jonathon narvey's ESL CENTRE

This is what it's all about

2006-07-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Some days, you find exactly what you're looking for. Sometimes, when you're not looking for something in particular, you find exactly what you need.

While scanning through Youtube randomly, I found this very entertaining video that anyone working in the ESL industry should be able to relate to. Even though you can see the punch line coming from a mile away, it's still funny. Enjoy.

tags: funny commercial, pronunciation problem, dark humor

English through songs

2006-07-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Music is a popular way for ESL students to practice their listening skills - and if they aren't shy about it, their speaking skills. Lyrics can be just as useful to practice as stock phrases when the grammar isn't too messed up, and easier to memorize.

These kinds of lessons can also be whipped up quickly with the help of some burned CDs and Lyrics.com, a site where you can usually find the words for popular songs.

Of course, you don't have to use Lyrics.com - just typing in a block-quoted verse of the song in question will usually lead you to the rest of the lyrics.

These sorts of lessons can even be too easy to create, copying and pasting the lyrics onto an MS Word document, erasing random bits and printing them out five minutes before class starts. Instead, take the time to only erase those words or phrases that you actually wanted to practice (eg. all of the articles - a, an, the; all of the modals; can, must, have to, etc; or words ending in the sound, "m" or "n"). The students will get way more out of the lesson if it is focused.

Just remember - leave the gangsta rap at home for your own entertainment. We're trying to create fluent, functional English speakers - not 50 cent wannabes.

tags: English songs, practice ESL with music, using music in the classroom, English song lyrics

Canada Day? What's that?

2006-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Around this time of year, Canadian ESL teachers' thoughts turn to just what our great country is all about. Our students, on the other hand, will need a little prodding.
This Canada Day (or any day for that matter), it might be nice to spread a little knowledge about our country. I've already listed some ideas for talking about Canadian culture and related resources here. A short but fun ESL quiz about Canada can be found here.

While teaching about one's country, there can be a temptation to go overboard and just start lecturing about every boring little detail that you can think of while students listen with practiced patience. A few discussion topics about Canada that might be fun:

1. Canada was "born" in 1867. It was a very different kind of place. Guess how it might have been different from today.
2. What are some popular sports in Canada?
3. Maple Syrup is a well-known Canadian product. What other products come from Canada?
4. What are some cliches or stereotypes about Canadians?

Happy Canada Day!

tags: Canada Day, teaching about Canada, Canadian popular, Canadian culture

Monopoly: it's not just for Microsoft CEOs

2006-06-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Just for the record, I'm not a big fan of using games in the classroom.

I've acquired a reputation as a fairly serious instructor over the course of my career. I only rarely ever even use the word "game" for fear that students will complain that they are wasting their time playing instead of learning. Students don't always recognize that playing is one way of learning. ("Activity" is my code word for when I do break away from the norm and let my students have some fun.)

In the rare instance when I do pull out a boardgame for use in the classroom, it's usually Monopoly.

I use the game to reinforce three kinds of target language for ESL learners:
1. Numbers and money skills
2. Idioms related to business and money transactions.
3. Negotiating language (for higher level and/or Business English students).

A few points to remember before using Monopoly in the classroom:

1. Keep your instructions simple. Explain the premise of the game - "The one with the most stuff at the end of the game wins." Don't get into too many little details with the rules. Just explain how they can make money from rent and that they will lose the game very quickly if they fail to obtain the color-coded matches for their properties.

2. Give the students their cash and randomly-distributed properties right at the beginning, before you explain the rules. They will understand more easily with visual aids (and are usually put into a better mood with $1,500 cold Monopoly cash in hand).

3. Give the students five minutes to negotiate in a free-for-all, trading or selling properties until each player or pair of players has at least one complete set. Remind them that even with a complete set, they will never win the game if they don't put houses on their properties.

4. Roll the dice and get going. Students usually learn quicker by playing than if someone explains.

A complete game can usually be finished in less than forty minutes if this method is used. This leaves time for any preliminary vocabulary lesson before the game or review afterwards.

Remember, don't try to teach the students strategy. Some will pick it up instantly - and the others, well... in Monopoly, as in life there are winners and there are losers.

The point is to have fun in a fast-paced activity that will hopefully reinforce a lesson. Enjoy!

tags: Monopoly, board game, learn by playing, games in the classroom, fun activity

Here we go again... Yeeehaaaaaa!

