Idea from: TESL-L Ed Forbes in Vancouver
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Friday
Thursday
Idea From: TESL-L Lida Baker
Los Angeles
Subject: Authentic listening tasks
A special area of interest for me is teaching listening using authentic
materials. By "authentic" I mean recordings of real-world language not
necessarily created for the purpose of teaching English. To this end I
like to teach using recordings of people talking in person, phone
conversations, radio broadcasts, and lectures.
At the moment I'm working on compiling a collection of listening tasks that
mirror the reasons why people listen in the real world. Here are some
examples of such tasks:
1) "Cold" listening - e.g., turning on the radio in the middle of a
program and determining who the speakers are, what the topic is, and
whether you want to continue listening or not. 2) One-sided phone
conversation: Hearing only one of the speakers in a phone conversation and
determing who the person is talking to, why, about what,
etc. 3) Predicting; Listening and predicting what will be said
next. 4) Interacting by asking questions, forming opinions,
laughing. 5) Summarizing and telling another person what was heard, e.g.,
recommending a radio program to a friend. 6) Finding more information
after listening, e.g., hearing an inteview with an interesting person and
going to the Internet to find out more. 7) Taking notes, e.g., writing
down a phone message, writing down a phone number.
Once you have selected an authentic recording for students to hear, it is
easy to create real-world listening tasks like the ones above. In this way
the listening lesson becomes much more interesting and purposeful.
Los Angeles
Subject: Authentic listening tasks
A special area of interest for me is teaching listening using authentic
materials. By "authentic" I mean recordings of real-world language not
necessarily created for the purpose of teaching English. To this end I
like to teach using recordings of people talking in person, phone
conversations, radio broadcasts, and lectures.
At the moment I'm working on compiling a collection of listening tasks that
mirror the reasons why people listen in the real world. Here are some
examples of such tasks:
1) "Cold" listening - e.g., turning on the radio in the middle of a
program and determining who the speakers are, what the topic is, and
whether you want to continue listening or not. 2) One-sided phone
conversation: Hearing only one of the speakers in a phone conversation and
determing who the person is talking to, why, about what,
etc. 3) Predicting; Listening and predicting what will be said
next. 4) Interacting by asking questions, forming opinions,
laughing. 5) Summarizing and telling another person what was heard, e.g.,
recommending a radio program to a friend. 6) Finding more information
after listening, e.g., hearing an inteview with an interesting person and
going to the Internet to find out more. 7) Taking notes, e.g., writing
down a phone message, writing down a phone number.
Once you have selected an authentic recording for students to hear, it is
easy to create real-world listening tasks like the ones above. In this way
the listening lesson becomes much more interesting and purposeful.
Idea from: TESL-L
Shared by: Gerlinde Buchberger
Baden, Austria
Subject: Personal Vocab List
"I've been using something similar with my upper-intermediate and
advanced teacher trainees for the last few years. I ask them to analyse their marked assignments and with the help of (electronic) dictionaries compile lists of words in context, idioms, collocations, word families etc. based on their personal problem areas.
For grammar problems we also use 'Personal Grammar Books'. Based on teacher feedback the students identify their personal grammar problems and do remedial work using online grammar books. Part of continuous assessment is to submit their 'Personal Dictionaries' and 'Personal Grammar Books' as electronic Word documents. For the grammar part they are expected to briefly explain their grammar problems and provide me with the links (and scores) of online activities they do autonomously.
In some semesters the dictionaries and grammar books are also the basis for oral 'exams' which are more or less discussions of their autonomous grammar and vocab work.
Shared by: Gerlinde Buchberger
Baden, Austria
Subject: Personal Vocab List
"I've been using something similar with my upper-intermediate and
advanced teacher trainees for the last few years. I ask them to analyse their marked assignments and with the help of (electronic) dictionaries compile lists of words in context, idioms, collocations, word families etc. based on their personal problem areas.
