Olá,
A classe 2016 tem o prazer de apresentar os ensaios escritos na disciplina de Língua Inglesa IV. O tema deles são variados, mas o objetivo é o mesmo: Como aprender Inglês através de suas paixões.
Após um longo e bem feito processo de escrita, com rascunhos e revisões da professora, colegas e da Sarah Slater. Chegamos, enfim, a um resultado satisfatório e recompensador. Criamos juntos uma revista que reúne todos estes ensaios e os disponibilizamos aqui para que todos possam ler e aprender. Além disso, teremos a oportunidade de apresentar o nosso trabalho aos colegas de curso.
Estamos muito felizes em poder compartilhar nossas experiencias de aprendizagem com nossos colegas e com o mundo. Agradecemos o apoio, incentivo e ajuda da nossa Professora Larissa Dantas, muito obrigada.
Você pode ler os ensaios através dos seguintes links:
LEARNING THROUGH THE PASSIONS
THE POWER OF MUSIC: HOW MUSIC HELPS LEARNERS IMPROVE LANGUAGE SKILLS
THE USE OF SMART PHONES TO IMPROVE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING
HOW CAN WE LEARN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGNER LANGUAGE USING THE GAME "THE SIMS 3"?
SINGING TO IMPROVE YOUR ENCLISH SKILLS
USING WEBSITES AND VIDEOS TO LEARN ENGLISH
MUSIC: A LAID-BACK WAY TO LEARN LANGUAGES
CHATS ROOMS CAN IMPROVE LANGUAGE AND LEARNING SKILLS
IMPROVING YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS WATCHING FORMULA 1
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND MAGAZINES.
Elogios, criticas ou dicas? Deixe seus comentários!
Até mais.
Class of 2016
segunda-feira, 16 de junho de 2014
LEARNING THROUGH THE PASSIONS
Camila de Souza Lopes
The knowledge of languages is considered one of the keys to success. In
the globalized world, this kind of knowledge has become very important,
especially in the business market. In a job interview, the fluent speaker of a
foreign language will probably be the preferable choice for the vacancy. But,
although it is important to learn more and more about languages, it is not
easy. It requires time and motivation of the learners to practice.
Unfortunately, both are quite difficult to obtain and maintain. One of the most
effective solutions can be using the learner’s passions as a vehicle.
A learner who studies according to
his or her passion becomes motivated to study as much as possible. Dörnyei
(2005) alleges that
motivation is one of the most basic aspects of the human mind and the experts
divide motivation into the two categories of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic
motivation. For example, an extrinsic motivation may be represented by the business
world forcing people who want to enter in the job market to know languages. But
intrinsic motivation occurs when the student really wants to learn. It is
something from deep inside of him or her. In this case, there is large
possibility of the learner absorbing more information because it is something pleasurable
to study. This is what happens with the learner’s passions.
Besides motivation, the learner’s passion increases the student’s
autonomy. According to Benson (2003), learning autonomy occurs when the learner
decides how he or she will study, what subject, what kind of materials will be
used and the way the student will assess the learning process. Through hobbies,
the student will learn researching and exploring, improving from the less
complex language to the most complex language related to their hobbies. An
example is the student who learns through TV series. In the beginning the
student starts to watch episodes in the target language with subtitles in
mother language and later the student will
probably watch them with subtitles in the target language or with no subtitles.
The results, of course, will depend only on the learner and the amount of time
that he or she dedicates.
Another significant advantage of this way of learning is efficiency
because “time is money”. The student can appropriate their free time to do
something useful and save time. If the student loves to read, the book can be
in the target language. If the student likes to watch films, the film can be
also in the target language. If the student listens to music, the songs can be
in a foreign language. In this case, the use of technology in the students
favor is also important. The portable devices can be used to carry books, songs
and even films in many different languages. The learners can share the media
with each other in a few minutes and the
knowledge will be spread with no difficulties.
In conclusion, the use of a learner’s passions as a vehicle is one of
the solutions to learning a foreign language while improving the usage of
student’s time and skills. With
motivation, autonomy and accessibility to the material, the learning process
will be more pleasurable. As Benjamin Franklin said “Tell me and I forget,
teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
quarta-feira, 11 de junho de 2014
THE POWER OF MUSIC: HOW MUSIC HELPS LEARNERS IMPROVE LANGUAGE SKILLS
Naianne Lisboa
Music can make students enthusiastic and motivated because, it is usually part of the students’ daily life. The students can sing to
learn new vocabulary and pronunciation, making the
learning more fun. Because students generally have a strong knowledge basis in
music exploring students’ interests, capabilities, and confidence this
area can help increase knowledge in
others areas. Furthermore, it is important that
learners have interest in what they are doing. Because when learners like the activities, they are more productive and
they achieve more learning results.
