Papers by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
Actualidades Investigativas en Educación, 2018
Latest research in the field of applied linguists suggests that giving children a participatory a... more Latest research in the field of applied linguists suggests that giving children a participatory and active role in the development of their foreign language skills could help teachers reveal overlooked aspects of language learning. Furthermore, challenging the role given to children in language learning research could provide useful insights about the learning processes. In this regard, little is known in the field of primary English language teaching in Latin America. In the case of Chile, the Curriculum Framework for primary English language teaching considers the relevance of children’s experiences as part of their learning process; however, reference to their active involvement in this process is still scarce. This article aims at identifying the perspectives about the English lesson of a group of fourth graders from state-funded schools in Chile. Through an exploratory study of qualitative nature, the viewpoints of 16 children are collected through semi-structured group interviews. The data from the four group interviews are interpreted by content analysis resulting into two categories, and five subcategories related to likes, dislikes, perceived value of learning English, hands-on activities and feedback. The findings suggest that given the chance, children are able to consistently reflect on their learning process and experiences.
These learners pointed out preferences for hands-on activities and the relevance of opportunities for obtaining feedback as contributing experiences for successful language learning. Similarly, these results illustrate that, by considering perspectives from outside applied linguistics, researchers could uncover factors present in the language learning process.
HOW Journal, 2019
This action research study aims to explore the contribution of the use of points of improvement a... more This action research study aims to explore the contribution of the use of points of improvement as a reflective strategy to support eleven Chilean EFL pre-service teachers' ability to plan communicative-oriented lessons. Through questionnaires and a focus group, participants' responses were examined using thematic analysis. Findings yielded that their beliefs about communicative-oriented lessons were in fact linked with the communicative approach. Lastly, their perceptions towards the use of points of improvement as a reflective strategy showed more awareness in the classroom, narrowing the gap between their pedagogical and disciplinary knowledge.
ELT Research ,The Newsletter of IATEFL Research SIG
Conference Presentations by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
In the last few decades, the number of countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their comp... more In the last few decades, the number of countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their compulsory Primary Education curriculum has steadily increased. Similarly, a wide range of literature has been published for teaching English to young learners (TEYL).
Chile developed a compulsory EFL curriculum from the Fifth Grade (around 10 years old). Besides, in 2012, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched a suggested curriculum from 1st to 4th grade (from 6 to 9 years old).
Notwithstanding the popularity of TEYL, very little has been said regarding the children’s views on learning English at school. In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students has been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field.
This talk reports some results of young learners’ perception in regard to their English lessons. This is part of a larger research project carried out in Chile on the area of TEYL in large classes, particularly in five state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago, Chile.
The talk provides a brief background regarding the Chilean context. Then, the perspective of nineteen 4th grade children on their English classes will be highlighted. Finally, the relevance of students’ voices as part of classroom research and TEYL will be discussed with audience participation.
In the last few decades, the number of countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their comp... more In the last few decades, the number of countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their compulsory Primary Education curriculum has steadily increased. Similarly, a wide range of literature has been published for teaching English to young learners (TEYL).
Notwithstanding the popularity of TEYL, very little has been said regarding children’s as active actors of their language learning process. In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students have been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field.
The presentation provides an example of evaluation tools that were not able to obtain informative data regarding the development of 4th grade children’s listening skills. The researcher realised the failure, but was not aware of a way to involve children in the creation of more appropriate data collection instruments.
In this presentation, it is argued that young language learners’ views and experiences in regards to their learning process are reliable and informative elements that should be included more often as part of research projects. This is part of a larger research project carried out in Chile on the area of TEYL in large classes, particularly in five state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago, Chile.
In the last few decades, the number of countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their comp... more In the last few decades, the number of countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their compulsory Primary Education curriculum has steadily increased. Similarly, a wide range of literature has been published for teaching English to young learners (TEYL), understood as 5 to 11 year-olds.
Chile has developed a curriculum of EFL teaching for primary and secondary education, which is compulsory from 5th Grade (around 10 years old). In 2012, however, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched a suggested curriculum from 1st to 4th Grade (from 6 to 9 years old). Similarly, the English Opens Doors programme managed by the MINEDUC supports teachers and students of state-run and subsidised schools in the development of their language skills.
