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Synthesis

 The synthesis of the “Diarios de campo”

Considering the context of implementation, which was "the students of the English A2 course, who carry out practical workshops with the aim of delving deeper into a topic. The students vary in age range; as it is a virtual context, the tool is used institutional TEAMS which has virtual functions that allow simulating a classroom". It can be said that the classes presented a traditional approach because they gave priority to grammar as a principal component of linguistic competence. This approach to teaching English is learned through direct instruction and in a methodology that makes use of the repetitive practice. Therefore, "this approach is characterized by being deductive in which students are taught grammatical topics and then given practice exercises to use what they have learned" (Richards, 2001).

For their part, the teachers demonstrated active listening, understanding, empathy, and kindness, it was noticeable that they really cared about what their students were learning or if they had doubts about it, this was favorable for the classes because "it is the essential basis for the development of the confidence as part of their social and academic skills" (Rodríguez, 2017), for this reason, students also felt motivated to participate. The foregoing is consistent with the communicative approach because a structural methodology is followed since learning is generated when the student is involved in interaction and meaningful communication. And according to Codia (2004), developing empathy as an interpersonal communicative competence is of vital importance to reach students as well as society in general, alluding to Winston Churchill's famous phrase: "It takes courage to stand up and speak, but a lot of more to sit and listen.” Therefore, listening raises the self-esteem of the speaker since it allows him to feel that what he expresses is especially important to the listener, it also allows the listener to identify the feelings and interests of the speaker.

On the other hand, the didactic material for teaching English is important in the teaching process since they are the mediator between teachers, students, and real life (Windeatt (1989). Based on this, the materials found in the classes were:

  • Slides (Order, content organization)
  • Visual content such as images (implicit within slides and games)
  • Interactive PDF (Online self-assessment and correction resource.
  • Quizzes (Assessment Resource)
  • Brief reading (Reading resource for reading comprehension and identification of pattern verbs)
  • Flashcards (Cards with images to match)

Interactive games on web pages (Series of web pages with modern graphics that provide feedback to the student when they do exercises. Therefore, this didactic material provided ease in the learning of intellectual abilities, mastery of the techniques used in the disciplines, and the approach of prototypes that simulate the construction of knowledge of the diverse types of knowledge, as indicated by Prats (1997:85) in his reflection on the didactic material. So, in terms of the techniques used for the class, they consisted of memorizing structures and dialogues, questions and answers, and different forms of guided oral and written practice.

Regarding the didactic material, the teachers used tools considering the type of learning of the students, thus facilitating learning, in this case, the support of ICT, since according to Sheerin S. in Self Access (1989), he recognizes that the students are individuals with diverse needs, styles and interests, and these differences must be considered to achieve more effective learning of the foreign language. "The evidence that there are psychological differences, for example, in terms of abilities, aptitudes, and learning, personality and motivational styles, - pointed out this author, -constitutes perhaps the most important reason to introduce individualized instruction to some extent in the field of foreign languages. 

On the other hand, the didactic material for teaching English is important in the teaching process since they are the mediator between teachers, students, and real life (Windeatt (1989). Based on this, the materials found in the classes were:

  • Slides (Order, content organization)
  • Visual content such as images (implicit within slides and games)
  • Interactive PDF (Online self-assessment and correction resource.
  • Quizzes (Assessment Resource)
  • Brief reading (Reading resource for reading comprehension and identification of pattern verbs)
  • Flashcards (Cards with images to match)
  • Interactive games on web pages (Series of web pages with modern graphics that provide feedback to the student when they do exercises.

Therefore, this didactic material provided ease in the learning of intellectual abilities, mastery of the techniques used in the disciplines, and the approach of prototypes that simulate the construction of knowledge of the diverse types of knowledge, as indicated by Prats (1997:85) in his reflection on the didactic material. So, in terms of the techniques used for the class, they consisted of memorizing structures and dialogues, questions and answers, and different forms of guided oral and written practice.

This is related to the notional approach because, according to Finocchiaro and Brumfit (1983), it included aspects such as:

  • Presentation of short dialogues.
  • The oral practice of each statement.
  • Questions and answers are based on the dialogue.
Finally, based on what has already been mentioned, it can be concluded that according to Richards (2006):
  • Classroom activities provide opportunities for students to stretch their linguistic resources, notice how language is used, and be an active part of an interpersonal exchange of meaning.
  • Communication is a holistic process that requires the use of different language skills and emerges because of relevant content with a clear and motivating purpose.
  • Learning occurs both through the inductive discovery of grammar, usage, and organization rules, as well as through analysis and reflection; it requires a creative use, trial and error that promotes, in time, precise and fluent use of language.
  • The role of the teacher in the classroom is that of a facilitator, who creates a climate that is conducive to learning and provides opportunities to reflect on the use of the language and the process of its acquisition; the classroom is a community in which students learn through collaboration and sharing.

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