April - May 2020

Guided Teacher
Reflection
English Teachers Network
Ministry of Education
English Opens Doors Program
By Melody Shuman Alvarez, English Language Fellow and PIAP Team
English Teachers Networks
Guidelines 2020

Teacher Introduction
Reflection The purpose of the questions contained
within is to guide teacher reflection and

Guidelines
discussion regarding specific topics
of interest based on responses to the
survey in January 2020. These questions

& Focus are not meant to be used exclusively. You

may find that some questions are more

Questions relevant than others. All questions do

not need to be addressed during your
meeting. Rather, these are suggested
topics to discuss. You may find one
question initiates others that are not on
the list. Please share your thoughts and
your discussions with us!
We suggest you choose no more than
3 questions for the group discussion
and assign the roles for facilitating the
effective communication according to
guidelines given.
This year the topics for reflection are
linked to the “Marco para la Buena
Enseñanza” which is the national
framework that guides and sets
standards for teaching practices which
enhance students learning. See Table 1.
Remember, all the reflection outcomes
and pedagogical tools you share,
discuss, and generate in your meetings
will be used as resource for the “ETN’s
teaching practices repository” and for
Innovation Projects.
 April - May 2020

April
Topic:
Speaking Skills
The topic is related to the following competency descriptors
presented in the MBE framework:

DOMINIO CRITERIOS TÓPICOS DE DOMINIO CRITERIO

MES BASE DOMINIO REFLEXIÓN DEL DEL DESCRIPCIÓN DEL DOMINIO
RDI BASE REUNIONES RDI TÓPICO DOMINIO

D1: Domina los contenidos de

D El profesor A A1 las disciplinas que enseña y
RESPONSA- reflexiona el marco curricular nacional.
ABR -
BILIDADES sistemáti- SPEAKING SKILLS
MAY
PROFESIO- camente
NALES sobre su Domina la didáctica de las
A A3
práctica. disciplinas que enseña.

The following 6 discussion prompts will guide your group

reflection. Choose one question from each colored box.

1. What are some of your favorite speaking activities to use with

your students? Why?
2. How do you encourage speaking from reluctant students or
those who are shy or less confident?

3. What daily routines do you have in place that encourage

speaking? (i.e.., morning greetings, weather, share with a
partner, etc.)
4. What does the term “authentic materials” mean? How do
you incorporate them into your teaching and current context?
(article included for reference/clarification of the term – not
required reading, however, it has good tips)
Link to article https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/
authentic-materials-in-foreign-language-teaching/

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Guided Teacher Reflection

5.Based on the statement below, discuss your points of view

about it.
“In a matter of weeks, coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed how
students are educated around the world. Those changes give us
a glimpse at how education could change for the better - and the
worse - in the long term”*.
6.Considering the current situation and your new role as a
“remote” teacher, what are the challenges and opportunities (if
any) you have found so far?

*Source: 3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education

In May, bring a pedagogical speaking tool that you

have used in your classroom.
Share your example with the network and discuss
the outcome.

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 April - May 2020

Discussion Topic
Comments, Questions, and Concerns
Use the following boxes to record your thoughts for each question
discussed. Record the question discussed. What questions do you have
about the topic?
Comments you would like to share. Concerns moving forward with this topic.

Comments Questions Concerns

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Guided Teacher Reflection

May
Topic:
Speaking Skills
In May, bring a pedagogical speaking tool (artefact) that you
have used in your classroom.
Share your example with the network and discuss the outcome.
Questions below are for guidance only. They are not required.

1. How much time did you spend planning/creating this artefact?

2. While creating and using your artefact, discuss success, struggle,
or failure of the process.
3. Where did you find inspiration for creating this speaking activity?
(article, teacherspayteachers, pinterest, scholarly journal, etc.)
4. What, if anything, would you change about the artefact?
5. Has this artefact inspired you to create any other activities you
would like to share with the network?

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 April - May 2020

Discussion Topic
Comments, Questions, and Concerns
Use the following boxes to record your thoughts for each question
discussed. Record the question discussed. What questions do you have
about the topic?
Comments you would like to share. Concerns moving forward with this topic.

Comments Questions Concerns

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Guided Teacher Reflection

Anex 1
Pedagogical reflection and its connection with the MBE
DOMINIO CRITERIOS TÓPICOS DE DOMINIO CRITERIO
MES BASE DOMINIO REFLEXIÓN DEL DEL DESCRIPCIÓN DEL DOMINIO
RDI BASE REUNIONES RDI TÓPICO DOMINIO

Domina los contenidos de

A A1 las disciplinas que enseña y
ABR - el marco curricular nacional.
SPEAKING SKILLS
MAY
Domina la didáctica de las
A A3
D1: disciplinas que enseña.
El profesor
reflexiona Organiza los objetivos y
sistemáti- contenidos de manera co-
camente A A4 herente con el marco curri-
sobre su cular y las particularidades
JUN - práctica. de sus alumnos.
INCLUSION
JUL
Establece un clima de
relaciones de aceptación,
B B1
equidad, confianza, solidari-
dad y respeto.

