C en tro d e Est ud io s de Po st gra do M ás te r e n P rof es or ado de E ns eña nz a S ec unda ria O bliga tor ia , B ac hille ra to, For ma ción P rof es iona l y E ns eña nz a de Idioma s
Centro de Estudios de Postgrado
Trabajo Fin de Máster
Learner’s Singularities:
The Influence of
Personality and Motivation
Alumno/a: Ortega López, Marina
Tutor/a: Teresa María Sánchez Bernal
Dpto: Estudios Ingleses
PART A: LITERATURE REVIEW 7
1. Introduc7on:
7
2. The Affec7ve Factor:
8
2.1. Mo'va'on:
9
2.1.1. Defini'on:
9
2.1.2. Types: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Mo'va'on 11
2.1.3. Foreign Language Teaching and Mo'va'on 13
3. Personality and Learning Styles 16
3. 1. Defini'on and Types:
17
3. 2. Personality and Learning Styles Inside the Foreign Language Classroom:
20
4. New Learning Approaches: 21st-century skills and Gamifica7on.
23
5. Problema7c Obstacles: Class Reality, Demo7va7on, Influence of Personality
26
6. Final Conclusions:
28
PART B: DIDACTIC PROPOSAL 29
1. Title: This is me.
29
2. Jus7fica7on
29
3. Contextualiza7on 30
4. Objec7ves 31
4.1. Didac'c Objec'ves:
31
4.2. Stage Objec'ves:
31
4.3. Foreign Language Objec'ves:
32
5. Key Competences 34
6. Contents 35
7. Sequencing 36
8. Methodology 39
9. Materials 39
10. Cross-curricular Issues 40
11. Interdisciplinary 40
12. Lesson Plan: step by step 40
13. Acen7on to Diversity 49
13.1. Reinforcement Ac'vi'es:
50
13.2. Extension Ac'vi'es:
50
14. Evalua7on 50
14.1. Evalua'on Criteria 51
14. 2. Assessable Learning Standards 51
14.3. Instruments of Evalua'on 52
15. References 54
Bibliographical References 54
Webography 58
Legal References 59
16. Appendices
61
ABSTRACT:
Nowadays, learning a foreign language, such as English, has developed from the importance of grammar to communica9on development, from a structuralist viewpoint to prac9cal day-to-day English. Consequently, teaching a foreign language has also switched from teacher-centered to learner-centered, a>ending to the learner’s need to communicate throughout the course. The general ambiance of the class will influence their future interven9ons and guarantee their mo9va9on toward the subject, which is why the ul9mate aim of a teacher is to make students feel comfortable enough to speak in class. This research targets the individual differences in our students, a>ending to their personality traits and how to improve their mo9va9on to develop the oral competence that will prepare them for the real prac9ce of English in the future.
KEYWORDS: Communica9on, learner-centered, mo9va9on, ambiance, personality.
RESUMEN:
Hoy en día, el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera, como el inglés, ha evolucionado desde la importancia de la gramá9ca al desarrollo de la comunicación;
desde una visión estructuralista hasta un inglés prác9co del día a día. En consecuencia, la enseñanza de una lengua extranjera también ha pasado de estar centrada en el profesor a centrarse en el alumno, atendiendo a la necesidad del aprendiz de comunicarse a lo largo del curso. El ambiente general de la clase influirá en sus futuras intervenciones, y garan9zará su mo9vación hacia la asignatura, por lo que el obje9vo final del profesor es que los estudiantes se sientan lo suficientemente cómodos para hablar en clase. Esta inves9gación se centra en las diferencias individuales de nuestros alumnos, atendiendo a sus rasgos de personalidad y cómo mejorar su mo9vación para desarrollar su competencia oral, que les preparará para la prác9ca real del inglés en su futuro.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Comunicación, foco en el alumno, mo9vación, ambiente, personalidad.
PART A: LITERATURE REVIEW
1. Introduc7on:
From the beginning of 9mes, the existence of studying foreign languages relates to the ancient form of teaching, and that is why the origin of language teachers as a profession, dates back to Mesopotamian 9mes (Elsheikh, Wheeler, p.3, 2018). Different methodologies throughout history have tried to define contras9ng techniques of teaching, although Walga Rivers (1989, p. 283) has described them as “consistent approaches with new terminologies that camouflage their fundamental similarity”.
That is why, Kumaravadivelu (2003, p.25) subdivided all the existent methodologies into three simplified categories: language-centered methods, learner-centered methods, and learning-centered methods.
It is essen9al for teachers, “to have a holis9c understanding of what happens in their classroom” as Kumaravadivelu (2003, p.2) defines as the need to “observe their teaching, interpret their classroom events, evaluate their outcomes, iden9fying problems, find solu9ons” and “to see what works and what doesn’t”. The prac9ce of teaching goes beyond the instruc9on of the subject, since the surrounding of the class, the learners, and the situa9ons around them deeply affect the acquisi9on of the ma>er.
Nonetheless, what is conveyed in learner-centered methodologies? Klipfel &
Cook (2020, p. 15) argue that:
“The learner as an individual with personal interests, preferences, and mo9va9ons, and a uniquely human set of cogni9ve capaci9es. We must seek to understand who our learners are, in a deep psychological sense, before we can understand how best to assist them […] It is precisely this process of building a connec9on with our students that, in a learner-centered scenario, situates the teacher as a facilitator for learning rather than an “expert,” the more tradi9onal, hierarchical role. Understanding our learners as human beings, ones with enormously complex cogni9ve, psychological, and emo9onal needs— and the consequences this understanding has for our prac9ce”
As teachers, our teaching should be in9mately related to our student’s needs, how they feel along the process, and the different perspec9ves they might have, even if they differ from ours. In favor of those triggers that will guarantee op9mal learning, every student offers a new approach to the subject. Thus, this essay aims to integrate the learner’s singulari9es as an essen9al tool for teaching, mainly based on their personality traits —extroversion, introversion, and ambivalence—, concerning
students’ inner mo9va9on; and how these factors affect learners' speech in communica9on. This reflec9ve, classroom-based method focuses on crea9ng tasks that will help them to communicate without feeling anxious or demo9vated, by considering their differences as fundamental factors in the teaching process.
This approach is highly influenced by the “post-method condi9on” developed by Kumaravadivelu’s (2006) “macro-strategic framework”, and Krashen’s suggested no9on of the “Affec9ve Filter” (1986), an important factor in language learning.
2. The Affec7ve Factor:
Several studies have been devoted to learners’ emo9onal responses and their oral communica9ve skills. In light of this perspec9ve, many educa9onal psychologists have focused on studying the individuali9es that make learners learn (Borg & Shapiro, 1996). This is the case of García-Sampedro and Agudo Prado (2020, p.163) that centered their research on considering the affec9ve factor and mo9va9on as
“fundamental aspects in the process of teaching and learning a second language”.
