1

Content
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 2
WHAT IS EDUCATION? ........................................................................................................................ 2
WHY IS ENGLISH IMPORTANT? ........................................................................................................... 3
SKILLS THAT MUST BE DEVELOPED IN STUDENTS AND WHY THE SHOULD USE THEM ...................... 3
PROPOSAL ........................................................................................................................................... 6
PLANNING FOR 20 HOURS .................................................................................................................. 9
CONCLUSION ON THE CLASS PRESENTED ON APRIL 25
TH
2012 ........................................................ 19
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 20
BIBLIOGRAPHY:.................................................................................................................................. 20
ANNEXES ........................................................................................................................................... 21
ANNEXES BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 27



























2

INTRODUCTION
What is education; knowledge in basic skills, academics, technical, discipline, citizenship or is it
something else? Our formal education system says only academic basics are important and that is
based on collecting knowledge without understanding its value. How about the processing of
knowledge, using inspiration, visionary ambitions, creativity, risk, ability to bounce back from
failure, motivation? Many education institutions dont consider these skills. These skills are
associated with understanding the value of knowledge. There is a huge disconnected gap and this
is a problem for high school students in particular.
Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and many other super achievers never finished grade school. They
succeeded because they knew how to research, collect information for a selected project and
process knowledge. Classroom environment does not work that way, it focuses on the collection
of knowledge without a clear purpose, other than high class grades. If the purpose does not
motivate, other than to please the teacher, then there is nothing to process outside of memorizing
answers for test. The typical student is academic challenged while being motivation starved. Lack
of motivation is lack of knowledge processing skills. The typical college graduate will have a
professional skill that supplies lifes basic needs, thats all.

WHAT IS EDUCATION?
What is education? The answer is, all elements in the opening paragraph and more, relate to
education and all should be considered. This would be ideal and sounds good, but "all" is not
possible where performance must be measured. Only what can be measured will be selected and
the measuring tool is the written test. Anyone who does not have the ability to put clear thoughts
on paper is labeled a failure. All natural skills, including knowledge processing, does not count. The
fact is, what is exercised grows stronger, what is ignored stays dormant. The classroom exercises
the collection of academics leaving all other natural skills in the closet.
Test does not measure intelligence or ability; it does not measure how the mind processes
information, how motivating experiences develop persistence, or how the mind sorts out instincts,
opinions, evaluations, possibilities, alternatives. Knowledge by itself has no value; it is like a
dictionary filled with words. Words by themselves have no value; it is the process of stringing them
together that gives them value. How they are strung together determines the level of value. Now
our education system is becoming a system that memorizes the dictionary. When students have
memorized selected knowledge, then they will be given a one-day test, based on dictionary
knowledge, which will influence employment opportunity for the rest of their life. Natural skills are
not considered. Is this how America became the worlds' economic leader? NO! Knowledge only
has value when used with a process and process in an artificial environment is not predictable or
measurable.
Achievers in life use inspiration and motivation to overcome barriers. Teaching to the test does
not inspire or motivate anyone, memorizing does not inspire a love to learn, in fact, it does just the
opposite, it turns off the desire to learn. Educations goal should be to develop a love to learn that
stays with students throughout a lifetime. Education should be a lifetime experience, not limited
to the youth years.
Educators are switching to test because there is a crisis in education of their own making and
society wants measurable results. This pressure is passed on to political leaders who base political
decisions on what is measurable, which is academic test and test are based on acceptance of the
status quo. Every student must now accept the status quo and be an academic intellectual or be
labeled a failure. Natural talent and knowledge processing skills does not count. Students receiving
the failure label are growing in numbers and percent, all because the system measures selected
knowledge on a one day standardized paper test.
3

WHY IS ENGLISH IMPORTANT?
IF YOU are currently learning English in a school, college or institute of further education, you join
approximately one billion other people around the world who are engaged in the same pursuit.
However, as you try to memorize proper grammar, and try to avoid the mistakes common to most
students of English, you may wonder why you are learning the language in the first place.
So, why is English important?
After Mandarin, English is spoken by more people than any other language, and is the native
language of more than 350 million people. More people speak English than those who speak the
Arabic and French languages combined.
Moreover, English is the international language of diplomacy, business, science, technology,
banking, computing, medicine, aviation, engineering, tourism, Hollywood films and arguably the
best pop and rock music in the world.
English has plenty of words to choose from. In fact, an English speaker is offered the biggest
vocabulary of any language with a choice of 500,000 to 1,000,000 words (including technical and
scientific terms).
But dont panic, most English speakers do very well with a vocabulary of around 20,000 words.
English can be fun too. For instance, the music of such stars as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Led
Zeppelin, Michael Jackson and Madonna has encouraged fans to speak the language of their idols,
whilst others have enrolled in English classes to improve their understanding of the dialogue in
films and TV shows.
Or perhaps they have embraced English to enjoy the writing of Stephen King, George Orwell or J.K.
Rowling. They may even have an interest in speaking English just to converse with travelers from
other countries, who communicate by using the English global Interlingua while travelling abroad.
Finally, if you are studying English at school, college or university, remember that getting a 10 in
English is almost worthless, in terms of communication, if you cannot speak the language. Spoken
English is used in the best careers, the best universities, and is increasingly being used at job
interviews. So like it or not, English is a very important language to learn how to speak.

