StoryCorps and MITESOL 2014

StoryCorps records people interviewing people they know and love. It is broadcast on NPR (Morning Edition) every Friday and is sure to bring tears to your eyes during your morning commute. If you've never heard of StoryCorps and have never heard an interview, I want you to stop reading this post, and listen to some interviews.  Some of the themes that reoccur are: Angels & Mentors, Identity, and Teachers, among many others.

StoryCorps' mission is "to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve the stories of our lives. We do this to remind one another of our shared humanity, to strengthen and build the connections between people, to teach the value of listening, and to weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that everyone's story matters. At the same time, we are creating an invaluable archive for future generations."  

Image via StoryCorps.org

In October 2014 (just 3 weeks after having a baby!) my colleague, Danielle Petersen, and I presented at MITESOL. Our presentation was entitled, "StoryCorps: An oral history project in the ESL classroom." Here's the abstract (for the academics out there): "StoryCorps is used as a framework for integrating interviewing and storytelling in the ESL classroom. Using the oral history project, students develop oral communication skills, improve listening comprehension, and expand cross-cultural perspectives. In this interactive presentation, participants will gain a variety of strategies and activities to implement into their classrooms."  

We discussed how to use story telling and StoryCorps in English language classes. First, I always ask students about story telling in their culture and language. I like eliciting their experiences with stories and storytelling before jumping into listening to the recorded stories online. Then I play a few in class, and students get into groups to answer questions and discuss what they heard. Finally, they go home and listen. Here's an example of a worksheet I would give students to do at home: 


I usually ask students to fill out two of these and to be prepared to talk about them in class the next day. In one of my speaking and listening classes I once had a student brag that he listened to several interviews and chose the easiest to summarize. That made me smile because he'd done exactly what I'd wanted him to do: practice listening!

The final step of using StoryCorps is having students record their own interview. I have the students look at the DIY portion of the site, and provide them an assignment sheet.

Here is a sample assignment sheet:

I received a variety of interviews: some emotional, some with strong connections, some boring, and some without a point or conclusion. However, overall, the interviews were thoughtful and interesting.

The MITESOL presentation went very well. We had a nice group who were interested in the topic. I'm looking forward to doing more presentations at MITESOL.

**Update: StoryCorps now has an app! Check it out here!**

Service Learning Reflection (Special Olympics, Part 3)

As I wrote about in June this year, I required my advanced-intermediate (Level 3) listening and speaking students to volunteer to practice the language. I have complied some of the students final reflections on volunteering over the course of the semester, and I believe they are thoughtful and worth sharing. 

A little background: In addition to the Special Olympics, my students volunteered at the soup kitchen, animal shelter, community/campus garden, and at a Special Olympics fund-raising event. Their experiences were varied, but the sentiment remained the same: they enjoyed volunteering and learned from their experiences. These have not been edited in any way by me, so the excerpts are true language-learner writing. I have included some explanation in brackets if I have felt it was necessary.  

Soup Kitchen Reflection:

At the beginning I asked about the mode of action and what should I do. Then I began to provide meals and food for the customers. I ask everyone who comes in what do you prefer to eat. Each time the food finishes I go back to bring more from the kitchen. I was dealing with everyone with a smile and all were welcoming. I went into the kitchen to help my friends who are volunteering like me in making various food. As well as in the processing of various beverages to the needy. During the first hour I was talking with everyone and with the volunteers about how amazing the idea of this restaurant is, and it's a beautiful idea that serves the community. We need such ideas to serve all the people. Also I spoke with a number of people who came for eating and talking about a lot of topics that related to our lives in general. It was a beautiful experience and very wonderful when I feel like I'm a reason for the happiness for others.

Soup Kitchen Reflection:

In 06/13/2013,I went to Soup Kitchen for 1 hrs. That was a good opportunity for me. I did many things. First, i cleaned the dishes which was the first time for me to wash dishes out of my house, it was very good. I was very happy to do that . The water spill on my jeans. which made me impressed [embarrassed] .Second, during the break i met new American friends . I talked with them that benefited me to improve my speaking skills .Finally, i clean the tables after people had left the kitchen, when i was cleaning them , i had tried to take of little pieces were sticking in the table that made me angry. Soup kitchen is a great volunteer people there are nice and friendly that can feel you more comfortable. I hope to open soup kitchen in my country because it has a lot of benefit for poor people.

