Linguistic Consultancy

Yoga, or How to Keep the Balance In and Out

2018-09-23T10:02:00.000-03:00

I love yoga and I've made it part of my life. I do yoga at home, every day if I can. I have a routine I perform and strengthen with new postures as I need them. In general I follow my inspiration, like for everything in life. My sixth sense, I'd say, determines the postures I add and change. I've learnt about them after taking classes for some years and after reading books. It has happened to me that I decided on a posture and then I learnt about the emotional meaning it has and I found I needed it.

I also had the opportunity to translate a book on yoga from English into Spanish. I chose it through Babelcube. I also learnt from the process. This is my translation:

Yoga: Posturas Esenciales del Yoga para Lograr Controlar la Mente

You can get it on Amazon, Tolino, Scribd, Kobo.

I hope you find it helpful. Of course, you can also get it in Spanish.

My Word of the Week: Resilience

2018-06-03T13:21:00.002-03:00

"Resilience" is the word that's been haunting me this week. I've seen it, heard it and even used it many times. But... What does it imply? It's not just another word, it's a strong concept. It's a word that requires to overcome whatever happened to us and reach a lost balance so that one is ready to face anything. Normally, after overcoming challenges, there's a period of calm and one is able to regain strength. However, one is not the same person one used to be before. There's a new view on life, a different scale of values and specially, priorities.

Hopes are renewed and there's a light on the horizon as a signal of a new beginning.

Challenges...Who doesn't enjoy them?

2018-05-30T20:08:00.000-03:00

Personally, I love challenges and I'm convinced that they're what one needs in life to enjoy it. A challenge is what helps us grow, mature and learn ...

My jobs as a teacher of English, a translator and an assistant on cultural trips around Europe are
full of challenges.

As a translator being able to express an idea as accurately as possible in another language implies a process in your brain and why not? A struggle!

Perhaps as a frustrated writer I've always wanted to translate books but I believe in translation as an art, the art of playing with words.

Some time ago I came across Babelcube and found it an interesting way of connecting writers and translators so I decided to give it try.

So far, I've translated three books, two of which have been already published and are offered as e-books: Francine and Miss Philpott and the Fascinating Mathilde by Alicia Cameron. I chose these stories because they look attractive and they proved to be fascinating.

All in all, an amazing experience!!!

Refloating my Blog with Book Recommendation

2018-05-28T08:37:00.002-03:00

Wow!!!! I've discovered I haven't posted anything since 2013!!! Time flies, doesn't it?
Well, I've got the inspiration (or shall I say the push) from a book I'm reading. I highly recommend it as it's highly insightful for self-analysis.
It offers recommendations for any dormant initiative you've got. How did
the book come to my hands? While in London last January, I visited a
bookshop in search of a book but I didn't know what I was looking for.
And while looking around the shop, the book called me. I felt attracted to
it. It's an interesting experience to look around and see what attracts you.
And I'm really convinced this book is what I needed. Besides, it includes
intuitive quotations from well-known writers, philosophers, writers, and many other thinkers that are related to the information on a certain page.
I think it's a reference book one needs to read and re-read in order to take full advantage of it.
Has a book ever chosen you as a reader? I'd like to hear about it.

The Importance of Keeping the Communication Flowing

2013-05-26T16:45:00.001-03:00

After reading an insightful post by Vicky Loras in which she marvellously describes the significance Facebook has for professional development and making a comment on her post, I felt inspired to write about my experience in using facebook as a tool for communication with my students.

Since Vicky asked about how I deal with it, I told her that I had a similar view on Facebook as hers. I felt reluctant to open an account some years ago and just used Twitter.

I always create PBWORKS sites with my different classes as a way of sharing material with my students. My students are notified about these site updates via e-mail but they've complained about it stating they seldom check their e-mail accounts. Apparently teenagers are not using e-mail as a way of communication. Then, their suggestion was to create a Facebook group so as to receive my notifications whenever the PBWORKS sites are updated. So we did and I've got hooked on Facebook ever since.

