AMERICAN LITERATURE 2013 

ENGAGING ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE HIGHER LEVEL THINKING SKILLS 

The class of American Literature   offers the students several benefits in developing reading habits and study skills. During the introductory class, I inform the students that importance of this subject and the responsibility they need to have with their daily readings.
One of theengaging  keys to motivate students to travel  in this new learning is supplementing the activities   using audios, videos, films, all kind of resources to enhance even further the richness of the sensory input.

According to Clandfield, L, There are many good reasons for using literature in the classroom. Here are a few:

"Literature is authentic material. It is good to expose learners to this source of unmodified language in the           classroom because the skills they acquire in dealing with difficult or unknown language can be used outside the class.

• Literature encourages interaction. Literary texts are often rich is multiple layers of meaning, and can be effectively mined for discussions and sharing feelings or opinions.
• Literature expands language awareness. Asking learners to examine sophisticated or non standard examples of language (which can occur in literary texts) makes them more aware of the norms of language use (Widdowson, 1975 quoted by Lazar 1993).
• Literature educates the whole person. By examining values in literary texts, teachers encourage learners to develop attitudes towards them. These values and attitudes relate to the world outside the classroom.
• Literature is motivating. 
• Literature holds high status in many cultures and countries. For this reason, students can feel a real sense of achievement at understanding a piece of highly respected literature. Also, literature is often more interesting than the texts found in coursebooks.

Nathaniel Hawthorne -The Scarlet Letter, "sin, passion and lust" .Relevant information told by Teresa Zamabrano.

The Witch Trials of Salem, mentioned by Maribel Hernandez

Emily Dickinson and her Dark romantic poetry.

Abraham Lincold and his famous speech at The Gettysburg Address, 

Students during a lesson. They proved themselves that reviewing and being attentive in class presentations, help their individual learning. 

Francias S. Fitgerald and "The Great Gatsby"

literature offers several benefits to ESL classes. It can be
useful in developing linguistic knowledge both on a usage and use level.
Secondly, to the extent that students enjoy reading literature, it may increase
their motivation to interact with a text and thus, ultimately increase their
reading proficiency. Finally, an examination of a foreign culture through
literature may increase their understanding of that culture and perhaps spur
their own creation of imaginative works.

ENGLISH V- 4TH  COURSE STUDENTS 2013 
SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES - UNIVERSIDAD DE GUAYAQUIL

MOCK INTERVIEW 

Undergraduate Teaching Students
Activities that  reflect on learning. 

Students Any Barahona, Stephanie Cruz, Jose Castro, MSc. Glenda Morales (teacher), Fabiola Escobar, Isa Abraham, Christian Carillo and Fernanda Escobar. 

LEADERSHIP , INITIATIVE AND LIFE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES 

Geoconda Torres, Stefanie Vera, Nathalie Cortez, Teresa  Zambrano, Paola Valenzuela, Carla Arana, Jessica Medina and Monica Zambrano.

Jazmin Sanchez, Gabriela Prado, Mirella Olaya, Genesis Pachecho,
Karen Sanchez, Sara Torres, Marjorie Gazmez, Andrea Romero, Betty Quijije
and Ivonne Perez.

                                                                                                                                          AND PROBLEM SOLVING TOPICS.

The Mock Interview Activity helps the undergraduate students to gain experience and practice  answering different kind of questions they might be  asked in a teacher´s interview in a short time   . 

It was  also a valuable and worthwhile practice because it enriched the students´  educational vocabulary  and developed their speaking skills.  

The purpose of the Mock Interview Activity, which was part of the scheduled activities for the semester,  was to enhance the students´ knowledge and assess their own practice. At the beginning the students were assigned to read short texts on "Teaching practices,and Dressing well for success", their next task was to write a two-page essay related to  questions  normally asked on  a professional interview.

INTERVIEW FOR A TEACHING JOB INTERVIEW

Be Alert and Listen

 Make sure that you are actually answering the question that was asked - you can have the interviewer repeat a particularly complicated question, but you don't want to have them repeat every question to you. Respond to nonverbal cues from your interviewers.

 Shake hands firmly and avoid being nervous. Feel calm.

Make a Good First Impression

Arrive ten minutes early. Shake hands firmly. Smile and appear happy and enthusiastic. Wait to be asked to take a seat. Make sure that you are not chewing gum before going into the interview. The first few minutes of your interview are very important.

Maribel Hernandez, Fanny Navarrete, Angie and Jessica Nieves.

Wear Professional Dress 

This might seem obvious but it often occurs that individuals come to interviews dressed inappropriately. Remember, you are making an impression about your professionalism so make sure to iron your clothes and keep your skirts/pants  at an acceptable length. Brush your hair professionally, too. 

Do not make excess of noise when sitting.

Be Prepared for Key Questions

Research and prepare yourself on possible teacher´s interview questions so that you can keep surprises to a minimum. While you don't want to look too rehearsed, you also don't want to appear as though you are searching for what to say.