2006-06-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

With classes changing over every month or so, ESL teachers can be forgiven for sensing a little deja vu at the beginning of a new term.

First comes the obligatory introductions, followed by a quick review of the school's rules ("Speak English, do your homework every day and if you slept in because you were hung over, at least have the decency to tell me your bus broke down") and the (hopefully) smooth transition into their very first lesson.

Keep in mind that these are not public school students who have to be in your class. They are your clients and you are providing a service in a very competitive market.

A few rules to remember to keep you and your class happy:

1. Be nice. I once neglected to greet a student as she walked in on her first day as I was busy writing the lesson topic on the board. She transferred out right after class, and took two of her friends with her. This prompted a very uncomfortable meeting with the school's manager.

Turn on the charm. It will pay dividends later.

2. Make sure you actually teach them something. This may seem obvious, but a lot of teachers like to spend a big chunk of time getting to know their students on the first day (which is good) but don't leave enough time to actually teach a complete lesson (which is not so good). Every day, even the first day, should be useful for them.

3. Write your email address on the board (You don't have to use your main email - you can sign up for one just for this purpose). This may seem a little weird, but this gives the students a signal that you are approachable at any time.

When another teacher advised me to do this I was afraid I'd be having to write tons of responses that I just didn't have time for. Actually, students rarely use it. Sometimes a student will email for some clarification regarding homework or just let you know they came down with the flu so they won't be coming to class. It's just one more tool to build a rapport with your students.

Don't ask the students for their email addresses on the first day, though. That's just creepy.

tags: first day of school, introductions, happy students, advice for teachers

Here's your diploma. Now please leave

2006-06-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

Students need benchmarks of progress.

Tests are great for measuring a student's progress during their course. Most schools encourage regular testing and most students appreciate it.

But in my years of teaching in various settings, I've noticed that when it comes time for students to finally graduate, some schools don't think too much about the importance of an actual graduation ceremony.

Some schools simply hand out graduation certificates in the classroom, without any ceremony, and take pictures. That's about it.

My own school does have ceremonies every week, where we give nice-looking (but easy to print up) certificates to our graduates, let them say a few words of thanks and receive gifts from their proud colleagues. We also ensure to welcome the new students with a loud, bombasically enthusiastic greeting.

Yes, the ceremony is lengthy, entailing lost classroom time. And it can be pretty boring by the time we get to the twentieth speech or so.

But symbolism is important, too. When a big ceremony is undertaken, the students' sense of accomplishment is reinforced. This is also a good time for the student to take measure of how the school has helped them. A few minutes of solid reflection may translate into more students coming to the school by word of mouth from happy graduates.

Since ESL schools are businesses, they should remember that while time is money, taking the time to do things right has its own reward.

tags: graduation, business, word of mouth, ceremony, diploma, accomplishment

Technology is wonderful when it works

2006-06-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

All teachers must strike a balance between actively lobbying for resources that they want and coming to terms with the resources that they actually have.

The challenge is especially striking when it comes to computer hardware.

Last week, the ancient computer monitor in our teachers' room started acting funny. The picture went fuzzy and then shrunk to a small point of light in the centre of the screen. After a few seconds, the MS Word screen came back online - upside down.

When faced with this situation, what should the teacher do? Choose one of the following.
A. Turn off the monitor, then turn it back on and hope it starts working again.
B. Call tech support.
C. Get the bottle of whiskey that is kept for exactly these sorts of situations out of the drawer.
D. Turn the monitor upside down so that the screen will appear right-side-up.

Of course, any of the above suggestions might be appropriate. If you look carefully at the picture above, you will see what we did.

Good luck with all your technical difficulties.

tags: ESL, English as a second language, Vancouver, teaching, resources, computer problems, technical difficulties

Make your own ESL video

2006-06-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

The videos I selected in the previous post were so horrifying to me that I had to help share them with the world. They were perfect examples of what can go wrong when the teacher has lost control (and the respect) of their class. I suspect that they were recorded by students surreptitiously on their cell phones to give their parents' proof of their complaints.

The video below shows what is possible when a teacher has a video camera, some basic editing skills, some extra time on their hands and most importantly, a happy and motivated class of young ESL learners. It's an inspiration.

tags: ESL, Vancouver, video, Korea, English, kindergarten, Korean

A nightmare

2006-06-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

On those days when I wonder what strange turns my life might have taken in the world of ESL, I will watch this video...

