As Prekindergarten English teachers reflecting upon the methodology used to teach vocabulary, observing our 3 to 5 years old students’ learning patterns and wanting to be the best teachers of all, we came up with two questions:
- How can students be motivated to drill and use the vocabulary at school and at home?
- How to develop vocabulary acquisition and its usage in context?
We started then, to explore theories and general information about vocabulary acquisition, communicative approach, task-based learning and teaching English to young learners, looking for information to propose our project and justify it.
August 28, 2009
We designed a pedagogical intervention and were ready to start our research's data collection and implementation with the following objectives in mind:
Main objective:
To implement a methodology through the use of Task Based Learning – Task-continuity – “chaining of activities” (Nunan, 1989, p.119), to foster vocabulary acquisition skills that will progressively allow students play with the words to build sentences (Willis, 2001, p.129), enhancing language use in context.
Secondary objectives:
*To promote autonomy.
We decided on the instruments to carry out data collection:
For the pre-stage:
- Diagnostic activity – proforma & Video.
- Surveys for parents
- Surveys for parents
For the while stage:
- Video recording
- Photos
- Autonomy chart (daily achievements reflection and follow up)
- Log - Observation and note taking -
- Proformas (to asses students performance)
- Documents (Students' illustrations)
- Parents feedback at random.
- Students’ survey on progress and use of the task chain.
- Questionnaire for parents, and interview at random.
- Students' post intervention diagnostic test.
September 9, 2009
Even though we had clear thoughts about our research we needed to narrow the research question, so we came out with this final version:
What is the effect of the implementation of Task-based approach – task continuity through chained activities – on developing vocabulary acquisition at early childhood? (3 to 5 years old stage)
Our research already started its course...
Parents were informed and asked for their active participation through the consent letters we designed, which have were authorized by the school's staff of directors.
We set two surveys for parents in the school's web page to help us get information about learners' profile and language contact opportunities.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspxsm=seq0_2fTDj7I8Sae0RKF5kOA_3d_3dSae0RKF5kOA_3d_3d
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspxsm=vvhyadf5tjBebbsZWhho3Q_3d_3dbsZWhho3Q_3d_3d
Up to the date we received 12 replies out of 44 families to the questionnaire called "Student-parents questionnaire," and 9 replies to the other survey called "Premontessori Students' Learner Profile."
The diagnostic activity was carried out in order to know about students' previous knowledge of vocabulary, using flashcards corresponding to the vocabulary to be taught.
We already started piloting the materials designed (memory cards) and the first task for the task-continuity chain (memory game) with our little students, who were motivated and willing to learn.
Septiembre 11, 2009
The implementation procedure consists of:
1. Teacher introduces the new sound and related vocabulary, by means of songs, especially designed learning objects, flashcards and realia.
2. Students color the illustrations on designed worksheets (two of the same for each student) while drilling the vocabulary.
3. Students cut the illustrations to make a set of vocabulary cards with which to play memory game, charades and pictograph.
4. Teacher models how to play (memory game, charades and pictograph) in a whole group activity.
5. Students are guided to play in pairs/groups using a set of vocabulary cards. Groups will be monitored one by one in order to check for correct pronunciation and proper game procedure.
6. Students take the vocabulary cards home in order to have self access for autonomous practice.
7. Students self access ICTs designed tools/online tasks available at the school’s web page for autonomy develpment and practice.
8. Students make a follow-up of their autonomous performance by filling out a “Daily achievement format” sent home.
9. A week later assessment implementation is applied through a collaborative sentence building activity.
10. Students individually illustrate the vocabulary in context by representing their collaborative production.
11. Students use the vocabulary learned in a personal guided way-teacher-student- by forally filling the missing word when teacher tells the story, living the space for students to identify each word.
September 25,2009
Up to the date there has been some preliminary data analysis concerning the diagnostic activity, the surveys and the implementation procedure.
After analyzing the Diagnostic activity in which the 44 students were exposed to 56 words of the vocabulary to be studied - words begining with letters F, S, M, L, D, N, R, P (7 words of each), to observe previous knowledge. Proformas were filled out showing that:
54.4% of the students (26/44) do not know a word from the vocabulary that will be studied (0/56 words).
18.1% of the students (8/44) know 1.7% of the words from the vocabulary that will be studied (1/56).
6.8% of the students (3/44) know 3.5% of the words from the vocabulary that will be studied (2/56).
9.9% of the students (4/44) know 5.3 % of the words from the vocabulary that will be studied (3/56).
2.2% of the students (1/44) know 7.1% of the words from the vocabulary that will be studied (4/56).
2.2% of the students (1/44) know 8.9% of the words from the vocabulary that will be studied (5/56).
2.2% of the students (1/44) know 12.5% of the words from the vocabulary that will be studied (7/56).
Once sample Surveys (14 out of 44) were analyzed, we took into account the most relevant data for our just started implementation which let us discover that the project was on the right track:
*87.5% (14 families) come from nonbilingual prekindergartens.
*87.5% (14 families) play games together every day.
*86.7% (13 families) say that students are motivated to learn English.
*93.3% (14 families) say that students feel happy in the English class.
*87.5% (14 families) come from nonbilingual prekindergartens.
*87.5% (14 families) play games together every day.
*86.7% (13 families) say that students are motivated to learn English.
*86.7% (13 families) say that students like to learn new words in English.
*100% (14 families) say that learners have good memory for names and general information.
These high percentages will serve the purpose of the research project and will positively affect its application.
*86.7% (12 families) say that students read illustrations and images easily. This information is relevant for our project’s purposes.
*73.3% (10 families) say that students make clear drawings. This perception does not really fit the evidence we have through the assessment worksheets.
*73.3% (10 families) say that students use a lot of hand gestures and body movement when talking. This will be useful when students play charades and when they participate in the collaborative sentence building task.
