The effectiveness of the teleaprendizaje program for the english teaching in the speaking skill appl

UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGOGICA DE EL SALVADOR

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

The effectiveness of the Teleaprendizaje program for the English teaching in the speaking skill applied to fourteen students in ninth grade at Centro Escolar Caserío Santa Cristina, San Luis Talpa, 2007.

PRESENTED BY: Fuentes Flores Carlos Raymundo Fuentes Norma Guadalupe Mejía López Marleny Marisol

TO OBTAIN THE ACADEMIC DEGREE IN LICENCIATURA EN CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACION ESPECIALIDAD EN IDIOMA INGLES

San Salvador, El Salvador 2009

UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGOGICA DE EL SALVADOR

FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN

RECTOR:

Ingeniero Luis Mario Aparicio Guzmán

VICERECTORA ACADEMICA:

Licenciada Catalina Rodríguez de Merino

DECANO DE LA FACULTAD DE EDUCACION:

Licenciado Jorge Alberto Escobar

F._______________________________ Lic. Estanley Oviedo Bermudes Presidente

F._______________________________ Dr. Salvador Hernรกndez Mayorga Primer Vocal

F._______________________________ Lic. Sonia Guadalupe Lรณpez Segundo Vocal

F._______________________________ Lic. Irma Carballo Asesora

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dedicated to:

The almighty God

The most important people in my life, my father Manuel Antonio Fuentes (gone) and my mother Adriana Flores De Fuentes who always has been my strength and faithful guide during my whole life.

My brothers: Orlando, Arturo, Luis and Manuel

Licda. Irma Carballo ( Advisor)

The judges and committee who evaluated this research

The Authorities of Universidad Pedagรณgica De El Salvador

Carlos Raymundo Fuentes Flores

Dedicated to:

I dedicate this thesis to the Almighty God who gave me the opportunity to finish my career, giving me the strength, wisdom, and patience.

To my mother – I’m proud to be your daughter.

To my husband – I’m blessed to be your wife.

To my family

Thanks to Ana Landa and the PIANLAN organization for giving me the support during the process of my career.

Thanks to my friend Marleny Mejia for being a good example of strength.

Norma Guadalupe Fuentes de Lara

Dedicated to:

To Almighty God who protected me during my life and allowing me to finish my career.

Thanks to all my family for their support and advisements, especially my sisters and brothers.

To my Aunt Maria Lilían Mejía who supported me during the process of my career.

Thanks to my boyfriend Franklin E. Claros Amaya and his parents for helped me during my career.

To my friends with love

To my thesis partners, specially thanks to Norma’s family.

Marleny Marisol Mejía López

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content

Page number

Introduction OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................1 General Objective.......................................................................................1 Specific Objective.......................................................................................1 Justification..............................................................................................2-3

CHAPTER I CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK I.1.1 Antecedents of the Educative Television………..………………………….4-6 I.1.2 Teleaprendizaje and Its Beginnings……………….……………………...…7-8 I.1.3 Teleaprendizaje in El Salvador…………………………………….......….9 -10 I.1.4 Connections of the Teleaprendizaje Program with New Strategies and Educative Policies of the National Plan 2021……………...….……………....11-13 I.1.5 Teleaprendizaje and the Speaking Skill………………..….………….…14-17 I.1.6 Statement of the Problem ……………………………………..…….……18-19 I.1.7 Findings and Limitations…………………………………….…..……..….20-21 I.1.8 Sum up of the Concepts and Categories to Be Used………….........…22-23

CHAPTER II METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATION II.1.1 Methodological and Theoretical Foundation……………………….......24-26 II.1.2 Empirical Framework ……..………………………………………..….....27-28 II.1.3 Theoretical Methodological Formulation of the Research………........29-37 II.1.4 Fieldwork……………………………………………………………….…..38-41 II.1.5 Technical Methodological Forms………………………………….….....42-43

II.1.6 Methods…………………………………………………………………..........44 II.1.7 Development and Theoretical Definition ...………………………..……45-47

CHAPTER III OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK III. 1.1 Describing the Subjects of the Research……………….…………......48-50 III. 1.2 Procedure to Collect the Information……………………...…………...51-63 III. 1.3 Specification of the Technique to Analyze the Information…....……......64 III. 1.4 Resources Used in the Research ...…………………………………….…65 III. 1.5 Preliminary Index about the Final Report ……………..………….......66-74 III.1.6 Analysis and connection among the objectives of the research and the real result found at Centro Escolar Caserío Santa Cristina..........................75-76 Bibliography …………………………………………………………….…....…77-78 Websites………………………………………………………………………….…..79 Annexes

INTRODUCTION

The present work tries to weigh up the pros and cons in the effectiveness of The Teleaprendizaje Program being used in many schools of El Salvador.

This research was done at Centro Escolar Caserío Santa Cristina, San Luis Talpa, and it was carried out with fourteen students in ninth grade.

The researchers studied the development of the speaking skill in Junior High School Education, with the purpose to evaluate the learning acquired by the students. This research was structured in three chapters in which the researcher’s present evidences, steps followed to encounter the information, and procedures that were taken into practice to carry it out.

The intention of this research was to provide information about the students that were learning English as a second language and the development of their speaking skill with the use of the Teleaprendizaje program. To prove this, it was necessary to do an interview and a research based on the observation in the practice of the program in progress, and in the analysis of the students’ learning with the teacher’s development of classes, and especially in the use of the program.

OBJECTIVES

General Objective: To measure the effectiveness of the methodologies implemented in the Teleaprendizaje program to develop the speaking skill.

Specific Objectives:

1) To determine which are the teaching learning techniques from the methodologies the teacher uses in the Teleaprendizaje program to develop the speaking skill.

2)

To administer an interview to measure the effectiveness of the

methodologies used by the teacher in the Teleaprendizaje program to develop the students’ speaking skill.

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JUSTIFICATION The Teleaprendizaje Program represents in our country a different option to improve the English classes. It is an educative service that uses the television set, video cassettes, and VCR in order to help the development of Education in young people that live in rural zones.

As teachers, it is very important to know about the use of new methodologies that contribute with the teaching-learning process. At the same time, these methodologies let teachers go on with the professionalism, success in the development of the classes, and finding the best quality of students and teachers life. The topic of the Teleaprendizaje Program is very important for the development of the students speaking skill that will help them in different future situations where they will need the use of English language.

All the English teachers who work with the Teleaprendizaje Program have the responsibility to do their best effort in order to get better results in students’ speaking skill. Some of these teachers teach without, any or a few knowledge about the use of methodologies, and do not have a high standard level in English speaking. The consequence from the mentioned above is: The lack of students’ motivation in speaking English or reproduce English sounds, and the feeling of apprehension at the time of having a conversation in future situations.

Nowadays, The Ministry of Education is implementing new plans, taking into account all the difficulties that Salvadoran’s Education had suffered; in order to make changes in the Educative system. Examples of these methodologies or plans are EDUCO, Plan 2021, Compite, Conectate, Teleaprendizaje and others. All of them count with technological resources such as: VCR, video cassettes, TV, CD, DVD, radio set, computers, and the use of special printed

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text books. These instruments facilitate the learning experiences of the students and make easier the teacher’s work.

At the beginning of the research the researchers did a previous diagnose of the Teleaprendizaje Program based in the owner of it: the Ministry of Education.

The institution gave the information needed for the development of the topic.

The MINED shared with the researchers the report about the different schools that were using the Teleaprendizaje Program (150 schools around the country in the rural zones). Then, the MINED presented the program as an innovator program that led the researchers continues with the research.

The Teleaprendizaje Program represents in our country a different way to teach and help for the teachers, showing the use of communicative means in order to spread the education in all rural places. The strategies implemented by the MINED to develop this program are: teachers’ workshops, evaluations, and a continuous process that motivates the interest to know more about the program.

With the result of the Teleaprendizaje Program research, the researches will propose a reflection for the teachers about their professional practice, and how they can contribute better with the educative service in where they are immersed.

The students’ must have the commitment to connect all their

knowledge for the society profit, and to improve their learning with success.

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CHAPTER I

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

I.1.1 ANTECEDENTS OF EDUCATIVE TELEVISION

In the year 1964, Salvadorans’ G o v e r n m e n t created a special committee in charge to study the possibility to create a national service of Educative Television. This committee was formed by many sectors such as the g o v e r n m e n t , educators, industry, commerce, and agriculture. The leadership of this committee was Licenciado Oscar Benéke, the Minister of Education at that time in El Salvador. The purchase of donations and installations of the resources were done with the help of the Japanese Government and the President of the United States, Lindon Ben Johnson. Since then, the new modality began in the teaching process using television.

Teachers were trained and hired as well as educative technicians to be used in the classroom with television by a foreign expert. Through all the process the UNESCO was supervising the work, and the first experimental class was developed.

At the beginning of 1967, three television stations served the Educative Television to elementary school with the objective to spread the basic teaching.1 There was also

inaugurated the first television studio at Ciudad Alberto

Masferrer in San Andrés with the presence of the United States President Lindon Ben Johnson and the president of El Salvador Fidel Sánchez Hernández.

In 1968, the Educative Television started to operate in the classrooms by prerecording Teleclasses that were broadcasted by transmitters installed in the 1

Informe ILCE pág.1.

