First and Second Language Acquisition Commons^™

Teaching And The Boarding School Environment At Tasis England, William Bradley Stevenson

MA TESOL Collection

This paper discusses my 1981 summer teaching experience at TASIS England, an American boarding school located outside London. In this environment, there were personal constraints both on the students and on myself. I increased my knowledge of the shape and structure of English and how to teach it. In the classroom there are always discipline problems. I look at one way I found to deal with them. In this boarding school environment, I had additional duties that gave me the opportunity to learn about teenagers. I also gained some insight into culture and how to relate to these international students …

Facilitating The Learning Of How To Learn: The Development Of Active, Resourceful, And Responsible Learners In An Experiential, Cross-Cultural, Academic Program, Teryl Lee Lundquist

MA TESOL Collection

A primary goal for education is the development of learners who know how to learn actively, resourcefully, and responsibly in the changing and complex environment in which they find themselves. Based on my own experiences as a learner and an educator , and most specifically on my experience as Academic Director of two College Semester Abroad groups to Ireland, I have formed five priorities for myself as a facilitator of such learning. These priorities are - (1) To encourage the learner first to view him or herself as the most valuable resource available, and then to look to other human …

Communication Modules: Student-Generated Language Arts Projects For Bilingual Education, Annie Katherine Hawkinson

MA TESOL Collection

The materials consist of nine curriculum units designed for use with bilingual students at 4th, 5th, and 6th grade levels. Although originally developed for French-English bilingual students, they can be used with any language group, since the learning activities are themselves not language-specific. The language used for each communication project is collected from the students themselves: hence the units themselves can be used with any bilingual group.

The learning activities are also designed to be used in multilevel classes, i.e. classes where students' language proficiency may vary. They of course may also be used in classes where such variation does …

A Voyage To A Culture: A Special Collection Of Teaching Techniques ( Imaginary Trip Becomes Real In A Classroom), Silvana Hage

MA TESOL Collection

My project uses an imaginary voyage in a classroom as an introduction to second language culture. It consists of a special collection of teaching techniques for post-elementary language teachers of an advanced second language course. The purpose of this project is to help students get a glimpse of a culture in a situational, functional, and performing way. The students plan an imaginary trip to the second language culture of the country where the second language is spoken.

A description of my own experience with the project is given in order to give an overview of how long, when, where, and …

Suggestopedia: New Use Of Innate Mental Capacities, Phyllis Lorraine Crowell

MA TESOL Collection

This paper discusses certain characteristics of human mental functioning - an understanding of which sheds light on the mechanism of suggestopedia. These characteristics are: (1) the electrical impulses produced by the brain, and in particular, the alpha brainwaves, which are characteristic of a calm state of mind which is believed to be optimum for accelarated learning, (2) the division of left and right brain hemisphere functioning and perception - with the right ( intuitive) functions being a focus as the receiver of suggestion (subminal stimuli from the environment; the moving force in suggestopedia), and (3) the conscious vs. the paraconscious …

An Overview Of Error Correction: Cultural Dimensions And Techniques, Kathleen Carty, Joseph Reilly

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper the writers consider the theoretical issues of error correction in the language classroom. The evolution of different philosophies regarding error correction is discussed. This is followed by an overview of some of the assumptions behind language teaching approaches in vogue and implications these assumptions have for handling errors in the classroom. Finally, the paper presents classroom evidence to support the idea that there is a cultural dimension that must be considered in the treatment of learner's errors.

Materials For Teaching Indonesian By "Silent Way", Thomas Ray Ross

MA TESOL Collection

This material consists of a Color Coded Pronunciation Guide and a Color Coded Spelling Guide to be used for teaching Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) as a second language, particularly when using the Silent Way. The guides assign colors to each sound of Indonesian and then present the writing of the language (in the New Spelling system) using those colors. Accompanying the guides are descriptions and keys (including examples)

Community-Oriented Activities In The Teaching Of Esl, Laura Katherine Yost

MA TESOL Collection

Community-Oriented Activities in the Teaching of ESL is a selection of projects developed to expand communicative competence among ESL students. Through such experiential learning, in which the students become involved with the target language outside the classroom, the reinforcement of survival skills and an opportunity for actual communication with native speakers are provided.

Each activity is divided into four parts; a description of the objectives; a section on information to collect; a section which gives the student practice in using the language in situations; and follow-up suggestions upon completion of the activity.

