Title of Software: ESL Reading Smart
Producer: Alloy Multimedia, Inc., Houston, Texas
Target students: Grades 4-12
Proficiency level: They provide help for students from Newcomers to Advanced, with four different levels. I've chosen to review "Beginner" or ESL Level 1.
Description: ESL Reading Smart is based on improving ELLs' reading proficiency (and test scores) through guided, scaffolded practice that provides spoken, written, and graphic support for readers at various levels. For the "Reading Selections" section, they provide choices of five different types of genres ranging in scope from literary to informative passages (no functional passages). The passages are illustrated, with an option to listen to it or read it oneself. The creators of the software provide lesson plans for the teachers (chosen according to either student level or selected genre).
This program is colorful and bright, but not too busy. The producers included enough graphic support for it to be helpful to ELLs, but not enough to be too distracting. They have kept reading as the main focus. It looks very nice, and there are a variety of tasks for the students, from Pre-reading to follow up activities. The lesson plans for teachers are detailed, with several printable components, as well as instructions for in-class interaction and modeling on the board. It (the lesson plan) comes close to how the teacher would normally go through the reading process--with graphic organizers and vocabulary practice, etc., and it provides options for arranging the introduction and practice of various tasks/activities (such as the vocabulary, grammar, and writing components). Each passage provides writing practice as well, depending on the level.
Although I figured it out after a few tries, I found a few functionality quirks with the software. navigating through the system was not entirely straightforward, even though the activities were interesting once I got there. The students would need a tutorial on the system, just as when they use any other new software. One glitch was that in the story ("myths and legends") on the Mayan Creation, when I tried the word search, the screen would go blank. This activity worked in the Haiku lesson, however. So, the functionality is not perfect, but there are some real positives here.
One wonderful thing the authors have provided is a wealth of cultural options. In each genre I saw, there were selections from Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and North America. This is a great way to show the students we value their cultures and for them to learn about each other's cultures. Plus, for beginning students, there is a lot of usefulness in providing a story that is familiar to the ELL from their own background.
Language skills targeted: Primarily Reading and Writing
Evaluation:
What are the program’s strengths or weaknesses? As noted above, the strengths here are that the authors have considered and included a nice variety of genres and of multicultural, diverse stories. The detailed lesson plans for teachers make it very user-friendly. I like that the authors assume the teacher will be a present and active participant in using this software and in the children's reading experience, even though there are some sections students can complete on their own.
Do you feel it would be effective for helping ELLs learn English? Why or why not? Sure I do; anything that will motivate our ELLs to read in English is a positive! I think the stories are high interest and diverse enough to motivate the students, especially if the teacher varies the readings and/or gives the students some free choice in what they will be reading.
Would you use it in your classroom? Why or why not? Yes, it would be a good way to provide some variety during the reading lessons, and it would be good for the students to have as an option for their silent reading time.
What method or approach to language teaching does this program appear to represent? It seems to be in the realm of whole language instruction, although I know that term has "gone underground." It is definitely written with a top-down perspective.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Cloud Gate
Amazing, Cloud Gate, The Bean, Chicago, Illinois, by Anish Kapoor: http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/anish_kapoor.html
March 22, Idiom-Action! - Look what the cat dragged in!
Idiom lesson: I like how this is straightforward, short, and clear. Well done, Action English guy!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Class reflection
This class has been a wonderful resource for inspirational and innovative ideas for CALL and for using the latest technology for our ESL classes. Dr. Wright has been so dynamic in finding a variety of resources and a wealth of ideas that we can easily use in the classroom.
All of us in this class have been excited and intrigued about the technology we are using, and the variety of activities we are learning about that can help our ELLs (whether adult learners or students in K-12). I like that we are looking at and discussing collaborative projects and action research. I feel challenged to incorporate so many of these ideas into the classroom, when I return to teaching. The most obvious ideas that I can see being incredibly helpful and useful are the blogs (for reading reflections, online journal writing, or collaboration with other groups/students/classes, etc.), creating a research project that can be published as a Wiki (www.wikipedia.com or www.wikispaces.com or even www.wikihow.com), and the www.Flickr.com photos as endless resource for visuals and writing prompts. I have been a fan of using Webquests in the past, and now I am super eager to get the chance to teach using some of these other tools, not as the foundation of a language class, but as excellent, innovative, and effective support for our classes.
I am intrigued by podcasting, but I have learned that it is not as easy as it looks. In the future I hope to have more time to develop fabulous podcasts for ELLs around the world, but for now, I'm just proud that we have created our simple one!
