Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Gestures: A Contrastive Collection American English And Mexican Spanish, Karen Sue Overn

MA TESOL Collection

This project involves the investigation into one aspect of nonverbal communication, gesticulation. First, I will address two basic issues of nonverbal communication: 1) the universality of nonverbal communication; and 2) the conscious/unconscious controversy. Next, I will profile recent research on human gesticulation. Finally, I will present my study of gestures used in American English and Mexican Spanish. In conclusion, I will discuss the implications this information has on language instruction.

What’S Cooking? Food And Eating Habits In The United States, Donald Francis Occhiuzzo

MA TESOL Collection

This project explores the food and eating habits of people in the United States. It is intended for use as a Supplementary text by high intermediate and advanced students of English as a second or foreign language. Its purpose is four-fold: 1) to provide information of a cultural nature about American cuisine; 2) to provide exercises for reading, speaking, listening and writing practice; 3) to encourage an exploration of customs and values across cultures; and 4) to furnish recipes which students can prepare and thus enrich their language experience.

50 Functions For The E.S.L. Classroom, Paul Dennis Moss

MA TESOL Collection

This is a materials development project designed for ESL students who need to know what to say and how to say it in everyday situations of American life. Using a variety of- native and non-native speakers, a videotape was used to record 50 short scenes of functions performed in English. All the functions on the videotape are titled, with a brief pause in between each one for easy reference. The dialogues are also typed to clarify what was said and can be used to make copies for the students. The written section also includes suggested activities for the benefit of …

Baraha Af Ingirtiska: A Resource For Somali Teachers Ff English, Joan Jemison Mason

MA TESOL Collection

The following paper is a resource for Somali teachers of English as a Foreign Language. There are sections on the teaching of grammar, on communication actvities, on techniques for improving pronunciation, on the use of a tape recorder, and on the use of poems. Each section includes several classroom activities.

The emphasis of the material is on oral communication. In addition, the paper contains a section which gives the locations in Mogadishu at which EFL material is available. Finally, a brief history of the teaching of English in Somalia is appended.

An Individualized Approach To Translator Training, Susan G. Kaufmann

MA TESOL Collection

ESOL teachers are often asked by their colleagues or school administrators to do translations. Yet few of them know very much about the profession of translator. This paper is designed to give them insights into the field of translation and what skills are necessary to be a professional translator. It describes three translator training programs in the United States and contains a proposal for a translator training program based on individualization through learning contracts. It discusses how candidates could be chosen for the program, how the program could be individualized, possible courses to be offered, and suggestions for implementation.

Ticket To The United States, Wang Jiali

MA TESOL Collection

I am an English teacher of the Shanghai Foreign Language Institute and have been training students preparing to come to the United States for further study. They are the backbone of the scientific and technological contingents of the People's Republic of China. Their success in their study abroad will give great impetus to the realization of the four modernizations of China.

To ensure their better survival and greater success in their study during the time they stay in the United States, I think it is significant to provide some material both in language and culture which students will find helpful …

Student Files: Their Use In The Informal Evaluation Of Writing, Christina Brooks Herbert

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is based on a second internship which took place at the TASIS school in England over the summer of 1983. I adapted a set of materials-­ student files--in an effort to establish a means of regular and informal evaluation of students' writing. Each student had a file which contained written evaluations of her assignments based on her strengths and weak­nesses and how well she met the criterion which had been set for the assignment. The major issues discussed in this paper are how the files evolved with regard to implementing informal evaluation, setting criteria and getting students to …

Different ≠ Better (Or Worse) – An American English Reader, Shirley Hayes

MA TESOL Collection

This reader consists of a series of reading units dealing with unique aspects of American culture seen in a historical perspective. The units are entitled "Different ≠ Better (or Worse) ", "The Pioneer Spirit", "Melting Pot", “Mobility", "Youth and the Elderly", and "Interdependence".

