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How wrong ideas and misconceptions
about second language acquisition,
affect the attainment of English proficiency in students from public high
schools.
Proposal to fulfil the requierements to obtain the English teacher degree.
Student: Roberto E. Cifuentes aete.
uide teacher: !rs. Stella "ammet #iderstr$m
C%&CEPC'(&, )*th, )*++
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Guide teacher______________________________________________4
Dedicatory.________________________________________________5
Acknowledgment___________________________________________6
Quote____________________________________________________7
I.- IN!"D#$I"N________________________________________%
+.+ Problem presented.+)
+.) %b-ecties of the inestigation.+)
&.'.&- General o()ecti*e. _______________________________________________________12
&.'.&- +econdary o()ecti*e,.. ____________________________________________________13
+./ Hypotheses presented+0
+.0 Hypotheses1 classification+0
+.2 3ariables 4efinition.+2
+.2.+ 'ndependent ariable. ____________________________________________________15
+.2.) 4ependent ariable. ______________________________________________________16
II.- #+II$AI"N________________________________________&7
).+5 6imitations of the inestigation)*
III.- /0"!0I$A1 !A203"!___________________________'&
/.+5 7irst language acquisition theories.))
.&.&-he (iolingui,tic aroach $hom,ky8&979:. __________________________________23
.&.'- ;eha*iori,m +kinner. ____________________________________________________25
.&.- +ociolingui,tic Dore ;runnet ;ate,. _______________________________________26
/.) 8nown hypotheses about S69.)
/./5 Contrasting and comparing first and second language acquisition./*
/.05 !yths and misconceptions about second language acquisition./)
/.0.+5 9ge and S69. __________________________________________________________33
/.0.)5 ;he enironment. _______________________________________________________34
I<.- IN<0+IGAI"N 20/"D"1"G=_______________________6
)
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0.+ ;arget unierse./<
0.) Sample characteristics/<
0./ ;ype of inestigation./=
0.0 !easurement instrument/=
0.2 3alidation of the instrument0/
<.- !0+#1+ ANA1=+I+ AND DI+$#++I"N___________________44
2.+ > Results.02
2.) > 9nalysis02
2./ 5 4iscussion0?
<I.- $"N$1#+I"N__________________________________________47
<II.- ANN0>0+_____________________________________________49
<.+ Plannings2*
<.) 5Portafolio2/
<III.- ;I;1I"G!A?/=________________________________________67
@loomfield, 6eonard?
ChompsAy, &oam?
8rashen, Stephen?
Stern, H.H.?=
I>.- 30;G!A?/=__________________________________________7@
/
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uide teacher
!iss
Stella "amett #iderstr$m
0
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“I’d like to dedicate this work to my mother who
was very supportive and was always there for me,
even when I wasn’t.”
2
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9cAnowledgment
?
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“There is no teacher who cannot be a
student.”
Baltazar racian.
<
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Chapter
I
'&;R%4BC;'%&
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English is the “Lingua Franca” 1 of the world and since this investigation will focus on
several theories about first language (1! and second language (2! ac"uisition# it is ai$ed
to understand what is happening in our classroo$s with students who have alread%
ac"uired their first language# specificall% high school students fro$ the public educational
s%ste$&
anguage (henceforth addressed for hu$an spo'en language! is one of the $ost distinctive
features that separates hu$an beings fro$ other species&
he wa% we ac"uire language has been a $atter of stud% for several %ears# without co$ing
to a one absolute e)planation about the wa% the brain ac"uires the language&
*+Is2 have been used to identif% what happens on the brain while we produce the
language# but research have shown onl% where the production of the language ta'es place#
but gives no specific infor$ation about what happens on those parts of the brain# such as
relevant infor$ation about what are the processes that co$e into pla% when we are
spea'ing& ,o this leaves a ver% open gap between the cognitive-affective process of
ac"uiring a language# and the scientific factual e)planation on what reall% happens in our
brain&
1 Italian for “!rankish lan"ua"e”. Working language, bridge language,
vehicular language, is a language systematically used to make
communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue.
2 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Techniue used in radiology to
visuali!e detailed internal structures.
=
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,everal theories will be revisited in the following pages# and since this thesis is about how
wrong ideas and $isconceptions affect second language ac"uisition (,.! in students who
have alread% $astered a first language# in our case ,panish# it is i$perative to be fa$iliar
with the different theories about how hu$an beings ac"uire their first language# and what
are the $ost accepted theories about ,. in order to have a co$plete picture of all the
factors that co$e into pla% when ac"uiring or learning a second language&
he following pages will tr% to state that the research done so far and the theories
supported in this investigation are not den%ing other theories but si$pl% disproving so$e
$%ths about the wa% students can ac"uire 2 in our classroo$s nowada%s&
,ure that b% the end of this report# we are not going to find that there is onl% one wa% of
ac"uiring/larning 2# but we will find that there are certain aspects that do not co$pletel%
appl% to the process as $an% teachers see$ to believe# and hopefull% it will help as a guide
for i$proving $ethodologies ta'ing under consideration the diversit% of concepts
presented&
It is worth $entioning that this research is going to bac'up their h%potheses based on the
e)periences fro$ four groups fro$ two different public high schools fro$ alcahuano with
an apparentl% dissi$ilar profile of student&
0ne of the$ is as .$ericas C&E&.&I& high school& his school is 'nown for receiving
students in an irregular acade$ic situation# being this either the% have been reected b% the
traditional high schools or because at so$e point the% abandoned their studies and wanted
+*
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to resu$e the$ in order to graduate fro$ high school& his educational institution also
grants the students a diplo$a# which consits of an especialiation in a specific area
(electronics or $echanics! so the student will graduate with an occupation plus their
graduation diplo$a fro$ high school&
he other institution is a traditional one& he .-21 high school is a ver% recogniable
institution in alcahuano which ai$ is to prepare students for a future student life# which is
the traditional path of following a career# either in a universit% or an institute&
he e)periences collected in these two institutions are ver% useful in order to 'now# not
onl% the differences in the curriculu$ concerning the progra$$ followed for teaching the
sa$e subect# in this case English# but also to 'now that the affective and $otivational
aspect is ver% i$portant when it co$es to learn so$ething fro$ scratch or al$ost# since the
baseboard for learning English is ver% bad&
ifferent $ethodologies were used for the groups& .n entire English spo'en class was
given for two of the$ for a short period of ti$e& he other two groups were in a 6
English 4 ,panish ($ore or less! class&
7nowing this we have to consider that the contents given were the ones fro$ the units the
groups were supposed to see during their period# not fro$ basic contents which $a% not
sound relevant but indeed it is# since the curriculu$ de$ands i$parting those contents#
after all those contents are going to be under evaluation# not basics& It is also a factor to
consider the fact that the ti$e spent for the entire English spo'en class $ight not have been
++
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are not "uite correct# if not co$pletel% wrong when so$e teachers suscribe to the idea of
teaching English through an entire English spo'en class for $a'ing the process as si$ilar
as ac"uiring 1&
&.'.&- +econdary o()ecti*e,..
