What I Understood From The Methods P.2

Audio-lingual method:

I thought this was an attractive method. Especially because it does have the grammar learning as an objective but teaches it inductively. The students use their grammar spontaneously without having actually studied nor focused on any specific rules or structures.

Repetitition is a fundamental part of this method. While it is somewhat effective in most cases, not all students feel comfortable doing this, especially older people or the ones who are in advanced levels. Besides, it must be quite hard for a teacher to check every single student's pronunciation. So it would be difficult to use it with a large group and obtain great results.

It is a shame that the audio-lingual method does not give much importance to the other pair of macro-skills that every student should develop, which makes it a mediocre method.

Whole Method:

Reading comprehension is certainly relevant in this method, as well as the students' development of their writing skills. Grammar and punctuation are also given a high priority place in this whole language method.

One aspect did catch my attention, the one which involves literature. As Henry explained, in our society there has never been a good reading custom. Most people do not enjoy reading anything. It is taken as something completely dull and unappealing. Whereas in other countries it is common, considered as more than a rare hobby, but nothing extraordinary. So if we try to apply this method, one of two things might happen, either people would start to like reading or it will fail because the method will not meet its objective for being used on a non-appropiate group.

TPR:

Learning a new language, supposedly in almost the exact same way we did when we were only tiny babies, does actually sound non-sensical. I believe it has got to be extremely hard to go ahead and try to recreate a similar environment and have that kind of process. I mean, we do not even remember how we went through that first language learning so many years ago. Anyway, we also now that babies' brains are much alike to sponges, referring to how incredibly quick they absorb knowledge.

The method mentions something regarding body language, which I may say is not really practical for any person. At least in my case I often face many difficulties when it comes to understanding body language or trying to make gestures. I just do not see the point, I understand perfectly well, without requiring to see weird faces or arms moving randomly...

Therefore, in my opinion this method is perhaps better for kids, I suppose.

What I Understood From The Methods

Direct Method:

I think the direct method is pretty interesting. However it may be more adequate when used with young children. I have read that kids can supposedly learn more languages easily. Unfortunately really few people are able to provide a propicious environment for such learning.

The direct method also tends to be more appropiate for beginners, in the sense that repetition is quite common, which is usually not the case when it comes to dealing with advance learners.

I do not think is really effective nor helpful when teachers who try to apply this method in class, insist on explaining every little thing through demonstration only. In many cases, especially if you have more than five students, it is much easier to simply say the meaning of a word in their native language, for instance. It is easier, more practical and they understand right away.

The direct method is widely used, probably for its intuitivity and easiness. Therefore as it has been proved to be fairly functional, we should take into account at least some of the ideas it involves.

Suggestopedia:

The suggestopedia was the method I found to be the most attractive one and yet the less practical. While I do enjoy listening to instrumental music, classical or even famous movies' musical scores by renowned composers, there are not really many others who would share any interest at all in such things. Most people around here just love perreo and bachata, which don't seem to be proper musical genres to have as a background during a class, they are not suitable to estimulate your brain nor ideas, in fact due to their offensive language they might end up making you dumber or produce negative thoughts or irrationality.

Regarding the equipment as well as comfortable seats, that is not up to the teacher to control and it is almost impossible to find the resources for an entire group in this country. Technology is still hard to get. And even when we have access, it is limited and we quicly run out of options and variety.

So my conclusion on that method is to use it only if you truly have the needed resources, but also a group that is capable or has a previous knowledge base that would make them able to assimilate, enjoy and just take benefit from suggestopedia.

Silent Way:

In my opinion, this method has a lot of positive aspects. It incentivates the student to work and learn individually. He develops and works on his own learning process more independently. 

The use of considerably more material than on other methods, is a remarkable difference, as it challenges the teacher to be more creative, while at the same time gives the kids a new and more attractive way to find their classes alluring and less routinary.

It is relevant to point out that observation is an essential part of this particular method. For visual learners, that must be a real advantage and it presumably helps them to understand topics much faster.

The silent way is practically used with groups. It can be applied collectively with certain effectiveness. As this method is not necessarily too personalized, it allows the teacher to have more freedom and time to have a clear mind during the teaching process.

In this method, the student is very active and never remains only listening to the teacher in a passive way that would not be as productive. There is a more physical type of learning going on. The kids are in contact with objects and interacting. 

In conclusion, I think that the silent way is recommendable for students that are on an intermediate level or higher, to develop their skills.

Suit Up! - A Tribute To NPH

The night's glowing and you can't get enough
Spot a legendary prey by the cocktail bar
High five your best friend Barney old school style
Get an awesome... Wait for it... Supreme wingman and suit up!

