Using the Constructionist and Inquiry Based Learning Models in Teaching the Letter P to Arab Learners

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Using the Constructionist and Inquiry Based Learning Models in Teaching the Letter P to Arab Learners Mohammad A. Bawazir (@ 01326422) IST 5003 Prof. Mathew Berland 10/28/2012 Abstract English teachers have always considered teaching the letter P to Arab learners an obstacle. The reason is that there is no p sound in the Arabic alphabet which makes it sound very strange when students pronounce it for the first time. Since students differ in the way they learn, teachers must use a variety of approaches to take into account individual differences. This research paper will compare and contrast the Constructionism and Inquiry-based Learning as two different models regarding the theory and how they are applied when they are used for teaching the letter P to Arab learners. The letter P has been always a source of confusion for Arab learners when they learn the English alphabet. Obviously, the reason is that there is no such sound in the Arabic alphabet and the closest sound is B. Consequently, Arab learners mix up in usage between the B and P sounds and constantly pronounce the B sound instead of the P sound. One way to solve this problem is providing them with the best approaches of learning to grasp the concepts of the similarities and differences of the two sounds. Two big models that educators have increasingly emphasized to avoid the traditional approach of teaching are Constructionism and Inquiry-based learning. Both approaches have a close relationship with the famous approach of Constructivism. Therefore, it is worthwhile to mention the notion of the Constructivist approach which views learning as an active process in which learners develop knowledge for themselves by constructing on the prior knowledge through interaction with the environment (Schunk, 2011). From a Constructionist perspective, learners are independently active in constructing

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