English Teaching Tips and Games

2014-08-09T03:13:00.001-07:00

Book Review from ESL teacher Christopher Harcom,: These ESL activities incorporate a huge variety of games that capture the imagination and engage learners in a format that is both familiar to them and loads of fun. Everyone processes language differently, of course, but the author has included insightful tips regarding how to apply ESL tools based on gender, culture, and unique individual differences in learning style. On a practical level, the table of contents is detailed and enables fast navigation through all 175 activities. The author also provides useful tips for those who want to print out hard copies, including advice on how to use 20% less ink. With printer ink prices so high that is a thoughtful addition. ESL Classroom Games and Activities

Classroom Management with Young Children

2013-10-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

It can be difficult to manage a classroom of children, even if they are only three !
Here is a question from a teacher on managing her classroom of mixed ages - not an easy task...

QUESTION

"In one class I have 8 children. 6 of age 5 and 2 of age 3.
The 3 years old are distracting the rest of the class, meaning they scream, throw the animals toys around the class ,turn over the small chairs etc etc. I was running after them trying to involve them in the game activities.

Yesterday I was exhausted at the end of the lesson.
I gave the 5 years old animals coloring page and told them to cut and glue it at the board.
Then I took the two 3 years old and I played, or rather tried to play on the floor with the animals.
They started screaming, running and bothering the others

Any suggestions on how to handle them and the lesson?"

ANSWER

To manage this classroom well you cannot abandon the majority of the class to colouring.

As you have the majority of the class aged five and only two 3 year olds I would do the opposite of what you are doing currently. That is to say instead of abandoning the five year olds to colouring, where they won't be learning English and devoting yourself to the two brats (!) I would ignore the brats and focus on teaching the five year olds.

The three year olds cannot learn at the same pace as the five year olds (unique exceptions aside). If you go at the pace of the three year olds the five year olds will be bored out of their minds. Focus on the older ones and let the three year olds absorb what they can as sponges. Ideally you might even drop them from the class since they are a total nuisance.

You'll have to crack down on those three year olds so that you can get on with giving a proper English lesson to the others. If you don't eventually the parents will notice that no-one is learning anything ! Everyone loses with the current set up:
1. Five year olds are not learning and will be dissatisfied
2. Three year olds are being rewarded with your full attention for behaving badly
3. You are exhausted
4. Parents will be dissatisfied with the results

So you have to change things radically and I would do it by:

1. Drop the three year olds from the class if you can, they are a nuisance in this context.
2. Tell them off if they scream and throw things, let them play QUIETLY in the room while you are teaching. From time to time encourage them to join in but give them easy tasks, things they know, things you know they can do. They will absorb the English slowly and it's still good for them to be in the room hearing English spoken around them.

Classroom management is as vital as the subject being taught. With an badly managed classroom no one can learn anything and the teachers gets exhausted.

For more classroom management tips please see these two articles:
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Classroom_Management.htm
and
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Classroom_Discipline.htm

All the best
Shelley

How many classes should I work on the same topic?

2013-10-25T01:20:00.000-07:00

QUESTION

How many classes should I work on the same topic, like Farms animals?
It seems that some of the children are bored after 3 weeks of the Farm animals subject, even thought I tried to have different activities in each lesson.

ANSWER

You have the right attitude, you are observing the class and thinking about how things can be better.

I'm not surprised they are bored after three weeks on the same topic !! Some teachers are perfectionists and do not move on until every single class member knows the target vocabulary perfectly. This may be thorough but it's a bit too slow for the majority of the class. Students can become frustrated if presented for lesson after lesson with the same vocabulary. They have the impression that they are not advancing very fast and it's true !

On the other hand the problem might not be the TOPIC but the way it is taught and the length of time spent on each activity. I can't tell that without observing one of your lessons. But you will figure it out by continuing to notice how things are going and making adjustments. If students are becoming restless then change something - either the activity or the topic.

Here's a way I really like to do lessons:
Introduce some new language in each lesson and continue working on previous topics as a constant revision process.

Start on Farm animals and do half the lesson on that. Then do a song and then some revision of previously taught themes - that way your lesson has variety not only in the things you are doing but in the topics. You can change the order around as you please but usually I start the lesson with the new things while the children are freshest.

