The WESOL News Report

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Best Practices, Pronunciation

Recently I was in Florida visiting adult education programs. At Westside Tech of Orange County Schools, in Orlando, I met Maria Wells, an outstanding teacher with a bevy of creative ideas. This one was my favorite.

The WESOL News Report

In every class Ms. Wells randomly calls on a student to orally report on a news event of his or her choosing. The student must be able to answer the classic news-report questions (who, what, where, when, why, and how) as well as cite the source. She calls it the WESOL News Report!

This activity gets students to regularly read  informational text, practice their speaking skills, and develop their media literacy. The random assignation keeps them all on alert and reading up on news events every class day.

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Teaching Critical Thinking with Very Short Videos

How can we teach English and also develop these critical thinking skills?  A technique I’ve found to be effective is using video vignettes in the classroom. You can exploit a short (1-2 minute) video vignette of a social or workplace encounter for many levels of learning and skill development.

The Key to Using Video Vignettes:  Multiple Viewings
Once you have chosen an appropriate video, you can show the video multiple times for different outcomes.  Each time, focus on a particular aspect of the video and follow the viewing with classroom activities to develop students’ language and critical thinking skills.

1.  Focus on Content     

Develop these skills: comprehending language in context; summarizing; reporting information; and evaluating information.

Classroom activities:

• Answer comprehension questions, wh-questions, and true/false statements based on the video content.
• Listen for details to identify who says what or complete closes.
• Create activities around disappearing dialogs, retelling the information in the conversation, and reenacting or reconstructing the conversation.

2.  Focus on Language    

Develop these skills: grammar, vocabulary, intonation, and pronunciation.

Classroom activities:

• Identify the language point (listen for it or highlight it in the video script).
• Practice the language point (with cloze activities; substitution drills; pair read-alouds; dictations; audio-recording of student work).
• Apply the language point to new contexts (practice new conversations using  conversation frameworks and using language point in discussions).

3.  Focus on Pragmatics  

Develop these skills: making inferences; analyzing language usage; supporting generalizations with evidence; identifying conflict; and solving problems

Classroom activities:

• Listen for or highlight language in the video script.
• Generate and practice alternative language to accomplish same purpose.
• Perform role plays and problem solving scenarios.

4.  Focus on Social Communication 

Develop these skills: recognizing and using body language, register, and conversation cues to effectively communicate

Classroom activities:

• Perform and video-record role-plays.
• Analyze student videos for social communication.
• Write conversation exchanges.
• Apply similar communication styles to other contexts.

5.  Focus on Culture 

Develop these skills: recognizing workplace and social expectations and standards; making evidence-based generalizations using details; identifying cultural values and assumptions; and communicating on diverse teams

Classroom activities:

• Do Quick Writes to uncover cultural assumptions.
• Analyze language in video to support generalizations.
• Write formal paragraphs supporting a claim with evidence.
• Explain values in oral or poster-board presentations.
• Perform role plays and problem solving scenarios.

Eight Great Reading Fluency Activities

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Best Practices, Low-level ESOL, Self-directed Learning

 

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 fluency. 

 

Please note:  All fluency activities occur after students have read the text silently and demonstrated their comprehension.

 

The Classics:

1.   Read Along with a Teacher or a Recording

What:   Students read along silently as they listen to the teacher or a recording of the text. 

Why:  Models fluency, expressive intonation and phrasing, and accurate pronunciation. 

 

2.   Echo reading

What:  The teacher reads a phrase or sentence aloud and students repeat, imitating phrasing and intonation. To better hear their own voices, students can plug one ear.

Why:  Models accurate phrasing, intonation, and fluency.

 

3.  Choral reading

What:  The teacher and students read together in unison.

Why:  Provides support for weaker readers AND the whole class benefits from re-reading the text.

 

4.  Paired Reading

What: In pairs, students take turns reading and re-reading the same passage to each other. 

Why:  Provides fluency practice in a supportive partnership.

 

Fluency Activities for More Focused Skill Development:

5.  Mismatch Read Aloud

What:  This approach was developed by reading expert Thomas Stitch.  The teacher supplies students with a printed text and reads it aloud, occasionally substituting a different word for a word students see.  Students circle the mismatched words.   Note:  The teacher substitutes words close in meaning, for example: pink for red, or location for place. 

Why: Encourages fluency AND accurate decoding. 

 

6.  Timed Reading

What:  Students read the same text from the beginning in short bursts (1-3 minutes).  Students mark how far they get each time.  With multiple re-readings, students get further and further along in the text.

Why:  Encourages rapid reading, forces repetitive reading, builds automaticity in word recognition, and strengthens students’ confidence.  

 

7.  Recorded Reading

What:  Students record themselves reading a text.  They listen to themselves and record again until they are satisfied with their delivery. 

Extension:  The teacher listens to the student’s recording and marks errors in the printed text.  The teacher records a model of the marked words or phrases so that the student can listen and record again.

 

Why:  Encourages repetitive reading, builds accuracy, and requires students to self-assess.