A>ending Krashen’s theory (1986), Ni (2012, p. 1508) conducted a survey that proves that affec9ve factors such as “emo9on, feeling, mood, manner, aqtude and so ] Especially, mo9va9on, self-confidence, and anxiety” influence the way learners acquire a language. In addi9on to that, the affec9ve ma>er has been “neglected” by tradi9onal methodologies (Feder, 1987). Consequently, teachers have not focused their teaching method considering aqtudes, anxiety, and mo9va9on from their learners as important factors of the learning process (Fandiño Parra, p. 196, 2008). Although, as Stawowy (2004, Fandiño Parra, 2008, p. 197) remarks, there has been a recent change in mentality by “studying how language strategies help students acquire a second or foreign language”. This progressive change has opened a new door to more open methodologies of integra9ve teaching, which is one of the aims of the lesson plan that is, later on, proposed.
Moreover, if the ul9mate goal is the success of our students in learning a language, Stevick argues that the most important factor that leads to success is deeply connected to “what goes on inside and between the people in the classroom” and less on “materials, techniques and linguis9c analysis”. (1980, p.4) A>ending to this defini9on, our students' percep9ons about themselves and other classmates will influence their par9cipa9on during the course. It is essen9al that the teacher uses this
influence as a “facilitator” (Klipfel & Cook, 2020, p. 15) and creates a comfortable ambiance for the students to take ac9on.
Some of the common fears in the students are being unable to pass a subject or even assuring their par9cipa9on during the class. Regardless of their implica9on in the course, the teacher must present a comfortable scenario for them to integrate and ac9vely par9cipate, avoiding anxiety or prejudices.
Conversely, in the process of learning a second language, anxiety is a factor that makes learners feel uncomfortable when they prac9ce their oral produc9on, since
“they are not prepared to make mistakes” (García-Sampedro and Agudo Prado, p. 165, 2020). On the contrary, mo9va9on is an essen9al variable that teachers should always consider, since “students’ mo9va9on depends substan9ally on the evalua9ons people make of the language learning situa9on.” (Schumann, 2000).
2.1. Mo7va7on:
2.1.1. Defini7on:
The mo9va9onal theory has developed mul9ple answers to the ques9on: What is mo'va'ng? Each person would have different responses, which is why the term
‘mo9va9on’ has been described from various psychological viewpoints.
Dörnyei (2000, pp. 519–520) defines the basis of every analysis about mo9va9on as “the choice of a par9cular ac9on” in other words, “why people decide to do something”; the “persistence with it” as well as “how long they are willing to sustain the ac9vity”; and finally the “effort expended on it” or “how hard they are going to pursue it”. From a learner perspec9ve, it is related to how students find the mo9va9on to learn a language, and how to stay mo9vated along the course to maintain their interest in the subject.
Alderman (2007, p.3) remarks that:
“Teachers have a primary responsibility in Educa9on to help students cul9vate personal quali9es of mo9va9on that can give them resources for developing aspira9on, independent learning, achieving goals and fostering resilient in the face of setbacks”.
As mediators of the class, teachers need to regulate the student's mo9va9ons, although it is not an easy task.
The term, “Directed Mo9va9onal Current” is introduced by Lasagabaster, Doiz &
Sierra (2014, p. 10) as having a ”visualized goal” and a “concrete pathway of mo9vated ac9on” with concrete steps that the learner wants to pursue, which “brings new lease
of life and burst of passion” to a situa9on they would normally not enjoy. This “DCM (Directed Mo9va9onal Current)” targets their emo9onal responses to an ul9mate goal they want to achieve, by planning a se>led route for the final des9na9on, an objec9ve.
The important factor is for them to find that goal, whether is passing the subject or ul9mately learning English in their free 9me, such as communica9ng with friends in other countries or watching TV series without sub9tles; every inten9on is a new target of their mo9va9on. In the end, it is the teacher’s responsibility to consider those goals and relate them to the subject, by crea9ng tasks that would “spark their a>en9on and act as a catalyst and star9ng point” for them to be ini9ally mo9vated (Lasagabaster et al., 2014, p. 10). Because mo9va9on is not sta9c, it fluctuates and it is important to focalize our teaching on those ac9vi9es that engage our students in the first place.
Imagine the teacher has finally mo9vated the learners, they ac9vely engage in the learning of English because they have se>led on a certain goal. How does the teacher maintain them mo9vated? Mo9va9on is not stable but in “ac9on”
(Heckhausen, 2018). In his book, Heckhausen develops the concept of “mo9va9on and ac9on” along with other researchers, which defines it as “all ac9vi9es directed toward an intended goal” (Achtziger & Gollwitzer, 2018; as cited in Heckhausen, 2018, p. 485).
If the learner possesses a “strong mo9va9on to achieve a certain outcome” it does not imply that “the goal to be realized” in the end (Gollwitzer & Bargh, 1996; Gollwitzer &
Sheeran, 2006; Heckhausen, 1989; Kuhl, 1983: as cited in Heckhausen, 2018, p. 485).
Mo9va9on does not equal success, it rather guarantees an op9mal pathway of ac9on that could lead to reaching the goal the learner has established.
In reality, “successful goal a>ainment ozen requires the skilled deployment of various ac9on control strategies” (Gollwitzer & Moskowitz, 1996; Sects. 5, 6, and 7: as cited in Heckhausen, 2018, p. 486), that is to say, that the learner will have to formulate new plans, new pathways of ac9on when the already executed one failed, will have to imagine alterna9ve situa9ons if there are challenging events that they cannot control and more unimaginable and unpredictable variables along the process.
In the end, staying mo9vated is much more than having se>led goals, yet a con9nued encounter of issues the student will face and the persistence of that mo9va9on as an aid that leads them to con9nue.
Later on, different methodological approaches will be given, as well as a possible combina9on of them, for learning to be achieved a>ending mo9va9on and learning styles.
2.1.2. Types: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Mo7va7on
In psychology, the defini9on given to the “behavior” leading to final mo9va9on has been studied from the biological standpoint of “needs and drives connected to survival and procrea9on” (Sansone & Harackiewicz, 2000b, p. 1). What does “drive”
refers to in terms of mo9va9on?
Based on Hull’s Drive Theory (1943), Siegling & Petrides, (2016, p.1) draw a line between “mo9va9onal level (referred to as drive)” and “mo9va9onal reasons (referred to as mo'vators)”. That is to say that the mo9vators are “what a person wants to a>ain” or the implicit “reasons for one’s behavior” also known as the goal the person wants to achieve and the reason why; whether the term “drive" is related to “the ex9nct which a person acts on personal mo9vators, whatever these may be”, or the ac9ons that need to be done to strike a target. The truth is that, even from a biological perspec9ve, our behavior is ini9ated from a need or a desire to reach an outcome, making mo9va9on the engine that energizes and leads us towards something we want to do.
