NAME:

Danna Nathalia Gomez Guzman CAU: Bogota

DATE: September 16, 2019

Assignment 1

Please read carefully all the Part 1: “LANGUAGE, LEARNING AND TEACHING” of the Main Study
Material “Understanding Language Teaching” by Kumaravadivelu (Chapters 1, 2 and 3) and
develop the following task. This can be done in groups of 2 or 3 students and only one should
submit the file. Please make sure to include the names of the participants for the corresponding
feedback and grading.

CHAPTER 1) LANGUAGE: CONCEPTS AND PRECEPTS

Based on the chapter 1 of the Main Study Material by Kumaravadivelu, B. define:

• What is language and what are the three perspectives that the author mentions. Which
one do you feel more close to and why? Think of some class activities that exemplify each
of the perspectives.
• Develop a graphic organizer (mind map, comparative chart, Venn diagram, etc.) in which
you summarize the different definitions and positions on the concept of “Competence”.
Please establish clearly what Kumaravadivelu’s definition is and what your opinion on that
is.

Solution
• Language is the system through which man communicates his ideas and feelings, whether
through speech, writing or other conventional signs, using all the senses to communicate
an idea, the author defines it as a system that focuses on the phonological, semantic and
syntactic elements. Language is the main vehicle of communication.

The author proposes three perspectives of language which are language as a system,
which focuses on the semantic, syntactic and phonological elements of language, taking
into account that in a system each element that forms it must work together to make it
work. On the other hand, language as discourse, which makes us understand the
importance of a coherent and cohesive written or oral text, taking into account that
discourse is the staging of aspects of reality, with which ideas can be expressed clearly.
And finally language as an ideology that is based on the forces, dynamics of power and
domination that impact the structures of language.

Personally, I identify with language as a system, because it is a very important part since it
is a way in which I can express a communicative concept, in which the structuring of
language must be effective. Also when communicating the message, you must identify the
means and how I can communicate it taking into account the possible noises (make the
correct way in which the message arrives) impossible. And of course that the distinctive


unity of the sounds of a given language is an important element to understand all the
aspects that make up a message


Example class activities

To make the language understood as a system, it would be pertinent to carry out an
activity of reading comprehension, where students will create questions to begin a debate
on some topic established in class. Taking into account that the three aspects that make it
up, the semantic, syntactic and phonological, are handled.

In the language as discourse, an activity would be carried out where students analyze and
understand what it takes to make a speech so that they create one and expose it in front
of their classmates.

Students make a speech in which a political-social position will be reflected.
•

The competences are important because, in one way or another, the various ways in which a
message can be transmitted with which we will use several of the mentioned aspects such as
grammar, discourse, sociolinguistics, and strategy are being made known.


CHAPTER 2) LEARNING: FACTORS AND PROCESSES

• Complete the following chart based on the chapter 2 of the Main Study Material by
Kumaravadivelu, B. Make sure not to just copy and paste but paraphrase and include
proper citations when necessary. If evidence of copied information is seen, the task will be
invalid.

L2 DEVELOPMENT
DEFINITION: The input is the different sources of communication in which the
student can easily use to learn the foreign language


INPUT CONDITIONS: Availability and accessibility.


EXAMPLES: Identify the general and specific idea in a conversation through
oral and written dialogues.
DEFINITION: The intake or consumption is the way in which the student acquires the
knowledge to the process, speak and interpret the meaning of a subject.


VIEWS: Input, output: the product view - Input, intake, and output: the process view
INTAKE
- Input, input, and output: a quantitative view.


EXAMPLES: Production of oral texts from an auditory comprehension exercise.

Complete the acronym and include a brief definition to each factor.

I nternal and learner external factors: lenguaje and linguistic code.
N egotiation factors: learner’s active involvement and to draw systemic knowledge.
T actical factors: communicative actions and strategies.
INTAKE
A ffective factors: predisposition and driving force to sustain the learning process.
FACTORS
K nowledge factors: ability in the native language
E nvironmental factors: social environments and contexts.
CATEGORIES: internal and external student factors


DEFINITION: They are cognitive structures, which intervene in the different sources
of input and mental operations that are characteristic of language learning.
INTAKE
PROCESSES
CATEGORIES: inferencing, structuring, and restructuring.



DEFINITION: Refers to the collection of texts that students prepare either orally or in
writing.
OUTPUT

• In this chapter, the author talks about three different types of learning strategies:
metacognitive, cognitive and social/affective strategies. Please look for a class activity that
seeks to promote each type and describe them.

LEARNING STRATEGIES
SOCIAL/AFFECTIVE
METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES COGNITIVE STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES

Type of metacognitive Type of metacognitive
Type of metacognitive
strategy: Elaboration strategy: Cooperation
Strategy: Metacognitive.


Objective: Improve the Objective: Allow the student
Objective: direct attention to
student's ability to capture to become subject to the
key information, linking it
and understand information language they study and
with new information.
practice it

Activity: The student will
Activity: Draw the main ideas
make a comprehensive Activity: In a group, based on
from a text and build mental
reading and according to what a topic, students will analyze
schemes that organize and
has been read and without the information obtained and
explain the information.
seeing the reading again, he each one will present their

must answer three questions point of view based on their

in his own words own experiences

CHAPTER 3) TEACHING: INPUT AND INTERACTION

• Do you think that L2 instruction and teaching strategies interfere with the learning
outcomes of students? What kind of instruction would make a difference?
• It is generally agreed that language input has to be modified in order to make it available
and accessible to the learner. In this aspect, the author establishes three strands: (a) form-
based input modifications, (b) meaning-based input modifications, and (c) form- and
meaning-based input modifications. Please give a short definition to each and look for
examples to each.
• Analyze the following syllabus that is addressed to elementary language learners (children
or teenagers). What kind of syllabus would you classify it in (Analytic or Synthetic)? Please
have in mind the information of the subchapter called “Content Specifications”

Solution


• Learning a strategy refers to methods that people use to control over their process.
Today, improving strategies in a L2 into the classroom is one of the teachers’ roles,
because the teachers’ mission is facilitating the learning process to their students and
make the thinking process visible.
It is necessary to considerate the different needs of the learners; the teacher can work
different methodologies to guide the student.
•