What strategies can I implement to convey simple and clear instructions in L2, in my 8th grade English classes?

Texto completo

(1)1 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Faculty of Education English Department. ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT What strategies can I implement to convey simple and clear instructions in L2, in my 8th grade English classes? By Dominique Hernández López. Tutor: Mary Jane Abrahams - Soledad Araya Santiago, Chile December, 2015.

(2) 2 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………...………………………………….…… 4 Abstracto………………………………………………………………………….….…….5 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….… 6 Context……………………………………………………………………….………........ 8 The School …………………………………………………………………….….. 8 The Class ……………………………………………………………………..…....9 Research Problem ……………………………………………………………….... 9 Research Question……………………………………………………………...... 11 Rationale …………………………………………………………………………..….… 12 Literature Review ……………………………………………………………………… 14 Simple and Clear instructions …………………………………………………… 14 Use of L2 ………………………………………………………………………… 18 Teaching teenagers ………………………………………………………….…… 20 Research Methodology ………………………………………………………………..…22 Instruments ………………………………………………………………………. 22 Procedure ………………………………………………………………………… 23 Participants…………………………………………………………….…….…… 24 Gantt chart ...........…………………………………………………………………25 Intervention………………………………………………………………………..26 Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………….32 Preliminary results ………………………………………………………………...32 Intervention results ………………………………………………………………..38 Reflections………………………………………………………………………………...42.

(3) 3 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Limitations and further improvements……………………………………………43 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………44 References ……………………………………………………………………………… 46 Appendix ………………………………………………………………………….……..49 Appendix A ……………………………………………………………….……...49 Appendix B ……………………………………………………………….……...55 Appendix C ………………………………………………………………….…...56 Appendix D …………………………………………………………………..…..57 Appendix E ……………………………………………………………….….…..58 Appendix F………………………………………………………….………....…59 Appendix G…………………………………………………………………..…...63 Appendix H ………………………………………………………………………65.

(4) 4 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Abstract Without doubt, teachers deal with a lot of issues in teaching. One of these issues is related to methodology and all its subdivisions. This Action Research Project presents different strategies that I used to convey simple and clear instructions in L2. I aimed at delving about my own teaching practice with my 8th grade students and change or improve teaching aspects to achieve a better learning process to all my students. During four months I developed this research at the same time I was doing classes, and that was how plenty of things burst. This research was supported by authors and a systematic process to collect data. I carried out my intervention using a set of strategies adapted to my context and then I analyzed everything gather to see the results and reflections about the whole research process.. Keywords: strategies, implement, instructions, L2, examples.

(5) 5 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Abstracto Sin duda, los profesores lidian con muchos problemas en la enseñanza, Uno de estos problemas está relacionado con la metodología y todas sus subdivisiones. Este proyecto investigación acción presenta diferentes estrategias que usé para transmitir instrucciones simples y claras en L2. Apunté en profundizar sobre mi propia práctica docente con mis estudiantes de 8vo año y cambiar o mejorar aspectos de enseñanza para lograr un mejor proceso de aprendizaje para todos mis estudiantes. Durante cuatro meses desarrollé esta investigación al mismo tiempo que hacía clases y fue así como muchas cosas emergieron. Esta investigación fue respaldada por autores que se refieren a este tema y por un proceso sistemático para recolectar información. Llevé a cabo mi intervención usando un conjunto de estrategias adaptadas a mi contexto and luego analicé todo lo recopilado para ver los resultados y reflexiones acerca de todo el proceso de investigación.. Palabras Claves: estrategias, implementar, instrucciones, L2, ejemplos.

(6) 6 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Introduction During my career to become an English Teacher I have realized that the importance of self-reflection and critical thinking are crucial to implement improvements in practice. In the last few years there has been a growing interest in Action Research from the part of Second Language Teaching field. The reason lies on its multiple benefits in teaching, as stated by Burns “AR can reinvigorate our teaching, lead to positive change, raise our awareness of the complexity of our work, and show us what drives our personal approaches to teaching” (2010, p. 7). I am going to enjoy an empowering experience as well as put forward improvements and changes in my classroom. Day by day teachers deal with hard teaching dilemmas that puzzle our beliefs and practice. Some of these situations are quite common, such as lack of motivation, misbehavior, bullying, lack of participation, among many others. When something is going wrong, a good idea is to explore in our teaching. There is something I am not doing well. This is useful as a starting point to guide your research problem. This Action Research Project is being carried out in a School in Quilicura, Santiago, Chile. This is the school where I did my final practicum. In this context, I problematized a real situation in my 8th grade class. Furthermore, I underpinned some key relevant concepts of my research through different authors that have dealt with this topic. Additionally, I followed certain steps which encouraged me to go after improvements and changes in my practice..

(7) 7 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Ultimately, I hope by means of this Action Research I could compile the necessary tools to improve and change my practice, as well as help my 8th grade students effectively learn and develop English skills..

(8) 8 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Context I.. The School This school is a semi private, coeducational catholic school. It is located in the north. of Santiago, in Quilicura. The school was founded in 2002. The main objective of the school is to develop a whole individual in the social, spiritual and academic scope. The school has students from Pre Kinder to 12th grade. Each grade is divided in three groups (for instance, 8th grade A, B and C). The average number of students per class is about forty. The school is part of the Pedagogical Project JEC (Jornada Escolar Completa) from 3rd grade onwards. Classes start at 8.00, from Mondays to Thursdays they finish at 15.15 and on Fridays classes finish at 13.00. The School deals with a lot of issues in terms of misbehavior, little families‟ involvement, school dropouts, drugs abuse, alcohol consumption, etc. Most of the students live in vulnerable and social risk places. It is quite common to suspend students of the school during 2 days, as minimum, to punish them. In terms of resources, there is a lack of materials, projectors, books, etc. There are only two projectors for the whole school, there are not speakers, there are not enough books for every students and most of the year there are not papers for printing worksheets or tests. Sometimes teachers ask students to bring papers and they receive a reward for that. In regard to school facilities, there are fifty three classrooms and only one computer lab in poor conditions. Moreover, there are two teachers „room. In one of these rooms there are nine computers, however there is only one working. Each teacher brings his/her own.

