EDITORS NOTE: This is the last of a four-part series:"Do the Following and You Will Succeed as an ESL Teacher." I call it "Challenging Contests." Part #1, "Reported Speech," can be found at http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/10/do-following-and-you-will-succeed-as.html. Part #2, "Model Politeness," can be found at http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/10/do-following-and-you-will-succeed-as_8.html. Part #3, "Second Language, Only," can be found at http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/10/do-following-and-you-will-succeed-as_16.htm
In my advice to "Do the following and you will succeed as an ESL teacher," each of the four components - "Reported Speech," "Model Politeness," "Second Language, Only," and "Challenging Contests," must be practiced together, at every class meeting.
A challenging contest or activity can quickly set a student up with a "Do Now," be the focus of a lesson, "Cooperative Learning," and help a student review at the end of class, "Revision." Contests and activities are not incidental; never kill time in class.
I will show you seven matrices that I have found useful over thirty-five years of TESOL in Taiwan and the U.S.: "Horse Race," "English Fever," old favorites based on "Chutes & Ladder," Tic-Tac-Toe," "Jeopardy," and a standard"Straight-up Competition." In addition, I will introduce "Cooperative Learning" lessons.
When you teach ESL, think of yourself as Bob Barker; all the games he played on The Price is Right TV show. Contests should be exciting, but the point of all games is revision; the students must review what they have learned and write down the correct answers in their exercise books; take points away from students for neglecting to do so. Some students just get carried away with the excitement of the game and learn nothing.
Contests that are more kinetic than cerebral are better in ESL/EFL classes; all the students get involved at once and the goal is tangible. Any contest that requires quiet in the room (such as card games or flash cards) is suspect because students not involved will not pay attention while the game is in progress. Contests must involve every student in the class at all times, if not answering then rooting for their team to win. Furthermore, contests that do not directly review English skills that have most recently been taught might go over the students' heads.
The matrices I'll introduce can be used for a number of different language points. You can literally have a different contest every class with the same matrix with different content. Here are a few of my most popular matrices:
End of Class - Revision Activities
1. The Horse Race matrix can involve up to ten students. List functions you wish the student to achieve on the board. Students move one space once they answer correctly. Here is an example: Tell the students, "Write questions for these answers." Write the questions in order of difficulty, the easiest first and the hardest last. For example, "1. Yes, I am 2. No, they don't. 3. Three 4. Yes, there are. 5. No, she can't." The students race along the track but can't keep the spot unless they answer correctly. It is an exciting contest with each team's students cheering their favorite 'horse' on.
Students write the answers (questions) on mini whiteboards or in their exercise books and show the teacher immediately after by raising their hand. Move the marker (or write the initial of the student) to the next length down the stretch.
2.Chutes & Ladders
This contest has the same sequential language practice goal as the Horse Race but it is slower to play; the teacher cannot handle more than one student's answer at a time.
The student throws a die and moves the number shown. On that space, there is an English task to be fulfilled. For example, answer a question about a reading passage the students have recently read. The teacher may want the student to answer orally but writing is better to retain the skill learned or reveal the error in grammar or content to the student.
If a student answers the question correctly on a chute, they may go down and advance. Conversely, if a student is unable to complete the task on a ladder space, they must go back up the ladder and lose spaces. The first player who finishes wins.
3. English Fever
In English Fever, each team, or student, has a thermometer shaped matrix with an equal number of degrees. They must reach the top. The first to "blow their top" wins. They get to the top by demonstrating fluency in some pattern, phonic or spelling skill. For example, a student must demonstrate his awareness of a word's vowel sound.
In my advice to "Do the following and you will succeed as an ESL teacher," each of the four components - "Reported Speech," "Model Politeness," "Second Language, Only," and "Challenging Contests," must be practiced together, at every class meeting.
A challenging contest or activity can quickly set a student up with a "Do Now," be the focus of a lesson, "Cooperative Learning," and help a student review at the end of class, "Revision." Contests and activities are not incidental; never kill time in class.I will show you seven matrices that I have found useful over thirty-five years of TESOL in Taiwan and the U.S.: "Horse Race," "English Fever," old favorites based on "Chutes & Ladder," Tic-Tac-Toe," "Jeopardy," and a standard"Straight-up Competition." In addition, I will introduce "Cooperative Learning" lessons.
When you teach ESL, think of yourself as Bob Barker; all the games he played on The Price is Right TV show. Contests should be exciting, but the point of all games is revision; the students must review what they have learned and write down the correct answers in their exercise books; take points away from students for neglecting to do so. Some students just get carried away with the excitement of the game and learn nothing.
The matrices I'll introduce can be used for a number of different language points. You can literally have a different contest every class with the same matrix with different content. Here are a few of my most popular matrices:
End of Class - Revision Activities
Students write the answers (questions) on mini whiteboards or in their exercise books and show the teacher immediately after by raising their hand. Move the marker (or write the initial of the student) to the next length down the stretch.
