Children Course E-Book
Children Course E-Book
Submission Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Assignments 1-5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Getting Creative in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
TESOL Age Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Assignments 6-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Overview of Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Assignments 9-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Learning Styles for Different Intelligence Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Assignments 12-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Discipline in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Assignments 14-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Teaching Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Assignments 16-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lesson Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Class Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Teacher Resources on the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Assignment 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Submission Guidelines
Assignments are to be submitted and graded according to the following guidelines:
Grading Schedule
Assignments are graded on the next business day from when they are received. Sunday
will be the only day that work will not be graded. Therefore, all assignments submitted
on Saturday and Sunday (EST) will be graded and reviewed on Monday. All major
holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day will be the exception.
Grades
One half of a point is deducted for misspelled words.
Major grammatical errors will result in three deducted points.
Any average above 70 is considered a passing grade.
Your exact score for this course will not be reflected on the certificate.
Resubmission
Work may be resubmitted one time.
English Competency
Students must demonstrate fluency in English in their answers. As stated on our website,
American TESOL recommends that non-native English speakers have a 550 TOEFL
score (220 CBT) or an IELTS score of 6.0 to enable them to successfully complete an
online or in-class American TESOL certification.
Note:
We always recommend that you use a backup source to save your
assignments for protection in cases of computer or internet malfunctions.
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These assignments go along with the Teaching English to Children textbook which you
will receive by mail.
Instructor:
Name:
Class: 60-hour TESOL Course
Date:
_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Describe the characteristics of your 3 most influential teachers throughout childhood.
________________________________________________________________________
What are the acronyms for TESOL, SLA, L1 and L2?
________________________________________________________________________
2. What is “telegraphic speech?”
________________________________________________________________________
3. Name five different types of gross motor skills not mentioned in the text.
Do the same for fine motor skills.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Which type of music and movies would you like to introduce to children
of other cultures? Why?
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________________________________________________________________________
5. Name and describe one exercise that can be utilized for learning English
involving Science, Math, and Social Studies separately. (The answer should
contain three different exercises.)
For those students who move to the United States from other parts of the world,
there are ESL (English as a Second Language) programs available in public and private
schools. Teachers are trained to work with students at many different levels of
development. One of the main goals of ESL education is to help students develop
confidence in their verbal and written skills. Rather than feeling isolated by a language
barrier, students involved in ESL education programs tend to develop a sense of
community in a rather short period of time.
In recent times, teachers have become rather creative in their ESL lesson plans.
Rather than boring students with traditional spelling tests, grammar quizzes and
essay writing assignments, teachers are using music, art and even theater to
relate lesson plans to students from all over the world. One ESL
teacher provides her class with refrigerator magnets featuring English
words and lets the students create poetry with them.
One of the most popular teaching tools for young ESL students is a list of
commonly used words called "Dolch sight words." These words appear in more
than 50 percent of the children’s books on the market today. Many lesson plans
incorporate the use of these words in creative ways. These lesson plans help
students learn to recognize popular words by sight develop a rudimentary English
vocabulary.
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example, the child would say “cat gone” in place of “the cat is gone.”
Age 5
The attention span and memory of this group expands dramatically.
Newly increased logical abilities lay the groundwork for classification
and discrimination. “Learning to Learn” is the key.
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________________________________________________________________________
7. What is “comprehensible input”? What is “comprehensible output”? How are
they similar? How are they different?
________________________________________________________________________
8. Are children of bilingual households at a disadvantage? Why or why
not?
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The Speech Emergence Stage
Lasting in duration up to nearly twice as long as the Early Production Stage, students can
now communicate about three thousand words. The learner is able to answer
questions in complete sentences and is no longer intimidated by the second
language. It is important for the teacher to relay the correct answer when the
child makes a grammatical or usage mistake. For example, when the student
says, “I go to park,” the teacher replies “Oh! You want to go to the park!” The
student gets the correct idea without the embarrassment of an overt correction.
Intermediate Fluency
This stage encompasses about the same amount of time as the previous one. Fluency is
Enhanced, and the learner’s mental lexicon doubles. Complicated statements, dialogues
and questions are now much easier to grasp. It is important for the students to, on their
own, be able to negotiate the means by which they are to express themselves coherently.