For grammar problems we also use 'Personal Grammar Books'. Based on teacher feedback the students identify their personal grammar problems and do remedial work using online grammar books. Part of continuous assessment is to submit their 'Personal Dictionaries' and 'Personal Grammar Books' as electronic Word documents. For the grammar part they are expected to briefly explain their grammar problems and provide me with the links (and scores) of online activities they do autonomously.
In some semesters the dictionaries and grammar books are also the basis for oral 'exams' which are more or less discussions of their autonomous grammar and vocab work.
Idea From: TESL-L
Caroline Gwatkin
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Vocabulary Building Idea:
I call it 'Colour Your World', and it works like this:
Each learner is encouraged to organise a special section in his/her file only for vocabulary (loosely covering collocations, expressions,
discrete lexical items etc.)
Each page of the folder is for ONE THEME (e.g. the family, work, animals etc.)
The first step is to brainstorm all known vocabulary to do with the
theme and to write the words/collocations/ expressions in ONE colour. These are the 'core' items, active vocabulary which is familiar to all the class.
Then, when tackling a future activity/exercise relating to the theme, learners first consult their brainstorm, and then add new words in a SECOND COLOUR. At the top of the page, in the second colour, the page of the course book/ activity/ exercise is written and used as a reference in case the learner needs to reread the source material.
This procedure of adding vocabulary in different colours during
thematically related activities/exercises is repeated in different
colours (together with the references at the top of the page) until
totally new items start appearing in the brainstorm.
When a number of colours are used it becomes very clear to the learners that each colour represents different 'degrees' of his/her own learning.
The largest quantity of words are usually written in the first colour,
the items written in the second colour are usually 'passive memory'
items and from then on the following colours represent 'new' language.
The teacher is then able to set a, for example, a writing task connected to the theme, confident that the learners can resource themselves and recycle taught lexical items. It is fun for them write the words in the same colours as they appear in the brainstorm!
Personally I give lots of credit to those who are able to use the words on the outer edge of the brainstorm (the most recently acquired).
Building vocabulary in this colourful way has many benefits, for
instance:
- it keeps topic related vocabulary on one page for quick reference
- it helps the learner see at a glance which words need to be 'learnt'
and which are 'known'
- the learner is able to independently add more words (but always in different colours!)
- and, as colour aids memory (at least for visual learners), the teacher can colour code activities too!
I use this technique with all levels and all ages.
Caroline Gwatkin
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Vocabulary Building Idea:
I call it 'Colour Your World', and it works like this:
Each learner is encouraged to organise a special section in his/her file only for vocabulary (loosely covering collocations, expressions,
discrete lexical items etc.)
Each page of the folder is for ONE THEME (e.g. the family, work, animals etc.)
The first step is to brainstorm all known vocabulary to do with the
theme and to write the words/collocations/ expressions in ONE colour. These are the 'core' items, active vocabulary which is familiar to all the class.
Then, when tackling a future activity/exercise relating to the theme, learners first consult their brainstorm, and then add new words in a SECOND COLOUR. At the top of the page, in the second colour, the page of the course book/ activity/ exercise is written and used as a reference in case the learner needs to reread the source material.
This procedure of adding vocabulary in different colours during
thematically related activities/exercises is repeated in different
colours (together with the references at the top of the page) until
totally new items start appearing in the brainstorm.
When a number of colours are used it becomes very clear to the learners that each colour represents different 'degrees' of his/her own learning.
The largest quantity of words are usually written in the first colour,
the items written in the second colour are usually 'passive memory'
items and from then on the following colours represent 'new' language.
The teacher is then able to set a, for example, a writing task connected to the theme, confident that the learners can resource themselves and recycle taught lexical items. It is fun for them write the words in the same colours as they appear in the brainstorm!
Personally I give lots of credit to those who are able to use the words on the outer edge of the brainstorm (the most recently acquired).