SKILLS THAT MUST BE DEVELOPED IN STUDENTS AND WHY THE SHOULD USE THEM
Language educators have long used the concepts of four basic language skills:
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
The four basic skills are related to each other by two parameters:
the mode of communication: oral or written
the direction of communication: receiving or producing the message
We may represent the relationships among the skills in the following chart:
Oral Written
Receptive Listening Reading
Productive Speaking Writing






4

Listening comprehension skill
Listening comprehension is the receptive skill in the oral mode. When we speak of listening what
we really mean is listening and understanding what we hear.
In our first language, we have all the skills and background knowledge we need to understand
what we hear, so we probably aren't even aware of how complex a process it is. Here we will
briefly describe some of what is involved in learning to understand what we hear in a second
language.
There are two kinds of listening situations in which we find ourselves: interactive, and non-
interactive.
Interactive listening situations include face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, in which we
are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification,
repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partner. Some non-interactive listening
situations are listening to the radio, TV, films, lectures, or sermons. In such situations we usually
don't have the opportunity to ask for clarification, slower speech or repetition.
Micro-skills
The following are the micro-skills involved in understanding what someone says to us. The listener
has to:
retain chunks of language in short-term memory
discriminate among the distinctive sounds in the new language
recognize stress and rhythm patterns, tone patterns, intonational contours.
recognize reduced forms of words
distinguish word boundaries
recognize typical word-order patterns
recognize vocabulary
detect key words, such as those identifying topics and ideas
guess meaning from context
recognize grammatical word classes
recognize basic syntactic patterns
recognize cohesive devices
detect sentence constituents, such as subject, verb, object, prepositions, and the like

Speaking skill
Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. It, like the other skills, is more complicated than it
seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words.
There are three kinds of speaking situations in which we find ourselves: interactive, partially
interactive, and non-interactive.
Interactive speaking situations include face-to-face conversations and telephone calls, in which we
are alternately listening and speaking, and in which we have a chance to ask for clarification,
repetition, or slower speech from our conversation partner. Some speaking situations are partially
interactive, such as when giving a speech to a live audience, where the convention is that the
audience does not interrupt the speech. The speaker nevertheless can see the audience and judge
from the expressions on their faces and body language whether or not he or she is being
understood.
Some few speaking situations may be totally non-interactive, such as when recording a speech for
a radio broadcast.



5

Micro-skills
Here are some of the micro-skills involved in speaking. The speaker has to:
pronounce the distinctive sounds of a language clearly enough so that people can
distinguish them. This includes making tonal distinctions.
use stress and rhythmic patterns, and intonation patterns of the language clearly enough
so that people can understand what is said.
use the correct forms of words. This may mean, for example, changes in the tense, case, or
gender.
put words together in correct word order.
use vocabulary appropriately.
use the register or language variety that is appropriate to the situation and the
relationship to the conversation partner.
make clear to the listener the main sentence constituents, such as subject, verb, object, by
whatever means the language uses.
make the main ideas stand out from supporting ideas or information.
make the discourse hang together so that people can follow what you are saying.

Reading skill
Reading is the receptive skill in the written mode. It can develop independently of listening and
speaking skills, but often develops along with them, especially in societies with a highly-developed
literary tradition. Reading can help build vocabulary that helps listening comprehension at the
later stages, particularly.

Micro-skills
Here are some of the micro-skills involved in reading. The reader has to:
recognize vocabulary.
pick out key words, such as those identifying topics and main ideas.
figure out the meaning of the words, including unfamiliar vocabulary, from the (written)
context.
recognize grammatical word classes: noun, adjective, etc.
detect sentence constituents, such as subject, verb, object, prepositions, etc.
get the main point or the most important information.
distinguish the main idea from supporting details.

Writing skill
Writing is the productive skill in the written mode. It, too, is more complicated than it seems at
first, and often seems to be the hardest of the skills, even for native speakers of a language, since
it involves not just a graphic representation of speech, but the development and presentation of
thoughts in a structured way.

Micro-skills
Here are some of the micro-skills involved in writing. The writer needs to:
use the correct forms of words. This may mean using forms that express the right tense, or
case or gender.
put words together in correct word order.
use vocabulary correctly.
make the main ideas distinct from supporting ideas or information.
make the text coherent, so that other people can follow the development of the ideas.
6

PROPOSAL
Why start an English Club?
An English Club is a place for language learners to use English in a casual setting. Practicing your
skills in the classroom is important, but it is not like real life. In the classroom, you often focus on
one skill and one item (for example: grammar - future tense). After learning the rules your teacher
gives you time to practice using the item. You have your papers in front of you and the rules are
fresh in your mind. Will you remember how to use your skills next week, or next year? In an
English Club, you get a chance to practice many different skills in a setting that is more like real
life. Though your English teacher understands your English, your English Club friends will require
you to speak more clearly and listen more carefully.

How to start an English Club?
Its important to have enough people signed up (6-10 people is a good number) I will need to hold
an introductory meeting. At the first meeting, members can learn each other's names and I can
talk about what kind of club people are interested in. One way to organize the club is by putting
one member in charge of being the leader each week. I can organize the weeks in terms of themes
(music/food/travel...), or skills (reading/writing/listening...).
At the meeting I will discuss what types of rules and routines the club should have. For example,
English Clubs usually have an "English only" rule. Will people be allowed to drink and eat during
the meeting? What about bringing a friend? It is a good idea to conduct each club meeting in a
similar way. When people know what to expect, they are more likely to attend.

