43rd INTERNATIONAL MEXTESOL CONVENTION PDF

43rd
43rd International MEXTESOL Convention

Proceedings
Dynamic Teaching:
New Trends in ELT
Monterrey, Nuevo León, México

October 27 – 30, 2016
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MEXTESOL, the Mexican Association of Teachers of English, A.C. is pleased to make
available summaries of selected academic presentations given at this year’s Convention.
MEXTESOL offers this non-profit compilation as an alternative for accessing information
given at the sessions for those convention-goers who were unable to attend. It is also our
interest that those colleagues who were unable to attend this year’s convention have an
opportunity to see a sampling of what ELT professionals are pursuing.
As always, articles included in this year’s proceedings cover a variety of topics: classroom
activities, teacher leadership, working with technology and inclusion. There is also
research into topics that affect the English language teaching community.
Authors come from across the country of Mexico, from Quintana Roo to Baja California, as
well as from different countries around the world. The different viewpoints provide us with
the clear idea that we have more in common with each other than we have differences.
I’d like to thank Uli Schrader in the MEXTESOL offices for keeping the Proceedings on
track and Daniel Sanchez, in San Luis Potosí, for taking charge of graphics and production.
The Proceedings, as the Convention itself, only happen with the collaborative effort of
everyone who takes part and with that in mind, thank you to everyone who sent in articles.
We hope that many English language professionals benefit from the ideas presented in this
document and that in years to come, other Convention speakers participate as authors in
the Proceedings. Thank you for your interest and participation in our organization,
MEXTESOL.
Guadalupe Pineda
Editor
Note: The speakers / authors submitted their articles according to the guidelines that were provided. These
were subsequently formatted in order to provide uniformity in the presentation of the articles. MEXTESOL is
not responsible for the contents of the summaries, nor for inaccuracies or omissions in the information,
presentation or bibliographical references contained therein. In the table of contents, summaries are listed in
alphabetical order of the speaker / author’s last name, as listed in the submitted files. The names in the articles
appear as written.
MEXTESOL A.C. holds all rights to the Convention Proceedings.
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The creat-
creat-teacher: The importance of innovation in teaching as a factor of
influence in the L2/FL learning process 6
Dora Ivonne Álvarez Tamayo
Learners acknowledge teacher leadership. Why don't we?

Norma Guadalupe Arévalo Torres 11
Activating your English Academy: Best practices and better practices 15

Chaz William Brown and Fabiola Pérez Palma
Drinking from a fire hose: Choosing and adapting didactic materials 20

Virginia Calhoun
Assessing online: Engaging e-activities, building up meaningful results

Livio III Ceballos-García and Gisell Álvarez-Figueroa 26
Differences in discourse based on hierarchy: Discourse Analysis Research
Francisco Ricardo Chávez Nolasco and Yanneli Marleny Rangel 32
Creative professional
professional development: How better to stimulate teacher creativity? 41
Bernadine Clark and Kenneth Clark
Images reading in a discourse analysis class

Claudia Patricia Contreras and Frank Malgesini Burke 50
Implementing task-based language teaching to integrate language skills
Eulices Córdoba Zúñiga
58
Academic writing feedback through screen capture technology 65

Elizabeth Cruz Soto
Shaping identity
identity in the NNEST classroom: An ethnographic portrait 77
Rosa Dene David
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Breaking paradigms: Implementing a multidisciplinary approach to teacher-
teacher- 82
training
Rosa Dene David and Kimberley Brown
Blended
Blended Learning: Perceptions and Uses of ICTs 86
Maria Georgina Fernandez Sesma
Scholarships that bring succ

successful stories; seven years of work. 103
María de Lourdes Gutiérrez Aceves and Marisol Guzmán Cova
Effective use of teaching assistants

Sara Hendricks
108
Developing students’ speaking skills through the Rassias Method ® 114

Kenya Melissa Hernández Trejo
We made this: An interdisciplinary approach to C21 skills 123

Ta Hintze
Grammar goof-
goof-ups: Fix them once and for all! 130
Daniel James Hirsch
Using ideal picture books for Communicative Language Teaching 136

Ana Lado
Fostering intercultural communication in the classroom: Some practical

activities
Gabriela Ladrón de Guevara de León
145
Motivating youth toward positive social change, through significant stories from 150
communities in Mexico
Mexico
Frederic Bernal Lim
Free software teaching tools and their benefits. 157

Pablo E. López Mijares
Music or Silence? Creating a suitable environment for memory 160

Dalia Carolina Martinez Cano
Newspaper as an extensive reading strategy in language teaching. 165

Gustavo Oaxaca Garcia
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Visual impairment in teaching and learning foreign languages 174
Laura Amisadai Pérez Frías and Wendy Yesenia Chávez Sánchez
Three ways to incorporate blended learning in your practice 181

Dilma Claudia Piccoli Díaz
¿Eres un gamer?: Encouraging game-

game-ecology language socialization at schools
Steve Daniel Przymus
186
Analyzing college students’ opinions; Valuable insight for teachers 193

Alexia Mercedes Ramírez-Romero and Livio III Ceballos-García
Extensive reading yields better English skills 198

Thomas N. Robb
Dynamic grammar techniques to develop oral and written communication 203

Claudia Rodríguez Rosas
Portal académico de instrumentos de evaluación: Facultad de Idiomas 210

Icela López Gaspar and Catalina Elena Valencia Rivera.
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Dynamic Teaching: New Trends in ELT
October 27-30, 2016
The creat-teacher: The importance of innovation in teaching as a factor of influence

in the L2/FL learning process
Dr. Dora Ivonne Álvarez Tamayo

doraivonne.alvarez@upaep.mx
Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla/
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Puebla
Abstract
Changing is an inherent feature of human beings; people have to adapt their brains and
their lives to dynamic systems including education. Speaking of learning a second or
foreign language, teachers face the challenge of finding the way to generate conditions that
motivate and help their students to develop communicative skills. A creat-teacher is
required but it is necessary a formation process in order to get tools to create environments
of learning.
Introduction
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge”
(Einstein, 2016).
Human evolution is in progress, as always, because changing is an inherent feature of

human beings. However, nowadays the changes are speeder than other ages thanks to
the technology advances. People have to adapt their brains and their lives to dynamic
systems in all areas, including education. In this context, being a teacher has been a
privilege and a responsibility, but now, speaking about learning a second or foreign
language -English in particular- teachers face a challenge: to find the way to generate
conditions that motivate and help their students to develop communicative skills that allow
them to interact in a global world.
English Language Teaching is an area that has to be in continuous movement because

implies a problem-solving mission. “Throughout the past century, many people have sought
to identify an ideal approach to language learning. Along the way, the range of possible
techniques and ways of conceptualizing language learning has expanded” (Piekarowicz,
and Guerrero, 2014, p.10). Then, different proposals have come on the scene; some of
them proceed from linguistic, psychology, pedagogy, among others. The diversity of cases,
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necessities and goals of students are important motivations to keep in seeking of new
methods and strategies for teaching and learning.
The concept of create-teacher

“Education is the essential act of sharing skills and knowledge with our fellow human
beings; particularly those who stand to inherit and define the future” (Piekarowicz, and
Guerrero, 2014, p.8). Meanwhile, creativity and innovation are closely related concepts that
should have a place in education. According to Ferrari, Cachia and Punie (2009), creativity
refers to an ability to detect possibilities and a skill to produce novel and appropriate ideas.
On the other hand, innovation is the application and implementation of creativity. If the
premise that the teacher is a factor of major influence on the learning process is accepted
and, as Smoot (2010) says, teachers care about their students as people as an active verb,
then a creat-teacher is needed.
From this perspective, the term of creat-teacher represents a person with disposition to
creativity and innovation, conscious about their influence in others’ life. The creat-teacher is
curious, able to make questions, reflexive, critic, he/she assumes the risks of innovate in
order to help others. These kinds of teachers understand their capacity to impact deeply in
each person with whom they share the classroom. Their creations consist on environments
for learning and strategies to improve their students’ performance. They generate
meaningful connections between English and life that motivates students to have a
favorable attitude to the learning process.
Considering an educational leadership point of view (Barth, 2007), the teacher as a part of
a community could be a leader of a group in order to share and grows up together.
“Language teachers make a vital contribution because they lay the groundwork for global
citizenship and equip students to contribute within their local communities” (Piekarowicz,
and Guerrero, 2014, p.8). Then, there exist a necessity and a motivation for innovation in
classroom for adequate the strategies, generate new ones and implement improvements.
Smoot (2010) explains that great teachers have a sense of their students as individual with
a unique style to learn. The creat-teacher is willing to innovate and evolve with the society
they serve in terms of learning a second language considering the students’ features.
Conditions that allow becoming a creat-teacher

To illustrate the potential of education, it is possible to introduce a metaphor: the classroom
is similar to a blank sheet during the writing process. A blank sheet could be considered as
a great opportunity or a terrifying event for writers no matter the age. The piece of paper is
resting on the desk, and suddenly, the writer’s eyes focus on it. The sheet looks empty,
motionless and seemingly harmless even expectant. But in a moment, somebody
requested to start the action and the “writers” has the opportunity to take their thoughts out
of their minds and the sheet of paper will become the space for generate a new and
different story. A creat-teacher considers the classroom as a perfect opportunity to create
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an atmosphere to learning. But, beyond the classroom, the teacher could extend their
participation and could create different scenarios for learning experiences.
For being a creat-teacher, it is necessary a conscious process to develop competences

that encourages the lateral thinking, the evaluation of the risk, the searching for new ways
to teach and to involve students in a learning process. According to Ariton and Raileanu
(2009, p.187), “a competence is the ability of a person or group to carry out major tasks of
learning at a performance level corresponding to a criterion or standard in a specific
context”. This concept includes knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that make a person
able to perform successful in a job or task. Notwithstanding, some authors (Teodoroscu,
2006; Delamare and Winterton, 2005) explain that it is necessary understand the difference
between competence and competency; this last, exceeds the concept of competence
because quality performance sets high standards. Then, there are some aspects that a
creat-teacher is invited to consider for starting to create learning experiences in a creative
way.
Students perform a series of actions to satisfy their needs and curiosity such as identify,
evaluate, search, dispose, and judge, and therefore to carry out a successful class, the
create-teacher has to understand not only the students’ actions, but the reasons why they
behave certain ways. This information is fundamental for developing the most effective
strategies to achieve the goals of the class.
The conditions under which the professionals work demand an interdisciplinary training, in
his/ her field of knowledge (discipline) plus an inclusive manner to set connections between
the concepts, methods, data and terms that allows to integrate teams oriented to problem
solving, teaching, research, and dissemination of knowledge imply curiosity, wellness and
the capacity to dialogue with different disciplines. Interdisciplinary work helps teacher to
expend their point of view and to find other ways to think and act.
When teaching is focused on human communication in ELT/L2, it is necessary to be

conscious of this activity involves cognitive processes to access the student's inner world.
Therefore it is good idea for creative-teachers to know the categories from which students
organize their thinking. It means, the lexical structure, the categorical structure, the codes
and the context are combined to produce a comprehensible message. A deeper
understanding of this configuration could be the clue to generate alternatives for
meaningful learning.
On the other hand, the understanding of the environment and the context around the
classroom could be a starting point to modify or improve the conditions in a creative way.
Little changes in the environment, the dynamics and the way to use the space could
produce a surprising effect for the students. In this sense, it is very important to know the
students’ previous paradigms around the class and consider them for produce an
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intentional disruption. Any modification of paradigm has to be based on knowledge and
clarity about the learning goals.
Even though creativity is a natural feature of the human being, it would be convenient to
incorporate some systematic abilities associated with research because the primary
objective of the research is related to discovering, interpreting and work on the base of
methods and systems that impact in human knowledge in a different scientific matters
including ETL (Ariton and -Raileanu, 2009). The research competences to develop
includes observation, ability for identify and state a problem and a question, hypothesis
production, design of data collection instruments, analysis, synthesis, skills for
communicate and explain results orally and written, planning, critical, creative and ethical
thinking.
Conclusions
Teaching is an activity that demands creativity; when teacher is working in ETL/L2, the
situations in classroom could be varied and diverse. Since each group and each student
are unique cases, formation processes oriented to develop research competences in
language teachers could be useful because its work demands solving problems. Then,
teachers will be able to implement strategies with systematically, taking account a prior
knowledge and making decisions with conscious about their implications. It is important to
highlight that teachers care about their students, as people curiosity and innovation are
main competences in order to be able to make questions and assumes the risks to help
others.
Any English teacher is invited to continue learning and try new ways of teaching but
creativity is not enough, teaching requires having the courage to apply their ideas, it means
to innovate. Therefore, it is necessary a formation process that allow teachers to
understand the evolution of language acquisition/learning, in order to get tools to
understand the students’ features, and create environments of learning according to the
necessities of them. Teaching demands being reflexive, to be disposed to actualization,
research, humility, to share and maybe the most important: to understand that teacher and
students could be a great team!
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References
Ariton, D. and Raileanu, A. (2009). Education-training-skills system for research

competency development. The 4th International Conference on Interdisciplinarity in
Education, ICIE 2009. May 21-22. Retrieved from:
https://www.academia.edu/557189/EDUCATION-TRAINING
SKILLS_SYSTEM_FOR_RESEARCH_COMPETENCY_DEVELOPMENT
Barth, R. S. (2007). Teacher leader. In Ackerman, R.H. and Mackenzie S.V. (Eds.),
Uncovering Teacher Leadership: Essays and Voices from the Field. (pp. 51-64). Thousand
Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Delamare, F. and Winternton, J. (2005). What is competence? Human Resource

Development International, 8(1). 27-46.
Einstein, A. (2016). The Critical Thinking Co. Retrieved from:

http://www.criticalthinking.com/critical-thinking-quotes
Ferrari, A., Cachia, R. and Punie, Y. (2009). Innovation and Creativity in Education and
Training in the EU Member States: Fostering Creative Learning and Supporting Innovative
Teaching Literature review on Innovation and Creativity in E&T in the EU Member States
(ICEAC). Luxembourg: European Communities. Retrieved from:
ftp://ftp.jrc.es/users/publications/public/EURdoc/JRC52374_TN.pdf
Piekarowicz, J. and Guerrero, S. (2014). Primary Methodology Handbook: Practical Ideas
for ELT. Oxford: Richmond.
Smoot, B. (2010). Conversations with great teachers. Bloomington and Indianapolis:

Indiana University Press.
Teodescu, T. (2006). Competence versus competency. What is the difference?.

Performance Improvement. 45(10). 27-30. DOI:10.1002/pfi.027
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Learners acknowledge teacher leadership. Why don't we?
Norma Guadalupe Arévalo Torres

norma.arevalo@gmail.com
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México and
Universidad de Ixtlahuaca CUI
Introduction
Leadership is oone of the Core Skills for the 21st Century to be developed by education
systems worldwide. The role of teachers –including language teachers- in such process
must be carefully analysed to be later bolstered, as ‘Uwhat 21st century learners need, is
21st teachersU’ (Jones, L. 2010).
In 1996 Murphy, E. C. shaped the concept of Leadership I.Q. and described it as a series
of behaviors performed as different roles: Negotiator, Healer, Reflector, Protector,
Synergizer, Selector, Communicator, Connector, Problem solver and Evaluator. Christison,
M.A. & Stoler, F.L. (2009), added new insights to the topic.
It has been proved that when novice and experienced teachers acknowledge their teaching
as influenced by leadership principles, they may be better able to manage the challenges
of language teaching, enhance and enrich their skillsets, and achieve greater professional
success, as empowering teachers’ leadership is what classrooms need for more
effectiveness (Tyson, 2010).
On this idea, Greenier and Whitehead’s work (2016) Model of Teacher Leadership in ELT:
Authentic Leadership in Classroom Practice, added insights on the topic, as they found in
56 native-speaking English teachers that teachers not consciously think of themselves as
classroom leaders, even though their teaching practices and features are somehow rooted
on the concept of classroom leadership.
On the other side of the learning duo, to what extent are teacher leadership skills important
for English learners? How aware are these learners of the way their teacher gives direction
to the class and the relevance this has on their learning process? These questions were
addressed to more deeply know about the factors underlying teaching success beyond
academic qualifications. Throughout this article answers coming from surveys are provided
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for teachers, trainers and administrators interested in using the information on their own
premises.
Procedure
The study was carried out at the University Language Center. 80 students took part of the
survey; from them 55% were women while 45% were men. Participants ranged from 15 to
31+ years of age; school years extended from first high-school year to higher studies. Their
English language skills were CEFR A1-B2.
Participants contributed with information in two different sets. First, they weighed the
importance that different leadership skills have in the classroom, and to what extent they
pursue them in their teachers. Second, they evaluated 20 teachers’ performance in four
roles intimately related to leadership: as a communicator, as a connector, as a problem
solver and as a healer. A series of four aspects per role were appraised as behaviours
executed by the teacher and therefore instrumented on the students or witnessed by them.
Results
As for the first set of information collected, all participants agreed that every leadership skill
has a certain degree of significance, therefore no aspect was measured as irrelevant for
the learning process. The abilities to communicate and connect were ranked at the top
positions, followed by problem-solving skills, and the talent to keep a healthy working and
learning environment moderately behind.
Regarding the second set of data, 100% teachers were estimated as leaders with varying
rates of performance. Concerning leadership roles that of a communicator is the most
strongly performed by teachers, as eye contact, openness postures, focused attention,
distraction control and verbal clarification were the most frequently identified by students.
Second were placed behaviors related to the role of connector, such as getting to know the
learners, their skills, needs and interests; in addition to monitoring, promoting participation
and integration on inter and intra-group basis, in addition to making relations with their
profession peers. On third place were positioned behaviors on the kind of managing
conflict effectively, teaching mediation strategies and setting example on mutual respect to
life and privacy, all of them part of the role as problem solver. Consequently, healer was the
role with a wider range of estimations and less consistency as, while a teacher is regarded
as somebody who easily adapts to her students personalities and is aware of the dynamics
taking place in her class, at the same time devotes very little time to listening to students
carefully and may hurry through her lesson plan.
In an analysis of the results for each role by gender, female teachers obtained higher rates
than their male counterparts in all cases. However, no differences between the way female
and male students valuated leadership skills and teachers were found. Besides, there is no
difference in students’ perception according to age, education and English skills.
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Discussion
Not only do students grant as highly valuable that their teachers function as leaders, but
they also acknowledge such skills in the professionals they are learning with.
Students of English know what they like and want in an English teacher regardless of their
age, command of the language and learning experience. Schools, managers and teachers
must commit too.
Together with methodological knowledge and technical skills, the development and
improvement of leadership competences is a crucial area for every English teacher to work
on and for every school manager to impulse.
Women were better assessed as leaders than men, as the behaviors were more often
observed. There may be a need for programs to develop leadership with a specific gender
vision where such aspects can be counted upon.
Teachers of English should get more aware of their own behaviors, value and foster the
ones they already have, use them to benefit their classes as models of leadership, as well
as work to develop the ones they lack.
Teachers and teachers’ practice will greatly benefit from developing leadership skills.
Therefore, opportunities to develop such areas should be offered to teachers, so they can
in consequence model to others.
Even though students’ answers reflect they identify, receive and appreciate leadership
behaviors from their teachers, they deserve to be more widely informed about the
importance of such aspect, the ways it works and the effect it may have on their learning
process, the classroom atmosphere and their own personal and professional goals.
The learning process is strongly enhanced when teachers are empowered to lead their
classes, and their leadership is grounded on connections, not only on qualifications.
Leadership is a quality not usually considered when evaluating a teacher for hiring
purposes. However, people in charge could start considering such feature in their
prospects, as their communities will largely benefit from it.
Program administrators may get more aware of the importance they are right now giving to
leadership skills in their teachers and whether it would be appropriate to adjust their
approaches. In addition, teacher trainers and supervisors area called to realize that actions
must be taken to help teachers develop their leadership skills in a time when stronger
presences in the classroom are required to generate more successful speakers.
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References
Christison, M.A. & Stoler, F.L. (2009) Leadership in English Language Education:
Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications. New York: Routledge/ Taylor & Francis.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam.
Greenier, V. T. & Whitehead, G. E. (2016) Towards a Model of Teacher Leadership in ELT:

Authentic Leadership in Classroom Practice. University of Auckland, New Zealand and
University of Suwon, South Korea-
Jones, L. (2010). In The Career Key. (chap. Foundation Skills). Retrieved Aug. 15, 2016,
from http://www.careerkey.org/pdf/The%20Foundation%20Job%20Skills.pdf
Murphy, E.C: (1996). Leadership IQ. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tyson, T. (2010). Who really is surprised by this? Retrieved Aug. 15, 2016, from
http://drtimtyson.com/blog/archives/2010/12/
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Activating your English Academy: Best practices and better practices
Chaz William Brown

maestrochaz@gmail.com
Universidad Tecnológica de la Costa Grande de Guerrero
Fabiola Pérez Palma
Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún
One of the best ways in which an academic body (or any variety of entity) can improve its
effectiveness and agility is by gathering and analyzing the different practices of similar
groups of people that have the same goals or types of goals. Taking this into consideration,
university academies should constantly be looking to their peers and counterparts in order
to see what types of initiatives and projects have worked for them and how they can modify
or change projects to better match their specific needs and academic environments. This
workshop aims to do just that: share our best practices as academic bodies in order to then
explore the possibilities of implementation in other educational institutions and consider the
needs and available resources that pertain to each particular situation. Participants will be
asked to work together in teams to develop a tangible research plan for their English
Academy and challenged to maintain contact with research groups in other institutions
through constant feedback and evaluation of programs and investigative initiatives.
Through multiple brainstorm sessions, informative worksheets, peer feedback and by

tapping our creative synergies, researchers can gain an untapped understanding of the
broad range of research topics and possibilities associated with the linguistic field of study,
as well as an outline for a work plan that they can propose and/or implement in their
institutions. Through collaborative efforts on an inter-institutional level, professors and
administrators alike can promote an unmatched mentality of what it means to be
academically productive and how to implement a wider variety of creative research
projects.
According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus, working in an

Academy means working in “an organization intended to protect and develop an art,
science, language, etc.” That is why, since 2006, The Languages Coordination from the
Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún has been working through the English Academy
making fundamental contributions related to the English programs from several academic
departments like Tourism, Gastronomy, Administration, Marketing, Financial Engineering,
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Maintenance and Spa among others. It has not been an easy job but the enthusiasm and
the professors’ professionalism have allowed us to improve our teaching practice, but
above all, to look for the better teaching strategies in benefit of our main stakeholders: the
students.
At this point maybe you are wondering but how we can handle with it if I am a part time
professor or a full time professor. The answer is simple: Your motivation and ability to
incorporate creativity into your daily agenda. Your Passion is what inspires you to make
changes in your life and your teaching practice. Your creativity allows you to act upon that
passion. Together, they allow us to explore unthought-of academic territory and create
projects, programs and initiatives that would have otherwise gone unnoticed or
undeveloped.
This interactive workshop will begin by demystifying the commonly held notions of research
and what it means to be “academically productive” and theories regarding group formation
and development. By exploring the different strategies and means of collaborative research
projects, the presenters will share the ways in which their institutions have benefitted from
a variety of diverse investigative projects and initiatives. Participants will hear testimony of
best practices that universities have implemented here in Mexico and share their own
experiences in the linguistic field of research.
This information is geared towards all makes and models of leaders who aim to develop an
active body of linguistic scholars within their institution, and aims to untangle the commonly
held notions regarding how professors and administrator alike can work together on a
productive and, oftentimes, fun research agenda. The key to the success of this agenda
lies in the creativity and passion applied to the different scholarly interests of the teachers,
students, directors and administrators of your institution.
From the beginning, we will focus on what an “investigative” professor looks like and
expose the misconceptions that are often associated with what an academically productive
teacher does. This dilemma leads to many complications and setbacks when it comes to
academic production and fomenting a culture of scholarly output within a university or any
educational organization that requires constant professional development. One way to
solve this quandary is to make the research process one of adventure, intrigue and, most
of all, fun! Because let’s face it: nobody wants to spend hours on the computer reading,
writing and researching about things that are of little or no interest to them. We are
naturally inclined to invest more time and energy into things that we are passionate about,
and academics and scholars are no exception.
The two main research models that we will discuss and that have been successfully
applied at the Universidad Tecnológica de la Costa Grande de Guerrero and Universidad
Tecnológica de Cancún (UTC) are: Tuckman’s group formation theory (1965) and Action
Research (AR) (1947).
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Among the great benefits that these research models offer are: a) improved teaching and
learning practice, b) increased continuous professional development and c) teacher’s
engagement in research has the potential to be transformative (Borg 2010).
In accordance with Lewin (1947), Action Research is also called teacher research and
teacher as a researcher. Its main essence is to help the professor solve school problems
and to improve both student learning and teacher effectiveness. In addition, it is a
structured process in which the professors identify, examine and improve aspects of the
teaching practice.
Some studies in the ELT context have explored the immediate impact of AR on teachers,
and have reported profound impacts on teacher’s development, such as deeper knowledge
and personal theories about teaching, increased awareness and reflectivity, empowerment,
and beneficial collaboration with their colleagues (Atay 2008;Wyatt 2011).
Moreover, some of the teachers found AR led to more open communication with their
students, since many of their researches included interviews and focus groups conducted
collaboratively.
On the other hand, students from the UT Cancun who have taken part in our researches,
events and programs have had a great improvement in speaking, writing, listening and
reading skills. They have felt more confident while speaking in public and their motivation
for learning languages (English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Maya) has increased.
It is paramount to mention that most of the students who have won a scholarship for
learning a language or related to their field of study have been involved in some or many of
the activities and programs that we as Language Academy have carried out.
Related to Tuckman’s group formation theory, the English Academy from the UTC has put
into practice the “NORM” stage due to the institutionalization of many different cultural and
academic events like: Literary Gathering, Spelling Bee Contest, Interview with the Stars,
The English Festival, Mobility Group (MEXPROTEC), SAC program, ESP Manual Design,
Academic Journals, Regional, National and International Lectures and Presentations,
Tutoring Program, TOEFL program, Languages Assistant Program, Duolingo Program, UT
Cancun Bilingual Program 2018-2020 (June 2016), Book Design Program: Básicos de la
Administración (published in 2014) and Basic of English (in process). Most of these
events/programs have been carried out since 2006 till the present.
Tuckman mentions that the Norm stage of group formation is demonstrated through
commitment and unity of the Academy and indicates that the strength and longevity of the
group are stable and sustainable. In addition, this step is associated with a general respect
for the leader and the fact that some of leadership is shared by the team in general, making
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the administration and responsibility of the group a more holistic aspect that does not rely
on one sole member of the group.
This can be seen through the formation of different committees and sub-committees within
an Academy, such is the case at the Universidad Tecnológica de la Costa Grande and its
initiative to co-author an English grammar workbook of additional exercises for students to
be able to put their recently gained knowledge into practice gain valuable experience with
different grammar tenses in a variety of contexts and formats (fill-in-the-blank, multiple
choice, matching, complete the sentence, dynamic and group exercise, etc). Due to the
nature of the workbook initiative, the Academy decided to divide the project into 3 different
sub-committees, each of which with a specific responsibility and objective; taking into
account that the Academy as a whole continues pursuing the same overall goal of
publishing the workbook.
Another investigative program being spearheaded by members of the English Academy at

the Universidad Tecnológica de la Costa Grande de Guerrero is the research project
entitled Linguistic Spaces. The idea for Linguistic Spaces was initiated by an English
professor who noticed the growing need for physical spaces to practice foreign languages
within the university. Because of this observation the professor began to inquire at other
institutions of higher education to see what kinds of spaces and resources they had
available to their students and how they acquired such spaces. This teacher’s observation
of the lack of linguistic infrastructure and inquiry into the problem has grown to become a
collaborative, inter-institutional effort involving multiple professors and an array of
institutions. Initiatives such as this one are indicative of the importance of paying attention
to our daily activities and how adding a dash of creativity to the situation can make the
difference between a simple “observation” and a blossoming investigative project worth of
publication.
Teachers who are in the classroom on a daily basis can easily fall victim to the
overwhelming and demanding agenda; between hundreds of students and their individual
needs, grading, teacher workshops, parent-teacher conferences, writing exams, and the
countless personal struggles it’s no wonder many teachers are terrified of the word
“research.” However, we cannot let the daunting connotation of the term impede us from
becoming involved in investigative projects; we simply need to find the most compatible
way to do so. Teachers can use their daily activities as part of a broader or long-term
research agenda – it is simply a question of being creative enough to identify the multitude
of research-compatible activities that we already do on a daily basis.
As teachers we have taken (or even given) countless workshops, courses, classes, forums,
conferences and symposiums about the importance of considering our students’ individual
needs and interests, but how often do we consider our own needs and interests when
planning a research agenda? We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of participating in
things that genuinely interests us because it is that pleasure that makes the process of
18
learning and, ultimately, researching one of high performance and productivity. By taking
ourselves into consideration when planning a research project, we will turn the scary
process of investigation into a fun, interesting, collaborative, valuable and beneficial
program.
References
"Developing an Action Plan." (n.d.): n. pag. University of Cincinnati. McNair/STARS

Scholar Program, 2008. Web. 19 July 2016.
Glickman C.D (1992) The essence of school renewal: the prose has begun. Educational
Leadership. 24-27.
Kristen. "Kristen's Action Research.": Finally...Action Research Plan. Blogspot, 1 Aug.

2010. Web. 19 July 2016.
Lewin, K (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics. II. Channels of groups lige: social planning
and action research. Human Relations1, 143-153.
Tuckman (2016) "Tuckman Forming Storming Norming Performing Model." Businessballs.

Businessballs, 2016. Web. 19 July 2016.
19
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Drinking from a fire hose: Choosing and adapting didactic materials
Virginia Calhoun
emilyjanelang@yahoo.com.mx
Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas
Escuela de Lenguas C III
Most teachers would concur with the recommendation that coursebooks need
supplementing with additional materials (Ur, 1996). Educators debate the merits of
authentic and non-authentic materials in the classroom (Scrivener, 2011), with authentic
materials (original literary texts, song lyrics, etc.) preferred for older and more advanced
learners for their cultural content, while young beginners may need non-authentic material
(images, stories, songs and games created specifically for didactic purposes). Teachers
spend much time outside of class in the search for both authentic and non-authentic
materials such as texts, verb charts, vocabulary posters, etc. In the case of younger
learners, additional materials such as songs, stories and games are invaluable to the
teacher seeking to engage learners (Harmer, 200), to include students of different learning
modalities: visual, auditory and kinesthetic (Barbe, Swassing and Milone, 1979), to
increase learners’ motivation and joy in learning, to give new language an emotional
context, and to serve as basic language structures that can be varied for the speaker’s
purposes.
While teachers understand that we need to include these extra materials, sometimes it is
difficult to find or prepare exactly what we need, especially for those teachers (most of us!)
who are juggling class hours, family, and other obligations some 25 hours per day.
Although few teachers now prepare vast quantities of homemade posters, flashcards,
board games and puppets, still, even with the aid of the internet and websites full of ideas,
finding adequate materials online is like trying to drink water from a fire hose (Rader,
2009). There is so much material, both authentic and didactic, and the quality is so
variable, that the problem becomes selecting which of all the available images, songs,
games or stories will best enrich lessons. Teachers can become overwhelmed by so much
choice. As Harmer (2001) comments, internet’s “sheer size and range make it potentially
awkward.”
How do we evaluate the materials we find? Teachers need tools to assess resources’ utility
and attractiveness for their particular situation. The authenticity of materials, while giving an
extra cultural context to the lesson, is less important for young learners than the quality of
20
these materials. I suggest two essential factors that should be taken into consideration:
“How useful is this material?” and “How attractive is it?”
Materials are primarily used as an adjunct to the lesson and must help make the targeted
language clear. Images (drawings, photos, graphs or tables need to be large enough for all
students to see them, and clear enough so everyone can understand what they represent.
Song that are basically drills set to music (for example: “Can You Swim?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maiVHjK8UqM) will be eminently useful for repetition
and practice, especially if combined with mime, pictures, dramatization, video clips, or any
combination of those elements, in order to help students understand the meaning of the
lyrics. Games like Charades, 20 Questions, Jeopardy and Seven-Up are also repetition
drills that reinforce vocabulary or structures (Calhoun 2014). Certain stories naturally focus
on language that is useful for language learners: adjectives with “too” in “Goldilocks and
the Three Bears,” or food vocabulary in “Stone Soup.” Images, songs, stories and games
especially designed for English language teachers abound on internet.
However, if materials are too insipid, too infantile, too unfamiliar or too boring for students,
motivation to use and learn from them will be lacking. Learners may become distracted or
unruly when the lesson bores them. For this reason, materials must be attractive for the
group, as well as useful.
What makes didactic material attractive? There are many factors for each learning styles:
Large, bold, brightly-colored images, simple cartoons or humorous pictures, photos
relevant to the learners’ context and surroundings or familiar memes and images from
popular culture will appeal to visual learners. Auditory learners will enjoy songs with funny
lyrics or a lively melody, or English versions of songs and rhymes familiar from popular
culture or from their own traditions. Active, competitive games, especially if they involve
mime or exaggeration, are a hit with kinesthetic young learners. Each teacher, observing
the learners in each group, will learn by trial and error which activities are most successful
for motivating their particular students.
We can rank materials, then, on each of these two scales: usefulness and attractiveness.
For example, the circle game “Did You Ever See a Laddie”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=726gvpy4szw is active and fun for young learners, but
the vocabulary presented there is limited, archaic, and not be particularly useful in normal
conversation. We could grade it 3 for usefulness and 10 for attractiveness: a combined
score of 13. On the other hand, a didactic song such as “Question Song for Delia”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATFYJ0KPhQ is eminently useful, with images and rhymes
to help learners remember the information that each question word seeks. We could give it
a 10 for usefulness, but the simple melody and rhythm give it very little appeal. We would
have to give it a 4 or less for attractiveness: a combined score of 14 or less. Activities with
a combined score of 16 or more could be good options for classroom use.
21
Nevertheless, some potential materials, both useful and attractive, may still be
unacceptable or inappropriate for learners. Archaic language (“How are you today, Sir?”
“Very well, I thank you,” in the song “Where is Thumbkin?”), contextual disjunction (posters
of the four seasons showing English weather and seasonal foods which bewilder Mexican
learners) or discriminatory attitudes (images in which only white males appear in all the
professional categories as doctors, lawyers, firemen or policemen, etc.) can make teachers
feel obligated to eliminate an activity in spite of their students’ enthusiasm for it. In this
case, teachers may decide to adapt the activity: altering the archaic or offensive language,
for example, or coloring and retouching images to make them represent more women and
people of color, or the learners’ climate and seasonal changes. Simple adaptations can be
made easily and rapidly. For example, the song “Ten Little Indians,”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_UhnxIBf28 in which Native Americans are counted
like objects, may seem racist to indigenous learners in Mexico. We can change the words
“Indians” and “Indian boys” to “chocolates” and “chocolate bars” (objects that children
would enjoy and count naturally) without losing the rhythm or the usefulness of the song.
Materials that rank high in utility and attractiveness, without any problems of archaic
language, strange context or offensive language, may still be inefficient, taking too long or
involving too much extraneous language (a 10 minute activity that only presents five
targeted words in an ocean of unfamiliar language and confusing details, for example).
Teachers can adapt these materials to focus more on specific targeted language, repeating
key words or phrases and simplifying or eliminating distracting elements.
Some materials are easier to adapt than others. Adapted simple English versions of
traditional stories, songs or games may be available online. Otherwise, the simpler or the
more familiar the material is, the easier it is to adapt. Large coloring-book pictures,
repetitious songs with short phrases, traditional nursery tales, and beloved games will be
easier to alter than complex photographs, contemporary pop songs, elaborate stories full of
many nuanced characters, or complicated games that require intricate instructions.
As an example, let us look at visual materials for teaching family vocabulary. The
Simpsons are a TV family familiar to many students, and simple images on internet will
make this vocabulary clear. Another familiar family is the holy family: Jesus, Mary and
Joseph, that Mexican families put into their nativity scenes at Christmastime. We can adapt
those nativity scene figures by wrapping the Baby Jesus in a scrap of blue cloth and
inserting an additional Baby Jesusita, wrapped in pink cloth, to teach the words “sister” or
“daughter”. Most students find the adaptation funny and quite easy to understand.
A popular auditory way for teachers to present or practice animal vocabulary is the familiar
song: “Old McDonald Had a Farm.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIWbUjHZFTw
The original words go as follows:
22
Old McDonald had a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-oh,
And on the farm he had a cow, Ee-i-ee-i-oh,
With a moo, moo here,
And a moo, moo there,
Here a moo, There a moo,
Everywhere a moo, moo,
Old McDonald had a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-oh!
The repetition of animal sounds makes the song fun to sing, but in fact, the word for each
animal is pronounced only one time: thus, the song is not very useful. With adaptation,
however, this song can become much more useful, while still being enjoyable.

And on the farm he had a cow, Ee-i-ee-i-oh,
And the cow says “Moo”,
And the cow says “Moo”,
Moo, cow, Moo, cow,
Moo, moo, moo, cow,
Six repetitions of the key word (cow), while still preserving the lively pace and the familiar
melody, as well as the fun animal sounds (moo) will make this song much more effective,
while still enjoyable. In addition, combining this song with gestures, mime or images will
increase both the appeal and the learners’ understanding of the text.
Another form of adaptation is simple translation, preserving the rhythm of the original text.
Many grade school students in Mexico enjoy the clapping game “Calicaturas Presenta,” in
which the participants must give different example of words in the stipulated category:
animals, foods, countries, etc. The person who repeats a word, can’t think of an
appropriate word, or destroys the clapping rhythm by thinking too long, loses, and must
start again with a different category. This game is a marvelous tool for increasing
vocabulary, as well as being an activity that children often choose to play without any adult
interference.
In order to use this game as a kinesthetic activity in an English class, the translation must
preserve the original clapping rhythm, keeping the phrases short. The original Spanish text
appears below, alongside my English translation. Claps are represented by asterisks.
Calicaturas** presenta:** nombres de** animales**

Por ejemplo:** Gato,** Perro,**
Looney Tunes** pre-sents:** names of** animals**

For example:** Ca-at**, Do-og** (Calhoun, 2014)
23
Stories from a picture book and mime or dramatization by the learners are a wonderful
combination of visual, auditory and kinesthetic appeal. The traditional story of “The Golden
Goose” includes many family words: a kingly father with his sad daughter, a poor woman
with her three sons, and a parade of greedy people trying to steal the golden goose. By
simplifying the details of the story that are not related to family vocabulary and making all
the parade of greedy people be family members of the wicked innkeeper, we can introduce
sisters, daughters, aunts, uncles and grandparents to this funny story. Asking students to
dramatize the story with masks or costumes will make this story and the vocabulary used
even more memorable for children.
Non-native speakers uncertain about the accuracy of their translation or adaptation may
want to check their text with an online translation site or with a colleague. Compare the
text in various online translation sites, and enter the entire sentence, not just isolated
words. It is a good idea to keep the language simple and repetitive anyway, for didactic
reasons, and to maintain the focus on the targeted vocabulary or structures.
Teachers may feel uncomfortable altering original images or authentic texts, but if our
teaching situation requires it, we need to take courage and do what is necessary to make
English accessible to our students. Many of the materials we use, such as traditional
songs, stories and games, are already in the public domain and can be used, altered or
radically changed by anyone, without regard to copyright laws. Artists, filmmakers and
composers have always recycled older materials. Walt Disney, for example, used
traditional stories for many of his movies, while the ancient Greek playwrights created their
tragedies from well-known myths and tales. Classical composers wrote variations on
traditional songs and dances; Russian icon painters faithfully copied ancient models.
When using new material, we would naturally acknowledge our sources when appropriate.
However, we will not get into trouble using our own adaptations of new material, popular
music or contemporary film plots in our own classrooms. Copyright laws exist to keep
people from claiming authorship, selling or making a profit from artists’ original materials,
not to keep teachers from teaching simple versions to their learners.
To sum up, having clear parameters for assessing the usefulness and attractiveness of the
many options of didactic materials now available, being able to identify any problems with
these materials, and knowing how adapt them in order to increase their utility, fun and
appropriateness for their own students in their particular context, will help teachers create
more motivating and didactic classes.
24
References
Barbe, Swassing and Milone (1979), “The Effect of Authentic Versus Non-Authentic Aural
Materials on EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension,” English Language and Literature
Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1, online journal, published by the Canadian Center of Science and
Education.
Calhoun, Virginia (2012): Kiddie English, revised edition, Escuela de Lenguas UNACH,
Mexico
Harmer, Jeremy (2001): The Practice of English Language Teaching, 3rd edition (Longman
Handbooks for English Teachers)
Rader, Walter (1996 to the present) Online Slang Dictionary,

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/ “Drink from a fire hose”
http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/drink-from-the-fire-hose added 2009,
consulted August, 2016
Scrivener, Jim (2011): Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language
Teaching, 3rd Edition, MacMillan Books for Teachers
Ur, Penny (1996): A Course in English Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press
YouTube for all songs mentioned (URLs appear in text)
25
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Assessing online: Engaging e-activities, building up meaningful results
Livio III Ceballos-García

livioceballos@hotmail.com
ITESCHAM and Centro Lenguas Extranjeras UAC Campeche
Gisell Álvarez-Figueroa
galf.38@hotmail.com
Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Champotón
Students are more likely to pay attention and be excited about a course when they view the
class as relevant to themselves and connected to their interests. Professors often find this
goal to be elusive when they use a top-down approach to teaching that primarily starts (and
ends) with their knowledge of the field and their own beliefs about what students need to
know. Instructors can instead maximize student interest and excitement by using a bottom-
up approach that involves assessing students’ needs, tailoring the course experience, and
using teaching techniques that purposefully heighten students’ engagement, so when we
use this valuable information and we intertwine it with assessment, we can have amazing
results as for our students as for ourselves.
Often the process for assessment, tends to be only collecting information from the
textbook, and using the pre-made quizzes from the editorial houses, which it´s not such a
bad thing, but when frequently used it turns into a monotonous rut for students, and even
when it works and shows great indicators of what is being taught in the classroom, us as
teachers should take into account, many more things than a mere grade of the exam, we
should take in consideration if the student has grown in the language mastery (even if it is
a tiny growth), if he feels more confident, if he participates more, and if he is interested with
the language, then if we find a bad grade, we should bother to see and research where the
problem lies, and find a proper solution for our students, after all, we teachers help others
to overcome many barriers not just the language itself.
In education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that
educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning
progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students, Walvoord (2004) defines
assessment as “the systematic collection of information about student learning, using the
time, knowledge, expertise, and resources available, in order to inform decision about how
to improve learning.” Regarding assessment, there are many techniques for this purpose,
but some of useful ones are: oral interview, cloze exam, fill in the blank, portfolio, online
26
quiz, multiple choice exam, the true/false quiz, writing samples, role play and class
presentation. The use of a grading rubric by instructors is a must-have; students need to
know how instructors assign grades on essay exams, term papers, or lab write-ups for the
assessment exercises to be useful learning experiences. In order for instructors to be able
to explain how they graded and how they assigned a grade to a piece of written work in
order to avoid concerns about capricious grading.
We, in this presentation and article, part from the idea that PBL (Project Based Learning) is
a wonderful teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an
extended period of time, and by doing this, sometimes they don’t even realize about the
time and the effort that they are doing, investigating and responding to an authentic,
engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. According to Wolpert-Gawron
(2015) PBL is the ongoing act of learning about different subjects simultaneously. This is
achieved by guiding students to identify, through research, a real-world problem (local to
global) developing its solution using evidence to support the claim, and presenting the
solution through a multimedia approach based in a set of 21st-century tools.
Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills
by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic,
engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. In Gold Standard PBL, Essential
Project Design Elements include:
Key knowledge, understanding, and success skills - The project is focused on

student learning goals, including standards-based content and skills such as critical
thinking/problem solving, collaboration and self-management.
Challenging problem or question - The project is framed by a meaningful problem to
solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge.
Sustained inquiry - Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking
questions, finding resources, and applying information.
Authenticity - The project features real-world context, tasks and tools, quality
standards, or impact – or speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests, and
issues in their lives.
Student voice & choice - Students make some decisions about the project, including
how they work and what they create.
Reflection - Students and teachers reflect on learning, the effectiveness of their
inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, obstacles and how to
overcome them.
Critique & revision - Students give, receive, and use feedback to improve their
process and products.
Public product - Students make their project work public by explaining, displaying
and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.
27
Technology is so important in English teaching today, that if the teacher doesn´t possess
an adequate use of it at an elementary level, they could be considered illiterate teachers by
some. The way we teach and the information we can get and give to our students will
be absolutely more attractive and meaningful if we use ICT (Information and
communications technology) to our favor. Technology may seem to be an enormous
monster that grows bigger and bigger but it really is an important tool that can help us to
achieve our goals much more easily than before. According to Lujano (2011) Technology
has enabled a number of changes in everyday life, because it transforms its natural and
artificial state, according to their own needs and their ability to transform their environment.
The fundamental role of technology lies in the impact it generates in society to this process
is called technological revolution. Wainwright (2013) says technology is everywhere,
entwined in almost every part of our lives. It affects how we shop, socialize, connect, play,
and most importantly learn. With their great and increasing presence in our lives it only
makes sense to have mobile technology in the classroom. Yet there are some schools that
are delaying this imminent future of using technology in the classroom as the valuable
learning tool it is. Here is a list of reasons your school should implement technology in the
classroom.
If used correctly, it will help prepare students for their future careers, which will
inevitably include the use of wireless technology, according to Álvarez (2012)
Specifically in the university context, they have been recognizing the potential of new
technologies and ways in which they can be exploited, so have increased the uses of
digital technology to support teaching and learning
Integrating technology into the classroom is definitely a great way to reach diversity in
learning styles, Romanelli (2009) states a benchmark definition of “learning styles” is
“characteristic cognitive, effective, and psychosocial behaviors that serve as relatively
stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning
environment, learning styles are considered by many to be one factor of success in
higher education.
It gives students the chance to interact with their classmates more by encouraging
collaboration, Kothari (2015) says we as human being, are gaining tons of information
every second as we are perceiving loads of information from our various senses. So,
whenever someone is interacting with someone, a part of their mind is being allocated
to collect and analyse whatever they are perceiving, adding onto their knowledge bank.
Technology helps the teachers prepare students for the real world environment. As our
nation becomes increasingly more technology-dependent, it becomes even more
necessary that to be successful citizens, students must learn to be tech-savvy.
Integrating technology in education everyday helps students stay engaged. Today’s

students love technology so they are sure to be interested in learning if they can use
28
the tools they love, Pittman states (2012) “Technology has irreversibly altered the
world around us, and as such, education should follow suit" Therefore, it is necessary
to incorporate technology tools that will improve your education classes so that you
receive.
With technology, the classroom is a happier place. Students are excited about being
able to use technology and therefore are more apt to learn.
When mobile technology is readily available in the classroom, students are able to
access the most up-to-date information quicker and easier than ever before.
The traditional passive learning mold is broken. With technology in the classroom the
teacher becomes the encourager, adviser, and coach, according to Dixon (2016) You
have to find that sweet spot and help students by breaking down information, going the
correct speed and using techniques to help students understand concepts that without
you, they would not understand.
Students become more responsible. Technology helps students take more control over
their own learning. They learn how to make their own decisions and actually think for
themselves.
Students can have access to digital textbooks that are constantly updated and often
more vivid, helpful, creative, and a lot cheaper than those old heavy books, according
to Díaz (2013) It is correct to say that access to technology today is as access to
writing in the XIX century, because year after year the companies have generated the
need for citizens are increasingly interconnected.
The other two tools we emphasize in this presentation regarding to e-assessment is the
use of Prezi (in the PBL context) and the use of Kahoot for topic knowledge, Thomas
(2000) states “Learning involves completing complex tasks that typically result in a realistic
product, event, or presentation to an audience”, therefore, when use these e-tools, we
grade all four skills in a context, building up meaningful learning for our students and giving
the teachers another point of view in grading. When assign PBL tasks, use the prezi
platform which is amazing for students who love and naturally good at ICT usage, so for
example, a fellow teacher has a beginner group and is reviewing the family topic, he could
easily assign the PBL for introducing the student´s family using Prezi with pictures,
coloured and lively movements of the platform, and at the same time the student is
preparing his grammar, the teacher can grade beside pronunciation, grammar coherence
and target communication, creativity, effort and language growth in the students, they in
the other hand will feel more comfortable in the classes generating a nice rapport, and
without noticing, they will have better results rather than if we just ask them for a family
picture to present this, which we repeat is not a bad thing to do, it is just common and
predictable.
29
Kahoot on the other hand, is a great instrument for grading students in a more paper-
content based test using technology, this tool will allow the teacher to grade
instantaneously without the need to grade by hand, because the hard work is done
previously by setting up the questions with two or three distractors, working with Kahoot
adding related topic images and/or videos can be interesting for students and we can see
first-hand if the classwork is having progress or not, nevertheless we don´t advice this
activity as a major graded activity, but a minor one or pre-testing formative activity (of if
graded to have a small percentage of the grade) in the short term, because students still
should be familiar to normal paper exams which are the international standards around the
world such a Toefl exam or a Cambridge KET examination to name a few major tests. The
main idea of this is to show other teachers, how we use technology activities to assess in
an electronic-fun way, giving the students another point of view, and assessing real life
skills, having another choice rather than the usual exam.
Weems (2013) states good objectives in teaching will enable us to “hit our target.” If we do
not make definite plans about what we intend to accomplish, we will accomplish little or
nothing for all our efforts and time, such as marks of good objectives, brief enough to be
remembered, clear enough to be written down, specific enough to be achieved and flexible
enough to allow for changes in the teaching situation.
With all of this in mind, we can conclude that nowadays, it is impossible to teach English
without the use of technology in our classroom, this it is very helpful, and when we mix it
with teaching techniques, we have amazing results in our students especially if we use
technology for assessing, which aid the student´s learning styles as well as our teaching
methods, by doing this we will achieve our daily academic long-term teaching goals.
30
References
Álvarez, G.; (2012) New technologies in the university context, Mexico, in

http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=78023425002 Consulted September 10, 2016.
Díaz, J. (2013) Access to technology is now a basic need, Mexico, in

https://www.emprendices.co/el-acceso-a-la-tecnologia-ahora-es-una-necesidad-basica/ Consulted
September 12, 2016.
Dixon, S. (2016) Making Meaning Clear, Arizona, in https://www.coursera.org/learn/english-

principles/lecture/m9ce5/video-3-making-meaning-clear Consulted September 12, 2016.
Kothari, A.; (2015) How do you think your classmates can benefit from interacting with you and
learning from your experience? USA, in https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-think-your-classmates-
can-benefit-from-interacting-with-you-and-learning-from-your-experience Consulted September 11,
2016.
Lujano, L.; (2011) The importance of technology in today's society, Mexico, in

http://innovacionenlaprepa.blogspot.mx/2011/02/la-importancia-de-la-tecnologia-en-la.html
Consulted September 10, 2016.
Pittman, C.; (2012) Technological tools to improve your classes, Spain, in

http://noticias.universia.es/en-portada/noticia/2012/08/24/960984/5-herramientas-tecnologicas-
mejorar-clases.html Consulted September 11, 2016.
Romanelli, F.; (2009) Learning Styles: A Review of Theory, Application, and Best Practices, USA,
in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2690881/ Consulted September 10, 2016.
Thomas, J. W. (2000) “A review of project based learning” Prepared for Autodesk foundation.
http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf
Wainwright, A.; (2013) 10 reasons today’s students need technology in the classroom, USA, in
http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/10-Reasons-Today-s-Students-NEED-Technology-in-the-
Classroom Consulted September 9, 2016.
Walvoord, B.; (2004) Assessment, USA, in

https://www.tiffin.edu/academics/assessment/about/Def._Assessment.pdf Consulted September 9,
2016.
Weems, F.; (2013) Teaching Techniques, USA, in

http://www.fbinstitute.com/Weems/TTECHNIQUES.html Consulted September 12, 2016.
Wolpert-Gawron, H.; (2015) What is Project-Based Learning? USA, in

