Browsing by Author "Hart, Catherine Anne"

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Developing reading sub-skills: 15 lesson plans adapted from "the canterbury tales” for teenagers
(2016) Bacuilima Ñauta, Grace Fernanda; Hart, Catherine Anne
This work emphasizesthe importance of using literature in EFL classes. This is used as a technique for teaching the four basic skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking. It also provides tools to improve the students’ vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar structures. The practice of reading literature provides benefits listed in this paper. However, some disadvantages are presented too. The lack of training of some professors, the lack of interest by the students and the lack of proper reading material, make the introduction of literature a difficult task to complete. Selecting the correct material for reading in EFL classes is the most important aspect to generate reading interest in students. In this case, teenage students are the objective of this study. “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, is the work this project will be based on. Geoffrey Chaucer’s literature, “The Canterbury Tales,” gives the reader the opportunity to imagine a different culture, people’s behavior, feelings, fun and morals with which people identify. Fifteen lesson plans adapted from “The Canterbury Tales” is the best tool to cultivate the interest in reading literature. The most important reading sub-skills are showed in these lesson plans. Each of these sub-skills demonstrates suggested activities that can be practiced in the classroom. Incorporating reading in EFL classes facilitates the teacher’s work for teenage students who will find that Reading can be easy and fun.
Improving punctuation through the use of a mobile application withtwelfth graders at Unidad Santa María de la Esperanza
(2016) Astudillo Vanegas, Geovanny Patricio; Hart, Catherine Anne
This project focuses on the development of a mobile application for mobile devices in order to improve punctuation. The purpose of this project is the development of technology as an innovative method to be used in the teaching process. In this way, students can develop cognitive skills, in this case, punctuation skills. According to the data collected, it is evident that students have serious problems with punctuation. For that reason, developing punctuation skills through the use of a mobile application enhances the students´ interest in learning this skill. Through this descriptive project, the processes required for creating a mobile application and the activities proposed in the mobile application are detailed. The main aim of this project is to provide a mobile application to teach punctuation. This technological method used in educational fields to promote student learning, leaves the traditional methods and creates more effective tools.
Social networks as an interactive tool to develop writing skills in A1 High School Students
(2016) Parra Romero, Daniel Edison; Hart, Catherine Anne
The research is based on a teaching-learning proposal using Social Networks to improve writing skills in High School students so they can get an A1 level of proficiency in the area. Students consider that repetitive writing of letters or descriptions is not the best way to practice writing, because they are not interested in the topics presented. Social networks, on the other hand, have become part of our students’ lives and it is impossible to speak of young people without discussing the influence of these platforms in their lives. To do this research, have been compiled a lot of academic papers and proposals that show the advantages of having social networks as part of lesson plans; after this, several activities and lesson plans were created as the final product of the proposal. The results were positive and the importance benefits of social network to develop writing skills in students were proved the proposal was structure with activities used as main tool social networks.
The use of videos to promote the speakingskills in the efl third level language department at the University of Cuenca
(2014) Córdova Roldán, María Eulalia; Hart, Catherine Anne
This research centers on the use of video resources in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom and the utilization of the web video source, “ENGLISH TODAY,” “English Conversation,” and “Learn English Speaking - English Course” [English Subtitle] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQwNoXq2wf8), to promote the speaking skills of students of the Third Level Language Department of the University of Cuenca. Students and teachers of the Third Level Language Department of the University of Cuenca were asked and requested to offer their points of view about the use of videos, then, they were asked to express their concepts about it, and finally, their progress was tested before, during, and after the submission of the video material. This goal was completed using measurement tools such as a survey, a pre-test and a post-test, questionnaires, and the analysis of the results was developed using quantitative graphics which are attached to the present investigation. Experts in education have carried out some special experiments about the technique of video resources, asserting that an active and motivating beginning of English classes is to offer feasible video material. The situations given in most of the video material agree directly with the different topics studied in the syllabus of the Third Level in the Language Department at the University of Cuenca.
Using information gap activities to strengthen the development of oral communication in learners at a beginning level
(2015) Buri Lojano, Luis Oswaldo; Hart, Catherine Anne
This research work has taken into account the several problems in the use of spoken language that many Ecuadorian students face in their EFL classes. It analyzes theories about communicative methods for teaching and the English National Curriculum. It also suggests some guidelines to foster the development of EFL classes in which learners make use of oral work. Communicative activities are placed as a tool to enhance oral skills in EFL classes where learners’ lack of abilities to use the target language to communicate is evident. Beginning learners are usually the ones who have huge difficulties in performing oral work. For that reason, this research presents communicative activities for learners of this level. The communicative tasks that are studied are Information Gap Activities. These tasks are recommended because of their characteristics and advantages for oral production. It has been considered that a way of supporting beginners’ oral abilities to communicate is to combine the proposed teaching material with the language which they are exposed to in their classes. For that reason, this research includes IGAs based on the content of the course, English Book 1 that is used by teachers and students of public high schools. The main purpose of this investigation then, is to provide information and material to support teaching the oral practice when oral work needs to be performed. It is expected that the suggested IGAs contribute to the development of oral skills in learners at a beginning level.