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San Salvador volcano through satellites nationwide. Also in this same year, the Educative Television was used in some schools. The teacher created a motivation among the students, and at the same time he/she prepared a good environment using television materials. Later, the teacher projected a film that was based in a topic of the subject in progress. With the Teleclasses the teacher and students can use methodological instruments that they found in the didactics guides and in the printed text books. These books were structured and based according to the contents of the programs of that time.2 At the end of this year the television covered the six first courses. New educative programs were included in the plan. All basic subjects such as Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Spanish, and English were added to it, so it was possible to start the emissions on February 1969.

The administrative and studio offices of Educative Television were inaugurated in 1971. In this year emerged the National Channel 10 that was in charge to the production of educative programs such as culture, sport, entertainment and child programs. By the years 1973 and 1974 were transmitted and distributed the programs in Central America and Panama through an agreement among the cultural Educative Television, UNICEF and UNESCO. In 1973 the ETV was broadcasted through all public schools in the junior high school levels.

At the beginning of the 80’s, the Educative Television obtained its own mobile unit, but the later years were difficult for the Educative Channel. That is why in that time the civil war began, and this situation did not permit its grown in production terms. For this and many other reasons, the Educative Television

2

Informe ILCE pág.1,2 www.sep.gob.mx.Portal de la Secretaria de Educación Publica. Boletín 051del 28de marzo de 2003.

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formed part of CONCULTURA (The National Board for Culture and Art) in the year of 1991. In 1996, channel 10 began to operate again with the name of Educative Cultural Television, with its own electronic equipment and new programs provided by EDUSAT from Mexico. But this time was televised to all population, not especially to the schools.

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I.1.2 TELEAPRENDIZAJE AND ITS BEGINNING The Teleaprendizaje emerged in Mexico known as Telesecundaria by the second half of the sixties. Its objective was to extend the education access and implement new modalities besides giving the opportunity to the students to finish ninth grade of secondary level. Telesecundaria in Mexico by its characteristics has the following objectives: 1. To offer the population an educative service with electronic means supporting a social communication.

2. To offer modern didactic support to the teachers.

“Telesecundaria as a secondary education variant assumes the responsibility that the actual moment demands and impulses a change in the methodology with the fundamental objective to link the school with the community”3 “Since 1996, the General Coordination of Telesecundaria and the Educative Direction, such as

the Latino

American Educative Communication, took

initiative to have a meeting with Central American countries .They celebrated the first meeting called “Cumbre Mexico Centro Americana “ in Tuxtla Gutierrez Chiapas in January 1991,and introduced the Teleaprendizaje in the Central American countries.”4 Teleaprendizaje is a distance- learning project that creates and eases the use of television programs and printed material in junior high schools in rural areas.

The development of this program has contributed to increasing coverage and serving student demands within junior high schools in rural areas. Besides, contributing to a decrease in school drop-out, they have strengthened 3 4

MINED Propuesta de Mejora Educativa del Programa de Tele Aprendizaje. El Salvador, pág.8, 2006.

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curriculum development in junior high school. Its priority is to help children and young people that live in rural zones, people who have no access to an education. All the above, was done with the intention to find a better way of living for the student and the society.

People can participate in the educative process of Teleaprendizaje. Teachers, students, schools, family and community integrate an interactive, formative, and participative process to get a general benefit. The Teleaprendizaje has a modern pedagogic model and counts with electronic aids as the satellite, the TV, video cassettes, and computers used mostly in urban zones.

“Also, it counts with text books such as: Basic Concepts, it is a book that has programmatic contents that have each subject from the lesson plan in Junior High school. The Learning Guide offers different drill exercises and specific activities that students develop individually or in groups to reach integral learning. The Didactic Guide which presents the pedagogical guidance for the teacher to use it appropriately and creatively with a good methodology.�5

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MINED Propuesta de Mejora Educativa del Programa de Tele Aprendizaje. El Salvador, PĂĄg.17,

2006.

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I.1.3 TELEAPRENDIZAJE IN EL SALVADOR

After the cooperation agreements in the education area between Mexico and Central America, the implementation of the Teleaprendizaje program was a pedagogical model in our country too. In Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize is known under the name of Tele secondary. Tele Básica was named in Panama and Honduras.

“In 1991, the EDUCO program was born to implement the educative services in rural areas from 1to 6 levels. But then, it was expanded because of the educative demands that wanted to cover the next level, which were from 6 to 9 levels of junior high school education”6. Here is when the Teleaprendizaje was needed to cover the next levels left by the EDUCO program.

The Teleaprendizaje is a technological strategy that contributes to the education improvements in our country by using the materials that make easier the learning in the students not only in the Spanish subjects, but also in the English subject. The Teleaprendizaje is related with everything that telecommunication refers to. It is also used to instruct distance classes by internet and television.

There are two basic modalities that are immersed into the Teleaprendizaje program called synchrony and asynchrony.

The one who takes part in the Teleaprendizaje system has access to a computer and e-mail service this is a tool for the students which can broadcast the information of a complete class and at the same time formulate exercises that the teacher could correct and return to them. This is known as asynchrony.

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The synchronic communication is the one which transmits, receives, and operates at the same time. For example the Educative Television is produced when the student receives a message, but she/he does not participate. For instance, the long distance courses (through mail).

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I.1.4 CONNECTIONS OF THE TELEAPRENDIZAJE PROGRAM WITH NEW STRATEGIES AND EDUCATIVE POLICIES OF THE NATIONAL PLAN 2021

“The National Educative Plan 2021 establishes the necessity that the Salvadoran people reach an education until 11th year of school for all the community. Two strategies were proposed: 1) To spread the access to the education and, 2) To achieve a better effectiveness of junior high school and high school levels.

It intended to improve the students´ competence, and at the same time motivate them. This means that the national curriculum must develop a learning based in outcomes that should be useful for life. “What do we understand about outcomes?” According to Licenciada Rosa Margarita Montalvo de Castro, Chairwoman of the Academic Unit of (MINED) says, “The ability to be able to face with success from simple to complex tasks in a certain time. An outcome should develop the three basic elements: procedure, attitude and concept contents.”7

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MINED Propuesta de Mejora Educativa del Programa de Tele Aprendizaje. El Salvador, Pág.21, 2006.

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Program’s Coverage According to 2005 statistics, there are 250 school centers that have Teleaprendizaje program all over our country. According to this studio the majority of percentage is in the zones of San Salvador, La Libertad, Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, San Vicente, Cabañas and La Paz”8 Teleaprendizaje is a program that responds to the country’s reality in school centers, the higher percentage of the English teachers are not specialists. This is according to the researchers own experience as students in the public system. Even though, they are teaching these subjects. For that reason, the Ministry of Education (MINED) accomplished workshops on Teleaprendizaje and in technological and pedagogic areas specifically.

In relation to the technological area can be mentioned, the use of the technological equipments such as: DVD, VCR, CD, CD player, TV, Computer, printer, scanner, etc. Some of the English specialists provided suggestions to improve the English Learning process using Teleaprendizaje: 1 -Teaching Specialization in those subjects of study which teachers are not specialists or they do not have domain, or methodology about the subject they are in charge.

2- Methodology and planning of work with Teleaprendizaje.

In school centers a 95 % has television sets and a 90 % VCR; a 30 % has computers, text books as guides of learning and basic concepts. The 95 % of

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MINED Propuesta de Mejora Educativa del Programa de Tele Aprendizaje. El Salvador, Pág.17, 2006.

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school centers beneficiaries are using Teleaprendizaje program as a backup resource to the tuition process learning of the third cycle of Basic Education.9 The English subject frequently is taught three times a week. That means that the teacher uses The Teleaprendizaje program three times a week. One of the fundamental elements of Teleaprendizaje strategy is based in videos, in order to backup the TV classes that are developed with students. For that reason a technical staff, teachers and principals who work with the program have accomplished an analysis of videos to evaluate its correlation with the themes of the National program. In the English videos of Teleaprendizaje, an 80% have relation with the Salvadoran curriculum.

In 2005, the Ministry of Education sold off two workshops with the participation of principals and teachers from schools that count with the program and technicians of professional teaching development. Academic staff obtained very good results, and they suggested some things in order to improve the program such as: a) Saving the information contained of the video tapes on DVD. b) Elaborate videos and didactic material related to the contents of the National curriculum and have meetings and trainings with the teachers who use the program.

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I.1.5 TELEAPRENDIZAJE PROGRAM AND THE SPEAKING SKILL Nowadays, all professionals need to speak English to be successful in their jobs. The English language offers a better life. Also, professionals will earn more money than others who do not know English. It is known that the four skills are important when learning a foreign a language, even though in this case the research will be focused in the speaking skill, because the first skill to develop in a Second Language Acquisition is speaking. Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. Like the other skills, it is more complex than it seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words and it is important to improve it with the students.10

There are three kinds of speaking situations in which we find ourselves: interactive, partially interactive, and non-interactive.

Interactive speaking situations include face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, in which people are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification, repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partner. Some speaking situations are partially interactive, such as when giving a speech to a live audience, where the convention is that the audience does not interrupt the speech. The speaker nevertheless can see the audience and judge from the expressions on their faces and body language whether or not he or she is being understood. Some few speaking situations may be totally non-interactive, such as when recording a speech for a radio broadcast.

