profile 1.p65


○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○45 PROFILEPROFILEPROFILEPROFILEPROFILE

HOMEWORK IN THE LEARNING PROCESS

Sandra M. GómezSandra M. GómezSandra M. GómezSandra M. GómezSandra M. Gómez

A problem has been observed thatcreates difficulties in the normaland productive development of the
English courses. Without any doubt, doing
homework is very important in the learning
process of a new language. Doubtless it
affects the student’s active participation in
the classroom and his relationship to
partners and teachers. Because of this, a
research project was done with the aim to
finding out strategies to ensure students do
homework and make it part of the learning
process, erasing the image of homework as
a punishment.

IntrIntrIntrIntrIntroductionoductionoductionoductionoduction

When we say tasks we can refer to different
kinds: daily tasks, pedagogical tasks done
in the classroom and tasks as activities to
reinforce learning.  Anyway, all tasks have
something in common in some way: that is
to evoke a communicative use of language
and to create habits in those who do them.

We can say a task is a series of processes
that allows the student to develop abilities
and skills in second language acquisition.
It is necessary to take the process of language
acquisition not as “learning that” but as
“knowing how”.  This way, students will not
see this learning as an obligation but as a
useful tool for their future performance.
Through tasks we shall allow students to use
right rules in a suitable, real context.

Teachers assign homework for many
reasons. Homework can help students to
review and practice what they have learned,
get ready for the next day’s class, learn to
use resources, such as libraries with their
reference materials and encyclopaedias, and
explore subjects more fully than time allows
in the classroom.

MethodMethodMethodMethodMethod

Time limits for students to hand in their
homework will be the first step to consider.
The next step will be doing and preparing
homework with direct participation from the
teacher.  In other words, what techniques
must be developed by the teacher to instil
motivation in students to do their homework?

After a week’s observation to find out what
kind of homework the teacher usually gives,
it was noticed that homework was generally
from the workbook and tape.  That
procedure, although necessary, could be
supplemented giving students a chance to
demonstrate their aptitudes for drawing,
dramatisation, etc. and for the development
of creativity.

The third step is related to the kind of
homework students like to do.  A survey was
made whose results show a certain attraction
to things like greeting cards, drawings,
collages, comics, etc. with a communicative
or competitive purpose.  Likewise, they show



○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
46PROFILEPROFILEPROFILEPROFILEPROFILE

an affinity for current themes like music,
cinema or singers’ biographies.

Likewise, it is necessary to remember that
homework plays an important role as a
complementary activity and is a part of an
organised and researched lesson plan.
Homework is also a work tool in classroom
and multiplies the chances for students’
practice of the second language out of the
classroom.

SubjectsSubjectsSubjectsSubjectsSubjects

The group chosen to be the subject of
this project is the tenth grade.  It’s made up
of ten students with an average age of 16
years and with great academic differences
among them.  This group has been chosen
because it has the greatest apathy toward
lessons and no motivation to do
complementary activities such as homework.

PrPrPrPrProcedureocedureocedureocedureocedure

In order to encourage students to do
homework an informal survey was made to
find out preferred activities (hobbies, music,
free time, etc.).  Then, activities with specific
goals were designed.

ResultsResultsResultsResultsResults

With the first test, students had the
opportunity to learn basic vocabular y
necessar y in the classroom and were
encouraged to use it.  They were also
encouraged to ask open questions about
anything interesting to them. 50% of
students did this homework.  They were
asked about what they thought about

homework, how they felt doing it, and
whether they learned any vocabulary or not.
They said that it was a new way to do
homework because they had always filled in
the workbook and now what they did was
more realistic.

They had doubts about the pronunciation
of words in questions.  We could see trouble
in word order in sentences (Spanish syntax),
trouble with Wh-questions and spelling.  This
fact could explain why they don’t speak in
the classroom although they know the words.
They admit they know the vocabulary but
they prefer not to speak.  Here, the teacher’s
role is important because he/she can
encourage the students to use the language
they are learning.

About 50% of the students didn’t do
homework. A strong link was obser ved
among the three findings: they were
motivated to do the homework but 30% of
them didn’t understand it very well; didn’t
understand the meaning of the words and
had grammar deficiencies; and 20% were
completely uninterested in it.

Here we can see a clear relation between
grammar limitations and low interest in doing
the homework.  The lesson plan for the
classroom must be clear and organised to
encourage students to do homework that is
interesting and in accordance with their
abilities.

The second homework was done by 70%
of the students.  They had more interest in
doing the homework.  Perhaps in the
classroom they found clear ideas on the basic
questions and were encouraged to
participate in the activities.  30% of them
continued in their apathy about the activity.



○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○47 PROFILEPROFILEPROFILEPROFILEPROFILE

They argued they didn’t understand or they
didn’t have enough time.  In this homework
we found syntax and grammar deficiencies
and misuse of prepositions and conjunctions.
All the writings were analysed and corrected.

Work done in and out of classroom is
intended to encourage students to speak,
think and communicate in the second
language.  We can see in students’ attitudes
to homework that motivation is not only given
by the teacher but some of them are
predisposed to expressions like “I have never
been good at English” or “It’s not important
for what I want to do in the future”.

The third activity was making up
dialogues. Students should hold short
dialogues with communicative value. They
must use situations and people from their
own life.  The success of this activity was
not seen in homework but in classroom
responses. Students were more confident in
the classroom and they participated
spontaneously. Some students argued that
the activity was very easy and some said that
it was attractive because it was easy to do.

In the next two activities we can see
important progress participation during the

classroom activities. 90% of the students
brought their homework and it was possible
to revise it.

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion

We have three items to discuss and these
are classroom observation (which was very
important because classroom development
is directly linked to practice done when
students are doing homework), reactions and
responses from students. They said they were
bored of always doing homework from the
workbook and of working at home. We can
see progress in this item because of many
reasons like novelty, relation to work in
classroom and practice of the second
language in classroom.

Dealing with these three items we can say
that the lesson plan and homework must
match, students must acquire vocabulary via
their homework, and that the classroom
environment must encourage students to
express their opinions, likes and dislikes,
hobbies, etc. This way, they can see a reason
for doing homework.•