2.Chutes & LaddersThis contest has the same sequential language practice goal as the Horse Race but it is slower to play; the teacher cannot handle more than one student's answer at a time.
The student throws a die and moves the number shown. On that space, there is an English task to be fulfilled. For example, answer a question about a reading passage the students have recently read. The teacher may want the student to answer orally but writing is better to retain the skill learned or reveal the error in grammar or content to the student.
If a student answers the question correctly on a chute, they may go down and advance. Conversely, if a student is unable to complete the task on a ladder space, they must go back up the ladder and lose spaces. The first player who finishes wins.
3. English Fever
In English Fever, each team, or student, has a thermometer shaped matrix with an equal number of degrees. They must reach the top. The first to "blow their top" wins. They get to the top by demonstrating fluency in some pattern, phonic or spelling skill. For example, a student must demonstrate his awareness of a word's vowel sound.
Just before the game, break the class up into four teams of equal abilities. The students may remain seated (in which case they write responses in an exercise book on on a mini-white board) or may be asked to go to the board. The teacher reveals the tasks and the students go to work supplying the answers.The teacher must monitor and approve a hike in level upon seeing correct answers; simply say "yes." If the student responds incorrectly, the teacher says "no" and the student is stuck on that level until she answers correctly.
4. Jeopardy
Divide the class into two teams of equal abilities. In advance of the contest, the teacher must write a matrix on the board, with no more than five categories to review what has recently been taught. For example, you can review reading comprehension, phonics, tenses, reported speech, or have a "Telephone Line;" - one student at a time leaves the room to hear the teacher's secret message, and then his teammates go outside to pass the message along. The last teammate writes the original message on the board.
During "Jeopardy," to save time, the teacher must go on to the next team's question while the last is finalizing their response. Go back to them when they're ready. A team may 'steal' the other's points if they correct the other team's incorrect response. The lesser points are easier questions. Add or subtract points from the totals. Set a time limit. The team with the most points wins.
5. Tic-Tac-Toe
If the student answers correctly, they gain that square on the board, otherwise, they lose their turn and the other team may choose any square. It is strategic to choose the square that would give a team a sequence of at least three squares in a row, to win. The winning team gets the squares plus double the points of their answer line. In the event of an impasse, the team with the most squares wins the contest.
6. Straight-Up Competition
In the demonstration above, the four tasks are "A. Change 'has got' into 'there are' (ex. He has got three pencils.=There are three pencils.) B. Change from 'yes/no' questions to tag questions (ex. Does he have three pencils?=He has three pencils, doesn't he?) C. Change to reported speech (ex. "I don't know." = "He said he doesn't know." D. Change to 'every time (ex. He is going to the store.'='He goes to the store every Monday.')
The class is divided into teams of equal abilities and given numbers; 1,2,3,or 4. After a minute for the student to consult with her teammates, the teacher says, "Ready, set, go #1." Each player with that designated number goes to the board to respond. The student that returns to his seat first has first crack at points, or may return to the board to modify an answer if there are still players engaged, but he loses his place in line. The team with the most points after a set time wins.
At the Start of Class - Do Now Activities
Total Physical Response
The students, seated immediately after entering the classroom, commence doing the TPR "Do Now" activity. Here, the student looks up at the board, reads the task, asks for clarification from the teacher if necessary, and writes the response in his exercise book. After a limited time (perhaps fifteen minutes) the "Do Now" ends. In the meantime, the teacher roams the room checking responses and suggesting answers perhaps supplying a key word for the answer. Each of the tasks involves a preposition command such as "Draw a circle under an object you use for eating. Name the object." In this way, the students' comprehension is challenged with different multitasking functions. Reward the students for correct responses. Early completion may be enriched with sentence construction with the core word. Incorrect responses are edited by the teacher and re-written by the student.
In another "Do Now" matrix, awareness of lexicon is practiced. The teacher may print out a copy of the clues to find the missing word or write it on the board. The teacher may also include, out of order, the target words on the list or board. All of the words must have been recently used. The decoding skills must have been gone over by the teacher in advance for the students to be aware. The codes are as follows:
1. Word Pictures- Place the letters of the word as they would appear if written. 2. Consonant/Vowel - Once such is mastered by students, write the letters with their sound code only.
3. Scramble- letters in the word are transposed.
4. Sky/Earth/Water - The code for elementary penmanship is used (ex upper half of line=sky, lower half of line-earth, below the line=water) and students decode the target word accordingly.
6. Missing Letters - Only write the first letter of the word, or perhaps only the vowel or consonant letters. The student fills in the rest.
7. Letter Number - Student counts off to find the corresponding letter (ex. A=1, B=2, Z=26) and supply the answer.
9. Upside-Down - Write the word upside down.
10. Reflection - Write only the bottom third of the letter on the line. The student must imagine what the top half looks like to complete the letter and decode the word.
