Peer editing to Claudia Portugal -- EnglishtextsM

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Date Posted: 09:42:51 06/19/07 Tue
Author: Francid�a
Subject: Peer editing to Claudia Portugal

UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS
FACULDADE DE LETRAS
PROF. Adrianna
STUDENT: CL�UDIA PORTUGAL
TASK 4 � Final Paper

The best way to start a class

If we want to have classes more communicative, less teacher(P) centered and with students more relaxed and prepared to learn language items (P)we need to start it right. In order to get these results, the teacher must do, as the first activity of class a �warming up� activity.

At the beginning of a class the students had(v) expectations about what they are going to learn, how the teacher will require them to interact and how the class will be lead on. All those expectations should not disconcert the students, but should encourage them to participate of(PREP) the class. By doing a warming up activity, the teachers prepare the students to learn the language elements. The warming up activity let(WW) students realize about what is going to be taught, and give them the clarification that is need, making the students more comfortable and less worried about the task itself (Richards 2002).

As Lee Boon Hua states �To develop a climate of trust, awareness and co-operation in which creative collaboration can occur, warming up activities are necessary.� (qtd. in Boon Hua, Lee 1991). The students need to feel comfortable and free to make part of the communicative activities that will be done in class, in order to improve their own communication as individuals and as a group, and warming up activities can provide the students the environment that is necessary.

Besides, a warming up activity has extremely(WW) importance because it shows the students the meaning that the language item has in real communication, giving the students reasons for why they need to learn this specific language element and how it is meaningful for their own communication. According to David Nunan, by giving the students the meaning of a language item in communication, they �see the connection between form and function.� (NUNAN 1998). Consequently (P)the connection that it is made between form and function/meaning at the warm up activity makes the students aware of the importance of learning the specific language item.

By reflecting about the meaning of the language item that will be worked in class, the warming up activity promote(WW) a(A) important reflection about the students� use of the language, whether (and in what degree) the specific language element that will(VERB MISSING) learned/practiced, is possible to be used according to: formality, the context in which it will be used and in what ways it is actually performed by native speakers. Those reflections give students ways to understand the use of the language elements that will be practiced in real communication, outside the classroom and make part of the students� communicative competence (RICHARDS, J.& RENANDYA, 2001 citing Hymes theory of communicative competence).

In order to have a class which gives students the opportunity to learn language items and, at the same time, increasing(WV TENSE) their communicative competence, and the teacher as a cooperative person on(P) the process of learning and not the center, warming up activities must be done, because they provide the best environment in class, getting the students more opened to learn and practice the language items in communication.

References:

RICHARDS, J.& RENANDYA, W. Methodology in language teaching. Cambridge University Press, 2002. p. 153-166.

GOWER, PHILIPS, WALTER, Teaching Practice. Macmillan, 2005. p. 126-139.
NUNAN (1998) Second Language Teaching and Learning. CVP,1999. (p 69-92)

LEE BOON HUA, The English Teacher , Vol XX October 1991

Dear Cl�udia,
I liked your text very much, it was well structured. I'm not sure, but I felt as if it was more descriptive than argumentative.Please feel free to disagree with me. There are some mistakes that I pointed out to help you. I may not have used the correct symbols. In case you don't understand, feel free to talk to me.

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