núm. 3 jan (2010)

Abstract This study shows the effect of the implementation of Predicting as the main strategy linked with some sub-clusters of strategies such as Imagery, Inference, Transfer and problem-solving on reading comprehension. The purpose of this smallscale research project was to enhance students’ reading comprehension from two public and two private schools in Boyacá,through the application of three workshops alighted under CALLA’s model. As a conclusion, the implementation of this project raised students’ interests and motivation towards reading activities. At the same time,it increased the level of reading comprehension. Key words: Learning strategies, Predicting, reading comprehension, CALLA model

AbstractThis article describes the implementation of the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) with students from four different settings in Boyacá. The implementation of the model was carried  out during some reading sessions in order to make students active participants of their learning  and to be conscious of the strategies use, suchas, activating prior knowledge, making predictions about the text and checking guesses and predictions. Those strategies are used to facilitate students’ understanding of a text through the implementation of theinstructional model. Key words: CALLA, reading, learning strategies, instructional model.

AbstractInternational English Language Testing System (IELTS), as a standardized test is designed to assess the language ability ofstudents who need to study or work where English is the language of communication. The purpose of this study is to train students of sixth semester of Foreign Languages at the Universidad Pedagógicay Tecnológica de Colombia in IELTS test and to identify their progress in this kind of test, through applying a series of workshops. This study has a descriptive approach because it allowed us to describe and register what happened during the training. Data was collected throughoutstudents´ surveys, students´ workshops, students´ IELTS tests, and students’ reflections. This study helped students to improve and reflect about their own learning process, and it also provided the tools andinformation to take this kind of test and give  the students more confidence to assume academic challenges. Mock workshops provided students the opportunity to develop the different skills required in these kinds of tests. The activities developed during this study allowed students to improve and reflect about their own learning process and their English level.Key Words: Training, skills, international standardized test, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 

AbstractThis article reviews some of the literature and research studies which explore first and second language acquisition in order to make a parallel between these two processes. The discussion takes into consideration cognitive, affective and socio-cultural factors which influence the learning of L1 and L2. In addition, a comparison of L1 and L2 language acquisition sequences helps to inform about the similarities and differences. Key Words: First and second language acquisition, Language learning factors, Sequence of acquisition, Language acquisition theorieS.

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AbstractThis study explores how learning strategies used by a student in a Sociolinguistics class at the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (Uptc) influenced memory. In order to achieve this objective,a descriptive and interpretative research was developed. In this particular case, this study was conducted in such a way that we could identify bothpersonality and socio-cultural factors that influence the selection oflearning strategies. Valuing myself, internal force, teacher´s method and life experience were the categories found, these become important for teachers in terms of their methodology, due to the fact that, studentscan choose their learning strategies from this variable. Key words: Learning strategies, memory strategies, personal and sociocultural factors.

AbstractThis article aims at sharing the results of a small scale research project focused on guiding non-English speaking teachers of a Colombian bilingual school to perform their tasks in English within a school environment, through the implementation of a learner– centered curriculum based on English speaking-oriented workshops. Through theimplementation of this curriculum, it was seemed that the teaching, incorporation and use of some expressions of the English language, such as: greetings and farewells, common classroom expressions,commands and vocabulary, relate d to the specific subjects or topics those teachers teach, in addition to other aspects closely related to those topics, such as pronunciation. This project was conducted at a Colombian bilingual school with a group of 11 teachers in different subjects. Informal conversations with the teachers, interviews, questionnaires and workshops were used  to collect the information in this action research study. Findings revealed that through the use of speaking-oriented practice in the workshops, those teachers could reflect on their own foreign language learning process. They became confident and improved their speaking skills. They had the opportunity of working and enhancing their autonomous and cooperative learning skills.Key words: learner-centered curriculum, speaking-oriented workshops, autonomous learning, cooperative learning.

AbstractThis project proposes composition and oral presentation of rhymes in a literary show as a strategy to help students incorporate pronunciation patterns in their speech, based on certain vowel sounds. This paperdescribes a small-scale research project conducted in a public school classroom located in Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Boyacá (Colombia). All the students in our research were sixth grade students1. In order to collectaccurate information, the following methods were used: a survey, an observation format, a tape recording, and students’ artifacts. Theresults proved that learners were able to create meaningful oral and written texts while practicing and improving their pronunciation.Key words: Rhymes, literary show, pronunciation patterns and vowel sounds.

AbstractThis project proposes Creative Writing as a pedagogical strategy to  improve 7th graders’ written discourse competence. Creative Writing is described as a chance to experiment freely with language, and it helpsto develop an efficient composing process in a meaningful environment. This paper describes a research project carried out at Técnico Comercial School in Jenesano Boyacá, with nine 7th graders as a sample. This was an action research study. Students’ writing, a final test, and a semi-structured final interview were used as data collection instruments. The findings from this study reveal students’ improvements through theuse of strategies to produce coherent and cohesive texts. Furthermore, the findings indicate students’ advancements in written production, characterized by the use of discourse elements throughout the body ofthe text.  Key words: creative writing, writing process, writings, writing skills, discourse competence.

Ok, Doctor. I am going to tell you the reason why I am here today. A couple of weeks ago I hung out with some girls. We went to have some beers in a bar. It was an ok bar and so was the music. The only bad thing that happened, apparently I mean, was the fact that I did not share the taxi ride after leaving. Well, one of the girls did not ride in the cab either. As that was the issue, I still don’t know what the trouble was. Both of us, left behindon a rainy and chilly night. The rain made the street more romantic. All the neon lights reflected on the wet pavement created that scene of a New York street, or any big city, similar to the ones seen in the movies, wherelovers go for a walk. And the cold weather was inviting to… Oh God!, that night was exactly perfect to be spent with someone else…

AbstractThis article attempts to analyze and reveal the effects of linguistic imperialism in English Foreign Language Teaching and Learning.First, it will address global English language as the global standard language, that has imposed American and British methodologyand resources in the entire world, and this universal language will also be studied as a symbol of power over the foreign language policies in Colombia. Secondly, the article deals with the fact that the linguisticimperialism controls from beginning to end in “Estándares básicos de competencias en lenguas xtranjeras: inglés. Formar en lenguasextranjeras: ¡el reto!” (Basic standards for competences in foreign languages, English. Teaching in foreign languages: The challenge!). It means that the Anglo-American hegemony sets the parameters of how, what, and to whom perform an EFL class. Lastly, conclusions will be drawn to stimulate EFL teachers to work on autonomous EFL teaching. Namely EFL teachers should focus on intercultural communication and competence, instead of fostering the spreading of English as the global language.Keywords: Linguistic Imperialism, EFL classroom: teaching and learning, and Colombian bilingualism program.

The necessity of foreign languages learning has increased substantially due to the advancement in mobility not only in the educational field, but also in the professional aspects of our society. Thus, being proficient in more than one language allows members of societies to have access to better life opportunities. Within this paradigm, language teachers and learners face more challenging practices not only in terms of achieving learning goals, butalso regarding the quality of the teaching learning processes.