Final Semester Reflection:

             Before this summer i never be the Volunteer in my past life. And i never consider about this. However this summer i did it and also enjoy it so much.  In the beginning i don not even know how to be volunteer and how to do the job in here. My first place was garden where was plant the vegetables.  I learned lots of thing from here. For example how to plan the filed because she told me if i plant the vegetables very close. That will effect them grow up. So after this i think be volunteer not just donation yourself. This is just one part on volunteering. On the other hand. It also can increase your knowledge. Both all what i want in here. I need to be volunteer. In fact, for international students to be volunteer have more big significant means for us. First it can help us practice speaking and learning. As we all know the English is most important in here. Then it improve our ability because you should do everything by yourself. This is better than nothing to do. Next to be volunteer also can rich my experience in US because i do not want to nothing in my memory when i go back my country. So i am really appreciate teacher let me to be volunteer. This is really helpful.

Final Semester Reflection:

Since our teacher sets the volunteer task to us, I have already volunteered for four orgnizations so far. They are Animals Shelter, Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, Plant Vegetable for Hungers and Auction Special Olympics. Each time, Hero and I worked toghter. We took care of some cats, walked some dogs, swept the floor, cleaned some windows, took weed away from a small garden, and so on. In the past one month, we really did so many different kinds of  task. I find that thay have something in common, it is that some people need our help. I love the task what I did because I would like to help people in need. I hope I can help them to get out their troubles. Most of people we helped are poor people. For example, we looked after a small garden. Various vegetables are planted in there, and when the vegetables grow up,  the administrator will offer them for hungers. Isabella Community Soup Kitchen is a similar place, the organization offer some food for poor people. We also get some benefit from the volunteer tasks. Through we did these task, we gained lots of soial [social] experence. We learned how to apply for a volunteer job, and during we completed that job, we look out our unique ability. It made us to be more confident. On the other hand, we got to meet a lot people, that means we got more oppotunity to make conversation with native speaker. It was useful for us to improve our integrated English skill especially speaking and listening. To sum up, volunteer is a good activity, it offers an oppotunity for us to help others, at the same time, we can improve our integreted skill.

Final Semester Reflection:

          This semester, I had different volunteer. The first one it was Special Olympic. It was in the SAC in CMU. It was first time I took a volunteer. I was nervous and fear because I did not know how deal with special Olympic. I asked some people there if they needed help. Then I found out woman with a big table. The above the table was fruits and vegetables. She gave special Olympic fruits and vegetables. She was so busy. She looked like need help. I asked her if she needs help. She said, “Yes, please.”  Then she taught me what I should do. She was so friendly with me. So I helped her.  Also the special Olympic was so kind and friendly. The second volunteer was in soup kitchen. I was there five times. I had different experience there. I volunteered in provide food, wash dishes, prepare food, and clean soup kitchen. So we should keep everything clean because it is impertinent kept customer’s’ bodies. The boss always said to us you have to clean your hand and wear gloves. So these experiences give me something new like how I deal with different people and different ages. Also I talk with American people without shy [shyness]. I in addition these experiences make me more trues and depend myself. I am able to make American friends. The impertinent thing my language is helped by these experiences. So the new language just needs practice. In the end I recommend other international student take a lot of volunteer because it helps to improve their language and earn experience different in your country.

Final Semester Reflection:

Summer semester usually goes faster than the regular academic year. This summer semester only lasted for about ten to eleven weeks. But in my opinion in spite of it is so short, but it is very impressive. During the summer semester, our integrated skill teacher arranged an interesting assignment which was let all the students take part in some social activities and create an opportunity for us to communicate with American people by English. I hope that I could talk to many people who are responsible for different occupations, undergo various occasions, and do some diverse jobs. I totally participate four different tasks. They are Animals Shelter, Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, Plant Vegetable for Hungers and Auction Special Olympics. From those volunteering activities, I learned that the how to find volunteer changes on the official website of the volunteer center, how to take the general process for signing up, how to make an appointment with others, ask for help from them, how to and collaborate with another and how to talking with people more politely. All the experience increased my self-confidence, social knowledge. And the most significance of improvement is that it helped me learn how to understanding and speak in English. When we were participating in each task, we must communicate with other people with English. Such as making a call to their office, trying to figure out what the currently exact job is, and understanding how to finish it. And all those approaches really benefited my English communicative skill and vocabularies.

