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Appendix
3 Results of the first data collection16th
February 2002
Open
questionnaire for the Electronic Systems teacher before starting the
module of English and Electric Systems
Why did
you accept to carry out a part of your program in English?
Because most of the books and the data-sheet, not to mention many specific terms of my subjects, are in English. Do
you think the students of your class may acquire new knowledge and skills
related to your subject by using English? Yes,
as a matter of fact, developing in English some topics, already partially
studied, in Italian will have the function of revision and further
deepening. Which
might be the advantages of this experience for your subject? Beyond revision and deepening, I think that to explicit concepts through a language different from one’s own mother tongue requires a greater attention to the logic connection between the concepts. The result is a clarification of the topics already studied. Moreover this clarification, both linguistic and technical, allows the student to better comprehend that culture is not only to know the technical solutions but also to be able to express them correctly through the language. Which
might be the disadvantages? The
disadvantage could be loosing time with respect to the subject matter year
planning, in case the cooperation with the language teacher is not
effective, I mean if the teachers do not respect the module plan’s time
schedule.
16th
February 2002 Open
questionnaire for the Italian and History teacher before starting the
module of English and History
Why
did you accept to do a part of your program in English? I
have been attracted by the idea of a new type of teaching linked to the
experience of the “co-presence”. I have been interested in comparing
my way of teaching to the way of working of another teacher. In particular
I think that the affinities and
the differences between the two languages can make the presentation of the
topics more stimulating both for the teachers and for the students, as the
same topics could appear a bit boring and banal if they are always
presented in the same way. Finally I wanted to prove my ability to listen
to, and understand a language I’m not very familiar with. Do
you think the students of your class may acquire new knowledge and skills
related to your subject by using English? Yes,
the notions concerning the content can be increased, and even in case the
number of new notions is not very big, they can result more developed and
deepened. Surely, the skills related to the mastery and the use of the
lexis variations result strengthened. Which
might be the advantages of this experience for your subject? An advantage may be to make some topics more stimulating, which otherwise could not appear so interesting to the students. I find it is positive also dealing with the contents by stressing analogies and differences between the two languages. So the students are solicited to speak more times an in a more autonomous
way. Which
might be the disadvantages?
One
of the disadvantages might be slowing down the study of the topics, not
much as far as the competencies the students can acquire are concerned,
but in the knowledge of the contents, because expressing the contents in
English might result more difficult. 16th
February 2002
Open
questionnaire for the Italian and History teacher
who have completed the module of English and History in the class
III A LST
Do
you think the students of your class have acquired new knowledge and
skills related to your subject by using English? Which have been the
advantages of this experience
for your subject? Yes. In History teaching usually the national events are predominant, inside a European background, especially in the Medieval History that the students are studying this year. Deepening the British History together with the teacher of English means to get out of this point of view, and rediscover characters that acquire a new dimension. Moreover I think that the necessary capacity of synthesis is improved in order to argument and analyse events in a foreign language.
Which
have been the disadvantages? On
one hand the capacity of synthesis is strengthened, on the other hand the
capacity of analysis is less practiced. Do
you think you will repeat the experience? Why? Why not? Yes,
because beyond the advantages already mentioned there is also the fruitful
co-operation of the teachers, the mediation between different experiences,
which is not a secondary aspect.
Questionnaire
for the students after completing the content based module of History in
English Class:
III
Age:
16
Level: Pre-intermediate/Intermediate Date:
16th February 2002 16
students (three are not at school today) 1)
Why do you learn English? Choose
the answers you like most (Max 3): a)
Because it is a school subject 1-2-3-4 b)
Because it is a means to communicate my ideas and opinions c)
Because I can learn new things by using English 1-2-3-4 d)
Because I can meet different people by speaking English 1 e)
Because
it will be useful for the job I would like to do 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 f)
Because
it is useful for my travels 1-2 g)
Because it is an international language 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 h)
Because it is the language of technology 1-2-3-4-5 i)
Because it is necessary for my future studies 1-2-3-4-5-6 j)
Because I like the countries where it is spoken and I would like to
visit them k)
Because I like music 2)
What is more important to learn English? Choose
the answers you like most (Max 3): a)
to know grammar rules 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 b)
to
make exercises and tests 1-2 c)
to
know words and expressions 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 d)
to have a good teacher 1-2 e)
to
try to speak English as much as possible 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 f)
to use teaching aids (cassette and video recorders, a lab, computer
etc.) 1-2-3 g)
to be confident in one’s own capacity h)
to be eager to learn it i)
to learn English in a comfortable environment j)
to use English to communicate the same things you communicate in
Italian 1-2 3)
Do you think it is possible to learn a school subject in English
(e.g. Maths, History, Biology, etc.)? a.
Yes 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15 b.
No 1 c.
I don’t know 4)
Which was the biggest
difficulty you found in studying History in English?
i.
To report orally
ii.
Oral reporting
iii.
Nothing
iv.
Nothing
v. I have found no problems
vi.
Speaking about studied topics
vii.
Nothing
viii.
Nothing
ix.
Understand the texts
x. In grammar
xi.
In grammar
xii.
In grammar
xiii.