Las estrategias de evalua-

D ción son coherentes con los
RESPONSA- objetivos de aprendizaje,
BILIDADES D2: A A5 la disciplina que enseña, el
PROFESIO- Construye marco curricular nacional y
NALES relaciones permite a todos los alumnos
AGO - profesio-
ASSESSMENT demostrar lo aprendido.
SEP nales y de
equipo con
sus cole- Evalúa y monitorea el
gas. proceso de comprensión y
C C6 apropiación de los conteni-
dos por parte de los estu-
diantes.

D5: Las estrategias de enseñan-

Maneja in- za son desafiantes, cohe-
formación C C2
rentes y significativas para
actualiza- los estudiantes.
da sobre su
OCT -
profesión, DIFFERENTIATION
NOV Organiza los objetivos y
el sistema
educativo y contenidos de manera co-
las políti- A A4 herente con el marco curri-
cas vigen- cular y las particularidades
tes. de sus alumnos.

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 April - May 2020

Anex 2
Article
6 Legit Activities to Adapt Authentic Materials to Your
Foreign Language Teaching Needs by Nathalia Hurt

Authentic.
It’s a great word isn’t it? Genuine, real, legitimate, original all
wrapped up into one.
Authentic language materials are extremely diverse and they
surround you. They are the brochures at the ticket counter, the
signs on the bus, the intercom announcements at the train station
and every other kind of language you encounter in daily life.
So, what language teacher would say “no” to authentic materials?
The truth is that, as much as we love using them in the classroom,
it’s not always easy to find them. Scratch that—it’s not always
easy to find the right materials for your students and their current
language levels.
6 Legit Activities to Adapt Authentic Materials to Your
Foreign Language Teaching Needs
Imagine this scenario with beginner students:
Your students have been learning a foreign language for a
few months now, mastering the in-class exercises, memorizing
vocabulary and chatting with classmates. Their confidence is
growing.
Then, one day, they are given a newspaper article to read in class.
They can count the number of words they understand on one hand
and, all of a sudden, the progress they still have left to make seems
like an impassable abyss.
As teachers, we try to avoid taking that pin to our students’
balloons at all costs, which is why authentic materials are often
first introduced when students are at an intermediate or advanced
level. In an attempt to balance our curriculum on that fine line
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Guided Teacher Reflection

between motivational and challenging, we keep the joys of

authentic materials at bay, at least for a little while.
This decision is understandable. Authentic content is designed
for native speakers, not for language learners, so it naturally
lends itself better to intermediate and advanced students.
However, authentic material is important for numerous reasons:
• Motivation: It aligns directly with most students’ ultimate goal
of functioning in a new country where the foreign language
is spoken. Many students count watching a full-on movie or
reading a book in the foreign language among their learning
goals. In this case, authentic materials help them achieve their
language goals directly, and there is no better motivation than
that.
• Relevance: The correct grammar rules, vocabulary words and
sentence structures that students are taught often do not
reflect the usage of the language by native speakers. Real-
world content gives students an idea of how the language is
really used.
• Fun: The real world is interesting and engaging. Using authentic
materials gives students a break from book work and grammar
exercises while introducing them to new themes, language
lessons and cultural ideas.
Given how valuable they are, should beginner students really
be denied the gift of this real-world content? Is there a way to
introduce authentic materials and make them accessible to all
levels?
The answer is a resounding “YES!”
The Blueprint for Simplifying Authentic Materials
Here are some general tips:
• Spend some time noting all of the authentic materials you
encounter during a normal day—on the bus, in the movie
theater, at work, etc.
• At the beginning, stick to materials with light text, like classified

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ads, movie listings or signs.

• If your students are ready, move on to short texts. Movie reviews
are a good place to start.
• When you do transition to longer texts and articles, start with a
focus, i.e. finding cognates or other patterns.
The 6 activities below are some of the best ways to approach
authentic materials, but do not forget that you can always just
stick to the good old read, understand, engage format initially:
1. Read the text as a class.
2. Review vocabulary.
3. Encourage students to utilize the language through role-plays,
adapting texts, creating leaflets or any other proactive activity.
To get you started in the right direction, let’s take a look at 6
nicely adapted exercises that will let you introduce authentic
materials into any classroom.
Teach Authenticity: 6 Adaptable Activities Using Authentic
Foreign Language Materials
1. Research Like Scientists
This exercise is a triple threat: (1) It gets students working in a
foreign language to achieve a goal, rather than focusing on the
language directly, (2) it lets them interact with the real world and
(3) it maintains their confidence, rather than diminishing it.
The assignment goes like this:
1. Split your class up into groups.
2. Give each group a computer or iPad and a research topic, which
could include topics like The Silk Road, the Greek God Poseidon,
JFK, or Labor Day.
3. Groups have 15 minutes to research their topic on a site with
simplified language material, usually directed towards children
or young adults. Wikipedia Simple English and Vikidia (a similarly
simplified Spanish encyclopedia) are good examples. The catch
is that they are not allowed to write anything down.

