Filed under: Classroom Tips | Tags: back-to-school activity, English With Jennifer, first-week activity, ice breaker, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, team building
Sometimes I find that activities originally intended for elementary or middle school students can be easily adapted for adult ELLs. Such activities often include strong visual aids or interesting use of physical movement, which is appropriate for students who have limited proficiency in English.
I came across two classroom activities submitted by elementary and middle school teachers that would work well in the first week of school to help students get to know one another and establish a positive, supportive learning atmosphere. I’ll share one today and another later in the week. Each one has been modified and expanded for the ESL classroom.
Activity: Class-created puzzles (Originally submitted by Ellaine Barthelemy of Apple Valley, MN)
Object: To have each student contribute a piece of a puzzle that will symbolize the importance of every individual in the classroom. Each piece will display personal information about the student. This is especially effective if you wish to stress that yours is not a teacher-centered classroom and that you expect participation and support from everyone.
VARIATION 1: Whole group (15 or less, all levels)
You can use a large poster board and cut it into puzzle-like shapes so that there is one piece for each student and yourself. The idea is for everyone to write something on his/ her piece and then assemble it as a class. Model the writing by completing your piece first. During the assembly phase, let the students do most of the work so as to encourage interaction among them.
What you write on each puzzle piece can vary according to the students’ level. Suggestions:
- Beginners: First names only. If students are true beginners and have yet to learn the alphabet, you can ask each student his/ her name and write the names on the pieces. As you do this, spell out loud and show each piece to the class as you complete it. After the puzzle is assembled, point to and read each name aloud again. You can ask, “Where is ___? Let’s say hello to ___. Hello, ___.”
- Intermediate students: Name, home country, and one or two interesting facts. (Jennifer, U.S.A., mother, piano) As each student contributes his/ her piece to the puzzle, s/he must share the information written: “My name is Jennifer. I’m from the United States. I’m a mother. I play the piano…not very well, but I can play.”
- Advanced students: Name, home country, and one language goal.
If you cut the pieces in advance, be sure to make enough. It’s better to have too many pieces than too few. You can use the extra pieces to write key words, such as the school name, or short phrases that motivate and support, for instance, Learn together or Ask questions.
VARIATION 2: Small groups (12+, Levels: intermediate to advanced]
You can use small poster boards to make smaller puzzles, one for each group. Groups should have 4-5 people. You can cut out the puzzle pieces in advance. Cut each board into six pieces. Keep each set in a plastic storage bag. The idea is for each group to build the small puzzle together. There will be 1-2 extra pieces. On those pieces, the groups can write common language goals or something they want to find in the classroom (support, answers, help, success, confidence, etc.) Have them tape together their puzzles. Then join all the puzzles together on the wall to symbolize the unity of the class.
Filed under: Classroom Tips, Conversation, Grammar, Pronunciation | Tags: communicative activity, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, new school year, new semester, start of the school year
For many, September will be the start of a new school year. But even if you’re in a year-round program, you might consider the following activity as a warm-up to one of your lessons.
Level: Intermediate to advanced (You can increase or decrease the complexity of the language depending on the students’ level.)
STEP 1: Prepare a list of 8-10 instructions that begin with the phrase: Find someone who… Each statement should relate to summer activities. Suggestions:
- Find someone who went to the beach this summer.
- Find someone who worked a lot this summer.
- Find someone who visited relatives this summer.
- Find someone who ate at an outdoor café this summer.
- Find someone who went swimming at least once this summer.
- Find someone who made a new friend this summer.
- Find someone who saw a good movie this summer.
- Find someone who practiced his/ her English this summer.
STEP 2: Make and distribute copies of the instructions to the students. Model the construction of a yes-no question based on the first instruction. Example: “You need to find someone who went to the beach this summer. What question can you ask? …Did you go to the beach this summer?” Have students work in pairs to form the remaining questions. Correct their work as a class. They will each have their own copy of the class survey for the next step.
VARIATION: You can create the 8-10 questions yourself, but prepare the survey as a word scramble. Students must rewrite the questions with correct word order.
Example: go / you/ this/ beach/ to/ the/ summer/ beach/ did?
> Did you go to the beach this summer?
STEP 3: Have students walk around the room asking one another the questions they just formed. They must find one person who can answer affirmatively to each question. They should try to find a different person for each question.
