Learning a foreign language provides learners with the opportunity to gain knowledge concerning linguistic contents and socio-cultural aspects. On the other hand, it allows learners to reach the high levels of proficiency required by educational institutions to access any career. Thus, learners who want to reach those levels need to go through a language teaching process. Moeller and Catalano (2015) acknowledged that “Foreign language learning and teaching refer to the teaching or learning of a nonnative language outside of the environment where it is commonly spoken.” (p. 327) According to this, people who can communicate in another language can forge relationships with others and learn about cultures using the English structures. Also, it allows them to express creatively while participating in real-life situations using language.
For years, the school has used various teaching strategies and methods to keep students engaged with language. In the beginning, the actions were few and very traditional. They were based on what a teacher said, while students listened and wrote on their notebooks. After this, teaching began to change. Institutions and teachers started by exploring a lot of innovative ways to improve attitudes and achievements in EFL learners. Equally, materials and classrooms have become a key point to enhance the foreign language learning and teaching process. All of this goes to a relevant point; the social context where the language is taught. If the social context provides the opportunities to learn, the learners will achieve high probabilities to develop their English skills. But, if the context does not fulfill the expectations, the teaching and learning process will be harder for learners, teachers, and schools.
English has become relevant for education, business, and international organizations widely. Therefore, Colombia has taken part in this event, since the national government chooses this language to have a competitive country internationally. For that, this country has designed various projects through the Ministry of National Education. Most of them were failed attempts because they were not able to reach the proposed goals. Currently, there is a new program. According to the Suggested English Curriculum (2016), the Colombia Bilingual Program 2014-2018, seeks to firm up the foreign language teaching and learning process in all the school generating actions from different perspectives of education. (p.15) With a naked eye, the program seemed to be appropriate to learn and teach English.
In contrast to the stated before, the Colombia Bilingual Program lied down very high standards. It seems to me that it was designed for a first world country instead of being created for a third world one. It did not consider the social differences in the regions of the country. Then, in Colombia, just a few people have the privilege to study and count with all the resources to learn a language different from their mother tongue. On the contrary, there is another portion of students who do cannot attend a decent English class due to the lack of physics structures to teach. Apart from this, teachers have to teach in bad conditions, taking advantage of the resources around to create the materials that learners need to learn English.
Regarding everything stated before, this writing sample will be focused on three aspects of foreign language teaching and learning process in a regional context of Colombia. The first point will discuss the methods or approaches proposed to employ in the country. The second one will explore various strategies to enhance learning and teaching. Finally, it will describe a personal experience of teaching and learning in a region of Colombia.
Language Learning and Teaching methods proposed in Colombia
Language learning and teaching methods are a group of specifications of how teachers should teach, and how learners should learn. For teachers, methods describe what materials and activities should be used. For learners, methods describe what role the learner should adopt in a classroom. Liu and Shi (2007) stated that language teaching methods represent a mix of language beliefs characterized by empathizing on central issues of language. (p. 69) although there is a variety of methodologies, it is hard for teachers to know which one is more effective since social contexts are different. For instance, methods that have been derived from social, political, economic, and educational circumstances cannot be exported to countries with different philosophies, values, and beliefs.
Any method can assure effective results in language learning and teaching process. Teachers should opt for one or various of them to supply students' needs. In Colombia, the Suggested Curriculum of the Colombia Bilingual Program proposes three methods or approaches that pep up learners to lead their learning process through a project and problem-solving in high schools. The first focus is task-based learning for 6th - 7th students, and it oversees the development of tasks using the English structure. Under Sekehan, (1996), there are three stages: before the task, during the task, and after the task. The first one is about the introduction to topic and task. The second one is related to the students' work, planning, and report what they have done. And the third one refers to the analysis and practice with the teacher.