(9) 9 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. laptop. The Wi-Fi connection has multiple problems, sometimes administrative staff changes the password, or they disconnect the network for unknown reasons, etc. Regarding English Department, there are five teachers but only one of them has an English Teacher degree and two trainee teachers from Alberto Hurtado University. The coordinator of this department is the UTP head. English is taught from 1st grade to 12th grade. Notwithstanding the Ministry of Education demands to include English as a subject from 5th grade; this school has decided to include it before. From 1st to 4th grade students have 2 English pedagogical hours, and from 5th to 12th grade students have 3 English pedagogical hours. Teachers follow the programs of the Ministry of Education and lessons are based on the book. In terms of lessons plans, they are planned with a skill as a base, ex: AE-1 Listening. English lesson are frequently taught in English, however instructions are usually given in English and then in Spanish. II.. The Class. I was assigned to work with 8th grade C. They are thirty six students, twenty two boys and fourteen girls. There are two English modules in the week; Tuesdays at 2.00 (90 minutes) and Fridays at 9.45 (45 minutes). I have observed that students have several problems understanding things in English and their English level is between beginner and elementary. Concerning the seating arrangement of the classroom, the space is small, desks are in rows and there is complex teacher mobility and proximity to all students. III.. Research Problem. At the beginning of the term, when I was observing, I realized that they did not like English because of their attitude, what they said, and body language. They did not pay.

(10) 10 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. attention to the teacher, until the teacher was angry. They did neither complete the activities nor participated in the class. What is more, there was no rapport between students and the teacher. Classes were mainly focused on the students‟ book activities. When I started doing the classes, it was a challenge to catch students‟ attention. Nonetheless, as I was “the new teacher” they seemed to be interested in me, hence I took advantage of that and I started building a relationship based on respect and closeness, as well as using a variety of strategies to engage them to the English class. To get more information about the students, I was invited by the Home Teacher to go to the counseling classes with the purpose of delving into students‟ context and gaining experience in the process of being a Home Teacher. Students got back their interest in English. Classes turned into a comfortable moment with students. They said they liked the activities. I tried to made them part of their own learning process. They used Spanglish but that was not a problem for me. As weeks passed, I noticed students had severe basic problems with English. It was onerous for them to develop English skills as a foreign language. Only few of them were capable of understand most of what was said. However, most of the class did not understand a single sentence. At first, I thought that rapport was everything I needed to have a good class. However, there was something I was not comfortable with. As I said beforehand, I built rapport with my 8th grade students. Nevertheless, when I had to give an instruction I lost half of the students. So, I started using Spanish to re-catch their attention, and then I was translating what I was saying in English. Even though, I used Comprehension Checking Questions (CCQs) they did not understand Thereby, I wrote.

(11) 11 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. reflections in my journal and I asked myself the following question: What makes me feel uncomfortable when I have to give instructions? Once I finished giving instructions students looked at me as If I had spoken Chinese. Actually this is what they said. I believed I was using complex vocabulary for their level. When I continued speaking English they started doing something else, like listening to music or talking about something completely different, detaching from what was going on in class. I felt forced to use their mother tongue so as to re-engage them with the class. I was aware that this sort of strategy is not the correct one and I was really concern about using Spanish, so I wondered what should I do next? Firstly, I thought to include this question to guide my research: What strategies can I implement in my English classes to make my 8th grade students understand and follow my instructions? Nevertheless in this question I gave over my students the responsibility of the problem, rather than in my teaching practice (see Appendix A.4). So I came up with a new one. IV.. Research Question According to everything previously mentioned, the research problem leads me to. come up with the following research question: What strategies can I implement to convey simple and clear instructions in L2, in my 8th grade English classes? It is important for me to devise, implement or adapt the best strategies that help me giving instructions. I aim at convey instructions in an easy way to understand, I mean, in a simple way. Furthermore, my intention is to deliver instructions able to be understood and I decided to use the concept clear..

(12) 12 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Rationale Regarding the reasons for undertaking this Action Research, it is essential to acknowledge that teaching requires committed and reflective teachers in order to improve students‟ ´learning. The current project is my first approach to become a researcher, exploring my own teaching environment and practice, and for me this is vital. I am not reflecting about others´ practice anymore. I am going beyond my beliefs and considerations about my teaching praxis. In addition, through this Action Research Project I am developing professional skills to face teaching issues supported by evidence, analysis and reflections. I strongly believe that this study will help me to develop self-confidence and empower myself to reflect and take actions about my findings. I will be able to improve, innovate and change aspects of the way I teach. It is a wonderful opportunity to potentiate my strengths and work on my weaknesses. Additionally, I set out to improve my English lessons in this school, through instructions. The main purpose of this Action Research for me is to find the best strategies that strengthen students‟ learning process in the acquisition of English. In this way, instructions take a fundamental role since they are the core of the understanding and fulfillment of the activities. Furthermore, it attempts to find methods so I can enhance and promote a meaningful learning environment for my students. Moreover, another of my goals is to set my students into the center of the class and provide them the necessary tools to discover the world through the English language. Besides, by means of the findings of this process student will be able to develop metacognitive skills as a nub of their learning process..

(13) 13 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Along with the previous descriptions, this actions research‟ impact will fall upon the experience I gained with this process. I will empower myself of the decisions and actions I have to take. As well as reinforce the attitudes of being a reflective and critical teacher. On one hand I will acquire tools to reflect daily on my practice. On the other hand my research will be shared with some colleagues to dare them to prove something similar. This could trigger in more researches that could help teachers in the EFL area. As a final point, as a Trainee Teacher, I am committed to develop this research with the hindrance that this entails; this is assuredly a challenge since I am taking action of this process blending theory and practice. Likewise, I become aware of my own teaching practice reflecting, problematizing and proposing..

(14) 14 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Literature Review According to my research question - What strategies can I implement to convey simple and clear instructions in L2, to my 8th grade English class? - it is necessary to look for support in studies related to the way of giving proper instructions in L2. As I stated previously, I aim at conveying clear and simple instructions in L2. This is to say; use understandable and easy language in order to avoid the use of L1. In order to build a theoretical framework to underpin and delimit my Action Research, I have decided to look for literature that defined my fundamental terms and ideas to strengthen the validity of my action research project. First and foremost, to go deeper in the topic I put forward the following concepts, since they are the base to take future actions in my project: simple and clear instructions, use of L2 and L1 in the classroom, and teaching teenagers. . How to give simple and clear instructions. It is a well-known fact that teachers need to take into consideration plenty of things when planning. Nevertheless, the way we give instructions is rarely written or planned and some teachers are very good giving them but others have some difficulties, as me. I consulted literature and I found that a considerable amount of literature has been published about giving instructions, how to give them, things to take into consideration when giving them, among others. According to Ur (2007), instructions are the directions given to introduce a task. In this sense, instructions are crucial to the proper development of a task. Cambridge Advanced Learner´s Dictionary (2008) defines instructions in teaching as: “it is an advice or information about how to do or use something, often written in a small book or.

