How can i select appropriate class activities to make students from 6B in Luis Calvo Mackenna School feel interested in english?
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(2) López 2. Content Abstract ……………………………………………………………………….. 3 Resumen …………………………………………………………………….......4 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………. 5 Chapter I Context ……………………………………………………………………7 Research Questions …………………………………………………… .8 Rationale ………………………………………………………………... .9 Hypothesis ……………………………………………………………… 10 Objectives ……………………………………………………………..... 10 Chapter II Theoretical Framework ………………………………………………………... 11 Motivation ……………………………………………………………….. 11 Learning Styles ……………………………………………………........ 14 Learning Strategies …………………………….……...………………. 21 Chapter III Methodology …………………………………………....………………..22 Chapter IV Data collection ………………………………………………………….. 23 Data analysis …………………………………………………………….24 Chapter V Action Plan …………………………………………………………….…30 Chapter VI Conclusion ………………………………………………………..……...37 References.…………………………………………………….………....39 Appendix …………………………………………………….….........…..40.
(3) López 3. Abstract This research proposal aims at clarifying what is the way to select proper activities for students and why that is crucial for their motivation and interest in English. Here there will be found topics like motivation, learning styles and strategies. All of these will give teachers a hint to know what, how, where, and why select this or that activity. Based on two weeks classroom observation and in some discussion and reflection upon the situation, I decided to research the topics mentioned before. According to the classroom characteristics, taking these factors into consideration will result in a better execution of the lesson plan and in motivating students. The action plan will be then, to create a weekly schedule of four hours of forty-five minutes each with eight different activities aiming at every student, at least once a week. Keywords: Selection of activities, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, learning styles, multiple intelligences and learning strategies..
(4) López 4. Resumen Esta propuesta de investigación apunta a clarificar cual es la forma de seleccionar actividades apropiadas para los estudiantes y por qué eso es crucial para su motivación e interés en inglés. Aquí serán encontrados tópicos como motivación, estilos y estrategias de aprendizaje, ambiente en la sala, y factores externos que influencian la sala de clases. Todo esto les dará a los profesores una idea de qué, cómo, dónde, y por qué seleccionar tal o cual actividad. También, basado en dos semanas de observación, algunas discusiones y reflexiones sobre la situación, decidí investigar los temas ya mencionados. De acuerdo a las características del curso, tomar estos factores en consideración resultará en una mejor ejecución de la planificación de la clase y en estudiantes motivados a trabajar. El plan de acción será entonces, crear un horario semanal de cuatro horas de cuarenta y cinco minutos cada una, con al menos ocho actividades diferentes teniendo como objetivo cada estudiante, al menos una vez a la semana. Conceptos claves: selección de actividades, motivación intrínseca y extrínseca, estilos de aprendizaje, inteligencias múltiples y estrategias de aprendizaje..
(5) López 5. Introduction The following research paper has the purpose to cover a problem that was discovered when teaching, during the teacher training program at Luis Calvo Mackenna School. The process of two week observation allowed me to reflect upon 6B grade problems with students and the teacher. In Chile, most schools, teachers, and consequently students, are used to working with translating sentences and words, completing a grammar chart, or matching some concepts in a PowerPoint presentation. But that is not all. There are much more different and fun activities students would feel interested in. Having to plan the lessons day by day, trying to find those activities is a huge issue for teachers in Chile because of their lack of time, but not doing it creates a perdurable damage to students’ education and learning of the language. That is why, this paper will try to clarify what is it that teachers need to take into consideration when having to select those activities, and why it is that, that selection will improve students’ motivation and interest in working. The research will then, cover topics like motivation and the implication of using either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. It will also cover different approaches as to what learning styles are and the help it means for teachers to identify them. Besides, it will deepen the understanding of learning strategies and the use students and teachers can give to them and make a link to their learning styles. Moreover, it will also take a look at the influence.
(6) López 6. the classroom atmosphere may have in the interest and commitment students show during the lesson..
(7) López 7. CHAPTER I Context Luis Calvo Mackenna School is a public primary institution. My work as a teacher is based on the textbook the Ministry of Education gives, but instructions were to prioritize quality over quantity, that is to say, to cover only the most important topics and/or content of that textbook. In terms of the class that was observed, it can be said that it is very disruptive. On one hand, they are offered extra points if they behave and they are deducted points if they do not. But on the other hand, they are given points if they do the class work, but if they do not, they keep their points. That is why, they do not care about the work they have to do. Also, they rarely use English. The teacher speaks little English and when he does, he translates it into Spanish right away. That is why, students have little knowledge about English too. They do not feel motivated to speak the language as they have only some input. Besides, instructions and commands are in Spanish, so it is very difficult to control behavior in English. Moreover, lessons are taught only based on grammar. This is possible to see when the teacher reads the lesson’s objectives. These are like, “to identify superlatives”, “to recognize how to form superlatives”. He only works with PowerPoint presentations and the textbook. And he only explains the way they are formed, the structure, but never the use. The textbook is used.