It is intended for use by post-secondary or upper secondary advanced students, in courses given either in the United States or abroad. There are six units, each with the same general format. Each unit has one article, a list of key definitions, questions for comprehension, exercises for the understanding and use of vocabulary and grammar, famous quotes, …

Dress In The United States: A Language And Cultural Perspective, Loretta Diane Garden

MA TESOL Collection

This project consists of a presentation of one hundred forty slides of people and their dress in three United States cities: Brattleboro, Vermont; Hartford, Connecticut; and New York City. A sixteen-minute audiotape of segments of interviews examining the significant factors influencing dress accompanies the slides. The material was developed to teach United States culture in the classroom, through presenting a wide range of people living in three northeastern cities. In order to work with students of different levels of English, the teacher has the option to show the presentation as a whole or to work with individual slides and segments …

Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Issues, Perspectives And Practices, Evelyn Elizabeth Fella

MA TESOL Collection

In an attempt to respond to concerns and misunderstandings on the part of teaches about the computer, this paper explores its use as a technological tool in the foreign language classroom. The role of the compute in a language class room as well as its strengths and limitations are discussed. The paper presents a comprehensive description of state of the art courseware for language learners, guidelines for evaluating the courseware and suggestions for classroom use.

Using Personal Photos In The Esl Classroom, Patricia C. Farkas

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how relatively common- place materials such as personal photos can be meaningfully utilized in the ESL classroom. The project contains a collection of simulated personal photographs which are divided into four topic areas. One authentic photo has been selected to represent each topic area. Immediately following the photographs in each topic area is a summary of lexical, structural and cross-cultural items which can be determined from the photos. The main body of each topic area is made up of teaching activities divided into two categories: focused activities and discussion/ cross-cultural activities.

Developing A Personal Approach To Language Instruction, Ruth Epstein

MA TESOL Collection

This project explores a personal approach to language instruction through the development of an experiential training module for teachers. The project is designed to assist teaching professionals in constructing a framework and defining a starting point for their continued professional growth and depth.

The project is divided into three parts. Part One is the written background to the project. Part Two is a videotape with three language classes and a round-table discussion. The teachers, Claire Stanley, Bonnie Mennell and Jack Millett, are faculty of the Master of Arts in Teaching program at the School for International Training. The classes are …

English In Movies: Using Scenes From Movies To Teach English, Timothy M. Cook

MA TESOL Collection

This project consists of a videotape and an accompanying manual. Various scenes from American movies are put on videotape to offer students of English as a foreign language material for studying spoken English. The manual consists of transcriptions of the dialog in each scene, vocabulary lists of words and expressions common only to spoken English, plus aids and suggestions for classroom use of the material. Scenes are categorized by situations.

Sayonara: Anatomy Of A Novel, Girard Richard Christmas

MA TESOL Collection

This paper has a primary and a secondary purpose. The primary purpose is to encourage ESOL students to read regular novels instead of simplified readers and the secondary purpose is to familiarize those same students with fundamental writing techniques which are common to most novels.

The paper is divided into three sections. The first is a chapter­ by-chapter analysis of an example novel using sixty different techniques; the second is a list of general, study and summary questions; and the third is a glossary of slang and unusual terms.

Selection of the example novel was based on the following criteria: …

Characters In The Classroom, Tamara Carlin

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a collection of exercises for teaching languages, specifically focusing on American English as a second or foreign language. It is an explanation and instruction for the language teacher to be able to use Characters as creative presentation in the classroom. This process involves the creation of fictional Characters by the teacher and the students. The Characters are given visual representation and then placed in certain situations where a given element of the English language is needed to verbally express the circumstances or function within them. The students are given the opportunity to practice the grammar point and, …

American Culture As Seen Through Magazine Advertisements, David Edward Cignoni

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is designed as a resource for teachers who wish to teach American culture, and the influence of advertising on this culture, through the use of magazine advertisements. The lessons which can be derived from the materials are planned for advanced students of English who possess a good conversational ability in the language and who wish to learn more about American culture.

