HOW TO TEACH SPEAKING

During Alessandra's lecture, each group was asked to discuss about one of the set topics: “Teaching Grammar”; “Teaching Vocabulary”; “Teaching Listening”; “Teaching Writing” and “Teaching Speaking”.
After the discussion, each group had to read an article related to the topic discussed, written by Jeremy Harmer, a teacher and materials writer, who has worked extensively in the UK and Mexico and led training sessions all over Europe. After that, we were supposed to compare what we discussed with what we read. Finally, we should come up with a conclusion and if possible write it in the blog so the other groups could share or add opinions about our conclusions. Our group was responsible for the topic “Teaching Speaking”.
Well, to be honest, I've always wondered to which extent ESOL teachers are responsible for their students' speaking development. I think all the abilities - speaking, writing, listening and reading - are intimately connected. Speaking involves having a listener whom you interact with. Reading helps you acquiring new vocabulary you need to speak. When writing you structure the grammar and vocabulary.
Jeremy Harmer points out that speaking activities are not drill-like exercises. It is important for a teacher to have an aim when conducting a speaking activity. Students are supposed to develop their fluency, so we agree with Harmer that it is important to avoid overcorrection. In spite of the different roles grammar assumed in Language teaching, it is true that when teaching we tend to overvalue it, repeating, for example, that in English we have to use a suject before a verb. We believe that an informal conversation has a short space in the classroom.
We are aware of the fact that speaking should not resctrict students to specific grammar patterns, but it is a fact that a certain unit in a book will explore a tense studied and speaking is in fact intended to teach grammar. So, it is very important, for teachers, to open a space for free discussions based on topics suitable for each single group. We condiser roleplays something very useful, once students pretend to be in a situation they would really use English language. We believe that this space should not be the moment for corrections. Maybe we could make notes about these mistakes and discuss about them in another oportunity. Something I condiser useful is reproducing students mistakes on the board and ask the whole class to check them. This can also be done when you return students’ writings.
It is important for a teacher to define the aims that go with a certain speaking activity so that a feedback can be given.
There are lots of resources teachers can take advantage of. I like very much New English File series, which bring communicative activities. You may find some interesting controversial topics on the Internet. I suggest you keep different acitivities you have used in a file so that you can register students impressions in different groups. Activities from different books are interchangeable and by doing this will save your time.

SOURCE:

HARMER, J. Teaching Speaking. In English Teaching Professional. The Swan Business Centre, Fishers Lane, Chiswick, London W4 1RX, England.

Oral, writing and pronunciation development - teacher Leila Janice Maxwell (UNIUBE - Uberaba)

Teacher Leila working with English sounds board by Paul Seligson, which helps students a lot with pronunciation. She compared and contrasted the different sounds in English language. I had an awesome experience with the whole English File series. I feel very comfortable working with these materials. You can see me at the bottom left hand corner.


In this photo, I'm backwards, beside Leila, on the left.

Some of the tasks we had during Leila's lecture

In the first production, we were supposed to produce, in different groups, three different activities based on a picture ranking a tortoise (1st position), an elephant (2nd position) and a fox (3rd position). One group was reponsible for a piece of news, another for a play (my group) and the last one for a jogral. The activities were based on "The Hare and the Tortoise", an Aesop's Fable, whose moral can be "Slow but steady wins the race" or "When you take it easy because you think you have an advantage over someone, you may be surprised".

To be honest, I'm not good at roleplays, maybe because of my shyness, but it was a cool activity.

The second step in Leila's lecture was the presentation of the English sounds, which can be found in English File series. She gave us a nice activity in which she gave words for a group, with a sound highlighted. The other group had the phoneme and was supposed to perform the sound. So the groups were supposed to match the sound contained in the word with the phoneme.

It will be worth taking advantage of this website for the English sounds: http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/englishfile/elementary/c_pronunciation/

Another interesting activity used by Leila was the one known as "hot potato", in which she put some questions in a box. Students were in a circle. A song was being played. When the song stops, the one with the box picks up a question and asks another one to anwer it.

In the following activity we were supposed to repeat some texts miming then with a certain tune. One example was the one below:

"Thirty days has September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one. except February,which has twenty-eight. And every Leap Year one day more".