Teachers use music in language classrooms because they
perceive the learning advantages when music is
incorporated into language learning. Music can be used in
class in different ways. For instance, Professor Sandra Adkins uses choral in her practices as an optional activity, but all the students
participate. She states that the students take her ideas of using music for
learning and build upon them, creating their own ways to bringing music in
their learning. Students approve of this method because
they are learning something and consequently stimulating their motivation. But
this kind of activity needs to have a purpose. The song selected needs to have
connection with the lives of the students and a relation with things taught
previously.
Music is exciting and, motivating and promotes positive
reactions in our brain. Music had and has a great influence on my English
learning process. Furthermore, studies prove music has a powerful influence in
language learning, a phenomenon that I experienced in my own learning process
can be work in whatever language learning process. It is important to say
learning process do not need to be boring, it can be fun and enthusiastic. Let’s
try connecting learning with things we love.
THE USE OF SMART PHONES TO IMPROVE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING
Ana Karoline Cardoso da Silva
In the last decades we have
watched a new style of learning and teaching become more prevalent. Instead of
only books and the four walls of a classroom, teachers and students are beginning
to take advantage of what “technology” has to offer us: practicality, velocity,
portability. Who could ever imagine that one day we would talk with a friend on
the other side of the world just using a little device? It is fantastic to
imagine all these possibilities concentrated in the palm of our hands. And why
do not use it to improve foreign language teaching and learning? Authors,
teachers and students are already accomplishing it, which gives us a lot to say
about it.
Marc Prensky is a famous
writer in the area of education. He endorses the idea that education and
technology form an efficient couple that guarantees successful teaching and
learning. In his book “Teaching Digital Natives” (PRENSKY 2010) he tries to
help people understand how this technological world works because he also
believes that in the future the
classroom will be dominated by technology and
teachers should be prepared to handle with a classroom full of students,
not holding their books, but their smart phones.
Some
apps that I constantly use include the dictionary mentioned above. For example,
I am using it right now to help me while writing this essay. I cannot forget to
mention the app named “English Irregular Verbs”, highly helpful to check the
verbs on their past participle form.
However there are other ways
to enjoy the smart phone. I use it to listen to music, pause it when necessary,
and follow the lyrics to train my listening. To practice my speaking, I record
my voice and then I listen. One can also download books and magazines, text
messages to my friends. And everything inside a bus, or while waiting to be
attended in a medical appointment: convenience and portability, all in one.
Despite
all the benefits there is still resistance by the teachers about using
technology inside the educational context; they think, for example, that cell
phones and classroom do not match, since it steals the student’s attention. And
it steals, if the teacher is not prepared to manage his or her class and if she
or he is not prepared to turn this situation in his or her favor. After all, as
Marc Prensky (2012) said, that the teacher is not obligated to know everything,
but he or she can learn with the students as well. As a matter of fact, this
new way of learning and teaching did not come to impose that the old ones are
ineffective, in fact it just wants to show us how dynamic the learning process
can be .In the end, everybody just has to enjoy: motivated teachers, more
autonomous students and the educational process occurring in a curious,
different and efficient way.
terça-feira, 3 de junho de 2014
HOW CAN WE LEARN ENGLISH AS A FOREIGNER LANGUAGE USING THE GAME "THE SIMS 3"?
Débora Souza
Technology
has changed the learning process through the years. Teachers can utilize video
games during the language learn process, for example. Technology is claimed to
motivate the students because most of them are connected all the time. On
February 4th, 2000 a life simulation game series called “The Sims”,
developed and published by EA games (Electronic Arts), was released. Will
Wright initially created this game to be only an architecture simulator, but it
became much more. The Sims third edition is much more useful to EFL students
because it has far more details and attractive resources than the previous
version.
Students,
mainly children and teenagers who are growing up in this High-Tech era have a
number of quick and easy ways to access information and learn. Therefore, is
very important that teachers take into account these “Digital Natives” (PRENSKY,
2001) and their sophisticated software and hardware. Teachers also must follow
the “mediator rule” (VYGOTSKY, 1989), in which, according to social
interactionist theory, the collaborative learning and interactive activities
are essential in the classroom learning and students must share their
knowledge. It is important that teachers intervene the learning process using
approaches that allow their students to interact or dialogue with each other
independently. Therefore, they should connect the students with knowledge as
well. Teachers who care about students’ interest keep open the possibility to
improve different methodologies that motivate students and develop their
autonomy.
