Resources

Personal/Professional Learning Network - Unit 1






A Methodology Quiz - Unit 5


I've also inserted the questions below: 
  1. The teacher is explaining a new word, the word is 'disappointment.' The teacher is modeling a facial expression and body language with a sad face, her head down and a long sigh. You are asked to mimic the same body language as you repeat the word. You do this several times, mimicking the movement as you repeat the word. Then, the teacher writes the word 'disappointment' on the board. This is an example of: 

  1. You are trying to learn German, English is your first language. In the classroom, the teacher ONLY speaks German. The teacher is talking about types of food. She brings in a variety of fruit and points to each one using the German word for it. The teacher repeats the words and asks the students to repeat many times. This is an example of:  

  1. You are trying to learn English. Your teacher does not use a textbook. Your teacher asks you and your classmates to sit in a circle, in the middle of the circle he puts a tape recorder. You decide you want to share your views with the circle. You whisper, in your native language to the teacher, the teacher whispers the translation back to you. You try to repeat what the teacher whispered to you, he encourages you to try your best. This is an example of: 

  1. Your teacher uses coloured rods to communicate with you and he rarely speaks. He has taught you pronunciation of simple words by using different coloured rectangles that represent different sounds.  He calls you to the front of the room and points out the following words 'put the rod on the table.' He asks the class to repeat it with gestures. You follow his directions. This an example of: 

  1. In your classroom you are trying to learn English and your teacher is having you repeat sentences. She says the sentence 'I’d like a cup of coffee' and asks you to repeat it many times. Then, she asks you to substitute one of the words by using a cue word. She says: 'I’d like a cup of coffee. Tea.' You say: 'I’d like a cup of tea.' She says: 'I’d like a cup of tea. Milk.' You say:  'I’d like a cup of milk.' This is an example of: 

  1. You are in English class and your teacher asks for your help in planning her summer vacation road trip. She gives you a map of the local area and asks you what information you need from her to help plan the trip. One students suggests budget, you suggests the number of days she will be travelling.  This is an example of:

  1. You are in an advanced business English class and have been studying interviews. Your teacher puts you in pairs, he assigns you as an interviewer and your partner as the interviewee. He advises that you should not worry too much about making mistakes. He asks you to roleplay your situation and explains that the interviewee is very desperate for a job, while the interviewer is very strict and will only hire the perfect candidate. After a day or two of practice, your teacher asks you to present your role play to the class. This is an example of: 

  1. In your classroom, the teacher asks you to sit back in your seat and get comfortable. She turns off the lights and starts playing some soft music. She begins to read a story about a family with a lot of emotion and feeling. She asks you some questions as she reads. This is an example of: 

  1. You are taking an intermediate English class, your teacher shows you a news story from CBC news. Your teacher asks you to notice 'chunks' of words or words that often co-occur. Your teacher shows you another video from CBC, asking again for you to notice 'chunks' of words. This is an example of:
  2. You are a beginner English speaker and you are taking a class in China. Your teacher is speaking to you in Mandarin. She is explaining the grammar rules for gerunds and infinitives. Then, using these rules, she asks you to come up with some sample sentences and then translate between English and Mandarin. This is an example of:
This quiz took me much longer than I originally anticipated so I do hope that you take the time to leave feedback and take the quiz! 
References
Alvior, M. G. (2015). How to Apply Suggestopedia as a Method of Teaching. Retrieved fromhttps://simplyeducate.me/2015/01/21/how-to-apply-suggestopedia-as-a-method-of-teaching/
Alvior, M. G. (2015). How to Use the Grammar Translation Method. Retrieved fromhttps://simplyeducate.me/2015/01/10/how-to-use-the-grammar-translation-method/
Arroway, R. (n.d.). 3 Fresh Ways to Use the Audio-lingual Method in Your Class. Retrieved fromhttps://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/audio-lingual-method/
Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (4th ed. revised). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Chong, C.S. (2012, November 29). A trip down the memory lane of methodology [Video file]. British Council.Retrieved from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/chia-suan-chong-a-trip-down-memory-lane-methodology
Gardner, A. (n.d.) The Silent Way: An Unconventional Language Teaching Method. Retrieved fromhttps://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/silent-way-teaching-method/
Ludwig, J. (n.d.). The Real World: Classroom Edition! 5 Task-based Language Teaching Activities to Simulate Key Situations. Retrieved from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/task-based-language-teaching-activities/


Ask the PLN: Lesson Plans - Unit 6

I have been creating lesson plans and materials for the past 3 years in the ESL industry. It is one of my favourite challenges of teaching in this industry as it presents an opportunity to be creative and learner-centered.

Tutela

I've been using Tutela for a little while now and I am quite familiar with it. In addition to it being very user intuitive it provides expansive resources for ESL teachers and it is especially useful for those who work with LINC and CLB. I do find that most of these resources can be very easily adapted to suit your classroom needs.

Oxford Seminars

Another resource that I like to use to assist with lesson planning is Oxford Seminars. They are predominately a testing and certification website but they have an ESL resource section that is very helpful. Albeit, the selection is quite limited, the ones that are provided are quite comprehensive and on a variety of topics.

ESL Library

ESL Library is great because it is organized by topic. Upon finding the topic that you are going to teach, there are usually many lesson available. I specifically like their guided writing section for my class as I teach academic reading and writing.

Fluent U

I tend to use a lot of resources from Fluent U in order to plan my lessons. They have an expanse library of materials and suggestions. What I really like about Fluent U is that they present ideas for all sorts of different teaching methodology rather than mostly task-based like Tutela.

Teaching English - BBC

What I really like about Teaching English through the BBC is that they have a specific Teaching Adults section. Since I work exclusively with adults, it is sometimes difficult to find learner-focused materials for older learners. They have some great example articles as well as videos that I have used in the past that my students really enjoyed. 

Microteaching Screencasts - Unit 9




PLN Revisited - Unit 10


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