Teaching this and that

2013-10-01T03:39:00.001-07:00

Today I received a question a teacher on how to teach "THIS" and "THAT" with possessives.

QUESTION:

I have started teaching mixed age and ability preschool group. I want to do the Cars play - from your plays - with them. I can`t think of an interesting way of teaching them this, that etc..

Do you have any suggestions? I would appreciate it very much.
Warm wishes,
Sanja Jeremic

ANSWER:

INTRODUCE THE MEANING OF THIS AND THAT AND MY AND YOUR

For this and that use a pointing game with pens or pencils since everyone has those. All the children have a pencil in their hand and you stick a pencil up on the board or wall - a real one with tape ! Now point to your pencil and say "this is my pencil". Use gestures to be clear, pointing at the pencil and at your body.

Go to a child and get them to say "this is my pencil" clearly holding his/her own pencil to his/her body. Go back to your pencil, stand right next to it and say "this is my pencil" and you indicate the pencil and your body to show it's yours.

Now point at the child you were with earlier, point at his/her pencil and say "THAT is YOUR pencil". Repeat this three times, alternating between your own pencil and the child's, using clear gestures each time.

REPETITION

Have the whole class repeat "this is my pencil". Eveyone holds up a pencil in his/her hand while saying "this is my pencil" three times over.

Now have them point at the child you went to earlier and say with you "that is your pencil' three times over.

When you say: "This is my pencil" everyone should hold up his or her pencil and gesture it is theirs. When you say: "That is your pencil" everyone should point at the child's pencil you were with earlier, using gestures.
Switch between the two slowly at first and gradually getting faster.

LISTENING

Everyone has objects on their desks. The teacher says: "This is my book" and all the kids take one of their books and hold it up indicating that it is theirs. Say: "That is your book" and indicate someone else's book. Repeat "this is my book" with everyone responding by holding up and showing his/her book. Repeat: "That is your book" with everyone pointing at someone else's book. Check no one is still showing his or her own book.

Say: "This is my shoe" and every one shows a shoe by lifting up a leg and pointing. Continue using different nouns such as: That is your shoe. This is my nose. That is your nose. This is my chair...and so on.

If students are all doing great you can complicate the game by saying "This is my RED book". Only children with a red book can show it, and so on. That would work well with coloured pencils or with clothing.

It's important that all the nouns you use are things the children already know. This and that, my and your are the new words so we don't want new nouns as well or it's too much to take on board. This is an opportunity to revise body parts,clothing and classroom objects while you are at it.

CIRCLE GAME If you have smallish groups put piles of possessions in the middle of the group - keep the groups small to avoid chaos. Kids take out their possessions saying "this is my pen, this is my book, this is my hat". That way you are starting to work on the play script "CARS" already.

Use a circle game where students pass round an object to music and when you stop the music the person with the object picks something out of the circle saying either "this is my" or "that is your". Make sure if they say "that" that they are pointing to it not holding it. This is near, that is far.

Play Hot Potato where children pass round an object that belongs to one of them such as an individual pencil case. When you clap the person holding the pencil case says to the pencil case owner "THIS is yours". If ever the owner has the pencil case when the music stops he or she says "THIS is MINE". As the children become good at this add in more objects so there are several going around the circle at once.

All the best
Shelley

PS Get all these ideas and more in 176 English Language Games for Children or on Amazon as a paperback.

Tips for a new class and the first English lesson

2013-07-03T05:09:00.002-07:00

QUESTION: Do you have any tips for getting off on the right foot from the very first day?

ANSWER:

When meeting a new class for the first ever English lesson the temptation is to ask all the students their name. Whatever you do I would not do this ! Of course it is FINE to do this if you have only a handful of students but with a large class, if you start with "what's your name?" and go round the class it's so boring and it's been done over and over, plus the students already know each other's names. This type of activity is somewhat pathetic, it allows the teacher to use up 15 minutes of a lesson doing something that bores the students totally and teaches them nothing, it's purely for the benefit of the teacher who can't be bothered to think up anything more imaginative. This might sound harsh, but it's fair don't you think ?!