The work of Krashen had been broadened by the collaboration between Merrill K.
Swain and Sharon Lapkin with the creation of the theory of “Comprehensible
Output.” It differs from “Comprehensible Input” which is the contextual cut
above what the learner has already established. This goes to prove that we can only
understand that which is paralinguistically comprehended. On the other
hand, research has proven that if teachers provide the students with
opportunities to produce “comprehensible output,” learners can then best
achieve their fluency through their modification of their own successes of the
target language (Swain and Lapkin 1995). Opportunities for practical analysis of
“comprehensible output” involving the target language can be created by the many
connections made by group applications. Popular ways of achieving this are through
using chants, song and dialogue. In the case of dialogue, the teacher would begin by first
asking yes and no questions, and then eventually move on to questions involving more
advanced answers.
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Bilingualism
In the past, researchers have warned against a certain possibility that could
occur when working with a group of non-native speakers. There is always the
tendency for students, while learning a second language, to illicit words in their
own shared native tongue. A recent study by Shehadeh recognizes that group
work can be completed successfully without the usage of shared background
languages. Three subjects did successfully converse completely in English
without resorting to their mother tongue of Arabic.
The “Two Balloon Theory,” also known as the “Separate Underlying Proficiency,”
is the traditional school of thought that says that the original native language
and the nonnative language evolve distantly and independently of each other.
But new formulations of this data have emerged that say the evidence supports
otherwise. Hence, during the addition of bilingual education, students in the
early stages of learning need not choose between furthering their first language
and acquiring the second. In fact in bilingual households, children gain fluency in both
languages by the ages of 3 or 4, even though they are impaired at first to reach the
milestones of monolingual children.
Jim Cummins, a well-known Canadian linguist, suggests that the concept is now closer to
what is commonly called a “common underlying proficiency.” The Common Underlying
Proficiency says that the two languages are stored in the same area of the brain. The
languages do not work independently. For example, imagine two icebergs. The icebergs
are separate above the surface - that is, two languages are visibly different in outward
conversation. Beneath the surface, though, it can be found that they are connected. So
the two languages do not function separately. They both share the same “central
processing unit” through which the two languages work.
Learning either language can promote the development of the proficiency underlying
both languages with the understanding that the basic conditions for learning to take place
are present. Students must have motivation and exposure to both languages, either at
school or in the home.
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________________________________________________________________________
10. Describe a classroom activity for each of the intelligence types.
________________________________________________________________________
11. Name and describe an intelligence type that was not named and
described by Howard Gardner.
Verbal/Linguistic
Learners
• Are excellent speakers and listeners
• Understand the meanings behind the various tones and influxes
of the human voice
• Work best through lectures, recordings and discussions.
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Mathematical/Logical
Learners
• Have elevated abilities for problem solving
• Understand complex formulations
• Work best through classifications and scientific thinking
Bodily/Kinesthetic
Learners
• Are oriented to physical touch
• Understand sensory material from hands-on experience
• Work best through expression of movement
Interpersonal
Learners
• Are sociable “people persons”
• Understand the workings of group psychology and are often the
leaders
• Work best through corroborating and organizing groups
Intrapersonal
Learners
• Are reflective and independent thinkers
• Understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Work best through self-evaluations and individually paced
projects
Musical/Rhythmic
Learners
• Are highly responsive to auditory stimuli
• Understand the rhythm and structure of music
• Work best while listening to music
Naturalist
Learners
• Recognize the power of nature
• Understand biological studies
• Work best through “show and tell” and field trips
Visual
Learners seek out pictures, charts, videos, diagrams and handouts. They thrive when
they sit in the front of the class so that they can examine the body language of
the teacher.
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Auditory
Learners seek out discussions, reading aloud and verbal directions. They benefit
from recorded lectures.
Tactile-Kinesthetic
Learners seek out expressive activities. They greatly benefit from the Total Physical
Response method.
________________________________________________________________________
12. How do discipline methods change and evolve for each age group?
________________________________________________________________________
13. What do you think is the most important rule for discipline that is not
mentioned in the above text?
