“Teaching dictionary Skills”

In a research paper I was working on recently, I highlighted the issue of not using and teaching dictionary skills in our Lebanese schools, as far as I have seen, not to be judgmental. I went through the importance of learning these skills, and how they will help in learning the target language. Below is a short description of the paper I wrote. 

Teaching vocabulary skills is one of the most important skills a language learner needs to adopt. It is an aid that we can always go back to whenever we are trapped, or not able to find a certain meaning to a word. However, do we know how much our students know the importance of it? Do we know how much they know how they should use it? In our classrooms, we tend to present words directly to our students; we either present them in context, in which the students induct the meanings through context clues, or we give them the meanings directly with each new term. We rarely see the use of dictionaries; in Lebanon, there are few who start teaching dictionary skills, and not until they reach higher levels. We even started to find the dictionary in the hands of our student’s not from long ago. When putting dictionaries in the hands of our students, we should teach them how a dictionary will help them develop new skills, raise awareness of the information they can find, and expose them to the different kinds of dictionaries.

Research has highly emphasized the importance of using a dictionary as a language-learning tool, and the fact that we have to provide our students with it, and teach them how it will help them develop new skills concerning their target language intake. In addition, to raise awareness of what it provides the learner with and teach them about the different types of dictionaries and how each type aids us in our learning process.

It is also important that students know when to use a dictionary, when it is acceptable and when is it less useful. Our role as teachers is to talk to them about it and highlight the importance of trying to find meanings out through clues before going back to a dictionary, because we can’t look up every single word, as I have mentioned previously, if it is that way we would spend our whole day holding a dictionary. Therefore, it is important that we make it clear to our students to know when it is appropriate to use a dictionary.  

Nature

Nature is a warm place that makes us feel us, makes us feel human, makes us feel real. It is a remarkable place for each one to take heed. It heals the soul,and lights up the heart. Nature gives us space to escape form the cooperation around us, and live in a peaceful moment. 

This is why I love nature so. It's my best place to be, and stay if only I can.

When I am outside, everything around catches my eye. The green leafy trees, the soul, the crazy cherry blossoms, the wildflowers grown in places you can never imagine before. I hear the birds sing, different symphonies, I hear the wind Swiss, and lift the leafs to take air.

I wish I can capture all that I see in one picture, but it is impossible for a camera to do so, that's why I let my mind take the picture. But for now, I would like to share some of my favorite photos that I have took while I Glance in nature.

My Unit

In an Advanced Methods course, we were required to design a unit plan, in which we are to design 8-10 English Lessons, that cover all four skills, that are reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

Miss Rasha Halat, our instructor gave us the choice to chose the theme we like to design our unit about. 
I chose Entertainment, for a Grade 5 English classroom. My Unit as well was one of the best projects to work on. I am very proud of what I have done in it.
It contains a variety of reading materials, and different ways of doing things, like emphasizing language usage in everyday life. I think the theme is something we live daily, and linking learning to real life is starting to be the case nowadays in which we make learning more dynamic and authentic to the learner. 

The lessons give space to the leaner to think, to create to activate their prior knowledge. It is beneficial yet fun at the same time. 
It is a great opportunity for us to have the chance and design a unit that contains lessons of our own, this prepares us for our later teachings, and helps us build a repertoire of activities and games and lessons that we can always use, plus it is a base for us to always create what fits our learners needs. 

My Profile

My Portfolio's are my two significant projects. My senior projects, that cover all that I have acquired and practiced through out my undergraduate studies. Moreover, I am able to gather all of my work, from observations, to research papers and case studies that I have worked on, to other educational experiences in one place, which is my Portfolio.

My Portfolio, is my biggest project and most hard one, however the fruit was sweet at the end. After all the effort and work, I was proud to hold it in my hands and call it mine. My journey and my experiences are in here to share. 

I designed both of them, I chose to name them under educational quotes that reflect my philosophy of teaching and what each one of them included. The first one, which is the pink one with the apple on was Portfolio A. The quote on it by Robert John Meehan, it says: "We didn't go into teaching to get rich, but to enrich others." The reason I chose this quote was first that most of my work inside highlighted the importance of the role of teacher in the classroom, and how we can always be better and update our knowledge. Moreover, I felt that it described my teaching philosophy. 

My second portfolio which is the blue one with the heart shape was Portfolio B. The quote by Robert John Meehan as well was: "Your life as a teacher begins the day you realize that you are always a learner." After gaining more experience, I have discovered that we never stop learning. We learn everyday, every minute, we learn from those with great experience, and we learn from our youngest pupils as well.  The hidden message behind it is that always strive to learn, and be open. 

Is using L1 when teaching L2 okay?

Something that wonders most teachers if not all. Can we use our native or first language in our classrooms when we are teaching a second language? Can we use it when we need to?
Of course many research has been done to show whether it is okay to use it or not. 
Some research claims that we should not use any of our first language, and the student must be able to learn the language autonomously without the aid of their second language. Moreover, this teaches them to think in the second language, which makes it more authentic.On other hand other research which is recent claims, that it is actually better to add some of our L1 usage in teaching, of course the higher the level the less usage is needed, in addition students should be aware of when they can use it and how much. 
Also, research has claimed that why hinder the fact that we have a lot of knowledge in our L1 that can be helpful and essential to the learning process of the students and not use it. 

In an Educational Philosophy course, my self and my peers under the supervision of our professor did a small debate of who is with and against using L1 in teaching a second language. The purpose also, was to show the pros and cons of both points of view, supported with evidence and research. 

Even though we had a lot of evidence that showed the importance of using L1 in situations where we can make it easier for the students to grasp meanings and terms, however the other team won according to personal experiences they were able to prove that not using it was better.

Personally, I am with using it. Of course with limits, but when we need to use it, we can. It is not a crime! In some cases it might make things easier for both the teacher and the students. 

My Graduation!

My graduation day was one of the best if not only days in my life. Standing on the stadium wearing your gown is a priceless moment. You feel like your holding the world in one hand. You've reached it, you achieved your goal. All the sleepless nights, and effort is actually paid off. You're proud of your self. Everyone is there watching you, your family, your instructors and of course your peers whom you shared all the good and bad times with. 

Something I will always recall, is something the Dean of Education of the Lebanese International University, 'Dr. Anwar Kawtharani' told me as we were waiting to get up on the stadium. He saw me nervous, he said: are you nervous? I said: yes!
He said: "Don't be! Enjoy every moment of it. When you're up there be proud, and watch each and everyone out there looking at you, the successful you. This moment will never come back, nothing will replace its pleasure, enjoy every bit of it." And I did. And boy it WAS Amazing! 

I would love to share some of the beautiful memories. Pictures that always remind us of the moments we most enjoyed and return that feeling that is rare to feel every now and then.