Learning to teach ESL

I have attached a digital copy of my Continued Professional Development Report in this blog entry. It is a reflection on the usefulness of the resources that I chose to assist me in the development of my English language teaching and professional development. It discusses the ease of use, benefits and drawbacks of the resources, my learning takeaways, and my recommendations for others.

I have chose only one resource to examine this week to help me develop my ninth and tenth lesson plans. The resource that I chose was published by a website called Busy Teacher. The website contains a blog where authors write about various aspects of teaching and it provides teachers with teaching materials that they can include in their lessons. The resource that I chose is an article that was written by Claudia Pesce called "8 Top tips for giving your ESL class a review lesson they'll love." I chose this article because I wanted to read examples of what other teachers have used in their review lessons. I thought that it might give me ideas for materials that I could use in my final lessons.

This resource helped me to understand review classes from the perspective of students. Review classes can be helpful for students by reminding them of content that was taught earlier in the course that they may have forgotten or remains unclear to them. However, students can become overwhelmed by the amount of content that they are required to know, leading to test anxiety. The tips included in the resource have helped me plan activities that let students practice what they have already learned in different ways without presenting too much at the same time. utilize materials that were taught earlier without. The following paragraphs list the tips that are included in this week's resource and discuss how I might incorporate them into my lesson plans.

1. Don't use long lists of vocabulary

The author says not to use long lists of vocabulary during review classes because courses contain a lot of new words and can be intimidating to students if they are presented all at once. This can also lead to problems like test anxiety because students are shown everything that they have to know. They may underestimate what they do know and not know what to focus on when they are studying. The author suggests that teachers and instructors organize the materials into shorter, more digestible lists. Fortunately, the vocabulary taught in the reading course is already broken up into short lists in each chapter of the class textbook. As such, both my sponsor teacher and myself can direct students to the most important lists that students should focus on. There is less of a focus on vocabulary in the cultural conversational class, so this tip is less applicable to it.

2. Don't use long lists of grammar structures

The author also says not to use long lists of grammar structures during review classes because learning verb tenses and sentence forms is a very difficult task for many English language learners. Having long lists can be overwhelming for students because they feel like they have to know everything for the test or exam. In reality, some of the grammar structures may have been used to extend the material taught to meet course objectives. They may have also been presented in lessons to appeal to student interests and and may not be required knowledge. As such, it is important to go over what is essential to do well on the test or exam and to distinguish it from information that is not required. Fortunately, neither of the classes focuses much on grammar. The only thing that students must know for the exam in the reading class is how to use forms of vocabulary words correctly in sentences with different structures and verb tenses.

3. Play games

The author suggests that teachers use games in review classes because they help to reduce tension for upcoming tests and exams. Using games helps the teacher to review essential language that students must know for the exam in ways that are less likely to overwhelm students. There is a huge assortment of games that teachers can use for reviewing course content. In the article, the author lists the following games:

a) "Wh- question grammar game" - This game allows students to practice using question words and formulating questions based on answers provided by the teacher.
b) "Present Simple wh- questions game" - This game allows students to practice formulating questions based on different activities and contexts.
c) "Grammar revision board game" - This game allows teachers to customize game boards with grammar structures that students must know for the test or exam. The example given has several statements that students must use to identify the tenses and appropriate words for the blank spaces.
d) "Yes and no picture game" - This game shows students a part of a picture and they must guess what is in it using clues. However, they can only ask questions that have a yes or no answer to obtain clues.
e) Worksheet database - This is resource with a huge variety of worksheets that teachers can use for their classes. Some are meant as general worksheets and others are designed for reviewing course content. Teachers can choose worksheets that suit the levels of their students and teaching context.

Most of the games listed by the author do not fit my teaching context because they focus on grammar. However, I like the 'Present simple wh- questions game" best out of all of the grammar games. It is too simple for students in my practicum placement but I think it would be fun to use in a high-beginner LINC classroom to practice forming questions and reviewing simple vocabulary. In addition, the worksheets in the database are not directly applicable for my final two lessons but I will definitely use them to search for worksheets in my future teaching.

4. Variety

The author states that teachers should use a variety of activities in their review classes. This means not focusing extensively on a video or relying on too many games, worksheets, or speaking activities in the review class. Teachers should focus instead on using a variety of teaching materials and strategies to help students practice and review different skills that were developed throughout the course. These activities should reflect the skill levels of the students. The author suggests doing crafts with younger and/or beginner students and plays with more advanced students. I think that this is an important point to consider when reviewing the cultural conversational class. I have mostly used dialogues in my lesson plans for that class and I don't want to just do more of the same. I have discussed possibilities for review class activities with my sponsor teacher and I hope to use some of her ideas in my final lesson plans.

5. Surprise the students

The author states that teachers should avoid falling back on routines in their review classes. Long review classes focused on going over a breadth of content from the course can lower energy level of students and make the class too boring. Similarly, repeating activities that were used frequently throughout the course can be boring for students if they are not fond of them. As such, review classes give teachers an opportunity to be creative and surprise students with a new game. The author suggests doing a Jeopardy review game to go over materials that will be on the test or exam. My sponsor teacher has also suggested that I do a Jeopardy game as the main activity for reviewing the reading class materials. She said that students will do a few questions about different topics covered in class and that it will help them identify which content they need to focus their studying on.