Who will join my English Club?
Anyone can join the English Club, including friends, family members, fellow students, co-workers,
and people from other schools. English Clubs tend to be more fun when they are
multigenerational and multicultural. If your best friend is joining, why not ask her grandmother to
join too? English Club members also work well when members have varying English language
abilities. One member may be able to teach you something new, and another may benefit from a
skill that you can share. Teaching someone else a grammar point or explaining how to use a new
word is one of the best ways to review your skills.

Where should we hold our English Club?
At the TEC English School
The easiest place to hold an English Club is in a spare classroom at the TEC English school. After
classroom hours, the TEC remains open for an hour or two so that teachers can prepare for their
classes. This is also a convenient location because some or all of the members will already be in
the school and will have no excuses for missing a club meeting. I will also have access to materials
and television equipment.

At a cafe or restaurant
This type of setting will likely involve a fee. The manager may allow us to reserve a small room in
the back if we choose a time of day when there are few customers. We will likely be expected to
purchase beverages and tip a server (depending on what country you are in). Operating your club
out of a cafe may make it difficult to incorporate movies, music, and other listening practice. A
cafe is a good option for a small conversation club (less than 6 people).


7

Consider atmosphere
Wherever I hold the club, remember that it is a club, not a class. To change the atmosphere in a
classroom you might want to open windows or have background music or candles (if the school
permits). A pot of coffee or a bowl of popcorn can also make the meeting feel more like a club
than a class. Why not encourage members to take off their shoes when they walk in the door, or
sit on the floor instead of chairs. Remember, the purpose of the club is to use English in a life-like
situation. Do what feels natural and comfortable.

When and how often should we meet for our English Club?
About once a week
Some clubs fail because they expect too much of the members. It is hard to find time to commit to
something outside of school, work, and family. Meeting once a week for about two hours is a good
start. Some English Clubs also meet for an additional excursion once a month. As we make friends
we will probably begin to get together in pairs or smaller groups outside of the club meetings.

The best time of day
I will choose a meeting time that is convenient for the group. Usually late afternoons, evenings, or
weekend days so that the meetings don't conflict with work or school. The time that we choose
will also depend on when the room/space is available. During my introductory meeting I will find
out when the most convenient time is for the majority of the members. If I make my meetings too
early or too late I may find that people come to the first few meetings and then drop out.

What can I do in my English Club?
Establish a warm-up routine
I as a teacher often start class with a game or conversation exercise. I do this to wake my students
up! I also want to help them focus on a classroom activity that will follow. In a club that tends to
have more of an academic focus the warm up could be three new vocabulary words. The leader
could teach a noun, a verb, and an adjective each session. The group practices making sentences
with the new words. In a club that is more social in nature, find an activity that makes people
laugh. This will bring positive energy into the room.

Themes or Skills
I can organize the club in many ways. Some clubs will be full of members that only want to
practice one skill, such as conversation. Conversation club meetings are often very casual and
require little planning. Everyone can write down a topic that they want to debate, or you can talk
about popular culture and current events. Someone can bring in a newspaper article and everyone
can read it together and discuss it. Reading clubs are another type of English Club. Each person
reads the same book (outside of group time) and the club discusses aspects such as what they
liked about it, who their favorite characters were, etc.
The majority of English Clubs, however, are designed for people who want to improve their English
in all skill areas. I can suggest topic ideas, or ask members to come up with their own. I will always
give members the option of bringing in their own idea The leader for each meeting is in charge of
everything including the warm-up, the focus, and the dividing of members into groups or pairs.
This gives everyone in the group an opportunity to show their leadership and creative skills. If
someone is extremely shy and unwilling to be a leader, I will still allow them to join the club.
Perhaps they will agree to be a leader a few months later in the next session when they have more
confidence in English.
Have backup ideas on hand
8

What if my leader for the day doesn't show up? In a classroom, you usually get a substitute
teacher when the instructor is sick or unavailable. This should be the same in a club. If members
know they are going to miss a meeting that they are supposed to lead, they should call another
member and give them instructions about what was planned. However, it is likely that a day will
come when no leader shows up at all. It is a good idea to have a backup plan in case of this
problem.
The easiest thing to do is keep a list of discussion questions. I can cut them up and put them in a
hat and take turns picking questions. Another idea is to get out a dictionary and learn ten new
words. The group can practice using them and then write a group play that involves all ten words.
A deck of playing cards is also a good thing to keep in case of extra time. You can play a game of
cards in English. Teaching each other rules in English is a great way to practice speaking and
listening.

Use a suggestion box
If it's possible, Ill keep a suggestion box in the room where we hold the club meetings. At the end
of each meeting the leader should encourage members to write a comment or suggestion for the
group. Examples: I want to practice pronunciation more. Let's keep track of our new vocabulary.
Does anyone want to practice idioms with me? It's too cold in this room! Why don't we all bring a
snack to share next week?

Go on excursions as a group
Outside of your weekly meetings, it is a good idea to have one excursion a month. This helps
create stronger bonds within the group. It is always fun to have something to look forward to as
well. Go out to a movie. Play a sport. Do community service together. Go sightseeing. Have a
picnic. Go dancing. Have a potluck dinner. Whatever we decide to do, everyone should speak
English at all times.










Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

9

PLANNING FOR 20 HOURS
Topic: Introduction to the conversation club. Particular Objective: Teacher and students getting to know each other.
Moment of the Class Time Activity Material Vocabulary Evaluation

Introductory Meeting (E)
Getting-to-know you (E)







Conversation Starters (S)
Small talk among the
students to build up trust.






Rate the Apparatus (A)
Work in couples








Break time


30 minutes








1 hour








30 minutes









30 minutes

Teacher Student


















Markers and White board




















How's it going?
How's everything?
What's up?
Guess what?
(The appropriate response
to this is "What?")




Refrigerator
Washing machine
Shower
Toilet
Tea/Coffee maker
TV
Radio
Telephone
Light bulb
Cooker



Will talk
about the
rules in the
classroom
and
introduce
to the
students.

Will give
instructions
and
vocabulary





Gives a list
of 10
machines
or
apparatus







Will
introduce
each other
to the rest
of the class.




Will talk to
one and
other in
pairs, they
can choose
whichever
topic they
prefer.

Choose
which of
these
machines or
apparatus
they could
do without,
if they had
to.



Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

10

Giving opinions (S)
The students have to give
their opinions, and agree
or disagree with some of
the following topics: cell
phones, violence on TV,
fortune telling, cloning,
and recycling.

Are these things
necessary? (A)
Work in groups of five or
six students


















1 hour








30 minutes
Speaking
with a
partner
about the
topics
suggested



Gives a list
of items
that we
presumably
make life
better.





Talks about
the topics
the teacher
said. In
couples




Discriminate
which items
they can or
cant live
without.
Markers and White board








Pieces of paper cut with
the names of the items.
What do you think?
What's your opinion?
I think
I don't think
I believe (that)
I don't believe (that)
I agree
I disagree

Perfume
Wine
Shaving cream
Razors
Mirrors
Candies
Beer
Meat
Books
Toilet Paper




Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

11

Topic: Hypothetical situations Particular objective: students identify the use of present unreal conditional, and how to use it in the oral form

Moment of the Class Time Activity Material Vocabulary Evaluation

Fact or Fiction (E)
The teacher and the whole
group.




Hypothetical Situations (S)
Describing imagined or
unreal situations. All of
the questions start like
this: What would you do
if
someone accused you of a
crime you didn't commit?
you didn't have enough
money to pay your bills?
you were late for an
important appointment?
you got lost in an
unfamiliar city?

How Do You Kill Time? (A)
Ask: What do you do
during the TV
advertisements?



Break time

30 minutes






1 hour














30 minutes






30 minutes
Teacher Student







Markers and White
board













Markers and White
board














Present unreal
conditional:
If I got lost in an unfamiliar
city, I would ask someone
on the street for
directions.









Talk to my sister
I read something, anything
I get up and do something
I go to the bathroom (!)
I change channels
I look for something to eat
or read


Tells a story. It
could be a
true or untrue
story.



Gives the
topics to
discuss about.












Writes down
the list to the
question
asked.




Has to guess
whether the story
told is true or not.




Work in groups of
three and discuss
each of the
topics.











Which response is
repeated more
often and why?





Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

12

Description
Tasks for describing things
and experiences. Describe:
something you could
never give away.
a place you will never
forget.
a memorable birthday
celebration.
a place you go for
recreation or exercise.
someone you respect
deeply.

Ways to pass the time(A)
when you are: in an
specific situation, see
vocabulary.



1 hour













30 minutes
Describes the
activity, and
shares with
students the
description of
something.








Gives
instructions,
and tells
students the
ways she
passes time.
Describes two or
three of the
situations by
couples.










Shares ways to
pass the time,
chooses three
situations, and
talks about them
one by one,
choosing three
different
classmates to do
it.
Flash cards with some
photos of places to
make the description
more accurate.










Marker and white
board.














In a bus queue
Waiting at a supermarket
check-out
In a doctor's waiting-room
Waiting for your
boy/girlfriend on a cold
day-outdoors
In a cinema/theatre,
waiting for the film/play
In a traffic jam
In an airport/train station
In a lift/elevator
Getting your hair done/cut




Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

13

Topic: Reading comprehension. Particular objective: For the student to identify new vocabulary and infer the meaning without a dictionary.

Moment of the Class Time Activity Material Vocabulary Evaluation

20 Questions (E)
Students have 20
questions to guess what
one student is thinking,
they have to formulate
only Yes/No questions.



Articles to Talk about:
Chinese language study


















Break time

30 minutes








1 hour and
30 minutes


















30 minutes
Teacher Student









Markers and White
board, copies of the
article (one per
student) see annexes
for article


























angle(s)
clout
contemplate(s)
deem(ed)
designation
drill
festoon(ed)
geometry
glance
hone(-ing)
immersion
inaugurate(d)
loathe
master(ing)
priority(-ies)
prod(ding)
prosperous
rigorous
stroke(s)



Asks a student
to think of an
object,
person, place
or thing.




Gives the
article to the
students for
reading. Puts
some words
from the
article in the
white board.













Thinks of an
object, person,
place or thing.
Answers the
questions his
classmates make
but only with Yes
or No.