... or this one...

...and I will get down on my hands and knees and pray to the gods of ESL that I am never exiled to such a sad, sad place.

For those missionaries of the English language spreading the word in distant lands, I salute you.

tags: ESL, Vancouver, international, nightmare, English, video, Korea

Engrish is funny!

2006-05-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

One source of endless amusement for ESL teachers is Engrish.com, a website devoted to only the best of mangled English phrases in packaging, advertising and signage.

A few well-chosen examples from this site can be used as neat little icebreakers for your lesson. Students will attempt to figure out why the backwards syntax is actually funny and hopefully share a laugh in the process.

A word of warning, though: some images that will immediately strike native English speakers as hilarious will only leave ESL students frustrated that they can't share in the joke. Worse, they may be made to feel as though the teacher is making fun of their countrymen's earnest efforts to accomodate English speakers in their native country.

This can be an excellent source of interesting and humorous activities, but use with caution.

tags: Engrish, ESL, teacher, student, native speakers, advertising

Using video for language learning

2006-05-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

One new resource I've noticed for teaching Listening is YouTube. It's a great site to locate virtually any kind of English-language situation you can think of, from movie clips to quirky personal podcasts to really, really old commercials and public service announcements.

I've posted one here.

The usual advice for using computers and/or the Internet in the classroom applies here: be vigilant, lest your students' wandering eyes be tempted by porn or other objectionable images. They can watch that on their own time.

Have fun!

tags: ESL, Vancouver, students, classroom, video, multimedia, Youtube, teacher

Welcome back

2006-05-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

After a brief hiatus, Jonathon Narvey's ESL CENTRE has returned! Hello, teachers (and a few students who accidentally find this site) from around the world. It's good to be back.

Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about.
Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they’re turned around.

Who’d have thought they’d lead ya (Who’d have thought they’d lead ya)
Back here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)

Yeah we tease him a lot cause we’ve got him on the spot,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

Whadayaknow? The experiment went pretty well

2006-04-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

My Business Correspondence blog experiment was a success.

The idea is pretty simple: provide a blog forum for my students to write in, so that I can more easily manage the editing and they can see the results quicker. And not only can they check out their own assignment - they can compare with what the other students have written and hopefully pick up a few good habits from eachother.

No doubt, I'm simply reinventing the wheel, here. Surely this method of teaching online has already been used for more advanced educational uses. But nobody showed me how to do this, so a little triumphant "I am so smart, I am so smart" chant is probably not completely uncalled for.

The students actually seem to be enjoying the online writing method. And while the necessity of pairing off for lack of terminals is kind of lame, it's resulted in some pretty decent collaborative efforts (and only half as much editing on my part - yeehah!)

I still had to spend about an hour going through all of the posts, but it's likely no more than I would have had to spend with paper drafts. Besides, this way, my editing tips get around to all of the students. Where one pair of students flounder in spelling errors, another pair might have difficulty putting the target language into the right context - but they will all learn from eachother's mistakes.

Three more days of this and two more of these assignments and I'll be teaching Finance.

Now, if only I actually knew how to read a business balance sheet...

tags: Business English, blogging ESL, CALL, online ESL, business correspondence

A little blog experiment in Business class

2006-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

I was not looking forward to this week.

I teach a Business English class. Most of the time, it's a lot of fun. The students are usually of a high calibre before they even walk in the door for their first day. And the subject material (phrases for negotiations, meetings, marketing, etc) is a welcome respite from the basic curriculum of the morning (phrases for ordering in a restaurant, reserving a plane ticket, describing one's family, etc).

But this week, the unit is Business Correspondence - not my favorite.

The curriculum is just as good as for the other units and the students are just as motivated while doing their work. But the prospect of correcting drafts of letters, memos and assorted documentation filled me with a bit of a grim disquiet.

It's a simple, straightforward and most of all, quick, process to correct someone's spoken errors. But wading through crinkly pages haphazardly turned in, full of mangled syntax, in order to improve someone's written communications takes a lot more time and effort. Frankly, I don't get paid enough to spend my after-school hours doing that.

And so, I hit on the idea of the Business Correspondence blog. I find it alot easier to cut, paste and edit someone's stuff on the computer than hunting and pecking through scribbled sheets of looseleaf (Doesn't everyone?). So why not just sit my students down in the computer lab and have them write out their assignments online? Besides, having a communal blog for all the students to write their assignment would allow them to view eachother's work more comprehensively - and hopefully, to learn from eachother.

