Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

The Psychological Issues Involved With Teaching Esl To Incarcerated Hispanic Males In An American Prison System, Sharon Morrison

MA TESOL Collection

On September 4, 1983, I began an ESL teaching position at Southeastern Correctional Center and at Bridgewater State Hospital, both in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The former is a medium security correctional facility which houses approximately 700 men, whose crimes range from murder to auto theft. The latter is a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane which houses approximately 500 men, whose crimes as well range from murder to auto theft. Those men housed at Bridgewater State Hospital are there for one of the following reasons:

1. They are undergoing pre-trial psychiatric evaluation.

2. They have been convicted of a crime …

Teaching Reading With Worlds In Color In A Home Schooling Environment, Grace Indoccio Matty

MA TESOL Collection

This paper purports that a home learning environment is a workable alternative to a formal school education. It examines the reading acquisition process of one child through the approach, Words in Color, in a home schooling environment. It's intent is to heighten awareness of the traditional system of education and to describe materials and techniques that can be used in helping a child to learn to read the English language.

A Teacher Training Plan For Refugees As Esl Teachers, Estela Libas-Novell

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is addressed to the need of revising a teacher-training plan used in the refugee camp of Vietnamese and Cambodian victims of war. My personal experience in teaching the refugees served as an impetus in making the revised training plan that will seek to answer the following questions:

1. What type of a teacher-training plan can best suit a group of Vietnamese English teachers whose spoken and written English is limited due to lack of contact to the western cultures?

2. What language elements can be infused in the training plan that will help uplift the low sagging morale …

Developing And Using Foreign Language Materials: A Case Study For Polish, Tadeusz Krol

MA TESOL Collection

This project concentrates on the issues of developing foreign language teaching materials. The enclosed three samples of lesson materials are real components from a 1,500 hour intensive foreign language course written to the requirements of a government agency. A detailed description of the teaching materials illustrates how one teacher's assumptions about teaching a foreign language can be incorporated into a curriculum which concurs with the agency recommendations and requirements, and which was created by a team of teachers. The project consists of the following: Setting a Goal, Sample Lessons and Discussion of Lessons.

Teaching Esl In An American Public School: A Case Study, Kimberley A. Keller

MA TESOL Collection

This case study examines in detail an experience I had teaching English as a Second Language ESLl in a United States public school for three months. It discusses what happened, what I learned from the experience and why I think it is important, personally and professionally in the field of teaching ESL in U.S public schools. The case study is divided into four areas: Community and School Context, Profile of the Learners, Profile of the Teacher and Summary and Conclusion. A list of related readings and references is also included as well as some organizations associated with ESL and bilingual …

Teaching Writing Through The Principles Of Dialogue: Key Issues And An Approach To Composition, Dennis Huffman

MA TESOL Collection

This paper presents my personal approach to teaching writing--an approach which is based on the principles of dialogue. The first section discusses some of the difficulties inherent in writing· and some of the needs which all writing students have. Suggestions are made for easing those difficulties and meeting those needs. The first section concludes by drawing on the work of Paulo Freire to summarize my approach.

The second section consists of discussions of a syllabus, error cor­rection, models, and student journals. An appendix at the end of the paper contains materials which resulted from my use of the ideas presented …

Teaching The Modal Auxiliary Verbs Focusing On Those Used For Suggestion And Advice, Deborah Dewing Dewing

MA TESOL Collection

Modal auxiliary verbs are a neglected group in the lexicon, especially in the EFL classroom. Due to the nature of the nuances they are used to convey, their misuse can cause not just misinformation but also subtle tones that create unpleasant discord in the flow of communication. Modals are easy sources of errors for students of EFL because they follow no readily discernible patterns. Structurally there are six points explained here which can confuse students and cause modals to change their function. There are two main categories of functions: social interaction, which includes advice, suggestion, obligation, social expectation; and logical …

Dialects In Discourse: Regional Speech Of United States English, Laura Wilson Bergan

MA TESOL Collection

This project provides materials that are to be used to improve the listening comprehension and communicating skills of intermediate and advanced students of ESL by exposing them to the sounds and rhythms of different dialects of United States English. The project consists of samples of genuine speech that are unrehearsed and unedited, as is the 'real English' that ESL students encounter in the United States. By listening to the tapes, students can grow accustomed to the natural flow of casual spoken English.