Different points of view have provided a deeper insight into what mo9va9on is, and what are the factors that compose it. Dörnyei & Ushioda (2010, p. 4) argues that mo9va9on is a complex term with no a consensus explana9on but “most researchers would agree” which “concerns direc9on and magnitude of human behavior“, or what it is to say “the choice of a par9cular ac9on, the persistence with it, and the effort expended on it”. A con9nuous process that requires effort and direc9on.
On the contrary, in “Self Determina9on Theory”, Deci & Ryan (2000, p. 67) define mo9va9on as “how to move themselves or others to act”, the determinant components that generate intrinsic or extrinsic mo9va9on for “cogni9ve and social development” as well as individual factors regarding personality. Before defining the basis of their theory, it is important to explain what ‘Intrinsic’ and ‘Extrinsic’ mo9va9on is.
Ini9ally, Deci & Ryan (2000, p. 68) dis9nguish between “the social condi9ons that facilitate” or “enhance” the development of an extrinsic mo9va9on versus “the natural process of self-mo9va9on” so-called “intrinsic mo9va9on, self-regula9on, and well-
being”. In other words, the environmental condi9ons can influence an unmo9vated person to become mo9vated, and because this force is not caused by an inherent reason to the person, it is called extrinsic mo9va9on; on the contrary, when the force that makes the person act is caused by a self-ini9ated impulse, we call this intrinsic mo9va9on.
Generally speaking, “Intrinsic Mo9va9on” (IM) can be defined as “the fact of doing an ac9vity for itself, and the pleasure and sa9sfac9on derived from par9cipa9on”
in those ac9vi9es that make individuals experience feelings of “competence and self- determina9on”, which will guarantee the development and persistence of “IM” (Deci, 1995; Deci & Ryan, 1985; as cited in Vallerand et al., 1992, p. 1004).
In addi9on, “Intrinsic mo9va9on” is divided into a “tripar9te taxonomy”
(Vallerand et al., 1992, p. 1005): “Intrinsic Mo9va9on to Know (IM-to know), Intrinsic Mo9va9on Toward Accomplishments (IM-to accomplish things), and Intrinsic Mo9va9on to Experience S9mula9on (IM-to experience s9mula9on)”.
Deci and Ryan (1995, 1991; as cited in Vallerand et al., 1992, pp. 1005-1006) define the taxonomy of “Intrinsic Mo9va9on (IM)” as the following:
1. “Intrinsic Mo9va9on to Know (IM-to know)” is defined as “the fact of performing an ac9vity for the pleasure and sa9sfac9on that one experiences while learning, exploring or trying to understand something new.” Or the free will of learning, reading, wri9ng, or any kind of ac9vity because the person enjoys it.
2. “Intrinsic Mo9va9on Towards Accomplishments (IM-to accomplish things)” is
“engaging in an ac9vity for the pleasure and sa9sfac9on experienced when one a>empts to accomplish or create something”, also related to “experience pleasure and sa9sfac9on while a>emp9ng to surpass themselves” in doing a certain task.
3. “Intrinsic Mo9va9on to Experience S9mula9on (IM-to experience s9mula9on)"
is related to experiencing s9mula9on while engaging in an ac9vity, this can be related to “holis9c dynamics” in the class, for example, a student that goes to class to experience the “s9mula9ng class discussion”.
On the contrary, “Extrinsic Mo9va9on" is defined by Deci (1975; as cited in Vallerand et al., 1992, p. 1006) as a “variety of behaviors which are engaged in as a means to an end and not for their own sake”, in other words, it is related to doing something because it is needed and being mo9vated because of an ending reaching a point, or “the source of their mo9va9on lies outside themselves”. “Extrinsic
mo9vators" are ozen associated with rewards, like obtaining a price azer a compe99on in a broader sense.
Besides, Deci and Ryan (1985, 1991; as cited in Vallerand et al., 1992, pp.
1006-1007) divide “Extrinsic Mo9va9on” into the following categories:
1. “Extrinsic Mo9va9on and External Regula9on” is the “behavior being regulated through external means such as rewards and constraints”, from a student's perspec9ve, it might be studying because they are forced by their parents to do so.
2. “Introjected Regula9on”, which is related to the individual internalizing “the reasons for his or her ac9ons”, although this “internaliza9on" is inherent to the person, “is not truly self-determined” but “limited to the internaliza9on of past external con9ngencies”, in other words, the student might internalize that he or she needs to have a higher grade because “that’s what good students are supposed to do”.
3. The final one is called “Iden9fied regula9on” which is related to the previous one, as it can be considered the final step of the process of internaliza9on, as the student might have integrated that behavior as his or her own. The student has integrated that he or she needs good grades because he or she is a good student.
The ul9mate differen9a9on between “Intrinsic” and “Extrinsic Mo9va9on" is the origin that energizes us to do something related. If it is inherent to us (curiosity, eagerness to learn, etc.), or if it is developed through 9me because of experience or reevalua9on. In both cases, in educa9on, both are equally capable of being reinforced, though it is true that intrinsic mo9va9on will lead to op9mal a>ainment and maintenance, whereas an extrinsically mo9vated learner will have to find short-like goals to preserve this energy.
2.1.3. Foreign Language Teaching and Mo7va7on
It is the teacher’s role to act like a guide or a leader for the students, “the impact that their rela9onship has on pupil outcomes, specifically pupil learning” will affect their “behavior and mo9va9on” (Bentham & Hutchins, 2012, p. 30). Regarding the individual differences of the students within a class, there will be differen9al rhythms and styles that will enhance and decrease the learner’s mo9va9on, whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic. We have talked about mo9va9on not being sta9c, but rather in constant ac'on:
“Within any lesson and within the course of the school year, energies and the mo9va9on to engage and sustain ac9vity will ebb and flow. From an individual perspec9ve, mo9va9on not only encompasses the ini9al decision to choose an ac9vity but also the willingness to persevere with the ac9vity, perhaps over an extended period of 9me” (Bentham & Hutchins, 2012, p. 30)
The truth is that is not an easy task to maintain the students mo9vated along the course. Some of them may not like English at all, and others might not find any usefulness in learning it in the first place. Because mo9va9on is not sta9c but in constant fluctua9on, the key element is to know our students and assess their needs when it is possible, trying to understand their opinions and incorpora9ng their insights into the methodology used.
In the case of language learning, “it is clear that for many learners, current language experiences neither sustain interest nor provide the challenges needed to lead to success” (Evans & Fisher, 2009; as cited in Lasagabaster et al., 2014, p. 52), this is in9mately related to their understanding of doing things they do not comprehend, in the sense that there is no correspondence between the prac9cal necessity of learning a language for the future, and the contents dealt in the language classroom. In reality, this situa9on leads to a decrease in mo9va9on, if the learners are unable to understand why they are doing things, their mo9va9on will not be maintained, which will not lead to successful learning.