(8) López 8. when it has charts or incomplete sentences to work on. PowerPoint presentations barely have pictures and more charts to complete. Research Questions At the beginning, the research question was very hard to find as today’s students and teachers face a lot of problems in the classroom. Discipline, motivation, and speaking issues are just some of them. After the observation of two weeks and some reflection, it was figured out what the real problem was. The activities planned for my students in 6th grade B were too boring, too long or not related to their realities. Sometimes when using games, the perception was that students were not learning was something common. After I have thoroughly thought of my problem, and even though different types of activities and works have been presented to students, not all of them have felt motivated enough to work. There had been always the same students who do everything because they like English, but there had been some others that never feel interested or motivated to do it. After this little reflection, the questions that became my focus on the research are: •. How can I select appropriate activities to make students from 6B in Luis Calvo Mackenna School feel interested in English?. •. How can I select activities students would feel interested in?. •. How can I select proper activities for students’ interests?. •. How can I motivate students through the activities?.
(9) López 9. Rationale When starting the second part of the teacher training program, I realized that selecting class activities to perform with students is a very important and thoughtful process. At the beginning, activities were selected thinking that 6B would like them. But what teachers like is not necessarily what students do. After some lessons, I made the decision to do something different to make them feel like English is fun and enjoyable, and that they can also learn. Personally, knowing how to select class activities according to students learning styles will allow me to take the best of them and the lessons. It will definitely help teachers, students and the whole community, do their best when learning. This topic then, becomes important for all teachers of English as it represents their student’ interest in learning the language. As a teacher, I believe that before selecting activities for a class, you need to get to know them personally, so as to aim at their preferences. For that reason, this topic is very important to be taken into account by EFL teachers who really think their students’ feelings and preferences improve the learning process..
(10) López 10. Problem Statement How can I select appropriate class activities to make students from 6B in Luis Calvo Mackenna School feel interested in English? Hypothesis Even though many different types of activities have been presented, students never felt interested in working. As they were used to working with grammar and mostly in Spanish, they never felt the need or the motivation to do different things. That is why the need of finding a way to select appropriate activities for students arose. General Objective -. To find proper class activities to make students feel interested and motivated to work on the English language.. Specific Objectives -. To find a way to trigger motivation through class activities.. -. To state the importance of identifying students learning styles and intelligences so as to select activities accordingly.. -. To find strategies to help students take the best of their learning styles..
(11) López 11. CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Motivation To start with, motivation is usually one of the most common problems that can be found in any classroom. Students generally do not feel like participating in the activities of a lesson just because they do not want to or because they are not given anything in return. Most of the time, they demand some kind of reward or prize in order to work. And most of that time, teachers respond to their demands, giving them prizes or candies and extra points. So, to know why students generally do not feel motivated, it is necessary to define motivation. It happens to be defined as “some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something” (Harmer 2007). As for 6th grade B, there is no internal drive to push them. As they always had the same types of activities, they were never motivated by them. As a contrast to Harmer’s definition of motivation, Williams and Burden (1997) pointed out motivations as “the achievement of a set goal” In this case, the teacher, students or all together have to create or set an achievable and realistic goal, otherwise, there will not be any source of inner motivation. Little children do not always know how to set definite goals and that is when the teacher has to act as a guide or facilitator, or go straight and do it by himself. This inner force that drives students to do something (Harmer, 2007), also.
(12) López 12. called, intrinsic motivation, should appear as the first tool for engaging students with learning. Based on the classroom observation period, this never happened to 6B. The teacher was never clear with the objectives and that is why they never had a definite goal to work for. This inner motivation is very difficult for teachers and students to develop because it is a complex task to have and maintain the energy to do everything that all subjects’ teachers ask for. In Luis Calvo Mackenna, as in many schools, Students have more or less ten subjects and they feel interested in one or two subjects more than the others. This, obviously tires them and little by little they start to lose that energy that helps to motivate them. As for the English subject in particular, there were only some students that always worked, in other words, they liked the subject so they had that internal drive. Some other students do not feel this type of motivation mentioned before. They need something else, something that would activate the force that will move them to work. In some cases, some teachers would have given these students some things like stickers or candies, or even extra points. To an extent, extrinsic motivation refers to an extern source of energy that will move people to do something but with something in return. These sources of energy can be “earning good grades, money from parents and prizes from the teacher” (Brophy, 2004). This kind of motivation is often overused in Luis Calvo Mackenna School as it makes the teacher’s job easier. Sometimes, a teacher may have good or bad activities but when offering something to give them, something attractive, students obviously work without feeling interested.