Reads the article
with a partner
and tries to guess
what the words in
the white board
mean, implying
the meaning from
the reading.













Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

14

People who (A)
Complete the sentence
with the information you
want.
People who speak another
language.






Answer the questions (S)
From the article Chinese
language study

30 minutes











1 hour






Gives the
instructions
for the
activity and
does the first
example to
complete the
sentence.




Dictates the
questions that
the students
should
answer in
their
notebook.
Completes the
sentence with
another idea, and
they go one by
one adding
different endings
to the sentence.
As their
classmates give
responses they
write them.

Answers the
question with a
partner. After
answering the
questions shares
the answers with
the group.

A photocopy for each
student with the
sentence: People
who








Students notebook
and pen or pencil.












People who speak another
language
are able to find a good job.
can travel around the
world.







When do you think is a
good age to start learning
a new language?
What are the
advantages/disadvantages
of learning a new language
at a young age?
Which language(s) would
you most like to learn?
Why?











Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

15

Topic: Expressing personal opinions of a given topic and knowing funny facts of the way they do conversation Particular objective: To review basic modals

Moment of the Class Time Activity Material Vocabulary Evaluation

Can't Say Yes or No(E)
You have to ask questions,
and your classmates cannot
respond with Yes or No, you
have to trick your
classmates into saying
specifically Yes or No, every
time they do that they lose
a square paper.

Conversation Questions
Beauty and Physical
Attractiveness







Is Your Conversation Style
Feminine or Masculine? (A)
Test








30 minutes









1 hour









30 minutes









Teacher Student
10 square papers per
student.








Photocopies of the
questions one per
student of Beauty
and Physical
Attractiveness. See
annexes for
questions.



Photocopies of the
test one per student.
See annexes for the
test.

















Pretty is as pretty does.
Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder.
Beauty is only skin deep.
What you see is what
you get.




Assertive, sarcastic, long-
winded, non-personal,
collaborative, personal
and happy to take a back
seat in many chats.






Gives the
instructions and does
the activity with the
students.






Gives a piece of
paper with a lot of
questions regarding
the topic.






Gives photocopies of
the test. After the
students share
answers, gives the
interpretation of the
test.




Walks around the
classroom asking
questions to the
rest of the class.






Goes around the
classroom and asks
and answers
questions from the
piece of paper. And
then reports to the
teacher orally the
most information
he remembers.

Answers the test,
and shares answers
with a partner.
After the teacher
gives the
interpretation of
the test, the
student will share
his results with the
rest of the class.
Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

16

Break time

Expressing Possibility (S)











Name Six (A)
Arrange 6 chairs in a circle
and choose one person to
stand outside the circle.
Give someone in the circle a
stuffed animal, the funnier
the animal the better! The
person outside the circle
states what the person
holding the animal has to
name six of. The person
then starts moving the
animal around the circle
and the other players pass
it around.
The player must name six of
the objects before the
animal gets back to him or
her.
30 minutes

1 hour











30 minutes


Talks about the
activities that she
will probably do
during the weekend.
Gives the uses of
simple modals: To
state facts,
requesting, asking
permission,
possibility and
hinting.

Gives instructions
and chooses the 6
students to be in the
circle of chairs.


Works with a
partner and says
what hell do
during the
weekend.







Stands outside the
circle and names
the six objects
requested, or sits in
the circle of chairs
and passes the
stuffed animal or
asks for the 6
objects to be
named.


Markers and white
board.










Chairs, stuffed
animal.


May
Might
Can
Could
Maybe
Perhaps
Probably


Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

17

Topic: Human rights Particular objective: To learn tolerance and respect for people who have different likes and to respect the opinions of their classmates

Moment of the Class Time Activity Material Vocabulary Evaluation

Categories (E)
One person thinks of a
category, such as MOVIES.
In a circle, everyone must
take a turn thinking of a
Movie title (in English of
course). If someone takes
too long to give an answer
then that person is out
and a new category
begins. If someone gives
an answer that doesn't
make sense or is incorrect,
he is also out of the game.

What do you know about
the human rights? (S)














30 minutes














1 hour














Teacher Student















Markers and White
board





























Freedom, tolerance,
respect, right, free speech,
free love.


Gives the first
category to go
around the
whole class.











Asks question
about the
human rights,
like general
culture: What
do us as
human beings
have the right
to? Asks to
the whole
group or
particularly to
any student.
Writes the
answers of
Continues giving
names that fit
each category
chosen.











Tries to answer
the questions
asked with the
knowledge he has
about human
rights.









Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

18










Broken Telephone(A)
Two teams even numbers,
if the teams are uneven
the teacher plays.






Break time

Conversation Questions
Gay Community









30 minutes









30 minutes

1 hour and
30 minutes











the students
on the board,
and provides
extra
information
that the class
didnt
provide.

Has several
cards with
phrases
regarding the
human rights,
the longer the
better.





Reminds
students
about
tolerance and
respect, and
gives them a
sheet of
paper with
questions
about the
topic to
discuss.









Forms a line with
his group to pass
the phrase one by
one until the line
is finished, the
last student of
the line must
shout out the
phrase he
understood.


Discusses the
topic with a
partner, and then
to the rest of the
class, trying to do
a debate among
students who are
pro gay
community or
against gay
people.









Cards with the phrases
for the game.