*100.0% (14 families) say that students learn new games easily and quickly. This is also a good starting points for the students to access English practice through the task continuity chain. (Sequence of games).
*80% (11 families) say that students accurately express her ideas and feelings. This is going to be proved through students oral participation in the different tasks.
*80% (11 families) of the students talk to their parents about their progresses, goals and achievements.
*80% (11 families) of the students are encouraged to use what they have learned at school in other contexts. This is also a relevant issue to take into account for the project’s data collection procedures.
Having started the implementation of the project and making it part of the school's annual planning we realized that the number of sounds and words should be changed due to time needed to teach other topics in the Bimontly planning. Therefore we ommited including vocabulary with letters R, N, P and C for the research purpose. However, these are including in the annual planning and will be taught with the same methodology, as well as the rest of the alphabet letters along the school's academic year.
September 28, 2009
Students have been enjoying playing and learning the vocabulary with the different tasks:
MEMORY GAME
Notes and video taken show that the methodology used for introducing the initial sounds taught and their corresponding vocabulary was clearer the second time and students were more autonomous in the elaboration of the cards although cutting the cards is still a fine motor skill difficult for some students. This could mean that with time, students will get used to handle the Memory Game easily and be ready to start applying the second task which is Charades.
Notes and video taken show that the methodology used for introducing the initial sounds taught and their corresponding vocabulary was clearer the second time and students were more autonomous in the elaboration of the cards although cutting the cards is still a fine motor skill difficult for some students. This could mean that with time, students will get used to handle the Memory Game easily and be ready to start applying the second task which is Charades.
INTRODUCING THE VOCABULARY
CHECKING UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUALLY
(LETTER M)
INTRODUCING MEMORY GAME PROCEDURE
TO GROUP
(LETTER F)
PRACTICING MEMORY GAME IN SMALL
GROUPS
(LETTER F)
CHARADES
This task refers to an activity in which one student makes gestures to represent a word (mimic) and another one guesses which word it is.
Students have shown interest in this task, and have commented that they play it with their parents and all of them like to mimic the meaning of the vocabulary word cards. This is a positive change of scheme using the same cards, as proposed in our design intervention.
PICTOGRAPH
The word pictograph referes to illustrations of the meaning of word.
The word pictograph referes to illustrations of the meaning of word.
The worksheets designed to assess students had shown as a pattern, that students have some difficulties to make their drawings clear, even for them –due to their age –. However, developing fine motor skills is one of Prekindergarten’s goals, not only for the English department, also for other subject departments, and this practice develops not only these kind of motor skills, perception, expression and creativity are developed as well.
After the second letter was introduced, these worksheets were replaced by a blank paper used in the sentence building time to benefit students' communication through drawing the stories in context, this change allows them to make free use of the space, and saves time for independent assessment.
At home, pictograph will be used to identify and practice isolated vocabulary words as well.
After the second letter was introduced, these worksheets were replaced by a blank paper used in the sentence building time to benefit students' communication through drawing the stories in context, this change allows them to make free use of the space, and saves time for independent assessment.
At home, pictograph will be used to identify and practice isolated vocabulary words as well.
PICTOGRAPH TASK
(LETTER F)
ONLINE TASKS
Online tasks have been designed for students'further practice as independent work at home, with the purposes of including parents in the students' learning process, offering a self-access space to develop self-regulated learning.
Such online tasks have been uploaded in the school's web page.
http://www.gimnasiofemenino.edu.co/portal/index.phpoption=com_content&view=category&id=35&Itemid=59
Student's as well as parents have been giving positive feedback about them, as well as suggestions to make make not only this, but the other tasks, better.
ONLINE TASK USAGE AT HOME
(PICTURES SENT BY PARENTS)
COLLABORATIVE SENTENCE BUILDING TIME
Collaborative sentence building is a space in which students attemp to say make sentences using the vocabulary learned in a collaborative way. Once they come out with sentences that connect all the words learned, they illustrate the sentence, and once they finish illustrating it, the teacher goes around the classroom recalling the sentences to each student, living a space for the student to say the corresponding word in order to complete the sentence.
For the first letter, only two students’ of each group participated in creating the sentences with the vocabulary taught. For the second letter, the participation increased up to five students in two of the groups. The pattern shown is that use of L1 is combined with the production of the specific vocabulary studied, demonstrating understanding of the purpose of the activity.
RECALLING WORDS AS PART OF SENTENCES
October 2, 2009
A daily achievement format was sent home with two purposes:
- To enhance students' self reflection on autonomous work with parents' help.
- To collect data about autonomus work done at home.
For the first letter, only two students’ of each group participated in creating the sentences with the vocabulary taught. For the second letter, the participation increased up to five students in two of the groups. The pattern shown is that use of L1 is combined with the production of the specific vocabulary studied, demonstrating understanding of the purpose of the activity.
RECALLING WORDS AS PART OF SENTENCES
October 2, 2009
A daily achievement format was sent home with two purposes:
- To enhance students' self reflection on autonomous work with parents' help.
- To collect data about autonomus work done at home.
October 13, 2009
We began to look for patterns in the proformas used to assess the students' vocabulary acquisition. It was found that a high percentage had learned the words, using them at home to play with their parents and in the school when recalling the sentences built collaboratively.
October 19, 2009
A questionaire for parents was designed and sent home along with an invitation for an interview to be held on October 23rd, day in which parents will come to school to receive their daughters' grades report.
October 23, 2009
Some parents voluntarily came for the interview. They gave us positive feedback and suggestions.
October 26 to November 7, 2009
Post intervention diagnostic test was implemented. The procedure was exactly the same as the diagnostic activity, except for it was done individually and using only letters F, S, M, L and D flashcards.