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Here are some of the micro-skills involved in speaking. The speaker has to develop: •

Pronounce the distinctive sounds of a language clearly enough so that people can distinguish them. This includes making tonal distinctions.

•

Use stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns of the language clearly enough so that people can understand what it is said.

•

Put words together in correct word order.

•

Use vocabulary appropriately.

•

Use the register or language variety that is appropriate to the situation and the relationship to the conversation partner.

•

Make clear to the listener the main sentence constituents, such as subject, verb, object, by whatever means the language uses.

•

Make the main ideas stand out from supporting ideas or information.

•

Make the discourse hang together so that people can follow what you are saying.11

Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. Like the other skills, it is more complicated than it seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words. For that reason, it is important that teachers develop this skill in the students. Also in this millennium, it is necessary to speak English especially in El Salvador. Many post beginners to lower intermediate students are quite capable of expressing their ideas reasonably well. However, they often run into problems when asking questions. This is due to a number of causes: i.e., teachers are the ones that usually ask questions, the inversion of the auxiliary

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verb and subject can be especially tricky for many students. This simple lesson focuses specifically on the question form and helping students gain skill while switching tenses in the question form. It is important to take into consideration these gaps in order to improve the speaking skill in the teaching learning process: •

Focus on auxiliary verb usage by making a number of statements in tenses the students are familiar with. Ask students to identify the auxiliary verb in each case.

•

Ask a student or students to explain the underlying scheme of the object question form (i.e., word Auxiliary Subject Verb). Have students give a number of examples in different tenses.

•

Split students up into pairs. Distribute worksheet and ask students to ask appropriate questions for the given answer taking turns.

•

Follow-up check of questions either by circulating through the student pairs or as a group.

•

Ask students to each take the second exercise (one for Student A the other for Student B) and complete the gaps by asking their partner for the missing information.

•

Solidify question forms by quickly playing a verb inversion game using the various tenses (i.e., Teacher: I live in the city. Student: Where do you live? Etc.) 12

If the student passes, the student takes all signed forms to the Associate Department Head who keeps copies in the student's file and marks in the

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student's records the completion of this requirement. Much of this part of the process is like what happens after a thesis proposal presentation or thesis defense; the focus here, however, is on oral communication skills.

As with writing, speaking as well takes practice satisfying this requirement might take a few tries on the student's part. For students who are naturally good speakers or are already experienced speakers, one tries maybe enough. No stigma is attached to those who have to try more than once.

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I.1.6 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Does the Teleaprendizaje program influence the development of the speaking skill on the students of ninth grade at the Centro Escolar CaserĂ­o Santa Cristina?

The development of the speaking ability is one of the main and important factors in the teaching learning system, and even more if it is about the learning of a second language as is in this case. At the Centro Escolar CaserĂ­o Santa Cristina the students of ninth grade had shown interest in studying and to have a good command of the English as a second language. This interest enables them to develop their capacities and bring them new and better opportunities in the labor system to the moment they have control of the English language. The problem in this case is that the Teleaprendizaje program is a copy taken from Mexico used in the classrooms, broadcasted at a certain time every day.

Instead, here it is used with some topics recorded in video cassettes, and the books include such a short brand of information.

The Teleaprendizaje program presents an update problem because its creation is about 1960, which was implemented in our country on 1991. There are three decades after its creation, which implemented a Salvadoran and Central America education system. Undoubtedly, the education system does not have the minimum requirements necessaries to obtain an optimum learning in the students; and according to actual needs. This program it is using the same materials from the beginning of its implementation, for that reason is presenting

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damage of its own time. Such is the defective audio, which make impossible that students perceive in a right way the learning that videos could teach, the same as the blurry images. To add all of these problems, at this time the VHS in not longer in use. Instead, the CDs have come to replace them.

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I.1.7 FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS

The Teleaprendizaje program was brought to El Salvador by the MINED from the SEP (Secretary of Public Education) in Mexico. In El Salvador the researchers can assure that during the development of this research it was found out that the MINED is the only owner of this program, which in agreement with Central America countries brought in the Teleaprendizaje program to our country. This institution has been in charge of the direction and application of the program in Central American countries. In this way the program has been used in the classrooms to the English teaching language, and other subjects that are implicit in the National Curriculum. MINED proposed, observed, and ordered its application in our country. All of this was with the only objective not only to be spread to national levels but also to the rural zones. The Teleaprendizaje program is the application of a system that consists in the use of a TV, video tape, VCR, and two books; Learning Guide, and Basic Concepts. These are considered the basic tools of this program. This program makes easy the teachers’ job, and develops in the students the abilities of observing, listening, reading, and speaking.

One of the teaching methods to national and international level that is similar to the Teleaprendizaje program is the Communicative Method which suggests the use of all audio visual materials to the teaching. This method mentions the use of the TV, and video tapes that encourage the teachers to teach the students in an easy and enjoyable way was also found out.

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There also should be considered that the application of this program has some disadvantages, since this is designed to be applied in the rural zones, but in most of these zones people do not count with good power service. The MINED did not weigh up these disadvantages and simply used the Teleaprendizaje program as a pilot one. It should also be taken into account that only MINED has the reserved rights to put into practice this program in our country. That is why researchers considered the previous mentioned as limitations.

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I.1.8 SUM UP OF THE CONCEPTS AND CATEGORIES TO BE USED The most important concepts about the research are Teleaprendizaje and speaking skill. Teleaprendizaje is a school model taken from the Mexican educative system which intends to spread the education in young people that live in rural communities or that cannot count with the enough educative service because of the lack of money.13

Teleaprendizaje program is used in some schools of El Salvador as a methodology, with the purpose to teach English and other subjects in a different way. The goal of the Ministry of Education is to spread this program not only to rural zones but also to national levels in all Salvadoran schools.

The speaking skill is the audible expression in words that help to communicate between two or more people. This skill is used a lot to develop a good use of the English language with the Teleaprendizaje program. The speaking skill not only refers to the act of pronouncing, but also to the one of articulating, to give rhythm to the sentences, and also to learn a different foreign culture.14

The researchers believe the speaking skill is an oral reproductive ability that students must develop in order to master English as a second language. Also, it is important to improve this skill in all levels of the teaching learning process.

The researchers know the speaking skill is hard to develop in the appropriate

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MINED propuesta de Mejora Educativa del Programa Teleaprendizaje en el marco del plan nacional.

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way because it has difficult sounds to reproduce in order to pronounce the words.

In the English learning process the four skills are important; a person who learns any language needs to speak at first. That is why in English it is necessary to develop the speaking skill first in order to recognize phonic sounds in the second language.

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CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

II.1.1 METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

Among the authors that support the researcher’s position in this work are Krashen who talks about the speaking skill. He is the author of the Natural Approach method in which he explains the use of this method in the development of the speaking skill. He states that: “Acquisition requires meaningful interactions in the target language- natural communication-in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.”

(Stephen

Krashen)1 The researchers are in agreement with this author because he pointed out that acquisition takes place when people understand the meaning in the other language (L2) and students acquire the target language in the same way they have learned or acquired their native language (L1). All this is possible if real teaching materials are used with them, to reach the student’s progress from a silent period of time in which they receive a lot of information. This should be easy to assimilate, up to the moment when the students begin talking. The method of Krashen specifies that the teacher can use a bunch of materials taken from nature such as seeds, little rocks, wood etc. in order to teach numbers, and in the case to teaching vocabulary, for example the teacher should use an apple and show to students, and lead them to touch the texture, to smell, and flavor of this fruit in order to assimilate the new vocabulary. The

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MINED Dirección Nacional de Desarrollo Educativo Dirección de Desarrollo Curricular. 2004

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learning happens only when the students feel comfortable and ready and, therefore, willing to start using the target language.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION As a part of the Educational Reform the Ministry of Education has implemented a pilot program (Teleaprendizaje) with the objective of giving a better quality of education and an integral education to children in the National Educational System.

Considering the reality of El Salvador and the needs of our students the English program needs a curricular document that helps to guide teachers in the planning and organization of the teaching-learning process.2 According to the researchers the learning of the English language has become essential for students to respond to the challenges and demands of globalization in a changing context and to actively participate in society. The position of the researchers as for the Ministry of Education is that the program is important not only for the population of students from different educational levels in El Salvador that live to contribute and built a more diverse society, but also for the students who are the most needed in the rural zones of El Salvador.

Nowadays to achieve success in their personal, social and professional goals, people must communicate appropriately, skillfully and effectively, not always in their own native language or languages, but more often in English.

The learning of another language should begin early in life as part of a social interchange, since it is favored by the natural excitement, thirst for knowledge,

2

MINED Direcciรณn Nacional de Desarrollo Educativo Direcciรณn de Desarrollo Curricular. 2004

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interest and curiosity. Curiosity is the motor that drives people to discovery.

Additionally, they acquire a positive attitude toward other countries and people.

Learning English can be promoted through participation in cooperative games, widely used in other childhood education. Boys and girls are active beings who are constantly looking for mental and physical stimuli, and they progressively organize the information acquired.

English in the National Educational system is based on a group of curricular pedagogical guides, which contain a variety of methods and techniques for teaching and along with the teacher’s creativity, become the basic tools for the teacher’s performance in the classrooms. In order to improve the quality of education for boys and girls in the teaching learning process, it is important for schools as in the one the researchers have chosen in order to consider the planning and application of the English subject when preparing the lesson plans and organization.

