MARIA CELMIRA PINEDA CADAVID

CENTRO FORMATIVO DE ANTIOQUIA(CEFA)

December, 2010.

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Institución Educativa Centro Formativo de Antioquia

María Celmira Pineda C, English teacher.

Tenth grade, 40 students. Grammar- based syllabus Communicative approach, teacher’s

explanations and group work. Students make presentations( role-

plays, dialogues, etc.)

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1. Context description2. Statement of the problem3. Research question and objective4. Theoretical background5. Actions6. conclusions

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Our teenagers need more contact with the target language to get familiar with it. Most of the students feel much fear when they are invited to say the most simple sentence in English.

Students’ fear of speaking in the class because of their mistakes, classmates and teacher’s opinions.

Few volunteers take risks in the class.

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How could interaction improve tenth grade students’ speaking for becoming more active participants in an EFL class in a public school in Medellin?

To help students to take risks in the moment of talking through cooperative activities.

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Implementing Cooperative Learning proposes that with cooperative learning activities, students work together in group from two to four members and the teacher encourages mutual helpfulness between them getting the active participation of all participants. Richards J.C.,& Renandya W.A.

Discussion skills are considered appropriate for all level classes, because the experience said that learner–centered approach and working with groups, creates a comfortable environment that make students reduce anxiety and fear of participating in class. Richards J.C.,& Renandya W.A.

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Facilitate Negotiated Interaction. It refers to meaningful

learner-learner and learner-teachers interaction in class.

Negotiated interaction can be facilitated through two basic

activities: designing group activities and small-group planning.

When they select a topic for talking about it they feel safe and

confident with themselves trying to prepare it very well. B.

Kumaravadivelu in TESOL Quarterly Vol.28, N°1. 1994

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How to improve speaking skills in the classroom?

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o Peer observation and evaluation. The group discusses the topic while a partner group of

observer- evaluators supervises the process. Later, get some opinions.

o Also, the teacher may give advices to groups and individuals. For instance: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Accept some corrections. Make some oral pronunciation exercises. Be sure you can get better.

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o Kumaravadivelu, B.(1994). The Post method Condition: (E)merging Strategies for Second/foreign Language Teaching. TESOL Quarterly Vol.28, N°1. 27-45

Metacognition Activity-Learning Strategies. Adapted from: Rubin&Thompson(1994). How to be a more successful language learn. Boston: Heine & Heine. Prepared by Ana Maria. Adapted by Diana Patricia Pineda.

Richards J.C.,& Renandya W.A. Methodology in Language Teaching. An Anthology of Current Practice. Cambridge university Press. 2002.

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In practical terms, this work has many aspects to

improve not only because of the few time I had to

do it , but also because of the lack of practice in this

kind of labor. And also, during the application of a

theoretical proposition, I am sure it is necessary to

make some changes according to the interests and

necessities of the people it is applying on. All

practice go beyond the theory.

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