Introduction

1.Describe your experience in teaching both children and adults.Teaching English to children has been a challenge, not only because I’m teaching a second

language, but their different needs and also because I’m teaching children and teenagers in the same group and sometimes there is chaos, because the teens already understood and children need more input.

With adults teaching it is easier you don’t have to struggle with them because they already passed through the whole process of being a student and they set goals and have reasons to learn a second language.

2.Based on what you read and your own experience, what’s FOR YOU the most important difference between teaching English to children and to teenagers or adults?

I think the only differences are the needs and priorities each social group has. 3.In your opinion, is it easier to teach children or adults? Why?

For me is easier to teach adults because it requires less effort in planning the lessons, not mentioning that they have many skills and motivation to learn faster because they are in developmental stages of their learning.

4.What’s the difference between the learner-centered and learning centered perspectives?

Learner-centered learning is focus on the child lesson planning.This approach limits the children learning, leading to children failure to learn.

Learning-centered perspective.- teachers have success in what they teach because they focus on fun activities and maximize learning.

*teachers have to do what the child may not be able to do.

5. How would you describe your teaching practice? What methods do you use and why? What strategies have worked better for you? What strategies haven’t worked for you? Why do you think this happens?

I would say that my teaching practice is similar to the learner centered, at first they are eager to learn and participate, but not so often they lost interest on the activity and I get lost too, I implement games and activities that involve TPR.

The strategies that involved TPR haven’t worked for me and that’s weird because they are kids and they like to be in constant motion. The strategies that have worked for me are the ones when I use flashcards or games like hot potato.

Comparative chart

Cognitive and Developmental theoriesPiaget Bruner Howard Gardner Caine and Caine

His theory focus mainly on how children acquire and understand knowledge, and it’s divided into 4 stages. According to Piaget children acquire knowledge from the environment that surrounds them, but this learning does not involve adults interaction with children. It´s just children and their surroundings.

Scaffolding and Routine.This theory is based on solving problems in an easy way. Beginning with new tasks for children, adults need to catch the attention of children, divide the task into simple steps and set a goal, so the children can continue with it.It’s like solving a puzzle, the first step is to find edge pieces, help the child put the pieces altogether, once Children have the edge ready, the child has to find the matching pieces (the easiest way would be finding pieces of one side of the puzzle with the same color of the edge side and continue doing the same with other pieces).

Gardner with his theory goes beyond the definition of intelligence and sets his theory where intelligence it´s not only about problem-solving.Gardner says that not everybody learn the same things through the same process and also states that every person has different talents and that not everybody has the same success in task as others.There are people gifted to do music, but that doesn’t mean they are good dancers.In other words Gardner explains that brains are organized differently and each intelligence has its own development ways.

It is based on the structure and function of the brain. Brain-based learning suggests that it’s very important to know how the brain works, the principles of natural learning suggests that when the learner experience something realistic.

Social Learning TheoryVygotsky Bandura

Vygotsky’s theory focus mainly on the social interaction, unlike Piaget’s theory, Vygotsky establish on it that social interaction comes before development; for example the first time children interact with a pencil they observe it and then they develop the pencil function.Vygotsky involves adults in the learning development.

This theory states that children learn by observing their environment; people, animals, etc., these ones are considered as role models, children copy their parents or other family members’ behavior. Children even imitate the movements and sounds of animals. It is like they are playing monkey see, monkey do.A perfect example would be a father that is fixing his car/truck and his two years old son start doing the same, but with his bicycle or mother a mother that is putting her make-up on and her little girl do the same just to look pretty like her mother.And also when a child sees a dog or horse and begins to imitate its sounds and movements According to Albert Bandura children social interaction is through the process of imitation.

II design a comparative chart where you briefly but completely explain in your own words the following theories:

Inquiry LearningDewey

Dewey’s learning theory establishes the teacher with the role of a facilitator and encourages students.Students have to be involved and apply their previous knowledge and do some research. This theory helps to awake in young learners the curiosity to acquire, clarify and apply in normal life.

Critical TheoryFriere and Mclaren

Critical social theory is not a traditional learning theory this discipline applied in education tries to enlight students, to encourage them to think broad going beyond of what capitalist education had thought learners, research, do not settle with the first impression, develop free-minds and acquire an education of quality.

Postmodern PerspectivesThese theories do not provide new knowledge, but challenge students to build their own ideas with the knowledge they have learn so far by talking and sharing their opinions with their peer group.

III. Personal experience.1. Write a brief essay (2-3 pages) where you reflect on the theories studied regarding your own teaching practice. Do any of the theories apply to your teaching practice? Why? Do you think any of them would work in your teaching practice? Can you effectively apply these theories in the REAL practice? Why or Why not?...