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TRABAJO FIN DE ESTUDIOS
Master’s degree final project: Theoreticalframework, Bachillerato syllabus & research project
Christopher John Hadfield
MÁSTER UNIVERSITARIO EN PROFESORADO DE ESO, BACHILLERATO, FPY ENSEÑANZA DE IDIOMAS
Tutor: María del Pilar Agustín LlachFacultad de Letras y de la Educación
Curso 2011-2012
INGLÉS
© El autor© Universidad de La Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones, 2012
publicaciones.unirioja.esE-mail: [email protected]
Master’s degree final project: Theoretical framework, Bachillerato syllabus &research project, trabajo fin de estudios
de Christopher John Hadfield, dirigido por María del Pilar Agustín Llach (publicado por laUniversidad de La Rioja), se difunde bajo una Licencia
Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 Unported.Permisos que vayan más allá de lo cubierto por esta licencia pueden solicitarse a los
titulares del copyright.
MASTER’S DEGREE FINAL PROJECT
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK,
BACHILLERATO SYLLABUS & RESEARCH
PROJECT
Christopher J. Hadfield
Trabajo Fin de Master, 2012
Master en Profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Bachillerato,
Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: 01
1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE SUBJECTS OF MASTER’S DEGREE 01
2. SYLLABUS 06
2.1. INTRODUCTION 06
2.2. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT 08
2.3. OBJECTIVES 12
2.4. COMPETENCES 15
2.5. CONTENTS 19
2.6. METHODOLOGY 25
2.7. ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY 26
2.8. ASSESSMENT 27
2.8.1. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 27
2.8.2. ASSESSMENT PLAN 28
2.9. DIDACTIC UNITS 30
2.9.1. DISTRIBUTION OF UNITS IN TIME 38
2.9.2. UNIT 5: RUBBISH! 39
2.9.2.1. INTRODUCTION 39
2.9.2.2. OBJECTIVES 39
2.9.2.3. COMPETENCES 40
2.9.2.4. CONTENTS 41
2.9.2.5. METHODOLOGY 43
2.9.2.6. ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY 43
2.9.2.7. ACTIVITIES 45
2.9.2.8. ASSESSMENT 51
2.9.2.9. MATERIALS & RESOURCES 52
2.10. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES 52
3. RESEARCH PROJECT 53
3.1. INTRODUCTION 54
3.1.1. WEBQUESTS 55
3.2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 58
3.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 64
3.4. METHOD AND DESIGN 64
3.4.1. PARTICIPANTS 65
3.4.2. INSTRUMENTS 65
3.4.3. PROCEDURES 67
3.4.4. WORKING PLAN 69
3.5. CONCLUSIONS 69
REFERENCES 70
APPENDIX 73
INTRODUCTION
This final project strives to reflect and express the skills and academic knowledge
acquired over the period of the academic year at the University of La Rioja from 2011
to 2012. It is an accumulation of academic training attained by the trainee teacher,
Christopher J. Hadfield of Secondary School Teaching.
The project is split into three parts or sections. Section One is composed of the
theoretical framework necessary for the modules within the Master’s Degree
regarding the teaching and learning process. Section Two reveals and develops a
syllabus for a group of students in the second year of Bachillerato. The syllabus is
developed from a textbook used at a Secondary School in Spain and it fulfils the
criteria set forth by the Spanish State Curriculum for this educational level. Section
Three presents a Research Project on the advantages of WebQuests over traditional
methods on the acquisition and learning of vocabulary.
1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE MODULES OF MASTER’S
DEGREE
The content of the following section will be a theoretical framework providing details
of the modules covered within the Master’s Degree with respect to the teacher-
learning process. It includes and explains an account of the competences assimilated
from these subject disciplines and an explanation on the interaction and contribution
of these modules in the materialization of teaching and teacher practice.
The subjects of the Master’s Degree are divided into two modules. The first module is
the Generic or Common Modules, which concern themselves essentially with non-
linguistically minded matters but ones which provide the trainee teacher with the
bedrock of teaching, namely: sociology, psychology and pedagogy. The second
module relates to more specific or specialized matters, which deal with hands-on
teacher related matters like the legal side, and an in depth outline of theory and
practice.
Regarding the generic side of the degree and more specifically sociology, it can be
said to be weighed in favour of education but takes on board more statistical matters
which are unconnected with education per se, but could be construed as having
implications if one considers that statistics are part of the make-up of education. The
module focuses on the social elements of education and the influence of the family on
education in general. Great emphasis is placed on teachers and the conditions of the
work place and the effects that teaching has on the life of the teacher as a whole. The
social problems and welfare of the teacher is covered, not just the “rookie” but also
the “old-hand”. The statistics is an element introduced to compare schools, teachers
and other countries and conclude ideas from the lectures and transform them into
conclusive reports in the tutorials.
The psychology module is dedicated to the cognitive, social, personal, physical and
mental behaviour of the child through to adolescence, with special emphasis placed on
the teenager. It also includes the learning processes undertaken by children and the
models of educational learning. It deals with the psychological problems like bullying,
peer pressure and distractions both sexually and intellectually, which are experienced
by the adolescent. Forms of punishment are dealt with in tutorials and ways of
motivating the student. Re-enactments are acted out and tests are given to the trainee
teachers as part of their own educational process. The trainee teachers glean adequate
knowledge about the adolescent from this module and feel prepared to tackle many a
conflictive moment in the classroom.
The pedagogy module is mainly concerned with the mechanics of teaching and the
design of curricula and education plans and syllabuses. The major thinkers in this
field are taught and the seminars are packed with the mechanics of teaching and
designing. The subject matter is didactics and educational centres and school
organization in the Spanish Education system. The course provides the trainee teacher
with the basic knowledge and strategic know-how which are essential for any trainee
teacher just starting out. Topics such as organizational structure within the secondary
school, the staff and workers within the colleges, the rooms and layout of any centre
and the official state laws of the education system in Spain. The seminars are more
active and more feedback is responded to. Projects are issued and presentations are
given, all of which facilitates the procedure and practice of the trainee teacher in
preparation.
The specific module, or specialized subjects, is made up of the following thematic
units: Complements for the Training of Foreign Language Teachers, Foreign
Language Learning and Teaching, and, Educational Innovation and Research.
Complements for the Training of Foreign Language Teachers deals with foreign
language teaching – or in this case, English Language Teaching – as an academic
subject and the teacher training within the subject. The module covers the history of
foreign language teaching and learning from early methods through to the modern
methods. Humanistic, linguistic, content and communicative approaches are covered
within this period. This is a very useful course as day-to-day problems in the
classroom are covered like testing, discipline, classroom layout, classroom interaction,
motivation, using the four skills and approaches and feedback. The fact that so many
approaches are covered is reflected in the point that foreign language teaching has
always been a popular subject with education.
Foreign Language Teaching and Learning is spilt three-fold. It consists of a
theoretical input and starts off with the greatest thinkers in language learning and how
each has left a mark or has influenced the following generation. The theoretical side
explains everything from Structuralism through to Behaviorism to Communicative
Competence and Discourse Analysis. Certain theories are explained like the Monitor
Theory and Metaphors. Moreover, the legal aspect is also explained and the organic
laws and decrees presiding over Spanish language education. The foreign language
curriculum is dissected and analysed and teaching programmes from most methods
and approaches. The practical side deals with text books and grammar books available
on the market today (and previously) with clear grading and explanations.
The second part of this module deals with multiculturalism in the school and the
effects of multicultural and multilingual schools. Cultural misunderstandings are
clarified, intercultural communication is elucidated and concepts such as
languaculture are explained. Differences between intercultural, cross-cultural,
multicultural and monocultural are given space with the module and readings
reflecting the differences. Competence is also covered and the concepts of cultural
competence, plurilingual competence and intercultural competence compared and
contrasted. The course highlights the growing awareness inside the education
establishments of a different future and a highly mixed classroom with varied needs.
The third and final part of this subject concerns itself with syllabus planning and
materials design with special emphasis on webquests and CLIL. These tools and
materials are innovative methods and a modern way of teaching. The use of computer
assisted tools is introduced and demonstrated, and online webpages to aid the teacher
are utilized for making crosswords, projects, videos, recordings, timelines, nodes,
sketches and newspapers. All of these are suggested as classroom tools. CLIL is given
special attention and the advantages and pitfalls of using it as a classroom tool.
The final module, Educational Innovation and Research, deals with educational and
pedagogic innovation in foreign language teaching. The subject is heavily balanced in
favour of research projects and the styles, ways and methods used to do research.
Questionnaires and interviews are explained carefully and test cases are visualized
and studied. The subject matter permits the trainee teacher to recognize and pick out
possible shortcomings from case studies. Readings and seminars complement the
course and explain it in fuller detail.
2. SYLLABUS
2.1. INTRODUCTION
The main objective of this section is to lay out and develop a syllabus for the English
class in the foreign language curriculum for a second year class of bachillerato. A
syllabus can be defined as an organization or plan of a series of classes within a
curriculum. This syllabus enables the teacher to impart classes following a procedure
and informs the teacher of what to teach, where and when to teach it, how long to
spend on the units or themes, which tools to use and how to do it. It is usually
descriptive unlike a curriculum which is rather rigid and prescriptive. A syllabus
contains relevant information about the course. Also included in a syllabus is an
evaluation, a guide to testing or exam information.
For the syllabus to be binding it ought to follow the legal guidelines concerning its
design, contents and structure and follow the legal framework established by the
following official documents:
• Ley Orgánica de Educación 2/2006, 3 de mayo (BOE 2006)
• Real Decreto 1467/2007, 2 de noviembre (BOE 2007), which explains the
structure of Bachillerato and the minimum requirements for this stage.
• Decreto 45/2008, 27 de junio (BOR 2008a), which sets out the structure of
Bachillerato in La Rioja.
• Decreto 47/2010, 19 de agosto (BOR 2010), which modifies Decreto 45/2008.
• Orden 21/2008, 4 de septiembre (BOR 2008b), which regulates the
implementation of Bachillerato in the education establishments of La Rioja.
• Orden 6/2009, 16 de enero (BOR 2009), which regulates the assessment,
promotion and graduation of Bachillerato students in La Rioja.
This legal framework establishes, regarding foreign language instruction in Spain, a
standard which is to be followed in the social structure. According to the Council of
Europe instruments are needed in order to create a common language and changes in
European society in the 20th century have led to an impulse in language learning.
Humanistic concepts of understanding and their cultural heritage propel us towards a
social cohesion within the European states. The Council of Europe has published a
white paper on intercultural dialogue in order to project these aims.