Part I presents for the reader a general overview of American advertising, describing how it developed, how it works, and how it mirrors and influences our culture and behavior. Part II describes the various appeals which advertising …

A Series Of Writing Activities For An Intermediate To Advanced Esl Class, John W. Yarrington

MA TESOL Collection

A series of writing activities is proposed for inter­mediate to advanced students of English as a Second Language. The activities constitute a writing course of an intensive ESL program such as the one at Cushing Academy's Summer School, where the author used them.

The activities are organized around four themes: 1) self/personal relationships; 2) education; 3) international/global issues; 4) the future and goal setting. An estimated time allotment for each activity is given. The activities cover 30-35 hours of writing class in a program that includes 130 hours of instruction. The writing course is coordinated with the reading course and …

Preparation For Pronunciation Work: A Guide For Esl Teachers, Constance Stout-Gustafsson

MA TESOL Collection

This paper focuses on a way of working with pronunciation in the ESL classroom. While a look at pronunciation as a part of communication from a physiological viewpoint is given in the first part, the main focus of this paper is a way of working with pronunciation that may be used by ESL teachers. It will serve as a resource guide by listing sounds produced in the English language, describing how the sound is produced, and providing possible ways ESL teachers can teach production of the sound. The final part of the paper focuses on a framework for teaching sounds. …

Naming The World: Writing, Reading, And Culture In A Refugee Esl Class, Nancy Ann Reuschel

MA TESOL Collection

Techniques for teaching reading and writing to ESL learners "include ones derived from both L1 literacy methods and L2 oral methods. In both categories, some methods, and consequently some techniques, utilize cultural materials from outside the classroom and the learners' culture. Others use materials with no overt cultural content. Still other methods use learner-created materials. These differing methods are explored for their potential in teaching both literacy and culture. The culture- and literacy- learning experience of one Asian-refugee ESL class: multi-level, multi-age, multi-ethnic, and rural, is described. Learners wrote their own reading materials; largely based on pictures from Asian and …

Reading American Culture: A Curriculum For Intermediate And Advanced Esl Students, Katherine Ann Reed

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a compilation of ESL readings for intermediate and advanced level students, relating specifically to American culture. The readings have been chosen from a variety of sources, including books, magazines and newspapers. Along with each reading there are suggestions for additional activities in the areas of speaking, listening and writing. The writer of this project believes that language study is not complete without the development of cultural awareness. Readings which give the students insight in cultural values and traits are a useful tool in the ESL classroom.

A Manual For Teaching Spanish Pronunciation And Orthography, Leslie Verne Potter

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper I present a practical model for teaching Spanish pronunciation and orthography to beginning and advanced beginning students, based on the educational philosophy of Caleb Gattegno's Silent Way and my assumptions about language teaching and learning. The manual is designed to help teachers lead students through a series of exercises and games which illustrate and apply the rules of Spanish pronunciation and orthography. Once a student has mastered all the concepts contained herein, he or she will be able to spell and pronounce Spanish words without the aid of a teacher.

A Demonstration Unit For A Proposed Intermediate Reading Skills Workbook For Esl Students Preparing For Careers In The Health Care Professions, Price Daniel Norman

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a materials development project that consists of three parts. First, there is a rationale that examines the reading habits of inter­mediate ESL students and then proposes a pedagogical framework and materials format which will guide the students to become more efficient and independent readers. Part II is a demonstration unit for a pro­posed English for Special Purposes Workbook for ESL students of intermediate ability who are preparing for careers in the health sciences, Based on the pedagogical framework and format proposed in Part I, the lessons of the demonstration unit typically provide short authentic reading passages of …

Halloween Spooks In The Esl Classroom: Holidays As A Means Of Introducing Culture, Sonya Fletcher Kennedy

MA TESOL Collection

In this project I would like to suggest to the ESL tea­cher some ways of introducing culture into the classroom by discussing holidays. Each holiday is presented with a text followed by a variety of activities designed for students, in or out of the U.S., with a minimum of one hundred and twenty hours of English instruction. Although I have written this project with adult classes in mind, most of the activities can be adapted for children. Judging from my own experience, the size of the class can be anywhere from seven to twenty-two students.

