Literature and critical literacy pedagogy in the EFL classroom: Towards a model of teaching critical thinking skills

Drawing on the numerous benefits of integrating literature in the EFL classroom, the present paper argues that the analysis of a fictional work in the process of foreign language acquisition offers a unique opportunity for students to explore, interpret, and understand the world around them. The paper presents strong evidence in favour of reader-centered critical reading as a means of encouraging observation and active evaluation not only of linguistic items, but also of a variety of meanings and viewpoints. The authors propose a model of teaching critical thinking skills focused on the reader’s response to a literary work. The practical application of the method, which adopts the critical literacy approach as a tool, is illustrated through a series of activities based on the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling

Literature Mediated English in the UCM Degree in Modern Languages: A Pilot Study

The Degree in Modern Languages recently implemented by the Complutense University of Madrid has been designed in the light of the European Higher Education criteria. In the case of English, the curriculum includes a B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) course of general English, with the consequent lack of motivation of many of the students in the classroom, who already got that level at high school. In this sense, it is our intention to carry about a pilot study intended to design, implement and test the use of literary texts and articles in the ESL classroom

EL USO DE LOS ADVERBIOS DE FRECUENCIA EN UN FORO VIRTUAL ORIENTADO AL APRENDIZAJE E LA ENSEÑANZA SUPERIOR A DISTANCIA, ESTUDIO DE CORPUS

This paper reports on a corpus-based study that investigated the use of frequency adverbs in students’ posts in a goal-oriented virtual forum. The participants in the study were undergraduate students enrolled in two distance learning undergraduate degrees at the International University of la Rioja (Spain), and whose English language level was B1. The forum was part of one of the modules taught within a BEd program with a major in English Language Teaching. The study used a mixed-method approach and the results showed that the erroneous usage of the selected set of adverbs represents 7.47% of the total number of errors. For the classification of the errors, an error taxonomy was designed, including 9 error types. Findings revealed that the most common error types were those related to the position of frequency adverbs in the clause. The paper argues for the unique value of data gathered from virtual forums for the design of prevention-oriented teaching material, based on predictable errors.   El artículo presenta un estudio basado en corpus que investiga el uso de adverbios de frecuencia en las entradas de un foro virtual orientado al aprendizaje. Los participantes del estudio pertenecen a un grupo de alumnos matriculados en dos carreras universitarias impartidas a distancia en la Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR), todos ellos con nivel de inglés B1. El foro fue una de las tareas asignadas a los alumnos dentro del programa de Mención Enseñanza de la Lengua Inglesa en los grados de Maestro en Infantil y Primaria. El estudio se ha basado en un método de diseño mixto y los resultados demuestran que el uso erróneo de los adverbios fue detectado en el 7,47% de los casos. Para el análisis de errores y su clasificación, se ha diseñado una taxonomía basada en 9 tipos de errores. Los resultados demuestran que los errores más frecuentes han sido los relacionados con el posicionamiento de los adverbios dentro de la oración. El artículo defiende el valor del corpus recopilado como una base para el diseño de material didáctico orientado a la prevención de erroresThis paper reports on a corpus-based study that investigated the use of frequency adverbs in students’ posts in a goal-oriented virtual forum. The participants in the study were undergraduate students enrolled in two distance learning undergraduate degrees at the International University of la Rioja (Spain), and whose English language level was B1. The forum was part of one of the modules taught within a BEd program with a major in English Language Teaching. The study used a mixed-method approach and the results showed that the erroneous usage of the selected set of adverbs represents 7.47% of the total number of errors. For the classification of the errors, an error taxonomy was designed, including 9 error types. Findings revealed that the most common error types were those related to the position of frequency adverbs in the clause. The paper argues for the unique value of data gathered from virtual forums for the design of prevention-oriented teaching material, based on predictable errors. 

Why am I learning English? Spanish EFL sports science university students´ motivational orientations through the prism of the L2 motivational self system

The study explores the motivational profiles of Spanish EFL sports science university students from the second language (L2) motivation self system (L2MSS) perspective to ultimately support Spanish higher institutions´ plans committed to improving employability and competitiveness. The study analyzes the relationships between L2 motivation, L2 proficiency, gender, and L2 contextual variables using data from 196 English as a foreign language (EFL) sports science university students. The data reveal that the ideal L2 self construct stands out as the most salient and powerful factor, while the ought-to and rebellious L2 selves are less significant and there are items loading on both of them at the same time. Thus, higher means for the ideal L2 self motivation correspond to higher levels of L2 proficiency and are supported by L2 learning contextual variables. The strongest ought-to L2 self was registered in students with mid-low L2 proficiency and a lack of L2 learning experiences. Meanwhile, the rebellious L2 self is clearly distinguishable only for students with high L2 proficiency. Pedagogical and curricular implications of these findings are that the ideal and the rebellious L2 selves could positively predict students´ L2 proficiency. Thus, new dynamics of education should explore language teaching methodologies that are more likely to enhance students´ ideal and rebellious L2 selves

Profundización en metodologías y espacios docentes innovadores

Fac. de FilologíaFALSEsubmitte

Marco activo de recursos de innovación docente: Madrid

Una guía de espacios e instituciones para actividades educativas complementarias en enseñanza secundaria y Formación Profesional

Meeting Point: methods and spaces for the flipped classroom

Desarrollo de programas formativos centrados en los estudiantes gracias a la mejora de la calidad de los recursos materiales y del personal docente e investigador.Vicerrectorado de CalidadFac. de FilologíaFALSEsubmitte