Category Archives: Great Ideas for Teaching Language Skills
Checklists for Teaching Writing in Low-Level ESOL Classes
Teacher’s Checklist PRE-WRITE ü a. Have students practiced the language necessary to complete the writing task? b. Have students thought/talked about what they are going to write? WRITE ü c. Is there a model of the format? (letter, paragraph, sentences) d. Is there model language students can refer …
The Multilevel Teacher: Creating a Common Classroom Experience
As educators, we know how to differentiate instruction one student at a time, but how do we differentiate instruction for a whole classroom of students at once? And how do we maintain cohesion in a classroom with so many moving parts? A Common Classroom Experience In our digital age, the classroom presents a unique opportunity …
Activating that Meta-Muscle: Activities for Noticing Errors
I recently received this query: “I know self-monitoring by students is important for [confronting fossilized errors], but–aside from “Correct the Errors” activities, I can’t find any tips on how to promote self-monitoring. “ – J. Weiss Indeed, recent research in Adult ESOL Literacy confirms what many of us have suspected. Literacy seems …
Fun Vocabulary Review Game –and a Brain Game, too
Yesterday, in our last class of the semester, we played a really fun and simple vocabulary game. It was a great hit for the students and all the other staff who came by to join the laughter. 1. Assign a topic you studied in class and provide a list of beginning letters. Here are a …
Eight Great Reading Fluency Activities
According to the National Reading Panel, the four components of reading are: comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and alphabetics. As ESOL teachers we know how to teach vocabulary and comprehension, but fluency and alphabetics are terra incognita. So here, I introduce four classics and four more contemporary activities that focus on specific skill development in reading …
What to Do with a Word List
At TESOL International in Philadelphia, I gave a brief presentation on how to get students to learn words on word lists. Here is a summary: Students make FLASHCARDS. vOn one side of the card students print the word. vOn the other side of the card, they provide o a definition -drawing, translation, dictionary definition, …
The Multisensory Checklist for Teaching Language
Here is a list I wrote to remind myself of the many modalities I can use in my class. Instructions: Just think back to your last week or two of teaching and check the boxes off. (To maximize this exercise, do it at regular intervals for several weeks.) Don’t expect to check all the boxes. …
Let’s Get Physical: Teaching Pronunciation
For pronunciation, I take a physical and playful approach. Many of my students are from Central America. They are reserved and find the expressive movements necessary for pronouncing American English quite embarrassing. I try to keep our pronunciation practice playful. As we practice, I make silly faces and try to get them to mobilize their …
Multilevel Dictation Handout
This is a handout a collegue, John Antonellis, created to use with dictations in his class.
12 Ways to Teach Vocabulary
The standard approach to learning a new vocabulary item is to define the word, practice pronouncing it, and using it in a written sentence. But words have many more dimensions! We learn and remember words by context, by collocation, by sound, by spelling, even by movement. Here is a list of the many ways teachers …