Some basic principles will help teachers effectively discipline students. For example, if a
child misbehaves, the teacher must not argue with the child. It is best to simply remove
him or her from classmates and have the child sit in a “time out” chair or read a book in
the corner. A misbehaving child is often a frustrated child, so be sure to give him or her
lots of choices. Kindness and firmness is the winning combination.
To encourage good behavior, teachers must use lots of positive feedback. It is important
to give rewards for good behavior, but these should be non-sugar gifts. In addition, if
teachers bring other items into the classroom, they must be mindful of what type of items
they choose because children by nature are extremely curious and love to touch things.
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Knowing who the students are is also key to maintaining order in the classroom.
Teachers should keep a list of children’s names handy at all times. When a notable
event comes up, it would be good to write it down so as to have points of discussion for
progress reports. Not only is this handy for disruptive behavior, but also it can be used for
positive progressions throughout the year.
________________________________________________________________________
14. Name and describe three ways that you can create a safe and shameless learning
environment for each of the learning methods.
________________________________________________________________________
15. In your own words describe five approaches to TESOL.
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TEACHING APPROACHES
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Rassias Method
"The understanding of other cultural traditions begins with language. Dartmouth
Professor John Rassias’ high-powered language drills reveal the values of foreign
cultures more tellingly than a dozen weight treatises. It would be easier for all of us to
continue insisting that the rest of the world learn English. But such complacency has
already placed Americans at a serious disadvantage in the international marketplace... We
isolate ourselves from a wide range of opportunities - diplomatic, economic, and cultural"
(Freedman, 1990).
A former Peace Corps volunteer, Professor John Rassias developed over 50 techniques to
ensure a natural, non-competitive method of TESOL. This includes a highly motivated
atmosphere for learning through capturing students’ attention and fostering a sense of
freely flowing expression from the very first day. Teachers will engage learning by
dramatic plays followed by discussions. One case in point would be to demonstrate a
storm by a fan blowing over a set-up of a mock neighborhood.
The object of this method is to introduce the learner to dynamic usage of the target
language in a relatively short amount of time. Teachers are encouraged to always start off
the learning period with deep breathing exercises to inhibit nervousness and to create a
nurturing environment where students do not fear making mistakes. A good way to do
this is by arranging the class in a circle so that everyone feels equal. In fact, the teacher
can direct while the students take center stage where they essentially respond to the
material within a noncompetitive setting that simulates real-life situations.
Repetition by using the Rassias method is a positive method for memorization. Also,
attention getting devices are utilized while engaging the learner to recognize the personal
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aspects of the learned vocabulary. The method includes encouragement of the class to
shout out vocabulary words. The classroom dramatic techniques include about fifty
theatrical strategies that evoke the class to repeat the words at least sixty times within a
fifty-minute time frame. As in the tradition of TPR (Total Physical Response), the
methodology is effective for learning because the senses are engaged through physical
movements.
Each student’s progress is monitored daily to ensure that inhibitions are eventually
eliminated completely to create confidence building in the classroom. Positive
suggestions are used rather than criticism.
Total Physical Response works like this: Teachers model the physical response
so that students catch on to the explicit meaning of the vocabulary word. The
student, in turn, begins to use these words with other students. This is the
beginning of a stress-free, high-retention learning situation for young children,
teenagers and kinesthetic learners alike. TPR is also useful for abstract
vocabulary when flashcards are employed as part of the SLA process.
The teacher will ahead of time have the word pasted on the board. The teacher
will then call out the word for review. The students are then actively involved in the
action of searching and “re-cognizing” the word which is on the board.
Blaine Ray made the contribution of TPRS which is Total Physical Response
Storytelling. In TPRS, repetition of key vocabulary and structure are exaggerated
through personalized mini-stories. Visuals are great for illustrating concepts,
especially key words. The students can even act out the material to help them
remember words and meanings. Students can actually visualize a scene that would be too
difficult to act out and use gestures and draw vocabulary whenever possible.
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with more details and different perspectives. The more advanced students can answer
written questions about the story. Writing enables effective communication, thinking
skills and problem solving.
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Content-Centered Language Learning
Cooperative Learning
Students work in groups consisting of multi-level English speakers. Teachers should
pair an English-proficient student with another student who may be more challenged.
This is called peer tutoring and is excellent for breaking down the barriers of effective
communication.