The
game “The Sims 3” unconsciously induces people to another language. This game
has so many different versions. It can be played on smart phones, tablets,
laptops, video games, on-line or off-line. It is an engaging software because
it is a life simulator that is funny, creative, and interesting. There it uses
a rich vocabulary (clothes, colors food, places, home items, and others), it
allows an interaction among the players (depending on the version), and it
usually provides three different languages for play. The Sims is an endless
game. It is possible to play with many characters and their several generations
of a family. Thus the players/students learn through those things and they
enrich their vocabulary, just by playing a game. They just need to create a
whole family or just one character, buy or building their own house, maybe go
to the university and then get a job, or perhaps open a business. They face
routine problems and do almost everything that happens in a real life.
When
I started to play The Sims I did not notice that it could be useful to my
learning, but I realized that it is because I usually played it in English. By
playing I acquired a huge vocabulary. And it was easier to remember the words,
when they were followed by pictures. This really helped me in the learning
process. Now and then, this game gave me some challenges when I had to research
to understand what was happening. After I became more interested in learning
English, I realized how that game was becoming important to me. My purpose was
not only to have fun, but to learn.
This
game offers a range of possibilities not only for the EFL students’ independent
learning, but for teachers who are developing activities inside and outside of
the class. Other people agree with me, that simulator games as “The Sims”
enlarges learning. For example, there was a writing project developed with
twenty-five students in the fourth grade with the purpose of creating narrative
texts in Portuguese. This project was developed in four steps. At first, the
students were introduced to the game software to learn how to use the tools.
Then they started to play. In the third step they were encouraged to write
about what was happing during the game, and in the last step, the students
could post their narratives in a The Sims fan page on the internet (CRISTIANE
OLIVEIRA, 2011). The participants in this project were really motivated and
involved. It is observed that activities like that, wherein students can learn
having fun, usually have good results. Additionally, the students were
introduced to a new software, so they upgraded their technological skill, they
improved their narrator ability, they learned different words, and they
certainly expressed their all creativity in their stories as well. After this
experience they became more autonomous.
According
to the report, the digital technology that appears in The Sims 3 should be used
to make a language learning process more interesting and enjoyable. It is
practical and possible considering that people can play it everywhere. The
richness of the game can be used to acquire vocabulary and for specific
purposes as a writing project. Furthermore, it motivates the students to learn
based on what they like and already know such as computers and technology. This
game gives players a sensation of freedom. Therefore, students/players and
teachers need to be careful because The Sims may become an addiction!
SINGING TO IMPROVE YOUR ENCLISH SKILLS
Eliene Monteiro
Who has never sung any of their favorite songs before
or even searched the lyrics of foreign songs in order
to sing it? Singing is part of our lives, even if we are not professional
singers. Related to learning a foreign language, we recognize that singing can
be a great way of improving the language in several ways. However, there is not
much research about this theme. Many authors just mention the use of songs in
their theses, but they do not relate them with singing. Based on some research
on the use of singing in language learning acquisition and in my own
experiences, I decided writing this essay.
Singing is a great strategy if you want to improve your English
abilities in several key skills. Thinking about the main reasons of why an
English learner should use this tool, I am going to list four advantages: (1) It
is great for pronunciation; (2) It helps you remember words; (3) It builds your
self-confidence; and (4) It is good for your motivation.
First, singing is great for practicing pronunciation. By studying a
little about the Stress in English phonetics, you learn about the Word Stress. Word stress is an important
aspect of English pronunciation and it can easily identify a non-native
speaker. Through using word stress in your speaking, you improve your pronunciation skills.
Through listening to songs several times, especially sung by native speakers,
your ears get used to the stress that each word has, and when you sing them,
your voice tries to imitate the stress contained in the words.
Second, singing helps you build vocabulary and remember words. According
to a new research published in the journal Memory
and Cognition, phrases sung in a foreign language are easier to remember
than when they are just said. It was discovered through a study with adults
learning Hungarian. They were divided in three groups, the first one heard
spoken English phrases and a Hungarian translation, the second heard a
Hungarian phrase sung, and the third group heard Hungarian phrases spoken in a
rhythm, as a chant. The results of this study showed that people who had heard
the phrases being sung performed notably better than people from the other
groups.