I would like to recommend that everyone had better take some volunteer hours each semester especially for the students who are studying in Language Institute. Not only you will have change to help others, but also it can improve your English level.

Image via Digitallanguagelearning.blogspot.com

As you can see, many of the students very thoughtfully reflected on what they learned and how it benefited them as people and language learners. Of course, not all students were sincere or reflective; many simple recorded their experiences without a second thought; however, those who took the time to think and reflect did so in a way that I have never been able to see from students. I have always struggled to get students to reflect in a meaningful way, but they really learned from these volunteer experiences, which created the opportunity for genuine reflection and growth. 

I highly recommend service learning to any teacher of any level. For more about service learning and civic engagement, read my post about our presentation at the Intercultural Horizons Conference in 2012. Here are the links to Special Olympics, Part 1 (Before Volunteering) and Special Olympics, Part 2. 

Pairing Up Students

Cambridge Publishers has a great newsletter, and in the latest, there was an article about different ways to pair up students for partner activities. You can find it here.  The author (Alice Savage) mentions line ups, but her "line ups" are different from mine (which you can find here: Line-ups). She asks students a question, and their answer puts them in different lines. After that, she counts them off to put them in groups. 

She also mentions using "split" sentences: she takes sentences, cuts them in half, distributes them to students, and they have to find the other half to their sentence. I use this idea quite often to teach grammar and for partnering students, and it's really quick efficient and uses the target language of the course of that day. It could also be used to teach expressions and certain target language being focused on at that time. It's also more exciting than asking the students to count off by however many groups you want. 

Confession: this is my go-to method. It's fast and easy, especially because I devote time at the beginning of the semester teaching them this partnering method. It's not as creative, but in my day-to-day teaching, partnering students happens so often that I'm often more interested in getting them into groups quickly, rather than creatively. 

For more ideas about partnering students creatively, see my post called Dictionary Entries. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Creating and Challenging Arguments

As I've mentioned before, my intermediate integrated skills class (listening/speaking/note-taking; ELI 071) is using Mosaic 1 this semester. One of the speaking strategies learned is "Asking for Confirmation to Challenge Excuses. You can see a photo of the "Strategy" from the book. Basically, the book teaches students to summarize what they speaker is saying and than challenges that excuse. I don't always use the suggested activities in the book, as I usually add multiple elements to practicing strategies; however, their suggested activity turned out so superbly that I had to share with you!


From Mosaic 1: Listening/Speaking

The book suggested a role play: one person be the student and one be the teacher. Here's the pattern they suggest:

Student: Make an excuse for something you don't want to do. *
Teacher: Ask for confirmation, questioning the truth of the excuse.
Student: Make another excuse.
Teacher: Ask for confirmation again, questioning the truth of the excuse.

*I told the students it could be any excuse students make... And they make a lot!

Some of the students excuses were spot on... exactly what they say in class and in office hours. For example, one student had an excuse for being late; another had an excuse about not finishing his homework. The surprising part of this for me was the fabulous challenges the students had for the excuses! Some of them were better than anything I could have ever come up with. For example, one "teacher," whose student had an excuse for being late because her sister took her shoes, challenged her about not having another pair and putting fashion before class! Another "teacher," whose student couldn't do his homework because he was homesick and couldn't connect with his family on Skype, asked whether or not his family did his homework for him and if all ELI students could skip doing homework because they missed their families! Some students took words right out of my mouth, such as "I don't want to hear any excuses" and "What were you doing all day after class that you couldn't complete your assignment." Not only were the students' excuses spot on (they have a lot of practice, trust me :-), but their challenges were as well. I have decided that I am going to start asking them to challenge their own excuses so that I don't have to!

I think this was a valuable interactive lesson because it got students communicating with each other. They had to negotiate meaning with somebody else and create excuses or challeges for those excuses. This activity really helped them understand this strategy, as they all did very well on this portion of their chapter test. Now to get them to stop making excuses in real life... 

