Filed under: Classroom Tips, Grammar | Tags: Bluffing, Brainstorming, communicative activity, Contrasting Verb Tenses, EFL, English With Jennifer, ESL, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, Present Perfect Tense, Simple Past Tense, teacher training, TESL, Verb Tenses
(Originally published in my book Brainstorming. Moscow: Manager, 2001. This is an updated version.)
Language Focus: Contrasting the present perfect and simple past tenses.
Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Format: Possible in pairs or small groups. Ideal as a whole class.
Objective: To talk about past experiences and decide who is telling the truth and who is bluffing.
STEP 1: Define bluff. You might allude to the bluffing done in poker games.
STEP 2: Select one student to be in the “hot seat”. This student will answer his/ her classmates’ questions about a past experience. Ask another student to begin the questioning. The first question uses the present perfect tense and must begin with “Have you ever…?” (= general past experience) The answer to this first question must be: “Yes, I have.”
NOTE: Students should ask about unusual but possible past experiences: “Have you ever gone sky diving?” - or – “Have you ever met someone famous?”
STEP 3: The class may then start calling out additional questions to learn details (= specific past events). These questions will all be in the simple past tense: “Where did you go sky diving? Who jumped with you?” Etc. Set a limit on the number of questions or the time allotted for questioning. (For example, one question per student or one minute of questioning by the entire class.)
STEP 4: Ask the students to decide collectively if the person in the “hot seat” is bluffing. As the student tells the truth, encourage the use of the present perfect tense: “Yes, I’ve really gone sky diving. I’ve done it twice.” – or – “No, I’ve never met anyone famous.”
STEP 5: Select a new person to be in the “hot seat”.
SUGGESTION: Lower level students may need more prompts to form questions. You can write a list of phrases on the board. (Examples: see a UFO, eat snake meat, ride a horse, cut someone’s hair) Let students choose from the list. Write the phrases using the base verb so that students gain practice in forming the present perfect.
Filed under: Grammar, Methodology | Tags: EFL, English With Jennifer, ESL, Focus on Grammar, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, professional development, teacher education, TESL, verb tenses in English
Verb tenses challenge most English language learners. When studied in isolation, a given verb tense is clearly understood, but when put into actual use, one verb tense is easily confused with others. This is because at the discourse level we do not limit our speech to a single verb tense.
It makes sense then to teach lessons that focus on more than one verb tense at a time. I do agree with traditional textbook presentations that initially teach a single verb tense in a given unit; however, in later stages of language learning the student will benefit from comparing and contrasting verb tenses. In fact, some grammar textbook series offer lessons on multiple verb tenses as early as the intermediate level (e.g., Focus on Grammar).
Whether the focus of a lesson is on one or several verb tenses, the study and practice of the tenses should be done in a meaningful context. I also believe that there can be some overlap of study and practice; they aren’t always separate events of a lesson. Practice is a form of study. It’s not necessary to hold off exercises and activities until all important points are explained by the teacher. Chances are that such a thorough presentation would overload students with information and render any activity ineffective. I like to make a concise presentation and then get the students to jump into practice. Engaging in a meaningful activity can fill in any gaps, correct misunderstandings, and build upon what was learned earlier from the teacher’s presentation.
In the next few entries, I’ll share activities for verb tenses. They are open exercises that allow for meaningful communication in a fun way.
Filed under: Methodology, Writing | Tags: Academic Writing, adverbs, collaborative writing, compositions, conjunctions, English With Jennifer, expressing contrast, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Longman Pearson, sentence chains, writing mechanics, writing skills
(Continued from previous posting, “Academic Writing: When to Teach Mechanics”)
Structures used to express contrast or opposition often create a high degree of confusion among English language learners. But seems easy enough to master; it’s adverbs such as although, despite, and however that are commonly misused. Here are some ideas to help you build a lesson around this mechanic:
· Limit the number of structures to be covered. Between 3-5 is realistic, especially if you present although, even though, and though together. Don’t overload the students. It’s better to master a few structures than gain a weak handle on a dozen.
· Use real models if possible. Take lines from anonymous student compositions in which the structures were used both correctly and incorrectly. You can ask the class to identify the correct ones and then work together to edit the incorrect ones.
· Consider using collaborative writing exercises. Here’s a fun one called “sentence chains”: Pass out strips of blank paper to the students. Each student must write the beginning of a sentence that includes one of the targeted adverbs. You need to prompt them, for example: “Write a short thought about our school and begin your sentence with even though.” Each student then passes his or her paper to the right for another student to finish. [See model below.] The results can be read aloud and commented on. You can choose one or two and write them on the board as models. Continue the exercise to practice the remaining adverbs. For variation, you can ask students to pass their papers to the left, three times to the right, etc.