All of us in this class have been excited and intrigued about the technology we are using, and the variety of activities we are learning about that can help our ELLs (whether adult learners or students in K-12). I like that we are looking at and discussing collaborative projects and action research. I feel challenged to incorporate so many of these ideas into the classroom, when I return to teaching. The most obvious ideas that I can see being incredibly helpful and useful are the blogs (for reading reflections, online journal writing, or collaboration with other groups/students/classes, etc.), creating a research project that can be published as a Wiki (www.wikipedia.com or www.wikispaces.com or even www.wikihow.com), and the www.Flickr.com photos as endless resource for visuals and writing prompts. I have been a fan of using Webquests in the past, and now I am super eager to get the chance to teach using some of these other tools, not as the foundation of a language class, but as excellent, innovative, and effective support for our classes.
I am intrigued by podcasting, but I have learned that it is not as easy as it looks. In the future I hope to have more time to develop fabulous podcasts for ELLs around the world, but for now, I'm just proud that we have created our simple one!
Conditionals lesson for ELLs
This is a paper/lesson plan we did in our language analysis class. Conditionals can be really fun! Enjoy!
Grammar/topic: Present Unreal Conditional (with review/practice with Future Real Conditional)
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Present Unreal Conditional Background: This structure is created by the use of a dependent if clause (if, unless) with the verb in the simple past and an independent result clause with the auxiliary verb in the past modal form (would, could, might, etc.). We use this tense to describe something imaginary that is impossible in the present (If Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at my graduation, I would be so honored.) or something that isn’t realistic at the moment, but isn’t impossible for the future (If I knew more about biology, I might understand more about the life cycle of brown bears.)
One exception in this structure is that the verb “to be,” when used in the if clause, is always used as “were,” no matter who the subject is (I, He, She, they, it, etc.). This can also cause confusion for a language learner, and is, in fact, frequently misused by native speakers—even those with a high level of education. For example, the question, “What would you do if you were filthy rich?” should be answered with “If I were filthy rich, I would build a huge open-air house on Kuta Beach in Bali and donate a million dollars to the Food Bank.” However, many people use the expression “If I was…”
One other important feature is that the order of the clauses does not make a difference; that is; one can say:
a) If Juanita and Ana called me to meet them at the Roxy Club, I would definitely go.
OR
b) I would definitely go if Juanita and Ana called me to meet them at the Roxy Club.
Future Real Conditional Background: This structure is created by the use of a dependent if or when clause (if, unless) with the verb in the simple present and an independent result clause with the auxiliary verb in the future/present modal form (will, can, may, should, etc.). We use this tense to describe something expected in the near future: (When Mr. Yon returns from the bank, we will remind him about the payroll.) or something that is probable (If Ying passes her comps, she may move back to Hong Kong.) or a habitual truth (If the pollen count is high, I will sneeze all day long.)
These structures may be difficult for ELLs because: a) we are using the past to talk about the present, b) the verb “to be” is unusually created in this structure, c) learners need to have a good grasp of modals first (will, may, might, could, would, etc.), and d) it is created by putting two clauses together (independent + subordinate=complex syntax). Page545, ch. 27. Also, we rarely teach the habitual/factual conditionals (If you cut me, I will bleed.), even though they are very common.
Activities:
Practice 1 (pair work): Make the sentence with If or Unless
a. You do not live in France. You do not eat escargot.
b. You have a newborn baby at home. You don’t go out very much.
c. Your family lives in another city. You only have the opportunity to see them about four times a year.
d. Janette will stop by your house this afternoon. You have a birthday present for her.
e. Your friend Mei Lin rides to the park every Sunday. She is in great shape. (negative)
f. Anita lives in Mexico City. She doesn’t call you very often because it is so expensive.
g. Your neighbor, Khon, hates mushrooms. You never cook any dishes with mushrooms for him.
h. Anna Sylvia plays the drums. She does not play in a band.
Practice 2 (whole class work): Scenarios—What would/will you do?
a. Tomorrow, Konstantin will pay you back the $100.00 he owes you. You have an $88.00 electric bill that is due on Friday.
b. Your flight to Chicago has been delayed for four hours. You are hungry, but there is no restaurant at the
c. I do not know how to swim. There is a beautiful pool with manmade waterfalls in my apartment complex.
d. You are entering a karaoke contest tomorrow night. You have practiced really hard. The prize is $500.00.
e. Your best friend is planning to visit you in San Antonio this weekend. He has been to San Antonio a few times before, and he doesn’t want to see the Riverwalk again. Where will you take him?
f. You are scheduled to fly out to New York tomorrow morning for a teaching conference. There is a snow storm moving in tonight.
g. You have class tomorrow night and a big project is due. Your colleague has just invited you to a party.
h. Your favorite sport is soccer. San Antonio is trying to get a (professional) Major League Soccer team to move here.