In the case of my students I label them as 'students' and I restrict their access to my Facebook account. With my students we also use Facebook to write private messages when they can’t attend a class or if they have been absent, I send them a message asking them what happened to them and telling them about what they have missed. It’s a good way of keeping in touch. They can also ask me questions.

I believe keeping a fluent communication with students contributes to creating the necessary teacher-student rapport for the teaching-learning process to be successful.

Online Lesson Feedback

2013-05-24T00:24:00.001-03:00

I haven´t had so many online students but I've found out that I like teaching online.

My concern has been how to develop the necessary rapport with the students who choose to learn English via Skype. As we all know, the teaching-learning process in the classroom implies interaction skills among the students and between the students and the teacher. As we develop professionally, we acquire sensitivity to immediately perceive the way students feel while performing certain tasks and flexibility to adjust those activities so that they don't become demotivating.

Anyway, as to my online lessons I do my best for them to be highly interactive and motivating. I use PBWORKS to store the material and share it with my online students. While the teaching-learning process takes place, I take down notes so as to prepare a report that I send to my online students for them to have my feedback.

It was a great surprise for me to receive an e-mail from a new online student I have that reads:

Hello Marisa,

thank you for the report. I´m so happy about the classes and your way of working.

See you on wednesday!

At that moment I thought, well...that's her feedback. It was highly satisfactory for me, since it's a new challenge in my teaching-learning career.

The Role, Importance, and Power of Words (by a guest)

2012-09-27T13:04:00.001-03:00

I haven't posted an article for a while and this time I'm sharing an article one of my blog readers wrote. Some months ago I received an e-mail saying:

Hi Marisa,

I'm a researcher/writer for a resource covering the importance of English proficiency in today's workplace. I came across your blog linguisticconsultancy.blogspot.com as I was conducting research and I'm interested in contributing an article to your blog because I found the topics you cover very engaging.

I'm thinking about writing an article that looks at how the Internet has changed the way English is used today; not only has its syntax changed as a result of the Internet Revolution, but the amount of job opportunities has also shifted as a result of this shift. I'd be happy to work with you on the topic if you have any insights. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best,
Alexa

And I thought it would be a good idea. Here it is:

Today’s post by Alexa Russell focuses on both the challenges and opportunities the Internet offers to teachers of the English language, particularly with the proliferation of social media sites. Alexa researches and writes about studying English in the 21st century, including articles on the availability of open courseware English classes and courses. Here, Alexa builds on the Linguistic Consultancy’s blog post about how to approach teaching English with flexibility and an eye toward motivating students, often by using the social media tools available on the Internet.

The Role of Teachers in The Complicated Relationship Between the English Language and the Internet

The Internet has proven most paradoxical as far as the English language is concerned. On one hand, the web is home to a wealth of English language education opportunities, many of which are free or low-cost; but at the same time, linguistic experts complain that ‘webspeak,’ or shorthand and morphed English used on the web and in text messages, is effectively ruining English spelling and grammar. Today, many experts agree that licensed English teachers can play a crucial role in providing positive learning opportunities for e-students without exposing them to the confusing influence of Internet shorthand.

As New York Times correspondent Eric A. Taub recently noted, there are many online resources free of charge to those who wish to learn English. They include:

BBC Learning These English lessons for children and adults use multimedia and an interactive format to improve speaking and writing skills.
Busuu.com These interactive English lessons include social networking opportunities and downloadable apps for smartphones and tablet devices.
Open Culture This forum-style site features links to various English lessons, as well as videos, eBooks and other supplementary materials.

But formal English courses are not the only resources that can aid web users in learning English. English mini-lessons (with titles like ‘How to Use Adjectives and Adverbs’ and ‘Writing for a North American Business Audience’) are available through the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). And since many teachers utilize newsprint during their lessons, the international Online Newspaper Index is a valuable resource that demonstrates the worldwide variances in English writing.