Photocopies with the
questions to be
discussed, one per
student. See annexes
for questions.
Main Objective: To help students gain oral proficiency in English through informal conversation. Any student, regardless of their level, can join this club. The students can
practice their English in small groups or on a one to one setting. The Club basically organizes chat session once a week in a very relaxed environment.
School: ITM Number of Students: 17
Teacher: TALAVERA BARAJAS LAURA GABRIELA Level: CONVERSATION
Time: 4 HOURS Shift: SATURDAY AFTERNOON

19



CONCLUSION ON THE CLASS PRESENTED ON APRIL 25
TH
2012
There is no doubt that the teaching profession is very important in molding the minds to become the responsible citizens. Teaching is a special
calling. It is not a job well-suited to everyone. In fact, many new teachers leave within the first 3-5 years of teaching. However, there are many
rewards that come with this often maligned career. Here are my top ten reasons why teaching can be a great profession. Regarding the students
potential unfortunately, not every student will succeed in your class. However, this fact should not keep you from believing that every student
has the potential for success. This potential is so exciting - each new Year presents new challenges and new potential successes. student success
is what drives teachers to get better grades continue. Each student who didn't understand a concept and then learned it through your help can
be exhilarating. And when you actually reach that student that others have written off as being un-teachable, this can truly be worth all the
headaches that do come with the job. You will never learn a topic better than when you start teaching it. I remember my first year teaching AP
Government. I had taken Political Science courses in college and thought I knew what I was doing. However, the student questions just made me
dig deeper and learn more. There is an old adage that it takes three years of teaching to truly master a subject and in my experience this is the
truth. If you have a positive attitude and a sense of humor, you will find things to laugh about each day. Sometimes it will be silly jokes you will
make up as you teach that might get a laugh from your students. Sometimes it will be jokes that kids share with you.
I believe that the bases above are basic for teaching, me as a teacher try to put into practice the most important one which, I think, is humor. My
class given went good, the only thing that I didnt really take a lot into consideration was the time, and eventually my class was over without
completing it, even so I believe my classmates learned something new, and they were able to express and communicate in English, no matter
how basic their speaking ability was. So as the teacher asked I covered the two abilities that we have seen to be the basic ones: listening and
speaking.






20

CONCLUSION
Because of the rise of the US and UK (economically, politically, culturally, etc.), English has become
a popular language to learn in pretty much every single other country, even if it doesn't have deep
roots or a long history there. That includes places like East Asia, mainland Europe, Latin America,
etc. The US has immense cultural and media power that's spreading worldwide, and because of
that association with being "modern," English is an incredibly popular language for (especially
younger) people to learn. Because of its highly international status and global spread, it's also an
incredibly useful language to learn, and many people choose to learn it because of that, and many
education systems include it because of that. Marked conversational powers are in some measure
natural and in some acquired; "and to maintain," says Mr. Mahaffy, "that they depend entirely
upon natural gifts is one of the commonest and most widely-spread popular errors.... It is based
on the mistake that art is opposed to nature; that natural means merely what is spontaneous and
unprepared, and artistic what is manifestly studied and artificial....
Ask any child of five or six years old, anywhere over Mexico, to draw you the figure of a man, and
it will always produce very much the same kind of thing. You might therefore assert that this was
the natural way for a child to draw a man, and yet how remote from nature it is. If one or two
children out of a thousand made a fair attempt, you would attribute this either to special genius or
special training--and why? because the child had really approached nature." Just as a child, either
with talent for drawing or without it, can draw a better picture of a man after he has been trained,
than before, so can those not endowed by nature with ready speech polish and amend their
natural defects. Neither need there be artificiality or affectation in talk that is consciously
cultivated; no more indeed than it is affectation to eat with a fork because one knows that it is
preferable to eating with a knife.
Talking well is given so little serious consideration that the average person, when he probes even
slightly into the art, is as surprized as was Moliere's bourgeois gentilhomme upon discovering that
he had spoken prose for forty years. Plato says: "Whosoever seeketh must know that which he
seeketh for in a general notion, else how shall he know it when he hath found it?" And if what I
write on this subject enables readers to know for what they seek in good conversation, even in
abstract fashion, I shall be grateful. When all people cultivate the art of conversation as
assiduously as the notably good talkers of the world have done, there will be a general feast of
reason and flow of soul; each will then say to the other, in Milton's words, "With thee conversing, I
forget all time."
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.-
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning/otherresources/gudlnsfralnggandcltrlrnngprgr
m/WritingSkill.htm Date: April 22
nd
2012 1:41pm
2.-
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning/otherresources/gudlnsfralnggandcltrlrnngprgr
m/ReadingSkill.htm Date: April 22
nd
2012 1:50pm
3.-
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning/otherresources/gudlnsfralnggandcltrlrnngprgr
m/SpeakingSkill.htm Date: April 22
nd
2012 2:00pm
4.-
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning/otherresources/gudlnsfralnggandcltrlrnngprgr
m/ListeningComprehensionSkill.htm Date: April 22
nd
2012 2:05pm
5.-
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning/otherresources/gudlnsfralnggandcltrlrnngprgr
m/FourBasicLanguageSkills.htm Date: April 22
nd
2012 2:10pm