In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students have been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field
The teaching environment in urban Chile, however, is often characterised by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers. Many publications have focused on this context mainly to identify its inefficiency. This negative perspective, however, has provided little discussion about how it could be approached taking into account all the actors involved.
Considering this context, this mixed method research project has been carried out in Chile, with the purpose of identifying the applicability of well-known activities to develop listening and speaking skills when TEYL in the urban Chilean context, particularly in state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago. The data collected from children, teachers and classrooms has shown the relevance of considering these actors as crucial participants of educational research.
"The last few decades has seen a definite increase in the number of countries that have incorpora... more "The last few decades has seen a definite increase in the number of countries that have incorporated EFL in their Primary Education compulsory curriculum. The teaching context in Chile, however, is often characterized by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers.
This talk discusses the findings of a study about the perspectives of a group of Chilean EFL teachers of young learners regarding their practice and the difficulties faced. Similarly, it challenges the conception of the Chilean large classes as a problem, and attempts to identify its opportunities."
Teaching EFL to Young Learners in Large Classes
Pushing Boundaries
In the last few decades, t... more Teaching EFL to Young Learners in Large Classes
Pushing Boundaries
In the last few decades, the developing countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their Primary Education compulsory curriculum have steadily increased. The main assumption of this strategy is that teaching English to young learners (TEYL) encourages motivation, expands intercultural experiences, enhances the usage of the language in action and promotes long term learning. The teaching environment in these countries, however, is often characterized by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers.
The issue of large classes is not new in literature. These studies have identified a series of difficulties such as managing behaviour, keeping students interested, monitoring students’ progress, and providing feedback, among others. So far, however, there has been little discussion about how large classes work in TEYL.
This paper reports on a research project carried out in Chile as a case of large classes; particularly, in the context of TEYL. It was found that Chilean teachers TEYL in large classes face similar challenges to those identified in the literature on older learners in other countries. In particular, accounting for individual learning styles and providing opportunities to express in English are challenging.
While ‘mainstream’ ELT sees large classes as a limitation, this research push the boundaries attempting to identify the opportunities this issue offer, and focusing on how to make the teaching-learning process a meaningful and successful experience in this context.
María Jesús Inostroza. University of Sheffield.
In a globalised word, speaking English is essential; therefore, some countries have focused on en... more In a globalised word, speaking English is essential; therefore, some countries have focused on enhancing teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) from an early age. This research study assessed group work and the difficulties of Chilean EFL teachers of young learners in large classes. Its findings suggest difficulties on giving students the opportunity to express in English and accounting for individual learning styles. Similarly, some unexplored issues emerged in this context, such as classroom management, number of EFL teaching hours and demanding syllabus. Investigating these difficulties will lead to understand and develop strategies for this context.
Dissemination by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
#RepresentYourResearch Challenge, Doctoral Academy, May 1, 2015
What can be done to develop children’s potential for learning English from an early age at Chilea... more What can be done to develop children’s potential for learning English from an early age at Chilean schools? In today’s globalised world, Chile has invested a lot of resources in improving English skills, but the results have not been as successful as expected. My research is aimed at identifying factors that could help or limit the teaching and learning process of children in early primary education.
This project identifies the challenges that Chilean teachers of English face when teaching young ... more This project identifies the challenges that Chilean teachers of English face when teaching young learners, and strategies that could facilitate learning.
Teaching English in Chile as a foreign language is far from easy. Teachers have limited time for planning and difficulties to improve their own English language proficiency. They only have ninety minutes a week to teach in crowded classes. Given this context, poor results are not surprising.
According to the official programme, English should be taught from the age of ten. In the last couple of years, however, an earlier start from the age of six has been recommended by the Ministry of Education. Learning a foreign language from a young age is beneficial, but it should be linked to proper teacher training. In addition, the activities and strategies that enable successful language learning in this specific context should be identified.
My project tested a set of activities that aimed to help children learn English. Group work strategy was assessed for its effectiveness in facilitating language learning during these activities. Finally, I identified the challenges that the examined teachers have faced when teaching English to young learners.