Do you have any interactive role-play activities that have helped students improve their communication skills? I would love to hear (and implement) them! 

Mobile Learning

How can we utilize students' phones effectively in the classroom?
Image via apple.com

Mobile learning is a new-ish phenomenon; I have been reading about them everywhere recently. Alexandra Lowe recently posted about using smartphones and tablets on the TESOL blog, and I just found a great video from the British Council on using cell (mobile) phones in the classroom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYRxpoFPCFU. They provide three different ways to use smart phones: pictures, voice recording, and apps. Bonus: the first two can be used with "dumb" phones and don't need an internet connection. 

No smartphone? No problem!

My students always bring their phones to class, so I like the idea of integrating the use of phones into my lessons. My beginning-level reading/writing course is using the Oshima and Hogue series for writing, and one of the chapters is about describing a picture. The book provides a picture with a sample description; however, rather than having students describe a random picture from the book or internet, I can have them describe a picture on their phone. Then they can read their paragraph to their classmates (this would work in pairs or small groups) and show the picture that they're describing. This would be much more meaningful to have them describe and write about an actual person in their lives, and they wouldn't have to "make stuff up from their head" (a common complaint about non-context-based writing). 

How do you (or could you) utilize smart phones in your classroom? What are other ways we can incorporate students' interests in the classroom to maintain engagement?

P.S. More with Alexandra Lowe: Secrets for Adult ELLs Part 1 and Part 2

The English We Speak

The BBC has a great section of their website dedicated to learning English. I think they have great stuff; if you haven't, you should check it out. They also have a wonderful section called "The English We Speak." Here you can find audio files and scripts for common English phrases. The speakers are British, but I think this is a good thing for students studying in the US. They often complain that they can't understand other "accents," and exposing them to these various dialects will help them improve their listening comprehension. 

Can a leopard change it's spots?
Image via BBC

However, the main reason I like these is because they teach very common expressions. For example, A Leopard Can't Change It's Spots would be perfect for my 052 (beginning reading/writing) class because our unit theme is animals (the speakers are at the zoo in this audio file) and one of their vocabulary words is spots. I will now require them to write a little skit of their own using this expression. I also plan to teach Haven't Slept a Wink because all of my students are always lacking in sleep. 

Are you as tired as Neil or FeiFei today?
Image via BBC

These can be used for quick and engaging lessons, which we always need, right? 

A Few Differences Between American and British English

Vicki Hollett, blogger of Learning to Speak 'Merican, has a great site called Simple English Videos. There are tons of great (and short videos) for learning English. These are wonderful mini-lessons and are a great addition to day's objective(s).

In one video, entitled How to Confuse an American, provides five differences between American and British English. Some of the ways include: zed, saying double plus a letter, and saying the day before the month in a date. I think this would be a great addition to a lesson on the differences between the two dialects students often learn. Many of my students learn British English in their home countries and get surprised by the differences when they arrive in the US.

Additionally, these videos have transcripts, so students can watch on their own and follow along by reading. Have you ever used these videos? What is the best way to incorporate videos in the classroom?

Summer Term

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last month. I finished up our Spring Term, and we're in full Summer Term-mode here at the CMU ELI. That means 4 hour classes and starting at 8 am. It also means field trips, great discussions, and getting to know each student very well. While sometimes I don't think I'll ever get the grading done, I'm mostly excited to hear and read my students' ideas about our themes this semester.

Image via Justintarte.com

I am teaching advanced beginning reading and writing and intermediate speaking and listening. Any advice or activity ideas for these skills and language levels? My speaking and listening class volunteered at the Michigan Special Olympics last week (more on that soon, I promise!), and I already have my reading and writing class on their second extensive reading book (we use these, and the students really enjoy them).


Here are a few great links I'd like to share:

Reading-Based Freewriting for English Language Learners --I'm going to try this on Thursday with my class!

This post on culturally appropriate writing is spot on!

Etymological Origins of Insults  is awesome. Which is your favorite? Chump and Schmuck are a couple of mine. Thanks Jeanine!

Flashcards online and on your smart phone is just brilliant. I recommend it for my students, and I use it for my Spanish learning.