21

ANNEXES

More Young Americans Take Chinese Language Challenge
Tue Apr 26, 9:10 AM ET
By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent
POTOMAC, Maryland (Reuters) - Studying geometry can be taxing for a 10-year-old. But Dr.
Zhang's class of young American students are not merely learning all the angles, they are doing it
in Chinese.
Maryland's Potomac Elementary School, in a prosperous suburb north of Washington, D.C., is one
of a growing number of U.S. schools that teach Chinese -- a hot language thanks to China's surging
economy and growing world clout. At Potomac Elementary, children as young as 6 are honing their
Chinese, motivated by a mix of parental prodding and their own desire to do something different.
"It's pretty amazing, especially the first few months at school, when you walk into a kindergarten
classroom, and the children are understanding what the teacher is saying and it's all in Chinese,"
said Linda Goldberg, the school's principal.
"Half of the time the kids aren't even aware that the teacher is speaking a different language. They
just fall right into it," said Holly Hand, whose daughter Chloe is in Zhang's immersion class.
The United States has declared 2005 the "year of languages" although few Americans are aware of
the designation. According to a 2002 Modern Language Association survey, more college students
are studying foreign languages than ever before. Enrollment in Chinese rose 20 percent over 1998.
The 1.4 million students learning 15 leading languages represented a 17 percent increase over
1998. But only 9.3 percent of Americans are able to speak both their native language and a second
tongue, compared to 52.7 percent of Europeans, according to the Census Bureau. At first glance,
weighty national priorities take a back seat to the fun of cultural exchange at Potomac Elementary.
Hallways are festooned with Chinese art and learning aids, such as stuffed animals labeled with
Chinese names. Children sing Chinese folk songs and U.S. nursery rhymes in Chinese.
CRITICAL LANGUAGE
But in Zhang Zhian's fifth-grade immersion class, songs and games come only after a rigorous
vocabulary drill and lessons on triangles and trapezoids -- all taught in Chinese.
"My students are good at listening and do pretty well at reading, but writing is a weak point," said
Zhang, who has a Ph.D. in education and was a teacher in his native Beijing.
Ian Alers said mastering Chinese characters was tough. "Writing's pretty hard because you have to
do the strokes in the right order," said the fifth-grader.
Chloe Hand, 10, says Chinese is "cool" and that she is starting to catch on to the complex writing
system of characters that contain elements of meaning and sound. "It's a totally different
language. There's nothing to refer to," she said. "I can write Coca-Cola in Chinese and it has a lot of
little boxes that refer to a mouth."
Dreams of selling Coca-Cola and other U.S. products to China have helped drive interest in Chinese
studies. According to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, 640
U.S. colleges offer Chinese programs, while 102 schools from kindergarten to 12th grade teach
Chinese.
Teaching Chinese is also of keen interest to the U.S. government, which launched the National
Security Education Program (NSEP) in 1994 to fund university studies of languages of key world
regions, including East Asia and the Middle East.
The NSEP in 2002 inaugurated the National Flagship Language Initiative, a pilot program in Arabic,
Chinese, Korean and Russian -- languages deemed critical to U.S. security.


22

GREAT LEAP FOR AMERICA
At the London School, a private boys school in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, 17-year-old Quentin
West said he started Chinese six years ago because "I thought it would be pretty fun."
But as he contemplates college, the Clinton, Maryland native recognizes good opportunities in
China.
"China's expanding, and now they need services and what not, and I guess lawyers and
businessmen," West said.
Parents of Potomac students, some of whom are taking Chinese night classes to keep up with their
children, say they are loathe to plan careers for 10 year olds.
"Even if my child doesn't use her Chinese going forward, she's learned so much about another
culture," said Hand. Learning Chinese helps kids by "making their synapses jump in a different way
than if they just learn their ABCs," she said.
Allison Rosenstock, 10, said she wants to follow her father and "start my own business and have
an office in China."
Landon student John Skolnik, 17, said his studies would bring national gain as well as personal
achievement.
"When a lot of kids like us grow up and hopefully are able to speak Chinese, and get jobs with
businesses who are trading and doing business with China, it will be a big leap for a country like
the United States," he said.



















23

Beauty and Physical Attractiveness
Who do you think is the most beautiful person in your country?
Who do you think is the most beautiful person alive today?
Who was the most beautiful person in history?
Who is the most attractive in your family?
Does beauty affect one's success in life?
Is it better to be physically attractive or intelligent?
Is it better to be physically attractive or wealthy?
Is beauty related to power?
Can you think of anyone who is in a position of power that is not physically
attractive?
Do people spend too much time and money on beauty?
How much time should be spent on making yourself look better each day?
Who would you say is beautiful that others maybe wouldn't?
Do you think people should have cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks?
If so what is the minimum age when someone should have plastic
surgery?
How popular is plastic surgery in your country?
What is the most popular feature for cosmetic alteration?
Do you think self-esteem affects beauty?
Do you think beauty affects self-esteem?
How important is beauty in your daily life?
Have you ever noticed anyone ever feeling pressured to be more beautiful?
What do you think of the proverb, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder?"
Do you have any proverbs or idioms from your country that relate to
beauty?
What do you think "beauty is skin deep" means?
What are some beauty tips that you could share?
Do you think people with many tattoos can be beautiful?
How many tattoos are too many?
Would you ever get a tattoo?
Do you have a tattoo?
Do you think people with many piercings can be beautiful?
What kind of body piercing, if any, do you feel are acceptable?
What kind of piercing, if any, do you feel are unacceptable?
What personality trait is the most important for inner beauty?
How do you define beauty, using your own words?
Would you ever date someone who was not conventionally attractive?
What makes one person more attractive than another?
Do you think people from different countries than you see attractive the
same way?
Is there someone famous that is considered beautiful, that you think is not?
Are beauty pageants good or bad?
Should children be entered into beauty pageants?
Do you think one gender or group worries more about beauty than another?