SUGGESTIONS: You can create questions that foreshadow the lesson topic. Questions can use:
- Regular verbs in the simple past tense
- Irregular verbs in the simple past tense
- Passive verbs
- Causative verbs
- Phrasal verbs
- Idioms
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS:
- You can use yes-no questions to model rising intonation if you’re teaching a pronunciation class.
- You can use the questions formed and the information collected to model reported questions and statements: I asked three people if they had gone to the beach, and they all said they hadn’t.
- You can let small discussions result from the findings. For example, who saw a good movie? Can they retell the plot? This could facilitate a lesson on Wh- questions.
Tired of using the same ice breakers? Check back soon for first-week activities with a new group of students!
Filed under: Grammar | Tags: comparatives, English With Jennifer, intensifiers, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, superlativse
- Teach comparatives before superlatives. This is a no-brainer: the order is logical.
- Consider teaching the use of more and less before the use of the suffix -er. Let students master sentence structure before dealing with spelling rules. (X is more [adjective] than Y). Work first with common adjectives, such as expensive, beautiful, difficult, and dangerous. Keep examples simple and familiar. For example, show two apartments for rent in your city and list the monthly rent for students to compare. Which is more expensive? Let them discuss which one is more beautiful.
- Consider teaching the best and the worst before the use of the most and the least or the suffix -est. Continue working with examples that everyone is familiar with, such as four test scores (60%, 75%, 85%, 100%) or three Olympic medals (bronze > silver > gold).
- Consider teaching use of the most and the least before the suffix -est. Again, it’s a matter of focusing first on meaning (comparing three or more items), then sentence structure (X is the most/ least [adjective] of all), and finally spelling rules for adding the suffix -est.
- When you present spelling rues, remember to note pronunciation as well (i.e., when the suffix adds a syllable as in friendliest).
- Allow adequate time to work with adverbs. Sometimes grammar sources focus more on adjectives and less on adverbs when they present and practice comparatives and superlatives.
- Don’t assume comparatives and superlatives are intermediate grammar topics only. Advanced ELLs might benefit from a review and expansion. Do they know which words don’t form comparatives or superlatives? (For example, we can’t say the most final and it’s not common to hear the least impossible.) Do they know how to use intensifiers like all the more and a whole lot more? Consider a lesson on pre- and postmodifiers that intensify the degree of adjectives and adverbs.
- Make practice meaningful and fun (as you would with any grammar topic). For example, bring in some products from the grocery store (crackers, cookies, lotions, etc.) Let students work in pairs or small groups to advertise one brand. They can sample products and say why their brand is better than the competitor’s or why it’s the best on the market.
Filed under: Methodology | Tags: English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, lesson planning
Beginning and experienced teachers alike can rethink their approaches to lesson planning by reflecting on the following six statements. Read each one and decide if it’s a truth or a myth. (I share my own thoughts, but please feel free to voice a different opinion!)
1. Good lessons follow lesson plans exactly as they were written.
Myth. Of course, if you’re constantly modifying a plan to the point where a completely new lesson evolves as you’re teaching it, then most likely you didn’t accurately identify your objectives or adequately anticipate your students’ needs. Nevertheless, it’s permissible and sometimes necessary to make adjustments. A lesson plan is a guide. It’s more like a map with different routes available to one destination. It’s less like a set of instructions for assembling a piece of furniture where every piece in the kit must be used. Some steps in your plan can be modified or even omitted, and you can still meet your objectives.
2. A good lesson plan can be used repeatedly with different groups of students.
Truth. If the plan allows enough flexibility to tailor the presentation and practice to each group of students, then it can certainly be recycled. The idea is to reuse same materials and activities with different groups while making the effort to personalize the lesson. This will make it more accessible, memorable, and effective. If a plan is recycled, it’s important to anticipate variations in the students’ performance resulting from their level of familiarity with the topic, their learning styles, and their contributions. In the end, no lesson plan can be executed exactly the same way more than once.
3. A good lesson plan can be executed by more than one teacher.
Truth. I know this is similar to #2, but it’s worth discussing. If the methodology is sound and all materials are on hand, the plan can be successfully used by more than one teacher. This can be the case when a substitutes steps in and is handed a prepared lesson to teach. A well-constructed plan can be used effectively by different teachers. Of course, each teacher’s personality and teaching style will put a unique spin on the delivery.
