ESL Lesson Plan

Q and A - Do I have to make them laugh all the time?

Hello Readers,

This month's question comes from Grant, who is teaching in Guangdong Province in China.

Hello Mrs Rueckert! I'am an ESL teacher in Guangdong, China. I have been teaching for a year and a half. I'm an American. It seems here in China, if you don't make them laugh all the time, they don't seem interested in learning English. I've studied two languages and when I did, I was taught what the teacher gave me, interesting or not. I'm also 59 years old. Please give me some advice. Thank you.

Continue reading for the answer to this month's question ...

]]> ... Hello Grant,

One of the hardest lessons I learned as an ESL teacher in China was that there is a certain amount of negotiation that needs to take place in the classroom in order for learning to take place. There is not one correct way to learn a language - and as you know, the Chinese system is a bit different from the western way of learning. Therefore, take what you know worked for you and adjust as necessary so that it works for your students as well. Chinese students do seem to want to have fun in the classroom, but that doesn't mean that you should stop teaching in order to do that. What might be helpful for you is to try a few different things out and to keep note of how it worked. After a few weeks, you will probably be closer to the happy medium that you are looking for.

From my experience with Chinese students, these are some things that seemed to work:

1. repetition exercises
2. games
3. group work that involved competition or a common goal
4. rules about expectations (this can be a lesson in itself - what the teacher expects and what the students expect - you can create a list of your expectations and ask the students to number them in importance from 1 -10 and then have the students create a list of their expectations in small groups and have them come to a decision as a whole class about the order of importance)
5. in order for students to do any homework assigned, there needs to be feedback and a grade assigned

Hope that helps. Feel free to write back if you need more help.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For more ESL Tips & Tricks from ESL-Lesson-Plan, please click HERE!

--------------------------------------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Lesson Plans - Guessing unknown words from context

Hello Readers,

If you have students who are constantly looking up words in their dictionaries during class, then you can probably appreciate how frustrating unknown words can be for students. The fact of the matter is that English is a living language, which means that new words are constantly being added to our language. What does this mean for speakers of English (both native and non-native)? Simply put, there will always be new words to learn. That being said, ...

]]> ... it's important for students to understand that some unknown words aren't worth trying to understand. The meaning of many words can often be worked out from the context - without the use of a dictionary. Of course, that doesn't mean that students should throw out their dictionaries, as they are an important learning resource. It does suggest, though, that using a dictionary to work out the meaning of a word is not the only method that works.

To help students cope with unknown words, try this:

1. Find a short text that introduces some new words to your students.
2. Have students read through the article quickly (without trying to understand it) and underline all the words that they don't know.
3. Ask the students to make a table in their notebooks with the following headings: Words that are essential to understand, Words whose meanings I can work out, Words which I need to look up in the dictionary.
4. Have students read through the article again in order to complete the table. The students should write the essential words in the first column and simply tick either the second or third column for each word.
5. Have students form groups of two or three. Ask students to compare their tables and discuss how they completed the table.
6. Ask students to think about what kind of strategies they used to work out the meanings of the words. Some examples you could give if they needed help, would be:
a) checking to see if the word is defined in the text
b) looking for similarities with words in their own language
c) working out the meaning from the other words in the text
d) looking for how the words fit into the organization of the ideas in the text
e) consulting their own vocabulary/grammar notebook
7) If you haven't already given students the list of strategies (a-e), then write these up on the board and have students number them in order of importance.
8) Encourage whole-class discussion about different strategies students can use to guess words from the context.

This lesson was adapted from Study Tasks in English, by Waters, M. and Waters, A. (1995). CUP.

If you have other suggestions for teaching students who to deal with unknown words, feel free to share your ideas below.

Until next time ...

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

Looking for more articles about lesson planning for the ESL classroom? Click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, a CELTA, and a MA in TESOL from Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Industry Events - Symposium on Second Language Writing 2008

Hello Readers,

Are you interested in learning more about how to teach writing to your students? Then this symposium might be for you. Taking place June 5th- 7th at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the Symposium on Second Language Writing 2008 is a great opportunity for foreign language professionals to discuss issues relating to this theme.

The line up for this event ...