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II.1.2 EMPIRICAL FRAMEWORK There are two important concepts that the researchers used in the development of this research, they are speaking skill and Teleaprendizaje.

Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. According to the researchers speaking is one of the most important skills in the learning of a second language. Speaking is in many ways an undervalued skill, perhaps this is because we can almost all speak, and so take the skill too much for granted.

Speaking is often thought of as a common form of expression which is used daily in a transient and improvised way. The learning of a second language most depend partly of the person’s ability. In order to be able to speak a foreign language it is necessary to know a certain amount of grammar and vocabulary.

For instance, to test whether learners can speak, it is necessary to get them to actually say something. To do this, teachers must act on knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, by giving learners speaking practice and oral exam. The researchers recognize that there is a difference between getting knowledge and language. This distinction between knowledge and skill is crucial in the teaching of speaking.

Teleaprendizaje is a program that supports the curricular system which creates and facilitates the students learning using audiovisual aids and printed material in Junior High Schools for the rural areas.

The use of TV is the central component of Teleaprendizaje, which is a program that has been operating for many years in El Salvador on benefit of lot of students from seventh to ninth grades. Teleaprendizaje is especially designed to teach rural students living in isolated, low populated areas where general junior high schools would not be feasible.

27

Teachers and supervisors of Teleaprendizaje program receives service training through televised programs which were designed by MINED to “update� teachers on teaching techniques and materials. The cost of Teleaprendizaje is based on data provided by Mexican and Central America organizations in coordination with the Ministry of Education of El Salvador. 3 Teleaprendizaje goes against the grain of Latin American school tradition. It constitutes one of the very few programs in which the poor receive a betterconceived and better-managed program than urban middle and upper socioeconomic classes.

3

Telesecundaria 1998-99 figures and general and technical schools figures based on SEP (1998). P.49

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II.1.3 THEORETICAL-METHODOLOGICAL FORMULATION OF THE RESEARCH The Teleaprendizaje program is about the use of a TV, VCR, and a video tape in order to teach a class. The teacher is in charge to play the video tape and explain the students the vocabulary and the topic that is in progress. The teacher can also stop the video and ask some questions about what the students are watching and listening. All of this is done with the objective to develop their speaking skill and evaluate and determine the student’s level.

The use of videotape is merely a better version of audiotape; using the video in a class is not just listening with pictures. There are many reasons why video can add a special, extra dimension to the learning experience.

One of the main advantages of video is that students do not just hear language, they see it too. This greatly aids comprehension since for example general meaning and moods are often conveyed through expression, gesture, and other visual clues. Thus the researchers can observe how intonation can match facial expression. All such paralinguistic features give valuable meaning clues and help viewers to see beyond what they are listening to, and thus interpret the text more deeply.

On the other hand, video uniquely allows students to look at situations far beyond their classrooms. This is especially useful if they want to see, for example, in the typically British “body language” when inviting someone out, or how Americans speak to waiters. Video is also of great value in giving students a chance to see such things as what kind of food people eat in other countries, and what they wear. For all of these reasons so far mentioned, most students

29

show higher interest when they have a chance to see language in use as well as hear it, and when this is coupled with interesting tasks.

The researchers think that many post beginners to lower intermediate students are quite capable of expressing their ideas reasonably well. However, they often run into problems when asking or answering questions. This is due to a number of causes: teachers are the ones that usually ask questions, the inversion of the auxiliary verb and subject can be especially tricky for many students. This simple lesson focuses specifically on the question form and helping students gain skill while switching tenses in the question form.

Descriptions of speaking and listening skill in order to determine the appropriate student’s level Level 1 – Beginner

At the Beginner level, students have limited functional ability. With difficulty, they can give simple information. They can only use individual words or learned phrases in familiar situations. Communication is very limited. They might be silent or use their native language. And their first language very strongly influences their pronunciation. People who used to speak with nonnative speakers will find difficult to understand them. When listening, students have limited functional ability. With difficulty, they can understand simple information in familiar situations and often have wrong responses because they do not

30

understand. They also need many repetitions, rewording and slowed speech in order to have a limited understanding.4

In this level, the researchers express that students start to learn new words that in some cases are difficult for them to understand, because their native language is a great factor that limits the students’ learning. This level shows that they are totally afraid of the use of language because they are concerned about how to express their ideas in a right way.

Level 2 – Pre-intermediate

At the pre intermediate level, students have basic survival ability. They can give simple information using individual words or learned phrases in familiar and immediate situations. Their vocabulary is basic. They omit many function words.

And make many errors. Communication is limited. People who are used to speaking with nonnative speakers may find difficult to understand them. Their first language strongly influences their speech. When listening, they can understand memorized words and phrases. And can understand simple questions and information as understanding the main idea of basic topics there are misunderstandings. They need much repetition and slowed speech in order to understand.5

4

5

Taken form https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=474

Taken from https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=474

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The researchers propose that in this level the students are able to change to a high level, in which they could prove or to put in practice their learning because they are prepared to acquire commands and their vocabulary has increased.

They can also express by themselves with less fear to make mistakes.

Level 3 – Intermediate At the Intermediate level, students can maintain simple conversations on a variety of familiar topics. They can perform routine tasks with relative comfort and cannot go into great detail. They cannot use complex language or speak at length about abstract topics. They often hesitate while speaking. And make many grammatical errors. Students may not be able to say everything that they want to say. Their native language influences their speech. Native English speakers who used speaking with nonnative speakers can understand them with some difficulty. When listening, they can survive in a second language environment. If they have some background knowledge they are able to handle limited everyday situations.6

The researchers think that in this level the students speak more fluently than in other levels. This is because they are attentive and they have wider knowledge in this level. And everyone has his own learning style.

The researchers can add some more techniques and drill that are suitable for beginners but they are less appropriate for students at higher levels- for example, the use of repetition. Teachers find it quite effective to get beginner students repeat a sentence in chorus, but at higher levels this usually seems 6

Taken from http://www.3imobile.com/courses/skilleveldescription.htm

32

strange. At advanced levels it is easy to organize students to discuss in class but it is not the case for.

Teachers of beginners will necessarily use adjectives whose organization and content is less complex than those for more advanced learners and although discovery learning, for example, is seen as desirable at any level. It is more widely used at intermediate levels and above than it is at beginner and elementary levels.

Taking into account the Teleaprendizaje Program can be used to teach any regular, in subject. In each class is necessary the use of the two books that are some of the tools of this program each book is divided into five sections such as Science, Mathematics, Language, English, and Social Studies.

One of the books is Called Basic concepts, which is a gathering of texts that contain all the topics that the students will work in each class. The other one is Learning Guide that contains the activities, objectives, practices and quizzes that help students to support their learning in each topic. Beside the books used in the program, this suggests that the students must use a note-book for each subject in which they can take notes, to realize some activities that the book proposes to do. The main purpose of these books is to contribute in the integral formation of the students.

Another important instrument used in the Teleaprendizaje program is the teacher which is the performer of the class. One writer has suggested that the teachers in such learner center classroom need special qualities including, maturity, intuition, educational skills in order to develop student awareness of language of learning, and openness to students input and a greater tolerance and the desire of learning more each day. These qualities he suggests are in

33

marked contrast to more traditional teacher behavior (Tudor 1993)7. It is because views are somewhat mixed as to what teachers are, and because different functions are attributed to teaching.

The role of the teacher is to serve as a guide. He is the facilitator that points out the activities that students should do each day in the class.

Some of the activities that the teacher does are: prepare the lesson plan according to the video and the books that the students will be studying in the future classes. He or she must take into account the students needs and design each topic according to their levels. Done this the teacher teaches the class and facilitate the students learning. He or she plays the video and stops it, when it is necessary to explain something. Students watch the video and take notes. The teacher assigns the activities that the students must realize, and so on.

The role of the students is just to pay attention and participate in the Teleaprendizaje activities giving their opinions and express their ideas by themselves.

Comparison of the Teleaprendizaje tools and the researcher’s point of view After the observation of the development of a class using the Teleaprendizaje program, the researchers can give their opinion in the use of each tool. First of all the tools are presented such as innovative instruments to teach a class, but if it is analyzed the use of a TV and a video in the classroom it is not nothing new because before the name of Teleaprendizaje program the teachers know this as a method called communicative approach. In this approach the techniques

7

The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer P. 57

34

are more appropriate to develop the oral skill. Also this approach is not teachercentered; the role of the teacher is less dominant than in the other methods.

Contrary to other approaches, students are viewed as being responsible for their own learning- the teacher is not going to spoon-feed information to the students. The student is expected to be fully involved in the TLP (Teaching Learning Process).

In this approach students practice the language using communicative activities, such as games, role playing and problem solving task. Another characteristic of the communicative approach is the use of authentic materials. Finally the activities in which they interact are performed in pairs, small and large groups.

Mistakes (things the student already know and can correct by him/herself) are tolerates and are viewed as a natural result of learning a new language. Even though students might have limited linguistic knowledge of target language, they can basically communicate.8

The communicative approach in the proportion to the National Curriculum gives to teachers the tools that they can use in order to teach a class in a better way.

