Web site with a system of tasks to contribute to the development of the oral expression skill in eleven grade students (página 2)

Taking into account the results of the applied instruments, the author of this investigation decided to create a web site called "Inside Out" with a system of tasks that included the work with all the indicators that have been analyzed and the macro skills, in order to develop the oral expression skill and in that way supply the students" needs in these educational level.

2.2-Characterization and Foundation of the proposal

It assumes the necessity to apply a website directed to develop the skill of oral expression in English and to take to the man humanistic characteristics of the socialist society. The previously exposed thing demonstrates a conception of the truly dialectical world – materialistic and humanist, necessary for the future challenges.

It cannot be forgotten that education is a social process where relationship exists among society – culture – education and relationship also exists between the social and the logical, when in the proposal works in groups or in pairs. Also keeps in mind the theory of the activity outlined by Leontiev because evidently there is a relationship between activities – communication.

According to the postulates of the cultural historical approach, they are reflected in the website with system of tasks proposed for the development of the ability of oral expression in English followed to the development of the personality of the students like product of the activity and communication in the preparation for the activity. The relationship among the participants and the place inside it, guarantees the execution of the objective that pursues

A teaching development is appreciated because what the student that could not make initially with the professor's help and other students, can make it now in an individual and conscious way, with another partner or with several and the computer. The topic approached in this investigation possesses a system character applied to its activities.

The proposal includes the works with the teaching learning process and personal and not personal nexuses settle down, among professor – pupils, student – group, problem – objective, method – content.

The fundamental purpose of the proposal is design a web site with a system of tasks to develop the oral expression skill in the English subject.

"Octavio Hernandez Dominguez" pre-university recognizes as one of its potentialities are the lab at the service of his students, which have timed in the schedule two turns of lab and two of machine time weekly. However one of the technological means elaborated for the English lessons named Sunrise (designed for the pre-university student) have positive aspects like the very good explanations of the grammar content but at the same time it have some negative aspects, they are that this multimedia use terms and vocabulary not updated, the exercises do not have level of complexity, it does not develop the individual differences of the students and one of the most affected aspect is that it does not develop the oral expression skill. Besides present incompatibility with most of the operating systems, the platform in which it is developed does not enable a fast neither efficient navigation, which is why they do not supply the student"s needs.

The system of tasks and the web site Inside Out that proposes this investigation, pretend that students can learn among themselves like with the help of the teacher. Their learning can become easier dividing the classroom into groups or couples to develop conversations.

The tasks elaborated are collaborative, while the majority develop in couples where each student needs to collaborate with the other one for the fulfillment of the proposed objectives. They are interactive then by means of your execution the student relation, student become manifest – professor, student – the object in this case and the web site "Inside Out".

The system of tasks that lays plans with different sections, develop activities bringing the language to the students "daily life important aspect to base moral values right now knew with new strategies, because the teachers work is led among other things to that the pupil acquires of conscious and objective way knowledge.

Students have certain freedom of choice of what they want to say and how they want to say it, using one of the different linguistic forms that exist to express determined telling function (choice).

Tasks are complicated and contextualized since students should make use of the telling functions that discusses each exercise, by means of the dramatization of a caused problems situation and contextualized, that reflects the life the most real practical possible.

The tasks are characterized to be varied, they count on different degrees of requirements that lead to the application of the knowledge in situations known and not known that promote the transit toward superior stages of development. They promote the development of the intellectual skills, the appropriation of the learning content, as well as the formation of habits.

Besides they characterize themselves to be differentiated since they give answer to the individual needs of the students, according to the different levels of development and preparation, as well as the different levels of performance.

As was say before this system of tasks it is based in the development of the oral expression skill with their four micro- skills: fluency, coherence, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but it deeply into these two last because they were the most affected indicators in the initial diagnosis.

In order to guarantee the fulfillment of the proposed objectives the teacher should do a good task orientation.

The solution of the tasks on behalf of the student that can realize them during free time of the one that decides to accomplish independent work and in the English classes, which is in direct dependence with the acquired knowledge level and its learning rhythm.

Description of the web site:

The web site Inside Out will start with an image of presentation.

It have a text of presentation that explains briefly in what consists the web site.

In the main menu all the sessions appear from the web site (content, exercises, dictionaries and literature)

To continue basing the proposal: the structure of the web site;

In the homepage appear: Content- Exercises- Dictionaries -Literature

When the students give click in some of those sections the content appears immediately.

Model activity

Unit 3-"Giving instructions"

Content: Professions

Objective: The students should be able to create hisher own paragraph taking into account the given situation.

Number of the task: 9

Level of assimilation: Creation

Evaluation: hetero-evaluation

9- Create a perfect civilization in another island. Propose eight people to create this society. You will propose doctors, teachers, cooks, farmers, etc…and discuss the potentialities of these persons to reproduce, to survive and to develop the future society. The selected people will travel by an aerostat, the sea is full of sharks, the balloon is losing height, they have thrown all their belongings to the sea, but still it is necessary to throw a passenger in order that the balloon arrives to the island.Explain the importance of your profession to convince the other people in that way, they do not throw it into the sea.