]]> ... includes:

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

8:00-8:45 Registration

8:45-9:00 Introduction

9:00-10:15 Session A
Group 1 - Lessons from First-Year ESL Writing - Session Chair TBA

Elizabeth L. Angeli, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Risk in the Second Language Writing Classroom: Students' Perceptions and Teaching's Response

Nick David, Brigham Young University
A University ESL Writing Course Evaluation

Tanita Saenkhum, Arizona State University
Transfer of Knowledge from First-Year ESL Writing Classes to Writing in the Disciplines: Case Studies

Group 2 - Writing for Children - Session Chair TBA

Alexandros Bantis, University of Southern California
Using Task Based Writing Instruction to Provide Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners

Il-hee Kim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
A Contrastive Rhetoric Study on American and Korean Children's Persuasive Essays

Yun-l Tung, Yuan Zu University
Study of Teaching Cohesive Devices through Reading Storybooks Aloud: Its Effects on Elementary School EFL Students' Writings

Group 3 - Spoken and Written Languages - Session Chair TBA

Michael D. Hubert, Purdue University
The Relationship between Writing and Speaking in the US Foreign Language Classroom

Kazumi Matsumoto, Purdue University
The Relationship between Spoken and Written Languages in L2/FL Writing Development

Ho Jung Yu, Arizona State University
Reading in the L2 Writing Processes through the Lens of the Classroom Talk: Exploratory Case Studies

Group 4 - The Impacts of Peer Review - Session Chair TBA

Chen Chia-Ling, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan
Effects of the Use of Rubric Implemented for Peer Evaluation in EFL College Writing Class

Mimi Doyle, Central Michigan University
The Challenges of the Peer-Review Process

Ricky Lam, The University of Hong Kong
Impact of Peer Review on EFL Students: A Case in Hong Kong

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-11:45 Session B
Group 5 - L1 in L2 Writing - Session Chair TBA

Scott Chien-Hsiung Chiu, Michigan State University
Double Translation for Teaching L2 Writing: Exploiting the L1 in Foreign Language Contexts

Naomi Kano & Wakasa Nagakura, Teachers College, Columbia University
The Use of L1 in L2 (English) Writing: Promoting Japanese Bilingual Students' Critical Thinking

Jeongsoo Pyo, The Ohio State University
Heritage Language Literacy Development: A Case Study of a Korean Middle School Student

Group 6 - Perspectives on Genre and Audience - Session Chair TBA

M. Sidury Christiansen, Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne
Building Multicompetent Writers in the L2 Classroom: Do Specific Audiences Change the Way Students Write?

Yu Kyung Kang, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Texts, Tests & TOEFL: Making of a Genre

Kwanghyun Park, Pennsylvania State University
Localized Recontextualization of Genre Awareness in an ESP Approach to L2 Writing

Group 7 - Sociolinguistic Perspectives - Session Chair TBA

Yin Ling Cheung, Purdue University
The Challenges of Nonnative-English-Speaking Students in Publishing in Refereed Journals

Işıl Erduyan, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Teaching Writing in Both Worlds: Notes from a NNS Writing Instructor

Gael Fonken, St Cloud State University
Glocal Complexity, Baroque Alignments, and Working-Class Adolescents: Co-Constructing Intel/legible Lessons in a Bengali English-Medium School

Group 8 - Sociocultural Perspectives - Session Chair TBA

Steve Fraiberg, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mediating Multilingual and Multimodal Contexts: A Sociocultural Study of an Israeli Web-Based Start-Up Company

John Hitz, Purdue University
The Social Impact of EFL Writing Instruction in Turkey

Dawang Huang, City University of Hong Kong and Ningbo University (China), & Chunsheng Yang, Ohio State University
Approaching Discursive Identity in Chinese Scientists' Academic Discourse

11:45-1:00 Lunch Break

1:00-2:15 Session C
Group 9 - The Effects of Feedback - Session Chair TBA

Helena Hall, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Feedback: A Tricky Matter

Rachel Hansen, Brigham Young University
The Effects of Second Language Learning on the Perception of Direct and Indirect Speech

K. James Hartshom, Brigham Young University
The Effect of Manageable Corrective Feedback on L2 Writing Accuracy

Group 10 - Plagiarism in L2 Writing - Session Chair TBA

Brooke E. Musser, University of Toledo
The Writing Center as a Defense Against Unintentional Plagiarism

Talinn Phillips, Ohio University
Modeling Lessons, "Plagiarizing," and L2 Graduate Writer Authority

Sachiko Yasuda, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Corpus-based approach to EAP writing courses: Analyzing citation practices in different disciplines