r% to establish the negative effect so$e ideas about ,. or learning $a% have on students
fro$ public high schools# and along with this give the necessar% infor$ation based on a
series of studies about ,. in order to contribute to new $ethodologies that will#
hopefull% in ti$e# i$prove the attain$ent of an inter$ediate proficienc% on the part of
public high school students in English&
+/
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+./ Hypotheses presented
/yothe,i, & .n entire English spo'en class does not necessaril% $ean a good English
class&
/yothe,i, ' 1 does not necessaril% $ean interference while in the process of learning
2&
/yothe,i, 1 can actuall% facilitate the ,. process b% $a'ing the input a little bit
$ore co$prehensible&
/yothe,i, 4 he teaching gra$$ar without teaching gra$$ar concept# does not appl%
1 in ever% case&
/yothe,i, 5 ,pea'ing in classes is not co$pletel% necessar% for ac"uiring the language
as $uch as it is necessar% for i$proving the native-li'e accent& Ergo# spea'ing is not
producing&
/yothe,i, 6 he reason $ost students have for reecting the subect of English is that
the progra$ tends to e)pect students to learn co$ple) structures without pa%ing attention
to basics&
+0
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+.0 Hypotheses1 classification
he investigation8s h%potheses are classified as correlational since the investigation
focuses on how so$e $isconceptions about the learning of a second language in our
classroo$s with high school public students can affect the attain$ent of a basic proficienc%
in the subect# ergo this investigation will tr% to identif% the relation between so$e
$isconceptions about a class given in public high schools and the low understanding on
the subect shown b% high school public students&
+.2 3ariables 4efinition.
he variables this investigation considered were9
+.2.+ 'ndependent ariable.
Considering the concepts fro$ the h%pothesis# the independent variables for this
investigation are several& :evertheless all of the$ can be su$$arie into the $ain
h%pothesis of this investigation# that an entire English spo'en class does not
necessaril% $ean a good English class# especiall% in public high schools&
he so-called effectiveness of an entire English spo'en class can be obected b%
ta'ing under consideration two variables or two t%pes of classes given to students&
0ne is an entire English spo'en class# the other a $i)ed class begining with a 5 5
percent English and ,panish class& ;% alternating the t%pe of class# we will be able
+2
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to see the reaction and response of the subects3 towards the contents the curriculu$
designed b% the chilean board of education de$ands&
+.2.) 4ependent ariable.
he proficienc% in English depending on the t%pe of classs given&
;% e)a$ining the results seen in each group# depending on the t%pe of class the%
received# we will be able to deter$ine the effectivess in ever% case&
he concept of effectiveness here will be deter$ined b% $a'ing proections upon
the direction the different t%pes of classes too'&
<ere we have to re$e$ber that the $ain obective of ever% wor'shop was to
review the contents seen in regular classes and not to go to basics&
3 Students from the two public high schools.
+?
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Chapter
II
"BS;'7'C9;'%&
+<
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his investigation springs fro$ the necessit% of understanding wh% our students# in this
case high school public students# have ver% little if not ero co$petence in the English
language which is i$parted as an E= progra$ in our schools since 5th pri$ar% grade&
his has been a $atter of "uestioning during the last fithteen %ears or so# since our countr%
is opening to international $ar'ets# the use of English# according to the e)perts# is a ver%
essential tool for the develop$ent of the econo$% and therefore the countr%& a'ing this
into consideration# it is i$perative to 'now what is happening with our students
considering the last ,I*CE4 test in English# which was $easured using the 0EIC ;ridge
test5# %ielded e)tre$el% disappointing results&
.ccording to ,I*CE8s results onl% the 11 of the students in Chile can be certified with a
basic co$petence in English6& his is a ver% low percentage considering that the universe
$easured was two hundred thousands nine hundred and ninet% si)(2>&??6! students& his
$eans that onl% twent% two thousand eight hundred and sevent% nine (22&@>?! students $et
the $ini$un co$petence re"uire$ents in the language&
4 Sistema de medición de la calidad de la educación.
5 0EIC ;ridgeA Test of nglish for international comunication! measures the le"el
of nglish from basic to intermediate.
# $onsidering the test was applied onl% to 3rd graders.
+
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=or these reasons the Chilean govern$ent along with the Chilean board of education# have
proposed a progra$ for $a'ing the countr% a bilingual countr%& his was first proposed in
23 with the progra$ English open doors BIngls abre puertasD and it was lunch in 24&
he idea of the progra$ was firstl% to i$prove the proficienc% in English b% i$ple$enting
a set of $easures into the progra$# a$ong which the $ost recogniable is to e)tend the
a$ount of hours per wee'& his $eans an increase fro$ two hours of English per wee' in
pri$ar% grades (5th# 6th# >th and @th grades! to three hours per wee'&
.nother recogniable $easure is to bring native spea'er teachers into our classroo$s&
;ut the $ost i$portant goal of this progra$ is to $a'e the countr% a bilingual one b%
introducing the language in an earlier stage in public schools&
:owada%s public schools begin the i$partition of the language in fifth grade& he idea of
the progra$ is to start fro$ the first grade# which in ti$e will help reach the goal of a
bilingual countr%& ,o$ething that too' al$ost 4 %ears for ,weden to get to where Chile
pretends to be# to be a bilingual countr%&
;ut until then# what do we do in order to i$prove the students8 co$petence in the language
at a high school level his "uestion $a% not be co$pletel% answered in this
investigation # but it $a% give so$e direction& ,o the ustification for this investigation can
be su$ed up in the following points&
+=
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;he necessity of improing methodologies that are being applied in public high
school English classes in order to reach the basic competence in the language. ;his
is, to gie students the necessary basics in order for them to continue building
their learning process in a more natural way without haing to go bacA to basics
in order to learn a new content.
;o try to gie teachers, and the people in charge of the programs, an old5new
concept on the way the 6) is acquiredlearned in order for them to hae a better
understanding about what can be done for students in order to acquire the 6) in amore natural way.
;o find, starting from the concepts reisited here, better methods in order to maAe
the S69 process a more significant eDperience.
