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1. Licda. Ana Yuri Lobo Núñez
PROPOSAL OF A COMPLEMENTARY READING AND WRITING MANUAL
FOR THE III CYCLE OF THE GENERAL BASIC EDUCATION, SEVENTH GRADE
STUDENTS AT MAURO FERNÁNDEZ ACUÑA HIGH SCHOOL IN ORDER TO
MOTIVATE THEM TO READ AND WRITE IN ENGLISH

2. INTRODUCTION
Which aspects of the teaching-learning
process need to be emphasized in order to
develop appropriate motivation levels on the
students to improve their reading and writing
in English?

3. General Objectives
• To propose a reading-oriented approach to
enhance and strengthen the reading and
writing skills of students of seventh grade at
Mauro Fernández Acuña Public High School
• To develop a reading manual and a guide for
its use for the seventh grade students of
Mauro Fernández Acuña Public School,
following the principles of the Communicative
Approach as a complement of the MEP
program for seventh grade

4. Specific Objectives
• To determine the level of motivation towards reading
and writing in English of the seventh graders at Mauro
Fernández Acuña High School
• To evaluate the reading and writing skills of the
seventh graders
• To assess the seventh grade students’ vocabulary in
English
• To find out about evaluation techniques practiced with
seventh grade students

5. Theorethical Framework
•
•
•
•
•
•
Motivation
Methodology
Reading skill
Writing skill
Vocabulary
Evaluation

6. METHODOLOGICAL
FRAMEWORK
• Type of investigation (Descriptive)
• Proposal

7. INFORMATION SOURCES
• Primary Literary Sources
• Secondary Sources

8. TECHNIQUES TO OBTAIN THE
DATA
• A questionnaire was given to the sample
students with close-ended questions.
• Three English teachers were interviewed
using open-ended questions.
• Observation to both teachers and students
in their classroom during three different
opportunities.

9. VARIABLES
The variables are taken from the objectives
and follow the same order:
• Motivation
• Methodology
• Reading
• Writing
• Vocabulary
• Evaluation

10. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
• The first instrument (Survey)
• The second instrument (An interview)
• The third instrument (Observation)

11. TENDENCIES (Graph #1)
I enjoy the English classes.
4%
10%
38%
ALWAYS
ALMOST ALWAYS
ALMOST NEVER
NEVER
48%

12. Graph #2
I am interested in learning English because it will help me
in my future.
1% 1%
10%
ALWAYS
ALMOST ALWAYS
ALMOST NEVER
NEVER
88%

13. Graph #5
I read in English during the classes.
10%
17%
41%
ALWAYS
ALMOST ALWAYS
ALMOST NEVER
NEVER
32%

14. Graph #8
The teacher teaches me how to spell words and make
sentences and short paragraphs in English.
ALWAYS
3%
14%
ALMOST ALWAYS
ALMOST NEVER
47%
36%
NEVER

16. CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

17. Motivation (Conclusions)
• Most of the students of seventh grade are
motivated towards learning English.
• Most of the students are aware of the
importance of learning English as a foreign
language nowadays.
• Most of the strategies and activities teachers
use in their classes are not appealing to their
interests. Students need to be more
motivated, so they do not get bored and lose
concentration.

18. Recommendations
• Teachers should
a) vary the activities during classwork;
b) pay more attention to the daily teaching
process;
c) give pupils clear instructions for every
activity they carry out in class.

19. Methodology (Conclusions)
• The contact students have with the target
language is minimal.
• The time to teach English in the III Cycle is
too short.
• Educators are well qualified professionals.
• Most of the teachers do not carry out
interesting and attractive activities in class.

20. Recommendations for
Methodology
• Teachers should
a) not give up in their duty of speaking
in English most of the time;
b) work harder in order to make the official
authorities conscious about the fact that
three lessons are too little time for
students to become proficient in the four
basic skills;

21. c) apply different strategies and techniques
to teach English as a foreign language;
d) be more enthusiastic in teaching their
lessons and practice more dynamic
activities using eye-catching materials
and Cooperative Learning strategies.

22. Reading (Conclusions)
• Some of the students can read and
comprehend simple sentences and some
instructions in English.
• Teachers do not devote time to develop
the reading skill because of different
reasons.

23. Recommendations for Reading
• Teachers should
a) pay more attention to the development
of the reading skill;
b) make an efforts to present students
with challenging texts and attractive
materials that awaken in them the love
for reading;

24. c) try other options to teach reading
through other genres in order to
improve the students’ proficiency in this
skill;
d) use the manual proposed in this thesis
as supporting material.

25. Writing (Conclusions)
• The majority of the students cannot write short and
simple sentences correctly.
• They do not write dialogues in pairs or groups.
• They practice writing when they write the out-ofclass work.
• Most of the teachers do not center their attention
to the writing skill.

26. Recommendations for Writing
• Teachers should
a) balance their time teaching the four
basic skills included in the National
Program;
b) keep innovating regularly writing
activities;

27. c) give students feedback when they write
in class checking their classwork and
out-of-class work;
d) focus on teaching writing through
Cooperative Learning strategies.

28. Vocabulary (Conclusions)
• Students do not have enough vocabulary.
• Some teachers do not carry out different
activities in their lessons in order to
strengthen vocabulary acquisition.
• Many of the students’ interests and
difficulties are not taken into account to
develop meaningful classes.

29. Recommendations for Vocabulary
• Teachers should:
a) be assessed and trained by the corresponding authorities
in teaching vocabulary properly;
b) become self-didactic people and look for new ideas to
teach the four basic skills;
c) introduce vocabulary using a variety of strategies and
materials in order to improve the students’ proficiency in
English;
d) use the activities suggested in the manual for the acquisition of
new vocabulary are simple and enjoyable.

30. Evaluation (Conclusions)
• At secondary level students’ grades are
divided in five aspects: classwork 25%,
out-of-class work 10%, two partial tests
55%, concept 5%, and attendance to the
class 5%.
• Oral tests are optional resources if the
teacher wants to use them.
• Most teachers do not assess students
during the class.

31. Recommendations for
Evaluation
• Teachers should
a) assess their students during classes;
b) pay more attention to the students’
individual difficulties in learning English;
c) find out renewed techniques of
assessing their pupils during the daily
activities.

32. PROPOSAL FOR A READING
AND WRITING MANUAL
The manual has three main parts:
• Updated strategies to apply in teaching
reading and writing in English.
• Fifteen different activities to carry out in class
with seventh graders.
• An example of a reading selection with
different exercises.

33. ACTIVITIES ON THE MANUAL
• Name of each activity and illustration
• Brief suggestion when to use it.
• The materials the teacher will need to
carry it out.
• How to work with each activity.

34. THANK YOU VERY MUCH