As well as that, the following focus is project-based learning for 8th and 9th. This method encourages learners to work in a period working in real-life projects, whereas using English as an important tool to gain meaningful knowledge. And the teachers’ role is to provide support to the learners and motivate them to learn the language. Finally, the last method is problem-based learning from 10th and 11th graders. Here, the students use the language and the knowledge he has acquired to research a problem proposed and his ability to solve it. Keeping this in mind, the Colombia Bilingual Program suggests that these methodologies been applied sequentially; from 6th to 11th grade following their development. Alternatively, schools can use these methods per their pedagogical models and approaches.
Language Learning and Teaching Strategies
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Language learning strategies can be defined as the decisions made by learners to make learning easier. Willing (1988) as cited in Palacios (1996) reported that “language learning strategies are characterized as any means learners use to transform the external input into internal and personal resources and skills.” (p.104) Otherwise, language teaching strategies are related to teachers’ actions to teach the four English skills. Indeed, these strategies are used by them to raise awareness among students to practice and develop their communicative competence. Then, these strategies can result in ineffective if there is a compromise by both teachers and students. The last should become acquainted with the learners’ background and know-how to proceed in the learning and teaching process. And others should be responsible for their tasks.
Nowadays, foreign language has been evolving, and with that, how teachers should teach. Thereupon, there are diverse strategies that can contribute to getting better the language learning and teaching process. Here, some of them will be discussed. For instance, cooperative learning is a strategy that inspires students to work among groups and express their ideas verbally. As well, it helps to develop communication and critical thinking. Some examples of this strategy are puzzles, experiments, dramas, and role-plays. Another example is problem-based learning, which is a student-centered, where he learns about a topic by understanding and solving problems.
Another option is the Flipped classroom model about encouraging students to prepare a topic at home for the lesson before the class. After that, students answer questions and go beyond their boundaries and explore their curiosity. Furthermore, blended learning can be a way in which the teacher combines a traditional teaching class with online learning. Hence, teachers can access to massive open online courses (MOOCs) and create interactive exercises like online quizzes to test student’s knowledge. Moreover, students can use their devices to work and share what they learn through social media. Equally, gamification can be effective to keep the learners motivated. Thus, students can enjoy the competition with peers while having fun and learning English.
Besides, audiovisual aids help along with the students with practical learning experiences. They can increase their self-confidence and interaction in and outside of the classroom. The audiovisual aids include photos, recordings around a theme, listening to radio stations, and TED talks. Unlike, reading and writing are useful to improve vocabulary, grammar, critical thinking, and others. Example of that is the newspapers’ articles, magazines blogs, poems, and all that concerns literature. All of them provide learning scenarios and encourage students to discuss ideas to foster grammar, listening, speaking, and writing. However, these programs look beyond the classroom setting to engage students with the world itself. All in all, it reminds us that English language learning is a 24/7 practice and is not restricted to nuts and bolts.
After all, these examples of learning and teaching strategies are effective in places where both teachers and students have space and the resources to practice the language. To point out, the Ministry of Education of Colombia has spied out the importance of foreign language in the country’s schools, but it has not set guidelines to assist teachers or even, support them to do their job properly. Cadavid et al (2004) affirmed that “educational policies should not be implemented blindly without a careful analysis of our contexts, and without knowing the real needs of our teachers and students.” (p.44.) As an illustration, just a small percentage of high schools count on specialized rooms with computers and multimedia. But, in the rest of the schools, it is almost impossible for teachers to apply most of the strategies mentioned before. Despite that, they create their materials and adapt plans to teach English in a classroom of 35 or 45 students.
As an English bachelor’s, I have gained experience in public schools carrying out teaching practices in elementary and secondary public schools. Even though the experience has been short, but it can be assured that is very difficult to teach in a difficult social context. The learning and teaching process becomes harder since it takes a longer time than stipulated to accomplish the goals proposed by the Ministry of Education. Even so, teachers work to allow those learners to acquire a foreign language, even when the Ministry of Education and other institutions have forgotten to support most public schools in Colombia. The most compelling evidence of that is a teaching practice executed in a secondary high school in Florencia, Caquetá last year. It provides specific information on high school and students. Also, it will discuss the goals concerning language learning and teaching process, strategies, materials, and results.