).+5 6imitations of the inestigation
ue to the nature of this investigation# which is $ainl% e)plorator% and bibliographical# the
li$itation for this investigation is $ainl% ti$e&
,ince the sa$ples used b% the student/investigator > were the groups $entiones earlier# the
a$ount of hours for the assess$ent of which class was $ore efficient (the entire English
& The author of this Thesis
)*
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spo'en class or the $i)ed class! $a% no have been enough# that is wh% proections will be
done in order to deter$ine the direction each class were could have ta'en&
)+
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Chapter
III
;HE%RE;'C96 7R9!E#%R8
.s stated before in order to have a clear idea of what this investigation is tr%ing to prove
we need to be fa$iliar with the differences between the Bac"uisitionD of our first language
and the idea of BlearningD a second one# which are clearl% different# therefore the processes
))
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$a% be si$ilar but not "uite the sa$e& his gathers great i$portance especiall% when we
tal' about public high school students who# according to the English progra$ developed b%
the Chilean board of education# have to be able to recognie a series of contents concerning
tenses and have a vocabular% to an e)tent of one thousand and si) hundred (1&6! words&
his is clearl% not the realit% of an% public high school group since the baseboard of
English the% have is not enough for understanding half the contents the progra$ proposes&
=or this and a couple of other reasons it is i$portant to establish the differences between
first language(1! ac"uisition and second language(2! ac"uisition or learning in the case
of public high school students& In order to do this we will re-visit so$e of the $ost
accepted and recogniable theories about 1 and 2 ac"uisition and learning&
3.1' 7irst language acquisition theories.
In this section the investigation will focus on what the $ost acceptable theories about 1
ac"uisition pose& his will help deli$it the lines on what we need to 'now about
ac"uisition and learning which are two ver% different processes that converge at so$e
points but still the% run through different paths& Fe need to be fa$iliar with these thoeries
in order to understand that the ac"uisition process $a% be si$ilar to the learning process
but not co$pletel% and we will see that so$e ver% i$portant factors co$e into pla% when
we want deter$ine the best $ethodological wa% to teach 2&
)/
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=or $an% teachers the ac"uisition of a language should be the ai$ of an% language class# in
our case English& he ac"uisition process# as we will see in this section# it8s a ver%
intrinsic# and rather $%sterious process&
he following theories will show the ourne% that has been $ade after %ears of
investigating how hu$ans ac"uire their 1&
his investigation will consider onl% the $ost representative investigation and authors
fro$ certain decades# to $antion ever% theor% about 1 ac"uisition will be redundant&
.&.&-he (iolingui,tic aroach $hom,ky8&979:.
he biolinguistic approach tell us that hu$an beings co$es with what the biologist :oa$
Cho$s'%# one of the $ost recognied e)ponent of this theor% if not the $ost representative
e)ponent# has called a language ac"uisition device (.!& .ccording to this approach
ever% hu$an being is pre-wired with a special device designed for language ac"uisition&
his device is supposed to co$e with ever%thing we need for ac"uiring a language#
s%ntactic co$prehension# gra$$atical structures# etc& ,o according to Cho$ps'% ever%
hu$an being is capable to ac"uire a language without the necessit% of an over e)posure to
environ$ental input&
)0
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Eventhough Cho$s'% clai$s that ever% hu$an being is capable to ac"uire an% language
due to this .# it is i$portant to point out that there are so$e particularities about the
process of ,. that this theor% passes overA these particularities are to be $ore e)plained
as we further this docu$ent&
.s so$e detractors of his BGniversal Hra$$arD (GH! theor% clai$# this point of view on
how hu$ans ac"uire language is ver% restrictedA as stated before# this theor% passes over
so$e concepts and does not ta'e into consideration environ$ental factors# social factors#
and historical language factors&
If we too' Cho$ps'%8s theor% as fact# it would be fair to consider that there is no
difference between 1 and 2 ac"uisition& his ver% point will help this investigation to
show that there are so$e significant differences in the process# and therefore the
techni"ues used for teaching a 2 cannot be e)actl% the sa$e as the ones used in the
process involving 1 ac"uisition# ergo# it would be fair to consider so$e $ethodologies
not "uite correct for the process of learning a 2 when the 1 has been alread% $astered
(i$pl%ing the fact this investigation focuses on public high school level students!&
.&.'- ;eha*iori,m +kinner.
)2
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that the subect is in$erse in an enviro$ent where the target language is being spo'en# is
enough for the subect to starting ac"uiring the language&
. clear e)a$ple of this is the sti$ulus given b% parents towards their children when their
children start to $u$ble their first# so called# words& Fhen this happens# parents ust
reinforce the idea of the word spo'en b% the child b% repeating the word in its correct for$#
hoping for the 'id to ac"uire the word in a wa% that in ti$e the infant will be able to repeat
the word correctl%&
.&.- +ociolingui,tic Dore ;runnet ;ate,.
=inall% we have sociolinguistic which is sort of an e)tension of what behavioris$
proposes&
<ere the environ$ent is still critical# for the $ore the child is e)posed to language the
$ore he will ac"uire& he difference here is that this theor% treats the child as an active
entit%# in contrast of what ,'inner believed that the child was si$pl% a passive entit%
cop%ing ever%thing around hi$ and ac"uiring the language b% ust repeating&
,ociolinguistic proposes that the child actuall% e)presses intent# and that the child actuall%
scaffold his language b% using it in conte)t& his due to the belief# according to this theor%#
)<
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that ever% hu$an being is born with the $otivation# the necessit% of co$$unicate with
others&
.s we can see# al$ost ever% theor% about 1 ac"uisition subscribes around the
sa$e idea of a non-gra$$ar for$al teaching in order to develope the language& o have a
better understanding about the first language ac"uisition theories# which clearl% surround
the idea of a subect i$itating e)ternal sti$uli we can cite 1eonard ;loo$field8s wor'
(1?33!& In his wor'# ;loo$field argued that the stud% of language could be pursued
without reference to ps%chological doctrines and he too' a fir$l% behavioristic line ai$ed
at scientific obectivit%& ;loo$field did not den% the role of $eaning in language# but he
obected to its i$portance in the stud% of language at a ti$e when hu$an 'nowledge of the
vast range of se$antic association attached to ever% linguistic for$ was so ver% little&
*oreover# he viewed se$antics as a subordinate ele$ent to the pri$ar% sti$ulus response
relationship of verbal behavior&
/.) 8nown hypotheses about S69.
1+ ,merican linguist who led the de"elopment of structural linguistics in the
-nited States during the 1)3+s and the 1)4+s.
)
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,everal h%potheses about ,. have been proposed& espite the fact that all of the$ $a%
have so$ething right in their assu$ptions# we will consider onl% one theor% fro$ one $an
(so$e people sa% this theor% was postulated before this $an!# ,tephen 7rashen&
,tephen 7rashen# an .$erican linguist which ,. theor% is believed to be the $ost
acceptable for it accounts aspects of the develop$ent of the language which consider
factors such as environ$ent# $otivation# an)iet%# etcJ
7rashen postulates in his ,. theor% five principles (h%potheses! about ,.# this
principles and what the% $ean are as follow&
+ ;he acquisition5learning hypothesis. =or ,& 7rashen there is a difference
between ac"uiring a language and learning it# for hi$ the first is a sub-conscious
process while the other is conscious& hus this results in children ac"uiring
language better than adults&
he concept ever%one has about learning a language is ver% vague so$eti$es
especiall% when the% tend to confused learning with ac"uiring& =or the sa'e of this
investigation it is i$perative to establish the diffences between these two ter$s& .s
reads in the upper paragraph learning is a conscious process&
a'ing under consideration our subects (being students fro$ public high schools!
what is intended to do in English classes in public high schools# is to teach the
)=
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language# supposedl% b% scaffolding the contents and 'nowledge ac"uired in earlier
grades&
) ;he natural order hypothesis. his h%pothesis clai$s that there is a natural order
in the wa% we ac"uire parts of a 2& In this h%pothesis 7rashen identifies three
ver% i$portant aspects# which are9
".#) ;his order is not based on any features of compleDity and
simplicity.".") ;he natural order cannot be changedF it is immune to deliberate
teaching.
