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Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Monday, 10 November 2008
Sunday, 9 November 2008
7 Essential Student Motivation Techniques That You Must Use By: Honey Krumholz
As a teacher one of your top priorities is to be able to motivate your s
tudents. It's the key to drive them to reach their potential and achieve their future dreams and goals. Student motivation is a necessity so that the learning becomes a continuing, improving, interesting and hopefully enjoyable process.
Motivation to learn should be encouraged and developed from an early age. Young children have a natural curiosity to explore and learn about new things. As they grow older their motivation to learn may diminish (if not properly nourished), so you as a teacher, have a responsibility, to find ways to motivate your students.
Read On!!
There are so many ways for you to motivate your students but here are my top 7.
1. Develop a trusting relationship with your students. Show then that you care and you will create a genuine bond with them. Gain your students' respect and in most cases they will reciprocate. This is vital in establishing an atmosphere where learning is a positive, meaningful and valuable experience.
2. Everyone likes to make their own decisions, create their own personal choices, and have control of their lives. Students are no exception. So, as much as possible, give students more control. Allow students to choose their own ways of completing assignments, learning new or complex tasks, etc. Having control of your own rights, is a very resourceful motivational technique.
3. Relate assignments and class projects to real life situations. A common complaint of students is "What good is learning this, I'll never use this again?". So as they say "Keep it Real". In today's world, with all sorts of technology available, computers, the Internet, U Tube and other forms of video that can be brought into the classroom, it's easier and easier to put some excitement into your lessons and project assignments and keep your students interested and motivated.
4. Implement a reward system. Teaching strategies that offer praise and involve a reward system have proved to be extremely beneficial in motivating students. Teaching in primary grades is quite different than in junior grades and the reward system and prizes will differ, but for example, points can be awarded for achieving different tasks and awards such as free time, parties, educational books or other simple prizes are great motivational tools. Just make sure that your students realize that the reward system is a reward for finishing a task not for just participating!
5. Classroom games and class meetings to discuss personal topics like hobbies are fabulous for motivating students and team building. It's amazing how it does wonders for students' self esteem and camaraderie. Games and team building activities may also attract the unmotivated students you have in your class.
6. Having students help with some of the many jobs that need to be done in the classroom, will not only make your life as a teacher easier but classroom jobs are also a great student motivational tool.
7. Classroom displays help to make your classroom a stimulating and motivating environment in which to learn! Displaying their work for others to see, motivates students to learn, work and produce good quality results. Remember too, that it is important that students play a important part in decorating the classroom. When students feel ownership of their classroom, it motivates them and creates a positive learning environment.
Two important thoughts to keep in mind as you finish reading this article. Always display care, concern and encouragement for your students, and never give up on any unmotivated students or they will give up on themselves.
Honey Krumholz has taught elementary school for 33 years. She is presently a college supervisor and mentor to student teachers. She presents seminars on teaching strategies at York University in Toronto. Visit her website and get her effective teaching strategies on a wide variety of topics, for example, different games for classroom motivation http://www.priceless-teaching-strategies.com/classroom_games.html
tudents. It's the key to drive them to reach their potential and achieve their future dreams and goals. Student motivation is a necessity so that the learning becomes a continuing, improving, interesting and hopefully enjoyable process.Motivation to learn should be encouraged and developed from an early age. Young children have a natural curiosity to explore and learn about new things. As they grow older their motivation to learn may diminish (if not properly nourished), so you as a teacher, have a responsibility, to find ways to motivate your students.
Read On!!
There are so many ways for you to motivate your students but here are my top 7.
1. Develop a trusting relationship with your students. Show then that you care and you will create a genuine bond with them. Gain your students' respect and in most cases they will reciprocate. This is vital in establishing an atmosphere where learning is a positive, meaningful and valuable experience.
2. Everyone likes to make their own decisions, create their own personal choices, and have control of their lives. Students are no exception. So, as much as possible, give students more control. Allow students to choose their own ways of completing assignments, learning new or complex tasks, etc. Having control of your own rights, is a very resourceful motivational technique.
