Filed under: Vocabulary | Tags: communicative activity, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, vocabulary games, Vocabulary Power, vocabulary skills
The following activity is meant to provide additional meaningful practice for collocations and expressions already studied in class.
Step 1: Identify and review the collocations and expressions you wish to practice. For example, in Chapter 6 of Vocabulary Power 1, you can open to page 49 and see collocations and expressions for five key words: admit that/ admit to, get on board, the general population, ripe for, and give a warning about.
Step 2: Beforehand, you will need to select a dramatic soundtrack from a film. Try to avoid well-known pieces such as the theme song to Star Wars. Music from action films or suspense films can work well. Some tunes are available for download on the Internet, so you don’t necessarily have to find a CD recording, but the quality and convenience of a CD may be best. You want to find instrumental pieces that really allow for creativity. Play about one minute of the soundtrack for the students.
Step 3: Put students into small groups. Tell them that they must pitch an idea for a film to a film studio. Based on the music they just heard, what will the title of the film be? The title must include one collocation or expression from the given vocabulary lesson. They must also decide the film genre.
Step 4: Play the same music again. Then ask the students to continue working in their groups. They must write a plot description of 4-5 lines. Encourage the use of other vocabulary from the lesson. Assist and supervise as needed. A model can be provided. (For example, they should know that the present tense is most appropriate.)
Step 5: Have one member of each group present their film to the class. For fun, the class can vote for the best proposal (they can’t vote for their own). Which film will make it into production?
MODEL:
Title: Admitting to Crime / Genre: drama
A police officer learns that his best friend is a criminal. The friend admits to a life a crime, but doesn’t want to go to jail. The police officer is very disturbed and doesn’t know what to do. Should he be faithful to his friend or his work?
Other possible film titles: Get on Board (romantic comedy), Ripe for Change (drama), The General Population (comedy), They Gave No Warning (science fiction).
Filed under: Vocabulary | Tags: communicative activity, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, Vocabulary, vocabulary game, Vocabulary Power, word families, word family rewrite
Step 1: Identify and review the word families you wish to practice. For example, in Chapter 2 of Vocabulary Power 1, you can open to page 21 and see a word families chart for six key words: compare, contain, develop, experiment, public, and sense. Students should be able to use either a textbook chart like this or a list on the board for reference. Dictionaries may also be used. (I recommend the Longman Dictionary of American English.)
Step 2: Have students sit in pairs. Each pair should have a blank piece of paper for writing. Tell them that they will first hear you read a sentence with a key vocabulary word. With their partner, they must then rewrite the sentence using another word from the same word family.
Step 3: Have students read their sentences aloud to the class. Each correct sentence earns the pair one point. For example, if you are going to read six sentences for them to rewrite, then the goal will be to earn six points.
MODEL: (based on the Word Families chart on p.21, Chapter 3, Vocabulary Power 1)
Sentence No.1: You must compare the two paintings. Possible rewrite > You must make a comparison between the two paintings.
Sentence No.2: I need a container for all these buttons. Possible rewrite > I need something to contain all these buttons.
Sentence No.3: Reading can help the development of children’s minds. Possible rewrite > Reading can help to develop children’s minds.
Sentence No.4: The artist’s experiment made use of different colors. Possible rewrite > The artist experimented with different colors.
Sentence No.5: This is not public information. Possible rewrite > The public doesn’t have this information.
Sentence No.6: Mary’s good sense told her to run to safety. Possible rewrite > Mary sensed danger and ran away.
Step 4: If necessary, go back and point out which of the original sentences are fine the way they are and which ones do not sound as natural as their rewrites. Then assign one sentence to each pair and ask them to create more context by adding at least one more sentence either before or after their assigned one.
MODEL: (Sentence No.5) UFOs have visited Earth many times. This is not public information.
Filed under: Vocabulary | Tags: Brainstorming, comunicative activity for vocabulary, conversation practice, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, target talking, Vocabulary, vocabulary games
(Inspired by the activity “Social Talk” published in my book Brainstorming. Moscow: Manager, 2001.)
The following activity is meant to provide additional meaningful practice for vocabulary words already studied in class.
