1. THE FIRST WEEK OF THE CLASS

1.1. BREAK THE ICE ACTIVITIES FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS

How do you feel? Ask the students to write down words or phrases that describe their feelings on the first day of class. List the responses on the blackboard. Then ask them to write down what they think you as the teacher are feeling this first day. List them on the blackboard in a second column and note the parallels. Briefly comment on your feelings and then discuss the joint students/teacher responsibilities for learning in the course.

Introduce another: Divide the class into pairs. Each person talks about him / herself to the other. After five minutes, the participants introduce the other person to the rest of the class.

Famous person: People write a famous name on a piece of paper and pin it on someone else’s back. Person tries to guess what name is pinned on his/her by asking others around the room yes or no questions. Variation: use famous place instead of famous person.

1.2. LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The main function of your Language Biography is to keep an updated record of your personal language learning whether it takes place inside or outside the educational system. It helps you evaluate your learning objectives and reflect on your language learning and intercultural experiences

·         How many languages can you speak?

I can speak two languages.

·         How many languages can you understand?

I can understand three languages.

·         How did you learn your first language at home?

I learned my first language listening to speak to people of my environment.

·         How did you learn your first language at school?

I learned my first language in the school listening and speaking with the teachers, learning of them.

·         How were you taught your foreign language at primary school / secondary school?

I spoke in class with my partners and I studied in the foreign language.

·         What do your friends and family think and say about language learning?

They think that the only way of learning well the foreign language is to go to the country where one speaks

·         Are you going to teach the way you were taught?

Some contents were very well explained, with that learned much but others it was not so much. Then it is possible that I teach some of them in the same way.

·         Are you going to react against bad experiences you have had?

Certainly that I will not repeat those bad experiences that I have had, trying that they do not return to repeat

·         What is your theory about language learning?

I believe that to learn a language it must be practised very much at the moment of speaking. It is very important initially not be afraid to being wrong, since the mistakes will be corrected by the time

 

1.3 MARÍAS, J. (1995): “LA PROFESIÓN DE MR. WHITE”. EL SEMANAL, (21/5)

PERSONAL OPINION:

The principal idea that the author suggests, is the methodology that his Englishman's teacher was carrying out with him in one of the subjects that he studied.

It is a practical methodology. The teacher was entering class speaking in English and he was not saying any word in Spanish, from there it was looking for some relation with the topic that he wanted to give in the classroom, syntactic, lexical or grammatical good. Of this form he was managing to call the attention of the pupils and simultaneously, to teach the contents that the pupils had to learn.

According to the author, this one is the best way of learning, since it is learned accidentally or without realizing.

And I also agree with him in this case because the learning is major when it is done of a practical form.

LOPEZ RODRÍGUEZ, J.C. (2008): “LA PRIMERA SEMANA DEL INGLÉS”. CUADERNOS DE PEDAGOGÍA 383, 29-31

PERSONAL OPINION:

It looks like to me a nice experience where can be learned many aspects of the English culture, this way as also English concepts as such.

I believe that this idea should be carried out in other centres because it contributes many benefits at the moment of speaking the second language.

The methodology that is used to carry out the activities seems to me to be suitable because there realize the same works that they do every day but the children are immersed in another culture, in addition these have the confidence and safety of which they are in his own environmen.

1.4 THE FIRST CLASS.

1. To introduce greetings and to introduce self and Chester the puppet.

ACTIVITY

· Start the lesson by showing the " English time" sing and putting it in a visible place.

· Say "Hello" whit a big smile on your face and waving your hand to all the children; say it a few times to the whole class, then say it to individual children.

· Sing " good morning"

· Indicate yourself and say your name a few times.

· Indicate the puppet and say his name a few times.

2. To introduce the questions " What´s your name?

ACTIVITY

· Sing the song " I am litte a dog, my name is Chester" what it gets the part, What,s your name? point the puppets at yourself, then say your name. Just say name , do not say, " my name is" or anythings else.

3. To get the children moving and to teach simple commands

ACTIVITY

• Say " sit down" " stand up" " clack yours hands" " make a circle" " Put yours hands"

4. Finally to class

ACTIVITY

· Sing the song " Good Bye"