Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Teacher training

*During the course we have learned five strategies about teaching English with greater confidence. First, it is essential to create a safe environment. The classroom should be a place where the student feels comfortable.-In this way, it's important a good relationship between the entire educational community. Creating an environment that strengthens the autonomy and overall making the student feel part of a group not only focusing on the academic environment.-The second strategy is dedicated solely to the teachings in terms of reflecting on your own relationship with the English. The teacher has to be realistic about what he knows, keeping in mind that his knowledge is the basis of learning or any group of students.-The next strategy, is not...

Paragraph

Is the subdivision of a written composition that consists of one or more sentences, deals with one point and begins on a new line. Elements: purpose, audience, clarity, unity and coherence. Techniques to achieve fluency: linkers, repetition, varying sentence length, punctuation and synonyms.

What to Avoid in Summaries?

No opinion, no pronouns, no adjectives, no exact figures, achieve neutral style.

Letters

Purpose: inform, complain, request, apologize, give opinion and apply-organization-intro: aim of letter/present the idea/dear sir, madam> yours faithfully//dear mr thomas> your sincerely-body: develop idea, give previous background and specific data-conclusion: sum up the info / point of view--style: friend: semiformal, to an editor...

Discourse and Society

Discourse Community

It is a group of people involved in and communicating about a particular topic, issue, or in a particular field.

Characteristics:

• Well-established or closed networks
• Made of several overlapping groups of people
• Belonging to different discourse communities can be very different
• Genres and the social relations can also vary
• Interact with wider speech communities

Common Goals:

Common objectives or public goals.

Intercommunication:

Mechanisms of communication. (Conversations, Facebook posts, face-to-face at meetings, speeches)

Participation:

Participatory mechanisms to provide information and feedback. In other words, the exchange of knowledge.

Genres:

One or more genres in the communicative utterance of its aim. (Public...

Adjective Antonyms

Word → Opposite

• Egocentric → Selfless
• Lazy → Hardworking
• Solitary → Sociable
• Flexible → Stubborn
• Rational → Emotional
• Reliable → Unreliable
• Shy → Extroverted
• Sensitive → Insensitive
• Ambitious → Generous (Note: This isn't a direct opposite, consider "Unambitious")
• Selfish → Selfless
• Solitary → Sociable
• Impatient → Patient
• Unambitious → Ambitious
• Disorganized → Organized
• Creative → Uncreative
• Persuasive → Unpersuasive
• Undecisive → Decisive

Translation Exercises

Exercise 1

Spanish: Estaría muy agradecido si me pudiera enviar su último catálogo y algunas muestras.

English: I would be very grateful if you could send me your latest catalog and some samples.

Spanish: Esperamos que le interesen nuestros productos,...

GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHOD:

• Classical method
• No use of the L2 (target language) in class
• Long lists of vocabulary
• Reading and writing
• No listening and speaking
• Grammar and syntax very important
• Grammar taught deductively

DIRECT METHOD:

• Use of realia, pictures or pantomime
• No translation
• Students speak in the target language
• The SYLLABUS used in the Direct Method is based upon situations or topics
• Grammar taught inductively
• Students practice vocabulary by using new words in complete sentences
• Language is primarily spoken, not written
• Self-correct
• Teacher and students are more like partners

AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD:

• Oral based approach
• Based on behavioural psychology
• Imitation and repetition
• DRILLS
• Oral work (reading and written work)
• LAWS: Law of contiguity, Law of exercise,

Understanding Text Organization

A text is an organized linguistic unit (words, phrases, sentences, periods, paragraphs, full text) structured according to the communicative situation, register of language, and communicative intentionality.

Sentence-Period

A sentence-period is a set of sentences linked by a period, covering the same subject.

Message vs. Text

The message is what is said, while the text is the organized form of what is said.

Communicative Environment

The communicative environment surrounds the issuance of a text and a message. Key questions include: "Who speaks?" and "To whom do they speak?"

Intention to Communicate

This refers to what we want to achieve with our message, such as reporting, ordering, inviting, seeking, or requesting.

The...

Understanding the Pronoun 'SE' in Spanish

Pronominal Uses of 'SE'

1. Indirect Object Pronoun (CI)

• The pronoun 'le' (indirect object) can take the forms 'lo, la, los, las' when it precedes a direct object pronoun.
• It refers to the same person as the subject.
• This pronoun does not alter the verb's meaning.
• The verb is transitive and is accompanied by a direct object, which can be replaced by a different pronoun.

2. Reflexive and Reciprocal Pronouns

• Reflexive: The action performed by the subject reflects back on the subject itself.
  • Example: María se peina (Maria combs herself). This implies María peina a María (Maria combs Maria).
• Reciprocal: Similar to reflexive pronouns, but used with a plural subject where participants exchange actions.
  • Example: Pedro

An e-mail requesting job information

To: Mrs Tess Gladstone

From: Marian Alarcón Romero Subject: Sales Director Vacancy

Dear Mrs Tess

I am writing in response to the Sales Director ad at Nova Fashions. I am interested in the position but I would like more information about it. What is the work schedule? Would you be willing to hire someone who does not have much previous experience in the field of fashion? Is it necessary to have knowledge of English? What is the level of French you require?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Marian Alarcón Romero

Covering letter

From: María de los Ángeles Alarcón Romero

To: [email protected]

Subject: Sales Director

Dear Mrs Tess Gladstone

I am writing in reference to the position of sales director

Intriguing Reads: A Collection of Diverse Articles

Culture and Travel

The Da Vinci Code

Pieces of an Ancient Culture

Meeting an Old Friend

Michael Palin: The “Travelling Comedian”

Svalbard – The Land Beyond the North Cape

Living in Greenland

Smiling Indians

Norwich

U.S. National Parks: Yellowstone

The Mystery of Jim Thompson

Karen Blixen

Animals and Environment

Animal Rights

Save the Animals

A Better World

Building for a Better World

Counting the Bugs and Bacteria

Is Life in the Outback Compatible

Technology and Science

Annoying Cell Phones?

Do You Get on Well with Your Smartphone?

Are We Alone in the Universe?

Telepathy

Food in Space

Are Insects the Future of Food?

Does Handwriting Have a Future?

Education in the 21st Century

We’ll Be on Mars Again

Sports and Recreation

A

UNIT 12. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L1 AND L2 LEARNING

L1 → first language

L2 → second language

KEY CONCEPTS