(15) 15 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. on the side of a container” (Cambridge, 2008, p.749). As my goal is to convey simple and clear instructions I looked for the definition of these concepts. On one hand, the word simple is defined as “easy to understand or do; not difficult” (Cambridge, 2008, p.1340). On the other hand, clear is defined as “able to be understood, easy to understand, hear, read or see” (Cambridge, 2008, p.250). In short, instructions must be easy to comprehend to my students. Still, there is much more to point out on this topic. The study of Epperson and Rossman (2011), that was carried out by the Chilean Ministry of Education and United States Embassy, focuses on Chilean English Teacher´s request for strategies in motivating students and improving classroom management. Giving instructions in my context implies a variety of strategies since most of the students do not understand English, Epperson and Rossman (2011) suggest that in this case teachers should provide modeling, use simple language, ask easy Checking Comprehension Questions (CCQs), and provide examples of the task. In spite of that we, as teachers, are aware of these techniques; we tent to make the same mistake assuming students understand everything we say. Moreover, the study reveals the following list of benefits to on giving clear instructions: -. Students can complete the task.. -. Students who are following instructions are less likely to misbehave.. -. Students feel self-sufficient and confident/proud that they understood something in English.. -. Students are partners with the teachers in the learning process.. -. Students are comprehending and applying meaningful, authentic English that can be used inside and outside the classroom..

(16) 16 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. -. Students are exposed to more English because instructions have been in English.. -. Teachers save time; therefore, they have more time to focus on the objectives of the lesson.. -. Teachers save energy because they are not repeating the same instructions over and over again to individual students.. -. Teachers gain a sense of confidence and pride by successfully communicating with the students in English.” (Epperson and Rossman, 2011, p. 14). All the benefits previously mentioned fit with my research problem. When I gave unclear instructions students tent to misbehave or do something different to the class. What is more, it is exhausted to repeat instructions to each student. Additionally, Epperson and Rossman (2011) state that clear instructions lead to successful activities. All in all, the best activity could fail if the instructions are not well formulated. Besides, another essential point that is repetitively covered by this set of strategies is the fact of using CCQs in every single class, in order to boost student´s participation and check if the instructions are clear or not (Epperson and Rossman, 2011).The Ministry of Education (2015), through the program English Opens Doors, supports the use of CCQs as a way to increase student´s involvement and comprehension about the topic. Furthermore, it categorizes three types of CCQs: Yes/No questions, discrimination questions and limited answer questions. In this way, at the end of an instruction – giving it is useful to use questions like these: Do we have to write? or do we have to circle or underline?. During my classes I asked my students what do you have to do? but now I see that maybe was not enough for our context. In order to achieve and encourage effective and successful learning for all our students, the way teachers give instructions must be studied in detail considering students‟.

(17) 17 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. context. Ur (2007) gives a guideline on giving effective instructions. First of all, it is necessary to be prepared beforehand and verify if all students are paying attention. Then, the teacher needs to bear in mind that instructions should be re-presented or repeated in different ways and as brief as possible. Finally, to complement instructions you can demonstrate the activity and to check understanding you can ask questions. It seems to me that prepare instructions beforehand, is something that requires more time than usual when planning. I probably could do it since I teach two courses, but I wonder what would happen in a “real teaching context” where there is no even enough time to meet the minimum requirements? Scrivener (2011) has also suggested about this topic presenting five steps to give clearer instructions: 1) become aware of your own instructions – giving, 2) pre-plan essential instructions. Analyze the instructions beforehand so as to include the essential information in simple, clear language, and sequence it in sensible order, 3) separate instructions clearly from the other chit-chat, telling off, joking etc. Create a silence beforehand, make eye contact, find an authoritative tone and use gestures, 4) demonstrate rather than explain wherever possible, 5)Check that students have understood what to do. Get concrete evidence from the students that they know what is required. Getting one or two students to tell you what they are going to do is one simple way of achieving this (Scrivener, 2011, p. 65). I think that practicing daily these steps is it possible to pass on understandable instructions and at the same time avoid the overuse of Spanish. Other studies have considered the relationship between total physical response method (TPR) and language activities. Through imperative mood commands you can increase gradually verbal responses (Brown, 2007). According to Krashen (1987) TPR “consists basically of obeying commands given by the instructor that involve an overt physical.

(18) 18 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. response. The commands become more complex as the class progresses” (Krashen, 1987, p. 140) Moreover he argued that TPR demonstrate that “the input has been understood” (Krashen, 1987, p.141) There is some resemblance between this and the way of giving instructions, since I can check comprehension through physical actions, too. It has been suggested that the TPR method starts with students performing the actions because we need to develop student´s understanding before speaking (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). TPR can be seen as a process with certain steps, firstly the teacher commands and performs the actions, and then students demonstrate understating performing by their own. After that increases the difficulty and some students are” ready to” respond in first place oral command and then read and write them (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). . Use of L2 and L1 in the classroom. In our Chilean context schools teach English as a Foreign Language (according to Yule (2006) we can use the expression second language learning or L2 to describe EFL or ESL learning) and it is assumed that students are taught in English only. However, there are context dilemmas that weaken this assumption. A clear example of this is my research problem, in which I am trying to avoid using Spanish frequently while giving instructions and I aim at conveying clear and simple instructions in English. Several studies revealed that English classes should be taught only in English in order to provide the students enough input to ensure a satisfactory acquisition. The use of L1 in the classroom has been shunned for many years since the assumption that L1 hinders second language learning (Mart, 2013). Many teachers are reluctant to use students´ L1 in the classroom because of the disadvantages that this entails; “it is noteworthy that the.

