USA learns

http://USAlearns.org/

This appears to be a "non-cost", funded by department of education site. Although one does have to register, there is a video about registering in Spanish as well as English.

comparing a british and american commercial for lang. use

I thought these two would be interesting to compare because they are both the same mac commercial but the language for relaxing on vacation is quite different.
Here it is for american:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsvJefWOUYE

And britain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1bYVV4rD24

Leaving the Blog open...

I'm glad to see that you guys like the idea of continuing with the blog! I know that in the settings we can add a list of email addresses that get emailed anytime there is a new post. I'll see what the other options are as well.

I'll leave the blog open and all of you listed as authors for now, and if anyone wants to be added as an administrator, that's easy to do as well!

Keep on going- by Ruby

I would like to let you guys know that I love to learn from you and I love to share whatever I know and I feel to you. Therefore, I am for KEEPING ON GOING!!

However, where shall we move next?? Any genius got any idea? Shall we have a new blog only belonging to us?? Anyway, I am looking forward to our new world together spiritually. Haha....

Concerning my previous post

I'm glad so many of you are interested in keeping in touch and keeping this going! Does anyone know how to get blogger to send you emails when someone posts or comments on a post? It would be nice to have reminders sent to our inboxes.

The History Channel

Hi Everyone,

The History Channel's website includes a lot of interesting, fast-paced videos of 3 to 4 minutes called History of the Holidays.

I've linked the title of this post to the material on Independence Day; you will see the Search bar there if you'd like to peruse other topics.

Even if your students can't understand all of the spoken content, as the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

(By the way, some proverbs are really hard to translate into other languages. You've been warned!)

Clint T

microsoft lesson plans

Microsoft is advising using live essentials movie maker to make lesson plans. I linked the title to the site but it actually includes lesson plans (although some of questionable content). I thought some might be interested in this. I used iphoto on the mac in class for my lesson. However, I will probably try live essentials as well this summer.

Keeping it going

While I have not posted as often as I should have, I have read everyone's posts faithfully and have really enjoyed this chance we have had to share our discoveries and experiences. While the internet is ripe with resources for us as teachers I was wondering if any of you would be interested in keeping this thing going. This one stop spot to share ideas, activities, articles and to ask for advice from other teachers and friends is something I would not like to lose.

Anyone interested?

Anyone else have their own blogs? (We could become friends. *giggle*)

-Kari

Fun with puctuation and spelling

If you haven't visited this site (click on the title), you're missing an off beat look at common misspellings and assistance with punctuation. You do need to preview it before use because it can be somewhat off-color for certain age groups.

http://theoatmeal.com -- main site

punctuation and spelling .....
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

Importance of manual proof reading

A little tip, when depending on technology.
While recent net browsing I saw a very interesting poetic way of bringing attention to an important issue, important because it may turn out to be embarrassing. When we run spell check while making a document on an unreliable software package and you have typed ‘then’ instead of ‘than’, it will not be filtered as it is not a misspelled word, so my point is pretty much related to writing skill that student must have an ability and habit to proof read their written material instead of totally relying on the technology, following is a short poem which is very nicely written carrying instructions regarding the relevant issue. It is taken from a site named ‘Funny tips’.

Spell Checker

I halve a spelling checker,
It came with my pea see.
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes I dew knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait aweigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the era rite
Its rarely ever wrong.

I've scent this massage threw it,
And I'm shore your pleased too no
Its letter prefect in every weigh;
My checker tolled me sew.

Though in office 2007 it gives suggestions, for some words in the poem above.

Humor and fun in ESL classrooms
I read an interesting and useful article titled ‘effects of humor in the language classroom’ written by Lance Askildson, which suggests humor to be the most dominant feature in an ESL class as the study has shown a very supporting outcome.
Humor which is often ignored in the classrooms stands as one of the few universals applicable to all people and all languages throughout the world (Kruger, 1996). It does not mean that element of humor causes improvement in ESL proficiency directly rather it creates an environment which facilitates teacher-student relationship, because of light and fun environment students are psychologically charged and participate more enthusiastically in their classes.
The effect of such a class as relaxing, comforting and tension reducing device has effects on teacher image. In my learning experience, I improved a lot because of the fun activities, in the following I would like to mention few activities which could be help.
Skits
Dramatizing short skit was my favorite activity and very useful as these short skits were written, directed and acted by students, in front of their classes or even the whole institute and judges who are usually the teachers, decide the best performers, theme and so on, sometimes students come up with very creative, interesting and fun ideas. In the process of writing dialogues, rehearsal and directions the learners get ample opportunity to listen, read, write and speak in the target language.
Press conference/ Court martial
In this activity the class is divided into three, four, five groups depending on the total number of students in class and each group is asked to choose a celebrity (dead or alive) and then the groups represents that celebrity, the remaining students in the class play reports or journalists and the groups that chooses the personality defend the personality and answers controversial issues in defense.
Alibi
Two students are chosen from the class and then the class decides a charge form them e.g. they committed any crime on a specified time and date, then these students go out of class and decide an alibi for that particular day and time, one of the students is called in the class the other remains out of class, the first students is interrogated by the class and then the second student is called and asked the same questions, if there is difference in their statements they are guilty otherwise innocent.
These few games are just an example there could be many activities which could be interesting, humorous and fun.