Building vocabulary in this colourful way has many benefits, for
instance:
- it keeps topic related vocabulary on one page for quick reference
- it helps the learner see at a glance which words need to be 'learnt'
and which are 'known'
- the learner is able to independently add more words (but always in different colours!)
- and, as colour aids memory (at least for visual learners), the teacher can colour code activities too!
I use this technique with all levels and all ages.
Tuesday
Idea from: Geoffrey Vitale (retired University of Quebec), TESL-L
Using Art in the Classroom
My favourite writer in this area has always been Andrew Wright - his books are
practical, hands on - and they work. They include 'How to enjoy painting'
(unfortunately out of print), '1000 pictures for teachers to copy' (Pearson)
and, my favourite: "Pictures for Language Learning" (Cambridge Handbook) - all
identifiable in Amazon.com - but go by title, not author - there is more than
one Andrew Wright.
Just one example of what I have done with a class, more specifically involving
drawings - though one could also use readymade paintings etc -= but this is more
fun (Taken from PLL) I divide the board into four - with chalk strokes. In the
first area I make a drawing. It can be figurative/abstract or a mixture. For
example - a cross, a coffin, a house, a stick figure, a moon. These may be very
ambiguous and interpretable as other things. The class is in groups of four
-each group studies the pic and starts writing a story involving the content.
The member of the group discuss what the story line can be and one of them
writes it down. I wander round the class - give the chalk to a student, tell him
or her to put up a second drawing. Shy at first - then eager! Tell the students
this is the continuation. Do that twice more - much emphasis when student goes
up to draw last pic that this is the finale, the culmination.
Then the writer in each group reads that group's story to the rest of the class.
Very different stories - total student participation - enormous fun -- thank
heavens for people like Andrew Wright.
Using Art in the Classroom
My favourite writer in this area has always been Andrew Wright - his books are
practical, hands on - and they work. They include 'How to enjoy painting'
(unfortunately out of print), '1000 pictures for teachers to copy' (Pearson)
and, my favourite: "Pictures for Language Learning" (Cambridge Handbook) - all
identifiable in Amazon.com - but go by title, not author - there is more than
one Andrew Wright.
Just one example of what I have done with a class, more specifically involving
drawings - though one could also use readymade paintings etc -= but this is more
fun (Taken from PLL) I divide the board into four - with chalk strokes. In the
first area I make a drawing. It can be figurative/abstract or a mixture. For
example - a cross, a coffin, a house, a stick figure, a moon. These may be very
ambiguous and interpretable as other things. The class is in groups of four
-each group studies the pic and starts writing a story involving the content.
The member of the group discuss what the story line can be and one of them
writes it down. I wander round the class - give the chalk to a student, tell him
or her to put up a second drawing. Shy at first - then eager! Tell the students
this is the continuation. Do that twice more - much emphasis when student goes
up to draw last pic that this is the finale, the culmination.
Then the writer in each group reads that group's story to the rest of the class.
Very different stories - total student participation - enormous fun -- thank
heavens for people like Andrew Wright.
Friday
Idea from: TESL-L Costas Gabrielatos, Dept. of Linguistics & MEL, Lancaster University, UK
For an idea on how to teach phrasal verbs categorised by
preposition/particle (and treated in context) have a look at Calvin and Hobbes!
http://www.ucomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/12/07/
For more advanced (or intellectually mature) learners, a possible
data-driven approach is to ask them, "What is the meaning of 'up' in each
phrasal verb?" Once the categories are negotiated/established, learners can
add other phrasal verbs with 'up' that they know and/or they can find in
other texts that you give them. I would think that the next logical step
would be phrasal verbs with 'down'.
For an idea on how to teach phrasal verbs categorised by
preposition/particle (and treated in context) have a look at Calvin and Hobbes!
http://www.ucomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/12/07/
For more advanced (or intellectually mature) learners, a possible
data-driven approach is to ask them, "What is the meaning of 'up' in each
phrasal verb?" Once the categories are negotiated/established, learners can
add other phrasal verbs with 'up' that they know and/or they can find in
other texts that you give them. I would think that the next logical step
would be phrasal verbs with 'down'.