(19) 19 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. excessive use of the first language should be avoided” (Mart, 2013, p.11). What is more, Mart (2013) claims that students interaction turns mainly in L1 and that they do not grasp L2 importance. This is exactly what I felt was happening in my class, as a result of my overuse of Spanish while giving instructions. However, Brown (2007) states that “an occasional translation of a word or phrase can actually be helpful, but direct use of the second language will help to avoid the first language “crutch” syndrome.” (Brown, 2007, p.66) As stated by Cook (2001), quoted by Mart (2013, p.11) there are some suggestions for using L1 in the classroom, for example: “to provide short-cut for giving instructions and explanations where the cost of the L2 is too great”. Personally, I think that the main weakness of the study of Çağri Mart (2013) lies on giving more importance on L1 than L2 when giving – instructions, saying that “to ensure that students fully understand what to do, instructions should be given in L1 and the use of L1 is beneficial to convey meaning and explain grammar” (Mart, 2013, p.11) On the other hand, Ellis (2012) argues that “if learners do not receive exposure to the target language they cannot acquire it” (Ellis, 2012, p.8). My own view is this is that L1 should be used only in specific or “special” moments and that instructions in L2 are a great opportunity to understand English and apply it. It has also been suggested that “it is certainly possible to use only English, but it´s often problematic because of the quantity and over-complexity of language used” (Scrivener, 2011). As teachers, we must contextualize and simplify our language to convey an understandable message. I agree with Scrivener (2011) that also claims that using L1 in the classroom it is beneficial to realize differences between the two languages and you can check understanding, too..

(20) 20 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. There are myriad approaches to teach English. The grammar – translation method is currently seen as an obsolete method, as the name indicates “vocabulary lists and set of grammar rules are used to define the L2” (Yule, 2006, p.165). In this method the use of L1 is not questionable. Nevertheless, there are recent methods in which the use of L2 is crucial and the use of L1 is needless. I am referring to communicative approaches, rather than forms of the language, it focuses on the functions of the language (Yule, 2006). The most recent version of the English Program for 8th grade provided by the Ministry of Education (2011) states that English as a subject must develop communicative skills. It has also been conclusively shown that it is essential to avoid over-use of L1 in the classroom. Sometimes students get confused with the two languages so Cook (2008) recommends keeping them separate in students´ minds. Cook (2008) also claims that the only case in which is beneficial to use L1 is when it has elements in common to the L2; but it could hinder the process. I maintain that the use of L1 should be limited to special cases and I agree with Scrivener and Cook to use L1 to show similarities or differences. I have seen that the use of cognates is beneficial to students‟ learning inasmuch as they realized similar meaning with their native language. . Teaching Teenagers. The main participants of this research are my 8th grade students. From my personal point of view it is essential to consider their age to develop and take actions in this research. According their cognitive development stage, Piaget (1950) suggests that my students are on formal operational stage. They are developing abstract thinking, going beyond immediate context..

(21) 21 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Several studies have revealed that teenagers are on critical period of transition and confusion (Brown, 2007) since they are unsure about themselves (Scrivener, 2011) and I can see that daily, even this is obstacle to participate in classes. . Moreover the “emotional factor interfere in their learning process, so teachers need to avoid embarrassing situations, affirm each person´s talent, avoid competitions and encourage group work”(Brown, 2007, p.106). I have observed that when they worked in groups they feel safer. Regards to language acquisition in this period, Yule (2006) claims that around puberty there is critical period where becomes highly difficult to acquire a L2. However, I strongly believe that they are very capable. When you present to your students topics that they like they are willing to work and participate and is my duty to take advantage of that..

(22) 22 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Research Methodology The qualitative nature of this action research led me to think about a flexible and adaptable research method. In order to collect data I decided to use the following instruments in my action research: Firstly, I decided to use audio recording as an instrument, because I could realize how I gave instructions so I recorded particular segments of two random classes. An advantage of this instrument is that you can analyze from what was exactly said (Burns, 2009).This is exactly what I needed, to realize the way I was giving instructions in order to change or improve things later on. Secondly, to complement the previous instrument, I choose my journal notes since they are useful and crucial to evidence my perceptions and reflections about daily classroom‟s life. According to Burns (2009), you can capture significant reflections about events, beliefs and teaching philosophies. I had the chance to inspect my progress going backwards or onwards all the times that were necessary. In the third place, I used an attitudinal questionnaire to gathered student´s responses, opinions and beliefs. This is a useful instrument since it does not take a lot of time to apply it (Burns, 2009). Furthermore, I wanted to gather information pre-intervention to consider the results. In the fourth place, I decided to apply a Likert scale since I could get a variety of responses. Likert scale “ask people to give the degree to which they agree with something usually by circling or ticking the responses” (Burns, 2009, p. 82). I could identify two.

(23) 23 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. advantages of this instrument. On the one hand it is easy to create and apply and on the other hand it is easy to understand for my students. Finally, I decided to include photographs to complement the rest of the instruments. This visual data will help me to record non-verbal aspects of my physical expressions and students´ attitudes (Burns, 2008) Procedures for Data Collection Firstly, I started writing in a journal my reflections weekly. During the first weeks I observed my host teacher and students´ attitude towards the English classes. Inasmuch I took notes I realized problems that I thought I could easily face. However when I started teaching the class my reflections turned into negative feelings. There were some uncomfortable moments in the class and I started problematizing my teaching practice. Ur (2007) claimed that personal reflections are the root for professional progress. After that, I wondered which method would be appropriate to become aware how I was giving instructions and I determined to use audio – recording in order to listened myself and realized what I was not doing well. I recorded segments of two random classes. Then, I gathered data from my student´s perception about certain statements entirely related to my topic thus I used a Questionnaire and a Likert scale. These instruments were written in Spanish so as to warrant fully understanding of each question or statement. On the one hand, the Questionnaire has five open questions and was applied on October 20th at the end of our class. On the other hand, the Likert Scale has four statements and five degrees of preferences; hence I got a variety of responses. This instrument was applied on.