Do Coyle (2014; as cited in Lasagabaster et al., 2014, pp. 51-52) debates that the classroom condi9ons are “dynamic” and therefore the learning process should be owned both by “learners in terms of progression and challenge in the here and now”
and teachers, because the two of them “share the responsibility for researching and reflec9ng on their teaching and learning, in prac9cal, co-constructed ways”. The so- called “learner-centered” is also about involving the learners in the co-teaching of what is useful and what is not, as well as the rhythm of the contents explained, and the usefulness behind the ac9vi9es. Their sugges9ons should always be taken into account, there is a need to know whether they found the materials interes9ng and if it is relatable for them. This integra9ve way of teaching, will not guarantee that all students are mo9vated, as Bartram (2012, p. 45) points out, “different teaching prac9ces and styles will […] be perceived very differently by pupils, depending on their learning styles and preferences”; but if they take part in the learning process, they might find it an intrinsic mo9vator: a reason why they are learning English.
Otherwise, other factors influencing mo9va9on inside the classroom are related to the aqtude toward learning a foreign language. Chambers and Wright (1999; as cited in Bartram, 2012, pp. 43-44) reflect upon the student’s opinion about the subject (in this case English) will regulate the aqtude towards the language per se, “the teacher is named as the reason why they like or dislike it, why their learning experience has improved or deteriorated,” as well as, “the teaching methodology and the textbook”. It is not always true that the subject on its own might become the only reason why they do not like it. The truth is that the teacher’s aqtude and ways of interac9ng with the learners will be one of the key elements for them to engage in class.
Concerning their personal beliefs related to “effort and ability” based on Hidi and Harackiewicz (2000), from a "social-cogni9ve perspec9ve”, the student assumes their lack of ability in a task, and therefore their effort on the task decreases. Implicitly, their engagement in the subject will be sufficiently related to their aqtude towards English as such.
Aqtude is defined by Eagley and Chaiken (1998; as cited in Bartram, 2012, p. 34,) as “a psychological tendency that is expressed by evalua9ng a par9cular en9ty with some degree of favor or disfavor.”, about language learning and mo9va9on, this aqtudes (whether are posi9ve or nega9ve) are in9mately related to their performance in the language. In other words, their degree of posi9ve interven9on and whether they are willing to par9cipate or not. If they feel comfortable because the teacher has shown posi9ve reinforcement and a comfortable environment to make mistakes, learners will feel relaxed to express their opinions freely without the fear of judgments.
In a school context, other factors such as self-percep9on, “self-image, and sensi9ve issues” (Bartram, 2012, p. 44,), especially at puberty, will determine their par9cipa9on in class, which is why the teacher should always create a safe space for them to interact with their peers. If the learner experiences a bad situa9on (failing an exam, being mocked by their peers, bad teacher reac9on, or punishments), this will influence their confidence in the future. In other words, in Weiner’s “A>ribu9on Theory” (Weiner, 2005, p. 32), the metaphor: “a person is a judge, and life is a courtroom” tries to explain the judgments someone does azer experiencing a bad situa9on, that would determine their future engagement in a par9cular ac9vity.
Imagine student A has failed English, and the teacher has highlighted every bad
behavior he/she has done during the semester. Will this situa9on influence his/her future ac9ons towards the subject? Yes and no. It can make them improve, use it as an
“extrinsic factor” to mo9vate themselves into passing the subject; or it can influence their self-percep9on favoring this belief that they are not able to overcome the subject, therefore their effort in the subject decreases.
Overall, it is true that a good teacher will guarantee the op9mal learning of their students. Although mo9va9on is considered the most important factor affec9ng the learning process, other factors will influence their engagement in the subject.
3. Personality and Learning Styles
From a historical point of view, teaching has evolved from “teacher-centered”
instruc9on to an open “learner-centered” situa9on. This shiz has developed new ways of understanding our surroundings, by also taking into considera9on how our students feel throughout the process. Ini9ally, this ac9ve way of teaching is also considered a beneficial step to internalizing the concepts be>er because of the student’s involvement in their learning process. Although as Lawrence (2015, pp.1-2) alleges, this
“jus9fied emphasis on interpersonal ac9ve learning may have led to neglect for intrapersonal, introverted students who learn be>er with teacher-directed instruc9on”.
There is an incessant emphasis on “ac9ve methodologies”, which seem to fit perfectly for extroverted students but also create a difficult barrier for introverted students to overcome. Acknowledging their feelings will offer different ac9vi9es for both of them to feel integrated and comfortable in the learning process.
“Interpersonal” interac9on benefits extroverted students who feel the need to get involved in conversa9ons, which is ul9mately beneficial for the development of the interac9ve skills of language (speaking and fluency); meanwhile, introverted students, benefit from “intrapersonal” ac9vi9es (such as wri9ng or grammar) since they work be>er on their own. To establish a balance between all four skills of language, there is a need for crea9ng ac9vi9es that aid them to develop them all, at the same 9me we consider their feelings. As Lawrence (2015, pp.2-4 2) points out:
“if the two differing personality types have preferences for one learning experience over another, then learning will not be effec9ve as it should be, and it would be unfortunate if an instructor only used one methodology without differen9a9ng instruc9on for those groups.”
The ques9on here is: How do we deal with different learning styles and personality differences in a 21st-century class? It is difficult to cover all differences in a
one-hour session per day because it is impossible to a>end to all the students at the same 9me. Certainly, this issue should be a>ended to through the course, by designing different ac9vi9es that cover our student’s demands.
Firstly, it is essen9al to explain the parameters that characterize the pupils’
personali9es to learn how they are and how to work with them on a personalized level.
3. 1. Defini7on and Types:
In Psychology, personality theory is complex, and the premise is that:
“There is no defini9ve or accepted defini9on of what personality is, what the field includes, what types of behavior fall into this interest real, or how to approach the study of the phenomena of the field” (Staats, 1996, p. 167,)
Another defini9on provided by Fle> (2007, p.4; as cited in Schuller & Batliner, 2013, p. 53) describes personality as the following:
“Personality refers to rela9vely stable individual differences that are believed to [be] present early in life and involves characteris9cs that generalize across 9me and across situa9ons. We usually discuss personality in terms of the disposi9oned factors and associated behaviors that dis9nguish us and make us different from other people, but there are some personality characteris9cs and processes that may be at least somewhat similar across individuals.”
Although the term is broad and impossible to be reduced to a simple defini9on, there is some common ground for personali9es being grouped into different divisions.
This disserta9on will consider some of them that can be useful for be>er development and adapta9on in educa9on.
In Garner’s Mul9ple Intelligence Theory (1983, 1993, 1999; as cited in Willingham, 2004, pp. 19-21), intelligence is defined as a wide term, which is not exclusively related to “thought and cogni9ve skills”, but rather a complex parameter that opens the door to new “skills” that characterize an individual. Garner argues that children’s minds are different, and the educa9onal system should consider their differences along the learning process, by designing a curriculum that covers all kinds of skills; this way all learners will integrate the learning according to their most developed intelligence. The mul9ple intelligences are the following:
1. “Linguis9c Intelligence: The ability to express thoughts, wri>en or spoken”.