They seemed to enjoy the idea, even if there weren't enough computers for everyone, necessitating collaborations all around. Tomorrow, they'll get a chance to finish up their first assignment. Then I can hopefully speed through the editing process with some highlighting, cutting, pasting and a few comments I can address to everyone.

I only wish more of my students had Internet access at home, so they could work on this stuff whenever they wanted, or as part of their assigned homework.

Still, it's not a bad start. I'll have to see how I want to apply this to my other classes. With any luck, I'll revolutionize how classes are taught at this school - or maybe in a bigger field. More to come on this later.

tags: business English, business correspondence, writing, online learning, CALL

Your first day in the classroom

2006-04-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Over the next couple of weeks, many ESL teachers will be teaching their very first classes.

The private ESL education industry in Canada is unregulated, but hopefully they've received at least a month or two of training before they even hit the pavement in search of a teaching position.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. The old cliche is as true as it ever was. Although most schools don't allow students to change their class on the first day, unhappy students will start the paperwork as soon as they're dismissed from their first class. And for the rest of the week, those same dour souls will subvert your class by poisoning the atmosphere and ensuring that their friends change their class as well. The following Monday, you will have to endure a humbling talk with the school administrator about why your class stinks.

It's unfair, but new teachers are evaluated at a higher standard than those that have gained some seniority (and a record of satisfied students). New teachers will have to work hard to ensure the above situation does not happen.

It can be a nerve-wracking experience for the newbies... not a bad thing. Fear can be an excellent motivator. Stress will keep you on your toes for at least the first week or so. After that, some may even begin to enjoy their new job.

A few tips for the new teacher on their first day:

1. A warm smile, a ready laugh and a friendly attitude will take you far. You don't have to be the students' best friend, but you should at least be approachable. Nobody likes a grouch.

2. Be organized. Have all of your attendance sheets ready. Make sure your lesson plan, handouts and flash cards are right in front of you, in case you need to refer to anything.

3. If a student has a question and you don't know the answer, tell them that you will get back to them about that at the next break. Find out the answer from a textbook or another teacher and make sure that you do follow up. Don't do this often, though - you're only allowed one or two "I'll get back to you" answers before the students start wondering about your credentials.

If anyone else has any tips for new teachers on their first day, please submit them in the Comments section. Thanks.

tags: first day of class, first impressions, impression, new teacher, be prepared

Looking for an ESL teaching job in Vancouver?

2006-03-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Vancouver is the place for ESL in Canada.

International students from all over the world have created a billion-dollar local industry, directly employing thousands of teachers and educational support staff. The indirect benefit to the tourism and service industries and local businesses is huge.

Despite increasing competition, many institutes and colleges seem to be reaping bigger profits than in the past couple of years. Salaries across the industry are up (not a lot, but at least they're making up for cutbacks during the SARS scare and negative publicity of a few years back).

And spring is the time when schools start filling up. In the summer, students get crammed into the classrooms like sardines to make up for the loss-leading winter months, but you can already start seeing significant increase in student numbers by April.

Of course, this is also the ideal time for newly-minted teachers to get their foot in the door... and hopefully gain enough seniority to keep their hours during the winter, when layoffs traditionally occur amongst the most recently-hired staff.

Alternatively, it's also a good time for senior teachers looking for a change to try out other venues or even other career paths. With the unemployment rate riding as low as it's likely to get without instituting Soviet-style communism, this could be a good time to grab for that brass ring.

Interested candidates may click here for a list of ESL schools in Vancouver to help you get started. For a list of ESL jobs in Vancouver updated daily, click here.

Good luck finding your dream job!

tags: Vancouver ESL jobs, ESL teaching jobs, ESL industry, ESL employment

Failure is not an option

2006-03-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

A lot of ESL schools have policies towards level advancement that seem inspired by the US Marine Corps: No one gets left behind.

Students who fail to meet the requirements of advancing to the next level (as set out by the school and teacher at the beginning of the term) may raise hell at the prospect of not being allowed into the same class next term as their friends.

It doesn't matter if they spent more time pockmarking their livers at the local pub or sleeping off an evening of carousing than learning in the classroom like their colleagues. Some will still cry foul to any agent who will listen to their rank tale of injustice.