Putting into practice many methodologies or techniques using their own experience and didactic resources available to the English classroom such as TV set, VHS, overhead projector, audio and video tape recorders, boards, text books for teachers and students, dictionaries, magazine, newspapers, comics, posters, and flash cards. This method enhances motivation, participation and self-confidence through different communicative activities in which students become full active participants. In this way students use the English language 8

Ministerio de Educaciรณn Direcciรณn Nacional de Desarrollo Educativo Direcciรณn de Desarrollo Curricular. English Program. P. 6

35

for communicative purposes and not only for the development of the speaking skill.

For the researchers the teaching of the speaking skill for common communication is considered one of the most important learning skills. The students are expected to interact with classmates more than with the teachers.

They must be constantly listening, observing and performing the teacher’s methodological suggestions.

Another characteristic is the use of authentic materials that the teacher can make and adapt to each class all of these activities that can be performed in small groups, in pairs, or an individual way. Finally the students mistakes can be corrected by themselves; because the teacher in this method is more tolerant and patiently, and have a point of view less critical.

In addition to, the researchers could observe that the content of the Teleaprendizaje videos had lots of faults, such as blurry images, the performers in the videotapes

were taken from another country as a consequence the

speech had a very different pronunciation, intonation, and the use of modals were not correct. All of this was noticed during the whole video.

On the other hand, some of the contents in the student’s books are adapted to the needs of the young Mexican not to Salvadoran students. Thus the books are the complement of the video tapes. In exception the English subjects, because the contents are specifically adapted to Veracruz which is a Mexican city. For this reason the researchers comment that is not the best option to teach English classes.

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In addition the researchers can also express that the role of the teacher can be done better than it was applied in the development of the Teleaprendizaje program. It is true that the program has many weaknesses as it is mentioned above in the topics area but it can be worked with the students in a better way using different and original methods that motivate and make interesting the class for the students learning.

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II.1.4 FIELDWORK This research aimed to find out if the Teleaprendizaje Program, proposed by Ministry of Education especially in the Junior High School, improves the Salvadorans’ Curriculum. The topic was important and interesting for the researchers because the English teachers must know all about the English subject, and how

they can teach English in a better way. For that reason, it

was necessary to select a public school that was using this program, so the researchers decided to work at Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina in San Luis Talpa in La Paz department; due to in this school the program had been developed since one year ago.

In the Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina Junior High School, there were about forty five students in the morning shift, but the quantity of students that participated in this project were fourteen; that is why the researchers carried out this research to ninth grade section. The time covered by the research was from September 8th to November 23rd, 2007.

At the beginning, the researchers went to Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina in San Luis Talpa Department of La Paz, to ask for permission to observe the development of the English classes, using the Teleaprendizaje Program. For the researchers benefit, the principal of the school and the English teacher of ninth grade accepted the research to be carried out in the school. Later, the researchers visited the school again with the purpose to explain the students about the research project. At the same time while doing this, the group in charge of the study was analyzing the methodological suggestions about the Teleaprendizaje Program in the junior high school considering the development of the speaking skill.

38

Without students and teacher`s help, the methodology of the Teleaprendizaje Program would not be easy to put into practice the teaching and learning of the English language. The researchers’ work began with the analysis of this program and its effectiveness in the development of the speaking skill. The researchers did an interview to students which consisted in answering personal information in order to observe their pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and sense of sentences. Besides, the researchers did previously an interview that was submitted to students to check their understanding and speaking. In the observation process, the researchers observed the English class from the beginning to the end once a week, in the period of six weeks. This allowed researchers to be a ware about the reality and the process in the development that the teacher and students performed during the class in progress using the Teleaprendizaje program.

At Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina, the way of using television has switched lectures through a television set installed in the classrooms. Books and workbooks were provided to follow the television program with drill exercises, revisions, reviews, applications and formative evaluations.

The classes start from eight to ten in the morning. The teacher started at eight with a feedback on what was learned during the last class. He introduced the new topic and gave the new vocabulary. Then, at eight, the teacher in the classroom turned on the TV. The students watched fifteen minutes of television.

At the end of the TV session, the set was turned off, so students took out the book and workbook. The teacher gave detailed instructions on what to do in the remaining 45 minutes. At first, the teacher developed an oral feedback and

39

asked whether students needed to understand better the concepts just seen.

Then, students might read aloud, applying what was taught in practical exercises, and participate in an oral brief evaluation of what had been learned.

To finish, there was a review of the materials and, another subject started, following the same routine.

On Teleaprendizaje program the use of two books is mandatory for the best development of the class. These are the books of basic concepts, that provide explanations of the televised lessons and cover all the core subjects; a students learning guide used to engage them in group activities to apply lesson contents to practical situations. Teachers follow a guide that contains instructional strategies and learning objectives. The guide also assists teachers in the development of an interactive class. Some of the limitations they may encounter due to the unavailability of teaching materials or learning tools are the lack of strategies for adapting the lesson to Salvadoran contexts and the individual student needs. The Teleaprendizaje program has replaced the lectures of the teachers and structures of the remaining classroom time. The book, which is closely linked with each individual class, ensures that each minute of class time is used according to what it prescribes. The moment the teacher turns off the TV set, the teacher is supposed to follow a pre-ordained routine. Administrators indicate that students read a minimum of three pages each day, supposedly far more than regular students.

The very creative teachers can do better with their own imagination and personal style. They can use their own bag of tricks and probe students to rediscover the physical world and invent and creative ways to teach. But very

40

few teachers have these skills, the preparation, the available time and the initiative to conduct such a class. Of course, Teleaprendizaje program is not perfect, and there is anecdotal evidence of problems. For example, it is reported that a number of schools and classrooms lack of power have damaged TV or VCR.9

9

Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), Informe de Labores 1997-98 (SEP), Subsecretaría de Educación Básica, Unidad de Telesecundaria. P. 51

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II.1.5 TECHNICAL METHODOLOGICAL FORMS Instrument The instrument used for the development of the research and to analyze the use of the speaking skill in the students was the interview. It is a conversation between two or more people (the interviewer and the interviewee) and the questions are asked by the interviewer in order to obtain information from the interviewee.10 (See annex1) The Interview was typically thought of as one of the most stressful aspects of the research. It was natural, and expected, that most of the students were a little nervous for the questions. There was also common to hear students to say in their native language, “Interviews are hard because I don’t know what they are going to ask me about,” or “I have no way to get prepared.”

For the researchers it was necessary to interview the

students. The main purpose of the interview was to know about the effectiveness of the Teleaprendizaje Program especially in the speaking skill.

The researchers first of all prepared the interview, by writing a format in a questionnaire type that contained simple and personal questions. This draft facilitated the work because the researchers had the way of knowing exactly what questions would be asked to students, so through the interview students could show their educational background, prior experience, and their special skills and knowledge. The students indeed maintained their nerves and the researchers began the interview. The process was upward during six weeks.

So, this way allowed asking some questions that helped the researchers to obtain better information about the effectiveness of the Teleaprendizaje 10

Taken from http://www.career.unm.edu/forms/interviewing_skills.pdf

42

Program, the interview was recorded in a tape by the researchers. It was also held an oral interview with the teacher to get information about the use of the Teleaprendizaje Program and the students’ levels specifically in speaking skill.

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II.1.6 METHODOLOGY

The method used in this research was the scientific method that consists of the collection of data through observation. The researchers selected this method with the purpose to analyze the reality that the students faced in the school and get conclusions about the Teleaprendizaje Program and the development of the speaking skill.

In the development of the research the researchers observed a series of facts before going on. One of them was the classroom and instruments used by the teacher in charge of the group. Among these the researchers can mention the following: TV, videos, icons (see annex 2), used as directions to follow in the development of the class and the books used by the students.

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II.1.7 DEVELOPMENT AND THEORETICAL DEFINITION

The group at the beginning of the research supposed that the Teleaprendizaje program was a project that could contribute to the development of the National Curriculum as a pilot project to make easier the teaching learning process.

Apparently, the Teleaprendizaje program is a teaching technique that facilitates the teacher’s job, but the reality that the researchers faced at the school was different because they observed the management of the tools and the development of the classes and they can assure that the program has a series of faults that interfere in the acquisition of English knowledge.

The researchers mentioned above that this program was adapted to Mexican students with the original objective to teach young people that live in the rural zones with the use of a TV and a video tape in all the classes. According to the Teleaprendizaje program it is a must to develop each class with the use of the TV, but the researchers believe that it is a little bit monotonous

and it can

provoke in the students a lack of interest. Besides, this cannot be applied in places that do not have power or when there is a blackout, and in addition the books used are not adapted to the Salvadoran curriculum.

The researchers believe the implementation of the Teleaprendizaje program in El Salvador has been one of the worse investments that the Ministry of Education has done. This g ove r nm ent institution took as a model a program already used in other country for teaching, especially designed for another kind

45

of culture. The Ministry of Education did not realize that one of the basic needs of Salvadoran students was, to have programs that facilitate their learning adapted to their reality and carry out with their prospects or objectives mentioned in the national curriculum. This would be collaborated or minimized the economic necessities in where students are in the present time. The Teleaprendizaje program counts with the use of TV and video tapes that are not supplying the necessities that the English language needs, besides it is true that the student’s reality is that some of them dislike English because it is a difficult language for them. The money that the Ministry of Education invested in this program could have been used in other kind of activities such as the construction of a new school building or in special English teacher’s trainings, etc.