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-project-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron Consulted
September 13, 2016.
31
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Differences in discourse based on hierarchy: Discourse Analysis Research
Francisco Ricardo Chávez Nolasco

fchavez@beceneslp.edu.mx
Yanneli Marleny Rangel
Benémerita y Centenario Normal del Estado de San Luis Potosí
Abstract
The BECENE as an established organization has itself a clear structure hierarchized by
levels of authority and responsibilities. As the institution fulfills all the requirements to be
studied from an Organizational point of view in the discourse produced, it was analyzed
what the people in charge of it conveyed in their speech. The intention with this study was
to find if there was a difference in language used determined by hierarchy and related with
gender. All the work was framed using today’s trendy national evaluation as theme.
Evidence showed that hierarchy in the institution is related with the way members speak. It
was also found a relation where gender is related too.
Differences in discourse based on hierarchy at the BECENE: Introduction
The study of language as a discipline is considered as a

modern science. It’s historical separation from the fields of
psychology and philosophy dates back from the early XX
century. It was possible due to Ferdinand de Saussure’s
works in the study of language done from 1897 to 1911 in his
classes. Although he did not write and publish his book,
which was a collection of his students taken from his
lectures, the publishing of the book “Course in General
Linguistics” gave the basis of a new field of study: Linguistics.
From 1916, when Saussure’s thoughts were published, up to current days Linguistics has
taken its own path. Along its first century many branches have been opened derived from
it. According to the International Linguistics Community (ILC) in its online version
(http://www.linguistlist.org/) there are at present 29 different areas of study. Among all of
them, back in the 1960’s, some views of the language related to usage, patterns and
32
intention were taken into consideration. These were the departing point of what is presently
known as Discourse Analysis currently referred as DA.
To have a quick grasp of what DA is about, it is possible to picture it in the following way.
People normally use language as a normal issue and part of human condition but little few
times, users of the language analyze their speech. Therefore, how language is used, the
reasons of, the conditions surrounding its usage and the intentions of it are the main areas
of study of the Discourse Analysis (DA) field. Brown & Yule (1983) stated that the
application of the DA theory and analysis techniques gives us the opportunity to see the
language from different perspectives and help us to understand the person, institutions,
politics etc.
It is not clear where the first DA references began. For instance, Stubbs (1983) states that
the first linguist to refer to discourse analysis was Zellig Harris. In 1952, he investigated the
connectedness of sentences, naming his study ‘discourse analysis.’ Harris claimed
explicitly that discourse is the next level in a hierarchy of morphemes, clauses and
sentences.
Nonetheless, for most scholars the first backgrounds of the DA theory are found in some
French works in the 1960´s. By studding the language from a structural point of view
overlapped with some sociological and anthropological insights this trend was created.
Initially coined as structural analysis of narrative, other discourse forms or cultural practices
of the language, this new perspective of the language emerged (Van Dijk, T. 1989).
Even though, the first ideas came out from French studies almost at the same time
linguists in America started talking about the same topics. As Van Dijk (1989) states for
some reason different people with different notions began talking about language with
similar perspectives. As a consequence of all this work in the 1970’s the first studies and
collections of DA appeared. Since then Discourse Analysis has been inserted in the
linguistics spectrum and it has normally been associated with politics.
Since its origins, DA studies have taken several paths and focuses. The Discourse
Analysis has been taking major concerns and applications increasingly as time goes by. It
gives us today the opportunity to reflect about the way we use the language and how we
use it. One of the studied topics in the DA is the relation between power and hierarchy with
the command of the language. This is closely linked to a sub-field in DA: which is best
known as Organizational Discourse (OD). Findings have shown that there is a great
difference in how language is used according the hierarchy inside an institution
(Fairclough, N. 1995; Scholes, R. (195).
33
Objectives
The main objective of this work is to analyze the discourse

produced by people positioned at different hierarchical levels
at the BECENE. At the same time, it is the intention of this
paper to determine if gender allows differences in the way
language is used bypeople positioned at different hierarchical
levels at the BECENE.
Based on the previous objectives the following interrogatives

are answered: What is the difference in language used by people ranked at different
hierarchical levels at the BECENE based on their position? Is hierarchy a factor that
determines the way the community at the BECENE speak?
Literature Review
The analysis of discourse has followed varied paths from the

1970’s up to current days. Much investigation has been
devoted to written discourse, its concepts and methodology
being later extended to the study of spoken interactive
discourse. On the other hand, conversation analysis, an
offshoot from sociology, has applied its own distinctive
methods to what it considered the basic type of discourse,
conversation taking place in a face-to-face interaction as well
as interviews. Standpoints and methodology strayed apart, even conflicted with each other
(Sacks, H. 1992).
When we ask how it is that people, as language-users, make sense of what they read in
texts, understand what speakers mean despite what they say, recognize connected as
opposed to jumbled or incoherent discourse, and successfully take part in that complex
activity called conversation, then one is undertaking what is known as discourse analysis
(Stubbs, M. 1983).
Stubbs (1983) also states, “Any study which is not dealing with (a) single sentences, (b)
contrived by the linguist, (c) out of context, may be called discourse analysis”. In other
words, there is a shift of focus from sentences in isolation to utterances in context: “to study
language in use is to study it as discourse”, he quoted. It is a fact that ‘knowledge of a
language is more than knowledge of individual sentences. The true meaning of a sentence
cannot be assigned by its only linguistic construction but it largely depends on reference
(meaning in relation to exterior world), sense (meaning in relation to linguistic system) and
force (meaning in relation to situational context).
34
Organizational Discourse Analysis (ODA)
Organizational discourse analysis has become more developed as a method; the topic has
become increasingly common in the top journals in the field. The study of organizational
discourse encompasses a range of approaches that share an interest in the role of
discourse in the constitution of organizational life. Organizational discourse analysis
“highlights the ways in which language constructs organizational reality, rather than simply
reflects it” (Hardy, Lawrence, & Grant, 2005).
A discourse, in turn, is a structured collection of texts or speech as Parker (1992) indicates

along with associated practices of textual production, transmission, and reception. Through
the production and dissemination of texts that accrete to form a discourse, organizational
elements are brought into being, are modified, or disappear. The nature of organizational
discourse, how the texts or speech, which make them up, are produced, and why some are
more influential than others, are the sorts of general questions that are of interest to
researchers who study any area inserted in organizational discourse.
Organizational discourse analysis concern lies with unveiling patterned mechanisms of the
reproduction of power asymmetries where hierarchy is a clear example of it. Anthropology,
linguistics, philosophy and communication studies, among others, may share this
inclination. From its inception, it was a discipline designed to question the status quo, by
detecting, analyzing, and also resisting and counteracting enactments of power abuse as
transmitted in private and public discourses. For some, to be critical might imply to be
judgmental. However, this is not the case here, because, as Jäger and Maier (2009) state,
in some cases instead of having an absolute truth you may measure real difference in
language dictated by the organization parameters or relations in its structure.
It is this focus beyond simple language-use that differentiates organizational discourse

analysis from other forms of language-based inquiry, such as the “study of vocabularies”.
At its most basic, the study of organizational discourse is about understanding the
processes of social construction that underlie the organizational reality studied by
researchers using more conventional methodologies (Cunliffe, 2008; Loewenstein, Ocasio,
& Jones, 2012).
Organizational discourse studies are not therefore replacements for more traditional
approaches, but are, rather, complementary to them especially if they are focused on
specific areas. Although increasingly popular, organizational discourse has nevertheless
been criticized for overshadowing other perspectives on organizations and organizing
(Phillips & Hardy, 2002).
Statement of the Problem

The growth in interest in organizational discourse has seen researchers apply a range of
discourse analytic approaches to language and other symbolic media that are discernible
in organizations. In so doing, they have been able to analyze, engage with and interpret a
35
variety of organization-related issues in ways that would not have been otherwise
achievable. At the same time, this growth has caused some to criticize what appears to be
the widespread use of broad, nonspecific definitions and a bewildering array of methods,
approaches and perspectives (Grant et al., 1998).
The BECENE as an established organization has itself a clear structure hierarchized by

levels of authority and responsibilities. It has two functions: on one side, it provides the
educative system well trained future teachers ready to service. On the other hand, it
represents the system as part of the national educative system. Then the hierarchy in its
structure responds to two sides: one as a representative of the establishment and the other
as a teacher trainer institution.
Along with the two sides of the personnel in charge, there is a national concern that affects
all levels in the educative field in our country. Today México is immersed in what is called
“The educative reform” which leads everybody to the concept of “Teaching Evaluation”. It
has created a series of expectations among all education agents involved. These thoughts
and beliefs about the topic may vary from a total support to a total rejection. This is
manifested through the use of the language either written or spoken from all society. Then,
what the use of the language in expressing their views from the ones that lead and manage
the BECENE is the central part of this paper.
Methodology
As the BECENE fulfills all the requirements to be studied from an Organizational and
critical point of view in the discourse produced, it was analyzed what the people in charge
of it convey in their speech. It is strongly believed that the more a person is conscious
about the way language is used in the organizations the more this person will be more
reflective and cautious while producing language.
To do this work, three sets of interviews were conducted to 12 people at different ranking at
the BECENE. The identified levels were from bottom to top: Students, Teachers,
Coordinators, Area Directors and Dean. Equal numbers of female and male subjects were
targeted to have a relation in gender except by the highest hierarchy because there is only
one. A set of three questions were asked to all of them and recorded.
All data was formatted in a text processor. Once data was digitally formatted it was
analyzed by specialized software for Discourse Analysis to check references or language
use. The results were set in a SPSS program to process information.
Discussion of the Findings

The first aspect to be measured was the number of references about evaluation people
mentioned in their speech based on their hierarchy level and their gender. The following
graphic shows their results where students made more references about the term
36
“evaluation than any other level place in the BECENE hierarchy. It also shows how the
references of the words portrays a reduction along the hierarchy goes up.
Figure 1 indicates the percentages of references stated of the word “evaluation” by each level of hierarchy
from the BECENE. Source: own elaboration
These results give the idea that the topic “Teaching Evaluation” is relevant more for the
students than for the rest of the participants. Apart from personal beliefs, having in mind
this topic seems recurrent along the collective knowledge in this level.
In the same references trend, but this time based on gender it is visible that men made
more usage of the word than women which indicates that they have more actively present
this idea in their speech. This is shown here:
Figure 2 shows the percentages of references said of the word “evaluation” by participants according their
gender. Source: own elaboration
Making a relation between the genders, the level and the number of references done in
their discourse, participants reflect these results. Except for the Dean the rest of the levels
present difference amongst them in this way: male students and area directors used more
the word in their speech while female teachers and coordinators do the same versus their
opposite gender.
37
Figure 3 portrays the percentages of references stated of the word “evaluation” by each level of hierarchy
from the BECENE and their gender. Source: own elaboration
The second issue to be studied was subjects’ position about the theme: Teaching
Evaluation. According to the results, the highest hierarchical positions present more
insights in favor the subject. It is followed by students. The levels in the middle of the
hierarchy at the BECENE present the same percentage in pro the concept.
Figure 4 presents the percentages of references mentioned in favor of “evaluation” by each level of hierarchy
from the BECENE. Source: own elaboration
Viewing the difference in gender and their position towards the idea of teaching evaluation
men showed more in favor than women in general. Except for the student’s level, the rest
maintains a male tendency in favor. Results in relation to their level and genders are
possible to see here:
38
Figure 5 shows the percentages of references mentioned in favor of “evaluation” by each level of hierarchy
from the BECENE and the relation with gender. Source: own elaboration
Conclusion
Based on the results obtained in this study it is possible to manifest these ideas. First of all,
there is a difference between the level that participants have in the institution hierarchy and
their usage of the language. In this case, there is a trend that indicates that: the lowest the
level is the most reference about the topic participants have. Speaking about the topic it
seems that students at the BECENE are the ones who make more references about it.
Hierarchy presents also a difference in the way they addressed and referred to the topic. In
this case the highest position leads in pro the concept of “Teaching Evaluation”. Despite
the fact, that it was students who seemed to be more concerned about the concept in their
discourse they are also in favor of the concept of being evaluated.
Regarding to gender and the language they use, there is also a difference seen in this
work. It was men who made more references in their discourse about the theme. And at
the same time, men leaded in having a favorable opinion in having an evaluation in the
educational field.
Taking into account the outcomes presented it is possible to say that hierarchy is indeed a
factor of difference in the discourse used at the BECENE. And at the same time, the
gender of the members of the school is a factor that influences the speech usage and it is
correlated with their hierarchy.
39
References
Brown, G., & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse analysis. Cambridge University Press.
Cunliffe, A.L. (2008). Discourse analysis. In R. Thorpe & R. Holt (Eds.), The Sage
dictionary of qualitative management research (pp. 81–82). London: Sage.
Fairclough, N. (1995) Critical Discourse Analysis. (London, Longman).
Grant, D. 1998. Discourse and organization. London: Sage.
Hardy, C. & Grant, D. (2005). Discourse and collaboration: The role of conversations and
collective identity. Academy of Management Review, 30(1),58–77.
Jäger, Siegfried and Florentine Maier. (2009). “Theoretical and Methodological Aspects of
Foucaldian Critical Discourse Analysis and Dispositive Analysis.” Ruth Wodak and Michael
Meyer, eds. Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Sage. 34-61.
Loewenstein, J., Ocasio, W., & Jones, C. (2012). Vocabularies and vocabulary structure: A
new approach linking categories, practices, and institutions. The Academy of Management
Annals, 6(1).
Phillips, N., & Hardy, C. (2002). Discourse analysis: Investigating processes of social
construction. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Sacks, H. (1992). "Notes on methodology." Structures of Social Action. Studies in

Conversation Analysis. Eds. I. Max Atkinson and John Heritage. Cambridge: Cambridge
UP. 21-27.
Scholes, R. (1985) Textual Power. (New Haven, Yale University Press).
Stubbs, M. (1983). Discourse analysis: The sociolinguistic analysis of natural language.

Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Van Dijk, T. (1989). New developments in discourse analysis, Journal of Interdisciplinary

literary studies, 119-145.
40
43rd
3rd International
International MEXTESOL Convention
October 27-30, 2016
Creative professional development: How better to stimulate teacher creativity?
Bernadine Clark
Bernadine.Clark@mail.sit.edu
Kenneth Clark
Kenneth.Clark@mail.sit.edu
Every decision we make as language teachers is a reflection of who we are as individual

human beings and as participants in a learning community.
Nearly 20 years ago in his book, The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer observed, “We
teach who we are.” His words have been bandied about, invoked, and analyzed in teacher
education and training programs and professional-development courses for teachers ever
since. The truth of the words are indisputable; at the same time, they implore us to go
further, to bring Palmer’s thought to its full coherence, to finish the sentence with the
phrase, “in community with others.”
In order to teach who we are in community with others, we must be in touch with who we
are as people and where we are in our chosen profession. We must raise our awareness of
ourselves as human beings and as teachers; frequently reflect on our attitudes toward
teaching and learning; increase our knowledge of the theories and practices of our
profession; and hone our pedagogic and communicative skills in service to learners’ needs.
Professional development (PD), in the broadest sense of that term, is the vehicle we turn
to, to become better teachers and, by extension, more authentic human beings.
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, professional development? In her
overview of guidelines for PD, Wilde acknowledges that when teachers hear the question,
“What does PD mean to you?”, it’s not uncommon for them to respond, “a few days each
year.” She and other researchers, Richards and Farrell among them, note that many PD
experiences are dictated by bureaucratic requirements set by administrators far removed
from everyday classroom realities, that they are often brief and scattered, that they fall
short of meeting the professional needs of participating teachers, and that they allow little
opportunity for relevant practice and feedback.
41
On the other hand, the literature identifies elements that contribute to and define
meaningful professional-development experiences. Farrell reminds us that PD relates to
ongoing growth – it is a process rather than an event. Webster-Wright proposes that
professional development move toward recognizing and supporting “authentic professional
learning” by focusing less on how best to provide PD activities and more on understanding
how professionals learn. Richards and Farrell address the value of collaborative learning
as a key component in PD. Diaz Maggioli puts forth the view that “learning-as-participation”
and attention to sociocultural learning theory can move the teaching profession forward in
its efforts to create learning opportunities for teachers.
When we were asked to design and present a weeklong PD course (20 hours of in-class
engagement; 20 hours of engagement outside of class) for university English teachers, we
began our planning with the words creativity and dialogue. These words, at their heart,
address the individual and the community respectively. Further, they invite explorations of
the art and the culture of teaching-learning environments. We asked two questions and
used them to guide our planning: “How can professional development happen without
creativity whose Latin root means to grow?” and “How can dialogue, from the Greek
meaning through words, be used as a tool for exploring teaching-learning ideas and
nurturing a learning community?” We titled the course, The Art and Culture of the EL
Classroom: Dialogues on Teaching and Learning. We set out to design a PD experience
(for attendees and for ourselves) that modeled and reflected the dynamics of a language
classroom and put participants in touch with the multimodal arsenal of characteristics we
EL teachers bring to every teaching-learning moment.
Our challenges were clear: We had only three weeks to plan the course, the participants’
levels of English proficiency and teaching experience varied widely, and we had no
opportunity prior to the course to consult with the teachers about their particular needs and
goals for a course they were required to take.
To respond to these challenges, we would observe and build on the teachers’ strengths
and interests (what they knew about English, about teaching and learning, and about
themselves) and use them as essential resources to encourage active participation in the
learning community we hoped to facilitate. We would aim to create a space in which
participants could stretch themselves further through engagement and risk-taking. We
would incorporate many speaking and listening activities during the sessions and assign
reading and writing opportunities outside the sessions. We had a central objective for the
course: to draw teachers’ attention to the knowledge, skills, awareness, and attitudes they
bring to their classrooms and deepen their understanding of how these elements affect
their teaching and students’ learning. Through dialogue and collegial sharing we hoped
they would grow in their understanding of who they are as teachers and human beings and
what kind of learning environments they want to create in their classrooms.
42
In the paper delivered at the MEXTESOL convention, we described and analyzed the
weeklong PD course presented to nearly 20 university teachers at Universidad Autónoma
del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH) in Pachuca in May 2015. Throughout the MEXTESOL
session, we stepped back from what happened in the course to invite convention attendees
to reflect on and dialogue about various activities, ideas, and teachable moments and how
they could be adapted or modified in their own teaching-learning contexts.
Course Preparation
A few days prior to the first session of the course, we sent an email to all participants. The
purpose of the letter was threefold: to welcome them to the course; to ask them to bring to
the first session a tangible object (a metaphor) that represented their current relationship
with English; and to invite them to approach this professional-development experience with
an open mind and a willingness to engage in what would be a learning adventure. (The
letters/emails became a unifying thread of the course. Following each in-class session, we
sent a follow-up message with readings attached, links to resources, and comments and
reminders about assignments for upcoming sessions. The “dialogue” aspect of the letters
occurred naturally, as we received emails from participants during the course.)
The First Day

Believing that creating an atmosphere for language learning is essential, we prepared the
physical space of the classroom in several ways. We exhibited photos of classrooms from
around the world alongside quotations about language and learning. We arranged the
participants’ desks in a semi-circle. We put a diagram of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle
on the back of the classroom door. We posted the first of five “daily quotations” at the front
of the room. We used black tape to make a large equilateral triangle in the middle of the
classroom floor, labeling the corners of the triangle I, Thou, It. (The sides of the triangle
represent the relationships between teacher, student, and subject matter.) In the center of
the triangle we placed a flowering plant and an open box with index cards and a pen
beside it. (See Question Box in the following paragraph.) On subsequent days, we put
additional language-teaching resources – books, a photo, a postcard, etc. – inside the
triangle. This learning environment prevailed throughout the week. (N.B. We met with the
building’s housekeeping staff beforehand and requested that they limit their cleaning to
sweeping the floor and emptying the wastebasket. We asked them not to adjust anything or
remove anything from the room!)
As participants arrived for the first session, we greeted them individually and gave them a
plastic folder containing a “fluid” course outline and a blank notebook. We asked them to
notice and think about the handwritten quotation on bright yellow paper at the front of the
room and to talk about it with each other, if they wished. In the background, Fleetwood
Mac’s energizing “Don’t Stop Thinking about Tomorrow” played quietly. When everyone
was assembled, we introduced ourselves, checked to be sure we knew all their names,
and began with an energizing Step-to-the-Line activity that allowed us to learn something
about the participants. We agreed on a few norms for the course (turn off cell phones;
43
practice active listening). We explained the function of the Question Box in the middle of
the I-Thou-It triangle. Teachers were encouraged to write questions (anonymously) on the
index cards anytime during the sessions and put them in the box. The questions could
relate to English, teaching, learning, or any other pertinent topic. The questions and the
quotations on the whiteboard would be addressed every day.
We outlined our personal goal for the course (professional growth through dialogue about
relevant issues in ELT); our expectations for their participation (the experience is only as
rich as everyone’s attentive presence and contribution); and the course requirements
beyond attendance (on Wednesday, each person would share a written synopsis of an ELT
article he/she found useful or intriguing ; on Friday, groups of three would present their
collaborative -- never before presented -- 15-minute ELT projects in response to the
prompt, “Teach us something related to language learning and/or teaching!”).
Turning to the notebooks, we explained that these would serve as Dialogue and Reflective
Journals. What the teachers wrote in the Dialogue journal – one or two paragraphs -- would
be shared the following day with a partner who would then respond orally in a give-and-
take about the journal entry; the task was to write a personal reaction, response, argument,
or question about something that happened during the previous session. By turning the
notebook over and beginning at the back, the participants would keep a Reflective journal
whose contents would be private. On the first day, the reflection would include one
personal and one professional goal for the course and a 150-word response to an ELT
prompt or question we would provide at the end of the session.
After getting acquainted and tending to the housekeeping and procedural aspects of the
PD course, we turned our attention to the “relationship with English” objects the teachers
had brought. They described the objects and their significance to a partner. We then raised
the question to the whole group: “Why did we ask you to bring these objects?” The group
exchanged ideas about why the words art and culture were included in the name of the PD
course. In the sharing of ideas, what emerged was that in teaching and learning, we are
individuals in community.
Next, we addressed the word dialogue. “Why are we focusing on dialogue instead of
discussion in this course?” we asked. The question led to analyzing David Bohm’s
explanation that dialogue enlarges, refines, and explores issues and questions through the
valuing of and building on multiple and diverse views. Discussion (as practiced in most
western societies), on the other hand, often diminishes questions and concerns into a flurry
of oppositional viewpoints that dichotomize and isolate rather than make connections that
reveal meanings and truths underlying the bigger questions and issues.
We invited the teachers to take a “gallery walk” – i.e., to peruse the exhibit of classroom
photos and learning-related quotations. We asked them to do the gallery walk with a
partner and while viewing the visuals, to begin a dialogue about what they saw and how
44
they felt viewing the exhibit. Following the walk, we introduced a community-blackboard
activity in which the teachers were invited to write on the board, words and phrases that
described the gallery-walk experience and/or what they saw or read on the classroom wall.
Using a handful of the participants’ words and phrases, we introduced the I-Thou-It
triangle, its significance and meaning (based on David Hawkins’s work) as representative
of the relationships that are central to learning. (We asked them to think again about the
tangible objects they’d brought to this session.) We segued into learning as experience and
asked participants what they knew about Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. We used a
“learning how to ride a bike” example to illustrate how Kolb’s cycle applies to learning: We
have a concrete experience, we describe it and analyze and generalize from it, we reflect
on it and learn from it, and this leads us to make adjustments or to plan accordingly for the
next concrete experience. “How does this theory manifest in the practice of teaching and
learning?” They shared in groups of three something they have learned to do and practiced
applying the elements of the experiential learning cycle to understand the complexity of the
learning process.
In each of the five sessions of the course, we took a 15-minute break during which
classroom dialogue continued as we mingled in the hall, sipping coffee or tea and
munching on cookies and fruit.
After the first day’s break, we expanded on theory-into-practice by showing a video of

Diane Larsen Freeman analyzing complexity theory as it relates to language learning. We
stopped the video frequently to check in with participants, to invite them to dialogue with a
partner or us about concepts or comments they didn’t understand, to clarify new ideas or
terminology Larsen-Freeman presented, and to ask them how or whether the video related
to their teaching context or their professional concerns.
Before the session ended, we shared the first reflective-journal prompt: Explore how the I-
Thou-It philosophy can inform real-life classroom experiences. Reflect on what you can do
to become more aware of and responsive to the relationships you and your learners have
with each other and with the English language.
Subsequent Days
For the duration of the course, we encouraged a sense of community and connection by
staying in email contact. We aimed for continuity in a number of ways: beginning each
session with a warm-up activity, using dialogue to interpret and exchange views on the
daily quotation, addressing the contents of the Question Box, referring regularly to the I-
Thou-It triangle and the experiential learning cycle, and sharing in groups of three or four
the contents of the dialogue journals. Looking ahead, we encouraged them to meet outside
of class to prepare for Friday’s presentation.
45
On the second day, we focused on culture and story. We asked participants to describe
their “personal histories” with the four skills of English and the cultural aspects of the
language. We listened to the song “Borders,” sung by The New Agrarians, and shared
ideas about how where we come from influences who we are. In preparation for this
session, the teachers had read an essay by Nancy Willard in which she meanders through
her childhood recalling memorable ancestors and her learning from them. In pairs, the
participants shared “favorite sentences” from the essay and images that resonated for
them. This dialogue led to the group’s recounting tales of their ancestors as well as
personal and professional mentors, whose life messages they have embraced, cast off,
and adapted in their lives.
To highlight that the journeys are individual and rich with formative connections, we gave
the teachers a template for an “I am from” poem... Using the template, we read aloud to
them our own poems. As backdrop reverie for the writing of their poems, we played soft,
wordless music. We invited them to read their poems aloud to a partner or the whole
group. Many chose to share with the entire group.
Before the session ended, we returned to the Larsen-Freeman video for follow-up reactions
and questions and asked participants to identify takeaway messages they found relevant.
The reflective-journal prompt for Day 2 asked them to write about aspects of their personal
histories that contribute to their teaching presence and practice.
On day three of the course, the focus was on dialogue and listening. The participants’
ELT article synopses were posted on the walls outside the classroom and read with
enthusiasm (and, according to one teacher’s verbal comment, gratitude). We asked the
teachers to write their name beneath three synopses that piqued their interest. Choosing
the summary with the most names affixed to it, we introduced a fishbowl activity that
engaged the five “interested readers” with the writer of the synopsis. The six participants
sat in a circle in the middle of the room. We invited them to have a dialogue about the
article. The other teachers sat on the periphery of the fishbowl; we asked them to observe
and interpret the dynamics and content of the fishbowl exchange and to respond to these
questions: What happened, what was said, how was it said, and what did they learn from
listening and watching? What did the experience of listening and watching teach them? We
then asked the fishbowl participants to do the same. What did they learn from the
experience of being in the fishbowl? Later, as a group, we exchanged ideas about how the
activity could be adapted for different teaching contexts and levels. (We later scanned and
sent the teachers all the written synopses of the articles, including references.)
Before the break, we returned to the idea of relationships in the classroom because of
words participants had written in the previous day’s community blackboard, words that
touched on the classroom as a place of giving and sharing. We read aloud Shel
Silverstein’s book, The Giving Tree, and had a dialogue about how the profound message
46
in the children’s story is both open to interpretation and applicable to a wide array of
teaching-and-learning situations.
After the break, we turned our attention to an article the teachers had read for this session;
the article told the story of a treasure hunt in the desert. A community blackboard
capsulized their reactions to the reading. The teachers then worked in pairs (doing a
comprehension game) to ensure that the details of the article were clear to everyone. We
used this reading as a stepping stone to introduce the circle process known as Way of
Council, practiced by ancient peoples to foster meaningful communication and reach
consensus on important issues. The Council’s guiding principles are these: Be
spontaneous. Be lean of expression. Speak from the heart. Listen from the heart. We
created a “sacred space” in the center of the room using beautiful items – the flowering
plant, a scarf, an image of nature, a pebble – and played flute music reminiscent of Native
American melodies to create a calming atmosphere in the room. We moved the desks
closer together and opened the circle with the prompt, “Tell about a time when you
searched for something.” Participants spoke when the talking piece came to them. We
sensed a palpable level of listening and understanding in the circle. After the sharing, we
closed the circle by holding hands and jumping in place together. The reflective-journal
prompt asked teachers to write about what struck them in the day’s session and how they
could use the circle process in their teaching.
On the fourth day of the course, the aim was to focus on the classroom as learning
community. We laughed and learned together during a lively “Expert Game” warm-up!
Next, we asked teachers to name local and global realities that influence their teaching and
the learning in their classrooms. We introduced a video presentation by David Graddol
titled “Five Megatrends Shaping the Future of TESOL.” We stopped often during the video
to elaborate on and bring “closer to home” the trends Graddol described. Because there
were many questions from the Question Box on Day 4, and we had an extended “Dialogue
Journal” sharing, we were not able to finish viewing Graddol’s entire talk; so, we gave the
teachers the link for viewing the remaining portion on their own. Graddol’s observations
prompted questions about what learning English in Mexico means and how or whether
knowing the language is valued; in addition, we considered the place of English in global
communications, and how diversity and world events influence language-learning
communities. We returned again to the photos on the walls to notice and describe the
multitude of learning “realities” and issues they depicted.
After the break, we moved to another room for a live Skype chat with Elka Todeva, a
professor at the School for International Training in Vermont. Todeva is an expert in
second language acquisition and a frequent keynote speaker at TESOL and IATEFL
conferences around the world. The teachers came with prepared questions and for more
than 75 minutes, Todeva became a member of our learning community. We touched on
topics such as brain-based learning, the value of linguistic diversity, the politics of English,
the difference between language development and language acquisition, the globalization
47
and localization of English, and students as co-explorers with teachers. After the Skype
session, we returned to the classroom and reflected together on the Skype experience.
The reflective-journal prompt for this day asked the teachers to describe an idea or theory
from the session that introduced something new to their understanding of learning
communities and how this knowing could influence how they approached their classrooms.
We intended to show the video, “Claire’s Classroom” to the group, but time constraints
made this impossible. After consulting with the teachers, we scheduled the viewing for a
few weeks later. Those who were able to attend witnessed the goings-on of a vibrant
classroom guided by the wisdom and experience of an elementary school teacher in a
small town in Vermont who believes that the contributions of every learner benefit the
entire learning community. Because scheduling conflicts prevented some in the group from
seeing the video, we left a DVD of the film (available for borrowing) in the English-language
program office at the university.
On the final day of the course, when the focus was to be on relationships, we were thrust
into a stark realization: A mandatory breakfast meeting had been called by the academic
director of the program. This “given” would shorten our 4-hour session considerably.
Knowing the limitations this posed, we began with a community-blackboard sharing. The
teachers described moments from the week’s activities, experiences, and readings. The
follow-up dialogue reflected a new level of understanding and solidarity in the group.
Six group projects were presented on the following topics: creativity in the classroom, the
value of writing brief I-as-teacher memoirs and sharing them with colleagues, assessing
writing in a meaningful way in a class of 40 students, drawing on Bloom’s taxonomy in
journal writing, using a rubric to approach and develop strategies to deal with less-than-
optimal classroom situations, and tried-and-true activities that encourage English speaking
practice. Questions and collegial feedback suggested that the presentations were well
received.
As our time together drew to a close, we invited participants to evaluate the course. As
they wrote, we played John Lennon’s, “Imagine” and Julie Gold’s “From a Distance.” To
end the course, we read aloud a piece by Pablo Neruda on the unexpected gifts that come
from making connections. After a group photo and hugs, the learning community in Room 9
dispersed. We went our separate ways to resume other roles in the community outside the
classroom door.
What remains from a professional development experience?

We read and reflected on the participants’ feedback immediately after the PD course. Most
comments were positive; suggestions for improvement included “a longer course” and
“more articles to read and share.” We wondered what aspects of the learning adventure
would stay with the teachers. A year later, we decided to find out. We sent the participants
a short follow-up survey requesting them to tell us what they had used from the course,
48
reflected on, or adapted in their teaching contexts in the intervening year. In other words,
we wanted to know what (if anything) “stuck” and/or nudged them to a new place in their
teaching and learning.
We received responses from nearly half the participants. Their comments indicated that
they had grown personally and professionally as a result of the experience. Specific
responses included increased awareness of the culture of learning in their classrooms,
greater commitment to knowing themselves as teachers and their students as human
beings, adaptations of activities they had done in the course, new understanding of the
place peripherals play in creating positive learning environments, increased appreciation
for the value of listening as essential for authentic communication, and increased
knowledge of how reflection influences teaching and learning.
References
Bohm, D.(1996). On dialogue. In On dialogue. Nichol, L. (Ed.). London & NewYork: Routledge.
Diaz Maggioli, G. (2014). Tradition and habitus in Tesol teacher education. Language and
Linguistics Compass 8 (5), 188-196. DOI: 10.1111/Inc3.12077
Farrell,T.S.C. (2015). Language teacher professional development. Alexandria, VA: TESOL

Press.
Hawkins, D. (1974). I, thou, and it. In The informed vision: Essays on learning and human nature.
(pp. 48-62). New York: Agathon Press.
Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Richards, J.C. & Farrell, T.S.C. (2005). Professional development for language teachers: Strategies
for teacher learning. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.
Webster-Wright, A. (2009). Reframing professional development through understanding

professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 9 (2), 702-739. DOI:
10.3102/0034654308330970
Wilde, J. (2010). Guidelines for professional development: An overview. In Casteel, C.J. &
Ballantyne, K.G. (Eds.). Professional development in action: Improving teaching for English
learners. (pp. 5-10). Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition.
Zimmerman, J. & Coyle, V. (2009). The way of council (2nd ed.). Viroqua, WI: Bramble Books.
49
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Images reading in a discourse analysis class
Claudia Patricia Contreras

contrerasclaudia43@gmail.com
Frank Malgesini Burke
frankmalgesini@yahoo.com
Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua
The power of visual language in mass media is a reality in communication today. Images
are more than a visual perception, there is a discourse behind an image that can be
interpreted in multiple ways. The receiver of this information should interpret it according to
their education, beliefs and context.
It is considered necessary to include a chapter devoted to visual literacy in the discourse

analysis class. Visual literacy was defined by Braden and Hortin in 1981 as “the ability to
understand and use images, including the ability to think, learn and express oneself in
terms of images (quoted by Moore, 1994). This is the ability to understand the messages
intended by the authors of images and develop a critical posture due to their bombarding in
magazines, media and internet to which students are exposed to. To achieve this, new
schemes of visual thinking must be stimulated.
Students can understand images according to what it is familiar to them. But a closer
observation is needed to identify the details of visual discourse and its elements.
This research explores visual reading through an experiment done with the students of
discourse analysis who are in the second semester of the English major at Universidad
Autónoma de Chihuahua. This aims to address the reception of the visual message as
objectively as possible, taking into account two areas of analysis: one syntactic and one
pragmatic.
The idea is to use a method that proves useful to begin a process of developing visual
literacy. However it is recognized that this is an attempt and does not guarantee a perfect,
accurate interpretation.
First of all it is necessary to distinguish between visual and verbal language. Raymond
Colle (1998) explains that in the visual language immediate decoding happens from a
general impression of the shapes and colours we are seeing, differently from verbal
50
language which is understood in stages considering the study of the parts and the syntactic
and semantic links between them. This author believes that the visual language is
universal while the verbal is not because one has to know the code, for example, if people
do not speak English, they will not understand the word "house", but if someone shows a
picture of it, its representation will be understood by everyone.
Susan Sontag (2004) states that images have an incomparable power to determine what
we will remember about events. The following questions arise: What is an icon? Is every
picture an icon?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary on line (retrieved 18/08/2016) provides the following
definitions: -Computers: a small picture on a computer screen that represents a program or
function. -A widely known symbol. -A usually pictorial representation: image.-Emblem,
symbol, i.e. the house became an icon of 1960´s.
Pierce (in Chandler, 2007) said that an iconic sign represents its object by its similarity.
Every picture is an icon and they provoke similar sensations than the original in the mind.
Icons can also be highly evocative.
It is basic to consider the approaches some theorists have suggested for images analysis.
Roland Barthes (1993) proposed to analyze the photographic message supported by two
different structures: one linguistic and the other iconic. They are analyzed separately but
they complement each other.
He explains that the icon represents an object or an idea with which it has a relationship of
identity and likeness but it turns into a special sign or symbol when is given a special
meaning maybe political, social, religious, philosophical, scientific, etc.
The semantic view of images as a text or language by Umberto Eco (1998) understands
the picture as a narrative, as an ideological opinion, as a relationship or chain of ideas, and
as symbol, for example the image of a heart representing love (1988).
Likewise, images should be considered as visual texts. Their reading has some elements
proper of the study of discourse and this text has linguistic and nonlinguistic elements
(Lorenzo Vilches, 1995:30). According to this author one of the main characteristics of the
text is its coherence because it summarizes all its elements which allows us to know what
is being said, what is being perceived or read through. Referential semantics allows the
study of the image and the relationship to reality through the study the form of its meaning.
(30)
Some iconic symbolism has almost a universal value, like the icons that represent the
different Olympic Games.
51
Raymond Colle (1988) considers the shape, size and colour among the basic components
of iconic syntax. An image can be also shown completely or in parts giving emphasis to a
specific component, for example the picture of a finger. We know that all the parts are
needed to see a hand but each of them has a name and gives meaning to a picture when
they are put together with the rest of the elements, but we cannot picture and understand a
hand if parts are removed. It alters the global meaning of the image.
The functional analysis by Umberto Eco, in his study of architectural codes (1986) is very
important to our purpose. It shows how the semantic foundations of such codes is
essentially functional: there are very typical designs of buildings like temples, offices,
schools and rooms like the kitchen, bedroom and same thing happens with furniture and
clothing. They are used for a certain purpose, to do specific things.
An image also has a pragmatic function of describing something, giving information and
also has an aesthetic function as well as an impact in society. The elements of an image
have an effect according to the spatial location (Vilches 1993:20-22).
The center of vision is on the left side because the observer places greater emphasis on
identifying objects in this space. The vision of the right side tends to capture objects as
having greater weight.
He takes aspects of the theory of image to ease its reading in what he calls "textual
surface" of the image (Vilches, 1993: 28-40) such as contrast to discriminate chiaroscuros
perceived at a distance of the object (1993:29) which mobilize the static.
The hypothesis of this work is that the repetition of elements (variables) found in the
painting by the students were influenced when adding a stimulus and that could be proved
through a syntactic and pragmatic analysis.
While not all the elements or variables proposed by the authors were used, we started from
their approaches to determine the most suitable items in reading icons for this project.
Methodology
There is iconic symbolism to be observed in the image used for this research and from this
theoretical frame there have been chosen two areas for reading images that were used in
this experiment: a syntactic one, with the following variables: people, objects, forms,
shapes, colors and activities. A pragmatic one with the following variables: purpose
(persuade, analyze, inform, express), value or impact of image to society (religious,
aesthetic, political or historical). First an image was exposed and the students were guided
to recognize semantic and pragmatic elements (variables) without any previous stimulus.
The second focus consisted on adding a stimulus for its interpretation: the image was
presented after reading the text of the Creation of Adam from the book of Genesis in the
Bible.
52
To start the work, a group of 10 students which will be addressed as group 1 was asked to
draw their version of The Creation of Adam according to the way they could remember the
story. This was done with the purpose of allowing them to express their idea, their view of
reality, in this case a story. When they finished drawing, each student commented it and
the teacher recorded the basic descriptions they made paying attention to the elements
(variables) they repeated. Next, Michelangelo´s famous painting The Creation of Adam
was projected and they proceeded to make the syntactic and pragmatic analysis of the
image according to the variables mentioned previously.
The second part of the experiment consisted of asking another group of 18 students (group
2) to hear the story of The Creation of Adam first, taken from the book of Genesis 2: 7-8 :
“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden toward the
east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formedU”
After they listened to the text, they were asked to draw their own version of the story. When
they finished, each student commented their drawing and the teacher recorded the basic
descriptions they made paying attention to the elements (variables) they repeated. Finally,
Michelangelo´s painting The Creation of Adam, was shown to them and they made the
syntactic-pragmatic analysis of the image based on the same variables mentioned for
group 1. In both areas the variables were accounted for frequency.
Results obtained: classification by frequency.

The iconic representation we got through the drawings by the students, can be accounted
for using the following variables with more frequency: Adam 6 times, trees 6, sun 5,
mountains 4, God 4, while group two used: Adam 15 times, God 9, trees 7, sun 5, clouds 4.
On the syntactic analysis group 1 used, for people: God 5 times, Adam 4, objects, for
objects: brain 6 times, color green 6 times, activities: laying down 6 times, being lazy 4
times while group two used for people: Adam 6 times, God 4, objects: brain 9, heart 8,
color: green 11 times. For activities this groups used the expressions: God reaching Adam
5 times, giving life 4, laying down 4, being indifferent 4 times.
For the pragmatic analysis, this is the impact an image has in society at a religious,
aesthetic, political or philosophical level, group 1 considered the image had mainly a
53
religious value, 7 times, universal values such as life and simplicity, 2 times, as a tool to
influence people, one time, while they considered the purpose was: to express, 9 times and
to persuade, 1 time. Group two expressed the image had a religious value, 16 times,
aesthetic value 1 time. Purpose: to express ideas 17, and inspire, 1 time. As it can be
observed, the account of the syntactic variables such as people, shapes, objects, colors
and activities varied after adding the text. The image analysis proofs that students
interpreted the icon as having a high religious value and the purpose to express feelings
and values as both groups indicated.
Image Analysis
Student´s drawing of The Creation of Adam without stimulus. Group 1
Element that you included in your drawing (variables) Frequency

God´s ray of light 1
Trees 6
Adam 6
Mountains 4
Apples 1
Sun 5
Clouds 1
dog 1
Eve 2
Symbol of masculinity 2
God 2
Student´s drawing of The Creation of Adam. They listened to the text from the Book of Genesis as a stimulus. Group 2
Element that you included in your drawing (variables) Frequency

God´s ray of light 4
Trees 7
Adam 15
Mountains 2
Apples 1
Sun 5
Clouds 4
Eve 1
God 9
Angel 1
God´s hand 1
flowers 1
Cross 2
Eyes 1
Dust 1
Grass 1
World 1
54
The image of the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo was shown to them. The instructions
were the following: Examine individual items of the image, pay attention to each section to
see what new details you find. What do you see?
Syntactic Analysis Group 1
People Frequency Objects: form, shapes, Frequency Activities Frequency

colors
God 5 green 4 God giving life to Adam 1
Adam 4 rounded 1 Laying down 6
Eve 1 God bigger than Adam 3 Angels watching 2
Angels 2 Fingers touching 2 Being lazy 4
brain 6 Being indifferent 2
uterus 1 God wants to create Eve and he 1
has her in his brain or in his heart
God´s light 1 God reaching Adam 1
Syntactic Analysis Group 2
People Frequency Objects: form, shapes, Frequency Activities Frequency

colors
God 4 green 11 Giving life 4
Adam 6 rounded Laying down 3
Eve 1 God bigger than Adam 2 Being indifferent 3
Fingers touching 1 God reaching Adam 5
Brain 9 God´s voice speaking to Adam 1
Heart 8
Pragmatic analysis. Group 1
Purpose of the image: Frequency Value or impact of image to society (religious, aesthetic Frequency
political or historical level)
Persuade 1 The perfect plan of God 1
Express 9 God giving life 1
Analyze God creating, including knowledge 1
Inform The relationship between God and men 1
Entertain Adam represents life 1
The simplicity and beauty of what life is or could be 1
The gap humans have always created that separates them 1
from God
Everything God gives to us 1
Michelangelo used his art to influence people in the wrong 1
way
The connection between the mortal and the divine and the 1
arrival of divinity to earth
55
Pragmatic analysis Group 2
Purpose of the image: Frequency Value or impact of image to society (religious, aesthetic Frequency
political or historical level)
Persuade The creation of life is linked to love, like a mom to her baby 1
Express 17 Free will 1
Analyze At first God created Adam only in his thoughts 2
Inform Protection 1
Entertain It’s an important piece of art 1
Inspire 1 We are God´s creation 3
God created a perfect human body 1
God wanted to share his heart with us 1
God is a creator of human minds 5
God is sending love to his creation 2
Conclusions
The repetition of elements found in the painting by the students was influenced when adding a
stimulus and that could be proved through a syntactic and pragmatic analysis.
It is considered important that teachers apply strategies to help students develop images
reading skills, given that the reading of images or icons allows students to assimilate the
information they receive more quickly through visual language.
The skill of reading images is as important as reading texts because a text accompanied by
a picture which is not understood, complicates the understanding of the whole message,
an image along that cannot be interpreted and it may stop people from understanding a
message. Mass media is giving priority to visual language, therefore there is a need to
develop visual literacy.
56
References
Barthes, Roland (1993). La Aventura Semiológica. Editorial Paidós. Barcelona, España.
Bible. Genesis 2: 7-8
Braden, R.A., and Hortin, J.A. (1982). Identifying the theoretical foundations of visual
literacy. Journal of Visual/Verbal Languaging, 2, 37-42.
Colle, Raymond (1989/1998). El Contenido de los Mensajes Icónicos. Revista Latina de

Comunicación Social. La Laguna (Tenerife) D.L.: TF - 135 - 98 / ISSN: 1138 - 5820
http://www.lazarillo.com/latina. Facultad de Comunicaciones, Pontificia Universidad
Católica Santiago de Chile.
Chandler, Daniel (2007). Semiotics the basis. Routledge, NY, Usa.