Building Pronunciation Skills

While I have been able to teach my student many grammatical principles and vocab items this semester, the most fulfilling part (besides growing a relationship) has been to help her strengthen her pronunciation skills. She let me know at the beginning of our time together that she wanted to sound like native speaker so I have kept that in mind as I teach my lessons, adding pronunciation practices in where I see issues. We have learned how to pronounce the past tense /-ed/. It gives me such joy to see her stop in the middle of a reading and remember to feel for vibrations in her throat to know whether to end her word with [t], [d] or [ed]. I can see her improving and having to use that technique less and less.

This Monday there was a particularly high amount of st-, sp-, sc- words in our reading. As a native Spanish speaker she is always tempted to add a schwa to the beginning of these words: eschool, she says, or estop. While babysitting a sweet 4-year old with a speech impediment over the summer, I saw her mother stop her while she was having troubles with her S's, have her drag her finger along her forearm as she pronounced the S in snack and then finish the word when she reached her palm. Ssssssssssss nack. Every time she was made to focus on the S she could easily say the word afterward and had less trouble with similar S words for at least a few minutes. I tried this with my student. "You may feel silly trying this but as a Spanish speaker you are not used to starting a word with S and another consonant. This will help you think about the S!" She loved it! She tried one word (Ssssssssss top), sat back and said "Wow! I can do it!"

Have you guys had any interesting pronunciation teachable moments this semester?

esl students sharing cultural difficulties

this is an interesting idea, however, it does seem limited in how much activity they put on it:

http://tesl.engl.iastate.edu/510/F02/finalculturalgapfile/Homepage/frameset1.htm

I found these recored comments from some students interesting about there not being enough clerks in the supermarket to ask questions to (esp since we as esl teachers might suggest they find a clerk which to ask their questions - come to think of it, i have the same difficulty, it is not as easy as it sounds)

It wasn't easy shopping in the supermarkets, especially with no attendants standing at every aisle, like back home. All the items being so different from what I was used to definitely through me the first few times. But a few wonderful, kind people helped me out with picking out the best products and brands for the items I needed and showed me how to make the best deals. I couldn't have done it without them.
A student from Kenya

It is very difficult to find a attendant in a US supermarket. In China there are so many attendants around that you can easily find where the thing you want is, by asking the attendant. But in the US supermarket, I rarely see an attendant and I have to spend a longer time looking for what I want.
A student from China


I especially like the ability to search for shared issues/concerns which might be a limitation of a blog for keeping student comments.

This came from iowa state's project links which are at the very bottom of this page:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Eapling/projects.html

There are also some pronunciation activities on the same project page.

A business writing example from Steve Job

To follow up my thought in the previous blog post...

This is a quote from the same web page I linked in which a point presented by a CEO I consider to be quite enlightening:

The survey found that advanced technology in the workplace plays a significant role. "With the fast pace of today's electronic communications, one might think that the value of fundamental writing skills has diminished in the workplace," said Joseph M. Tucci, president and CEO of EMC Corporation and chairman of the Business Roundtable's Education and the Workforce Task Force. "Actually, the need to write clearly and quickly has never been more important than in today's highly competitive, technology-driven global economy."


To illustrate Tucci's point, I couldn't think of a better example than the one just been released by Steve Job. He elaborates the reasons why he does not allow Flash software to run on all Apple's mobile platform. Without taking side with either Adobe or Apple, I feel Job made a compelling case for an important business decision -- all in writing. The article can be used as a good reading and writing material for business and technology students too. For most of you, please pardon me for being quite technical this time; I won't do it again :-)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20003742-264.html?tag=rtcol;inTheNewsNow

Writing: A Ticket to Work... Or a Ticket Out

http://www.writingcommission.org/pr/writing_for_employ.html

This report documented the result of a survey of 120 major American corporations in 2004, unequivocally underscores the importance of writing in the corporate world. My own experience in business can both confirm and validate the findings in the report, especially in the context of managing people, or products, or relationships, or technology, etc. In think I could use this report to motivate target students to be serious about developing writing skills. When they see the value down the line, their action would likely follow.

Wei-Fan

Last conversation class tonight ..

Kinda sad.  Tonight was my last 'conversation club' class, and a bunch of students who had missed the last couple of sessions while prepping for the iTOEFL showed up.  I know this will shock everyone, but I made some snacks and sneaked them into the room and we just sat around a table and talked.  Actually, it bore out something I had suspected all along ... that speaking/conversation practice classes do best when things are casual, and, well, cafe-like.  One student had some really wonderful, but hard questions about the American revolution and the Civil War ... another put on a YouTube clip of a woman speaking in 21 accents - very funny - and another, a rather salty, but hysterical cartoon clip of an Italian man on a vacation, and the trouble his English pronunciation caused ... things about sheets on the bed, and peas, etc.  (I'll go no further), but everyone sat around and talked with each other ... and we ran over by half and hour.  I think we got all the crumbs off the floor.  This was just a really great experience.  Would that they will more often be like this than not, and for all of us!

response to Managing a Volunteer Program

Sharon, first of all, you had done a magnificent job with all the agencies you've been serving this semester. Wow! Way to go!