Nothing Questionnaire
for the students before starting the content based module of History in
English Class:
IIA
Age: 15
Date:
16th February 2002 25
students (4 are not at school today) 1)
Why do you learn English? Choose
the answers you like most (Max 3): a)
Because it is a school subject 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 b)
Because it is a means to communicate my ideas and opinions 1-2 c)
Because I can learn new things by using English 1-2-3-4-5-6 d)
Because I can meet different people by speaking English 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 e)
Because it will be useful for the job I would like to do 1-2-3-4-5-6 f)
Because it is useful for my travels 1-2-3-4 g)
Because it is an international language 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15 h)
Because it is the language of technology 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 i)
Because it is necessary for my future studies 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 j)
Because I like the countries where it is spoken and I would like to
visit them 1-2-3 k)
Because I like music 1-2-3-4-5 2)
What is more important to learn English? Choose
the answers you like most (Max 3): a)
to know grammar rules 1-2-3-4-5-6 b)
to make exercises and tests 1 c)
to know words and expressions 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16 d)
to have a good teacher 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18 e)
to try to speak English as much as possible 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15 f)
to use teaching aids (cassette and video recorders, a lab, computer
etc.) 1-2-3-4 g)
to be confident in one’s own capacity 1-2-3 h)
to be eager to learn it i)
to learn English in a comfortable environment 1 j)
to use English to communicate the same things you communicate in
Italian 1-2-3-4-5-6 3)
Do you think it is possible to learn a school subject in English
(e.g. Maths, History, Biology, etc.)? 1)
Yes 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19 2)
No 1-2 3)
I
don’t know 1-2-3-4 4)
What
is your favourite subject? (excluding English) 5)
Which difficulties do you think you might find in studying your
favourite subject in English?
(Answer in Italian if you want) Technology
and Design
(The only difficulty is in comprehension), Maths
(The most difficult thing should be to listen and understand the
mathematical prodedures expressed in English), Maths, Biology
(According to me there would be some difficulties in using the specific
terms of Biology, but I think we could study it in English), History
(I would find difficult reporting and comprehending), Maths
(According to me the only problem is comprehension, because I think
that mathematical language is more difficult to comprehend in English.
Anyway I think this problem would be the same also im most of the other
subjects ), Maths (The language of Mathematics could be more
complex in English), Maths (I think that the difficulty
could be in finding the precise technical language to express myself),
History, Chemistry (I think that there would be many
difficulties in studying Chemistry in English, since it is already rather
complicated in Italian), Technology and Design (I think it
could be possibile to learn these two subjects in English. For the moment
this is not possibile because I don’t know English very well, because I
would not understand the concepts and the other things I have to do ),
Law and Economics (I would find enormous difficulties in
studying it in English because I already have some difficulties in
speaking, mainly in organizing the discourse grammatically, for example
using verbs ), History (Yes, because English is only a
language and I think that in the world there are millions of people that
use it), Chemistry (The same difficulties that I would find
in studying only English), Maths (To understand what the
teacher says and to tudy the subject even if this subject is scientific
and does not require much the use of the language; the most difficult
thing would be to memorise the rules ), History (I would
have some problems in comprehending; I wouldn’t be able to report it in
English), Law and Economic (To explain the things, the
expressions; I would have problems of comprehension)), Maths (To
say or explain a rule or a theorem), History (In applying in
English the words and sentences comprehended in Italian), Maths (Perhaps
I could have some difficulties when the teacher explains, if I don’t
understand the words), Maths (I could find some difficulties
in reasoning about some topics of logic), Maths (As to the
use of numbers there wouldn’t be many
problems, but to demonstrate theorems we should be able to build
very complicated discourses), Technology and Design (To
learn this subject in English I should know the specific technical terms). Questionnaire
for the students before starting the content based module of Electronic
Systems in English Class:
IV
Age: 17/18
Level: Elementary/pre-intermediate Date:
16th February 2002 16
students (four are not at school today) 1)
Why do you learn English? Choose
the answers you like most (Max 3): a)
Because it is a school subject 1-2-3-4 b)
Because it is a means to communicate my ideas and opinions 1-2 c)
Because I can learn new things by using English 1 d)
Because I can meet different people by speaking English 1-2-3-4 e)
Because it will be useful for the job I would like to do 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 f)
Because it is useful for my travels 1-2 g)
Because it is an international language 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14 h)
Because it is the language of technology 1-2-3-4 i)
Because it is necessary for my future studies 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 j)
Because I like the countries where it is spoken and I would like to
visit them k)
Because I like music 1-2 2)
What is more important to learn English? Choose
the answers you like most (Max 3): a)
to know grammar rules 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 b)
to make exercises and tests 1-2-3 c)
to know words and expressions 1-2-3-4 d)
to have a good teacher 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 e)
to try to speak English as much as possible 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 f)
to use teaching aids (cassette and video recorders, a lab, computer
etc.) 1-2-3-4-5 g)
to be confident in one’s own capacity h)
to be eager to learn it i)
to learn English in a comfortable environment 1 j)
to use English to communicate the same things you communicate in
Italian 1-2 3)
Do you think it is possible to learn a school subject in English
(e.g. Maths, History, Biology, etc.)? d)
Yes 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 e)
No 1 f)
I
don’t know 1-2-3-4-5-6 4)
What is your favourite subject? (excluding English): 5)
Which difficulties do you think you might find in studying your
favourite subject in English?
(Answer in Italian if you want) Telecommunications
(to
learn the technical terms, ), Law (I don’t know), Telecommunications
(technical terms), TDP (because it is a parctical subject
that allows me to know how our circuits work), Electronic Systems
(I don’t know), Electronic Systems (the text length),
Italian (the text length), Italian, Systems, Electronics
(to understand the basic concepts), Systems (I could find
difficulties in the comprehension of the basic concepts, in English), PE
(they are relaxing hours), Italian, Italian, History, Maths. |