Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

An Introduction To Reading Comprehension Through Exercise For Intermediate English As A Second Language And English For Foreign Language Students, Natalie Barbera

MA TESOL Collection

For English as a Second Language/English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) students, understanding what is read is a complex and often difficult task. This project presents a teacher's guide to exercises for intermediate young adult second language learners to acquire skills helpful in reading comprehension. After an overview of the philosophical and theoretical principles underlying the material, exercises are presented in four sections. Most of the texts for the exercises have been selected from periodicals, since they are a good source for reading material on themes which could be of interest to students.

Exercises in Part I concentrate on how …

Using A Community Language Learning Approach In Large Classes In Japanese Universities, Carl Russel Adams

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the effectiveness of the Community Language Learning approach in large English as a Foreign Language classes in Japanese universities, specifically, its effectiveness in developing conversational English skills.

The paper describes the experience of teaching freshman and sophomore university students, the majority unaccustomed to having a native speaking English teacher, in a full-year English conversation course (ninety minutes per week) for forty-five hours, using the Community Language Learning (CLL) approach and why and how it was implemented in these large classes. The major conclusions drawn from this study include: students can learn to interact in the target language …

Cavepeople! And Other Roleplays For Students Of English As A Second Language, James Zorn

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents fifteen intermediate to advanced roleplays along with a general introduction and specific teaching notes for their use. The materials are especially useful as a supplementary resource for classes following a communicative, function-based curriculum. The majority of the roleplays take a conflict-resolution format in which the students must reach a consensus opinion on some problem before the roleplay can be said to be completed. The roleplay descriptions themselves follow a concise model and are oriented towards lighthearted, imaginative situations which nevertheless require students to actively use language to which they have been previously exposed.

Handbook For Prospective Esl Teachers To Japan, Linda Veno-Kan

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a handbook for ESL teachers which high­lights problem areas in the Japanese ESL classroom that can affect teaching/learning effectiveness.

The introduction presents my specific teaching situation in Japan. The next section summaries the process which I use in analyzing the problem areas. Following are ten chapters each of which focuses on a problem area.

Each chapter points out both Japanese and American values in conflict and suggests teaching strategies for working with each area.

Ten Basic Grammar Hurdles For Mandarin Chinese Speakers: A Contrastive Guide For The Beginning Teacher Of Adult Mandarin Chinese Efl Students, Mark Anthony Steele

MA TESOL Collection

This handbook is written specifically for EFL teachers of Mandarin Chinese speaking students at the high elementary and intermediate levels of study. It is intended, through contrastive analysis, to provide the teacher with:

a) an understanding of why these students have particular difficulty with certain structures and sentence patterns in English;

b) a tool in predicting what ten of these patterns are; and c) strategies and activities for use in the classroom that will help the student overcome these ten hurdles in learning English.

The plan of this handbook rests on the belief that the more we as teachers understand …

Shortcuts A Text And Workbook, Fred Eric Startz

MA TESOL Collection

Shortcuts is designed to help students "get a handle" on the English grammar system. The material teaches just two elements: the parts of speech and the parts of sentences. With these, students work with and can see the framework upon which so much of English is "hung."

This material is suitable for an intermediate to advanced level student who needs to improve his or her grammatical accuracy in English, or for a student who needs a quick grammar review before studying more advanced material, such as that found in a preparation course for the TOEFL.

Dyslexia And Language Acquisition, Bridget Ann Siedler

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this paper is to provide language teachers with a broader understanding of dyslexia. I will draw from my own experience as well as provide various viewpoints on dyslexia given by neurologists, therapists, special education teachers, and adults with problems that stem from dyslexia. This paper will not provide instant remedies for various learning disorders. Instead, I will discuss the problems a dyslexic faces in language acquisition. I will also offer some approaches and suggestions on ways to recognize specific problem areas. And finally, I will give teachers some suggestions on working effectively with dyslexic students.

