Maximising communication in nowadays’ educative environments has become one of the game changing thoughts of the Twenty first century. Garcia (2007 , 2014) openly expresses the need to allow students being part of an integrated system without language boundaries but making them to gain knowledge, meaning and a sense of freedom when using one language or the other.  

García, O. (2007). Foreword. In S. Makoni & Pennycook, A. (Eds.). Disinventing and reconstituting languages (pp. xi-xv). Multilingual Matters.

García, O., & Li Wei. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

This rule could sound obvious, but most of the time as we begin working on a context in which policies and standards ask to accomplish a list of objectives and topics, we should consider our student's reality and context. This could be even more difficult when we come from a context in which these goals are achievable in terms of schedule and resources. However, when we arrive as teachers in a rural context in which English is unknown to families and children, we need to begin to engage the community in the language. This should be our first objective, instead of providing students with information that is irrelevant to them.

Daniela Maritza Rodríguez López

New English teacher in a rural area in Boyaca

Students are excited most of the times when they must talk about previous experiences and whatever happened to them years ago. It brings them different types of memories that mot of the time they love to share with their classmates and friends. Work around what they already know and experience in order to get them engage and draw their attention to the topic and vocabulary that will be tought for them to be able to produce ideas, brainstorm sentences and produce a pre vocabulary that will help them get into the topic and class lesson plan. For example in reading this allows students to activate prior knowledge and prepare to interact with not only the reading but the context and discussion. These methods acknowledge the significance of the reader's past knowledge when viewing reading as a learning process (Labiod, 2017).

Mistakes are an essential part of language learning, and students should be encouraged to make them without fear of judgment. Creating a safe environment where trial and error are embraced helps students build confidence and resilience. When mistakes happen, they become opportunities for growth and learning, which is more effective than perfectionism. This rule would help shift the focus from right or wrong to progress and improvement.

Arias, M. (2018). The role of mistakes in second language acquisition: A focus on error correction and self-correction strategies. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(4), 723-731. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0904.08

Now, classes that integrate movement, gestures, and real-world interactions, "enhances both comprehension and retention by making learning more natural and meaningful" (Shapiro & Stolz, 2019). Some researches in embodied cognition suggest that physical engagement with language helps to strengthens neural connections, leading to deeper understanding and better recall in students, just like is stated in Wilson (2002).

By physically experiencing language, we let students develop stronger associations and gain the confidence to use it in real-life settings which is how you actually take your knowledge from theory to practice. Instead of passively absorbing content, they actively construct knowledge, leading to more meaningful and lasting learning outcomes.

Shapiro, L. R., & Stolz, S. A. (2019). Embodied cognition and reading: The link between children’s motor skills and reading comprehension.

Wilson, M. (2002). Six views of embodied cognition.

Motivating students to learn a second language through the use of game dynamics, promoting active participation, social interaction, and collaborative learning in a fun and challenging way.

Making the classroom a space where learning is a fun and exciting experience through playful activities.

turning the classroom into a space where learning is a fun and exciting experience through playful activities.

Using game elements such as points, levels, rewards and challenges to motivate students to progress in their language learning.

Creating a point system in which students earn “coins” or “points” for actively participating in class, completing tasks or solving language challenges. These points can be redeemed for prizes or benefits during the course.

Proposing clear and achievable goals for students to meet during the learning process. These goals should be progressive and allow students to feel that they are making progress in their language proficiency.

Dividing course content into “missions” or “levels” that students must complete, such as learning a set of words or phrases, solving a grammar puzzle, or completing a conversation activity.

Providing immediate feedback during gamification activities, allowing students to learn from their mistakes and successes in real time. This boosts their confidence and facilitates the learning process.

At the end of a round of vocabulary questions in a team game, give feedback on correct or incorrect answers immediately, providing explanations and examples.

Gamification in the classroom transforms the language learning process into a fun and challenging experience. By incorporating game dynamics, rewards and healthy competition, students feel more motivated and engaged. In addition, the playful approach encourages social interaction, active learning and hands-on language use, creating a more dynamic, stimulating and effective learning environment.

theoretical references:

Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: defining“ gamification”. Proceedings of the 2011 annual conference extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems (pp. 2425-2428). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/1979742.1979575

BY: Angie Caro Rodriguez