Licenciatura en Educación Bilingüe con Énfasis en la Enseñanza del Inglés

Symposium on Successful ELT Experiences October 26th, 2011

LA SALLE UNIVERSITY LANGUAGES CENTER

PILOTING FOR CHOOSING IS NOT A CHOICE

This report will provide food for thought on how an informed decision was made on selecting teaching materials as well as how such a process was conducted.

Mission: to provide tools that facilitate communication in foreign languages as essential elements for the LASALLIAN academic community.

Vision: to be the best option to meet the communication needs, also cultural and academic students´ exchanges.

Chapter VII The knowledge and mastery

of a foreign language

Art. 39 To improve the academic processes and achieve academic excellence students are required to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in systems and in a foreign language.

Art. 40 students must demonstrate foreign language knowledge comparable with level B1, based on the CEF and certified by international exams or by an international standardized exam at CLUS

HOW DO YOU PICK OUT A TEXTBOOK?

Seliger and Shohamy (2008) assert that any research results could be affected by various factors either internal due to the misinterpretation of the data collected or external due to the lack of possibilities to implement its results into different settings.

According to Quintero (2003) teachers´ decisions are founded on their experiences, beliefs, academic training or simply on their common sense, whereas informed decisions are the result of the analysis of the educational objectives, data collecting and its analysis.

Bonilla (2008) agrees when stating that teachers limit their textbooks evaluations (referring to textbooks selection) to features such as the kind of visual aids, teachers´ resources, organization, attractiveness to students and the like.

Nuñez et all (2006) given the fact that although commercial textbooks are designed with catchy layouts and colorful pages as well as with various advantages there will always be a lack.

A piloting process has several functions: principally to increase the reliability,validity, practicality, check clarity, and get feedback on the purpose of the research, among others, according to Cohen et all (2007).

Cohen et all (2007) suggest that it may be better to develop a pilot study and uncover some of the problems in advance than to have to face them and solve them on the spot.

14 TEACHERS

280 STUDENTS

2 COURSES

DEC-JAN

CONSENT FORM: STS-TS

THREE-STAGE REPORT

THREE-STAGE SURVEY

2ND ROUND

The level of the listening exercises are appropriate for 4th and 5th levels. However, the exercises based on those tracks are very easy for students. Then the teacher has to create more demanding questions from the listening sections.

The teacher does not have to bring extra photocopies to reinforce the topics. If a student does not have the level needed, even if he/she has the books, it will be very difficult for them to pass. The book doesn’t ensure they are going to pass 5th level. I would say that they do follow the CEF organization of levels. For example, in 5th level, Both the teacher and the students know exactly what they have to reach at the end of each section of the unit. It is very descriptive and helps in the preparation of the classes, the design of the exams and the English clubs.

Every unit has a target activity which is designed by using the Task Based Approach. These activities are a good tool to review and use topics in a useful and communicative way. Target activities can also be used as English club.

Taking into consideration the CLUS program and the fact that students are required to take KET and PET, the book does not fit those purposes.

Me parece que el texto es muy completo, ofrece diferentes herramientas tanto para el profesor como para el estudiante, éstas se pueden utilizar en clase o como trabajo independiente. También creo que las actividades de habla son reales, útiles, e interesantes. Otro aspecto sobresaliente es el énfasis que se le da a la pronunciación y que además integra las herramientas o las demás habilidades en todas las lecciones. Los temas de las lecturas, habla y escucha son actuales y llaman la atención de los estudiantes ya que se relacionan con su contexto. Vale la pena observar si la salida del texto según el MCER es muy alta (B2).

jayala@lasalle.edu.co

clenguas@lasalle.edu.co