Functional purposes have grown in importance, also as a result of geo-labour and
mobility freedom of work within the European Union. As a consequence of the need
to become a multilingual society within a plurilinguistic and multicultural European
community, the curriculum pays heed to these callings and falls in line with these
guidelines and concepts. Language teaching and learning not only facilitates and
enables the student to become a more integrated European citizen, but moreover,
promotes and stimulates interest in other languages and cultures. The need to respect
other cultures and view them with a tolerant way of thinking is vital to this
understanding as well. Ultimately, by heeding the Council of Europe’s policies, and
the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), whose main
aim is to provide a common method of teaching and learning to all languages by using
six reference levels, [Table 1: vide infra] the proficiency of foreign language
assimilation and competence, will increase.
Finally, with the help of, and following the guidelines of the European Portfolio for
Languages, the learner will be able to support the development of autonomous
education, plurilingualism and intercultural awareness and competence.
COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK of REFERENCE for LANGUAGES
BASIC USER INDEPENDENT USER PROFICIENT USER
A1 breakthrough
or beginner
B1 threshold
or intermediate
C1 operational proficiency
or advanced
A2 waystage
or elementary
B2 vantage
or upper intermediate
C2 mastery
or proficiency
Table 1
2.2 EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
The enclosed syllabus has been prepared and devised for a class of students at the
State Secondary Education Centre called Mateo Práxedes Sagasta of Logroño. The
school is located in the centre of Logroño next to the main square of the town. The
surrounding area is mainly commercial with several public buildings close by such as
the town hall, and a couple of ministries. Otherwise, there is a small area of residential
dwelling and there are also entertainment facilities.
The school is housed in an old building which has changed over the years and is not
considered to be a school with a modern look. The actual building where the school is
today is around a century old. There used to be an old convent on the site which was
demolished to make way for the “new” building. While the new building was being
built the school moved to Barriocepo Street. Then, in 1900 the new school premises
was opened and renamed “General Institute”.
According to the Ley Orgánica 10/2002, 23 de diciembre of Quality in Education, the
public education centres for bachillerato and Professional Training will be called
Institutes of Secondary Education
The current Institute has a surface area of 8,200 square metres. Its main buildings
surround two square courtyards used as playgrounds. [Table 2: vide infra]
On the ground floor there are: 17 classrooms, a gym, three special computer
classrooms, a technology workshop, a library, a special music classroom, the main
offices and the offices that deal with distance bachillerato. It also has a small cafeteria
and a canteen service area. On the first floor, the Institute has 21 classrooms, a
physics laboratory, a chemistry laboratory, a natural sciences laboratory, a
performance room, a main assembly hall and two staff rooms, and a special drawing
room. Educational department sub-rooms are situated on the second floor along with
three extra classrooms
THE BUILDING OF THE INSTITUTE IN FIGURES
MAIN OFFICES 100 M2 LOCKER ROOMS 50 M2
DEPARMENTS 300 M2 SECRETARIAL 70 M2
CLASSROOMS 2,370 M2 OFFICES 30 M2
LIBRARY 350 M2 STAFF ROOM 120 M2
WORKSHOP/LABS 570 M2 CORRIDORS/STAIRS 2000 M2
AUDIOVISUAL 80 M2 TOILETS 150 M2
COMPUTER
ROOM
130 M2 STOREROOM 300 M2
GYMNASIUM 130 M2 BOILER ROOM 20 M2
ASSEMBLY ROOM 350 M2 KITCHEN 30 M2 8200 M2
Table 2
The points of origin of the students of the Institute are very widespread, coming from
both old and newer areas of Logroño. According to the educational project, students
come from many different parts of La Rioja, and it should also be taken into account
the large number of immigrant students living in and around Logroño. They come
from European countries like Portugal, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Russia
and France. Additionally, African countries namely: Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon,
Guinea, Mauritius, Equatorial Guinea and Algeria. From Asian countries there are
pupils from India, China, Pakistan and Georgia, and American countries like
Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Argentina,
Dominican Republic, Chile and Cuba; and even from the USA and Canada. It is also
particularly heterogeneous given the Gypsy ethnic diversity, since many of them live
in the old town of Logroño. The socio-cultural profile is equally diverse, and mingled
in the classrooms there are pupils from very different social classes with which the
centre maintains its base values in an open, flexible and liberal line.
As already mentioned, the syllabus was devised for the school subject of Foreign
Language for the second year of bachillerato within the Upper Secondary Education.
This subject is compulsory and carries a load of 3 lessons per week, which
corresponds to nearly 3 hours class time.
The students have already received a base knowledge of English at the Lower
Secondary level and by now their English has covered many areas of grammar,
vocabulary and use. They also have been exposed to listening exercises and written
exercises as well as practising their orals skills. It is usually the oral skills that have
the lowest level. This is unsurprising as neither the teacher nor the pupils have the
time to individually go round the class speaking to each and every person.
The main objectives now are to develop existing skills and manage communication
skills and enrich their vocabulary intake. Furthermore, the range of topics in the text
books is more satisfying and knowledgeable for this age group. They should now be
developing oral skills better and an improved extent to their rhetoric. Social relations
receive particular interest and special attention to scientific and technical subjects as
well as the media and cultural and literary speech.
While undergoing the bachillerato course it is important to carry on strengthening the
autonomy of the students because their interests and needs are more defined, so
completing the cycle of education that at this level is vital in order to fulfil the
completion and continue the consolidation of existing knowledge and increase further
development in new themes which are specialized in terms of academic abilities.
Regarding the class to which this syllabus is aimed; it is a second year class of
bachillerato, with 20 students of mixed gender. In the class there are 13 native
Spanish students, and 7 immigrants: (2 from Pakistan, 2 from Romania, 2 from the
Dominican Republic, 1 from Bolivia and one from Bulgaria.)
They have quite a high passive level, i.e., written and comprehension, and a lower
active level, i.e., spoken and aural. They all have a healthy interest in the subject;
however, the girls tend to be stronger than the boys and more participatory.
The fact that the immigrant quota is a quarter of the class leans towards
multiculturalism. However, in my experience with this class, multiculturalism is too
grand a word to describe the atmosphere. They accept each other without any disdain
for race or creed. They are all welcoming, helpful and indifferent to cultural diversity.
The classroom is equipped with a standard blackboard, a projector and speakers and it
has internet possibility. The layout is in rows or two desks with spaces in between.
The text book used with this group is called Distinction 2 by Sheila Dignen.
2.3 OBJECTIVES
As is clearly promulgated in the Real Decreto 1467/2007 (BOE 2007) and the Decreto
45/2008 (BOR 2008a), foreign language teaching for bachillerato will help to develop
the following skills:
• The school aims to provide students with education, maturity, intellectual and
human, knowledge and skills that enable them to develop social functions and
participating in an active life with responsibility and competence. In this way,
students will also be able to access higher education.
The Objectives of the bachillerato student are indicated in article 3 of the BOE, and
are the following:
• Exercise democratic citizenship, from a global perspective, and acquire a
responsible civic awareness, inspired by the values of the Constitution and
human rights, which promote co-responsibility in the construction of a just and
equitable society and promotes sustainability.
• Consolidate a personal and social maturity allowing them to act responsibly
and autonomously and develop his/her critical spirit. Anticipate and resolve
personal, family and social conflicts peacefully.
• Promote effective equality of rights and opportunities between men and
women, analyze and critically assess existing inequalities and promote real
equality and non-discrimination of persons with disabilities.
• Strengthen the habits of reading, study and discipline, as necessary conditions
for the effective use of learning, and as a means of personal development.
• Master, both in their oral expression as well as written, the Spanish language
and, where appropriate, the co-official language of their autonomous
community.
• Express themselves fluently and correctly in one or more foreign languages.
• Use information and communication technologies with solvency and
responsibility.
• Know and critically assess the realities of the contemporary world, its
historical background and the main factors of its evolution. Participate in
solidarity in the development and improvement of their social environment.
• Access basic scientific and technological knowledge and master the basic
skills of the chosen mode.
• Understand the elements and fundamental procedures of research and
scientific methods. Know and evaluate in a critical way the contribution of
science and technology in the changing conditions of life as well as strengthen
the sensitivity and respect for the environment.
• Strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit with attitudes of creativity, flexibility,
initiative, and teamwork, confidence in one same and heartfelt critique.
• Develop literary and artistic sensitivity, as well as an aesthetic criterion, as
sources of training and cultural enrichment.
• Use sport and physical education for personal and social development.
• Strengthen attitudes of respect and prevention in the field of road safety.
With this in mind, the teacher is well prepared for all eventualities with the students
and is minded to concentrate on the overall objectives of the subject, which are the
following:
• Express themselves and interact in an oral way spontaneously, respectfully and
be understood by using adequate strategies according to each and every
situation which may arise.
• Write different types of language in a precise, clear and well-structured way,
using the appropriate style for communication according to the situation.
• Understand world information as well as specific information spoken and be
able to follow the thread of current affairs in an appropriate and
communicative way.
• Understand various written texts of a general and specific nature and be able to
critically interpret them using understandable and comprehensive strategies
according to the required tasks and identifying the most important elements
within the text and being able to grasp their meaning.
• Read texts autonomously with several purposes and be able to assess the
meaning of the information supplied and take an interest in it for entertainment
and / or leisure.
• Be able to speak and write correctly by means of using the knowledge of the
language and the linguistic rules and to start thinking about the way languages
function and their roles in different communication situations.
• Acquire and develop several different learning strategies and use their means
with a freehand including information and communication technologies with
the aim of using foreign languages autonomously and to maintain a constant
interest in learning.
• Understand and know the basic social and cultural features of the foreign
language being learned in order to interpret and understand different cultures
and languages.
• Value the foreign language in terms of appreciation of the culture of other
languages and cultures and recognize its importance as an international vehicle
of communication and comprehension in a multicultural society, and also to be
conscious of the similarities and differences that exist between different
cultures.
• Strengthen strategies of self-assessment in order to acquire a communicative
competence in the foreign language being learned including having initiative,
confidence and a responsible outlook concerning attitude.
2.4. COMPETENCES
According to the Ley Orgánica 2/2006 de Educación (BOE 2006), there are eight
stringently key competences that must be adhered to regarding secondary school
education in the Spanish system. The competences relate to attitudes, skills,
knowledge and ability. The competences within the syllabus have been devised and
designed to boost the student’s communicative confidence, as one might expect, and
to advance their expertise in the other areas which depend upon competence to aid
them in progress. The key competences are the following:
• Competence in linguistic communication: this competence deals with the role
of language as a tool in spoken and written communication, representation,
interpretation and comprehension of real life as a means of a knowledgeable
construction and organization. It is also seen as a mode of self-regulation of
thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Regarding knowledge and attitudes
characteristic of this competence, it will allow students to articulate emotions,
experiences and their own points of view as well as discussing and
constructing a critical and ethical opinion, organizing and regenerating ideas,
creating their own thoughts, manipulating a coherent and cohesive style of
speech, making decisions and making the most of skills pertaining to listening,
reading, speaking and writing. These anilities will also add to the development
of self-regard and self-esteem. By learning a different language it obviously
contributes to the acquisition of this competence as the students progress in
spoken and written skills by using it. Furthermore, it will improve this
competence by endorsing students’ ability to use language in the proper way
according to the context. Besides this, acquiring and understanding the rules of
the foreign language champions the procurement of this competence. The
syllabus develops the students’ ready awareness of the language and their
linguistic expertise along with their comprehension of social and cultural
aspects regarding oral communication.
