Defensa Tesi111s.pptx

UNIVERSIDAD DE GUADALAJARA Centro Universitario de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades Departamento de Lenguas Modernas Maestría en la Enseñanza del Inglés como Lengua Extranjera

Research question How can Flipped Classroom Model and speaking activities lead students to speak English as a Foreign Language? 

How Flipped Classroom allows the integration of interaction opportunities to develop and practice speaking production skills in the target language?



How to integrate flipped classroom into communicative approach to

develop speaking skills? 

If students’ textbooks have different activities to learn and to practice the target language, why not all the students use English when they are required to do it?

Hypothesis Flipped Classroom may be a viable option to attain one of the most fundamental objectives when developing communicative competence in a target language (speaking) considering that students learn at different paces and that technology offers a wide range of options to understand, practice and produce.

Context

The context of study is the Centro Escolar Juana de Asbaje in Zamora; Michoacán in Mexico. The school has thirty classrooms, three computer labs, a library, an auditorium, biology and physics laboratories, physiologic,

medical and pedagogic support the average age is 16 years old; the group is mostly formed by women, the institution is private and students have access to technology.

Context Our context of study is the Centro Escolar Juana de Asbaje in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico. In the morning, the school offers Junior High School, high school. In the afternoon the school offer B.A.s in teacher`s formation for kindergarten, primary and junior high school. Zamora is recognized for being an important producer and exporter of strawberries; some people work in the fields or in companies dedicated to this fruit. For Young people who do not have a degree or do not speak another language, they usually a job packing the product or at the fields; in consequence, salaries are considerably lower.

Action Research The researcher is interested in using action research as a method to collect, analyze and use the information to make some modifications in order to prove a hypothesis. Wallace (1999) claims that as professionals, most teachers accept that our expertise should progressively develop as we continue in service. He proposes a particular strategy to accelerate such a process of development. The strategy consists on a way of reflecting on our teaching practice. It can be done by systematically collecting

data on our everyday practice related to some decisions about what our future should be.

Learning a foreign language has created a great controversy..

The researcher is interested in implementing an action research to intervene in the detected problem in his teaching practice which arises from the necessity of promoting the use of English in some of his students who have studied English at his institution for four years, they have passed exams and levels without developing the ability of speaking English,

Wallace (1999) holds that it is assumed that most teachers are or should be

researchers and this method has been proposed as an empowering procedure. The most important value of action research is that teachers get involved in a selfreflection process. Unfortunately teachers do not apply action research, they just

stay with the empiric knowledge without analyzing what happens in the classroom

These students have not developed communicative abilities, the researcher attempts to probe that by making some adjustments in his teaching practice, the students will develop the intended competencies. This lack of communicative competence is due mainly to the lack of speaking opportunities and because students learn at different paces.

Activities implemented during the research: • Universities • “Coco” Movie • Netflix series • Life project • Etc.

• Questions were given to students previously • Students searched for information at home, they could use the sources suggested by

the researcher or other options. • In class, the topic was discussed.

Almost all the activities had different arrangements like pair work, small groups, round table, etc. The topics were all different, students’ preferences were considered and everything was recorded with students’ consent so that the researcher could analyze the videos later. In the first interventions, the

researcher’s role was to conduct the sessions; however; since the third session, the researcher devoted the time to observe the students’ behavior, in several cases, students took control of the activities giving instructions,

asking the questions, promoting speaking, therefore the outcomes were more significant.

Once all the activities were applied; a questionnaire designed by the

researcher, to obtained quantitative and qualitative information, the question

included open questions and cloze questions, the questions were made to

know about the students perceptions about the activities, the researcher

decided to use a questionnaire to collect information about the students

points of view.

The questionnaire was given to students to know their impressions about this class modification, the researcher recommended them to be very honest considering that this research could be the beginning of a new syllabus design for the institution attempting structure a more effective program to develop speaking abilities. The questionnaire’s responses show a clear students’ conviction for maintaining this class organization in which more time was devoted to speaking and less to

grammar or activities in the textbook, students expressed their conformity towards a method which allows them to learn faster, to use the language and to gain self-confidence, it was funnier, entertaining and meaningful.

The questionnaire had seventeen questions. It was made in Spanish. It was anonymous.

• Yes / no questions. • Open questions. • Multiple choice questions. Based on the students’ feedback which was obtained through questionnaires and

personal conversations state that most students have positive perception towards the use of the flipped classroom in language teaching. Learners notice that this approach allows them to use their own learning styles and strategies when dealing with the course content before the class, and to use classroom time for more

engaging and productive activities. Furthermore, being able to work at their own pace and being exposed to a variety of supportive materials and instructions students with a lower level of English feel more confident and prepared when they come to the traditional class.

Question 15 What did you discover you needed more to participate: vocabulary, good pronunciation or grammatical structures? Nine students expressed that they needed to know more about grammatical structures. Traditional way of perceiving how a language is learned or they really think that when speaking they did not have the structural elements to build up their opinions. However, this response seems to be logical considering that to possess a

communicative language competence is essential to know how the language is structured. Mackay (1999) cites Swain (1995) who argued that it is having to actually produce language that forces learners to think about syntax.

Question 16 (open question): How did you feel in general during the activities (more anxious, less anxious, did you acquire more confidence? Eighteen expressed that at the beginning they felt anxious; however, as time passed and they participated in the activities they started feeling more confident. Tsiplakides (2009) explains that certain sort of anxiety is normal when students are asked to use the target language and that some teachers confuse this state with unwillingness of participation. However, it is a students’ response to the insecurity

to use the language which can be reduced by establishing a learning community and a supportive classroom atmosphere, by creating a learning community which provides the environment for “optimal motivation”

CONCLUSIONS Teacher’s development implies a continuous analysis of the teaching and learning process. The world is changing thus educators should go in the same direction. It is true that literature about education is important and helpful; nonetheless; knowledge

is and ought to be built with experience and research. Otherwise, teachers would be supporting their assumptions with empirical knowledge and self-perceptions.

First of all, the researcher finds relevant this first experience about attempting to make changes in his teaching practice in order to prove his hypothesis. It was a great experience because it was possible to find out if some changes in the classes can make a significant impact in students’ learning and if by providing students of acquisition spaces and activities would be possible to enable them to develop

competent communicative abilities which were the main purpose of this research.

The Flipped Classroom Model which gave them the opportunity of collecting the necessary data in order to participate in the activities, the topics were interesting and engaging for the students.

From the researcher’s point of view, students gained competencies and confidence and enjoyed the classes which are fundamental as a motivation to communicate in a foreign language. Technology played also an important role, The Flipped Classroom Model offered

them the opportunity of consulting videos, electronic documents, etc.