Practice 3 (small groups): Worst-case scenarios
(Teacher chooses various examples from the website: http://www.worstcasescenarios.com/mainpage.htm )
They read and decipher scenario as a group; teacher helps with vocabulary questions; students then prepare and give short presentation.
Practice 4 (whole class, either in a circle or throwing a ball to designate a turn): Conditional chain activity for “to be”
Teacher starts chain with one sentence. Then next student uses second half of first sentence to build second sentence. For example: 1) If George Carlin were our English teacher, he would make us laugh in class every day. 2) If we laughed in class every day, we would enjoy that class. 3) If we enjoyed English class, we’d pay attention in class. 4) If we paid attention in class, we might learn more…
Practice 5: Songs with “if clauses”
Examples include: Hannah Montana (for kids) If We Were a Movie (for kids): “ If we were a movie/ You'd be the right guy/ And I'd be the best friend/ That you'd fall in love with/ In the end” and Alison Krauss (for adults) If I didn’t know any better: “Your heart is pullin'/ If I didn't know any better/ I'd be fallin'/ Deeper and deeper it's true”
*If it is an advanced group, have them read the words to John Lennon’s Imagine and contemplate the meanings, then write out as much of the song as possible using If, When, or Unless clauses. If there is no stated conclusion, have them come up with one.
Grammar book structure treatment critique:
A) Greenbaum, S. & Nelson, G. (2002). An introduction to English
grammar. Great Britain. Pearson Education Limited.
This book provides a thorough overview of grammar, covering a huge number of grammatical points. It provides short and clear explanations (with examples) of how the structure is formed, and when and why it is used. It is a good reference book for an ESL/EFL teacher or student, but it would be just a reference book, as it does not provide activities or suggestions for activities; it merely presents the structures. The conditionals are presented as “Past and past subjunctive.” The authors describe the variations on the present and past unreal conditional as something “very unlikely or contrary to the facts,” but do not cover the future real concept. Therefore, I think it is incomplete. One thing I do like is that the authors discuss the descriptive and prescriptive uses of the past subjunctive of the verb “be,” telling the reader that it is correct to use “were” and that “In less formal style, the simple past was is generally used…(p. 155).” Overall, this book is primarily a reference source (pp. 63-64, 154-155).
B) Jackson, H. (2002). Grammar and vocabulary: A resource book for students. New York, N.Y. Routledge.
This book approaches grammar from a different perspective than what is out there for students; that is, Jackson presents and analyzes English grammar in paragraph format rather than with the paradigm and step-by-step structure, describing the underlying meaning and uses of the given structure. It is very detailed and gives the student the whole story behind a concept, including the linguistic research and exploration of the concept. It seems to be at a higher level than the majority of ELLs and they might find it frustrating not to have the structure rules laid out more clearly. However, it may appeal to reflective learners who like to look at things in depth. It seems to be made for native English speakers. This book only treats the conditional as part of the chapter on clauses, particularly the if clause as a subordinate clause, without presenting the rules of the conditional structures, so it is not very valuable for studying/teaching this concept (pp.22-23).
C) http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blconditionals.htm
This website provides a structural layout of how to form the future real, present unreal, and past unreal conditionals. It gives an explanation of when and how to form this structure with a chart. The chart and explanations are followed by an interactive quiz practicing the forms. This is helpful for self-study or review, but in and of itself is not a sufficient tool for learning.
Grammar/topic: Present Unreal Conditional (with review/practice with Future Real Conditional)
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Present Unreal Conditional Background: This structure is created by the use of a dependent if clause (if, unless) with the verb in the simple past and an independent result clause with the auxiliary verb in the past modal form (would, could, might, etc.). We use this tense to describe something imaginary that is impossible in the present (If Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at my graduation, I would be so honored.) or something that isn’t realistic at the moment, but isn’t impossible for the future (If I knew more about biology, I might understand more about the life cycle of brown bears.)
One exception in this structure is that the verb “to be,” when used in the if clause, is always used as “were,” no matter who the subject is (I, He, She, they, it, etc.). This can also cause confusion for a language learner, and is, in fact, frequently misused by native speakers—even those with a high level of education. For example, the question, “What would you do if you were filthy rich?” should be answered with “If I were filthy rich, I would build a huge open-air house on Kuta Beach in Bali and donate a million dollars to the Food Bank.” However, many people use the expression “If I was…”
One other important feature is that the order of the clauses does not make a difference; that is; one can say:
a) If Juanita and Ana called me to meet them at the Roxy Club, I would definitely go.
OR
b) I would definitely go if Juanita and Ana called me to meet them at the Roxy Club.
