A TOUR AROUND LANGUAGES: A CELEBRATION OF MULTILINGUALISM AT EOI PONTEVEDRA

Dear fellow teachers!

First of all, I’d like to apologize for the long silence! It has been quite a busy time at school: You tell me! and I haven’t had the chance to update the blog as much as I’d like. So sorry about that! But I’m excited to finally share some great news about one of the most enjoyable and ambitious events my school has ever held to kick-start the year. 

This week we hosted a three-day event that brought together students and teachers from all language departments in a collaborative way. We called it "A Tour Around Languages", (Unha viaxe polas linguas), and it was an absolute success! The aim of the activity was to expose students to different languages and cultures while engaging in hands-on learning experiences. We also wanted to encourage them to find relatives or friends who might be interested in joining our school, as registration is still open! Not a bad idea to kill two birds with one stone!

The concept was simple yet powerful: each department set up a station where students could take part in an activity related to the language being taught. As students arrived at the first station, they were handed a passport, and their goal was to collect a stamp from each language station they visited. It was so much fun! The whole experience turned out to be a wonderful way to encourage participation and curiosity, as students were motivated to visit all the stations to fill their passports.

The tour itself took about an hour and happened at different times during the day: students from different shifts moved from station to station at their own pace engaging autonomously with each language activity in a relaxed manner. While teachers were present to guide the process, the students took ownership of their learning experience, which was quite beneficial.

The English Department's activity was a highlight for many! We chose a culturally relevant task: making a cup of tea!! – a quintessential British tradition, indeed. Students watched a short video tutorial on how to prepare the perfect cuppa. Following the video, they were given a series of cards with steps from the instructions, which they had to rearrange in the correct order. It was not only a language exercise but also a gastronomical experience, as students were invited to taste some buttery shortbread biscuits! 

Other language stations featured similarly alluring activities, from learning basic vocabulary with a quiz game in Portuguese to exploring popular songs in Italian. The diverse range of activities ensured that there was something for everyone, and students expressed great enthusiasm for the variety of languages and cultures they got to explore.

Overall, the event was a tremendous success. We are really proud! Students left the school with smiles, full passports, a small prize and a deeper appreciation for the languages we teach. Teachers were equally pleased with how smoothly everything ran and how engaged the students were throughout the tour.

We are definitely planning future editions of "A Tour Around Languages" and... who knows? It might turn into an annual school tradition that continues to kick-start the school year by inspiring a love for languages and cultures in our students. You should definitely give it a try!

MAKING LANGUAGE LEARNING LESS BOT-RING: THE ULTIMATE MEDIATION INSTRUCTOR!

Hi, fellow teachers!

I can't stop moving on through the ever-evolving language teaching journey, can you? I am continuously seeking tools to enhance my students' learning experiences. One such tool that has captured my attention recently is the chatbot. Who hasn't heard about the wonders of @Mizou from @ELT_CATION, @blogdecristina and @EliGozalo? I couldn't resist following suit to uncover the mysteries of integrating bots in the ESL class!

As I was brainstorming ideas for my bot design, inspiration came quickly: What aspect causes the most insecurity among my C1 students? Undoubtedly, it's mediation! They struggle to understand how oral mediation works here in Galicia when it comes to the standardized exam: "Identify the main idea of a small text and highlight the most relevant pieces of information without adding any personal opinion or extra ideas". Challenging, isn't it?

So, I got down to it and started designing a chatbot experience with Mizou that I'm now excited to introduce: The Ultimate Mediation Instructor🥰. It is a new bot specifically designed to help students practice mediation skills, which - as I have mentioned - are a crucial component of standardized language exams in Galicia. Just like the exam teacher here and complying with the Galician standards, the instructor evaluates students' ability to summarize and streamline main ideas effectively, guiding and supporting them throughout the building process.

I have already implemented it in class and also asked my students for feedback on the tool. Students' opinions are key to my teaching job! Here are five compelling advantages they have found out:

• 24/7 Availability: They all agreed that this chatbot is available round the clock, providing them with instant access to mediation practice whenever they needed it so that they could engage with the task at their own pace. How convenient!
• Personalized learning: I tailored the interaction so that each student could choose their own area of interest for the bot to provide the right text to mediate. My students pointed out that this personalized approach fostered greater engagement and motivation. I was thrilled!
• Immediate feedback: According to my students, the most significant advantage of the Ultimate Mediation Instructor is its ability to provide instant feedback on their responses, which not only reinforced learning in real time but also helped them identify and address areas for improvement more efficiently.
• Promotion of Speaking and Writing Skills: Through supportive prompts, the chatbot encouraged my students to practice and refine their speaking and writing skills in a safe environment. This active engagement facilitated language production and fluency development. They were so focused!
• Autonomy Enhancement: My students agreed that they managed to take over their own learning process by exploring mediation independently, experimenting with different language structures, and tracking their progress live and over time!