(24) 24 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. October 23rd at the beginning of the class. These instruments evidenced their opinion through the development of my action research. Lastly, I incorporated photographs as visual data to capture the specific moment in the class I gave instructions. As I did not want to be invasive my Host Teacher helped me to take discreetly the photos with a mobile phone. I briefed him previously about what to focus on during my instructions. These photographs were taken on October 23rd during the pre-activity. Participants and consent The participants of this action research were my thirty six 8th grade students. At the beginning of the term I explained to them what the research was about. Furthermore, I informed them and I gained their verbal consent to participate.. 8th grade students. Participants. 30 20 10 0 Students. Boys 22. Girls 14. Figure 1. Number of boys and girls in 8th grade. Additionally, I met my Host Teacher and UTP Head to explain to them the purpose and procedures of the research, and to gain the institution´s consent, too. Likewise, the school and students were assured confidentiality and anonymity..

(25) 25 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Action Plan Timeline Due to the several actions and strategies carried out in my action research I decided to use this Gantt chart as guidance, in order to organize time. During August I started the cycle of this research observing. During the first month I identified the context and my research problem to continue with my research questions and the next steps. The most extensive period was consulting literature and defining the methods, as well as the analysis of data. Finally, I finished the research almost at the same time students finished classes at school. This was beneficial to conclude the process planned. Table 1. Action Research Gantt chart. List of Actions Observe Context Problematize Clarifying the focus Develop and refining my question Rationale Consulting the literature Finding support Research Methodology Data Collection Instruments Procedures Data Analysis Analyzing and Synthesizing data Reflections and Conclusions Possible improvements Final presentation. August September October November December 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X.

(26) 26 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Action Plan Intervention Regarding my intervention, I planned to implement my strategies into three English lessons. All the previous steps supported my decisions to implement a set of strategies that could help me to convey clear and simple instructions in L2. In the literature, several theories have been proposed to explain what strategies are the most appropriate to give instructions successfully and I decided to underpin my intervention with some of these strategies contextualized in the reality I teach. My strategies were: prepare instructions beforehand, use simpler language, create the appropriate atmosphere, use body language, use examples, use cognates, and use CCQs. In order to avoid the use or overuse of L1, it is planned to use pictures, examples, cognates, opposite words, among others. Students need to receive enough input to acquire English easier, however, the use of L1 was allowed only in special circumstances. . First Intervention. My first intervention was carried out on November 3rd. The topic of the class was “Festivals around the world” and the segment of the class which I focused on was the while stage, when students had to develop a worksheet about a reading task. As a starting point it was crucial to create the appropriate atmosphere to give instructions. I made eye contact with my students and let them know that this part of the class was very important and that I needed all their attention. I asked my students to be quiet and they did. I took me few seconds to catch their attention. Then, I gave the instructions, supporting myself with body language. After that, I asked CCQs to the students that easily get my instructions, however.

(27) 27 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. it did not work at first. Some students seemed to be lost and they asked “¿Que hay que hacer? No entendí” (see appendix A.12 Journal). In the first intervention I felt nervous since I was very expectant. Students did not get my instructions at first. I used CCQs but they still lost asking: “¿Que hay que hacer? No entendí”. However, when I used examples they understood. I was avoiding the use of Spanish, but someone asked me something and I gave the meaning in Spanish. Some author said that… Table 2. Segment of the journal As CCQs did not work I gave examples in each exercise. Students easily got the instructions after that. I used Spanish only once to explain a word meaning. As I preplanned instructions, it was easier to convey simple and clear instructions. Students did what I was expecting and I did not translate what I was saying. In general, it was a good experience but not successful in a 100%. Of course, this is a cycle and it has stages. This first approach encourages me to the next interventions. . Second Intervention My second intervention (see Appendix A.12 Journal) it has been made on. November 6th. The topic of the class was the same as in the first intervention “festivals around the world”, focused on the superlative form. I used a segment of the while stage in which students had to develop a listening comprehension worksheet. Schools are created by people and situations that sometimes are not planned or that are out of your control. This class was interrupted three times by two teachers and one.

(28) 28 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. “inspector”. The first interruption I got nervous but quickly I change my attitude because schools are full of things like that and I must handle with this type of situations. I noticed that this time I was more confident and I students noticed that, too. They are getting used to be quiet and look at me when I start giving instructions. I used examples in each exercise and I think it worked because students did not ask me to speak in Spanish (see Appendix F: audio transcription). Furthermore, the strategy about pre-planned my instructions and language beforehand has been very useful, I felt secure and students seemed to understand better than other classes. Moreover, there was something I was not planned to do and that puzzled me a bit. As in the last class, one student asked me to write instructions on the whiteboard since it was easier for her to read than listen. Finally, I used a CCQ but this time I gave my students two options and they quickly understood and answered. I believe that it is good strategy to continue exploiting. The figure below is a segment of this part of the class (see figure 2). T: Listen again, Which festivals from the article do YOU like the most? In my case, I said La Tomatina, but maybe you like the Cheese Rolling Race. Do you remember that last week we read about four festivals? S: Ahhh si!, Ya entendí, gracias Miss. T: So, you have to write about the festival I like the most or the festival you like the most? S: El que me gusta a mi! T: Perfect, let´s start working. (…) race your hand if you want to ask me something.. Table 3. Segment of the audio-recording transcription. Nevertheless, there was something I felt not confortable at all. One student asked me the meaning of the world “dirtiest” and I answered spontaneously in Spanish..

(29) 29 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Unquestionably, I could have used another strategy, such as showing a picture, or giving the opposite adjective, among others. . Third Intervention. My third and last intervention (See Appendix A.13) was done on November 17th. The topic of the class was: “What were you doing when…?” and the content was past continuous. I applied the set of strategies already mentioned, but emphasizing on the instructions pre-planned and providing examples. In this class, I focused my intervention on the pre and post stages. On the pre-stage students answered a set of questions related to the topic (see figure 2) and my instructions were previously planned (see figure 3). Figure 2. Sampling of some questions of the set..

(30) 30 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Figure 3. Notes on my agenda. I used to have a digital version of all my lesson plans and one or two days before the class I write them on my agenda. This time, there was something new. I wrote key ideas on how to give instructions, as a reminder, and they were very useful. On the post stage, students had to write a sentence about what they were doing when I arrived to the classroom, and interview a partner about musical preferences (see appendix H). I used my notes of pre-planned instructions (see figure 5) and I said something like this: On a piece of paper, you have to write a sentence telling what were you doing when I arrived to the classroom and then you have to interview your partner about musical preferences. Also, I provided students with examples..

(31) 31 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Figure 4. Notes on my agenda.. Figure 5. Sampling of a student’ paper..

