My own method?

Talking about methods, methodologies and different approaches during the Second language teaching-learning process, Oliveira (2009, p. 145) believes that “ao criar seu próprio “método”, o professor deixa de ser um “técnico passivo” e passa a ser um “praticante reflexivo””. The author has found in Dewey (1997, p.13) another positive example, when an English teacher, facing a real class, observes what have happened and not just follow a previous curriculum. This teacher him/herself, in their opinion, is reflecting about the context and planing his/her own method.

Do you think a teacher can improve the classes organizing “his/her own method”?

What could be the do`s and don`ts for a teacher like this?

What’s the importance of being a reflective teacher?

OLIVEIRA, Adelaide P. de (2009). “Abordagens alternativas no ensino de inglês”. In: Diógenes Cândido de Lima (org.). Ensino Aprendizagem de língua inglesa: conversas com especialistas. São Paulo: Parábola Editorial, p. 141-149.

DEWEY, J. How do we think. Mineola; Dover, 1997.

Brazilian Public School System...

  

    Vilson José Leffa (2009, p.116-117), writing about the Second Language Learning Brazilian system, expresses that here, in our country, “o professor é incentivado a fazer de conta que ensina e os alunos a fazer de conta que aprendem. O que interessa, do ponto de vista político, é afirmar a inserção e não realizá-la”. The same problem is also emphasized, when Leffa points out that we don`t have guaranties about the minimum amount of time and the basic infrastructure in order to the effective second language learning.

       The Brazilian educational law, according to Leffa, is also “incapaz de romper o cerco que a própria sociedade, extremamente competente na criação de mecanismos de exclusão, monta para impedir o acesso do aluno pobre ao clube fechado dos falantes de uma língua estrangeira.

        Another educational researcher, Soares (1986, p.20) describes the public Brazilian school like “a school against the people, instead of school to the people”

         What’s your opinion about the current situation of the Brazilian public school system? 

    Is it possible to achieve an effective Second Language learning process in such situation?

    If your answer is affirmative, how does it occur?

LEFFA, Vilson (2009). “Por um ensino de idiomas mais includente no contexto social atual”. In: Diógenes Cândido de Lima (org.). Ensino Aprendizagem de língua inglesa: conversas com especialistas. São Paulo: Parábola Editorial, p. 113-124.

World english and the native speakers

  

  Like World English, Rajagopalan understands “a língua falada hoje por quase um terço dos seres humanos nos quatro cantos deste planeta (com quase o mesmo número de pessoas aprendendo a língua ao redor do mundo), não faz sentido falar em falantes nativos... pertence a todos aqueles que dela fazem algum uso no seu dia a dia, por mais limitado ou restrito que ele seja (como consultar biografias, ouvir músicas, ler manuais de instrução etc.)”

     According to the author, “eles na verdade, terão de se adaptar à nova realidade e, em muitos caos, aprender novas formas de falar e ouvir.” Rajagopalan, 2009, p. 42.

    Therefore, the author expresses that native speakers have their place in the World English phenomenon, but, it’s not a preferential, because they are not the language owners.

  Taking into account the social practices and power relationship that are established in and through the language, do you agree with Rajagopalan about the English native speakers currently situation?

RAJAGOPALAN, K. (2009). “O inglês como língua internacional na prática docente”. In: Diógenes Cândido de Lima (org.). Ensino Aprendizagem de língua inglesa: conversas com especialistas. São Paulo: Parábola Editorial, p.39-46.

What are your goals?

   

   At UESB (Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia) the Literature and Foreign Languages teachers created a Center for Autonomy Second Language Learning, called CAALE (Centro de Aprendizagem Autônoma de línguas Estrangeiras- www.uesb.br/caale).  

   Cruz is a specialist and observing if that center, that was equipped 3 rooms, with computers and specially reading material, was able to develop autonomy students found out that the creation of a center itself couldn’t provide the students the ability of being autonomous. Therefore, the teachers should help the students in many ways, such as identifying their needs, encouraging them to develop the target-language using a specific biography, or using the center resources, like listening to music, singing, reading and also, helping them to plan the activities, so they can visualize their efforts results.

While you are blogging here with us, you are also learning English and how to teach it. So, we would like to propose a quick exercise. Let’s make a list about:

1-Your needs: what do you need to learn in a short, medium and in a long period of time?

2-Your goals: what are your goals about the English Language in a short, medium and in a long period of time?