6. Student questions

The author suggests that teachers take questions from the students in their classes because it allows students to revisit material that they have forgotten, missed, or don't understand. This is a useful activity if students are willing to participate in the classroom and admit that they need a word or concept explained. In this situation, teachers may not need to take time to assess what their students know and don't know. However, the students in my classes often hesitate to speak up if they don't understand something because they don't want to lose face. This is frustrating because teachers don't know that students need help unless they say so. Student questions also allow teachers to teach on previously covered material and explain concepts in different ways to help students understand. Sometimes multiple students will have the same questions so everyone benefits. This works best with adult students and when students have time to write down questions before the review class. My sponsor teacher and I have decided to dedicate time in the cultural conversational class to answering questions about Canadian culture that were not covered in the course. I will also be sure to listen for student questions in the review activities for the reading class.

7. Let students teach

Another suggestion that the author has is to let students teach each other. Some students may have difficulty remembering information or be confused about something that was covered in the course. Other students might understand that content and be able to explain words and concepts to the students who are having difficulty in a more effective way than the teacher. This already takes place in my practicum classes. Students often sit beside classmates who are from the same country as they are and talk amongst each other if there is something they don't understand. While this activity is something to keep in mind, I don't think it would be particularly useful for the review class. However, I might be able to adapt it so that students in the cultural conversational class can teach other about the similarities and differences between the customs of their own countries.

8. Introduce something new

The author also states that teachers should introduce new games into the review lesson. Teachers often use games in their lessons throughout the length of the course. Some of these games may be favourites of the students while students may be tired of other games. Either way, students usually grow tired of repetition and may want to do something new. Introducing new activities allows students to use the course content in different ways and has the potential to be more engaging than other activities that the teacher reuses over the length of the course. This was my goal when I did the Kahoot! game last week. I hope that students will be engaged in my review activities and appreciate the Jeopardy game that I have created for them.

Overall, this resource has helped me think of interesting activities that I can include in the final lessons for my practicum and in my future teaching. After reading this resource, I feel like I understand the needs of students a bit better. There is a lot of material that we need to go through for the courses that I taught in for my practicum. This could be overwhelming for many of the students even though the length of the courses is relatively short. I feel more prepared to teach in the review classes and I appreciate the ideas that this resource has provided.



References

Pesce, C. (2013, January 10). 8 Top tips for giving your ESL class a review lesson they'll love [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://busyteacher.org/14406-how-to-teach-review-lesson-esl-class-8-top-tips.html

The second resource that I used this week was a web-based chapter of a book called "Tools and Tips for Using ELT Materials" that was written by Ruth Epstein and Mary Ormiston. The chapter is called "Drills, Dialogues, and Role Plays" and is only available online. It can be found on the webpage for the book on the website for books published by the University of Michigan Press. I chose this resource because I have used a lot of dialogues and roleplays in the lessons I have taught in the cultural conversational class and I was hoping to learn some strategies for making these activities more effective for the students in this class. The chapter includes information about making and adapting dialogues, preparing roleplaying activities that are suitable for students and meeting course objectives. These topics will be discussed below, along with reflections on how these strategies could be utilized in lesson planning for my teaching context.

Dialogues as Language Teaching Material

The authors state that dialogues are activities that are commonly found in ESL textbooks for a variety of linguistic and cultural reasons. They usually present spoken language within a particular context and are used to provide opportunities to practice listening and speaking skills. They are useful for listening to and practicing pronunciation, intonation, and other features of speech. They provide good opportunities to introduce and practice a function, sentence structure, and vocabulary. They can also be used to illustrate degrees of politeness, levels of formality, and the values and attitudes of the target culture. Teachers can also work with their students to analyze written dialogues for these features. The authors suggest that dialogues used for speaking practice should be short so that students remember them. However, teachers can have their students develop longer dialogues to facilitate problem solving and discussion about a topic. Dialogues can be presented in a variety of forms, including standard dialogues, open dialogues, and student-generated dialogues. These forms will be discussed in more detail below.

The textbook that is used in the cultural conversational class has many dialogue activities. These activities are used to practice phrases that are included in the course syllabus and for particular social contexts. Some of these contexts have included celebrations and events, dating, shopping, and restaurants. These social contexts provide opportunities for students to use the information for specific functions like accepting or rejecting invitations, requesting information from work staff, and solving common problems.

I think that the dialogues included in the class textbook achieve their purpose because they help teach students how to converse with other English-speakers in North America. Students learn to express themselves in ways that are polite, appropriate, and reflect the values and attitudes of the target culture. They learn how to identify these features in printed dialogues and how to integrate them into their own practice dialogues. Sometimes I think that the dialogue activities that I use in the classroom might be too challenging; however, the authors of this chapter explain that longer dialogues are useful for facilitating problem solving and discussion. As a result, I think that using dialogues is appropriate because the purposes listed above reflect the outcomes that I am trying to achieve in my lessons.

Standard Printed Dialogues

The authors write that standard printed dialogues usually consist of several short exchanges between two people. They can be useful for introducing common expressions to beginners and providing them with authentic expressions and vocabulary that they can use immediately. They can also be beneficial for EFL students by introducing them to genuine spoken language. The authors state that standard printed dialogues are found in many textbooks but they may not be appropriate for some students and/or teaching contexts. For example, the language used may not sound natural or authentic and may contain too many complex grammatical structures and/or difficult words. As such, teachers may decide to adapt the textbook dialogues to suit a different context or modify them to personalize them to their students' needs and interests. Some of the principles that teachers should keep in mind if they are adapting and/or modifying textbook dialogues include the following:

Use natural language when possible.

Teachers should avoid using a strict question-answer-question sequence and keep  the  dialogues  short  enough  so  that  students  can  easily  remember  them,  but long enough to provide context.

Depict situations in the dialogue that are relevant and useful to the learner..