I'd get right into a game like a quiz where they write questions for the quiz on different topics - the first lesson can be a general lesson where you get a feel for the students' level. Check out quizzes in the teen games book - there are several including Jeopardy, Who wants to be a millionaire, and there are some blanks and some pre-prepared questions in the Appendix.

On the other hand if you find they are too hopeless at English to be able to form questions then have a more basic lesson prepared to fall back on with a mixture of quieter games, and something like "Find Your Friend" where students move around in class once, just to keep them from becoming sleepy at their desks. Keep a mix of quiet and louder games but prefer quieter games for the first lesson. You are asserting your authority right from the start, it's important not to lose control at first. You'll be able to let them make more noise as you feel more confident at the new school. Plus you don't want the other teachers thinking you can't control your class on day one.

Quiz games and classroom activities needing little or no preparation: http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults.htm And Paperback on Amazon US, co.uk, Spain, France, Italy and Germany: Search under "Shelley Ann Vernon". All the best Shelley

How to manage a classroom while using games and activities

2013-07-03T05:02:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: How can I manage a large classroom while using games and activities?

Do you have any tips on how to get a class off "on the right foot" from the very first day? How should I set the tone of authority that will enable me to use games and activities without losing control of the class? I am a flexible and generally very capable teacher, but I can appear too "gentle" and sometimes loud or aggressive students can intimidate me. I would appreciate any advice you can offer me concerning discipline in a large classroom with students of various abilities and mother tongues.

ANSWER: Check this site, I believe it's key, especially with the teen age group - taking time outside of class to chat to the students and ask them about themselves informally shows them you are interested in them:

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Classroom_Management.htm

From day one you need to be yourself, and be firm. Before you start classes find out from the head and from the other teachers what options you have for dealing with difficult students, ask if there are any to watch out for and how other teachers deal with them. If possible see if any of the teachers will let you observe a class where there are difficult kids.

Teen / Adult Games Book in PDF for instant download with printable games: http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults.htm

And as a paperback on Amazon UK (also on US, and European Amazon sites): http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESL-Classroom-Activities-Teens-Adults/dp/1478213795

Feel free to ask any questions to the author. All the best Shelley Ann Vernon

Fun English Play "What Day Is It?"

2013-06-13T07:39:00.001-07:00

Well done to Natasa in Greece, at the Primary School of Ormilia in Chalkidiki for teaching and putting on this fun skit from my book of thirty easy English plays for kids learning English. The 30 plays are available here: http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/eslplays.htm And also as a paperback from here: https://www.createspace.com/3944704

Vocabulary Games: How to teach make and let

2012-06-19T02:44:00.002-07:00

Hello there,

This morning Vincki in China asked me how to teach make and let using vocabulary games, so here are a couple:

Introduce the verbs with flashcards that show these two verbs in use. For example:

A picture of a house could go with the sentence "This house is to let"

For make you might show a picture of a cake for make a cake.

A picture of a car could go with the question "Will you let me drive your car?"

Continue with different flashcards showing other meanings or examples of these words being used.

After showing these cards and explaining the meanings play some listening games where you repeat the sentences over and over and students respond.

An easy example would be for students to make an appropriate action to go with each sentence. When you say "Let's make a cake" students start acting out making and cake and keep doing it until you say the next sentence. Move fairly rapidly through the sentences, especially keep it moving fast with older students.

This is just one listening game, there are many in my teen/adult games book that are more mature in style. However that seemingly silly listening and miming game gives students drilling to get the meanings into their brains, with the visual stimulaton of the picture combined with moving the body. That stimulates three senses, hearing, seeing and movement so the student is FAR more likely to remember and use these words and sentences than if you just stand up at the front and talk about it.

Next you do a speaking game and you could adapt the rhyming challenge game that I sent by email if you have more advanced students. If you have beginners see further down for a different idea:

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults/rhymingchallenge.htm

I want to let your house, it's nice.

You can't it's full of mice !

Let me make you a cake.

And put it in the oven to bake.

Or give them some simple nouns such as car, pen, job, house, cake to make rhymes with using make or let in the sentence.

Car: Let me drive your car. No it's too far.

Pen: Let me borrow your pen. No way Ben!

House: Will you let me live in your house? Not if you make me live with a mouse.

