Introduction 1.Describe your experience in teaching both children and adults.

Teaching English to children has been a challenge, not only because Im teaching a second language, but their different needs and also because Im teaching children and teenagers in the same group and sometimes there is chaos, because the teens already understood and children need more input. With adults teaching it is easier you dont have to struggle with them because they already passed through the whole process of being a student and they set goals and have reasons to learn a second language. 2.Based on what you read and your own experience, whats FOR YOU the most important difference between teaching English to children and to teenagers or adults? I think the only differences are the needs and priorities each social group has. 3.In your opinion, is it easier to teach children or adults? Why? For me is easier to teach adults because it requires less effort in planning the lessons, not mentioning that they have many skills and motivation to learn faster because they are in developmental stages of their learning. 4.Whats the difference between the learner-centered and learning centered perspectives? Learner-centered learning is focus on the child lesson planning. This approach limits the children learning, leading to children failure to learn. Learning-centered perspective.- teachers have success in what they teach because they focus on fun activities and maximize learning. *teachers have to do what the child may not be able to do. 5. How would you describe your teaching practice? What methods do you use and why? What strategies have worked better for you? What strategies havent worked for you? Why do you think this happens? I would say that my teaching practice is similar to the learner centered, at first they are eager to learn and participate, but not so often they lost interest on the activity and I get lost too, I implement games and activities that involve TPR. The strategies that involved TPR havent worked for me and thats weird because they are kids and they like to be in constant motion. The strategies that have worked for me are the ones when I use flashcards or games like hot potato.

II design a comparative chart where you briefly but completely explain in your own words the following theories:

Comparative chart Cognitive and Developmental theories Piaget Bruner Howard Gardner Caine and Caine His theory focus mainly on how Scaffolding and Routine. Gardner with his theory It is based on the structure children acquire and understand This theory is based on solving goes beyond the definition and function of the brain. knowledge, and its divided into problems in an easy way. of intelligence and sets his Brain-based learning m 4 stages. According to Piaget Beginning with new tasks for theory where intelligence suggests that its very children acquire knowledge from children, adults need to catch its not only about problem- important to know how the environment that surrounds the attention of children, solving. the brain works, the them, but this learning does not divide the task into simple Gardner says that not principles of natural involve adults interaction with steps and set a goal, so the everybody learn the same learning suggests that children. Its just children and children can continue with it. things through the same when the learner their surroundings. Its like solving a puzzle, the process and also states that experience something first step is to find edge every person has different realistic. pieces, help the child put the talents and that not pieces altogether, once everybody has the same Children have the edge ready, success in task as others. the child has to find the There are people gifted to matching pieces (the easiest do music, but that doesnt way would be finding pieces mean they are good of one side of the puzzle with dancers. the same color of the edge In other words Gardner side and continue doing the explains that brains are same with other pieces). organized differently and each intelligence has its own development ways. Social Learning Theory Vygotsky Bandura Vygotskys theory focus mainly on the social interaction, This theory states that children learn by observing their unlike Piagets theory, Vygotsky establish on it that social environment; people, animals, etc., these ones are considered as ineraction comes before development; for example the role models, children copy their parents or other family first time children interact with a pencil they observe it and members behavior. Children even imitate the movements and then they develop the pencil function. sounds of animals. It is like they are playing monkey see, monkey Vygotsky involves adults in the learning development. do. A perfect example would be a father that is fixing his car/truck and his two years old son start doing the same, but with his bicycle or mother a mother that is putting her make-up on and her little girl do the same just to look pretty like her mother. And also when a child sees a dog or horse and begins to imitate its sounds and movements

According to Albert Bandura children social interaction is through the process of imitation.

Inquiry Learning

Dewey Deweys learning theory establishes the teacher with the role of a facilitator and encourages students. Students have to be involved and apply their previous knowledge and do some research. This theory helps to awake in young learners the curiosity to acquire, clarify and apply in normal life. Critical Theory Friere and Mclaren Critical social theory is not a traditional learning theory this discipline applied in education tries to enlight students, to encourage them to think broad going beyond of what capitalist education had thought learners, research, do not settle with the first impression, develop free-minds and acquire an education of quality. Postmodern Perspectives These theories do not provide new knowledge, but challeng e students to build their own ideas with the knowledge they have learn so far by talking and sharing their opinions with their peer group.