Student participation in a variety of social interactions …

A Generative Language Approach To Esl For Children: Considerations And Activities, Monique H.W.C. Noyons Gehman

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this project is to provide ESL teachers of primary aged children with a guide to using a generative language approach. The guide includes teaching considerations relevant both to teaching children in general, and specifically to teaching ESL. A great variety of activities are presented, focusing on the total development of the child as well as the creative use of language. In addition, suggested readings and resources are listed, some for theoretical background and others for use in classroom.

Designing And Implementing A University Level English As A Second Language Program, Janice Gallagher

MA TESOL Collection

This paper represents a one year study of the steps taken to devise and implement an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. The study involves analyzing the teaching / learning environment; designing, implementing and evaluating the program; and analyzing the results for future programs of this nature. The paper focuses on the intermediate and advanced ESL student and includes suggestions for materials development at each particular level. The purpose of the paper is to provide a practical outline for those teachers or administrators whose task is to initiate a formal ESL …

A Cultural Observation Project For Outbound Students To France, Fiona Stewart Cook

MA TESOL Collection

This project contains guided question sheets and topics for discussions on cultural values which I developed while leading a summer Outbound group to France. They are designed to help students who are in an immersion or homestay siatuation to focus their attention on the various aspects of everyday life in France, to make careful observations, to share and compare their findings with other group members with the goal of gaining greater understanding of and appreciation for the French culture

Observations On The Language Acquisition Of A Thai/English Bilingual Child, Michael A. Betcher

MA TESOL Collection

A child subject, bilingual in Thai and English, was studied during his 25th months for aspects of transference* and interference in his developing speech. A speach diary was kept on a daily basis. Attention was focused on prosodic features (intonation/tonality), word borrowing and code switching. Examples of all these phenomena were recorded, but the most significant was that of prosodic interference, wherein English intonation indicating stress, excitement or urgency was carried over into the strictly regulated Thai intonation system. * A term which is used to avoid the negative implications of "interference" and to indicate the use of a syncretic …

Esl Teacher Training: A Fifteen Hour Introductory Course In Tesl Methodology, Helene Ellen Becker

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Nursery Rhymes And Songs For Teaching English As A Second Language To Children, Nancy R. Hendricks

MA TESOL Collection

Fifty-one rhymes and songs are presented here for use in an ESL classroom. Because the rhymes were originally written for English-speaking children, their most appropriate usage in the ESL environment is also with children (under 13 years in age). The rhymes are grouped in categories according to the material each one presents. The categories are:

Vocabulary:

Parts of the Body People and Occupations Animals Clothes Colors Daily Activities Flowers Food

Grammatical Structures:

Simple Present Present Continuous Simple Past Past Continuous Present Perfect

Conversational Exchanges:

Commands and Requests Conversational Exchanges Demonstration General Statements Narratives Personal Statements

Also included are several suggestions …

Of Time And Tense: An Analysis Of The English Verb Tense System For The Esl Teacher, William David Helz

MA TESOL Collection

The intent of the writer with this paper is to provide the ESL instructor with the knowledge necessary to effective planning for and teaching of lessons concerning the verb tenses of English.

The analysis given in the paper is an attempt at viewing the verb tenses as compromising a system which is basically symmetrical and surprisingly logical. As such, it is felt that through exploring the relationships tenses share with one another, we have found the key to demonstrating tense usage and meaning effectively for students and to planning drills and exercises which will zero in on the primary conceptual …

A Handbook For Teaching Technical English, Kathleen Bogue Caissie

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper are discussed, first, the unique problems facing the teacher who finds himself teaching technical English. Second, ways in which that teacher can prepare himself to most effectively deal with these problems (used here in the sense of tasks to be mastered) are offered, together with practical strategies for establishing and maintaining his professional and emotional equilibrium. Finally, specific suggestions are made for presenting technical terminology to ESL students, as well as improving their general English language proficiency.

In addition, three appendices are provided. The first delineates examples of the special problems connected with teaching technical English. The …

Charts That Show Basic Transformations In English, Lawrence Fuller Allen

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a teaching tool to be used in the ESL classroom. It consists of six large (30" x 20") multicolored charts. Each charts focuses on a particular "operator" verb in English ("be," "do," or the modals) and shows the role the operator plays in the grammatical transformations of question formation and negation. The student can actually see how the same sentence changes from the statement to the question form and from affirmative to negative. In addition to the charts themselves, the project includes a written description of the charts, suggestions for using them in the classroom, and tables …

The Cultural Problems Encountered In Teaching Basic English To Russian Jew Refugees As An Initial Step To Entering An English Speaking Society, James Edwin Traver

MA TESOL Collection

The Organizzazione Rieducazione Tecnia in Rome, Italy offers English language instruction to Russian Jew refugees who for one reason or another wish to obtain visas to an English speaking country. The students are in a transitional phase in their lives; they have left their country of birth and haven't yet been accepted into another country of their choice. This creates special needs in regard to language acquisition. They need survival skills to help them make this transition and they need to gain an appreciation of English speaking cultures.