Teachers should focus on using dialogues that contain settings, situations, and other content that is familiar and meaningful to their students.

Dialogues should reflect students’ level of sophistication and knowledge of the content.

Teachers should avoid oversimplifying the dialogues and present them in a way that reflects the students' language levels and knowledge.

Retain truth value in the dialogues.

The dialogues should not require students to say something in the classroom that they would not say in the “real world.”

Decide on a function for the dialogue.

Teachers should choose a function for the dialogues that reflects the language is used in a particular situation or activity.

Decide on a grammatical or other type of language focus.

Teachers should decide what the dialogues should focus on. The focus could be on a particular social issue or student problem, cultural information, grammar point, or vocabulary.

Use authentic language that is related to the function or situation.

Teachers should choose dialogues that use words, expressions, and idioms that achieve the function of the activity and that students can use when they encounter the situation in real life.

Use realistic language.

Teachers should choose vocabulary that could be realistically used between two people.

Use common language and phrasing.

Teachers should focus on incorporating the most commonly used language for a particular social context, such as conversations between acquaintances, a boss and an employee, a teacher and a parent, or a landlord and tenant.

The dialogues included in the class textbook are usually short and focus on specific types of interactions. They introduce common expressions and the context that they are used in. This presents the expressions in an authentic way and shows students how they can use the target language in situations that they will likely encounter in real life. Students can use the printed dialogues as examples for how to structure their own dialogues. However, sometimes the dialogues presented in the textbook use unfamiliar words and complicated sentence structures or are better-suited for an American context. As such, I might want to modify them before using them in the classroom.

I have tried to keep in mind some of the principles listed above because they are helpful when I try to adapt and/or modify the textbook dialogues. I appreciate the way that the chapters in the class textbook are divided according to different themes because they usually depict situations that are relevant and useful to students. The language used in the printed dialogues and in the course syllabus reflect real language functions and focuses, which helps students learn information about Canadian culture real-life situations within this context. I have tried to avoid assuming that creating dialogues is to difficult for the students in my practicum. I recognize that they have all studied English before taking my class and I have tried to create opportunities for them to apply what they have learned into a new context without over-simplifying the dialogues in the textbook.

Open Dialogues

The authors explain that teachers provide only one half of the dialogue in open dialogues and students create the other half. This type of dialogue allows students to practice responding to conversational cues and produce their own responses. However, it does not help students to practice initiating conversations. Teachers can use several variations of open dialogues should they decide to incorporate them into their lessons. One variation is a cloze activity that provides a controlled dialogue. Teachers provide their students with part of the dialogue but leave blanks that students are asked to fill in. A second variation is an activity where students are asked to incorporate a variety of expressions and vocabulary into their own scripts. A third variation is an activity that incorporates free practice by having students go off-script to create a new dialogue or build upon one that they are given.

I use open dialogues that I use in my lessons for the cultural conversational class. I show the students examples of dialogues where one character asks questions or makes statements that the second character responds to. The authors state that the weakness of this form of dialogue is that students focus on this response and do not have many opportunities to initiate questions. I offset this imbalance by having students create lines for both characters when they create their own dialogues. I also provide them with opportunities to include expressions and vocabulary that I have introduced. They can also work beyond the limitations in the textbook when choosing what should go into their dialogues. They are invited to use other language which can initiate class discussion and learning experiences.

Student-Generated Dialogues

The authors explain that student-generated dialogues are written by the students instead of the teacher. They encourage students to create their own scripts and allow teachers to assess a variety of language skills. Since they are scripted, they do not involve improvisation and the unpredictability of real communication. Student-generated dialogues may be written about a particular subject. Teachers can assist students by guiding them with a topic, picture, language function, sentence form, or idiom to provide them with ideas and build on what they have been learning in the classroom. This type of dialogue is most suitable for beginners and low-intermediate students.

The amount of changes that I have made to the dialogues printed in the textbook have been minimal. Most of script-writing has been done by the students to demonstrate their understanding and to use the language in a way that is meaningful for them. Many of the students are creative and think of examples that were not directly covered in class and some students even add jokes to entertain their classmates. I enjoy hearing student-generated dialogues because it shows that they are engaged and thinking about the content of the lesson and how they can apply what they have learned. It also provides me with opportunities to correct grammar and point out details about what was done well and what they can improve.

Roleplays as Language Teaching Material

The authors describe roleplaying activities as a way of bringing situations from real life into the classroom. They may include plays, dramas, sociodramas, and simulations. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between simulations and roleplaying activities. The authors define simulations as highly-developed roleplays that are not scripted. The teacher sets up a simulated environment and structures the roles and actions around a problem or series of problems. While simple roleplaying activities can focus on a single transaction between actors, simulations may require actors to perform a variety of speeches and activities.

The authors describe several ways that teachers can help their students prepare for roleplaying activities. First, they say that teachers can prepare students by helping them to understand the objectives of the roleplaying activities. These objectives should be based on student needs and the course curriculum. Second, the authors state that teachers should help students to understand why they are participating in the activities and how it will contribute to their learning. The authors argue that once the students understand the purpose of the roleplaying activities that they will become more motivated and willing to complete them. Third, the authors state that teachers should prepare students for the language that they will use in the roleplaying activities. Fourth, the authors state that teachers should play the role of the motivator and be involved in the activity. Teachers can help their students by circulating the groups, providing prompts, helping where needed, and observing and assessing language use. 