Su-su-su suit up! 
'Til a cougar's number pops up
Su-su-su suit up! 
If you call yourself a modern player
Su-su-su suit up!
'Cause it excuses you to brag out loud
Su-su-su suit up!
And cherish the bachelor prime skies...
Su-su-su suit up!

Hustler a-team came alongside
Dashing and superbly colored in smokin' hot
Magic true story of a friday night out
Be polite but don't hold this womanizer back

I could be your exclusive winning hitch
But first you gotta... Wait for it...
Su-su-su suit up!
Sharpen the smooth inner charm
Su-su-su suit up!
Or life won't astonish up otherwise
Su-su-su suit up!
There's no single match to our V.I.P. kind
Su-su-su suit up!

Grab that silver conquer stool
Dark waitress for an eyebrow lift awaits
All-night long winkin' lights I foretell
Just remember the one and only rule I demand...

Wait for it... 
Su-su-su suit up!
Since one-night stands are required
Su-su-su suit up!
For Barney Stinson wants to party 
Su-su-su suit up!
'Cause so it says Neil Patrick Harris
Su-su-su suit up!
Hittin' the clubs with epic Swarley
Su-su-su suit up!
If you want me to tell you how I met your mother
N-P-H: Suit Up!

-TRUE STORY!-

Dramedy

These are my homage lyrics to the best series of the unique comedy-drama blend genre, "Freaks & Geeks".

"DRAMEDY"

Nothing's like before when I look around
friendships lost in the school's backyard
suddenly I hang out with another crowd
I don't know if it's out of place
figure if it doesn't kill me, then it's OK

My old bubble was pinched by a fist of randomness
letting expectations fall into perdition
through mad rejection of the unknown ambition
denying typecast in a cruel adolescense play

I never imagined mistakes could feel so right
oh, sweet irony
life's sometimes a real dramedy
a no-goin' back wild ride
when plain routine gets left out

Non-Darwinian personal evolution
crafted in raw teenage confusion
out of control staple of the broken hearts
yes, bittersweet years are my sole kind

Careers & romance are overrated to the oblivious ones
so I don't wanna grow old & loner, deprived of fun
nor let money frustration blow me to smithereens
missin' the original essence of this loveless twinklin' world

Don't try to hush me
'cause I won't follow anyone's commands
I'll only take the midnight rush
breathing my own mixed emotions
like the freaks and geeks on TV

Never realized mistakes could be so right
sweet irony, oh, sweet irony
life's such a real dramedy
come fill me up
oh, sweet youthful irony
life's a real dramedy
we joyride barely once...

Wilderness

Here's a little song I wrote inspired after watching one of my favorite films, "Into The Wild", for the first time...

"WILDERNESS"

Tired of a senseless society
I decided to step aside
to be apart from the tainted world
so I got on the road
to get in touch with the wild
to discover all the wilderness ahead

My eyes were drowned in the beauty                   in the beauty of the impulsive nature                 just me and nothing else in an empty space without recalling my old days                         becoming a real man

I'm around wilderness during a re-definin' time
sensing my own being in its pure state
exploring the wild side of me
standing by myself enjoyin' a clear view
thinking of who I really am
and why now everything I knew                                                                                                             has lost any utter value to me                                                                                                                   in a moment of true revelation

Staying far away from what I used to call home
my independence grows with the distance
and my soul reached a sudden different freedom
everything seems brand new to me now
I was born again to really feel alive
with no limit to ever stop me
I remain deep in the wild

Wilderness in my long route
intensive fight to survive
but it ain't bad at all
it's mesmerazing how it can be so fine
all I need is one more sunset to look at

I can't describe the sensation
of traveling on my very own
but it did blew my mind
goin' through the wild
left me speechless
facing a new meaning of life
that's what I found
while I was by myself
in the wilderness paradise

Looking forward to the end of the world
to the top of the highest mount
being the witness of a perfect sky
with a mind full of fleeting experiencies
I guess I've changed forever
just let me be me, here in the wilderness
'cause I find delight in spending my time
into the real wild...
the wild side of mine

Expectations...

Hopefully I'll pass the subject. That's my goal. Other than that, I guess it is fairly reasonable to expect new things, learning about more diverse topics and simply growing as a student. I'll try my best to express myself a tad more this semester for I know I don't do it as often as I could or should... I had quite a hard time when I took didactics in Spanish a year ago. So I'm crossing my fingers so that it won't be as tough this time, although I don't think I stand much of a chance. Let's hope teacher Aida and some other teachers we have as classmates help the people in need out!