(32) 32 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Data Analysis Preliminary results There are myriad ways to collect data, but I decided to use four instruments in order to gather qualitative information about my research problem. I reduced information and I found interesting results to be analyzed. . Audio Recording I used audio recording as the first instrument (see Appendix B) since it is a useful. tool to realized exactly was what said. I had the chance to record myself on a segment of a class, on October 23rd. As it was stated in my personal reflections I was aware that I used Spanish sometimes, so in a way I foresaw the outcomes. As can be seen below in table 4, I provided neither examples nor correct CCQs. What is more, I did not prepare my instructions beforehand, I did not make sure all my students were looking at me and I think I did not create the appropriate atmosphere. Description. Categories. Use of Spanish to re-explain instructions Spanish Examples were not provided to explain what to do No examples Use of CCQs was poor, no options given and no Inappropriate CCQs appropriate comprehension questions Not all the students were paying attention; there was Inappropriate atmosphere a lot of noise. Long and complex instructions that were improvised, Poor instructions unclear and without pauses to check comprehension Table 4. Audio Recording coding.

(33) 33 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. First of all I gave long instructions, without pauses. Then, I think I daunted my student with the question. After that, I asked a question: Is it clear? And that question could have seen replaced by a CCQ, instead. As students were lost and they did not understand the second part of the instruction I used Spanish trying to save the situation. In this case, I would have used examples or body language to clarify the word not understood. . Journal. In order to summarize and condense the data collected in my journal, I created this table to code my reflections on relevant aspects during the term. Description. Categories. The most important thing for me at the beginning of the term First hint to my problem. I was not comfortable giving instructions and using Spanish Reflecting about the problem and what I was not doing well. As well as the implications of the problem to my students Finding support in authors and studies, getting data from my students to do the first changes in the way I was giving instructions. There were not significant changes in my practice and students‟ understanding. The regular use of strategies was beneficial and I noticed changes. Rapport Uncomfortable Problematize. Changes. Frustration Results. Table 5. Journal coding. According to my personal reflections (see Appendix A) I could realize that when I started teaching 8th graders my priorities were mainly focus on building rapport rather than something else. However, class by class some situations emerged that I was not comfortable with. Students seemed to be lost when I gave instructions and they repetitively.

(34) 34 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. asked me to speak in Spanish since English was too difficult for them. Throughout my journal I realized that this issue concerned me a lot during weeks but I was changing nothing in my classes. During lot of classes there was something that constantly puzzled me and that triggered an initial point to think about my research problem. When finally I stated my research problem and I looked for strategies that could help me I started applying slowly some strategies and I think that this happened because I was afraid and unsteady to make changes and innovate. However, thanks to the first intervention I gained confidence to use firmly all my strategies avoiding the previous mistakes. Students‟ attitude changed considerably, they did not ask me to use Spanish, they were willing to participate and answer CCQs. . Questionnaire and Likert scale Other instruments I decided to include were a questionnaire and a Likert scale so as. to collect students‟ opinions and beliefs about the topic. Their answers were very important and helped to see from another perspective issues I was not considering. As a way to consider the control of bias, I requested two of my colleagues to validate these two instruments before applied them. The Likert scale was composed by four statements and five degrees. Thirty six students completed this instrument. It is important to mention that when I applied this instrument students and I agreed that the term “Neutral” could be seen as a middle point. The outcomes were the following:.

(35) 35 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Table 6. Students’ answers Likert Scale 1. Entiendo cuando la profesora habla en inglés 2. Los ejemplos me ayudan a entender las actividades 3. Entiendo cuando un compañero repite lo que hay que hacer. 4. Me queda más claro alguna palabra o frase cuando la profesora muestra una imagen o usa mímica. Totalmente de acuerdo. De acuerdo. Neutral. En desacuerdo. Totalmente desacuerdo. 7. 7. 14. 5. 3. 19. 10. 4. 3. 0. 6. 4. 7. 11. 8. 14. 8. 9. 4. 1. From this table it can be seen that only few students do not understand when the teacher speaks in English. Most of them answered neutral that is in the middle point, as a way to say that sometimes they understand and sometimes they do not. However, I beheld that a high number of students (from neutral to strongly agree) understand when I speak in English, and this is an advantage to be considered during my intervention. In addition, students like when the teacher gives examples to understand the activities. This could be due to that when teachers demonstrate rather than explain there is less or no space for doubt. Moreover, students‟ opinions about statement number three are more divided. Perhaps this is because everyone has its own view about things. Furthermore, in some classes they have claimed that they get even more confused with a classmate‟ explanation. This is totally opposed to my beliefs, I thought that they understood better with a classmate‟ explanation..

(36) 36 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Furthermore, most of the students agree that when the teacher uses images or body language to explain a word or something that was not clear they understand better. This might be a result of different learning styles. I have observed that some of them seemed to be really engaged when I used flashcards or visual support material. Moreover, when I mimicry an action they understand immediately. The questionnaire was composed by five open -ended questions. Thirty one students answered this questionnaire (see appendix C.1 - sampling of one student‟ answers). Table 7. Students’ responses coding Questionnaire. Categories. 1. Cuando no entiendes lo que la profesora dice o lo que hay que hacer ¿Qué haces?. -. Preguntar Pedir ayuda. 2. Tomando en cuenta que solo tienes dos módulos de inglés a la semana ¿considera importante que la profesora use español? 3. ¿En qué momento consideras importante que la profesora use español?. -. Depende Mayormente en inglés. -. Nuevo vocabulario Explicar gramática. 4. ¿Cómo podría ayudarte la profesora a entender mejor las instrucciones?. -. Repetir Dar ejemplos Usar español Poner atención Estar en silencio. 5. ¿Qué crees que tú debes hacer para entender mejor las instrucciones?. Table Table 3 summarizes students‟ answers into some categories. Most of them said that they asked the teacher or a classmate when they do not understand instructions, and this is what they regularly do. Moreover, about half of the students said that the use of Spanish is important depending on the moment, and the rest said that classes should be in generally in English. Regarding their answers about in which moment is important that the teacher uses.

