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3b.ReflectiononPlanning,Recounting,andVideoReview
WhenIwasplanningtheactivitiesfortoday,IhadalotofhopesthatdidnotpanoutandInow
realizethatImadealotofsimpleassumptionsthatreallyruinedmanyofmygoalsfortheclassperiod.I
knewgoingintothisobservationthatthefocuswasoncommunicativelanguageteaching(whichisoneof
themethodsthatImostoftentrytouseinmyclassroom).Iwasfirstintroducedtotheideathroughthe
bookMakingCommunicativeLanguageTeachingHappenbyBillVanPattenandJamesLee.Many
oftheideashaveresonatedwithmesincethenandIhaveattemptedtoimplementthem.Myhopesin
thisclasssessionwastolookattheleastlikelyplaceforcommunicativeteaching.Whileitindeedwas
lackingincommunicativelanguageteaching,Ididnotexpectittobetothepointitwasatinthisclass.
SomeoftheissuesandlessonsIlearned:

Activity1:Thechoicesinthisactivityweresimplysoy/nosoy,eres/noeres,etc.Itdidnotrequire
studentstoactuallybeabletounderstandtheanswerstheywerechoosing,butratherthesentence
aroundit.Whileknowthesentenceisimportantandcannotbeunderstated,neithercantheformthatis
infocus.IthinkthatIoverlookedthisdetailandthatitunfortunatelydrewawayfromafocusonmeaning
oftheformsofser.Icansaythatitprobablyprovidedsomerepetitionofthecorrectformsandatleast
theywereusedtothemseeingmatchedalongwiththecorrectsubject.

Activity2:Thisactivitywasnotallthatdifferentotherthanitrequiredstudentstowritetheforminsteadof
choosingitfrompossibilities.Whileitmightputintostudentsmindsanotherexampleofwhatisrightand
isnotright,itdoesnotrequirethestudenttounderstandthemeaningsoftheformsofser.butratherthe
adjectives.

Activity3:Thisactivitywasanticipatedtobesimpleandwithoutmuchcommunicativepurpose.
However,itprobablyprovedtobeequallycommunicativeinregardtotheformsofserastheothers.
Thatbeingsaid,thismightbeagoodfilleractivity,butdefinitelynotworthspendingmuchtimeon.My
studentsdidmovethroughitmucheasierthanthefirsttwo.

Overall:MystudentsactuallydidgainsomethingfromtodaysactivitiesIbelieve.Although,theresults
weremoremixedthantheyprobablycouldhavebeen.Ithinkthattheprogressstudentsmadehadalot
todowiththetypesoflearnersthattheywere.Manyoftheanalyticlearnersdidfinewiththeactivities
today.However,manyofmyvisual/verballearnershadalittlemoretroublethantheothers.Inthefuture,
itisprobablynotabadideatoincorporatesomeofthesetypesofactivities,buttheyarenotthebestfor
communication.Theydefinitelydidnothavemuchofapurposebeyondtheactivityitself.Onethingthat
sticksoutinmymindissomethingthatwassaidinMakingCommunicativeLanguageTeaching
Happen.Essentially,anactivityshouldhavesomethingtodoafterthecommunicationhastakenplace.
Thereshouldsomesortofcommunication,aresponse,andsomethingforthestudenttodowiththat
response.Otherwisethestudentwillcheckoutimmediatelyaftersaying/writingwhattheyneededto.
Theseactivitiesdidnothavethatkindofcommunicativepurpose.

Iamgladforhavingcompletedthisobservationbecauseitremindedmeofmanyofthebenefitsand
facetsofCLT.IhopetorereadMakingCommunicativeLanguageTeachingHappenandsectionsof
TeachersHandbook:ContextualizedLanguageInstructionsoon(probablywhenIamfinishedwiththe
MATLprogram.)

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CLTStatement Evidence
Meaningfulcommunicationresultsfrom
studentsprocessingcontentthatisrelevant,
purposeful,interesting,andengaging.
Mygoalsinthislessonwasforstudentstotalk
aboutthemselvesandothers.Mystudentsare
generallyconcentratedonthethingsintheir
immediatelives.So,thisisgenerallyinteresting
forthestudents.Ithinkthatthecontextcould
havebeenabitricherthough.
Languagelearningisfacilitatedbothby
activitiesthatinvolveinductiveordiscovery
learningofunderlyingrulesoflanguageuse
andorganization,aswellasbythose
involvinglanguageanalysisandreflection.
Theactivitiesinthisobservationmostdefinitely
requiredtheanalysisandreflectionoflanguage
tounderstandforms.Myplanwastoexplicitly
havestudentsattendtotheformofserwhile
doingsomethingwiththelanguage.
Languagelearningisagradualprocessthat
involvescreativeuseoflanguage,andtrial
anderror.Althougherrorsareanormal
productoflearning,theultimategoalof
learningistobeabletousethenew
languagebothaccuratelyandfluently.
Duringthesecondactivity,Iencouraged
studentstomakecorrectionasIwentaround
lookingatwhattheyhadwrittenaboutthose
individuals.
Successfullanguagelearninginvolvesthe
useofeffectivelearningand
communicationstrategies.
Inthemiddleofmyfirstactivity,Iwassureto
givestudentsthemeanstoaskingmequestions
usingtheTL.UsingtheTLforasmuchas
possibleinclassisanotherwayofinstillingin
studentstheimportanceofusingthelanguage.
Communicatingformeaningisparamount. Theactivitiesgiventodaydidrequiremeaning,
justnotthemeaningIwashopingfor.Ithink
thattheseactivitiesmostdefinitelyhelped
studentswiththeiruseofadjectivesand
descriptionsofpeople.
Contextualizationisabasicpremise. Bothoftheactivitiesdoneinclasstodayhad
contexttothem.Theyrequirestudentstouse
thecontexttomakemeaning.
Focusonformiscontextualizedandhasa
purposeforcommunication.
Bothoftheactivitiesdoneinclasstodayhad
contexttothem.Theyrequirestudentstouse
thecontexttomakemeaning.
Attemptstocommunicateareencouraged. Inthemiddleofmyfirstactivity,Iwassureto
givestudentsthemeanstoaskingmequestions
usingtheTL.Ingeneral,Irequestthatstudents
askandanswerquestionsinSpanishwhenatall
possible.
Judicioususeofnativelanguageis
employed.
Todaythenativelanguagewasusedfarmore
thannormal.But,myclassroomcouldusean
overhaulonTLusetime.
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Translationisusedwhenstudentsneedor
benefitfromit.
Inthebellwork,myhopesweretoreviewquickly
thesubjectpronouns(primarilythepluralones)
asameanstoasimpleactivitytheycould
completebythemselvesquickly.
Sequencingisdeterminedbyconsideration
ofcommunicativegoals.
Thisgrammartopicwasselectedtodayasa
meanstohelpthemcompleteachildrensbook
inSpanish.
Thereisafocusonstudentpersonalization. Inthefirstactivitystudentswererequiredto
answerthequestionsaboutthemselvesand
peopleintheirlives.Itrytoincorporatethings
thatrequirethestudentstotalkabout
themselvesandothersintheirlives.

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