2. “Logico-mathema9cal Intelligence: The ability to apply the logical methodology and be able to solve mathema9cal problems.”
3. “Spa9al Intelligence: The ability to use and manipulate space.”
4. “Musical Intelligence: The ability to create, perform and appreciate music.”
5. “Bodily-kinesthe9c Intelligence: The ability to coordinate and move one’s body.”
6. “Interpersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand others’ needs, inten9ons, and mo9va9ons.”
7. “Intrapersonal Intelligence: Understanding and expressing one’s needs, mo9va9ons, and emo9ons.”
8. “Naturalist Intelligence: The ability to recognize, iden9fy and classify flora and fauna or other classes of objects related to nature.”
In Garner’s theory, the mul9ple intelligences are closely related to “cultural context and contextual factors” (1993; as cited in Tirri & Nokelainen, 2011, p. viii), which personalizes our students on a deeper level. If we consider integra9ng ac9vi9es throughout the course that combine all eight intelligences or skills, every student will uniquely consolidate the learning.
Otherwise, in psychology, we find “Trait Theory” that covers the “measurement of ‘traits’” which can be defined “as habitual pa>erns of behavior, thought and emo9on (Kassin, 2003; as cited in Ozanska-Ponikwia, 2013, p. 10). Within “Trait theory” there is a subdivision of traits into “‘central’ and ‘secondary’:
“Secondary traits are those that could be recognized within a given culture and central traits are those by which an individual may be recognized or characterized”
(Allport & Odbert, 1936; as cited in Ozanska-Ponikwia, 2013, p. 10)
Furthermore, these traits would receive the name of “The ‘Big Five’” or “Five- Factor Model (FFM)” which gathers "five factors or dimensions Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscien9ousness, Emo9onal Stability, and Intellect or Openness to Experience” (de Raad, 1998, p. 559).
Another theory regarding personality, that can be useful in educa9onal ma>ers, was proposed by Carl Jung (1921) who introduced the terms “introversion and extroversion”. Later on, he further developed them into eight typological groups:
(a) “introverted sensors”
(b) “introverted intuitors”
(c) "introverted thinkers”
(d) “introverted feelers”
(e) “extraverted sensors”
(f) “extraverted intuitors"
(g) “extraverted thinkers “
(h) “extraverted feelers” (Jung, 1921; as cited in Lawrence, 2015, p. 11)
These parameters will be later on used by Myers and Briggs to develop The Myers–Briggs type indicator (MBTI), a ques9onnaire that will categorize personality into 16 possible ones (Wilde, 2011, p. vii).
The inves9ga9on provided by Ehrman (1990) examined the “learning strategies of a foreign language-learning program in the US” and lead to the following conclusion:
Considering the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI; Myers & McCaulley, 1985) as the core source of his research, that divides personali9es into four dimensions:
“extraversion vs introversion; sensing vs intui9on; thinking vs feeling; judging vs perceiving”; he concluded that there were connec9ons among students’ learning styles and strategies based on their “introversion, intui9on, and percep9on”, therefore showing an enormous influence on their communica9on skills (Chen, M. L. & Hung, L.
-M, 2012, p. 1503: as cited in Ehrman, 1990, p.168).
The dichotomy between “extroversion" and “introversion” was inves9gated by Zafar and Meenakshi (2012, p. 643), they defined extroverts as “reckless and impulsive”. Whereas “introverts" are defined as “reserved and introspec9ve". From a pedological perspec9ve, Krashen (1985) argues that “extrovert language learners would increase the amount of input”, although Zafar & Meenakshi (2012, p. 643) claimed that there is a dilemma between success in language learning since there are results that prove that both groups are capable of being successful language learners.
In other words, different students acquire language in varied ways, and all of them are perfectly correct.
There is this third group of people considered “ambivalent”, in which “students feel both willing and unwilling to communicate in the target language” (MacIntyre, Mackinnon, & Clément, 2009), they are like a mixture of an “introvert” and an
“extrovert” which made them capable of fiqng into both categories and feel comfortable depending on the situa9on they are facing. Studies such as C. Hedman and U. Magnusson (2019, p.9), centered their research on finding evidence by tes9ng students’ produc9on, as it is the case of this student named “Brad” who described himself as “capable in terms of his rich imagina9on, but also displayed a moderate nega9ve stance toward his wri9ng”. This third group of students can be considered
either “introverts” or “extroverts”, which will aid them in fully integra9ng their learning in various ways.
Because of the purpose of this research, it is easier to focus on the separa9on drawn between “introversion” and “extroversion” as two opposites, which can also be defined as:
“introverts get their energy from within, and extroverts get theirs from the outside world. Though many of us claim to fall somewhere in the middle on this energy scale, we do tend to lean one way or another.” (Staats, 1996)
Especially in language learning, communica9on is one of the four skills that must be developed. Concerning those who are categorized as introverted students, they would find it difficult to speak in class or even ask ques9ons if they have a problem.
That is why it is important to change perspec9ves, from conven9onal ac9ve ways of learning that only seem to favor those considered “extroverts” and integrate new methodologies that would offer tools to those who are less confident to speak freely in class. Later on, the lesson plan will develop several sessions a>ending to this important issue.
3. 2. Personality and Learning Styles Inside the Foreign Language Classroom:
In the language field of study, from an ini9al structuralist standpoint, the only focus has been related to the formal “skeleton of language: phone9cs/phonology, morphology, syntax, and grammar in general” (Saussure, 1916; as cited in Schuller &
Batliner, 2013, p. 7) neglec9ng other characteris9cs:
“affected or caused by the individual’s physiological stage — anger, happiness, excitement, age sex, and so on. These help one to iden9fy people and to ascertain how they are feeling” (Pike, 1945; as cited in Schuller & Batliner, 2013, p. 7)
Schuller & Batliner (2013, pp. 115-119) explains the field of “paralinguis9cs”
which opens the ques9on to other aspects of language that influence our speech in communica9on. In their book, they include “personality” as a determina9ve component in the performance of a language (although it is recognized as difficult to study because of its inherent complex nature), and other factors in communica9on such as “intona9on, rhythm, con9nuity, and speed”; which are intently “connected to our emo9ons”. It is vital to understand that our personality is a complex manifesta9on of ourselves: It affects our self-percep9on and the way we express our emo9ons in a language.
In language learning, mul9ple areas center the a>en9on on differences in the learners, such as “language learning styles” and strategies of the individual as an essen9al part of our teaching-learning experience. If we center our syllabus on the various rhythms in a class (variety of learning techniques, what is best for someone might not be the most useful pathway for the other), the general ambiance will favor the learning process and ul9mately “raise their awareness about learning strategies” as they could follow the class based on their strengths (Oxford, 1989, p. 21). For example,
“extrovert” students will benefit from speaking interac9on ac9vi9es or even helping their classmates by teaching concepts; meanwhile, “introverts” will make the most of introspected ac9vi9es that will help them expand their imagina9on and crea9vity.