Thursday
Idea from: LTest L Pete MacKichan (Thessaloniki - Greece)
Here are a list of Tests of Business English.
Cambridge ESOL - Business English Certificate - 3 Levels
http://www.cambridge-efl.org/exam/business/bg_bec.htm
LCCI - English for Business - 5 Levels
LCCI - English for Commerce - 3 Levels
http://www.lccieb.com/
Pitman English for Business Communications - 3 levels
http://www.pitmanqualifications.com/
Anglia Examination Syndicate GPB tests - four levels.
http://www.anglia-examinations.co.uk
ETS - The Test of Professional English (TOPE)
http://ets.org/tests/etest.html
There used to be a test called the Oxford International Business English
Certificate (OIBEC) but it seems to have vanished without trace, but
there is a sample certificate here:-
http://www.geocities.com/philip_hediger/OIBEC_1st.html
Here are a list of Tests of Business English.
Cambridge ESOL - Business English Certificate - 3 Levels
http://www.cambridge-efl.org/exam/business/bg_bec.htm
LCCI - English for Business - 5 Levels
LCCI - English for Commerce - 3 Levels
http://www.lccieb.com/
Pitman English for Business Communications - 3 levels
http://www.pitmanqualifications.com/
Anglia Examination Syndicate GPB tests - four levels.
http://www.anglia-examinations.co.uk
ETS - The Test of Professional English (TOPE)
http://ets.org/tests/etest.html
There used to be a test called the Oxford International Business English
Certificate (OIBEC) but it seems to have vanished without trace, but
there is a sample certificate here:-
http://www.geocities.com/philip_hediger/OIBEC_1st.html
Idea from: TESL-L member: James Trotta
Visiting Professor at Catholic University of Korea
I recently did a lesson in which I asked my students to list everything they knew about to words (obtain, obsession) that had recently come up in class. I let them use their electronic dictionaries.
We pooled the knowledge and I wrote it on the board. I asked if students knew the words well enough to use them. The answer was no.
I said that we were going to find out what needs to be known in order to "know" a word. I gave them entries from Cambridge learners dictionary and Oxford Collocations and had them add to their list of things they knew about the words. Now (hopefully) they have a better understanding of what it means to know a word.
Visiting Professor at Catholic University of Korea
I recently did a lesson in which I asked my students to list everything they knew about to words (obtain, obsession) that had recently come up in class. I let them use their electronic dictionaries.
We pooled the knowledge and I wrote it on the board. I asked if students knew the words well enough to use them. The answer was no.
I said that we were going to find out what needs to be known in order to "know" a word. I gave them entries from Cambridge learners dictionary and Oxford Collocations and had them add to their list of things they knew about the words. Now (hopefully) they have a better understanding of what it means to know a word.
Idea from: TESL - L
Metaphors for explaining the teacher/student relationship to learning.
Learning to drive, swim or type. Teachers can impart the knowledge...but you can't make a student learn to swim on dry land.
Barry Bakin wrote:
Suggest the analogy of throwing and catching a ball. The teacher can throw as many
balls at the student as he or she wishes but unless the student makes an
effort to hold out a hand and close fingers around the ball at the
moment of impact the likelihood of catching the ball is minimal. Notice
I didn't say impossible. It is of course possible that a carefully
thrown ball will land at a place on the body and not drop to the ground,
but not likely.
Metaphors for explaining the teacher/student relationship to learning.
Learning to drive, swim or type. Teachers can impart the knowledge...but you can't make a student learn to swim on dry land.
Barry Bakin wrote:
Suggest the analogy of throwing and catching a ball. The teacher can throw as many
balls at the student as he or she wishes but unless the student makes an
effort to hold out a hand and close fingers around the ball at the
moment of impact the likelihood of catching the ball is minimal. Notice
I didn't say impossible. It is of course possible that a carefully
thrown ball will land at a place on the body and not drop to the ground,
but not likely.
