Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Common European Framework Reference for Languages
This fast paced world has become more demanding each day, we are in a constant change and it is not a secret to anyone that languages have become worldwide important and the urge to speak a language has been notorious over the recent years. Learners want to become competitively good when they must communicate in other language in every situation they have to face. Every single day companies hire people who speak a foreign language, what aspects in terms of speaking another language are those companies looking for?
Nowadays companies have business all around the world and it is a need to have capable people who speak more than one language to keep up with this rhythm. However the kind of requirements those companies are asking, are not easy to achieve. That is the reason why a lot of people study a second language. For this reason the Council of Europe in 1950 got interested in endorsing a language learning that has been continuous and accelerating, needing reorientation or reorganization in terms of learning, teaching, and assessment.
Between 1989 and 1996 the Council of Europe proposed the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment, abbreviated as CEFR which is a guideline to explain the achievements of learners of foreign languages, but the big questions are: How can we apply it? What are the main purposes?
CEFR describes the way in which learners should be placed according to their achievements in terms of communicative competences and communicative language activities which are the most important aspects to explain the domain of knowledge of languages. If we start by explaining what communicative language activities are, we can say that is what learners are going to do with the language. And by explaining what communicative competences are, we can say that is the competences the learner is going to acquired in the process of learning. But how can we make the relationship between an activity and a competence? different competences can be developed by doing same activities or different ones.
What CEFR really states is that learners are placed according to these two main principles, they are placed in levels (Basic A1, A2, Independent B1, B2, Proficient C1, C2). It is a fact that this is a challenge for teachers and learners as well. Teachers should lead students to a high level, and students are challenged in terms of their knowledge of a language. This contributes to establish learning outcomes and ensure the effectiveness of learning a language. According to the CEFR objectives we can say that multilingualism and multiculturalism are encouraged, and it leads us to a permanent learning.
Nowadays companies have business all around the world and it is a need to have capable people who speak more than one language to keep up with this rhythm. However the kind of requirements those companies are asking, are not easy to achieve. That is the reason why a lot of people study a second language. For this reason the Council of Europe in 1950 got interested in endorsing a language learning that has been continuous and accelerating, needing reorientation or reorganization in terms of learning, teaching, and assessment.
Between 1989 and 1996 the Council of Europe proposed the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment, abbreviated as CEFR which is a guideline to explain the achievements of learners of foreign languages, but the big questions are: How can we apply it? What are the main purposes?
CEFR describes the way in which learners should be placed according to their achievements in terms of communicative competences and communicative language activities which are the most important aspects to explain the domain of knowledge of languages. If we start by explaining what communicative language activities are, we can say that is what learners are going to do with the language. And by explaining what communicative competences are, we can say that is the competences the learner is going to acquired in the process of learning. But how can we make the relationship between an activity and a competence? different competences can be developed by doing same activities or different ones.
What CEFR really states is that learners are placed according to these two main principles, they are placed in levels (Basic A1, A2, Independent B1, B2, Proficient C1, C2). It is a fact that this is a challenge for teachers and learners as well. Teachers should lead students to a high level, and students are challenged in terms of their knowledge of a language. This contributes to establish learning outcomes and ensure the effectiveness of learning a language. According to the CEFR objectives we can say that multilingualism and multiculturalism are encouraged, and it leads us to a permanent learning.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Violencia en Nuestros Tiempos
Provincia de Heredia ubicada a 12 kilómetros de la capital de Costa Rica, el jueves 1 de julio se suponía ser un día mas para la directora del centro educativo Montebello, Nancy Chavarría Jimenez, a quien un estudiante le disparo en la cabeza, fallece tras diez días de lucha en cuidados intensivos del Hospital México. esta escena es una triste imagen de lo que esta pasando en nuestra sociedad, pero ¿Que es realmente lo que esta pasando?
La falta de respeto, la violación a la vida humana, transgresión de los derechos individua les, formación de acciones ambiguas, hacemos lo contrario de lo que predicamos, desgraciadamente la violación se ha convertido una realidad demasiado frecuente y cercana, el cual se ha transformado el componente principal del planeta, día a día vemos noticias en donde alguien muere en manos de la violencia. es doloroso ver el mundo en el que vivimos y por mas llamados que hagamos contra la violencia es un factor que siempre continuara.
Ahora, ¿Somos todos los culpables de lo que se esta viviendo todos los días en diferentes partes del mundo? la necesidad de buscar entendimiento en donde no hay entendimiento como una persona es capaz de agredir a otra y llevarla a la muerte.
La violencia siempre ha existido a principios del ser humano, hoy en día se ve mucho mas marcada por el hecho de que la población va en incremento y aumenta la incidencia, la información viaja sin obstáculos, nos damos cuenta de lo que pasa en segundos por medio de los medios de comunicación.
¿Podemos detener la violencia? ¿Cuantas veces mas tenemos que escuchar a los gobernantes a hablar sobre campañas contra la violencia? ¿Es la educación la responsable de evitar la violencia? La violencia no es posible detenerla, pero si es posible disminuirla; puedo enumerar varios factores que dirigen a la violencia y que se tienen que eliminar como por ejemplo la xenofobia, el racismo, el respeto a los derechos humanos e individuales, la discriminación, la homófobia, pero la pregunta es ¿Como hacerlo? Tenemos que crear conciencia, ver las necesidades de nuestro planeta y nuestro grupo universal, y no de la persona en especifico, pero ¿podemos hacerlo?
La falta de respeto, la violación a la vida humana, transgresión de los derechos individua les, formación de acciones ambiguas, hacemos lo contrario de lo que predicamos, desgraciadamente la violación se ha convertido una realidad demasiado frecuente y cercana, el cual se ha transformado el componente principal del planeta, día a día vemos noticias en donde alguien muere en manos de la violencia. es doloroso ver el mundo en el que vivimos y por mas llamados que hagamos contra la violencia es un factor que siempre continuara.
Ahora, ¿Somos todos los culpables de lo que se esta viviendo todos los días en diferentes partes del mundo? la necesidad de buscar entendimiento en donde no hay entendimiento como una persona es capaz de agredir a otra y llevarla a la muerte.
La violencia siempre ha existido a principios del ser humano, hoy en día se ve mucho mas marcada por el hecho de que la población va en incremento y aumenta la incidencia, la información viaja sin obstáculos, nos damos cuenta de lo que pasa en segundos por medio de los medios de comunicación.
¿Podemos detener la violencia? ¿Cuantas veces mas tenemos que escuchar a los gobernantes a hablar sobre campañas contra la violencia? ¿Es la educación la responsable de evitar la violencia? La violencia no es posible detenerla, pero si es posible disminuirla; puedo enumerar varios factores que dirigen a la violencia y que se tienen que eliminar como por ejemplo la xenofobia, el racismo, el respeto a los derechos humanos e individuales, la discriminación, la homófobia, pero la pregunta es ¿Como hacerlo? Tenemos que crear conciencia, ver las necesidades de nuestro planeta y nuestro grupo universal, y no de la persona en especifico, pero ¿podemos hacerlo?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Quotes
The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. ~Samuel Johnson
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