General knowledge of the class will guarantee op9mal learning strategies for all types of students.
As Alexander, Murphy, and Dörnyei (1999; 2005; as cited in Chan et al., 2012, p.
2), point out, this shiz in educa9on tries to “characterize the teachers and students”
and to see them as a group, making it possible to study in detail the individual characteriza9on of everyone that conforms the classroom. It is not only about taking advantage of what a learner is best at but also recognizing their stronger points and crea9ng a pathway as a teacher in the areas they find difficult to succeed at.
The ques9on here is: Why are students that do not succeed in learning an L2 at all “though they are proficient speakers of their respec9ve first language?” (Chant et al., 2012, pp. 2-3).
In Skehan’s research (1991; as cited in Chan et al., 2012, p. 3) he conducted a dual Psychological Approach and Second Language Acquisi9on techniques, intending to demonstrate the differen9al characteris9cs of their learners are related to their performance in the L2, he proved that there is a connec9on between class performance and personality, while he also denounced that there is an evident lack of research that inves9gates personality traits in contrast to “universal principles of L2 learners”, more focused on demonstra9ng how language learners acquire the language. Skehan (1991, pp. 275-293) reassures evidence by focusing on the acquisi9on of a second language, based on Individual Differences (ID): “language ap9tude, mo9va9on, learner strategies, and learner styles”, he concluded that
“language ap9tude” and “mo9va9on” were the most influen9al when acquiring an L2
whether “personality” is considered “mul9-causal” when other factors such as “risk- taking, and anxiety” can alter the effect on communica9on and learning per se:
“Students who scored high on the extraversion (…) reported significantly lower levels of communica9ve anxiety in English. (…) The higher foreign-language anxiety of the introverts follows logically from the observa9on that they tend to be reserved, quiet and unasser9ve in contrast to the more outgoing and talka9ve extraverts”
(Furnham & Heaven, 1998; as cited in Cook, 2002, p. 222)
In other words, although it may be frustra9ng for a learner to acquire a language, and their personality may influence their ap9tude for different skills, personality cannot be considered an ul9mate factor for not learning a language. It is true, that other factors, such as anxiety may be related to some degree to personality, but anxiety is not sta9c, but rather depends on the situa9on that generates it.
Concerning language oral produc9on in the L2, because of the division between introvert learners and extrovert learners, it is important to establish biological evidence that supports their different cogni9ve processing of language when communica9ng:
“The introverts’ higher baseline levels (tonic) of cor9cal arousal as well as greater reac9vity (phasic) to individual s9muli, means that they do not need this s9mula9on and will thus rather try to avoid over-arousing situa9ons. When exposed to strong s9muli, introverts reach their tolerance levels much more quickly than extroverts do." (Cook, 2002, p. 214)
When processing informa9on, from “Short Term Memory (STM)” to “Long Term Memory (LTM)”, research has shown that “extroverts are superior to introverts in STM”
(Howarth & Eysenck, 1965; as cited in Cook, 2002, p. 214), one of the reasons could be related to the “over-arousal of the introverts” that would “affect their parallel processing” or mul9tasking, in other words, because of introverts’ high sensi9vity to the environment, it is difficult for them to process informa9on as quickly as extroverts, or being able to “retrieve” it; this does not mean that it is certainly impossible, this just proves that introverts are more aware of their surroundings and makes it difficult to select the a>en9on.
Concerning language, “extroverts’ speed of retrieval of informa9on from memory” and the higher resistance to stressful situa9ons, enhance extroverts’
communica9on skills in “high-s9mula9on environments” (Ma>hews & Deary, 1998; as cited in Cook, 2002, p. 214). That is to say, in a school context, classrooms are high- s9mula9on environments that involve mul9ple s9muli that could affect posi9vely
extrovert students in the processing of language; as a force or energy for them to engage in a classroom full of people.
In conclusion, it is important to count on a variety of techniques that will target our students’ characteris9cs. What may affect posi9vely some of our students might detriment the learning of others. Modern methodologies are assuring a comfortable atmosphere in the classroom by combining divergent approaches to learning, making sure they can aid all our students.
4. New Learning Approaches: 21st-century skills and Gamifica7on.
The “educa9onal philosophy” all over the world priori9zes “life-long learning”
and a “holis9c approach to teaching and learning” which includes geqng to know our students’ “Mul9ple Intelligence” (a>ending to Garner’s theory) and personali9es (Tirri
& Nokelainen, 2011, p. vii), by targe9ng their differences we would be able to work with all kinds of students. Acknowledging their strengths, would improve their mo9va9on and also help them understand how to deal with certain aspects of their learning process without frustra9ng or not understanding how to overcome them.
Regarding “21st-century skills”, Rotherham & Willingham (2010, p.17) explain that “the world demands a variety of skills” and different ways of doing things that are not new, but the success of younger genera9ons will depend on the development of these abili9es. The inten9on behind these “skills” is to make a general knowledge of all ma>ers, that would target generalized goals for all kinds of specializa9on. The aim of this project was the integra9on of two concepts:
“that had not been explored previously for assessment and training purposes:
Learning Through Digital Networks and Collabora9ve Problem Solving” (Griffin et al., 2017, p.1)
The premise presented by Griffin et al. (2017, p.17) is that knowledge is becoming
“more specialized and expanding exponen9ally”, because of the involvement of technology transforming our “social rela9onships” in the first place. That is so, professions are evolving from an ini9al point of “manual labor” to “work that can be accomplished by machines” and that is why educa9on should focus on teaching tools to learners that aim for their success:
“Being able to communicate, share and use the informa9on to solve complex problems, in being able to adapt and innovate in response to new demands and changing circumstances.” (Griffin et al., 2017, p.17)
Realis9cally speaking, the world is moving faster than ever, and there is a need for a correla9on between the real world out there and schooling. If schools aim to make children aware of how the world works, there is a need for implemen9ng real-life meaningful learning in all subjects.
What are “21st-century skills"? Based on Binkley’s classifica9on (Griffin et al., 2017, p.18) we find the following categoriza9on:
“Educa9on” and “social development” are somehow intertwined since one evolves with the other, for Hyland (2013, p. 13). One of the key elements in this new understanding of learning by leqng students be responsible for their learning, also known as the concept of "autonomous learning”. If they can know themselves, possibly by ques9oning how they learn, their personality, and the best ways of developing long- life meaningful learning; they would be able to understand why they do things in the first place. What is the point of teaching concepts in school, if they are unable to comprehend why it is useful for them?
The best way to aim for this kind of knowledge is by integra9ng mechanisms that make successful learning. In English, it is about making them par9cipants in the future needs of learning English, what it means to communicate in a foreign language when English is recognized as the Lingua Franca, by also addressing cultural awareness and differences, and teaching them useful tools for an autonomous learning process, that even in the future they can use to keep improving their level of English.