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Guided Teacher Reflection

4. At the end of the allotted time, each group will present what they
have learned from memory, preventing them from just copying
and dictating.
I know what you are thinking: Something like Wikipedia Simple
English is not authentic, is it?
It is true that it is not intended for adult native speakers, but it is
authentic. Its purpose is not to teach the language. It is first and
foremost a research tool for those with limited knowledge of the
language. This is true of most simplified language sites.
When presenting this activity to students, there is no need to
highlight the fact that we are not using resources made for adults.
I often do not even mention that we are using a website with
simplified language, and instead I just bookmark the page on the
class computers beforehand. Students will probably notice the
header once they click the link and get started, but by then the
clock will be ticking and they won’t have time to dwell on it.
The beauty of this exercise is that they are fully functioning in
a foreign language to achieve a goal seemingly unrelated to
language learning: Researching a topic of interest. Language
learning, though ultimately the main goal, becomes an
intentional side effect.
To spice things up and get some friendly competition going,
introduce a “Jeopardy” round:
1. Give groups 10 minutes to research a topic. This time they will all
have the same topic.
2. When the time is up, they will turn off their devices and you will
ask them questions based on the information provided on the
website.
3. The first group to raise their hands gets to answer, and if they are
correct they get a point.
You can play as many rounds as you want and end with a Final
Jeopardy round. In the Final Jeopardy round, all groups get the
same question, but before hearing it they have to bet a certain
amount of their accumulated points. Then they all have 60

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seconds to answer the question by writing it down silently on a

piece of paper. If they do so correctly, the amount of points they
wagered will double. If not, they will lose that wagered amount.
Students have now progressed from studying the language
to working in the language, and conducting real, bite-sized
research projects.
2. Write Like Journalists
Reading newspaper articles in class might be the most loved and
hated language learning activity—loved because students know
that this text is the real deal, and hated because it is bound to be
tougher than the language in their exercise books.
Normally the exercise involves passing out newspaper articles
to students and working through the text with them. This task
is challenging even for advanced learners and could leave
beginners completely deflated and frustrated.
Does this mean that we need to deprive them of the newspaper
experience completely? Nope. Here are 4 beginner-friendly
speaking exercises that let students work with newspapers:
Photo Matching:
1. Split students into pairs.
2. Give newspaper to student A.
3. Hand slips of paper with the photo captions from the
newspaper to student B.
4. Student A describes the photos without revealing them,
and student B tries to match the correct caption to its
corresponding photo.
5. Afterwards, encourage them to write their own alternative
captions.
Headline Charades:
1. Read off some headlines and let students guess what the
article is about.
2. Have two students come up and choose a headline to act out
in a role-play.
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Guided Teacher Reflection

3. The audience has to guess which headline they have chosen.

Movie Times Role-play:

1. Split students up into pairs again.
2. Student A pretends to be a movie theater employee and
student B is a customer.
3. Student B “calls” student A to ask about movies and movie
times.
4. Student A uses the real movie listing in the newspaper to
answer his or her questions.
Classified Ad Inquiries:
1. Read through the classified ads together as a class and review
vocabulary.
2. Split students up into pairs.
3. Role-play and have one student “call” and ask the other
student, “the seller,” questions about the car/dog/etc. for sale.
4. Have students write their own ads.

Try using a local newspaper in the foreign language, like one of

the free ones you might find at the grocery store or bus stop.
The content tends to be more approachable and less focused on
more complicated themes like macroeconomics that are often
found in international media.
If you are going paperless and looking for online news outlets
try the BBC. It is not local but still very user friendly due to its
modular homepage layout with clear headings and subheadings.
Plus, it is available in a diverse array of languages! The language
is arguably more straightforward than in The Wall Street Journal
or The New York Times.
What do all of these speaking exercises have in common? They
let students work with real news articles without asking them to
read very complicated texts.
The specific, focused tasks keep them from getting overwhelmed
but still bring the real world into the classroom.