Group 11 - Writing Center - Session Chair TBA

Natalie Dielman, The University of Toledo
Differences between ALI Advanced Writing Students and ESL Composition Students in Perceptions of the Writing Center

Jaisree Jayaraman, Purdue University
Tutoring ESL Writers in the Writing Center: How to Avoid the Proofreading Trap

Laurel D. Reinking & Yumi Takamiya, Purdue University
Communicating Writing Center Schema to Second Language Writers

Group 12 - Interactions in Writing - Session Chair TBA

Muhammad Abdul-Mageed, Indiana University, Bloomington
Metadiscourse in Electronic L2 Writing: The Case of English E-mail Shared among Egyptian Academic E-groups' Participants

Hana Kang, The Ohio State University
Teaching Chinese Writing with a Contrastive Rhetoric Perspective: A Case Study in Chinese Email Writing

Yun-Seon Kim, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Academic Literacy Development and Agency: An ESL Learner's Dialogic Interaction with the World

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:45 Session D
Group 13 - New Modes for Writing - Session Chair TBA

Muhammad M. Abdel-Latif, University of Essex
Towards a More Comprehensive and Valid Coding Scheme for Analyzing L2/FL Writers' Think-Aloud Protocols

Rossana Camacho & Megan Palmer, Brigham Young University
Developing Writing Fluency through Computer-Mediated Communication

Heng-Tsung Danny Huang, The University of Texas at Austin
Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication: An Alternative Prewriting Discussion Modality

Group 14 - Perspectives on Problem Solving in Writing - Session Chair TBA

Houxiang Li & Mei-Hsing Tsai, The Pennsylvania State University
Advice Delivery and Receipt in Peer Review Sessions in an ESL Graduate Writing Class

Daehyeon Nam, Indiana University, Bloomington
ESL Writers' Vocabulary Choices in Cultural Contrasts

Fang Xu, School of Foreign Languages, Suzhou University, China
An Explorative Case Study of Lexical-Problem-Solving Mechanisms in EFL Writing

Group 15 - Pedagogical Practices - Session Chair TBA

Mutsumi Inokawa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Comparison of In-Class and Outside Class Essays

Sungwoo Kim, Pennsylvania State University
Dialogue Journal as a site for Dynamic Assessment: A Preliminary Study

Tor Lindbloom, University of Minnesota
Conversations with the Community: Applying Critical Pedagogy in the ESL Composition Classroom

Group 16 - Role of Feedback and Motivations in SLW - Session Chair TBA

Leslie Altena, University of Pennsylvania
Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Writing

Soo Hyon Kim, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Effects of Noticing and Reformulation on Revision in Second Language Writing

Yan Zhao, University of Warwick, UK
Creative Writing in L2: Processes and Learning Potential.

4:00-5:00 Small Group Discussions

7:00 Social Gathering

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FRIDAY, JUNE 6

8:30-9:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast (STEW 214D)

9:30-9:45 Introduction (STEW 214ABC)

9:45-10:30 Keynote I (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Melinda Reichelt, Foreign Language Writing: An Overview

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Session A (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Rachida Elqobai, EFL in the Moroccan Educational System: The Whys and Hows

Yukiko Abe Hatasa, L2 Writing Instruction in Japanese as a Foreign Language

11:45-1:30 Lunch Break

1:30-2:15 Keynote II (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Marcela Ruiz-Funes, Reading to Write in a Foreign Language: Cognition and Task Representation

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:30 Session B (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Hadara Perpignan, Ideas into Words: Narrowing the Gap in Doctoral Candidates’ Academic Writing in EFL

Luciana C. de Oliveira, Teaching EFL Writing in Brazil: Issues and Possibilities

3:30-3:45 Break

3:45-4:45 Session D (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Natalie Lefkowitz, Writing the Wrongs: Foreign and Heritage Language Instructors’ Quest for Accuracy

Hui-Tzu Min, A Principled Eclectic Approach to Teaching EFL Writing in Taiwan

5:30-6:00 Cash Bar (Purdue Memorial Union)

6:00-8:00 Dinner (Purdue Memorial Union)

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SATURDAY, JUNE 7

8:30-9:30 Continental Breakfast (STEW 214D)

9:30-10:15 Keynote III (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Rosa Manchón, The Language Learning Potential of Writing in foreign Language Contexts: Lessons from Research