I will try and continue to enrich language learning experiences in my classroom, embracing the possibilities that #AI offers in fostering meaningful and effective language acquisition. Also, I will keep on considering risks and challenges that need to be overcome! So, stay tuned for updates on this journey!

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY: THE ICT PERSONALITY TEST

Dear fellow language "tech-teachers"!

Yeah! This entry is meant just for you! As you know, we are submerged in an ever-evolving digital age. Even so, the integration of ICT skills into the language classroom has become increasingly controversial. As language educators, is it necessary for us to put the efficiency of technology in enhancing learning experiences to the test? 

To my mind, technology offers a myriad of opportunities to engage students, personalize learning experiences and foster collaboration and communication skills: all essential components of language acquisition, don't you agree? From interactive language apps to designing personalized chatbots, the possibilities are endless! Moreover, integrating ICT skills into the language classroom not only prepares students for the digital world we live in but also cultivates essential 21st-century skills: critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy... You name them! I know I am not alone on this!

So, as a technological enthusiast, I have already started my own personal contribution to the enhancement of technology integration in education by collaborating with other teachers to learn cooperatively to effectively use technology in class.

My next training course is taking place in the Teachers Training Centre in Vigo next week and I have just decided to kick-start the first session with a fun and insightful activity: the ICT Personality Test, which aims to help teachers reflect on their current use of technology in teaching and identify areas for growth and improvement. You can give it a try yourselves! Just scan the code below and let me know how you did:

The test consists of a series of questions designed to assess a teacher's comfort level with digital tools, their proficiency in incorporating technology into lesson plans, and their openness to exploring new technologies. By completing this test, I hope they will gain some relevant insights into their teaching style and how technology can enhance their instructional practices. At least, it will provide some food for thought to jump-start the session in the right mood!

I encourage you, educators, to embrace technology as a learning tool rather than a mere add-on: You will manage to create dynamic learning environments that cater to diverse learner needs and preferences. Technology opens up a world of possibilities for both language teachers and learners alike. Let's approach it with an open mind and a willingness to explore!

USING A MAGIC COMBO TO CREATE AN ENGAGING TABOO GAME

Hi there!

As you all know, games are a great way to keep students engaged in the English class and I am sure you have all used Taboo in your lessons before. It is a classic!! A word game where one player tries to get their teammates to guess a word without using any of the forbidden words listed on the card. It’s a fun way to practice vocabulary, communication, and quick-thinking skills.

In this post, I would like to show you how I used ChatGPT and Canva to create some cards for a taboo game in English. It goes without saying that combining an artificial intelligence model and a graphic design platform will empower you as a teacher to create beautiful and professional-looking designs for various purposes. Do not hesitate to give this idea a try!

Step 1: Generate your taboo cards with ChatGPT.

I used ChatGPT to generate some taboo cards for the game. As you all know, ChatGPT can produce texts on any topic, so you can customize the cards according to your students’ level, interests and curriculum. How about that? You can also specify how many words you want on each card, and how many forbidden words you want to include. You may have a look at the whole conversation I had with ChatGPT to generate my customized cards and get a general idea of how to write an effective prompt. Just click here. (Yeah! You can also share your content via a link on ChatGPT!! Mind-blowing, isn´t it?)

Step 2: Design your taboo cards with Canva.

I used Canva to design the taboo cards with the texts generated by ChatGPT in the conversation above. Canva can make your cards look attractive and appealing! This time I searched for “taboo cards” in the template library and then copy-pasted the texts from ChatGPT to the cards, adjusting the size, position, and style of the texts and adding some background colours, borders and icons to make my cards more fun and lively. Have a look!

education_taboo by Paula Gómez Cernadas

As easy as pie, isn't it? Using ChatGPT together with other apps saves time and effort and has benefits for both: teachers and students. In this designing process, for example, you will not have to come up with the words and forbidden words themselves or write them down on paper or cards. You can simply use ChatGPT to generate the texts, and Canva to design the cards. Also, your students' motivation is driven by the colourful and attractive content that is relevant and interesting to them, as in this case, I connected the words with a listening comprehension activity we had previously done in class. 