Listening To Natural English: A Manual For Teachers, William Robbins

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a manual for teachers who want to create their own listening comprehension materials and develop a variety of ways of using them. It consists of a cassette tape of short interviews done by native speakers of English and a thesis explaining why and how the author has created such materials and how he has used them in his classes.

In the first chapter the author states that such an investment of time and energy by a teacher is justified by the results. He has found that the students are more interested and involved in their learning than …

Model Exercises For Learning Communication Strategies, Daryl Newton

MA TESOL Collection

This paper: has sixteen exercises intended for teachers to use as models for developing students' communication· strategies. The exercises begin on an inductive basis and work towards an application of the rules induced. Also included is a comprehensive introduction with background and guidelines for the exercises.

The Migrant Reading Program At San Elizario, Texas; An Examination Of The Activities Of 1986-87, Robert Scott Morris

MA TESOL Collection

To support and give supplementary educational services to migrant workers and their children, Chapter 1 of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 established a fund for the Higher Education System. The purpose of this case study was to describe the activities of the Migrant Reading Program of the San Elizario Texas elementary school from October 1986 to May 1987. Additionally, the author discusses his rationale for each of the lessons, gives an evaluation of the lessons and makes suggestions for improvement of future classes.

Teaching In The Silent Way With A Focus On Idioms, Cynthia S. Wiseman

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is one which in essence summarizes how one teacher is trying to rethink teaching in light of the common sense principles presented in the Silent Way. The focus is teaching idioms because that was our focus in the class which served as a point of departure. However, the paper is not limited to teaching idioms in the classroom. It is more an attempt to outline and thereby understand teaching as it is presented in the Silent Way, as is evidenced by the emphasis on philosophy and techniques used in the Silent Way.

In Preparation Lesson Plans For An Intensive German Course, Renate Falk Cammin

MA TESOL Collection

This paper consists of ten lesson plans for the predeparture program of the Outbound Program at the Experiment In International Living and programs similar to it.

The lesson plans are designed for both beginning and intermediate students of German. Special emhasis is given to communicative competencies, such as: introducing oneself and the increase of student's awareness of cultural differences between the American and German culture.

The lesson plans span a time period of ten days. The ten days are divided into three modules plus one additional day.

Each module covers three basic topics which provide the focus for each day. …

A Collection Of Original Stories And Lessons For Teaching Idiomatic Expressions, Elisabeth C. Glister

MA TESOL Collection

This project consists of a series of twelve original stories that each incorporate 10-20 commonly used American English idiomatic expressions. A list of the expressions used is included with each story.· Each expression is defined and an example of its use is given.

Eight different activities that can be used to work with the stores are offered. Included are some techniques for teaching the students some important metalinguistical phrases. Finally suggestions are made to other teachers as to how they can write their own stories.

Materials Development Project: The Development Of An Esl Program At Mci-Framingham, Sara Dunham

MA TESOL Collection

A presentation of ESL methods and activities developed while teaching English as a second language to female Hispanic inmates at MCI-Framingham (Massachusetts Correctional Institution). Includes an in-depth discussion of an ESL Tutor-Training Workshop that trained advanced ESL students to tutor beginning ESL students. Emphasis on results of program through progress of student/inmates.

With Assumptions In Mind, Claire Eleanor Creelman

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is an account of a three month teaching assignment in Guatemala in which I examined and tested my assumptions about teaching and learning in light of the techniques I used in the classroom, my lesson preparation and my selection of materials. This is done through the examination of a series of lesson plans which I used in classes of different levels and at different times in the program. I was able to demonstrate through these critiques when my actions supported those assumptions as well as the times when they conflicted or even ignored them. In addition, I was …

Esl Curriculum Development In Southeast Asia: A Personal Account, Kathleen M. Corey

MA TESOL Collection

This paper provides an account of the development of the Southeast Asian Department of State Overseas Refugee Training Program's competency-based ESL curriculum. The author relates her personal experience as the curriculum, developer for the refugee program in Ban Vinai, Thailand in 1980 and 1981. The paper discusses the history of competency-based education and explains why a competency-based model was chosen. The paper concludes with a discussion of the principles that guide ESL instruction in the overseas training program.