(37) 37 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Spanish, they stated that when the teacher was teaching new vocabulary or to explain grammar. Additionally, students stated that a way to help them understand the instructions the teacher should use Spanish, give examples or repeat all the necessary times. In this case, I will consider the use examples as strategy. As can be seen, students think that repeating over and over again can be helpful, however it is not. Finally, students claimed that they must pay attention to the teacher and be quiet to understand instructions. We agreed on that, so I considered to my interventions. . Photographs. As a way to gather visual data I used two photographs took by my host teacher (see Appendix E). In order to interpret this instrument it is necessary to mention the context. These pictures were taken on October 30th, in our forty five minutes class. I was giving instructions for the reading activity. Table 8. Photographs code First Picture. Categories. I was moving my arm, looking to the right side of the classroom Students were not paying attention to instructions, some of them were writing on their notebooks Second Picture. Inappropriate use of body language. I was moving around the classroom. Mobility. Students were not paying attention; some of them were distracted or sleeping on the desk.. Distracted. Students writing.

(38) 38 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. In the first picture I beheld that I was moving my arm, but as I always do when I speak in front the class. I was not using my body language to express or demonstrate something. On the whiteboard the objective and menu were written. Some of the students were writing, maybe the objective or menu. That says that I did not foster an appropriate atmosphere. In the second picture I was moving around the classroom, trying to get everyone´s attention. Some students seem to be distracted, totally away on what was going on in the class. Intervention results The purpose of this part of my research is to analyze all data gathered during my three interventions. I included aspects of the analysis of instruments as well, in order to give a more broad vision of the whole process. According to Burns (2010), Action Research involves self-reflective and critical approach in which teachers become investigators of their own teaching context and this is was I was expecting to do in the best way, taking into consideration that this is my first approach to research. The process of collecting data helped me to become aware of aspects that are crucial to make improvements in the classroom. This is a systematic research that included steps and action to carry out. However, in this process lot of unthinkable things burst as in the action plan of my intervention, in which some actions were modified according the circumstances. In my three interventions I had planned to implement the following strategies: : prepare instructions beforehand, use simpler language, create the appropriate atmosphere, use body language, use examples, use cognates, and use CCQs. All of these strategies were.

(39) 39 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. suggested my some authors regarding instructions. About the use of L1 and L2, I decided to use English all the time, with some few exceptions that I considered. On the one hand, in my first intervention I decided to incorporate all of them as a routine to give instructions in L2. Students were engage and they did the activities. I think I failed when used Spanish to say the meaning of a word. I had planned to make drawings, give the opposite word, etc. However, I am aware that is part of this cycle and that improvements are seen systematically. Additionally, I realized something utmost importance to the development of my strategies. Frankly, I admit that maybe my mistake was to think that they would not understand my instructions, however class by class I realized that they are able enough to challenge activities. During months, I had the idea that students were not able to understand a sentence said in English, and I think that this fact triggered in my overuse of Spanish in some situations. Students demonstrated their capacity to understand English with different strategies. I labeled them and now I feel a gnawing sense of guilty, notwithstanding I hope to change that and encourage them to more challenge activities. On the other hand, my second intervention was guided by the same set of strategies. This time, I was more confident and prepared to give instructions. Students are getting used to this routine when I give instructions. They were able to understand English instructions that complemented by examples and body language. I dealt with some situations out of my control; I was interrupted three times by different people and that got me nervous. Teachers need to be prepared to face interruptions and re-organize the class as quickly as possible..

(40) 40 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. There were two things I did not take into consideration when I selected the set of strategies. Firstly, I thought that students liked when a classmate repeated the instructions in his/her own words. However, in some classes students have said that they get even more confused when a classmate repeats the instruction. Secondly, in the first intervention students asked me to write instructions on the whiteboard and I agreed with that, since I need to take into consideration different learning styles. For some students is easier to read than listen. This strategy was included in this intervention and the last one, as well. In addition, this second intervention helped me to realized that my students are capable of understand if I apply the correct strategies. Asking “what do you have to do?” is not enough for them, instead. I think that when I ask CCQs my students need options to understand better. My third intervention was planned to get concrete evidence if students understood or not my instructions. During the two previous interventions all the strategies helped me to prepare my students and make a sort of routine of the moment I was giving instructions. The table below depicts a checking if instructions were understood or not by the students. My set of sampling was based on four students‟ papers (see appendix H). Table 9. Checklist Instruction /Student. A. B. C. D. Write on a piece of paper. ✓. ✓. ✓. ✓. Write a sentence in past continuous. ✓. ✓. ✓.

(41) 41 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Interview a partner about his/her favorite music star. ✓. ✓. ✓. ✓. Consider the following aspects: name, age, kind of music, musical instrument. ✓. ✓. ✓. ✓. As shown in table 9 only one of four students did not understand the first part of the instruction that asked to write a sentence telling what he was doing when the teacher arrived to the classroom. However, the rest items achieved the objective. Likewise, the other students fulfilled with all the instructions required. In other words, as I conveyed simple and clear instructions my students were able to develop the activities successfully. In order to avoid improvisation, I wrote on my agenda the main instructions of my activities to consider, as a reminder. This strategy guided naturally the way I conveyed instructions a 100% in English. During the pre-stage I gave the instruction and immediately I provided students with one example that clarified the activity. On the post- stage, I did the same. Frankly, I have seen that all the strategies worked as a complement that must be establish as routine to improve systematically..

(42) 42 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Reflections After concluding this process of gathering data I would say that the main objective of this research has been accomplished thanks to constant implementation of the strategies class by class. During my interventions I was able to convey simple and clear instructions in L2. I used strategies that helped me to avoid the overuse of Spanish and that complemented the use and understanding of English. My students were able to understand instructions and they developed the activities properly. On one hand, I applied some strategies selected by me and I consider my students‟ suggestion as well. These instructions were adapted to my context and own teaching style. On the other hand, I sincerely believe that one of my mistakes at the beginning of the process was to think that my students were not capable to understand English, when in fact they were and they proved it. That misconception triggered my overuse of Spanish and fear to use challenge activities. This process has been positive thanks to the multiple benefits that my students and I received. At the beginning of this process I was frustrated and now, that I gain selfconfidence, I am motivated to continue reflecting about my practice. Moreover, my students showed interest in more challenge activities. Action research involves merging theory and practice about a specific context. In this sense, I agree with the assumption that overuse of L1 hinders a proper English language learning. However, an occasional translation or use of L1 in specific situations would not impede a successful development of English skills. My research problem was solved with little changes at the beginning and step by step during this process. I observed the first changes from October on and I continued using my set of strategies until the end of.