Wednesday
Idea from: One Stop English - Jill Manwaring
Categories
Divide the students into teams or 3-4, each with a 'runner'. The runner comes to the teacher's desk and reads the category on the card - e.g.
5 ways to wake someone up
5 animals you can see on a farm
7 things to do in London
8 things you can read
7 things that come in pairs
6 reasons for speaking to a stranger
8 things that keep you warm
etc.
The runner returns to the group to tell them what the category is. The group must then brainstorm the list, and the first group to finish shout 'stop' (or make a noise like a donkey - use your imagination!) and the other teams must put their pens down.
My note: I adapted this idea for a vocabulary review, using new vocabulary in the prompt. I also used many cause and effect prompts to fit with our current rhetorical pattern in writing. Some of the list were:
3 effects of smog
5 causes for misinterpreting a set of directions to a party
2 hypothetical reasons why you would steal something
1 fashion trend which has passed its heydey
The students really enjoyed the brainstorming and the competition aspect of the activity!
Categories
Divide the students into teams or 3-4, each with a 'runner'. The runner comes to the teacher's desk and reads the category on the card - e.g.
5 ways to wake someone up
5 animals you can see on a farm
7 things to do in London
8 things you can read
7 things that come in pairs
6 reasons for speaking to a stranger
8 things that keep you warm
etc.
The runner returns to the group to tell them what the category is. The group must then brainstorm the list, and the first group to finish shout 'stop' (or make a noise like a donkey - use your imagination!) and the other teams must put their pens down.
My note: I adapted this idea for a vocabulary review, using new vocabulary in the prompt. I also used many cause and effect prompts to fit with our current rhetorical pattern in writing. Some of the list were:
3 effects of smog
5 causes for misinterpreting a set of directions to a party
2 hypothetical reasons why you would steal something
1 fashion trend which has passed its heydey
The students really enjoyed the brainstorming and the competition aspect of the activity!
Idea from: TESL-L - Lance Jackson
Idea for linking Listening lectures and Presentations
In a recent Advanced listening class I tried using small group presentations and notetaking. This was scaffolded with deconstruction of lectures (on tape). Extracting the key textual features of a lecture and the typical language phrases that appear in each of the stages of lectures. These were collected and put onto posters. Then when small groups had a discussion on some topic, they prepared a presentation that resourced the posters for the types of language they would use: (eg firstly, secondly, for example, an instance of this...).
My note: Our lectures have many cohesive device and methods of restatement which I would like to draw more on for student presentations. I think I will try a similar idea, deconstructing the lecture following the listening by identifying clarification and transitioning language as we take up the outlines.
Idea for linking Listening lectures and Presentations
In a recent Advanced listening class I tried using small group presentations and notetaking. This was scaffolded with deconstruction of lectures (on tape). Extracting the key textual features of a lecture and the typical language phrases that appear in each of the stages of lectures. These were collected and put onto posters. Then when small groups had a discussion on some topic, they prepared a presentation that resourced the posters for the types of language they would use: (eg firstly, secondly, for example, an instance of this...).
My note: Our lectures have many cohesive device and methods of restatement which I would like to draw more on for student presentations. I think I will try a similar idea, deconstructing the lecture following the listening by identifying clarification and transitioning language as we take up the outlines.
Tuesday
Idea from: TESL-L - Anthea Tillyer
Subject: Re: Writing for low-level students
...The students have now had 13 weeks of English instruction, 18 hours a
week, but they are still really low level.
Here are the topics for this term:
1. My favorite spot (written as if they were actually there at the moment of writing.."I am standing in XXXXX". They have to evoke what they see, feel, hear, think, and smell in that spot).
2. Where were you on September 11, 2001? What were you doing when you heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center? Did it change your mind about coming to or being in New York?