Cooperative Learning Class Activities
Where Total Physical Response (TPR) activities set up the class in a "Do Now," and contests end the class with revision, Cooperative Learning activities consume the bulk of class-time. There is a large amount of CL suggestions on the internet, and they are the mainstay of any TESOL program in college, I will summarize the main ideas of CL here:
Cooperative Learning activities promote peer interaction and helps develop language, concepts, and content of what is being taught. Students are placed on different teams for role models; they learn from better students. The roles on a team are: reporter, recorder, time keeper, and materials manager. Rotate the students in different roles; don't let them select their own role.
The most popular strategies for C.L. lessons are as follows:
1. Round Robin - Present a category for discussion. Students take turns naming items that fit in.
2. Round Table - Students take turns writing one word at a time.
3. Write Around - Good for summarization. Start a sentence and ask students to finish it passing one paper adding sentences as they go. A story or summary will emerge. Add a conclusion, edit, and share with the class.
4. Numbered Heads Together - Number students in a team, one to four. Announce a question. Give a time limit. Students put their heads together to answer the question. Call a number. Students with that number respond. Recognize best team responders and elaborate through discussion.
5. Team Jigsaw - Assign each student one of four pages or topics to read, investigate, and memorize. Each student completes his task and teachers her teammates to complete the puzzle.
6. Tea Party - Students form two circles facing each other. You ask a question and students discuss the answer, then, after a minute, the outside circle moves to the right so each student has a new partner. A second question is posed. Continue for five questions.
After each C.L. activity, debrief the students by asking: "What did you learn from this activity? How did you feel working with your teammates? If we do this again, how will you improve working together?"
Activities to Raise Social Consciousness
The best activities deal with consciousness raising and primary source surveys. Do that a lot in the Bread & Roses Curriculum classes. Finding out the living wage, where our clothes are made, comparing the IWW and the AFL are far more useful in a socially conscious setting, one that is rare in the USA and almost non-existent in Taiwan.
How do you draw the attention of ESL and illiterate teenagers in your high school class and help them achieve their dreams in a harsh and changing world? Since many students are or will become workers one day, they must be able to read the world, read the word, feel solidarity, and help their families make ends meet, and then some. This curriculum is designed to raise the social “workers” consciousness of students while welcoming them to the world of the written English word.
Children and their parents need to reflect on
what their living environment in Taiwanese cities, urban and rural, is really like and how it gets this way, the basics of housing from feelings of home and economics to the notions of parks and city dwelling. Secondly, it will suggest steps that can be taken to better the conditions of daily living to enhance the environment for themselves and their neighbors, from keeping garbage covered, sidewalks clear of obstacles and debris, to safety in the busy streets of Taiwan and security in the home. In this way social fulfillment will increase as activism in neighborhood concerns becomes apparent, mot only by using English as the universal language for global change, but by influencing each student through his/her own
home language
what their living environment in Taiwanese cities, urban and rural, is really like and how it gets this way, the basics of housing from feelings of home and economics to the notions of parks and city dwelling. Secondly, it will suggest steps that can be taken to better the conditions of daily living to enhance the environment for themselves and their neighbors, from keeping garbage covered, sidewalks clear of obstacles and debris, to safety in the busy streets of Taiwan and security in the home. In this way social fulfillment will increase as activism in neighborhood concerns becomes apparent, mot only by using English as the universal language for global change, but by influencing each student through his/her own
Taiwan
Community
Curriculum
then is dedicated to helping children
and parents, through English as a Foreign Language, understand how to keep good housing good and poor housing better. All English language learners will realize the importance of activism in the Taiwanese and world community and improve their English language skills to pass national and TOEFL tests and make Taiwan and the world a better place in which to live.
Community
Curriculum
then is dedicated to helping children
and parents, through English as a Foreign Language, understand how to keep good housing good and poor housing better. All English language learners will realize the importance of activism in the Taiwanese and world community and improve their English language skills to pass national and TOEFL tests and make Taiwan and the world a better place in which to live.
Here are some of my favorite lesson plans from the Bread & Roses and Taiwan Community Curriculum:
"How does our choice of buildings affect the neighborhood?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/07/professional-portfolio-or-4-4-08-how.html"How can we organize details for a body paragraph?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/06/professional-portfolio-or-4-29-02-how.html"Where are the Good Things in the Big Bedroom?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/05/or-4-6-00-where-are-good-things-in-big.html"Where are our clothes made?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/03/observation-report.html"How can we compare descriptions of our forests?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/02/professional-portfolio-5-24-99-how-can.html"How can we describe stamps?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2015/01/professional-portfolio-or-3-30-98-how.html"How can we improve a city park for its users: people, animals, and insects?"
http://e-e-o.blogspot.tw/2014/03/aim-how-can-we-improve-city-park-for.htmlFor those who seriously want to teach students English as a Second Language, I strongly recommend college to master the art of teaching. There is no ESL certificate program that can enhance your teaching ability more than a complete program of TESOL education. However, for those of you who have chosen to travel outside of your English speaking land, the four suggestions I have outlined should help you a lot.
If you follow my humble advice, you will succeed as an ESL teacher.I hope this introduction assists you in making your job easier. Thank you for reading.
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