Creation of Adam image on line retrieved (18/08/2016)
https://www.google.com.mx/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-
2QZM49x5BpQ/U2f6IDDKbBI/AAAAAAAAGSs/fRdUKLSB0nk/s1600/LaCreaci%25C3%25B
Eco, Umberto (2000 5ª. Edición). Tratado de Semiótica General. Editorial Lumen,
Barcelona, España.
Eco, Umberto (1986, tercera edición). La Estructura Ausente. Editorial Lumen, Barcelona
España.
Merriam Webster dictionary online. Retreived 08/18/2016 http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/icon
Michelangelo´s Creation of Adam image on line retrieved (18/08/2006)

https://www.google.com.mx/search?q=michelangelo+adam´s+creation&espv=2&biw=1517
&bih=714&tbm=isch&imgil=eHihBTvnC1DoyM%253A%253Bz6wsmx1yBNn7nM%253Bhtt
ps%25253A%25252F%25252
Moore, David Mike (1994). Visual Literacy: A spectrum of Visual Learning. Educational
Technology Publications, Inc. New Jersey, U.S.A.
Sontag, Susan (2004). Ante el dolor de los demás. En: El País. Domingo 30 de Mayo,
2004.
http://elpais.com/diario/2004/05/30/domingo/1085888492_850215.html
Vilches, Lorenzo (1993). Teoría de la Imagen Periodística). Editorial Paidós Ibérica.

Barcelona, España.
57
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Implementing task-based language teaching to integrate language skills
Eulices Córdoba Zúñiga

eucorzucho@gmail.com
Universidad de la Amazonia
Introduction
This presentation reports the findings of a qualitative research study conducted with six first
semester students of an English as a Foreign Language program in a public university in
Colombia. The aim of the study was to implement task-based language teaching as a way
to integrate language skills, and help learners to improve their communicative competence
in English. Task Based Language Teaching, TBLT, was implemented as a response to the
way teachers at this university taught English in the first semester, that is, lessons were
planned for the mastering of listening, reading, writing, or speaking without proper
integration of these four abilities. Second, the students participated in almost all the class
activities when they were based on one skill only. However, participation decreased when
these exercises integrated reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the same lessons. In
addition, some students showed lack of interest and were reluctant to participate in the
classes when these were based on reading or writing. This situation led me to conduct this
study in order to enrich the EFL language learning process in the program and help
students improve their language learning. The results suggest that the implementation of
task-based language teaching facilitated the integration of the four skills in English as a
foreign language context. Furthermore, tasks were meaningful and integrated different
reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises that enhanced student’s communicative
competences and interaction. It can be concluded that task-based language teaching is a
good approach to be used in the promotion of skills integration and language
competences.
Theoretical framework
Many researchers and teachers have shown the benefits of integrating language skills in
English education. They all state that learning English is more productive when students
learn the four skills in a single lesson because it is the way in which learners will probably
use the language in their daily lives. According to Baturay and Akar (2007) integrating
language skills is fundamental for learners to be competent in the second language (L2)
and promote English learning naturally. This integration enhances EFL learning through
constant practice and allows students to express their ideas through writing messages,
58
understanding aural and written messages, and holding conversations. Freeman (1996)
states that “tasks are always activities where the target language is taught for a
communicative purpose (goal) in order to achieve an outcome” (p. 23). Under those
considerations expressed above, this study tried to demonstrate that through the
implementation of TBLT, language abilities were integrated to promote meaningful language
learning.
Task-Based Language Teaching

TBLT provides opportunities to experience spoken, reading, listening, and written language
through meaningful class assignments that involve learners in practical and functional use
of L2. Therefore, TBLT promotes and stimulates the integration of skills through completing
daily-life activities that improve students’ communicative competence because it offers
learners the possibility of practicing the target language constantly. Nunan (1999)
supported this idea when stating that TBLT requires listening, speaking, reading, and writing
in the same exercise to complete the problem posed by the task. The use of this method in
class usually brings real-life work that allows the practice of all the language abilities. This
helps students to explore different communicative opportunities inside and outside the
classroom, which benefit the practice of language by conducting tasks that are closely or
related to the day-to-day life. Additionally, Kurniasih (2011) highlighted that the objective of
TBLT in English is to enhance the use of language as a means to focus on authentic
learning. Furthermore, Richards and Rodgers (2001) highlighted that TBLT enhances the
creation of learning tasks that suit the needs of the learners and help them master all skills
successfully by providing different class exercises to complete their work. Ellis (2009)
discussed some criteria that distinguish TBLT from regular teaching activities. Finally, Li
(1998) argued that TBLT facilitates language learning because learners are the center of the
language process and in that way, it promotes higher proficiency levels in all language
skills. Nunan (2005) also stated that TBLT is an approach that enables skills integration. It
lets students understand, produce, manipulate, or interact in the classroom. This approach
usually requires real tasks, in which students have the main roles and use the four skills
constantly. Willis (1996) and Carless (2007) acknowledged the importance of this approach
because it emphasizes on authenticity and communicative activities. For them, when TBLT
is applied in class, learners assume active roles, and learning and reflections are constant.
Tasks in language learning

In English language education, tasks are viewed as important components to help develop
proficiency and to facilitate the learning of a second or foreign language by increasing
learners activity in the classroom. Nunan (2004) affirms that “tasks aim at providing
occasions for learners to experiment and explore both spoken and written language
through learning tasks that are designed to engage students in the authentic, practical, and
functional use of language” (p. 41). In this vision, the role of a task is to stimulate a natural
desire in learners to improve their language competence by challenging them to complete
clear, purposeful, and real-world tasks, which enhance the learning of grammar and other
features as well as skills. Additionally, Richards et al. (as cited in Nunan, 2004) consider
59
tasks as “an activity or action which is carried out as a result of a process to understand a
language. For example, drawing a map, performing a command, buying tickets, paying the
bills, and driving a car in a city” (p. 7). These types of tasks normally require the teacher to
specify the requirements for successful completion, set the goals of the task, and provide
different classroom practices that normally do not take place in an English class.
Furthermore, Long (1985) states that a task is a piece of work undertaken for oneself or for
others, freely or for some reward. Examples of a task include painting a fence, dressing a
child, filling out a form, buying a pair of shoes, making an airline reservation, borrowing a
library book, taking a driving test, typing a letter, weighing a patient, sorting letters, and so
on. In this sense, Richards and Rodgers (2001) argue that “tasks are believed to foster a
process of negotiation, modification, rephrasing, and experimentation that are at the heart
of second language learning” (p. 228). Nunan (1999) points out that tasks activate and
promote L2 learning through discussions, cooperation, and adjustment. In general, tasks
allow learners to be more exposed in the language learning process by increasing
rehearsal opportunities, in which they prepare themselves to perform daily-life tasks that
help them gain knowledge and experience in the target language.
Method
I followed a case study research design due to the characteristic of the context and the
specific population. The process involved planning, observing, acting, and reflecting about
the data from a small number of participants. According to Baxter and Jack (2008) “a
qualitative case study methodology provides the tools for researchers to study complex
phenomena within their contexts” (p. 545). Based on Yin’s (1984) definition, a case study is
a process that examines and describes a particular case thoroughly, with the objective of
gathering an in-depth understanding of the problem under analysis. Following Baxter and
Jack (2008) qualitative case studies give researchers the opportunity to examine a problem
through the use of different data collection tools. In this order of ideas, a series of six
interviews and the same number of observations were conducted to provide validity to the
research study. In order to analyze the data, I followed a constant comparison strategy to
examine the information of the problem under study. Based on Creswell (2007), constant
comparison strategy is a series of procedures that help researchers to analyze and think
about social realities. I followed a systematic plan of action in which I first transcribed the
observations and the interviews. Secondly, I read the information several times to identify
the recurring themes and labeled the data on the margins. Then, data were segmented
with repetitive words and voices from the participants. Data are shown in the case study
session that defines the participants in the research study.
Findings and discussion

The general findings of this research demonstrated that all the participants see TBLT as a
way to encourage the use and integration of the four language skills in their EFL classes.
They considered that this methodology could be helpful to incorporate the abilities through
60
performing tasks that included a variety of exercises to help them to develop their
capabilities in every single ability.
Nicol1 expressed that “they preferred TBLT rather than other ways of language learning
because this method offered the opportunity to increase their expertise in all the abilities
and not only on one or two” (Interview 2). Andres said that the implementation of an
everyday life task such as “describing family members” fostered the integration of the four
language skills in an optimistic way (Interview 3). In the same interview, Yasney stated:
“Classes are better now because we all practice the four skills at the same time.” These
participants had this perception about TBLT because this approach facilitated the
development of different class exercises that covered specific assignments in reading,
writing, listening, and speaking. This familiarized the participants with integrated classroom
tasks and provided more interaction, helping students to become better English learners.
The participants equally suggested that TBLT created more diverse and inclusive exposures
in the target language practice. They had more opportunities to rehearse and interact with
their classmates and the teacher-researcher by asking and answering questions from the
articles and holding conversations with the classmates about the task. In Interview 5,
Yasney expressed that she “liked to work with TBLT in class because [she] prepared well by
practicing with [her] classmates.” In Observations 4 and 5, it was evident to see this and
other learners (5) participating of all the exercises. In relation to this, Xiongyong and
Samuel (2011) affirmed that TBLT is seen by students as a great methodology to enhance
language practice opportunities. These results revealed that TBLT integrated and opened
students’ possibilities to be part of the class through constant practice.
To sum up, TBLT may also be a good way to integrate skills by creating a framework that
allowed the practice of suitable class activities, in which learners have to reach specific
class aims for every skill. Carlos affirmed that “the assignments helped them to understand
that skills integration provided them with realistic language learning” (Interview 5).
Additionally, Andrea expressed that she improved her language competences in part
because TBLT integrated the language skills and she practiced the language. For these
participants the use of task played an important role to learn the target language easily and
naturally, and they improved their skills in the language.
Participants’ view of integrated skills in EFL class

With respect to the integration of language skills in EFL classes, there were two positions.
First, at the beginning the students were not familiar with the methodology of integrating
language skills in class. Then, their perception was that the integration might be a great
way to learn a language, but they were not totally sure about the benefits of integrating the
skills in classes because they said that it demanded more work and it would be better to
master one skill and then the rest. However, this position changed during the development
1The names used here are pseudonyms.
61
of the tasks, in which was observable that the students did a lot of exercises to finalize the
work successfully. In Interview 5, Yasney stated that “the integration of language skills is a
useful and a successful mechanism to enhance the students’ English Language.” This
position was shared by Andres, who said that “the integration of language skills resulted in
a very useful way to keep a balance in the four language skills.” Andres also expressed
that “the integration is fundamental to learn the language as it is used in the real life.” In
part, the participants had this perception because at the end of the study they got used to
performance class work that had specific assignment for every skill.
Participants’ motivation during the development of the task

Apart from integrating language skills, TBLT helped the participants to be motivated, raised
their self-esteem, praised their own and others work. They were motivated by the structure
of the tasks (stages), the goals of each phase and the clear purposes, the teacher-
researcher willingness to correct meaningfully, and the kind of activities they developed.
Nicol said that “the research-teacher and the organization of the task encouraged her to
feel good in the class” (Interview 4). Similarly, Yasney expressed that “the steps of the
assignments and the teacher made [her] be willing to take part in the class development
easily” (Interview 5). Andres also manifested that working with TBLT motivated him to be a
better English learner. The positive attitude of these participants about the implementation
of tasks in class was in part due to their high performance, the meaningful feedback and
positive attitude, and disposition from the teacher-researcher. It means that, in order to
foster learners’ motivation, it is necessary to plan the class activities well and provide them
with correct feedback.
Conclusion
The findings of this study suggest that TBLT is a meaningful approach to integrate language
skills in an EFL program. The participants performed class assignments that helped them to
develop tasks which included continuing exercises in receptive and productive skills and
had more time to practice doing tasks that required the integration of language skills in a
lesson through the use of contextualized and meaningful activities that support natural
language acquisition. Linked to this benefit, the implementation of these assignments had a
positive impact to improve students’ communicative competences, as can be noted by the
students’ responses. These tasks increased the students’ experience in the language by
providing them with more opportunities to rehearse the language meaningfully. They
negotiated among them, showed their point of views about the class development, and
shared the results with their classmates orally and in writing. Also, they searched
information, read articles to get main ideas, and supported their reports.
62
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43rd
Convention
October 27-30, 2016
Academic writing feedback through screen capture technology
Elizabeth Cruz Soto

elizabeth.cruz19@gmail.com
The English language and technology have become two important topics in education in
today´s world. The context of this article is in the center of the Mexican republic in a public
university where English is being taught as a foreign language. It is important to highlight
that extensively the majors use the English language in order to graduate from the
university. As it is mentioned before, English is being taught as a foreign language and the
overwhelming majority of people have to learn it in a way. When learning a language that is
different from your mother tongue, there are certain aspects to focus on. In the case of
learning English as a foreign language for academic purposes, the majority of students
write a thesis project. At the same time, students are required to have a thesis supervisor
in order to receive feedback.
As a result, feedback needs to be given in an appropriate way in order to be understood by

students. For this reason, this article would talk the processes involved when feedback is
provided through screen capture technology. There is an emerging body literature on
screen capture technology (hereafter SCT) as a means for providing feedback (fb) to
students. It is mainly focused on how or why to use it, as well as, teacher´s and students´
perceptions and attitudes about it (e.g., Edwards, Dujardin and Williams, 2012; Jackson-
Vincelette and Bostic, 2013; Séror, 2012).
Currently, what is needed are empirical studies on how students manage and respond to
screen capture technology feedback (hereafter referred to as SCTfb) and how student
respond to and manage it when it is used as formative writing assessment. Thus, the
present study sought to fill the gap in understanding SCTfb and the English language
teaching graduate students who received it as feedback to their master´s theses chapters.
Furthermore, the process of receiving feedback involved students’ management of the

course platform blackboard, downloading, filing, listening to, watching and finally
responding to the feedback. Also, students´ responses and reactions to the SCTfb are
included.
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The present study was grounded in the following questions:
RQ1. How do the students manage the SCTfb they received for selected portions of their
thesis document?
RQ2. In what ways is their management of the SCTfb different from their management of
their more customary forms of writing feedback?
In order to find solutions to this activity, two data analysis procedures were used. First,
Atlas.ti as a way to categorize student´s moves when receiving feedback as revealed
through the think aloud protocol interviews (Katalin, 2000), and the activity theory approach
(Martin & White, 2005) in order to examine student’s emotions towards the use of this
program.
Literature review
As it was mentioned previously, the context of the writing process is in a formal context
which is denominated academic writing. Writing academic papers demand many things
such as academic vocabulary, transitional words, metadiscourse, referencing, just to name
few skills. Indeed, it is a difficult task to carry out. For this reason, students demand
teachers to revise their work and find mistakes in order to improve their writings. As a
result, the important topics of the present research are grounded in academic writing in
higher education, writing in a foreign language, research writing and supervision and
feedback. Feedback and technologies are most closely allied with the topic, specifically
SCT.
Academic writing in higher education

It is important to highlight that English has been taught in all education levels but the level
that demands more from students is in higher education. In this particular case, the
university where the study was carried out is located in central Mexico where the mother
tongue is Spanish and English is being taught as a foreign language.
Writing in a foreign language

There are several studies that prove that when students are learning a second language
(L2) it is easily for them to achieve appropriately academic writing because they already
have developed the features of their mother tongue (L1) (June, 2008). In agreement with
this view, it has been said that L2 writers tend to be more confident in their L2 writing
ability, have a sense of purpose, are aware of the audience and are committed to the
writing task (Hirose & Sasaki, 1994; Sasaki and Hirose, 1996; Victory, 1999). On the
contrary, there are some authors that suggest that even studying English for years, it is
difficult for non-native students (NNS) to develop academic writing. They said that students
experience numerous problems such as ineffectiveness of academic writing task and
disparity between the existing teaching as assessment practices in academic context
(Baleghizadeh and Gordani, 2012). That is to say, that if the language is hard to
understand, the discourse will be opaque and when it is assessed students will find
themselves in a failure.
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Research writing and supervision
As discussed previously, once students have finished their writing task they typically send it
to their supervisors in order to be assessed. The assessment is important because it
provides students with an image about how good or bad their product was. Truscott (1996
in Hyland and Hyland, 2006) mentioned that when students correct themselves after
feedback, they developed a sense of autonomy and seemed to be able to improve their
language accuracy. In the same path, Hyland and Hyland (2006) stated “students invest
more effort in processing the input they receive and are forced to notice discrepancies in
their own work and the correct pattern they are trying to employ” (p. 86). That is to say,
students learnt language rules that helped them to improve their writing. Davis and Bryer
(2004) agreed that supervision enhances students’ competencies and gives them the
opportunity to bring awareness of what they are writing.
Supervision and feedback

According to Pearson and Brew (2002) Supervision can be seen as a way of teaching with
the supervisor as guide of students. They believe that when students are well supervised
their writing will reflect effectiveness. To support this view, Lee (2007, p. 1) said that “the
range and depth of concepts that a supervisor holds will dictate how they supervise and the
type of researcher who emerges at the end of the process”. In other words, behind every
researcher there is an effective supervisor (effective researchers).
Feedback and technology

Hattie and Timperley (2007) believed that the central concept of effective communication is
feedback and that it is known as one of the most powerful influences on learning and
achievement. According to them, feedback “is information provided by an agent (teacher,
peer, book, parent, self, experience) regarding aspects of one’s performance or
understanding” (p. 81). Winne and Butler (1994 in Hattie and Timperley 2007) also
conceived feedback as “the information with which a learner can confirm, add to, overwrite,
tune, or restructure information in memory, whether that information is domain knowledge,
meta-cognitive knowledge, beliefs about self and tasks, or cognitive tactics and strategies”
(p. 574).
Hattie and Timperley (2007) conceptualized effective feedback as “any form of usual
effects of schooling on student achievement” (p. 82). The effects can vary according to the
task or to the difficulty of the task; however, they found that the most effective forms of
feedback are those that provide cues or reinforcement to learners and/or relate to goals
which can be in the forms of video, audio or computer assisted instructional feedback.
SCT
As time passes by, technology is taking on larger roles in education. Technology and
people are not the same in today’s world. People today use technology for everything even
for talking to the person that is next to us. The interrogative is that why we are still using
paper or pen to communicate when we have gadgets that make our life easier. Probably
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people can use the technology in education instead of using pencil and paper in order to
enhance students learning. Recently, video-feedback via SCT has become possible
through the research and education. It seems that video feedback engages students in
their writing process and students respond positively to the technology and methodology
(as shown in a number of recent studies, e.g., Edwards, Dujardin and Willams, 2012;
Jackson-Vincelette and Bostic, 2013; Séror, 2012). SCT is seen as an innovative and
creative way to correct our students’ papers.
Séror (2012) defined screencasting as “the broadcast through the World Wide Web of
digital video-recordings of a computer´s on-screen activities” (p. 106). He stated that the
use of it in L2 writing pedagogy was explored first by Stannard in 2006-2007 by producing
feedback by creating video-recording of both his spoken comments and his on-screen
actions as he responded to students’ texts. Rooted in this view, feedback has been seen at
a multimodal focus which allows a wider range of individual learning styles and preferences
(Mayer, 2003).
As well, Séror (2012) shared his experiences using screencapture technology because it
seems to enrich feedback on his students written assignments. He argued that in second
language feedback practices become effective using this digital resource. Also, he
mentioned that screencasting technology embodies a low-cost, intuitive, and time-saving
compared with the more traditional feedback approaches. Furthermore, Ferris, (2003,
2010; Hyland, 2010 in Séror, 2012) stated that in the field of L2 writing there is always a
controversy about the best ways to provide students with comments, corrections and
advise about their written assignments. As well, Séror (2012) showed beneficial effects of
feedback on students’ achievement and mentioned that feedback is a unique opportunity
for one-on-one interaction between instructors and students about their strengths or
weaknesses as writers (p. 105).
In addition, he mentioned that within an email, he sent his students a link where they could
access to their feedback any time on any device and at any location. He stated that
students could review their feedback as often as they wish and that they also have the
ability to rewind and stop their teacher’s feedback. By the time they listen to the
screencast, students are like having a face to face conference and can access to live
comments without the affective stress that is provoked by having their teacher present. As
well, supervisors are not forced to write out everything; on the contrary, supervisors are
able to communicate with greater flexibility with the addition of a visual dimension to
explanations.
Similarly, Stannard (2007 in Brick and Holmes, 2008) found that multimodal feedback
tended to be more extensive in terms of recording more words than in verbal
communication; it is also denser because it contains both verbal and nonverbal
information. Also, a combination of animation and verbal commentaries is the instructional
format that students find most memorable. Last, Brick and Holmes (2008), added that
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feedback is well received by students and there is some evidence to suggest that learners
value this type of feedback because they find it clearer than the traditional forms.
How does SCT work in writing feedback?

While the actual technical aspects of SCT are beyond the scope of this study, it is useful to
briefly describe how it works in terms of providing writing feedback. The technology is
delivered via software. There is a variety of SCT software available from free to paid
versions. The software that was used in this study had a small cost. The SCT program can
be bought online and downloaded directly to a personal computer (assuming it has an
internet connection). Once installed there is a tutorial, or the user can choose to begin
screen-capturing immediately. Most software sites have user groups and help services to
solve problems. In the case of the software used in this study, there were no problems and
the program was very easy to use.
To use the program, when the program is installed a tab is located in at the top of the
computer screen. It is there at all times (unless closed). The user moves the curser over
the tab and it opens. There is a red selectable tab in the middle of the tab which when
selected produces a movable frame which the user situates over the part of the screen to
be captured. Once that is done, the user can select to capture an image (as in a camera
shot) or a video. If the video is selected, the software provides a three second countdown
and then recording begins. The recording can be paused and restarted as many times as
necessary through the recording session. This is very useful when opening other
documents or websites to include in the recording. When recording is finished, a button is
selected which takes the user to the save and edit page of the software. Here the video
can be reviewed, cut (edited) and saved.
The overall operation of the software is basically intuitive and quite easy to use. However,
through a short period of use, the user can learn to use the program to the best advantage.
Overall the use of the SCT as a feedback tool to writing is well worth any effort involved
because of the positive responses of students to its use as reviewed in the studies
mentioned in this section. Attitudes towards feedback are important to learning as
established in a number of learning theories.
Findings
Findings from the Atlas analysis

SCTfb as face to face interaction with their thesis supervisors (1_F2FSUP)
This category describes students’ opinions of SCTfb as a face-to-face interaction with their
thesis supervisors. One aspect that was mentioned is that when students listen to the
teacher’s voice they feel like talking with their teacher instead of only listening to the
computer. To illustrate this view, one student said “I prefer to listen to the teacher’s voice
and recommendations” because it is like “giving me feedback in a personal way”.
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SCTfb as a practical way to receive feedback (1_FBIMPRV)
Students reported that the SCTfb is a practical way to receive feedback considering their
age, the nature of their task – writing their graduate thesis, and the quality of the feedback.
Some student’s comments were along these lines: “SCT is an appropriate program for our
ages considering that we are all now familiar with technology use”. Furthermore, students
reported that SCT is a practical tool because they can “go through it again and again,
pause it or listen to it twice”.
Emotional responses to the SCTfb (1_FBEMOTION)
Writing is difficult and stressful for many students especially when they are writing in a
second language. Many of the students expressed emotional responses to both types of
feedback and much of that was positive emotions associated with the more personal
SCTfb and negative emotions such as frustration and annoyance associated mainly with
traditional forms of writing feedback. Traditional forms were too brief such as highlighting
without further explanations and grades that did not match the teacher end comments in a
paper. These characteristics do not tend to happen with SCTfb because of the nature of
the technology.
SCTfb from a technical perspective (1_FBTECH)
Almost all of the students expressed being completely comfortable using the technology.
As mentioned above, it was the first time students were exposed to the SCTfb. It can be
say that students were comfortable within the use of the SCT program because they had
reported that they felt as if they were talking live with the supervisor. They also mentioned
that the quality of the SCT was great that allows them to correct their papers in a more
accurate way, better than in written documents. On the other hand, students expressed
that some of them had trouble managing editing features of their word processing software,
but none expressed any trouble using the SCT software. Many worked out ways to use it
and edit their writing which were specific to the qualities of the SCT approach.
Their SCTfb was delivered to them via the course management platform Blackboard.
These students had been using Blackboard throughout the graduate program, but in the
Fall 2014, thesis seminar course was the first time they had received the SCTfb. They all
knew when they saw the file extension – mp4 – that the file was some kind of multimedia
file, and as mentioned above, this did not cause any problems for them.
As it can be seen in the comments, many students mentioned that the volume was too low.
To compensate for that, many started using headphones or made sure they were working
in quiet locations. After seeing those comments, the instructor using the SCT software
adjusted her microphone setting and this has hopefully corrected this problem.
70
SCTfb procedures and TFB procedures (1_SCTPROCEDURES / 2_TFBPROC /
TFBCLEAR OR NOT).
This category is associated with RQ1 which intended to collect information about how the
students actually handled the SCTfb. While the interview protocol was focused on eliciting
procedures, much of what the students ended up talking about was related to what was
categorized in codes other than the procedure codes. After multiple readings and analysis
of the interview responses, it seems that what they do differently has to do first with the
nature of the SCTfb and second with whether they are required to resubmit their writings or
not. So there were no notable differences between what they do with the SCTfb and what
they do with their TFB other than for reasons mentioned in the previous sentence.
However, it is possible to identify a few things mentioned in the interviews.
Findings from the Appraisal Framework

According to Martin and White (2005), the Appraisal framework serves to explore, describe
and explain the way that language is used to evaluate, to adopt stances, to construct
textual personas or identities and to manage interpersonal positioning and relationships.
So the appraisal analysis looks at how relationships are negotiated in a text by the strategic
use of language in order to communicate attitudes and evaluations. Appraisal “is
concerned with the constructions by text of communities of shared feelings and values, and
with the linguistic mechanisms for the sharing of emotion, tastes and normative
assessment” (Martin & White, 2005, p. I).
Martin and White (2005) situate appraisal with systemic functional linguistics as an
interpersonal system at the level of discourse semantics, the appraisal system is
comprised of three different domains (sub-systems) which are engagement, attitude and
graduation. Engagement deals with sourcing attitudes and the interplay of voices around
opinions in discourse. Attitude is concerned with feelings including emotional reactions,
judgments of behaviors and evaluation of things. And graduation attends to grading
phenomena whereby feelings are amplified and categories blurred (Martin & White, 2005,
p. 35).
For the purpose of the first question, that is identifying how the students manage SCTfb,
this study focused only on the first level of appraisal: attitude which includes the following
semantic regions affect, judgment and appreciation. This level to categorize the data from
the protocol interviews was adopted because the main interest of this research is to look at
students’ reactions, actions, emotions and opinion while using the SCTfb.
Moments of Affect
The typology of affect is concerned with feelings or emotions, either positive (+) or negative
(-). This framework allows us to show how these feelings and emotions were realized by
EFL students when using SCTfb.
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Evidence of positive moments of affect
There were more positive moments of affect than negative registered by students. Those
moments were related to the comments that the teacher made on her paper. The majority
of the comments were positive comments and happy faces which made the participant feel
positive about the feedback she was receiving. Also, some of them were related to the way
the teacher used technology to give feedback (i.e., the SCTfb), as well as the use of the
SCT as a way to communicate with the professor. Finally, participants mentioned that the
audio file is a good tool because the teacher illustrates what to correct.
Evidence of negative moments of affect

Students had reported that SCT makes them feel something positive towards its use but
there are always some negative things about it. Those negative moments were related to
the use of the printing machine, downloading took too long and computers were slow. In
the case of regular or written feedback, participants mention that sometimes teachers send
it late and that makes them feel frustrated, stressed, disappointed, and even anxious.
Some participants did not mention anything negative about SCTfb use which means that
they were “content” about having it as a way to improve their writing. Also, it is believed
that students who did not report any negative moment of affect could manage the computer
well so that they did not present any negative comments on the use of it.
Moments of judgment
As mentioned by Martin and White (2005, p. 52) judgments can be divided into two
categories. First, judgments related to social esteem which have to do with normality (how
unusual someone is), capacity (how capable they are) and tenancy (how resolute they
are). Second, judgments related to social sanctions which have to do with veracity (how
truthful someone is) and propriety (how ethical someone is). Therefore within the use of
SCTfb it can be concluded that these kinds of processes exist. As well, it is important to
mention that for this particular study only social esteem judgments are going to be taken
into account due to the fact that they “tend to be policed In the oral culture through chat,
gossip, jokes and stories with humor but often having a critical role to play” (Eggins &
Slade, 1997 in Martin & White, 2005, p. 52). The majority of students showed positive and
negative moments of judgment when using SCTfb, it means that the majority of students
either positively or negatively evaluate the use of this kind of feedback; that is to say that
participants either admire or criticize the use of this tool.
Evidence of positive moments of judgment

Participants indicated strong positive moments of judgment related to the use of SCTfb as
a good tool for giving and receiving feedback. Also they mentioned that the use of SCTfb
(mp4 or audio) was a great tool due to the fact that you can listen to your teacher as if you
were having class with him/her. Also, they agreed that the audio is easy to download and
that it complements the written fb that is given in the document. Besides that, it is easy to
see the mistakes or where the feedback is written. Last, comments helped participants to
improve their work. To conclude, it can be said that participants admired the potential use
72
of the SCTfb and that they were mature enough to reflect about their writing and the use of
the SCTfb. At the same time, participants had recognized that without receiving fb in this
way they would not understand fb in the same way and as a result they would not be able
to improve their academic writing.
Evidence of negative moments of judgment

As mentioned by Martin and White (2005) judgments can be also be negative. In this
project, participants criticized the use of SCTfb and their reactions are described in the
following lines. The majority of the problems dealt with personal management of
technology and fb as well as technical problems with students´ computers. Students
reported that something negative about technology is that they are not used to and that it
causes problems when receiving fb. On the other hand, students conveyed that the volume
of the audio is bad and that they cannot hear or concentrate. It is a problem of each
computer so it does not really have to do with the use of the SCTfb because the rest of the
participants did not have that problem on their computers subsequently these kinds of
judgments might not be valid in terms of the use of the SCT to give feedback or to improve
academic writing. Last, some negative moments of judgment are related to personal
experiences that make participants experience problems e.g., they cannot concentrate
while listening; they cannot listen and write at the same time; they do not like to wait for the
mp4 to download, and so on. It is worth mentioning that those comments are not related to
the use of the SCT but they cannot be left aside because they cause problems when
participants are correcting their papers.
Moments of appreciation
Martin and White (2005, p. 56) claim that appreciation is when we evaluate “things” in a
positive or negative way. These things are specially “things we make and performances we
give, but they also include natural phenomena” p. 56. In short, appreciation means the way
we “react” to things (do they catch out attention, do they please us) and their composition
(balance and complexity) and their value (how innovative, authentic, timely, etc.).
Evidence of positive moments of appreciation

When asking participants about the use of SCTfb it was found that positive moments of
appreciation are regarding the way the teacher gives feedback. Indeed, participants
described the way in which SCTfb is good because students can listen to the teacher’s
explanations and correct their paper right away. As well, they explained that the positive
moments of appreciation were done when they reflected about the teacher. They admired
the way the teacher has worked with this tool and they say teacher’s comments helped
them realize that the things they wrote were correct and that those comments bring up their
spirit too because they were positive comments. Last, the SCTfb is a good thing that has
helped participants because it comes in two parts; the mp4 or audio and the document in
which they can make the changes that the professor is suggesting.
73
Evidence of negative moments of appreciation
There was only one participant who mentioned a negative moment of appreciation that was
when she received a bad grade. Then, she compared the fb given by the teacher with the
original document she sent and she stated “If the grade is bad I check it right now. I
compare it where I was wrong”. The negative moment occurred when she noticed the bad
grade however it was associated with TFB and not the SCTfb. It means that the negative
moment of appreciation was related to the TFB and not with the use of the SCTfb audio.
The other participants did not show any negative moment of appreciation.
Chapter conclusion
The present study can be used as an example for teachers who supervise students when
writing their theses or when writing projects that involve the use of English as a foreign
language. It shows that using SCT can a practical and useful way to give fb to students. It
also helps teachers to communicate with students without seeing them face-to-face. While
using this tool, the teacher can revise students´ papers effectively that in turn helps
students to correct academic papers with a minimum of misunderstandings or doubts. It
can be useful to monitor students´ progress individually or in group.
On the other hand, regarding students as participants, the majority agreed that using this
tool they develop academic writing more efficiently and that is a way to communicate with
their supervisors without seeing them. In light of this, it is useful to supervisors to enhance
their professional practice and also helping students understand their writing feedback
through an accessible format.
Furthermore, when seeking answers about the ways the students’ management of the
SCTfb differed from their management of their more customary forms of writing feedback
they mentioned that this has to do with the nature of the feedback. This means that SCTfb
is given orally and in writing. It differs from traditional feedback because first they look at
the written form and then they watch/listen to the oral form. Also, students can play the
mp4 (oral form) as many times as they wish in order to make changes on their written text.
Lastly, many of the students store the SCTfb in different folders to facilitate their use of it –
to make it easier to locate and listen to again.
What these findings mean is that students do not really do something different with SCTfb
than when receiving traditional feedback. However, they stated that it is a completely
different story when receiving the SCTfb. Students reported that when revising traditional
feedback they felt frustrated and unhappy. As well, they agreed that traditional feedback
many times is vague and confusing; it did not help them to correct the problem if it is
marked without explanations. Also, students mentioned that in traditional feedback
comments have an angry or unfriendly tone that makes them unhappy. Lastly, the students
reported with the traditional feedback that they felt that the teacher did not understand what
they were expressing and that resulted on a negative grade or negative feedback. There
did not seem to be that same feature with the SCTfb.
74
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76
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Shaping identity in the NNEST classroom: An ethnographic portrait
Rosa Dene David

rosadene@gmail.com
United States of America Department of State English Language Fellow Program
Abstract:
The differentiation between NESTS and NNESTs is a predominant issue within ELT.
Identity is often shaped by others perceptions and can be reflected inside the classroom.
This study is concerned with the way in which two NNESTs perceive their professional
identity in relation to being multilingual speakers teaching English. By painting individual
portraits of two NNESTS, this study explores the attitudes, beliefs and social structures that
influence the way the participants view themselves as instructors.
Session Description:
One of most prevalent issues surrounding English education internationally is the
differentiation between Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) and Nonnative
English-Speaking Teachers (NNESTs). What is sometimes termed the “Native speaker
fallacy” is the notion that in order to be a proficient teacher of the English language one
must either be a native speaker or possess native like fluency (Phillipson, 1992). This
position is furthered by Holliday’s “Native Speakerism, ” (Holliday, 2006) which suggests
that within the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) there is an assumption that
NESTs are better equipped to teach English language learners due to language proficiency
and Western teaching methodology Today, instructors who are native speakers of English
are more sought after on the international market than their nonnative English-speaking
counterparts. NNESTs have less access to employment, fair wages and job security due to
the perceived differences in language ability (Barry, 2011). The distinction between the two
classes of teachers has imposed the belief that NNESTs are often second-class citizens
(Braine, 1999). Subsequently, noting the differences between English variety and dialect
can jeopardize the NNESTs’ social and occupational identity in the classroom (Varghese et
al., 2005).
Globalization is increasingly “omnipresent” and, as Tapias (2008) has illustrated, a “global

tsunami” is washing flows of people and information into new spaces transnationally. The
English language has acted as a global anchor to secure these changes internationally.
Historically, we have looked towards what Kachru terms “Inner Circle” countries, i.e. those
77
where English has been the native language (U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand),
to guide the training of teachers and delivery of English instruction (Kachru, 1985).
Scholars within Applied Linguistics and English language teaching (ELT) argue that
favoring the native speaker has created a division among not only what varieties of English
are sought after on the international market, but by doing so ELT “has diverted attention
away from the solution of urgent pedagogical questions and prevented the flourishing of
local pedagogical initiative which could build on local strengths and linguistic realities”
(Phillipson, 1992, p. 199). Still other academics within the field have argued that the
privileging of the native speaker is beginning to diminish in these same settings (Paikeday,
1981; Braine, 1999). Other theoreticians have called for a move away from the negative
terminology of native and nonnative speaker, contending that such jargon calls for a
division in speaker comprehensible and international labor practices (Leung, Harris and
Rampton, 1997; Butcher, 2005).
It is widely accepted in English education that the differentiation between native and
nonnative English speaking teachers has created a division in class and in labor. Robert
Phillipson coined the term “native speaker fallacy” to suggest that “the ideal teacher is a
native speaker, somebody with native speaker proficiency in English who can serve as a
model for the pupils” (Phillipson, 1992, p. 193). By relying on native speaker intuition and
supposing that NESTs are the ideal models for English language learners drastically
affects NNESTs role within ELT. Holliday explains that division between teachers “can be
seen in many aspects of profession life, from employment policy to the presentation of
language” (Holliday, 2006 p. 385). Other scholars understand that the subsequent divide
between teachers has negative consequences on NNESTs including less access to
employment opportunities, fair wages, job security due to perceived differences in
intelligibility and proficiency (Berns, 2005; Barry, 2011).
The international education model further problematizes which speakers should be the
model for the growing number of nonnative English speakers internationally. Western
universities have placed themselves in a position of power by constructing themselves as
being in the “center of the international student exchange network” that deciphers
academic excellence (Chen and Barnett, 2002; as cited in Devos, 2003, p. 161). Moreover,
English language education can be understood as a “site of struggle and identity
revamping where knowledge about the cultural politics associated with colonialism,
imperialism, modernity, development theories and globalization and about the powerful
dichotomies of Self and Other is questioned” (Chowdhury and Phan Le Ha, 2014 p. 13).
Thus, the essence of English education internationally should come under scrutiny in
relation to its role in creating discriminatory practices.
In the United States, we have begun to direct legislation against those “aliens among us”
who are perceived to be in the U. S. illegally or perceived to be taking jobs away from
white, monolingual users of English (Ruiz, 1988; Castellanos, 1983; Canagarajah, 1999;
Lui, 1999, Mckay and Bokhorst-Heng, 2008; Oboler, 2010). Some academics have argued
78
that a historic colonial relationship has been transferred to a neo-colonial relationship
(Phillipson, 1992, Canagarajah, 1999; Lui, 1999; Holliday, 2006). One of the most recent
examples of a discriminatory state led policy occurred in the state of Arizona, where
teachers who were reported to speak an accented variety of English were required to be
removed from classrooms where there were students still learning how to speak the
English language (Obobler, 2010; Diniz de Figueiredo, 2011). In this context, the ideal
teacher of English continues to be a monolingual U.S. citizen, born and raised on American
soil. But as demographics change scholars have argued that a more diverse group of
teachers should deliver instruction to diverse learners (McLaren and Farahmandpur, 2004).
In the case of the NNESTs, English instruction can be shaped by the perception and
identity inferred by creating a divide between teachers according to language variation. It
has been noted that pre-service NNESTs feel anxiety and fear when they contemplate their
overall language ability in comparison to NESTs (Greis, 1985). NNESTs are also prone to
feeling inferior to NESTs and sometimes in the EIL context do not recognize that speaking
the same native language as their students could be in their favor (Tang, 1997). Instead,
NNESTs are often more concerned with their students’ perceptions and opinions of their
ability to teach English coherently with precision. Thus, NNESTs struggle with constructing
and negotiating a positive identity within the English classroom (Amin, 1997).
As previous research has indicated, identity is a dynamic process that is both assigned and
claimed (Varghese et al., 2005). The negotiation of identity is an ongoing process between
the social positions that individuals claim for themselves and the social positions that are
assigned by those they come in contact with (Blackledge and Pavenko, 2001) In relation to
English language education, teacher identities “develop in connection with the social
contexts where they have learned, used and taught languages” (Menard-Warwick, 2014, p.
3). Thus, the construction of teacher identity has a direct correlation to the distinctions
places upon NNESTs perceived language differences because it situates the nonnative
speaker within a socially oppressive constructed identity (Pavlenko, 2003).
Almost completely absent from the debate has been the voices of nonnative English
teachers whose lived experiences inside the English language classroom are directly
affected by the pillars of inequality that have been put in place by discriminatory practices
in TESOL. Menard-Warwick reminds us that there are metaphoric “discursive faultlines”
within English education “where tensions, stresses and collisions occur between
discourses” that can dramatically impact critical English language pedagogies (Mendard-
Warwick, 2014, p. 2). Few studies have sought to use ethnographic methods to create
narratives of NNESTs living across cultural and linguistic barriers (Arva and Medgyes,
1999; Llurda and Huguet, 2003; Dimova, 2011; Menard-Warwick, 2014).
This study explores the lives of two bilingual individuals whose first language is not English.
They are both teachers of English to speakers of other languages. They are valued,
79
successful, and independent. They are the future. Their individual lived histories serve to
illustrate the complexities that NNESTs endure as English language professionals.
References:
Amin, N. (1997). Race and the identity of the nonnative ESL teacher. TESOL
Quarterly, 31(3), 580-583.
Arva, V., & Medgyes, P. (2000). Native and non-native teachers in the classroom. System,
28(3), 355-373.
Barry, C. (2011). English language teaching in Brunei: A view through a critical
lens. RELC Journal, 42(2), 203-220.
Blackledge, A., & Pavlenko, A. (2001). Negotiation of identities in multilingual
Contexts. The International Journal of Bilingualism, 5(3), 243-257.
Braine, G. (Ed.) (1999). Non-native educators in English language teaching. Mahwah, NJ:
Laurence Erlbaum Associates.
Berns, M. (2005). Expanding on the expanding circle: Where do we go from here? World
Englishes, 24(1), 85-93.
Butcher, C.A. (2005). The case against the ‘native speaker.’ English Today, 21(2),
13-24.
Canagarajah, S.A. (1999). Resisting linguistic imperialism in English language teaching.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Castellanos, D. (1983). The best of two worlds: Bilingual-bicultural education in the US.
Trenton. NJ: New Jersey State Department of Education.
Chen, T., & Barnett, G. (2000) Research on international student flows from a macro
perspective: A network analysis of 1985, 1989 and 1995. Higher Education, 39(4), 435-
453.
Chowdhury, R., & Phan, L. (2014). Desiring TESOL and international education:
Market abuse and exploitation. North York, ON: Multilingual Matters.
Dimova, S. (2011). Non-native English teachers' perspectives on teaching accents and
varieties. TESL Reporter, 44(1&2), 65-82.
Diniz de Figueredo, E., H. (2011). Nonnative English-speaking teachers in the United
80
States: Issues of identity. Language and Education, 25(5), 419-432.
Greis, N. (1985). Towards a better preparation of the non-native ESOL teacher. On TESOL
84: Selected papers from the 18th annual convention of teachers of English to speakers of
other languages. Washington, DC: TESOL.
Holliday, A. (2006). Native-speakerism. ELT Journal, 60(4), 385-387.
Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: the English
Language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.). English in
in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literatures. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press.
Leung, C., Harris, R., & Rampton, B. (1997). The idealized native speaker, reified
ethnicities, and classroom realities. TESOL Quarterly, 31(3), 543-560.
Liu, J. (1999). Nonnative-English-speaking professionals in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly,
33(1), 85-102.
Llurda, E., & Huguet, A. (2003). Self-awareness in NNS EFL primary and secondary school
teachers. Language Awareness, 12(3&4), 220-233.
McKay, S., & Bokhorst-Heng, W. (2008). International English in its sociolinguistic contexts:
Towards a socially sensitive EIL pedagogy. New York, NY: Routledge.
Menard-Warwick, J. (2014). English Language Teachers on the Discursive Faultlines:
Identities, Ideologies and Pedagogies. North York, ON: Multilingual Matters.
McLaren, P., & Farahandpur, R. (2005). Teaching against global capitalism and the
new imperialism: A critical pedagogy. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield
Oboler, S. (2010). The dismantling of our future. Latino Studies, (8)3, 299-303.
Paikeday, T. (1985). The native speaker is dead! Toronto, ON: Paikeday Publishing Inc.
Pavlenko, A. (2003). “I never knew I was a bilingual”: Reimagining teacher identities in
TESOL. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 2(4), 251-268.
Phillipson, R. (1992). Linguistic imperialism. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Ruiz, A. (1988). Orientation in language planning. In S. McKay & S. L. C. Wong
(Eds.), Language diversity, problem or resource? A social and educational perspective on
language minorities in the United States (Vol. 3). New York, NY: Newbury House
Publishers.
Tang, C. (1997). The identity of the nonnative ESL teacher: On the power of status of
nonnative ESL teachers. TESOL Quarterly, 31(3), 577-583.
Tapias, A. (2008, October). Global diversity and intercultural competence development.
Plenary at the First Annual IDI Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
Varghese, M., Morgan, B., Johnston, B., & Johnson, K. (2005). Theorizing language
teacher identity: Three perspectives and beyond. Journal of Language, Identity and
Education, 4(1), 21-44.
81
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Breaking paradigms: Implementing a multidisciplinary approach to teacher-training
Rosa Dene David