Cake: Will you make a cake? Yes if you buy me a rake.

Speaking Game idea for beginners:

Use Relay Race but pass down the flashcards you worked on earlier using the listening games and this time in the game the students say those sentences as they pass the cards down the line.

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/games/relayrace.htm

There are hundreds of games in my book but those two will get you started - try them out and let me know how it goes !

Here's where you can get my book and it's going to be on Amazon as a real book in a week from now too.

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adults.htm

All the best

Shelley

Songs in teaching English

2012-05-31T04:51:00.001-07:00

Using songs in teaching English, is it possible to use modern pop music in lessons? This is a question I received today from a teacher in Russia.

Songs (in English) are excellent in teaching and I always use them.

With older students they should pick the songs themselves.
Get them to do different things like make up three questions about the lyrics, collect in all the questions, then play the songs (you have to limit it to three songs) and have a general knowledge quiz in teams to see which team understands what the songs are about best.

Or you could discuss issues that come up in the songs, also write a different ending, or change something that happens in the song, see what your English students come up with if anything.

Of course the usual thing with songs is to fill in gaps in the words or cut the words up, distribute them and students search for the other people in class who have lines of the same verse.

With kids you do actions to the music and use the English songs as background to various language games.

There's plenty more on it in my games books. The preschool games book has a songs activity book with game ideas and lesson plans on how to teach each easy English song. The primary and teen games books have ideas on how to use any English songs in class, with ideas like the ones above and many more.

All the best
Shelley
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com

ESL game challenges while teaching English to noisy kids at break

2012-03-25T11:38:00.006-07:00

Hello there fellow English teachers!

Here is a question I received today from a teacher who wants to use ESL games in his class, and he takes his English class at lunchtime.

"My childrens very active kids...

However..i have difficult to make them hear what i want to say...

They also can't to understand the rules...

I have teach this class after lunch hour..."

So, here are my suggestions on how using ESL games can solve this problem:

Firstly it's very difficult taking children at lunch hour. It is totally normal that they will be noisy - let's face it this time is supposed to be play time for them, not more lessons. Thus it is doubly important to teach with ESL games rather than give any kind of traditional lesson. It's supposed to be a break right?!

I have taught at lunch hour so I know what it is like - at least in England!

I would start calmly while I introduced the key vocabulary or target language using a quiet ESL flashcard game that can be played on the floor with everyone sitting in a circle. After that I would practise that vocabulary or language using more active ESL games that involved movement, including running.

For example try this ESL game: Put the children in teams with piles of flashcards at the end of the room and call out a vocabulary item, either the word alone, or that word used in a sentence that contains the target grammar or language structure you are wanting to practise. One member of each team runs down to their pile of cards, fishes out the relevant one and runs back to the team.

This way you keep their lunch hour lesson like a play time, but with learning through ESL games. Personally I think kids should be allowed to play and run around. So YES they won't learn quite as much as if you had them in a classroom at 9 o'clock in the morning, but they will still learn something and they won't be robbed of their play time totally either.

Now regarding explaining the ESL games; well if you can't explain them, that's no problem, you DEMONSTRATE them so you actually show the children what they are to do.

After you have shown them yourself you show them again with a couple of students who demonstrate the ESL game again. Then you should be ready to play the game with the class.

Getting the most language out of an ESL game:

Whenever you are demonstrating an ESL game use simple commands in English such as "listen" - you name the flashcard, "run to the pictures" - then you run down to the pictures, "pick up the picture" - you demonstrate this, and so on.

This way in addition to the vocabulary you are practising with the flashcards you are also teaching useful verbs and other language, all through the use of an ESL game. As the children understand these commands more and more, it will make your job a lot easier too!

ESL Birthday story

2012-03-21T13:09:00.001-07:00

Source: teachingenglishgames.com via Shelley on Pinterest

English story! ESL birthday story - What on earth does max receive for his birthday present???

Easter Story for ESL

2012-03-21T13:01:00.002-07:00

Source: teachingenglishgames.com via Shelley on Pinterest

Check this Easter story. Fun ESL Easter story for prepositions and other useful vocabulary starring the Easter Bunny and his chocolate eggs! English story for children.