I will cover Halloween, Thanksgiving, …

An Experience In Training Chinese E.S.L. Teachers In The People's Republic Of China, Albert Camhi

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper I have related the most important occurrences of my initial experiences in teacher training in the People's Republic of China. It deals with the problems I encountered working with the Chinese. It also treats the cross-cultural awarenesses that developed which helped me to deal with my trainees more effectively. Though the awarenesses relate specifically to Chinese culture, I think that anyone who plans to train teachers from different cultural backgrounds might gain some perspective from reading this.

Language Acquisition Diaries: Developing An Awareness Of Personal Learning Strategies, Abby Asher

MA TESOL Collection

During the summer of 1982, I led a group of Outbound students to Switzerland on a language/homestay program. Before going abroad, students underwent an intensive French course at North Adams, Massachusetts for a period of ten days. Afterwards, they spent approximately one month living with families in the French region of Switzerland.

In the course of this paper, I will describe the implementation of a project developed for these students which involved the use of Language Acquisition Diaries. The purpose of this project was to create an awareness in students of their own language learning process. Through the use of …

Teacher-Training Across Cultures: A Workshop Given In The People's Republic Of China, Victoria Rose Badalamenti

MA TESOL Collection

This paper deals with a specific teacher training workshop which was given in an English for Special Purposes (ESP) Program to Chinese ESL teachers for a period of six weeks in the People's Republic of China. Both the Chinese teachers and foreign teachers worked together in language teams and provided English training to Chinese professionals who were going to go on training programs in English speaking countries. Although well-versed in ESL theory and teaching styles, the teachers lacked the ability to connect their passive knowledge of teach­ing with the reality of teaching in the classroom. This workshop aimed to have …

A Journal Through Tulancingo, Loretta Gray

MA TESOL Collection

This professional project analyzes the essential parts of a lesson plan/teaching journal format. It is described using examples from personal experience and examples found through research. This project also asserts the value for using such a format for all those concerned with effective pedagogy: the novice teacher, the experienced teacher, the teacher­ trainer, and the students.

Authentic English For Italian Professionals, Kristin Single Hagge

MA TESOL Collection

This project is an attempt to fill a need that I began to identify as soon as I began teaching in Rome, Italy. It includes an introduction to the idea of using timely authentic sources of material for teaching English to Italian professionals and contains eight lesson plans that are based on such materials. It provides a guideline for using materials which might be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to a textbook. These ideas should be of interest to all teachers of English as a foreign language.

Van Gogh’S Irises And Other Things To Read For The Esl Student, Thomas Griffin

MA TESOL Collection

"Van Gogh's Irises" is a collection of twenty, original short texts, all under 900 words. Included are eight fictional pieces, six "journalistic essays" in which an opinion on a given issue is expressed, and six "descriptive essays" in which the author aims at pure description of an object, event or place. The pieces are followed by "Suggestions for Using the Texts in the ESL Classroom," a compilation of ideas for activities to encourage comprehension and discussion of the texts and, eventually, composition by the students themselves.

The subjects of the texts are all common, inspired by experiences in everyday life. …

The Process Of Lesson Planning, Ren Zhen

MA TESOL Collection

This paper shows how to prepare a lesson plan for an ESL classroom. It is based on the author's personal experience as a beginning teacher. The paper presents an overview and the author's view of the process of lesson planning and discusses the factors which affect teaching. At the end of the paper, sample lesson plans are provided to further illustrate the author's idea.