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3. Advertise Like PR Mavens

Authentic classroom materials do not always have to be as
serious as newspapers and research projects. Advertisements
can also be great learning materials that do not require heavy
reading.
Start by flipping through magazines and ripping out about
10 advertisements that include some text—idioms and
catchphrases are a plus.
As a fun introduction to the exercise you can cover up the text
and ask students to guess what the image is advertising. Then
reveal the text and use the advertisements to facilitate a class
discussion, starting with what they understand the slogan to
mean. How does it relate to the image? What is the underlying
message?
Broaden the topic and ask students if this is an advertisement
they would see in their home countries. In multicultural classes
this can lead to some particularly interesting conversations.
Next, have students split up into groups of two to four and make
their own advertisements for any object they have in class with
them.
You will need about 30 minutes minimum for this exercise, though
an hour is ideal depending on how lively your class discussion gets.
Add a twist:
• Expand the assignment into a larger lesson on idioms
or commands. For example, have students redo their
advertisements using their newly learned polite commands.
• Instead of finding the advertisements yourself, add an
accompanying homework assignment and ask students to find
and bring in their own advertisements to class that day.
Consider saving this for the end of the lesson when students
tend to get lethargic. Nothing counters drowsiness like a lively
discussion and the opportunity for them to get their creative
juices flowing.

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Guided Teacher Reflection

A bonus of this exercise is that when students leave the

classroom, they’ll be hyper-aware of the advertisements
around them, making them more determined to understand the
messages that are being depicted.
4. Buy Tickets Like Globetrotters
If your students do not live in a foreign country already, chances
are they plan (or hope) to visit one in the future.
Students love learning skills that they consider useful. The key
word here is “consider.” All of the exercises we give them are
useful in some way, but students can’t always see the immediate
value.
This next exercise leaves no room for ambiguity. They will learn
how to buy tickets, a concrete skill that they will eventually need.
1. Start this exercise by simply logging onto a train, bus or airline
website, like Amtrak or American Airlines. It helps to use a
projector if you have a large class.
2. Ask students to point out any words that are unfamiliar.
3. Through role-play, have students practice ordering tickets over
the “phone” or at the counter using their new vocabulary.
If you can, bring in a real train ticket and ask students to tell you
the time, platform, and any other logistical facts.
A ticket or a ticketing website are examples of extremely
authentic content that are simple and concise. They do not
require students to digest any complex rhetoric and they
accomplish our purpose: Encouraging language learning by
engaging with real-world materials.
The main benefit of this lesson—learning how to buy tickets—will
be obvious and valuable to students.
1. Skim Like Editors
Eventually your class will be reading the infamous full-length
article. When this time comes, you will want to introduce the
article in a way that is motivating and not discouraging.

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Here is one way to do this:

1. Give students a lengthy article. I like taking offbeat, fun articles
from BBC Culture or BBC Travel, like this one on the well-known
movie “Toy Story”. It might be tempting to use one of the quirky
future articles on health or technology, but the language is
often too niche.
2. Have students scan the article for cognates and write them
down. If they have a printed version, they can underline the
words. Either way, always have them write down the words. It is
slightly more active than just underlining them.
3. Go through their lists as a class and ask students to explain the
meanings of these words to each other.
4. Yes, this is an extremely simple activity, but there is nothing
wrong with simple. In this assignment they are learning
commonly used vocabulary, specifically false friends, without
having to understand the entire text.
By giving them a specific focus, you are letting them work with
authentic material, which assures them that the vocabulary is
used by native speakers, without letting them get overwhelmed
by the complexity of the content.
2. Promote Like Party Planners
Here is another simple exercise that lets students use their
creativity, so think about saving it for late afternoon when your
students have gone into zombie mode.
1. Bring in some leaflets from a local community center or tourist
office. You can even bring in those leaflets that promoters leave
under your windshield wipers in the parking lot, assuming you
can find any that are PG.
2. Have students ask each other questions about the event, like
“What time does it start?” or “Will there be food?”
3. After making sure that the vocabulary is clear to everyone,
collect the leaflets and ask students to work with partners to
create their own for a real or imaginary upcoming event.
Throw in a chocolate bar as a prize for the best leaflet to keep

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Guided Teacher Reflection

the mood from getting lackadaisical. Students can vote for their
favorite and are not allowed to vote for their own group.
You can easily incorporate this exercise in a lesson on formal vs.
informal language. One way to do this is to have them convert
the leaflet into an invitation that will be sent to the president.
And there you have it—6 tested and effective exercises that you
can bring into any language classroom. But don’t stop here. Let
the authentic materials around you inspire you to develop some
of your own assignments.
It sounds simple…because it is! Simple is okay.
If the authentic materials are interesting and relevant, they will
pique your students’ interest and do much of the work for you.
Now you are ready to introduce any level students to the real
world and watch the magic happen.

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