Emperor Penguins in Antarctica and Summer in Antarctica-- to go along with Mosaic 1 Listening and Speaking textbook (Chapter 2)

And finally, Nouns and Verbs by School House rock for those beginning classes that always need a little spice!

Student Blogging

Does anybody have any advice for good sites to hold student blogs? I'd like to use them in one of my courses this summer, but I am unsure of what to use. I've heard of edmondo.com, edublogs.org; and of course we could use the blogs on Blackboard or even Blogger. I'd really like something easy, user-friendly and share-able (with people outside of the class). Thoughts? Suggestions?

Image via blog.echoenduring.com

Have you ever used blogs in your class? Do you have any recommendations? Dos and Don'ts of classroom blogging? I would love to hear your advice. I will be doing some research on this soon, so I will also share what I find. And of course, I will be blogging this summer, so you can read about my successes and (hopefully few and far between) failures in implementing this medium in my class. 

Good-Old-Fashioned Exercise Check

I found a great article that provides tips for the old fashioned exercise check. I was so excited when I came across it because it's exactly what I do! Nothing like reading some validation of your teaching strategies! This is one of those activities that I find students continually ask for, so it's important to make them time effective.

1. Have the students check their answers together before class.

This saves time because we're only checking the answers they're unsure of or confused about.

2. Go exercise by exercise.

Start with the first and ask what questions there are. Then move on. Homework check can take the whole class period if you let it, so it's essential not to have too much "dead time."

3. Call on all studenets.

I like to go around the room so that everybody gets called on and the students know when it's going to be their turn. There aren't any surprises, which takes away the surprise and minimizes the "I don't know" response.

I have gotten a hard time from students in the past about not going over all of the answers to the homework everyday. They feel uncomfortable when they aren't given the answer from the teacher. My rationale is two-fold: (1) When students check their answers with each other, they are using the target langauge to negotiate and jusitfy their answers, and (2) I am teaching students how to be independent learners. Their academic teachers aren't going to provide all of the answers for all of their homework, so it's not realisitic for them to get all of the answers from their language teachers. It's more important that they work as a group/pair to figure out their problems and then bring those problems to the teacher. It took about 6-7 weeks this semester, but students have finally started feeling comfortable checking answers with each other before they check with me. Victory! 

You can find the Cambridge article by Alice Savage here: http://www.cambridge.org/grammarandbeyond/grammar-practice-activities/2013/03/3-tips-for-good-old-fashioned-exercise-checks

I'd love to hear what you do and any tips that you may have!

Low-Tech, Whole Class Activity: Fun with Modals!

Last week I decided to change up my routine of teaching grammar. Usually I have students take notes using paper, the visualizer and/or the computer, but this week, I felt like changing it up and going super low-tech. So, we used the whiteboard, colorful paper, and post-its.

 

For the first activity, we just used the whiteboard and colorful paper. For the second activity, we used the same materials plus post-its. 

Image 1. Modals of Necessity: Must, Have to, Have got to

As you can see in Image 1, on colorful pieces of paper I wrote the three modals that were were working on for that class period (must, have to, have got to). First, the students told me the meaning and use of each modal (from their homework the night before), and I wrote what they told me on the board while they took notes (not pictured in Image 1). I added anything they had forgotten. While writing down the notes on the board, I checked for comprehension by asking questions to all of the students. After we had gotten down the necessary information about form and function, I erased the board, which left us just with the bright pieces of paper. Then I asked each student to write down in their notebook two sentences for each modal. After writing, they shared their sentences with a partner, and then each student came to the board and wrote down a sentence under its corresponding modal. For example, under "Must" three students wrote: "You must pay attention in class," "You must respect your teachers," and "Customers must pay for those products." The have to sentences include, "I have to make a decision now," "I have to finish my college," and "I have to finish my homework on time." All of these sentences show obligation and came from the students. They also got to come to the front of the class and write on the board, which is always pretty exciting! I only have 8-10 in my grammar classes, which makes activity possible time and space-wise.

 

After we took notes and discussed form and function (you can see the remainder of the notes written by me in with the black marker), I gave each student three post-it notes. They had to write one sentence using the first modal, must, on one post-it, and another sentence using the second modal, have to, on another post-it, and a sentence using have got to  on the last post-it. The students were given the option to write either a question or a statement. Most wrote statements, but a few wrote questions.