Experiential Learning
Critical thinking and study skills are emphasized to extend language learning.
This type of acquisition demands active participation from students through the
performance of tasks rather than merely reading about them.
Whole-Language Learning
Students learn better from a holistic perspective that involves the entire language.
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Graphic Organizers
Students organize information gathered from written or spoken reports, maps, graphs,
diagrams and charts. Reading comprehension skills and oral communication are
improved.
Lexical Method
This philosophy, based on the research of Michael Lewis, holds that learning
occurs through the development of words and word combinations. It views language
acquisition through a more varied approach than traditional grammar based methods
which involve learning perceived patterns of language. Grammatical acquisition has
always been looked upon as crucial cornerstone of language excellence. Instead, through
lexis, meaning words or phrases, the lexical approach of language can be taught through
commonly occurring, fixed expressions from everyday speech.
Whole-Language Approach
Whole language is a phenomenon that has been difficult to describe, particularly because
many of its advocates have somewhat divergent perspectives about the core content of
this instructional approach. Several strands run through most iterations of whole
language:
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Communicative Approach
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Audiolingual Method
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Natural Approach
Art/Musical Approach
This is where the students learn songs. Utilizing both sides of the brain, it is a
great key to learning another language. Art is used to draw pictures of new
words that students are learning, or to create stories about pictures.
Example: “Xin Xin” is Mandarin for “heart.” The two first letters “Xi” are
pronounced like the “sh” in “she” in English with the tongue touching the top of
the mouth. The “n” comes from the back of the mouth in a humming manner.
Students can write and say this word 20 times. The result is a formation of a new neural
pathway, with memorization of a Mandarin word.
Vocabulary Approach
At the beginning of every class, the teacher would introduce five new words. As time
progresses, it is good to set in motion each class with a warm up of the five words from
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the previous class. These words can then be integrated into other methods. One
illustration for teaching such things as directions might be a walk throughout the school.
When the teacher makes a left turn, he or she would hold up the vocabulary sign for
“left” and have the students memorize it.
________________________________________________________________________
16. Create 5 lesson plans for children (using your
textbook as a guide). Lesson Plan 1
________________________________________________________________________
17. Lesson Plan 2
________________________________________________________________________
18. Lesson Plan 3
________________________________________________________________________
19. Lesson Plan 4
________________________________________________________________________
20. Lesson Plan 5
________________________________________________________________________
21. Create a template for a lesson plan of your own, using flashcards,
art and music.
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LESSON PLANNING
Every lesson should include a warm-up of previously learned material, five new words or
phrases for the students to learn, and an overview of the lesson in which the teacher
answers any questions. The continuation of lesson topics builds a foundation of the
English language for TESOL students to utilize in the real world.
Proficiency Level
What level are the students practicing on? If they are all on different levels, then finding a
common ground for advancement in learning on all levels will be necessary.
Skill Objectives
What skills should be focused on? These include the basics of what people unknowingly
do each day, thus sharpening communicative skills.
Methodology
Which one of the methods is necessary? These may or may not include any/or all of the
following: Direct-Based Approach/Communicative, Grammar/Memorization Speech,
Vocabulary, Rassias or Musical/Art.
Introduction to Teaching Objectives: (2-3 minutes) Here the students will get to
know the activities and expectations of the day. This is the best time to introduce
attention-getters such as short games.
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Review/Out-of-Class Assignments: (10 minutes) The content of the day is
relearned and discussed, possibly with an introduction of the next lesson and
how it relates to make up a cohesive unit with earlier instruction. Now is the time
to introduce the expected skills of the assignment to be due on the continuation
of the class. Lastly, previously dated assignments are returned and can be corrected
before or during class. There is always the good old-fashioned way of mixing up the
papers in class. Then the teacher can give out the correct answers to the class and the
final giving back of the papers to the original owners. This is just one of the many
powerful methods to boost the self-confidence of any newcomers to a language though
dispelling fears.
Be aware of expecting too much within a small frame of time. Learning takes
time.
Always have a back-up plan. It is important to have more activities in mind just in case
students go through the material quickly (although sometimes the most successful
strategies may be the ones that are made up “on the spot”). These work especially when
teaching children who are naturally spontaneous.
Don’t . . .