3. Relate assignments and class projects to real life situations. A common complaint of students is "What good is learning this, I'll never use this again?". So as they say "Keep it Real". In today's world, with all sorts of technology available, computers, the Internet, U Tube and other forms of video that can be brought into the classroom, it's easier and easier to put some excitement into your lessons and project assignments and keep your students interested and motivated.
4. Implement a reward system. Teaching strategies that offer praise and involve a reward system have proved to be extremely beneficial in motivating students. Teaching in primary grades is quite different than in junior grades and the reward system and prizes will differ, but for example, points can be awarded for achieving different tasks and awards such as free time, parties, educational books or other simple prizes are great motivational tools. Just make sure that your students realize that the reward system is a reward for finishing a task not for just participating!
5. Classroom games and class meetings to discuss personal topics like hobbies are fabulous for motivating students and team building. It's amazing how it does wonders for students' self esteem and camaraderie. Games and team building activities may also attract the unmotivated students you have in your class.
6. Having students help with some of the many jobs that need to be done in the classroom, will not only make your life as a teacher easier but classroom jobs are also a great student motivational tool.
7. Classroom displays help to make your classroom a stimulating and motivating environment in which to learn! Displaying their work for others to see, motivates students to learn, work and produce good quality results. Remember too, that it is important that students play a important part in decorating the classroom. When students feel ownership of their classroom, it motivates them and creates a positive learning environment.
Two important thoughts to keep in mind as you finish reading this article. Always display care, concern and encouragement for your students, and never give up on any unmotivated students or they will give up on themselves.
Honey Krumholz has taught elementary school for 33 years. She is presently a college supervisor and mentor to student teachers. She presents seminars on teaching strategies at York University in Toronto. Visit her website and get her effective teaching strategies on a wide variety of topics, for example, different games for classroom motivation http://www.priceless-teaching-strategies.com/classroom_games.html
Saturday, 8 November 2008
The sounds of spoken Language
This site contains animated libraries of the phonetics sounds of English, German and Spanish. Available for each consonant and vowel is an animated articulatory diagram, a step-by-step decription, and video-audio of the sound spoken in context. It is intended for students of phonetics, linguistics and foreign language.
Click on the image to have a description of the different parts of the articulatory diagram.
Do you want to enlarge the interactive diagram of the articulatory anatomy?
Click on!!
Why don't you choose a language?
Click on!!
Click on the image to have a description of the different parts of the articulatory diagram.
Do you want to enlarge the interactive diagram of the articulatory anatomy?
Click on!!
Why don't you choose a language?
Click on!!
Saturday, 12 April 2008
English Only in the EFL Classroom: Worth the Hassle?
In considering the use of L1 (the learners mother tongue) in ELT (English Language Teaching) on the part of the teacher, one of the first assumptions is that the teacher has a sufficient command of the students L1 to be of value in the first place. Another assumption which may well impact this scenario is that all the learners in a class or group have the same L1. While these assumptions may often be the case in numerous EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching / learning settings, many times they are not. In the case of multi-cultural classes (i.e. in the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, India, etc.) where the learners have different L1s, or when the teacher does not have a working knowledge of the learners L1, a frequent occurrence in Asia, Africa and eastern Europe, applied L1 use in the EFL classroom is severely limited or may be rendered virtually impossible.Read On!!
Use of L1 in the Classroom
In my case, I'll talk about those instances where I do in fact use the learners L1 in my EFL classes. I have acquired a working knowledge of Spanish and all my university and independent students have Spanish as their L1. Although I'm against any substantial use of L1 in ESOL (the teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes, there are situations where its use is quite valuable. In addition, at early levels a ratio of about 5 per cent native language to about 95 per cent target language may be more profitable than the use of "English only". (Atkinson, 1987) On the first day of class with a new group, I explain to the learners that they are allowed to ask "How do you say ______ , in Spanish?" where the Spanish (L1) word or phrase is filled in the blank. This allows the students to get key vocabulary in their written or spoken expression while limiting their use of L1 in class.
When learners are stumped for abstract lexis, a word or phrase which cannot be easily elicited during the course of a lesson, I'll simply "give" them the word in Spanish to aid in continuing with the smooth flow of the lesson and not get "bogged down" in trying to come up with the elusive lexis by other means. When a student gives me production of incomprehensible language, i.e., I (nor the other learners) cannot decipher what the student is trying to say in English, I'll say "Tell me that in Spanish." Armed with this new understanding I (or one of the other learners) can then provide that learner with corrected, comprehensible forms which otherwise might elude both (or even all) of us.