• Competence in mathematical abilities: this deals with the capability to use
figures, numbers and control simple operations, perform mathematical
reasoning, identify symbols and characters with the purpose of producing and
interpreting information to study more about the spatial and quantitative sides
of reality and to have the ability to decipher problems related to everyday
comings and goings in life. Although the main objective of the foreign
language subject is not to develop too much the students’ competence in
mathematics while undertaking the activities of this syllabus they must learn to
reason and debate, formulate hypothesis, deduce and apply rules, which backs
up the attainment of this competence. Students will also go through the dates
in the foreign language and learn to use measures in another tongue and
identify ordinal and cardinal numbers in a linguistically challenging way.
• Competence in knowledge about the physical world and an interaction with it:
this competence deals with the skills needed to interact in the physical world,
not only with the natural side of things but also regarding the human one. This
ability facilitates the comprehension of occurrences and foresees the
consequences and also recognizes the activities tackled in order to better
maintain and preserve life and the conditions of all living creatures and beings.
This syllabus adds to the development of this competence through student
discussions and reflections on matters directly connected to the world around
us like the environment, health issues, scientific and technological questions
and history, social sciences and the modern day world like consumerism and
economy.
• Competence in digital and computer technology: this competence facilitates
the understanding of computer technology and helps us to search, receive and
obtain digital information and transform, process and communicate it into real
knowledge. It deals with a number of abilities and skills like information
access and processing, the different media for transmitting captured
information the skill at communicating it on all levels. This syllabus consists
of developing this competence in a spoken and written way and they learn how
to extract key information and organize it correctly and to be able to assimilate
and discuss it properly.
• Competence in social and public skills: this competence consists of students’
understanding of the society around them and helps them learn to interact,
coexist and address a democratic citizenship. By studying the foreign
language, a new culture will be opened for them and they will learn how to
respect that culture. Furthermore, they will be expected to show an interest in
that new culture and start communicating with other foreign speakers.
Henceforward, they will contribute to the growth of this competence. During
the development of the course students will learn about the socio-cultural side
of the foreign language and be expected to collaborate and cooperate.
• Competence in cultural and artistic skills: this competence refers to the
knowledge, comprehension, appreciation and structural criticism regarding
cultural and artistic aspects, and will enable them to encourage and enjoy a
particular cultural tradition. Included in the syllabus is an array of activities
and events in order to facilitate the competence.
• Competence in learning to learn: this competence deals with the skills
necessary to acquire and initiate a learning process and encourage the student
to continue learning in an effective and autonomous way. Moreover, it alerts
the student to the conscious needs that enable the learner to process education
and learning; including memory, concentration, attention and linguistic
expression. The syllabus inspires learners to think about their own education
and reflect on different learning patterns and approaches and sift through them
to discover and ideal one.
• Competence in personal autonomy and initiative: this competence consists of
obtaining an awareness and setting in motion a series of values and particular
outlooks and then having the ability to formulate and take decisions following
the students’ own judgements; furthermore, conceive of projects then take
action in order to develop personal thoughts and plans and to take
responsibility for them. The process of studying a foreign language openly
contributes to obtaining this competence. The more the students learn about
this competence, the more fully they will understand all about planning,
organizing, managing work related issues. Moreover, it encourages
cooperation and social skills because the student relies on his or her colleagues
in order to undertake language tasks and communication, both of which
improve autonomy and initiative in life.
2.5. CONTENTS
The following contents are compliant with the Decreto 45/2008 (BOR 2008a) and are
categorized into four parts or blocks: listening and speaking, reading and writing,
language awareness and socio-cultural matters.
• Listening and Speaking:
o Regarding oral comprehension.
There should be a general understanding of the meaning and certain parts relating to
specific themes are manageable. There should be a comprehensive listening of
messages of different people with varied accents and a general comprehension of
interpersonal communication related to everyday topics and subjects related to
personal interest. Students should be able to give quick answers at this time. They
should be able to use strategies in order to glean the most important ideas from the
dialogues and furthermore, they should also be able to confirm and verify the
understanding of sentences and discussions. They ought to be able to identify
elements of reference and link the words in a spoken text with the goal of recognizing
cohesion and coherence and have an awareness concerning the key issues of the
messages and not actually needing to understand every single word.
o Regarding oral production:
They should be able to plan what a person wants to say and know how to say it and
use a variety of resources to enable communication and implement the mechanics
which can further provide articulate speech. This provides lucid production of
different types of oral texts concerning themes connected with certain interests and
being able to produce earlier prepared presentations related to various topics with
reasonable accuracy and appropriate pronunciation, intonation and rhythm. They
should also be able to convey different points of view on topics familiar to the speaker
and be ready to participate in conversations and discussions concerning current
affairs. Moreover, they should be able to defend a belief and display a respectful and
critical stance regarding other people’s opinions. They should also be able to
implement spontaneous and correct responses when communicating in the classroom.
Finally, the students ought to be able to describe and narrate ideas based on personal
experience in a precise and correct manner and present and discuss ideas with fluency,
spontaneity and accuracy.
• Reading and Writing:
o Regarding written comprehension:
Students are encouraged in being able to predict facts and figures from textual and
non-textual sections in written texts concerning different subjects and be able to have
a general and a specific opinion on comprehensive and detailed information on a
variety of subjects. They should be able to identify the communicative intention, both
textually and with paratextual elements and understand the way information is
organized. Furthermore, they will be able to recognize the different parts of a sentence
and text. They will have a good comprehension of implicit information and attitudes
and points of view in essays and reports on current affairs. Additionally, they will be
able to read long academic texts for personal and professional reasons autonomously
and use different reading strategies depending on the text and the ultimate goal. They
should appreciate that reading is not only enabled as a source of knowledge but also
for enjoyment as well. They should be able to use computer technology to present
written work or get more data on chosen themes whenever the teacher deems it
necessary or appropriate.
o Regarding written production:
The students will be expected to plan and write using well organized and
comprehensive tools and write tracts of text with a certain amount of complexity on
personal, topical or academic affairs in a strong accurate manner regarding grammar
and vocabulary and use appropriate register and whenever necessary graphic or
paratextual aids in order to make comprehension easier. They should have an interest
in producing comprehensive written texts providing for diverse prerequisites and
purposes.
• Language awareness:
o Regarding linguistic knowledge:
The language functions and grammar are covered including revision and extension of
the important grammar structures and functions adapted to distinct types of written
work and communicative objectives. They will be able to strengthen and use freely
various constructions and functions adapted to communicative situations of a varied
nature. There will be instruction about describing the appearance, personality and
physical condition of nouns and situations. There will be instruction on comparing,
contrasting and discriminating between relevant information and opinions. They will
also be able to express preferences, likes, dislikes, interests about a variety of subjects.
Instruction in the use of present simple and present continuous and using verbs like:
love, adore, like, enjoy, hate plus the gerund. They will revise verbs like: want plus
noun or pronoun or, to plus infinitive. Instruction in the use of stative verbs,
adjectives, phrasal verbs, prepositional phrases and adjective plus preposition like:
good at something or keen on something. Use of the relative pronouns and relative
clauses: I would rather plus infinitive or I would prefer to plus infinitive, and being
able to contract these examples. They will be able to talk about past experiences and
habits and state change with respect to the past, or use the past simple and past
continuous correctly. They will use the modals: would or used to plus infinitive. Use
of be / get used to plus noun / or gerund. There will also be instruction in the uses of
gerund or infinitive after some verbs, prepositions and also as subject of sentences.
The correct use of adverbs and intensifiers or modifiers. The present perfect with: just,
already or yet. Practice in the use of the past perfect and the passive voice. They will
be able to express plans using temporal references and make plans or appointments as
well as predicting. They will be able to use the present continuous correctly and the
modals: will or be going to plus infinitive or, using adverbial conjunctions like: when,
after, or as soon as. It will be important to use the future continuous and the future
perfect in the proper way. It is expected that they can express obligation, lack of
obligation, necessity, ability, possibility or permission. Or being able to ask for and
give advice. The modals in both negative and affirmative will be taught like: must,
should, ought to, need, have to, can, be able to, could, might and may. Furthermore,
they will use correctly the conditionals which express probability, possibility and
impossibility and be able to postulate hypotheses with the first, second and third
conditionals. Being able to report what someone has stated, said, asked, ordered,
suggested, threatened or insinuated is important. Using direct and indirect speech
styles when using questions, declarative sentences, orders, suggestions and son on.
Using correctly the introductory verbs like: ask, say, tell, suggest and so on. They
must be able to make estimations or guesses or deductions and speculate on past and
present events by using the modal verbs: must, can, could, may, might, should plus the
past participle. They will learn to use the causative construction mood: have
something done. Finally, they will be able to convey meaning to causes, consequences
and results using subordinate clauses introduced by linking words: because, so, since,
consequently and so on.
o Regarding vocabulary:
The acquisition of vocabulary surmounts to an intake of words on general topics of
interest for the students such as hobbies, sports, experiences, TV & films, celebrity
life, cities, the internet and so on. These will be connected to other subjects on the
curriculum. The proper use of word building and formation will be expressed by using
prefixes, suffixes, compound nouns, synonyms and antonyms and so on and the
learning of expressions, collocations and idioms will be covered.
o Regarding pronunciation:
They will be able to identify symbols in the phonetic alphabet for ease of use with
past tenses, silent letters, homographs, homophones and homonyms. They will be
expected to produce and interpret different stress, intonation and pitch styles for
emphasis to be able to distinguish moods, feelings and aspects of language. Moreover,
the correct pronunciation of problematic phonemes of especial effort and confusion
will be covered such as weak forms, intrusion, silent letters, linking sounds and so on.
o Regarding the learning process:
The students will be able to recognize various scenarios regarding the usage of
language like register, formal and informal use, slang, colloquial use and spoken.
There will be encouragement to use resources like libraries and the internet to be able
to improve awareness and have cohesion, discourse, and extent under control. As well
as being able to consolidate their abilities, they will reflect on translation abilities and
compare the differences between certain words and phrases. Being able to self-
criticize and self-assess and self-correct will be at the forefront and taking an interest
in new modern skills like computers, the Web, social networks and other modern
appliances. Finally, the student will come to terms with self-encouragement and a will
to improve oneself and further one’s enrichment of the language learning process.
• Socio-cultural matters:
Within this section there will be a general appreciation of the target language culture
and a will to want to learn more about that country from a social and cultural point of
view. Taking an interest in all aspects of this culture will be important like films,
literature, newspapers, people and history are expected. There will also be an
acknowledgement of the presence of the foreign language around us and in every
possible aspect of our modern lives like blogs, comment pages, magazines, TV, music
and so on. Being able to compare and contrast the mother and target culture will be
essential and an awareness of the foreign culture in the classroom in books, text
books, readers condensed books, dictionaries, encyclopedias and the internet.
