The implementation of an english basic course for students in the Nueva Esperanza Church

Abstract

This guided work is presented to obtain the degree in Linguistics at the Mayor de San Andres University (UMSA). It was necessary to sign up an agreement between the church and the university in order to implement an English basic course. The Nueva Esperanza church is a referent for the community because it helps the children and teenagers providing them a school support in the English subject. According to the needs analysis, most of the students needed to learn a foreign language to improve their understanding and the use of the language. Therefore, the Nueva Esperanza church‟s Principal considered important that her students should have educative support in the English subject with the implementation of an English basic course proposal. The development of the course was focused on English language learning through the Total Physical Response (TPR) method. During the courses strategies and techniques were applied in order to stimulate the learning process and to promote the student‟s interest in the English language. In addition, during the courses extra materials were developed according to the tasks. The TPR method was suitable to introduce the English language because it is a dynamic teaching method. It allows the teacher working with body movements and using the students‟ five senses that permit the development of language skills. The English course improved the students‟ knowledge through actions, the teacher did the action and reinforced it by the repetition of the command, giving the student the opportunity to repeat the action and create a command using their own words. Resources (handouts, classroom objects, pictures and records) were used for the English course. The curriculum design was established through the competences that the students needed to improve. The contents were chosen according to the complexity that the students understood in the time that the English courses were established. At the end of the course, most of the students were able to communicate using phrases and words in the English language.