. APPROACH Learning and teaching are realized as central priority.

4.1.1 Learners Role

GOAL- Learners to become autonomous so that they come to understand their own learning process and take charge of their own learning from the very start CBI is learning by doing Active role in several dimensions.

4.1.2 Teachers Role

Teachers must be knowledgeable in the subject matter and able to elicit that knowledge from their students.

Teacher have to keep context and comprehensibility when they planning and presentation.

They are responsible for selecting and adapting authentic materials for use in class.

They become needs analysts.

4.2 The Language-Cultural Connection

Language and culture are intricately intertwined. Any time you successfully learn a language, you will also learn something of the culture of the speakers of that language.

This principle focuses on the complex interconnections of language and culture. Whenever you teach a language, you also teach a complex system of cultural costumes, values, and ways of thinking feeling and acting. Classroom applications include the following: 1. Discuss cross-cultural differences with your students, emphasizing that no culture is better than another, but that cross-cultural understanding is an important facet of learning a language. 2. Include among your techniques certain activities and materials that illustrate the connection between language and culture. 3. Teach your students the cultural connections, specially the sociolinguistic aspects. 4. Screen your techniques for material that may be culturally offensive. 5. Make explicit to your students what you may take for granted in your own culture.

4.3 Task Based

According to Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) refers to an approach based on the use of tasks as the core unit of planning an instruction in language teaching. Some of its proponents present it as a logical development of Communicative Language Teaching since it draws on

several principles that forms part of the communicative language teaching movement from the 1980s. Activities that involve real communication are essential for language learning. Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning. Language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process.

Nunan (1989) offers this definition: The communicative task is a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interact in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form. The task should also have a sense of completeness, being able to stand alone as a communicative act in its own right. Task-based training identified several key areas of concern: 1. Analysis of real world task-use situations 2. The translations of these into teaching ,tasks descriptions 3. The detailed design of instructional tasks
4. The sequencing of instructional tasks in classroom training/teaching

METHODOLOGY

4.2

Participants and Project Description

This project was developed with 9th grade students at Domingo Savio high school in Florencia. There were 19 students; they are about 14 and 15 years old, 6 men and 13 women. This project was developed during some hours in the morning and it was necessary to meet students in the afternoon in order to organize the activities. Expo American culture was a project where students prepared some activities in order to show some important aspects of this country. In order to students use the target language in a different classroom environment, they performed history, typical food, clothes and dancing of united states where English was practiced and used as the principal way to communicate. 4.3 Place and Time

Expo American culture was worked at Domingo Savio High school a private institution in Florencia, this institution is located at Torasso neighborhood, and this school has a high English level because it has English emphasis. It lasted a week since November, 15th until November, 18th taking 4 hours per day.

4.4

Strategies

Teachers showed students general information about United States culture trough slides, photocopies, videos, pictures and readings in order reinforce their previous knowledge with the intention to make other activities based on the information given.

5. RESULTS

At the end of expo American culture project, students performed different activities in the following way: One of the students was conducting whole program, 3 students started presenting general information about United States, in this activity they talked about principal presidents, important days, important places and currency and money then, another 6 students organized a fashion show where, modeled some suits from different states Hawaiian, hip hop, country clothes and the most used clothes by American women also, 5 students made a cooking program where showed how to make hamburger finally, 6 students performed a country dance showing principal movement from this dance. In those activities students learnt a lot vocabulary related from each activity because they were meaningful and attractive for them in the way that most of information was easy to understand and comprehensible.

6. CONCLUSIONS

The integration of language and content teaching is perceived by the European Commission as an excellent way of making progress in a foreign language. CBI effectively increases learners English language proficiency and teaches them the skills necessary for the success in various professions. With CBI, learners gradually acquire greater control of the English language, enabling them to participate more fully in an increasingly complex academic and social environment.

7. ANEXOS During this project some evidences were taken, such as videos, pictures, lessons plans, and slides.

8. REFERENCES

Brinton, D. (2003). Content-based instruction. In D. Nunan (Ed.), practical English language teaching (pp. 199-224). New York: McGraw Hill.

Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A., & Wesche, M. B. (1989). Content-based second language instruction. New York: Newbury House.

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (1997). Content-based instruction: Research Foundations. In M. A. Snow, & D. M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspective on integrating language and content (pp. 5-21). NY: Longman.

Snow, W.A.(2001). Content-based and immersion models for Second and foreign language teaching. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (3rd ed.) (pp. 303-318). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.