Teaching English to Young Learners in Chile: not an easy story to illustrate 3.
Other contributions by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL Dissertation, University of Sheffield, UKd, Jun 2011
In this globalised world, learning English has become of great importance for some developing cou... more In this globalised world, learning English has become of great importance for some developing countries. Some have implemented strategies to enhance the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) from an early age. The teaching environment, however, is often characterized by language classrooms with limited resources, large classes, and unqualified teachers among other features. This is the case in Chile, according to the OECD (2004).
The Chilean government through the Ministry of Education has developed a programme to improve the EFL teaching-learning process in primary and secondary education. It has also modified its National Curriculum for EFL in order improve linguistics skills. Despite these efforts, research about the EFL teaching strategies
implemented in primary and secondary education is still limited in Chile.
This small-scale research study assesses the implementation of group work and the difficulties faced by Chilean EFL teachers of young learners in large classes. Using a sample of 30 Chilean teachers, this study is based on teachers’ perspectives. It uses a
mixed methods approach, including questionnaires (quantitative approach) and follow up semi-structured interviews (qualitative approach). The findings suggest some similarities with previous studies on large classes in difficulties on giving the students the opportunity to express themselves in English and accounting
for individual learning styles. Similarly, they spark a discussion on some unexplored issues in the Chilean EFL context of young learners in large classes such as positive teachers’ attitude towards group work, classroom management, number of hours of EFL lessons and demanding syllabus.
Professional Memberships by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
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Papers by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
These learners pointed out preferences for hands-on activities and the relevance of opportunities for obtaining feedback as contributing experiences for successful language learning. Similarly, these results illustrate that, by considering perspectives from outside applied linguistics, researchers could uncover factors present in the language learning process.
Conference Presentations by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
Chile developed a compulsory EFL curriculum from the Fifth Grade (around 10 years old). Besides, in 2012, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched a suggested curriculum from 1st to 4th grade (from 6 to 9 years old).
Notwithstanding the popularity of TEYL, very little has been said regarding the children’s views on learning English at school. In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students has been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field.
This talk reports some results of young learners’ perception in regard to their English lessons. This is part of a larger research project carried out in Chile on the area of TEYL in large classes, particularly in five state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago, Chile.
The talk provides a brief background regarding the Chilean context. Then, the perspective of nineteen 4th grade children on their English classes will be highlighted. Finally, the relevance of students’ voices as part of classroom research and TEYL will be discussed with audience participation.
Notwithstanding the popularity of TEYL, very little has been said regarding children’s as active actors of their language learning process. In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students have been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field.
The presentation provides an example of evaluation tools that were not able to obtain informative data regarding the development of 4th grade children’s listening skills. The researcher realised the failure, but was not aware of a way to involve children in the creation of more appropriate data collection instruments.
In this presentation, it is argued that young language learners’ views and experiences in regards to their learning process are reliable and informative elements that should be included more often as part of research projects. This is part of a larger research project carried out in Chile on the area of TEYL in large classes, particularly in five state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago, Chile.
Chile has developed a curriculum of EFL teaching for primary and secondary education, which is compulsory from 5th Grade (around 10 years old). In 2012, however, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched a suggested curriculum from 1st to 4th Grade (from 6 to 9 years old). Similarly, the English Opens Doors programme managed by the MINEDUC supports teachers and students of state-run and subsidised schools in the development of their language skills.
In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students have been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field
The teaching environment in urban Chile, however, is often characterised by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers. Many publications have focused on this context mainly to identify its inefficiency. This negative perspective, however, has provided little discussion about how it could be approached taking into account all the actors involved.
Considering this context, this mixed method research project has been carried out in Chile, with the purpose of identifying the applicability of well-known activities to develop listening and speaking skills when TEYL in the urban Chilean context, particularly in state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago. The data collected from children, teachers and classrooms has shown the relevance of considering these actors as crucial participants of educational research.
This talk discusses the findings of a study about the perspectives of a group of Chilean EFL teachers of young learners regarding their practice and the difficulties faced. Similarly, it challenges the conception of the Chilean large classes as a problem, and attempts to identify its opportunities."