· Let a short exercise become the springboard for a longer one. If you select a few good models from the previous activity “sentence chains”, you can then move into a longer composition. Ask students to choose one statement from the board and use it as the topic sentence of a paragraph. Challenge them to include one more adverb in their composition to express contrast or opposition.
MODEL:
In “sentence chains” Student A writes: Even though our school is very big…
Student B continues the thought: Even though our school is very big, I feel very comfortable here.
Student C might later develop a composition based this statement:
Even though our school is very big, I feel very comfortable here. First of all, our classes aren’t too large. My biggest class is history, and there are only 30 students. The teacher does a good job, and we all get a chance to speak. Also, all students and teachers are friendly, so I don’t really feel like I’m with a lot of strangers. I know that some people may not like to be in a school with almost a thousand students. However, the number of students creates energy. It’s never boring. The size of our school is perfect for me.
Filed under: Methodology, Writing | Tags: Academic Writing, EFL, ESL, how to teach writing, IEP, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Longman Pearson, teaching methodology, When to Teach Mechanics, writing mechanics, writing skills
Just as a conversation class shouldn’t be nonstop group discussion, writing class shouldn’t be nonstop independent writing. Students’ writing skills will improve not only through creating compositions, but also through studying model texts, practicing reflection, doing controlled exercises, focusing attention on grammar and vocabulary, and receiving feedback and correction. In short, most writing mechanics don’t simply emerge on their own through numerous writings. Writing mechanics are learned both directly and indirectly.
So if our instruction should include direct teaching of writing mechanics, is it best to address them on an as-needed basis or present them as a topic for an entire lesson? Problems isolated to one student’s writing don’t need to be solved as a whole class. However, when a certain aspect poses difficulty for a number of students in a given class, it’s very appropriate to provide an explanation and relevant practice that everyone can benefit from. The importance of the mechanic and/ or the degree of difficulty it poses for a given group of students will dictate whether you address it briefly or build an entire lesson around it.
(To Be Continued)
Filed under: Conversation, Methodology | Tags: Add new tag, classroom formats, communication skills, EFL, English With Jennifer, ESL, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Jeremy Harmer, pair work, Pearson Longman, small group work, speaking opportunities, speaking skills, STT, student groupings, TTT, whole group work
Being willing to learn is an important part of teaching. We’d be doing our students a disservice if we ever concluded that we had acquired enough knowledge or mastered enough skills to be a good teacher. For this reason, among others, there’s value in reading professional development textbooks. Even the how-to books that seem appropriate only for beginning teachers can aid an experienced teacher. I remember the first time I read Jeremy Harmer’s How to Teach English. There were a few ideas that solidified unnamed instincts I had been operating on in the classroom. For example, Harmer affirmed my belief that a teacher should create plenty of opportunities for students to speak: “Students are the people who need the practice, in other words, not the teacher. In general terms, therefore, a good teacher maximises STT (Student Talking Time) and minimises TTT (Teacher Talking Time)” (Harmer 4).
In the years I studied Russian, I had often sat silent and content to let an entertaining teacher speak at great length. It felt laborious to try to do the speaking myself, and it seemed more important to listen to a good speech model. I did, however, feel more comfortable speaking one-on-one with a classmate when I was asked to do so. Don’t get me wrong. Listening to good speech models is important, but how can a student’s communication skills in a target language develop if there’s little or no practice speaking? Another person’s tendency to dominate conversation, be it the teacher or a classmate, as well as the student’s own reluctance to seize speaking opportunities can hinder language progress.
For all these reasons, I vowed that as a language teacher myself, I would provide many opportunities for STT and encourage more timid speakers to practice self-expression and abandon their fear of making mistakes. In practical terms, this translated into using a variety of classroom formats: whole group, small groups, and pairs. During whole group activity I limit TTT to what is necessary and useful, and in small groups or pair work, I set up activities so that everyone is required to contribute. Some students speak out no matter how you group them; others are vocal only when interacting in small numbers. Those less confident students can make the most of a speaking opportunity in pair work, and small group work can bridge the gap between their main comfort zone and the context in which they feel unease: speaking to the whole class.
My practice of trying to balance TTT and STT is only one of many that grew out of my own language learning experience. They say that hindsight is 20/20. I’d add to that: success often follows failure. Once identified and understood, weaknesses we displayed in the past as students can direct us in becoming better teachers today.
Harmer, Jeremy. How to Teach English. Pearson Education: 2007.
