Important!!

Hi everyone!!

Important news:

a) tomorrow the Institute will be closed (there's no water and there are no janitors)

b) I checked at Milgraff and you are right: chapter 12 by Cook was left out of the bunch... don't worry. Read the chapter by Brown and I'll explain the rest. Use your time well: work on your blog and your essay on FLA.

Welcome back from the winter break!

Hello everyone!

           Yesterday we met again, after a month! We talked a little about the organization of the classes we have left...
           A very important point for you to bear in mind is that you have to get organized (we need 5 groups of 3 students each) to deliver a presentation. Here you have the topics and the probable dates of the presentations (remember that these are likely dates and they can be moved one week forward or backward):

• 9/10 Teaching strategies
• 9/10 Teaching pronunciation
• 16/10 Teaching vocabulary
• 23/10 Teaching receptive skills, reading and listening
• 13/11 Teaching productive skills, speaking and writing

(On October 30th you have the play and we are all invited to the Fairy Tales Festival. And on November 6th we'll have the term test) 

           Then we dealt with First Language Acquisition. Those of you who were absent, please ask your classmates for the notes because we worked on several important concepts.

          For homework you have several things to do:

• Get in groups for the presentations so next class we divide the topics. 5 groups of 3 students each. (for 4/9)
• Read the two chapters on Second Language Acquisition: Brown chapter 10 and Cook chapter 12 (for 4/9)
• Write an essay on First Language Acquisition focusing on two main points: How do you think that children acquire their first language? What are your views on Chomsky's theory of FLA? (for 18/9)

         Finally....

Brilliant... from beginning to end!

Please watch this video.... it's simply wonderful... all of it: the ideas, the language used to communicate those ideas and the incredible "visual aid"...

I'd love you to comment on it...

Very relevant concepts! TIC, TAC and TEP

Watch this video.... it takes the concept of TIC one step further and it integrates Freire and Vygotsky...

About today's class...

Hello my dear students!

I'm sorry to tell you that today I will be absent because my son is still ill...

First, let me tell you that you have all passed the test (most of you with seven or more... as soon as I can I'll send you an email each with the score...).

Second, as we won't meet until after the winter holidays, I would like you to read the chapter by Steven Pinker called "Baby Born Talking - Describes Heaven". I think it would be a good idea for you to read both chapters on First Language Acquisition twice: once now and the second time closer to when it's time for us to meet again...

Please keep working on your wonderful blogs, and let's keep in touch!

Have a wonderful winter break!

Have you watched the Big Bang Theory?

I highly recommend it! Watch this funny and sweet scene...

About next class

Hi there!!

Yesterday we had the First term test.... I've already been correcting a few tests and I'm glad to tell you that so far so good!

Remember that for next class you have to read chapter 3 by Vivien Cook, "General Concepts of Language Acquisition". Don't worry if you find it challenging... we'll deal with it together next Thursday.

Have an excellent weekend and... Go Argentina go!!

Excellent work!

Once more, I want to congratulate you, my dear students on the fabulous work you are doing on your blogs!!

Study Weekend

Hi everyone!

Today we had the last class before the term test. We dealt with chapters 5 and 6 on TBLT by David Nunan. You all worked wonderfully well in groups and designed clear and creative posters... Well done!

Now it's time to study... and to rest a little too!

Congrats!!

I want to congratulate all those of you who have been posting news, sites and articles in your blogs! Keep up the enriching work!

Once more, I remind all of you of checking one another's blogs... thus you can benefit from the hard and creative work your classmates are doing!