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-11:30 Session A (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Oleg Tarnopolsky, Teaching English Writing in Ukraine: Principles and Practices

Helga Thorson, Student Perceptions of Writing as a Tool for Increasing Oral Proficiency in German

11:30-1:30 Lunch Break

1:30-2:15 Keynote IV (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Jean Marie Schultz, Second Language Writing in the Era of Globalization

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:30 Session B (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Kees van Esch & Marly Nas Radboud, Writing in Spanish as a FL in Nijmegen: In Search of a Balance

Wenyu Wang, Teaching Academic Writing to Advanced EFL Learners in China: Principles and Challenges

3:30-3:45 Break

3:45-4:45 Keynote V (STEW 214ABC) - Session Chair: TBA

Icy Lee, Teaching and Learning Writing in Hong Kong: Issues and Challenges

4:45-5:00 Closing Remarks (STEW 214ABC)

For more information on this year's Symposium, go to: http://www.sslw2008.org/.

Tony Cimasko, Associate Chair
2008 Symposium on Second Language Writing
Phone: (765) 494-3785
Fax: (765) 494-3780
E-mail: acimasko@purdue.edu; tony@purdue.edu.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For the COMPLETE list of Industry Events mentioned on ESL-Lesson-Plan, click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Recommended Resources - How to teach vocabulary

Hello Readers,

If you're interested in reading more about how to teach vocabulary, Scott Thornbury's "How to teach vocabulary", which is part of Longman's "How to ..." series, offers practical teaching ideas within a theoretical framework. In addition to theory, ...

]]> ... it also includes photocopiable activities which can be used to reinforce the ideas presented in the book.

The contents include:

1. What's in a word?
2. How words are learned
3. Classroom sources of words
4. Texts, dictionaries and corpora
5. How to present vocabulary
6. How to put words to work
7. Teaching word parts and word chunks
8. How to test vocabulary
9. How to train good vocabulary learners

If you're interested in reading more, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Teach-Vocabulary-Scott-Thornbury/dp/0582429668

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For more ESL-related Recommended Resources featured on ESL-Lesson-Plan, please click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Tips and Tricks - Vocabulary Notebooks

Hello Readers,

Do your students have a hard time remembering all the new words that they learn in your class? Are you students constantly confusing certain words for other similar words? What can you do about it? Well ...

]]> ... as you might know, there are a number of books on learning vocabulary, so there isn't just one easy answer. However, one method you might try is asking your students to keep a vocabulary notebook. It can be divided into different categories by topic (animals, food, colours, etc.,), the letter the words start with (a, b, c ...), part of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives) or simply by the order they learn them in. For young students, you may wish to write the words in squares for them to draw the pictures next to, whereas for adults, you might simply guide them by giving them possible topics.

Now if your students are as unmotivated as many of mine were to do a bit of homework in their own time, you might want to give them five minutes at the end of each lesson to add new words to their books. In addition, it might be a good idea to look through them every once in a while and to give them some feedback (and a grade) to help motivate them to do continue with this. Alternatively, you could give occasional vocabulary quizzes to the students where the notebooks can be used. Whatever you do, it's a good idea to use the notebooks in class so that the students can see how useful such a notebook can be.

For more reading on teaching vocabulary, check out Scott Thornbury's "How to teach vocabulary" (2002) by Longman.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For more ESL Tips & Tricks from ESL-Lesson-Plan, please click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Workplace Issues - Gossip

Hello Readers,

Few people can say that they've never participated in office gossip before. At the same time, I'd find it hard to believe that many people would say that they enjoy being gossiped about. So what is gossip? Why do we do it? Is there a place for gossip in the workplace? What can we do to stop it?

First, it's important to understand what the difference between gossip ...

]]> ... and good-natured social chit chat is. Gossip can be defined as Idle, often sensational and groundless talk about others, often used to make the subject of the gossip look bad. For example, let's say you said this to someone: "Did you hear about Mike? He's been promoted to head teacher! I can't believe it. He must be the worst teacher here!" Talking about someone's promotion doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, but the added commentary about his ability to teach is clearly uncalled for.

Now, why might people take part in gossiping at work? Here are a few possibilities:

1. they're bored and have nothing better to do
2. there's not enough communication from the management team
3. the company is very competitive
4. there are a lot of promotions/demotions/layoffs, etc., going on
5. people feel demotivated

So what can you do if you hear someone gossiping? Try saying something like this:

1. Where did you hear that from?
2. Do you talk about me like this when I'm not here?
3. I'd rather not talk about this if (subject of gossip) isn't here.

