Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

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.

A Manual For Teachers Of Tutorial Courses, Eduardo Reyes Torres

MA TESOL Collection

This project is written for instructors who are teaching tutorial courses. It discusses items such as methodology, techniques, use of outside resources, curriculum, lesson plans, homework and activities in the class.

The project was written based on personal experience while teaching a series of tutorial courses for the School for International Training.

Beyond Minimal Pairs, Erica Tesdell

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper, the author describes her experience teaching Standard American English pronunciation to speakers of other languages. She goes on to explore new ways of teaching pronunciation and explains why she thinks they can be more effective.

Art Activities For The Esl Classroom, Sally Elizabeth Stocking

MA TESOL Collection

Teachers often use visual aids in language teaching. In the art activities presented in this paper, students involve themselves in creating their own visual aids, e.g., pictures, collages, and puppets, and use them as a basis for expressing themselves in various language activities. The seventeen art activities in this paper can be used to review specific grammar points, to provide practice in conversation, and to improve writing skills. Designed for intermediate English conversation students, these art activities are intended to involve no more than half of a sixty-minute class period.

Original Readings For Esl Learners, Robert G. Schnelle Jr.

MA TESOL Collection

Readings for ESL students are too often simplified and controlled. Literature that has been thus tampered with cannot bring satisfaction to learners who have achieved the intermediate levels of proficiency. They need pieces which are authentic in usage. Furthermore, if they are to be actively engaged in what they read, students must have access to material which touches their experience and invites them to reflect upon their values. This collection of original fiction attempts to address both concerns: a)the passages are written with the intent that they be affectively stimulating; and b) they replace simplicity of structure with brevity, making …

Using Student Generated Material In A Student Centered Classroom, Katherine Rawson

MA TESOL Collection

This paper deals with a description and analysis of activities I developed for producing and using student generated material in a student centered classroom. The activities were developed during two months of student teaching in Mexico. The paper begins with a discussion of student centered learning, the role of the teacher and the role of the student in a student centered class, and how student generated material fits into this. The following section is divided according to each of .three· classes I taught in Mexico, and these include both children and adult classes, at beginning and intermediate levels. This section …

The Drama Approach In E.S.L. Teaching An Exploration Of The Richard Via Approach, George Edward Matthews

MA TESOL Collection

This project is an attempt to explore the English Through Drama Approach developed by Mr. Richard Via of the University of Hawaii. Special attention is given to the approach's techniques, thoughts on the use of a play in the classroom, practical objectives for the use of drama, and the kind of teacher this approach requires.

There are three short case studies illustrating this writer's work with the Via approach.

Teaching Communicative Competence To Adult Learners: An Intensive Foreign Language Program In China, Wang Lingjun

MA TESOL Collection

The main purpose of this paper is to explore some feasible ways in which communicative competence can be taught at the Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute in Beijing, China. In the first part of the paper, a portrait of the institute's intensive language program, including its philosophy, a brief history and a description of the students, is provided so that the readers will have some idea why the paper is focused on communicative competence. Language is then described as a communication process involving linguistic, interactional and variational competence. The main part of this paper focuses on some innovative techniques by …

First Language (L1) Interference In Second Language (L2) Learning (Suggested Techniques And Procedures To Aid Spanish Esl Students Overcome First Language Interference), Burnis Lewis

MA TESOL Collection

"First Language (L1) Interference in Second Language (L2) Learning: Suggested Techniques and Procedures to Aid Spanish Speaking ESL Students Overcome First Language Interference;" explores the evolution of the issues in the area of language interference and particularly the first language interference problems of Spanish speaking ESL students. A contrastive analysis is performed examining similarities and differences of Spanish and English. Theoretical predictions are checked out with actual Spanish speakers learning English. Finally, techniques and procedures are suggested to overcome first language interference.

American Humor As A Vehicle For Teaching Esl And Understanding American Culture, Marguerite Kruse

MA TESOL Collection

"American Humor as a Vehicle for Teaching ESL and Understanding American Culture" focuses on the use of different kinds of humor as entry points into an understanding of American culture and as examples of real language for ESL activities. It is a collection of self-contained activities designed for the advanced ESL student which develops both oral/aural and reading/writing skills, The topics of the activities are Norman Rockwell illustrations, psychiatrist and mother-in-law jokes, comedy routines of Bill Cosby and Lily Tomlin, and newspaper articles by Erma Bombeck and Mike Royko, Included are a rationale, analysis, and discussion.

An Esl Program For A Bilingual Elementary School, Mary Kelly

MA TESOL Collection

This project is an English as a Second Language Program designed for a small elementary school class in a bilingual French-American school.

The first part of the project includes a description of the school environment and an examination of my personal as­ sumptions about learning and teaching. This examination takes the form of objectives which I set for myself and my students in order to clarify my priorities and determine what I wanted to accomplish as a teacher.

The second part of the project includes my ESL syllabus, as well as weekly and daily lesson plans. The weekly and daily …

Shifting Responsibility For Learning From The Teacher To The Student, John W. Harmsen

MA TESOL Collection

This paper discusses a personal approach to teaching ESL which encourages greater student responsibility in the learning process. The project is designed to assist teachers who are interested in developing a teaching style which increases student initiative with the goal of helping students become increasingly independent, self-directed learners.

The project is organized into two main sections. The first is a discussion of the rationale and implications for teachers and students in this approach to teaching. Included also is a discussion regarding the necessity of meeting the affective needs of the learner. The second section presents a variety of different activities …

An Introductory Course On Computers For Esl Students, Anne Christenson Rice

MA TESOL Collection

This paper details the process of creation and an evaluation of a computer course for non-native English speakers.

A Primer In Computer Literacy For Students Of English In A Second Language, David Allen Reynolds

MA TESOL Collection

This series of seven readings for ESL students covers various topics in computer literacy. Their main aims are cognitive formation of basic concepts in computer literacy and acquisition of vocabulary pertaining to those concept areas. The intended readers are sixth grade students with an intermediate ESL ability. Grammatical structures are limited to those covered in an intensive beginners' course. Non-technical vocabulary ±s limited to a 1000-word frequency list. The readings are written at a fourth grade reading level according to Fry's Readability Scale.

Grammar Charts For Advanced Esl Levels: A Teacher’S Reference, Francis Mausley

MA TESOL Collection

This project consists of twelve grammar charts presented in a concise box form. Each chart illustrates several generalizations about the usage of a part of speech. The charts contain such items as: types, categories, sequence tendencies, structure patterns, word and phrase examples, specific functions, transformation processes etc. etc.

The work is intended as an ESL teacher's reference and the format has been designed to present the content in an efficient manner. Each of the twelve charts deal with different subjects and are therefore divided into twelve separate units. All units contain the following four sections:

A. Definition and Assumed Learning …