Future Real Conditional Background: This structure is created by the use of a dependent if or when clause (if, unless) with the verb in the simple present and an independent result clause with the auxiliary verb in the future/present modal form (will, can, may, should, etc.). We use this tense to describe something expected in the near future: (When Mr. Yon returns from the bank, we will remind him about the payroll.) or something that is probable (If Ying passes her comps, she may move back to Hong Kong.) or a habitual truth (If the pollen count is high, I will sneeze all day long.)
These structures may be difficult for ELLs because: a) we are using the past to talk about the present, b) the verb “to be” is unusually created in this structure, c) learners need to have a good grasp of modals first (will, may, might, could, would, etc.), and d) it is created by putting two clauses together (independent + subordinate=complex syntax). Page545, ch. 27. Also, we rarely teach the habitual/factual conditionals (If you cut me, I will bleed.), even though they are very common.
Activities:
Practice 1 (pair work): Make the sentence with If or Unless
a. You do not live in France. You do not eat escargot.
b. You have a newborn baby at home. You don’t go out very much.
c. Your family lives in another city. You only have the opportunity to see them about four times a year.
d. Janette will stop by your house this afternoon. You have a birthday present for her.
e. Your friend Mei Lin rides to the park every Sunday. She is in great shape. (negative)
f. Anita lives in Mexico City. She doesn’t call you very often because it is so expensive.
g. Your neighbor, Khon, hates mushrooms. You never cook any dishes with mushrooms for him.
h. Anna Sylvia plays the drums. She does not play in a band.
Practice 2 (whole class work): Scenarios—What would/will you do?
a. Tomorrow, Konstantin will pay you back the $100.00 he owes you. You have an $88.00 electric bill that is due on Friday.
b. Your flight to Chicago has been delayed for four hours. You are hungry, but there is no restaurant at the
c. I do not know how to swim. There is a beautiful pool with manmade waterfalls in my apartment complex.
d. You are entering a karaoke contest tomorrow night. You have practiced really hard. The prize is $500.00.
e. Your best friend is planning to visit you in San Antonio this weekend. He has been to San Antonio a few times before, and he doesn’t want to see the Riverwalk again. Where will you take him?
f. You are scheduled to fly out to New York tomorrow morning for a teaching conference. There is a snow storm moving in tonight.
g. You have class tomorrow night and a big project is due. Your colleague has just invited you to a party.
h. Your favorite sport is soccer. San Antonio is trying to get a (professional) Major League Soccer team to move here.
Practice 3 (small groups): Worst-case scenarios
(Teacher chooses various examples from the website: http://www.worstcasescenarios.com/mainpage.htm )
They read and decipher scenario as a group; teacher helps with vocabulary questions; students then prepare and give short presentation.
Practice 4 (whole class, either in a circle or throwing a ball to designate a turn): Conditional chain activity for “to be”
Teacher starts chain with one sentence. Then next student uses second half of first sentence to build second sentence. For example: 1) If George Carlin were our English teacher, he would make us laugh in class every day. 2) If we laughed in class every day, we would enjoy that class. 3) If we enjoyed English class, we’d pay attention in class. 4) If we paid attention in class, we might learn more…
Practice 5: Songs with “if clauses”
Examples include: Hannah Montana (for kids) If We Were a Movie (for kids): “ If we were a movie/ You'd be the right guy/ And I'd be the best friend/ That you'd fall in love with/ In the end” and Alison Krauss (for adults) If I didn’t know any better: “Your heart is pullin'/ If I didn't know any better/ I'd be fallin'/ Deeper and deeper it's true”
*If it is an advanced group, have them read the words to John Lennon’s Imagine and contemplate the meanings, then write out as much of the song as possible using If, When, or Unless clauses. If there is no stated conclusion, have them come up with one.
Grammar book structure treatment critique:
A) Greenbaum, S. & Nelson, G. (2002). An introduction to English
grammar. Great Britain. Pearson Education Limited.
This book provides a thorough overview of grammar, covering a huge number of grammatical points. It provides short and clear explanations (with examples) of how the structure is formed, and when and why it is used. It is a good reference book for an ESL/EFL teacher or student, but it would be just a reference book, as it does not provide activities or suggestions for activities; it merely presents the structures. The conditionals are presented as “Past and past subjunctive.” The authors describe the variations on the present and past unreal conditional as something “very unlikely or contrary to the facts,” but do not cover the future real concept. Therefore, I think it is incomplete. One thing I do like is that the authors discuss the descriptive and prescriptive uses of the past subjunctive of the verb “be,” telling the reader that it is correct to use “were” and that “In less formal style, the simple past was is generally used…(p. 155).” Overall, this book is primarily a reference source (pp. 63-64, 154-155).
B) Jackson, H. (2002). Grammar and vocabulary: A resource book for students. New York, N.Y. Routledge.