Step 1: Explain to the students that they will be holding short conversations in pairs. These will be open conversations with no advance preparation. Each conversation will activate two key vocabulary words. The goal is to use the two key vocabulary words as much as possible within a one-minute limit (the time limit can be shortened or lengthened depending on the students’ level). To assist them, you will tell them who they are (roles), where they are (place), and what is happening (situation).
Step 2: Illustrate the format. For example, let’s use words from Chapter 2 in Vocabulary Power 1. On the board you write:
TARGET WORDS: cure, disease
ROLES: two doctors
PLACE: hospital
SITUATION: discussing a patient’s health problems
Have a volunteer suggest an opening line. Have another volunteer to respond. Guide the volunteers to use the target words.
MODEL:
Doctor 1: What do you think is wrong with Mr. Jones?
Doctor 2: He has a disease.
Doctor 1: Yes, but what kind of disease?
Doctor 2: I think it’s a heart disease. It’s a very serious disease.
Doctor 1: We don’t even know the name of the disease. How can we cure it?
Doctor 2: We can talk to others and learn about this disease. Then we can cure it.
Doctor 1: Well, we can try to cure it.
Tell the students that you will not stop them or offer any comments until their time limit is up. (You may find it helpful to take notes during each conversation.) Once the conversation is over, you will tell them how many times they correctly used their target words. Ask the other students in the class to offer corrections for any words misused.
Step 3: Begin the activity. Beforehand, you will need to prepare conversation cards. Target words can be repeated, but in different combinations.* Select pairs to come to the front of the class and draw a conversation card from your pile. They should read the information to the class. The pair then has one minute to hold their conversation.
VARIATION: You can pass out conversation cards to pairs and give them two minutes to write down a conversation. After two minutes, ask all students to put their pens down. Then each pair will present their conversation to the class. This format is better for students who are uncomfortable with public speaking. They must still perform for the class, but the preparation should reduce anxiety.
* Suggested conversation cards for Chapter 2, Vocabulary Power 1:
Conversation No.1
TARGET WORDS: cure, disease/ ROLES: two doctors/ PLACE: hospital/ SITUATION: discussing a patient’s health problems
Conversation No.2
TARGET WORDS: shore, damage/ ROLES: two reporters/ PLACE: one at TV station & one at beach/ SITUATION: discussing yesterday’s big storm
Conversation No.3
TARGET WORDS: risk, allow/ ROLES: two parents/ PLACE: home/ SITUATION: discussing their teenager’s bad driving
Conversation No.4
TARGET WORDS: attempt, record/ ROLES: athlete and coach/ PLACE: stadium/ SITUATION: discussing today’s big game
Conversation No.5
TARGET WORDS: raise, cause/ ROLES: two neighbors/ PLACE: backyard/ SITUATION: discussing a tree that fell down across both backyards
Filed under: Methodology, professional development | Tags: English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, professional development, teacher training
(Continued)
In the previous entry, I named three ways you can work with other teachers for professional development. Let’s consider two more options that are highly effective, very affordable, and relatively easy to arrange since each is a solo project:
- Videotape your own classes. Not many people enjoy hearing a recording of their own voice let alone seeing themselves on video. Nevertheless, watching your own lessons as an observer allows you to be more reflective about your teaching. From your posture and movement to your use of the board, from your answers to students’ questions to your pacing of exercises and activities, observing your own classes will make you aware of all the elements that are needed to create a good lesson. Just be sure to explain to the students in advance the reason for videotaping a class so they know that you are the focus, not them, and that only you will be viewing the recordings. If your school doesn’t already have a video camera, you might suggest buying one as an investment in professional development. The single purchase will potentially benefit all teachers on staff.
- Try making a vodcast. I can’t tell you how much my work on YouTube has helped me to become a better teacher. (Well, I could, but it would take too much of your time!) One great benefit is the pressure to “get it right” before I upload a new lesson for my subscribers. Unlike a lesson in real time, a vodcast is for posterity. Distribution on the Internet makes it impossible to take anything back, so I am forced to reexamine my understanding before making a presentation and think about my choice of words before speaking on camera. Vodcasts over the Internet can be very exposing, but by opening yourself up to the mix of positive and negative feedback, you become a stronger and more confident teacher. Start small, for example, by posting a private video for your own students. Invite their feedback.