III. Personal experience.

In my teaching practice I have always been trying to implement different theories because just one theory it is not enough, even though I have mentioned that sometimes I dont have a total success that doesnt mean kids do not learn anything about the second language. In this essay I would describe each theory and how I used them. Piagets theory partially applies on the preoperational stage , with my preschool students, whose ages are around 5 and 6 years old. In this stage my students are highly intuitive and partially egocentric. During a game to understand the rules, but wants to make up his own rules so the activity will work on his favor. They might not understand the instructions at this stage but they follow them by intuition. Children need specific examples, touching and observing things, this seems to be more useful than verbal explanations. With my elementary students the concrete operational stage has some connection: they start using more words in their vocabulary, involving concepts of time, space, volume and number, but they can only apply them in a very specific and simple way and only apply them in certain situations. They understand instructions and follow them perfectly but they cannot go further than from the vocabulary they already know. Mu students have began to use generalizations but I still need to give them specific examples so they can have more clear ideas about the subject.

With Vigotskys theory it applies to both my preschool and my elementary students. What they both have in common Is that they both are beginners and the first thing I do before teaching them a new vocabulary is that I give them an image of an object or the object itself if possible, and repeat its name. The students observe it carefully, make a connection between the image/object and the name, later after the student assimilates this connection, and then I teach them the function of the object and develop the knowledge by physically using the object. Deweys theory applies partially in my preschool class but completely in my elementary class. In my preschool class they apply the previous knowledge on a project that the teacher develops for them. For example the teacher, tells them about Hawaii , so after they finish seeing Hawaii theoretically, the teacher makes them a Hawaiian party where they see, wear, eat and live completely the Hawaiian culture they saw before in class. But in the research area the teacher is the one who does the research for them but tells the, about the information. She found and shows them images or a video so the teacher will up their curiosity to learn. With elementary the only difference is that the teacher gives them part of the information but the students have to do their own research to find extra information. Bruner:

With Bruners theory, like both of my classes are beginners, I need to be a guide or a facilitator to them. Guide them and before beginning a unit to divide it or simplify it into easy steps that after beginning with my guidance they can follow by themselves. And finally Howard Gardners theory applies in the way that I am aware that not all of my students learn in the same way; process the information in the same way because they are all different individuals. So when planning my classes I need to elaborate different activities in which they can all learn in their ways that adjust to them. If I have to answer the question if I can apply them in real life the answer is obviously yes. I do not base my classes on only one theory but I mix some of them. I take what works for me from each theory and also experience with teaching has help me to make my own theories and put them in practice, because with children you need always be innovating yourself as an educator because they always have new ways of learning, and new doubts on their environment.

References or articles Gardner http://edu6.teacher.com.cn/ywhx023a/kcjj/ckzl/05.pdf caine and caine http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/cmathison/armaitiisland/files/BBLrngPrin.pdf Howard Gardner http://edu6.teacher.com.cn/ywhx023a/kcjj/ckzl/05.pdf Dewey http://halshs.archivesouvertes.fr/docs/00/19/06/09/PDF/A101_Edelson_etal_99.pdf http://www.uhu.es/gaiainm/invest_escolar/httpdocs/biblioteca_pdf/4_Abriefhistoryofinquiry.pdf http://halshs.archivesouvertes.fr/docs/00/19/06/09/PDF/A101_Edelson_etal_99.pdf Freire and Mclaren http://legacy.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Journals/Educ ational_Researcher/Volume_33_No_6/04ERv33n6-Leonardo.pdf Piaget McLeod, S. A. (2009). Jean Piaget | Cognitive Theory - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html vygotsky McLeod, S. A. (2007). Vygotsky - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

Bruner McLeod, S. A. (2008). Bruner - Learning Theory in Education - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html postmodern perspectives https://999e648f-a-62cb3a1a-ssites.googlegroups.com/site/972programe/jiao-xue-dang-angui/TowardAPostmodernTheoryOfLifelongLearning.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7crlE FTY6Iar7aVulds2agbnsRTNJTgHnAesuT4g1Zd5yrcW3Ti8WOlySiwVVdG5bhh Mat20tdambTdgdkbh59e9gnaCSR0QAJaeUSKU0vcDiyECAUlGy66pnp1Z2KJ

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