The next activity got the students up, moving, and communicating. One at a time the students came to the front of the class and chose a post-it to read to the class. Then, he/she chose second student to respond. If the first student read a question,the second student answered the question. If the first student read a statement, the second student had to make a question for that statement. We did this twice so that all of the post-its got asked/answered. Here are some example sentences: "When I was living alone, I had to cook all my own meals," "I have to focus on my final test," "You must finish your homework," "I have got to study hard," "I had to go exercise last week," "Must I study hard?" and "I must find a job to pay my rent." This activity was wonderful because it encouraged students to communicate and help each other learn.

 

 For the third activity, we used the whiteboard, colorful paper, and post-it notes.


Image 2. Modals of Ability: Can, Could, Be able to

I followed the same procedure in activity three as activity one for note-taking and two for sharing sentences. The next step was a little different. After we took notes and discussed form and function (you can see the remainder of the notes written by me in with the black marker), I gave each student two post-it notes. They had to write one sentence using the first modal, can, on one post-it, and another sentence using the second modal, could, on the other post-it (as seen in Image 2).

One at a time the students came to the front of the class and chose a post-it to read to the class. After they read the post-it, they had to guess who wrote the sentence.  Here are some examples of what the students wrote: "I can cook delicious Chinese food," " I can draw very well," "When I was a child I could play soccer, but not I can't," "I could get into a car through its window," and "I could dance jazz two years ago." This activity had students communicating and trying to make connections between the sentences and what they already know about their classmates. Its was fun and got the students laughing!

Do you have any fun interactive grammar activities to get students having fun? I'm always looking for new ways to introduce and reinforce grammar! 

Self-Assessment in Writing (and Speaking)

TESOL Connections just posted an interesting article about students assessing their own writing. You can find it here. I think it's a great idea to start early on with self-assessment, not just to be used with advanced students. It will encourage students to read and understand the rubric (does anybody else have this problem??), and it will also encourage self-reflection. This article is only about writing, but it's also possible to use with speaking assignments if they're recorded and made available to students to view (I use YouTube).

I often include a written portion to self-assessment assignments. For example, I provide a copy of the rubric for students to assess themselves and on the other side of the paper, I include a space for students to write about (A) what they did well, (B) what needs more work, and (C) the grade they think they should receive and why. I really think the written portion is just as important as the rubric portion. Students don't just have to decide what they did, but they also have to justify it. It's also a good way to track growth of the learner. If you use portfolios, these reflections could also be included there.

Are there any other ways we can use self-assessment to encourage and monitor language learning?

Lesson Idea: Fortune Cookies

For the past (and next) couple of weeks, I have been teaching "future time" to my level 3 grammar students (Intermediate level). We have been taking about be going to and will, which are used for making predictions in English. 

As a fun exit ticket* activity before the break, I instructed students to make fortunes for their classmates, just like they'd get from a Chinese restaurant. I gave each student a little slip of paper to write a fortune on (i.e. "You will be lucky next week"). When they were finished, they gave me the fortune and took a short break. After the break, the students each got a fortune different from the one that they wrote. They each read their fortune out loud to the class, but they had to change the subject from you to I (i.e. "I will be lucky next week"). 

This was a low prep activity (the only materials needed are little slips of scrap paper), which didn't take much time in class. The best part was that the students really enjoyed writing and receiving fortunes.

Here's a sample of what they wrote:

• You will get $9999999 next week.
• You will get a girlfriend if you take a shower every day.
• You will change an English book.
• You will pass this class.
• You will get a good grade on the test
• You are going to have fun during spring break.

I really got a kick out of what they wrote for each other, and I think they did too. We had a lot of laughs for the quick 5-minute activity!



Image via theadventuresofaspacemonkey.blogspot.com

*Exit ticket activities are usually done at the end of class (or before a break). The students are required to finish something (usually proving what they've learned from the class period) and give it to the teacher before the exit the class. They're a great tool to ensure students have learned what you've taught. And in this case, a way tie in the first half of class to the second half when starting class back up after a short break.