All five proposals in this entry and the previous one have the advantage of affordability and flexibility. I don’t present them as substitutes for the more traditional forms of professional development, but rather as additional ones. By finding some extra time in our busy schedules to develop our knowledge and skills, we renew our commitment to our students and our profession. I think we all agree that inside every teacher is an ever-present learner.
Filed under: Methodology, professional development | Tags: English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, professional development
Reading educational literature, enrolling in university courses, and attending workshops are probably the most common and traditional forms of professional development in our field. Let’s consider some other possibilities that can work well with tight budgets and busy schedules:
- Talk with other teachers. There are many reasons why every school should provide teachers with a staff room. One reason is to provide a sense of unity. In some ways, our work can feel isolating because we continually stand alone in front our students to face the task of teaching. In the staff room we should find a source of support; with our colleagues we can share our excitement over a great lesson as well as our concern over a lesson that wasn’t as successful as we had hoped. Getting colleagues’ feedback on choices we made and hearing alternative approaches to teaching topics is highly valuable; we gain insight and affirm the idea that teaching can be a shared experience. Here’s one specific suggestion: Most staff rooms have a communication board, and one part of it could be reserved for questions to provoke thought. Any teacher should be welcome to post the question of the day. Discussing a tricky grammar point or difficult vocabulary word can lead to a better understanding and, thus, better teaching.
- Tap into an online teaching community. Good for you! You’re already doing this. Professional support can be found beyond the staff room and on the Internet. Blogs and discussion boards can certainly expand a teacher’s knowledge and promote the development of his or her skills. Do you know a few good sites for English teachers? Share them with your colleagues.
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day
ESOL World News
Azar Grammar Series
- Observe other teachers. This may be uncomfortable at first especially for the one being observed, but there’s a reason why classroom observations are a key component of teacher training: learning through examples is effective. And for more experienced teachers? Classroom observations allow us to evaluate objectively the effectiveness of a particular approach and/ or strategy. We’re also given the opportunity to compare and contrast our teaching with others’. You can always return the favor by opening your door to your colleagues; strive to create a supportive relationship with other staff.
(To Be Continued)
Filed under: Reading | Tags: English With Jennifer, how to read a text in the classroom, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, reading skills
You’re using a general English language textbook to teach your students, and the upcoming section is dedicated to reading. After discussing the customary warm-up questions that help students focus on the topic and tap into their relevant knowledge, the class must read a one-page text. The instructions simply state: Read. How do you interpret that? I’m not referring to the purpose (e.g., scanning for details, reading to make an inference), but rather the format: Will the text be read aloud or silently? Will the students read the passage together with you or by themselves? Let’s consider several formats and their respective benefits:
· The teacher can read the text aloud. This format allows the students to focus on comprehension and hear the teacher’s oral reading as a model. The teacher can choose how fast or slow to read, and she can also pause when she feels it’s necessary to provide an explanatory note either on a lexical item or cultural reference.
· The students can listen to an audio recording of the text. This format also allows students to focus on comprehension. Audio CDs that accompany textbooks provide alternative speech models. For example, the teacher may be Australian and the narrator speaks North American English. Students’ listening comprehension can improve through regular exposure to different dialects and accents.
· The students can read the text aloud taking turns. This format increases student talking time and provides students the opportunity to develop their skill in oral reading. Furthermore, they become models for one another – not just in language but in attitude. Hearing one’s peers read in the target language can serve as encouragement. This is all the more likely when the teacher conscientiously creates a welcoming and supportive classroom atmosphere.
· The students can read the text silently. This format allows students to focus on comprehension by not pressuring them to perform in front of their peers. Students are also given the freedom to work at their own pace and apply their own strategies. Some will read quickly once and then go back again to make sure they “got it”. Others will tread carefully, reaching deep for context clues when new words appear. In this format, the teacher must clarify if a dictionary or pocket translator can be used.