2.6. METHODOLOGY
This part of the project is dedicated to the key measures that the trainee teacher uses
in the classroom and the pedagogical guide that is to be followed.
Primarily, the four skills will be underlined in this section, paying close attention to
grammar rules and especially verbal structure and use. The unit has to be well
balanced so that the student can get a sense of what it is like outside the realms of the
classroom to participate and interact in a foreign language. Oral skills will be deemed
essential for focusing on authentic speech and relevant conversation and
communication. Materials and teacher resources will have a useful approach and a
technical one. Naturally, traditional tools will have to be implemented and made use
of but also newer methods and resources such as computer-assisted tools, web pages
or digital materials will have input. Authentic resources are important and listening to
authentic language talking about real life episodes will help enthrall and motivate the
student, which will lead to responsible autonomous learning and an avid awareness in
self-confidence and fascination in the subject. English should be the classroom
language at this point but at times, for example, to explain rules or instructions, the
mother tongue could possibly be used.
Finally, the teacher’s role will be one of instructor, facilitator, educator, listener and
practitioner. Assessing the students and carefully guiding them on the correct way will
be a priority. But most important of all will be the role of motivator and encourager.
The students need to feel motivated at this level. They need to be given responsibility
to speak and communicate and moreover, to gain more confidence when they interact.
2.7. ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY
Earlier on it was mentioned that the class is of a mixed gender. Therefore, the subject
matter is reflected in this diversity. There are no units dedicated solely to football,
boxing or stereotypical male topics. Conversely, the clichés for females are not
covered and therefore there will be no conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, the class
does have an immigrant percentage and this will be taken into consideration and
wherever necessary diversification will be employed and covered, taking heed of
possibly delicate subjects or embarrassing ones. It will also cater for those pupils who
may have learning difficulties. The level of the class is second year bachillerato,
therefore the level is of a good standard and give or take one or two students, the level
band is more or less gelled. However, whenever the case arises when extra material is
needed for any particular reason, this will be accommodated for with the
accompanying work book.
2.8. ASSESSMENT
2.8.1. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
As laid out in the Decreto 45/2008 (BOR 2008a), the criteria for assessing students of
bachillerato are the following:
1. To understand the key points and identify the main parts of the spoken word
produced in interactive communication, and to understand the media regarding
current affairs or general themes connected to the educational interests or
cultural elements related to the foreign language, on condition that they are
properly and clearly articulated in the standardized language.
2. To be able to express themselves fluently and maintain a correct
pronunciation and stress intonation in day-to-day conversations, discussions,
arguments or debates by using the appropriate linguistic tools for each and
every situation.
3. To be able to fully comprehend on their own all the relevant information that
is included in the written word from various sources which are of interest to
their studies such as, websites, newspapers, magazines, books and so on.
4. To be able to write legibly and in detail about several different topics using the
correct grammar, vocabulary, spelling and so on, and to be able to plan and
revise it.
5. To be able to use the linguistic resources available and use adequate register
and be able to self-assess and self-correct. In order to reinforce their learning.
6. To analyze authentic texts either digitally or by means of audiovisual tools and
paper, and be able to read geographical, historical, artistic, literary or social
matters about the foreign language and its country.
7. To utilize resources, reference materials, other information sources on their
own so that they can verify and consolidate learning.
8. To be able to distinguish the target language as a resource in order to facilitate
communication and generate respect to understand other speakers.
9. To have a deep understanding and knowledge about their own culture by
studying aspects of the foreign language.
2.8.2. ASSESSMENT PLAN
The main idea of adopting an assessment plan is ostensibly to keep tabs on the
students’ progress and to check both the prognostics and diagnostics of their aptitude.
It will also be used to run continual checks – progress checks – to better monitor their
advancement, or lack thereof.
• There will be a diagnostic test at the beginning of the academic year to see
whether certain students are at the required level of bachillerato 2, or if any
remedial work is necessary. This check-up, rather than test, ought to be
relaxed but complete. The main grammar points will be set and a brief
comprehension will be established along with a short written narrative
regarding letter writing or descriptive work.
• Throughout the course, the work should be continuously assessed. More than
likely, on a monthly basis in the form of a fact test or consolidation review
concerning the work that has been covered during the previous month. The
results of each test will be accumulated and used as a borderline check at the
end of the year. This is also useful to go through with the students to see
whether or not anybody is lacking in a particular aspect of the foreign
language.
• A difficult and not very common test will be short oral tests to maintain a
sense of self-confidence and commitment to the foreign language. These tests
should not be taken into account at the end, but a sense of confidence
generates interest and interest brings on curiosity and advancement. The tests
will be simple photo descriptions timed to make the students more assertive
and spontaneous.
• According to the European Language Portfolio for Secondary Education, the
students can assess themselves thus creating more responsibility regarding
their education and increasing more autonomy amongst them.
• During the academic year there are two obligatory exams per semester. These
exams will include written, listening and comprehension work. They are
implemented to monitor the students’ progress and they carry quite a high
percentage of the year’s mark.
• Other types of marked work will be based on the students’ course work. This
will include presentations, team work regarding webquests or light research,
homework in general and any other work like, web work, reading tasks,
activities and so on.
• Naturally, attendance and attitude will also carry a percentage of the final
mark, and the student will be expected to be forthcoming, participative,
helpful, friendly and willing.
2.9. DIDACTIC UNITS
The didactic units are made up of 15 themed units in total from the official
bachillerato course book called Distinction. As with all didactic units in course books,
they are neatly tabled and classified into: Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary, Listening,
Speaking, Writing and Progress Check.
Below is a schematic view of all the units contained in the course book.
UNIT 0: REVIEW
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
New student Tenses:
• Present tenses • Past tenses • Future forms
• Words associated with hometown
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Write short account of your hometown
• Compare & contrast two towns
• Listening for information
• Identifying verbs
UNIT 1: STUDENT LIFE
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
Girls vs. Boys
READING STRATEGY:
• Reading for gist
Relative clauses:
• Defining relative clauses
• No-defining relative clauses
• Who’s & whose
Education
• Prefixes • Adjectives • Prepositions • False friends
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-1
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
IMPROVE YOUR WRITING
Linkers of addition
WRITING STRATEGY:
• A discussion essay
Giving & responding to opinions
Studying at University
LISTENING STRATEGY:
+ DICTATION
+ PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 2: IT’S A DATE
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
It started with a :-#
READING STRATEGY:
• Answering true or false questions
Modal verbs
• Ability & permission
• Possibility & certainty
• Advice, necessity, obligation & prohibition
• modals + perfect infinitives
• love & relationships • negative prefixes • extreme adjectives • phrasal verbs (1):
relationships
Grammar & vocabulary
test units: 1-2
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
A dialogue
WRITING STRATEGY:
• short answers • writing a dialogue
• making & responding to suggestions
Relationships
LISTENING STRATEGY:
• improving your listening vocabulary
+ DICTATION
+ PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 3: ADVENTURE
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
Against the Odds
READING STRATEGY:
• answering questions in your own words
Complex clauses & linkers
• complex clauses • linkers of contrast • linkers of purpose
& reason • linkers of result
Travel & adventure
• noun suffixes • collocations: get,
lose, take • phrasal verbs (2):
travel
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-2
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
A dialogue:
WRITING STRATEGY:
• adverbs • writing a narrative
• reacting to what people say
A Holiday to Remember
LISTENING STRATEGY:
• Making logical predictions
+ DICTATION
+ PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 4: CRIME AND JUSTICE
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
Teen justice!
READING STRATEGY:
• Completing sentences
Reported speech
• Reported statements, commands, requests & questions
• Time & place expressions
• Reporting verbs
Law & justice
• Compound nouns • Prepositions &
noun phrases • Crime & criminals
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-4
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
A summary:
WRITING STRATEGY:
• Linkers of contrast • Writing a summary
Expressing possibility & certainty
Ashley & the Mugger
LISTENING STRATEGY:
• Staying calm
+ DICTATION
+ PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 5: RUBBISH!
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
What a Waste!
READING STRATEGY:
• Answering MCQs
The Passive
• Passive with & without BY
• Transformations: active > passive
• Verbs with two objects
• Passive & reporting verbs
Shopping
• Adjective suffixes • Collocations: the
environment • Phrasal verbs (3):
problems & solutions
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-5
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING An opinion essay
WRITING STRATEGY;
• Fact & opinion • Writing an opinion
essay
• Expressing preferences using modifying adverbs
Freeganism
LISTENING STRATEGY;
• Listening for repetition
+ DICTATION
+ PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 6: FOOD
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
Food for Thought READING STRATEGY:
• Working out the meaning of words
Conditionals • First, second &
third conditionals: as long as, even if, providing that, unless
• Transformations: conditional sentences
• Wishes & regrets
Food & diet • Nouns &
prepositions • Words with similar
meanings • Senses
Grammar & vocabulary Test units: 0-6
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
A biography WRITING STRATEGY;
• Time expressions • Writing a biography
• Making recommendations 7 requests
Eating Competition LISTENING STRATEGY
• Answering difficult questions
+ DICTATION + PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 7: PERSONALITY
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
Born with it?
READING STRATEGY:
• Rewriting sentences
Gerund / infinitive; articles
• Uses of gerund & infinitive
• Verbs + gerunds / infinitives
• Articles
• Personality adjectives
• compound adjectives
• nouns from phrasal verbs
• similes & idioms
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-7
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
A description of a person
WRITING STRATEGY:
• Order of adjectives • Writing a
description of a person
• Describing a person • Making
comparisons
Brother & sisters
LISTENING STRATEGY:
• answering MCQ
+ DICTATION
+ PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 8: GET A JOB!