3. Describe one of your grandparents (alive or dead)
4. Describe wedding customs in ___________ (they had to interview a class- mate from a different country to do this and then write about wedding traditions in their partner's country)
5. A recipe (we are making a cookbook)
6. Money is the most important thing in life - do you agree or disagree?
7. Describe your dream house - money no problem.
8.
Every week, I work with one or two of the students individually. They tell me what they want to say in their paper and I write it out (in good English!) exactly as they tell it to me. They then have to organize this content so that it makes sense and presents the ideas in a logical and attractive way. I find that since they don't have to worry about the grammar, vocabulary or punctuation that I have done for them, they can concentrate only on their ideas. They love to do this! At the end of the week, everyone in the class reads these "cooperative ventures". I don't let the whole class see them before the end of the week, partly because the writers are still working on the organization of the content but mostly because my words and phrases tend to become models for the rest of the group ...and then they just copy them!
Every student in the class gets a chance to write collaboratively with me at least once in the 8-week term. This term it's much easier than usual because I only have 13 students.
Anthea Tillyer City University of New York
Subject: Re: Writing for low-level students
...The students have now had 13 weeks of English instruction, 18 hours a
week, but they are still really low level.
Here are the topics for this term:
1. My favorite spot (written as if they were actually there at the moment of writing.."I am standing in XXXXX". They have to evoke what they see, feel, hear, think, and smell in that spot).
2. Where were you on September 11, 2001? What were you doing when you heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center? Did it change your mind about coming to or being in New York?
3. Describe one of your grandparents (alive or dead)
4. Describe wedding customs in ___________ (they had to interview a class- mate from a different country to do this and then write about wedding traditions in their partner's country)
5. A recipe (we are making a cookbook)
6. Money is the most important thing in life - do you agree or disagree?
7. Describe your dream house - money no problem.
8.
Every week, I work with one or two of the students individually. They tell me what they want to say in their paper and I write it out (in good English!) exactly as they tell it to me. They then have to organize this content so that it makes sense and presents the ideas in a logical and attractive way. I find that since they don't have to worry about the grammar, vocabulary or punctuation that I have done for them, they can concentrate only on their ideas. They love to do this! At the end of the week, everyone in the class reads these "cooperative ventures". I don't let the whole class see them before the end of the week, partly because the writers are still working on the organization of the content but mostly because my words and phrases tend to become models for the rest of the group ...and then they just copy them!
Every student in the class gets a chance to write collaboratively with me at least once in the 8-week term. This term it's much easier than usual because I only have 13 students.
Anthea Tillyer City University of New York
Monday
Idea from :The English Club
Last post for the night and this one is sure to help the next time you prep your students for a presentation. A great chart to use when talking about structuring your language. This Signposting Function Language includes the following:
Introducing the subject
Finishing one subject...
...and starting another
Analysing a point and giving recommendations
Giving an example
Dealing with questions
Summarising and concluding
and
Ordering
Go to the site to find the chart!
Last post for the night and this one is sure to help the next time you prep your students for a presentation. A great chart to use when talking about structuring your language. This Signposting Function Language includes the following:
Introducing the subject
Finishing one subject...
...and starting another
Analysing a point and giving recommendations
Giving an example
Dealing with questions
Summarising and concluding
and
Ordering
Go to the site to find the chart!
Another article in the quest for determining the look and potential for my website. I've run across Charles Kelly before... one the TESL-L list no doubt. Kelly - Guidelines for Designing a Good Web Site for ESL Students (I-TESL-J) I really have a lot of work to do on my own site, it reminded me that my friends in other countries really do have some of the limitations I have been assuming won't be an issue for my current students. I would like to have former students and friends also have access and find my site readable and easy to navigate. The irony is that this article couldn't be read completely because some words on the right margin are missing! (But then the author isn't the one who has posted it, so he is forgiven!)
Food for thought!
Food for thought!