So which is best? The teacher should consider a combination of formats in order to achieve specific objectives. Students read for comprehension, they read to learn new information, they read to understand new vocabulary, and they read so that they can react personally to the text. Any given text also provides models for grammar, writing, and pronunciation. That said, a text can be and should be read multiple times. A second or third reading could allow for these additional formats:
· The students can read aloud in chorus. This format allows for practice in oral reading. Performance anxiety should be reduced by the fact that everyone is reading aloud and focusing on their own speech so that it falls in pattern with the teacher’s.
· The students can read aloud in pairs. This format allows for a balance between focusing on one’s own oral reading and listening to a peer read aloud. Students can support and correct their partners. A twist to this format comes in the exercise of retelling the text. The additional challenge makes students recall details, new vocabulary, and proper phrasing.
· The students can read silently at home. As mentioned above, reading a text silently gives greater allowance for one’s individual pace. Done at home, reading really has no time limit. Also, the student is free to reflect on points of personal interest. If the text was read at least a couple of times in class, then by the time an independent reading is done at home, the student should feel at ease with the text. This final assignment can instill a sense of accomplishment.
Filed under: Reading | Tags: English wtih Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, objectives of reading, Pearson Longman, Reading, reading skills, teacher training
A general English language program should focus on the four basic skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in addition to providing instruction in grammar and vocabulary. How this is done varies from school to school, resulting in different levels of integration. Sometimes a single textbook is used because each chapter addresses multiple skills. Other times a separate book is used for each skill area. Whatever the material is, the main objectives for reading remain the same:
- Read to activate and reinforce other skills (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing). In the same way that oral dialogues, short compositions, and listening activities do, reading can put into practice grammatical structures, new lexical items, and elements of pronunciation. Reading can also offer good writing models.
- Reading to become a better reader. Reading is a skill in itself, and the advantage of working with adult language learners is that they are usually literate in their native language. This means that they are able to transfer advanced reading skills to the second language classroom. Reading in English can activate and develop these skills, making the students better readers in both languages. Reading skills include: skimming, scanning, predicting, and reading for detailed comprehension.
- Read to develop critical thinking skills. This is important to address because when teaching English for general purposes, it can be easy to dismiss reading as an activity more suited for an academic environment. In all situations, critical thinking skills aid communication. From having a phone conversation to writing a business plan, people need to prioritize, make conclusions, draw comparisons, make inferences, etc. Reading can provide opportunities to utilize and sharpen such skills.
- Read for enjoyment. Students should ideally discover not only the usefulness but also the pleasure of being able to read in a second language.
If these are the objectives of reading with English language learners, then what are the possible formats to do the reading? I’ll answer this question in my next posting.
Filed under: Grammar | Tags: classroom activities, communicative activity, English With Jennifer, gerunds, Grammar, infinitives, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman
In my last entry, I offered four tips for learning how to use gerunds and infinitives as direct objects. Here is an activity to help students apply those tips:
- Step 1: Use a grammar reference chart such as the one in Focus on Grammar (High Intermediate, Chart No. 3, A-2). Select either a column or row of verbs. To illustrate, I’ll choose the top row from this chart: acknowledge, consider, endure, give up, miss, quit, and resist.
- Step 2: Identify the grammatical structure the verbs require (followed by gerunds? followed by infinitives? etc.) The seven selected items above are verbs followed by the gerund.
- Step 3: Ask students to create a short text in a small group. Their goal is to include all seven verbs followed by gerunds. Set a time limit. Groups can share their texts with the whole class.
Model:
Jack and Jill take Spanish classes together, but Jill recently quit going. Jill told Jack that she wanted to give up learning Spanish. She said classes were too hard, and she missed watching her favorite TV programs at night. Jack acknowledged having difficulty in class as well, but he told Jill to resist taking the easier path. He won’t consider quitting for anything. He’s ready to endure losing TV time, Internet time, and time with friends to reach his goal of learning Spanish.
Some groups may not be able to incorporate all seven verbs in their texts. Accept what they are capable of, and consider working as a class to expand a given text so as to include any remaining verbs.
- Step 4: Ask the same groups to develop questions using phrases from their texts. They should use at least half of the verbs from the original list. Explain that they will be asking their classmates these questions. What would they like to know about their classmates?