(13) López 13. in the language necessarily, but in the prize. This extrinsic motivation would sometimes make students work as an obligation, but little by little they start learning and enjoying the process. However, there is a kind of extrinsic motivation linked to feelings of affect. According to Harmer (2007), there is an important factor that motivates students to keep on working on the activities, and that is affection. He pointed out that “when a teacher is helpful and caring, students are more likely to retain an interest in what is going on”. At the beginning of the teacher training program, during the observation period there was one student that called the attention. After some work focused on affection (giving him handshakes for his work, asking him about his feelings towards English, giving him responsibilities and tasks, and showing him confidence) this student behaved well and felt motivated to work. He even asked for some extra material to work at home. This is the point when the teacher’s role comes into scene. The teacher is the one to be able to motivate students through the proper selection of activities to teach the language (Harmer, 2007). The activities teachers prepare have a crucial role on the engagement and maintenance of students’ motivation. Harmer (2007) says that not only game-like and interactive activities are the ones to interest students, sometimes reading or completing a chart also interest them. That is why, although every activity the teacher prepares aims at all students, just some of them feel motivated an interested only. Those students are the ones that need to be motivated, either.
(14) López 14. intrinsically or extrinsically, motivation that can be the joy of learning itself and/or learning for a prize. That is why, the teacher is the one who takes care or finds out about the processes students are living. Surely, students from 6B have been doing a lot of different things with other teachers and subjects, so more of the same, becomes monotonous and dull for them. Is the teacher’s job then, to find different, appropriate, engaging and entertaining activities but without leaving learning out. Also, it is important for the teacher of English to ask other teachers about the content they are seeing and of course, complement content so as to show students how English relates to other subjects and how important it is to acknowledge it. Learning styles Motivation happens to be an important factor when thinking about the way students stand up in front of learning English. But, there are other important things to take into account too. One of these is closely linked to the preferences students have towards learning. Learning styles first refer to the way students learn. It basically tells students their best way to acquire knowledge. This factor would definitely influence the selection of activities from the part of the teacher as it will determine the effectiveness and efficiency of them. While time went by, there were many activities that never interested any of students in 6B. For that reason, most of them did not learn as much as it was expected. But this also happened because the teacher.
(15) López 15. and/or students do not know their learning styles and how they can take advantage of them to learn. There are many approaches as to what learning styles are. One of those is the one in which Howard Gardner (1998) happens to be the pioneer. He was the person to come up with this method that promotes learning at different levels. He proposes eight types of intelligences (see figure 1) that may be present in students learning styles. That is to say, that is possible and almost certain that teachers would find at least eight different ways of learning among students from the same class. Some years after Gardner proposed these intelligences, Puchta (2005) said there are only seven of them. These intelligences are: Linguistic intelligence ("word smart"), Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart"), Spatial intelligence ("picture smart"), Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart"), Musical intelligence ("music smart"), Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart"), and Intrapersonal intelligence ("self-smart”).The basic idea is that activities are planned according to students’ ways of learning. For instance, photos for visual learners, lyrics for musical learners, games for kinesthetics, and schemas for mathematicals. In this way, students would be exposed to different types of activities that would be interesting for ones in some lessons and for others in some other lessons (context). Therefore, everybody gets the chance to have an interesting, motivating and different lesson each time. In Luis Calvo Mackenna School this never happened. Students were only exposed to.
(16) López 16. grammar activities like completing charts and sentences. So, mainly, just some of their styles were taken into account only.. Figure 1. Image showing the eight intelligences proposed by Gardner. (Taken from: Learning Styles and Inclusion, Reid, 2005). Students may appear to be identified with one intelligence, while others can be identified with many. In that way, some students enjoy one type of activity only, while others many. According to what was experience in the school, most of students like games and things in which they have to move around. Though students from 6B are in a complicated age, they enjoyed working with games as they are still little children..
(17) López 17. Puchta (2005) then, appears to make teacher’s lives easier when defining each intelligence. But apart from that, it is also important to first identify them within the class through on going observation, surveys and personal interviews. This will help teachers select their activities according to what students need and feel interested in. Besides, when trying to select the proper activity for them, knowing that they learn differently will also help the establishment of rapport. Moreover, it is crucial to mention that taking multiple intelligences into account not only deals with identifying them, but with working and taking advantage of them too. Teachers are then, the ones who use the identified intelligences in their selection of activities and therefore, in lesson planning. One way of identifying them is to apply a survey that can be either prepared by the teacher or adapted from a book or website (See figure 2). The survey consists of a series of statements where students have to point out whether they feel identified with it or not. After that, students sum up their score and find out their intelligence (s)..