".$) ;he natural order is not the teaching order.
/ ;he monitor hypothesis clai$s that if we learn gra$$ar we develop a $onitoring
s%ste$& ,ince gra$$ar focuses $ost of the ti$e in for$ instead of $eaning# three
conditions are needed to use it& i$e# focus on for$# and 'now the rule& It is here
where so$e teachers suscribe that when we have ac"uired our first language# there
is no need for teaching gra$$ar at all# for the gra$$ar will construct itself while
in the process of ,.&
0 ;he comprehensible input hypothesis is probabl% the $ost i$portant point of all
tell us that we ac"uire language when we understand the $essage&
/*
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2 =inall%# ;he affectie filter hypothesis tell us about the conditions needed to
ac"uire a language in a $ore natural-fluent wa%& his h%pothesis is based on three
conditions that need to be considered when we want to ac"uire 2& *otivation#
self-estee$ and an)iet%& he first two have to be high# the third on the contrar% has
to be low# otherwise the input# no $atter how co$prehensible# will not penetrate
the .&
hese h%potheses are going to bac' up the idea of this investigation# and its
h%potheses as well# since the wor' of 7rashen de$ar's the difference between
learning and ac"uiring a second language&
/./5 Contrasting and comparing first and second language acquisition.
ifferences between the process of ac"uiring 1 and ,. $a% appear obvious for so$e
people# but so$ehow apparentl% not for so$e teachers&
;ased on Cho$s'%8s theor%# which is the $ost accepted theor% about 1 ac"uisition# the
brain has this . which allows hu$an beings to integrate language in our brain&
,o this $eans that when we are born# and so$e recent research clai$ that even before# we
are ac"uiring language# for the brain is li'e a blan' sheet of paper which easil% is going to
/+
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attain the proficienc% in the language that surrounds the subect# but still we will be able to
use this GH that helps us ac"uiring a new language# not in the sa$e wa% we ac"uire 1#
but it will help to construct the 2 in a sub-conscious wa%&
<&<& ,tern11 points out so$e $isleading ideas about how the ,. process has to be taught
the sa$e wa% we ac"uire 1# and it serves as an indicator of how so$e English teachers
follow this wrong ideas& ,o$e of the ideas presented here are posted as valid
$ethodological teaching techni"ues fro$ the part of so$e English teachers&
+. 'n language teaching, we must practice and practice, again and again. "ust
watch a small child learning his mother tongue. He repeats things oer and
oer again. 4uring the language5learning stage he practices all the time. ;his
is what we must also do when we are learning a foreign language.
). 6anguage learning is mainly a matter of imitation. Gou must be a mimic. "ust
liAe a small child. He imitates eerything.
/. 7irst, we practice the separate sounds, then words, then sentences. ;hat is the
natural order and it is therefore right for learning a foreign language.
0. 9 small child listens and speaAs and no one would dream of maAing him read
or write. Reading and writing are adanced stages of language deelopment.
11 $anadian second laguage teaching educator.
/)
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;he natural order for first and second language learning is listening, speaAing,
reading, and writing.
2. Gou did not hae to translate when you were small. 'f you were able to learn
your own language without translation, you should be able to learn a foreign
language in the same way.
?. 9 small child simply uses language. He does not learn a formal grammar. Gou
dont tell him about erbs and nouns. Get he learns language perfectly. 't is
equally unnecessary to use grammatical conceptualiIation in teaching a
foreign language.
Fe have to consider that this $ethodologies are not inconrrect in their assu$ptions# but
since this investigation focuses on public high school students# these techni"ues $a% not be
1 effective and efficient&
/.05 !yths and misconceptions about second language acquisition.
his part of the investigation focuses on so$e studies that will support the h%potheses
clai$ed b% this investigation& <opefull% this part will help clarif% the $ain idea behind
the investigation# that for students fro$ public high schools an entire English spo'en class
does not necessaril% $ean a good English class&
//
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/.0.+5 9ge and S69.
his is believed to be the $ain reason wh% older people or adolescents# who have#
according to so$e theories# pass the critical period12# cannot learn# or at least be co$petent
in a second language once the% have alread% ac"uired their first&
his has been refuted b% so$e research that prove that actuall% in so$e cases# adults can
be better learners that children13# since children don8t have the necessar% cognitive tools#
the% rel% $ore on short-ter$ $e$or% rather than in long Kter$ $e$or%# and adults can
alwa%s rel% on their cultural bac'ground in order to $a'e the necessar% lin's to their
ac"uired 'nowledge& his is a ver% i$portant point to consider when we tr% to establish
that an entire English spo'en class does not necessaril% $ean a good English class&
<ere we have $entioned the the Critical Leriod <%pothesis (CL<!& his h%pothesis clai$s
that until a certain age# the individual will not be able to ac"uire a language the wa% the%
ac"uire their first& his $a% be partl% true& ,ince in this investigation we are tr%ing to
establish the differences between ac"uiring a language and learning one# we $ust also
$a'e the difference between so$eone ac"uiring a language and so$eone conciousl%
learning one&
12 or some researches the critical period *nishes with pubert%.
13 The concept of being a better learner gathers importance in this in"estigation
for there is a signi*cati"e di/erence between ac0uiring a language and conciousl% tr%
to learn one.
/0
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=or e)a$ple let8s consider so$eone who starts a new life in a foreing countr%# off course
this person does not 'now the language or has a ver% vague idea of so$e concepts& et8s
sa% this person $oves to a neighborhood where he/she is the onl% foreigner# he/she will be
forced to learn the language in order to be able to co$$unicate with others and $a'e a
living&
=irst the subect has an i$perative necessit% of lerning the language for survival# second
the person onl% hears the target language all the ti$e without being able to co$$unicate
with others in their $other tongue# in ti$e besides the basics concerning the target
language our subect $a% or $a% not have# he is surrounded b% it and he/she has two
hundred people spea'ing the target language versus one person spea'ing a language no one
uses& his will onl% result that in ti$e our subect is going to ac"uire the language instead
of for$all% learning it because it is the predo$inant language&
0n the other hand in a classroo$# especificall% a public high school classroo$ which is the
focus of this investigation# we have onl% one person who spea's the target language versus
fourt%# and so$eti$es even $ore# who spea' another language and $ost of the ti$e the%
do not see the necessit% of learning this new language# so the interest and $otivational
aspects are al$ost co$pletel% absent&
0ff course one can argue that teachers should tr% to spea' in English all the ti$e# but since
the ac"uiring process is not going to be as significant as it was when we ac"uired the
language as children or because of the necessit% of survival# students fro$ public high
/?