This book approaches grammar from a different perspective than what is out there for students; that is, Jackson presents and analyzes English grammar in paragraph format rather than with the paradigm and step-by-step structure, describing the underlying meaning and uses of the given structure. It is very detailed and gives the student the whole story behind a concept, including the linguistic research and exploration of the concept. It seems to be at a higher level than the majority of ELLs and they might find it frustrating not to have the structure rules laid out more clearly. However, it may appeal to reflective learners who like to look at things in depth. It seems to be made for native English speakers. This book only treats the conditional as part of the chapter on clauses, particularly the if clause as a subordinate clause, without presenting the rules of the conditional structures, so it is not very valuable for studying/teaching this concept (pp.22-23).
C) http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blconditionals.htm
This website provides a structural layout of how to form the future real, present unreal, and past unreal conditionals. It gives an explanation of when and how to form this structure with a chart. The chart and explanations are followed by an interactive quiz practicing the forms. This is helpful for self-study or review, but in and of itself is not a sufficient tool for learning.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Devastation
This week has brought another tragedy, the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. My heart goes out to the other people who were shot and wounded, the families of those people, and to all students, faculty, and others associated with the school. It is a sad, sad day. You will remain in my thoughts for a long time. I cannot imagine what you are going through.
I also am shocked to find out the shooter was from South Korea. It is something I know is breaking the heart of every generous, loving Korean right now, as they will surely see it as shameful, although there are crazy people and violent people in every culture. Koreans tend to feel and respect the overall sense of a Korean community no matter where the Koreans are. So I know this is a shock to Koreans everywhere, as it is to all of us.
It is also tragic to see this happen with an international student, and I worry what this will mean for international students coming here to study in the future. I worry what the general public will think, and I hope this does not promote xenophobia in our society. What happened is appalling and heartbreaking, but there are dangerous loners in every society. It was an isolated incident with a very, very disturbed young man.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Virginia Tech and its community.
I also am shocked to find out the shooter was from South Korea. It is something I know is breaking the heart of every generous, loving Korean right now, as they will surely see it as shameful, although there are crazy people and violent people in every culture. Koreans tend to feel and respect the overall sense of a Korean community no matter where the Koreans are. So I know this is a shock to Koreans everywhere, as it is to all of us.
It is also tragic to see this happen with an international student, and I worry what this will mean for international students coming here to study in the future. I worry what the general public will think, and I hope this does not promote xenophobia in our society. What happened is appalling and heartbreaking, but there are dangerous loners in every society. It was an isolated incident with a very, very disturbed young man.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Virginia Tech and its community.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Lesson Plan: Families
We created these lesson plans for Dr. Wright's summer 2006 class about various approaches in teaching ESL. I thought I would share it here. This was the fifth week's lesson in our adult ESL students' hypothetical classroom. The previous day's lesson was on sports and the following day was on food (Rita's day). We wanted to bring as much of the students' cultures into the classroom as possible, scaffold the lessons, and work on eliciting structured output (Lee & Van Patten, 2005). Feel free to use this lesson plan, but please let me know how it works for you, and if you make any cool modifications. Here is the lesson plan and activities to go with it:
Instructor: Joleen Group Level: High Beginners Week #: 5
Objectives: Students will share information about their culture and learn about other cultures. Students will be able to use nouns to describe various family members. Students will review and practice comparative adjectives.
Warm Up: What did you talk about yesterday? Who do watch sports with? Who do you play sports with? Today we are going to talk about families. (HOMEWORK: Check to see who brought pictures from yesterday’s class.)
Introduction: I am from a big family. Count immediate family, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents. Teach "immediate" and "extended" families. Explain that a family is usually someone you live with, but the family members can vary. I presented and modeled the vocabulary by describing my extended family with an old picture I have of about 20 of us. It is funny, because it is very 70s!
Activity 1: Family tree: Think, Pair, Share. Pass out or have students create a family tree chart. Model the activity for the students by describing a family member in the (teacher’s family) picture. For example, I would point to my aunt and say, “She is MY aunt, but she is also a sister, a daughter, a wife, and a mother.” They will each choose two of their own family members and make a list of all the family roles each one fulfills (ex. My brother is also a son, etc.) Then they describe themselves and all of the family roles they fulfill. Bring extra pictures of famous families, like The Simpsons, or magazines with a lot of pictures (such as National Geographic or People), to class—in case students forget to bring their own. After sharing their lists with their partners, ELLs can then report findings to the whole group.
Activity 2: Introduce language for comparing/contrasting for language objective (bigger, smaller, younger, older, more/fewer children, etc.) Then, in small groups, students examine three family pictures from
1000 Families: Family Album of the Planet Earth by Uwe Ommer and compare/contrast these three families with the others and then with their own families. There is a list of questions provided here to guide the ELLs They then get up, find a partner from another group and share their discoveries...were they the same or different? Optional: If time, they will report findings back to their original groups.