Using Music To Teach Spanish, Isabel Lowrie Childs

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this project is to discuss different ways for teachers to use songs in language class, specifically in Spanish classes. The paper contains three sections for beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.

At the beginning of each of the three sections I have written an introduction stating why the songs are appropriate for that level. Each song also has an introduction consisting of a title page which includes a brief description and comments on why I chose the song. Each song is presented with a breakdown of all the lexical items and grammatical structures found in the song. Following …

Eighteen Language Teaching Techniques: A Report On A Chinese Tutorial, Yalin Chen

MA TESOL Collection

This is a report on an experience of tutoring Mandarin Chinese for 28 hours. The report consists of a description and discussion of 18 techniques used in the tutorial. Each technique is discussed in terms of the following: Objectives--what the student is expected to learn from the technique; Rationale--the reasons for using that particular technique to meet the objectives; Procedure-­ a description of the activities used in class; Comments--an evaluation of the effectiveness of the technique and ideas for follow up or expansion; Implications for teaching—the applicability to language teaching in general. The techniques are geared to helping the student …

“El Puente” An Advanced Spanish Reader For Cultural Exposure, Angela Maria Garcia Mast

MA TESOL Collection

The present work is an advanced reader for adult learners of Spanish. Each of its 21 passages highlights a features of the Hispanic culture or a constrast between North American and Hispanic culture. The author's intent is to present to the reader the struggles, ambiguities and confusion that being between two cultures can bring to bear upon a person whose world view is based upon two separate and distinct realities.

Each passage introduces colloquial expressions as they are used by native speakers. Along with each is a culture capsule which attempts to further explain the point illustrated by the passage, …

Using A Computer With The Language Experience Approach, Carol Marie Jennings

MA TESOL Collection

This paper attempts to explore the use of a computer in language learning. It describes twenty lessons that were given to a non-native speaker using a computer with the Language Experience Approach. It includes three hypotheses that were formulated before the lessons began, the rationale of how the hypotheses were developed, a description of the lessons, and conclusions. The paper lists difficulties that were encountered in the lessons as well as factors that helped learning.

A Communicative Approach To Teaching Phrasal Verbs, Kathleen Ann Ivins

MA TESOL Collection

The intention of this independent professional project is to present a way in which phrasal verbs can be taught communicatively. Included in it are five lesson plans which clearly illustrate ways in which this can be done. A grammatical analysis is also included as it is felt that students need to know some of the rules governing phrasal verbs to be able to use them correctly and effectively. A second part of the grammar analysis deals with aspects of phrasal verbs which can be an aid to the teacher in choosing and organizing phrasal verb lesson plans.

The lesson plans …

Syllabus Guideline For The Congress Bundestag Language Training Program With Sample Lesson Plans For Structural, Sociolinguistic, And Cultural Specifics Plus Comments On The Academic Preparation Component Of The Program, Ursula Verena Holzer

MA TESOL Collection

This project is based on the Congress Bundestag Program of 1986, in particular the language training aspect. It first introduces the program with its goals and objectives and the syllabus that was worked with in August 1986. Based on this experience, a revised syllabus guideline is designed here which contains

A. Phonetics

B. Theme/Range of Vocabulary

Grammatical Features and

Cultural/Sociolinguistic Aspects

C. Feedback and Assessment

D. Competencies

E. Academic Skills Development.

Additionally, some structural, sociolinguistic and cultural specifics from the syllabus are examplified through lesson and activity plans. Finally, the paper gives a description of what was done in Academic …

Independence In Language Learning: How Can Teachers Encourage It?, Diane Ethel Witters