Of course breaking bad habits is never easy, so if you want to quit gossiping, there are a few things you can do. The first is to think carefully before you speak. Ask yourself why you want to pass on the information that you have. If it's because it will make someone else look bad, make you look better, or simply to make you the centre of attention for a while, then don't say it. If you've heard about something about the business that concerns you (e.g., salary not being paid, layoffs, etc.), then ask the appropriate person (e.g., the head of the school) to give you information that you can trust. At the end of the day, gossiping does more harm than good, so do what you can to avoid talking about office politics, management, and your colleagues.

Have you ever been the subject of gossip at work? What happened? Share your comments below.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*Looking for more articles that focus on workplace issues specific to ESL? Click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Teacher Development - Becoming a learner

Hello Readers,

To help develop as a teacher, it's a good idea to step back from the front of the classroom every once in a while and put yourself in your students' shoes to see what it's like to be a student going through the learning process. How do you feel when a teacher calls on you in a language class to talk about a topic? Do you feel comfortable working with everyone in a group? Do you prefer to choose your own partner or to have the teacher choose for you? How do you ...

]]> ... feel about the teacher's teaching methodology? Would you like some input on the way the class is being taught? Do you feel you could talk to the teacher about his/her teaching style?

These are some questions you might think about as a student. To make it relevant to your teaching, it might be a good idea to keep a learner log so you can reflect on these questions later.

Some ideas for classes might include language classes (often available at libraries), knitting/sewing classes (check out your local craft store), drawing classes (perhaps at a local art gallery or community college) or even something physical like a yoga or tai qi class (at a local gym or community center).

In addition to reflecting on the teaching style, you might also want to think about the learning process. Do you feel frustrated in the beginning? Do you like to be shown what to do or do you like to just get on with it? Is it more important for you to get it right or for you to just be doing something?

How has being a student affected your teaching? Feel free to share your comments below.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*Looking for more articles that spotlight Teacher Development in the ESL industry? Click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Living on a Budget - DVDs

Hello Readers,

I read an article in the paper this weekend about ways to save money. Tips included things like, don't buy a designer hand bag, rent one! Instead of eating out five nights a week, eat out four times! Instead of going to the salon twice a month for facials, go once a month! While these tips may be helpful to some, ...

]]> ... I'm not sure that they are very relevant to ESL teachers who really live on a budget. However, from my experience, it's likely that you own a few DVDs - perhaps one too many?

When I finally packed up my things to leave China after 8 years, I found that I had a box (about the size of a dishwasher) filled with DVDs. When DVDs can be bought on the street for less than a dollar, it's easy to find yourself with a massive collection like this in no time whatsoever. The problem is, most of the DVDs were only watched once and only a few would be watched again. In retrospect, I would have rather had a spare $1,000 in my bank account.

Are you in the same situation? If so, think about cutting down on your DVD collection by doing the following:
1. do a DVD swap with your friends
2. instead of buying DVDs because they are cheap, only buy the ones that you really want to watch
3. try to sell your DVDs (only the authentic ones, that is)
4. donate your DVDs to a local school who might be able to use them for educational purposes
5. try to find a way to use a DVD that you probably wouldn't watch again into an ESL lesson

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

Looking for more articles about living on a budget as an ESL teacher? Click HERE!

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About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Surveys- Class material

Hello Readers,

There are plenty of books, magazines, and websites that offer lesson plans for ELT teachers, but do you use them or do you write your own?

This month's survey ...

]]> ... can be found at: http://www.esl-jobs-forum.com/viewtopic.php?p=7283#7283

Where do you get most of your class material from?
I write most of my own material
From the class course book
From supplementary books (not the course book)
From ELT websites
From other teachers
From ELT magazines
From ELT newsletters
other: (please explain)

Check out this survey below and add comments about your favorite sources.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*Looking for other interesting surveys (and their resultes) about the ESL industry? Click HERE!

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About the author of this entry:

Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Recommended Resources - Teaching English lesson plans

Hello Readers,

Looking for free ELT resources available online? Perhaps you've already used all of your favorite lesson plans from another website offering free lesson plans online. Then it's time to check out Teaching English, which has teamed up with the British Council to provide free lesson plans online for ...