Teachers can also prepare their students for roleplaying activities by modeling the activities. This is especially true for students who have never done this type of activity before. Modeling can be done by using materials like pictures, audio or visual recordings, and sample scripts. The authors state that teachers will sometimes underestimate their students' abilities and motivation to write or produce roleplay skits. Even high-beginner level students can write and perform skits. The key point is that teachers should be involved as little as possible in the process after the vocabulary and sentence forms have been introduced. Students can practice doing the activity has been modeled by the teacher. Students can perform the roleplaying activity one their own as they become more familiar and skilled at it. The authors state that the teacher should discuss the results of the activity with their students, as well as the sociolinguistic and cultural aspects.

I would argue that most of the dialogues included in my lesson plans could be categorized as roleplaying activities. The dialogues usually include one authoritative character and one character that represents the student in whatever situation or context that the characters find themselves in. I have not included any plays, dramas, or sociodramas in my lesson plans. However, I have included simulations where students have to complete a verbal transaction and/or decide how to solve a problem in the dialogues that they complete. In these simulations, I introduce the roles included in the dialogue, the language that will be used (e.g. vocabulary and expressions), and the purpose of the dialogue. I first have them read the dialogues in the textbook and have them practice completing sample dialogues with a partner or as a class to prepare them for writing their own dialogues. I will only step in to provide prompts if students are having difficulty or miss an important feature that I want them to include to reach the lesson objectives.

This resource has helped me understand what aspects of dialogues and roleplaying activities I should focus on in my lesson plans. I found that most of the information in this chapter reflects what I already do, which affirms my use of the activities in the classroom. I think that the students understand the reasons behind doing these activities, but I don't know how useful they are to the students when they are outside the classroom. I think that this is something I could discuss with the class in future lessons or further on in my career. Hearing real-life examples might help to engage and motivate the students. It would help me gauge the appropriateness of the activity and the skill levels of my students to determine what I need to focus on to help them improve their English.



References

Epstein, R., & Ormiston, M. (2007). Drills, Dialogues, and Role Plays (Online Chapter). Tools and Tips for Using ELT Materials: A Guide for Teachers. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Retrieved from https://www.press.umich.edu

This week, I used two resources to develop my seventh and eighth lesson plans. Since this blog entry is quite long, I have split it into two parts. The first part of this entry discusses the resource that I chose to read and to develop my seventh lesson plan for the vocabulary and reading class. The subject that I chose to investigate for this part of the entry is vocabulary teaching methods. I chose this subject because I had a lot of difficulty presenting a lesson on vocabulary in a previous class. I discussed this in a previous teaching reflection post. The resource that I used for my seventh lesson plan is an article called "5 ESL Vocabulary Teaching Methods that Build Serious Linguistic Muscles" that was written by Stephen Seifert. It was published on a website called Fluent U, which is an organization that provides best practices, teaching strategies and resources, and activities for English educators. The article was created to help ESL teachers strategically incorporate vocabulary activities into their lesson plans to help their students improve other language skills.

I chose this resource because I wanted to learn new methods of incorporating vocabulary into my lessons in ways that are both engaging and effective for students in different teaching contexts. One of the textbooks for this class outlines short lists of vocabulary words in each chapter that students must learn. The chapters also provide simple exercises so that students can learn definitions, synonyms, additional word forms, and collocations. I have found these exercises to be straightforward and a good foundation for creating lesson plans. However, they are not very engaging and most of them can be done as homework because lecturing on them does not seem to make the exercises more beneficial for most students. Even though it is common for language classes in academic settings to use textbooks and pre-determined target language, I don't feel comfortable teaching a lesson that is almost solely based on textbook materials. As such, I think the best way to improve student engagement in this class is to find additional resources and methods for teaching vocabulary.

Benefits of Teaching Vocabulary

This resource argues that vocabulary does not need to be done in isolation and that it is most effective when it is taught as part of a lesson that targets the development of other language skills. The author contends that vocabulary should be taught in a way that reflects how individuals learn their L1s. As such, vocabulary teaching should present students with context (i.e. when and how words are used) and immediate opportunities to use the words in practical ways. The resource provides a list of the benefits of vocabulary teaching. I will outline these benefits below and ways that they might apply to teaching in an Intensive English Program and/or academic setting, as well as in other contexts that I have experience working in.

Expanding vocabulary leads to improving all language skills.

The article states that building vocabulary knowledge and skills aids in the language acquisition process and helps to develop other language skills (i.e. listening, speaking, reading, and writing). It also helps to improve communication skills, visualization ability, and memory recall. This is because having a large vocabulary boosts word recognition and comprehension and provides more words that students can use when producing language output. I have observed this phenomenon in both of the classes for my practicum placement. Some students give the impression that they are highly motivated and studious and provide detailed answers to questions. However, some students seem to have more difficulty articulating responses. This is sometimes confusing because it is difficult to tell whether they understand the teacher and the task at hand. A vague response could be due to either lacking the vocabulary and language knowledge to respond effectively or anxiety. It also applies to teaching newcomers who have very little language knowledge because, in many case, they do not understand verbal feedback and will continue to make the same errors until their English improves.

2. Any lesson can become a vocabulary lesson.

The article states that vocabulary can be incorporated into lessons that focus on developing other language skills. Teaching English does not require teachers to focus specifically on learning vocabulary, which often lacks context and practical ways to use new words. The author suggests that teachers design multiple multi-dimensional activities where students can practice using vocabulary appropriately and improve their pronunciation and grammar. We have talked about incorporating vocabulary into lessons targeting the development of various language skills in previous courses in the TESL certificate program. However, intensive English programs and other ESL programs and/or courses are different than other teaching contexts and sometimes require lesson plans where vocabulary learning is the primary focus. In this context, other skills can still be used to support vocabulary learning.