 

8.   Performance reading

What:  In small groups, students prepare a performance of a poem, skit, story, or article.   Students divide the text up into sections and practice reading their parts aloud to each other. Then students perform for the class.

Why:  Provides a natural motivation for re-reading and lively expression. 

 

The Multisensory Checklist for Teaching Language

Tags

Best Practices, Differentiating Instruction, Learning Styles, Study Skills

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.    This is a self-observation tool.  The aim to help you become aware of the modalities you favor and the ones you avoid.  The real work is in trying to switch things up and use one of the un-checked modalities on this list.  

Did the students . . .
1.          look at illustrations or photographs?
2.          look at charts, graphs, or maps?
3.          read silently?
4.          read along as they listen to someone read aloud?
5.          read aloud to others?
6.          write in their notebooks?
7.          write on the board?
8.          trace words with their fingers?
9.          practice pronunciation chorally?
10.       practice pronunciation chorally with one ear plugged?
11.       practice pronunciation individually?
12.       use gestures, symbols,  or physical feedback to correct their pronunciation? (see Sarah’s blog “Let’s Get Physical:  Teaching Pronunciation”
13.       use movement or music to improve their intonation?
14.       study with flashcards?
15.       make their own flashcards?
16.       highlight or underline words in a text?
17.       write a vocabulary list?
18.       listen to the audio?
19.       listen to another student speaking English?
20.       listen for specific features:  stress, syllables, sounds, rhymes?
21.       work in small groups?
22.       work individually?
23.       work as a whole class on one question or assignment?
24.       work on a computer?
25.       use a dictionary or translating device?
26.       use a cell phone to show pictures?
27.       change seats?
28.       stand up in front of a group or the class?
29.       mime the meaning of a word or phrase?
30.       listen to relaxing music while doing individual work?
31.       listen to the words in a song?

 

Are there other modalities you use in your classroom that I didn’t list? Please share your ideas!

Other related posts:  http://wp.me/pMYto-2V

Let’s Get Physical: Teaching Pronunciation

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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 mouths.

Using Body and Face:

·         I teach the vocabulary: lips, teeth, tongue, throat, and jaw.

·         I ask students to look at my face when I model pronunciation.  I ask them to identify which parts of my face engage when I make various sounds (lips, jaw, tongue, teeth). 

·         We often do a few simple standing stretches before we settle into pronunciation practice (swinging arms, touching toes, twisting at the waist).  Just to loosen up and RELAX.

 

Physical and Visual Feedback

·         Students hold up thin strips of paper in front of their mouth to practice pronouncing the sounds that correspond to: p, ch, and initial t’s.  The paper should bend with the burst of air.

·         With their hands on throats, or ears plugged, students practice the (voiced) sounds that correspond to: z, th,v, b ,g, and d.  They should hear a deep vibration.

·         With hands on throats, or ears plugged, students practice the (unvoiced) sounds that correspond to : s, th,f, p ,k, and t.  They should hear no vibration at all.

·         Students look at their mouths in small hand held mirrors to see their tongue when they pronounce the unvoiced th of “thanks”.  They see their lips meet with m, p, and b.  They see their teeth on their lower lip when they say v and f.

Vowels

·         I establish the two axes along which vowels are formed in the mouth:  front –  middle – back  and high – low.

·         For feedback, I  repeat the sound students are making and then produce the target sound.  For example:

 Student: eet

Teacher:  You say eet.  I say it. 

                Is it, high or low?  Is it in the front, middle, or back?

 

What do you do to teach the pronunciation of English sounds?

Multilevel Dictation Handout

Tags

Best Practices, Differentiating Instruction

A Multilevel Dictation for Low and Intermediate Levels created by John Antonellis.

1. The teacher dictates key words one at a time.  Students write the words and then check their work.
2. The teacher dictates sentences with the key words.  Students orally repeat the sentences and write the number of words they hear.
3. Students write the sentence referring to the key word list as needed.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This handout has been adpated to fit blog formatting.

 

Part 1:  Listen and write the word you hear.

 

1. _____________       5. ______________   

 

2. _____________       6. _____________ 

 

3. _____________       7. _____________ 

 

4. _____________       8. _______________

             

Part 2:  Listen and write the sentences you hear.

 

How many words? _________

1.  ______________________________________________

 

How many words? _________

2.  ______________________________________________

 

How many words? _________

3.  _____________________________________________

 

How many words? _________

4.  ______________________________________________

 

How many words? _________

5.  _____________________________________________

 

 

More of My Posts about Multilevel Teaching

The Multilevel Teacher:  Creating a Common Classroom Experience http://wp.me/pMYto-b0

Conversation Cards:  A Warm-up Activity  http://wp.me/pMYto-8d

Mixing It Up!    http://wp.me/pMYto-3w

Building Better Learners:  The Teacher’s Worksheet  http://wp.me/pMYto-a8

Differentiating Instruction in a Multi-level Classroom  http://wp.me/pMYto-14

Working Across Levels in the Multi-level Classroom  http://wp.me/sMYto-61

Conversation Cards: A Warm-up Activity

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Warm-up Activities

Questions are the springboard for most conversations in English, whether they be “What do you do?”  “Are you from around here?”  or “How was your day?”  These questions are a great way to open or extend a conversation.  In my low-level English class we practice and recycle these questions regularly.  Here’s how:

Conversation Cards

1. At the end of every class I write any new questions we practiced  that day on cards- one question per card.
2. At the beginning of the following class , I  place piles of the cards facedown on tabletops around the room.
3. As students come in, they meet in pairs  and take turns picking up a card and asking their partner the question.
4. The activity lasts about 5 minutes.