The last and the most interesting activity for me, which I didn't know, was the one in which a river was drawn in lines. Half of the group was on one the river's bank. The other half, in the other. One was supposed to be Mr. Crocodile. The ones on the river bank were supposed to ask "Please, Mr. Crocodile, may we cross the river?", and then Mr. Crocodile replied "Yes, if you are wearing ... (red, for example). Mr. Crocodile was supposed to catch people crossing the river. The one caught was the next Mr. Crocodile.

It was a nice afternoon. Opportunities to enhance our classes.

The First Linguistic Imersion

Time: 10.00 to 18.00.

Place: Chácara do Sílvio Júnior (Rua Luzia Vanucci, 480 - Jardim Jockey Parque)

The first imersion in English was such an outstanding and unique experience, both for students and teachers. Enthusiastic and full of bright ideas, teacher Alessandra proposed us many dyanamics to enhance our classes. My master's degree project has to do with English teaching at universities, and I must confess that prodocencia has brightened me up.

SOME PHOTOS I TOOK

An overview of the structures of the English Language - with Beatriz Ribeiro Ferreira Pucci (UNIUBE Uberaba - MG)

My friend and colleague Bia Pucci, the lecturer

Unfortunately, due to teaching at the time, I couldn't attend the workshop "Beyond the Limits of the English Class", with Maiza Fatureto (English Language Teaching Consultant for Cambridge University Press). Maiza and I were workmates in 1999. It was my first experience as an English teacher in her school, Point One English Center. This was one of the most important moments in my life, once during this time I decided to stop studying Law at Uniube and take an entry test at UFU to study Letters (Languages and Literature). To be honest, I've never seen myself as a lawyer.

On 4th April, 2008, on a Friday, at 2.00 pm, it was presented the lecture "An overview of the structures of the English Language", by Beatriz Ribeiro Ferreira Pucci (UNIUBE Uberaba - MG), who is a colleague and great friend I have, by the way. She used many communicative activities with us. We were asked to produce something based on structures of the English language.

Before presenting my activity, I have to say that I've always taken advantage of workshops and lectures to improve my career as a teacher. There are those great people we have the great chance to know in our lives that take part in our identity as a teacher. When I started studying at UFU, I got the great chance to know Rita de Cássia Lopes Capobianco. At her school, Yes! Idiomas, I had the great chance to work and learn many things. We had outstanding seminars presented by teachers. That was really amazing - there was a week before the beginning of classes we got together to present seminars.

Well, I suppose I'm here to post my production. I guess my blog is being turned into something very personal. Anyway, maybe a blog is supposed to be like this.

I'm posting an acitivy I used with my basic students in 2007. I guess I wasn't very well succeded, so I'm posting I comment in the end. I'm always afraid of using songs. First of all, because my taste is usually completely different from my students. Secondly, I think I need to give a song that has to do with what we are learning. Anyway, thank God I have those who help me choosing the songs - my younger brother, my students, my colleagues...

The song I'm posting below was an idea from a very tallented friend of mine, who I have the change to know during my graduation. We worked together in Teaching Practice. Her name is Giselle Fernandes Loures. Great teacher...

"She's Not Just A Pretty Face"

Shania Twain

(Oh na, na, na)

She hosts a T.V. show--she rides the rodeo

She plays the bass in a band

She's an astronaut--a valet at the parking lot

A farmer working the land

She is a champion--she gets the gold

She's a ballerina--the star of the show

[Chorus:]

She's--not--just a pretty face

She's--got--everything it takes

She has a fashion line--a journalist for "Time"

Coaches a football teamShe's a geologist--a romance novelist

She is a mother of three

She is a soldier--she is a wife

She is a surgeon--she'll save your life

[Chorus:]

She's--not--just a pretty face

She's--got--everything it takes

She's--mother--of the human race

She's--not--just a pretty face

Oh, oh, yeahOh na, na, na, na.....