During a written exam, I’ll also "give" the learners a word or phrase writing it on the board in English and / or Spanish to avoid extensive disruption of the test-taking process. Since I do not prepare the exams, new lexis can creep into readings, instructions or exercises. When a learner, and as additional learners, ask for meaning or explanation of the word(s), I'll simply point to the lexis on the board without speaking.
When playing communicative, TPR (Asher, 1966 and passim) or "fast-paced" vocabulary games such as a learner favorite called "STOP", I'll again provide a translation of new lexis to help develop the learners vocabulary. These could be lexis of places, names in English / Spanish, foods, animals or some verbs or use of the L1 in various code-switching activities. (Clandfield - Foord, 2003) This happens especially frequently when I need to explain why a particular word is incorrect or cannot be used.
L1 Use with LEP Learners
One additional instance when I switch to Spanish is when I must talk to LEP (Limited English Proficiency) learners about important administrative matters or procedures for which they do not have the necessary depth of vocabulary to understand. The importance of the material and their need to understand it outweigh the adherence of sticking to "English only" which is my "standard operating procedure" in the classroom. This is especially true in my case with groups of learners with less than about 250 contact hours of English which is equivalent to third semester or less. Note: Atkinson (1987 and passim) states 150 hours or less (second semester) for this stage although I have found it often extends into an additional semester.
On occasion, students will bring in a song or lyrics, usually Rock or Pop music, and ask the meaning of a word, phrase, expression or sometimes even the title. In providing the requested explanation (when I can), I use comparisons and / or translations into Spanish as often as is necessary. The same may occur with dialogue from popular films, movies and videos produced for native speakers of English. In rare instances, a cassette recording of a radio broadcast or book-on-tape has made its way into my classroom for the same reasons.
A final common instance in my use of L1 in the classroom is with learners in "repeat" or "remedial" classes of LEP learners. Since these learners have already demonstrated that the "traditional" teaching methods provided for in their course books is insufficient in teaching them the material. All these learners have failed the course at this level at least once, some twice or more. I subsequently use a series of alternative methodologies including translation and other types of input / feedback in the learners L1 to aid in the learning - acquisition process. These methods have, in fact, proved to be very successful. One reason may be that use of specially-targeted methodologies and altered classroom conditions help to lower the learners Affective Filters (Krashen - Terrell, 1983) and direct the new material and lexis to them in ways more compatible with their individual Multiple Intelligences and preferred learning styles (Gardner, 1983).
In conclusion I have stated that my use of L1 in the EFL classroom is minimal and should not exceed a ratio of more than 5% of the L1 to 95% of the target language. Key EFL classroom situations in which L1 can be utilized include:
• requesting new lexis
• explaining abstract terms
• to aid in the generation of comprehensible input / production
• during exams and other high-stress situations
• to maintain the flow of dynamic activities
• to explain idioms and expressions in songs, movies and videos
• giving information / instructions to LEP learners
• in adapting materials to the special needs of the learners
While the use of the learners L1 should be strictly controlled, it is plausible to make accurate use of it in activities to promote learning and acquisition. Ongoing language acquisition research and in-class practice supports that use of L1 should not be prohibited for its own sake, but allowed occasionally as an additional tool in the repertoire of the teacher and the learners as conditions warrant.
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Welcome to the Internet Grammar of English!
The Internet Grammar of English is an on-line course in English grammar written primarily for university undergraduates. However, we hope that it will be useful to everyone who is interested in the English language. IGE does not assume any prior knowledge of grammar.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Type IPA phonetic symbols online!!
This page allows you to easily type phonetic transcriptions of English words in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). You can edit your text in the box and then copy it to your e-mail application, word processor, etc.
If you can't see phonetic symbols on this page, you must install a Unicode font with IPA symbols.
Warning: The full set of characters is available only in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher for Windows.
READ ON!!
The editor allows you to type pronunciations of English words as they appear in English dictionaries.