]]> ... English language teachers.

The lesson plans and worksheets are in pdf format. Some also have audio available in a mp3 format. They are free for you to download and use in the classroom.

Some of the lesson topics include:

Much Ado about Nothing
Pet mania
Destination Wales
Smoking ban
Northern Ireland
Young people and television
Mobile phones
Telling a story
Writing a news report

To find the lesson plans, go to the following link: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans.shtml.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For more ESL-related Recommended Resources featured on ESL-Lesson-Plan, please click HERE!

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About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Q and A -Scrapbook Project

Hello Readers,

This month's question is from Walter.

Hi Carol,
I was surfing the internet for ideas for my ESL beginners class. This is the first time I teach a basic course for adults, and their first bimester will end in a few days. I want to put together a project so that they can be creative and apply all the vocabulary they learned over the last two months. At first I was thinking about a scrapbook, ...

]]> ... but their vocabulary is too large, I mean: shapes and colors, numbers, alphabet, animal, community helpers, I could go on; I think you got the picture. And this vocabulary is too large, right? What do you think? I appreciate any ideas you may want to share.

Sincerely,
Walter

Answer:
I think a scrap book is a great idea. It would a good way for the students to consolidate what they have learned, to expand their vocabulary on topics they've already learned and to have something to review later on.

You could perhaps even come up with a list of topics, and then allow each group to choose a few to work on, and then compile all the topics at the end (to photocopy and distribute to each student). If you have your own classroom, it would be good to hang those up on the walls as well. Make sure that you offer the students resources to help them to do their work- you can bring different kinds of dictionaries (picture, usage, phrasal verbs, etc.), recommend internet resources, and of course, introduce new phrases to the students as you monitor them in class.

Good luck with that! I'd be interested in hearing about what you decide to do.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For more ESL Tips & Tricks from ESL-Lesson-Plan, please click HERE!

Teaching Spots - North Korea

Hello Readers,

North Korea may not be the most obvious place to start looking for a teaching job, but every once in a while, there are job opportunities available there. Living in North Korea is not ...

]]> ... for the faint-hearted, of course (I suppose I don't really need to tell you that!), but it is one of the many interesting places that need English language teachers. Of course, for now, you'll have to be a British-passport holder.

Led by Kim Jong-Il, the late Kim-Il Sung's son, North Korea (or the Democratic People's Republic) has been separated from South Korea since just after World War II. North Koreans speak Korean, albeit a somewhat more old-fashioned version of the Korean that South Koreans speak. The currency is the North Korean won, which is subdivided into 100 chon.

As there isn't a lot of information out there about teaching in North Korea, you'll just have to keep your eyes open. The British Council advertises jobs on occasion.

For more information about travelling to North Korea, go to: http://www.koryogroup.com/

For more information about North Korea, go to:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1131421.stm

If you have any stories about North Korea that you'd like to share, feel free to add your comments below.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

Looking for more articles that spotlight hot travel spots and dream teaching locations? Click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Lesson Plan - Job Interviews

Hello Readers,

If you're teaching adults who are interested in using English at work, this lesson plan on job interviews should prove to be a relevant and worthwhile lesson for your students. To start: ...

]]> ... 1. Ask your students to think of some different jobs. Write them on the left side of the white board. Then, choose one job to discuss. Ask students to think about what skills a person would need for that particular job. Write them on the board. The students can then work in pairs to discuss the rest of the jobs in the same way. Feedback with the whole-class.

2. Pre-teach vocabulary: job title, responsibilities, role, qualifications, skills, achievements, work experience, etc.

3. Distribute a job ad for a position that your students might be interested in (e.g., a tour guide, an English teacher, a receptionist, etc.). You can use a real ad from a local newspaper/magazine or create your own.

4. Divide students in half. Group A will be prepare to give an interview. Group B will prepare to be the interviewee. Break Group A into small groups and have them each prepare 10 questions that they would ask interviewees. Break Group B into small groups and have them prepare 10 statements they think they could use in an interview (this will require the students to anticipate questions that might be asked). These statements can be made up. Monitor students and help them by providing them with relevant language. Of course, remind them that the point of this activity is fluency, not accuracy.