Show Enthusiasm for Teaching

Be enthusiastic. REcruiters have seen in too many interviews where prospective teachers don't act like they even like students. They are more interested in their content than in the actual teaching of it. Be enthusiastic and energetic. Remember, teaching is all about helping students learn and grow. This should be your focus.

Show Interest in Professional Growth

When you are asked questions about your future or your personality, make sure that you show an interest in growing in the profession. This will give interviewers further information about your enthusiasm and interest in teaching.

Be Polite and Tactful

Use your best manners - always say please and thank you just like your learned at home. You should also make sure that you are tactful when you make statements. For example, when you are speaking about your previous teaching positions and fellow teachers, do not stop to idle gossip or petty statements.

Working on the two writing drafts was a demanding task  because  the students had to organize their ideas and not depend on memorization, which made them feel  more aware of their strengths, weaknesses,  and complemented their teaching practicum.

Even though it is a new activity/practice  for my Fifth Course students (undergraduate), I am a great believer that ACTION is important in classes.. 

The Mock Interview was a great work   because the students invested all their effort, they created,  researched, worked in groups  and,as alwyad did their best to make this task  more realistic and long-lasting.
It is important to emphasize that questions were assigned randomly because the idea was to break from memorized answers.

At the end of this four-day enriching and amazing activity, I gave a detailed feedback to every student  for future interviews. They finished this task feeling confident, more aware of their knowledge, strengths and weaknesses. I AM PROUD AS ALWAYS OF MY STUDENTS´ CREATIVITY!!!


Source keys for a successful tips interview -some ideas
http://712educators.about.com/od/jobinterviewresources/tp/job_interview_dos.htm

LINGUISTICS 3RD. COURSE JUNE 2013

Presentations by my 4th. Course Students. Great activities, creativity and knowledge.
2013.-

The purpose of Linguistics II is to examine the structure and use of language which takes a lively hands-on approach.  As part of the Final project students decide to work  on assigned  specific phonetic sounds that  affects one of his/her classmates. This practice helps students to analyze, research and enrich their teaching learning.

The class provides a background of basic concepts of linguistics, review of phonetic sounds and transcription, consonants and vowels classification according to their articulatory  organs.  It also presents an opportunity to briefly learn about the History of the English language, borrowed words, culture and American dialect and accent.

LINGUISTICS II PROJECTS JULY-AUGUST 2013 

The purpose of Linguistics II is to examine the structure and use of language which takes a lively hands-on approach.  As part of the Final project students decide to work  on assigned  specific phonetic sounds that  affects one of his/her classmates. This practice helps students to analyze, research and enrich their teaching learning.

The class provides a background of basic concepts of linguistics, review of phonetic sounds and transcription, consonants and vowels classification according to their articulation organs.  It also presents an opportunity to briefly learn about the History of the English language, borrowed words, culture and American dialect and accent.

AMERICAN LITERATURE CLASS 2013 - August 2013

LITERATURE OPENS HORIZONS, HELPS ESL TO QUESTION, INTERPRET, CONNECT AND EXPLORE WRITERS´ FROM DIFFERENT TIMES.

The class of American Literature is a promising tool for developing authentic language. These pieces of literary works  are motivational  because they eager the students to travel to a never-ended world and promote cultural and intercultural awareness in a  world globally connected. It is breaking the barriers of “boring and not important” to “important and necessary for personal enrichment”.

It  is intensive and extensive reading practiced in a short term period. This class urges  the students to take complete responsibility of their time and autonomous work. Essays, autobiographies, prose, novels, novellas are part  of the common core; poetry is also part of this journey, it helps the students   go deep into each stanza and search for its meaning which is hidden through metaphors, alliteration or internal rhyme.  

It  helps  my students to work easily on the four skills;  for writing purposes sets the ground to analyze a poem, to replicate  or write about  inner  emotions,  soar freely searching for those words that give sense to a simple and detailed story.

This class is not taken for granted, it is reading for responsibility; but it later changes and becomes reading for discovering, questioning and finally enjoying. It is travelling through eras, places, rivers, emotions, belongings but acquiring that piece of significant  knowledge that makes each student  different. A different human being, respecting cultures and identities, 

I believe this Introduction to Literature helps my students to become part of this world of words, poetry and prose. I am great believer that reading opens doors for knowledge and curiosity. I never expect my students focus on one literary period or writer, I let them enjoy as much as they can. It is personal growth.

Literature is language and language is culture and this class is learning about culture and respecting.

Final Exam: REFLECTIVE ESSAYS FROM  A CHOSEN WRITER. As part of the Final exam, students were asked to choose a literary piece of writing, analyze it and reflect in their own experiences. Students did a great work!!! 

Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events – not just a description of them.

•

Genuinely reflective writing often involves ‘revealing’ anxieties, errors and weaknesses, as 

well as strengths and successes.