I hope you find this idea of integrating AI in your class useful and inspiring, and that you try it out with your own students. Who knows? Next time I might even ask mine to create their own taboo cards! If you try this out, please let me know how it goes, and share your feedback and suggestions. Can you come up with any other ways of integrating ChatGPT and Canva? 

Happy teaching and learning! 😊

INNOVATIVE ROLE PLAY ACTIVIES WITH AI

Dear language enthusiasts,

First of all, allow me to apologize for having been absent for so long! I have been exploring new ways to enhance my English language teaching practice, completely absorbed by the potential Artificial Intelligence has brought into play! I have been researching new methods of incorporating AI into my classroom and ended up designing captivating role-play activities, among others! As you all know, role-play activities have been hailed as powerful tools in language education. They immerse students in real-life situations, allowing them to apply new language skills in context.

With this idea in mind, I have crafted an activity that delves into diverse attitudes to ageing in present-day society. Any blended teachers in Galicia who are dealing with Module 2 in the C1.1 course... this has you covered! Obviously, I have used Canva to design the cards representing the different characters, each with their own perspective on ageing. 

Asking ChatGPT to create the roles was not difficult at all. Once I had the idea in mind, the game came out easily and it did the trick in class. Who do you think the most popular character was? Place your bets!

attitudes_to_ageing_debate by Paula Gómez Cernadas

WHY TEACHING SHADOWING IS A MUST FOR TEACHERS!

Hi there, again!

You all know me well, don't you? As an English teacher, I am always looking for new ways to improve my teaching skills and learn from others, and I have been lucky enough: At @eoi_pontevedra I have always had the opportunity to thrive thanks to our "Teaching Shadowing Scheme". We have been working on it for years now!

However, earlier this year we were given the chance to take that school project the extra mile when being accepted by the "Observa_accion" programme, endorsed by the Consellería de Educación in Xunta de Galicia. A more structured way of teaching development was coming into play!

This official action plan involves teachers at schools observing each other's classes and providing invaluable feedback and unrelenting support, indeed. So, we took part in training sessions on what classroom observation is and learned a lot about how to provide effective peer-to-peer feedback.

As you may all know, there are numerous benefits to peer observation. Here are some I have identified as a wrap-up of the programme:

Firstly, I have discovered different teaching styles. The experience has allowed me to see different classroom practices and techniques that I have already incorporated into my own teaching routines. For example, I had never played Jenga in class before! Have you?

Secondly, I have received constructive feedback on my own teaching and have been able to identify areas for improvement. I undoubtedly need to speak less in class and let my students take over! 

Moreover, I have also been involved in a culture of collaboration and professional development within my own language school. I have definitely built upon my own trust and respect for my colleagues. If that does not lead to a positive work environment, what does?

All in all, teaching shadowing is an essential tool for language teachers struggling to improve their teaching abilities and learn from their colleagues. It is a win-win situation for both, the teacher who observes and the teacher being observed, and leads to a more effective school community.

If you have not tried it yet, you should definitely give it a go. The initiative has been enriching and I hope my school carries on with it in the future. Just in case you don't take my word for it... watch the video below. It won´t leave you indifferent!

AI IN THE CLASSROOM: GIVE CHATGPT A TRY AND YOU´LL NEVER REGRET IT!

No wonder why #ChatGPT is all the rage among ESL teachers right now! It is becoming increasingly popular due to its ability to generate human-like text and assist various teaching tasks such as creating content, generating dialogues in English, providing language exercises and quizzes and even helping with pronunciation and grammar. You name it!

I have been trying it lately to enhance my teaching practice and provide my students with rich language-learning experiences. In fact, I have noticed that I am slowly adopting it as a great new tool to obtain quick accurate responses to a great number of queries, among other interesting ideas that I am also exploring!

My last attempt was aimed at my C1 students, as we were about to wrap up a unit on consumerism and fast fashion. I asked Chat GPT to come up with a list of five short advantages and disadvantages of built-in obsolescence. For me, this should be a practice that we might tend to avoid when it comes to production. That was why I found it really hard to make up some real advantages!  As Chat GPT did the trick for me, I eventually gathered ten wonderful statements that I have used to create a #Genially presentation where students will be asked to drag and drop the prompts into the right column (for or against), trying to reach an agreement first. Just as easy as pie!

Hopefully, it will spark discussion in class as I will definitely ask the group to take a clear position on the issue using the vocabulary presented and also some other expressions we have already learned, once they have completed the columns. 

I hope you find this board useful! Enjoy!