The MINED did not take into account the Salvadoran students needs. They just proposed the Teleaprendizaje program such a possible solution that came to cover the teaching learning faults that the country faced in the sixties. The implementation of this program in the Salvadoran classrooms was not effective, for the reasons previously mentioned.

On the other hand, partly of the information in the program would be used. The researchers suggest this program would be effective, if the Ministry of Education take into account all the particular necessities that each school have and design new books that will help to achieve the curriculum objectives.

The Teleaprendizaje program could be functional too, if the teachers give an appropriate use of the materials, and implement in each class different techniques that motivate and keep the students interest. For example they 46

could look for new methodologies such as the use of radios, CDs, cassettes, videos, documental, TV shows, flashcards, pictures, newspapers, and magazines emphasizing the pronunciation rules, intonation, and rhythm. As in the elaboration of didactic materials to keep the students attention in what they want to know and what they need to learn.

If all the materials are used in the right way with the purpose that students learn, the teacher will not only solve problems as the fear of expressing or talking in English among themselves, but also he/she will develop in them the four basic skills in the English teaching. The teacher’s job is not easy, so it is not enough to teach a class and assign homework, but it is necessary to show the right way of teaching and to educate with effectiveness. To know the individual necessities of each student in the classroom is a must to be close with them. It is necessary to know the answers of the learning problems, to do the selfevaluation of the knowledge and control what teachers have at the time of the teaching a class in the best way so that the students wish to imitate to their teachers.

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CHAPTER III

OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

III.1.1 DESCRIBING THE SUBJECTS OF THE RESEARCH

This research intends to study the effectiveness of the Teleaprendizaje Program to develop the speaking skill. In the first part of this paper was mentioned that this Program is used by the Ministry of Education as a modern and pedagogic methodology to spread the education in rural zones of El Salvador. This organization has adapted the Teleaprendizaje Program with the Salvadoran curriculum, which means that the topics, grammar points, and objectives are related.

The subjects in the development of this research are fourteen students of ninth grade. There are six boys and eight girls between fifteen and eighteen years, and there is only one boy who is twenty three years old. These people are living in some rural parts of San Luis Talpa. Some of them travel long distances to get to the school. Even though students’ families are from low social economy, this was not a barrier to go to school. The attendance list (see annex 3) has shown few absences of the students in the month. The students have shown interest in learning the language. They were interested in the classes with the program, participated, asked questions, paid attention to directions and were very responsible with homework. They seemed to like the English subject.

Another important subject in the classroom was the teacher. He was doing a good job with the students making the class active, but the use of methodologies was deficient. The use of English in the classes was mixed with Spanish in some expressions or when the students did not understand what he was saying. His main method was translation. It seemed to be more a Spanish

48

class than an English one. He was the responsible to play the videos and to explain each part.

The program counts with the following components: video cassettes these, are classified according to the levels from seventh to ninth grade. Each level has five video cassettes that are according to the Learning Guide’s topics and grammar points. Every cassette has the lengths of six hours. During the development of the classes the topics taught are of thirty minutes each one.

The videos are performed by Mexican characters and its component is supported by the Secretary of Public Education (SEP). The videos for each lesson begin with a game to introduce the topic. These were colorful, animated, and had cartoons characters that made it funny. The videos contained some conversations presented according to the learning guide; new vocabulary was presented at the beginning of each part. In conclusion the videos purpose was to get the students active in the observation and analysis of the video topics, through the conversation between teacher and students.

Two printed books are used with the use of the program, the Learning Guide and the Basic Concepts. The Learning Guide book includes the subjects of science, Arithmetic, Language, and English. The English part has twenty seven units; each unit has the use of icons (See annex 2) that indicate the steps the teacher and students must follow in order to develop the class. These five icons are used at the time of running out the video. Icon one: observation, students watch the video, icon two; students consult the book of Basic Concepts to practice dialogues in pairs or groups, icon three; students analyze the information about the topic and practice it in written and oral way, icon four;

49

students fill in the blanks or choose answers on the book, icon five; is a short evaluation in the book. The answers of the evaluation are written at the bottom of the page. This book has pictures in order to call the students’ attention.

The second book is the Basic Concepts, in the English part is organized with conversations, grammar points, and some readings that are connected and used at the same time with the students’ Learning Guide at the time the class was developing a certain topic.

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III.1.2 PROCEDURE TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION

The technique used by the researchers in order to collect the information of this research was the use of an interview, which determined the learning level of each student in the development of their speaking skill.

Throughout the interview the researchers analyzed all the answers given by the students to determine what the students learned through the school year using this program. Afterward the analysis of each student, the group places them in a specific level or competency using an American standard taken from English Language Volunteer Tutor Manual,1 which was a base to determine their knowledge. Each level of proficiency has two standards describing what was observed in the development of the answers from the students at the time to be interviewed. These levels of proficiency were taken from the National Curriculum of El Salvador worth these levels with concepts such as: excellent, very good, and good. There also some evaluation criteria using grades to determine the concepts: ( 9-10 ) for excellent; ( 7-8 ) for very good; ( 5-6 ) for good.

1

English Language Volunteer Tutor Manual Minnesota Literacy Council, Minnesota Literacy Council teachers, U.S.A., 2000,

51

LEVELS OF COMPETENCE

CONCEPT

GRADES

Intermediate

Excellent (EXC)

( 9-10)

Pre-intermediate

Very Good

(7-8)

(VG)

Good( G) Beginner

(5-6)

Chart 1 This chart details the students’ level from 7th to 9th grade in the junior high school. Provide concepts that correspond to the numeric grading, facilitating the teachers’ evaluation process.

The process in which the researchers compiled the information about the interview done to the students was as the follows information. First of all, the researchers designed a questionnaire guide with common questions for the students. One by one were interviewed recording their answers. Then the researchers analyzed each student’s answer to measure their comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The information was placed in the proficiency levels to determine the amount of knowledge in the speaking skill.

52

Beginner

intermediate

Age:18

Pre-

Intermediate

Name: Erick Franklin Mejia

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 2 On chart 2 the student is in the beginner level because of his low comprehension, and his fluency at the time of answering the questions that the researchers asked. He also has few knowledge of vocabulary and his pronunciation was understandable.

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Beginner

Age: 15

intermediate

Rivas

Guadalupe

Pre-

Azucena

Intermediate

Name:

Chart 3 On chart three the student is in the intermediate level, because she had a good comprehension. She was able to answer using the correct vocabulary and pronunciation.

53

Beginner

intermediate

Age: 23

Pre-

Burgos

Intermediate

Name: JosĂŠ Gerardo Ramos

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 4 In this chart is represented a student that was as a different age of the rest. This student is in the beginner level. It was hard for him to understand the questions,

Beginner

Age:17

intermediate

Rivera.

Pre-

Name: Maria Alejandrina Acevedo

Intermediate

and at the time of answer he spoke words in English and some in Spanish.

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 5 On chart 5 the student is in the beginner level because at the time of answering she was a little nervous and she did not answer correctly.

54

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Beginner

intermediate

Age:17

Pre-

PĂŠrez

Intermediate

Name: Reina Olivia Padilla

Chart 6 This chart represents a student that is in intermediate level. This girl was very active at the time of answering, her pronunciation, vocabulary, and

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Beginner

Age:17

intermediate

LĂłpez

Pre-

Name: Mirtala de los Ă ngeles

Intermediate

comprehension was acceptable for the researchers as it was in the standard.

Chart 7 This chart represents the level of the student who is in pre- intermediate level because she was able to hold a conversation.

The questions that she

answered were right but in the fluency aspect.

55

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Beginner

intermediate

Pre-

Age:18

Intermediate

Name: Sandra Yanira Carpio

Chart 8 In this chart is presented a girl’s performance that is in pre- intermediate level, because of her effort in the use of her vocabulary. Her comprehension was acceptable and she had a good pronunciation in comparison with other

Beginner

intermediate

Age:15

Pre-

Name: Luis Alexander PĂŠrez

Intermediate

students.

Comprehension

x

Grammar

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 9 This was one of the younger student who is in the beginner level because of his answers were wrong, and he used Spanish words in order to understand.

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Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Beginner

intermediate

Age:15

Pre-

Intermediate

Name: Carolina de los Ángeles

Chart 10 The girl’s performance presented in this chart is in intermediate level. Her attitude toward the English was eager to learn. Her development in her English language was really good because in the group of students she was one of the

Age:15 Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Beginner

Rivas Oliva

Isabel

intermediate

Rosmery

Pre-

Name:

Intermediate

best ones.

Chart 11 This girl was very enthusiastic in her English learning. She understood very well the questions; she had a wide English vocabulary, and her pronunciation was acceptable according to the researcher’s expectations.

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Age:17

Beginner

MartĂ­nez Escobar

intermediate

Antonio

Pre-

Ernesto

Intermediate

Name:

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 12 On this chart the student is in the beginner level. He was not able to answer using a good pronunciation and his comprehension was low.

Beginner

intermediate

Pre-

Age:15

Intermediate

Name: Juan Carlos Angel Cruz

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 13 This chart represents a boy that is in the beginner level because of the low knowledge in the vocabulary presented in the lesson he was studying.

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Beginner

Age:16

intermediate

DomĂ­ngez Melendez

Pre-

Armando Intermediate

Oscar

Name:

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 14 The student is in this level showed that had many difficulties in the learning of English language, mostly in the pronunciation.