Pushing Boundaries
In the last few decades, the developing countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their Primary Education compulsory curriculum have steadily increased. The main assumption of this strategy is that teaching English to young learners (TEYL) encourages motivation, expands intercultural experiences, enhances the usage of the language in action and promotes long term learning. The teaching environment in these countries, however, is often characterized by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers.
The issue of large classes is not new in literature. These studies have identified a series of difficulties such as managing behaviour, keeping students interested, monitoring students’ progress, and providing feedback, among others. So far, however, there has been little discussion about how large classes work in TEYL.
This paper reports on a research project carried out in Chile as a case of large classes; particularly, in the context of TEYL. It was found that Chilean teachers TEYL in large classes face similar challenges to those identified in the literature on older learners in other countries. In particular, accounting for individual learning styles and providing opportunities to express in English are challenging.
While ‘mainstream’ ELT sees large classes as a limitation, this research push the boundaries attempting to identify the opportunities this issue offer, and focusing on how to make the teaching-learning process a meaningful and successful experience in this context.
Dissemination by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
Teaching English in Chile as a foreign language is far from easy. Teachers have limited time for planning and difficulties to improve their own English language proficiency. They only have ninety minutes a week to teach in crowded classes. Given this context, poor results are not surprising.
According to the official programme, English should be taught from the age of ten. In the last couple of years, however, an earlier start from the age of six has been recommended by the Ministry of Education. Learning a foreign language from a young age is beneficial, but it should be linked to proper teacher training. In addition, the activities and strategies that enable successful language learning in this specific context should be identified.
My project tested a set of activities that aimed to help children learn English. Group work strategy was assessed for its effectiveness in facilitating language learning during these activities. Finally, I identified the challenges that the examined teachers have faced when teaching English to young learners.
Other contributions by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
The Chilean government through the Ministry of Education has developed a programme to improve the EFL teaching-learning process in primary and secondary education. It has also modified its National Curriculum for EFL in order improve linguistics skills. Despite these efforts, research about the EFL teaching strategies
implemented in primary and secondary education is still limited in Chile.
This small-scale research study assesses the implementation of group work and the difficulties faced by Chilean EFL teachers of young learners in large classes. Using a sample of 30 Chilean teachers, this study is based on teachers’ perspectives. It uses a
mixed methods approach, including questionnaires (quantitative approach) and follow up semi-structured interviews (qualitative approach). The findings suggest some similarities with previous studies on large classes in difficulties on giving the students the opportunity to express themselves in English and accounting
for individual learning styles. Similarly, they spark a discussion on some unexplored issues in the Chilean EFL context of young learners in large classes such as positive teachers’ attitude towards group work, classroom management, number of hours of EFL lessons and demanding syllabus.
Professional Memberships by Maria Jesus Inostroza A.
These learners pointed out preferences for hands-on activities and the relevance of opportunities for obtaining feedback as contributing experiences for successful language learning. Similarly, these results illustrate that, by considering perspectives from outside applied linguistics, researchers could uncover factors present in the language learning process.
Chile developed a compulsory EFL curriculum from the Fifth Grade (around 10 years old). Besides, in 2012, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched a suggested curriculum from 1st to 4th grade (from 6 to 9 years old).
Notwithstanding the popularity of TEYL, very little has been said regarding the children’s views on learning English at school. In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students has been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field.
This talk reports some results of young learners’ perception in regard to their English lessons. This is part of a larger research project carried out in Chile on the area of TEYL in large classes, particularly in five state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago, Chile.
The talk provides a brief background regarding the Chilean context. Then, the perspective of nineteen 4th grade children on their English classes will be highlighted. Finally, the relevance of students’ voices as part of classroom research and TEYL will be discussed with audience participation.
Notwithstanding the popularity of TEYL, very little has been said regarding children’s as active actors of their language learning process. In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students have been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field.
The presentation provides an example of evaluation tools that were not able to obtain informative data regarding the development of 4th grade children’s listening skills. The researcher realised the failure, but was not aware of a way to involve children in the creation of more appropriate data collection instruments.