- After you copy text from the above box and paste it into your word processor or e-mail message, make sure you choose a Unicode font with IPA symbols in your word processor or e-mail application. Otherwise, phonetic symbols will not display correctly.
- A few rarely used symbols, such as the "flap t" symbol (the letter t with a small "v" underneath) or the syllabic l and n (l or n with a small vertical line underneath) are missing because they are not rendered correctly by presently available browsers.
- The goal of the editor is to provide a way to enter IPA-based phonemic transcriptions, therefore more arcane symbols used in "narrow" transcriptions are not included.
- The underline can be used as an alternative to the apostrophe (') to mark the stressed syllable.
- Ctrl+Z is used to type ʒ. To Undo, right-click in the text box and choose "Undo".
- For help with transcribing, refer to Antimoon's table with IPA phonetic symbols, example words, and recordings (make sure you read the footnotes).
- In addition to the symbols shown in the table, the editor provides two extra symbols:
- The ɪ (italicized ɪ) can be used to indicate that either ɪ or ə can be pronounced, as in possible.
- The ʊ (italicized ʊ) can be used to indicate that either ʊ or ə can be pronounced, as in education.
You can also italicize any part of the text by clicking the appropriate button.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Fast and Easy Bibliography Maker!
Welcome to BibMe! The fully automatic bibliography maker that auto-fills. It's the easiest way to build a works cited page. And it's free.
 | Search for a book, article, website, or film, or enter the information yourself. |
 | Add it to your bibliography. |
 | Download your bibliography in either the MLA, APA, Chicago, or Turabian formats and include it in your paper. It's that easy! |
Let them know about this site and help make the world a happier place... or at least a better formatted one.
GO to the SITE NOW!
Thursday, 20 March 2008
ESL Error Correction Techniques
This is a video about Error correction techniques that a teacher uses in his ESL/EFL (English as a Second Language / English as a Foreign Language) classroom. Enjoy it!
Online practice tests help prepare for exams
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READ ON!!
Online practice gives students:
| » | The ability to save answers and continue later. | |||||
| » | Instant access to:
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| » | A chance to build their confidence for the real exam. | |||||
| » | Practice for the PET, FCE, CAE and IELTS exams.
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See the website in action
 | Go to www.oxfordenglishtesting.com |
| Or view the online brochure and teacher demo for more information for teachers. |
Oxford University Press
P.S. Students who prepare with Oxford get automatic access to test(s) via the MultiROM in the Workbook Resource Packs for FCE Result, CAE Result, PET Masterclass and FCE Masterclass, and the Student's Book for IELTS Masterclass.
Inglés para Hotelería, Turismo y Gastronomía 2008
Inglés
para
Hotelería, Turismo y Gastronomía
nivel 1 (básico) y nivel 2 (avanzado)
El Proyecto Idiomas de la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (UNaM) lanza por segundo año su propuesta destinada a estudiantes de turismo, gastronomía y hotelería, recepcionistas, mozos, agentes de viaje y todas aquellas personas que necesiten comunicarse con turistas extranjeros a través del inglés.
READ ON!!
| El ámbito del turismo exige invariablemente un manejo efectivo del inglés, ya que el mismo constituye para la sociedad actual una lengua común a través de la cual hablantes de distintos idiomas logran comunicarse entre sí. Basta con observar los crecientes índices de afluencia turística desde Norteamérica, Europa, Australia y otros continentes a nuestra provincia para apreciar la demanda de instrucción formal en idioma inglés orientado específicamente a la atención del turista extranjero. | | ||
| Esta es la razón por la cual se ofrece a estudiantes y empleados del área hotelera, gastronómica y turística un espacio donde podrán encontrar una respuesta concreta a sus necesidades comunicativas insatisfechas. Las funciones lingüísticas exigidas a empleados y estudiantes de éstas áreas que el curso "Inglés para Hotelería, Turismo y Gastronomía" tiene como objetivo proveer incluyen:
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| | Para mayor información, los interesados pueden dirigirse a la sede del Proyecto Idiomas en Félix de Azara 2360, entre Salta y Tucumán (Posadas), o al teléfono (03752) 422053 de lunes a viernes de 8 a 12 y de 16 a 22 hs; o bien pueden escribir por correro electrónico a proyectoidiomas@gmail.com | ||
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