Model:
1. When you study English at home, do you miss doing other things like watching TV?
2. Have you ever considered quitting your English studies?
3. Are you someone who resists taking the easier path in life?
Students should then pair up with a classmate from another group and take turns asking questions.
- Step 5: As independent study, students can write answers to their own questions from Step 4.
Filed under: Grammar | Tags: Add new tag, EFL, English With Jennifer, ESL, gerunds, Grammar, infinitives, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman
I always hate to disappoint students by telling them that there’s no shortcut to learning which verbs are followed by gerunds and which ones are followed by infinitives. I try to offset that disappointment with a degree of optimism. When I ask them to give me examples using common verbs such as want, need, and enjoy, they almost always produce accurate statements using gerunds and infinitives as direct objects. I then point out that they knew what to choose – gerund or infinitive – because they use those verbs so frequently. It’s then possible to conclude that the more they practice, the more confident they’ll be of their choices. Here are some tips for students to use in their efforts to memorize the many verbs that take gerunds and/or infinitives as direct objects:
- It doesn’t have to be a guessing game. There are good charts for reference both in grammar textbooks and on the Internet. Focus on Grammar includes such carts in the Intermediate, High Intermediate, and Advanced books, and Betty Azar offers a chart complete with useful examples in Understanding and Using English Grammar. Consider these links, too:
http://cctc2.commnet.edu/sensen/part4/gerund.html
http://www.iei.uiuc.edu/structure/structure1/gerinfvbs.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/627/04/
- Learn new verb + object combinations as one of four types: (1) verb + gerund, (2) verb + infinitive, (3) verb + gerund or infinitive with little or no difference in meaning, (4) verb + gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning.
- Practice with reasonable limitations. If a reference chart lists 50 verb +object combinations, it’s not realistic to memorize all 50 in one night and expect to retain it all for a long term. It would be more effective to practice groups of verbs from the chart over the course of a week or so.
- Practice by using the verbs in a meaningful context. Much like vocabulary is learned, the use of gerunds and infinitives as direct objects will be memorized and retained when the many combinations are encountered frequently and practiced in meaningful contexts.
As teachers, we can aid our students by showing them how to apply these tips. In my next entry I’ll share an activity for gerunds and infinitives.
Filed under: Classroom Tips | Tags: awkward moments in the classroom, Classroom Tips, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, Pearson Longman, teacher training
1. You make a mistake. What to do? Admit it. Correct it.
2. A student makes a humorous mistake. What to do? Keep your teacher’s face on: calm and professional. It’s not always easy. I once had a student refer to what I thought was the male member in the context of things we don’t need anymore and throw out (a lesson on phrasal verbs). It turned out he meant to say “paints” – I didn’t hear the /t/ and I distinctly heard two syllables. I was both confused and amused. After I calmly helped him clarify, he realized his own mistake and saw the humor. I think the two important things are to make the correction and make sure that any humor isn’t directed at the student, but rather at the situation.
3. You don’t know the answer to a student’s question. What to do? Find out the answer and get back to the student. You can also invite other students to offer their opinions.
4. You forgot a student’s name. What to do? Apologize with a smile and ask what the student’s name is. You might jokingly berate yourself and explain that you sometimes forget the names of your own family members.
5. You lose your train of thought during a presentation. What to do? Stay calm. Look at the notes already written on the board, glance at your lesson plan for guidance, and try to refocus. You could suggest a brief pause before moving on and have a volunteer summarize the points already made. This not only buys you time, but it may also jar your memory. Another option is to move on to the next exercise. The students’ performance will likely remind you what additional points you need to address.
6. A student makes an offensive remark either to you or another student. What to do? Make it clear that such comments are not welcome and that respect must be shown at all times. Emphasize that showing respect for others’ opinions doesn’t have to be equivalent with agreement. This is particularly important in cases of gender, religion, and culture. Every student has the right to learn in a peaceful environment. You might also do as my one colleague does: He turns the moment into a language lesson, saying, “Hey, does everyone know how to handle an offensive comment? Here are some appropriate responses…”