5. Pair students from Group A with students from Group B. Give them 10 minutes for the interview. To make the interview more authentic, arrange the chairs so it is conducive to job interviews, if possible. If students get through their 10 questions before the 10 minutes is up, Group B students should be asked if they have any further questions about the job. Monitor the students by writing down common mistakes, but do not interfere with the interviews at this point.

6. Feedback. Elicit questions and answers on the board. Allow students to ask further questions and to write notes down in their notebooks.

7. Have students switch roles. Group A students become the interviewees and Group B students become the interviewers. Match the students up again and allow them 5 minutes for an interview. Continue switching partners and roles a few times if time permits.

8. Feedback on the board.

9. A good follow-up/closing activity would be to discuss interview etiquette, including how to greet someone, what to wear, how to prepare for a job interview, how to answer difficult questions, cultural differences, etc.

Have you tried this activity? Do you have any ideas to expand this lesson plan? Feel free to share your comments below.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

Looking for more articles about lesson planning for the ESL classroom? Click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Industry Events-42nd IATEFL Conference

Hello Readers,

If you plan on being in or near Exeter (UK) the 7th to the 11th of April this year, then you might want to think about attending the 42nd IATEFL Conference. The plenary speakers ...

]]> ... for the event include:

Zoltán Dörnyei (University of Nottingham, England)
Alastair Pennycook (University of Technology Sydney, Australia)
Radmila Popovic (University of Belgrade, Serbia)
Rosa Jinyoung Shim (Open Cyber University, Korea)

In addition to these ESL experts, there will be approximately 1,400 delegates, 300 presentations and 40 exhibitors there.

The pre-conference events (on April 7th) include the following sessions:

Business English on The Challenges of Globalisation

ELT Management on How to Manage Projects Effectively

ES(O)L on Good Practice in Teaching English to Migrants and Refugees

English for Specific Purposes on ESP and EAP Advances in the 21st Century

Learner Autonomy on Autonomy in Language Learning: Overcoming Obstacles and Seizing
Opportunities

Learning Technologies on Digital Audio for Language Learning

Literature, Media & Cultural Studies on Reading Circles

Teacher Development on The Learning Teacher

Teacher Training & Education / Testing, Evaluation & Assessment on Portfolios for and of
Professional Development

Young Learners on Reaching Out to Every Student: Differentiation in Primary and Secondary
ELT Classrooms

To register online, go to www.iatefl.org by March 28th, 2008.

Feel free to share more information about the event below.

Until next time ...

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For the COMPLETE list of Industry Events mentioned on ESL-Lesson-Plan, click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!

Tips and Tricks-Minimal Pairs

Hello Readers,

Do your students have a difficult time distinguishing between two similar sounds? (If you don't know what their pronunciation problems are, start compiling a list in class. Spending a few minutes each day focusing on their pronunciation would be a good start.) Perhaps they confuse the sounds p and b, l and r or s and z. If this is the case, then a quick and regular minimal pairs exercise could eventually improve ...

]]> ... their pronunciation habits.

Let's say you've come to realize that your students can't distinguish between l and r sounds. Make a list of similar words like this:

l r
light right
lot rot
led red
lake rake

Write the words up on the board. Ask students to repeat the sounds after you, starting with all the l sounds, then all the r sounds, then comparing the two similar words (e.g., light, right). Having a pointer to point to the words while you say them is a good way to reinforce the sounds (a pointer can easily be made by rolling up a piece of a paper). Then, say a word and ask the students to tell you whether it is an 'l' sound or an 'r' sound (or number them 1 and 2 and have them put up their fingers to show you which one it is). After that, you can point to a word and ask a student to read the word. Finally, put the students into teams. Have them line up, so that they can each take a turn to try. If you give each team a pointer, then it's easier to see which team got the answer right first.

This activity can take 5 minutes or 15 minutes, depending on how long you want to spend on it. It makes a good opener, filler, or a closing activity.

Hope that helps!

Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

*For more ESL Tips & Tricks from ESL-Lesson-Plan, please click HERE!

-----------
About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker hailing from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, worked in China for more than 7 years. During that time, she worked at universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, and did private tutoring as well. Besides teaching, she also worked as a Head teacher, an Education Manager, and a Material Development Manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she also writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing, authors ESL textbooks for publishing houses in China, and is an Editor for Garnet Publishing in Reading, England. Carol holds a BA in Communications from the College of St. Benedict/ St. John's University, and a CELTA, and has just finished her MA TESOL course at Oxford Brookes University. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!