(18) López 18. Figure 2. One of the question samples of the multiple intelligences survey. (Taken from: http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html). Another approach to learning styles is the one Honey and Mumford created in 2000. They stated four different styles of learning. (See figure 3). These are: activists (students who are more likely to participate in new activities, they are open-minded and energetic), reflectors (students who prefer discussions, they are thoughtful and reflective), theorists (students who generally like reading and case studies, they are systematic), and pragmatics (students who take learning beyond the classroom, they are practical). Just like Gardner, they think everyone learns differently. They do not call them.
(19) López 19. intelligences, but they do make the difference among students’ types of learning.. Figure 3. Chart with four different learning styles and their interrelation. (Taken from:http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/learn_style.html). Again, this approach will allow teachers to guide their selection of activities as long as they know their students. In order to do it, Honey and Mumford (2000) also created a survey applicable to students in the class that do not refer to the styles specifically but to the way they are exemplified. (See figure 4). They also specify that there are no wrong or rights answers to make students feel like they can say or select the option that is true for their reality. Applying this test in the classroom would be one way of knowing in what direction to go when selecting activities..
(20) López 20. Figure 4. Example of one of the sections in Honey and Mumford’s learning styles test. (Taken from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/learn_style_survey.html). With the help of these approaches, teachers can guide themselves in their task as selector or creator of appropriate activities for their students. It is very important then, to take into account what the different ways to see students are, the impact it causes on their learning process and their engagement to the lesson. Apart from identifying the type of student a child is, it is crucial for both teachers and students to use that information to improve their attitude towards learning. In order to do it, there are some strategies that will again, help both teachers and students to take the best of the learning process..
(21) López 21. Learning Strategies. When thinking about students’ motivation and learning styles, and the help they represent when selecting proper class activities, another topic becomes relevant too. Learning strategies first give students the key to take the best of their learning styles and turn it into success in terms of learning. “It refers to how the learner manages learning. A learner may have the skills to learn, but strategies will support him/her and assist him/her respond in a more efficient manner” (Reid, 2005). In terms of learning strategies, Reid (2005) gave more practical and instant keys. He stated that: “Before effective learning can take place it is necessary for the learner to: ■ read the requirements of the task ■ understand the task/information being presented ■ identify the key points in the task/information ■ implement the task/use the information ■ be able to transfer the new learning to other learning tasks.”. In education, if we understand the styles of individual students, we can often anticipate their perceptions and subsequent behaviors, anticipate their misunderstandings, take advantage of their strengths, and avoid (or correct) their weaknesses..
(22) López 22. CHAPTER III. Methodology This paper will be based on the Action Research model written by Anne Burns (2010), in which research allows teachers to analyze and reflect upon their practice to make a real and substantial change for students, teachers and the whole school community. This research has it bases on the observation made by the trainee for two weeks. During which, many problems were found and reflection started as the first step to try and make a change in relation to the trainee’s practice. These problems were basically that there were some students that ever felt interested in anything. Based on that, the main intelligences within the class will first be identified, so as to create a plan to cover them all. In order to do this, a survey was applied to know which activities students like the most and the least, ongoing observation and some feedback from students about the tasks..
(23) López 23. CHAPTER IV. Data collection. In order to complete this research, I will do one first thing: a survey. (See appendix). That survey was applied in the middle of the semester to see what are the likes and dislikes of 6B students. According to Burns (2010) these kinds of surveys does not need to have the name because teachers may end up being biased. That is why I applied this survey to students without asking for that information, and without being compulsory. For that reason, thirty eight students answered it only.. The survey was created by me and had these questions: 1. Do you like English? 2. Do you use English outside the classroom? 3. What activity did you like the most? 4. What activity did you like the least? 5. What activity would you like to do again?.
(24) López 24. Data Analysis. The results of the survey applied to the class were relevant to get to know students preferences. The first two questions were closed, intended to have a yes or no answer. The other three were open-ended questions, that is to say, students were able to answer what they like. First of all, the first question “Do you like English?” was answered in a positive way for a seventy six percent of students, and in a negative way for a twenty-four percent of students.. Do you like English? 9; 24% Yes 29; 76%. No. Figure 5. Graphic of question n°1 answers.. The graphic about question n°1 (See figure 5) basically points out that more than half of the class like English. As a teacher, this result makes me think about the twenty four percent of students that do not like English and what I can do to make them like it..
(25) López 25. Secondly, the second question “Do you use English outside the classroom?” was answered in a more balanced way. Forty seven percent of students said they use English outside the classroom while fifty three percent said they did not. (See figure 6).. Do you use English outside the classroom? 47; 47% 53; 53%. Yes No. Figure 6. Graphic of question n°2 answers.. In this case, it is possible to see that although many students said they like English, they do not use it outside the classroom. Besides, it is also possible to point out that students that said they do not like English, they still use it outside the classroom. Some of their answers claimed that they listen to music, play games, and watch movies in English. This research question, as a teacher, has to do with making students feel interested in English through class activities. But in a way, showing them, the amount of things the language is related to, would also help with the problem. Thirdly, the third question “What activity did you like the most?” was answered by students with a majority to the visual-spatial intelligence in a.