Never be afraid to laugh with the students. Due to cross-cultural differences, this can
often happen during miscommunication. This connects both teachers and students on a
strong interpersonal level that can be instrumental in fostering learning
environments where ideas and suggestions can be freely expressed. Do not directly
criticize; this can really be a confidence killer to the new student. Instead, politely suggest
the correct way of saying or doing something. For example, suppose a student says “I
have to got the toilet.” Instead of embarrassing him and telling him or her that this is
improper, the teacher should respond this way: “Oh, you have to go to the bathroom.”
This clearly gives the student the idea of the correct thing to say without intimidation.
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Teachers must speak clearly and attempt to pronounce vocabulary words free of one’s
own dialect. They should also not be afraid to learn the native languages of the receptive
teaching country or environment. Their students may be their best teachers, and this is a
strong connective and communicative skill that will enable them to relate to their students
on a more personal level. Many schools are actually required to give free or reduced
lessons to their teachers.
Warm up: Circle time is where we gather in the morning and discuss the weather
and any other relevant events. We would review simple points such as our
numbers and colors.
Teaching/In-Class Assignments: We will spend most of our class time reading the
story. As I go through the pages I will personalize the story by substituting the
names of characters with the names of children in the class. Then to make sure
that they understand the main points, I will continually ask questions. The children will
then complete a worksheet reinforcing the skills that they have just learned.
Review/Out of Class Assignments: In this case, the children are really too young
for homework, so we would do a quick review/wrap-up by getting the students
to recall and describe their favorite character.
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Review/Out of Class Assignments: Teacher will review with children the different
colors of flowers discussed during the class. Children will be encouraged to
continue to search for flowers.
Introduction: Introducing the nature of the story, beginning -- how the story
started, the story -- the main events related in order, the end -- what has changed
or how things are now, moral-- final comments or moral conclusions about the
story.
Teaching/In-Class Assignments: Teacher will follow up her story with some basic
comprehension questions. Students will be asked to put the reading
comprehension into the correct order. Students will underline key vocabulary words
that introduce and relate the sequence of events. Then they will be asked to
review the storytelling structure, and teacher will point out how her story and the
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reading comprehension follow the structured layout. Students can write their
own stories and get into pairs and read each other the story and relate to
another partner.
Review/Out of Class Assignments: Teacher will review with the students the
importance of giving structure to their relating of true stories. For homework,
students will be asked to plan and write another true story of about 100 words.
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Dialog
There are two main purposes for teaching the dialog. First, it will provide the student
with a bit of language that will help him perform in a particular setting (writing a check,
buying a stamp, etc.). The more specific one can be in adapting the dialog to the students’
immediate circumstances, the more meaningful the dialog will be, and the more likely it
will be that the students will learn and use it. The second purpose of the dialog is to
introduce certain high-frequency patterns of the language which will be practiced further
in dialog expansion activities.
NOTE: If the students do not have text materials where they can see the written dialog,
the teacher can write it on the chalkboard. It is usually helpful to adults to be able to see
the written form. If the teacher notices certain sounds being pronounced incorrectly
because of the students’ native language pronunciation, he may want to focus their
attention on the letters and their correct pronunciation.
Preparation
Step 1: Think about the kind of situation the students will enact. Be as specific as
possible. For this dialog imagine students introducing a friend during a break. The
students may pretend they are introducing a fellow classmate to another friend.
Step 2: Break the dialog into pairs of lines or exchanges (cycles) and personalize it, i.e.
change its characters to members of the class.
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It is necessary for the teacher to be able to walk around and listen to and interact with
each student. Having to carry a textbook around can reduce mobility. After a few lessons,
leave the book on the desk and refer to it periodically so as not to have to make cards.
Teaching:
Step 1: Explain to the students using pictures, gestures, their native language, or
whatever means necessary the context and purpose of the dialog.
In the case of the previous dialog, the purpose is to enable them to introduce themselves
and others, and to tell where they are from.
Step 2: Enact the first line of the dialog by saying it and have students listen.
Hello my name’s (TEACHER’S NAME). (Repeat several times.)
Step 3: Have students repeat in chorus after teacher until their pronunciation is
fairly accurate.
Hello, my name’s __________.
Hello, my name’s __________.