ESL role plays and skits - Get Inspired

2012-03-09T03:22:00.002-08:00

Have you ever wanted to use ESL role plays and skits in your English classes but you don't feel sure of yourself?

Dragica Zdraveska is a talented and inspirational English language teacher who has fun with esl plays and skits at a primary school in Macedonia. She tells her story below from wanting to use role plays with her children but not getting around to it to finally taking the plunge and discovering a world of fun and motivation for her young ESL pupils.

Here are her comments from her experience with the short esl role plays and you'll see from the video that children really do love learning English like this, and that ESL role plays really are a way to make your teaching more fun, more interesting, more motivating and MORE EFFECTIVE!

So what are you waiting for? Read Dragica's article and take the plunge to make short, fun ESL role plays for children a part of your English lessons.

Now let's here from Dragica:

"I was by no means unfamiliar with the benefits of using drama, role-plays and skits for children in the ELT classroom. As an ardent conference and seminar attendee I got acquainted with the basics and was very keen on using ESL role-plays and skits whenI first began teaching English. As time went by I experimented and introduced different activities and took various approaches toward teaching Englishand got somewhat sidetracked from my basic interest in using drama and ESL role plays for children in class.

The main reason I hadn't use ESL plays and skits as often as I would have wanted was the fact that I couldn't find proper material in terms of content and level of English. Apart from that I thought that it would be time consuming and that my very young students wouldn't be able to stay focused and concentrate long enough for me to pull it off.

However, once I came across Shelly Vernon's book “ESL role plays and Skits for Children” I could no longer make excuses since the role plays were all I have ever wanted. Simple, straightforward, catchy and interesting they were perfect forexploration and use. I presented them to my English students certain that they would share my opinion and enthusiasm.

I carefully read them beforehand and chose the ones I found most appropriate and relevant in my context in terms of vocabulary and structures. For example when we learned about places in town we decided to stage the ESL skit “Let's go for a walk” which gave a wonderful touch and wrapped up that particular theme. I wanted to start with vocabulary themes the children were familiar with to make it easier for them but also more meaningful. Moreover I was realistic in my expectations English language andacting-wise.

What I was aiming at was use of the plays and ESL skits in the classroom with virtually no props and as part ofregular classes. We decided to stage at least one short ESL role play “properly” and perform it in front of parents, which helps parents feel included and involved in their child's progress. We are working on making them perfect!

Prior to the short ESL skit we had activities and games to recycle vocabulary and structures. We also made a booklet, drawing sketches of the scenes from the role play, featuring the characters in the skit and their speech in bubbles. We did matching and guessing activities, associations, pantomime etc. What I take to be the biggest success was the children's willingness to participate no matter how uncertain they may havefelt about the language, which meant the first and the most difficult step had been taken.

Some children were very shy and didn't feel at ease when I filmed them which made them react differently and not perform the role play or skit as well as they did when they weren’t recorded. That was what I consider to be the major drawback. Furthermore, I felt that correcting them while they spoke wouldbackfire and they would step back so I tried not to interrupt and instead discussed the error or hesitation with them afterwards. The video I made also revealed that their pronunciation was occasionally unclear and some phrases sounded ambiguous at times. That gave me food for thought and encouraged me to prepare my students better and practice the short ESL skits far more so as to gain better results.

What I am sure about is that using esl role plays and skits helps children learn English, improve their acting and social skills and learn structures, vocabulary, everyday phrases and soon in an authentic manner and while having fun! I recommend these short ESL role plays and skits for children to any teacher wanting to make learning English more enjoyable, while giving English learners a boost in confidence."

Dragica Zdraveska

English language teacher at Cyriland Methodius Primary School, Prilep, Macedonia

PS Teachers and parents reading this - you will find extracts from Dragica's video on the previous post on this blog, just below this.

Watch these fun ESL Skits for Kids

2012-03-08T04:27:00.002-08:00

Get inspired by these teachers using fun esl skits for kids. Short easy role plays ideal for children learning English. Have fun while you teach grammar and vocabulary, improve confidence and fluency using skits and role-plays for ESL! Also easy to translate and use for Spanish skits, French skits or any other language.