4. Lessons incorporate two components: presentation and practice. Presentation comes first, and practice follows.
Myth. Lessons are built from components, but anything too rigid doesn’t allow a teacher to accommodate a broad range of learning styles and learners’ needs. Many good lessons will follow the traditional sequence of presenting, practicing, and producing the target language, but to stretch ourselves as teachers and challenge our learners, lesson formats need to vary. Good lessons can begin with communicative activities and then be followed by a teacher’s presentation. Such a presentation benefits from the teacher’s observations of the students’ performance. She knows what needs to be highlighted and clarified. The class may end with controlled practice to confirm students’ understanding.
5. On paper, lesson plans should be uniform in format and length.
Myth. Let me explain. Sometimes a school will require a standard format for lesson plans. However, when out from under the eye of a supervisor, teachers will have different approaches to lesson planning. Some still need to write detailed plans with a formal heading and carefully estimated times for each step. Others produce plans that appear very sketchy. The amount of detail will vary. What’s more important is for the teacher to consistently provide enough detail to enable her to execute her plans smoothly and effectively. Of course, making a habit of using a similar format will increase the readability of a plan. Look at a few of your plans and compare them. Is it easy to spot the lesson topics, materials needed, any page numbers, homework assignments, and other reminders?
6. You cannot teach without a lesson plan.
Truth. I’ve actually taught classes without anything written down in advance. This was always out of necessity (e.g., being asked to teach on the spot), but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a plan. The plan took shape in my mind piece by piece. Within the first few minutes, the topic was identified, I saw the materials available, and I set basic objectives. I then selected an exercise or activity that afforded me additional planning time. While students were working independently, I was deciding and preparing for the next sequence of steps. Preparing in advance is ideal, but when it’s not possible, you can still stay one or two steps ahead in your mind, remaining focused on your objectives and being in tune with the students’ needs.
Filed under: Grammar
Level: Intermediate
Objective: To use appropriate quantifiers with count and non-count nouns as one describes the items s/he owns
STEP 1 – Define pack rat. Explain that the following activity will reveal who in the class is a pack rat. Begin by asking students to write in their notebooks, titling a new page MY STUFF. Have them divide that page into two columns, labeling one side COUNT NOUNS and the other NON-COUNT NOUNS. Let them take several minutes to think about what’s in their bedroom closets, bathroom cabinets, and/ or kitchen drawers. They should list the items in the appropriate columns. Model:
|
My Stuff |
|
|
Count Nouns |
Non-Count Nouns |
| comb
brush razors bottle of aspirin scissors |
toothpaste
hair gel soap medicine lotion |
STEP 2 – On the board, create a two-column chart for quantifiers. Have volunteers read off several items from their lists. As they do this, ask the class to suggest appropriate quantifiers depending on whether the items are countable. List suggested quantifiers on the chart. Students may need to move non-count nouns to the other column on their papers if they own several kinds of one product or more than one container of an item (e.g., several creams or two bottles of mouthwash):
|
With COUNT NOUNS |
With NON-COUNT NOUNS |
|
some several a good many a bottle of a bar of a pack of etc. |
some a little a great deal of etc. |
Leave the chart on the board for reference.
STEP 3 – Now handout or list survey questions on the board. Have students work in groups of 3 or 4 to complete the survey. One student can read the questions, but all students should answer, referring to the items on their charts. Encourage use of quantifiers.
- Do you have anything that’s more than 10 years old?
Example: “Yes, I have a pair of boots and a several books that are more than 10 years old. I also have a good many photos that are more than 10 years old.”
- Do you have anything that’s broken or damaged?
- Do you have anything that you haven’t used in the past year?
- Do you have more than one kind of item (for example, three blue t-shirts)? Do you use all of those items?
- Have you recently bought anything that you don’t really need?
- If you needed to throw away 3 things today, what would they be?
STEP 4 – Students can vote one member of their group to be the biggest pack rat. In a humorous election, allow the class to decide who can hold the title of the biggest pack rat of all.