rosadene@gmail.com
Kimberley Brown
dbkb@pdx.edu
Portland State University
Abstract:
In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in the Mexican education system that
calls for English language reform. Yet, the real challenge lies in developing teacher-training
programs that train teachers not only to speak the language, but to acquire all of the tools
needed to successfully teach a foreign language. This study explores the role of
multidisciplinary training programs as a way to build confidence and knowledge about the
English language.
Session Description:
This presentation addresses some of the challenges that Mexican non-native English-
speaking teachers (NNESTs) face as they work to improve their overall English language
proficiency and adopt current trends in English language pedagogy. In Mexico, there has
been a paradigm shift in the K-12 education system aimed to strengthen bilingualism in the
country (British Council, 2015). Though English as a foreign language (EFL) has been a
part of the Ministry of Education curriculum at the secondary level since 1954 (Secretaria
de Educación Pública, 2010), the desire to offer English to students at younger age and to
continue instruction until the end of high school is a relatively new concept. In 2009 the
Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) sought to achieve this goal by initiating the Programa
Nacional de Inglés en Educación Básica (PNIEB) to ensure that students finishing their
secondary education would develop, “the pluri-lingual and pluri-cultural competence
necessary to successfully handle the communicative challenges of the globalized world,
(Hanna, 2012).” PNIEB was reformed again in 2015 to become Programa Nacional de
Ingles (PRONI) as a way to better address the needs of young learners at the national
level. Though SEP has outlined a noteworthy goal, the challenge lies in teacher-training
programs.
82
Historical Background:
As the fifth largest public education system in the world with thirty-two million students and
two million teachers, SEP faces numerous challenges as it tries to change its English
language agenda to meet the needs of its young learners. Prior to 2009, English language
education in public institutions was limited to middle school (secondaria) and high school
(preparatoria/bachillerato) students. The initiation of PNIEB marked a major shift in
Mexico’s English language education policy as it sought to start English language
education in primary schools at the national level. The new program introduced English
language education beginning in kindergarten and continuing through sixth grade (Sayer,
2012). Under PNIEB, the English language programs were controlled at the state level,
which caused its own set of problems including the implementation of a national curriculum
and lack of articulation between primary, secondary and high school programs (Ramíez-
Romero, Sayer, 2016). The goal of PNIEB was to implement English language education in
phases so that it could be expanded across all grades by 2012 and have continuity
between academic levels.
However the PNIEB program was short lived and in 2013 PNIEB was replaced with
Programa S246 Fortalecimiento de la Calidad en Educación Básica (PFCEB). According to
Ramíez-Romero and Sayer (2008; p. 8), “The PFCEB was not a specific program for
English teaching itself, but de facto eliminated PNIEB replacing it with one of the three
initiatives or strategies of the new program meant to provide support to existing programs,
entitled Apoyo para los procesos de estudio de una segunda lengua (inglés).” What has
been observed to date by both policymakers and teachers is that the application of PDCEB
was inconsistent, unclear and caused a significant amount of confusion about the future of
English language education which in itself helped forged the next change in English
language policy in the country.
In 2016, SEP embarked on yet another new English language initiative entitled, Programa
Nacional de Inglés (PRONI) which, “Aims to support the states in order to strengthen and
give continuity to the actions that have been implemented since the pilot began in the
2009-2010 school year in K-6 public schools, so that students get the skills to participate in
more realistic English language social practices (DOF, 2015; p. 39).” Thus PRONI is set to
build upon the work previously initiated by former English language initiatives namely
PNIEB and PFCEB (Ramíez-Romero, Sayer, 2016). The goals of these prior initiatives
were to expand access to English in public school sector starting in primary school and to
create continuity between academic levels. By all indications the successes of these
initiatives have included the implementation of English language programs in 33,093
primary elementary schools nationwide and higher numbers of students learning English
for a longer period of time. However, at issue is the fact that there are issues with how
teachers are recruited, and how teachers are trained both in terms of pedagogy and
language. Within the public school sector there is lack of availability of textbooks, and
articulation between academic levels.
83
In relation to English language reform in Mexico, one of the biggest challenges facing SEP
is the way in which teachers are being selected to teach EFL. In many instances, teachers
from various educational backgrounds are teaching EFL, yet many do not have the
language skills or the language training to successfully meet PNIEB/PRONIs goals
(Valladres and Castro, 2013). According to Sayer (2012, p. 14), “The main problem is with
the profile of teachers, because in many schools teachers who need to be given a certain
number of hours according to their contract are assigned to teach English as ‘filler hours’
regardless of knowledge of TESOL (teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
methods or English proficiency.” Teachers who lack foreign language pedagogy training or
who have lower levels of English proficiency often choose to teach their English classes in
Spanish. When English classes concentrate on discrete language skills and do not
emphasize practice in the target language, students struggle to achieve the language skills
needed to develop proficiency, (Valdés, 2001; Shin, 2008).
It is equally important to note that for Non-Native English Teachers (NNESTs) who have
not had extensive contact with English and who haven’t develop their own written and oral
proficiencies, the psychological burden of teaching EFL can be overwhelming (Machida,
2015). Often- times NNESTs without pedagogical training in English language teaching
(ELT) feel ill-equipped to serve their students (Medgyes, 1999). This lack of pedagogical
training, coupled with a level of English language proficiency that does not enable most to
actually teach English in English are elements that are preventing successful
implementation of the goals and objectives of SEP. Other scholars have pointed out the
challenges SEP faces as it seeks to lead this English language reform. Among them: lack
of articulation between levels from primary through secondary education; insufficient
qualified English language professionals, and a belief by many that English language
pedagogy is not a credible subject area.
Current Study:
This presentation specifically looks at one ongoing teacher-training program in the state of
Guanajuato. The Department of State’s English Language Fellow Program in partnership
with Sistema Avanzado de Bachillerato y Educación Superior (SABES) has created a
three-year teacher-training program that seeks to provide teachers with ongoing English
language instruction and English language pedagogy. The two-fold goal of this program,
along with a demonstrable assessment dimension has been successful in helping
participants acquire agency (Sayer, 2012) and the skills necessary to not only step
successfully into the English language classroom, but to manage the class and delivery of
materials in English. Among the “best practices” that feature in this program are the
following: teaching English using the communicative approach, building a student centered
classroom, writing lesson plans, integrating technology in low-tech classrooms, and
building speaker identity.
All dimensions of this successful program can be imported into collaborations in other
states. The power dimension of native speaker English that has so dominated the
84
profession is lessened with the type of collaboration illustrated by this project. There is
greater equal status collaboration: one US agency partner and one Mexican partner.
Kachru (1985) suggests that English belongs to all who use it. Allowing teachers to develop
their language fluency as well as their understanding of appropriate pedagogies in the
communicative language classroom will ultimately serve the Mexican government well as
we move into a globalized workplace.
References:
British Council. (2015). English in Mexico: An examination of policy, perceptions and

influencing factors. Mexico: British Council Mexico.
Hanna, P.M., (2012-13). Mexican National and International Policy on Second
Languages. Lengua y Voz, 3(1), 3-18.
Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: the English
Language in the outer circle. In R. Quirk & H. G. Widdowson (eds.). English in
in the world :Teaching and learning the language and literatures, Cambridge:Cambridge
University Press.
Machida, T. (2016). Japanese elementary school teachers and English language
anxiety. TESOL Journal 7(1).
Medgyes, P. 1999. The non-native teacher. Ismaning, Germany: Hueber.
Ramírez-Romero, J. L., & Sayer, P. (2016). The teaching of English in public primary
schools in Mexico: More heat than light? Education Policy Analysis Archives,
24(84). http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.24.2502
Sayer, P. (2012). Ambiguities and tensions in English language teaching. New York:
Routledge.
Secretaria de Educación Pública (SEP). (2010). Programa Nacional de Inglés en
Educación Básica: Informe de resultados de la etapa piloto. México, DF: SEP.
Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB). (2013). Acuerdo número 706 por el que se
emiten las Reglas de Operación del Programa de Fortalecimiento de la Calidad
en Educación Básica. Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF).
Shin, S.J. (2008). Preparing non-native English-speaking esl teachers. Teacher
Development 12(1).
Valdés, G. (2001). Learning and not learning English: Latino students in American
schools. New York: Teacher’s College Press.
Valladares J.L., Castro Y.P. (2013). The Challenge of Teaching English in Public
Schools: Beyond Academic Factors. MEXTESOL Journal 37(3).
85
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Blended Learning: Perceptions and uses of ICTs
Maria Georgina Fernández Sesma

georginafernandez0@gmail.com
Universidad Estatal de Sonora.
Abstract
The educational field has been reformed by the use of information and communication
technologies (ICTs), and consequently, the teaching and learning of foreign languages.
The purpose of this study is to know the EFL teachers and students’ actual use the ICTs to
develop the four language skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing) and language
sub-skills (grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation), and their perceptions of the factors
that influence their intention to use those ICTs within the blended learning modality at a
Mexican tertiary context.
The research framework that guides this investigation is the Unified Theory of Acceptance
and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which combines the elements across eight major models
of user acceptance of information technology. The study used a mixed methods approach
for data collection and analysis, where instruments such as questionnaires and interviews
for EFL teachers and students were administered to gather information.
This paper presents preliminary results of some of the research questions, derived from the
pilot stage of the research instruments; therefore, responses are not conclusive. The pilot
stage gave light to the research in aspects such as teachers and students’ perceptions of
using ICTs to learn or teach English within the blended learning model, factors that might
influence the participants’ intention to use new technologies, and factors that were found
not to be significant.
Introduction
Due to the technological advances in computers and communication technologies in the
21st century, intercultural communication has been transformed. Internet tools such as chat
rooms, emails, weblogs, Facebook, Twitter, and mobile text messaging among others; plus
the increased mobility of people from different cultural backgrounds, have made that the
difference between “native speaker” and “non-native speaker” concepts is almost irrelevant
(Sharifian & Jamarani, 2013).The educational field has changed because of the use of
ICTs, and consequently, the teaching and learning of foreign languages, which have
adopted new learning modalities.
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Within the educational field in Mexico proposals, policies, actions, and strategies have
been oriented to include ICTs in educational programs (Lopez & Flores, 2010). Universities
began to be equipped with the first computers in 1980, setting the path toward other
learning modalities such as distance learning with the use of computers and the internet,
online learning and blended learning. The National Development Plan 2013-2018 in goal
three about education, states that for Mexican people to achieve an integral development it
is necessary to improve the quality of education along with a higher investment in science
and technology, in order to increase the development of the national human capital
(Gobernacion, 2013). In this regard, with the aim of providing a quality education, the
University of Pitic (pseudonymous) encourages and supports the development and
implementation of innovative learning projects based on new technologies.
Educational context
This study takes place at the University of Pitic, a public university located in the state of
Sonora in northern Mexico where English is a mandatory subject matter for which it is used
a commercially-available program called Smrt English (hereafter Smrt or program). Smrt
consists of a form of blended learning that combines face to face interaction with the
teacher in the classroom and online content; students work online during class time and
they use the program like a textbook. So that, technology is integrated in tasks and
embedded in the classroom. Digital tools support the mediation of language and culture
such as a) Media: TED talks (Technology, Entertainment, Design), YouTube video clips,
news clips, audio clips, and Google Apps; b) Unit structure: grammar exercises, speaking,
reading, writing, vocabulary, media; c) Tasks: Cloze exercises, sentence transformation,
vocabulary extension, listening comprehension, note-taking, discussions, task-solving; d)
Classroom practice: teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction, individual
work, pair work, Small groups, and peer correction ("The Smrt curriculum: Theory and
Practice," n. d.).
Purpose of the study

The purpose of the present investigation is to examine how ICTs are actually used, to what
extent, and how they are used in the teaching and learning of EFL within a blended
learning modality, where teachers and students are the main protagonists and users of
ICTs to develop the English language skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening) and
sub-skills (grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation), in order to make a comprehensive
analysis of the learning situation. As well, it investigates the EFL teachers and students’
perceptions of the barriers or obstacles that could be preventing them from taking
advantage of the transformational potential of blended learning, in order to further
understand how perceptions and uses of ICTs within the blended learning modality might
impact on the students’ development of the language competences.
The objective of this study is to know the EFL teachers and students’ actual use the ICTs
to develop the four language skills and sub-skills, and their perceptions of the factors that
influence their behavioral intention to use those ICTs for the teaching and learning of
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English language; in order to analyze both perspectives and have a better understanding of
the learning situation within the blended learning model in a Mexican tertiary context.
To achieve this purpose, the study includes two objectives that complement one another
described as following:
1. To investigate the EFL teachers and students’ perceptions of the factors that influence
on their behavioral intention to use ICTs.
2. To explore the EFL teachers and students’ actual use of ICTs.
Since teachers and students are co-participants in the teaching and learning processes
what they think and do within the blended learning modality should be studied together, in
order to make a comprehensive analysis that allows understanding the perceptions and
actions of the main participants in the teaching and learning processes.
Literature review
The use of ICTs in language learning

In the early 1970s the federal government of the United States implemented a project with
the purpose of determining whether computer-assisted instruction (CAI) could be made
available for as many teachers and schools as possible. As a result, by early 1980
Computer-based learning activities were used as an adjunct in ESL classes, having great
influence on the development of what was known as Computer Assisted Language
Learning (CALL) (Chapelle, 2001). Additionally, the introduction of microcomputers in the
same decade made it possible for ordinary people to see the potential of computers in
helping them perform repetitive routines efficiently and accurately. Users made efforts to
adapt and learn how to deal with the new technological world, where computers were much
faster, more efficient, and much smaller in size and cost thanks to the integrated circuit
(Sawyer, 2004). Bax (2011) asserts that modern technology have become a regular part of
the language classroom in many parts of the world. He defines its use as “normalization”,
due to people use technology without thinking that they are dealing with technological
artifacts. Bax says that when a language teacher or a student deals with a digital tool for
pedagogical purposes, the action does not happen in isolation because “normalization” is
characterized for being “a) culturally based, b) a social process, c) developed through
communication, d) understood through culturally formed settings, e) developed through
assistance or instruction” (Bax, 2011, p. 7).
Blended learning
Glazer defines blended learning as ‘those [courses] in which a significant amount of seat
time, that is, time spent in the classroom, is replaced with online activities that students in
meeting course objectives” (2012, p. 1). Also called hybrid or mixed-mode learning in
some colleges or universities, blended learning has been the object of many investigations
in a variety of its dimensions (Picciano & Dziuban, 2007). For instance, Ozkan and Koseler
(2009) developed a Hexagonal e-Learning assessment model (HELAM) to evaluate the
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students' perceptions on the effectiveness of e-learning instruction. The dimensions of the
model are system quality, service quality, content quality, learner perspective, instructor
attitudes, and supportive issues. The results showed that each of the six dimensions of the
HEALM model had a significant effect on the learners’ perceived satisfaction, especially in
the learner’s perceived enjoyment towards e-learning system, and in the relationship
between instructor quality and the learner’s perceived satisfaction.
In another study, Lopez-Perez et al. (2011) investigated the relationship between the
students’ perceptions of blended learning experience and its relation to outcomes. The first
objective of the research consisted of analyzing the effects of a blended learning
experience on the outcomes obtained in terms of dropout rate from classes and final exam
grades awarded. The second objective consisted of measuring the student’s perception of
the blended learning experience based on three aspects: utility, motivation, and
satisfaction. Results showed that blended learning instruction is useful to reduce dropout
rates and to improve the students’ final grades. On the other hand, it was found that the
students’ perceived utility, motivation, and satisfaction of blended learning could influence
positively on their attitude toward learning.
In another study, Aydin (2013) pointed out that the researches have focused mainly on the
effectiveness of computer use and its contribution to student learning, while the
perceptions of EFL teachers have received little or no attention. Aydin investigated the
Turkish EFL teachers' self-confidence using computers for personal use and for teaching
EFL. The subjects of study were 157 EFL teachers from Turkey. The instruments to gather
information consisted of a questionnaire. The dimensions included (a) knowledge of
computer software, (b) frequency of software usage for personal purposes, (c) computer
attitudes, (d) perceived self-confidence in integrating computers, and (e) school climate
and support. The results showed that the EFL teachers’ knowledge of computer software
was limited to using the Internet, email, word processing, and presentation software.
Additionally, they showed negative feelings toward integrating computers into the
curriculum, technical and institutional support and toward the school facilities.
Current discussions in literature show a variety of investigations of blended learning that

analyze different aspects of this emerging educational model; however, little has been said
about the EFL teachers and students’ perceptions if the factors that influence their
behavioral intention to use the ICTs and what technologies they actually use inside and
outside the language classroom for the development of the language skills and sub-skills.
Research framework selected for this investigation: Unified Theory of Acceptance

and Use of Technology (UTAUT)
The selected framework to guide this study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use
of Technology (UTAUT), developed by the researchers Venkatesh et al. (2003). The
selection of the UTAUT model was based on several reasons, such as the researcher’s
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experiences as an EFL teacher who has used the ICTs within the blended learning model
since it was adopted by the university of Pitic; and Lastly, the UTAUT model was able to
account for 70 percent of the variance in usage intention, representing an important
improvement surpassing all the pre-existing models, where the maximum was about 40
percent and, because of the constructs of the model itself, which were considered that best
suit this study.
Figure 1 The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT)
Venkatesh et al. (2003) reviewed the extant user acceptance literature and identified eight
mayor models that sought to explain the acceptance and use of information technology (IT)
by individual users, all of them with origins in psychology, sociology, and communications
with the aim of explaining the user acceptance. The models are the theory of reasoned
action, the technology acceptance model, the motivational theory, the theory of planned
behavior, the model of PC utilization, a model combining the technology acceptance model
and the theory of planned behavior, the innovation diffusion theory, and the social cognitive
theory.
Venkatesh et al. (2003) stated that there was a need for an integrated model that
synthesized the existing ones to elaborate a unified view of user acceptance. Therefore,
the ultimate goal of the study was to create an unified model of user acceptance of new
information technology stronger than the pre-existing ones to understand the individual use
of new technology (dependent variable), and the intention to use new technology as a
predictor of behavior (e.g. usage).
Seven constructs seemed to be significant direct determinants of intention or usage

(Venkatesh et al., 2003). In the UTAUT model four of these constructs of user acceptance
and usage behavior of the UTAUT model are defined as following:
Performance expectancy (PE) is defined as the degree to which an individual believes
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that using the system will help him or her to attain gains in job performance.
Effort expectancy (EE) is defined as the degree of ease associated with the use of the
system.
Social influence (SI) is defined as the degree to which an individual perceives that
important others believe that he or she should use the new system.
Facilitating conditions (FC) are defined as the degree to which an individual believes that
an organizational and technical infrastructure exists to support use of the system
(Venkatesh et al., 2003, pp. 447-453).
The four moderator variables of the UTAUT model namely, age, gender, experience, and
voluntariness have influence on the intention to use and usage of information technology;
however, at this stage of the study their influence is not explored yet. (Venkatesh et al.,
2003).
Methodology
The present study is a mixed methods quantitative dominant case study. Dörnyei (2007)
defines a case study as a “U method for obtaining a thick description of a complex social
issue embedded within a cultural context. It U examines how an intricate set of
circumstances come together and interact in shaping the social world around us (Pp. 151-
155). According to what the authors recommend for future research about adding more
constructs to extend and adapt the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
(UTAUT) model to different contexts, it was added the self-efficacy construct defined as the
Judgment of one’s ability to use a technology (e.g. computer) to accomplish a particular job
or task. The addition of the self-efficacy construct can be observed in figure 2 included in
the UTAUT model proposed for this study (Venkatesh et al., 2003).
Figure 2. The proposed research model (based in UTAUT)
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The present study followed a mixed method approach, where surveys and interviews will
be used as instruments to collect information from the EFL teachers and students'
perspectives.
The quantitative analysis, through surveys administered to participants, will allow knowing
the EFL Teachers and students’ perceptions of the factors that influence their behavioral
intention to use, and the ICTs that they use to develop the linguistic skills and sub-skills
(grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation). On the other hand, interviews will allow knowing
in depth how the EFL teachers and students actually use the ICTs within the blended
learning model, as well as to know in more depth which are the barriers or obstacles that
influence their behavioral intention to use those ICTs. At this stage the analysis of the
interviews is not included in this paper.
The information gathered from administering the two instruments will be triangulated and
analyzed in order to identify similarities and differences in the perceptions and uses of ICTs
from teachers and students perspectives, that allow having a better understanding of the
nature and influence of their perceptions and uses of ICTs within the blended learning
model.
Subjects of study
The participants in this study were EFL teachers and students from the Academy of
English at the University of Pitic campus Hermosillo who voluntarily accept to participate in
this research. Campus Hermosillo was selected to be the place to carry out the study
because is the largest of the 5 campuses of the university, distributed in different cities in
the state of Sonora. In addition, the most representative number of potential participant
teachers and students can feasibly be reached by the researcher in this location. At this
stage of the investigation the instruments were piloted with a sample of 102 EFL students
from levels of English 2 and 4, and a sample of 16 EFL teachers 10 from campus
Hermosillo and 6 from campus Magdalena.
Instruments for data collection

To elaborate the questionnaire for the survey, the researcher examined existing surveys in
the field of user acceptance of technology, as well as surveys that sought to explain how
ICTs are used in private and educational settings. Additionally, different studies regarding
different types of perceived barriers that impede the full use of ICTs were reviewed. The
EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Usage of ICTs questionnaire (ETPUI) was developed in
teachers’ version (Appendix A), and the EFL Students’ Perceptions and Usage of ICTs
questionnaire (ESPUI) in students’ version (Appendix B).
The two questionnaires contain questions that are based on the constructs of the UTAUT
model, being basically the same questions, but addressed to teachers or students in order
to know both points of view. Most items were adapted from the questionnaire used by
Venkatesh et al. (2003) when formulated the Unified Theory of User Acceptance of
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Technology (UTAUT), from other empirical studies (Davis et al., 1989; Khechine, Lakhal,
Pascot, & Bytha, 2014; Kwon, Ryu, & Kim, 2015). From studies about the factors or
barriers that affect teachers’ use of the internet and computers, were adapted the items for
the sections Barriers in using ICTs regarding to institutional, personal, and technical
barriers (W. Chen, Tan, & Lim, 2012; Y.-L. Chen, 2008; Ertmer, 1999; Yasemin & Ismail,
2008). Additionally, it was included the student factor. That is, the student itself as a barrier
to obtaining the full potential of using ICTs in the language classroom.
To test the content validity of the survey instruments, the questionnaires were answered
and revised by two PhD professors from the University of Pitic, the first professor is an
engineer with a PhD in Multimedia Technology, and the other has a B. A. in ELT and a
PhD in Educational Innovation. In addition, two PhD students enrolled in the distance
program in Modern Languages with the University of Southampton with B. A. in ELT, and
two EFL teachers were asked to answer the survey and provide suggestions to refine it.
Presentation and analysis of preliminary data

This section presents preliminary results obtained from the piloting phase of the study
consisting of the administration of survey instruments to EFL teachers and students, in
order to obtain feedback and do the necessary amendments to ensure accuracy in the data
to be collected when the main study takes place. In this phase of the study, the quantitative
part of the research consisted of the administration of an online survey instrument that was
administered to a sample of 29 teachers from which 16 (55%) answered the instrument
completely. Similarly, the survey was administered to 131 students from which 102 (78%)
fully answered the survey.
EFL Personal information of the Subjects of study

Table 2 contains personal information and experience of EFL students using ICTs to learn
English. As it can be observed, (67) male and (35) female students participated responding
the survey during stage 1 of the research process, in which the survey instruments were
piloted. All students’ ages range from 18-25 years old, which indicates that the age
difference is minimal. Participant students were studying English 2 (50) and English 4 (52).
The majority of students responded that the amount of hours they use ICTs in activities
related with their English class are from 5 to 7 hours (86), and from 8 to 10 (16); none of
them reported more time. They were also asked about the years they had using ICTs to
study English, the majority responded from 1 to 2 years (61), less than one year (17), from
3 to 5 years (17), and from 8 to 10 (7). Therefore, it can be concluded that 76.47% of the
EFL students have no more than two years using ICTs to study English within the blended
learning model.
Table 2 shows the personal information and experience in using ICTs of the EFL teachers
who participated responding the survey instrument in the piloting stage (10) female and (6)
male. Their ages vary, from 24 to 35 years old (5) teachers, from 36 to 45 years old (5)
teachers, (1) teacher is between 46 to 55 years old, and (5) teachers are over 55 years old.
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These results indicate that the age difference between English teachers is high.
Regarding their educational background (11) teachers have a Bachelor’s degree, and 5
have a Master’s degree. The number of years they have been working as English teachers
ranges from (less than 1 year to 2) 4 teachers, (3 to 6) 1 teacher, (10 to 15) 7 teachers, (18
to 25) 3 teachers, and 1 teacher has 35 years teaching English. It can be observed that
experienced teachers outnumber the novice teachers.
The amount of time EFL teachers dedicate to use ICTs in activities related with their
English classes was asked in hours per week. The teachers responded as following: 1
teacher dedicate from 5 to 10 hours, 2 teachers from 11 to 15 hours, 3 teachers from 16 to
20 hours, 7 teachers from 21 to 25 hours, and 3 teachers from 26 to 30 hours. The number
of hours varies depending on how many hours they teach per week in the University of
Pitic. As for the number of years they have been using ICTs to teach English, they
responded that less than 1 year 0 teachers, from 1 to 5 years 10 teachers, from 6 to 11
years 4 teachers, and from 12 to 16 years 2 teachers. These results suggest that the
majority of teachers have experience using ICTs to teach English.
The quantitative analysis

The quantitative analysis consisted of the analysis of the responses given by participants
through the survey instruments in aspects such as the position of the mean per item, and
the standard deviation that shows the dispersion of the data in relation to the mean (R.
Hernandez et al., 2010). This information allowed analyzing the behavior of the responses
within a five point Likert scale namely, ‘strongly disagree’, ‘disagree’, ‘neutral’, ‘agree’, and
‘strongly agree’, in terms of where the responses clustered and their dispersion, in order to
understand the teachers and students’ perceptions of the factors that influence their
intention to use ICTs within the blended learning model.
The items in Section 4 of the ETPUI and ESPUI questionnaires contain the statements that
serve to measure the constructs of the proposed UTAUT model within the points of the
scale, that ranges from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’. The constructs that in this
study are the factors that influence the EFL teachers and students' behavioral intention to
use ICTs are: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, self-efficacy,
and facilitating conditions, which are independent variables. Similarly, the items to collect
information of the behavioral intention construct, which is a dependent variable, are
included in this section. In order to offer a preliminary response to research question 1, the
data are analyzed per construct and shown in tables 2 through 7.
Performance expectancy: EFL Students’ Performance Expectancy results suggest that

most students perceive that their performance expectancy improves with the use of ICTs in
EFL learning, in terms of enhancing their learning effectiveness, the language skills
(reading, speaking, listening, writing), and sub-skills (grammar, vocabulary and
pronunciation).
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On the other hand, results of the EFL Teachers’ Performance Expectancy show that EFL
teachers have a positive perception of the use of ICTs to enhance the reading and listening
skills and grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation sub-skills with the use of ICTs.
However, some teachers have different opinions about whether the use of ICTs improves
the students’ writing skills. (Table 3)
Effort expectancy: the EFL Students’ perceived Effort Expectancy indicate that most EFL
students consider that ICTs are easy to use, they can become skillful in all kinds of ICTs,
and in general they think that using ICTs to learn English is easy. On the other hand, it
could have been assumed that since all EFL students are young adults who use new
technologies on a daily basis, they were all going to select the agreement options;
however, some students’ responses did not fall in these options, suggesting for some
students the use of ICTs to learn EFL is not easy. Most EFL students do not think that
using ICTs to learn English is too complicated; nonetheless, though few, some responses
showed that some students think that working with ICTs to learn English is too
complicated.
Regarding the EFL Teachers’ perceived Effort Expectancy, they think that ICTs easy to
use, can become skillful in all kinds of ICTs, and in general they think that using ICTs to
teach English is easy. On the other hand, most EFL teachers do not think that using ICTs
to teach English is too complicated. (Table 4)
Social influence: literature suggests that in environments where the use of information
technology is mandatory, the Social Influence construct is significant (Venkatesh et al.,
2003). However, results suggest that for most Mexican EFL students, social influence is
not a determinant factor in their intention to use ICTs to learn English. On the other hand,
the EFL teachers think that using ICTs makes them more valuable for their administrators,
and they look as better teachers for their students. Therefore, these reasons might
influence their intention to use ICTs to teach English. In contrast, most EFL teachers
whether significant people for them think they should use ICTs do not influence their
intention to using new technologies to teach English. (Table 5)
Self-efficacy: results of the EFL students’ Perceived Self-efficacy show that most students
think they are competent enough in the use of ICTs, and capable to overcome problems
that arise when working with new technologies. As well, the EFL teachers in all responses
manifested to perceive themselves competent in the use of ICTs. (Table 6)
Facilitating conditions: results of the EFL teachers and students’ perceived facilitating
conditions showed that the majority considers there is a good internet connection in the
classroom, and classrooms are well-equipped to use ICTs. (Table 7)
Behavioral Intention: Regarding Behavioral Intention, EFL teachers and students’
95
reported to plan to continue working with ICTs in the future in order to teach and learn EFL
within the blended learning modality.(Table8)
Table 1. Students' personal information and experience using ICTs
Table 2. Teachers' personal information and experience using ICTs
96
Table 3 Performance expectancy
Table 4 Effort expectancy
97
Table 5 Social influence
Table 6 Self-efficacy
98
Table 7 Facilitating conditions
Table 8 Behavioural intention
99
Summary of the results analysis
Once the factors comprised in the proposed UTAUT model were analyzed, results show
interesting findings. Beginning with performance expectancy results, it was seen that most
students perceive that their performance expectancy improves with the use of ICTs in EFL
learning. Conversely, EFL teachers have a positive perception of the use of ICTs to
enhance the students’ language skills and sub-skills, except for speaking and writing where
the percentage of agreement was smaller.
As for effort expectancy, the majority of students showed to have positive perceptions;
however, some students responded the use of ICTs to learn EFL was not easy. On the
other hand, teachers responses showed that EFL teachers feel confident enough to use
ICTs in English teaching, and they find ICTs easy to use, can become skillful in all kinds of
ICTs, and in general they think that using ICTs to teach English is easy. Social influence
turned out not to be a determinant factor in the students’ intention to use ICTs to learn
English, but a significant amount of teachers responded that using ICTs makes them more
valuable for their administrators, and they look like better teachers for their students.
Therefore, it is inferred that social influence is a factor that could determine their intention
to use ICTs to teach English.
From self-efficacy results, it can be inferred that most students perceive themselves
competent to use ICTs, and solve problems; nevertheless, a significant amount of EFL
students responded that they needed to call someone for help when they have problems
with ICTs to learn English. Hence, self-efficacy could be a factor that influences the
intention to use technology for these students. On the other hand, EFL teachers in all
responses manifested to perceive themselves as competent in the use of ICTs, showing
high self-confidence in their responses.
Regarding facilitating conditions, it looks like the Internet connection fails very often, since
teachers and student manifested discomfort in this item, which places, facilitating
conditions as a factor that might influence the teacher and students intentions to use ICTs
in the classroom. Finally, for the dependent variable behavioral intention, it was observed
that the majority of teachers plan to continue to teach English using ICTs, but students’
responses obtained lower percentages in this construct.
100
References
Aydin, S. (2013). Teachers' perceptions about the use of computers in EFL teaching and learning: the case of
Turkey.
Bax, S. (2011). Normalisation Revisited: The Effective Use of Technology in Language Education. Int. J.
Comput.-Assist. Lang. Learn. Teach, 1(2), 1-15. doi: 10.4018/ijcallt.2011040101
Chapelle, C. (2001). Computer applications in second language acquisition : foundations for teaching, testing
and research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1989). User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A
Comparison of Two Theoretical Models, 982.
Dornyei, Z. n. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics : quantitative, qualitative, and mixed
methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ertmer, P. A. (1999). Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change: Strategies for technology
integration. ProQuest Education Journals, 47, 47.
Gilakjani, A. P., Leong, L.-M., & Ismail, H. N. (2013). Teachers’ Use of Technology and Constructivism. I.J.
Modern Education and Computer Science, 5(4), 49-63. doi: 10.5815/ijmecs.2013.04.07
Glazer, F. S. (2012). Blended learning [electronic resource] : across the disciplines, across the academy /
edited by Francine S. Glazer ; foreword by James Rhem: Sterling, Va. : Stylus Pub., 2012. 1st ed
Gobernacion, S. d. (2013). Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2013-2018. Diario Oficial de la Federacion.
Retrieved from: http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5299465&fecha=20/05/2013
Hernandez, E. (2011). 'El Sistema Nacional E-Mexico y su Realidad Social en las Poblaciones Indigenas'.
Paper presented at the XI Congreso Nacional de Investigación Educativa Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
http://www.comie.org.mx/congreso/memoriaelectronica/v11/docs/area_13/1045.pdf
Khechine, H., Lakhal, S., Pascot, D., & Bytha, A. (2014). UTAUT Model for Blended Learning: The Role of
Gender and Age in the Intention to Use Webinars. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning
Objects, 10, 33-52.
Kwon, B. R., Ryu, S., & Kim, Y. G. (2015). Identifying factors affecting behavioral intent of potential and
existing N-screen service users. ETRI Journal, 37(2), 417-427. doi: 10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0585
Lopez-Perez, M. V., Perez-Lopez, M. C., & Rodriguez-Ariza, L. (2011). Blended learning in higher education:
Students’ perceptions and their relation to outcomes. Computers & Education, 56, 818-826. doi:
10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.023
Lopez, M., & Flores, K. (2010). Las TIC en la Educacion Superior de Mexico. Politicas y acciones (pp. 15).
Guadalajara, Mexico: Centro Universitario del Sur. Universidad de Guadalajara.
Ozkan, S., & Koseler, R. (2009). Multi-dimensional students’ evaluation of e-learning systems in the higher
education context: An empirical investigation. Computers & Education, 53, 1285-1296. doi:
10.1016/j.compedu.2009.06.011
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge:
Roffe, I. (2004). Innovation and e-learning: E-business for an educational enterprise. Cardiff, United Kingdom:
University of Wales Press.
Ross, B., & Gage, K. (2006). Global perspectives on blended learning: Insight from WebCT and our
customers in higher education. In C. J. Bonk & C. R. Graham (Eds.) Handbook of Blended Learning: Global
Perspectives, Aydin, S. (2013). Teachers' perceptions about the use of computers in EFL teaching and
learning: the case of Turkey.
Bax, S. (2011). Normalisation Revisited: The Effective Use of Technology in Language Education. Int. J.
Comput.-Assist. Lang. Learn. Teach, 1(2), 1-15. doi: 10.4018/ijcallt.2011040101
Chapelle, C. (2001). Computer applications in second language acquisition : foundations for teaching, testing
and research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1989). User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A
Comparison of Two Theoretical Models, 982.
Dornyei, Z. n. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics : quantitative, qualitative, and mixed
methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
101
Ertmer, P. A. (1999). Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change: Strategies for technology
integration. ProQuest Education Journals, 47, 47.
Gilakjani, A. P., Leong, L.-M., & Ismail, H. N. (2013). Teachers’ Use of Technology and Constructivism. I.J.
Modern Education and Computer Science, 5(4), 49-63. doi: 10.5815/ijmecs.2013.04.07
Glazer, F. S. (2012). Blended learning [electronic resource] : across the disciplines, across the academy /
edited by Francine S. Glazer ; foreword by James Rhem: Sterling, Va. : Stylus Pub., 2012. 1st ed
Gobernacion, S. d. (2013). Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2013-2018. Diario Oficial de la Federacion.
Retrieved from: http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5299465&fecha=20/05/2013
Hernandez, E. (2011). 'El Sistema Nacional E-Mexico y su Realidad Social en las Poblaciones Indigenas'.
Paper presented at the XI Congreso Nacional de Investigación Educativa Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
http://www.comie.org.mx/congreso/memoriaelectronica/v11/docs/area_13/1045.pdf
Khechine, H., Lakhal, S., Pascot, D., & Bytha, A. (2014). UTAUT Model for Blended Learning: The Role of
Gender and Age in the Intention to Use Webinars. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning
Objects, 10, 33-52.
Kwon, B. R., Ryu, S., & Kim, Y. G. (2015). Identifying factors affecting behavioral intent of potential and
existing N-screen service users. ETRI Journal, 37(2), 417-427. doi: 10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0585
Lopez-Perez, M. V., Perez-Lopez, M. C., & Rodriguez-Ariza, L. (2011). Blended learning in higher education:
Students’ perceptions and their relation to outcomes. Computers & Education, 56, 818-826. doi:
10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.023
Lopez, M., & Flores, K. (2010). Las TIC en la Educacion Superior de Mexico. Politicas y acciones (pp. 15).
Guadalajara, Mexico: Centro Universitario del Sur. Universidad de Guadalajara.
Ozkan, S., & Koseler, R. (2009). Multi-dimensional students’ evaluation of e-learning systems in the higher
education context: An empirical investigation. Computers & Education, 53, 1285-1296. doi:
10.1016/j.compedu.2009.06.011
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge:
Roffe, I. (2004). Innovation and e-learning: E-business for an educational enterprise. Cardiff, United Kingdom:
University of Wales Press.
Ross, B., & Gage, K. (2006). Global perspectives on blended learning: Insight from WebCT and our
customers in higher education. In C. J. Bonk & C. R. Graham (Eds.) Handbook of Blended Learning: Global
Perspectives, Local Designs (pp. 155-168). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Sharifian, F., & Jamarani, M. (2013). Language and intercultural communication in the new era: Taylor and
Francis.
The Smrt curriculum: Theory and Practice. (n. d.). Retrieved 24/07/2015, from
http://www.smrtenglish.com/smrt/curriculum
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User Acceptance of Information
Technology: Toward a Unified View. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), pp. 425-478. Local Designs (pp. 155-168). San
Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Sharifian, F., & Jamarani, M. (2013). Language and intercultural communication in the new era: Taylor and
Francis.
The Smrt curriculum: Theory and Practice. (n. d.). Retrieved 24/07/2015, from
http://www.smrtenglish.com/smrt/curriculum
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User Acceptance of Information
Technology: Toward a Unified View. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), pp. 425-478.
102
43rd
3rd International MEXTESOL
MEXTESOL Convention
October 27-30, 2016
Scholarships that bring sucessful stories; seven years of work.
María de Lourdes Gutiérrez Aceves

gualiz@yahoo.com.mx
Marisol Guzmán Cova
marisolguzmancova@gmail.com
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
Abstract
This presentation has the objective to present results of the application and spread of the
Rassias@ Method in two Universities that form language teachers in the center and south
of Mexico. The students’ perceptions will be also included about the use of this Method
where the teacher´s empathy is one of the main features that help to construct humanistic
learning experiences. Since 2009, the researchers have seen the benefits of using this
dynamic method. As teacher formers, there has been a positive impact in both educative
contexts: in Puebla, the Project has let undergraduate students develop their thesis
projects; there have been classes in the curricula, workshops in the University and other
educative contexts, presentations in different conventions. In Chiapas, many English
teachers from different contexts of the state have taken and practiced the Rassias
techniques through workshops, some undergraduate students have developed thesis
projects with the guide of teacher formers who were awarded the Rassias scholarships in
New Hampshire, USA.
Introduction:
This is an attempt to present two teacher trainers’ experiences after being part of the
professionalization course for English teachers at the Dartmouth University in Hannover,
New Hampshire, U.S.A. Some other colleagues’ participation and benefits for their
students after this course will be shared in the paper.
In 2009, the authors had the opportunity to participate in the Intensive Teaching Program
that Inter American Program for Education (IAPE) supports for 40 Mexican English
teachers. During 12 days the teachers received the basic training of the Rassias Method,
combined with complementary cultural activities and have seen the benefits of using this
dynamic method. As teacher formers and language teachers, there has been a positive
impact in both educative contexts and in their own personal and professional development.
The mentioned universities which have been fostered the Rassias Method are the
103
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, and the Autonomous University of Chiapas,
both in Mexico.
Objective
To present outcomes of the application and spread of the Rassias method in two
Universities that form language teachers in the center and south of Mexico, as well as
some other colleagues’ experiences.
Methodology
This is not formal qualitative research, these are only experiences of the 2009 generation
of English teachers to share with other teachers about the benefits and impact of using the
Rassias Method, taking these techniques to the practice in the classroom to foster a
propitious environment and lowing the affective filter.
Connecting our experience with the fundaments of Rassias Method (RM)

We have different theories about second language acquisition; all of them may have their
basis on different disciplines including linguistics, sociolinguistics, psychologists,
neuroscience, and education. One of these theories is Stephen Krashen’s Input
Hypothesis; which in the author’s opinions could be considered as part of the fundaments
of the Rassias Method, but more specially, two: the Acquisition –Learning hypothesis and
the Affective Filter. These hypotheses will be presented in the next charts with the authors’
comments.
Stephen Krashen’s hypothesis (2009) Rassias Method (2009)

“The first way is language acquisition, a process “The RM puts the participant at center stage and
similar, if not identical, to the way children develop seeks to replicate the stresses relevant to life-like
ability in their first language. Language acquisition is situations encountered in the target language. The
a subconscious process; language acquirers are not emphasis throughout must be on spoken language
usually aware of the fact that they are acquiring and familiarity with the culture of the country or
language, but are only aware of the fact that they countries whose language is being studied”
are using the language for communication. The (Rassias, 2009).
result of language acquisition, acquired
competence, is also subconscious”.
“Acquisition of language is a natural, intuitive,

and subconscious process of which individuals need
not be aware. One is unaware of the process as it is
happening and, when the new knowledge is
acquired, the acquirer generally does not realize
that he or she possesses any new knowledge.
According to Krashen, both adults and children can
subconsciously acquire language, and
either written or oral language can be acquired”.
104
During the performance of different Rassias techniques, language is practiced using some
materials or just the students and teacher’s voice and the information is acquired naturally,
there are not translations or grammar explanations, language is used unconsciously. In our
contexts, students learn the use of English through listening and imitation, and predict the
meaning of the language.
Another relevant basis is on Krashen’s hypothesis of the Affective Filter.
Stephen Krashen’s hypothesis (2009) Rassias Method (2009)

“This states that learners' ability to acquire language
“The goal of the Rassias Method (RM) is to make
is constrained if they are experiencing negative the student feel comfortable and natural with the
emotions such as fear or embarrassment. At such language in a short period of time. This is
times the affective filter is said to be "up". accomplished through a specific series of teaching
procedures and dramatic techniques which seek to
“Classrooms that encourage low filters are those eliminate inhibitions and create an atmosphere of
that promote low anxiety among students,that keep free expression from outset” (Rassias, 2009).
students "off the defensive" (Stevick, 1976)”. “The goal is to make the participant feel comfortable
and natural with the language in as short a period of
time as possible. This is accomplished through a
specific series of teaching procedures, dramatic
techniques and tools that:
• Create and maintain a dynamic classroom
atmosphere, thus capturing and holding the
student’s attention;
• Provide for unusually high student involvement in
the use of language (an average student
response rate is 65 times per hour);
• Foster spontaneity of expression and creative
use of the language, even in the earliest weeks
of training;
• Eliminate the learner’s natural self-
consciousness and fear of mistakes;
• Emphasize the relevance of the language to the
student’s own life and experiences as well as to
the culture of the country being studied.
Impact
The Rassias Method (RM) is the soul and beginning of our enrichening teaching and
learning experiences.
The impact this experience has had in our contexts are impressive and enriching, and not
only in the students’ target language improvement, but in the language teachers’ personal
and professional development. Our 2009 colleagues, who awarded the IAPE scholarship
agree that this experience have changed several aspects of their teaching practice and feel
105
more aware of different important aspects of the lesson to motivate the students, especially
those which are focused on making the student the center of the learning process. The
authors are only two of many other language teachers and professors who use and believe
in this method. In Puebla, Marisol Guzmán, is a professor who works in a public University
in the BA program of Teaching English. She registered a research project that included
diverse strategies to spread the method in her educational context; the most important
action was to include the method into the curricula. As a result, there have been three
undergraduate students who have developed their thesis projects; analyzing the impact at
different educational levels: kindergarten, secondary and with adults, there have been
classes in the curricula, workshops in the University and other educative contexts,
presentation in different conventions. In Chiapas, Lourdes Gutiérrez is a teacher trainer at
the BA in ELT at the Autonomous University of Chiapas, she has spread the RM to many
English teachers from different contexts of the state. These teachers have taken and
practiced the Rassias techniques through workshops and a Diplomado by the Ministry of
Education of Chiapas. All of these workshops and diplomado were organized and designed
by the teacher trainer including the RM in all of them. Some undergraduate students have
developed thesis projects with the guide of teacher formers (Antonieta Cal y Mayor and
Lourdes Gutiérrez) who were awarded the Rassias scholarships in New Hampshire, USA.
As it was mentioned before, there are other teachers who participate very actively
contributing to form other language teachers in Mexico, their experiences are truly
important to understand the opportunity to be honored with the IAPE scholarship. This
scholarship allowed us to learn to be better teachers and become more professional in our
field. Becoming a professional does not only mean to acquire the teaching skills and put
them into practice in the classroom; it requires teachers to be more empathetic with the
students, thinking out their personality and to allow for their needs and wants.
And here we have some of our colleagues’ contributions to share:
Maria Nelly Gutiérrez, Sonora:

“After participating in IAPE 2009, I regained the love for my teaching profession and I understood that if I wanted to
be of better service to my community and country, I needed to pursue my graduate education. Meeting wonderful
people like Profr. John Rassias, Helene Rassias-Miles, Jim Citron, and the many instructors who were with us,
was an experience that truly touched my heart and made me grow as a teacher, educator, researcher, but above
all as a human being. Also, seeing the passion for teaching that my colleagues around Mexico have was
invigorating and motivating. My IAPEañeros have excelled in their own states and constitute a great network of
professionals”.
106
Alejandra Lira, San Luis Potosí:
“Learning a language through acting is very important, because it really helps the student to feel and express his
wishes and feelings through art: REM (Rhythm-Emotion-Movement). Using this technique we learned the term
Biophilia, which according to the biologist E. O. Wilson, it is an innate and genetically theory of determined
affinity of human beings with the natural world.
I have been applying this technique in the classroom since I attended the IAPE program”.
Rocío Barajas, Sinaloa:

Before attending IAPE 2009, I used to work for PNIEB and private lessons, after that I started a new stage, I
accepted to work for a university. In this new stage, I could practice Rassias’ method with my students and other
language teachers. After 22 years of experience teaching children, teenagers and young adults, I frequently use
the Rassias’ techniques to facilitate the process of learning to foster a friendly environment, where they can
experiment, repeat, create and rebuild their knowledge and experiences”.
Reflections of the authors

Instead of giving a conclusion in this article, our reflections will be exposed to end with
about the reasons why we believe that IAPE is one of the scholarships that bring
successful stories; as the ones my colleagues and we have shared here. During seven
years after our attendance to IAPE course, we have been in continuous professional
development, trying to keep on in the track of being better teachers and formers, so we feel
very proud of our own and our partners’ achievements. If someone asks us about the
impact this scholarship has brought us, we would say that their teachings are part of my
life, that all these years our work has been focused on improving our students’ process of
learning, fostering their self-confidence and providing them with a nice environment and
empathy, issues which were touched by all the trainers, collaborators, Professor Rassias
and his family.
References
Krashen, S. (1982) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. University of