Next,
singing in a foreign language builds your self-confidence. High self-confidence has a positive correlation with oral performance (HEYDE
1979), but several people get nervous when they have to sing in front of
people, even more than when they are just speaking to them. In this way, if you
can sing in front of people, speaking will be a simple activity. It is not
necessary for you to be a member of a band to sing in front of an audience, a
simple joke with your friends in a karaoke can provide opportunities to
practice singing. Start singing in front of your friends can be the first step
for you to build your self-confidence.
Lastly, singing is good for your motivation. Motivation is activated
when you are involved, engaged and excited doing what you like while learning
something. Why not do this to improve your English skills? Why not have fun
with it? According to the renowned
psychiatrist William Glasser (1990) “Fun is the genetic payoff for learning.” Music lovers
know for sure what I am talking about because singing is a fun activity, your
motivation to improve your English grows even though you do not might not even
notice that you are learning.
There are several easy ways for a person to
start singing in order to improve his/her English. For example, youtube, a well
known website, can help you to sing, you have just to type the name of the song
you want to sing plus the word “karaoke” or “instrumental” that you will
probably find a great version for you to sing while following the lyrics of the
songs desired.
Another tool is the app called The Voice: On Stage by StarMaker. You
can download to your computer or cell phone. In this application there are four
judges (like in the TV program “The Voice”) that turn their chairs for you if
you sing well or on the pitch. While singing, you can follow the lyrics and
there are backing vocals too. The more you sing, the more you can “buy” new
songs through the coins the application gives you.
Lastly, there is Karaoke Party, a
website through which you can sing online and get a score based on your
performance. All you need is a microphone to connect in your computer, and
through this website you can also challenge your friends.
Learning a foreign language seems, for most people, like a difficult
thing to do. But as with everything a human being does language learning requires
strategies to be successful. For those who want to learn a foreign language,
improving it can become an easy activity if you improve it through your
passions, through things you really like to be involved in. Singing is a
strategy that provides us a number of advantages that can help us to be
successful in learning a foreign language.
USING WEBSITES AND VIDEOS TO LEARN ENGLISH
Thaianny Gomes
Nowadays it is critical to learn a foreign language.
English is required everywhere. To understand what the actor says in the movie,
that music that everybody is talking about and specially in the workplace. Many
people lose great job opportunities because they do not know English. But most
of these people have Internet access at home and what they do not know is that
it is possible to learn English anywhere, anytime and for free.
First, the student has to know how to use these tools
in order to learn a foreign language. It is complicated when somebody who does
not know anything about learning through websites is put in front of a computer
asked to search for websites, it is not good for the student’s motivation. Egbert
(2001) already warned against this because the student loses time searching for
something still unknown instead of focusing in the language learning.
Lots of websites can help us to learn and improve the
process of learning English, there are websites through which specific skills
can be improved. Most students have problems with their listening comprehension
and the website Elllo, for instance, aims to improve this skill with podcasts
according to the students’ level, the subjects of the conversations are varied
and the student is exposed to the English of native and non-native speakers.
For example, in one video an American and an Indian talk about good health. By
practicing with these tools the student can become capable of understanding the
English spoken around the world.
For those who are taking the first steps of learning
English, there are sites directed to make the vocabulary of the target language
grow by ending each lesson with the student’s mother language as a support.
When the student is a beginner it is hard to go to sites where everything is
written in English that is why the websites have to fulfill the student’s needs
and level of proficiency. For beginners, Duolingo is an interesting option. In
this website, it is possible to practice the target language from the first
moment. All the four language skills are well practiced. Beginners can also
improve writing with websites where beginner’s books can be downloaded.
Videos are always a good option to learn English. By
watching videos it is possible to learn since the alphabet in a fun way until
the proper pronunciation of words. There are plenty of videos recorded by
professors who teach how to speak and the right way to pronounce specific sound
of the English language. It is also important to search for channels where the
focus is teaching English like British
Council’s channel or the videos on BBC
Learning English where there are videos teaching pronunciation tips.
Another channel that helps with speaking is Rachel’s
English, a website where Rachel
teaches how to pronounce similar words and other things related to the American
accent.
Research on English learning through websites shows
positive results and it is an interesting way to learn for students. Once you
learn how to use websites on learning, it is impossible to stop. More and more
interesting things keep appearing. For example, you can download books for free
in order to improve reading and writing, watch a video with your favorite song
lyrics or watch an English subtitled movie online to improve listening and
speaking. There will always be a video or website that is going to catch your
attention regardless of your level because this is the best way to learn, the
way you like.
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