The Letter Writing Technique, Linda Mae Axelrod

MA TESOL Collection

The thesis is designed to enable the teacher/practitioner to use the Letter Writing Technique as an adjunct to intensive ESL courses that equally stress the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The areas discussed include an overview of correction techniques, integration of the letters with other skills and integration of the letters with a variety of recent language teaching approaches. The issues of fluency versus accuracy and deductive versus inductive learning are also discussed. The paper stresses the "intrigue'' and naturalness of letters by the incorporation of letters to the Readers within the content of the paper. The …

Beginning With Pictures, Edward J. Ruggiero

MA TESOL Collection

This paper shows how simple drawings were used to teach English to a beginning-level language class. It contains a syllabus outlining the material covered in a ten-week course and reproductions of the pictures with commentary on how they were drawn and used. The main objective in using this type of drawing was to help students find the meaning of language within themselves, as they created it. The effectiveness of these pictures in teaching basic English led to the included in-depth analysis of how humans perceive, the elementary state of mind and viewpoint (as seen in the works of three groups …

Translation Its Role In Communication And Learning, Eileen Rizo-Patrón

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is presented in two sections. The purpose of Part One is to explore the nature and role of translation in communication, and to dispell the narrow conception of it as a mechanical process of "synonym finding." Toward a deeper understanding of translation, the first part provides theoretical background on the hypothesis of "linguistic relativity"—the claim that each language uniquely shapes the thinking habits of its speakers to the extent that no culture can be faithfully mirrored by a different language. An example of poetic translation from Spanish into English is then presented to explore the truth of this …

Esl Training Guide For Prospective Refugee Teachers, Gail Virginia Reynolds

MA TESOL Collection

The primary purpose of this guide is to aid ESL teachers and non-professional relief workers who work in the capacity of teacher trainers.

Mini-Course In Demystifying American Spelling: An Historical And Comparative Perspective, Ingrid Prouty

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is intended as a practical guide to presenting selected areas o£ spelling problematic £or ESL students and native English speakers. The focus is on the history o£ the English language and comparison with other Indo-European languages as a means of clarifying English spelling "idiosyncrasies”.

The study begins with an explanation of the historical and comparative viewpoint and suggestions for its application. The chapters are presented in lesson format and followed by several activity possibilities. The appendices provide a compendium of background information and classroom materials relating to the individual chapters. The glossary and annotated bibliography are provided for …

An Advanced Study And Discussion Guide To Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse- Five, With Exercises In Grammar, Vocabulary Development, Idiomatic Expressions, And Creative Thinking., Kevin James O’Brien

MA TESOL Collection

This project was written for advanced learners of English with experience in reading and talking about literature. The introduction provides a brief overview of the story, explains why this book was chosen, and contains suggestions for the teacher in dealing with the unorthodox structure of Slaughterhouse-Five. There follow preparation questions for the students, to be gone over before starting the book.

Each following section, numbered after a corresponding chapter in Slaughterhouse­ Five, is made up of prereading questions, explanation of difficult words and phrases, exercises for idiomatic expressions, work with either grammar points or vocabulary, and questions for discussion and …

Ten Crossword Puzzles For The Esl Classroom, Sheri Kramer Georgiadis

MA TESOL Collection

This is a group of crossword puzzles ranging in level from advanced beginning to advanced. The titles of the puzzles are: In a Restaurant, Irregular Verbs, Two-Word Verbs, Body, Food, Clothes, Animals, Weather, Proverbs, Emotions. Also, included in the introduction are some suggested ways to use the puzzles.

Teacher’S Manual Sra Based Listening Course, (Kc) Kathleen Ann Cassidy Barnes

MA TESOL Collection

This manual is a guide to using the SRA materials for listening and notetaking. The lectures cover a variety of topics from a low to high intermediate level and become progressively harder. They have also been labeled according to organization function. Therefore a teacher can choose a listening assignment in this manual by level, topic, or function. Specific material is provided for each function to give the teacher background information for the initial presentation. Beyond this, each individual lesson includes vocabulary words and suggested classroom activities. The format is fairly simple and direct. It is intended as a first step …

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: …