How can Gina improve her Spanish?

This website offers to the learner several alternatives to develop spanish language skills, in this case we are focus on the pronunciation so as to get a native-like accent. Gina can practice each sound by repetition and at the same time urdestand important rules to make her learning easier.
http://www.studyspanish.com/pronunciation

Three Principles of Teaching

Teaching language through content
The teacher´s role implies the use of didactical strategies to facilitate the student learning, because of that it is important to find eye-catching material to manage our classes teaching content not so entertaining commonly for students like grammar.This content must be adapted according to the students´ level, moreover, activities have to be mainly meaninful more than funny because our fundamental purpose is to educate.I consider very important develop my teaching using several resources to fulfill the students´ needs since their multiple intelligences.

Teaching through social interaction
Give oportunities to our students mean that they can work together and consequently improve their learning getting across what they think; it makes them to acquire knowlege in a comfortable environment where they feel free to talk and at the same time are advised individually by the teacher depending on what they need. Furthermore, students are motivated when they interact with people that have similar characteristics, that make mistakes but it doesn´t matter since this communicational situation takes place in a effective and positive climate where mistakes are seen as a source of learning.

High expectations
Students not only need to be taught by teachers but also they need to be supported to get their goals. If a teacher believes in the students´qualities then students will success because they feel more confident when someone helps to improve their performances. In other words, students need high expectations shown by teachers and parents so as to give their maximun effort despite of many other factors that they have to face.Teachers must focus their support based on the students´ backgrounds giving them opportunities to be successful making mistakes but learning anyway without worrying about time, resources, etc.

I believe that we have to see our students as unique people that want to success in their lives improving their social status considering their backgrounds and differences, it implies the following quote:
“We are not teachers of some students, everybody is important in the classroom”; because of that they need several chances to learn and develop their skills, making mistakes and trying many times to understand. That´s why we chose this profession, because we want to change lives!

Faith in the learner expands student potential

Quote "Lack of fluency in English in interpreted as lack of understanding"

This situation is very common in our educational system.Teachers attribute slow fluency process to the students´capacity to understand,however, the problem is that teachers don´t provide good alternatives to learn and sometimes the environment is not the best to develop an appropiate learning.

“Learning English is all about deciding to join the English-speaking club.” Explain what this mean and defend the statement.

It is very helpful to be part of one of this group because interaction is the most important thing to improve fluency and to gain accuracy, but not only you can learn English by doing this, you also can learn by practicing on your own in terms of writing and speaking, in order to develop the different skills. One of the things that you should consider is the level that students have in terms of English because having big gaps between the learners could produce differences in the learning process. We consider that as human being we need to get across what we think and also to share our thoughts.

Gina's social and psychological distance to Spanish language, culture and speakers

1-Social distance: Whose social groups is more dominant?
Gina is involved with a group of spanish native speakers where doesn´t exist a social distance, however, english is the language that is used in all the classes so it could be seen as a barrier to Gina´s desire.

2-Integration pattern: How much do learners integrate, or do they do most things apart from the mainstream?
Gina is ready to learn spanish, however, she is all the time sorrounded by other english speakers and does´t have several alternatives to practice.

3-Enclosure: To what extend does the learner's group have their own resources for interaction, such as church, publications, clubs?
If Gina wants to develop faster her spanish she will practice harder using other media like tv, internet, podcasts, etc

4-Cohesiveness: How much does the group "stick together"?
The chilean students(Gina´s knowledge resource) is tight-knit because they share the same culture unlike Gina that has american culture.

5-Size: How large is the group?
The bigger is the group the harder to learn.

6-Cultural congruence: How are the cultural patterns and customs of the home cultural and the target culture alike or different?
Sadly, to the Gina´s aim there is a big difference between these two cultures(Chilean v/s American) so it could turns more difficult her learning.

7-Attitude: What attitudes do the home and target cultural groups have toward one another?
Gina shows a great attitude so as to learn spanish and the latina culture, because of that it facilitates her purpose.Moreover, she has developed good relationships with the chilean students.

8-Intended length of residence: How long does the learner intended to stay in the new country?
If Gina travels to a spanish speaking country she will facilitate her learning significantly because the language will be used as a tool to get what she wants more than a personal interest to know a new language.

Despite not having good prospects Gina needs to work harder to get her goals learning spanish.

Psychological Distance

• Motivation: Does the learner want to learn the new language?
Gina is completely motivated to learn our culture and obviously spanish.

• Attitude: How does the learner feel toward the target-culture group?
She looks like comfortable in the classroom environment so it makes easier her objective.

• Culture shock: Is the learner suffering culture shock?
Not, because she is living in her country so is not facing that situation.