(43) 43 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. the term. As our atmosphere was different, students were willing to participate and most of the developed activities in a 100%. There was something that surprised me a lot, during and after instructions students helped each other to understand instructions, some of them used Spanglish but the rest tried to use English. Finally, during this process I realized the importance of reflecting about your own practice. Action research encouraged me to become a better teacher committed with my students‟ learning process and my professional development, as well. I gained selfconfidence and the necessary tools to improve aspects of teaching.. Limitations and Further improvements One of the main limitations of this research is related to school issues. Some schools are reluctant to modify aspects of the classes. Although I gained school consent to develop my action research, I was exposed to sudden denials about new activities or different types of assessment. About the process of collecting data, I could take photographs and record my voice, but I could not record a video because of the tedious procedure to gain parents‟ consent. So I had to find different strategies to deal with that problem. Another limitation I observed was related to the time. Second term is very short and there are a lot of special celebrations that hindered the development of my research. I had to adapt myself to constant changes as a way to continue the research process the best way. Additionally, as research is a flexible, adaptable and interpretative process and this is my first approach to research, I think that some seminar classes that were suspended.

(44) 44 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. could have been beneficial to solve general or specific doubt. Fortunately, my tutors and teachers were willing to help us individually and solve doubts. Clearly, further research will be needed to prove that my strategies were fruitful and abiding; since I conducted this research only in about four months and I consider that it is a very short period to appreciate real changes remaining in time.. Conclusions During a lot of years of my school stage I thought that the role of the teachers was limited to transmit knowledge. However there was a teacher who helped me to change my view about the real meaning of being a teacher. I realized that day by day teachers deal with innumerable issues and that most of them try to give solutions to them. In that moment, I was an observer gaining interest on pedagogy. Now, that I am involved in teaching, I can assure that teachers‟ role can be seen in different dimensions. Being a teacher opens multiple professional areas, as being a researcher of your own teaching practice. Action Research gave teachers the opportunity of an empowering experience, problematizing and reflecting about their own context. Furthermore, teachers develop and acquire reflective skills to make changes or improvements in daily practices. This action research project was carried out during my final practicum, in a school located in Quilicura with a group of 8th grade students. Firstly, I observed my own practice and then I identified the problem. In order to support my research, I looked for authors that.

(45) 45 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. have dealt with my topic. In addition, the systematic nature of this qualitative research drove me to develop methodology and actions that could help me to solve my problem. From the research that has been carried out it is possible to conclude that in order to support students in their learning process teachers need to be involved and committed to deal with different issues. There is not as simple as identify the problem, it implies reflection and giving possible solutions; propose. In my research I proved that looking for strategies to do things in a different way can led to an endless list of benefits. Even if my research would not have reached the objective, I would have learnt anyways. At the end of this process I feel more prepare to face teaching dilemmas since I have got the tools to face and do something about them. I hope that this research could provide other teachers with some ideas to face similar problems in their classes..

(46) 46 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. References Alberta Teachers´ Association (2000). Action Research Guide. Retrieved from http://www.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/ATA/Publications/ProfessionalDevelopment/ActionResearch.pdf Brown, D. (2007). Teaching by Principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy, Third Edition. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education Borg, A. (2014) Language Use in the English classroom. The role of student´s first language in grades 9 and 10 in English classrooms in Iceland. B.Ed. Thesis University of Iceland. Burns, A. (2010). Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching. A guide for practitioners. New York: ESL & Applied Linguistic Professional Series. Cambridge (2008). Cambridge Advanced Learner´s Dictionary. Third Edition. Cambridge University Press. Cook, V. (2008). Second language learning and language teaching (4th ed.). London: Hodder Education. Ellis, R. (2012). Language teaching research & language pedagogy. First Edition. WileyBlackwell. Ellis (2005). Principles of instructed language learning. EFL Journal. University of Auckland..

(47) 47 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Epperson, M.., & Rossman, M. (2012). Strategies for motivating and managing the Chilean classroom. Chilean Ministry of Education and United States Embassy. Krashen, S.D. (1987). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Prentice – Hall International. Mart, C. T. (2013). The facilitating role of L1 in ESL classes. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. McLeish, T. (2011). ICQs: making sure your students know what to do. Retrieved from http://efl-resource.com/icqs-making-sure-your-students-know-what-to-do/ Ministry of Education (2015). Comprehension Checking Questions CCQs. Programa Inglés Abre. Puertas.. Retrieved. from:. http://www.centrodevoluntarios.cl/wp-. content/uploads/ccq.pdf Larsen – Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. Second Edition. Oxford University Press. Piaget, J. (1950). The psychology of intelligence. London: Routledge & Paul. Programa de Estudio Inglés Octavo Año Básico (2011). Santiago, Chile: Ministerio de Educación Scrivener, J. (2011) Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching, Third Edition. Macmillan..

(48) 48 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Ur, P. (2007) A course in Language Teaching. Fifteenth Edition. Cambridge University Press. Yule, G. (2008). The Study of Language. Third Edition. Cambridge University Press..

(49) 49 STRATEGIES TO CONVEY SIMPLE AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS IN L2. Appendix Appendix A: Journal A.1 August 18th week During the last two weeks I started doing classes in 8th grade C and 2nd grade C at San Pedro School in Quilicura. These are the same grades I taught last term. I decided to stay with them since I have built a very good relationship with them and I am interested into see their progress, as well as mine. 8th grade: First term with 8th grade was full of challenges. In simple words students hated English. Then I realized that they had a poor relationship with the teacher, too. So I had a big responsibility, on one hand I had to create interest in English classes and on the other hand I wanted to establish rapport with them. They were very kind with me and they looked interest in my classes. I realized that they have several problems with English. They have problems with basic vocabulary and grammar. Their productive skills have not been exploited, they did not use to participate in class, and they did not work in groups. Furthermore Classes were mainly focus on the book. A.2 August 25th week I decided to base my Action Research Project on 8th grade C. During the winter vacations I read my Journal and I compare it with what has happened so far during these three weeks. I believe that one of the main problems is that I am not giving instructions in the proper way to my students understanding. When I say something they look at me with “weird” faces and they say “Miss no entiendo nada, que hay que hacer? Hable en Español”. Every time this happen I use CCQs but they are not really helping me. I am.