WAYS OF THINKING
WAYS OF WORKING
TOOLS FOR WORKING
LIVING IN THE WORLD
1 . Crea9vity and Innova9on
4. Communica9on 6. Informa9on Literacy 8. Ci9zenship — local and global
2. Cri9cal Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision
Making
5. Collabora9on (teamwork)
7. ICT Literacy 9. Life and career
3. Learning to Learn 10. Personal and Social
Responsibility — including cultural
awareness and competence
This is what “21st-century skills" try to convey, that educa9on is much more than assessing and passing a subject, but making use of realis9c, func9onal, and prac9cal knowledge even when years have passed since the teaching of the subject.
“Learner-centered” methodologies aim for the consolida9on of autonomous learning, although some inconvenience of pressuring teenagers with a lot of responsibility at that age is that they do not “necessarily have the full competence to take responsibility for their learning, engaging themselves in the process of decision- making in all the areas normally determined by an ins9tu9on, teacher, or textbook.”
(Blidi, 2018, p. 2). Nevertheless, if the focus is on choosing from a variety but control proposals, learners will be able to effec9vely engage in their learning in a reviewed seqng proposed by the teacher. In the didac9c proposal, there will be examples dealing with students’ decision-making.
Nowadays, what is implied when we refer to “autonomous learning” is taking into account learners’ outlook as being “ac9ve and produc9ve agents” with a “capacity for detachment, cri9cal reflec9on, decision-making, and independent ac9on” (Blidi, 2018, p. 3). The target is focused on designing tasks that create an open space for them to integrate everyday knowledge of the world, tasks that aim to generate their own opinion about topics and help them as future adults in the future genera9ons. In educa9onal prac9ces, crea9ng a realis9c syllabus with real-life content would benefit learners to generate an opinion about certain real-life situa9ons.
In the 21st century, educa9onal techniques have evolved. In the search for mo9va9ng our students, teachers have implemented games as an essen9al mechanism that could engage them in doing specific tasks: games and learning. If the ul9mate goal is to make learning more enjoyable, gamifica9on targets “effec9veness of instruc9on on student learning” by being able to:
1. “Increase student engagement and mo9va9on.”
2. “Enhance learning performance and academic achievement.”
3. “Improve recall and reten9on.”
4. “Provide instant feedback on students’ progress and ac9vity.”
5. “Catalyze behavioral changes."
6. “Allow students to check their progress”
7. “Promote collabora9on skills.” (Kim et al., 2017, pp. 4-5)
The shiz in perspec9ve from educa9onal prac9ce being restricted to conven9onal classroom lectures has presented new ways of conceptualizing learning. In addi9on to all the benefits of integra9ng games into the classroom, the versa9le op9ons it can offer to teachers make learning and teaching more enjoyable for both par9es.
In the following didac9c unit, some examples will be provided offering possible ac9vi9es that target the la>er concepts explained: the integra9ve learning approach of
“21st-century skills” and “gamifica9on”, as well as the past introduced theories of personality such as Garner’s “Mul9ple Intelligence Theory”, 1983; by conforming a hybrid methodology that aims to generate posi9ve reac9ons in the learners, as well as it will offer an open space for them to express their likes and dislikes and different ways of learning.
5. Problema7c Obstacles: Class Reality, Demo7va7on, Influence of Personality
Although it is true, that in the best condi9ons learning will lead to success, it is also true that not all the premises are meant to be achieved in the end. Some parameters cannot be controlled or even foretell, because the inherent focus of this disserta9on is to prove that each class represents a unique variable we need to pay a>en9on to. We will be discussing some of the problems and possible solu9ons to them.
Ini9ally, we have already discussed the concept of “mo9va9on” and how it can be
“intrinsic” or “extrinsic” depending on the source that energizes us to do something. In (Bentham & Hutchins, 2012, p. 29) it is suggested that an “extrinsically mo9vated student” can be only “mo9vated by external factors” (such as receiving a price azer an ac9vity like Kahoot), in the case that they do not receive a reward, they would easily get “demo9vated”.
“Demo9va9on” is defined by Dörnyei (2001, p. 3; as cited in Bentham & Hutchins, 2012, p. 29) as “aspects of the classroom environment of the learning situa9on that can be canceled out even strong exis9ng mo9va9on in pupils”. That is to say that
“extrinsic mo9va9on” has its limita9ons, and teachers should be able to generate
“intrinsic mo9va9on” in the long run. In other words, genera9ng interest in the doing of the task as such, without promises, rewards, or any kind of guarantees.
“Gamifica9on” is a perfect start for students to engage in the doing of a certain task, but we cannot always assure them that this is the only way of learning, otherwise,
when other aspects of the learning process could be considered tedious (such as reading or wri9ng), learners would be unable to succeed in those areas.
There should be a balance between fun and learning, but also, it is essen9al to develop cri9cal thinking and autonomous learning so that they get familiarized with other aspects that do not necessarily imply an enjoyable 9me.
As it was previously discussed, at such a young age it requires a certain degree of responsibility for them to control certain variables of their learning process, and that is why although our vision should be “learner-centered”, it is the teacher who should be providing them a pathway of ac9on for them to choose. In other words, providing them with different ac9vi9es for them to choose what is best for them, but always establishing a limit marked by the teacher himself/herself.
It is be>er to establish a responsible learning rela9onship that guarantees the understanding of the learning process of anything, as something unstable, that changes. Being able to listen to them by also making them aware that responsibility demands a certain degree of accountability in the work they do or do not.
Concerning personality ma>ers, in Lawrence's (2015) research, and in-depth class group analysis is conducted to find “personality parameters” (“introversion” and
“extroversion”) and “learning styles” (learning preferences about Garner’s “Mul9ple Intelligence Theory”). He proved that some9mes the most expected result could change, some students showed a preference for certain ac9vi9es that were not supposed to correlate with their personality traits:
“Nonreflec9ve and preference of classroom ac9vity. What stands out as we step back and examine the percentages is the number of ac9ve learners who ranked group presenta9ons last and second to last.” (Lawrence, 2015, p. 53)
As well as in other cases, some extrovert students preferred reflec9ve ac9vi9es, when they are supposed to be more engaged in ac9ve techniques of learning.
Personality is a difficult concept and it should always be open to interpreta9on and direct opinions of our learners, what might work with someone might not work with the other. Lawrence (2015, pp. 102-103) suggests that the key to success in learning should target different methodologies, and be open to reinterpreta9on when something does not work as expected.
In the end, the problem lies in the expected commitment that the teacher should have. Although “mo9va9on” has been the object of study from different viewpoints in
the history of educa9on, “personality” is not so well inves9gated because of the inherent difficulty it represents. In reality, in a school context, when you have thirty students in your class it is almost impossible to rely on personality tests and data analysis of each individual in the class, in other words, it is impossible to create all the possible ac9vi9es for all types of learners while assessing their work and geqng to know them.