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school alwa%s have this an)iet% of seeing English ust as another subect in which %ou need
a good $ar' in order to pass# nothing else&
/.0./5 SpeaAing is not producing.
.nother wrong assu$ption is that people have ac"uired a language when the% are able to
spea' in that language& :othing further fro$ the truth# according to research# the onl% thing
that i$proves when %ou spea' is %our pronunciation and fluenc%# which obviousl% are ver%
i$portant aspects of the language# but this does not necessaril% $ean that %ou have
ac"uired a language&
In the case of our stud%# high school students fro$ the public s%ste$# spea'ing is $ore
li'el% to be i$portant for ac"uiring pronunciation and for the recognition of sounds to
unconsciousl% fa$iliarie with the English sounds and therefore have a better
understanding on the s%ntactic structure and to ac"uire the necessar% discri$ination
techni"ues for# depending on the conte)t# recognie the word that is being listened to& his
is another reason wh% this investigation clai$s that spo'en evaluations at this level(public
high school! are not necessar% for the% put $ore presure and build an)iet% in students#
spo'en e)ercises should be done but in a rela)ed enviro$ent and not with the presure of
being evaluated# since evaluating spea'ing is a ver% intrinsic process and should be donde
ver% carefull%&
/<
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Chapter
IM
'&3ES;'9;'%& !E;H%4%6%G
/
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0.+ ;arget unierse.
,tudents fro$ public high schools&
,ince this investigation is about how wrong ideas and $isconceptions about second
language ac"uisition affect the attaint$ent of English profficienc% in students fro$ public
high schools it would be honest to sa% that the sa$ple was not $eant as a sa$ple for an%
investigation# at least not intentionall%& Is this factor which validates the reliabilit% of the
sa$ple&
<aving stated this# the sa$ple was divided# as $entioned earlier in this investigation# in
four groups fro$ two different high schools& wo groups were given an entire English
spo'en class# and the other two a class which co$bined English and ,panish with $ore
e$phasis on the actual e)planations about the contents& hese e)planations were in ,panish
and ever% e)a$ple in English was read aloud b% the teacher&
0.) Sample characteristics
=or this investigation a probabilistic sa$ple was used&
he charasteristics of the groups $entioned earlier are ver% si$ilar in relation to an average
student fro$ an% public high school& his $eans that the 'nowledge and understanding of
the English language is ver% poor if not co$pletel% absent&
/=
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Ever% group consisted on 1 $e$bers each# being these average students with no further
understanding of the language whatsoever&
he wa% the sa$ple was obtained# was through an English wor'shop i$parted in both
schools& he students were invited to participate in the wor'shop with the pre$ise of
i$proving their understanding in the language regarding the contents the% were seeing in
class at the $o$ent of enrolling the wor'shop&
.nother factor to consider is that the $e$bers of the sa$ple presented a ver% possitive
attitude towards the wor'shop# this i$plies that the affective/tensional/an)ious enviro$ent
was opti$al for teaching the target language&
&%;E9 ;his inestigation admits that the number of the unierse measured during
the worAshops may not be sufficient for an eDtremely accurate analysis, but the
reliability of the sample lies on the fact that the sample itself is a ery good
representation of what many students in public high schools feel towards the English
class.
0*
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0./ ;ype of inestigation.
his investigation due to its characteristics corresponds $ainl% to a descriptive/e)plorator%
investigation& It will also serve as a theoretical/bibliographic research based $ainl% on the
wor' of several linguists&
.part fro$ the point that this investigation relies $ainl% on studies and papers alread%
$ade b% renowned linguists# it will also tr% to account for the e)periences the
student/investigator has had during his period of pre-training and proffessional training#
along with his short e)perience as an ele$entar% teacher and tutor&
=ro$ these e)periences the student/investigator will tr% to establish the differences between
1 ac"uisition and the actual wor' teachers in high school have to do concerning 2
teaching# which is easil% confused b% so$e teachers as ,.&
he outco$es of the wor'shops presented b% the student/investigator as valid $easure$ent
instru$ent# will be discussed and co$pared against the ideas of the earl% na$ed renowned
linguists&
0+
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0.0 !easurement instrument
he instru$ents used for $easuring the student8s co$petence during the wor'shops were9
.& ,i$ple gap filling e)ercises& (see anne) .!
;& ,hort te)ts&(see anne) ;!
C& ,i$ple "uestions related to the te)ts&(see anne) C!
& *atching e)ercises&(see anne) !
E& .nd a si$ple poster which read a set of t%pical "uestions students have for the
teacher&
his poster was $eant for both wor'shops# the entirel% English spo'en class and the
,panish/English spo'en class# as a wa% to# at least# give the students a wa% to as' in the
target language&
hese "uestions wereA
1! /ow do you ,ay ______B # his is the $ost co$$on "uestion learners have& *ost
people# not onl% students# have the erroneous assu$ption that the% are learning English
b% as'ing how do %ou sa% a word in English# passing over that the vocabular% is
constructed in a gradual wa% and that vocabular% will construct b% itself once %ou are
fa$iliar with the basic structures of tenses&
0)
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2! /ow do you ronounce _________B his is less often as'ed# onl% so$e students are
willing to as' this "uestion 'nowing that once the teacher gives the$ the answer# he/she
is going to $a'e the$ repeat the pronunciation# and we 'now $ost students# if not all#
are ver% relunctant to spea' aloud in front of their $ates# even in their own language&
3! 3hatC, the meaning o _________B "r 3hat doe, _________ meanB .nother
t%pical "uestion is as'ing the $eaning of an specific word& <ere is where so$e teachers
debate if %ou $ust give the translation of the word or tr% to give an e)planation of the
word in the target language# in our case English# for students to get the $eaning without
translating# therefore not letting 1 interfere with the process of ,.&
=ro$ the accounting during the wor'shops given co$pletel% in English it is fair to sa%
that so$eti$es as a teacher %ou can e)plain several words such as verbs# adectives#
nouns# etc&& that are eas% to $i$ic such as hot cold tired ,leey )um write
etc..&,o$e of these words can be e)plained using plain English# but so$eti$es tr%ing to
eplain the $eaning of a word in Enlgish ust $a'es it $ore difficult for the student to
understand it&
,ure teachers can use several techni"ues in order to $a'e the students get the $eaning
of the word such as $i$ic# drawings# pictures# $atching the word with pictures# realia
etc&&&as stated before# this wor's $ost of the ti$e# but so$eti$es the words we need to
e)plain are $ore conceptual and abstract therefore cannot be $i$ic'ed& here are not
drawings or pictures that can easil% describe the $eaning for so$e conceptual and
abstract words especiall% when the% are not co$$on verbs or adetives such as hot
0/
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0.2 3alidation of the instrument
he instru$ents used for $easuring the students co$petence# were the ones that have been
used b% teachers all over the countr%& hese instru$ents are validated even b% the boo's
used b% teachers&
.s $entioned before the instru$ents for $easuring the students co$petence in English
were9
.& ,i$ple gap filling e)ercises& (see anne) .!