I understand your frustration with lax agencies. I guess I think of it and try to deal with it in a calm and patient manner. Ha! It's hard and frustrating, but we're here, working with their agency, doing what 'we hope' they want us to do. And I think that's really all they want, and they appreciate it if we're there at all. We may have all sorts of suggestions and recommendations for the program, but (when they're not looking for suggestions) I just try to keep those things in mind in case I run my own program one day :) Or at least now after working with a lax agency, I now have a much better idea of what I want when looking for an agency to work with. You know, we kinda gotta go with the flow when we're there, and we just can't control things they way we'd like to (or I know I'd like to) when we're gone. Sad, but true.

So glad Lori's student is taking over the class, by the way!!

sign difficult to ESL readers

I know this is an orthography one but I suspect the following sign would be difficult for ESL students.
https://mavspace.uta.edu/xythoswfs/webview/_xy-1159089_1
It might be an interesting puzzle for an ESL learner since the words involved are fairly simple. The puzzle being, what is this sign saying?

Also, this is one of Justin Timberlake that I saw on mtv.com today that reminded me of doing an ESL lesson over the camera where you reach you hand out to nowhere to pretend as though you are shaking the other persons hand when teaching "Hello, How are you?".
https://mavspace.uta.edu/xythoswfs/webview/_xy-1159090_1

That is what I did teaching EFL at NOVA in Japan.

Managing a Volunteer Program

Friday, 4/30 was my last conversation class at ArlingtonReads! Luckily, an undergraduate student from Lori's linguistics class, who had come to my ELI conversation group last Monday to make up some service learning hours because her student had cancelled some classes, and I invited her to come to Friday's class. The great news is that she is going to continue with the conversation group - which is now a constant turn-out of 4 people each Friday - so there won't be any interruption for the students.

As delighted as I am to leave 'my' students in good hands, I would be less than honest to say that I was a bit disturbed by what seemed to be a bit of a 'whatever' attitude on the part of the program organizers. Likely my inexperience is showing here. I have finally gotten comfortable with stepping and stepping up in terms of organizing the class and making simple lesson plans ... but I keept looking over my shoulder to check with those in charge of the program ... is this how they have forseen the program? am I operating within the bounds of the services they offer? I know that a program like ELI, or Intensive English at UT Austin is quite differently organized, and highly structured ... but it is comforting to know what the inclement weather policy might be, and, if students want a field trip, it is possible to arrange that and notify everyone ... instead of wondering if this is the week that 16 new people will show up between 10:40 and 11:20, expecting a teacher and a class at the library. Worst was the computer class that was scheduled, still don't know by whom, in the room where the conversation class is held. The teacher basically, unpleasantly, and almost physically, tossed us out. The students launched a discussion on manners that day: is this how you do things here in the US? What should we say to people like that, etc.? It was wierd. But, I have to admit ... it WAS good for conversation!
Now, I sense that the organization I describe may be more than a bit lax, but I'd like to hear from you what you feel is a reasonable expectation for working in volunteer ESL programs.

Thanks! This happened a couple of weeks ago, and it has been a little hard to talk about.

GoogleScholar and subscription Electronic Databases

I have had occasion over this semester to meet with Jody Bailey, our reference Librarian at the UTA Library. In addition to having a MLS, she also has an MA in Linguistics. And she is a tech whiz. Another class (Pragmatics) had an entire class session with Jody at the Library, and she covered the subject of the varied databases and other research tools available thorough the Library ... It is an amazing array.
One of the most amazing things to have come out of that session was, certainly, her tour through the various subject searches across databases, and the search strategies she set up in individual ones. She also discussed how the subscriptions to these databases work: there are fare more out there than UTA subscribes to; there are levels of subscription within a particular database, say, LLBA, or MLA, or EBSCO, or ERIC ...; but most stunningly was how expensive subscriptions to these little suckers can be.
Also of note was her endorsement of GoogleScholar as a worthy research tool - because it will give info on whether, and how many times an article has been cited, it will allow you to play with search terms and strings, it will/may find quality articles for you (not everything coming off the sub databases is guaranteed to be perfect, either), and, best of all, it is free to use and many of the articles cited are available free in .pdf format!
It is its basic quality plus this last item - being free to use - that interests me. Even if we are doing service learning tutoring and teaching at a program with a limited budget, by virtue of our UTA association, we do have access to all of this wonderful stuff, plus InterLibrary Loan and TexCat for free. Our program with the limited budget cannot affored these services, but they sure can - if they have computers - utilize GoogleScholar.
It was good to know that Jody thought well enough of GS to discuss it and analyze its searching capabilities and functions.

BTW, if you have not had an opportunity to work with Jody and benefit from her help and knowledge on a research project, you really owe it to yourself to do so.