Filed under: Grammar, Reading | Tags: comparative adjectives, comparatives, English With Jennifer, equatives, graphic organizers, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Objective: To describe lesser-known sports and identify their appeal to people
Skills targeted: Reading for details, using graphic organizers, making conclusions, writing with comparatives and equatives
STEP 1 – Students receive a list of 4-6 lesser-known sports. For each sport, provide a recommended link that offers background information. Suggestions:
Students should work in pairs or small groups of 3 at computer stations. (Alternative: Use printouts of web pages.) They need to explain in 3-5 sentences how each sport is played. This information should be recorded. You can offer a chart to organize their findings:
|
Sports/ Games |
How is the sport played? What’s the object of the game? |
Words to describe this sport/ game: |
| BOCCE |
|
|
| ORIENTEERING | ||
| SHUFFLEBOARD | ||
| ZORBING |
STEP 2 – Students must then draw conclusions about whom each sport appeals to. They may also include their personal opinions of each sport. Again, notes should be taken. Encourage use of comparatives and equatives. Examples: Shuffleboard isn’t as exciting as zorbing, but shuffleboard is more competitive. Bocce is probably as physically demanding as shuffleboard. Orienteering is good for active people who like the outdoors. We think zorbing is more fun than any of the other sports.
STEP 3 – Have each pair or small group present information on one sport. The class may comment after each group finishes their brief presentation.
Other lesser-known sports: bog snorkeling, curling, street luge racing, bossaball.
If your curriculum allows for flexibility, consider basing some lessons around group activities. The activities should be driven by themes that appeal to your students. A single theme and a set of clear procedures make for an enjoyable, constructive class. The following activities require small groups of students (approx. 4 per group) to use speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to meet the objectives.
- GROUP TRIP
Objective: To plan a group trip for a budgeted amount of money.
Have students sit in groups at computer stations. Tell them they have 15 minutes to plan a group trip. They have a budget of $2,000. Together they must choose a destination, a means of travel, and lodging. They should also list options for food and entertainment. Groups will present their trip plans to the class. Notes should be taken by all members of the group for this purpose, and each member must present a portion of the group’s plans. After the presentations, students go back into their groups and compose a paragraph based on their notes. This trip summary will be submitted to the teacher for correction.
Possible language focus: Future tenses (especially be going to and will).
- GROUP FUNDRAISER
Objective: To plan a fundraiser as a small group.
Present the students with a dilemma. For example, tell them that some classmates are facing eviction from their apartment. They need rent money fast (say, $1,500). Have students sit in groups at computer stations. Tell them they have 15 minutes to plan a group fundraiser. They may get ideas from websites such as Do-It-Yourself Fundraising Ideas or Fundraising Tips.Com. Together they must choose a fundraiser, a date, and a time. If a location is needed, they should specify the site. Each member should have an assigned role in the execution of the fundraiser. Groups will present their fundraising plans to the class. Notes should be taken by all members of the group for this purpose, and each member must present a portion of the group’s plans. After the final presentation, students go back into their groups and compose a paragraph based on their notes. This summary will be submitted to the teacher for correction.
Possible language focus: Modals for necessity, obligation, and/ or possibility.
- GROUP DONATION
Objective: To decide where to make a group donation.
This activity could be the logical follow-up to the group fundraiser. Tell students they must decide the best way to donate $2,000. They may research local charities online or look at recent news headlines to identify local residents in need of financial aid. Have students sit in groups at computer stations. Tell them they have 15 minutes to make their decision. Sites such as Charity Navigator may be used. Background information on the recipient(s) is needed to justify their donation and will be part of their presentation to the class. Notes should be taken by all members of the group, and each member must present a portion of the group’s plans. After the final presentation, students go back into their groups and compose a paragraph based on their notes. This summary will be submitted to the teacher for correction.
Possible language focus: Active and passive voice (e.g., donate/ be donated).
NOTE: Alternatives to online information include hard copies of web pages and brochures.