Of course, there are some students that will attend class, do the required homework, study long hours and still have trouble making it through to the next level. These poor unfortunates have my sincerest sympathies, but also my firm guarantee: if they didn't make it this time, they will succeed the second time through.

A few words of advice to those teachers in the unenviable position of failing a student:

1. Tell the student up-front that they have failed the class. Most likely, the student already knows how things stand. There's no sense in keeping them in suspense, or worse, giving them false hope.

2. Explain clearly why this student has failed.
Eg. "You can see here from your attendance record that you missed alot of classes. Also, your quiz scores indicate that you learned English grammar from howler monkeys."

IMPORTANT NOTE TO TEACHERS: ESL students don't get sarcasm. Ever.

3. Explain what the student must do to improve.
Eg. "Less drinky, more study, kapish?"

4. Reassure the student that they will benefit from repeating the curriculum; they will be in a much better position when they do advance to the next level.

Don't tell them that their family and friends won't think any less of them for not succeeding - students can always tell if you're lying.

5. If the student's demeanor hasn't improved by the end of your conversation, recommend that the student speak with a counselor to discuss the issue. Possibly, administration will just bump him up anyway. That's fine, though, so long as the student's complaint is made to disappear.

Passing the buck is always an option when your job security is determined by monthly evaluations.

tags: failing students, ESL student placement, no one gets left behind, test, quiz

Damage control in the classroom

2006-03-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

A well-managed classroom with motivated students works like the proverbial well-oiled machine; eventually, even the best ones malfunction. The following personal teaching anecdote may illustrate how one can deal with a problem in the classroom before it spirals out of control.

Case Study: The Crying Student

Satoko was angry. Really, really angry.

Japanese students as a rule do not express their emotions directly. Typically, any complaint will be handled with the utmost discretion; the complainant will rarely confront the person who has caused them injury

Such was the case this time. A fellow student's behavior had so enraged her that she could barely speak to me. She fought bravely to hold back her tears, but the frustration at not being able to communicate herself in English while trying to convey her complaint (and possibly at not being able to just up and whack the object of her burning rage) was too much.

It all started about 10 minutes before class in the computer lab. While checking my email, I overheard one of my students breaking the "English-only" policy in our school. I told Octavio to report to the office at the next break and inform them of what he'd done.

"It's no big deal, Octavio," I assured him. "It's your first offense, so you'll only lose one mark. You're a good student. I'm sure it won't happen again."

But Octavio felt wronged. "Class hasn't started yet! It's only 8:50! It's okay to speak Spanish now."

I explained the school policy once more and he agreed to go to the office at the next break, but he was not his usual happy self. I let it go at that and assumed he'd come around.

Nope.

As the morning class carried on, Octavio refused to participate. The other students wondered at his unusual behavior and looked to see what I would do.

"I'm sorry class, but Octavio is a little angry with me this morning," I explained. "He has broken the English-only rule, but he thinks I am not being fair to him. Octavio, I am sorry if you are upset with me. Will you please join us?"

They laughed at the absurdity of the situation as Octavio continued to shake his head and mumble in a silly voice in response to the homework questions. Actually, his antics were kind of funny, and since there were 14 other students to focus on, I ignored him and forgot about the problem, assuming again that he would soon rejoin the group.

No such luck.

After a few drills with useful phrases about the weather, it was time for the students to practice in pairs. I had them line up back-to-back and pretend to be on the phone with their partner, asking about the weather where they were.

Eg.
A: "How's the weather in London?"
B: "Well, it is 10 degrees here and rainy. I need an umbrella. How's the weather in Seoul?"

It was a simple but fun way to practice their new English phrases... except that Octavio was still being a jackass.

While his partner talked, Octavio just stood there and refused to answer, mumbling in some language that was neither English nor Spanish. I intervened and asked him once more to be reasonable, for the first time considering kicking him out of my class for the rest of the morning. But by then his partner had found another pair to talk to.

Octavio kept mumbling, now adding a funky little dance whenever anyone tried to engage him in conversation.

I asked the class to change their partner and was immediately distracted by one pair that wanted to ask me a question. While I was attending to them, Octavio partnered himself up with Satoko.

At the best of times, Satoko's English communication skills are still rudimentary, even with the great strides she's made in seven weeks (When I interviewed her on her first day, she had difficulty answering "What is your name?" and "Where are you from?") .