Activity 2 Questions: Examine these family pictures from around the world and answer these questions with your group.
1. What do you notice first about these families?
2. Do you think this is a traditional family in this culture? Why or
why not?
3. What is different about each family?
4. What is the same or similar about each family?
5. Are these families similar to the families in your country? Which one is the most similar? What do you notice first about these families?
Extension/synthesis: Individual work, then groups: They take a T/F survey to think about and prepare for writing about traditional family structure in their cultures or their own families (attached). 2 columns: “In my family, country.” They complete it, then use this as a checklist as a springboard to write a paragraph about traditional families from their own countries. They then share with small groups orally and report to whole group. Activity guide below:
Consider if there is a traditional family structure in your country/culture. Answer True or False for your family and the traditional family in your country.
My family/My country
1. Mothers work outside the home.
2. Fathers are the main money makers.
3. Children live at home until they get married.
4. Grandparents often live with their children and grandchildren.
5. Daughters usually take care of their parents when the parents get older.
6. Children do chores and get money for helping the parents.
7. Husbands and wives share household responsibilities like cooking and cleaning.
8. Parents always pay for their children to go to college/university.
Write: Read your answers again and write a paragraph or two about traditional families in your country/culture. If there is no traditional family, write about that.
(Bonus activity--in case we have extra time: have them pair up and describe their favorite, most recent, or ideal, family vacation.)
Homework: To prepare them to talk about family meals the next day, here are the T/F questions they will think about:
True or False: In my country, families usually...--eat together almost every night.
--eat with a fork and knife.
--sit on the floor to eat.
--have food prepared by mom.
--eat their biggest meal at night.
Teaching approaches and activities:
Communicative Language Teaching, Richards and Rodgers, Chapter 14
Activity 1 inspired by Lee & Van Patten, “Writing and Composing in a Second Language” Composing-Oriented Activities D-G, pp. 222-224
Extension/ Synthesis Activity inspired by Lee & Van Patten,”Comprehending Written Language,” Activity H, p. 206
References:
Jack C. Richards & Theodore S. Rodgers (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (R&R)
James F. Lee & Bill Van Patten (1995). Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen (1st ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. (L&P)
Pictures from: Ommer, U. (2000). 1000 Families: Family Album of the Planet Earth , Germany: Taschen, images retrieved July 10, 2006, from: www.clubcultura.com/clubfoto/milfamilias/uwe.htm
Instructor: Joleen Group Level: High Beginners Week #: 5
Objectives: Students will share information about their culture and learn about other cultures. Students will be able to use nouns to describe various family members. Students will review and practice comparative adjectives.
Warm Up: What did you talk about yesterday? Who do watch sports with? Who do you play sports with? Today we are going to talk about families. (HOMEWORK: Check to see who brought pictures from yesterday’s class.)
Introduction: I am from a big family. Count immediate family, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents. Teach "immediate" and "extended" families. Explain that a family is usually someone you live with, but the family members can vary. I presented and modeled the vocabulary by describing my extended family with an old picture I have of about 20 of us. It is funny, because it is very 70s!
Activity 1: Family tree: Think, Pair, Share. Pass out or have students create a family tree chart. Model the activity for the students by describing a family member in the (teacher’s family) picture. For example, I would point to my aunt and say, “She is MY aunt, but she is also a sister, a daughter, a wife, and a mother.” They will each choose two of their own family members and make a list of all the family roles each one fulfills (ex. My brother is also a son, etc.) Then they describe themselves and all of the family roles they fulfill. Bring extra pictures of famous families, like The Simpsons, or magazines with a lot of pictures (such as National Geographic or People), to class—in case students forget to bring their own. After sharing their lists with their partners, ELLs can then report findings to the whole group.
Activity 2: Introduce language for comparing/contrasting for language objective (bigger, smaller, younger, older, more/fewer children, etc.) Then, in small groups, students examine three family pictures from
1000 Families: Family Album of the Planet Earth by Uwe Ommer and compare/contrast these three families with the others and then with their own families. There is a list of questions provided here to guide the ELLs They then get up, find a partner from another group and share their discoveries...were they the same or different? Optional: If time, they will report findings back to their original groups.
Activity 2 Questions: Examine these family pictures from around the world and answer these questions with your group.
1. What do you notice first about these families?
2. Do you think this is a traditional family in this culture? Why or
why not?
3. What is different about each family?
4. What is the same or similar about each family?
5. Are these families similar to the families in your country? Which one is the most similar? What do you notice first about these families?