Filed under: Classroom Tips, Vocabulary | Tags: classroom activities, EFL, English language instruction, English With Jennifer, ESL, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, professional development, TESL, Vocabulary Power, vocabulary skills, Vocabulary Wrap-Up
(Continued from previous posting, “My First Vocabulary Lesson”)
STEP 1: Review spelling.
Game: Right-hand man. (Explain idiom.)
This game works best with a limited amount of new vocabulary. Many vocabulary textbooks (like Vocabulary Power) limit a lesson to approximately 10 key words. The game would likely fizzle out with a word list of 20+ items.
How to play: Ask students to close all books. Call on a student to give you the spelling of a vocabulary word. Write the word on the board exactly as the student spells it. The next student on the right can either confirm or change the spelling on the board. If they are correct, the class gets a point. The goal is to get 10 out of 10 (or whatever the number of new words is.) Playing as a whole class creates a supportive environment. If, however, you feel your students would benefit from competition, you could play in teams.
STEP 2: Review pronunciation.
Now that all words are on the board, you can do a quick pronunciation drill. Students will listen and repeat in chorus as you read the words aloud one at a time.
STEP 3: Check understanding of meanings and recognition of collocations.
Oral cloze exercise. This tests your own creativity, but you’ll likely enjoy the challenge. I always do.
How to do it: Explain to the students that you are going to tell them a story. They need to listen carefully and help you tell it. You will silently cue them when they need to supply the missing key words. (I like to draw a long imaginary line in the air to cue students. You can also use gestures and body language to help them.) As they call out the missing words to complete your story, you will erase the words off the board. This helps you focus on the vocabulary you have yet to include, and the process of choosing becomes easier for the students. Remember you can be a little silly. In fact, the stranger the story, the more memorable it will be. If threading 10 key words together in one coherent story gives you writer’s block, you can create two shorter stories.
Model:
Keywords from Chapter 1, Vocabulary Power 1
“Yesterday was my grandmother’s birthday. It was a very special OCCASION. It was her 80th birthday, so we cooked her a big FEAST. [Teacher gestures eating.] It was a fun party, and everyone was in high SPIRITS. [Teacher uses a facial expression of great happiness.] Everyone spent lots of money on great gifts, and my grandmother complained that we were too GENEROUS. But the funny thing was that she looked like a little kid when she saw the LOAD of presents she was getting. [Teacher gestures a load of presents to carry.] She got upset when she saw the cake with so many candles. She said it was not nice and very MEAN to tell the world her age. [Teacher assumes an appropriate facial expression.] We didn’t know if she was serious. Then she laughed. We knew she was joking. Her laughter was PROOF. My grandmother ate a lot of cake. She said she knew cake wasn’t good for her, but because it was her birthday she didn’t feel GUILTY about eating so much. What do you think about being old? Do you CONSIDER 80 to be old? Many would say yes. My grandmother would say no. I can SETTLE the argument by showing you the video of her dancing on top of the coffee table at her 80th birthday party.”
If you prepared the story ahead of time, photocopies can be distributed after the exercise is completed. Encourage students to review the story at home.
Filed under: Methodology, Vocabulary | Tags: classroom activities, EFL, English With Jennifer, ESL, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, teaching vocabulary, TESL, vocabulary skills, Vocbulary Power
I remember the first time I had to teach vocabulary as a separate subject. I was offering a sample class as part of the hiring process at a private language school in Boston. After being handed a page out of a textbook on idioms, I was sent to a classroom to meet my students. As I walked there, at least a half dozen questions entered my mind: Was I familiar with all the idioms? Would I be able to explain them well? Was there enough material for a 50-minute class? What should I focus on? What kinds of activities could I come up with? What kind of lesson format were the students used to?
At that point I had no training for teaching vocabulary skills. I operated on instinct and followed the traditional approach of present, practice, and produce. I was able to put on my teacher’s face, keep my nervousness under control, and construct a lesson on the spot with relative competence. I must not have done too badly because I was offered the job. I’m certain, though, that if I were shown a video of that long-ago lesson, I’d now be able to critique it until I was blue in the face. (There’s an idiom to teach your students!)
In time, the vocabulary classroom became one of my favorites, and I learned that mastering new vocabulary means much more than understanding the meaning of the words and plugging them in cloze exercises. I discovered the importance of helping students learn:
· the meaning(s) of a word;
· the pronunciation(s) of a word;
· the spelling(s) of a word;
· the grammar dictated by a word;
· collocations of a word;
· and contexts in which the word is used.
In this blog, I hope to share many ideas for teaching vocabulary, and as part of my first posting, I’m going to offer a fun way to wrap up a lesson. If you follow these steps, you’ll target multiple vocabulary skills and give your students a sense of accomplishment.
(To Be Continued)