MA TESOL Collection

This paper documents a teacher's exploration of independence in language learning before, during, and after an eight-week English teaching internship at the Institute Cultural Americana in Orizaba, Mexico. It examines what independence means for language students, and it defines student and teacher responsibilities in a classroom where learners are encouraged to become more self-reliant. Three strategies are outlined for promoting independence in the classroom. These strategies are: increasing communication between student and teacher to ensure that the course is relevant to the student's and teacher's goals, making the student's full range of resources more recognized and used, and having students …

Combining Process And Product In A Business Writing Course, Stephen Ellis Turner

MA TESOL Collection

This thesis documents a business writing course taught in an in­company progamme in Japan from September to December 1985. Each student's writing is based upon his own individual working situation and experience. The course emphasizes the importance of having students experience writing as a process and attempts to show how process and product are inter­ related.

The core materials used in the course are mostly based upon actual company correspondence. These and the students' own writing assignments provide the input for the class. The course stresses the necessity for materials to which the students can relate and which reflect their …

The Subjunctive As An Esl Teaching Tool With Emphasis On The Modal Verbs, Burr Thomas

MA TESOL Collection

Contrary to most analyses, the subjunctive mode plays a major, if sometimes subtle, role in English grammar. Related western European languages have similar subjunctives, and examining the function of the Spanish and the morphology of the German subjunctives helps to illuminate the functions and forms of English.

There are two subjunctive forms in English, Sl and S2. Both have coalsesced with indicative forms, losing much of their saliency, the Sl to a much greater degree. For this reason, the Sl is much less common, surviving primarily in frozen formulations, Imperative Expressions, and as an adjunct to the imperative mode.

The …

A Teacher Training Program Focusing On Communicative Methodology For Brazilian Teachers Of English As A Foreign Language, Alberto De Paula Santos

MA TESOL Collection

This project is the result of efforts to set up a teacher­ training program for the Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos de Curitiba in Brazil. It is especially designed for teachers who have been using teacher-centered classroom techniques and the traditionally structured approaches to teaching, and who are willing to change to a student-centered communicative approach to teaching English.

In chapter one, I give a general overview of the program Iset up and a short description of the Centro. I also state the reasons why I decided to set up this teacher-training program for the Centro.

In chapter two, I describe …

Recipes For Teaching English As A Second Language, Lynn Mcmichael

MA TESOL Collection

An experienced based approach for teaching ESL to children. It will include cooking experiences and practical exercises for building, speaking, listening, and writing skills.

Conducting Workshops That Assist Content Area Teachers With Esl Students: Two Models, Janet Sue Gerba

MA TESOL Collection

This project describes the preparation of a workshop given for content area and regular classroom teachers In Nutley, New Jersey, who had ESL students. The purpose of the workshop was to improve the teachers' ability to work effectively with these students. The preparation included selecting the topics to be covered, conducting the research and organizing the structure and details of the workshop. An outline of that workshop and suggestions for giving one like It are presented.

The project further describes the preparation of a TESOL demonstration given for ESL teachers and administrators In which they were shown how to give …

Beginning An Esl Program: Underlying Issues And Site-Specific Recommendations, Jonathan D. Reasoner

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the issues involved in starting up an English as Second Language program. The range of issues discussed is limited to three major areas: assessment of language needs in a community; curriculum considerations for the target student group; and teacher training. There are two separate parts within the paper: Part I, a consideration of underlying issues involved in beginning an ESL program in general; and Part II, potential plans for program start-up at an actual site--the First Baptist Church of Flushing, New York.

Planning for a new program at the specific site serves to focus the general discussion …

English For Operating A Small Business, Joseph Thomas Mcbride Jr.

MA TESOL Collection

This materials development project is a course program designed for owners, operators, and managers of small businesses, who are non-native English speakers. Emphasis will be on business terms and the language used in operating a "family owned" or a small business. Topics covered include typical conversations with accountants, lawyers, insurance agents, bankers, suppliers, creditors, customers, and employees.