EFFECTIVE PROJECT WORK INTO ENGLISH
learning.
The incorporation of the project work
LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS ENCOURAGES
into the English language teaching classroom is
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO ENHANCE
essential to generate a lot benefits that permit to
THEIR LEARNING POSSIBILITIES INTO THE
design a well structure academic proposal
REAL WORLD NEEDS.
towards an effective training based on creating a student community of inquiry involving authentic communication,
cooperative
learning,
collaboration, and problem-solving techniques. Learning should not only prepare one for life, but should also be an integral part of life itself
The design and implementation of a theoretical and
practical
proposal
about
project
management is an interesting and exciting case
John Dewey
where
we as English language teachers and
our students need working together as a whole entity
that looks for the same objective; to
promote the autonomous learning and motivate Learning and the study of English as a foreign language into a non
native setting asks the
implementation for new pedagogical tendencies that go beyond
traditional training methods.
Teachers and students are involved into new academic and social demands
that make to
explore other forms to acquire and apply the theoretical concepts into real contexts to be competitive in their lives and professional activities.
It is so that
English language
teachers must be conscious about our role as instructors that must make of the
learning
process a vibrant and fascinating experience where our students can stimulate their critical thinking and acquire responsibilities of their own
people to be an integral professional that will be able to give the
appropriate solution to the
challenges that
students will face in the
development of their careers. Project work is an interesting strategy to apply into the English language classroom, but we as teachers and students need to be conscious about its use and its importance.
Some
educators think that a project work is basically a strategy
to promote in their students a final
activity of a content worked in class and they evaluate the final product without any guidance. In this case, majority teachers do not know the impact
to
students of working with these
conceptions, because Project work according to
Carter and Thomas (1986) and some other
towards the end point. Thus, project
prestigious researchers and educators has the
work has both a process and product
following features:
orientation, and provides students with opportunities to focus on fluency and accuracy at different project-work stages.
1. Project work focuses on content learning
6. Project work is potentially motivating, stimulating,
rather than on specific language targets.
empowering,
and
challenging. It usually results in building
Real-world subject matter and topics of
student confidence, self-esteem, and
interest to students can become central
autonomy as well as improving students'
to projects.
language skills, content learning, and
2. Project work is student centered, though
cognitive abilities.
the teacher plays a major role in offering support and guidance throughout the process. 3. Project work is cooperative rather than
4.
5.
The importance of the project management into
competitive. Students can work on their
English
Language
own, in small groups, or as a class to
focused
on
complete a project, sharing resources,
language to learn something new about topics of
ideas, and expertise along the way.
interest, contextualized and related with other
Project work leads to the authentic
curriculum subjects to improve their English
integration of skills and processing of
language
information
cooperative, problem solving, and autonomous
from
varied
sources,
teaching
encourage
skills
classrooms
is
students to use
through
critical
thinking
mirroring real-life tasks.
learning. To reach this goal, the teacher has a
Project work culminates in an end
hard work because he needs to apply the
product (e.g., an oral presentation, a
project research principles into his group to
poster session, a bulletin board display,
detect specific needs, and propose an action
a report, or a stage performance) that
plan that takes into account a problem of study,
can be shared with others, giving the
implementing a data collection technique and its
project a real purpose. The value of the
analysis, review of specific literature related to
project, however, lies not just in the final
the findings and formulate some strategies to
product but in the process of working
apply into a successful way.
This procedure
allows
to
educators
create
tasks
whose
process worked by students.
This procedure
complexity and openness mimic problems in the
will give students to control their learning
real world.
process, develop their creativity, autonomous learning,
Incorporating the project work management in
increase their self confident and
explore a real scenario.
English language students curriculum permits to see the interdisciplinary of their careers
into
The successful implementation
of the project
other knowledge branches such as; research
work into English language students will have to
principles, statistics, management, etc.
take into account the following 9 steps that help
The
methodology to face this process in a class will
to make
a detailed
be based on the latest theories about this topic
procedure:
introspection of this
where teachers and learners understand the most relevant principles that guide the project management into English language teaching. In addition, students will built a tentative project under 3 basic branches of research according to their interests: 1. The use of the technology apply to the English learning acquisition (CALL ICT) 2.
Cultural topics and
3.
Specific
knowledge field. These will supervised by the teacher during the whole academic term. The
Step 1. Students and teacher agree on a theme for the project:
It makes that
student feels
encourage to search previous information about their interests. Step 2. Students and teacher determine the final outcome: This second point examines the objectives and the final means to finish their project.
It can
be an oral presentation,
a
bulletin, a newspaper, etc
instructor assistance in this process is basic to detect and supervise the planning and its
Step 3.
Students and instructor structure the
implementation
project:
In this step students propose a
into
a
specific
students
community. This is the most important step in
structure plan to create the body of the project.
the development of this class, because students will face
to a real population that helps
to
reflect about the importance of implementing attractive and useful strategies with them. The findings of this experience will be presented in a written report that summarizes the whole
Step 4. Students gathered information: Learners need to search specific information concerning to the project theme in libraries, web sites, videos, etc. This gives a real reference about the exactly point that they want to study.
Step 5.
Teacher prepares students for the
Effectiveness of the English language teaching
language demands of compiling and analyzing
project management class is not an easy and
data: Instructor teaches students to organize
uncontrolled practice, It asks for a well structure
and compiling information where they will
plan that motivates learners to be autonomous
analyze,
the
and acquire some strategies that promote their
English
critical thinking, problem solving abilities and
interpretate
and
summarize
appropriate information taken from language sources.
introduce in the research field giving new alternatives to face their future career as
Step 6.
Students compile
information:
and analyze
professionals in a global community.
Students based on the previous
step analyze the data collected and prepare graphics and particular information related to REFERENCE
their project. Step 7.
Instructor prepares students for the
language demands of the culminating activity: Teacher
promotes
students
good
English
language use through the final presentation and the written report. Step 8.
Students present final
Carter, G., and H. Thomas. "Dear Brown Eyes": Experiential learning in a project orientated approach. ELT Journal, 40, 3, . 1986. pp. 196204.
product:
Learners present the project according to the initial agreements established to their teacher. Step 9 . Students and teacher evaluate the project: The final presentation and the written report must be self evaluated by students taking into account some relative aspects regards to English language use and the success of the project.
ROGER ALBERTO NEIRA PEREZ ENGLISH TEACHER