;& ,hort te)ts&(see anne) ;!
C& ,i$ple "uestions related to the te)ts&(see anne) C!
& *atching e)ercises&(see anne) !
he $easure$ents instru$ents posted in this investigation are ust a few a$ong the $an%
instru$ents that can be used for $easuring the co$petence in the target language& he ones
$entioned above are the $ost co$$on used b% teachers in public high schools&
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Chapter
M
RESB6;S, 9&96GS'S 9&4 4'SCBSS'%&
2.+ > Results.
4#
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=ro$ the part of the wor'shops i$parted at the C&E&I&.& as .$ericas high school# the
investigation accounts for the failure of the$# $eaning that the wor'shops never succeded
in ter$s of attendance# eventhough the interest of the students in the wor'shop was evident
when it ca$e to sign in for the wor'shop&
+easons for the absentis$ to the wor'shop can be several# but the% can be su$$ed up as a
lac' of co$pro$ise on the part of the students& English for the$ was not as i$portant as
the wor'shop intended to $a'e the$ see&
.ccounting for the other educational institution# .-21 high school# the wor'shop was a
co$plete success in ter$s of attendance& =ro$ the two groups signed in the average
attendance was ? in ever% class&
he wor'shop was given once a wee' for both groups& he duration of the class was about
a chronological hour $ore or less# alwa%s a little bit $ore&
Ever% group consisted of a total of ten students& he pre$ise of the wor'shop was to
reinforce the contents the% were seeing in regular classes&
he contents revisited during the wor'shop were9
4&
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he sa$e principle was obviousl% aplied to the other group which started as a 5 English
5 ,panish class fro$ the begining&
.fter four classes or so# the students not onl% showed a sound understanding about the
contents but the% were also showing a basic proficienc% in ter$s of basic gra$ar
co$ponents such as pronouns# nouns# and verb conugation& <aving this basic infor$ation
$a% not sound as an incredible advance in a class# but for students who have no
understanding of the basci co$ponents of the language is a huge step towards a better
co$prehension on what the contents seeing in class were&
2.) > 9nalysis.
.fter re-visiting a couple of theories about 1 and 2 ac"uisition/learning# we can agree
that hu$an beings ac"uire language in one wa%# when we have co$prehensible input&
0ff course the process $a% be different in so$e aspects depending on the subect# but
broadl% spea'ing we ac"uire language the sa$e wa%&
his accounts for the ac"uiring process especiall% when we tal' about children# but in the
case of conciousl% learning a 2# the process of ac"uiring $a% be the sa$e in so$e aspects#
it is not entirel% the sa$e&
4)
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Fe have to ta'e this into the scenario of a public high school& <ere students have alread%
$astered the $other tongue# ergo# the ac"uiring process has been# so to spea'# co$pleted&
his does not $ean that the ac"uiring process cannot be aco$plish is ust that regarding our
subects the ac"uiring process is a little difficult to establish&
7nowing this and considering that $ost teachers do an acceptable ob in the classroo$ in
order for students to ac"uiere or learn the second language# so$ething is happening with
our students& ,o$ething that accounts for a lac' of basic co$prehension in the target
language& <ow can this be if the progra$ of English starts at 5
th
pri$ar% grade# this $eans
that an average student fro$ public an% school has had English classes for @ %ears afeter
graduating fro$ high school# and even so their co$petence on the language is al$ost ero&
he 21 ,I*CE of English# show ver% alar$ing results in ter$s of basic co$prehension
and proficienc%& he results fro$ the 21 ,I*CE of English are as follow&
Resultados &acionales
'nformaciJn general
Estudiantes Evaluados9 2>&??6# "ue corresponden a ?#5 de la $atrNcula en 3O *edio&
Estableci$ientos Evaluados9 2&6># "ue corresponden a ??#5 de la $atrNcula en 3O *edio&
Punta-es promedio
5+
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En la siguiente tabla se $uestran los puntaes pro$edio nacionales obtenidos por los
estudiantes de 3O *edio en la prueba ,I*CE Ingls&
• ;abla ' Punta-es promedio nacionales prueba S'!CE 'nglKs )*+*
Lrueba ,I*CE Ingls Luntae pro$edio nacional 21
ComprensiJn 9uditia 0
ComprensiJn de 6ectura 2+
;otal ==
Porcenta-e de estudiantes que logra certificaciJn
. continuaciPn se presenta el porcentae# a nivel nacional# de estudiantes de 3O *edio "ue
poseen las habilidades necesarias para certificarse en el :ivel .2# segQn el *arco Co$Qn
Europeo para el .prendiae de Idio$as# CE=&
• Lorcentae de estudiantes a nivel nacional "ue logra certificaciPn9 ++L
• raphics showing the percentage of students
with and without certification.
51
11%
89%
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,ource9 http9//www&educarchile&cl/Lortal&;ase/Feb/MerContenido&asp)IR2@3?
53
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Students from priate schools obtain the best
results.
,ource9 http9//www&educarchile&cl/Lortal&;ase/Feb/MerContenido&asp)IR2@3?
54
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Students who start English classes earlier showed
better results.
,ource9 http9//www&educarchile&cl/Lortal&;ase/Feb/MerContenido&asp)IR2@3?
55
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.ll these results accounts for the failure of the policies i$ple$ented into the English
progra$ along with the lac' of $otivation on the part of the students in ta'ing the subect
of English as a tool for their future& It also accounts for the wide gap between private
educational institutions and the public ones# a gap that can be shortened b% ust ta'ing
public education in Chile $ore seriousl%&
2./ 5 4iscussion
.fter revisiting so$e of the $ost accepted and renowned theories about 1 and 2
ac"uisition and learning we can conclude that there is not one absolute wa% we can teach
our high school students in order for the$ to learn a second language# in our case
English# but we have to be certain that after understanding that the two processes# learning
and ac"uiring# are different# so$e $ethiodologies are not "uiete correct when we have so
little ti$e and resources for teaching a second language# especiall% when the subects are
not suscribing the i$portance of learning a second language in ter$s of opportunities&
rue thing that this investigation is not going to find an absolute solution about the proble$
at hand# the low results we see in students fro$ public high schools when it co$es to test
their co$petence regarding basics in English# but it $a% help to find wa%s of balancing the
contents in order for the students to attain a basic proficienc% in the language# a proficienc%
that will in ti$e allow students to build their English in a $ore natural wa% without having
to go bac' to basics ever%ti$e the% need or want to learn new content&
5#
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5&
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Chapter
MI
C%&C6BS'%&
.ccounting the results of the wor'shops the investigation led to the following conclusions9
=or the entire English spo'en class# a $ini$u$ level of difficult was $aintained& Even this
5(
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In this section the investigation will show so$e plannings# wor'sheets# short te)ts and
tests& his $aterial along with the boo's used b% teachers are the tools teachers have in
order to e)plain# e)e$plif%# and hopefull% $a'e students ac"uire so$ehow the contents&
<.+ Plannings
<ere we have a sa$ple of an average planning fro$ one of the classes given at the .-21
high school&
#1
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L.:I=IC.CI0:CG++ICG.+ I ,E*E,+E 211
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0;EIM0(,! =G:.*E:.(E,!9
- Co$prender el uso del Lri$er condicional&
- Co$prender el uso de algunos conectores&
- Encontrar el significado de infor$aciPn especifica a travs de la e)tracciPn de la idea principal en u te)to&
- Inferir el significado de palabras&
-
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1
&
=irst
conditional
o fa$iliarie
the students with the
usages of the first
condicional&
;egining9 he
introduction of the
subect& ,hort
e)planation what the first
condicional is used for&
E)planator% chart for the
parts of the 1st
condicional
evelop$ent9
<anding out a wor'sheetwith different t%pes of
e)cercises for the 1st
conditional& his paper
will also contain an
e)planation#in spanish#
about the usage and
structure of the first
conditional&
he wor'sheet
will be resolve in class
and in a cooperative
class between students
and teacher& .fter this# a
new wro'sheet with new
e)cersices will be given
to the students# this ti$e
letting the$ resolve thesheet b% the$selves
0bservaciPn
directa&hiteboa
rd
or6sheet with thestructure of the*rst conditional.