24

Would you want your children to be beautiful or talented?
What are some of the drawbacks of being beautiful?
What do you think about plastic surgery?
Would you ever have plastic surgery?
If so, what would you change?
What do you think of celebrities who get plastic surgery?
Do you think it's necessary to have plastic surgery if you are famous in order
to be successful?
Do you think skin color affects whether a person is regarded as beautiful or
not?
Do you think that fairer skin makes you more beautiful?
What are some advantages of being beautiful?
What makes someone beautiful in your country?
What differs between that idea and the American idea of beauty?
What do you think "beauty is skin deep" means?
How many different adjectives can you think of to describe a beautiful
woman or a handsome man

What do these English expressions mean?
Pretty is as pretty does.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is only skin deep.
What you see is what you get.














25


Is Your Conversation Style Feminine or Masculine?
Put yes (Y) or no (N) for the sentences below.
Generally speaking, when I converse with people I know:
I am a blunt person
I criticise people
I am a little sarcastic
I ask a lot of questions in a conversation, to find out about people, their thoughts, etc
I rarely admit I am wrong about something when I am in a conversation
I make eye-contact and use body language in conversations
I generalise
I get personal with people in conversations; I may even gossip about a mutual friend
I compliment people spontaneously
I use four-letter words, coarse language
I like to talk about myself
I am a good listener
I prefer to talk about non-personal topics, such as unemployment, the economy, current
affairs ...
I usually talk about personal problems, people, their way of being, hopes, desires, my
family ...
I get personal when I write a letter to someone, but not face to face in a conversation
I help to keep a conversation flowing, I am not provocative, controversial, confrontational
...
I like to get my say, get in a few comments, no matter what the topic
I don't assert something, but I might preface a comment with "I think, I suppose, perhaps"
I talk a lot
If I ask a question, it is generally a yes-no answer I am looking for
I don't mind talking about a situation where I was embarrassed, humiliated and so on

** Results ** (A personal view)
Men, it is said, are more assertive, sarcastic, long-winded, non-personal and so on, while women
are collaborative, personal and happy to take a back seat in many chats-it is said. So, working on
the previous assertions-and more-you can score the test the following way:
4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 21 would be more feminine traits-generally speaking; the rest,
male.









26

Gay Community
What's the meaning of "homosexual"? And "heterosexual"?
Are there many words in your language to refer to homosexuals?
About how many of them would you say are not offensive?
How is it being gay in your country?
Do you know anyone who is gay?
How about any celebrities?
Or any historical figure?
Are there any gay characters on a current TV series?
Could you tell us about them?
Do you think gay people have enough role models in our society to identify with?
Do you think those references portrait a positive image of the gays?
Do they help the gay community to enhance their self-esteem?
What's the meaning of "homophobia"?
In your view, is there homophobia in our society? If not, why?
Do you believe that the gay community is being discriminated against in any way?
If so, why do you think there is such discrimination?
What problems do you think someone goes through when they find out they are
gay?
Do you think they should try to change?
In your opinion, should they say they are gay?
What do you think your parents' reaction would be if you told them you are gay?
Do you think one of them would take it better / worse?
Do you think their first reaction would persist or would it change?
How about your best friend's reaction?
How would you react if one of your children told you they're gay?
What are the main problems gays have to face at college?
Is it easier for a gay to live in a village or in a city?
Is being gay more difficult in some countries than others?
In your opinion, can a gay be a religious person?
What main problems do gays have in the military?
In what ways does the gay community try to tackle homophobia? Are they being
successful?
What main achievements have they had in the last 25 years?
How important are gay associations or organizations?
Do you think being lesbian is viewed as being worse, the same or better than being
gay in our society?
Are they simply ignored?
Could you name any famous lesbian through history?
Do you believe gays and heterosexuals have the same rights? Do they have equal
duties?
What's your opinion on gay marriage?
What do you think of adoption by gay couples?
Do you think homosexual families can bring up children as well as straight
families? If not, why?
Is AIDS a major problem for the homosexuals only?
What do you know about this disease?
How do you think it is transmitted?
Could you define the word "stereotype"?
What stereotypes do you know about gays?

27


ANNEXES BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.-
http://www.google.com.mx/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=More+Young+Americans+Take+Chinese+Language
+Challenge&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrossardchineseschool.org
%2Fdocuments%2FYahooNewsAmericansLeanChinese_en.doc&ei=_2ydT7zqNebe2QXOqbDmDg&
usg=AFQjCNHwoESufBWtkT5vb92gpMsvhXVyhg Date: April 29
th
2012 1:48pm
2.-
http://iteslj.org/c/games2.html Date: April 29
th
2012 2:00pm
3.-
http://iteslj.org/questions/beauty.html Date: April 29
th
2012 2:10pm
4.-
http://iteslj.org/questions/gay.html Date: April 29
th
2012 2:20pm