 

Self-Directed Learning

I just read a great article about self-directed learning from the TESOL blog. It's Self-Directed Learning: Personal Speaking Plans for Adult ELLs, by Alexandra Dylan Lowe. There are some great ideas about helping students become more self-directed. I think I will start to implement some of these ideas into my grammar classes because oral communication isn't just for speaking and listening classes! 

I especially like the Pemex Parable and Personal Speaking Plan, which could be adapted into a personal reading plan, too! Thoughts? Has anybody ever done anything like this before?

Scene from "The Miracle Worker"

The "water" scene from The Miracle Worker is a great way to introduce the power of language.

 

My writing students are going to be writing literary autobiographies (autobiographies of their literary, written, reading, and spoken, experience), and I am going to show this video as an introduction to the theme of literacy and the power of language. There is also a nice quotation in our textbook from Helen Keller's biography The Day Language Came into My Life, which shows how powerful this moment was in her life:

"I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of [Annie's] fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness of something forgotten--a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of languaeg was revealed to me. I knoew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. The living world awakened my soul, gave light, hope, job, set it free... I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave a birth to new thought. As we returned to the house, every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me" (p. 122-3).

I wonder if my students ever had this "realization" in English. Does anybody remember a feeling like this with learning another language? Did it ever just "hit" you and you "got" it?

Using Dictionary Entries Creatively

When I was a kid, I always asked my mom how to spell a word I didn't know. If I ever asked my dad, he'd say, "Look it up [in the dictionary]!" And my mom always just told me how to spell it. It seemed silly to me (as an elementary and middle school student) to search through a dictionary to find a word that I didn't know how to spell. I think my exact response was, "But if I don't know how to spell it, how can I look it up?!?!" Even at a young age, I was fighting with the illogical spelling of English words. That said, now I'm not a bad speller, despite my whining and utter refusal to learn spelling "rules." (i after e except after c? double the letter when adding -ing with some words but not others?? I wasn't buying it...)

I recognize now, as a teacher, how wise my father was with his encouraging my sister and I to use a dictionary for our questions. I am so comfortable using a dictionary, I used to take it for granted, but as an ESL teacher, I realize how difficult they are to use, especially for students with different alphabets (or no alphabet!) in their native languages. That is why I believe it's important to incorporate as much dictionary work as possible into class work.

Today I'd like to share an easy way to get students used to looking and reading dictionary entries. It is also a good way to teach/enforce word parts (suffix, root, prefix). Before I use this with students, I will do a few dictionary lessons and practice activities, so that they know what they're looking at. For more advanced students who already have a working knowledge of dictionaries, you may be able to skip this step. However, I never assume a student can decipher an entry...

 

First, I take dictionary entries and cut them into slips for each word. This includes the word, pronunciation, part of speech, whether or not it is an academic word, and the definitions (I like to include all definitions, unless they're really long). I use ESL dictionary entries, as they are made specifically for our students.

 

When choosing which words to use, I like to focus on prefixes, suffixes, and roots. I try to get a variety, which means I may have 2-4 entries with the parts that we've been exposed to from any readings or listenings we're encountered. For example: pre- (see above), -tion (see below), -cre-, ex-, phon-, or whatever you'd like to use, really. How how many word parts you want the students exposed to or how many students you have will determine how many entries to make. My higher level students usually have 15-20 students, so I have made a lot. This allows me to vary the entries I'm using.

After you have your entries, you can be really creative in how you use them in the classroom. The first thing I did with a group was to give each student a slip and have them find somebody who had the same prefix or suffix or root as he/she did. Then they would have to identify how they matched, i.e. they have the same suffix (for prediction and creation, -tion) or same root (for incredible and credit, -cred-). After they have told me how they match, they move onto the next activity or whatever I want them to do. After getting students exposed to this method, I then use it as a way to partner them up. This takes out the decision making from the students or myself--it's random. AND they're getting accustomed to reading dictionary entries!

Now I am the one saying, "Look it up in the dictionary!"

I will post more later about different dictionary activities, but this one is fun and creative. Does anybody else utilize this method? Something similar? I'd love to hear new ideas!

Using Debates to Teach Rhetoric

What's a better way to identify and discuss rhetorical strategies than to use presidential debates?! Utilizing the debates and speeches also introduces the American political process to students who (may) have little experience or knowledge of the democratic process. 

