Three Activities with Objects

In language teaching there are different methods and different ways to teach a language; ways that are very useful and interesting activities that help students learn; when we are teachers we have to be creative as much as possible because we have to come up with new ideas every single time, and we have to use different activities and methods to teach a language, because what can be a success for some groups, with others can not be that good, so in this part is where our role comes. One way that is very useful is to use objects in order to teach. But what kind of objects can we use? Our world is full of objects and more things are invented every day, and those real objects can be a nice way to teach a language. When using objects to teach the learning process is easier for students because it is meaningful, interesting and sometimes it works better than a paper or a worksheet. In this paper I created three different ways to teach English using object, the first activity called where is the ball? is to teach prepositions such as above, behind, between, in front of, into, next to, under, with a box and a ball, the teacher moves the ball and shows the students the different prepositions, then after showing the students, they have to reproduce exactly the same but with another object in the classroom, this activity is for beginners A2 based on common European framework of reference. In this activity students have certain knowledge of English and they can make complete sentences using the prepositions wisely. The second activity in which we can use objects is called I am lost!!!! It is used to teach directions in English, this activity needs a car toy, and different boxes which are going to create a city, each box is a place (post office, supermarket, hospital) the teacher starts telling students some examples using the car to get to the place he or she wants to go, then the teacher asks the students where can I get to the post office? And students answer the questions by telling directions, using some expressions which were taught before such as (go ahead, turn left, turn right, at the corner, etc). This activity is for beginners A2 based on CEFR. The last activity is called do you want another apple? Using apples, lemons, markers or other objects of the same group, we can teach the use of another, the other, the others, other and others that sometimes it is difficult or confusing for even intermediate and advanced students, the purpose of the activity is to use the apples in a bowl, and with examples students learn the use of each word appropriately, then they have to do the same using other objects or even with the fingers of the hand. This activity is for upper intermediate students B2 based on CEFR.

With these three activities we can use different objects to teach English, objects that are simple to find and easy to use for educational purposes. So try to use items that you have around and fuel your classes with creativity and imagination.

Cognitive Semantics

According to what I have researched, it is important to mention that in linguistics there are numerous fields and theories that try to explain and give an extensive view of how humans learn a language, how we are able to acquire a language and communicate what we really want, at the same time that the other person understands the same meaning. One important field in Linguistics is Cognitive Semantics, which is part of the cognitive Linguistics theory.

It is important to mention the way we process and produce information; The way we perceive our own experience of the environment and how we process that information in order to store it into our minds and give it a meaning to use later on when humans need it again. All that process is what we call cognitive structure, and this mental structure is what determines the position and reaction in different experiences. On the other hand, the way we respond to anger, fear, happiness, or sadness. The way words, phrases and meanings are understood by a particular group of speakers has to do with semantics.

Cognitive Semantics began as a result of the opposition of other linguistic theories, because it actually believes that the way in which humans learn is innate and not autonomous as it is claimed. In my own point of view I agree with this premise because we are born with the language ability of learning a language, as well as some other abilities but if we do not develop those skills by socializing with other human beings, we are not going to build up skills along the way. By this, I mean that obtaining, processing, and producing information whether it is right or wrong, are the ways we acquire our mental structure of trial and error.

Cognitive semantics are part of the cognitive process. That is our environment and experiences are remarkably important because based on these we can acquire a wide range of meanings. Meanings are not just words which are determined by the language; there are many words and meanings, that have to do with perception, environment and experiences as I mentioned before.

All the experiences with the world (the association of meanings), according to what is going to be understood whether abstract or not. It is embodied as conceptual structure in cognitive semantics. In our daily life, we usually say different things according to the experiences we are going through; those things can be interpreted by listeners in one way or another. Furthermore, meaning according to cognitive semantics, is conceptual, which is the second principle of CS. What a person understands about something is probably not the same what as another person understands. We are talking about an idea, feeling or thought, or when we talk about something that has its specific characteristics and everyone understands it the same. Such as an apple, everyone associates it with round shape, red color, something to eat. In this case, we are talking about the general characteristics of an apple that everyone knows (collective lexicon) but also that apple has certain kinds of features given by a particular person, what the word apple means to that person.

Another important aspect in cognitive semantics is the way we understand meaning, in terms of culture and behavior. To be precise there is not a fixed meaning for something those are the third and fourth principle of CS.

As a conclusion, cognition is quiet important in order to know the meaning of words, phrases and ideas in a given context or in an environment. We cannot separate the cognitive process from semantics.

-ED ENDING PODCAST

Collaborative Learning

There is a famous proverb that says “Two heads are better than one,” in that sense I can affirm that we can do better when we unite our efforts. We are all members of society and because of that we need to be in contact with each other in order to survive. When we work together, we can do so much more; we can succeed and achieve our goals with the help of others.

Consequently, we consider extremely relevant to implement and to keep in mind the essentials of cooperative learning when we teach. It is not a secret that putting this into practice requires a lot of effort and perseverance, especially because most students lack of social skills and are not really acquainted with what working as a team implies. Therefore, it is our responsibility to train them and provide them with the tools not only to develop their linguistic but also their social competence.

In regards to that, if we really want our learners to get really involved and to participate actively in their groups, it is extremely necessary to create class structures that let pupils see the benefits they can get when they work together, and that increase their motivation and their willingness to help each other. If we implement appropriate tasks, pupils are really going to realize that every member’s contribution is valuable and that what they have accomplished would not have been possible if they had done it alone. I believe that they are going to understand that though every person in the groups is different, it is that special combination of qualities what will allow them to achieve the goals. They will see that what the teacher is doing in the class will enable them to face the world, as they will be able to be more tolerant and open minded, to negotiate ideas, and to look for a common good. We think they are going to see that learning can become an adventure in which they play the main role.

I would like to finish with a quotation of Helen Keller who once said: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” This is something we should treasure and remember when we teach in our classrooms

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