A new contribution for all of us to ENJOY AND PONDER ABOUT...
THANKSSSS!!!!!!!
I was thinking about when I was at the school and high school. I remember how upset I felt when the teacher 'jumped' the song-activities which where in our Student's English Book. Some of those English teachers were too busy to 'WASTE the time' doing a song-listening-activity, when they needed to finish whatever Unit. However, we could practice English grammar, vocabulary,... doing the song-activities, in a funny and real way, couldn't we?
(Elena Regaño)
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD POINT!!!!!! We tend to forget that WHICH IS IMPORTANT because we are so worried with URGENT THINGS, or things that OTHERS consider to be important!!!!!!!
ResponderEliminarYOU, TEACHERS OF THE WORLD, OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE BEYOND what has been imposed on us!!!!!!
You know what it is important, you know what to do, you know there is another way...
I think that Elena´s English teacher was more worried about finishing the Unit in the fixed date rather than keep on doing USEFUL!!!!! activities like the one Elena has showed us: Song-listenting activity.
ResponderEliminarMaybe this teacher doesn´t think that listening is as or more important than grammar or vocabulary (the first contents I think are studied first in a Unit).
I do not know which age Elena was when this event took place, but I think that if you carry out a class in a funny way, it´s easier to pupils to get interested in the theme studied; it doesn´t matter the age. I think that if the teacher foresees that there is no gonna be time to listen a sing for the song I think he/she should try to find 5 minutes (better at the end of the class, when kids are tired) because children will leave the class happy about having had danced and having had sung.
This depends of course of the teacher´s personality, and if he thinks that grammar is much more important than singing songs there is nothing to do. It´s difficult to change these toughts because all ideas must be respectful; but we CAN NOT SAY: "It´s not my business". We have to try little by little making people to think about what is more important: all about grammar and vocabulary or have a bit of grammar, a bit of vocabulary, a bit of listening, a bit of pronunciation...
I totally agree with you Elena. In my opinion, all activities are very important. Each activity has its own aims or purposes but the most important thing is that all of them improve a different English skill of the child. Why do we have to jump them? Why do people think that grammar is more important than listening?
ResponderEliminarIt is a pity but I have really lived so. I was suppossed to be good in English; that was one of my favourites subjects actually. I could finish all my exercises before my classmates and withouth any error. YES, I was incredible in grammar, my teachers made me like that. But what happens with my other skills? When I first spent my summer abroad, I realize that I did not know anything, that I could not communicate with anybody... So, is it really important to just focus on grammar without taking into consideration speaking or listening activities? As I see it, we should change that within our classes because grammar, vocabulary, listening, spiking and writing have the same importance.
On the other hand, the funnier are the activities, the better our students will learn the content. We have to look for funny ways to teach our children. All the tasks and activities proposed along the unit must be enjoyable, creative and different. They will find them so interesting that they will really want to do and complete them.
We just need to find our the best methodology for our students, they will deserve our effort, I know it.
I am totally agree with Elena. I think that it is the moment to change the methodology in the primary schools. I am going to talk about my experience in the school:
ResponderEliminarWhen I studied in Primary school, I didn’t do too many activities with songs. When we listened songs in class, it was as a prize or when the teacher hadn’t planned activities to do in the moment to follow the class.
Sincerely, since I was child, I have had a lot of interest in English and always I have wanted to learn as much as possible. Nowadays, I am able to remember the majority of the songs that we listened in the school. What is the reason of these? I think that it is because for me and for all the pupils is the better method to learn something. The song we can use for many things. For example now, i am thinking in a lot of uses of the song for learning vocabulary, to memorize something, the learning grammar…in all the ways that you can imagine.
If all the future teachers have this opinion, I believe that we can change the methodology and I really hope so.
Amaya Martínez Blanco.