Here's a link to the 3rd and final presidential debate between President Obama and Govenor Romney. 

Any suggestions for using video in the classroom? I would love to hear about new ways to teach rhetoric, especially using current events. 

The Choice

Have any of you been following the NYTimes blog, The Choice? It discusses college admissions in the US. For The Envelope, Please , eight high school students from around the world blog about their college search process. Students hail from the United States, South Africa, and India. How fascinating to read about their thought processes and what goes into their decision making! If you haven't taken a look at this yet, I highly suggest it, especially for those in higher education. 

How cool would it be for students to read these and compare/contrast their college search? I think reading about the process for American students would add an interesting cultural aspect to any class.  ESL high school teachers could assign students to create their own blogs about their own experiences and processes. Teachers of higher education may ask students to blog first about what they went through and then what they are going through in their first years in college (or graduate school or the current university). Has anybody used blogs in the classroom? I have tried, unsuccessfully; however, this has inspired me to give it another go next semester!

In-class games: Line Ups

I think there are two kinds of grammar teachers: those who love Azar and those who don't. While the importance of language learning in context cannot be overemphasized, and I use books which use readings for grammar learning, I LOVE Azar. The explanations, charts, and examples are clear and abundant. There is so much to teach in grammar, and Azar has as many explanations and lessons as one could ever need. That said, sometimes Azar can be rather bland, of not supplemented correctly. There are some interactive activities and listening exercises, but they mostly discreet activities, rather than interconnected by a theme.

 

HOWEVER, the Azar Grammar Games book is amazing. There are lots of fun, interactive activities that get students up and moving and using the target grammar.



One of my favorite activities is called "Line Ups." Each student gets a slip of paper with a question or prompt, depending on the target grammar. (The slips pictured above are for modals.) You divide the class in half and line the students up across from each other. I like to use different colored slips of paper... it just makes dividing and lining up a smoother process. The students then read their slips to each other, and the person across from him/her responds appropriately. After each student has asked and answered for the pairing, they wait for the teacher to indicate it's time to move. Usually I give students a couple of minutes then I say "switch" or "rotate" or some easy cue. Then one group of students moves while the other group stays (this is also where the colors come in handy, i.e. yellow stays and blue rotates). Each student will get to ask and answer a question for half of the class (everybody in the other group).

This activity can really be done with anything, with a little imagination. I think you could use vocabulary words and definitions in a reading or listening/speaking class or main ideas and examples in a writing class.  I have had good luck with this activity, especially at higher levels. The only downside is that it can get loud and difficult to monitor what the students are saying. A follow up writing activity, which asks students to report the answers they received, may be worth while. I would also encourage them to actually remember what their classmates said!

If you're an Azar fan (or not but are looking for resources), I would recommend checking out www.azargrammar.com. Here teachers publish their own classroom materials, including worksheets, handouts, powerpoints, and my favorite song lessons.  

Do you have any sure-fire activities or websites with quality lessons and activities which can be adapted or adopted? I'm always looking for fun ways to engage students!

Students Leading Lessons

This semester, I am teaching three grammar classes! I have been thinking of new ways to teach the same old material, and I have been implementing (more and more, as of late) student-led grammar lessons. This is a great way to review grammar forms students have already learned but need a refresher on. 

First, I require students to study the grammar in the book (level 4 is studying perfect and perfect progressive; level 2 just finished present simple and present perfect), and I give them lots of practice and exercises. Then, I put them into groups to present their form to the class. They present the form (i.e. Subject + have/has+ been +verb-ing) and when to use it. They also provide examples to the class from the textbook, as well as from their own lives. Each group presents the lesson to the class, and the rest of the class asks questions, which the lead group must answer. I believe in the old teaching adage, "Who does the work does the learning," so I design lessons where students do most of the work. Usually this takes more work on my end in the planning and evaluation stages; however, the students are doing most of the "in-class" work, thus learning more through teaching. 

I also like this strategy because it reduced teacher-talk-time dramatically. I monitor the groups by walking around, asking and answering questions, guiding them in the right direction, and giving suggestions and clarification during the presentation, but students are talking way more than I am, especially compared to traditional grammar note-taking.  It also encourages them to think more analytically about the grammar, rather than passive taking it in (or in most cases, NOT taking it in).