The more words that ESL students know, the more they can apply their language in a practical way.

The article frames vocabulary learning as a practical tool for improving listening and reading comprehension because it enables students to recognize more words in audio and written texts. Learning vocabulary also helps students when producing language output because they develop their speaking and writing abilities. This is similar to the first point listed above. I have observed this phenomenon in both of the classes for my practicum placement. Some students have more developed language skills than others and are better able to follow instructions and understand lectures than their peers because they are familiar with more words. This is also true for other language skills and is evident when students are asked to answer questions, read written texts, and write sentences. As such, it makes sense that the target vocabulary for this course is taught along with reading strategies so that students have a means of reviewing and applying the words that they encounter both inside and outside of the classroom in practical ways.

Vocabulary activities all complement one another in a practical way.

The article states that vocabulary teaching methods can have a specific focus. The focus may be on a specific skill like pronunciation or reading skills. The development of pronunciation skills allow students to learn how to produce sounds correctly in their speech so that they can be understood by other English speakers and the development of reading skills improve comprehension and provide opportunities for students to learn and change their perspectives. The focus of vocabulary teaching methods can also be on a form of communication, type of material, or a specific context. Examples include visual stimuli to connect words with visuals and cultural knowledge to know when and how words are used. These areas of focus and teaching may overlap with each other and/or ones that have been used previously in other lessons, which helps create a sense of familiarity with students.

Vocabulary Teaching Methods

This resource also presents five vocabulary teaching methods that benefit different aspects of language acquisition and knowledge. It builds on the premise that vocabulary teaching is most effective when it is incorporated into lessons that target the development of other language skills. The author explains how the benefits listed above connect to several teaching methods. The author also states how the teaching methods can be used to teach vocabulary and improve language knowledge. I will outline these connections, the ways that the teaching methods can be used for vocabulary teaching, and how they could be used in my practicum setting.

1. Present words with visual stimuli

The article states that visual learning occurs throughout a person's academic career, from when they start developing their L1 language ability and knowledge as a child until they attend college and/or university as an adult. As such, using visual stimuli in the classroom to present new vocabulary to students is a great teaching method. The author argues that using visual stimuli is more effective and engaging than other teaching methods like presenting vocabulary lists. However, these methods are not mutually exclusive and the use of visual materials can help support lessons involving vocabulary lists. One activity that uses visual stimuli and that the author suggests for teachers to incorporate in their vocabulary teaching is creating flashcards as a group. Students can use photos from magazines and other decorations and then present them to their class. Such activities help students to develop subskills like cooperative learning, interpersonal communication, and comprehension. Other possible visual materials for vocabulary learning include photos, PowerPoint presentations, diagrams, tables, charts, and graphs. I think that the use of teaching methods that utilize visual stimuli can be more effective in certain teaching contexts. I think that students with little language knowledge, such as low level LINC students, can benefit more from the inclusion of visual images in instruction and classroom activities. In contrast, classes in an academic setting may not have the time to do these types of activities on a regular basis due to time restrictions and the introduction of new vocabulary lists every week. I think that students in this setting would benefit more from the inclusion of other visual materials as learning supports, rather than the main focus of lessons.

2. Attach context to vocabulary

The article describes several teaching strategies that are based on methods that involve teaching students about the context of vocabulary words. These strategies include grouping words together using context, showing how vocabulary words work together in sentences and paragraphs, and presenting stories and other forms of media that utilize all of the vocabulary and target language that students are expected to learn. One activity that the author suggests for teachers who are wanting to teach context along with vocabulary is creating scripts. The lesson begins with teachers finding a subject of interest and a video or text that will provide vocabulary and context for the students. In the example, the author chose weather and found a video of a weather broadcast to show the students and to create a vocabulary list from. The students are then asked to participate in group discussions and to watch the video again to listen for the target vocabulary. After, they will be familiar with the vocabulary and understand the context that the words are used and will be able to develop and present their own weather scripts to the class.

As with the first teaching strategy, I think that this method of choosing and teaching vocabulary would be more effective in certain teaching contexts. I think that this method would be good for teaching ESL to children and for teaching EFL to adult students. I remember units were divided according to a particular subject or context when I took mandatory French classes during elementary school. Taking a beginner-level Spanish course in the university context was also organized in a similar way. There were no standardized lists of words or language that we were supposed to learn. In both cases, the materials were organized into units (e.g. rooms in the house) along with vocabulary, verb tenses, and phrases that could be used in this context. This method of attaching context to vocabulary could also be used for teaching a LINC classroom for adult newcomers at at least a high-beginner level. Since the focus is on improving skill levels, there is no list of vocabulary that students must know. The focus is then on learning and producing language that reflects real life situations and tasks. I think the lesson structure of presenting authentic texts, modeling language use, practicing using language, and then having students producing language output aligns with the structure of task-based learning. In contrast, I do not think it would work as well for adult students learning English in an academic setting, such as in intensive English programs. Classes within this context teach vocabulary that is based on lists like the General Service List and the Academic Word List, using themes to choose what vocabulary to teach would not be appropriate.