(26) López 26. sixty six percent. Answers said they liked the bingo and the song activities, both of which are included in the intelligence mentioned before. The other thirty four percent is divided into students who first answered that they liked creating dialogues, included in the interpersonal intelligence in a ten percent. Some others said they do not know, or did not want to answer, in another ten percent. Students who prefer to work alone said they liked readings and writing activities, included in the intrapersonal intelligence. And finally, only two students said they liked going to the board or to the patio representing five percent of the whole and included in the kinesthetic intelligence.. What activity did you like the most? 3; 8%. 2; 5% Visual-spatial. 4; 11% 4; 10%. Interpersonal Do not know 25; 66%. Intrapersonal Kinesthetic. Figure 7. Graphic of question n°3 answers.. When analyzing the results, (See figure 7) it can be said the most of students liked activities related to the visual-spatial intelligences. For that reason, these types of activities would have a priority afterwards, as they already represent sixty six percent of the class attention. That is to say, when.
(27) López 27. doing these types of activities, at least, twenty five students will be interested and motivated to work. Fourthly, question nº4 “What activity did you like the least?” was answered also in a balanced way. (See figure 8).Thirty two percent of students said they do not like readings and writings activities, included in the intrapersonal intelligence. Another group of students answered that they liked everything we did, while others said they do not know. Each of them represents twenty one percent of the whole class. Thirteen percent of students also said they did not like the bingo or the song, classified under the visual-spatial intelligence. And finally, ten percent of the class said they did not like creating dialogues or sharing questions, as in interpersonal activities. And only one student answered that he did not like going to the board, classified under the kinesthetic intelligence.. What activity did you like the least? 1; 3%. 4; 10% 5; 13%. 12; 32%. Intrapersonal Liked everything Do not know Visual-spatial. 8; 21%. Interpersonal 8; 21%. Figure 8. Graphic of question n°4 answers.. Kinesthestic.
(28) López 28. Again, the same kinds of activities are brought by students. A lot of students then, do not like working alone, leaving out activities which require that. Also, there are eight students who liked everything. These students may be pointed out as the ones who like English itself, and are motivated by an internal drive. Finally, the fifth question “What activity would you like to do again?” was answered again in a majority in relation to visual-spatial activities in a thirty four percent. A lot of students said they would like to play the bingo game and do tasks related to a song. Twenty one percent of students said they do not know, while sixteen percent said they would like to go to the computer lab. Another sixteen percent answered that they would not do anything. And finally, thirteen percent said they would like to work alone, included in the intrapersonal intelligence.. What activity would you like to do again? 5; 13% 13; 34%. 6; 16%. Visual-spatial Do not know Kinesthetic None. 6; 16% 8; 21%. Figure 9. Graphic of question n°5 answers.. Intrapersonal.
(29) López 29. Using these graphics and therefore the survey as crucial information to place multiple intelligences in the classroom has been the key to start looking for some solutions to my problem. After applying this, it can be known that there are multiple intelligences in the classroom, so the task now is to identify them and then, create a solution to the problem of keeping students interested in the subject. Bringing back the theories of Gardner (1998) and Puchta (2005) it is possible to make a comparison between what they say, and what was found in the classroom. 6th grade B happens to have an inclination towards the visual-spatial intelligence. Also, it possible to see that the natural intelligence is not included in the graphic, as no one liked that kind of activity. More balanced percentages are divided into the other six intelligences. (See figure 10).. Intelligences present in the 6B classroom 4; 8%. 2; 4% 0; 0%. Visual-spatial Musical Intrapersonal. 4; 8% 4; 8% 4; 9% 5; 11%. Logical-mathematical 25; 52%. Interpersonal Verbal-linguistic Kinesthetic Natural. Figure 10. Graphic that shows the presence of intelligences in 6B classroom..
(30) López 30. CHAPTER V Action plan 1. Students will first answer a simple survey about their likes and the way they would like to learn English. (See appendix) 2. I will then create a plan to have at least one activity per week per preference. In this way, students will have at least one activity per week that will really interest them. (See appendix) 3. During the semester, I will be constantly asking students for activities they want to have. They will then, have the opportunity to actively participate and enjoy the activities. Students and the teacher will also have some time to give feedback on the activities.. The survey I created for students to give their opinion has questions like: •. Do you like English?. •. Do you use English outside the classroom?. •. What activity did you like?. •. What activity didn’t you like?. •. What activity would you like to do again?.
