Teaching English in Brazil
Teaching English in Brazilian High Schools
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JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
A possible use of blogs in teaching English as a foreign language.
Teaching English as foreign language in High Schools is not easy. Neither is it in language centers, but at least there people are more willing to cooperate and dive into the foreign language universe.
What happens is that High School students deny the possibility of seriously learning a foreign language there and transfer to Language Centers this task. The Language Centers on the other hand, focus their teaching on the communicative approach, leaving a gap between the written and spoken English: the students can speak but can hardly read or write, or recognize the grammar functions and interpret texts.
I suppose this is exactly where blogs can be really useful: students would write and read constantly to update school papers, teachers’ comments and assignments and even their own essays or exchange of letters, reports and opinions.
By blogging students can exchange ideas, which they really enjoy, as well as read and write, thus, they will strengthen their weak language skills.
There are some other ways to use blogs in L2 classrooms - it’s a matter of adaptation and exploitation of the class’ resources and needs.
Teaching English as foreign language in High Schools is not easy. Neither is it in language centers, but at least there people are more willing to cooperate and dive into the foreign language universe.
What happens is that High School students deny the possibility of seriously learning a foreign language there and transfer to Language Centers this task. The Language Centers on the other hand, focus their teaching on the communicative approach, leaving a gap between the written and spoken English: the students can speak but can hardly read or write, or recognize the grammar functions and interpret texts.
I suppose this is exactly where blogs can be really useful: students would write and read constantly to update school papers, teachers’ comments and assignments and even their own essays or exchange of letters, reports and opinions.
By blogging students can exchange ideas, which they really enjoy, as well as read and write, thus, they will strengthen their weak language skills.
There are some other ways to use blogs in L2 classrooms - it’s a matter of adaptation and exploitation of the class’ resources and needs.