The samewor6sheet
containseerciseseplaining thea7rmati"e formof the 1st conditional.
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#3
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<.) 5Portafolio
<ere we have a sa$ple of the t%pes of wor' done in classes&
.ll these wor'sheet are posted as valid wor'sheet t%pes not onl% because the% have
been used b% teachers all over the countr% for $an% %ears# the% are also validated b% the
boo's used b% teachers according to the progra$& hese boo's are fro$ ver% renowned
publishers# in fact# so$e of these e)ercises are based on e)ercises fro$ so$e of those
boo's&
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Liceo A-21
NM3
Teacher: Mr. Roberto Cifuentes G.
First conditional
• l uso del first condicional: -samos el “frst conditional8 cuando laposibilidad de una situación lle"a a un posible resultado! por e9emplo: Iit rains, I will not go ;si llue"e! no ir<= la condición esta en la parte de laoración 0ue contiene la palabra “I8! la parte de la oración 0ue contieneel “I8 es el resultado! si es 0ue la condición ;en este caso de 0uellue"a= se cumple.
• F!R"T C#N$!T!#NAL "TR%CT%R
1. If %ou >>>>>>>>>>>;loo6= in the fridge! %ou >>>>>>>>>>>;*nd= some cold
drin6s.
2. If acarena >>>>>>>>>>>;sa"e= all her mone%! She >>>>>>>>>>>;be able
to go= on holida% to as ?egas.
3. onald >>>>>>>;die= if we >>>>>>>>>>;not get= help soon@4. If there >>>>>>>>>>;be= no gas in the tan6! the car >>>>>>>>>>>;start=.
5. I >>>>>>>>>>>;lend= %ou m% umbrella if it >>>>>>>>>>>;rain=.
#. The sea le"el >>>>>>>>;rise= if the planet >>>>>>>>>>;get= hotter.
&. If %ou >>>>>>>>>>>;eat= %our sandwiches now! %ou >>>>>>>>>;not ha"e=
an%thing for lunch@
(. Aou >>>>>>>>>>>;be= safe in an accident if %ou >>>>>>>>;wear= %our
seatbelt.
). If %ou >>>>>;not stud%=! %ou >>>>>>>;fail= the test.
1+. I >>>>>>>>>>>>;not come= with %ou if %ou >>>>>>>>>>>>;not bring=
$onstanBa to the part%.@
Cote: ,s %ou can see! the “if8 clause and the “will8 clause are
interchangeable! this means that the sentence can begin with the “if8 clause
or the “will8 clause without changing the meaning of the sentence.
If+Subject+present simple, Subj+Will+verb in infinitive(first
column)
%nne&
#5
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.g. If %ou stud% hard! %ou will pass. D Aou will pass if %ou stud% hard.
Aou will get respect if %ou are respectful. D If %ou are respectful! %ou
will get respect.
Cote: Cotice that when the sentence begins with the
“if8 clause a comma ;!= is needed! this is not the case when
the sentence begins with the “will8 clause.
##
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iceo ,'21nglish departmentC3
Teacher: r. oberto $ifuentes E.
Fa"e %ou e"er heard about Elobal dimmingG
Sure %ou ha"e heard about global
warming! but what about global dimmingG
This phenomenon has starting to gain
force due to the research done b% a Hritish
scientist ;Eerr% Stanhill= in the late 5+s. Fis
research data was compared 4+ %ears later
;1))+= and the% show that the amount of solar radiation has decreased at 1 J2K per %ear.
Elobal dimming is primaril% caused b% the particles being sent to the
lower atmosphere! dust! gases! pollution in general! these particles tend to mi
with the clouds and sometimes the% form clouds of their own. This ma6es a
thic6 blan6et! that in the case of clouds retain droplets which reLects the solar
ra%s bac6 to space pre"enting them from entering the earth and causing less
rain! therefore long periods of drought.
,nother bad aspect about global dimming is that "egetation need solarradiation in order to achie"e photos%nthesis! and since the%Mre not getting
much of it plants do not ha"e the necessar% energ% to process the carbon
dioide into organic compounds! this has had an enormous impact in the chain
food.
The sil"er lining is that this phenomenon helps to 6eep awa% the global
warming e/ect! since the earth is actuall% cooling! but if %ou thin6 again!
humans and e"er% 6ind of life form on earth need the sun in order to sur"i"e.
%nne&
#&
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6iceo 95)+NM3
Teacher: Mr. Roberto Cifuentes G.
I. Match the sentences in column % with the ones in column '
#$%&'( )
1. If she sa%s no again
2. If we donMt hurr%
3. e will not ha"e a part% at the end of the %ear
4. If %ou need help
5. I will not sa%
#. I will lend %ou some mone%
&. The% wonMt come
#$%&'( B
>> If we donMt properl% in"ite them
>> If we donMt sa"e enough mone%
>> If the% as6 me
>> If %ou need some cash
>> I will help %ou! %ou 9ust ha"e to as6
>> e wonMt get there in time
>> I will not in"ite her an%more
II. *omplete the sentences with the words given bellow in order
+or the sentence to make sense.
1. If we >>>>>> our homewor6 now! we will ha"e free time later.
2. I will tal6 to him if he >>>>>>>>>
3. hat will %ou do if %ou >>>>>>>> a wallet on the streetG
4. If %ou >>>>>>>>> to succeed! %ou >>>>>>>>>>>> wor6 "er% hard
5. If $arla >>>>>>>>>>> ! she will >>>>>>>> "er% bad mar6s.
#. Aou wonMt >>>>> there on time if %ou >>>>>>>>>>>
& If I >>>>>>> time! I >>>>>>> go.