See how the children are enjoying themselves all the while becoming more fluent in their English, reinforcing vocabulary and grammar without even being aware of it. Certainly beats filling in worksheets or going to sleep over a textbook.

Look out for the amazing props in the Best Restaurant skit in Taiwan, those are made of styrofoam - full marks for creativity! On the other hand if time is short, check the same skit performed in Spain with virtually no props. It's hard to say who is having a better time, the kids or the parents watching. Props add to the fun but you don't need many or you distract the children too much from learning the language in the role play.

ESL Grammar Reference Book

2012-01-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hello there,

I am asked regularly about a good grammar reference book and the one I have been using for years is Michael Swan's Practical English Usage. Here is a link to it below on Amazon.

If you cannot afford the book below in a million years then there are dictionary sites on line that are free and that can give some guidance. I frequently use dictionary.com, it has advertising that you have to scroll past and ignore, but it's free and easy to use. That will at least give you parts of speech and examples, though it's not a complete grammar guide.

English play for children on You Tube

2012-01-04T03:51:00.000-08:00

Using English skits and role-plays it really is easy to make your ESL teaching effective and fun.
Don't take my word for it but check out this video from Irina in Russia, using one of my skits with her pupils.

Just see the enthusiasm in the children learning English. They are motivated, well-behaved, becoming more fluent in English and having fun. It's so easy to do it when you know how:

Watch it now because I don't know how long the video will be up (it's not mine)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksrKhX46i9s&context=C30f19feADOEgsToPDskI49jvqg-EWYfMsqecr3I42

P.S. I made a comment at the You Tube page that "Oh my God" is strong language and we should avoid using that phrase as it can insulting to Christians. Therefore it's best to use phrases like "oh my goodness, oh no, oh dear" to set a good example to our prodigies and avoid causing offence.

English plays and skits on Kindle

2011-12-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
These plays and skits for young children learning English are now available on Kindle for MUCH cheaper than on my website. You can't print them out because it's a Kindle book, but it's a cheap way to get the English plays and do fun roleplays with your groups.

ESL posters

2011-08-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

Hello there dear readers,

A teacher just asked me where to buy ESL posters for vocabulary in the primary classroom. Save your money! It's much more fun and effective to make your own ESL poster with the children as the term or year progresses.

Children may draw the required vocabulary items or search them out in magazines, cut them out and stick onto your posters - no paper? Use the sides of old cardboard boxes! I'm anti always buying things, especially plastic when it's more creative to recycle. Buying a poster and sticking it on the wall is PASSIVE, while making one as a collective task is interactive, engaging and as a consequence kids (or adults) will remember words better.

More ideas for ESL posters:

1. Have one for each letter of the alphabet, perhaps combining the letters X, Y and Z as vocabulary words are rarer for those. As new vocabulary comes up in class children seek out or draw the items and add them to the relevant sheet

2. Use the vocabulary posters in games - plenty of my primary ESL games describe how to make use of ESL posters in any kind of classroom setting from small groups to large classes.

3. Adding a picture to a vocabulary poster could be a reward for good behaviour or work.

4. Who said posters have to be square or rectangular? Make them in the shape of the letter, giant size and stick the words all around the letters but not in the holes.

If you have other ideas for do it yourself ESL posters your comments are extremely welcome and appreciated. I'll publish pictures of good ones if you would like that.

All the best
Shelley

Teaching English through Poetry

2011-06-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Here is a poem by Abdul Hafeez, from his book of Urdu poetry, published in Pakistan.

For such a short poem so many questions arise and could be discussed in small groups. Thank you Abdul for this concise, elegant and thoughtful poem and for allowing it to appear on this blog.

One sees the man at the gallows giving up his life to remain integrous. Who would really do that today? It happened often in Europe during the religious wars. What historic events do your students know of when this happened?

How truthful are people today? Many of our politicians lie to us routinely, but what about you, how truthful are you?

Then the quiet admission of great pain, but kept private. This is not Hello magazine my dears where people spread their innards out over glossy pages. This personal poem has dignity.

I hope you enjoy this poem as much as I do and share it with your students to help increase their appreciation of literature, while improving their English discussion skills.