3. Build confidence with word clusters

The article argues that the use of visual representations of written language and texts can also be an effective method of teaching vocabulary. One type of visual representation is called a word cluster. This method is not to be confused with collocations. It involves illustrating relationships between words using graphic organizers where words are connected to each other like mind maps using shapes. Diamonds are used to identify words while rectangles and ovals are used to signify synonyms and antonyms, respectively. This method allows students to view the relationships between words with similar meanings and increase their vocabulary. Teachers can choose target words for the word cluster activity from previous vocabulary lesson plans that will be the focal point of the clusters. The words chosen by the teacher should be descriptive and contain many synonyms and antonyms. Teachers should briefly review the materials in which the vocabulary words were first presented to the students. Students can work in pairs or small groups to link as many words to the focal words as they can within a set time period. Then will then present the word clusters to the class and may receive points for each word that was linked and for correct spelling. It is important that students communicate with each other and the teacher and that they collaborate with their group members.

4. Keep new words practical

The article argues that keeping new words practical will let students know exactly how and when to use them. Developing practical lesson plans involves creating activities that reflect authentic uses of language. One common type of activity that is used for this purpose is roleplaying. Students may use existing scripts or create their own to practice language that they might use in chosen scenarios. This is helpful when improving language ability and proficiency. Another activity that can be used for this purpose is improv. This type of activity involves coming up with questions and statements on the spot. Students become more confident in their speaking ability when they improve their response time and ability to think on their feet when communicating in a variety of contexts and scenarios. The author outlines an activity that incorporates both roleplaying and improv. The teacher chooses a short list of new vocabulary words associated with the time of year and/or a current event to present to the class. Some examples include seasons, holidays, and sports events. Students are then divided into pairs and/or small groups and given roles to perform. It might be helpful to give them lines or a specific scenario to get them started. Students then ask their partner or group members questions and answer questions that they are asked using the vocabulary that was introduced.

I think that this teaching method would be effective in a variety of proficiency levels but would differ in its effectiveness depending on the type of classroom it was used in. I think that this activity would be suitable for teaching students who are at an intermediate level and learning in an academic setting, like the students in my practicum placement. It encourages fluency and allows them to practice using vocabulary in the sentence structures they have learned. My Spanish class in university used similar activities. One of these activities involved using character traits with a partner to describe the kinds of people we like and dislike and explaining why. The correctness of our grammar was less important than using the words appropriately and having the gist of our statements be understood by our partners and the instructor. However, I think that this teaching method would not work with low level students in a LINC classroom since they only know very simple sentence structures and ability to understand and respond to questions.

5. Let your students' voices be heard

The article states that students want to both build vocabulary and be heard. As such, this method recommends activities where students can practice using vocabulary to develop better pronunciation. Teachers can walk around the room to monitor their students' participation and correct pronunciation mistakes. They can also utilize TPR to convey the meaning of words that students are unfamiliar with. The author argues that such activities improve confidence, communication skills, and comprehension as students build language skills, improve their response time, and become more comfortable using English. One activity that utilizes speech is helping students identify visual examples of vocabulary out loud. An example of this activity has the teacher introducing vocabulary related to clothing and then verbally identifying the clothing that the teacher and students are wearing. Students can then take turns describing the clothing that other students are wearing and speaking confidently, even if they are unsure or incorrect. Teachers respond to the student's descriptions with corrections to their pronunciation and/or answering questions that they students might have. One benefit of this activity is that it does not require students to have a large vocabulary or use complicated sentence forms. I think that this teaching method would be helpful in LINC classrooms with students that are at a beginner to intermediate level since it is not too demanding. In contrast, I think that it would not be as helpful for students that I teach in my practicum placement because they are past the level where they are identifying basic words. They may also become self-conscious if their pronunciation and grammar is corrected too often. However, I think that the activity could be modified for more advanced students to encourage them to practice their speaking skills.

Summary

This resource has helped me to understand the importance of vocabulary teaching. I cannot avoid teaching vocabulary during my career because of limitations in the way it is supposed to be taught in some educational settings. Teaching vocabulary can be challenging and even though my first experience teaching vocabulary did not go well, I can improve with more practice. Teaching vocabulary in my practicum placement revolves around using the textbook a lot to ensure that students are learning the words and other language that they are supposed to learn. This is done so that their scores on the exam will reflect their comprehension of specific knowledge and their abilities to use it appropriately. Despite these limitations, vocabulary can be taught be in a variety of ways using different teaching methods and activities. I am considering using visual stimuli and the practical scenario improv listed above into future lessons.



References

Seifert, S. Teach Overseas. (2016, November 17). 5 ESL Vocabulary Teaching Methods that Build Serious Linguistic Muscles [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-teaching-vocabulary/

This week, I used two resources to develop my fifth and sixth lesson plans. The first part of this entry discusses the resource that I chose to read and to develop my lesson plan for the vocabulary and reading class. The subject that I chose to investigate for this part of the entry is facts and opinions. The resource that I used for my fifth lesson plan is an article called "Teaching Fact and Opinion" that was published on a website called Literacy Ideas. The article was created to help literacy teachers teach students about facts and opinions. I think that this resource is just as applicable to ESL, EFL, and EAP teachers who want to teacher their students reading and critical thinking skills.

I decided to teach reading strategies this week because I was dissatisfied with how the vocabulary lesson that I taught last week went. I think I am more comfortable teaching reading strategies than vocabulary. The reading strategies textbook has scaffolding where tasks are modeled and then practiced by students. In contrast, the vocabulary textbook has a variety of activities that can be used in the classroom but it can be difficult to assess the students' output and whether they understand the vocabulary that was introduced. The resource that I chose for this topic also directly applies to the reading strategy that was selected for this week in the course syllabus. The chapter in the textbook is about distinguishing between facts and opinions. I chose this resource because it expands on the section of the textbook by defining terms and providing more information about why the subject is important for students to learn and ways that teachers can incorporate it into their teaching.