6iceo 95)+C3
I J ICN ' ISHF,?S J F,? TO J ET J NOCMT F-A ' NOSCMT
ST-NA J NO J H J F,? ' I
%nne&
#)
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Teacher: r.oberto $ifuentes E.
I $FOOS the right endings from the bo to complete the sentences about thepostman.P the dog will probabl% bite him.P if he has some letters for that house.
P heMll be all right.P if he doesnMt ha"e to go in.P he wonMt ha"e to go in.
1 J If the postman goes into the garden!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2 J If he doesnMt go in!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
3 J Hut heMll ha"e to go in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
4 J If there isnMt an%
letter!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
5 J The postman will be pleased
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
II -S the words from the bo to complete the sentences about Tom and his
mother.
1 J TomMs mother >>>>>>>>>>>>>> be angr% if tom >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> get down.
2 J Hut if he >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>down she >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> be angr%.
3 J She sa%s he wonMt >>>>>>>>>>>> his fa"ourite programme if he doesnMt
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
4 J Of course! she will >>>>>>>>>> him to watch his fa"ourite programme if he >>>>>>>>now.
5 J SheMs often angr% when Tom does things li6e that.
EetsillStoponMtNoesnMt,llowatchStops
Tom, don’t jump on my
bed! Get down at once or I’ll be
angry. You won’t watc your
aourite T" sow i you don’t
stop!
&+
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-nglish workshop
The evolution o+ the sel+.
Workshop duration
'eginning date
-nd date
/ocation
0upervisor teacher
Teacher in charge Roberto *i+uentes 1.
uration o+ the class
2umber o+ students
%nne&
&1
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3oreword
This &or'sho( (resents itself as an o((ortunit) to continue &ith the learnin*
(rocess in students of 3rd *rade+ since there,s neer enou*h tie in the classroo to
*o throu*h all the content in a unit.
This (resent &or'sho( is to be considered reinforceent for those &ho
choose to si*n for it. For obious reasons this &or'sho( &ill count &ith a liited
/uota+ and since the idea is to reinforce those &ho are in disadanta*e in relation to
those &ho a((arentl) hae a ore accurate (roficienc) in the lan*ua*e+ the first
students &ill hae the (reference+ and the latter &ill be *ien ore adanced tas's.
!n fact the adanced students can (la) a ore si*nificant role for the) can be (laced
as onitors for the rest of the class+ in this case &or'sho(+ *iin* the the
o((ortunit) not onl) to learn soethin* ne&+ but actuall) findin* a &a) of bondin*+
in a ore eanin*ful leel+ to the content the) alread) 'no&.
%nne
&2
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%bout the workshop
The &or'sho( &ill consist of 0 nuber of (ractical classes
The obectie of the &or'sho( is to reinforce &hat third *raders stud) durin*
their re*ular n*lish classes.
The contents of the re*ular n*lish class &ill be reie&ed in the &or'sho( in
order to *et a better understandin* of the contents studied in class.
To attain a better foundation of the n*lish lan*ua*e &ill be the surre(titious
obectie of the &or'sho(+ fro &here students+ ho(efull)+ &ill be able to
continue buldin* their 'no&led*e+ 'no&in* that the) hae a better baseboard
to start &ith.
At the end of the (rocess the students &ill render a short test for the record.
%nne
&3
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#orAshop planning
*lass # 0tarting.
#. Introduction to the workshop.
• hat the wor6shop is about.
• Setting the main ob9ecti"es of the wor6shop.
". 0etting the main topics the workshop will cover.
• Reviewing Unit 1(Advice nd support)
! "#is will wor$ s reinforcement of t#e first unit of t#e boo$% "#e content will be t$en
from not#er point of view, $eeping, brodl& spe$ing, t#e vocbulr&, t#e grmmr,
etc% of t#e unit%
• Invigorting t#e 'nglis# topics t#t #ve been studied during t#e regulr 'nglis#
clss%
! In t#is w&, t#e wor$s#op will be n ttempt to widen t#e topic, nd put t#e sme
content t#e unit gives in different situtions%
$. 0etting work mode.
• 'stblis#ing, in ccordnce wit# t#e students, t#e most suitble wor$ mode%
4. 0etting work groups.
• Setting wor$ groups ccording to t#e level of 'nglis#%
5. 0etting monitors.
Setting dvnced students s monitors%
*lass " I was, I am, I will...
• In order to #ve cler vision of w#ere Im going, I need to $now
w#ere I come from, w#t I ws, nd w#o I m now% In t#is sense t#e
wor$s#op will review tenses (pst, present nd future) in order to get cler
understnding bout t#em%
• "o stte t#is, evolution of oneself will be t#e tool well use% '%g% W#en I ws five
&ers old, I wnted to be doctor, in time, t#t c#nge, now I #te #ospitls, nd I
t#in$ Im ver& good t music, so will stud& music t#eor&%*
%nne
%nne
&4
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6%0T 6R-0-2T 37T7R-
;State who %ou were= ;State who %ou are=
;State who %ou will be=
I wasQ
I amQ
I willQ
I li6edQ I li6eQ I am
going toQ
I used toQ I am use toQ I will be
I wanted I wantQ
%nne
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$omplete the chart below with %our eperiences! using the corresponding tense for each stor%.
ollow the eample below.
-89/7TI9293 T:-0-/3
%nne
&#
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2%M
-
oberto $ifuentes.
6%0T hen I was 5 %ears old I wanted to be a doctor. I used to 6now a lot about the bod%.
6R-0
-2T
Cow! I thin6 I wouldnMt stud% medicine because I hate hospitals. In time IM"e realiBed that I
lo"e music! so I wan to stud% music theor%.
37T7
R-
If e"er%thing goes well! I will be a successful musician.
&&
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Chapter
MIII
@'@6'%R9PHG
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;loo$field# eonard
• 1?33& Language& :ew Uor'9 <enr% <olt&
Cho$ps'%# :oa$
• Current Issues in inguistic heor%# he <ague9 *outon# 1?64&
• Syntactic Structures# ondon9 *outon# 1?5>
• Aspects of the Theory of Syntax# Ca$bridge9 *&I&& Lress# 1?65
• .spects of the heor% of ,%nta)# Ca$bridge9 *&I&& Lress# 1?65
• The Sound Pattern of English (with *orris <alle!# :ew Uor'9 <arper V +ow#
1?6@&
• Studies on Semantics in Generative Grammar he <ague9 *outon# 1?>2&
• !eflections on Language# :ew Uor'9 Lantheon ;oo's# 1?>5&
• +eflections on anguage# :ew Uor'9 Lantheon ;oo's# 1?>5&
7rashen# ,tephen
• 7rashen# ,&& (1?@2!& Principles and Practice in Second Language Ac"uisition&
0)ford
&)
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Chapter
IS
#E@R9PHG
(1
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