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
From classroom to office
READING STRATEGY:
• reading in exams
Grammar review
• modals • reported speech • the passive • conditionals
Work
• verbs & prepositions
• word families • phrasal verbs (4):
get, put
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-8
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
A formal letter
WRITING STRATEGY:
• formal & informal language
• writing a formal letter
• checking & clarifying information
Job Interview
LISTENING STRATEGY:
• Approaching a listening test
DICTATION
PRONUNCIATION
UNIT 9: HORROR STORY
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
The Shining
• Signs & messages • MCQ
Impersonal pronouns
• It is … • There is …
Horror stories
• Adjectives: Ed / ING
Grammar & vocabulary
Unit tests: 0-9
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Writing a postcard • Writing a story
• Talking about a film • Discussion
Dracula experience
• Note completion
UNIT 10:DOWN TOWN
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
• A Terrible fire • Gap filling
• The past perfect
• Buildings & location
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-10
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Letter writing • Rules of letter
writing
Situations:
• things to do in town
• Short recordings
UNIT 11: A DAY’S WORK
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
• Charlotte Church • Cloze test
• Verb + infinitive • Using connectors
• Jobs • Words connected
with work
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-11
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Writing an email • Informal language
• Describing photographs
• Opinions
• Jobs for actors • Note completion
UNIT 12: WHAT’S IT LIKE OUTSIDE
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
• The Weather • Matching texts
• Direct & indirect speech
• In the country • Words easily
confused
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-12
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Letter writing rules • Situation: outside activities
• Conversation about a film
• True or false
UNIT 13: STUDENT LIFE
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
• English schools • comprehension
• Rules & regulations • Obligation,
permission • Negative
• In school • Classroom objects
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-13
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Writing emails
• Situation: different ways of studying
• Discussion
• Learning to drive • True or false
UNIT 14: GOING ON HOLIDAY
READING GRAMMAR VOCABULARY PROGRESS CHECK
• The use of a good thick skirt
• Matching things to do in New Zealand
• Present perfect with yet, already, just, ever, never
• Negative
• Holiday activities & things to buy
Grammar & vocabulary
Test units: 0-14
WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING
• Postcard writing • Situation: choosing a souvenir
• English Adventure Course: Note completion
2.9.1. DISTRIBUTION OF UNITS IN TIME
The distribution of the textbook’s units throughout the academic year is going to span
out at approximately 15 weeks per term (not taking into account any saint’s days, long
weekends, local or national festivals or public holidays). These 15 weeks can be
further broken up into roughly 3 weeks per unit. It is proposed that the distribution be
allotted thus:
DISTRIBUTION OF UNITS IN TERMS
First term:
September 2012 ~ December 2012
Second term:
January 2013 ~ March 2013
Third term:
April 2013 ~ June 2013
UNITS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Table 3
DISTRIBUTION OF A TERM IN UNITS
Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
UNIT 1
Review
UNIT 2
Student Life
UNIT 3
It’s a Date
UNIT 4
Adventure
UNIT 5
Crime &
Justice
Table 4
2.9.2. UNIT 5: RUBBISH!
2.9.2.1. INTRODUCTION
The didactic unit: Unit 5: Rubbish! is taken from the book Distinction 2, by Sheila
Dignen. The publisher is Oxford and the original year of publication is 2008,
however, the book is updated and has been re-published in 2012.
The school is a State Secondary Education Centre called Mateo Práxedes Sagasta of
Logroño. The course is designed for students of second year bachillerato.
This unit is an interesting unit as it deals with waste and recycling and shopping.
These are three topical themes nowadays and usually create a lot of mixed views and
opinions and healthy debate. There are sub-themes about brands and brand buying,
buy nothing day, fashion, waste and the economy. The unit is evenly placed in the
middle of the units and therefore the students should now know perfectly well how
the units are formatted and designed. They should know about which points to expect
debate and what are the key issues being covered, as well as important grammatical
points they need to know.
2.9.2.2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the unit are to get a good grasp of themes about waste and recycling
and the environment. They will cover grammatical points like the passive voice both
using BY and not using it, along with verbs with two objects like, GIVE, BUY,
EXPLAIN, and so on. The vocabulary is heavily weighted in favour of shopping and
there are phrasal verbs like, CARRY OUT, FACE UP TO and PUT OFF. There are
also collocations connected with the environment like, ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY, OZONE LAYER, CARBON EMISSIONS, GLOBAL WARMING and
so on. The listening is about alternative lifestyles, namely freeganism, which is a
portmanteau word coming from free + vegan, and means someone who sifts through
the supermarket rubbish at the end of the day to find edible food.
Students will also have to be able to write their own opinion in essay form about
recycling. Finally, there is a test about the previous units.
2.9.2.3. COMPETENCES:
The preceding unit compliments and contributes in the development of the following
competences:
• The competence of linguistic communication: the students will grasp the
meaning and develop appreciation and knowledge of the foreign language and
learn to formulate linguistic skills as well as a social and cultural
understanding of the foreign language being learned.
• The competence of mathematical understanding: the students will learn to
discuss, hypothesize and defend opinions along with learning to apply rules
and figure out and formulate.
• The competence in knowledge and interaction with the physical world: the
students will learn to use language and rhetoric related to the physical world
around them and develop awareness of the state of things related to everyday
life.
• The competence of digital and computer technology: the students will learn to
apply and use computer-generated information and data and recycle it.
• The competence of social and civil use: the students will learn to respect
classmates regarding sharing information, task assignment and turn-taking.
• The competence of cultural and artistic knowledge: the students will learn all
about the cultural and artistic elements of a certain way of life.
• The competence of learning to learn: the students will learn to be autonomous
in their learning and develop strategies for improving themselves and
assessing the work they have fulfilled.
• The competence of autonomy and initiative: the students will learn to organize
themselves and carry out certain tasks and projects.
2.9.2.4. CONTENTS
The contents will be presented as a linguistic content first and then the procedures of
the content. They are as follows:
1. LINGUISTIC CONTENT:
• Vocabulary: words associated with recycling, the environment, shopping and
fashion.
• Grammar: structures associated with the passive voice and transforming
sentences from passive to active and then from active to passive. Also using
two objects with certain verbs.
• Pronunciation: practising phonemes like /f/ /s/ /dƷ/ ʃ/, as well as dictation with
linking words and weak forms.
• Oral practice: voicing opinions and giving suggestions and expressing
preferences.
• Written practice: writing an essay based on fact and opinion.
• Socio-cultural aspect: environmental matters and unusual pastimes.
2. PROCEDURE CONTENT
• Applying grammar rules
• Using opinions to express oneself
• Finding key words in texts
• Identifying key elements in sentences
• Asking for and giving information
• Listening for relevant data
• Predicting words
• Matching collocations
• Identifying stress and non-stress
• Oral reproduction of sentences
• Writing factual passages
3. ATTITUDES
• Expressing an interest in the environment
• Relating personal interests about brands and shopping
• Expressing ethical points of view about globalization
• Reading about unusual pastimes and campaigns
• Learning about certain NGOs
• Contrasting and translating certain terms and expressions into mother tongue
• Correcting errors and assessing
• Reflecting on environmental matters
2.9.2.5. METHODOLOGY
The unit places emphasis on the development of all four skills. The reading sections
and listening sections present and practise a variety of strategies to ensure students
develop their ability to understand both the general meaning of a text as well as to
pick out specific information. The writing sections include models of different text
types and provide step-by-step training to help students improve their writing. The
speaking section gives students the opportunity to develop their speaking skills to
communicate in a variety of situations.
It also consolidates and builds on what students already know. It ensures all new
language is clearly presented and thoroughly practised. Students are helped to
overcome typical mistakes and word-building takes an active role in phrasal verbs,
idioms, collocations.
The theme is authentic and deals with cultural and social matters in an adult and
friendly way juxtaposing lives of real people in an academic situation.
2.9.2.6. ATTENTION TO DIVERSITY
The class is a second year class of bachillerato, with 20 students. In the class there are
13 native Spanish students and 7 immigrants from Pakistan, Romania, the Dominican
Republic, Bolivia and Bulgaria. The class is of a mixed gender. Therefore, the subject
matter is reflected in this diversity.
They have quite a high passive level in written and comprehension, and a lower active
level in spoken and aural. They all have interest in the subject but the girls tend to be
stronger than the boys and more participatory.
The fact that the immigrant level is a quarter of the class lends assistance to the factor
of multiculturalism.
2.9.2.7. ACTIVITIES
First session
Initial Activity: [25 mins]
• Brainstorm vocabulary about shopping in general:
o What type of shopper are you?
o How often do you go shopping?
o Do you only buy Brand names?
o Do you shop around?
o Is there something you would pay a lot of money for?
• Ask students to interview each other about shopping and favourite
shops etc.
• Students can bring in an object they have recently bought and describe
the process: I bought it at …, It cost me …, I bought it because …
Training Activity: [10 mins]
• Read article about shopping and translate certain words. [p.57]
• Choose most appropriate word in sentences. [p.57]
Development Activity: [15 mins]
• Read article together about waste and answer MCQs. [pp.58-59]
• Talk about waste and how it affects the environment.
Back-up Activity:
• Homework: check out the passive voice and do short exercise [p.60].
Second session
Initial Activity: [25 mins]
• Start lesson by checking homework and going through passive voice rules.
• Do the passive-active transformations [p.61]
• Explain impersonal it when using passive and do examples.
• Play Logo Quiz – students identify as many logos as possible from the online
game: http://www.quizrevolution.com/ch/a610/go/the_great_logo_quiz_
Training Activity: [10 mins]
• Read example about History of Adidas [p.60] and ask students to do similar
exercise in pairs. Then read them aloud to class.
Development Activity: [15 mins]
• Adjective suffixes: using and learning the different suffixes for adjectives:
o –able
o -ible
o –al
o –ful
o – ish
o –ive
o –less
o –ly
o –ous
o –y
• Try exercise [p.62] and then ad-lib some words and sentences from students.
Back-up Activity:
• Homework: collocations about the environment and ecology.
Third session
Initial Activity: [25 mins]
• Go through homework and lead this into ecology and the environment.
• Elicit information about UNICEF and its aim.
• Read article on shopping & fashion business [p.63] & learn new
phrasal verbs. The do the exercise.
• Speaking game: 10-of-a-kind. Students are split into teams and one
person must go through a list of ten objects by describing them without
saying the word. Team-mates have to guess the 10 words in 2 minutes.
Training Activity: [10 mins]
• Talk about different ways to save money and help the environment using
words like:
o Vegetarians, vegans, fair trade, …
Development Activity: [15 mins]
• Do the listening activity [p.64] about “freegans”, people who rummage
through supermarket rubbish at night in search of edible food.
o Would you do it?
o Would you eat something that has been thrown away?
• While listening students do exercises about the report.
• Read the transcription together going through difficult words and expressions.
Back-up Activity:
• Homework: Find out about a famous brand and take down 5 facts about it.
Fourth session
Initial Activity: [25 mins]
• Give students quick test about learned vocabulary. Then go through it
in class together.
• Students give a potted history about a famous brand (homework)
Training Activity: [10 mins]
• Giving opinions and using appropriate phrases:
o I would say that …
o There are definitely …
o It’s a fact that …
o I think that …
o It is widely known that …
o Personally, I believe that …
Development Activity: [15 mins]
• Short exercise to practise above phrases [p.66]
• Go through rules of writing models and read example essay [p.66]
Back-up Activity:
• Homework: writing an opinion essay:
o Describe ecology and write an opinion about society today.
o The title of the essay: People who don’t recycle their rubbish should be
fined.
Fifth session
Initial Activity: [25 mins]
• Talk about recycling with students.
• Brainstorm and elicit words connected with this.
• Speaking tasks associated with recycling and using passive voice.
o Plastic should be turned into containers
o All paper is recycled and will be used again.
o Bottles and glass can be used to make windows.
