Multiple Intelligences

Hi there! How are you? Today I want to post something related to "Multiple Intelligences". It is a theory from which teachers can learn a lot. Besides, not only can teachers learn about what the theory is about but also they can learn about how to apply this theory in their classrooms.
To begin with, I will make a brief introduction in case you haven't heard about it before...

The theory of Multiple Intelligences has emerged from recent cognitive research and "documents the extend to which students possess different kinds of minds and therefore, learn, remember, perform and understand in different ways", according to Howard Gardner.

He has identified seven intelligences:

- Visual- Spatial
- Bodily- kinesthetic
- Musical
- Interpersonal
- Intrapersonal
- Linguistic
- Logical- Mathematical

According to him, students learn in ways that are identifiably distinctive. So teachers have to plan lessons based on the multiple intelligences.
As not  all the students react in the same way with the same type of activity, teachers have to prepare different activities which are focused on different intelligences. So in this way, all the students will be able to demonstrate their abilities.

I think that Multiple Intelligences are wonderful. If you do a variety of activities in the classroom, you are able to see that a student is not good at writing because he is good at role playing. Moreover, you realize in what way you may work on with that student.

Here goes the link of a useful page with the activities that you may use with each intelligence:

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/clip-save-checklist-learning-activities-connect-multiple-intelligences/

                                 
Hi! How are you?

Today I am going to talk about some study techniques/ strategies that are useful to me and maybe useful to you too.
I usually meet with friends and we are used to studying all together. This is a very practical way as we help each other with grammatical structures, pronunciation or content. It works wonderfully for me.
However, there are many people that have some problems in studying with another person because it may be a bit confusing. So summaries or mind maps are also excellent study techniques if you want to study alone.

And...What about strategies to handle stress?

Well, I have no strategies for that kind of situations. It happens to me that I get so nervous that I shake in every term test, oral exam or final exam. I just can't help it !!

AN IMPORTANT POINT: DO NOT TALK WITH FRIENDS OR CLASSMATES AFTER A TERM TEST, YOU WILL BE MORE STRESSED THAN BEFORE.

First Language Acquisition

Hi! I have found this interesting video about the stages of First Language Acquisition. It is very short and I am sure you will like it. 

First Language acquisition is the process whereby children acquire their first languages. All humans (without exceptional physical or mental disabilities) have an innate capability to acquire language.

                                       

Hi there ! Yesterday I went to the cinema and I watched an amazing movie: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales". If you love movies about fantasy, comedy and adventure, you must watch it!!! I highly recommend it!

Hi !! How are you? I hope you are doing well. This post is dedicated to an educational approach that we are learning at the teacher training college.  
               
Here goes a little introduction to it:

CLIL(Content and Language Integrated Learning) refers to situations where subjects (such as History, Geography, Maths, etc)  are taught through a Foreign Language with dual-focused aims. This means, the learning of content and the simultaneous learning of a Foreign Language. 
According to the 4Cs, a CLIL lesson should combine the following elements:
-Content: Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding.
-Communication: Interaction, using language to learn whilst learning to use the language.
-Cognition: Students have to develop their thinking skills, understanding and language.
-Culture: “self” and “other” awareness, exposure to different perspectives and shared understandings.

Finally, this is an interesting short video about this approach:

 What do you think about CLIL? Are you a Clil teacher? 

I have done an instructional sequence using the six- step procedure as a model.

Step 1 Schema building	Watch a video about animals at a zoo. Extract the names of the animals mentioned.
Step 2 Controlled practice	Watch the same video again but this time you have to pay attention to the food that each animal eats and to the environment where they live. Then, match the animals with their corresponding environment and food.
Step 3 Authentic listening practice	Listen to an animal’s factfile. Then, complete the factfile you have with the missing words.
Step 4 Focus on linguistic elements	Listen to the animal’s factfile again. Focus on the affirmative and negative form of the sentences.
Step 5 Provide freer practice	Select an animal you like and make a factfile of it with your partner.
Step 6 Introduce the pedagogical taks	Make a zoo on a big poster. Imagine and decide where to place each animal, which animals you will buy, the space you need for each animal and the food they will eat.

Hi ! In the teacher training college we have been reading about Task- Based Language Teaching. In case you do not know what I am writing about, here goes a very little definition of it:

           "This is an approach which focuses on the use of authentic language and on asking students
            to do meaningful tasks using the target language.  Assessment is primarily based on task
            outcome (in other words the appropriate completion of real- world tasks) rather than on
            accuracy of prescribed language forms. TBLT has its origins in Communicative Language
            Teaching."

Well, for homework, I had to select one or two pedagogical tasks and elaborate them in terms of macrofunctions, microfuctions and grammatical  exponents. So here it is:

TASK	MACROFUNCTION	MICROFUNCTION	GRAMMAR
Role play. At a train station. The group will be divided into two. The first group will be train inspectors and the other one will be travellers. Travellers need to know the train’s timetable.	Exchanging goods and services	Asking for and giving information	- Use polite      expressions. - Wh- questions - The time
Role Play. At the pet shop. You have decided to buy a new pet, but you do not know which one is the best for you. Make a list of advantages and disadvantages. Compare them. The group will be divided into two. The first group will be customers and the other one will be salespeople.	Exchanging goods and services.	Making comparisons	Comparisons with adjectives