Southern California. Edited by Pergamon Press Inc. Print Edition ISBN 0-08-028628-3.
Krashen, S. (1992) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. University of
Southern California. Accessed on:
Communicative%20Approach%20by%20Stephen%20Crashen.pdf
Rassias, J. (1992) Rassias Method. Darthmouth University.
107
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Effective use of teaching assistants
Sara Hendricks
saraannhendricks@gmail.com
Universidad Tecnológica El Retoño
Teaching Assistants (TAs) are commonly used in language classrooms around the globe at
all age ranges and levels of English. Many teachers think TAs are great for handling
administration tasks, others have their TAs mainly practicing conversational skills with the
students, while other teachers don’t know quite what to do with them! In this article, I´ll
discuss the benefits and detriments to using Teaching Assistants in the classroom. I’ll then
cover some of the most common ways TAs are used and evaluate the effectiveness of
those techniques. Finally, I’ll suggest an assortment of practical classroom techniques that
will work with a variety of ages, class sizes and ability levels. If teachers can avoid the
ineffective or even detrimental practices of working with Teaching Assistants, then students
and educators will greatly benefit.
A few studies have attempted to determine the effectiveness of teaching assistants, like
The Tennessee Study of Class Size in the Early School Grades (Mosteller, 1995), The
impact of adult support staff on pupils and mainstream schools (Alborz, Pearson, Farrell
and Howes, 2009), and the Deployment and impact of support staff project (Blatchford
et.al., 2009). The results from these studies were shared with sometimes alarming
headlines like, ¨Teaching Assistants blamed for poor results¨ (Paton, 2009). These studies
had some surprising findings, but the most shocking to many was, ¨the more support pupils
received over the year, the less progress made¨ (Blatchford et al., 2009, pg. 8). This
particular finding was a rude awakening to many educators that have depended on TAs for
years. Why were students who spent time with TAs falling behind?
One reason is that teachers have often depended on teaching assistants to help lower
level students, which often means pulling those students out of class to work individually or
in small groups with the TA. Instead of helping, this compounds the students´ problems.
These struggling students are in need are more attention from the trained teacher, rather
than the less experienced teaching assistant. These students are also missing out on
valuable class time when they are pulled out of class. During these sessions, the TA may
not be qualified to address the students´ special needs or how to accomplish the target
learning goals. In these sessions, TAs often make a number of less effective choices with
108
their pupils. One of the common mistakes is that they are less likely to prompt students to
think critically. Instead, they ask simple, leading questions that focus on the answer rather
than the thought processes leading to the answer (Rubie-Davies, Blatchford, Webster,
Koutsoubou, and Bassett, 2010, pg. 443). They also tend to focus on finishing the task
rather than understanding (Webster, Russell, & Blatchford, 2016). Finally, TAs tend to
repeat the teacher’s instructions word for word. This simple repetition does not help
understanding and can, in fact, cause the students to tune out the teacher (Webster,
Russell, & Blatchford, 2016).
Those same studies that found some failings in the use of TAs also found many positive
aspects of their use. For example, TAs have longer conversations with students, and get to
know the students on a more personal level (Webster, Russell, & Blatchford, 2016), which
can help lower students’ affective filter. TAs are especially effective in helping with small
group work or giving students individual attention, in fact, TAs best improve scholastic
achievement when they work one-on-one or in small groups in ¨structured settings with
high-quality support and training¨ (Sharples, Webster, & Blatchford, 2015, pg. 23). Finally,
TAs can help students “know what to do when they don’t know what to do” and encourage
students to “find things out for themselves using the resources of the classroom” (Webster,
Russell, & Blatchford, 2016, pg. 13). Teaching Assistants also have a positive impact on
the general atmosphere of the room, including:
supporting specific pupils; bringing specialist help to teacher and classroom (e.g.,
technology skills, counselling, or careers advice); having a positive impact on the
pupils’ behaviour, discipline or social skills; allowing individualisation / differentiation;
improving pupils’ attitudes and motivation to work; and having general positive
effects on learning and behavior (Blatchford et al,. 2009, pg. 8).
Teachers can also benefit from working as a team with an assistant. Teachers feel that
TAs reduce the amount of work they do, which allows more time spent with the students.
Teachers have also stated that their job satisfaction increased and their stress level
decreased (Blatchford et al., 2009, p. 7)!
With this information in mind, what are some practical ideas for using TAs in the
classroom? As noted earlier, TAs are most effective working in small groups or one-on-one
with students. However, it is inadvisable to match the TA with the same students time after
time because the students reap different educational benefits from working with the
educator, working with the TA, or even working in groups or alone. In order to allow the
students the opportunities to learn in all those different ways, the teacher can organize the
class into rotating groups, as in the example below.
109
(Webster, Russell, & Blatchford, 2016, p. 10).
Teaching assistants need specific training when they are working in these groups. They
tend to ask questions that prompt simple answers, like, Who stole the bicycle?, Is the
answer 11 or 21? or What food do you like? TAs must be coached on how to ask more
complex questions, such as, How did Nupur steal the bicycle? How will you find the
answer? or What would you do? TAs must be encouraged to allow a significant amount of
thinking time and understand that learning HOW to do the task is more important than
simply completing it. You can see on this chart from Teaching Assistants: A Guide to Good
Practice, one way to teach TAs how to require more critical discussions and thinking from
their pupils.
(Webster, Russell, & Blatchford, 2016, p. 13).
A teacher must take the initiative to be very clear and direct with the teaching assistant as
to how they want things done. TAs have often worked or are currently working with many
different teachers, and need explicit instruction in how to adapt to match each class´s
110
needs. TAs are just people, and so they will have different levels of training, experience,
initiative, and even timidness in speaking up to the teacher or students. A few extra
moments of explanation or training will pay off later in increased learning time.
Whenever possible, save some time before and after each class or at the beginning and
end of each day to meet with the TA. If not currently possible, make every effort to change
the schedule, increase the budget to pay for the TAs time, or somehow arrange for this
important time before and after class. Use this time to describe clearly the TA´s precise
roles, the expected outcomes for the students (use specific, achievable language targets!),
and what kind of feedback you´d like at the end of the class. (Sharples, Webster &
Blatchford, 2015). In addition to meeting in person with the TA, you can also keep a ¨TA
Contact¨ notebook. This is simply a notebook which is shared back and forth between the
teacher and TA, in which they can write notes for the other in it. A teacher might copy
down the language targets and the TA might make note about the students. This notebook
can be given back and forth every time the TA attends class. The TA must also be given a
class list in order to keep track of each student he or she has worked with. This will ensure
that all the students get an equal amount of time with him or her. The TA can also mark
pertinent notes about the students on this paper or in the contact notebook. Since we
learned earlier that the TAs ¨get to know the students on a more personal level,¨ this can
help the teacher better understand the students in a way the teacher might not have been
able to.
In order to use a teaching assistant effectively, a teacher may spend more time planning
than he or she would if teaching alone. For example, the teacher must clarify the day´s
goals for the TA in simple, achievable language. While many educators might think,
¨please have the students practice talking about their family today,¨ is a good enough
description of the task, a more specific goal that is easier for an assistant to achieve is,
¨When we finish today, students will be able to use have and don’t have to describe their
family.¨ This is general good practice for planning lessons, but doubly important to make
clear to the teaching assistants so that they know exactly the goal of the lesson. If the TA
will only come a portion of the teaching time, prepare for those hours by learning new
vocabulary, doing listening practice, and lectures before the assistant arrives. Once the TA
is there, the students will be able to practice the new vocabulary or grammar targets in
small groups with the help of the TA. Don't waste precious time with the TA having him or
her stand quietly out of the way while you lecture to your students. In a recent study about
support staff in schools, Webster and Blatchford found that, ¨In almost a third of instances,
TAs were found to be listening to the teacher teach¨ (2013, p. 35). This can often happen
because there is no opportunity before class for the Teacher and Assistant to meet and
discuss the day's goals. If that happens, then the assistant often must patiently listen to
instructions along with the students so that he or she knows what to do! However, it is a
great waste of a valuable resource. If the teacher needs to lecture, prepare in advance so
that the TA can be checking homework or doing other administrative tasks during that time.
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Once the TA is more comfortable with the class and the teacher is comfortable letting the
TA take more control, they can begin to divide the class in two. If there is space to spread
out or the opportunity to use a nearby room, there are a number of ways that splitting the
class can improve the students´ learning. For example, in a language class of 38 students,
the teacher might ask the students to write and perform dialogues. This is a fun activity, but
listening to 19 dialogues can strain the patience and listening ability of even a very
dedicated class. Depending on the length of the dialogues, this can also take 20-40
minutes of class time. However, by splitting the class, nine groups (18 students) can go
into a nearby room to perform and listen to their classmates perform with the help of the
assistant. This smaller groups’ attention span will not be so tested and the performances
might only take 10-20 minutes of class. The class can also spread out a bit more for active
warm-up activities once the TA feels confident leading half of the class. Finally, the teacher
could give the students work time on presentations. While the teacher remains in the
normal classroom to help students work, students can go out one-by-one to practice giving
only their introductions to the TA in the hallway or another room. This is only a small
number of the ways that a Teaching Assistant can help both students and educators give
their students the best possible education. With some cooperative brainstorming, any
teacher and TA partnership could plan many more ways to utilize the great asset that a
teaching assistant can be.
In conclusion, Teaching Assistants can be a very valuable asset to help students feel more
comfortable in class, improve their language skills quickly, and take some of the stress
away from teachers. Teachers must refrain from making a few easily avoidable mistakes,
such as always pairing the TA with struggling students or wasting valuable time by having
the TA listen to a lecture during class. Instead, by planning ahead, making clear and
achievable goals, meeting before and after class with our assistants, and giving TAs
opportunities to work with students in small groups, teaching assistants can greatly
improve the quality of education.
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References
Alborz, A., Pearson, D., Farrell, P., & Howes, A. (2009, April). The impact of adult support
staff on pupils and mainstream schools (Rep. No. 1702T). Retrieved September 19, 2016,
from Educational Support and Inclusion Group website:
http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Portals/0/PDF reviews and summaries/Support staff
Rpt.pdf?ver=2009-05-05-165528- 197
Blatchford, P., Bassett, P., Brown, P., Martin, C., Russell, A., & Webster, R. (2009,
August). DEPLOYMENT AND IMPACT OF SUPPORT STAFF PROJECT [Research
Brief]. Retrieved from http://maximisingtas.co.uk/assets/content/dissressum.pdf
Mosteller, F. (1995, Summer). The Tennessee Study of Class Size in the Early School
Grades. The Future of Children, 5(2), 113-127. doi:10.1515/9781400851607.261
Paton, G. (2009, September 4). Teaching assistants blamed for poor results. The
Telegraph. Retrieved September 19, 2016, from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6132065/Teaching-assistants-blamed-for-poor-
results.html
Rubie-Davies, C. M., Blatchford, P., Webster, R., Koutsoubou, M., & Bassett, P. (2010).
Enhancing learning? A comparison of teacher and teaching assistant interactions
with pupils. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 21(4), 429-449.
doi:10.1080/09243453.2010.512800
Sharples, J., Webster, R., & Blatchford, P. (2015, Spring). Making Best Use of Teaching
Assistants Guidance Report (Rep.). Retrieved September 19, 2016, from Education
Endowment Foundation website:
https://v1.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/uploads/pdf/TA_Guidance_Report_Intera
ctive.pdf
Webster, R., & Blatchford, P. (2013, February). The Making a Statement project Final
Report A study of the teaching and support experienced by pupils with a statement of
special educational needs in mainstream primary schools. Retrieved September 19, 2016,
from http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/mastreport.pdf
Webster, R., Russell, A., & Blatchford, P. (2016). Teaching Assistants – A guide to good
practice: Oxford School Improvement. Retrieved September 19, 2016, from
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/6756/osi_teaching_assistants_report_web.pdf
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Developing students’ speaking skills through the Rassias Method ®
Kenya Melissa Hernández Trejo

melht83@hotmail.com
Universidad Tecnológica de San Juan del Río
Introduction
Speaking is one of the most important skills to be developed and enhanced as means of
effective communication. However, sometimes it is a skill that is hard to develop and
students often feel a great deal of anxiety around it.
The main objective of this Action Research Study was to develop the students´ oral
communicative skills. To achieve the aim of this study, I decided to use the Rassias
Method ®. This Method is a system for teaching conversational use of second languages
and it was developed by Professor John Rassias while training Peace Corps volunteers in
the early sixties. Then he adapted it to teaching languages at Dartmouth University in
1967. It combines “unpredictability of maneuver, humor and dramatic ‘spontaneity’ to keep
the student locked in the learning cycle” (Shannon, 2005:2).
Description of the problem

Some English language learners start their studies since an early age and continue them
up to University. However, when they encounter a real situation in which they need to use
the language, they are not able to communicate.
Objectives
This research aims to develop students’ communicative oral skills by using the Rassias
Method. In order to achieve this goal, an intervention of three weeks was implemented to
observe the students’ improvement in their speaking skill.
Throughout the intervention students were provided with simulations of real-life scenarios
in which they had opportunities to use the language in a context similar to real life and for
communicative purposes; for example, how to ask for food in a restaurant. Besides, the
intervention focused on creating a non-threatening environment in which students will feel
comfortable to talk and experiment using the language without fearing to be judged by the
teacher or the other students. This part of the intervention is based in the Rassias Method
which is a humanistic approach.
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The goal of the intervention was to verify if the use of the Rassias Method including its
techniques and drills, helped students to develop their speaking skill. This was measured
by observing the students’ participation throughout the classes, by analyzing their self-
assessment responses, their journals, and by a final evaluation in a simulated real-life
scenario.
Research questions
1. To what extent will the use of the Rassias Method increase students´ development of
speaking skill?
2. To what extent will the Rassias Method increase students´ motivation to learn English?
3. To what extent will the use of the Rassias Method reduce students´ fear of making
mistakes?
Literature Review
Teachers should provide learners with opportunities to use English to communicate as well
as to acquire the language through communication; “learning to use English” and “using
English to learn it” (Howatt, 1984:279, as cited in Richards & Rodgers ,2001:155).
Professor John Rassias agrees with Howatt´s ideas by basing his method on the premise
that “you don´t learn a language to speak it; you speak a language to learn it” (as cited in
Shannon, 2005:2). One of the objectives of this research was to provide students with
opportunities to use the language to communicate and to teach them how to develop their
communicative competence through the use of strategies and techniques from the Rassias
Method.
“The goal of the Rassias Method is to help the student feel comfortable and natural with a
new language in a short period of time. This is accomplished through a specific series of
teaching procedures and dramatic techniques which seek to eliminate inhibitions and
create an atmosphere of free expression from the outset.” Rassias (2013:4)
The Rassias Method exhibits characteristics of Krashen´s affective filter hypothesis which
focuses on lowering the affective filter to enhance learners´ motivation and self-confidence
(Bacon, 1993). Dörnyei (2001:40) shares this view about learners’ motivation by stating
that teachers need “to create a pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere” to
overcome language anxiety which many times is a factor that hinders the learning of a new
language.
Methodology
The study consisted in a small-scale action research involving a group of second term
undergraduate students from the Technological University of San Juan del Rio, (UTSJR),
Queretaro, Mexico. The chosen group was formed by 25 students of the bachelor degree
in Industrial Maintenance, studying their second term. All the participants were male, and
their age ranged from 18 to 20 years.
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The intervention lasted three weeks, which in total were 15 hours of instruction. In each 1
hour class, the content of the school program was given using some Rassias Techniques
and the three types of drills: ‘Backwards build-up, Substitution and Transformation’.
The Rassias® techniques used during the intervention were the following:
Ball game: To practice colors and numbers.
Misplaced concepts: To discriminate which food item does not belong to a given
category and to justify this choice.
Illustrated Vocabulary: To teach new vocabulary of food packages and to teach
cooking verbs.
Face-off: To relate the picture with the word.
Pyramid: To review vocabulary by describing words using as many words as
possible (color, shape, taste, a brand or name related, etc.)
Dots: To learn how to say prices and to practice the numbers.
Commands: To follow instruction about how to prepare a dish.
In this study a variety of data sources was used, including a diagnostic TOEIC Bridge test,
a diagnostic speaking test, a questionnaire, a teacher´s and a student´s journal,
observation and self-assessment.
The two tests mentioned above were used to measure the English level of the participants.
The participants completed a questionnaire which aimed to find out their perception on
speaking skill, their preference on speaking activities and to know about their feelings when
talking in English.
A tool which was used during the first days of the intervention was a self-assessment
questionnaire where students rated in a scale of 1 to 10 how good they consider they are in
the speaking skill. A Likert-type scale with the notations 1 (Very low), 5 (Medium) and 10
(Very High) will be used. They also filled in a chart of “can do” statements related to their
ability to do some tasks. They chose if they could do those activities: very well, well or not
at all. For example, “I can describe how to make a dish”.
Self- assessment
I. How good are you in the speaking skill?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Very Medium Very
low high
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II. How well can you do these things (orally)?
I can….. Very well Well
Not at all
Give information about food quantities

Describe food packages
Use greeting expressions
Ask for and give prices
Buy something from a store
Describe how to make a dish
Order food in a restaurant
Serve food in a restaurant
The classroom observation was done through the recording of all the classes in order to
analyze the teacher´s and students´ behavior during the intervention.
In the teacher´s journal, I wrote notes of the development of the study. In the student´s
Journal students described the way they felt with the activities, if they liked the classes, if
they learned something, etc.
After the three weeks of the intervention, students were divided in three groups. Each
group was evaluated by another English teacher of the University. The evaluation was
made in three parts: the first one “buying something from the grocery store”, the second
one “ordering food at a restaurant” and the third one “serving food at a restaurant”.
For the first part, students went to a grocery store which is outside the school. The teacher,
who was in charge of evaluating them, was the clerk of the store and each student went to
the store individually and bought something by talking to the clerk in English. The clerk
(teacher) responded in English and at the end filled in a rubric to check how well the
student did the tasks to be able to buy in a store.
For the second and third part of the evaluation, a table was arranged in the cafeteria. First,
the teacher was the waiter and the student sat down and acted as the customer. After that,
they exchanged roles and the teacher was the customer while the student was the waiter.
The teacher filled in another rubric to verify how well the student asks for food and another
rubric to evaluate how well he acted as a waiter.
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Student´s name:________________________ Evaluator:_______________
Activity 1. At the Grocery Store
The student can….. Very well Well Observations
Not at all

Ask for food using food quantities,
measurements or packages
Ask for the price of something
Buy something from a store
Use farewell expressions
Activity 2. At the Restaurant (as customer)
Not at all

Order food
Ask for the bill
Activity 3. At the Restaurant (as waiter)
Not at all

Serve food
Describe how to make a dish
(using sequencers)
Findings and discussion

The results of the TOEIC Bridge test and the Diagnostic Speaking Test showed that most
of the participants had a beginner level.
One of the answers from the questionnaire showed that most of the students (84%) said
that they feel uncomfortable when they talk in English. The question specified “nervous” as
part of the ‘uncomfortable’ option. Another answer showed that 40% of the students
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answered that speaking is their least preferred skill; in comparison with the participants´
preferences of the other three skills. It can be concluded that speaking is their least
preferred skill, this might be a factor which affect the students´ willingness to talk as they
already have a bias against speaking in English.
The initial self-assessment made by the students showed that 64 % of the student rated
themselves in less than “5”; 16% of the students rated themselves in “6” and “7”
respectively; and only one student who represents the 4% rated himself in “8”.
On the other hand, the results of the final self-assessment that students completed showed
an increase in students´ self-perception of their speaking skill. A small number of the
students (12%) gave a “6” to their speaking skill; 16% of them rated themselves in “7”;the
majority of the students estimated that their speaking skill after the intervention finished
was “8” (64% of students); and only 8% chose that they have “9” in their speaking skill.
Students answered a CAN-DO chart at the beginning of the intervention and then after it
finished. The results showed a significant increase in the students’ self-perception of what
they were able to do before the intervention took place and what they believe they
achieved after the intervention. In the initial CAN-DO chart; a small number of students
were not able to give information about food quantities, describe food packages, use
greeting expressions, ask for and give prices; almost half of the students expressed their
inability to: buy something from the store, describe how to make a dish, and order food in a
restaurant. Moreover, 17 out of 25 students reported that they were not able to serve food
in a restaurant.
In contrast, the final CAN-DO chart shows that all the students assessed themselves as
being capable of performing all of the tasks, either well or very well.
Initial CAN-DO chart
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Final CAN-DO chart
By comparing the students´perception they had about their class before the intervention
and then after the intervention, I found out that students expressed they have learned more
now with the use of the Rassias Method. I attribute this to the fact that during the
intervention students learned by experience, by doing the things as opposed to just
answering exercises of the book. As Rassias mentions: “It is in doing that you learn, rather
than learning how to do it” (Beall, 2000:13).
Rassias admitted that he was inspired by the Chinese philosopher Confucius: “If I hear
something, I forget it; if you show me something, I remember it; but if you make me do
something, I will never forget it because I will understand it” (as cited in Bacon, 1993: 46).
The results from this study show that students learned and understood because they
performed the activities: they touched the food and learned the vocabulary, they prepared
a recipe and they learned the cooking verbs, they went to a real store and bought products,
the scenario of a restaurant was set and they were able to order and serve food.
The final evaluation made by external teachers indicate a positive impact of the use of the
RM to develop the participants´oral skills, because most of the students successfully
performed the authentic activities of : “Buying something from the store, asking for food
and serving food in a restaurant”.
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At the Grocery Store
15 15
13 13 13
10 11 11 11
9
0 1 1 1 1
Very well Well Not at all
Final Evaluation at the Grocery Store
At the Restaurant (as

customer)
15 13 13
10 12 12
10 11
3 1
0 0
USE GREETING ORDER FOOD ASK FOR THE USE FAREWELL
EXPRESSIONS BILL EXPRESSIONS
Final Evaluation at the Restaurant as customer
At the Restaurant (as waiter)

15 15
12 13
10 11 11
6
4
2 1
0
USE GREETING SERVE FOOD DESCRIBE HOW USE FAREWELL
EXPRESSIONS TO MAKE A DISH EXPRESSIONS
Final Evaluation at the Restaurant as waiter
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Conclusions
I can conclude that the Rassias Method had a positive impact in the development of the
students’ speaking skills. The three questions stated above are answered as follows:
1. Students achieved the objectives of the course by the end of the intervention where all
of them demonstrated in the final evaluation that they were capable of performing orally
three daily activities which they might probably encounter in their real lives:
Buying something from a store.
Asking for food in a restaurant.
Serving food in a restaurant.
2. Students reported an increase in their motivation by describing that they enjoyed the
classes, and expressing that they believe they learned a lot during the intervention.
3. Students improved their affective factors by increasing their confidence and reducing
their fear of making mistakes. As a result they increased their participation in class.
References
Bacon, R 1993, ‘The Thunder and Lightning Professor: Teaching Language by Using
Theater Plus Up-to-the-Minute Technology’. In Oller, J. (ed.) Methods that Work. Heinle
and Heinle: 40-49.
Dörnyei, Z 2001, Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom. UK: Cambridge
University Press.
Rassias, J 2013. Workshop document Teachers´ Collaborative Program. Hanover, NH:
Rassias Center at Dartmouth College.
Richards, J and Rodgers, T 2001, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd
ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Shannon, E 2005, An overview of the Rassias Center of Dartmouth College and to the
Rassias Method ®. Hanover, NH.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
We made this: An interdisciplinary approach to C21 skills
Ta Hintze
thintze@gmail.com
English Language Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department
Summary
This presentation discusses a collaborative project between the Information Technology
(IT) and English departments of a technological university to improve the teaching and
learning of 21st century (C21) professional skills: critical thinking, teamwork,
communication, and English. The final product is the creation of a series of language
learning video games based on the university’s English textbooks to be available for
everyone to use in the language lab. This talk also presents a user’s manual that offers a
step by step guide to planning and implementing their own projects. All participants will
receive an electronic copy of the user’s manual.
Introduction
21st century (C21) professional skills are those which students at technological universities
(techs) will likely need to be successful in their future careers. Today’s workers must
innovate, implement, evaluate, and problem-solve, often with little direction from
supervisors. Workers, whether employees, bosses, or entrepreneurs, must also
communicate effectively with colleagues or clients; collaborate on complex, time-sensitive
projects with teammates in different offices or on different continents; and use the internet
to find answers to their questions and keep their knowledge current in their fields. Further,
in Mexico, many students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics) fields go on to work in large international companies where they may need to
function in another language, be it English, German, Chinese, or French.
It is the responsibility of each tech to ensure that students complete their programs of study
with the tools necessary to negotiate this new world. However, each tech is also
answerable to the larger bureaucracy, one in which entrenched practices and a rigid
vertical management structure discourages flexible responses to new realities. One way to
create innovation, therefore, is for professors to work with one another on small
collaborations at a grassroots level. Yet in order to do this and to provide students with a
model of how to function in a professional work culture, teachers must themselves first be
competent in these C21 skills. Currently, however, both English as a Foreign Language
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(EFL) and STEM professors at the techs tend to lack these skills, and need professional
development to acquire them. The project presented herein represents one means of
addressing these new challenges, both for students and for teachers.
The Project
Although students at our technological university may gain a sound foundation in the
science of their chosen fields, the vast majority currently lack 21st century (C21)
professional skills and the perspective to understand that they need them. C21 skills, as
elaborated by Chris Dede (2009), are higher-order skills that demand new types of
competencies than those required of previous generations of students:
“Conventional, 20th century K-12 instruction emphasizes manipulating pre-digested
information to build fluency in routine problem solving, rather than filtering data derived
from experiences in complex settings to develop skills in sophisticated problem finding.
Knowledge is separated from skills and presented as revealed truth, not as an
understanding that is discovered and constructed; this separation results in students
learning data about a topic rather than learning how to extend their understand beyond
information available for assimilation. Also, in 20th century instruction, problem solving skills
are presented in an abstract form removed from their application to knowledge; this makes
transfer to real world situations difficult. The ultimate objective of education is presented as
learning a specific problem solving routine to match every situation, rather than developing
expert decision making and metacognitive strategies that indicate how to proceed when no
standard approach seems applicable.” (pp. 2-3)
The educational model at our tech follows this old 20th century model. The idea presented
in this paper is to use a hands-on, experiential discovery project as a vehicle for bridging
the gap between these old and new models. This project proposes collaboration between
the English and information technology (IT) departments in which they create a series of
video games based on the units in our English textbooks. The goal of this project is to
integrate English with IT, and provide IT students with an opportunity to use their English in
a relevant, concrete, credit-bearing way as they program and design the games. In order
to satisfactorily complete their project, students must learn to articulate the nature of the
problems their team faces, negotiate solutions within the particular context, and evaluate
the effectiveness of their efforts. In order to satisfactorily manage the project, teachers
must learn to coach students in communicating and collaborating with one another
effectively, and to devise assessment tools that can evaluate the actual skills and
competencies that students are learning.
Although firmly rooted in Dewey, and later the constructivists, the idea of project-based
learning (PBL) as a tool of student-centered education has recently been updated by
Markham (2011) as a way of teaching and using the skills necessary in a globalizing world:
not only digital skills, but also intangibles such as “flexibility, resiliency, and ‘drive’” (p. 41).
A successful PBL project represents “an extended learning process that uses inquiry and
challenge to stimulate the growth and mastery of skills” (p. 39). The idea behind this
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interdisciplinary project is that it should likewise form part of the IT curriculum from year to
year. The project can provide IT students with an opportunity to improve those “expert
decision making and metacognition strategies” as they program and design the games.
The project will also eventually provide all English learners on campus with a library of
learning games that they can access in the language lab, or to which English teachers can
refer their students to reinforce each unit in their textbooks. For example, each Semester 6
or Semester 8 IT design or programming class will work on the project for the entire
semester. The project will help students realize the IT skills required in their curriculum,
even as they are trained in planning, implementing, and evaluating a team project.
Teachers and students alike take the time to reflect on what worked and did not work and
use that information to improve the experience of the next cohort of students who will be
doing the project. User feedback on the completed games will also contribute to future
updates or changes and successful games can be marketed to a larger audience such as
English departments in secondary schools in the area or other techs, or made available as
a downloadable app.
Further, the interdisciplinary focus of the project represents a way of addressing the lack of
integration of English into the curricula of the STEM majors taught at technological
universities, as well as the lack of integration of English teachers into the structure of the
institution. Despite federal mandates that require students to reach a B1 level of English
proficiency on the Common European Framework of Reference in order to graduate,
English is treated by tech administrators as a type of elective for which students receive no
credit, but must pay a separate fee. And English teachers are often demoted to the status
of contract workers, or English is taught as an additional subject by teachers who normally
teach STEM courses. Currently, tech students receive five or six hours of direct English
instruction each week. However, frequently English classes are taught in Spanish, and
students often have little meaningful exposure to English outside of their classes. In
addition, although STEM subject teachers at my tech are required by the administration to
provide content in English to increase students’ English input, they are not trained how to
do so and are therefore generally reluctant or unable to comply. An interdisciplinary project
between the English and STEM major teachers can address these issues.
DelliCarpini’s (2008) study on integrating New York City public school ESL students into
mainstream classes recommends using the expertise of the ESL teachers to bolster the
willingness and ability of the mainstream teachers to work with ESL students more
effectively. This same approach can be applied here in Mexico. Within the project, English
professors provide the English expertise while the IT professors lead the programming and
design components. In this way, the project is a vehicle for increasing the integration of
English into students’ IT coursework and for expanding English teaching and learning,
even when the STEM subject professors do not feel comfortable using English in their
classes. Both English and IT professors then have the responsibility of using the project to
train students in C21 skills.
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That the finished product be a video game stems from Gee’s (2008) work on the practical
applications of video gaming as a tool for teaching and learning and to encourage greater
autonomy, especially for reluctant or under-prepared learners. Gee argues that literacy
today comprises ideas of visual literacy, social pragmatics and the flexibility to “read” a new
or rapidly changing situation and respond appropriately. For example, in order to
successfully negotiate their world, our students need to be able to read the language of
design elements, to understand the meaning of a text in relation to the work they are doing
and relate that to other texts, and to grasp the metacognitive processes that govern a
specific situation so that they can form comparisons between superficially different
situations in order to make decisions. Further, according to Gee, successful games
motivate and challenge the player often in a discovery format in which the player has to
figure out what is required and then how to achieve it through a process of trial and error.
For our students to devise video games that provide that experience to the player requires
a great deal of higher level thinking and negotiation between team members. Finally, the
end product of the project is a tangible deliverable with a concrete audience, not a
theoretical exercise. Students create these games for their peers, and can evaluate the
effect of their efforts on real people.
The User’s Manual

The user’s manual is divided into seven phases, to be completed within whatever time
frame is deemed necessary to be effective. However, it is recommended that adequate
time be devoted to the first phase, teacher training. In order for a project of this nature to
be successful, the professors first need to be competent in communication, collaboration
and evaluation skills, the fundamental C21 skills. Time is also necessary to devote to
creating strong social links between the teacher trainers and the teachers leading the
project, or among the teachers leading the project, in the event that they are learning the
skills themselves via YouTube or other means. This is because the changes these new
methods aim to bring about are cultural as well as curricular, and changes such as these
require sufficient time for buy-in if teachers, or institutions, are going to successfully adopt
them.
To fulfill the deliverables for the first phase of the project, professors must thoroughly
understand the purpose of the project, and they must work collaboratively to outline the
scope, determine participants, and devise the manner of evaluation. By the end of the first
phase of the project, professors will need to able to consistently and appropriately
communicate via email, to share documents via Google drive, to participate actively in
planning meetings, and to devise and effectively use alternative assessments, such as
checklists, reflective surveys and rubrics for deliverables. Once the first phase is
successfully completed, professors will be prepared to train their students in teamwork
skills and begin work on the IT and English aspects of the project. These competencies
that teachers practice during the teacher training phase are the bases on which they can
build collaborative instead of competitive work among themselves. Lateral links may also
be a means of creating new teaching and learning opportunities in those techs in which an
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entrenched vertical management structure discourages innovation. Motivated, autonomous
teachers help cultivate motivated, autonomous students. An additional goal of the project
is to encourage the English and IT professors together to create a professional working
environment that students will emulate.
The professionalization skills that teachers develop in the first phase of the project lay the
groundwork for the second phase, which is the introduction of the interdisciplinary project
to the students. This will be a new approach to teaching and learning in most tech
environments, so students will need to be adequately prepared before they start working
on the nuts and bolts of the games. Both IT and English professors are responsible for
training the students in the basic C21 skills that professors mastered in Phase 1 and for
ensuring students understand the basic concept of the project. Then the IT professors
work with the students on defining the general structure of the project in respect to the
students, including scope and sequence for each class; tasks necessary to produce the
games; and roles of individuals, teams and teachers. IT professors will also review with
students the nature and responsibilities of a portfolio evaluation system, explaining how
checklists and deliverables will be used at the end of each phase to assess student
progress. English teachers in Phase 2 are in charge of helping students begin to come up
with ideas for their own games that 1) challenge and motivate critical thinking, rather than
requiring players to mechanically fill in blanks; 2) comprise multiple levels that require
players to prove competency by leveling up; 3) contain an element of listening (and
speaking when possible); and 4) use material from only one unit in the book at a time.
Deliverables for this phase are student evaluations of existing games as a tool to help
student designers and programmers think about possibilities for their own games, and the
creation of a game concept description by each team with a corresponding list of the roles
each team member will fulfill.
Phase 3 is the pre-production phase, in which students create a detailed plan of the levels,
the activities that each level will comprise, the overall look and style, the tools to be used to
create their games, and assign who will be responsible for each task. If necessary, English
professors can devise templates for vocab, grammar, or writing games so students have
an idea of what a multi-level game of each type might look like, but the goal is to help
students learn to think more creatively rather than imitate a model. Professors continue to
coach their student teams to reinforce project goals and to practice the communication and
collaboration skills necessary to run the project.
Phase 4 is the production phase. Students in their IT class write a detailed plan of the
interface, characters, scene design, sounds and other elements of the game. Then
students program those elements to create an operational game at each level. English
professors provide feedback on usage and grammar corrections. For the English
deliverables, students compile a list of words or phrases needed to be recorded by a native
speaker. English professors then record a corpus of words or dialogues that students can
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access. Student teams continue to practice using their communication and collaboration
skills so that all involved are able to participate effectively.
Phase 5 is the Alpha and Beta testing phase. With the help of the English professors,
students create an evaluation form and test completed game levels on non-project student
users in the language lab to get feedback for improvements. Students read evaluation
forms and record a list of potential corrections. English professors also provide feedback
on usage and grammar corrections and on the game as a language teaching tool. After
discussion with their team members, students record a list of the modifications they need to
make and assign a person to complete each task.
Phase 6 is the product delivery phase. In this phase, IT students and professors install the
game software on the computers of the language lab, or in the case of versions of the
game written as cell phone apps, make the app available to the end users to download and
install to their devices: cell phones, tablets, etc. When necessary, students will continue to
modify games in response to user feedback. Phase 6 is technically the end of the project.
Students will submit their final portfolios, including their game or game components, and all
schedules, checklists, and evaluations completed for each phase, as well as a final self-
reflection.
Phase 7 is an optional phase toward possible future developments for the game product.
Students can promote their games via YouTube or school visits to other Techs or high
schools. English teachers can help students develop their promotions in English to reach a
wider audience. Professors can also use Google forms to generate the checklists and
evaluations for students to fill out online. These can then be combined with a blog site to
create e-portfolios to share with fellow students, potential employers or the public at large.
Although the project from phases 2 through 6 is largely driven by the steps of the game
production, it is important to remember that the purpose of the project is not primarily to
create video games, but to teach, learn, and practice the communication, collaboration,
evaluation, and language skills that workers in a 21st century environment will likely need.
As the project reproduces itself through the semesters, and teachers and subsequent
cohorts of students become more comfortable with the process, this project will also
hopefully encourage the more intangible of the C21 skills, such as innovation and
creativity, as well as critical thinking skills and increased resilience in the face of failure.
Last, projects such as this one may contribute to a shift in the prevailing sentiment
regarding English at Mexican techs today. Perhaps as a result of working on projects like
this, students and STEM teachers may no longer view using English as an unpleasant,
pointless, anxiety-provoking exercise but may instead begin to feel proud of and invested in
the work that they are doing, which just happens to use English to achieve their goals.
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References
Gee, J. P. (2008). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy.
Revised and updated. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Markham, T. (2011). Project Based Learning: A Bridge Just Far Enough. Teacher
Librarian, 39(2), 38-42. Retrieved from
http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=search&searchType=natural&di
ctionaryClick=&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=2&edition=&t
s=D6CA5EBD313E5C857E0AED4B1F37997D_1474334436604&start=1&publicationId=&
urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B201597336&pdfflag=y.
P21 Skills Chart. By Creator: Charles Fadel - Own work, CC BY 3.0. Retrieved from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13303557.
Dede, C. (2009). Comparing Frameworks for 21st Century Skills. Retrieved from
http://watertown.k12. ma.us/dept/ed_tech/research/pdf/ChrisDede.pdf.
DelliCarpini, M. (2008). Teacher collaboration for ESL/EFL academic success. Internet

TESL Journal, 14 (8). Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/DelliCarpini-
TeacherCollaboration.html.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Grammar goof-ups: Fix them once and for all!
Daniel James Hirsch

daniel_hirsch@hotmail.com
Secretaría de Educación Pública, La Paz, BCS
Introduction
Most people begin acquiring a new language by learning common phrases such as “hello,
how are you?” and “where is the bathroom?” Learners are able to master these phrases
rather quickly with little effort. If the learner continues to study the language the need to
converse with people demands a deeper understanding of the language’s underlying
grammar. The formation of sentences at the most basic level depends on some
understanding of the language’s grammatical structure. When teaching someone a new
language it is best to begin by building on the skills the learner possess in the first
language. The knowledge a learner already has can be a bridge to help learn and acquire
the new language. For example, cognates are often learned quickly and the learner may
have a sense that the language being studied may not be that difficult to master. Even the
use of false cognates may bring a few laughs between speakers of the native and non-
native languages. Estoy embarazada (I’m pregnant, instead of I am embarrassed) is a
common one that many native English speakers make when learning Spanish. Generally,
these minor errors are overcome and the learner begins to use the language through trial
and error and grammar can be learned step by step.
Intelligence and xenoglossophobia when learning a new language

Why is grammar so important? Why do non-native language speakers spend so much time
and effort in trying to learn the rules? Part of the reason why many people spend a lot of
their time and energy in learning grammar is pride, and the desire to sound intelligent in the
foreign language. A non-native speaker sounds intelligent in his/her native-language, and
when attempting to speak in the non-native language may feel he/she is speaking like a
child, which makes him/her more timid or even embarrassed to speak. In fact these
feelings are valid. 1Foreign language phobia or xenoglossophobia can be to blame. This
fear may be so overpowering for the learner that he/she fails to continue studying and does
not advance in the foreign language.
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Why we make mistakes when learning a new language-it may not be our fault
When learning their native language children often make grammatical errors. Think about a
child speaking with another child or an adult in English. We may hear, “I wented to the
store and mommy buyed me lots of candies.” The sentence although not grammatically
correct in English, can still be understood by the listener. It is perfectly acceptable for a
child to speak in such a manner, so why not an adult? While research shows that brain
plasticity of a child helps with language development, in an adult the knowledge of how
languages operate and are learned also helps. 2In an article written by teacher and writer
Anne Merritt she states, “Adults have pre-existing language knowledge. While children are
still learning the mechanics of their own first language, adults have a more developed
understanding of how language works. Adults already know the more advanced elements
of grammar, such as how conjugation works, or what an adverb does”. Why do adult
speakers make so many of the same mistakes over and over again if they have knowledge
of how a language works then? Fossilization plays a role in some cases. 3Adult learners
have a variety of reasons they make mistakes in other languages including a phenomena
called interlanguage fossilization. Some learners no matter how much they study or try to
learn will inevitably make mistakes when using the second language. This interlanguage
fossilization can be to blame, but should not be a reason to feel bad or embarrassed about
language production. We even make mistakes in our native language, sometimes without
even realizing it. By learning a few tricks and committing them to memory we can
defossilize some of these errors once and for all.
Sometimes we learn the incorrect way of using certain phrases or words in the non-native
language. Grammar is learned incorrectly by the fault of own, not hearing the words
properly, making up our own usage or rules or simply not having a strong grasp of how the
language and its grammatical rules work. Other times we learn incorrect grammar from our
teachers. As language teachers develop their own practice and language skills they also
may make mistakes. Just like children who use the incorrect verb tense when learning their
native language, if no one ever corrects them they continue to make the same mistake
over and over again without any idea that they are making grammatical errors and they
may teach that to their students.
The problem can easily be corrected naturally with children, an adult might say to the child,
“Oh...you went to the store and mommy bought you lots of candy.” The child hears this
and then learns naturally how to speak through similar interactions. And if this is corrected
during the formative years of the language learning process most likely they will have
learned grammar naturally and correctly. As adults we often do not fix each others errors
as this is considered impolite, and may be perceived as arrogant. But in the language
classroom, although every error should not be corrected, there are many that can and
should be corrected in both the classroom and during everyday interactions.
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See, look, watch and what makes them different-let’s take a look and see!
Let’s begin fixing some of those grammar goof-ups. Confusion between the words see,
look and watch are often a difficult concept for non-native speakers of English to grasp
because although all three words have the same denotation to perceive something through
sight each has a different connotation. Let’s begin with the verb to see. We all know that to
see is something we do actively. We see something on television, we see a person we
know on the street (even though we may not say hello). To look is used to express
something that is more passive than see. We look at a person doing his work, (we do not
need to be involved), we look through a magazine (passively flipping through the pages).
To watch involves more concentration. It involves intent. We watch sports live or on
television, we watch a movie. We watch someone’s bag when they go to the restroom.
We do this with more concentration. These three verbs are not difficult to learn if you
remember this acronym SALPWI:
See Active (see with eyes scanning or moving)
Look Passive (look passively, may not need concentration)
Watch Intent (watch with intent)
Hirsch
Let’s take a look at phrasal verbs

Many verbs may also have a proposition associated with them making them a phrasal
verb. Phrasal verbs confuse non-native speakers because, isolated, each word means
something completely different. Let’s examine the phrasal verb, Watch out! Watch is
something you do with intent. Yet, out is a preposition which means something is not inside
a specific boundary. But when we put the words together, Watch out! means be careful or
pay attention, danger is present. Phrasal verbs have to be learned individually and for their
meaning as a whole, not as isolated verbs and prepositions. With practice and cognizantly
recognizing what each phrasal verb means individually you will find it easier to learn them
one by one. So get over (forget) your fears and learn those phrasal verbs.
Past tense verbs and the -ed sound-selected examples for you
Learning the past tense can also be difficult. Many verbs in English are irregular. These
verbs like: go/went, eat/ate, drink/drank, and sit/sat are also memorized one by one and
when conjugated in the past tense do not always follow the rules. When it comes to the -ed
sound in many regular verbs in the past tense non-native speakers want to pronounce
every verb ending in -ed with the strong -ed sound, pronouncing it like the name Ed. Yet,
some of these verbs do not need to be pronounced with the strong -ed sound.
When in doubt follow this simple rule. If the verb stem ends in the letter ‘t’ or ‘d’ you make
the strong -ed sound like the name Ed. Let’s look at the verb ‘add’ which in the base form
ends with the letter ‘d’ so the past tense of add becomes added with the strong -ed sound
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at the end. Post ends in ‘t’ so we pronounce the verb with the strong -ed sound, and we
get posted. If the verb in its stem form does not end in ‘t’ or ‘d’ it will not make the strong -
ed sound. There are some exceptions of course with verbs ending in a silent e, such as
paste which does make the strong -ed sound, pasted. Since the e is silent the last sound
heard is ‘t’.
Let’s look at the verb walk. Think to yourself does the stem end in ‘t’ or ‘d’? No, it ends in
‘k’ therefore it does not make the strong -ed sound. It sounds more like “walkt”. How about
the verb construct? Think of some other verbs that follow this rule.
When to use the past tense in asking a do or does question-did you understand
that?
Learners are often confused about when to use the past tense properly especially when
asking questions. They want to say, “Did you went to the party?” They do this for a variety
of reasons, fossilization, not understanding how to use the verbs correctly or influence from
their native language. A way to correct this error is to remember, “Did does all the work” in
a question. The main can verb remains in the present tense because “Did does all the
work” in forming the tense for a question. Therefore, the question should be, “Did you go
to the party?”
‘S’ is for singular

When do we use an ‘s’ in a verb? Of course in the in the singular form: he, she, it, Sam,
my sister, etc. You must use an -s ending. She plays, he goes, the dog eats, etc. The
mnemonic to remember is that the ‘s’ at the end of the verb means “singular”, singular
begins with an ‘s’, so always add the ‘s’ to make a noun singular. Remember, “Sam
always needs an ‘s’.
Then vs. Than

Mnemonics also can help you to remember how to use and spell certain words correctly.
The words ‘than’ a conjunction, and ‘then’ an adverb can often confuse learners. Just
remember ‘then’ means next and both words have the letter ‘e’ in them. I woke up and
then (next) took a shower. Than is used to compare two things. For example, she is nicer
than (comparison) her sister. The word can be remembered because comparison has an
‘a’.
Is it fun or funny? Are you bored or boring?

Another thing that learners of English often confuse is when to use a noun or an adjective.
For example: My English class is so fun because our teacher is so funny. Fun in a non-
countable noun which means pleasure or enjoyment. Funny is an adjective that means
amusing or causing laughter.
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Bored is an adjective that describes something that makes a person tired or unhappy
because something is not interesting. Boring is also an adjective that means something is
not interesting or exciting.
noun-fun adjective-funny
I had a lot of fun at the party. Sarah told a lot of jokes at the party. All of her jokes were funny.
adjective-boring adjective-bored
That class is so boring. I’m bored in my Spanish class because all we do is study grammar and never actually speak.
Hirsch
Remember these phrases:
A funny (adjective) man who tells lots of jokes always has more fun (noun)!
Only boring (adjective) people get bored (adjective) easily.
Rules for comparatives and superlatives- an easier way to remember how to use
them
English has certain rules when using comparatives and superlatives. One rule is that 2-
syllable words that do not end in -y use more and most. For example: Be more careful. A
general rule to follow is to look at the number of syllables in the adjective to tell how to
correctly form the comparative and superlative. The rule can be applied as follows:
Rule Adjective Comparative Superlative

1 syllable rule nice nicer the nicest
2 syllable rule pret-ty prettier the most pretty
3 syllable rule beau-ti-ful more beautiful the most beautiful

Hirsch
Conclusion
Although there are many more grammar goof-ups that one can make, this workshop helps
to correct some common ones, once and for all. Grammar cannot be simply learned by
reading a grammar guide or textbook, but language should be learned with interactions
with native speakers. Also, reading in the native language using a variety of materials will
help to improve grammar as you are able to better see how the language works within
native contexts. Finally, listen to how native speakers use the language both formally and
informally in the news, in conversations, and in interactions with each other and you.
I wish you the best of luck in your language studies and may they be improved with what
you have learned and continue to learn each day!
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References:
Lee Osterhout Journal of Neurolinguistics Volume 21, Issue 6, November 2008, Pages
509–521 Acquisition, Processing and Loss of L2: Functional, cognitive and neural
perspectives.
MacIntyre, P. D.; Gardner, R. C. (1994). "The subtle effects of language anxiety on

cognitive processing in the second language". Language Learning. 44: 283–
305.doi:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1994. tb01103.x.
Merritt, Anne (2013, September 18). Are children really better at foreign language learning?
The Telegraph, Education Opinion Section.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Using ideal picture books for Communicative Language Teaching
Ana Lado, Ph.D.

ana.lado@marymount.edu
Marymount University
Introduction
I used to spend a lot of time finding picture books to teach my English Learners (ELs). It
was difficult to find ones that were ‘just right’ and easy to implement. When I did not find
the right book, in other words, there was a gap between the abilities of my students and a
book’s text and pictures, then I spent a lot of time developing additional materials to bridge
that gap. The time I spent was worth it when I found the right book. Using the right book
meant that there was no difference between the book’s English and that needed by my
students. Using the right book leads to a successful language learning experience.
As a teacher of beginner ELs, I did not find the right book on a book list. Most book lists
were not useful. The reasons are that most book lists are organized by reading or Lexile®
measures that determine difficulty by a text’s vocabulary and sentence complexity.
However, for my ELs these are not the only source of difficulty. In addition to the
vocabulary and sentence complexity, ELs can find a book difficult and inaccessible
because the book challenges their oral language, cultural, or educational knowledge. Most
book lists do not address the distinct challenges for ELs. For example, it is common to find
on a book list, two books listed as having the same reading or Lexile® level of difficulty but
these two books are in fact, on different levels of difficulty for ELs’ oral abilities, cultural
knowledge, or educational background. In addition, two books may differ widely in
usefulness and compatibility for teaching oral language to ELs.
I no longer spend so much time searching for the ‘right picture book’ nor so much time
developing additional materials. This is because I have developed an annotated book list
based on EL characteristics and Communicative Language Teaching Strategies (CLT)
(Lado, 2012). This list is organized by a few key challenges for ELs. In the subsequent
sections of this paper, I will describe the criteria I use to select and organize my list so that
teachers of ELs can easily find a book that is ‘just right’ for them. I will focus on book
features that are compatible with specific CLT strategies. I will also include a sample book-
based CLT lesson. Finally, I include references of children’s picture books. The books in
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the reference are ideal for ELs because they match the theme of the sample lesson or
match typical teaching strategies used in CLT.
Theoretical basis: Just right, not too hard and not too easy
My annotations of picture books focus on ‘tellability’ rather than readability. Tellability is a
term coined by Labov in 1972 in conducting an analysis of conversational stories. He
coined the term to describe the variables which differentiate successful from unsuccessful
conversational stories. Since 1972, tellability and conversational analysis has been
extended to cover many types of oral conversations including instructional ones (Baroni,
2014). I use the concept to describe books that lead to successful book-based CLT
instructional conversations.
The way I applied tellability was to make a list of the typical discourse devices used by
successful language teachers. This list consisted of the strategies teacher use when they
adjust their instructional conversation to the listening abilities of their ELs and to the overall
purpose learning English. Only some of the many picture books available have embedded
features that are similar to the strategies used by successful language teachers. When a
book has these features they help teachers be successful with ELs. I call these books with
tellability for ELs. The book may have embedded features in their text, graphics, or formats
or they can simultaneously have embedded tellability features in all three. Let me give an
example of ways a picture book can have embedded features that match a CLT strategy.
When a book has yes/no questions in its text and the answers are also in the pictures, it
matches the English used by teachers implementing the CLT strategy often referred to as
Information Gap Guessing Game. When a has patterned sentences that simply differ in the
verbs used (I hop fast. I run fast. I swim fast), it matches the English used by teachers
implementing a verb substitution routine. Some books have lots of embedded discourse
devices in the text and others have both text and visuals that are supplementary. Books
with many compatible features scaffold student participation during their interaction with the
teacher.
A book with tellability is also within the ability range of the EL. We know that teachers use
simplifications in order to ensure that students are successful rather than overwhelmed and
unable to participate. So too, a book can contain simplifications that help ELs participate.
For example, teachers use pictures, gestures, repetition and models so that students
comprehend and engage in an interchange. Some picture books also contain features that
mirror these teacher simplifications, such as pictures that transparently mirror the text,
repetitive phrases, and interactive dialogue. These books scaffold English learning
activities. When teachers use these books, the teacher does not have to spend a lot of
time developing additional materials to bridge the gap between the book and the ELs.
These books have tellability because they lead seamlessly to successful instructional
conversations with ELs.
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Only some of the information needed for determining a book’s ‘tellability’ can be found on a
reading list, however not all. Critical elements are missing, such as cognitive, cultural, and
linguistic difficulty. I examine books by asking about its content against the characteristics
of the ELs and organize books by their compatibility with different ages, educational
backgrounds, cultural and linguistic factors. My list of books for ELs contains annotations
about age, education, culture, language, and CLT features.
Age assumptions - Reading lists assume congruity between reading level and age, for
example, beginning or early readers are assumed to be in 1st grade. EL beginners range in
age. Book lists must identify the early level of reading separately from the ELs’ age range.
Educational assumptions - Reading lists assume students have been exposed to a book-
based learning environment, and are able to apply general literacy concepts to interpreting
content. ELs range in educational backgrounds and exposure to books. EL beginners
range from those with multilingual educational experiences, to those with non-alphabetic
languages, to those with limited educations. Book lists must identify when a book assumes
a strong alphabetic background, for example a book that includes many different fonts.
Cultural assumptions - Reading lists assume students have been exposed to American
or English-speaking cultures and thus assume cultural knowledge and experiences. ELs
range in their familiarity of these. Book lists must identify the amount of new cultural
knowledge required to understand a book’s content.
Linguistic assumptions - Reading lists assume students speak English, are from an
English-speaking home and therefore are limited to reporting reading difficulty. Just as one
example, they assume the readers can aurally differentiate among the phonemes of
English and teach new graphic symbols simultaneously with sound-symbol
correspondence. ELs range in their oral language abilities and amount of English-speaking
support available at home. Book lists must identify difficulty of books in terms of their oral
language in addition their written language.
CLT strategy – Reading lists assume that the teacher is implementing beginning reading
strategies. CLT strategies are different. For example, when we teach a second language,
we differentiate between a pattern and a repetition. For a patterned text we use the CLT
strategy of substitution drills, and for the repetitive text we use the CLT strategy of jazz
chanting.
I consider all four of these characteristics of ELs and the match to a CLT strategy when
selecting a picture book for teaching English. CLT strategy. The following outlines the steps
I use to select books.
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Steps to selecting picture books with tellability
First, I examine books for adherence to basic principles of CLT. I look for books that cover
a balance of comprehension, expression, language-focused learning, and fluency activities.
For example, some books are better for comprehension, whereas others for fluency. As an
example, for comprehension, I look for books with the following: 1) close text to picture
match, 2) active verbs and scenes to use gestures and Total Physical Response (TPR)
and 3) embedded objects to use with a CLT strategy known as Realia. But for fluency I
look for books that are short in length so it can be easily reread, and in addition have poetic
phrasing so it can be memorized and recited.
Second, I examine books for content. There are a number of lists of books that describe
the cultural aspects of a book. In addition, I organize my books so to find the ones with the
right content difficulty, right utility, and right interests of ELs of particular ages and
backgrounds. For example, a Dodd’s Full house: An invitation to fractions (2009) is too
difficult for a first grader but Crew’s counting book, Ten black dots (1986) is not. Similarly,
Emberley’s bilingual book, Piñata (2004) is a book with high utility for Spanish-speaking
ELs because it is bilingual. A useful bilingual book for speakers of other languages is
Swain’s Celebrating (2000) since it has bilingual versions in a number of languages, such
as Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Finally, Evan’s book about the Underground
Railroad, Underground: Following the light to freedom (2013) is of little interest to younger
students while Carle’s From head to toe (2003) fascinates them.
Third, I examine books for context embedded language but additionally I organize books
that are within the beginner English language proficiency level into stages. This ensures
that each EL is working within their proficiency range. The earliest beginner needs books
with a little amount of text and simple English. Then they can handle a longer but still
simple book, for example a cumulative poem. A later stage beginner can use longer texts
with more complex English.
Fourth, I examine books for rhetorical phrasing and experiential language. The right book
contains language that matches specific language used in specific CLT strategies. For
example, From head to toe (Carle, 2003) has text that prompts TPR because there are a
dozen active verbs, such as clapping, stomping, wigglingU However, this book would not
be a good model for story retelling because it lacks a plot. Another book, Underground:
Following the light to freedom (Evans, 2013) has a plot and thus prompts retelling.
Books selected using these four steps provide beginner ELs with English they can access
and use to learn English efficiently. Having a list of books organized around features of
tellability greatly reduces my time preparing lessons. In addition to selecting books
according to the characteristics of ELs, I also match books to a balance of CLT strategies.
Books with high tellability have several embedded features which address comprehension,
expression, language-study, and fluency development.
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Themed Books which Match CLT Strategies
The following is a list of beginner level books about pizza and pizza making. Using themed
books is one way students deeply process new vocabulary. When we introduce each book,
students review the words learned in the past book and add more words to their repertoire.
For example, Pizza (Romay, 1994) introduces one new verb on each illustrated page, (13
total verbs) for example mix, measure, pour, toss, roll, and cut. These verbs are repeated
in books throughout the theme. It also contains a simple recipe that introduces ELs to
some of the key nouns in the theme and the structure of a written recipe.
I have listed the books according to the text features that match one of the four balanced
strands of implementing book-based CLT lessons (Nation, 2008): comprehension,
expression, language-focused study, and fluency.
Comprehension. This strand of a balanced CLT program is facilitated when the pictures
match the text. In addition, books with lots of verbs and actionable scenes can be taught
using Total Physical Response (TPR) and Reenactment.
Pizza (Romay, 1994) has one verb per page and a simple recipe that can be used with
the following CLT strategies: TPR, and LEA by making a pizza. It is the easiest book in
this list and introduces 13 action verbs and a few key nouns that are repeated in the
other books on the theme.
Pete’s pizza (Steig, 2004) has actionable scenes that can be used with the following
CLT strategies: Reenactment. Retelling. It is the hardest book on this list.
Expression. This strand of a balanced CLT program is facilitated by books that contain
dialogue-rich texts for Reader’s Theater, as well as texts that have directions for
projects, such as a recipe that can be learned with the Language Experience Approach
(LEA).
Let’s make pizza (Hill, 2002) has dialogue-rich text and parallel sentences that can be
used with the following CLT strategies: CLT: Reader’s Theater, and LEA by making a
pizza.
Pizza for Sam (Labatt, 2003) has simple plot that can be used for with the following CLT
strategies: Retelling and Rereading.
Language-focused study. This strand of a balanced CLT program is facilitated with

patterned texts such as ones with question and answer routines to use with Guessing
Games and parallel phrasing for Substitution.
“Hi, pizza man!” (Smith, 1995) has dialogue-rich text and parallel sentences that can be
used with the following CLT strategies: Reader’s Theater. Substitution.
Hold the anchovies! A book about pizza (Rotner, 1996) has lots of verbs and nouns that
can be used with the following CLT strategies: Realia. TPR.
The let red hen (makes pizza) (Surges, 1999) CLT: Reenactment. Retell.
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Fluency. This strand of a balanced CLT program is facilitated by shorts books that can be
Reread, and poetic texts that can be Chanted and Recited.
Pizza party! (Maccarone, 1994) has dialogue-rich text, verbs, and patterned text that
can be used with the following CLT strategies: Chanting, Reader’s Theater, and
Substitution. It is a good book to read before The pizza that we made (Holub, 2001).
The pizza that we made (Holub, 2001) has patterned, dialogue-rich text that can be
used with the following CLT strategies: Chanting, Reader’s Theater, and Substitution.
The following is a lesson sample with a book on another theme, weather.