Extension/synthesis: Individual work, then groups: They take a T/F survey to think about and prepare for writing about traditional family structure in their cultures or their own families (attached). 2 columns: “In my family, country.” They complete it, then use this as a checklist as a springboard to write a paragraph about traditional families from their own countries. They then share with small groups orally and report to whole group. Activity guide below:
Consider if there is a traditional family structure in your country/culture. Answer True or False for your family and the traditional family in your country.
My family/My country
1. Mothers work outside the home.
2. Fathers are the main money makers.
3. Children live at home until they get married.
4. Grandparents often live with their children and grandchildren.
5. Daughters usually take care of their parents when the parents get older.
6. Children do chores and get money for helping the parents.
7. Husbands and wives share household responsibilities like cooking and cleaning.
8. Parents always pay for their children to go to college/university.
Write: Read your answers again and write a paragraph or two about traditional families in your country/culture. If there is no traditional family, write about that.
(Bonus activity--in case we have extra time: have them pair up and describe their favorite, most recent, or ideal, family vacation.)
Homework: To prepare them to talk about family meals the next day, here are the T/F questions they will think about:
True or False: In my country, families usually...--eat together almost every night.
--eat with a fork and knife.
--sit on the floor to eat.
--have food prepared by mom.
--eat their biggest meal at night.
Teaching approaches and activities:
Communicative Language Teaching, Richards and Rodgers, Chapter 14
Activity 1 inspired by Lee & Van Patten, “Writing and Composing in a Second Language” Composing-Oriented Activities D-G, pp. 222-224
Extension/ Synthesis Activity inspired by Lee & Van Patten,”Comprehending Written Language,” Activity H, p. 206
References:
Jack C. Richards & Theodore S. Rodgers (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (R&R)
James F. Lee & Bill Van Patten (1995). Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen (1st ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. (L&P)
Pictures from: Ommer, U. (2000). 1000 Families: Family Album of the Planet Earth , Germany: Taschen, images retrieved July 10, 2006, from: www.clubcultura.com/clubfoto/milfamilias/uwe.htm
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Rai Leh Bay, Krabi, Thailand
Ah, this place is so beautiful and peaceful. I spent 5-6 days there in 1999, after finishing my job in Taipei and before moving back to Texas. I spent those 5 weeks just floating around the beaches in Thailand. The water is so calm, and these massive cliffs just come shooting right out of the water--it is a dramatic, impressive landscape. There is no cruise ship, scooter, or car traffic here, just people on foot and these long boats. It is a rock-climbing haven and a good scuba spot, too, so there are quite a few interesting (quite healthy-looking) people passing through. The sunsets glowed remarkably and most of us staying on the island would gather at this one little spot at nightfall and watch the end of the day with such reverence that the evenings became these wonderfully serene moments at the end of the long, peaceful days on Rai Leh Bay.
This beach is fairly close--by long boat--to Monkey Beach, where our long boat captain took us for lunch one day. Bad idea--what made him think wild monkeys and people with big bags of food were a great combination? He must have wanted to amuse himself!
I had been around wild monkeys before and was not about to take my lunch ashore with me. I ate on the boat, as the monkeys on the beach (where the other 6 or 7 travelers were with their lunches) got angrier and angrier and started to claw at the food at snarl at each other. Finally, the poor people from my boat had to go and stand in the surf so they could eat their lunches. Then they got stuck coming back to the boat, because it got to be low tide, and there were huge rocks everywhere. I was pretty happy I stayed on the boat. Not that I always do or have done the clever thing traveling, but at least I did that day.
If you have the chance to go to Rai Leh Bay, take it! Just skip lunch with the monkeys, I'd suggest.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Prompt 10: Professional Development
Egbert ch. 10
Richardson ch. 7
We cannot emphasize the value of Professional Development in our jobs enough. As teachers, we must believe in the value of having an expert share ideas or a forum for professionals/peers to come together so that we can grow and learn more from our peers. Working with and observing other teachers has taught me more about my job than just about anything else in my career. Of course, we are gaining valuable insight in our Master's classes--this is an obvious form of Professional Development.
Online resources are great for this purpose. I have participated in two TESOL Virtual trainings: 1) Margo Gottlieb discussing the new TESOL standards and suggesting ways to reduce test bias in standardized tests, and 2) J.D. Brown, discussing curriculum development. They were quite interesting, as people from all over the world participated. I also have looked at teacher forums for ESL and other teaching ideas, for tips on classroom manangement or specific activity ideas for the classroom. Check out the links here on ESL Resources; I have used several of them. I have also worked on creating online professional development modules on everything from Second Language Acquisition research to linking assessment results to instructional strategies.
One simple benefit of online professional development is that teachers can take the courses in their own time frame and can often choose the topic or sub-topic of their choice. Therefore, teachers are invested in what they are learning, a crucial factor in motivation, as we see when we are planning a variety of activities for our students, too. Just like our ELLs, we each have a unique learning style and preference.