As soon as she realized that Octavio was refusing to play by the rules, she decided he was picking on her (instead of merely being an equal-opportunity jerk). His goofball mischief was being misconstrued as condescending malevolensce.

Her usual happy demeanor faded as she caught my wandering eye from across the classroom with a look of total frustration.

Soon after, it was time for the mid-morning break. Octavio made a beeline for the door, looking uncharacteristically motivated. I immediately understood that he was going to the office, but not only to report himself - he was going to make his complaint heard.

In his mind, I'd been a jerk and now I was going to get hassled by administration.

Fine. I had no time to deal with that. Satoko was clearly upset and venting angrily to her best friend in the class. She had to be my priority.

Negative emotions can spread through a classroom like Bird Flu in a chicken coop.

I sat down with her and asked her why she was upset. She struggled to explain what had happened through tears and flashes of real anger.

"Octavio... so impolite! I am try so hard learn English, and he..." She hit the letters on her electronic dictionary to spell out "obstacle". "He is... this word (pointing at "obstacle"), my learning!"

I understood immediately that my best efforts to deal with Octavio without being confrontational had backfired. The way Satoko saw it, I should have ballistic Octavio from the get-go. I'd let her down.

And if I didn't do anything about it, the whole stupid thing could make my day really, really sucky.

Time for damage control.

"I'm so sorry, Satoko," I declared with my best hang-dog face. "You are right. Octavio was very impolite - not only to you. He was rude to the class and to me. But I have talked with him already, and I will talk with him again."

As penitent as I was, it wasn't getting through. "I no understand English well," she answered back. "I'm angry. Octavio was so impolite." Her expression indicated to me that capital punishment would not be out of order in this case.

"Would you like to talk with the Japanese counselor? I think it might be a good idea." This was a bit of a gamble. Negative feedback to the counselor would back to the guy who signs my checks. But to be fair, I knew she couldn't explain herself very well to me. Just to be on the safe side, I wanted to get it all out in the open.

By this time, Octavio had returned, looking rather sheepish. The counselor had no doubt backed me up on the school policy and reamed him out for his trouble. He joined his friends and began to speak in English for the first time as the final seconds of the break wound down. For the rest of the morning, he would be restored to his usual happy and talkative self.

But at his appearance, Satoko and her friend exited the classroom.

"Take an extra five minutes, everyone," I said to the class, who didn't seem to mind. I followed the ladies out. Once more, Satoko was venting in her mangled English to her patient friend. She was still furious (a little too furious, considering the relatively benign mischief that had sparked it, but I understood it wasn't a good time to lecture my student on the mental-health benefits of not sweating the small stuff).

I had to resolve it fast. Once more, I suggested talking with the counselor, but Satoko just looked at me with total incomprehension.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. "Tomoko, please explain my words to Satoko," I pleaded. "Speak in Japanese. It is okay, really. In Japanese."

Tomoko usually understood my instructions better than any of the other students and in this case she managed to save the day.

Satoko calmed down for the rest of the class and even managed to ask me a few grammar questions with a smile before the end of the morning. Later, she went to the Japanese counselor and explained the incident. She emphasized that she was happy with my class and with having me as a teacher - which was why she was surprised at how the mischief that upset her had been allowed to happen.Fair enough. Case closed.

In retrospect, the little bump in the road hardly seems worthy of such a lengthy Blog post. But I think that's because my damage control operation was a success. A potential disaster, complete with students withdrawing in droves from my class, was nipped in the bud.

And now I don't have to deal with all that crap tomorrow. Friday is here. The weekend beckons. Life is good.

tags: damage control, angry student, counselor, teaching tips, adventures in ESL

Canadian culture? What's that?

2006-03-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

"Culture? That's what I get from yogurt." - a friend

One of the biggest perks of being an ESL teacher in Vancouver is getting a sense of the myriad cultures that coexist on our little planet.

My students come from all over: Korea, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Taiwan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Germany, Iran...

While in their own countries, the only information some students may have about people from other nations is in the form of rough stereotypes. It can be really inspiring, seeing these people come together to work at the common goal of learning a language. At the same time, they are forming lasting relationships and impressions that they will take back to their own countries.

Of course, many students will be curious about Canadian culture as well. It can be a great topic for discussion and an interesting theme for many kinds of lessons.

Ask your students what sorts of things come to mind when they think of Canadian culture. They might mention maple syrup, clothing for cold weather, Bryan Adams, or hockey. These are all fine examples, but of course there's a lot more to it.