Sample lesson with a tellable book
Rain (Stojic, 2000) is a book with tellability features that provide a seamless transition
between the experience of the book and a balanced program with comprehensible input,
expressive output, language-focused study, and fluency activities. I selected this book
because of its theme and the way it prompts CLT strategies related to the dramatic arts.
First, Rain is essentially an extended dialogue and thus lends itself to comprehension
teaching strategies using pictures and gestures. Using the TPR strategy, I would teach
listening comprehension for gestures reflecting such active phrases as, sniffing around,
taste, smell, hear, feel, and whisper. Using picture identification, I would teach the names
of the animals, such as zebra, baboon, porcupine, and rhino, and names of things, such as
rain, soil, drops, and lightning.
Second, it lends itself to expressive output teaching strategies using the dialogue in the
text. I would read the book page by page and select students to repeat the lines of a
favorite animal to practice intonation. Students could practice their favorite character’s
lines in groups.
Third, it lends itself to language-focused study by systematically modeling the differences

between the language of dialogue and the language of retelling and reporting. This helps
beginner ELLs begin to make seamless transitions between oral dialogue and typical third
person story telling. I might copy first person phrases in one column and the third person
equivalent in another. Students can compare and contrast these two types of text and learn
to transform one type into the other and back. They master the language sample in the text
and also the skills of talking about the story, retelling it in third person, or rewriting it with
different characters. For example, teachers can help ELs learn to transition from direct to
indirect sentences, such as The girl sniffed around. - “I’m sniffing around,” whispered the
girl. And “It’s time to start,” she said.- The girl said that it was time to start.
Fourth, to build fluency, this short text or their rewritten ones can be reread, recited, or
performed as Reader’s Theater. In addition, there is a popular chant that can be found
online that can used with this book. Its text is the following: Rain, rain, go away, little
children, want to play.
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There are a number of weather-themed books for ELs in a beginner and early intermediate
level that can be used to further process weather-related vocabulary using these same
CLT strategies (Reader’s Theater, Recitation, Reenactment, and Retelling). These books
are provided in a weather-themed book list as a reference.
In sum, I have argued that ideal books for teaching beginner ELs have visual, text, and
experiential features that prompt successful interactions associated with a CLT strategy.
The best books to use in instruction of ELs are those that mimic the discourse devices and
supplementary materials used by teachers to accommodate ELs for the purpose of
teaching English. Books with these features in text, graphics or formats have ‘tellability.’
My focus here was to briefly explain the steps to selecting picture books for ELs. I
illustrated this with an example of a book containing several embedded features that were
compatible with CLT. I illustrated ways to teach a balance of comprehension, expression,
language-focused study, and fluency activities, such as Reader’s Theater, Recitation,
Reenactment, and Retelling. I have included in the references below a list of books on the
weather them that also have features compatible with additional CLT strategies, such as
TPR, and Substitution. Lists of picture books matching other teaching strategies and
themes can be found in my book and its accompanying URL database.
Implications
The difficulty of books for ELs are not limited to the measuring the vocabulary and
grammar in the written text. We can organize picture books by features which encompass
the most important barriers to comprehension and use. I have described the criteria I use
to select and organize my data base of books so I can find a book that is ‘just right’ for my
ELs. We need more lists that annotate books as to their appropriateness for ELs with
different language abilities, backgrounds, and participating in different types of CLT.
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References
Baroni, R. “Tellability” In: Huhn, P. et al. (eds) The living handbook of narratology.
Hamburg: Hamburg University. Retrieved from http://www.lhn.uni-
hamburg.de/article/tellability.
Labov, W. (1972). Language in the inner city: Studies in the Black English vernacular (Vol.
3). University of Pennsylvania Press.
Lado, A. (2012). Teaching beginner ELLs with picture books: Tellability. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin. [companion web page with annotated book list]
Nation, I. (2007). The Four Strands. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1)
pages 2-13. Retrieved from http://www.multilingual-
matters.net/illt/001/0002/illt0010002.pdf.
Children’s Book References

Celebrating (Swain, 2000) Milet. Elementary grades. CLT: Recitation.
From head to toe (Carle, 2003) Harper Festival. Elementary grades, CLT: Reader’s
Theater.
Full house: An invitation to fractions (Dodds, 2009) Candlewick. Upper grades, CLT:
Reenactment, Reader’s Theater.
My people (Langston Hughes, 2009) Atheneum Books for Young Readers. All grades,
CLT: Recitation, Substitution.
Piñata (Emberley, 2004) (Bilingual Spanish/English) LB. Elementary grades. CLT:
Reenactment.
Perfect square (Hall, 2011) Greenwillow. Elementary grades, CLT: Retelling. TPR,
Substitution.
Rain (Stojic, 2000) Crown. Elementary grades, CLT: Reader’s Theater.
Ten black dots (Crews, 1986) Crown. Elementary grades, CLT: Recitation, Substitution.
Underground: Finding the light to freedom (Evans, 2013) Roaring Brook. Upper grades,
CLT: Reenactment.
What do you do with a tail like this? (Jenkins, & Page, 2008) HMH Books for Young
Readers: Reprint edition. All grades, CLT: Substitution, Guessing Game.
Pizza-themed Book List

“Hi, pizza man!” (Smith, 1995) Orchard books. All grades. CLT: Chanting. Reenact.
Substitution.
Hold the anchovies! A book about pizza (Rotner, 1996) Orchard books. All grades. CLT:
Realia. TPR.
Let’s make pizza (Hill, 2002) Scholastic. Elementary grades. CLT: TPR, Retell and make a
pizza.
The let red hen (makes pizza) (Surges, 1999) Puffin an imprint of Penguin. Early
elementary grades. CLT: Reenactment. Retell.
Pizza (Romay, 1994) Scholastic. All grades, CLT: TPR, Retell and make a pizza.
Pizza for Sam (Labatt, 2003) Scholastic. Elementary grades. CLT: Retell.
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Pete’s pizza (Steig, 2004) Harperfestival. All grades. CLT: Reenact scenes. TPR. All ages
Pizza party! (Maccarone, 1994) Scholastic Hello Reader. Elementary grades. CLT: TPR.
The pizza that we made (Holub, 2001) Penguin Books for Young Readers. Elementary
grades. CLT: Chanting and TPR.
Weather-themed Book List

And then it’s spring (Fogliano, 2012) Roaring Brook. Elementary grades, CLT: Retelling.
Big rain coming (Germein, 2000) Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Elementary grades, CLT:
Retelling.
Cloud dance (Locker, 2003) Little Brown. Upper grades, CLT: Recitation.
Here is the tropical rainforest (Dunphy, 2006) Prentice Hall. Upper grades, CLT: Recitation,
Substitution.
I am water (Scholastic Reader 1) (Marzollo, 2008) Cartwheel. Elementary grades, CLT:
Reader’s Theater, Reenactment, Retell.
I love the rain (Bridges, 2008) Chronicle. Elementary grades, CLT: Reader’s Theater,
Reenactment, Retell.
It’s raining its pouring (Peter, Paul, and Mary, 2012) Imagine/Peter Yarrow: Rei/Com
edition. Chronicle. All grades, CLT: Recitation (Singing).
Let it rain (Cocca-Leffler, 2013) Cartwheel, Elementary grades, CLT: Recitation.
Let it rain (Taft, 2015) Grosset and Dunlap, Elementary grades, CLT: Retell.
Like a windy day (Asch, & Asch, 2008) HMH Books for Young Readers, Elementary
grades, CLT: Retell.
Rain (Stojic, 2000) Crown. Elementary grades, CLT: Reader’s Theater.
Rain (Weather Ready-to-read) (Bauer, 2004) Simon Spotlight. Elementary grades, CLT:
Reenactment.
Sail away (Crews, 2000) Greenwillow. Elementary grades, CLT: Reader’s Theater,
Reenactment.
The wind blew (Hutchins, 1993) Aladdin: Reissue edition. Elementary grades, CLT:
Reenactment.
The falling raindrop (Johnson, 2010) Roaring Brook. Elementary grades, CLT:
Reenactment.
Water (Asch, 2000) HMH Books for Young Readers, Elementary grades, CLT: Vocabulary
Visuals.
Water dance (Locker, 2002) LB. Upper grades, CLT: Recitation, Guessing Game.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Fostering intercultural communication in the classroom: Some practical activities

Gabriela Ladrón de Guevara de León
gabladron@gmail.com
Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México
Introduction
English in Mexico is often associated with progress and modernity and this is supported by
government policies that consider it the global language. It has been a compulsory subject
in federal basic education since 2011 and in the local education systems (States), it has
been included since 2001.
In addition, university research, not only in Mexico but around the world uses English as a
mean of communication. In fact, it is a standardized practice to ask for abstracts of
research papers in English. Students in higher education know this and are adding English
to the subjects needed in their professional life.
Also, professionalization of English Language teachers is increasing: it is not enough to

master the language, also professional studies are needed. And this process impacts the
image of the English teacher: they are professionals in education, they are language
authorities and they know the teaching and learning processes.
And there is a wide global movement towards learning a language in order to raise
awareness of the own culture, sharing not only words, but also ways of understanding the
world.
However, English language classrooms normally show a partial view of Anglophone

culture, and they often leave students’ own culture outside. As a result, intercultural
communication is stopped and discrimination and misunderstandings arise.
The purpose of this paper is help participants reflect on the present situation and give
some practical ideas to introduce intercultural communication in the English language
classroom.
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Rationale
Context
There are some common mental representations shared by students in a public university
in Mexico City (Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México) interviewed in February
2013:
“Only native speakers can be good language teachers”

“British English is more elegant than American English”
“Latin American accent is horrible!”
“Kids from bilingual schools are the ones who can speak English properly”
It is noticeable that they have a strong sociocultural background linked to learning English
as part of the school curriculum, they accept they need it to complete their higher education
competencies. However, they do not have a very positive image of English language and
the cultures that use it.
Also, they define English as a global language, an academic tool, a door to the world, an
element of best status, a modernity developer and a means to better job positions. There is
a paradox: on one hand, they recognize the importance of English for their careers but they
are not willing to interact with the cultures that speak English.
After analyzing the data, it was found that the mental representations and the definitions
given by the students were possibly linked to approaches to ELT that are based on
assumptions and historical events, such as the relationship Mexico-USA and some anti-
imperialist ideas.
Students interviewed commented that they arrive to the English language classroom with
acute prejudice, inability to interact with “the other”, seen as the vehicle of the alien
language and culture; with the affective filter increased and low self-esteem. It increases
the difficulty while learning a language and it provokes discrimination in and outside the
classroom, creating this false impression: if they are able to speak the language, they are
“better” than their classmates, but even if they try really hard, they would never be able to
speak as “perfectly” as a native speaker. So, their language learning would never be as
effective as they expect, even if they do their best. English becomes a mandatory subject
and their objective is to pass the course or the certification exam.
Classroom needs
Constructivist classrooms and especially language classrooms need to foster and integrate
cognitive, personal and social competencies and develop communicative competences in
second language learning and acquisition, as well as transfer them to students’ first
language, following Gumperz (1996) ideas that link the language to human interactions.
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This idea is supported in the fact that the use of the language is related to the social,
cultural and historic context in which the communication is taking place. So, communication
is much more than understanding the words and knowing the linguistics. It involves other
competencies that foster students’ development: it is related to the cultural and social
competencies that are a core part of learning a language.
In addition, learning a language implies learning a culture, because, according to Besse

(1982) a language is the system of vocal signs that belong to a community, so the
language define the community and the community defines the language: speakers of a
language share not only the language, but also rules, values, sociolinguistic patterns,
social criteria and opinions. (Moreno, 2009)
As a result, it fosters the appreciation of cultural differences and diversity, as well as

interest and curiosity in languages and intercultural communication. Students can value
their culture and respect other cosmo visions, exchanging ideas and opinions in a
respectful and safe environment.
So, what can language teachers do to develop language learning and intercultural
communication in the classroom?
Proposal
Intercultural communication, according to Scollo, Wong Scollon and Jones (2012: 2)
implies “the people and try to figure out something about them based on the culture they
belong to.” It includes “discourse systems associated with different genders, sexualities,
generations, workplaces and professions.”
To foster it, there is the need of using values such as respect, tolerance, knowledge, that
are part of the general competences, understood as the articulation of attitudes and values,
knowledge, concepts, cognitive abilities and process and technical abilities, in order to act
in a given situation (Tobón, 2005)
In order to foster the intercultural communication, some activities are suggested:
1. Reflection activities about the language form and about its use in natural contexts,
regarding the participants and the situation, not only according to students’ context but
also taking into account the context given by native speakers of the language.
2. Problem solving: problems regarding the use of English in different situations, the
different communicative exchanges and the creativity in the use of the language, in
order to transmit clear and accessible messages, reviewing the context and the
participants in the language exchange.
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3. Tasks based on authentic texts (oral and written) with clear examples of English in real
situations, so, they are models and examples of the genre and a window to its culture.
4. Tasks related to reformulation of authentic texts, recovering information or interpreting

it, emphasizing the genre, its communicative aim and the original audience, as well as
an audience closer to the students’ learning situation.
5. Portfolios as evaluation and self-evaluation tools regarding skills development, with

cultural references and comments.
6. Use of learning strategies aimed to motivate the development of autonomous learning,

self-evaluation and self-regulation.
The proposed activities are simple, they are challenging but not impossible for learners, the
material is accessible and easy to find. In addition, these activities are in a given situation
and can be contextualized easily; they also review and activate students’ previous
knowledge of the language and of the world and they enhance students’ critical thinking
and promote reflection and intercultural communication.
Finally, if we promote these competences, teachers are helping learners not only to pass
exams and certified their knowledge and abilities using international exams, where they
would show the proficiency acquired, in a reflective and conscious way, that could be also
used in other areas of their academic formation and could help them to value their own
culture, as well as the target language culture.
Conclusions
The mastery of English as a foreign language is widely recognized as an important tool in
today’s world. It is also a general competency en the academic world.
Cultural competences (the ability to recognize and respect cultural differences, accept the
other and create harmonic interactions) are an essential part of communication in a foreign
language and they are part of the communicative competences. However, it is not always
promoted in the language classroom.
Intercultural communication is an essential part of the ELT classroom and it is based on

respect, tolerance and cultural knowledge. It is based on the idea of people
communicating, seeing the culture as part of the individual identity and the community
construction.
It can be fostered in the classroom by using activities that help reflection process and that
guide students in the process of recognize their own culture and value other cultures.
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The result of applying this approach would help learners to overcome prejudice and accept
cultural differences. In addition, students’ own culture receives a new added value and
stereotypes and mental representations are evaluated and changed.
References
Cowan, J., (2006), On becoming an Innovative University Teacher, Reflection in Action,

Second edition. Berkshire: Open University Press, pp 33.
European Council (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:

Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR). Madrid: Instituto Cervantes-Ministerio de
Educación Cultura y Deporte.
Scollon, R., Wong Scollon, S. and Jones, R. H. (2012) Intercultural Communication. A

discourse approach. UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Besse, H. (1987) Langue maternelle, seconde et étrangère. En Le français aujourd’hui.

Paris: Hachette.
Gumperz, J. (1996) El significado de la diversidad lingüística y cultural en contextos

postmodernos. En Muñoz, H y Lewin, P. (coords) El significado de la diversidad lingüística
y cultural: investigaciones lingüísticas 3. Oaxaca: UAM-I / INAH.
Moreno, F. (2009) Principios de sociolingüística y sociología del lenguaje. Barcelona: Ariel.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Motivating youth toward positive social change, through significant stories from
communities in Mexico
Frederic Bernal Lim

MrLim.ENLpro@gmail.com
Fulbright-Garcia Robles Research Grant
As a recipient of the Distinguished Award in Teaching Grant from Becas Fulbright-Garcia

Robles, I would like to present my research project described below and to speak about its
mid-term progress. I would also like to invite any educators, who are interested in collecting
significant stories from their students, to actively participate in this on-going research
project.
Focus: Developing global competence

One of the main components of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program is
the design and completion of an inquiry project that is directly relevant and applicable to
classroom practice. The U.S. Department of State is particularly interested in supporting
projects that reach students in traditionally underserved groups including girls, racial and
ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, and students in under-resourced communities
and schools.
With these concepts and goals in mind, I first would need to define the focus and scope of
my project based on the words chosen in the “Name of the talk” to clarify my objective. The
original title on my Fulbright application was “Igniting Civic Participation by Rediscovering
Historical Change Agents from Indigenous Communities”. This title has a strong leaning to
revolutionary changes and too focused on indigenous communities. I would like to promote
a sense of agency in middle school students to begin a process of thinking and doing small
positive changes starting with their immediate community (family, school, neighborhood,
etc.). Mexico now is a country of mixed cultural influences, so I have necessarily had to
broaden the scope of this project to include all communities.
Allow me to explain the project by defining the words I used in the title:
Motivating= Igniting
Motivating middle school students takes much energy from teachers! This is especially true
with recent immigrants in the United States who are required to learn English as an ELL
(English Language Learner). In New York State, ELLs are “stuck” in an ENL/ESL program
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until they pass, which could take as many as 4 years. Those who cannot pass are
statistically shown to have a tendency to dropout in high school. However, research by
Godina, H. (see bibliography), found that immigrant students are more motivated to stay in
school when they study culturally relevant materials. The purpose of this project is to
collect Significant Stories from the local community by students for other students to draw
some motivation through cultural similitudes. How I propose to collect stories is detailed
below.
Youth
I have taught ENL/ESL for 16 years, 6 of which have been at a public charter middle school
(ages 11-13) in Harlem, New York, USA. For this grant, I am initiating my project in Mexico
at “Escuela Secundaria Técnica No. 29 Xiuhtecuhtli”, which is a project-based learning
(PBL) school. The three English teachers and the administration like the purpose of the
project and have been incredibly helpful in accommodating its development and
implementation, including adapting the lessons for students with different levels of English
mastery. Since my masters in education focused on special education, differentiating the
lesson plans in this unit for a given student population is important to me and is considered
a best practice.
Positive social change = civic participation

I am not only interested in collecting stories to motivate other students. Part of the project is
to give motivated students an opportunity to meet a 30-day challenge to create a change in
their community. After they submit their story(ies) from elders in their community, they can
design and execute a plan to positively change an aspect in their community. Examples
can be painting a mural (with permissions, of course), cleaning up a section of their street,
raising awareness of domestic dog/cat/pet abuse and prevention, etc. The types of projects
are limited to what the students (individually and small groups) can think of, and also by the
permissions they can obtain.
Social change= change agents

This can mean people who are famous (or infamous—depending on whose telling the
story) in the sense that their fame is public. Or, they can be a relative or friend of the family
who has done something significant to positively enhance the quality of life in the
community. Example of a famous/infamous person is Xicotencatl II, who led his community
in Tlaxcala against Spanish rule. This is positive because the community resisted Spanish
imposition to keep what they valued, which is their indigenous culture. Yet, everyday
heroes exist, too, such as those in the community who, as examples, have painted
inspirational murals for the community, created a school to teach the use of local plants for
ancestral medicinal purposes, and founded a local radio program to inform and advise.
Significant stories= rediscovering historical

Much like the style of interviewing on a favorite site called StoryCorp.org, I would like
students to recount at least one of the stories from their parents, grandparents, relatives,
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and friends that has a special meaning to them; now as a middle school student. What was
the positive change that this person, or group of people, do? Why is that inspiring to you?
Based on this story, what goal(s) did you set for yourself? How do you plan to reach your
goal(s)? What can you do in 30 days to bring that positive pride to yourself and your
community?
Communities in Mexico= Indigenous Communities

Of all the terms I had to define, I found that “community” encompasses a broad spectrum. I
initially wanted to focus on the indigenous community because of my extensive volunteer
work with small groups of indigenous women in rural Guatemala in order to empower the
community through complementary heath training. Working with this group of indigenous
women who are bilingual (Spanish-Kaqchikel), health practitioners, and wear traditional
indigenous clothing, I came to Mexico expecting to work with schools that had a similar
population. I see that Mexicans in the city seem integrated and mixed (mestizo) as a
society, and use the term “indigenous” with the approximately 10% of the population. For
this reason, I would like to work with teachers and their students interested in this project in
communities in other parts of the country of Mexico, namely Tlaxcala, Veracruz,
Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, and Oaxaca.
Purpose
To collect Significant Stories from the point of view of adolescents (ages 11-13 years) in
Mexican indigenous communities, through a class project within a social studies curriculum
as a means of helping non-English language and low-income students in Mexico and the
U.S. connect to their heritages, thereby developing global competence to lead positive
change in their lives.
Objective
Students interview people in their indigenous communities and examine historical texts
with the guidance of their teachers in order to identify, describe, and compare the roles of
individuals as catalysts of change affecting their communities at various times and
locations from the early history of Mexico and the U.S. until now; and explain the reason
this person is significant to the student, to others, and to everyone (community).
Expected Outcomes
Teachers will plan and execute 4 lessons in the course of 2 months that combine social
studies content (for ages 11-13 years) and L1 and L2 acquisition goals (in reading and
writing), to facilitate gathering authentic and culturally appropriate materials that serve the
objective. This includes, but not limited to, recordings of oral interviews (e.g.
StoryCorp.com). Languages of L1 can by Spanish or Home/Indigenous language; L2 can
be English or Spanish.
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Final project format and content
Students submit their significant stories in various formats (written, recorded, illustrated,
digital) to be assembled, bound (if written), and linked (if digital) for local school reference.
At the teachers’ discretion, and by permission of the communities and authors, parts of the
project will be scanned and available via digital retrieval for educational purposes. These
are open-source, informational videos and interview podcasts on a website with streaming
social media, so that the project can grow when teachers of subsequent class cohorts add
to the content.
The process I hope to follow in order to implement my project, time frame for each step,
individuals that might be involved, methods used, and activities:
Sep: Acculturate, meet teachers, students, content and language professionals, and
community members. Interview and collaborate on shared goals for the next
months, begin drafting 2 lessons. See question number 8 below for a list of
proposed resources.
Oct: Meet with teachers of Social Studies and Language Acquisition regularly to
assess students, strategize goals, including differentiation. Instruct and repeat.
Nov: If the project proves successful in October, we can consider a 30-day
challenge for students to create positive changes in their communities. Meanwhile, I
re-connect with professionals at cultural and learning institutes to refine teaching
experiences. These may include the Department of English (at Universidad Nacional
Autónoma de Mexico, or others) that may suggest how to improve L2 acquisition in
content areas using L1. After additional refinement, I discuss findings with teachers
and incorporate relevant ideas into next 2 lessons. Instruct and gather most
engaging methods. Repeat.
Dec: Wrap up project and prepare findings into usable units (reports, instructional
videos, websites, blog). Official end of program is December 22, 2016.
Methodology: Sheltered English Approach; Intentional Integrated Instruction, which

combines state standards and new language acquisition progressions (NLAP and HLAP)
focusing on Tier 2 vocabulary in content areas.
Activities: Not limited to reading content-rich culturally appropriate texts; conducting

interviews of family and indigenous community members (StoryCorp.org); designing
technology-based unit projects; written essays in various formats. Schools in Tlaxcala
would be perfect.
The following information serves a background to my project for Q&A after presentation:
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How my project will enhance my professional development and career goals
This project will enhance my ability to show educators of ENL (English as a New
Language) and Social Studies teachers how to write lesson plans combining content and
L1/L2 languages. As ENL state standards merge with ELA common core standards,
knowing how to manage these standards and to scaffold language acquisition will help me
collaborate successfully with content teachers. I will be able to better advise on appropriate
scaffolds for ELLs (English Language Learners) at different stages of language acquisition,
especially those with Mexican-background.
I look forward to working with teachers in Mexican schools to improve my presentation

skills in Spanish, as well as leading small groups of education professionals. Through
these “giant brain” planning sessions, I will be able to strategizing lessons and improve my
differentiating skills, while improving effective teaching techniques. One goal I would like to
reach is eventually share our authentic texts about Significant Stories by middle-school
aged students in indigenous communities at national conferences and professional
methodology workshops, for example, the MEXTESOL Convention in Monterrey, Mexico
from October 27-30, 2016. A sub-goal of this is to be able to create instructional videos,
podcasts, and websites to share this information.
After this Fulbright experience, I aim to continue learning and be a consultant in best
practices for ELLs and ENL instruction. As the number of bilingual middle schools and
charter schools in New York City increase and the need for ELL teachers rises, this project
will add to the reliable corpora of teaching resources so that all students and teachers
develop a deeper understanding of the world and their roles in shaping history.
Rationale on Mexico being particularly well suited for pursuing my project

Mexico is the perfect country to initiate a project to develop global competence about
historical change agents because there are 56 indigenous languages and about 7 million
indigenous people (9% of the population). The largest language group is Náhuatl and the
top 3 regions where indigenous people live are Oaxaca, Veracruz and Chiapas, including
east of Mexico City.
According to H. Godina’s research on immigrant ELLs in the U.S., historically accurate and
culturally appropriate teaching materials need to be used to engage students. I hope to find
enriching material from students’ stories of indigenous community members. Other places
to find information are the institutes of arts, culture, and folklore around Mexico. As
examples: Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropología to build background knowledge
about the natural resources that attracted indigenous settlement. The impact of the
Columbian Exchange can be explored at other venues, such the Xijacan Museo of
indigenous artifacts, or comparing world museums virtually.
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To strengthen my point, there already exists a strong relationship with the US via business
and immigration. The majority of ELLs in the USA speaks Spanish (79%) and Spanish is
the top language among ELLs in New York State (61%). As Mexico experiences an
economic Renaissance, innovation in education in Mexico needed to already happen.
Mexico’s young people today need quality education that relates to their cultural roots so
they can change the course of their country’s future as their indigenous predecessors did.
The ELLs in the US with Mexican/Latin American heritage would find this interesting
because they can relate culturally to the information found in the stories.
How my project will reach underserved populations in the United States

I am a vociferous ELL advocate in our school, which has a high population of underserved
students. Half of the 37 ELLs this year are Spanish-speaking. Others speak French (West
Africa) and Arabic. Our school also serves students with disabilities (33% of school’s
enrollment). There is overlap, but they would all benefit from being shown authentic
material created by Mexican students who are proud of their cultural heritage. They can be
a source of inspiration as well as a language bridge between L1 and L2.
My ENL class is microcosm of the 305 students in our school, so I would bring these
indigenous texts and recordings about indigenous leaders to the 7th grade Social Studies.
My project seeks to find out which types of historically and culturally interesting resources
would engage Mexican students with the hope that our students in in New York will also
find the student projects interesting. For example, girls would draw inspiration from the
scholar Juana Inés de la Cruz who continues being an inspiration to this day. The teaching
material can be used to compare Native American influences on Western culture and the
relationship with the European settlers.
After this project is completed, we can investigate how to procure similar historically and
culturally significant resources for students who come from South America, West African,
Arabic-speaking countries, and others.
How I hope to apply what I learn when I return to the United States
I can apply what I learned in Mexico in 7th grade Social Studies. The first unit is Native
American, Early Encounters and Colonial Development.
The benefits of knowing more about indigenous leaders would be new material for
everyone at my U.S. school, so learning extends to non-ELLs and students with disabilities
as some have Spanish-speaking and/or Mexican background. Studying these materials
could engender empathy toward the students’ communities in Mexico and develop
geographic reasoning.
The Mexican school communities could benefit to some degree from having a Fulbright
project created by a teacher in Harlem. Indigenous communities may become interested in
155
virtual projects to compare and contrast different North American culture groups. Some
U.S. schools may wish to develop an exchange program or pen pal relationships.
My teaching practice would improve through the reiteration of this project at ELL
professional development workshops, specifically teaching middle school students in
Mexico. Students interviewing their indigenous community members on their heroes may
lead them to search out more information, such as leaders who are less studied. For
example, Po’pay, who was a Tewa religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh, who led the
Pueblo Revolt in 1680 against Spanish colonial rule.
Educational policy dialogue might include improving the treatment of misunderstood ELL
students in rural schools. I will apply to present at NY TESOL and NABE conferences, as
well as other schools to provide content scaffolding for Spanish-speaking students from
Latin America.
References
"EngageNY Bilingual Common Core Initiative." Bilingual Common Core Initiative. New York
State Education Department. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.
Godina, H. (2004). The contradictory literacy practices of Mexican background students:
Results from an ethnography in the rural Midwest. Bilingual Research Journal, 28(2), 153-
180.
Kenndy, Elizabeth. "No Childhood Here Why Central American Children Are Fleeing Their
Homes." Perspectives 1 July 2014. Print.
Moore, David W. Developing Readers and Writers in the Content Areas, K-12. Sixth ed.
New York: Longman, 1986. 68-89. Print.
Schmid, Valentin. "Q&A Vicente Fox Looking to Mexico's Future." Epoch Weekend 4 Sept.
2015, Issue 58 ed., Weekend sec.: W3, W12. Print.
Soto, Ruiz, Ariel G., Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova, comps. "Top Languages Spoken
by English Language Learners Nationally and by State." Migration Policy Institute (2015).
Web. Sep 14, 2015.
"TESOL International Association. Implementing the Common Core State Standards for
English Learners: The Changing Role of the ESL Teacher." Alexandria, VA: Author 1 Apr.
2013. Print.
"Using Expertise to Group Students - Teaching Channel." Www.teachingchannel.org.
Success at the Core. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.
Troike, Muriel. A Guide to Culture in the Classroom. Rosslyn, Va.: National Clearinghouse
for Bilingual Education, 1978. Print.
Zehr, Mary Ann. "ESL Students Pose a Special Challenge For Rural Schools ..."
Www.edweek.org. Education Week, 20 June 2001. Web. 16 June 2015.
156
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Free software teaching tools and their benefits
Pablo E. López Mijares

pabloelm@hotmail.com
Colegio Ignacio Zaragoza, A.C.
Imagine yourself with the opportunity to make a click on a pc, laptop, tablet... any
technological device and open up an entire world of information, possibilities, games, and
resources to make life much easier to us humans. Does this sound familiar? Yes, because
it is already possible to us. Now imagine using all of these tools to improve the teaching-
learning process in our classroom today, wouldn´t it be great? You know what? It is
happening! We are already living in a digital era!
Take a look for example at most of the communicative tools that we use, for example:
Skype, Facebook, Outlook, even Whats app. What´s the characteristic they all have in
common? They are all digital resources we have on our devices and we use them to
communicate.
The younger generations of our society are logged into the web most of the time, or as we
would usually say ”they are on-line”. As they are connected they have access to
information. This information on the web is floating around, sometimes true, other times
very doubtful. This is then, what our children and teenagers do, as part of their enrollment
in our globalized society. This society demands from them to stay “connected” and
participate of the events and life of the world as we know it.
This is then a calling to us teachers to wake up and step in. It has become our duty and
responsibility as teachers to show students how to make use of these powerful tools in this
powerful era. How can we do this if we are afraid of the power button? How can we do this
if we think the three upward curved lines signal means that you are playing music on your
phone or pc? We need to sit down in front of our computers, tablets, or any electronic
device we have at our disposal and get “on-line”.
Amidst all the administrative paperwork and lesson planning it becomes very usual for us
to limit the resources we use in our daily lessons, nevertheless it is very important for us to
learn that there are out there people like you and me trying, striving, to help teachers
connect students to this reality. These people have created and continue to create every
day tools, software, apps to use for an educational purpose only, some of them under
157
charge yet, some others for free. This last word takes us to our topic today ”Free software
teaching tools and their benefits”.
Free is one of those words that causes an immediate reaction in our brain. In some cases it
will be a positive reaction, one of excitement, adrenaline, joy; in some others it causes
restrain, fear, just like that sound of “tan, tan, tanU” a threat has been detected. In
whatever case it might be, it´s extremely important to pause today before our computers
and think about how much we involve technological resources as we teach.
There are today thousands of tools, apps, and media that have been created for us!
Teachers! Education is one of the main targets for technologists and programmers. Some
of them are responsible for creating software and charge for its use. There are, however,
some others who, aware of the great need teachers and educators have, for material that
will enable them to prepare lessons and classes make these tools free of charge that will
offer a chance to students to learn better in today´s digital world.
Free software is a great utensil today. Our job as XXI century teachers is to analyze the
resources we have at our disposal to bring our students in closer contact with the language
and at the same time make use of the technology we have today to reach this goal. Free
software is not the same as cloned software or as we would say pirate software. “U free
software is a gateway for students to explore and learn” thus say Shahzad Saeed on his
article about “Top Ten benefits from using free software.” Shahzad is making a clear
statement telling us that this free software can offer a wide variety of exercises, activities,
information regarding class that will unfold a new approach to the learning process.
We can also find on another piece of writing that “the quality of software produced by the
Open Source community sometimes exceeds that produced by purely commercial
organizations” this being said by the article “Benefits of Using Open Source Software
appearing also on QUINETIQ2001.” This article explodes into a discussion forum where
purposes and objectives are set on the table. We are talking about real people like you and
me, dedicating their time and profession in the building of a better world. Why not give
them a chance and use what they are placing before us freely and start making a change.
Why would we dare to say this? In my own personal opinion, I think that there are people
out there, like you and me concerned about Education, who dedicate their entire work and
life to make of these technologies a bridge between the student and knowledge.
Last but not least of the benefits I will mention to you today is that of being part of a social
movement. Shahzad Saeed mentions further on his article “Top 10 Benefits of using free
software” that “Free software is not just for the individual user´s sake. It promotes solidarity
and represents society as a whole through sharing and cooperation”. This is as you can
see the bone marrow benefit of all of this we have mentioned before, the moment we teach
our students to make use of these tools, we start teaching them that even themselves can
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be part of the creation of these new strategies and technological tools to help their own
people.
Let´s then go back to the reason why we are here. What are the benefits of using free
software?
It places the student in direct contact with the native language.
Makes use of the most advanced technological tools there are out there.
Gives us the ability to remove or update any program whenever we want
Makes us part of a social movement.
According to eLearning industry, this is a list of some free software tools we may use as
teachers to enhance the learning process:
Learning suite by Microsoft

Flashcards by Microsoft
Office 365 for Education
Photosynth
Microsoft Mathematics 4.0
Kinetic for Windows SDK
Math Worksheet Generator
Digital Storytelling Teaching Guide
Songsmith
Kahoot
MimioStudio
Each of these sites have a specific objective, it all depends your area of expertise. As a
conclusion, my personal invitation is to make a special effort to get to know the tools that
are offered to us, and to put them into practice and help our students through a great
variety of tools and strategies amusing to them creating a bridge between the student and
knowledge.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Music or silence? Creating a suitable environment for memory
Dalia Carolina Martinez Cano

Yna03@hotmail.com
This project emerges as a response to the difficulties faced by students to memorize

vocabulary, a problem that has been observed regularly. The general aim was to explore
which kind of music is more suitable to use as background when memorizing vocabulary in
a second language. Action Research was used as the research method with a total
population of 16 students, all from university. The groups were homogeneous in age, from
20 to 24 years old; and in interests, they all take English classes as a major requirement.
They have been studying English for 1 year and a half reaching a lower intermediate level.
The interventions lasted 3 months that were divided in 2 interventions every week. The
interventions tested short term memory and long term memory with and without visual aids,
music changed every time new vocabulary was presented; memory was also tested in
silence. The tools to collect data were surveys, controlled activities and questionnaires.
The reason for conducting the experiment was because English teachers usually use
music to perform exercises such as fill in the gap, word order or karaoke; yet the
advantages music presents are greater than that. Music can help to reduce stress levels
and increase long term memory improving results in a cognitive task. (Khalfa S, Bella S.D.,
Roy M, Peretz I, Lupien S.J., 2003; Cohen, D., 2011; Schellenberg & Hallam, 2005;
Schellenberg, Nakata, Hunter, & Tamoto, 2007).
Students can show great improvement just by changing the class atmosphere, Foran
(2009) clarifies that positive experience and environments can strengthen healthy neural
connections and promote cognitive and emotional development. In contrast, abusive and
negative environments cause hormonal changes that make the integration of brain systems
impossible, resulting in inferior verbal abilities. Now, what can teachers do to create a
suitable atmosphere and reduce the impact of stress in class? Music seems like a good
solution; just by listening to music the motor cortex of the human brain is activated as well
as the cerebellum, increasing the ability to manipulate information in working and long-term
memory. (Foran, 2009)
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In learning situations music has been proven to benefit verbal memory encoding (Ferreri,
Aucouturier, Muthalib, Bigand & Bugaiska, 2013) and to change perception and emotions
by improving or disrupting the atmosphere (Hunter, P., Schellenber & Schimmack, 2010).
As language teachers our biggest concern is that we have not received any musical
training to support our use of music in the classroom. Most of us think that far from
beneficial this action could perturb students and restrict their performance. A recent study
has shown that surprisingly music proves to be more beneficial than no music at all
(Brodsky & Slor, 2013) the question is not whether we should be playing music, but more
how to choose an appropriate song. The concordance between the activity and music must
be adequate; music should not compete with the content but complete it. For studying and
memorizing in particular, music appears to facilitate the process when it draws attention to
the desired content (Boltz, Schulkind, & Kantra, 1991). Although there are opposing views
about which kind of music should be used, some studies show that baroque music is the
best option for its particular rhythm, mood, tone, order and emotion (Lozanov, 1967), as
others believe that the magic behind the effect is due to the amount of beats per minute it
has, which is 60 beats per minute (units for measuring the tempo in music) and not from
the genre in particular. Finally some others think that music should not be imposed and that
it is only beneficial when there is a strong connection, meaning people has to choose what
they listen to according to their individual differences (Nantais and Schellenberg, 1999) as
introverts and extroverts may react different to the same song (Groot, 2006). Interestingly
even when the studies contemplate different kind of music, they all agree that working with
music has better outcomes than working in silence. In this study these three approaches in
music; baroque, 60 bpm and students’ preferences, as well as silence have been taken
into account, both in analysis and application.
The surveys along with questionnaires collected in this study evidence the importance of
music in students’ life inside and outside an English classroom as 100% of the population
answered that they enjoyed music and would like to keep working with it under only one
condition, for it to be appropriate. From the four scenarios compared and contrasted in this
project the type of music that showed better results on average was the 60 bpm music,
especially for long term memory, in this stage students could recall 3 times more words
than in silence. It is important to mention that no matter the genre, all scenarios that
included music had a better outcome than working in silence, thus music in general
presents positive effects for vocabulary learning.
Major findings suggest a significant interaction between two factors for the music to be
most beneficial; songs with a 60 bpm basis and listener preferences. Studies performed by
Schellenberg & Hallam (2005) took into consideration these variables without combining
them; the project presented here suggests that to take the most out of music and memory
both aspects should work together.
161
In terms of stress related to performance, results were consistent with Overmier &
Seligman (1967) experiments, as students with a better mood had the best results. Even
when students had a better mood in all of the scenarios that include music; the interaction
with the stimulus was not sufficient to neither support nor refute the idea that music
effectiveness was due to its power to change students’ frame of mind.
Finally, the results obtained from the final questionnaire suggest that contrary to students’
first opinion, in which they refuse the idea of using music while working since it is
disruptive, the entire population would use music for their activities as long as it is
appropriate. Also responses in the questionnaire indicate that students with an extrovert
personality are more likely to have better results than the introverts; these findings are
consistent with Groot (2006) project about memory and personality; this does not indicate
that students with introvert personality present an inconvenience with music, only that their
improvement is a little lower than the other group.
As mentioned before an important element for music to be more beneficial is students’

preference; since music with 60 bpm does not have a specific genre, the variety used in
class should be in accordance with students’ choice as it presents better results when
students like the songs used. Results suggest that students can remember three times
more words when listening to 60 bpm music of their preference. A list of recommended
songs with these characteristics is included in the annex 1 (Insert anx 1 here). Prior to
working with vocabulary learning this author recommends giving students 3 minutes to
spare while listening to the music chosen, this to help them reach the mood desired.
The applications for the present study are plenty due to the necessity for vocabulary
learning in all English levels, teachers in general for whom their purpose is to maximize
their students’ ability to memorize vocabulary can benefit from this project since the music
presented has already proven its effectiveness; besides, the accessibility of music, makes
it possible for students to use outside the classroom for personal purposes. A
recommendation for future applications is that consistency is vital to reach the desired
improvement levels; working with music does not take long, around 8 minutes a day, so
everyday work is possible and highly suggested.
Analyzing the results and the success music presented, an important question arises: if
music showed a great memory improvement, would it work for other activities? One
possibility is that, as in this project all scenarios included music, students had a better
mood, future projects can work further with music-mood relationship and being confirmed
that there is a direct relation between these two.
It should be noted, however, that these were fairly simple analyses, and future work would
do well to include more sophisticated methodological designs and analytical tools, as well
as a wider population and length of study. An important limitation of the present study was
that days off and absences interrupted the cadence and the lack of constancy may have
162
altered the results as the time for long term memory testing was not the same for all of the
scenarios.
Future work could also improve findings in a number of ways. For instance, in order to
present more general results it is advisable to work with a variety of age; also to avoid any
variables that may alter the results participants could be tested with earphones (this would
also allow researchers to test the impact of volume on memory performance). In addition,
future research could examine further the relation between mood and music and set a
specific scenario in which students choose their own music based on a list that presents
songs with a 60 bpm basis.
The following lists of songs are suggested to use as they present similar characteristics to the ones used in the study; such as string
orchestras for baroque music, and a tempo of 60 bpm for the other genres mentioned. Songs underlined are the ones used in the
present study.
Baroque music
Vivaldi: Four seasons-Winter Corelli: Concerto 10 in F major
Concerto in D Major for guitar and strings Albinoni: Adagio in g minor for strings and organ
Concerto in C major for mandolin and harpsichord Caudioso: Concerto for two mandolins, strings and Basso continuo
Telemann: Double fantasy in G major for harpsichord Pachelbel: Canon in D
Bach: Concerto for harpsichord in F minor opus 1056;
Concert for harpsichord in C major opus 975
60 BPM MUSIC
The songs presented are not from a specific genre; for its use it is suggested to present the list with all the songs and let students
choose a couple of them, as results show better improvement when students like what they are listening to.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (67 bpm) When It Comes To You (55 bpm) We Are Broken (70 bpm)
Someone Like You (68 bpm) With Arms Wide Open (69 bpm) Hey Hey, My My (59 bpm)
Hallelujah (67 bpm) You Always You (61 bpm) Apologize (65 bpm)
J'ai Demandé à La Lune (55 bpm) Waiting For You (67 bpm) High On You (58 bpm)
Redemption Song (58 bpm) Unintended (69 bpm) Bubbly (65 bpm)
Angie (68 bpm) Trouble (69 bpm) Crash (67 bpm)
Don't Cry (64 bpm) To Sheila (55 bpm) Somebody That I Used To Know (65 bpm)
Wish You Were Here (59 bpm) The Blower's Daughter (66 bpm) The Hobbit - Song Of The Lonely Mountain
Earthman (70 bpm) Something In The Way (53 bpm) (60 bpm)
Everybody Hurts (62 bpm) Snuff (60 bpm) Throwin' It All Away (66 bpm)
Holiday In Spain (63 bpm) Patience (60 bpm) Soldier Of Fortune (66 bpm)
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (60 bpm) Seaside (65 bpm) Out Of The Walls (70 bpm)
If I Go, I'm Going (57 bpm) Still Loving You (53 bpm) Orange Sky (61 bpm)
L'hiver (58 bpm) Always (70 bpm) If I Die Tomorrow (70 bpm)
La Bombe Humaine (65 bpm) As Tears Go By (56 bpm) Lorelei (66 bpm)
Le Grand Secret (56 bpm) Behind Blue Eyes (64 bpm) The Unforgiven (69 bpm)
Lucky (66 bpm) Broken (62 bpm) We Will Rock You (64 bpm)
Mama Said (67 bpm) Can't Get You Off My Mind (61 bpm) Simple Man (61 bpm)
Nothing As It Seems (69 bpm) Colorblind (53 bpm) Cryin' (70 bpm)
Nutshell (65 bpm) It Means Nothing (70 bpm) Comfortably Numb (64 bpm)
What A Shame (69 bpm) No More Time (61 bpm) Opposite (50 bpm)
What's Up (66 bpm) Feels Like A Woman (52 bpm) Day Is Gone (60 bpm)
Please Forgive Me (67 bpm)
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References
Boltz,M., Schulkind, M., & Kantra, S. (1991, November). Effects of background music on
the remembering of filmed events. [Abstract], 593-606. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1721996
Brodsky, W. & Slor, Z. (2013, October) Background music as a risk factor for distraction
among young-novice drivers. [Abstract] Volume 59, 382–393.
doi:10.1016/j.aap.2013.06.022
Cohen, D. (2011, June) Will music improve MDS 3.0 scores? McKnight´s Long-Term Care
News. Retrieved from http://musicandmemory.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/McKnights-
Guest-Blog.pdf
Ferreri, Aucouturier, Muthalib, Bigand & Bugaiska (2013, November) Music improves
verbal memory encoding while decreasing prefrontal cortex activity: an fNIRS Retrieved
from: study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3857524/
Foran, L. (2009) Listening to Music: Helping Children Regulate Their Emotions and
Improve Learning in the Classroom. Educational Horizons. Retrieved from:
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ868339.pdf
Groot, A. (2006) Effects of Stimulus Characteristics and Background Music on Foreign
Language Vocabulary Learning and Forgetting. [Abstract] Vol. 56, 463-506.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9922.2006.00374.x
Hunter, P., E. Glenn Schellenberg, and Ulrich Schimmack (2010) Feelings and Perceptions
of Happiness and Sadness Induced by Music: Similarities, Differences, and Mixed
Emotions. American Psychology Association, Vol. 4 No. 1, 47-56 Retrieved from:
http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3psygs/HunterEtAl2010.pdf
Khalfa S, Bella S.D., Roy M, Peretz I, Lupien S.J. (2003) Effects of relaxing music on
salivary cortisol level after psychological stress. Retrieved from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14681158
Lozanov, G., (1967) Suggestopedia and Memory, Acta Med. Psychosomatica
Nantais and Schellenberg (1999) The Mozart Effect: An artifact of Preference. Vol. 10, No.
4, 320-373 Retrieved from http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3psygs/FILES/Nantais.pdf
Overmier, Seligman & Maier (1967) Failure To Escape Traumatic Shock. Journal of
experimental Psychology VOL. 74, No. 1 Pennsylvania
Schellenberg & Hallam (2005). Music Listening and Cognitive Abilities in 10- and 11-Year-
Olds: The Blur Effect. New York Academy of Sciences, 202–209. Retrieved from
http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3psygs/SchellenbergHallam.pdf
Schellenberg, Nakata, Hunter, & Tamoto (2007) Exposure to music and cognitive
performance: tests of children and adults. Music and Psychology Research, Vol. 35, No. 1,
5‒19 Retrieved from http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3psygs/PsychOfMusic2007.pdf
164
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Newspaper as an extensive reading strategy in language teaching.
Gustavo Oaxaca Garcia

gog.psic@gmail.com
Facultad de Lenguas
We read to know we are not alone.