During the summer of 1977, I taught and observed classes at this …

Spoken Bakhtiari, Gholam Hossein Rahmanian

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Self-Concept, Self-Image Improvement Activities For The Classroom, Daniel Mack

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Space, Time And Movement: The Context For Spoken Language, Nancy Leach

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Interference Of Brazilian Portuguese On Learning English, Tizuko Hirose, Tsizuco Iwase

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Methods And Materials For Esl Literacy, Ann Ebersole Strauch

MA TESOL Collection

Literacy education for adolescents and adults has been a perplexing problem for ESL teachers, who are generally unprepared for this specific type of instruction. Materials designed for native-English speakers are not suitable for ESL literacy instruction, and teacher-training institutions are not providing preparation for ESL literacy for prospective ESL teachers. Furthemore, very little research has been done on ESL literacy. In spite of this dearth of information and lack of suitable didactic materials available, substantial numbers of nonliterate students are seeking ESL instruction. This thesis addresses the need for methods and materials specifically intended for ESL literacy instruction.

Library research …

Visual Developmental Dyslexia In Children (Specific Language Disability), Sue Golden

MA TESOL Collection

Developmental Dyslexia is a disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read, speak, and write, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity. Although this disorder affects approximately 10% of all school children, it remains unknown to many teachers, especially those in the field of English as a Second Language (ESL). The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the nature of this disorder and the current remedial methods and techniques being used. It also points out some of the discrepancies that exist between theory (the treatment that a child would ideally receive), and reality; this is …

Theater Games And Group Problem-Solving Exercises For The Foreign Language Classroom, Larraine Ruth Wright

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a handbook of initiative games, theater games and improvisations especially adapted for use in the foreign language classroom. It includes games for small children, older children and adults. It can be used with classes of all levels. The games are described with recommendations for their use. Background information on the theory behind theater games, their use in the classroom, and an annotated bibliography of further sources are included.

National Michigan Test Score Improvement Averages For The International Students Of English At The School For International Training Of Ten Programs From January 1974 Through June 1976, Robert J. Thomas

MA TESOL Collection

This project contains student data, consisting of nationality, test scores, and age, from ten programs of International Students of English at the School for International Training. The data has been calculated to produce national test score averages which are helpful when comparing the various national and language group abilities of performance on the Michigan Test. In general this material supports the hypothesis that the closer a student's native language is to English linguistically the greater his score improvement will be on the Michigan Test.

Teaching Dari To English Speakers, Sajia Sultany

MA TESOL Collection

This project contains the materials, methods and rationale used in teaching Dari to a group of American Peace Corps Volunteers. Included in the materials covered are the Dari alphabet and the pronunciation of Dari phonemes as well as the basic grammatical structures and vocabulary in the course. The final segment of this project consists of five appendicies outlining specific materials used to teach alphabet, pronunciation and vocabulary.

Strategies With The Rods, Joseph Barrett

MA TESOL Collection

Silent Way is an intriguing approach to ESL teaching. Dr. Caleb Gattegno and Educational Solutions have developed a wide range of materials to accompany the techniques they suggest for helping people learn languages. Prior to my student teaching, however, I recognized the need to prepare myself to use these materials effectively. This report is a summary of my self-preparation.

Readings With Exercises For Advanced Esl Students, Vincent D. Antonelli

MA TESOL Collection

Readings in English for non-native speakers are usually simplified and controlled so that the students will not be overwhelmed by the linguistic complexity of the reading passage. For advanced English language students however, simplification is no longer useful or necessary. The student's interest in reading real material should be met by choosing material that is of high interest value. This project contains three readings which, although edited, have not been simplified. The readings have been chosen for their potential interest value to the ESL student. Exercises accompany each reading. It is the author's contention that for advanced level students, grammar …

And What Did The Dr. Say? Readings, Exercises, And Activities For The Foreign Physician, Karen Kale

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.