Creating Simple ESL Lesson Plans Around Top Ten Lists for Advanced English Classes
Advanced ESL/EFL classes benefit from making top ten lists “Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.” ―Tenzin Gyatso (1950-) 14th Dalai Lama Americans love to create, read, and discuss top ten lists. Newspapers and magazines use the simple format to summarize large chunks of information in a friendly, easily digestible manner. Year-end issues often expand the technique to create...
Read MoreLearning by Doing and Making “Good Mistakes” in English classes
Why English learners must practice and make “good mistakes” in order to grow “A man’s mistakes are his portals of discovery.” ―James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist and poet How can English language teachers create a rigorous, tolerant and focused classroom atmosphere? One effective technique is encouraging English students, especially ESL students, to “learn by doing” and to “make...
Read MoreConversation Tip #9: Ask Clarifying Questions!
What is a clarifying question? What do you mean? Can you be more specific? Can you give us some examples? What do you exactly mean? Sometimes our English students need help asking questions, especially critical questions that allow them to clarify concepts and better participate in conversations. One crucial skill that needs to be explicitly taught – after being informally modeled in class...
Read MoreReading Pleasures and Conversation Starters
A new semester begins, new students enter our classes, and returning colleagues greet us. What can talk about that will go beyond the work-related activities? Books. Teachers, especially English teachers, love to talk about their summer reading. Reading remains a cheap pleasure and an excellent conversation starter. * Can you recommend a good book? * What did you this summer? * What are reading...
Read MoreConversation Tip #4: Ask Questions and Take Turns
Why state the obvious? Why take turns asking questions? Why ask follow up questions? Common sense and social skills don’t seem to be universal. Conversation skills remain a vital soft skill that many scientists, engineers, shy people, and English language learners struggle to master. A key technique is just asking simple questions to keep a conversation moving forward. Asking follow up...
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