Tag Archives: Self-directed Learning
Semester Start Up: Time to Study!
Many of our adult learners haven’t developed effective study habits, and yet, we know a student’s ability to study largely determines his or her educational success. So how do we get our students to develop effective study habits? The Class Conversation Start by asking students about their study habits. You may be …
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 …
Building Better Learners: The Teacher’s Worksheet
These are questions to consider as you plan your class for the next academic year. Any of these questions would serve as an interesting staff development conversation. Setting Goals · What are my students’ goals in coming to English class? · How do I find out about their goals? · How do I model goal …
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, …
Pause and Reflect: A Simple Way to Increase Student Learning
In the rush to pack classes with exciting activities, time for review and reflection often gets squeezed out. But those rare quiet moments are essential to effective learning. They allow students to consolidate their learning, commit new information to memory, assess their understanding, and identify areas for more practice. The basic ingredients to a …
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 …
Delegating Responsibility: Classroom Jobs
As you plan for the new school year, consider setting up a system of classroom jobs for students. The benefits are plentiful. By taking on specific responsibilities for their classroom, students practice new skills in communication and leadership. They also develop a strong sense of co-responsibility for their learning community and they usually improve their …
Study Skills: Navigating a Textbook
To become independent learners, students need to understand where learning resources are located. Here are some tips for orienting students to resources in their textbooks and encouraging them to study on their own.
