Focal Skills Approach and Tabletop Role-Playing 2
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Universidad Austral de Chile Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades Escuela de Pedagogía en Comunicación en Lengua Inglesa Lead Advisor: M.S. in Ed. Yasna Yilorm Barrientos Motivating Students of English as a Foreign Language through Tabletop Role-Playing under the FOCAL SKILLS Approach Seminario de Tesis para optar al Título de Profesor de Comunicación en Lengua Inglesa Stefanie Alexandra Herzberg Soza Daphne Natalia Paredes Denis Valdivia – Chile 2013 FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank all the people who have encouraged me throughout my process, which is not only from the university until now, but from school onwards. They all have contributed into helping me shape myself into the person I am today. I would like to acknowledge the people who have not only taught me contents, but about life from the bottom of their hearts. I want to say „thank you‟ to my teachers Cindy Cifuentes, Andrea Lizasoain, Yasna Yilorm, Eduardo Roldán, Amalia Ortiz de Zárate, Katherina Walper, for helping me in their own way to be able to reach this step. Special thanks to Miss Yasna and Miss Andrea for all their effort, help, and support during this long process. Finally, I would like to thank my family, Maite, Juan Carlos and Karin, and my boyfriend, Renato, for supporting me during all this time and giving me the strength to not ever give up or even make the attempt of being lazy. I love you, and I will always be grateful for all you have done for me. ~Stefanie Herzberg FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 3 Special thanks to our Lead Advisor, Miss Yasna Yilorm, for having always been there for us despite her difficult circumstances. We would not have made it without you! Huge thanks to my family for their unconditional support. There will never be enough acknowledgements in the world to express how lucky I am to have you all. Thank you! ~Daphne Paredes FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 4 Abstract The present didactic unit was designed with the objective of creating an innovative way of teaching the English course for EFL students through the incorporation of TRPGs as a strategy under the FOCAL SKILLS Approach. The scope of this research covered four relevant points. First, there is an overview of the state of the art regarding English proficiency and the methodologies that are currently in use in Chile. Second, it reflects in the use of the communicative teaching practices, specifically the FOCAL SKILLS Approach and the feasibility of its use in Chilean EFL classrooms. Third, arguments to support the importance of motivation in the EFL teaching-learning process are presented. Fourth, it explains Role-playing in its various definitions. Finally, based on the information gathered during this research, several role-playing related activities and assessment tools were designed within the advanced module of the FOCAL SKILLS Approach. Throughout the development of the research, it was concluded that role- playing activities are compatible with the FOCAL SKILLS Approach, which indicates they are a valid strategy to be applied under this approach in order to motivate students and achieve a higher amount of input. Key words: FOCAL SKILLS, Tabletop role-playing, motivation, acquisition, innovation FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 5 Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abstract Introduction 9 CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 11 1. State of the Art 11 1.1. Tests of English Proficiency in Chile during the Last Decade 11 1.1.1. Diagnostic Test 11 1.1.2. SIMCE English Test 12 1.1.3. Results of the Tests 12 1.2. Traditional Methodologies in Chile 13 1.2.1. The Grammar-Translation Method 13 1.2.2. The Audiolingual Method 14 1.3. Background of the Research 16 1.3.1. Research Question 16 1.3.2. Hypothesis and Thesis Statement 16 1.3.3. General and Specific Objectives 17 2. Communicative Competence and English as a Foreign Language 17 2.1. Communicative Teaching Practices 17 2.2. The FOCAL SKILLS Approach 19 2.2.1. Origin and Objectives of the FOCAL SKILLS Approach 19 2.2.2. Underlying Theories of the FOCAL SKILLS Approach 20 2.2.2.1. Krashen‟s Hypotheses 20 2.2.2.2. The Natural Approach 22 FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 6 2.2.2.3. Total Physical Response 24 2.3. General Description of the FOCAL SKILLS Approach 26 2.4. Comparisons between the FOCAL SKILLS Approach and the Standard Model 30 2.5. The FOCAL SKILLS Approach in Chile 31 3. Motivation 31 3.1. Hastings‟ Chain of Acquisition 31 3.2. Definition of Motivation 32 3.3. Types of Motivation 32 3.4. Integrative and Instrumental Orientations 33 3.5. The Role of Students‟ Motivation in the FLA Process 33 3.6. Motivation and Games 35 4. Role-playing 36 4.1.Traditional Role-Playing Games (RPGs) 36 4.1.1. Definition of RPGs 36 4.1.2. Characteristics of RPGs 37 4.2.Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) 38 4.2.1. Definition of TRPGs 38 4.2.2. Characteristics of TRPGs 39 4.3. Uses of TRPGs in the EFL Classroom 41 4.4. TRPGs and the FOCAL SKILLS Approach 42 CHAPTER II: DIDACTIC UNIT 45 1. Introduction 45 2. General Planning 51 2.1. Lesson Plan 1 56 FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 7 2.1.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 56 2.1.2. Preparation 58 2.1.3. Lesson 1 Worksheet 59 2.1.4. Character Sheet 60 2.1.5. Lesson 1 Sample Questions – Character Creation 62 2.2. Lesson Plan 2 63 2.2.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 63 2.2.2. Preparation 66 2.2.3. Lesson 2 Worksheet 67 2.2.4. Story 1 – Retrieving the Missing Agent 68 2.3. Lesson Plan 3 71 2.3.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 71 2.3.2. Preparation 74 2.3.3. Lesson 3 Worksheet 75 2.3.4. Lesson 3 – Listening 1 Script 76 2.3.5. Lesson 3 – Listening 2 Worksheet 77 2.3.6. Lesson 3 – Listening 2 Instructions 78 2.3.7. Experience Points Chart 78 2.4. Lesson Plan 4 79 2.4.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 70 2.4.2. Preparation 81 2.4.3. Lesson 4 Worksheet 82 2.5. Lesson Plan 5 83 2.5.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 83 FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 8 2.5.2. Preparation 86 2.5.3. Lesson 5 Worksheet 87 2.5.4. Lesson 5 – Pop Quiz (version 1) 88 2.5.5. Lesson 5 – Pop Quiz (version 2) 90 2.5.6. Lesson 5 – Pop Quiz (version 3) 92 2.5.7. Pop Quiz – Item I Questions 94 2.5.8. Pop Quiz – Dots Instructions 94 2.6. Lesson Plan 6 95 2.6.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 95 2.6.2. Preparation 98 2.6.3. Lesson 6 Worksheet 99 2.7. Lesson Plan 7 100 2.7.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 100 2.7.2. Preparation 103 2.7.3. Lesson 7 Worksheet 104 2.8. Lesson Plan 8 105 2.8.1. Lesson Plan - Learning Outcomes 105 2.8.2. Lesson 8 – Test 106 2.8.3. Lesson 8 – Test Script Item II 108 2.8.4. Lesson 8 – Test Script Item III 109 2.8.5. Lesson 8 – Test Script Item IV 111 3. Conclusions 112 4. Further Research 113 References 115 FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 9 Introduction At a national scale, the level of proficiency of students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is extremely poor. It is known that one of the main problems that currently exist in the area of teaching EFL, and a decisive factor in relation to students‟ results, is related to the use of outdated methodologies. Research indicates that, even though these are successful to some extent, they do not foster the acquisition of English. Their focus is not coherent with what linguists suggest as the natural way to acquire a language. These methodologies are considered as old- fashioned: while they focus on the teacher, new teaching practices have the student as the axis of the teaching-learning process. This is a dilemma of great importance in the area of pedagogy, and must not be left unattended. As outdated methodologies have proven not to be successful enough, it is time to look at innovative methods and approaches, which have a different perspective on the acquisition process of a language. This change of standpoint, which emerged from the dissatisfaction with previous methodologies, gives way to the appearance of new teaching practices that emphasize communication over structures. The teacher now fills the role of a facilitator and helps students in their learning process, instead of acting as the one who possesses the knowledge. These methodologies offer tools for teachers to make a change in their practices, expecting to generate a positive response from students. This is the main reason that leads to the creation of this research project. Due to the previously mentioned issues, the present research project aims at creating a didactic unit that will be based on two key elements: the use of the FOCAL SKILLS Approach and Tabletop Role-playing Games (TRPGs). The former is an innovative approach that seeks to achieve the acquisition of the language by giving great emphasis to each macro skill (listening, FOCAL SKILLS APPROACH AND TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING 10 speaking, reading and writing) separately, which is the objective to be accomplished by this unit. The latter is a narrative game that will string the activities into a series of stories that will maintain the interest and motivation of the students.