Training Activity: [10 mins]
• Describe photographs [p.67]
Development Activity: [15 mins]
• Read article about recycled rubbish turned into fashion and choose correct
words in text: Passive or active.
Back-up Activity:
• Homework: [p.66] Fact and opinion: practising the short writing sentences on
opinions and facts.
Sixth session
Initial Activity: [25 mins]
• Talk about ways of helping out with students.
• Brainstorm and elicit words connected with this.
• Feedback on ways of helping out using specific vocabulary.
o Charity, sponsor, raise money, volunteer work …
Training Activity: [10 mins]
• Check homework sentences [p.66] for opinions and facts.
o It is clear that, it is a fact that, I think that, in my opinion …
Development Activity: [15 mins]
• Watch the two short UNICEF videos about child poverty and sweatshops.
Students will be expected to take notes during the videos and remark on them
afterwards.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig-ookWf5r0
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzyfvB2gGvs&feature=related
Back-up Activity:
• Read paragraph about a house made from recycled rubbish and do vocabulary
exercise.
During the six sessions the students have been being exposed slowly to the darker side
of consumerism: recycling, environmental problems, rubbish tips and sweatshops.
This was intentional and it was meant to prepare them for an additional and
experimental exercise, and something to reinforce autonomy within the classroom.
The session is made up of a web-based task based on environmental matters: in this
case poverty. It has been linked to the unit as the unit concerns itself with
consumerism, ecology, recycling, brands and alternative lifestyles, and this fits neatly
with the theme.
In the appendix there is a complete webquest devised for several hour’s teamwork.
2.9.2.8 ASSESSMENT
The assessment measures for this unit are the following:
• Glean specific & general information regarding environment & global issues.
• Express oneself concerning delicate topics like recycling, poverty,
consumerism, contamination and globalization.
• Give opinions and express factual information about all of the above.
• Exhibit responsibility & maturity regarding opinions about ecology & poverty.
• Produce precise, clear and managed speech.
• Write texts and essays giving opinions about all of the above.
• Use resources to glean information.
• Identify the target language as a vehicle for expressing oneself.
• Handle internet links maturely in order to perform web-based tasks.
• Utilize linguistic skills in expression and production.
2.9.2.9. MATERIALS & RESOURCES
The resources used throughout the six sessions are the following:
• Textbook: Distinction Student’s Book 2 by Sheila Dignen
• Textbook: Distinction Teacher’s Guide 2 by Sheila Dignen
• Blackboard
• Dictionaries
• CD player
• Computers
• Internet connexion
• Speakers
• Projector
• Worksheet
2.10. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
While preparing this syllabus, several types of resources and various materials are
used in order to expedite students with real life situations and day-to-day
communicative interactions while using the foreign language.
The primary tools used are basic pedagogical materials which can be seen in and
around the school or classroom: textbooks, workbooks, photocopies, projector,
computer, blackboard, dictionaries and websites.
The secondary resources are more literary and methodical in use like:
• Grammar book: Michael Swan: A Practical English Usage
• Monolingual dictionary: Oxford Encyclopaedic Dictionary
• Bilingual dictionary: Collins Universal
• Picture dictionary: Dorling Kindersley Visual Dictionary
3. RESEARCH PROJECT
WebQuests Vs. Textbooks: the benefits of using WebQuests over traditional
textbooks in EFL vocabulary learning.
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this project is to investigate the educational implications and
beneficial effects of using a modern controlled method of teaching English in the
classroom versus a more traditional and experienced approach of WebQuests. The
research will take place in a controlled environment in a classroom in a high school in
northern Spain. The group will consist of 50 students in total: twenty-five pertaining
to one group and twenty-five pertaining to the second group. The level of the group
and age will be 10 Bachillerato, between 16 and 17 years old. Data will be collected in
evaluation form at the beginning of the experiment and at the end to compare results.
The research project will explore the outcome of the students in terms of vocabulary,
content and language use.
The first question to be answered is whether WebQuest instruction is more effective
than traditional textbook and pen methods in vocabulary acquisition.
The second question is whether the learners in the experimental group will achieve
higher levels of oral interactional skills in content and language use than the
traditional group.
Keywords: EFL, WebQuest, textbook, language skills, vocabulary, computer skills
3.1. INTRODUCTION
In February 1995, Bernie Dodge from the San Diego State University devised a way
to keep students busy and interested while surfing the web. He gave the students tasks
to perform and they had to gather information from the Web and collate it while
performing the task. The idea was finely tuned by Tom March in the early stages of
the development.
Since then, many other teachers and instructors have adopted WebQuests in order to
benefit from the internet while involving the class in modern thinking. It has now
spread all over the globe from Holland to China, from Spain to Australia and Brazil to
Japan.
Foreign language teaching must accept that WebQuests and to a certain extent,
CLILQuests which were spawned by the former, are here to stay and students will
surf the web happily looking for information of any sort that they find mildly
interesting. However, the WebQuest is a way of channelling that nonchalant
information into something useful and educational. Most students nowadays are
computer-savvy to a certain degree and most young students can and do perform
several web-based tasks comfortably and with little effort.
However, is the internet actually useful and being used in a useful way by our
students / teachers? According to Stapleton & Radia (2010: 175) ICT influence with
Second Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Learning has not received
nearly enough attention. In light of this, it is necessary to give more emphasis to new
web-based tools and teaching aids as well as online resources.
Taking all of this into consideration, it should be kept in mind that in order for
teachers to keep abreast of new developments in Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) they should whole-heartedly take on board technological
advances on the World Wide Web (WWW). Pennington (2004: 296) suggests that
“teachers should not ignore the new developments of technology, but engage with
ICTs, giving the Internet and the World Wide Web a place in foreign language
pedagogy.”
Therefore, it is believed that by paying attention to WebQuest skills in the context of
educational advancement and computer-generated education, it will have an effective
repercussion on the student, which in turn will reflect fruitfully on the teacher.
In the next section the term WebQuest is clarified and several key people in the
development of this approach are mentioned. In the following section a review on the
most recent literature is presented and after that the research questions will be posed.
Finally, the research method will be presented including the design, the participants,
the tools, procedures and the working plan.
3.1.1. WEBQUESTS
A WebQuest is different from other Internet-based research by means of three criteria:
firstly, it is a classroom-based task involving the whole class. Albeit ideally prepared
for group work, it can also be used individually. Secondly, it underlines and outlines a
different way of thought process, or more descriptively, as a higher-order of thinking.
This involves analysis, creativity and criticism rather than only surfing and gathering.
Finally, it is up to the teacher to pre-select the sources that are going to be used and
involved in the task. This implies that the information sought after is relevant and not
unconnected and extraneous Dodge (1997).
As mentioned above, WebQuests are ideally suited to group work rather than
individual work. The class is split into several groups, and then roles are issued to the
team members. Each individual within the group is responsible for collating or
collecting some kind of data and / or information.
A WebQuest is made up of 6 parts: adapted from Dodge [op.cit.]. They are:
1. Introduction. This part provides background information and adds meaning
and substance to the work. This part should contain an incentive of some sort
which can motivate the students and prepare them emotionally for the
exercise.
2. Task. This consists of a formal descriptive element which the students are
supposed to produce while undertaking the task. The teacher should try to
make it meaningful, thought-provoking and, naturally, fun to do. For the
teacher this can be the most entertaining part of the process.
3. Process. This lays out the stages or steps that the students have to take in order
to fulfil the task. This part could put the students off; therefore it is important
to make it inviting and demonstrative.
4. Resources. These are all found and included by the teacher beforehand and
they provide the students with the vital and appropriate links where they can
process the information. The teacher pastes the links within the quests so that
the students do not get lost in the internet maelstrom.
5. Evaluation. This is the manner in which the student’s performance and results
will be tested and graded. They should reflect the degree of difficulty of the
WebQuest.
6. Conclusion. This is done after the WebQuests have been finished and it is a
time for reflection and structural criticism. It could also be used to find ways
of improving the quest or altering it.
The benefits of WebQuests are myriad in my opinion. Not only do they keep students
concentrated on-task while being on-line, but they also raise the students thinking to
higher levels within Bloom’s Taxonomy, which was first published in 1956. The
student is enabled to cipher, sift and consider what is relevant and is irrelevant. It
empowers critical thinking and problem solving by means of genuine material, real
assessment, group work and technical knowledge and integration. Furthermore, it is
firmly understood that they maintain collective responsibility and foster cooperation
while encouraging independent thinking.
Students are forced to read, scan and summarize chunks of text in English.
Furthermore, they establish writing skills as well as reading skills by reading and
summarizing authentic texts and articles. This is where the higher degree of thought
process is put into action.
The students feel they are in control, to a certain degree and this promotes and
motivates them to think independently and wisely. They are debating and working
things out for themselves. The tasks usually involve themes which are political,
academic, geographic, historic, and scientific and they involve travelling, current
affairs, the media and a whole range of other topics. Finally, the student is constantly
practising not only foreign language skills but also technological ones both of which
are transferable skills which can bridge the gap between school and the outside world.
3.2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The idea of comparing the traditional textbook way of learning vocabulary with more
recent or modern approaches like webquests is a daunting task as there seems to be a
dearth of literary commentaries on this comparison. However, it is believed that there
is a glut of information on vocabulary learning from textbooks, and enough literature
on using the web to improve one’s vocabulary building. More closely defined, it can
be said that a WebQuest is a learning structure with scaffolding which makes use of
resources on the Internet to fulfil tasks and in the process motivates students to look
into a serious subject matter and collate information from several sources then uses
them to answer and research the same subject matter. The process calls for a
sophisticated and intellectualized process conjoining forces with colleagues.
Punching in certain words on a Google search did not bring forth anything concrete.
Observe the chart to see the results:
RANDOM WEB HITS CHART for WEBQUEST SEARCH
Words punched in: Results rounded off:
Webquest 5.5 million results
Webquest + textbook 3.5 million results
Webquest + textbook + vocabulary 2 million results
Vocabulary learning using webquests 500,000 results
Table 1
However, by accessing the webquest.org research page through Google Scholar
dozens of Ph.D. theses surface.
http://webquest.org/index-research.php
In spite of such seemingly vast results, the links were unhelpful as nothing
specifically dedicated to the two appeared. Therefore, a review of literature based
solely on webquests is necessary before any comparisons can be made.
In Girón García’s work (2000) on webquests, she stresses the importance of autonomy
to kick start any interest. In her article she indirectly quotes Vygotski (1962) by
paraphrasing that the teacher has to encourage the students’ plan from a dependent
position towards a more independent position. She continues to suggest that students
have to become autonomous in their learning.
Autonomy is the key to any webquest. A student must learn to surf and handle
correctly the webpages, links and hyperlinks and be organized and strict.