2.3- Analysis of the final results

After the implementation of the system of tasks proposed, the author of this research could make an analysis, taking into consideration all the instruments and methods employed in order to assess the results achieved.

The dimension studied was the development of speaking skills and this is precisely what is showed in the observation guide(annex 11) which demonstrate a relevant work with the four macro skills of English .Also It made evidence how the teacher in this final part of the investigation took into consideration the correct use of grammatical, lexical items and the pattern of pronunciation and intonation in theirs classes .The researcher took into account how students correlate ideas and organize messages. Finally when assessing coherence the continuity of speech the use of pauses, the work with the individual differences and the student's participationwere important aspects selected by the author to develop this investigation.

As well the author applied the questionnaire for the survey (annex 12) which has the objective to know the advantages of work with the web site "Inside Out", in it the author could conclude that the students feels motivate with the web site because it show many kind of activities which satisfy the students" needs and interests. Also because it have photos, videos, songs and it let them feel more interest in the English language.

Another instrument applied was the survey for the teachers of English (annex 13, 14).This instrument showed that all the teacher are agrees with the web site "Inside Out" for the development of the oral expression skill, they consider that these exercises are pretty good to be used in the English tasks, because they develop the four macro skills of the language. Furthermore because it is easy to use and the exercises let the student to improve themselves.

Another survey was applied to 5 teachers graduated of informatics (annex 15). They agree that the web site is technically good for 100%, they could also see that this web site is very organized and the students can access to Inside Out in an easy way (Annex 16).

Taking into account the results in the survey to the students, to the teachers of English and to the specialist of the informatics lab the author of this investigation made the final pedagogical test (annex 17) with the objective of prove with this final instrument if really the students could develop theirs oral expression skill. (Annex 18, 19) .From 30 students 24 had the category of G, for an 80 %, 3 students had the category of F, for a 10% and 3 students were B for a 10% of the sample. Those 3 last students were bad because of their pronunciation and coherence who were the worst, this students recognized the effort made by the teachers but they agree that the English language is really hard when they have to demonstrate they oral expression skill, the prefer to write better than speak.

Taking into consideration this final instrument (annex 19) can be say that referred to the pronunciation 24 students had G for a 80%, taking into account the fluency 23 students were G for a 76,7%, related to the vocabulary 25 students had G for a 83,3% and respect to the coherence 24 students got G for a 80%.

It is a fact that even is necessary to continue to develop the indicators because this final instrument showed that respect to the pronunciation 3 students had F for a 10% and 3 students more had B for a 10%.Concerning to the fluency 4 students had F for 13,3% and 3 students had B for a 10%. When observing coherence 3 students had B for 10% and 4 students had F for a 13, 3%. Just 5 students had F in the vocabulary for a 16, 7% and no one had B for a 100% (annex 19).

After having analyzed and making a comparison of the results shown, it was possible to observe that the web site "Inside Out" with the system of tasks proposed was very effective, taking into account the current state of students speaking skills. There has been a noticeable change in students because more than 75% of them have developed their speaking skills, not only students, but teachers have been provided with an effective tool to assess their students "speaking skills. Also proved the power of the ICTs for the teaching learning process because students feels more comfortable when they speak in English and more motivated to do it. (Annex 19, 20, and 21)

Conclusions

• 1- The theoretical and methodological foundations in the bibliography consulted about ICT, demonstrate that the web site has the potentialities to develop the oral expression skill with a system of tasks to consolidate contents.

• 2- Through the use of the empiric methods the author could diagnose that the students of eleventh grade in "Octavio Hernandez Dominguez" pre-university have difficulties in the oral expression skill because the teacher did not gave the priority to this skill in theirs lessons and also they do not feel motivated to communicate in the English language.

• 3- The proposal is the web site named "Inside Out" with a system of tasks with multiple options to develop the oral expression skill in English subject, with differentiated activities, varied and communicative for the eleventh grade students in "Octavio Hernandez Dominguez" pre-university.

• 4- Thanks to the web site Inside Out with the system of tasks proposed to develop speaking skill in 11th graders, at "Octavio Hernandez Dominguez" pre-university, there was a noticeable reduction of student"s difficulties regarding speaking skills showed when students are able to express themselves freely and they fell more motivate to speak in English language.

Recommendations

The author would appreciates the possibility that this investigation had been putting in practice in another pre-university of the province, taking into account the initial diagnosis to implement, because of the importance of assessing speaking skills in students, the author thinks that the activities proposed should be implemented through the entire course. But it is necessary not to waste time, the sooner we begin doing that in our lessons, the faster students will be prepare, and make better use of them.

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Enviado por:

Yanelis Ayala Hector