If I were Looking glass
By Abdul Hafeez

Never ever in my life,
Would I lie for expediency
Even before the king, even at the gallows,
Only and only truth I’d speak,
If I were Looking glass,

But for being human,
I’m born to be shattered ceaselessly, dear.

Sometimes by shock,
Sometimes by fatal pangs of separation,

If I were Looking glass,

Surely I'd be crashed into tiny pieces by
ruthless stone.
But only once it happened – just once in my
life.

If I were Looking glass.

English only ESL when you don't speak the local language

2011-04-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hello there,

Not being able to speak the local language can be a blessing in disguise for an ESL teacher because you are forced to use English all the time in class.

On arriving at my local school in Nepal I found that even some of the English teachers had trouble understanding me, never mind the pupils! This was because of their own low level of English and also the fact that my English accent was unfamiliar to them, so used to a "Nepali-English" accent were they. Therefore chatting away to your class is not an option in this type of situation. You will most likely alienate and discourage your pupils if you hit them with a wall of incomprehensible talking.

So if you cannot speak the local lingo, how do explain things to the children, such as a grammatical concept or how to play an English language game?

The answer I found was to limit what I said to single commands and short sentences, which I repeated often combined with gestures and demonstrations. The children soon understood what to do or what was being communicated.

For example a simple and fun game is one I call Hot Potato. Here children pass objects around the class while repeating a set phrase or v. short dialogue for speaking practice. Suddenly the teacher says "stop!" and those holding the objects have to do a forfeit, answer a question or name some vocabulary.

In order to explain this game to the children there was no possibility of using words, which would not be understood. In addition the children were so used to sitting repeating things that any kind of active participation in the class was totally alien to them.

To explain the game I took a pencil case and put it in a child's hand. I took his arm and pulled it towards another student, repeating "pass" over and over. Simultaneously I took the other student's arm and pulled it towards the pencil case, until the child took the pencil case. I then repeated that process again with the next child in line so the children physically saw the pencil case being passed along, and they understood.

Next I took the pencil case back to the start point and used the language I needed practising during the passing process. The children understood right away what they were supposed to do because I had SHOWN them, with no English instructions at all.

Next on my command "pass!" they started passing and repeating of the language, which by the way, for the first time I played this game I kept to a single word. Then I said "stop!" and clapped my hands. The children automatically stopped passing because they had understood that I wanted their attention.

I made the one with the pencil case stand up and do a forfeit. THEN they understood the whole game. At that point I was able to add in several pencil cases right away so that more pupils were involved in passing and repeating the given word or phrase.

For forfeits I made them up on the cuff and one that they particularly loved was to come to the front and do five press ups. As I had about 15 children I had three pencil cases and three of them doing forfeits at the same time to keep things moving. How did I get them to do the press ups? Well I had to demonstrate of course! They were so impressed that a woman could do press ups, obviously this is not done often in a Nepali English lesson!

Other forfeit ideas I used were naming a vocabulary item, miming a profession, pretending to be a chicken and demonstrating a Nepali dance.

It was absolutely great fun and it was all done by demonstrating and by introducing the game in stages, through showing it, rather than trying to explain it.

Other more complicated games can be attempted once you have a rapport with the class and have taught some basic commands. The key is demonstrate and do it in stages.

Have fun!
Shelley
See primary games book or preschool games book for more great ESL game ideas:
Primary games
Preschool games

English Teaching Tips and Games: ESL volunteer with no facilities!

2011-03-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

English Teaching Tips and Games: ESL volunteer with no facilities!: "Hello there teachers, Volunteering is an increasingly popular thing to do as people think more about contributing to the world rather than ..."

ESL volunteer with no facilities!

2011-03-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

Hello there teachers,

Volunteering is an increasingly popular thing to do as people think more about contributing to the world rather than just taking from it. As we grow from a child to an adult we come to realise that there is more pleasure in giving than in receiving. Having returned from ESL volunteering in a government school in Nepal, I can report, not surprisingly, that it was truly enjoyable and satisfying. All teachers, whether volunteering or paid, have this opportunity to give on a daily basis through their work.

I'll post comments over the next few days exposing some of the ESL teaching challenges that I faced and how I responded to them.

