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Reshaping the English Language Classroom
Cinthia Bravo RiveraMA in TESOL
Teacher of EnglishEnglish – Spanish Translator
Universidad Andrés Bello-Concepción
Summary• Introduction
Context• Reseach Description: Methodology• Results and Discussion• Conclusions
Context• 2 districs• Public technical high schools• Enrollment: Low-income families• Previous study: Students do not
master English at required level• 48% employers: essential skill (British
Council. 2015)• 82% non-learners consider that
learn English would improve their employment prospects (British Council. 2015)
Finish High School
Demonstrate English Skills
Better job prospects
Better academic
opportunities
Standardized Test
(influence)
Objective
Problem Statement
National Curriculum
40% 10%
40%
10%
Comun
icativ
e
Appro
ach
Classroom teaching approaches: subject +verb+complement
Real life experiences = Meaningful learning experinces
Canale and Swain (1980): Test the ability to use language in a communicative situation
CONES (2012): Continuous analysis of educational process: environmental factors
Emphasis on assessment: school preassure (Elacqua &Alves, 2014)
Teacher expectations: narrow the curriculum (Page, Widdowson)Shift from a focus on the students’ needs to the needs of schools evaluation and accountability (Polesel, Dulfer & Tunbull, 2012)Parents support and opinions: SIMCE and PSU
English: factor of social mobility/ Standardized test: socio-cultural disadvantage
Standardized Test: reproduces social segmentation, avoid social mobility
English: tool of social control / Standardized Test: Filter among social classes
Methodology• Mixed-method approach• Qualitative data : semi structured interviews to school
teachers• Quantitative evidence: the surveys applied to students
Sampling and Sample Procedure68 12th graders took SIMCE Test the year beforeTechnical schools in both districsMon-probability, purposive and convenience SampleSimple random sample
4 teachers working with 11th gradersSemi-structured interviewnon-probability, convenience and purposive sample.
Data Collection and Analysis Procedures
Students• Mixed Survey• 32 statements: Likert
Scale• 5 open questions• Survey Analysis
Teachers• Semi-structured
interview• 31 questions• 35 to 45 minutes.• Content Analysis
Test
Tru
stw
orth
ines
s
Structure
ContentsA
ffect
ive
Fact
ors
Linguistic
Social
Cultural
Data Collection and Analysis Procedures
1. SIMCE English Test Trustworthiness: It analyzes structural and content factors and how those factors might influence students’ answers affecting final results of the test.
2. Affective Factors influencing SIMCE English Test results: It is characterized by students’ opportunities to learn and practice the language under different circumstances. These may define some strategic points to be considered in teachers planning.
Results and Discussion
Simce English Test
• The lack of exposure to the language.
• Feel afraid of making mistakes
• English lessons distance.
• Does not respect their context.
• Not enough to make decisions
English Language
• Socially accepted as a passport to new and better prospects and better salaries.
• Agent in social mobility.
• Difficulties to get closer to the language and to the culture it represents.
• Teachers avoid the production of the language: due to time constrains and the number of students in a classroom.
• Teacher-centered methodology.
Simce English Test English Language
• Importance of feedback
• English lessons are mostly associated to grammar and vocabulary and few times to receptive skills.
• Symbolize for students the stratification and discrimination. Tested under parameters they cannot achieve, evaluated in skills that they feel they are not taught.
• Do not feel confident in their own capacities, quality of education they receive and the expectations they feel their teachers have on them.
• Environment outside school does not provide real opportunities for them to realize how relevant English may be in their future activities.
• There is not space for English related activities.
• English is not a priority among parents.
Conclusion
Although English is socially accepted as a mean for international communication and it is translated as better
opportunities for students’ future job and educational prospects, national standardized evaluation does not
represent what students learn at school and the relation of that learning with the knowledge they need to acquire and the
abilities they need to develop to make use of English as the key that really opens doors to social mobility.
Broaden students’ view of the world
Enhance their critical thinking skills and cultural awareness
Citizens that are able to learn from other cultures and value
their own
Future generations that actively
participate in society
Students with authentic personal
opinion, able to think by themselves
Make them understand that
curiosity and mistakes are part of every learning process
Citizens able to build a proactive, respectful and fearless society
People that value the power of
communication
Further Discussion
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