For students in Vancouver, a visit to the Museum of Anthropology or Storyeum can be a fascinating visual introduction to local history, including First Nations culture and a look at the development of the Vancouver region from the first settlements of Europeans to the modern era. Students might not understand all of the English in the exhibits, but testing their comprehension of these interactive exhibits can be a fun lesson. The websites for those places also contain some great information already compiled for teachers.

Those visits might serve as introductions to Canadian culture, but culture is not just something we find in museums. It is an evolving thing, made up of many facets: language, customs, fashion, food, music - basically, anything that human beings create that is distinctive for a particular region.

Other interesting sites with resources about Canada include:
Maps of Canada: pretty much what you'd expect.
Lonely Planet Interactive Map of Canada: lets you click on cities across the country to view city maps.
Lonely Planet Canada Travel Information: includes all sorts of practical information for students planning to visit other parts of the country. Also includes some fascinating facts and a great image gallery.

tags: Canadian culture, Canada teaching resources, multicultural, teaching culture

Exelsior! Teaching ESL with comics and cartoons

2006-03-17T21:50:00.000-08:00

I owe a big chunk of my robust vocabulary to the creators of the Incredible Hulk, Batman and the Swamp Thing.

Comics and cartoons are a great teaching resource for the ESL classroom. Even higher-level students can be intimidated by a thick paperback book. But show your students a page or two from Spider-Man and they'll dig right in.

Some excellent sites with resources that can be cut and pasted from the web (at least for educational purposes, since most sites have copyright that prevents use for commercial or promotional activities) are:

Yahoo's Comics and Editorial Cartoons page: a roundup of all the popular syndicated cartoons: Doonesbury, Dilbert, Garfield ('Garfield?' Who still reads that? How many freaking jokes can you make about a morbidly obese cat?).

The Marvel Comics home page, including cover art, some pages with dialogue and some without and loads of information about all sorts of classic Marvel characters - Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men and more. Stan Lee, you are the man.

The DC Comics home page, including cover art, some pages with dialogue and some without and loads of information about all sorts of classic DC characters - Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and more. Pure genius.

One thing to be careful of, though: from what I've seen, comics like Batman, X-Men and the Incredible Hulk that had fairly simple storylines when I was younger now have complicated storylines that are difficult to follow and may even have "adult" themes. Make sure the pages you give your students for reading practice can be readily understood within their own context without necessarily knowing the back-story.

One way to get around that problem is to just find comic pages that don't have any dialogue - or just print out the complete page and use white-out to manually remove the confusing passages. That works better anyways for creative writing exercises, where your students can fill in the word balloons to create their own story to match the visual context. This can be a really fun exercise for students. Same goes for writing captions for political cartoons.

tags: comics, cartoons, comic book, word balloon, fun activities

Teaching ESL in a flash

2006-03-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

Most people are visual learners, at least when starting out with basic vocabulary and phrases. Flash cards aren't exactly a new innovation. Cards with pictures and/or words on them are a pretty basic tool in a teacher's bag of tricks. They can be used in just about any kind of lesson.

The ESL flash card motherlode is Boggle's World. The cards are categorized according to theme. For example, Superhero cards are great for practicing modals (can, can't, may, might, etc.) , actions in various verb tenses and colors. The Season and Day flash cards are great for... well, you get the idea. As of this posting, there are 32 c ategories to choose from - all perfectly free and printable. The site also has job listings and worksheets for ESL teachers.

A few things to remember about using flashcards. There's really no need to print up fifty sets of cards for fifty different occasions. Typically, you'll need one set showing different kinds of people, another showing hobbies, another with different jobs, one with different kinds of houses and one with tools and common household objects. Pick five or six flash card sets and recycle them through the school term. Save a tree and keep your desk free of clutter.

Students actually seem to appreciate it when they see the same cards used again and again in different situations. I think it gives them a comforting sense of continuity, and also helps to remind them of language they've learned in past lessons.

tags: Boggle's World, flash cards, flashcards, fun activities, visual learner, memorization

Popcorn, anyone? Learning English through film

2006-03-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

US Customs Officer: What do you call yourself?
Tony: Antonio Montana. And you, what you call yourself?
US Customs Officer: Where'd you learn English, Tony?
Tony: In school. And my father, he was from the United States. Just like you, you know? He was a Yankee. He used to take me a lot to the movies. I learned. I watch the guys like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney... They teach me to talk. I like those guys. I always know one day I'm coming here, United States.