William Nicholson.
You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.
Geoffrey Willans.
Key words: Extensive reading, newspaper, teaching strategies.
Abstract
This paper refers to an ongoing investigation. The essence of this research is an effort to
add and consolidate teaching strategies to the academic repertory of future English
teachers that actually are in the process of training. The first stage is a quantitative study to
obtain indicator that support the argument that the application of a series of strategic
principles as Extensive Reading can be applied specifically in a high educational potential
tool, as is the newspaper, and thus increase its didactic potential.
The research context corresponds to under graduated students of the Facultad de Lenguas
of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.
The conceptual framework derives of the relationship between recognized academic fields
of foreign language teaching. To expose the importance of extensive reading the
postulates of authors as Day (2003), and Robb & Kano (2013); and about the use of the
newspaper in language teaching, different contributions and views are taken up, including
the Newspaper Association of America Foundation.
At the beginning of this research, students reported that virtually had no knowledge or
educational experience of the factor under study. At the end of the period under study, they
argued several ways to use newspaper as a useful tool strategy for language teaching.
165
Introduction: Context and justification.
This document presents results of the first stage of an ongoing research which main
purpose is to identify teaching strategies associated with extensive reading (ER) applied in
foreign languages teaching.
In my academic labor, training higher education students whose professional work will be
to teach English as a foreign language, I have detected different circumstances that cause
that their performance is not as high as their potential capacity. These conditions include
the lack of study habits, of reading academic texts and reading comprehension of
academic and non-academic texts.
The present study constitutes an opportunity for help to overcome these limitations and
contribute to their integral training as English teachers.
The key idea for the present research is due to two factors; the first of these was the
valuable series of contributions presented at the Third World Congress in Extensive
Reading, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in September 2015. The second factor is due to
the recognition of teaching strategies we should knew how to make good use of these as
academic strategies because they are to our scope but often we do not identify them
properly.
Some considerations about Extensive Reading.

Since Harold Palmer in 1917 and Michael West coined Extensive Reading Theory as an
approach to foreign language teaching and to reading, this term has always had a positive
development. Here are some concepts that emphasize the importance of extensive reading
(ER) as a strategy of the teaching English as a foreign language (EFL).
In an extraordinary text, Richard R. Day (2003) expresses the main four principles for
helping us to understand the nature of ER.
1. The reading material is easy.

For extensive reading to be possible and for it to have the desired results, students must
read books and other material that are well within their reading competence—their reading
comfort zone. Helping beginning readers to select texts. It is possible to think that more
than one or two unknown words per page might make the text too difficult for overall
understanding. For intermediate learners, appropriate texts have no more than three or
four unknown or difficult words per page.
2. A wide range of topics of reading material must be available.

For an extensive reading program to succeed, students have to read. Therefore, it is critical
to have a large number of books on a wide variety of topics to appeal to all students. Such
a library will include books of both fiction, and non-fiction, magazines, and newspapers.
There should be books and magazines that are informative and entertaining.
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3. Learners choose what they want to read.
Allowing students to select what they want to read is the key to extensive reading. Students
are more prepared to read material in which they are interested. Consequently, it makes
sense for them to choose what, where and when to read.
In addition, students should also be free, to stop reading anything that is not interesting or
which they find too difficult.
4. Learners read as much as possible.

The most crucial element in learning to read is the amount of time spent actually reading.
We have to make sure that our students are given the opportunities to read, read, and read
some more. This is the “extensive” of extensive reading, made possible by the first three
principles.
How much should we ask our students to read? The quick and short answer is, as much as
possible! It is important to set reading targets to the students. For example, for beginning
EFL readers, the minimum is one book a week. This is reality, as language learner
literature for beginners are actually short. Some teachers set their reading targets in terms
of time. For example, students must read for 60 minutes each week.
Retaking, probably the main notion exposed by Day about ER, let us remember that we
learn to read by reading. This is the first step and consequently, our students will improve
different abilities and cognitive process for learning a foreign language.
At Third World Congress in Extensive Reading, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in

September 2015 I had the fortune to listen a face-to-face speech of the ER international
leaders: Thomas N. Robb and Makimi Kano.
Now I present some paragraphs of a paper where they refer an ER experience outside the
classroom (Robb and Kano, 2013). Those experts announced that there have been many
studies over recent years concerned with the effectiveness of ER, but virtually all of these
studies are concerned with how ER works as an alternative tool to other activities that can
be conducted in the classroom.
They conclude that ER conducted by a dedicated instructor with a small number of

students, who can take a personal interest in each student’s reading, may achieve greater
overall success. It is likely that any method aiming to be applied across an entire
curriculum will not enjoy the enthusiasm and support of the entire cohort of busy
instructors. They have found, however, that many instructors, after observing the effect of
ER on their students, have become converts to the approach, actively encouraging their
students to read more with a concomitant greater improvement in their overall proficiency.
167
About Resources, the ideal collection will contain books, magazines, newspaper and other
materials that match students' interests and abilities. Because of the varying quality of
graded (not to mention ungraded) books, and the elusive nature of authenticity, teachers
are advised to build varied collections that include graded materials, children's literature,
high interest-low vocabulary books, Literature for young readers, and popular writing.
Some viewpoints of newspaper as teaching strategy.

While it is possible to state that the newspaper can be used as a useful strategy in the
teaching and learning of languages , theoretical references that allude to this point, have
no uniform view on the matter.
The authors, Clandfield and Foord (2016) note that in many experiences within the
classroom the newspaper has been used as an extension of the textbook; which implies
that it is not retaken by itself; obviously, in these cases, not utilized fully fit opportunities
that this tool can lead.
Newspapers expand the curriculum with an unlimited amount of information to use as

background for learning activities. Discover new ways to use the newspaper in your
language arts studies, with these activities from the Newspaper Association of America.
A different point of view is expressed by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation

(2016) which states supported versatility in their daily renewal, unlimited amount of
information, variety of texts, images and knowledge of the world. Even this organization
called the newspaper as a "living textbook ". The newspaper can be used to enhance skills
in reading, writing, listening, speaking, mathematics, social studies and science. Critical
thinking is the natural outgrowth of using a newspaper to learn. Thus, the broad curriculum
design to incorporate an extensive repertoire of information newspaper
Within the range of benefits and learning opportunities that the newspaper can provide,
Shaik and Devi (2013) note that can be improved skills such as writing, speaking, and
reading. It should be noted that this investigation yields results in the sense that they are
not the unique skills that our study can improve. These authors point out advantages in
another sense: A relatively low cost, a variety of materials and forms of reading sections.
Even sections like T.V. guidelines, predictions of the weather, and why not? Horoscopes
can provide educational experiences. In this sense, newspaper can also be incorporated
to promote literacy (Test, 2013). This condition expands its potential applications in
educational settings.
No newspaper is the key, but the use we make of it. Newspaper is more than paper,
images, news, information, kind of texts and fonts, and so on. If we have integrated two
actually an incommensurable educational principles, Extensive reading and newspaper.
Then, the point is not to use newspaper, but how to use it.
168
Research approach.
Motivated by educational experiences such as those reported by Clandinin and Connelly
(1995) and contemporaneous scientific thinking (Kahneman, 2001) I decided to conduct an
educational research.
The first step of this investigation in process has been executed by a quantitative
approach. According to Hernández Sampieri et al. (2006) and Creswell (2009) they define
this approach as a series of procedures in which is privileged the obtaining of datum in
order to execute an statistical analysis that allows identifying meaningful differences.
According to this definition is possible apply it to the study due to the initial objective has
been to obtain quantitative indicators that permit to detect the influence of educational
experience in the repertoire of strategies for teaching.
As the purpose was to obtain datum to stablish comparison before and after to present the
educational experience, the specific procedure was the application of a pre-test post-test
design. It is necessary to indicate that in the subsequent stage will be incorporated
qualitative approaches.
Participants.
The study sample consisted of 19 under graduated students of Licenciatura en la
Enseñanza del Inglés at Facultad de Lenguas of Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de
Puebla who studied the subject of Pedagogía; 14 students were female and 5 were male.
The oldest was 36 years old while the youngest was 19. The average age was 23 years
old.
Instruments.
To obtain the information it was designed a special questionnaire called: “The newspaper
and language teaching”. Being totally agree with an opinion score would be (5), while the
biggest disagreement was represented with a score of (1). This instrument is constituted by
the following sections: Instructions, Previous experience, Perspective of didactic use and
Additional Comments.
For the elaboration of this questionnaire, four teachers from the Facultad de Lenguas were
required to give their opinion and suggestions about each one of the test elements. Below
are presented the most relevant aspects:
Instructions. Students were informed about the importance of their contribution,

anonymity in their responses, highlighting answering honestly.
Previous experience. Previous information was obtained from newspaper as didactic

strategy for language teaching either as students or as part of their practices as future
English teachers.
169
Perspectives. The objective was determine in what measure is possible to use the
newspaper in specific areas in language teaching: Listening, Speaking, Reading,
Grammar, Vocabulary, Comprehension, Improvise dialogues, Use of newspaper as
English student, Use of newspaper as language teacher.
Additional comments. It was offered to the students to incorporate complementary

ideas and opinions.
Method
Procedure consisted in apply the described tool to the students group at the beginning of
the school period January – May 2016. At the same time, Pedagogy course sections were
carried out; it was proposed to students to do diverse activities such as Newspaper
reading, comment news and corresponding information, analyze by teams the diverse
newspaper section, study the ER principles, and design ER strategies for an educational
level in particular.
Results
The second application of the instrument took place in the month of April. Independently of
the marked difference between the before and after scores of the test, the students
commented that they had significant changes in their formation as future teachers,
especially about ER and academic strategies.
In the first stage, the students had reported an increase of frequency on their reading
periods. Students also reported that emerged in them the desire of reading the newspaper
with a new perspective. They felt that the newspaper is really an accessible strategy either
in print or in digital.
It is very important to stress a point of view that students said. This means that a teacher of
languages must be a reader and be aware of the importance of extensive reading as a
form of learning.
Students reported increases in their desire to inquiry and creativity; they also noted that
they realized that many stimuli social context could be exploited to teach languages and
that they had not noticed.
Figure 1 shows how various indicators of teaching skills increased considerably.
170
Figure 1. Pretest and post test scores.
It is noteworthy that our students have not yet received sufficient guidance on ER.
However, it is high potential for incorporating this paradigm as future English teachers.
Figure 2 denotes some data about this topic.

Figure 2. Using the newspaper as an Extensive Reading strategy before and after the research experience.
5 4.8
4.4
4
3.5
3
2.5
0
Score as an English Score as an English
Student Teacher
Before research experience After research experience Serie 3
171
As is possible to infer, in the second application all the items increased significantly. It is a
worth noting that in the first application skills such as listening, speaking and improvisation
dialogues were rated as "not much probable " to be stimulated through the use of
newspaper. Students also noted that all sections of a newspaper are useful for teaching
languages and each can be advantage in very different ways.
Conclusions and recommendations

Based on interest and capacity of the students, this research experience may point that
newspaper is an element to promote extensive reading of students and teachers.
Newspaper constitute a didactic tool in which can be obtained enormous support in the
always-exciting process of language teaching and learning. Thus, teachers have more
support to increase learning significantly.
I believe that no one language teaching strategy of by itself is better than others are. I also
believe that as language teachers and, as learning specialists, we have, voluntarily
acquired an ethical commitment in our scientific discipline; and this conviction implies
necessarily to have a teaching repertoire of excellent quality.
In this professional repertoire, both, the newspaper as a teaching strategy and Extensive
Reading as an educational paradigm offer us a desirable scenario on the landscape of our
field of knowledge.
172
References
Clandfield, L. & Foord, D. (2016). Teaching materials: using newspapers in the classroom.
Consulted at http://www.onestopenglish.com/methodology/methodology/teaching-
materials/teaching-materials-using-newspapers-in-the-classroom-1/146510.article
Clandinin, D. J. and Connelly, F. M. (1995). Teachers’ professional knowledge landscapes.

New York: Teacher College, Columbia University.
Clandinin, D. J. and Connelly, F. M. (1995). Teachers’ professional knowledge landscapes.

New York: Teacher College, Columbia University.
Creswell, John W. (2009). Research Design. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods
approaches. London: Sage.
Day, R. R. (2003). What is Extensive Reading? CAPE Alumni Internet Connection: English
Teacher Talk, 21.
Hernández Sampieri, R., Fernández Collado y Baptista Lucio, P. (2006). Metodología de la

investigación. México: McGraw-Hill Interamericana.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. London: Penguin Books.
Newspaper Association of America Foundation (2016). A Teacher's Guide to Using

Newspapers to Enhance Language Arts Skills. Consulted at
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/teachers-guide-using-newspapers-enhance-
language-arts-skills
Robb, T. & Kano, M. (2013). Effective extensive reading outside the classroom: A large-
scale experiment. Reading in a Foreign Language. V. 25, No. 2.
Shaik, I. A. & Devi, V. A. (2013). Role of newspaper in English language teaching.

International Journal of English and Education; II, 2.
Test, K. (2013). Strengthen Newspaper Literacy with this Sample Teaching Strategy.
ASCD Communications, 6,
173
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Visual impairment in teaching and learning foreign languages
L.I Laura Amisadai Pérez Frías

laura.amisadai@gmail.com
L.I Wendy Yesenia Chávez Sánchez
wendyy.chavezs@gmail.com
Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco
Abstract
In order to understand better how learning and teaching foreign languages impact in
students with visual impairment, this study attempts to identify how a student with visual
impairment conceives the process of teaching and learning foreign languages in a public
Mexican university. For achieving such goal, a semi-structure interview and The Inventory
of Studying Habits for Students with Visual Impairment Learning Foreign Languages were
administered. This is a qualitative piece of research with a case study design, which is
based on the Theory of the Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983). The results are valuable
and helpful for teachers in order to improve their strategies and techniques for teaching
foreign languages to a student with visual impairment in an inclusive environment.
Key words —visual impairment, inclusive education, multiple intelligences theory, foreign
languages.
Introduction
Nowadays, the educational system in Mexico and around the world are facing experiences
related to teaching foreign languages to students with disabilities, especially those ones
who have visual impairment. According to the article 27th of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, "all human beings have the right to education no matter his / her origin,
nationality, religion or disability". The theoretical fundation of this research is based on
what Thomas Armstrong (2010) explains: “inclusive education looks for eliminating social
exclusion from people with disabilities”. This view supports the current study, which
presents a study case of a female student with visual impairment in how she has learnt and
been taught foreign languages through all the educational levels. In the lines below the
context and the description of the subject for this study are provided as well as the
instruments which were utilized: a semi-structure interview and the Inventory of Studying
Habits for Students with Visual Impairment Learning Foreign Languages. The objective of
using the interview as main instrument relies on what Weiss Robert (1994) mentions: "we
can learn through interviewing about people's interior experiences. We can learn what
people perceived and how they interpreted their perceptions" (p.1). Furthermore, he also
174
claims that "through interviewing we can learn about places we have not been and could
not go and about settings in which we have not lived" (p.1). The results of this piece of
research can be found at the end of this paper in order to benefit teachers and future
teachers who are facing or will face later on the experience of teaching a student with
visual impairment a foreign language.
Method description
In this study, the qualitative research approach is used since it seeks to understand the
world from the perspective of those living in it. (Hatch, 2002. p.7). This piece of research
attempts to analyze how inclusive education is conceived in Mexico from the perspective of
a university student with visual impairment. Baum, Viens & Slatin (2005) strongly support
what Gardner & Checkley (1997, p. 12) points out:
“Intrapersonal intelligence refers to having understanding of yourself, of

knowing who you are, what you can do, what you want to do, how you react
to things, which things to avoid, and which things to gravitate toward. We
are drawn to people who have a good understanding of themselves
because those people tend not to screw up. They tend to know what they
can do. They tend to know what they can’t do. And they tend to know where
to go if they need help”.
Context
A major goal in Mexico is to increase efficiency in education as in much of Latin America
since the education provides much of the human and social capital needed for effective
participation in society and at work. (Randall 2006, p. 278). Nevertheless, in the 3rd Article
of the Mexican Constitution, the educational transformation encouraged by the 2007-2012
National Development Plan (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo) has established the leading
basis to provide sense and the direction to the actions in public education policies in
Mexico. It proposes "to raise the quality of education so that students improve their level of
educational achievement, have a means to achieve better standards of well-being and thus
contribute to national development". According to Vargas, Uriostegui & Velazques (2011)
the only way to achieve such goals is by "carrying out an integral reform in Basic
Education, focused on the adoption of an educational model based on competencies that
correspond to the developmental needs of Mexico in the XXI century, envisaging a greater
articulation and efficiency among preschool, elementary and secondary school" (SEP
2007, Programa Sectorial de Education, Mexico p. 11). In order to have a real change in
Mexican education is necessary to face the problem of the transformation of its forms of
governance.
Supporting this idea, Lopez (2001) raises the following questions:"Is democratic
governance appropriate for higher education institutions?", "would this form of government
be extensible for these institutions?", "Under what conditions or what features of
175
democracy should be incorporating into higher education institutions?" (Sacristan I. O,
Stack J. M. & Martinez R. M. R 2011, p. 14). Regarding inclusive education, students and
people in general want to be included as equals in society; however, experiences of
discrimination and exclusion are found at any level (Mitchell D. 2005 p. 24). Nevertheless,
inclusive education has garnered attention around the world because educational systems
have accepted that exclusion is no more an acceptable or justifiable choice. Boyle C. &
Topping K. (2012) state that "more and more nations are restructuring their education
systems to accommodate all students, including those with disabilities, as they address
their belief in education as a fundamental human right for all children" ( p.172).
Inclusive education is not an easy task to overcome and achieve, there are still some
barriers to face. Fortunately, researchers are interested in contributing to inclusive
education. Pieces of research in which teachers change the content of the curriculum in
order to improve their teaching skills through couching for participating in inclusive
scenarios haven been carried out (Chan, 2002; Westwood, 2013). Moreover, many US
researchers have found out that students with disabilities acquire greater mastery of
academic and social content in inclusive settings. (Boyle C. & Topping K. 2012 p.112).
Subject
The subject for this study is a female student at Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco.
Her real name is not provided in order to keep her identity saved. This student was
selected as the subject of this work because she has the required features such as
knowledge of a foreign language and visual impairment. Regarding to her family
background, she is the only daughter of her father's second marriage. She was born when
she was only seven months; in other words, she was a premature baby girl. After her first
month of life her parents went to the pediatrician and there it was when they realized that
her daughter was blind due to congenital cataracts. She was born in Villahermosa,
Tabasco, Mexico. She is 24 years old and she currently lives with her father and her step
bother and some more relatives. She used to depend on her mother too much but she
passed away two years ago.
Her dad is retired and is currently sick. Her economic situation is good in spite of her family
situation. With respect to her educational background, after her mother knew that her
daughter was blind and that there was not any treatment for her blindness, she decided to
look for other options. She tried to sign her up in a kindergarten and elementary school;
however, teachers and the principal of the school did not allow her to do so. Therefore, her
mother chose to sign her up in a special school for the blind. There, both her mother and
she learned how to write and read Braille in just six months.
176
Instruments
Inventory of studying habits
The Inventory of Studying Habits for Students with Visual Impairment Learning Foreign
Languages, which was utilized in this study, contains 60 items that were taken from the
categories set out by Pozar (2002) in his inventory of studying habits and modified by
Doctor De la Cruz V. (2015) for her study “Educative practices in teaching and learning
foreign languages to students with visual impairment in a Mexican University”.
When the test is administered, it takes around 12 minutes and it is characterized by a scale
of other school test related to scale of this kind. In addition, the ISH allows getting a
dimension of the educational personality of the student that is related to the knowledge of
the techniques of the intellectual work. The ISH is a useful instrument for identifying the
problems related to students’ poor performance. Its main objective is to identify how much
the student knows about his / her obligations. Moreover, it permits to define the student’s
attitudes about his/ her job as a student (Beltrán, et al 2006) and its aim is the assessment
of the educational habits of working and studying.
This author (De la Cruz V. 2015) created the braille and audio format of this instrument.
The instrument has currently three versions, printed, audio and braille format. The printed
version contains six pages in addition to manual for the user, which has 23 pages,
applicable to all versions. The audio version has a CD version, a manual and an answer
sheet. The Braille version has the braille copy, the manual of the user, an answer sheet
and a pointer so that the student marks his / her answers in the corresponding paper. For
this piece of research, the braille version was more suitable.
1. Environmental conditions of the study 2. Planning of the study

Environmental personal conditions Schedule
Environmental physic conditions Organization
School behavior 12 items
Performance
18 items
4.Use of the material 3.Comprehension of the contents

Management of books Management of books
Reading Reading
Underline- summaries Underline- summaries
15 items 15 items
Chart 1. Description of the scales of IFOS and its contents.
A chart (see anx 2) was created in order to design the structure interview, which is defined
in the following way. The cases of the research are: Teaching and learning foreign
languages from the perspective of a student with visual impairment. Afterwards, as
categories each case has its crystalizing and paralyzing experiences. First, the Crystalizing
177
experiences of the teaching and learning case are presented. According to Gardner (1986)
Feldman (1980) & Teele (2004), Crystallizing experiences are developed in school settings
that deeply affect and influence how they respond to certain learning situations the rest of
their lives. These experiences take place when an individual is so engaged in an activity
that time is erased (Teele, p. 8). Moreover, these experiences can hurt or help academic
progress. (Teele, 2004, p. 9). Nonetheless, Garden (1986) declares that "it is believed that
is impossible to identify such experiences when they occur, but only in retrospect, that is by
the results".
CASES CATEGORIES DIMENSIONS INDICATORS

Experiences which improve Experiences which improve
and stop her English skills: and stop her English skills:
TEACHING Listening skill Conversation
Oral production skill Repetition
(Perspective from the student Crystalizing Teacher correction
with visual impairment and paralyzing experiences Reading skill Braille
learning foreign languages) Printed material in Braille
Writing skill Write in Braille
Language learning and Environmental personal
classroom motivation conditions
Environmental physic
conditions
Experiences to improve and Educational teaching method
LEARNING stop her English skills
Listening skill Social environment
Oral production skill
(Perspective from the student Crystalizing Reading skill Reading skill
with visual impairment and paralyzing experiences Writing skill Writing skill
learning foreign languages The best way this student Motivation
learns
Chart 2. Description of the ítem of the research for the structure interview.
In contrast, paralyzing experiences of the teaching and learning case are those
experiences which take place when something occurs in an individual's life that is dramatic
and devastating. These experiences can happen in schooling environments and affect the
learning process. For instance, students experience paralyzing experiences when they are
first learning to read and become frozen in time. However, individuals remember more
paralyzing than crystallizing experiences in the educational system. (Teele, 2004, p. 9).
Results
According to the semi-structured interview relating to the teaching process from the
perspective of a student with visual impairment learning a foreign language, learning a
second language was conceived as a difficult process during the participant’s student life.
In secondary school she did not have an English teacher; instead, she had a private one
who did not have experience with blind people. That was her first contact with English. As a
178
consequence, she was not able to understand it. Still, when this student with visual
impairment was in high school she found out that she was able to learn and to remember
English, so, from that moment on she started getting along to the language. Her teacher
used to explain her the topic first in English and then in Spanish and used to read for her.
Now at university most teachers treat her without any difference. Unfortunately, teachers
are not well prepared for teaching a second language to students with visual impairment
but they are willing to help her out.
The interview also shows this student with visual impairment cannot pay attention to the
teacher and take notes in Braille at the same time; instead, she records the classes so as
to listen to them at home. The results also demonstrate that the student with visual
impairment is currently able to speak English with fluency and she is able to understand
implicit meaning in conversations. According to the Common European Framework she is
acquiring a B2 level in her Languages degree. It is expected that when she finishes her
Languages Degree, she will be able to reach a C1 level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this student with visual impairment has been able to pass through both
processes teaching and learning English as a foreign language and overcome the
difficulties she encountered. At present she is able to understand English and express
herself in the target language. She might not be able to expresses herself spontaneously or
write down well-structured, detailed text in Braille but she does understand and recognize
implicit meaning in conversations.
Recommendations
The English teacher should take into account the following recommendations in order to
work with students with and without visual impairment in an inclusive environment:
Teachers should apply audios to the student with visual impairment and provide
help with the unknown words for this student.
Teachers should make the student with visual impairment feel comfortable like any
other student in his/her class. In this way, the student with visual impairment would
feel comfortable to share with the teacher how s/he learns better and even provide
suggestions for teaching.
Teachers should look for more creative ways to introduce a new topic, always taking
into account the student with visual impairment and thinking twice how it would be to
be in his/ her shoes from time to time.
Teachers should carry out activities that reach the objective of developing skills such
as listening or speaking since those are the strongest skills of students with visual
impairment.
179
References
Armstrong, T. (2009). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom 3er Ed. The United States of
America.
Armstrong, T. (2010). The power of neurodiversity. Cambridge center. Perseus Book
Group
Boyle C. & Yopping K. (2012). What works in inclusion? Printed in the UK by Bell & Bain
Lid, Glasgow
De la Cruz (2015). "Prácticas Educativas en la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje de Lenguas
extranjeras a estudiantes con Discapacidad Visual Severa en una Universidad Pública
Mexicana". Published doctoral dissertation, Universidad Juarez Autonoma Del Estado de
Hidalgo, Mexico.
Hatch J. A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in education settings. State University of
New York Press, Albany. The United States of America.
Mitchell D. (2005). Contextualizing inclusive education: evaluating old and new
international perspectives. Published by Routledge in USA and Canada
Randall L. (2006). Changing structure of Mexico. M. E. Sharpe, Inc. The United States of
America.
Teele, S. (2004). Overcoming barricades to reading: a multiple intelligences approach.
Corwin press. The United States of America.
Vargas Maria del Rocio, Uriostegui Israel & Velazques Alejandro (2011). Programa
Nacional de Ingles en Educacion basica segunda lengua: Ingles. Mexico D.F. Mexico
Weiss Robert S. (1994). Learning from strangers: the art and method of qualitative
interview studies. New York. The free press.
Westwood P. (2013). Inclusive and adaptive teaching: Meeting the challenge of diversity in
the classroom. Published by Routledge in the USA and Canada.
180
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Three ways to incorporate blended learning in your practice
Dilma Claudia Piccoli Díaz

claudia@matt.org
Fundación MATT
Introduction
Using new technologies to deliver language instruction is not a new phenomenon at all. In
fact, self-study language courses on vinyl records in French, German, Spanish, Italian,
English and Esperanto, started being sold as early as 1921 by Linguaphone, a company
established in London in 1901 (Linguaphone Group, 2016).
Other media that have been used for the same purpose are radio, television, audio & video
tapes, CD-ROMs and, more recently, websites and mobile apps.
Ever since computers became affordable, there have been many efforts to search and find
the best way to incorporate them into language teaching and learning. This trend gave rise
to CALL (Computer-assisted language learning) back in the mid-1960s.
According to Bax (2003: 9) CALL has gone through three distinctive phases:
Restricted CALL – 1970s to 1980s. This period is characterized by a behavioristic

approach to task design which consisted mainly of drills and quizzes with minimal
interaction with other students since the focus was on language systems; feedback
was given in the form of correct vs. incorrect. Software was not integrated into
syllabus so students had to go through a whole CALL lesson on their own, in a
separate computer lab.
Open CALL – 1980s to 1990s. Program design was influenced by the
communicative approach to language teaching so tasks included simulations and
games and occasional interaction with other students as the focus was both on
system and skill development. Feedback to students was open and flexible. This
type of software was considered a toy which was not integrated into syllabus either;
it was optional or extra.
Integrative CALL – 2000 onwards. Programs seek to integrate language skills work
and system. Tasks require the use of CMC (computer-mediated communication)
and the Web, e.g., in the form of e-mails, blogs, forums, etc.
181
It is worth noting that although Bax wrote his article in 2003, he stated that Integrative
CALL would “be normalized when computers are treated as always secondary to learning
itself, when the needs of learners will be carefully analysed first of all, and then computer
used to serve those needs. [U] These features are nor widely observed at the moment –
hence my objection to the notion that we are currently in an Integrative phase” (Bax, 2003:
12).
So, where are we now in 2016?
Blended Learning
Thorne (2003) claims that one of the most important educational advances of this century
could be blended learning which he defines as a method of blending “online learning with
more traditional methods of learning and development” (p. 2).
Blending CALL applications with face-to-face instruction offers a number of advantages

that 100% face-to-face instruction or 100% online instruction lack. Here are some of the
benefits the online component offers:
It expands learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
It fosters digital literacy.
It allows students to catch up despite having missed classes.
It may help make homework assignments more interesting and fun.
It provides students with opportunities to see how language is used in real contexts.
It allows students a chance to get in contact with English learners and speakers from all
over the world.
It offers unlimited access to endless resources such as games, exercises, definitions,
examples, podcasts, quizzes, and so on.
It meets students’ expectations since the use of technology is seen as common and
normal.
It breaks up the routine of textbooks and ‘traditional’ teaching approaches.
But, perhaps the most important benefit of all is that it allows teachers to better serve
their students’ needs by enriching their face-to-face learning experience and providing
learners with the type of practice or reinforcement they specifically need to develop a
skill or their understanding of how some language systems work
Blended learning has become extremely popular in mainstream education and has made
inroads into the language teaching field where it does not exclusively refer to a blend of
computer apps and face-to-face instruction, but also to the incorporation of mobile learning
to traditional brick-and-mortar educational contexts.
182
Blended Learning Models
Most authors agree there are four main models used in blended education:
The Rotation Model
The Flexible Model
The A la Carte Model
Enriched Virtual Model
In the Rotation Model learning is directed by the teacher who combines face-to-face
discussion activities with discovery and research activities on line. The online component
may be taken inside the classroom, at the school computer lab or somewhere else entirely.
Flipping the classroom is perhaps the best known and most widely used rotation model in a
language teaching context.
In the Flexible Model, the online component plays the leading role in the students’ learning,
even if offline activities are included and promoted. Its main advantage is the fact that it
allows students to move freely between the two modes in order to enrich their experience.
The teacher provides face-to-face support as needed and ensures skill work and
development by fostering collaborative work among students.
In the A la Carte Model, students complement their face-to-face learning experience with
online courses or exercises chosen freely from a list given to them by their teachers.
The Enriched Virtual Model seeks to complement a fully online program in which students
seldom see their teachers face-to-face.
In the next section we will see three ways that stem from the models above, which will
allow you to incorporate blended learning in your teaching practice.
Three ways to incorporate blended learning in your practice
Flip your classroom!

A typical class usually includes a presentation stage in which the teacher may explain a
grammar rule or the meaning of some vocabulary words. Even if he or she prefers to use a
more inductive approach and have the students figure out the rule or meaning by
themselves, the fact is that an awful lot of time is spent on that procedure.
The idea behind flipped classroom is that face-to-face class time should be used to
practice, analyze, reflect on, expand on, and/or work on skill development and language
systems understanding and use.
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The Internet provides learners with a nearly endless supply of resources they can tap into
in order to seek definitions, explanations, examples, pictures, etc. So, why waste precious
class time on doing something they can do on their own or with their classmates?
So, next time you have to ‘teach’ the simple present, for example, instead of explaining the
rules to them, try and have them do some online research beforehand. You can ask them
to find the answers to some guiding questions and instructions such as When do we use
the tense? How are affirmative/negative/interrogative sentences formed? Pay special
attention to the way the verb is used with he/she/it.
Then, the following class, you can have students share their findings. Clarify concepts, as
needed and get the students to actually put their new knowledge to good use by maybe
giving them a controlled exercise first and then having them do a freer activity in which they
practice the simple present tense, You may even get them to reflect on the differences
between simple present and present continuous.
The benefits or flipping some, if not all, of your lessons are:

It fosters learner’s autonomy and improves the quality of teacher/student relationships
as learners realize the role of their teacher goes way beyond that of information
provider.
It fosters students’ self-confidence and self-image since learners can do their research
at their own pace and go to as many sources as needed for them to fully grasp the new
concepts.
Students can focus on practicing the newly learned concepts in class which will help
skill development rather than concept memorization.
The teacher has a much better opportunity to see whether students are able to use the
new structures, vocabulary, etc.
Get your students to use their mobile phones in class to learn!

Have your students download some apps they can refer to whenever they need to check
the meaning of a word, find examples of how a structure is used, etc. Some apps are free,
some are not, but you can let them choose whether they want to pay for them or not.
Here are a few examples:

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/apps
http://www.cambridgemobileapps.com/
British English Learning app from BBC
Online resources
Give your students a well-selected list of online resources they can tap into in order to
review, recycle and/or consolidate a particular skill or structure they may need to work on.
There are a number of websites you can have your students check for extra practice:
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Here are a few of them:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/ Here your students may find complete from

short stories that can help them practice their listening and reading skills to complete
courses that go from lower-intermediate level up.
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ This site includes games, podcasts as well as

grammar and vocabulary exercises, among other interesting features.
http://www.betteratenglish.com/ If what your students need is to improve their listening

skills, you can have them check this site where they will find podcasts with transcripts.
Conclusion
In this summary we reviewed what CALL is and how it has evolved through time. We also
saw what blended learning is and what are the most common models used in that mode.
Some suggestions were made for teachers to integrate blended learning into their daily
ETL practice in order to enrich students’ learning experience and better serve their
individual needs.
References
Bax, S. (2003). CALL -past, present and future. System, 13-28.

Grgurovic, M. (2011) Blended Learning in an ESL Class: A Case Study. CALICO Journal,
29(1), 100-117.
Linguaphone Group. (2016). Linguaphone Group Home Page. Obtenido de
http://www.linguaphonegroup.com/about-us/heritage/
Thorne, K. (2003) Blended learning: How to integrate online and traditional learning.
London: Kogan Page.
185
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
¿Eres un gamer?: Encouraging game-ecology language socialization at schools
Steve Daniel Przymus, Ph.D.

s.przymus@tcu.edu
Texas Christian University
College of Education
Introduction
In this article, I merge research on how individuals form identities over time within language
socialization processes (Schieffelin & Ochs, 1986), through participation in communities of
practice (Thorne, Black, & Sykes, 2009; Wenger, 1998), linked to interest-based peer
activities (Canagarajah, 2007; Przymus, 2015, Forthcoming), with research on gaming and
affinity spaces (Cornillie, et al., 2012; Gee & Hays, 2012), in order propose a concrete
trajectory of bilingual language and identity formation for the thousands of transnational
children (children returnees, international migrants) in Mexican schools (Giorguli &
Gutiérrez, 2011; Gonzalez & Chávez, 2012; Zúñiga & Hamann, 2015; Zúñiga & Vivas
Romero, 2014). Tremendous amounts of language socialization happen in the game-
ecology of online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft. A high level of English
proficiency can provide youth with immediate roles of expertise in games with English as a
lingua franca. Blended affinity spaces where youth meet and play these games at schools,
might provide the thousands of children of returnees/deportees, now attending schools in
Mexico, with needed Spanish/English language socialization and acceptance at their new
schools.
I focus here on the educational trajectories of two groups of students of international

migration in Mexican schools, 1) children returnees, who were born in Mexico, at some
point in their lives moved to the U.S., and then returned to Mexico and 2) international
migrants, who were born in the U.S., many attended school in the U.S., and then moved to
Mexico as a result of repatriation and/or deportation (Zúñiga & Vivas Romero, 2014).
Often positioned negatively as not good Spanish speakers and with identities of having
done something wrong, I propose to shift these positioned identities by taking an asset
approach of viewing these students’ proficiency in English as the cultural and linguistic
capital (Bourdieu, 1986) needed to become valuable members of digital role-playing game
(DRPG) communities of practice (CoPs) and view their future participation in these CoPs
as a potential means for these students to re-write their identity narratives in their new
186
schools and communities. Building off of previous work on interest-based, peer-language
socialization programs in U.S. schools, such as the ELL Ambassadors program (Przymus,
2016) I propose the creation of blended affinity spaces (Przymus, 2015) in Mexican
schools, where youth are encouraged to meet and play DRPGs, capitalizing on both the
high motivation that many youth have in playing massive multiplayer online role-playing
games (MMORPGS), such as World of Warcraft, and the great potential for
Spanish/English language socialization and identity formation that can take place
interacting in the game-ecology.
While it has been well recognized in the literature that these MMORPGS have ushered in a
new era of interconnectivity through the use of real-time communication and in-game
collaboration (Cornillie, et al., 2012; Gee & Hays, 2012), these games have also
inadvertently created zones where people can physically meet and both practice and apply
English or any other target language. According to a research proposal conducted by
Engadget, both physical face-to-face and online, anonymous interaction is key, because
players are not just writing and speaking words, but being spoken to. In contrast to
classroom learning, much learning happens, without the individuals even realizing, through
normal activities. Informal chat and online games in general, become a learning
environment (The science of language, community, and MMORPGs, 2014). Most players
agree that the use of English in MMORPG’s increases the likelihood of communication
particularly with international servers. So much so that the use of local servers has been
reduced and in the case of some popular games, such as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm
Reborn (ARR), completely discarded (MMORPGs for Language Learning, n.d.). It
becomes clear that using language (in this particular circumstance, English) increases
collaboration and coordination and therefore encourages communication with an agreed
language
Game-ecology and the valued role of English

Gaming literacy from the game-ecology includes 1) meta-game discourse, or the talk about
playing, before, during, and after, either in person or online in chat groups and blog posts,
and 2) the inter-game discourse of interacting with other players from around the world
within the game interface. The screen shot that follows illustrates how ubiquitous English
is as a lingua franca in some of the most popular MMORPGs.
187
The following screen shot gives the reader an idea of the pre-game-ecology of individuals
promoting aspects of a game via blog posts in English. Screen shot 2 below shows a flyer,
advertising the event Moonfire Faire that will take place in the future, within inter-game
interaction.
Going inside a game with screen shot 3 below, we see an example of inter-game discourse
where hundreds of players are using English, in sometimes high level, complex ways.
Screen shot 3 shows hundreds of players in ARR having a disco party and communicating
in English.
188
Finally, we can observe in screen shot 4 below how individuals communicate after playing
via blog posts and website discussions about the impact of game-ecology interaction on
language learning. Screen shot 4 is an example of a screen shot from the website reddit
where individuals discuss learning vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills.
189
It is clear that MMORPGs can be both online and in-person communities of practice that
provide many opportunities for language practice, language socialization, and desired
identity formation. Many children returnees and international migrants (henceforth
transnational children) in Mexican schools possess high levels of English proficiency. As
educators, it would be wise to tap into this linguistic and cultural capital through the intrinsic
motivation to play MMORPGs that many of these youth might have, in order to provide and
encourage blended affinity spaces at schools for the kinds of interaction explored above.
Potential Implications for Transnational Children in Mexican Schools

For many transnational children, who have lived much of their lives and were educated in
the U.S., attending school in Mexico and trying to learn content and make friends in
Spanish, is a new harsh reality. Part of this reality is that “Mexican schools and teachers
are not prepared to welcome transnational children” (Zúñiga & Vivas Romero, 2014, p. 11;
see also Sanchez-Garcia, et. al., 2012). Evidence from large survey data show that
schools are “not responding to international migrant children’s’ needs” (Zúñiga & Vivas
Romero, 2014, p. 7). Inflexibility of Mexican school personnel to admit youth mid-year,
causes many students to miss time in school (Zúñiga & Vivas Romero, 2014). Ruptured
educational trajectories from missing school and falling and being left behind in Mexican
schools can lead to painful experiences, negative identity formation, and self-fulfilling
prophecies of having “lost their capacity of being successful” (Zúñiga & Vivas Romero,
2014, p. 10; see also Hamann & Zúñiga, 2011).
In the context of schools in the U.S., it has been found that immigrant students who
experience similar structural constraints and isolation may self-eliminate from competing
academically and attending university (Kanno & Varghese, 2010). Kanno & Varghese
(2010) stress the need for English Language Learners (ELLs) to gain access to cultural
and linguistic capital (Bourdieu, 1986) in order to be competitive for entrance in a four-year
university. Similarly, Zúñiga & Vivas Romero (2014) found that the fractured educational
trajectories of transnational children in Mexican schools can lead to lower educational
aspirations and envisioned goals. By putting forth the idea that gaming experience and
high levels of English proficiency are assets of cultural and linguistic capital that youth, who
have lived in the U.S. and now attend schools in Mexico, might be able to use to reposition
themselves with their desired identities in their new communities and schools, potential
school based intervention to aid these students can be created. Can educators envision
the role of schools and the concrete steps in creating blended affinity spaces for youth to
meet, play games, and share with each other, as a way of meeting the needs of students of
international migration?
I propose the idea that educators merely need to support this kind of interaction at school
and do not need to structure, control, or intervene in it. Previous studies regarding peer
interest-based language socialization programs at schools have taught us that these
programs’ success is based in what I have previously referred to in the literature as
horizontal intercultural interpersonal interaction (V3I) (Przymus, 2015; forthcoming). This
190
can be described as interaction where like-minded youth display agency to interact on their
own, without top-down mandates from teachers, parents, or school administrators (vertical
intercultural interpersonal interaction, V3I). This type of interaction can be very well
understood by observing youth who gather to talk about and play MMPORPGs. However
voluntary this interaction among youth may be, initial support and encouragement by
educators for transnational children, who may not be able to immediately communicate
with like-minded youth, to participate in these communities of practice may be needed.
After this initial support and encouragement, however, it is my hope for many of these
youth, that their English proficiency will provide them with a certain cache and potential
expertise member role in communities of practice that recognize and value English, such
as in the above proposed blended affinity spaces at schools for game-ecology interaction.
Conclusion
Through providing opportunities for interest-based language socialization (both English and
Spanish) and identity formation, some youth may begin to feel more at home, more
accepted, and may begin to create more hopeful perceptions of their future. As shown in
the screen shot examples above, English can be a lingua franca in some of the most
popular MMORPGS. This has potential for providing transnational children, who have
grown-up and attended school in the United States and have high proficiency in English,
with a potential in-road into much needed acceptance into these gaming communities of
practice at their new schools in Mexico. What is proposed in this article does not require
educators to create complex programs at schools, but rather to recognize on the one hand
that these youth face tremendous linguistic, cultural, and identity differences and
challenges in their new schools, and on the other hand how these challenges and
differences can be converted into positive assets when allow spaces for peer interest-
based interaction at school. This is a call to action for educators to continue to search for
the keys to concrete interaction that supports youths’ desired identity formation and to
recognize how important this is for youth, who after leaving the U.S. are largely out of sight
and out of mind from their old schools and can often be positioned with negative identities
of not being very good at Spanish in their new schools in Mexico.
191
References
Bourdieu, P. (2011). The forms of capital.(1986). Cultural theory: An anthology, 81-93.