OTHER THEMES: Group Party, Group Business, Group Dinner
Filed under: Grammar, Pronunciation, Vocabulary | Tags: conditional statements, conditionals, English With Jennifer, horoscopes, idioms, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, phrasal verbs, sentence stress, word stress
Horoscopes, with their predictions and advice, lend themselves to a number of classroom activities. Even the names of the twelve zodiac signs can be the basis for meaningful language practice. You can find many sites that publish daily horoscopes, or you can find printed them in printed sources like entertainment magazines. Here are three suggestions for using horoscopes in the classroom:
- Word stress/ sentence stress. As a class, identify zodiac signs that share the same stress patterns. Example: GEMini, CAPricorn, SCORpio. Clap to or tap out the beat. Then compose statements on the board about what represents each sign. Example: TAURus is a BULL. Use capital letters and/or stress dots to show stressed syllables and stressed words. Students can practice reading the twelve statements with a partner. You can also have students ask their partners WHAT’S your SIGN? and WHEN’S your BIRTHday? The exchange should encourage attention to stress and rhythm. Finally, you can look at horoscopes as a class and identify stressed content words. Have students mark their copies accordingly. In pairs, students can practice sentence stress by reading the horoscopes aloud.
- Conditional statements. Use horoscopes to study use of if-clauses. Example: (Virgo) “Don’t be too surprised if things get a little crazy today — you need to make sure that you’re on the right side of it all! If you have to turn your schedule upside-down, that’s okay by you.” (from Yahoo!) Note verb tenses used for real or likely statements (horoscopes often use the first conditional). You can then have students compose fictitious horoscopes containing at least one conditional statement. All compositions can be written on index cards, collected, and then distributed randomly so each student receives one to read.
- Idioms and/ or phrasal verbs. Looking for a meaningful context in which to practice idioms or phrasal verbs? Use a collection of daily horoscopes. Here are a number of common expressions from just two entries on Yahoo!
(Leo) “Take pride in your work — but try not to get carried away! Your ego may be seeking gratification just a little too much today, but you ought to be able to get what you need without putting anyone else off.”
(Capricorn) “See if you can get some traction with your big plans today — you need to add some details to your schemes if you want to make sure that you’re really on the right track. Think it all through!”
Find 5-6 idioms or phrasal verbs like the ones above. Write their meanings on the board. Students can read through the horoscopes and match the meanings to the targeted vocabulary. Then challenge them to write questions using the new vocabulary. The questions can be used for conversation practice in pairs or small groups.
Filed under: Classroom Tips | Tags: English With Jennifer, JenniferESL, Jennifer Lebedev, green classroom, eco-friendly teaching
I’m certainly not the first to recommend classroom practices that are good for the environment. A number of sites offer various ideas for creating a green classroom. For example, Planet Green hosted by Discovery Channel recommends reusing last year’s school supplies like binders and folders to reduce waste (and save money). My spin on such suggestions is to couple them with language learning opportunities. On one wall, post the recycling symbol of three green arrows that form a triangle. Under it place a short list of vocabulary titled Green Words. The list can include eco-friendly, environment, recycle, reduce waste, reuse, and save energy. Whenever you talk about your eco-friendly practices, point to the list of Green Words. You can refer to it when you do the following:
- Remind students to recycle. Do you have recycle bins in the classroom? At the start of the school year you can demonstrate how trash needs to be sorted. Gather several items made of different materials: a newspaper, a juice bottle, a used tissue or napkin, and a soda can. Ask students to identify the objects by name. Ask them where each one goes: in the trash or in a recycling bin. With more advanced students, ask them to explain by stating what material each object is made of. With intermediate and advanced students you can highlight similar phrasal verbs related to trash: toss out, throw out, throw away, etc.
- Turn off the lights. Do you have a room that receives a lot of sunlight? Perhaps you don’t need all the lights turned on. If this is the case, explain to the students that you keep some lights off on sunny days because you want to save energy. Can they name other forms of energy that should be saved and not wasted? With more advanced students, challenge them to come up with synonyms (conserve, store) and antonyms (waste, use up) for save.
- Reuse paper. Do you have a box for recycled paper? Keep a supply on hand for classroom games and activities. Students can use the back of old handouts and old syllabi when they need to compose something in English. The first time you explain your practice of reusing paper, you can teach them relevant collocations such as piece of paper, sheet of paper, slip of paper, and stack of paper.
- Drink or eat from a reusable container. Do you bring food or drink into the classroom? If so, model the use of a reusable container. Want to stress the point even more? Have students create and take a survey on how much they reuse and how much they toss into the trash after each meal outside their homes.
- Care for your plants. Do you have any plants or flowers in the room? If you’re allowed, bring some in. You can use the plants to illustrate a number of language points: cause-effect (I have plants in here so that we have cleaner air.) / conditionals (If I don’t give the plant water, it will die.) / imperatives (Water it every day.)