Step 6: Teacher says line one and students respond with line two, first in chorus
and then alone.
T: Hello, my name’s (TEACHER’S NAME).
S: I’m glad to meet you. My name’s (STUDENT’S NAME).
Step 7: Have students pair off and take turns introducing themselves while the
teacher circulates, listens and helps.
Student 1: Hello, my name’s __________.
Student 2: Glad to meet you. My name’s __________.
Step 8: Repeat steps 2 thru 7 with the next two lines of the dialog.
Step 9: Have students enact the first four lines of the dialog. Break students into groups
of three, and have them enact the dialog.
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Step 10: Repeat steps 2 thru 7 with the next two lines of the dialog.
Step 11: Repeat step 9 with all of the lines of the dialog.
Sample Dialog
Robert: Hello, my name’s Roberto.
Lily: I’m glad to meet you. My name’s Lily. This is my neighbor, Sara.
Robert: I’m glad to meet you, Sara. Where are you from?
Sara: I’m from Mexico.
Practice 6: Dictation
A. Hello my __________ Robert.
B. Glad to meet __________. __________ name’s Sara.
C. This is my __________, Lily.
D. Pleased to __________ you, Lily. Where are you __________?
E. I’m from Thailand.
Cultural Note: For a dialog such as this, teachers should indicate ways of greeting. For
example, in the United States people do not always shake hands when introduced.
Men usually do when introduced to other men. When introduced to a woman, a
man usually waits for the woman to offer her hand. Women frequently do not shake
hands when introduced to either men or women. Generally when men shake hands with
each other they offer a firm grip.
Circle Time
Circle time is a chance to gather together as a class. It can be a great opportunity for
everyone to get to know each other. Older students will appreciate a time when they can
all unite, have social contact and discuss current events and topics. Teenagers love to be
treated as adults as they have made great progressions toward independent thinking. The
teacher can make circle time age appropriate. In this case, the title can be renamed to
“morning meeting” and “checking in time.”
Younger children will like to sing songs, play games and read stories during circle
time. Remember to keep activities to a minimal amount of time before moving
on because their attention span is only 10-15 minutes in length. Circle time
is ideal for the beginning of class as well as for the ending. If planned activities
should finish more quickly than expected, it is an ideal “filler time.”
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Make sure that children do not feel pressured into participating vocally. Being
active for some intelligence types, intrapersonal and visual, means being good
listeners and excellent observers. Whatever the occasion, an ample routine of group time
is both rewarding and pleasurable. Transitions are an additional type of “time filler,”
although a little more informal than circle time. Use transitions to bridge gaps in time
when one activity should shift into another. It is even effective for moving the class in a
fun and orderly manner. From crawling like a crab into the middle of the class to being a
“thinking wizard,” there are limitless ways to create transitions that are both fun and
engaging.
2. Before asking the class a really challenging question, ask them to put on their
“thinking caps.” Also, before administering a test or quiz, say “it’s thinking wizard
time.”
Sight Words
Edward Dolch compiled a list of 220 of the most frequently used English words.
These words are primarily used for pre reading skills. Once the student learns
them, they will have learned 50 to 75% of the words contained in English
reading material. The following is a sampler of those words:
Pre-Primer: a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go,
help, I, there, make, my, not, me, one, play, run, said, three, up, we, yellow
Primer: all, am, are, at, black, came, did, eat, four, get, have, into, like, must,
new, on, please, ran, saw, that, under, want, yes
Level 1: after, again, an, by, could, every, fly, give, going, had, just, know,
let, may, of, put, round, some, take, walk
Level 2: always, because, call, does, fast, gave, it’s, made, off, pull, read,
sight, tell, upon, wash, your
Level 3: about, better, carry, done, eight, fall, far, got, hold, if, keep, kind,
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laugh, much, never, only, pick, seven, ten
Science Projects
Teachers can perform fun and exciting science experiments in class for students
to appreciate science. Here are a few projects for amateur scientists:
Role-Playing
The Big Chair
One of the greatest games for confidence building, this game enables students
to build self-assurance by speaking in front of the class. A “big chair” or adult
chair is used for a student to sit on while he or she is either interviewed by
the teacher, reads a story or tells the class anything on his or her mind.