She is your waitress--she is your judge--she is your teacher

She is every woman in the world

Oh, la, la, la

She flies an airplane--she drives a subway train

At night she pumps gasoline

She's on the council--she's on the board

She's a politician--she praises the Lord

[Repeat Second Chorus]

No, she's (she's) not (not)--just a pretty face

She's (she's) got (got)--everything it takes

She's--not--just a pretty face

She's got everything it takes

She's not just a pretty face

In spite of the fact that this song is very good to be used to teach "jobs", I had a rough experience with a beginner group. They found it very difficult to complete the missing lyrics. So, I suggest you write several jobs on cards, including some not in the music. Maybe a good idea would be using the song in the "Women International day" or "Mother's day". Ask your students to complete the lyrics in group. I guess my problem was choosing too many different lexical items.

The Opening

"El proceso de adquisición de la segunda lengua se considera un proceso de aprendizaje de vida..."

Anna. I. Escalante, St Thomas University, Houston TX 05/1997

“É um homem falando que encontramos no mundo; um homem falando com outro homem; e a linguagem ensina a própria definição do homem”.

Emile Benveniste

During the opening, Dra. Denise de Paula M. de Abreu e Lima, from UFSCar, presented the lecutre "Developing the foreign language teacher competences: experiences and practises". I found it very interesting because she talked about her positive experience in developing activities based on a subject she teaches at UFSCar. As my master's degree project has to do with English taught at university, I decided to post its short introduction. Surely, I'll be adapting it.

Below, there is the first version of the introduction of the project, in Portuguese, under the supervision of Dr. Ernesto Sérgio Bertoldo:

A FORMAÇÃO DE PROFESSORES DE LÍNGUA INGLESA EM CURSOS DE LETRAS – DA INCOMPLETUDE À DESESTABILIZAÇÃO DE IDENTIDADES

INTRODUÇÃO
A identidade de professor do graduando do Curso de Letras, que se configura durante seu processo de formação, constitui-se de maneira frágil. Isso, porque o aluno, ao adentrar no curso supracitado, pode se defrontar com uma realidade que faz desestabilizar seu imaginário, uma vez que, além de aprender a Língua Inglesa, ele deverá ser professor dessa língua, o que, por vezes, faz com que o “mito” de não aprendizagem da Língua Estrangeira, no Curso de Letras, se perpetue.
Ademais, vemos ainda, que há aqueles alunos para os quais a aprendizagem da Língua Estrangeira – em minha pesquisa, a língua inglesa – não ocorre, provavelmente por não passar por processos identitários com essa língua.
É comum ouvir o dizer de professores formadores de que a formação acadêmica oferecida em universidades não oferece subsídios, em nível de conhecimentos lingüísticos, para formar um professor de Língua Inglesa. Durante minha graduação, na cidade de Uberlândia, os professores dessa disciplina enfatizavam a importância de se cursar aulas em um instituto de idiomas, diziam que aqueles que não o fizessem não estariam aptos a atuarem como professores da língua em questão por não se tornarem proficientes na mesma.
Minha inquietação surge vinculada ao contexto descrito acima. Por que alunos egressos do Curso de Letras não estariam aptos a ensinarem a Língua Inglesa caso não tenham freqüentado um curso extracurricular? Esta inaptidão refere-se apenas àqueles que almejam ministrar aulas em instituto de idiomas? Estariam os professores egressos dos cursos de Letras aptos a ensinarem Inglês no ensino regular? A graduação é insuficiente para a aprendizagem de uma língua estrangeira, resultando, portanto, nesse possível déficit lingüístico[1]? O que, no entanto, significa “aprender” ou “saber” a Língua Inglesa? Aprender uma língua significa ser proficiente na mesma?
Um dos grandes problemas enfrentados nos cursos de Letras é a heterogeneidade no corpo discente: há alunos que nunca tiveram contato com a língua; outros que freqüentam ou freqüentaram institutos de idiomas; alunos que já se encontram exercendo a função docente; alunos que se encontram em níveis avançados, com inglês fluente, ministrando ou não aulas em cursos de idiomas ou no Ensino Fundamental e Médio. Destarte, há aqueles para os quais a identidade de professor ou processos identitários com a profissão já se encontram presentes. Em contrapartida, muitos graduandos não conseguem estabelecer tais processos fundamentais para a constituição da identidade docente.
Como resolver tal impasse? Seria conveniente exigir que ingressantes no Curso de Letras com habilitação em Inglês passassem por uma prova de habilidade específica tal como ocorre nos Cursos de Música e Artes, por exemplo?
Com o objetivo de verificar como os dizeres proferidos pelos professores do Curso de Letras articulam – ou não – o conhecimento lingüístico (conhecimento de/sobre a língua) com a produção de uma prática profissional (que contribua para a constituição da identidade profissional), pretendo analisar um corpus que se constituirá, a priori, pelos depoimentos de professores e alunos de duas universidades privadas[2] localizadas na cidade de Uberaba, no Estado de Minas Gerais.
Pretendo aprofundar o tema de minha monografia de especialização, desenvolvida no I CELAD-UFU (I Curso de Especialização em Análise do Discurso da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia), na qual foram entrevistados dois professores, um em cada universidade, de dois cursos de letras da cidade de Uberaba e dez alunos de cada instituição.
Além dos dados que serão coletados nas duas instituições supracitadas, por meio de questionários abertos e entrevistas, valer-me-ei de dados que já foram coletados no Orkut[3], mas que não foram abordados em minha pesquisa anterior.
Foram postados tópicos em diversas comunidades do Orkut relacionadas ao ensino de Língua Inglesa. Valer-me-ei da discussão proposta nessas comunidades visando a um entrecruzamento dos dizeres de professores e graduandos dos dois cursos de letras com os dizeres de professores graduados ou não em Letras que atuam em institutos de línguas. O sítio de relacionamentos em questão proporcionou a discussão de temas pertinentes à identidade do professor de Língua Estrangeira. A título de exemplo, vale citar o caso de uma graduanda em Direito que, ministrando aulas de Língua Inglesa em um instituto de idiomas, nega sua identidade de “professora”. A mesma, ao se referir à sua prática profissional, defini-se como uma “instrutora”.
Dados os fatores pontuados acima e salientando que considerável parte dos trabalhos desenvolvidos em Lingüística Aplicada, de modo geral, não discute a questão das línguas como um fator de constituição da identidade profissional, valho-me da Análise do Discurso de linha francesa por entender que esta última é uma teoria que trabalha com as relações entre a língua e o sujeito de forma diferenciada, não estanque, mas aberta aos ditos e também aos não-ditos. A Análise do Discurso configura-se, pois, como uma disciplina de entremeio (Orlandi, 2002) que se estrutura no espaço que há entre a lingüística e as ciências das formações sociais. A lingüística resvala-se pela negação da historicidade inscrita na linguagem. A Análise do Discurso, por outro lado, nos permite trabalhar em busca de processos de produção de sentido e de suas determinações histórico-sociais. Destarte, o sentido sempre estará vinculado às suas condições de produção. Como meu objetivo é analisar questões tangentes à identidade do professor de língua inglesa e, partindo-se do princípio de que o sujeito é afetado por uma ideologia, pelos diferentes espaços discursivos que o constituem, não sendo, portanto, o centro e a origem do seu discurso, optei pela análise do corpus de minha pesquisa à luz das teorias discursivas. Em suma, a principal hipótese levantada em meu trabalho é a de que há discursos que circulam nos cursos de Letras que sustentam a idéia de que não é possível aprender língua inglesa, o que não é necessariamente uma verdade, pois encontramos alunos cuja experiência de “aprendizado” da língua inglesa passa pelos cursos de graduação com sucesso.
[1] Ressalto que déficit lingüístico é vislumbrado no presente trabalho como a incapacidade de fluência na língua alvo.
[2] Uniube (Universidade de Uberaba) e FAZU (Faculdades Associados de Uberaba).
[3] O Orkut é uma comunidade online que conecta pessoas por meio de uma rede de amigos confiáveis e que proporciona um ponto de encontro com um ambiente de confraternização, onde é possível fazer novos amigos e conhecer pessoas que têm os mesmos interesses (https://www.orkut.com/).

I'm adjusting the project in order to fit it into prodocência project, once I'm still in master's degree as a special student. What I inted to focus now is the positive aspect and effects of prodocência in English taught at univeristy.