Promoting Holistic Development and Diversity through the Investigation of a Wide Range of Global Cultures

This practice represents an interactive co-evaluation activity among students, involving such elements as motivation, cooperation and collaborative work. It promotes meaningful learning experiences in a competitive environment. The goal of this activity is to examine topics which are explored during the semester through games that are created by students, as well as to promote holistic development and diversity through the investigation of a wide range of global cultures. Further, the activity seeks to enhance the internationalization of the pedagogic model that guides our collective educational philosophy. An empirical method of research is adopted in the current study which is based on observing students during an activity. Since the activity enhances students’ creativity for a better contextualization of the country to be presented. It replaces the traditional way of testing (the written tests) and gives the students the opportunity to see the level of the acquired learning in an interactive


Introduction
It is known that the contextualization of learning environment plays an important role in today's education. As it promotes the development of competencies such as skills, attitudes and values that allow students to adapt in any context and contribute to societies. Therefore, the following activity seeks to give a meaning to the content of the syllabus given to the students during the course by giving them the opportunity to apply what they have learned outside the classroom in an interactive way through the co-evaluation among their classmates (Lindsay, 2000).

Academic Difficulties on the Implementation Strategy
Meyers, M. (1993 holds that it is a reality that oral production is rarely applied in class ‫انعانمية‬ ‫انثقافات‬ ‫مه‬ ‫واسعة‬ ‫مجموعة‬ ‫في‬ ‫انتحقيق‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫مه‬ ‫وانتبايه‬ ‫انشامهة‬ ‫انتىمية‬ ‫تعسيس‬ ‫دازا‬ ‫بيريس‬ ‫جاكهيه‬ ‫نيسبث‬ / ‫يوسف‬ ‫أمير‬ ‫سىان‬ / ‫جميم‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫عبذ‬ ‫مشتاق‬ since teachers do not have enough time to develop that skill in class nor they have the facilities to have students practice it. In this task based learning strategy, students have to express and interact completely in English with their classmates through the use of structures and vocabulary seen during the semester.

Affective Factors Involved in the Strategy
A. Motivation B. Self-concept and self-esteem C. Attitudes and beliefs D. Learning styles

Objective of the Strategy
Students are capable of transferring and replicating their learning experiences and apply what they have learned through oral interactions and activities that enhance metacognition, co-evaluation and respect for the cultural diversity of the English speaking countries.

Procedures
This practice is addressed to students of fourth semester with an A2 Level. The course is divided in three units, namely: 'Going away', 'Things happen' and 'Appearances'.
So, the topics seen are taken into account; the activity implies assessment, follow-up and feedback in order to be applied as a final activity for the end of the semester.
The following steps are needed for the implementation of this practice 1. At the beginning of fourth semester, during the month of February, a meeting with all the groups of second year is held in which they are given information about the activity and they get to know the English speaking countries that will be involved in the "English in Context".
2. After the meeting, the groups are divided in teams and each team is assigned different tasks to be done such as a research of the culture of the country assigned, representative elements as well as the instructions that guide the students about the expected outcomes (Item 19), students are also given the instruments to be used for co-evaluation (Item 16), with this the teacher contextualizes the criteria to be evaluated.
3. Each team creates the materials that are used in the event, starting with the creation of the Passport of the country assigned. This Passport will be used to stick the flags gathered during the event. The flags show that the students could perform the activities in each country (April).
4. During May, two representatives of each classroom will be selected. They are in charge of presenting the most relevant information of their country in front of the jury; the jury are responsible for evaluating intonation, pronunciation and fluency.
5. The implementation of this activity is held the first Saturday of June, this in order to share it with the parents of students, teachers of other schools. The day of the implementation has two stages: from 7:00 to 9:00 am the students will be in charge to decorate their classrooms according to the characteristics of the assigned country. From 9:30 to 12:30 is assigned for the evaluation and co-evaluation of the activity.
These activities are established for each group according to the assigned country, as well as the instructions of each activity in order to get the flags and the materials to be used.

Rules of the Activity
A. In each classroom, students get together in groups of five.
B. Once the groups are formed, each team is in charge of creating a passport of the country assigned.
C. Use recycled materials only as decorations for the classroom and stands.
D. Each classroom should have the flag (handmade) and the name of their country at the entrance.
E. The included challenge should be per stand and not per classroom to avoid having the students wait for a long time.
F. Do not share ideas with other classrooms to avoid plagiarism.
G. The grade of the FINAL ACTIVITY UNIT THREE depends on the representation of the country, the team work, the instructions given and the flags collected on the passport.
H. They are not allowed to paint or make holes in the walls.
I. They are not allowed to bring animals to the place of the event.