Canagarajah, S. (2007). Lingua franca English, multilingual communities, and language acquisition.
The Modern Language Journal, 91(s1), 923-939.
Cornillie, F., Thorne, S. L., & Desmet, P. (2012). ReCALL special issue: Digital games for language
learning: challenges and opportunities. ReCALL, 24(03), 243-256.
Gee, J. P., & Hayes, E. (2012). Nurturing affinity spaces and game-based learning. Games,
learning, and society: Learning and meaning in the digital age, 123.
Giorguli, S. E., & Gutiérrez, E. (2011). Niños y jóvenes en el contexto de la migración internacional
entre México y Estados Unidos. Coyuntura Demográfica, 1, 21-25.
Gonzales, R. G., & Chavez, L. R. (2012). Awakening to a Nightmare. Current Anthropology, 53(3),
255-281.
Hamann, E. T., & Zúñiga, V. (2011). Schooling, National Affinity (ies), and Transnational Students
in Mexico.
Kanno, Y., & Varghese, M. M. (2010). Immigrant and refugee ESL students’ challenges to
accessing four-year college education: From language policy to educational policy. Journal of
Language, Identity, and Education, 9(5), 310-328.
MMORPGs for Language Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2015, from
http://positivevideogaming.web.unc.edu/mmorpgs-for-language-learning/
Przymus, S. D. (2015). Imagining and moving beyond the ESL bubble: Observing changes in
identity, power, and language acquisition through the ELL Ambassadors Program. In Lengeling, M.
& Pablo, I. (eds.), Perspectives on Qualitative Research, pp. 501-516. Universidad de Guanajuato
Press, Guanajuato.
Przymus, S. D. (forthcoming). Imaging and moving beyond the ESL bubble: Facilitating
communities of practice through the ELL Ambassadors Program. Journal of Language, Identity,
and Education, Vol. 15 (5).
Sanchez-Garcia, J., Hamann, E. T., & Zuniga, V. (2012). What the youngest transnational students
have to say about their transition from US schools to Mexican ones. Diaspora, Indigenous, and
Minority Education, 6(3), 157-171.
Schieffelin, B. B., & Ochs, E. (1986). Language socialization. Annual review of anthropology, 15,
163-191.
The science of language, community, and MMORPGs. (2014). Retrieved December 16, 2015, from
http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/13/the-science-of-language-community-and-mmorpgs/
Thorne, S. L., Black, R. W., & Sykes, J. M. (2009). Second language use, socialization, and
learning in Internet interest communities and online gaming. The Modern Language Journal,
93(s1), 802-821.
Zúñiga, V., & Hamann, E. T. (2015). Going to a home you have never been to: The return migration
of Mexican and American-Mexican children. Children's Geographies, 13(6), 643-655.
Zúñiga, V., & Vivas Romero, M. (2014). Divided families, fractured schooling, in Mexico:
educational consequences of children exposition to international migration (No. 4). Centre d’Études
Mexicaines et Centraméricaines.
192
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Analyzing college students’ opinions; Valuable insight for teachers
Alexia Mercedes Ramírez-Romero

ali_princess21@hotmail.com
Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Champotón
Livio III Ceballos-Garcia
livioceballos@hotmail.com
ITESCHAM/ Centro Lenguas Extranjeras UAC Campeche
As a student I can offer my perspective in relation to teaching strategies, I was and still be
part of various groups of English, I realized that we all learn differently, or we attract each
other dislike, because that we are different personalities. However, finding the balance in
the class is a matter of having tactics that can please those who learn by our guiding
principle: our teacher.
The importance of English lies in the great opportunities that this provides us in various
fields, in the globalized world in which we live is the tool that allows communication with
people of all countries. Especially for me, business student, according to Castañeda (2013)
it is often said that English is the language of business, and even though this domain will
never be exclusive, it is truer than ever. With regard to business and economics, since the
early XX century English was taking a leading role and became the universal or
international language. More and more companies recognize the long-term benefits in
terms of productivity and growth that can bring the adoption of English as the common
language of the company.
According to Dixon (2016) another useful way to help students use successful strategies is
by looking at the good language learner studies. A number of studies have tried to identify
what good language learners do. And what cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies they
employ in order to be successful. While not every strategy is expected to be successful for
every student, helping language learners know what strategies are likely to be more
successful can be an extremely liberating process and give students motivation to take
more risk. Good language learners predict. Good language learners will often guess or be
invited to guess what the topic will be about. Students who are good at picking up on social
and contextual clues often become better language learners.
193
Support materials have the function of facilitating the knowledge transmission, to achieve
this, they must comply with various characteristics that make them attractive and fulfill their
primary function of being tools which students can use easily and successfully, according
to Madrid (2009) teaching material is often used as a connection or connecting element
between the teacher and / or learner and reality. Ideally, all teaching and learning is held in
contact with real life, but it is not always possible or desirable and therefore resorted to a
number of means, resources or materials that serve as a bridge between what is taught
and learned and the real world.
Gracia (2011) says the effectiveness of a teacher can be approached from two
perspectives, obviously not exclusive. First, by analyzing the results obtained by students
in the assessment tests content and, second, by assessing students and / or teachers
realize the didactic action, and the didactic action includes strategies.
As the style own learning something every person we can talk about different learning
styles, learning styles are not set in stone, they are relatively stable, i.e., they can change.
They are susceptible of improvement and also must always be improved. Dominating them
can use one style or another as required by the situation where you have to apply. The
student, with the guidance of the teacher, learns to discover what similar features to their
own style and, at the same time identifies which of these features should be used in each
learning situation to get better results.According to García (2010) The idea of using
strategies in the area of learning foreign languages, comes from research that sought to
clarify what he was doing a good language learner, i.e. what characteristics made an
apprentice was more successful than another during the learning process. The results
showed that it was not only necessary to have the necessary skills and motivation to learn
a second language, but active and creative student participation itself is also needed in the
process through the implementation of individualized learning techniques.
Naved (2015) notes that language is our primary source of communication. It's the method
through which we share our ideas and thoughts with others; everyone needs to learn the
language in order to get in touch on an international level. Speaking it will help you
communicate with people from countries all over the world, not just English-speaking ones.
Another important reason for learning English is that we can access better education,
without being limited to universities or training centers of our own country. In addition will
give us access to more current and complete information, we will know the latest
developments and we can access most scientific, academic and technological texts written
in English.
According to Bustamante, Carmona and Renteria (2007), during the development of the
classes and in the training process, transfer and acquisition of knowledge, teachers must
implement tactics that lead students to learn to learn, with an overall objective, to show us
the different impacts of the use of teaching strategies and learning in the classroom, and
encourage individuals in skills like learning to think, learning to learn and learn to do inside
194
and outside of a context. The difference between teaching and learning is what should
really worry. Teacher behavior is one of the most important factors that determine
individual student behavior.
This work aims to demonstrate the importance of the students’ views about learning
techniques that are defined by their teachers. Schumaker and Deshler (2006) define a
learning strategy as an individual’s approach to a task. It includes how a person thinks and
acts when planning, executing, and evaluating performance on a task and its outcomes.
Much of this thinking about learning is done unconsciously. The student must be aware of
their own learning processes and strategies used to thereby achieve greater efficiency in
their learning and greater autonomy in relation to the teacher. For example, most of us
automatically slow down when reading content that is difficult for us to understand. We also
make use of a variety of strategies for helping us organize and remember—both key
elements of the learning process.
We can define learning strategies as: Diaz-Barriga and Hernandez (2002) point out, they
are procedures that an apprentice can use conscious, controlled and intentional form as
flexible instruments to learn meaningfully and solve problems. Herrera (2009) says they are
sequences of procedures or plans geared towards achieving learning goals, while specific
procedures within that sequence are called learning tactics. In this case, the strategies
would be top-level procedures that include different tactics or learning techniques.
According to Pimienta (2012) the teaching-learning strategies are instruments which the
teacher uses to contribute to the implementation and development of skills of students.
Based on a didactic sequence including initiation, development and closing it is desirable to
use these strategies permanently taking into account the specific skills that aim to
contribute to development.
Proposals intended to improve learning in the classroom, one of the main objectives
Information obtained also provides the pleasantness of current strategies employed and
proposals for new forms of learning. Oxford (2003) notes, Language learning styles and
strategies are among the main factors that help determine how –and how well –our
students learn a second or foreign language. Nowadays it is essential to learn another
language because in most areas of knowledge and human development other languages
are used. Learning different languages for students is a primary need. It's not a waste of
time as many people tend to think, but it is an investment and that this learning not only
increases the possibility of getting a better job but enriches the social and cultural life, as
the language is the key culture. A second language is a language studied in a setting
where that language is the main vehicle of everyday communication and where abundant
input exists in that language. A foreign language is a language studied in an environment
where it is not the primary vehicle for daily interaction and where input in that language is
restricted.
195
In relation to the skills to be developed, there are several priorities which focuses one of
the questions that correspond to the current work leaving consideration of student skills
should be practiced more in the classroom, according Katsos (2010) teaching
communication skills and negotiation for situations where communication is difficult. To
make the most of the time spent studying English, both students and teachers should give
priority to communication, not grammatical accuracy. Many adults, who studied English in
its most traditional as a second language context, need to practice more listening level and
spoken. Effective teaching is based on two pillars: knowledge and professional skills by
teachers and their commitment and motivation. That is, a good command of the subject
and teaching skills supported by an educational planning and good control of the
classroom. According to Ferrando (2014) The teaching is characterized by two main
methods: constructivist and direct instruction.
The constructivist approach focuses on the student and emphasizes the active
construction of knowledge with the teacher's guide. Students should think and reflect
critically, not a passive and rote way. Currently constructivism emphasizes teamwork of
children.
Instead the direct instruction method focuses on the teacher, who is the one who takes
control setting high expectations of progress in the classroom, reducing negative
emotions and maximizing learning time.
Finally, coupled with the use of learning strategies, is important as a teacher show the
commitment and motivation, involve a good attitude and interest in students and help them
overcome the difficult moments of teaching by creating an environment in which students
want to be. Having a sense of humor, make the class interesting and know the matter are
characteristics that stand out as students Very Important in a teacher being the worst value
characteristics: boring classes, not explains of clearly way the issues and showing
favoritism. It is convenient to think of how students perceive and how the teacher perceives
the students have. If teachers fall into the routine and show a negative attitude, students
perceive and can hinder learning. Learning strategies are the way we teach our students,
their essence, how to maximize their chances of a constructive and efficient manner.
196
References
Bustamante, P.: Carmona, M. y Rentería Y. (2007) The importance of the use of learning strategies
in the teaching process development, Mexico, in
http://www.funlam.edu.co/modules/facultadeducacion/item.php?itemid=53 Consulted September 9,
2016.
Castañeda, J. (2013) English as the language of business, Chile, in
http://mba.americaeconomia.com/articulos/columnas/el-ingles-como-idioma-de-la-empresa.
Consulted September 7, 2016
Díaz – Barriga, F. y Hernández, G. (2002), Teaching strategies for meaningful learning experience
constructivist. Mexico, in
https://www.uaeh.edu.mx/docencia/P_Presentaciones/tizayuca/gestion_tecnologica/definicionesEst
rategicasAprendizaje.pdf Consulted September 11, 2016.
Dixon, S.; (2016) Good Language Learner Strategies, Arizona, in
https://www.coursera.org/learn/english-principles/lecture/HPP3R/video-4-good-language-learner-
strategies Consulted September 7, 2016
Ferrando, M.; (2014) For an effective teaching, Mexico, in
http://www.easp.es/easpmooc13/blog3298/2014/11/12/ensenanza-eficaz/ Consulted September
14, 2016.
Garcia, J.; (2010) Training learning strategies in EFL context of blended learning, Chile, in
http://www.nebrija.com/revista-linguistica/entrenamiento-en-estrategias-de-aprendizaje-de-ingles-
como-lengua-extranjera-en-un-contexto-de-aprendizaje-combinado. Consulted September 8, 2016
Gracia, E.; (2011) Above view that students have of the effectiveness of teaching, Spain, in
rieoei.org/investigacion/1110Gracia.pdf. Consulted September 8, 2016.
Herrera, A.; (2009) Learning strategies, Mexico, in http://www.csi-
csif.es/andalucia/modules/mod_ense/revista/pdf/Numero_16/ANGELA%20MARIA_HERRERA_2.p
df Consulted September 11, 2016.
Katsos, N.; (2010) English Proficiency Index, Cambridge, in
http://www.ef.com.mx/sitecore/__/~/media/efcom/epi/pdf/EF-EPI-2011-Spanish.pdf Consulted
September 13, 2016.
Madrid, D.; (2009) teaching materials for teaching English in Science Education, Spain, in
http://www.ugr.es/~dmadrid/Publicaciones/Materiales%20didacticos%20ensegnanza%20ingles%2
0CC%20Educacion.pdf
Naved, Z.; (2015) The Importance of the English Language in Today's World, USA, in
https://owlcation.com/humanities/importanceofenglishlanguages, Consulted September 9, 2016.
Oxford R.; (2003) Language learning styles and strategies: an overview, Cambridge, in
http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf Consulted September 10, 2016.
Pimienta, J.; (2012) Teaching and learning strategies, Mexico, in
http://prepajocotepec.sems.udg.mx/sites/default/files/estrategias_pimiento.pdf Consulted
September 12, 2016.
Schumaker, B., & Deshler, D. (2006), Learning Strategies as a Key to Student Success, Florida, in
https://www.naesp.org/resources/2/Principal/2008/N-Dp33.pdf Consulted September 10, 2016.
197
43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Extensive reading yields better English skills
Thomas N. Robb
trobb@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp
Kyoto Sangyo University
Extensive Reading ('ER'), is an approach to language learning where the students read
volumes of material that is relatively easy, and preferably, of their own choosing, so that
they can enjoy what they are reading. This additional input provides the students with
multiple exposures to the grammar and vocabulary that they have already studied at a
more theoretical level, helping them to understand the contexts in which these forms occur.
ER has been demonstrated to be effective for improving not only reading skills but other
facets of English usage. Robb & Kano (2013) demonstrated that ER yielded higher reading
scores on a post-test, compared to an equivalent group of students who did no ER, while a
recent article by Jeongyeon Park (2016) states that “Ustudents who were exposed to more
input through ER gained significantly higher holistic scores in their post-essay test” thus
demonstrating its effect on writing ability as well. There are many other recent studies
citing positive results. Consult the ERF annotated bibliography for further information.
Let us look, however, at what is meant when we say that ER is “relatively easy, and
preferably, of their own choosing, so that they can enjoy what they are reading”:
Extensive – The word itself means that the students are reading a large volume of
materials, surely much more than they would in a traditional curriculum. This, in turn,
implies that a large volume of materials needs to be available to each student.
Easy – Most proponents of the ER approach state that the student should know
95% to 98% of the words on each page. Since students are at differing levels of
vocabulary knowledge, this entails that we need not one set of materials, but sets of
materials matching each student’s vocabulary level and current grammatical
knowledge.
Own Choosing – Everyone learns better when the material captures their interest,
so we need to assure that our material covers a wide range of genres. We need
mysteries, romances, heart-warming stories as well as various kinds of non-fiction
resources for the students.
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Enjoy – Hopefully, if the above conditions are met, students will enjoy what they are
reading, the ideal being that they completely forget that they are studying as they flip
through the pages of the book.
Naturally, these conditions cannot be met when using a “class reader” since everyone will
be reading the same materials whether or not it is interesting to them or at their ideal
reading level. The availability of suitable material along with the need for individualization
are just two of a number of issues that have discouraged the widespread adoption of ER.
One other issue, concerns the amount of time available for reading. Class time is limited,
and since there never seems to be sufficient time to cover the required curriculum, finding
time for ER in the classroom is often difficult. In fact, it is physically impossible to provide
sufficient time in class for student to read the volume of material that is required for ER to
have the desired effect. Thus, ER is usually implemented as “outside reading”.
Finally, there is the issue of how a teacher can supervise outside reading, since many
students will probably stop doing it once they realize that the teacher cannot confirm that
they have actually read their books. While there are methods such as book reports,
feedback sheets, etc. which can be used, only the most dedicated teachers would take the
time to read through all of these extra submissions. For this reason, the author, along with
a team of teachers from a wide range of schools, mainly at the university level, have
developed a tool called “MReader” which offers short, easy, randomized quizzes for the
students. Each time the student passes a quiz, they are rewarded with the cover of the
book on their personal homepage, and the word count of the book is added to their slowly
growing progress bar. Use of MReader, as well as the Moodle plug-in, is completely free of
charge to any recognized school.
An earlier version of MReader, the Moodle ‘Reader’ plug-in, was reported in Robb (2010),
but this Reader module suffered from one major drawback. The school had to have
access to a networked Moodle environment. To overcome this obstacle, the author with the
cooperation of many others, created the browser-accessible MReader software, which
works on both desktops as well as mobile devices. Furthermore, the software was
designed to be easy for the average instructor, as well as the students, to use. The set-up
process involving the creation of usernames for the students and teachers is controlled by
a single user on each site, simplifying use of the tool for others.
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Figure 1 – MReader student page
Figure 1 shows a typical MReader student page for a student who has passed six quizzes.
Below the graphics are some settings for the student to personalize the page, followed by a
table listing information about each book for which a quiz has been taken, including the
word count for the book, and a cumulative word count for all books read to date.
The boxes on the size display the number of books required before the student gets
automatically promoted to the next reading level. The shorter bar on the right indicates that
the student can also read as many as 5 books one level higher than his/her current reading
level. In this way the students are restricted to taking quizzes on just those books that are
sufficiently easy for them. This prevents students who wish to finish off their requirement
quickly from reading a difficult book with a high word count. They might, with effort, be able
to read it and pass the quiz, but the result would not have been extensive reading, but
rather intensive reading which will not have the same effect on their reading proficiency
and reading speed.
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Students can search for a quiz by placing a keyword from the title in the green bar. The
covers of all books matching the keyword are then displayed. If there is a green frame
around the cover, then the program will allow the student to take the quiz. If the level is too
high, or the student has taken a quiz recently, or has read the same story from another
publisher, then the frame will be red.
Figure 2 – MReader teacher’s page
The Teacher’s page (Figure 2) has also been designed to be easy to use. Clicking on the
name of a student allows the teacher to view the student’s personal page. The colors on
the left indicate, by the depth of the color, how long it has been since the student has taken
a quiz, the color getting deeper in weekly increments. The color on the right shows each
students current status towards the target word count set by the teacher (or school
administrator). Green indicates that the target has been reached, while orange indicates
that the student is over 50% there. Other controls, not displayed in the figure, allow the
teacher, for instance, to pull up a “leaderboard” for the school showing for each reading
level, who the top readers are. This has been shown to be a great motivating for some
students. Other buttons allow the teacher to take a quiz, view all students who have read a
specific book, and many other handy functions.
The administrator’s page is the most complex and is not shown here. Screencasts and text
help via a series of strategically placed “?” marks, however, help the admin at all stages.
Just one person at each institution is in control of the entire site in order to make the
technical burden on the rest of the staff as light as possible.
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MReader is now being used by approximately 100,000 students in 35 countries. Over
5500 quizzes are available on virtually any graded reader that might be found, as well as
many “youth reader” series designed for native-speaking children. A full list of available
quizzes can be viewed from the “View available quizzes” button on the top page of the
MReader site.
Of course, a technical solution is not necessary in order to implement an effective

Extensive Reading program, as long as the instructors can provide sufficient motivation,
monitor student usage and encourage those who are falling behind. MReader does,
however, allow entire schools to implement ER where some instructors might not be able
to provide the necessary follow-up. Please feel free to contact the author for further
information.
Concerning the implementation of ER itself, the Extensive Reading Foundation has guides
available in English, Spanish and other languages that can be downloaded in PDF format
from the ERF website.
References
Day, R. & Robb, T. (2014). Extensive Reading, in Language Learning Beyond the
Classroom (Chapter 1), D. Nunan & J. Richards, Eds, Routledge, pp. 3-12.
Park, J. (2016). Integrating reading and writing through extensive reading. ELT Journal,
70(3), 287-295.
Robb, T. (2010). Getting them to Read Outside of Class: Let Moodle be the Enforcer!
MexTESOL Journal, 34(2), 123-129.
Robb, T. & Kano, M. (2013). Effective extensive reading outside the classroom: A large-
scale experiment. Reading in a Foreign Language, 25(2), 234-247.
Websites
Extensive Reading Foundation: http://erfoundation.org
ERF Annotated Bibliography: http://erfoundation.org/bib
MReader: http://mreader.org
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Dynamic grammar techniques to develop oral and written communication
Claudia Rodríguez Rosas

rodriguezclau12@hotmail.com
Preparatoria Lic. Benito Juárez García
Summary
Teaching grammar inductively is to create a learning environment, where the teacher
facilitates a process of learning in which students will usually be more involved in the
learning experience and tend to participate more actively because they discover the
grammar point by themselves. Teaching grammar using videos are good tool to ensure the
students´ knowledge. Therefore, teachers should take care to impart proper grammar to all
their students in order to acquire language naturally and dynamic.
Introduction
Teaching grammar is an essential part in language learning because grammar provides
students to speak and write more accurately. Therefore, teachers should take care to
impart proper grammar to all their students in order to acquire language naturally and
dynamic. As an English teacher, I have to avoid the traditional perspective rule- teaching
of grammar. I did not get the meaning of the rules at the beginning I usually teach grammar
inductively. Teaching Grammar inductively can help the students to feel more motivated in
apply that grammatical structure. Furthermore, it is very important to mention that grammar
rules require some context in order for students to understand when and why grammar
rules are used. Teaching grammar in context allows students to put their ideas into
intelligible sentences so that they can communicate in oral and written more successfully.
According to Krashen and Terrell (1983) claim that if language input is to provide over a
wide variety of topics with communicative goals, the input would automatically include the
necessary grammatical structures.
Teaching grammar inductively let students to discover the grammar point by themselves;
Furthermore, students are expected and encouraged to generate their own ideas so they
are involved more actively involved in their own learning by partaking, participating,
constructing and cooperating. (Constructivism).
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Therefore, the teacher´s role in applying the grammar inductively is to create a learning
environment, where the teacher facilitates a process of learning in which students are
encouraged to have initiative and be autonomous.
I teach English at high school Lic. Benito Juarez Garcia (BUAP) at the elementary level
(A1) and text books are not used anymore at high school so I have to avoid traditional
perspective rule- teaching of grammar. I have tried to teach them through pictures and
videos. These are very integrative, encourage students to keep moving, and they help to
maintain students’ attention focused in how to the structure of the language work.
Furthermore, teaching grammar using videos is a good tool to ensure the students´
knowledge. Some techniques are to have students discuss in pairs or groups what they
think happen next. Elicit responses, answer some specific questions and give some
feedback. It depends on the aim of the lesson at hand.
Inductive grammar
Nunan (1999) identifies inductive approach as a process where learners discover the
grammar rules themselves by examining the examples.
In addition to Ellis´ argument (2003), that getting the students to notice and discovers the
rules for themselves led to better learning and retention.
According to Thornbury (1999), the class where students involve in the lesson actively is
quite reasonable since it provides more comfortable and motivating environment for them.
He also remarks that an inductive teaching supply more profound knowledge of language
as learners study cognitively in order to discover the rules.
At the same time, Thornbury (1999) mentioned some advantages and disadvantages of
these approaches.
The inductive Approach’s advantages:

Rules learners discover for themselves are more likely to fit their existing mental
structure than rules that have been presented to them. This in turn will make rules more
meaningful, memorable and applicable.
Students are more actively involved in the learning process, rather than being simply
passive recipients: they are therefore likely to be more attentive and motivated.
If the problem solving is done collaboratively, and in the target language, learners get
the opportunity for extra language practice (Thornbury, 1999: 59).
Some disadvantages are:
The time and energy spent in working out rules may mislead students into believing that
rules are the objective of language learning, rather than the means.
The time taken to work out a rule may be at the expense of time spent in putting the
rule to some sort of productive practice.
Students may hypothesize the wrong rule (Thornbury, 1999: 59).
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Dynamic grammar techniques
I will provide model-teaching material based on teaching the present perfect.
Point to consider applying teaching grammar inductively: When planning series of

exercises is very important to varied topics and task types using the specific grammar
point.
The approach to apply is presentation, practice and production, (PPP). According to

Jeremy Harmer (2009), the PPP is a method that is widely used in teaching simple
language at lower levels.
Byrne (1986) also notes that the sequence does not have to be followed rigidly, and that
depending on the level of the students, their needs and the teaching materials being used,
it would be possible to move from production to presentation to practice.
Step 1: Presentation In this stage, I present a picture in order to apply present perfect
simple. I often use a picture and I model some sentences making some emphasis in
negative sentences (not yet and just).
This stage is very important because it influences on the effectiveness of the other two
stages, in addition students will start constructing the new language and will start practicing
during the productive activity. That’s why the new language should be introduced as a
linguistic “model”.
According to Brewster, Ellis, and Girard (1992: 90), “by using illustration and picture the
learner will get great help to convey meaning and memorize what taught”.
Jonassen (1998) describes Modeling as the most commonly used instructional strategy.
Two types of modeling exist: behavioral modeling of the overt performance and cognitive
modeling of the covert cognitive processes. Behavioral modeling in Constructivist Learning
Environments demonstrates how to perform the activities identified in the activity structure.
Cognitive modeling articulates the reasoning (reflection-in-action) that learners should use
while engaged in the activities.
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Modeling.
Show some pictures and I point them asking what has just happened?
They have just married. She has just cleaned. He has made a cake.
She has not cleaned the house yet. She has not drunk her milk yet.
When I am satisfied, that my students understand the present perfect tense and the
meaning, I move on to the practice stage of the lesson. Then I point the picture and I ask
student to write or to tell his/her own sentences using present perfect in negative form
using yet.
Step 2: Practice .During the practice phase, I point to pictures where the students practice
saying and writing the language structure correctly. In addition, students can practice with
drill, writing task, fill in the blanks exercises, memory activities, explanations using the
blackboard, and multiple choice using the present perfect. It is important to monitor and
make a note of any errors so that you can build in class feedback and error analysis at the
end of the lesson. Therefore, I provide opportunities for students to practice the learnt
items in a controlled way.
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Point to pictures where the students practice saying and writing the language structure correctly. In addition, students can practice
with drill, writing task, fill in the blanks exercises. etc.
Write negative sentences in present perfect simple. Word order: The weather was wonderful today. So
the children were in the park all afternoon and have not done their household chores.
Sarah / not / wash the dishes

Anita / not / clean the kitchen
Maureen and Gavin / not / water the plants
Joey / not / make his bed
David / not / buy milk
Lisa / not / be to the baker's
According to Jonassen, the role of coach is complex and inexact. She acknowledges that a
good coach motivates learners, analyzes their performance, provides feedback and
advices on the performance and how to learn about how to perform, and provokes
reflection and articulation of what was learned.
Step 3: Production During this phase. It is very important to encouraged students to use
the present perfect in a freer way either for their own purposes or for meanings.
Furthermore, students use it in a free and more communicative context such as short
segments of movies.
Watch and observe a short segment of video is a good technique for lower levels because
students only have to focus on a minimum of spoken dialogue and produce sentences in
oral or written form. This gives them an excellent opportunity to work on grammar,
especially in present perfect.
Ask sensible questions. Ask students challenging questions that are possible to answer
from either prior knowledge or the content of video.
Allow plenty of time – simply wait. Students need time, to make sentences or to say
sentences using the appropriate grammar structure.
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Short segments of videos
Short videos make perfect sense to bring them into the language classroom. Furthermore,
they provide students a source of authentic language because they provide students with
examples on English used in “real context” that make the class more enjoyable and
entertaining. Students can develop oral and written communication it depends on the goal.
For example: To practice present perfect

The video: Friends: how to quit the gym https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r6y3kJymx0Videos.
In this phase, it is very important to provide situations or activities where students can
actively apply the grammar structure they have been practicing, although the present
perfect tense is not found in the subtitles, the teacher and students can apply the grammar
structure where students write positive and negative sentences in present perfect about
some characters of Friend series. The activities can be oral or written form.
For example, what has just happened?
Chandler has tried to quit to the gym.
Ross has already joined to the gym.
They have gone to gym.
Chandler has tried to go the gym.
Chandler has paid 50 dollars a month.
Chandler has not quit to the gym yet
They have not closed their bank account yet.
Chandler has not gone to the gym yet.
In the end, the teacher can ask the students to discover the present perfect rule based on
the discussion and all the examples they have seen during the course of the lesson,
referring back to the class materials in order to create the grammar rule. It can have many
advantages because it allows students to work at their own speed. Furthermore, students
can be organized in groups, in pairs or individually in order, to complete the task.
The teacher can explain it at the end of the lesson. S/he has to make sure that the
grammar point has already been learnt. This can be done by homework assignments,
speaking or written activities where teacher can check the grammar point. The aim of a
PPP lesson is to teach a specific language form – grammatical structure, or the realization
of a particular function or notion. Teaching grammar inductively lets students acquire
language naturally and dynamic.
More examples of videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTTS2hxdGy0 . (the box) To practice conditional 1 and
2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CM3yza6pcc. (Mr. bean’s busy day).To practice
present tense or present progressive.
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Conclusion
An inductive teaching grammar focuses on the student ‘noticing’ the grammatical rule
himself or herself without being made explicitly aware of it. The teacher provides students
with examples showing how the concept is used after which they analyze and notice how
the concept works for themselves. This is constructivism because the role of the teacher in
the language classroom is that of a facilitator, who creates a classroom climate conducive
to language learning and provides opportunities for students to use and practice the
language and to reflect on language use and language learning. The student´s role is more
active role in, and accepts more responsibility for their own learning and Students have to
accommodate & assimilate new information with their current understanding. Students are
nowadays in the position to acquire grammatical knowledge quickly and effectively in the
classroom.
Teaching grammar inductively provides many opportunities for learners to experiment and
try out what they know. Moreover, let students induce or discover grammar rules also
students practice sentences construction (article, subject, verb and complement).An
inductive approach frustrates students who by dint of their personal learning style or their
past learning experience (or both), would prefer simply to be told the rule.
Finally, teaching grammar inductively is not an easy task because it requires language
teachers to develop and implement interesting activities to provoke students’ enthusiasm
and interest to apply the grammar rule. Beginners need to be exposed to simple language
which they can understand it also where they are able to use a specific grammar point. The
activities have to be planned so carefully in order to develop oral and written
communication with students with level A1.
References
Ausubel, D.P. (1960). The use of advance organizers in the learning and retention of
meaningful verbal material. Journal of Educational Psychology, 51, 267-272.
Byrne, D. (1986). Teaching oral English. Harlow: Longman.
Cundell, A. (2008) the integration of effective technologies for language learning and
teaching. In Educational technology in the Arabian Gulf: Theory, research and pedagogy,
ed. P. Davidson, J. Shewell, and W. J. Moore, 13–23. Dubai: TESOL Arabia.
Harmer, Jeremy. (2009) How to Teach. 5th ed. Harlow. Longman.
Piaget, J. (2013). The construction of reality in the child (Vol. 82). Routledge.
Seliger, H. (1975). Inductive method and deductive method in language teaching: A re-
examination. IRAL, 13(1), 1-18.
Thornbury, S. (1999) How to Teach Grammar. England: Longman.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological
processes. Harvard university press.
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43rd
October 27-30, 2016
Portal académico de instrumentos de evaluación: Facultad de Idiomas
Icela López Gaspar

icela.lopez.gaspar@uabc.edu.mx
Catalina Elena Valencia Rivera.
catalina.valencia@uabc.edu.mx
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
Facultad de Idiomas
Línea temática: Evaluación

Resumen
Se presenta una propuesta metodológica con el propósito de brindar a los profesores de la
Licenciatura en Enseñanza de Lenguas y Licenciatura en Traducción de la Facultad de
Idiomas Mexicali de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, la oportunidad de
mejorar su competencia docente. El principal objetivo planteado se orienta en la
elaboración de instrumentos de evaluación conforme a las competencias descritas en las
unidades de aprendizaje de las etapas disciplinaria y terminal a través del diseño de un
sitio en línea con enfoque en evaluación.
Para lo cual, se propone el diseño de un portal electrónico académico fundamentado en

instrumentos de evaluación. Con la plataforma se busca que el docente cuente con
nuevas herramientas educativas que le permita identificar en los estudiantes las
debilidades y fortalezas de su aprendizaje. Así como reflexionar sobre su actuación
pedagógica, de modo que sean los alumnos los beneficiados al obtener una educación de
calidad acorde a sus necesidades educativas.
La propuesta se basa en la necesidad de generar y compartir instrumentos de evaluación

acorde a los intereses y competencias de los estudiantes del programa de licenciatura
(futuros docentes), considerando el proceso de evaluación como una herramienta de
formación y aprendizaje. De igual manera, y por lo que se refiere a las innovaciones del
presente siglo, cabe mencionar la integración de la tecnología en nuestro ambiente, la
cual posibilita “la creación de nuevos entornos comunicativos y expresivos que facilitan a
los receptores la posibilidad de desarrollar nuevas experiencias formativas, expresivas y
educativas.” (Cabrero, 1996). Lo que determinó el diseño de un Sitio Virtual de
Instrumentos de Evaluación (SIIEFI). Con el proyecto se propone que el docente
interactúe y desarrolle estrategias de formación integral para la mejora de la evaluación
educativa y le permita enfrentar los nuevos retos de la educación.
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Palabras clave: Instrumentos de evaluación, plataforma electrónica, reflexión docente.
Introducción.
La Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), hace frente a los retos que la
educación superior tiene en una sociedad pujante y exigente que compite dentro de la
aldea global en la que las empresas demandan profesionistas capacitados para llegar al
campo laboral con la suficiente práctica. Con la finalidad de alcanzar la eficacia y
excelencia en la formación de profesores del idioma inglés, la Facultad de Idiomas valoró y
reformó el plan de estudios de la carrera de Licenciado en Enseñanza de Lenguas, para
robustecer la oferta educativa de la UABC, así como indagar las acciones profesionales
que se llevan a cabo para hacer frente en el mundo laboral para desarrollar las habilidades
pertinentes como futuro docente de manera satisfactoria.
El propósito de esta investigación es analizar el conocimiento que los docentes tienen

sobre el modelo educativo basado en evaluación por competencias y brindar la
oportunidad de mejorar su competencia docente, así como proponer métodos y técnicas
para evaluar esas competencias que los alumnos del programa educativo deben adquirir
al concluir sus estudios de licenciatura. A este respecto, el objetivo se orienta en la
elaboración de instrumentos de evaluación conforme a las competencias descritas en las
unidades de aprendizaje de las etapas disciplinaria y terminal a través del diseño de un
sitio en línea con enfoque en evaluación, que contribuya a la formación docente de
manera eficaz y acorde a los estándares de calidad establecidos en nuestra máxima casa
de estudios, e iniciar con la práctica de evaluar mediante instrumentos que reflejen la
evaluación de manera objetiva las competencias que adquiere el estudiante de licenciatura
en cada una de las asignaturas.
Planteamiento del Problema.

Con el propósito de fortalecer la oferta educativa de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja
California, la Facultad de Idiomas reestructuró el plan de estudios de la Licenciatura en
Docencia del Idioma Inglés contemplando el aprendizaje basado en competencias. Esta
reestructuración, considera relevante incluir una constante capacitación en lo que al
modelo educativo por competencias corresponde, sin embargo, en el ámbito de la
evaluación del aprendizaje basado en competencias, es uno de los temas de interés de
esta investigación: verificar las herramientas de evaluación bajo el modelo educativo
basado en competencias que utiliza el docente para evaluar a los estudiantes del
programa educativo: Licenciatura en Docencia de Idiomas. El actual plan de estudios
2006-1 por competencias apoya el desarrollo de esta investigación, porque permite
observar la manera en que el docente es capaz de identificar las competencias planteadas
en el documento de unidad de aprendizaje. Es así, que este documento espera verificar la
manera de aplicación del modelo en el aula, y acercarnos al docente para ver qué tanto
conoce sobre el modelo educativo basado en competencias, las herramientas de
evaluación que utiliza dentro del aula en su práctica docente y saber si está dispuesto a
compartir sus herramientas e instrumentos de evaluación y recibir la capacitación
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pertinente. La evaluación de competencias, además de evaluar conocimientos, se toma en
cuenta el grado de dominio que los estudiantes alcanzan en la adquisición y desarrollo de
las competencias, por lo que es necesario analizar y proponer estrategias de evaluación
encaminadas a conocer sus manifestaciones, evidencias, realizaciones y logros para
poder desarrollar evidencias que puedan ser evaluables.
De ahí que la problemática de interés en esta investigación es: Proponer y compartir

técnicas de evaluación por competencias de las asignaturas de la etapa disciplinaria y
etapa terminal, del programa educativo Licenciatura en Enseñanza de Lenguas. Con ello
se busca analizar y proponer los métodos y técnicas que vayan ligados al enfoque por
competencias de las asignaturas. El uso de la plataforma de educación virtual en los
últimos años se ha venido extendiendo alrededor del mundo especialmente en las
instituciones educativas de nivel superior ofreciendo programas de formación docente a
distancia. (Valencia, C,2016). Para tal efecto el presente trabajo tiene como objetivo
apoyar en la formación docente de los profesores de, a través del diseño de un Sitio
Virtual de Instrumentos de Evaluación (SIIEFI), donde los docentes compartan sus
instrumentos de evaluación con el resto de la planta docente y dar un primer paso a la
homologación de lineamientos o indicadores de evaluación enfocados al modelo educativo
por competencias. Con el proyecto se propone que el docente interactúe y desarrolle
estrategias de formación integral para la mejora de la evaluación educativa y le permita
enfrentar los nuevos retos de la educación.
Marco teórico
La evaluación por competencias requiere de un conocimiento detallado de temas como:
conceptos generales, específicos, tipos y principios de evaluación, así como la
metodología para una adecuada planeación de la evaluación sin dejar de mencionar los
distintos métodos alternos de evaluación que un docente puede utilizar dentro y fuera del
aula para evaluar las competencias vistas en clase de una asignatura determinada.
Perrenoud, define una competencia como
Uaptitud para enfrentar eficazmente una familia de situaciones análogas,
movilizando a conciencia y de manera a la vez rápida, pertinente y creativa,
múltiples recursos cognitivos: saberes, capacidades, microcompetencias,
informaciones, valores, actitudes, esquemas de percepción, de evaluación y de
razonamiento. (2001, p.21)
Este autor establece que una competencia se da en el plano individual, cuando la persona
que aprende es capaz de movilizar una serie de habilidades, destrezas, actitudes, valores
y otros tantos aspectos que necesite para resolver problemas reales. De acuerdo a los
movimientos y cambios de innovación que actualmente suceden en los ámbitos
tecnológicos, económicos y sociales y que han dado grandes impactos en nuestro país, es
necesario estar a la vanguardia en lo que a la educación en nuestro país refiere.
Actualmente se han dado importantes cambios en el contexto de la evaluación educativa,
que de alguna manera buscan mejorar el servicio de una adecuada y constante aplicación
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de acciones que la misma evaluación educativa valora para la toma de decisiones. El
término “evaluación educativa” es una parte esencial en las instituciones educativas que
todo plan contiene. Según Taba (1998 citado en Monedero Moya 1998) el término de
evaluación, aparece por primera vez de un modo generalizado con la promulgación de la
Ley General de Educación de 1970. Taba (1998) en sus aportaciones respecto al diseño
curricular, establece que es esencial “se determine lo que hay que evaluar y las formas y
medios para hacerlo”. De igual manera, señala que la evaluación “constituye una empresa
más amplia que la de someter a los estudiantes a un test y a calificaciones”, así mismo,
define a la evaluación como “un proceso continuo, parte integral de la evolución del
currículo y de la instrucción” (Taba, 1998). Estas definiciones proporcionan características
y aportaciones específicas e interesantes, que como docentes, invitan a la reflexión
respecto a la importancia de incluir, “el valor” que caracteriza o tienen cada uno de
nuestros estudiantes. Son pocos los autores que resaltan trabajar considerando las
aptitudes, habilidades, destrezas, y actitudes en este proceso de evaluación.
Método
La presente investigación de acuerdo a Roberto Hernández Sampieri, (2014), se
considera de alcance exploratorio, ya que se tomarán como base, los resultados de la
investigación referente a la capacitación docente que tienen los docentes de la Facultad
de Idiomas de la UABC. De igual manera de alcance descriptiva, porque la información
que se recabó en el estudio preliminar, permitirá conceptualizar que las asignaturas que
imparte el docente en la etapa disciplinaria y terminal, cuentan con los elementos
primordiales del modelo educativo por competencias, y de alcance correlacional, debido a
que se asocian los datos referentes a aquellos docentes que cuentan con los
conocimientos del modelo educativo por competencias, con la población que se desea
estudiar. Y de cierta manera, se realizará una investigación explicativa ya que se busca,
como se mencionó anteriormente, “analizar y proponer herramientas de evaluación que
utilizan los docentes de la Licenciatura en Docencia de la Facultad de Idiomas de la
UABC, respecto al enfoque evaluación por competencias de nuestra universidad”
Población y Muestra
El número de participantes para esta investigación son los 62 docentes que imparten
clases en la Facultad de Idiomas, campus Mexicali de la UABC en sus turnos matutino y
vespertino en el programa de Licenciatura la de la Licenciatura en Docencia de Idiomas en
la etapa disciplinaria y terminal.
Instrumento
Para fines de esta investigación se utilizó la encuesta como método de recolección de
información; siendo el cuestionario, el instrumento de recolección de datos como único
medio adecuado para el logro del objetivo. Definiendo el cuestionario como un conjunto de
preguntas respecto a una o más variables a medir (Hernández et al, 2010).
213
Proceso del diseño del Sitio Virtual
Los procesos de diseño de un programa pueden ser diferentes, sin embargo, todos están
basados en el modelo ADDIE por considerarse el mejor modelo de trabajo y por la
característica principal del modelo que puede “modificarse para adaptarse a cualquier
situación, tema, público o modelo de formación.” (Williams, Peter., Schrum, L., Sangrà, A.,
y Guardia, L, 2004). Para el diseño del curso se tomó como referencia el Curso en línea de
Formación Docente basado en Estrategias Didácticas, realizado por la Mtra. Catalina
Elena Valencia maestra adscrita a la Facultad de Idiomas de la UABC, con fines de
investigación de maestría (Ver anexo 1) El cual fue diseñado bajo el modelo ADDIE; un
acrónimo de los pasos clave: Analysis (análisis), Design (diseño), Development
(desarrollo), Implementation (implementación) y Evaluation (evaluación.), contribuyendo a
la mejora de la competencia docente. (Ver anexos 2, 3)
Anexo 1. Curso en línea de Formación Docente basado en Estrategias Didácticas,

Referencia: Curso elaborado por Mtra. Catalina Elena Valencia Rivera
Anexo 2. Fases del diseño del Sitio Virtual Referencia: Elaboración propia.
FASES DEL DISEÑO
FASE I FASE II FASE III
Diseño del Elaboración Elaboración

Sitio Virtual de de archivos
Contenidos multimedia
214
Anexo 3.
215
Referencias.
Arias, C. & Maturana, L. (2005). Evaluación en Lenguas Extranjeras: discursos y prácticas.

Ikala, Revista de lenguaje y cultura. Vol. 10, N.º 16.
Cerda, Hugo. (s.f). "La evaluación como experiencia total". Recuperado en:
http://uvhm.edu.mx/pos2099/pluginfile.php/5851/mod_resource/content/1/La-evaluacion-
como-juicio-de-valor.pdf
Documento: Normas Correspondientes al Control Escolar, así como a la Acreditación y
Certificación de Conocimientos y Aptitudes en Lenguas Extranjeras y en el Español como
Lengua Extrajera, a que se sujetará la Dirección General de Acreditación, Incorporación y
Revalidación. Recuperado de: http://www.cenni.sep.gob.mx/. 2011.
Documento de Reestructuración de la Licenciatura en Docencia del Idioma Inglés
Orientada al Desarrollo de Competencias Profesionales, 2005.
Documento Modelo Educativo de la UABC, Cuadernos de Planeación y Desarrollo
Institucional, noviembre 2013.
Genesee, F. and Upshur, J. (1996). Classroom-based Evaluation in Second Language
Education. Cambridge University Press. England,UK.
Marco Común Europeo de Referencia para las Lenguas del Consejo de Europa:
Aprendizaje, Enseñanza y Evaluación. (2002). Instituto Cervantes para la traducción en
español. Recuperado de: http://cvc.cervantes.es/obref/marco.
Monedero Moya, J.(1998) Bases teóricas de la evaluación educativa. Obtenido de
https://edgargomezbonilla.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/texto-evaluacic3a3c2b3n-
monedero-cap-1.pdf
Tobón, S. (2013). Formación integral y competencias: Pensamiento complejo, currículo,
didáctica y evaluación. Bogotá, D.C.: ECOE .
Valencia Rivera, C. (2016). Curso en Línea de Formación Docente Enfocado en
Estrategias de Enseñanza para el docente de inglés como lengua extranjera. En T. y.
Palazuelos, Experiencias en Lenguas e Investigación del Siglo XXI (págs. 150-160).
Mexicali, Baja California: Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Villalón Gerardo G. (s.f) “Algunas reflexiones sobre la evaluación”. Recuperado en:
http://curiorifico.blogspot.mx/2011/04/reflexiones-sobre-la-evaluacion.html
216
Proceedings compiled by Guadalupe Pineda for the
43rd International MEXTESOL Convention held by
MEXTESOL A.C. in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México from
October 27 – 30, 2016.
Graphic design and production by LDI Daniel Sanchez in

San Luis Potosí, S.L.P.
MEXTESOL A.C. holds all rights for the Convention

Proceedings.
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43rd

43rd International MEXTESOL Convention

Monterrey, Nuevo León, México

Learners acknowledge teacher leadership. Why don't we?

Activating your English Academy: Best practices and better practices 15

Drinking from a fire hose: Choosing and adapting didactic materials 20

Assessing online: Engaging e-activities, building up meaningful results

Images reading in a discourse analysis class

Academic writing feedback through screen capture technology 65

Scholarships that bring succ

Effective use of teaching assistants

Developing students’ speaking skills through the Rassias Method ® 114

We made this: An interdisciplinary approach to C21 skills 123

Using ideal picture books for Communicative Language Teaching 136

Fostering intercultural communication in the classroom: Some practical

Free software teaching tools and their benefits. 157

Music or Silence? Creating a suitable environment for memory 160

Newspaper as an extensive reading strategy in language teaching. 165

Three ways to incorporate blended learning in your practice 181

¿Eres un gamer?: Encouraging game-

Analyzing college students’ opinions; Valuable insight for teachers 193

Extensive reading yields better English skills 198

Dynamic grammar techniques to develop oral and written communication 203

Portal académico de instrumentos de evaluación: Facultad de Idiomas 210

The creat-teacher: The importance of innovation in teaching as a factor of influence

Dr. Dora Ivonne Álvarez Tamayo

Human evolution is in progress, as always, because changing is an inherent feature of

English Language Teaching is an area that has to be in continuous movement because

The concept of create-teacher

Conditions that allow becoming a creat-teacher

For being a creat-teacher, it is necessary a conscious process to develop competences

When teaching is focused on human communication in ELT/L2, it is necessary to be

Ariton, D. and Raileanu, A. (2009). Education-training-skills system for research

Delamare, F. and Winternton, J. (2005). What is competence? Human Resource

Einstein, A. (2016). The Critical Thinking Co. Retrieved from:

Smoot, B. (2010). Conversations with great teachers. Bloomington and Indianapolis:

Teodescu, T. (2006). Competence versus competency. What is the difference?.

Learners acknowledge teacher leadership. Why don't we?

Norma Guadalupe Arévalo Torres

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam.

Greenier, V. T. & Whitehead, G. E. (2016) Towards a Model of Teacher Leadership in ELT:

Activating your English Academy: Best practices and better practices

Chaz William Brown

Through multiple brainstorm sessions, informative worksheets, peer feedback and by

According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus, working in an

Another investigative program being spearheaded by members of the English Academy at

"Developing an Action Plan." (n.d.): n. pag. University of Cincinnati. McNair/STARS

Kristen. "Kristen's Action Research.": Finally...Action Research Plan. Blogspot, 1 Aug.

Tuckman (2016) "Tuckman Forming Storming Norming Performing Model." Businessballs.

Drinking from a fire hose: Choosing and adapting didactic materials

Old McDonald had a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-oh,

Calicaturas** presenta:** nombres de** animales**

Looney Tunes** pre-sents:** names of** animals**

Rader, Walter (1996 to the present) Online Slang Dictionary,

YouTube for all songs mentioned (URLs appear in text)

Assessing online: Engaging e-activities, building up meaningful results

Livio III Ceballos-García

Key knowledge, understanding, and success skills - The project is focused on

Integrating technology in education everyday helps students stay engaged. Today’s

Álvarez, G.; (2012) New technologies in the university context, Mexico, in

Díaz, J. (2013) Access to technology is now a basic need, Mexico, in

Dixon, S. (2016) Making Meaning Clear, Arizona, in https://www.coursera.org/learn/english-

Lujano, L.; (2011) The importance of technology in today's society, Mexico, in

Calicaturas presenta: nombres de animales

Looney Tunes pre-sents: names of animals