(31) López 31. This is one of the procedures of the action plan that I actually implemented. All of the students answered the survey having no trouble to understand the question. Also, they were told that there was no right or wrong answer, so they can truly express what they think. Once I got the surveys back, I read them and realized that most of them like English, but the activities have not been that fun. Almost everyone liked the song activity, and the bingo. While others liked to read and to complete sentences, for example. In regards to the last question, most students said they wanted to go to the computer lab and some others just mentioned some activities we have done before that they wanted to repeat. Moreover, there were few but important students who said they do not like English and that they ever use it. After I read this, I realized they were my focus and my challenge in terms of selection of activities, without forgetting the rest of the students who also enjoy most of the tasks. According to what I had decided from the beginning, and to the responses of the survey, I will create a weekly plan for students to always have some of them interested in the lesson. I will take into account the survey I first gave them and the conclusions I drew upon them. I will also base these plans on Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory. Bearing this in minds, here are the lesson plans: Lesson plans include three main parts that are pre, while and post. Each step represents a very important stage when planning the lessons. The.
(32) López 32. pre is the part when students are engaged with the topic in a fun, interesting and motivating way. The while represents the hard part that is usually reading or listening with series of activities related to them. And finally the post, which is the largest stage, relies on the production of students in relation to what has been seen. The lesson plans that will be shown represent the solution to my problem on how to select activities for students’ interests and motivation. These lessons can be applied to any sixth grade that is supposedly seeing the same content and learning in a similar context. All intelligences can be found in any classroom and that is why, these lesson plans are a direct and practical, quick solution to the problem. After these four lesson plans are applied, it is necessary to evaluate the results so as to continue or modify the action plan. The first and second lesson plans are part of the same topic. It basically has to do with holidays and all the vocabulary that can come up from that. Being this, the places where they can go, the things they can do, the food they can eat and even the people they go with. To start, the first one (See appendix) is a 90 minutes lesson plan with activities that include five different intelligences proposed by Gardner (1998). First, the pre is composed by two activities in which students are able to come up with new information. They are first given some pictures to talk about holiday’s destinations. Then, they are asked to share some personal.
(33) López 33. information related to the things they did and the places went to. These activities aim at natural, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. Second, the while is a reading telling the story of a boy their age who went to the beach and did a lot of things. Based on this, students do some exercises and compare the story to some of their own. In this case, the intelligences aimed at are the natural and intrapersonal. Third, the post is an activity called “find the differences” in which students have to ask and answer questions to find out 8 differences. After that, they report some of their findings, leading to the final question: What did you learn today? These activities are focused on interpersonal and visualspatial intelligences. In the second lesson plan(See appendix), corresponding to a 90 minutes lesson, there can be found three main activities within which there are different, fun and short steps to follow. These activities cover six of the eight intelligences Gardner proposed (1998). To start, the first activity, called Language Trick is a possibility for students to go beyond grammar and structure. As described in the lesson plan, it is a riddle that the teacher says so quick that it has two meanings. It does not require students to write or read anything but to analyze and think of every possibility to answer the question the teacher is doing. This trick is aimed at the linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences and it is also very interesting for students because they first have some time to think of the.
(34) López 34. answers and although some of them may be wrong, there is no need to specify it. When writing the riddle on the board, the answer reveals itself. The second activity is related to a reading that is broken into 5 paragraphs. The steps to follow within this activity allow students to stand up, move, chat, speculate and predict on what is preceding and following the paragraph they have. After that, they read the whole text and draw their own conclusion. This then, aims at the kinesthetic, interpersonal and logicalmathematical intelligences, having again another big group of students interested in doing the job. It is important though, to give clear and short instructions to every step of the activity so students do not lose their interest and everything moves forward smoothly. The third part, the productive, is a calm activity which will allow them to rest after the second activity’s movement. Here, students are asked to use their imagination to create a comic based on a dialogue the teacher will read. As not all of the students like moving around and working with other people, this activity will give shy and introverted students the opportunity to do what they like. This is individual and aims at visual-spatial and intrapersonal students who sometimes prefer working alone. To continue with the solution, the third and fourth lesson plans are focused on childhood, habits and routines students of sixth grade did when they were little. The vocabulary related to it, again, has to do with the things.
(35) López 35. they did, the way they did it, and the people they were with, among other things. The third 90 minutes lesson plan (See appendix) includes six of the eight intelligences proposed by Gardner (1998). To start, the pre starts with a warm up that will make students move a little to engage them in the lesson. Depending on the result of that activity, there are some minutes to spare and laugh a little, a moment that will help reinforce or establishment of rapport. After that, some vocabulary and key words are introduced to students and a little drill is made by the teacher to challenge students’ attention on the topic. To continue, the while is related to a math problem that actually happens to be a very typical situation that can happen to anyone it does not focus on grammar but on a visual-spatial matter. Then, it becomes an anecdote that will allow teachers to relate it to students’ lives and experiences. These activities are obviously first aimed at logical-mathematical and visual-spatial intelligences. And besides, to both interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences as they need to look at themselves and share personal information with others. And finally the post is connected with an activity in which students create a special biography. By asking and answering questions, students take the role of their partner and that is why, these biographies will be special. This production work will entertain and interest students as they will be able to use their imagination and think as someone else. Because of that, this activity.