Beginner

Age:16

intermediate

RamĂ­rez

Edenilson

Pre-

Marvin

Intermediate

Name:

Comprehension

x

Fluency

x

Vocabulary

x

Pronunciation

x

Chart 15 In this level the student presented lack of understanding in the questions. He answered some of the questions in his target language.

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Subject

Genre

Age

Level

1

F

15

Intermediate

1

M

17

Beginner

1

F

18

Pre-intermediate

1

M

18

Beginner

1

F

15

Intermediate

1

M

23

Beginner

1

F

17

Beginner

1

F

17

Intermediate

1

F

17

Pre-intermediate

1

M

15

Beginner

1

F

15

Intermediate

1

M

16

Beginner

1

M

16

Beginner

1

F

15

Beginner

Chart 16 After the collection of the information the researchers tabbed the data in this chart. It contains four parts divided into subjects, the genre of the students, their ages, and the English level where they were at that time. The following graph represents that the majority of the male students had more difficulties in the learning of a second language. Contrary of the girls’ part, they showed the capacity and enthusiasm in the learning English.

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9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

intermediate pre intermediate beginner

FEMALE

MALE

Graph 1 Boy Girl

Age

Beginner

Intermediate

intermediate

Subjects 7

Pre-

X

15-23

X X

1

X

17

4

X

15

2

X

17-18

X X

Chart 17 This chart summarizes and demonstrates in which proficiency level the researchers found the students in the speaking skill area and it is detail in the following graph.

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8 6 4 2 0

intermediate pre intermediate beginner

Graph 2

The researchers are able to determine that the Teleaprendizaje program used at Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina for the teaching of English language and the development of the speaking skill has been not effective, because of the following reasons.

The first reason is remarkably, the program is not updated with the Salvadoran National Curriculum as it has been mentioned before; the Teleaprendizaje was taken as a copy from Mexico and implemented in our country as a pilot one.

This program counts with two books, five video cassettes for each level, TV, and VHS. These tools are essential for its development, if we took into account that this program was implemented in our country in 1991, up to this time, the tools used before are in poor conditions. Some of the books are broken and the videos with blurry images or partly stuck. Obviously, the learning of the students

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about the contents was incomplete, and in addition to this, all the videos were designed and adapted for the teaching- learning Mexican culture.

The researchers can assure that the teacher in charge of the class did not use in a right way the resources of the program and the most of the time he and his class spoke Spanish. The method the teacher used at the time of playing the video was the Translation Method. He explained each part of the video in Spanish while working on it. One way to prove that the program was not effective is through the interview done to the students. The researchers chose this technique to in order to evaluate if their oral skill was developed with the use of the program. Unfortunately it was found that the 98 % of the students were in the beginner level with many problems of pronunciation, spelling, and their low vocabulary.

The researchers think that the students can learn English very well if there is a correct use of the program. Besides, this can be effective if it is updated, adapted to our reality and needs. These changes can call the attention of the students with interesting dialogs; but mainly focus in the learning of a second language and its benefits for the people in learning it. Thanks to suggestions such as this one the Ministry of Education is getting better the program with new books, and training teachers for its better function.

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III.1.3 SPECIFICATION OF THE TECHNIQUE TO ANALIZE THE INFORMATION With the purpose to obtain information related to the effectiveness of the Teleaprendizaje Program in the development of the speaking skill, it was necessary to design an instrument counting with all the elements that facilitates to the researchers to collect the information. According to this the researchers used a technique called interview, it was administered in fourteen students of ninth grade, and it was designed with twenty- one opened questions, with the purpose to measure the students’ speaking level. (See annex 4) In each question the students could respond according to their own interest or conception. But, previously the implementation of the interview the researchers must talk with the students in order to inform, guide and motivate them to answer the question without fear. It was necessary to explain the kind of questions that the researchers used, and what was the main purpose of the interview.

The collected information in this research is called: Primary

information, this consisted in the gathering of the information through an immediate contact with the object of studio, and the analysis of the main characters of the research.

Done this, the researchers analyzed the collected information and discovered which were the students’ attitudes, motivations and competences related to the English subject and the development of the speaking skill using the Teleaprendizaje Program.

After this analysis, the researchers can easily

determine in which level the students were, taking into account the American standards and the national curricular levels before mentioned.

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III.1.4 RESOURCES USED IN THE RESEARCH For the realization of this research the group used the following resources:

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Three researches • A pedagogical advisor • Three judges • The person in charge to assess and check the information in order to guarantee the research.

• The teacher in charge of the ninth grade at Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina.

• Fourteen students of ninth grade.

ECONOMIC RESOURCES

• Owner funds (money)

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III.1.5 PRELIMINARY INDEX ABOUT THE FINAL REPORT

In this part the researchers mention some of the most important aspect found during the research. One of the aspects found was the teacher use of Teleaprendizaje program, and the didactic resources. There are also many elements that are integrated in the Teleaprendizaje Program, and all of them prove if this program is effective or not in the English teaching learning. This research was focused in the study of the effectiveness of this program especially in the development of the speaking skill. To prove this it was necessary to do a process to collect the information basing the research in the observation, in the analysis of the students´ learning within the teacher’s development of classes, and the use of an interview for the students to place them at the right levels given by the National curriculum of the Ministry of Education. This research was done at Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina, San Luis Talpa, and it was carried out with fourteen students in ninth grade.

In chapter one the researchers mention that there are differences between The Educative Television ( ETV) and the Teleaprendizaje Program; these are not the same, in the educative television the teacher created a motivation among the students, and at the same time he/she prepared a good environment using television materials. Later, the teacher projected a film that was based in a topic of the subject in progress. With the Teleclasses the teacher and students used methodological instruments that they found in the didactic guides and in the printed text books. These books were structured and based according to the

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contents of the programs of that time and the Teleclasses were transmitted and distributed the programs in Central America and Panama through satellites nationwide installed in the San Salvador volcano. ETV was broadcasted through all public schools in the junior high school levels, around El Salvador.

The Teleaprendizaje emerged in Mexico known as Telesecundaria by the second half of the sixties. Its objective was to extend the education access and implement new modalities besides giving the opportunity to the students to finish ninth grade of secondary level. The Teleaprendizaje has a modern pedagogic model and counts with electronic aids such as the TV, video cassettes, and computers used mostly in rural zones. The Teleaprendizaje is a technological strategy that contributes to the education improvements in our country by using the materials that make easier the learning in the students not only in the Spanish subjects, but also in the English subject. The Teleaprendizaje is related with everything that telecommunication refers to. It is also used to instruct distance classes by internet and television.

The MINED is the only owner of this program which in agreement with Central American countries brought in, the Teleaprendizaje program to our country. This institution has been in charge of the direction and application of the program in Central American countries. In this way the program has been used in the classrooms to the English teaching language, and other subjects that are implicit in the National Curriculum besides the Teleaprendizaje program. Some other of the programs that The Ministry of Education is implementing in our country are: EDUCO, Plan 2021, Compite, and Conectate.

The researchers know that the development of the speaking ability is one of the main and important factors in the teaching learning system, and even more if it

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is about the learning of a second language for this reason they think that this program probably improve the students leaning, they were apparently interested in the English language because it is as a vehicle that will transport them to a better opportunity in life.

In the second chapter the researchers explained that one of the teaching methods using in Teleaprendizaje program is the Communicative Method which suggests the use of all audio visual materials to the teaching- learning process. One of the aspects that the teacher must take into account is that the program has some disadvantages that is in this case, they can use the natural method. Since this is designed to be applied in the rural zones. And is one of the reasons, why researchers considered the previous mentioned as one of the limitations.

The most important concepts about the research are Teleaprendizaje and speaking skill. Teleaprendizaje is a school model taken from the Mexican educative system which intends to spread the education in young people that live in rural communities or that cannot count with the enough educative service because of the lack of money.

The speaking skill is the audible expression in words that help to communicate between two or more people. This skill is used a lot to develop a good use of the English language with the Teleaprendizaje program. The speaking skill not only refers to the act of pronouncing, but also to the one of articulating, to give rhythm to the sentences, and also to learn a different foreign culture.

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For the researchers it was very difficult to find authors that support their position, because Teleaprendizaje is considered a modern program, and was the Ministry of Education the only place that gave them the information.

Krashen is the author of the Natural Approach method, in which he explains the use of this method in the development of the speaking skill; taking into account his comments probably he refers to the Teleaprendizaje program as a methodology that can be used in order to teach any class.

In this research the researchers did a previous diagnose of the Teleaprendizaje Program based in the owner of it, the Ministry of Education, since, as; this entity has implemented the Teleaprendizaje, with the objective of giving a better quality of education and an integral education to young people in the National Educational System. The position of the researchers as for the Ministry of Education is that the program is important not only for

the

population of

students from different educational levels in El Salvador that live to contribute and built a more diverse society, but also for the students who are the most needed in the rural zones of El Salvador.

The English subject in the National Educational system is based on a group of curricular pedagogical guides, which contain a variety of methods and techniques for teaching and along with the teacher’s creativity, become the basic tools for the teacher’s performance in the classrooms, according to this the researchers can affirm; that the use of TV is the central component of Teleaprendizaje Program, in where the students are in secondly, and the teacher participate as an auxiliary, facilitator or simply as a guide. But this, does not mean that the program substitute the teacher. The teacher and students are

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the complement of this

program and they work all together as a

team.

