Purposes of the session:

To establish the relation between TBL, PW and social practices of the language. To define what a language (ELT) project is.

To identify the elements of a project.

Redefining social practices of the language

Ways of interacting:

With texts (reading, correcting)

With others: about the text (discussions, group correction) through the text (letters, telephone)

Redefining social practices of the language

Imply the interpretation and production of texts:

Listening and reading

Speaking and writing Demand oral and written texts:

Conversation, presentation, conference, speech, debate

Letter, e-mail, text message

Redefining social practices of the language

Meet a communicative goal: Novel review: persuade Thematic presentation: inform, convince, clarify Instructions: direct/carry out a process Commentary: give an opinion, inform, convince

Redefining social practices of the language

Are rooted in particular cultural situations. Are determined by the sociocultural context within which they are performed.

Social practices of the language as the object of study in the ELT classroom

SOCIETY Social practices of the language (real life purposes).

SCHOOL
Social practices of the language (as the object of study).

TBL and PW
Alternatives to preserve the sense of social practices of the language in school.

Why working with projects?

Establish links between the school and society. Favour meaningful learning (students make sense of learning). Foster collaborative work (individual contributions, based on individual talents and creativity). Motivate students desire to learn (learning becomes purposeful).

Why working with projects?

Help to develop students responsibility for learning.

Provide students with problem solving strategies.

Lend themselves to working in a variety of teaching situations.

Draw together mixed ability students.

Characteristics of a language projects

Language projects are a series of activities aimed at solving a problem or at creating an end product.
Reflect a real life situation. Not to be taught, but to be made. Studentcentred and driven by the need to create an endproduct. The end-product is used for social purposes.

Characteristics of a language projects

The end-product brings opportunities for students to develop their confidence and independence and to work together in a real-world environment by collaborating on a task which they have defined for themselves and which has not been externally imposed. Serve two kinds of purposes: Social Pedagogical

Examples of language projects

Creating an anthology of poems.
Editing a school newspaper/magazine. Organising a debate about an interesting topic.

Writing and performing a theatre play.

Preparing a diffusion campaign. Making a book of tales.

Making a staff portrait gallery.

Creating a brochure for new students. Creating a wall display or fact sheet about a city.

Projects have three main stages:

1. The planning stage. 2. The implementation stage.

3. The creation of the end-product.

Planning a project
Need to consider: Students age, level, interests. Aims: End-product (Social Practices) Language Procedure: Teachers and students activities. Interaction. In class and homework. Resources.

Step 1

Agree on a theme for the project

Developing a Project in a Language Classroom

Step 2

Determine the final outcome Step 3 Structure the project

Step 4

Prepare ss for the language demand of Step 5

Step 5

Gather information
Step 6

Prepare ss for the language demands of Step 7

Step 7

Compile and analyse information

Step 8

Prepare ss for the language demands of Step 9

Step 9

Present final product

Step 10

Evaluate the project

(after Stoller in Richards, 2002:107)

Conditions needed for project work

Re-conceptualising learning. Avoiding traditional practices. Trusting on the students learning. Allowing students participation.

Modifying means of assessment.

Fostering the use of diverse materials within the classroom.

Difficulties of project work

Prioritising the social over the pedagogical aims (and viceversa). Lack of adequate planning. Pressure of school authorities (rigidity of rules).

Planning.
Evaluation.

What is not a language project?

A school project. Individual interests. A topic/theme. A written dialogue.

A collage.

Bibliography

Ellis, R. (2003) Task-based Lnaguage Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fried-Booth, D. (2002) Project Work. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Galaburri, M. (2005) La enseanza del lenguaje escrito. Buenos Aires: Novedades Educativas. Hernndez, F. and M. Ventura (2002) La organizacin del currculum por proyectos de trabajo. Barcelona: Gra. Kaufman, A.M. y M.E. Rodrguez (2003) La escuela y los textos. Mxico: SEP/Santillana. Lerner, D. (2001) Leer y escribir en la escuela. Mxico: SEP/FCE. Richards, J and W. Renandya (eds.) (2002) Methodology in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Secretara de Educacin Pblica (2005) Programas de estudio para la enseanza del espaol en la educacin secundaria. Mxico: SEP. Torres, J. (2000) Globalizacin e interdisciplinariedad: el currculum integrado. Madrid: 2000.

Lesson plan Distribution of contents

Project plan

Projects 2nd grade, Unit 1

Visiting our zoo. New animals in the zoo. End product: brochure, poster, article Zoo brochure. End product: brochure promoting a zoo The zoo. End product: brochure Designing a campaign to protect animals in danger of extinction. End product: campaign (advertisement, brochure, article, poster) Designing a campaign to protect local animals in danger of extinction. End product: campaign (may have different products) Teachers and staff gallery. End product: photo gallery and id cards + invitations Students pets. End product: album Visiting a farm. End product: oral description of animals, short paragraph about animals, video Animals in our region. End product: information campaign (brochure, charts, posters).

Thinking questions
How to agree on the topic? What is negotiated?
What is the end product used for? Who is the audience? How will it get to them? Social vs/& pedagogical purposes?

To what extent are projects implementable?

Is the chosen text carrier (brochure, poster, etc.) a natural text carrier for the content (descriptions, warnings, advice, etc.)? How is the project different from other teaching activities?

What processes are involved? What do they imply?

Researching Writing Preparing a speech

Some considerations for PW

A project is a workplan A project involves a primary focus on meaning

A project involves real-world processes of language use

A project can involve any/all of the four language skills A project engages cognitive processes A project has a clearly defined communicative outcome (After Ellis, 2003)

Designing a project - Summary

Aims: Solve a problem Create an end-product

through/with language

Purpose: Social What is it going to do? For whom? How will the end-product reach its intended audience? Pedagogical (unit purpose, PE) + new contents and skills Product: Real life products used for real life purposes

TIME TO FINISH PROJECTS: 4.45 PM