(36) López 36. focuses on intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences and develops the relationship between students. The fourth and last lesson plan (See appendix) of 90 minutes includes a board game as the first activity. Board games are always well received by students who like playing games. And it will always give them the opportunity to spare a little. In addition, the game will have some of the keywords that will be presented with pictures afterwards. The while here is related to a listening activity in which four people talk about their childhood. The idea is that students complete a chart with place, age and activity the people are describing. This task will interest logicalmathematical as much as musical intelligences. The post is composed by an activity in which students will be able to apply what they have learned in the last lesson and in this one. Students are asked to create a dialogue based on their childhood experiences. Pictures of them when little, are asked to help them go back and recall past information. This task is aimed at visual-spatial, natural, linguistic, intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. In this way, the first two lesson plans presented and explained before cover the eight intelligences proposed by Gardner (1998) in one week, and what is more, the other two lesson plans also do it in one week. After the application of these lessons it becomes important to evaluate whether there were interest and motivation from students or not. If there were, the plan continues to be the same: plan a week of activities to cover the eight intelligences..
(37) López 37. CHAPTER VI Conclusion Taking everything into consideration, it is possible to draw one first conclusion. When I thought of the problem at first, I thought of one solution right away: taking Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory and creating a weekly plan to include them all so everybody is interested at least once a week. After that, without researching, I thought I could include four of the eight intelligences in each 90 minutes lesson plan, considering that almost every school has 180 minutes a week (four periods of 45 minutes each). But everything changed when I finished planning the lessons. In general, the lesson plans proposed cover most of the intelligences in just one lesson of 90 minutes. Most of the activities proposed not only relate to one intelligence, but to two or more. Knowing this fact does not mean that having those six intelligences covered is enough. It is crucial to keep on looking for activities connected with any of the intelligences as it will represent a huge change in both students learning acquisition process and teacher’s practice. In this way, the lesson plans proposed (See appendix) in this action plan are ready to be used immediately in any sixth grade who is seeing the same content and learning in a similar context. The material that goes with those are also provided (See appendix) and they can all be adapted or taken to be used just like I did from Grammar Games and Activities for Teachers.
(38) López 38. (Watcyn-Jones, 1995) and Multiple Intelligences in EFL: Exercises for Secondary and Adult Students. (Puchta and Rinvolucri, 2005).. Moreover, apart from having a good selection of activities to motivate and interest students, there are some other points to take into account. The idea is that, there is an identification of students learning styles and preferences, so the teacher can become a facilitator rather than an instructor. Also, try to find out sources of motivation, trying to mix intrinsic with extrinsic so as to have different, fun and enjoyable ways of maintaining it as much as for the teacher as for the students. And lastly, try to find out which strategies are linked to their preferences so as to take the best of it. Learning strategies given by the teacher would represent the tools students need to acquire learning. Besides, after applying the survey and creating an action plan, I realized this problem may be happening to any other teacher of English in a similar context. Then, the solution becomes a practical instrument to EFL teachers who are really interested and committed to their students’ learning process..
(39) López 39. References Brophy, Jere. Motivating Students to Learn. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. (Professor of Teacher Education and Educational Psychology.) Burns, Anne. Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: a guide for Practitioners. New York and London: Taylor & Francis. 2010. Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.2011. (developmental psychologist and teacher) Harmer, Jeremy. The Practice of English Language Teaching. England: Pearson Education Limited, 2007. (teacher, teacher trainer and author) Honey, P and Mumford, A. The learning styles helper's guide. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd, 2000. (honey psychologist, Mum, professor involved in management for the last 20 years) Puchta. H and Rinvolucri, M. Multiple intelligences in EFL: Exercises for Secondary and Adult Students. Helbling Languages, 2005. Reid, Gavin. Learning Styles and Inclusion. London: Paul Chapman Publishing. 2005 (educational psychologist) Watcyn-Jones, Peter. Grammar Games and Activities for Teachers. 1995.
(40) López 40. Appendix Survey examples..