Both the resource article and the class textbook frame facts as a claim that can be proven either true or false. This way of understanding facts is different than what I was taught in school and university. For me, a fact is something that has been proven to be true and there is no such thing as a false fact. If a fact is false, it ceases to be a fact. However, the arguments and proof used to support a fact can be called into question and additional information might disprove them. If someone continues to think that it is true, despite evidence for the contrary, then it becomes an opinion or belief and additional information will not change their mind because the opinion or belief is based on emotion rather than logical reasoning.

This resource helped me to understand the (sometimes subtle) differences between facts and opinions and ways that students can identify them in written texts. As the article states, learning ways to recognize facts and opinions is helpful because authors use a mix of facts and opinions in their writing and it can be difficult to distinguish between the two. Students will be able to think critically and identify an author's bias when they practice this skill. One of the ways that they can do this is to look for signal words and phrases. Signal words for facts include confirmed, discovered, according to, and demonstrated. Signal words for opinions include claimed, viewed, argued, and suspects. The article also provides suggestions for activities that teachers can use to teach facts and opinions to their students. However, my sponsor teacher has been trying to reassure me that it is okay to teach from the textbook and that modifying activities is not always necessary. As such, I am trying to become more open to using the textbook activities in my lesson plans.

The second part of this entry discusses the resource that I chose to read and to develop my lesson plan for the cultural conversational class. The subject that I chose to investigate for this part of the entry is teaching and learning styles. The resource that I used for my sixth lesson plan is a website called "VARK: A Guide to Learning Preferences" that was created by an organization called VARK Learn Limited. The article was created to help both teachers and students to identify their teaching and learning styles and are relevant to every teaching context.

I chose this subject because it was part of the study skills included in the chapter and I thought that it would be interesting to the students. The students would be able to follow along and interact with the materials rather than passively take in spoken instruction. I also wanted to make this lesson more engaging and to go beyond creating dialogues, which I worry that the students might find a bit stale. While the textbook for this class included a teaching and learning styles quiz, I thought it was lacking in depth and that adapting it could make it much more useful for both the students and myself. This is particularly true for students who were never taught these things throughout their education and who do not yet know and understand how they learn best. One of the purposes of the chapter is to outline the similarities and differences between the structure and curriculum of education systems in different countries. As such, it is possible that some students never learnt about this topic and could serve to benefit from a lesson based on these materials.

The resource that I chose for this topic includes questionnaires targeted towards adults, young people, and a general audience. I decided to use questions from all of these contexts in my own questionnaire and to create similar questions that may be more relevant to the students' interests and personal experiences. Since I had trouble holding the students' attention during previous classes due to my lack of visual materials, I was hoping that using a PowerPoint presentation would be more engaging. I also hoped that the quiz results would help me to determine the most common learning styles among this group of students and how I could modify my teaching approach and presentation to be the most effective and interesting to the students. In addition, I thought that doing the questionnaire myself would help me notice my own bias and implicit assumption that others learn the same way as I do. As such, my teaching style is related to my learning style and what is effective for me might not be what the students need from me as their teacher.

References

Literacy Ideas. (2018, October 1). Teaching Fact and Opinion [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.literacyideas.com/teaching-fact-and-opinion

VARK Learn Limited. (2006). The VARK Questionnaire (Version 8.01). Retrieved from http://vark-learn.com/

The second part of this entry discusses the resources that I chose to read and to develop my lesson plan for the culture conversational class. The resource that I used for my fourth lesson plan is an article that was published by an organization called Teach Overseas. It is a Canadian organization that provides training for English language teachers and posts job opportunities for those who want to work abroad. It also has a blog that publishes EFL resources and ideas.

The article is called "Best Methods to Improve Conversational English and is about language teaching methods for improving conversational English within the EFL context. I chose this resource because I wanted to see how I could make the activities in my lesson plans for the cultural conversational class more effective and engaging. The course outline for this class outlines a variety of target language for each week and the textbook includes several practice dialogues in each chapter. I have found these practice dialogues a good way to teach cultural differences and to allow students to practice using language in a useful way. Part of the reason why students decided to take this program is to be in an environment where they have more opportunities to practice using their English than compared to their home countries where most people speak their L1s. As such, I feel like teaching dialogues and conversations that students are likely to encounter in Canadian society is important.

This resource helped me to understand some of the challenges that English language learners have that prevent them from fully participating in conversational activities and ways that teachers can support them in the classroom to help them become more confident students. The article frames conversation as a process involving listening, mental formation of meaning, and speaking. I think that these terms are pretty straightforward and do not require definitions. The article states that students must perform all three tasks to fully participate in conversational activities. However, most students face challenges that inhibit this process and discourage them from participating in these activities. The resource provides the following list of factors that cause or reinforce the reluctance that learners have for speaking in English:

1. The topic is irrelevant or completely unfamiliar to the learner.
2. The learner does not have an opinion or anything to say about the topic because it is not interesting or important to them.
3. The learner does not know how to articulate an idea and is afraid of making mistakes and being ridiculed by their conversational partner, teacher, or class.
4. The learner is intimidated by the high skill level of their classmates and wants to avoid being compared to them even if they have something to say about the topic.
5. The learner is self-conscious about their accent when speaking English.