• D.E. A. R. time should encompass about ten minutes a day for younger
students or two fifteen- or twenty-minute periods of class each week for
older students.
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Debate Teams
Aim: Improve conversational skills when supporting a point of view
Outline:
• Review language used when expressing opinions, disagreeing, making comments
on other person's point of view, etc.
• Once studentshave prepared their opening arguments, begin with the debate.
Each team has 5 minutes to present their principal ideas.
• Have students prepare notes and make rebuttal to the expressed opinions.
• While the debate is in progress, take notes on common errors made by the
students.
Games
Treasure Hunt
Age Level: Younger to Older Children
Children should be grouped in pairs to begin. The teacher should hide a paper
trail of clues. Have the class start off with puzzles and find points on a map.
They will hunt for more clues until finally one team gets to find the treasure!
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What you will need:
Small amount of money for each child
Permission slips
Have the parents send the children with a small amount of money to school. The
parents will also have sent a signed permission slip for their child to leave
campus beforehand. The store will all permit the children to buy one simple
item. Make arrangements with the store management ahead of time for best
results. This activity helps kids learn the value of money as well as mathematical
skills.
MATERIALS
Songs
“Ironic”
An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay
It’s a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn’t it ironic...dontcha think
It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought...it figures
Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
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And as the plane crashed down he thought
"Well isn’t this nice..."
And isn’t it ironic...dontcha think
It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought...it figures
Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything’s okay and everything’s going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything’s gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face
A traffic jam when you’re already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn’t it ironic...dontcha think
A little too ironic...and yeah I really do think...
It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought...it figures
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out
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The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four,
The little one stops to shut the door
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five,
The little one stops to take a dive
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six,
The little one stops to pick up sticks
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven,
The little one stops to pray to heaven
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
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What You Will Need:
Strips of Newspaper
Bowls of One Part Water and One Part Flour
Prizes
Balloons
Pinatas are a Mexican children’s tradition. Half the fun is making them! Blow up
balloons and then have the children stick the prizes inside of them. Wet paper in
mixture, then shape newspaper into the image of whatever image is chosen.
Have it dry for a day or two. Then blindfold a child and have them hit it with a
stick. The prizes will eventually pour out for the children to gather.
Graphs
For a simple survey, ask a yes or no question and have the class tally the results.
The survey could be about whether or not the individuals like apples. Label one
column “Yes” and the other “No.” Then have them draw a picture of the apple.
Graph the result area for the students on the board together as a class if they
cannot do so themselves. For a more advanced group, the survey questions can
be more challenging than a two-choice question. “What is your favorite movie?”
“What is your favorite food?” The results can thereafter be drafted in a more
mathematical method. You will find that this exercise is a great way for
demonstrating Content-Centered Instruction.
Picture Matches
Age Level: Elementary to Junior High Ages
Write out a series of vocabulary words on the board. Have the children flip
through the magazine when they recognize that it matches one of the words.
This activity develops critical thinking, language and classification skills. You can
have the student pick out their favorite picture and then redraw it.
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Body Outlines
Have the class group into pairs. One child will lie down on the sheet of
paper as the other child traces the body. Then, as a class, have fun labeling and coloring
the body parts. The activity can be specialized to the age group. Simply match the level
of the child’s vocabulary to the anatomy names that are inquired.
Classroom Embellishment
Let interesting artwork give your classroom a positive glow. Great decorations
do not have to cost a fortune. Often, the crafts are right in the nearest closet.
One can make an ornamental scene just using paint, paper, yarn and a few cotton
balls. Finish off with a few googly eyes. The first step is to paint a picture of
rolling hills and a big sky. In the background, construct a few houses out of
colored paper. In the foreground, build a fence line made of yarn. Now,
add the sheep as the points of visual interest. They are made from cotton balls
that are rolled into even smaller balls and glued onto a paper-made body.
Use creative genius! Even a simple paper plate could turn into a flower
decoration. Seek out web sites and books on origami for additional ideas.
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www.eslpages.com/
http://teachers.teach-nology.com/index.html
www.spartechsoftware.com/reeko/
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/TPRSEnglish/join
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22. Final Essay
Final Essay using a topic from your hard copy text which is 300-400 words in length.
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