Secondly, students must re-learn to learn by means of using webquests, or as Girón
García calls them, “cybertasks.” She goes on to say about them:
“The application of this methodology approach to virtual communication
environments and, in particular, to information exchange in the Internet, calls for
investigating both the presence of the existing genres and the possible appearance of
new ones, cybergenres” [p.79] Girón García.[op.cit]
She did her research with third year English Philology students in Castellón, Spain.
By going about it, she designed a two-hour cybertask for her students to complete
based on promoting new literacy skills and using it to develop language learning
autonomy. The results of the research cybertask were unfinished but at the time of
writing she had discovered that there was a change in representation on what the
Internet offers and a change in the representation about the management on the
Internet. She adds that “how-to” tasks must be appropriate to the level of language
and must correspond to the written competence level.
Another experiment carried out using the Web was completed by Fotos (2004). It
tested the effects of emails on writing proficiency. She discovered that students
corresponding to emails with their teachers gained proficient levels and were
motivated more after having corresponded. Of course, it is always more trying to get
students enthused, involved and motivated when introducing writing tasks, so this is
all the more commendable not only for its proficient results but also for its influencing
effects.
Bernie Dodge, in the interview conducted by Education World (2012), when asked if
he thought that web-based tasks would ever replace text-based learning, replied:
“I think at some point it will make economic sense to distribute textbooks in purely
digital form. That means that the information will probably be much more up-to-date
and supplemented by access to human tutors and a community of other learners.”
He continues to cite two successful webquests about two diverse subjects. The first
experiment was carried out by Cynthia Matzat, entitled Radio Days (2007). This
webquest encouraged students to recreate the era of radio in the 1930s and 1940s. The
students had to make use of the web to gather information and make their own radio
play. They had scaffolding to help them find sounds and even advertisements. The
organization was distributed as prescribed by a webquest and the results were so
successful that the plays are aired on local radio stations.
The second example was something more scientific, less artistic. It was created by
Keith Nuthall and was called Hello Dolly, (2003) and dealt with cloning. The class
had to find information – namely government policy – about the ethics of cloning.
The task led to debate and consensus and, as it was such a complex and controversial
subject, the opinions expressed were strong and extreme and resulted in high
motivation again.
As a tool for enhancing reading skills, Tsai (2005) as her PhD thesis, used CAI
enhancement (Computer Assisted Instruction) on reading skills.
The main aim of the research was to measure the vocabulary level of the students’
reading skills on EFL learners. She used CAI instruction over traditional methods.
The students were studying English in Taiwan and were given pre- and post-tests to
determine the outcome. The controlled group were taught using traditional methods of
reading, for example, textbooks, while the experimental group were instructed in web-
based reading texts designed to enhance their level.
The results indicated a positive intake and development of both reading and
vocabulary skills with the group using CAI enhancement. Furthermore, a significant
correlation existed between student attitudes and student perceptions of the
experiment.
Regarding writing skills, Chuo (2004) wrote on the effects of writing by using the
internet and computer assisted instruction. With the basic tenet of thought that the
web can boost real language input and enhance positive learning, she gathered
students from two classrooms in Taiwan. They were second year students in a college.
She divided the groups into an experimental one and a traditional one. The
experimental class received webquest tasks and lessons aimed at improving their
intake while surfing for resources, and the traditional class were taught using more
teacher-centred methods to improve their writing skills. The research project was
conducted over a 14-week period with positive results.
The results showed a salient improvement on the traditional way of teaching writing.
Additionally, the students acquired a favourable stance towards the experimental
method and this proved motivational. The findings also discovered that by using a
webquest technique the students writing performance was enhanced and provided a
helpful learning experience.
Chuo (2011) studied the effects of task-based English learning based on the basic
framework of a webquest. A questionnaire was given to students at the start of the
experiment to check their attitude to this type of activity. The experiment was a
success and the research suggested an increase in their reading skills and a meaningful
intake of vocabulary while carrying out the task.
Barros and Carvalho (2007) conducted their research on eighth grade Portuguese
students of English. They realized that their students were bored while reading long
texts as they could not maintain concentration and take in all the new vocabulary, as a
result, the students’ reading skills dropped and they became poor readers.
The WebQuest, or ReadingQuest, was devised as a direct result of these phenomena.
They chose a text which was part of the National Portuguese curriculum called A
Scandal in Bohemia, A. C. Doyle. It was a Sherlock Holmes tale and it was to be read
in 5 sessions of 90 minutes including the accompanying exercises that finished each
chapter.
They wanted to investigate if students would engage more freely in a web-based
reading task. The experiment had three questions to investigate. The first was to check
if an interactive environment would make any difference to an extensive reading task;
secondly, to see if the tuition would encourage understanding in reading, and thirdly,
to verify if this would encourage the students to take the exercise a step further and
read more texts in the foreign language.
The results were not as predictable as one would imagine. In the first place, the
students were slightly disorientated by the task, especially seeing that the whole text
was in English and even the instructions which they had to follow. Additionally, by
not having teacher help, which is the traditional way, and a way that usually involves
translation, the students felt uneasy and unconfident in the beginning.
Nevertheless, according to the results, they suggest that it is an invaluable activity as
it showed a much higher interest from the students and generated much discussion
among them while performing the task. The students had to solve problems together
and share points of view. They had to construct meaning from the text by talking,
discussing and negotiating with peers.
Finally, the whole exercise inspired autonomy, which has been a main theme
throughout this review of the literature. It seems that without student autonomy, none
of these tasks would be possible. To paraphrase Dodge, webquests are meant for
students to look up information on the Internet. This process encourages autonomy
and independence when carrying out a particular task. The aim of the webquests is for
them to stimulate students to handle a great deal of facts that are meaningful to them.
3.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
As the previous section on the review of the literature has demonstrated, WebQuests
are diverse and multi-varied and can be used in a multitude of ways to perfect and
improve skills in organizational matters as well as textual, grammatical, pragmatic,
functional and sociolinguistic aspects. In light of this, it beckons many and
multifarious questions. However, the two questions that this research project will be
concentrating on are:
1. Is WebQuest instruction more effective than traditional textbook and pen
methods concerning vocabulary acquisition?
2. By exposing students to WebQuest methods will they achieve higher levels of
oral interactional skills than the traditional group?
By evaluating the effects of WebQuest methods on students’ vocabulary skills it will
become apparent that exposure to modern methods of learning will hopefully increase
their intake ratio and, furthermore, will promote motivation in the field and a more
mature learning approach instigating responsibility and management skills as well as
discourse management and interactive communication regarding extent, relevance,
coherence and cohesion. Moreover, their vocabulary input will augment the range,
control and appropriacy.
3.4. METHOD AND DESIGN
This will be an experimental research study that will incorporate a controlled group
and a monitored group. Quantitative methods will be used to finalize and determine
the effects of using WebQuests in order to improve vocabulary skills over traditional
textbook methods.
3.4.1. PARTICIPANTS
The 50 participants for this research project pertain to two mixed classes: each class
having 25 students. The students are all in the first year of Bachillerato, so they are 16
or 17 years old. The students will have had education in English from an early age –
around 6 or 7 years old – as part of the Spanish official curriculum. The level of
English should be around B1 level according to the Common European Framework
Reference for Languages. The school is situated in the north of Spain and is a state
comprehensive school / college.
3.4.2. INSTRUMENTS
For the collection of data for this research project and the initial analysis, a
questionnaire will be used in order to review general information (gender, age, first
language, nationality, how many years of English instruction, exams taken, reasons
for learning, etc.). Additionally, two tests will be handed out to the bachillerato
students: one before the experiment and one after. The pre-experiment test will serve
as a prognosis and naturally as a comparison for the second test which will be given at
the end of the experiment.
As the test must follow strict guidelines on testing and assessing the vocabulary level
of a student, the methods and approaches of Read (2000) will be used. The test will
consist of various vocabulary testing methods, namely, multiple choice questions,
completion tests, matching and translation. The test will have 100 points reflecting the
input and it will be weighted for different strengths within the vocabulary range.
Multiple choice questions will carry a point a piece as this test gives the students a
choice of four possibilities. There will be a total of twenty-five questions in this
section. Text completion (or open cloze test) will carry more weight as the students
will not have any options to choose from and they must think of the word. This part
will carry fifty points. The matching part will have a fifteen point weight as the
students will have the answers opposite and they only need to connect the words.
Finally, some words will be inserted and the students will translate them into Spanish.
This part will carry ten points.
Hopefully, this way of testing will satisfy all students and the means to evaluate
vocabulary correctly by being fair yet integrative. Finally, the test is going to be
thematic as the students are learning about travelling and tourism. So the test will be
as much an integrative way of testing as it is in discrete-point testing. The words
which are going to be evaluated will be those used in the WebQuest tasks.
TYPE OF TEST CHART
TEST TYPE CONTAINS THE
WORD
POINTS
MULTIPLE-CHOICE YES 25
COMPLETION NO 50
MATCHING YES 15
TRANSLATION NO 10
Table 2
3.4.3. PROCEDURES
At the beginning of the school year in September and October, the research team will
hand out the questionnaire to all of the fifty participants. The students will begin by
filling out the questionnaire and returning it. Later, the first test will be distributed to
all of the fifty students from both groups and then they will complete the test. After
this, the research team will introduce the WebQuest method to the experimental
group. The other group will have nothing to do with WebQuests, nevertheless, they
will continue with their work as per usual without any special treatment. Both groups
will continue their classes with regularity and continuity taking into account the usual
school breaks.
In March of the following year all of the fifty students will complete the same type of
test again.
The tests will be marked and assessed by the research team and rendered
appropriately. Each test will be marked exactly as the previous test. That is, the same
weight per type of vocabulary input: multiple-choice, completion, matching and
translation, (See Table 2).
In the analysis of the data, the final results will be rendered into percentages and
compared. They will be compared not only on the final result out of one hundred, but
also on the four categories that will be compared to assess the student knowledge of
the chosen theme.
The reason the test has several different types of testing is to make allowances for
chance or random correctness or error. Furthermore, if the student scores high on the
multiple-choice test but low on the completion test this will show limitations in free
thinking. The translation test is included for possible errors of judgment.
The WebQuests will be designed, prepared, researched and formatted by the research
team, using relevant and active hyperlinks and websites.
There will be a total of one WebQuest per month for the students in the experimental
group to follow. The research team will prepare the five WebQuests beforehand and
distribute them at the beginning of the month. The first month will be spent on basic
training in computers and on familiarizing the students with WebQuests and their
usefulness and learning how to do technical stuff and sorting the good links from the
wasteful ones.
The five themes will be decided by the research team but will revolve around big
themes like: the ecology, world poverty, the Euro crisis, the environment and
charities.
The students in the experimental group will be asked to split up into teams within the
group and for one person to play the role of team leader within each group. The
members of each team will have roles to carry out and will have to work to deadlines.
All the WebQuest work will be carried out during classroom hours and the students
will not be expected to perform any extra-curricular work amongst themselves unless
it is part of the normal homework package.