Notes:

• The piles of cards grow over time.  If you have open enrollment, change the color of the cards occasionally so you can easily sort out old questions.
• Students can also write these questions for their own set of cards.
• This is a great way to absorb  late-comers without disruption, as they can quickly join any group and take a turn without direction or transition.

Sample questions:

• What do you do?
• Where do you work?
• Where are you from?
• How was your day?
• How was your week-end?
• What are your plans for the week-end?
• Do you have family here?
• Where do you work?
• How’s the family?

More Posts about Multilevel Teaching

The Multilevel Teacher:  Creating a Common Classroom Experience http://wp.me/pMYto-b0

Multilevel Dictation Handout  http://wp.me/pMYto-8z

Conversation Cards:  A Warm-up Activity  http://wp.me/pMYto-8d

Mixing It Up!    http://wp.me/pMYto-3w

Building Better Learners:  The Teacher’s Worksheet  http://wp.me/pMYto-a8

Language for Working in Teams

Tags

21st Century Skills, Best Practices, Workplace Skills

Take turns Go ahead. You go first. It’s my turn.	Talk about procedure What do we need to do? What’s first? Now, we need to . . .
Ask for  repetition Excuse me? Could you repeat that, please?	Ask for clarification What do you mean? Tell me more. Really?  In what ways?
Invite your  partner to speak How about you? What do you think? What do you have for number X?	Show interest Really? Uh-huh. Wow!
Make suggestions Let’s . . . Maybe we can . . What if we . . ..	Express  Appreciation Thank you. I really appreciate it. It was nice working with you.

Telling and Retelling: Practice Makes Perfect

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Study Skills

Of course, we are not aiming for perfection.  We’re aiming for mastery, and practice is the road to mastery. So why don’t we give our students lots of opportunities to practice?  We have pressure on our class time.  Also, as a colleague once wisely said, “Students love to practice.  It’s the teacher who gets bored.” 

Here are two activities that give students that essential chance to practice the material, yet again.   

Conversation Cards

In every unit, students learn to ask and answer questions.  Many of these are good conversation questions.  For example, in a unit on clothes, some conversation questions may be What is your favorite color?  Where do you shop for clothes?  In a unit on weather, some good conversation questions are:  What’s the weather like in your home country?  Which season do you like best?  Why?  Do you like winter?  Why or why not?

1.  At the end of each class, I write down any new conversation questions on file cards. 

2.  At the beginning of the next class, I give student a few randomly selected conversation cards.   They sit with another student and ask and answer the questions.  As the semester moves forward, we collect more and more Conversation Cards which we recycle every class. 

Hot Seat Monologues

Here is a great activity from my colleague, ELEANOR STAFFORD.   It gives students ample opportunity to practice their speaking and listening skills.  Eleanor does this activity in her low level ESOL class but it works for all levels. 

1.  The teacher assigns students a topic, oftentimes from a book of simple surveys for English Language Learners.   Students write complete narratives, or words/phrases for homework.  Alternatively, students may suggest a topic they’d like to explore.  In the following few classes, each student goes to the front of the class and sits in the “hot seat”–without his/her text.

 2.  Once in the hot seat, the student volunteer gives a monologue on the topic for 1-3 minutes, depending on the level of the class. (The length of the monologues usually increases over the year.)  The other students must listen only, without writing. They do not ask questions. 

 3.  At the end of the allotted time period, a timekeeper says “Stop!” and the speaker must stop wherever s/he is. Having a finite period of time in which to speak gives students a goal to reach for, as well as a feeling of safety that they will not be expected to speak indefinitely.

 4.  Once the student has completed his/her hot seat monologue, the other students and the teacher write down everything they remember on a piece of lined paper.

 5.  The teacher gives a one-two paragraph write-up to the student, which serves to validate that the student communicated effectively.

 6.  The teacher collects the other students’ write-ups and writes comments on them–supplying missinmg  information and correcting inaccuracies–but more importantly, validating that they comprehended much of what was said and were able to record it in English.  The teacher does not correct grammar or spelling in these write-ups, as the Hot Seat Monologue is primarily a speaking and listening exercise.  Some students may write only lists of words or phrases while others may write complete narratives.

 Just a portion of each class is devoted to the Hot Seat Monologue. With a class of 12 students, all students are able to deliver their monologues in 3-4 classes.

What activities do YOU use for speaking practice?