Meaningful Learning

Content Based Materials

Group #2 : Cynthia Ceballos, Ivanna Arce Teacher: Janneth Perez

26-9-2013

Meaningful Learning
Is the process of making meaningful associations between existing knowledge (experience) and new material, and the result of associative links create stronger retention. Meaningful learning refers to the concept that the learned knowledge (let s say a fact) is fully understood by the individual and that the individual knows how that specific fact relates to other stored facts (stored in your brain that is).

Refers to a learning way where the new knowledge to acquire

is related with previous knowledge.

Children are good meaningful acquirers of language because they asociate sounds, words and elements with wich is relevant and important in their daily life.

Some classroom implications of this principle include the followings:

1. Appealing to students interests. 2. Whenever a new topic is introduced, attempt to anchor it in studentsexisting knowledge, so they would associated with something they already know. 3. Avoid the pitfalls of rote learning.

Examples of Meaninful Language Class

The association of and existing knowledge and new materials is the essence of this method. For this reason when we teach a class the topic should be in some way lead to the students interest and goals. Association through real life actions Meanings = notions (Identification, shopping, health, food) Functions = communicative acts (greeting people, requesting information, asking for prices)

The meaninful language class

Should Motivate students to express their ideas and emotions through real communication activities.

Is neccesary to
Students Show students the importance and the Must understand more fun they could have the message and the learning languages meaning it is given, risking to speaking even though fails

Teacher

Facilitate the communication process between all participants and act as an independent participant.

Hes like a researcher and learner contributing in terms of appropriate knowledge and abilities.

Examples of Meaninful Language Class Activities

Ask Questions to the learners about the topic its been teach, in this case about Meaninful Language Class Do you think this method is useful either for adults or children? Do you think it is a relaxing and interesting way to learn languages? What other types of materials or games could be used in this method? Do you think this method could be use also at home through family games? How could this method be more interesting? If you could change something in this method, what would you change?

Use Text-based materials to make a creative, interactive and dynamic class, we could use: visual cues, taped cues, pictures and sentence fragments to start conversation. Different texts for pair work such as for role plays.

We could use Task-based materials to encourage the participation of the learners to express them self and be more fluent without fear to fail. Exercise handbooks, cue cards, activity cards, practice booklets and games like role relationships for pair work are some we can use to lead student to be more confident.

Use Realia to make free activities that

allowed children to use their creativity and intuition to make interesting ads for pieces of magazines, newspapers, signs, etc. In this way they could use it in many different ways to learn about grammar structure in a funny, relax, and intuitive way.