If that dialogue above sounds familiar, it's because you heard it at the beginning of Scarface, one of my favorite Al Pacino movies. And while one might not normally follow the example of small-time thugs who metastasize into crime bosses, Tony's method of learning English had a lot going for it.

A DVD player and a partial script can be a dangerous weapon in a teacher's arsenal. Movies are great for listening practice, understanding phrases in context and generating follow-up discussions. With a small budget for slightly-less popular DVDs, Internet access and an old printer, a school can quickly acquire the foundation for a kick-ass Listening program.

My favorite source for movie and TV scripts and transcripts is Drew's Script-O-Rama.

It isn't a comprehensive resource, but it has hundreds of scripts to choose from. NOTE: Not all scripts are 100% accurate, so it's a good idea to view the scenes you plan on showing before compiling the scripts for your students.

A few rules of thumb to consider before using movies in the classroom.

1. Never show movies that have graphic violence or sex. If even one of your students is squirming, it's NOT a good sign... for you.

2. Adam Sandler's movies are surprisingly good for ESL teaching. Physical humor + simple dialogue = movies that even lower-intermediate students can understand.

3. Never, ever, use a movie as a substitute for a lesson. The movie is an audio/visual aid for your curriculum. Always have handouts prepared and time set aside to answer questions and have a discussion. Your students ALWAYS know when you don't care enough to do your job.

Giving students advice

2006-03-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

Teachers are authority figures.

In the absence of their parents and support networks in their own country, many ESL students go to their teachers for advice.

Usually, the question is something along the lines of "how can I improve my English faster?", (as if teachers had some sort of magic formula that we'd been holding back for our own nefarious purposes).

Of course, there is no magic formula, other than the one most students will already understand instinctively: come to class, do your homework, participate in the course as much as possible and use only English outside of school to immerse yourself in the language.

There are no shortcuts to fluency.

Some students will not be satisfied with that answer.

To those, I always say that people learn differently; some of us are visual learners (eg. associating words and phrases with pictures on cards); some of us learn better through repetition (eg. repeating the same phrase in context enough times that it becomes second nature); some prefer a more systematic approach of studying grammar formulas and writing out examples to see what works. Some students like to watch movies and learn directly from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's dialogue - nothing wrong with that.

Students need to figure out what works for them and do that. And they should understand that motivation plays a big part. If what they are doing is no longer enjoyable then they will need to switch up their method; ie. one week, do a lot of reading and writing and the next week practice speaking more in a less structured environment, like in a cafe with friends.

Sometimes, students ask for advice about other things; how to find an apartment, dealing with intransigent homestay hosts or dating the locals.

Dear Ai is a popular advice column website for ESL students in Vancouver. It's no good for students who are still struggling with the basics and can't read a restaurant menu, but intermediate students might find it useful. Teachers, check it out - there are some interesting topics here.

A rewarding career in teaching

2006-03-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Most teachers I know are hardworking, ethical, interesting people who could probably be making a lot more money in some other career.

Some of them eventually do come to their senses and go on to careers that will enable them to actually buy a house in Vancouver's insane real-estate market (average price of a house in a nice neighborhood: $1 million).

Of course, teaching does have its own, (decidedly non-financial) rewards. It is gratifying to see the virtually instantaneous effect of teaching a language. I'm always proud to hear my students actually using the phrases outside of the classroom I've imparted to them only moments ago. And of course, I've formed countless friendships with people from all over the world; after they go back to their countries, I may never see them again, but that doesn't take anything away from the experience we've shared.

Students are often kind enough to leave a token of their appreciation when they graduate - a note, a card or a photograph. I've scanned a few of these, which can be viewed here.

News resources for ESL students

2006-03-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

Breaking News English: Current events and business English lesson plans containing a news article, listening (MP3 file), podcast, communication activities, pair work, discussion, reading and vocabulary exercises. Classroom handouts are reproducible in Word and PDF.

This is one of those resources that can turn a motivated, hardworking teacher into a lazy hack. Just print up what you need and hand out the article, complete with vocabulary summaries, questions and an audio companion for the text (I'm assuming read by Sean Banville, creator of the site. Judging by his bio, this guy has waaaaay more energy than me). Comes in Easy and Harder formats.