Some possible solu9ons could be found if educa9on systema9cally considered personality a fundamental aspect of all subjects: geqng to know our students’ profiles and learner’s learning styles, assessing their strengths, and making sure they feel well along the process. Although it requires extensive 9me and prepara9on it is certainly not impossible to do, and some basic integra9ons in our syllabus could favor the integra9on of this system in the long run.
6. Final Conclusions:
Class evalua9on and knowledge of the surroundings provide a personalized and subjec9ve opinion of the classroom: the types of learners you will encounter, and the willingness to engage in the learning of the subject. This type of informa9on will offer the teacher a specific pathway of how to proceed when explaining things.
It is essen9al to regard the integra9on of “personality” and “mo9va9on” as a concept that teachers need to consider. Some9mes, our vision is so centered on the teaching of our subject that we forget that we are dealing with real-life people that have their percep9ons of the learning process. The degree of our student's engagement in the class will benefit from a conscious teacher that aims for a be>er overall environment and considers what happens when teaching.
In conclusion, it requires a lot of 9me to know our students, and also it requires a certain degree of implica9on and mo9va9on from the teacher. In a way, it all parts from an inner commitment of willingness and voca9on, which ul9mately will characterize the success of the students and our teaching.
PART B: DIDACTIC PROPOSAL 1. Title: This is me.
2. Jus7fica7on
A>ending the Organic Law Amending the Organic Law of Educa9on (LOMLOE), the following didac9c unit targets competency-based learning in the consolida9on of autonomous learning, personal development, and cri9cal thinking in the learners, concerning the “21st-century skills” in educa9on. Furthermore, it will cover the introspec9ve development of their personality and mo9va9on, by offering students the possibility of connec9ng with the inner conceptualiza9on of themselves, self- regula9on, and educa9onal ma>ers, as well as providing them with tools to connect with their peers and monitoring their feelings inside the classroom.
“This is me” Aims to consolidate learners’ ability to connect with the physical world while encouraging autonomous learning and personal skills that make them capable of recognizing their personality traits, and preferences, as well as geqng in touch with cultural knowledge in the foreign language.
Based on the Royal Decree 217/2022 objec9ves:
b) To develop and consolidate ins9lling discipline, study, and individual and collabora9ve work, as a fundamental condi9on in the development of tasks and personal growth; the premise of the didac9c unit is to make them aware of their strengths and use them as mo9vators to keep developing their knowledge in the foreign country. Addi9onally, the learners will be provided with op9ons as regarded the consolida9on of the autonomous learning, and the development of responsibility, as a way of offering them choices in their learning process, but being aware that there are consequences to their acts.
i) To comprehend and express themselves in a foreign language; one of the basic principles in the learning of English, to assure the progress in the four skills of language, the learners will be directly working with them as they are integrated into the ac9vi9es in the didac9c unit.
j) To know, value, and respect basic cultural elements, from their history and others’, as well as cultural and ar9s9c patrimony; Moreover, the inherent nature of the unit is directed towards the integra9on of cultural manifesta9ons, such as cinema9c elements as well as it covers students’ preferences, allowing them to express their likes and dislikes. The purpose of integra9ng their opinions in the class will be directly
connected to the development of their mo9va9on and ac9ve par9cipa9on in the learning process as in learner-centered methodologies.
To conclude, “This is me” Promotes the learners’ opinions, choices, and valida9on, as a way of advoca9ng for the learners’ feelings when teaching. This way, it will guarantee op9mal a>ainment of the contents taught in class, as a way of offering a nice environment for them to feel comfortable and relaxed.
3. Contextualiza7on
Based on the characteriza9on of the context provided by the school, the following tenets were considered when crea9ng the didac9c unit. The educa9onal center is IES Jabalcuz, it was created in 1976 and it was formed because of the great demand for students in the city with only two exis9ng high schools in the area.
Nowadays, it is a well-respected and recognized public high school with students from ESO, Bachillerato, and Educa9onal Cycle. It is located in the city center of Jaén, and the socio-cultural and socioeconomic characteris9cs of the families are varied, most of them belong to the middle class, being the culture of olive oil the source of income for most of the families. Addi9onally, the vast majority of the students are from Jaén capital city, although there are some immigrants and interna9onal families.
Concerning English, IES Jabalcuz counts with a Bilingual program since 2008, which is focused on teaching specialized subjects in English with the aid of a na9ve American teacher; and an interna9onal program, Erasmus +, related to academic exchanges and language immersion in Europe with the objec9ves of training in basic communica9on in the foreign language, as well as in emo9onal language and the use of technologies in everyday educa9on.
The school building has 3 floors, and it gathers a lot of students from various school levels, specialized classrooms with TIC resources, and a library that includes a variety of English books available for all learner levels. The general ambiance of the school embraces respect, integra9on values, and inclusiveness with posi9ve messages that surrounds the hallways of the school.
This Didac9c unit has been planned considering a class of 26 students: 14 girls and 12 boys, one of them with specific needs for educa9onal support and another one being an interna9onal student from the United States. Belonging to the third year of Compulsory Secondary Educa9on, it is a group with a diverse variety of English levels between A2/B1 according to CEFRL.
4. Objec7ves
Objec9ves are defined, based on Ar9cle 2 of the Royal Decree 1105/2014 as the gains achieved by the students at the end of every stage, as the result of the teaching- learning experiences inten9onally planned for that purpose. They are divided into three categories: didac9c objec9ves, which are established by the teacher at the beginning of the course, in correla9on to the stage, and foreign language objec9ves, which are explicitly described in the law.
4.1. Didac7c Objec7ves:
The didac9c objects are inherently created in concordance with the stage objec9ves and the foreign language objec9ves, these are the principal tenets that will characterize the didac9c unit as a whole:
1. To recognize and use the vocabulary in the context of the issue under discussion.
2. To understand, share and provide opinions about daily topics, in oral and wri>en forms (debate, give opinions, analyze, listen to other students’ ideas…)
3. To raise awareness about cultural elements in the foreign language, fully integrated in their spare 9me.
4. To value ar9s9c and cultural elements of different communi9es around the world, using different means of expression, interpreta9on, and representa9on.
4.2. Stage Objec7ves:
Based on the Royal Decree 1105/2014, the stage objec9ves unify the expected requirements that need to be fulfilled in the Compulsory Secondary Educa9on (CSE).
The following listed objec9ves are related to the presented didac9c unit:
b) To develop and consolidate discipline habits, study, and individual and collabora9ve work with the necessary condi9on to effec9vely perform learning tasks and as an important means of personal development.
d) To enhance affec9ve capaci9es in all elements of personality and the rela9onships with the others, as well as to reject violence, prejudices of any kind, sexist behaviors, and resolve conflicts peacefully.
i) To comprehend and express in one or more foreign languages properly.
j) To know, value, and respect basic cultural aspects and its history and others’, as well as ar9s9c and cultural patrimony.