In this presentation, it is argued that young language learners’ views and experiences in regards to their learning process are reliable and informative elements that should be included more often as part of research projects. This is part of a larger research project carried out in Chile on the area of TEYL in large classes, particularly in five state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago, Chile.
Chile has developed a curriculum of EFL teaching for primary and secondary education, which is compulsory from 5th Grade (around 10 years old). In 2012, however, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) launched a suggested curriculum from 1st to 4th Grade (from 6 to 9 years old). Similarly, the English Opens Doors programme managed by the MINEDUC supports teachers and students of state-run and subsidised schools in the development of their language skills.
In the Chilean case, even though different ways to improve the language skills of students have been implemented, little research has been carried out into this field
The teaching environment in urban Chile, however, is often characterised by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers. Many publications have focused on this context mainly to identify its inefficiency. This negative perspective, however, has provided little discussion about how it could be approached taking into account all the actors involved.
Considering this context, this mixed method research project has been carried out in Chile, with the purpose of identifying the applicability of well-known activities to develop listening and speaking skills when TEYL in the urban Chilean context, particularly in state-run or subsidised schools in Santiago. The data collected from children, teachers and classrooms has shown the relevance of considering these actors as crucial participants of educational research.
This talk discusses the findings of a study about the perspectives of a group of Chilean EFL teachers of young learners regarding their practice and the difficulties faced. Similarly, it challenges the conception of the Chilean large classes as a problem, and attempts to identify its opportunities."
Pushing Boundaries
In the last few decades, the developing countries that have incorporated EFL as part of their Primary Education compulsory curriculum have steadily increased. The main assumption of this strategy is that teaching English to young learners (TEYL) encourages motivation, expands intercultural experiences, enhances the usage of the language in action and promotes long term learning. The teaching environment in these countries, however, is often characterized by large classes, limited resources, and unqualified teachers.
The issue of large classes is not new in literature. These studies have identified a series of difficulties such as managing behaviour, keeping students interested, monitoring students’ progress, and providing feedback, among others. So far, however, there has been little discussion about how large classes work in TEYL.
This paper reports on a research project carried out in Chile as a case of large classes; particularly, in the context of TEYL. It was found that Chilean teachers TEYL in large classes face similar challenges to those identified in the literature on older learners in other countries. In particular, accounting for individual learning styles and providing opportunities to express in English are challenging.
While ‘mainstream’ ELT sees large classes as a limitation, this research push the boundaries attempting to identify the opportunities this issue offer, and focusing on how to make the teaching-learning process a meaningful and successful experience in this context.
Teaching English in Chile as a foreign language is far from easy. Teachers have limited time for planning and difficulties to improve their own English language proficiency. They only have ninety minutes a week to teach in crowded classes. Given this context, poor results are not surprising.
According to the official programme, English should be taught from the age of ten. In the last couple of years, however, an earlier start from the age of six has been recommended by the Ministry of Education. Learning a foreign language from a young age is beneficial, but it should be linked to proper teacher training. In addition, the activities and strategies that enable successful language learning in this specific context should be identified.
My project tested a set of activities that aimed to help children learn English. Group work strategy was assessed for its effectiveness in facilitating language learning during these activities. Finally, I identified the challenges that the examined teachers have faced when teaching English to young learners.
The Chilean government through the Ministry of Education has developed a programme to improve the EFL teaching-learning process in primary and secondary education. It has also modified its National Curriculum for EFL in order improve linguistics skills. Despite these efforts, research about the EFL teaching strategies
implemented in primary and secondary education is still limited in Chile.
This small-scale research study assesses the implementation of group work and the difficulties faced by Chilean EFL teachers of young learners in large classes. Using a sample of 30 Chilean teachers, this study is based on teachers’ perspectives. It uses a
mixed methods approach, including questionnaires (quantitative approach) and follow up semi-structured interviews (qualitative approach). The findings suggest some similarities with previous studies on large classes in difficulties on giving the students the opportunity to express themselves in English and accounting
for individual learning styles. Similarly, they spark a discussion on some unexplored issues in the Chilean EFL context of young learners in large classes such as positive teachers’ attitude towards group work, classroom management, number of hours of EFL lessons and demanding syllabus.