3.4.4. WORKING PLAN
September 2012:
• General questionnaire to be handed out and completed at beginning of course
to both groups.
• Initial prognostic test to be handed out at the beginning of term with
vocabulary tests to both groups.
• Experimental group to be initiated into WebQuest learning method.
• Traditional group to follow curriculum according to Spanish educational
system.
October 2012 – March 2013:
• Running of development of the experiment with the experimental group.
• Handing-out of second test at the end of March 2013 to both groups.
March 2013 – June 2013:
• Evaluation and assessment of the tests by research team.
• Analysis of the collated data and general synopsis of experiment.
• Presentation of the results and promulgation of said results.
3.5.CONCLUSIONS
This Research Project will show that the acquiring of vocabulary, in light of teaching
and learning approaches, is multi-fold. The Master’s Degree provides the trainee
teacher with various possibilities and competences for the implementation of teaching
in secondary education. The varied and various modules and subject matters offer a
realistic outlook on the theoretical side of language teaching and learning. The course
also provides the platform for strategic implementation of the approaches available.
The trainee teacher is aware of the authentic classroom opportunities and is exposed
to the management and organization of educational institutions. By trying to discover
and investigate new ways to improve skills, the trainee teacher is constantly
evaluating and re-evaluating the common ground in education. Improvements in
education are always welcomed, and any quest for a better understanding of students’
social behaviour and academic fortitude should be regarded with open arms and eyes.
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APPENDIX
Hello fundraisers!
We are the charity Oxfam and we would like to offer your school the amazing opportunity to take part in our campaign to stop world poverty.
How can you help? Easy, all you have to do is think of an event you would like to organize, find sponsors and just do it! It’s as easy as that.
We have had people doing sponsored marathons, walks, swimming the English Channel, even shaving their hair off! Yes, there are many ways you can raise funds and awareness.
Fund-raising is easy. All you need to do is advertise what your school or class is trying to achieve and ask the public, family, schoolmates, local newspapers etc., to sponsor you.
Oxfam helps fight poverty in many parts of the world: from Angola to Zimbabwe; from Tsunami refugees to homeless people in European cities; from war zones to farmers, so as you can see there are so many reasons for helping. We need dynamic people to do charitable events and raise money in order to eradicate poverty around the world. Anything you can think of that could help us to raise money will be appreciated.
So, what do you have to do now?
a. Ask your teacher or head to get involved b. Think of an idea to raise funds c. Organize it d. Find sponsors e. Do it
Yours in appreciation of the important work you are going to do,
Michael Ngogo
Chair of Oxfam
Webquest: Christopher J. Hadfield
Topic: World Poverty
Subtopic: Sponsored Bike Ride
Level: Bachillerato 2
You have decided to take on the challenge to raise money and awareness in order to eradicate world poverty and work voluntarily for Oxfam. You all like cycling and speaking English, so have chosen to ride the length of Great Britain – from John o Groats to Land’s End. The sponsored event is not new and has been walked, cycled and run many times before, but this will be a great opportunity to get involved and do something you have not done before. You are going to do it in July after term breaks up so the weather will be more or less fine. You have to organize transportation to and from Great Britain, sort out accommodation and plan a route. There will also be the sponsor forms to design and posters advertising your event. Roles: You will split up into 4 groups and take responsibilities for preparing the tasks within the group. Each group will go away and fulfil the tasks and reconvene at a later date to collate all the information and start the webquest. Within each team there will be a team leader who will check up on the work and make sure everyone is pulling his or her weight. TEAM 1 This team will be responsible for accommodation. You are cycling the length of Great Britain so the cheapest way of doing it is to go youth-hostelling. You must visit the website of Youth Hostel Association (YHA) and the Scottish YHA site and join up. You will then apply for the YHA cards and order them. You must also look for Youth Hostels along the route and work out which ones you will be staying at. TEAM 2 This team will have to organize the transportation to Scotland from Spain and the return journey from England to Spain. As you are travelling with bikes you will have to check with the airline how to do it. As you will be starting your sponsored bike trip from the top of Scotland, you will need to find the nearest airport and then if there are buses running to the starting point. The return leg will be easier. There is a ferry that leaves Plymouth for Santander every day. TEAM 3 This team will have to work out a route from John o Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in England. You will have to find a safe way to do it; no major roads. You will have to work out how many miles you can do in a day and where to stay the evening. As you are going to stay in youth hostels you will have to work closely with Team 1. TEAM 4 This team will be looking for sponsorship, preparing sponsor sheets, writing letters, campaigning, fund-raising, and doing artwork for your sponsored bike trip.
TEST
Before you start your webquest you must be tested on your skills: knowledge about Oxfam, skills about bikes and geography of Great Britain and some first-aid requirements.
RESOURCES
1. Do some reading about the history of Oxfam here: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/history-of-oxfam
Some more links here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxfam
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=oxfam&qpvt=oxfam&FORM=VDRE
http://www.oxfam.org/
http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/health-education/robin-hood-tax
2. Find out what these words mean in Spanish:
a. Fundraising b. Poverty c. Famine d. Drought e. Refugee f. I.D.P. g. Fair trade h. Donation i. Aid worker j. Robin Hood tax
3. Answer these questions about Oxfam:
a. Explain the Robin Hood tax. b. What two words does Oxfam come from? c. Find out about the Make Poverty History campaign by watching these video
clips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4QBP2xLplw
http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/41252590
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WOGcqcVecY
4. Find out what Oxfam has recently done to help fight poverty in parts of the world.
5. Read the Oxfam webpage and write down at least 3 ways you can help Oxfam.
ABOUT BIKES
You will be cycling around 1500 kilometres so it is important to know a little bit about bike maintenance.
6. Look for the names of these bike parts in English: a. El manillar b. El sillín c. El radio d. La llanta e. La cadena f. El neumático g. El piñón h. Los frenos i. El eje j. El pedal
7. Find out how to:
a. Repair a puncture b. Take the tyre off c. Put the chain back on
8. What tools do you think you will need for the trip?
http://wvcycling.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/essential-list-for-your-bike-repair-tool-kit/
9. Write a list of possible accidents you could have while cycling. What do you think you should include in your first-aid kit?
http://www.lbcma.org.uk/newsArticles/firstaidKIT.asp
GEOGRAPHY
10. Look at this map of Great Britain. Do the task to discover places in Great Britain.
Geography of Great Britain Read the clues and locate the 25 places on the map:
1. London is between Canterbury and Oxford. 2. Cardiff is the capital of Wales on the south coast. 3. Glasgow is opposite Edinburgh. 4. John o Groats is the most northern town in Great Britain. 5. Southampton is on the south coast in the centre. 6. Wrexham is in north-east Wales – south-west of Manchester. 7. Manchester is near Liverpool but not on the coast. 8. Durham is south of Newcastle. 9. Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is east of Glasgow. 10. Canterbury is in the south-east of England. 11. The Isle of Man is north of the Isle of Anglesey. 12. Birmingham is in the centre of England. 13. Land’s End is in the south-west corner of England. 14. Aberdeen is on the east coast of Scotland. 15. Plymouth is between Land’s End and Southampton. 16. Bristol is across the water from Cardiff. 17. Carlisle is on the border of Scotland & England. 18. Hull is between York and Lincoln. 19. York is north-west of Hull. 20. Norwich is east of Birmingham.
QUEST 1
GOALS FOR TEAM 1:
This team will be responsible for accommodation. You are cycling the length of
Great Britain so the cheapest way of doing it is to go youth-hostelling. You
must visit the website of Youth Hostel Association (YHA) and the Scottish YHA
site and join up. You will then apply for the YHA cards and order them. You
must also look for Youth Hostels along the route and work out which ones you
will be staying at.
• Join the Youth Hostel Association
• Gather information & passport photos of all cyclists
• Choose the best places along the route (with Team 3)
STEPS & OUTCOME:
Your team must take into account the number of cyclists doing the fundraising
mission and keep a file with all YHA documents inside. Also, it is important to
collect and collate all information of riders: names, addresses, phone numbers
etc.
TIME:
Approximately 2-3 hours
USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.yha.org.uk/
http://www.syha.org.uk/
http://www.syha.org.uk/membership/information.aspx
http://www.yha.org.uk/membership
QUEST 2
GOALS FOR TEAM 2:
This team will have to organize the transportation to Scotland from Spain and
the return journey from England to Spain. As you are travelling with bikes you
will have to check with the airline how to do it. Furthermore, as you will be
starting your sponsored bike trip from the top of Scotland, you will need to
find the nearest airport and then if there are buses running to the starting
point. The return leg will be easier. There is a ferry that leaves Plymouth for
Santander regularly.
STEPS & OUTCOME:
Check the websites for airlines and the possibility of carrying bikes aboard.
Then check bus links to John o Groats. Next important arrangement is the
return journey. You will be taking a ferry so again check dates and availability.
• Go online and find information on travelling with bikes
• Book tickets and bus trips to John o Groats
• Reserve return journey from Plymouth and bus trips to Plymouth
TIME:
2-3 hours
USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.easyjet.com/EN
http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/ferry-routes/ferries-spain/plymouth-santander
http://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_11338_Caithness%2077%20
80%2081%20181.pdf
QUEST 3
GOALS FOR TEAM 3:
This team will have to work out a route from John o Groats in Scotland to
Land’s End in England. You will have to find a safe way to do it; no major
roads. You will have to work out how many miles you can do in a day and
where to stay the evening. As you are going to stay in youth hostels you will
have to work closely with Team 1.
STEPS & OUTCOME:
Go online and find a route that does not involve major roads. Work closely
with Team 1 and liaise about how many kilometres to do in a day and where
to stay. Make a dossier with all relevant information.
• Check route-planners and calculate how many kilometres per day you
will be able to do
• Print maps for everyone
• Sort out bike maintenance and first-aid kits: make lists
TIME:
3-4 hours
USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/John_OGroats_to_Lands_End_Complete-Cycle-
Route-724.html
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_weather.html
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/
QUEST 4
GOALS FOR TEAM 4:
This team will be looking for sponsorship, preparing sponsor sheets, writing
letters, campaigning, fund-raising, and doing artwork for your sponsored bike
trip. As this group has the most organization it should contain more people to
distribute the work more evenly.
STEPS & OUTCOME:
First of all make sponsor sheets: a simple A4 form with name, donation,
telephone number and signature. This can be done on the computer and
printed off. Choose somebody to organize and campaign cycling shops, clubs
and teams to write letters to and target for sponsorship. Start making posters
to highlight your event. They should be A2 or larger and hang them in relevant
places like your school, the Town Hall, supermarkets etc.
• Make sponsor sheets
• Design and print posters for the event
• Write a covering letter to all possible sponsors
TIME:
4-5 hours +
USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/fundraising
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.bullying.co.uk/content/start-poster-creator?gclid=CP_m-
7L6668CFUdItAodwSlLzQ
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/