The implementation of this program in our country was as a trial, in which the MINED, wanted to confirm its effectiveness. For these reason this entity prepared the teachers, showing them, the teaching techniques and the materials that they will use. The cost of Teleaprendizaje was based on data provided by Mexican and Central America organizations in coordination with the Ministry of Education of El Salvador.

In order to evaluate the students’ level it was necessary to find American standards such as this one: English Language Volunteer Tutor Manual, Minnesota Literacy Council, Minnesota Literacy Council of Teachers, U. S. A., 2000. The researchers also used general levels taken from the National curriculum that determined in which level the students were. These levels are: Beginner where students have limited functional ability, use simple information and individual words or learned phrases in familiar situations. The Preintermediate: students have basic survival ability; they use simple information, individual words or learned phrases in familiar and immediate situations. Their vocabulary is basic. Intermediate: students can maintain simple conversations on a variety of familiar topics. They can perform routine tasks with relative comfort and cannot go into great detail. They cannot use complex language or speak at length about abstract topics.

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To teach any regular subject using the Teleaprendizaje program was necessary the use of the two books, which are some of the tools of this program. One of the books is Called Basic concepts, which is taken from the texts that contain all the topics that the students will work in each class. The other one is Learning Guide that contains the activities, objectives, practices, and quizzes that help students to support their learning in each topic. Another important element is the teacher which is the performer of the class. Stephen Krashen has suggested that the teachers in such learner center classroom need special qualities including, maturity, intuition, educational skills in order to develop student awareness of language of learning, and openness to students input and a greater tolerance and the desire of learning more each day. He is also in charge to use the television and play the videotape. The role of the students is just to pay attention and participate in the Teleaprendizaje activities giving their opinions and express their ideas by themselves. In order to improve the students’ learning The Ministry of Education has changed the Teleaprendizaje books; the first one were adapted to the Mexican culture, but the new ones are connected to the Salvadoran curriculum (See annex 4).

After the observation of the development of a class using the Teleaprendizaje program, the researchers gave their opinion in the use of each tool. First of all each tool is presented as innovative instrument to teach a class, but the researchers analyzed that, the use of a TV and a video in the classroom is known as a method called communicative approach. In which the teacher can use TV set, VHS, overhead projector, audio and video tape recorders, boards, text books for teachers and students, dictionaries, magazine, newspapers,

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comics, posters, and flash cards. In this way students use the English language for communicative purposes and not only for the development of the speaking skill. For the researchers the teaching of the speaking skill for common communication is considered one of the most important learning skills. The students must be constantly listening, observing and performing the teacher’s methodological suggestions. In addition to, the researchers could observe some of the disadvantages that the program has.

Some of them are: the videos that had lots of faults,

blurry images, the

performers in the videotapes were taken from another country not American characters; as a consequence the speech had a very different pronunciation, intonation, and the use of modals were not correct. All of this was observed during the whole video, and about the books some of the contents adapted to the necessities of the young Mexican not to Salvadoran students, because they mention places, dialogues related to Mexican culture. Thus the books are the complement of the video tapes. In exception the English subjects, because the contents are specifically adapted to Vera Cruz which is a Mexican city. For this reason the researchers express that is not the best option to teach English classes, the researchers can also express that the role of the teacher can be done better than it was applied in the development of the Teleaprendizaje program. It is true that the program has many weaknesses as it is mentioned above in the topics area but it can be worked with the students in a better way using different and original methods that motivate and make interesting the class for the students learning.

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On the other hand the researchers can express their opinion about the Teleaprendizaje program; this topic was important and interesting because, the English teachers must know all about the English subject and how

they can

teach English in a better way. The research was done at the Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina, the quantity of students that participated in this project were fourteen, that is why the researchers carried out this research to ninth grade section. The time covered by the research was from September 8th to November 23rd, 2007. The research consisted in the observation and analysis of this program in order to measure its effectiveness in the development of the speaking skill. The researchers did an interview to the students which consisted in answering personal information in order to observe the pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and sense of sentences. In the observation process the researchers observed the English class from the beginning to the end once a week, the classes start from eight to ten in the morning. In which their observed the teacher and students performed during the class in progress using the Teleaprendizaje program.

The instrument used for the development of the research in order to analyze the students’ speaking skill was the interview. It consisted in a conversation between researchers and students. The Interview was typically thought of as one of the most stressful aspects of the research. It was natural, and expected, that most of the students were a little nervous for the questions. The main purpose of the interview was to know about the effectiveness of the Teleaprendizaje Program especially in the speaking skill.

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The interview was previously prepared by the researchers who wrote the format in a questionnaire type that contained simple and personal questions. This draft facilitated the work because the researchers had the way of knowing exactly what questions would be asked to students and in this way allowed asking some questions that helped the researchers to obtain better information about the effectiveness of the program, the interview was recorded in a tape. It was also held an oral interview with the teacher to get information.

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III.1.6 ANALYSIS AND CONNECTION AMONG THE OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH AND THE REAL RESULT FOUND AT CENTRO ESCOLAR CASERIO SANTA CRISTINA

In the research there were two specific objectives, in the first one, the researchers wanted to determine which were the teaching learning techniques from the methodologies that the teacher used in the Teleaprendizaje program to develop the speaking skill. To improve this objective it was important to know all about the Teleaprendizaje. For the researchers this was an innovator program, which was introduced in our country as an important tool; this program was in widespread use in many Salvadoran schools, but the researchers selected especifically Centro Escolar Caserio Santa Cristina in San Luis Talpa. This school has the program in progress with students in Junior High (7th, 8th, 9th).

Even though, the research was done with students of ninth grade. The researchers supposed that all the methodologies used by the teacher in the English class, the students’ level will be acceptable, because the MINED presented the Teleaprendizaje as a wonderful program. The teachers in charge were trained in order to teach with this program, but the researchers can assure the opposite, because the program has many weaknesses as mentioned before in chapter II. The teacher in charge of ninth grade at the time of teaching the English class did not use in a right way the Teleaprendizaje program tools. The researchers can confirm the first objective with the result obtained in the real observation of the teacher and his students, at the time of the development of the Teleprendizaje program. According to the researchers the methodologies implemented by the teachers did not work.

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The second specific objective was, to administer an interview in order to measure the effectiveness of the methodologies used by the teacher in the Teleaprendizaje program to develop the students’ speaking skill. In this objective the researchers’ main purpose; was to know the students’ speaking level, for this reason the researchers administered an interview with the intention to measure if the Teleaprendizaje was an effective program and how the methodologies implemented by the teacher can improve the students’ speaking level. The information obtained in the interview shown, that neither the program nor the teacher methodologies had acceptable results, because most of the students were in the beginner level. The researchers recommend to those teachers that want to obtain a goal of an English program, this must be the development of student’s skill as a product of the highest quality.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

COORDINACION General de Educación Tele secundaria, “Educar para Vivir Mejor”, En Tele secundaria Características y Metodología, recopilación de documentos de trabajo, SEP, México, 1998.

HERNÁNDEZ Luviano, Guadalupe, “El Video en el Aula”, en Didáctica de los Medios de Comunicación (Antología), Secretaria de Educación Pública, México, 1998.

MINED Propuesta de Mejora Educativa del Programa de Teleaprendizaje en el Marco del Plan Nacional de Educación 2021.

García, J. 1995. “Televisión educativa para América Latina”, Edit. Porrua, pág.2266-274, México.

Dirección de Investigación y Contenidos Educativos. ILCE.

The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer, Longman 2003

MINED Dirección Nacional de Desarrollo Educativo, Dirección de Desarrollo Curricular 2004

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Telesecundaria 1998-99 Figures and General and Technical Schools Figures Based on SEP (1998)

Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), Informe de Labores 1997-98 (SEP), Subsecretaría de Educación Básica, Unidad de Telesecundaria.

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WEBSITES

http://www.bsi_global.com/en/About_placementest/What_isa_placementest

http://www.career.unm.edu/forms/interviewing_skills.pdf

http://www.bsi-global.com/en/Standards-and-Publications/Aboutstandards/What-is-a-standard/Scientific method

http://www.3imobile.com/courses/skilleveldescription.htm

https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID =47

https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID =47

www.pnlanguages.lingualink.org

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ANNEXES

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ANNEX 1

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Student’s name:___________________________________ Level:______. Interviewed by:______________________________________ QUESTIONAIRY FOR THE INTERVIEW Objective: To measure the students speaking level in ninth grade at Centro Escolar Caserío Santa Cristina.

QUESTIONS

OBSERVATIONS

1. What’s your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. Where were you born?

4. When were you born?

5. Where do you live?

6. Where do you study?

7. Why do you study here?

8. In what grade are you?

9. Can you describe your school?

10. Are you going to study next year?

11. What are you going to do next year?

12. Do you know San Salvador?

13. What places are you visited in San Salvador?

14. Do you like to go shopping?

15. What are you wearing?

16. What time is it?

17. What are your parent’s names?

18. Is there a park near here?

19. Can you ride a bicycle?

20. What is your favourite colour?

21. Would you like to work at international airport of El Salvador? Why?

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ANNEX 2

83

84

ANNEX 3

85

86

ANNEX 4

87

88