The Day of the Event
A. The school is open at 6:30 a.m. to start preparing the decorations of each classroom. It is not allowed to decorate a day before.
B. The contest is held from 9:30 -12:30. All classrooms should be ready at that time or they will be disqualified.
C. Each team can bring their own table to set the stand.
D. Instructions are given in English by the teams in charge of the stands.
E. Prepare a brief presentation (1-2mins) of your country for the judges.
F. Each stand has 20 minutes to gather at least sixteen flags (two flags per country). H. Family and friends can be invited to the activity, but even with them the communication will be in English.
I. No phones are allowed during the event.
Each team will: A. Dress with the colors of the counties' flag. At least two of the members dress in customary traditional folk outfits.
B. Only get one to two flags per stand by answering or completing a task correctly or partly corrected.
C. Have the passport filled with at least sixteen flags in total.
D. Submit their passport and instructions to the teacher once they collect at least sixteen flags.

After the Event
A. Each stand must help in cleaning the classroom. If the classroom is not completely cleaned then the whole group will be punished.
B. Only one classroom with be the winner of the event.
C. All issues presented before, during and after the event will be discussed with the English teachers and judges.

Roles of the Teacher
Various roles can be taken by the teacher. Firstly, he/she is a participant (i.e. helping students with their projects). It is worth saying that the teacher pays attention to all the teams that are participated in the activity. Secondly, the teacher is an observer in the activity in order to make notes and comments on each part of the activity to see who students behave and respond to the activity. Thirdly, the teacher is an organizer who divides participants into groups, reminding them of the rules of the contest and helping students on the outcomes of their projects. To sum, the teacher, in this activity, occupies several roles depending on the needs of students and unexpected issues that might face students during the activity.

Methodology
The researcher follows the empirical method of research that is based on an experiment of "the English in context" and observation of students' response towards the activity.
During the activity, the researcher is closely engaged with the students. Also, the researcher monitors students and makes notes which help him to carry out this study.

Students' response towards the strategy
Students show creativity and enthusiasm when presenting the cultural aspects of the country assigned. They commit to learn more about the culture of the country they are representing and they even pay more attention in class as they know that the other classroom will evaluate them taking into account the topics seen in class. Since it is a contest among all classrooms, students solve doubts regarding the pronunciation or content of the topics seen or vocabulary in order not to let their group down the day of the presentation (Nolasco, and Arthur, 1988).
On the day of the event, students finish visiting eight classrooms and give the teacher their passports with the flags collected as well as the instructions they used to co-evaluate other stands.
The teacher collects all the instructions and groups them per group. Then the instructions are given to the different groups so students can know their strengths and the things they need to improve.

Strategy
This process of learning shows the interest and motivation to develop a holistic education, promoting with this axes related to an education based on competencies which promote an academic and work formation, providing students with skills, knowledge, abilities and attitudes that allow them to cope with the society´s requirements.
This acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and responsibilities will allow the achievement of the learning goals regarding to the subject, guiding this achievement not only to the pragmatic aspect but also by giving it a meaning to the local and general context of the subject.
Also, this strategy promotes the internationalization axe by giving response to the needs that students have to develop knowledge that can be applied in different scenarios to enhance multiculturality.
Therefore, this strategy not only focuses on developing knowledge, but also aims at generating activities that in a contextualized way could promote the social, academic and work interest regarding to the implementation, necessity and importance of the English language.
Regarding to the didactic process of the English language acquisition, Suso and Fernández (2001) indicate four categories to develop communicative skills: This holistic process is promoted in respond to the constructivist model, as it is linked to the construction of meanings (Soler, 2006). Students go through this process by relating what they learn with the knowledge that they have built before, giving them a meaning.

Description of the Materials
The materials used are made by the students to create a better contextualization of the country they are representing. These materials are created during the semester.
Most of the materials are hand made with recycled material and the activities used to co-evaluate each other are colorful and creative. On the day of the event each group of students should have a passport of the country they are representing and a set of eight instructions. Meaning that each team has to visit eight classrooms and in each classroom they should evaluate a stand (team) using the instructions.

STANDS
Country to be evaluated: ____________________