(41) López 41. Reading of lesson plan 1.. Pedro’s Last Holiday. In my last holiday I went to El quisco with my parents and brothers. The first thing we did was to go to our favorite restaurant, “La caleta el Quisco”. We ate fish and rice, it was delicious! Then, during the afternoon we obviously went to the beach and swam. I love swimming. During the night, my brothers, Pablo and Tomas went out and danced all night in a club. My parents and I stayed home and cooked a pizza. Next morning, my dad woke up really early and ran all through the beach. My mom and I just walked around the city to know it more. At around 2 p.m. we had lunch at home. And then, I was so bored! My parents slept in the afternoon and my brothers read their favorite books. I had nothing to do. Unfortunately, my last holiday was for two days only, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday we came back home and continued with our daily routines, as always.. Write true (T) or false (F). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.. ___ Pedro went to beach with the whole family. ___ They had meat and rice for lunch. ___ Pedro hates swimming. ___ When Pedro and his parents stayed home, they cooked lasagna. ___ They went to the beach for three days. ___ Pedro and her mother walked around the city. ___ They came back home on Monday.. Focus questions: Where did Pedro go during his last holidays? What is Pedro’s favorite restaurant? What did Pedro and his parents cook?.
(42) López 42. Post activity of lesson plan 1. Student A.. (Adapted from: Grammar games and activities for teachers by Peter Watcyn-Jones, 1995).
(43) López 43. Post activity of lesson plan 1. Student B.. (Adapted from: Grammar games and activities for teachers by Peter Watcyn-Jones, 1995).
(44) López 44. Pre stage of lesson plan 2.. (Adapted from: Multiple Intelligences in EFL. Exercises for secondary and adult students. Puchta & Rinvolucri, 2005). While stage of lesson plan 2: Sequence a story.. 1 2 3 4. Last summer, I went to Barcelona. I went with two friends by car. We stayed in a hotel in the center of the city. The first evening, we went out to have dinner in an Italian restaurant.. After that we went out to a disco, there I met a foreign man, he was very funny.. We also visited many monuments. For example: The Sacred Family Cathedral, Gaudi´s house and others. Then, we bought some souvenirs for our family and friends.. One day we went out to Port Adventure. It is an amusement park, where there are many attractions..
(45) López 45. 5. The next day, we went to a beach resort near Tarragona, we rented a boat and we went sailing. I was afraid, because I can´t swim. During that afternoon, my friend Gloria got the flu and we went to a hospital. We had to come back home because of that.. Post stage of lesson plan 2: make up comic. The text:. Last holydays in Barcelona Last summer, I went to Barcelona. I went with two friends by car. We stayed in a hotel in the center of the city. The first evening, we went out to have dinner in an Italian restaurant. After that we went out to a disco, there I met a foreign man, he was very funny. We also visited many monuments. For example: The Sacred Family Cathedral, Gaudi´s house and others. Then, we bought some souvenirs for our family and friends. One day we went out to Port Adventure. It is an amusement park, where there are many attractions. The next day, we went to a beach resort near Tarragona, we rented a boat and we went sailing. I was afraid, because I can´t swim. During that afternoon, my friend Gloria got the flu and we went to a hospital. We had to come back home because of that.. The empty comic strip for students to create their own:.
(46) López 46. Warm up of lesson plan 3.. (Adapted from: Grammar games and activities for teachers by Peter Watcyn-Jones, 1995).
(47) López 47. Pre stage activity of lesson plan 3: Choral drill with new vocabulary.. While stage of lesson plan 3: How many dollars?. (Adapted from: Multiple Intelligences in EFL. Exercises for secondary and adult students. Puchta & Rinvolucri, 2005).
(48) López 48. Post stage in lesson plan 3 for students to create the special autobiographies.. (Adapted from: Multiple Intelligences in EFL. Exercises for secondary and adult students. Puchta & Rinvolucri, 2005).
(49) López 49. Pre stage of lesson plan 4.. (Taken from: www.myenglishproject.wikispaces.com).
(50) López 50. While stage of lesson plan 4. Listening script:. Childhood experiences script. Nicolas: “When I was 8 years old, I came up with a brilliant idea. I remembered I watched Superman the day before, so I thought of becoming a hero. I tied one of my towels around my neck and went up stairs to the roof. Once I was there, I jumped off the roof imitating superman’s style. Obviously, I didn’t fly. So, next thing I knew, I was with a broken leg in the hospital.” Carolina: “When I was around 10 years old, my parents gave a skate. I have 10 cousins, so every time we got together, we shared it. Once in particular, Sofia, my little cousin, asked me to lend her my skate. But she didn’t stand up on the surface; she just laid and put her belly on it. She started to use the skate as a surfing board moving it with her hands and feet. After some time, when she stood up, we all realized that she had her chin scratched” Daniel: “When I was 9 years old, my cousins and I went to Algarrobo. During one afternoon, we were so bored that we went walking around the forest. We had some matches, so we thought of the stupidest thing ever. With some kind of trick, we lighted the matches and throw them away in a second to the woods. We never thought of the consequences, but once we lighted a match again, one of the leaves in the floor started to set on fire. We burned half of the forest but no one ever found that it was us” Chart to complete: PLACE 1 2 3. AGE. ACTIVITY.
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