When a new class starts, I usually question how much time is needed to teach second language acquisition methodology. I’ve noticed a lot of students have very poor study habits and really do not understand how a language is acquired. Some students think that if they take one English class they should be fluent by the end of the course! I put together this slide to introduce students to language acquisition and to nullify the […]
Personal Shields
This I typically assign as homework the first day of class. I show examples from previous student work, and encourage them to be as creative as they want. The second day of class they get in groups of four and try to mix the nationalities as best I can, and they share their personal shields with each other. The noise level always increases immediately. After they have time to get acquainted with this new material, […]
Learning a Second Language Article with Questions
After students have been introduced to annotating articles with highlighting, asking questions, and writing symbols and comments, this I used in my upper beginning class to reinforce those skills. This reinforces different ways they can increase their own styles of learning the new language. Their comments were extremely positive about what they might try after having read this. >>Learning a Second Language Article<<
My Bonnie Song and Engergizer
Having staffed leadership conferences for many years, this was always my favorite “go to” if I felt everyone needed some extra energy. It also works well at the beginning of class, or to refocus after some challenging classwork. I explain the background of the song, and explain who Bonnie might be. They are always terrible the first attempt, but there’s lots of laughter and astonishment. We try it again, and go even faster once they […]
Campus Online Scavenger Hunt
This I assigned as homework at the beginning of the semester to have students search the campus website to discover services available to them that they might not be aware of. Although this is what we used here at Sierra College, I’m looking forward to creating one for Woodland Community College. It will be similar. >>Scavenger Hunt<<
Past Tense Regular Verb Pronunciation Activity
Pronunciation of the regular verbs for beginning and intermediate students is always challenging. I created this kinesthetic lesson to provide students a challenging problem solving activity which is easy to correct. I begin with putting the heading of “t”, “d”, and “id” on the whiteboard, and then ask them to tell me which is the final sound as I pronounce a number of different verbs. They tell me. After we have quite a list under […]
ESL 105 Final Exam Scoring Rubric
Currently our highest level ESL class is ESL 105, Pre-Collegiate Composition / Reading. Until recently ESL 105 fell under the umbrella of the WCC English Department. In preparation for the Final Exam students were provided with expectations for grading. A score of 4 was the highest possible. A score of 4 or 3 was passing and a score of 2 or 1 was not passing. At that time English 105 and ESL 105 Final Exams […]
Timed Writing
In my ESL 282A, Fundamentals of Composition class, I use the Longman Academic Writing Series, Level 2, Paragraphs text by Ann Hogue. This Pearson book at the end of each chapter has a Timed Writing section that helps students get ready for future classes. Since many intend to get into the English Department’s sequence leading to 1A, this is an excellent way to accustom them to the pressures of testing in class. They have 30 […]
Student Information
This handout helps the instructor to gauge if a student is in the correct level. At our school, Woodland Community College, we have four levels of integrated skills on Saturdays. Students often self-place themselves into a level that is either too high or too low. This simple diagnostic tool helps the teacher to determine if a student should be advised to move up or down. Handout: >>ESL. STUDENT INFORMATION<<
Hold Your Horses
Students are introduced to common idioms such as in one ear and out the other, butterflies in my stomach, and hold your horses. Exercises in the text check for understanding and also ask the students if the idioms ever applied to their lives. They can give written and / or oral responses. The resource is the text Hold Your Horses by Myra Shulman Auslin in the Dormac Idiom Series.