After observing the classes and beginning to teach students, I have seen the negative effects that most of these factors have on the students' levels of engagement in the lessons and classroom activities. Sometimes it is difficult to gauge whether students are disinterested in lessons because the teaching methods and activities are not engaging or whether the topic is not applicable or is unfamiliar to them. For example, one of the weekly topics was about dating in Canadian culture. This topic might not be important to some students because they do not intend to date while studying in here or they prefer to date someone from their own culture and the materials covered in class would not be applicable. The resource also includes a few social factors that explain why students might be reluctant to participate. I think that these factors are particularly relevant for the students in my practicum placement because most students come from Asian countries where their cultures focus on saving face. As such, it can be challenging to try to get these students to participate more in class when they are afraid of losing the respect of teachers and other students. However, as we discussed in previous courses in the TESL program, it is essential for language teachers to get their students to speak English and practice using the language in different ways in order to learn more effectively.

This resource says that English language teachers should address these factors as soon as possible because they prevent learners from becoming more proficient in their speaking skills. Teachers must address these factors so that students can become active learners and participate in a meaningful way in conversational activities in the classroom. The resource provides a list of ways that teachers can support students in the classroom by addressing the problems that were discussed above. I will outline these methods below, along with ways that I tried to incorporate them into the fourth lesson plan.

Teachers can align their lesson plans with the appropriate socio-cultural contexts and subjects that are relevant and familiar to their students. This will help their students form ideas and opinions and encourage them to participate more in communicative tasks.

The topics for this week's culture conversational class is eating and restaurants. The textbook provides activities that draw attention to the similarities and differences between American/Canadian culture and other cultures regarding these topics. I think that these topics are relevant to students because they will likely eat out during some part of their stay in Canada. As a result, I think that the students will want to be informed about these differences and will be receptive towards the information covered in class. It is less clear whether students will form ideas and opinions about this topic since, in my opinion, there is nothing to be opinionated about. As such, I think it is even more important to create activities that are engaging and meaningful for the students. I am hoping that creating dialogues that simulate realistic conversations between customers and restaurant personnel will be engaging and meaningful for the students.

2. Teachers should get to know their students on an individual level and their particular interests so that they can develop lesson plans that are meaningful to students.

The students are still new to me because I have just started to teach and interact with them at this point in my practicum. As such, I do not know most of the students names or their interests. I think that it is difficult to get to know students on an individual level in this context because the courses are only eight weeks long. This makes it difficult to know what is meaningful for students and creates more of a trial and error teaching scenario, especially for new teachers. However, my sponsor teacher has more insights into what the students might find meaningful and what their interests might be because she has been working in this teaching context for several years and has additional experience working with students who are in the same age and cultural demographic. This makes her a great person to consult for feedback and suggestions for my lesson plans.

Teachers can provide their students with pre-determined roles or opinions so that there is less pressure to come up with something to say and they can focus on how to communicate effectively instead of how to generate content.

I have tried to implement this concept into the fourth lesson plan by using the textbook activities to show how conversations and interactions between customers and restaurant staff typically work in restaurants here in Canada. The textbook offers examples for several types of restaurants (including casual and formal restaurants) and situations. These textbook activities serve as models for students to practice interaction and create their own dialogues. It should be clear what language content they should include in the dialogues since we examine the content in the textbook, sample interactions included in the course outline, and brainstorm details that should be included during different stages of eating at restaurants. As such, students do not need to come up with new ideas and can instead focus on using the information that has already been provided.

Teachers should create a learning environment where students are able to express themselves freely and understand that it is normal and inevitable that they will make mistakes.

I think that this is the most difficult factor to address since there is usually a heavy emphasis on error correction in classes that are in an academic setting. The saving face factor can result in students anticipating that attention will be drawn to their mistakes and then choosing not to participate. As a teacher, and particularly in this context, I will try to gently point out mistakes and to explain that it is normal to make mistakes during the learning process. I will try to put more emphasis on fluency and the use of language rather than on grammar. I think it will be easier for students at this level to understand what I mean when I say that mistakes are normal and inevitable than when I volunteer in the newcomer literacy ESL classroom.I hope that I can foster the sort of classroom environment for the students where they will feel comfortable sharing and participating in my activities.

Teachers can balance activities that encourage competition as a motivator for success and collaboration where students can work together for the benefit of the whole group.

This is also a difficult factor to address since most of the content of this course is new to students. Normally, teachers would sequence tasks and/or activities so that they model what students are supposed to do, practice doing the task and/or activity, and then produce language that reflects their learning of the target language. As such, I think that this context is not ideal for competitive activities when introducing new language to students and that it is better suited for review classes. However, I think that having students practice both as a class and in groups, along with feedback about what they did well and what information they might want to include next time, fosters a classroom where working together benefits the whole class.

Teachers can avoid overemphasizing the importance of speaking English without a foreign accent. Instead, teachers should focus on whether students can be understood and can communicate effectively.

I don't think that this will be an issue in my class. I understand that students may be self-conscious about their accents and that they may be reluctant to speak in class. However, I do not focus on correcting accents because I believe that English is an international language and that there generally is no such thing as correct pronunciation. I think the focus should be on fluency and whether students can be understood. Although this can sometimes this means correcting pronunciation errors and grammatical mistakes, I am more concerned with whether I can understand the messages that students trying to convey and express. In addition, I think it is helpful for students to have their teacher interject when they come across new words that they do not know how to say or what they mean.

Overall, this resource has helped me understand what the goals of conversational English classes are and the obstacles that prevent students from becoming engaged and participating in classroom activities. After reading this resource, I was better able to understand what students are looking for and expecting in this teaching context and the methods I can use to make my lessons more engaging. I feel like I am prepared for my teaching hours now since I understand better how to encourage students to participate.


References

Teach Overseas. (2016, January 10). Best Methods to Improve Conversational English [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.teachoverseas.ca/blog/best-methods-to-improve-conversational-english