In the meantime, to set the scene, imagine a school with no electricity, no glass in the classroom windows, dark walls and ceilings, no heating and plenty of dust! One day it poured with rain so several pupils and some teachers used that as an excuse not to come to school. Children with no teachers were left in their classroom all day, in the dark, freezing cold, in just thin uniforms with no coats!

The ESL teaching technique in the school for the younger children was based on repeating the same words or phrases over and over again after the teacher. The children have no opportunity to think for themselves, simply sitting at their desks, repeating the same sentence for 35 minutes at high volume. It would be comic if it wasn't tragic!

When I took a class of seven year olds they could hardly believe it as they learned through games. Their faces were lit up with smiles, they were so keen they kept standing up to have a turn and forgetting to sit down again. They responded so well we were able to put on "Ready Steady Go" (short ESL play for beginners) in a single session. Bear in mind that I speak no Nepalese so games and meanings had to be explained through demonstration only, and this worked perfectly.

Another class I took of mixed 4 to 6 year olds was a similar experience and it was a sheer joy to be teaching them. I wished that I could have done more and I vow to create the time to do so. Their enthusiastic faces and keen desire to learn are printed on my mind as an indelible picture that literally warms my heart.

Speak soon
Shelley

ESL Blog Directory

2010-08-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

Hello teachers,

Today I found a directory of ESF blogs that could be a useful resource for you.

The EFL ESL Blog List

Kind regards
Shelley

New Year's Teaching Resolutions for 2010

2009-12-28T05:37:00.000-08:00

Dear [[firstname]],

I hope you had a wonderful family time if you were celebrating
the birth of Christ - of course not everyone celebrates that, but
we can all benefit from thoughts of love and sharing in our lives.

For 2010 many of us make resolutions. Let me share mine with you,
and imagine if these were applied to your teaching, how they could
make you even more fulfilled with your career, and what you could
give to your pupils in the way of support to go forth into the world.

This intention is from Dr. David Hawkins, who has written several books on the path to enlightenment:

"To be kind to all people and things, all of the time, no matter what".

"To be kind to all people and things, all of the time, no matter what".

And also:
"To remember to be grateful for the good things in my life no matter
what obstacles come my way."

I hope the above two resolutions will make the world a better place!
I hope you also make resolutions that empower you and I really wish
you all the best, and the strength to carry them out.

Happy New Year!

Shelley Vernon

http://teachingenglishgames.com

A successful example of using ESL role-plays to teach children English

2009-11-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Teachers,

Here is an ESL role-play idea from an imaginative and motivated teacher in France called Erie. The role-play is idea is simple and basic, but what is useful about the idea is how Erie handled the set up of this task so that his class of twenty children could:
1. manage it well from an ESL language point of view
2. manage it from a classroom management point of view

As those of you who follow my blog will know, I absolutely love role-play as a means of teaching English. It is something children enjoy doing naturally, for them it is fun, and it allows for optimum speaking practise for the whole class.

I have 26 plays and skits for use with primary children in small groups, and on my plays page you'll find a free one, along with some nice pictures of the skits in action in schools.

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/eslplays.htm

So thanks Erie for sharing this great role-play idea with us today!

Yesterday, we talked about Thanksgiving and what the Pilgrims had on their dinner
table. To learn the children food-vocabulary we did a Restaurant play. With menus on
the table for the clients, the servers (one for each table of 4 clients) had the
same items on his ticket (with room behind each item to write down the name of the
client who ordered it), and a cook who had all the flashcards with the items on a
table. The instructions were for the server : "Hello, can I take your order please",
for the clients " Yes, I would like ... and .... and ...." (but all the plates on
the same table had to be different). Once the server had the orders of his 4
clients, he had to go to the cook, and say (in English) what he needed for his
clients. He served each client the plates ordered and got paid. (5$ per person, and
the (printed) dollar bills were distributed along with the menus).
I let the most turbulent children play the role of servers, and those who have
difficulty in learning vocabulary the role of cook, it was amazing ! The servers did
a very good job, felt responsible et played the game as they should, and the "cook"
knew all the items at the end of the game. The children really loved the game.
For my older students - CM1/CM2 - I'll be doing the same game, but with more food
and drink-items and a price (1 dollar) per item.