While on this journey exploring computer based learning and relating it to my ESL world, I came across a paper entitled "Online interactions in language learning and teaching" here...TCC99.
From the abstract:
"This essay offers an overview of some of the most effective forms of on-line interactions that can be used in language teaching and learning: e-mail, network-based classrooms, web discussion forums, and MOOs. Topics discussed in the paper include definitions and concepts, the strengths and potential weaknesses of the different forms, current successful practices, and pedagogical as well as practical implications for the language instructor. "
From the abstract:
"This essay offers an overview of some of the most effective forms of on-line interactions that can be used in language teaching and learning: e-mail, network-based classrooms, web discussion forums, and MOOs. Topics discussed in the paper include definitions and concepts, the strengths and potential weaknesses of the different forms, current successful practices, and pedagogical as well as practical implications for the language instructor. "
Here is a site which may be of interest when discussing pronunciation. Make sure to check out the regional maps showing the distribution of word pronunciations at the Dialect Survey Login.
Friday
Idea from: Scott Fuller (while websurfing)
A useful tool for helping students in recognizing the difference between active and passive knowledge of vocabualry is found atBilgi EFL Ideas and Issues-Active or Passive?
A useful tool for helping students in recognizing the difference between active and passive knowledge of vocabualry is found atBilgi EFL Ideas and Issues-Active or Passive?
Sunday
Idea from: TESL-L
Mark Richards - Literacy Teacher
James Lyng Adult Ed. Centre - Canada
Re: First day activities
Here are two that I have had fun with in the past:
1. "Creative" autobiographies: [renamed] Students retell their life stories and approximately 50% is made up, exaggerated or straight-out lies. The other students in a small group have to decide what is true and what is false at the end of the story.
2. For returning students who know each other: Instead of "What did you do
over the summer?", tell them that this is a class reunion which is taking
place ten or twenty years from now. They have to make up a description of
what they have been doing for the last twenty years since they last saw each
other. This provides excellent practice for past tense and present perfect
(What have you been doing.....)
Mark Richards - Literacy Teacher
James Lyng Adult Ed. Centre - Canada
Re: First day activities
Here are two that I have had fun with in the past:
1. "Creative" autobiographies: [renamed] Students retell their life stories and approximately 50% is made up, exaggerated or straight-out lies. The other students in a small group have to decide what is true and what is false at the end of the story.
2. For returning students who know each other: Instead of "What did you do
over the summer?", tell them that this is a class reunion which is taking
place ten or twenty years from now. They have to make up a description of
what they have been doing for the last twenty years since they last saw each
other. This provides excellent practice for past tense and present perfect
(What have you been doing.....)
Idea from: TESL-L
Ron Martin
Dokkyo Saitama Junior/Senior High School
Temple University Japan doctoral candidate
Subject: Re: First day of class activities
Each person in the groups that you make will have something in common with their partners. One example could be, groups divided up among winter birthdays, summer birthday, fall birthdays and spring birthdays. The groups members have to figure out what common element they share. They may find more than one (which would be great), but you could make it more difficult by telling them that they have to find THE common element that you pre-chose. You could do this more than once. Groups with different numbers would really intrigue them.
If you do not have enough factual knowledge at hand, send each of them a list of questions (somehow disguised with a purpose so they won't connect it with your activity once you begin) to get some extra information that would help you.
Ron Martin
Dokkyo Saitama Junior/Senior High School
Temple University Japan doctoral candidate
Subject: Re: First day of class activities
Each person in the groups that you make will have something in common with their partners. One example could be, groups divided up among winter birthdays, summer birthday, fall birthdays and spring birthdays. The groups members have to figure out what common element they share. They may find more than one (which would be great), but you could make it more difficult by telling them that they have to find THE common element that you pre-chose. You could do this more than once. Groups with different numbers would really intrigue them.
If you do not have enough factual knowledge at hand, send each of them a list of questions (somehow disguised with a purpose so they won't connect it with your activity once you begin) to get some extra information that would help you.
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