This teaching practice was carried out in a public school called Institución Educativa Antonio Ricaurte. This institution is settled in Florencia Caquetá Colombia; more exactly, in Porvenir neighborhood, in front of the main Bienestar Familiar headquarter. Likewise, the school is for boys and girls with an academic, and technical character with two types of specialization; a commercial and an academic one. Additionally, the institution has currently an agreement with other institutions and both Schools joined. This school admits students from different places, different social status, with personal and academic difficulties. Otherwise, it allows teaching practices in subjects like English. In this case, the school offers three hours of English classes per week from 6th to 9th grade. In this opportunity, the practice exercise was developed with 9th-grade students; 13 women and 25 men, where there were one pregnant girl and a boy with disabilities.
The cooperative teacher and students had a small classroom to do the teaching-learning process. This room did not have better conditions to have people on it. For example, on rainy days, the floor was wet, there was a broken door, and there was a thin wall where noise passed through it and produced interference. In terms of the teaching practice, some facts could be evidenced. First, the students’ English level of students was not the best, since they were working in topics for 7th grade. In that way, the practicing teacher had to adapt the lesson plans based on themes from the suggested curriculum of 7th grade, and the requirements made by the school. As a second aspect, the students refused to be taught in English in the first week. They feel uncomfortable because of did not understand. For that, the practicing teacher started to speak in English, and then in Spanish. Later, she started speaking in English using body language to make them understand.
On the other hand, the practice teacher used strategies and methods like realia and TPR to provide meaningful learning to the students. They were exposed to different tools and materials like readings, audios, pictures, and videos to enhance English skills and promote critical thinking about real-life situations. Some activities accomplished by students were role plays, short presentations, posters, and the creation of a book. The students were working individually, by couples, and in groups. Similarly, the practitioner established rules to behave and for participation. In that way, she could control the learners and give instructions to them during the class.
Consequently, after a hard process, it was evidenced that there was an improvement in learning and teaching. Students’ attitudes changed and felt motivated to learn. They were able to express themselves using words and short sentences in English. As well as that, they were committed to learn and participate in and out of the classroom. In the same way, the practice teacher could take a procedure that helped students to overcome some of the difficulties they had in the foreign language. She used not only the language structure, methods, and strategies; but also, taking into consideration the students’ needs and the context. Moreover, all the materials and tools were designed by her and with her own money. There was no support from the school or parents. Thereby, this exercise showed that foreign language learning and teaching are complex in places where there are not resources, but it is not impossible. However, it should be different.
To recapitulate, learning a foreign language imparts learners the opportunities to acquire linguistic content and sociocultural knowledge. Likewise, it has been important internationally to access any career or a job. , Colombia has not been left behind. The Ministry of Education has designed the Colombia Bilingual program that seeks to strengthen learning and teaching a foreign language. To learn a foreign language, schools employ methods and strategies to reach their expectations related to English. Although there are several methods, most of them are not suitable in all parts of the world because they were created based on social, political and economic aspects in specific countries with different beliefs. For example, In Colombia, the bilingual program proposes 3 methods to encourage communicative competence. They are task-based learning, project-based learning, and problem-based learning. They are available for schools and teachers to be adapted according to pedagogical models and approaches. Apart from this, there are various strategies for learning and teaching, but that cannot be applied in most schools in Colombia. Especially, because there are not physical and economical resources to fulfill the expectations in the language. An example of that is a teaching practice experience in a public high in Florencia Caquetá Colombia. It describes the arduous journey of a practice teacher in a difficult context. Though she did great progress in learning a teaching process, it was evidenced that it took a long time to enhance the language. Finally, it can be acknowledged that foreign language learning and teaching process is important for everyone nowadays. But it should be developed in better conditions, and supported by the government entities since there are different contexts in the country and worldwide.
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