Another wonderful aspect of online teacher development is that you can give back for what you get, whether it's a forum or a lesson plan exchange site or something similar. I have just discovered www.eslprintables.com , which works like a swap meet. There are so many opportunities online for learning and sharing!
Flickr: www.Flickr.com
is so popular, too, and I appreciate the ideas that Richardson gives us on using these images to inspire lessons. I like "Flicktion" writing, where we can use the pictures as writing prompts for our students. I know I have spent countless hours looking for pictures in magazines to enrich and support the classroom activities, but it is not always easy to find what you want when you want it. However, with Flickr, the possibilites for teachers and students to find specific images are remarkable. I will definitely use these in my future classrooms.
Richardson ch. 7
We cannot emphasize the value of Professional Development in our jobs enough. As teachers, we must believe in the value of having an expert share ideas or a forum for professionals/peers to come together so that we can grow and learn more from our peers. Working with and observing other teachers has taught me more about my job than just about anything else in my career. Of course, we are gaining valuable insight in our Master's classes--this is an obvious form of Professional Development.
Online resources are great for this purpose. I have participated in two TESOL Virtual trainings: 1) Margo Gottlieb discussing the new TESOL standards and suggesting ways to reduce test bias in standardized tests, and 2) J.D. Brown, discussing curriculum development. They were quite interesting, as people from all over the world participated. I also have looked at teacher forums for ESL and other teaching ideas, for tips on classroom manangement or specific activity ideas for the classroom. Check out the links here on ESL Resources; I have used several of them. I have also worked on creating online professional development modules on everything from Second Language Acquisition research to linking assessment results to instructional strategies.
One simple benefit of online professional development is that teachers can take the courses in their own time frame and can often choose the topic or sub-topic of their choice. Therefore, teachers are invested in what they are learning, a crucial factor in motivation, as we see when we are planning a variety of activities for our students, too. Just like our ELLs, we each have a unique learning style and preference.
Another wonderful aspect of online teacher development is that you can give back for what you get, whether it's a forum or a lesson plan exchange site or something similar. I have just discovered www.eslprintables.com , which works like a swap meet. There are so many opportunities online for learning and sharing!
Flickr: www.Flickr.com
is so popular, too, and I appreciate the ideas that Richardson gives us on using these images to inspire lessons. I like "Flicktion" writing, where we can use the pictures as writing prompts for our students. I know I have spent countless hours looking for pictures in magazines to enrich and support the classroom activities, but it is not always easy to find what you want when you want it. However, with Flickr, the possibilites for teachers and students to find specific images are remarkable. I will definitely use these in my future classrooms.
Flickr Picture Story Assignment--Picture chosen: Spirit Warrior 3
This picture brings to mind so many images, so many memories. First, it is beautifully composed and makes wonderful use of the early morning light from the rising sun and the haze (from the pollution). The photographer took this in Shanghai, which is a place I would love to visit. A few of my friends live there, but I have not yet made it to Shanghai. I will one day, though.
The people in this picture look to me to be practicing Tai Chi, which I often saw people doing in the parks in Taipei and Hong Kong. Larger groups would practice in the early, early mornings (perhaps as in this photo), because there was some positive, natural energy they can tap into at this hour.
Actually, here is a resource (http://events.skyteam.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=40541) that explains it as such: "The silent tranquility of the morning is the perfect time to practice this martial art, which is derived from Taoism. Taoists were originally expected to seek solitude and confinement, in order to avoid distraction and obtain the discipline required for enlightenment."
I have always been so impressed by the calm, slow movements, the tranquility and the peacefulness of the Tai Chi sessions in the park. As a westerner, I find it is hard for me to be so still. The slow, balanced movements seen in this beautiful photo are an art form and require fantastic (physical) balance. In the turmoil and chaos of the highly populated cities prevalent in Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Japan, seeing people create their own private spaces and places and finding a peaceful center within themselves is no small feat! It is inspiring to behold.
Flickr page
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7611228@N04/
This is my Flickr page I set up. I put some pictures from Costa Rica and Dallas with friends on there as an experiment. To be continued...
This is my Flickr page I set up. I put some pictures from Costa Rica and Dallas with friends on there as an experiment. To be continued...
www.slide.com Slide Show
Hi! In anticipation of our Flickr project, I made a slideshow from my family Christmas on www.slide.com
I think it is a really cool site! It is another free program that creates fabulous slide shows for you, with 9 different templates or so. Pretty cool for something so...free! Check it out.
I think it is a really cool site! It is another free program that creates fabulous slide shows for you, with 9 different templates or so. Pretty cool for something so...free! Check it out.
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