With the worldwide rise of social media, many education experts have touted various platforms as valuable English learning tools. For example, a recent article in ESchool News noted that Twitter, a platform with roughly 465 million accounts (as of January 2012), is useful to educators as an accurate gauge of current events, trends and pop culture. Furthermore, most ‘tweets’ are composed in English, and their content is indicative of contemporary language usage.

While many educators tout the informative qualities of social media, many have spoken out against its detrimental effects on the English language.These complaints are bolstered by a recent study by the American Institutes for Research, which found English proficiency scores have noticeably worsened over the last decade – even as math proficiency has improved. Social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – as well as the surge in text messaging – are largely blamed for this steady decline. If this is the effect social media has on native English speakers, critics argue, then Twitter and Facebook could not possibly benefit ESL learners.

However, many teachers have found considerable success by using social media to teach English. The San Marcos Unified School District of Northern California, for example, instituted a social media profile program two years. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students use Facebook to upload finished essays, and then provide feedback and critiques to classmates for their work. Incidentally, the school’s standardized test scores rose from 64.6 percent to 80.3 percent in the year after the program was launched.

Ultimately, noted Guardian UK Contributor Ryan Owen Gibson last April, social media is not only a strong educational resource but also a relevant cultural phenomenon – and those who ignore it are “missing out on a world of opportunities.” He urges teachers to utilize Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and blogging programs to build basic language skills with young people – and warns them not to underestimate the power of social media. “By refusing to engage with our children in the digital playground that is social media,” he noted, “we will never truly understand their needs and never fully realise its potential as a language learning tool.”

The English educators who find the most success with social media are those who teach it under well-established guidelines (i.e. no ‘webspeak’). This structure ensures that children will not only be able to build their skills in an interactive setting, but also that their grammar and spelling won’t suffer.

Alexa Russell is a freelance writer who has primarily been working with an online, educational resource devoted to delivering information to students pursuing an English degree. Her primary interests are developing educational technology and the changing nature of communication. Feel free to drop her a line if you ever have any questions.

2012-07-03T15:49:00.002-03:00

Are Students a Source of Inspiration for Teachers?

Throughout my teaching experience I've found out that even when a class is made up of individual students who have their own personality traits, the class as a whole adopts a certain character that makes it particular. For that reason, we teachers should be as flexible as it is possible so as to adapt our teaching practice to a certain class in order to be successful and aid our students in their skill developing process.

Apart from having a certain character, a class as a whole varies as to its mood to which the way the students feel on a particular day contributes.

I teach several groups of teenagers and even when they are almost the same age, their attitude towards their learning process varies. And these classes are a source of inspiration to me not only when I plan their lessons but also during the teaching-learning process. I do my best to be flexible enough so as to adapt what I have planned for them to their attitude.

No matter how much I insist in person and via Internet, I sometimes find it hard to make teenagers aware of the importance of developing independent learners' skills. I make use of strategies in class to help students study and improve themselves.

One of the groups I teach is supposed to be reviewing two units of their coursebook for a test but the tasks they do in class show they are not studying outside the classroom. So I decided to implement a task I designed on the spot thanks to the inspiration I got from my students. I assigned two pages from the units of the coursebook they were supposed to be studying to each student. The aim of the activity was to make students read, remember the information and share it with their partners, which would also help them develop fluency skills.

The task was successful and my students seemed to enjoy it. How do you make students aware of the need to practise outside the classroom? I'd like to hear about your strategies.

2012-05-30T00:56:00.001-03:00

Brad Patterson´s latest post inspired me to write this post. In it Brad posed a challenge and, personally speaking, I like challenges in life. As to teaching itself, I consider motivating students is sometimes challenging as being successful requires creativity and versatility from teachers.

Returning to Brad's proposal, my metaphor is: "Teaching is like day-dreaming." As a teacher I isolate myself from the world around me when I'm teaching and create a new world. My mind is totally focused on the lesson and on my students. I can forget about everything that forms part of my non-teaching life.

(From: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net)

As to the second challenge, the non-teaching experience that has brought more to my classroom than anything else has been travelling abroad. It's not that I have travelled that much but it has broadened my mind and made me interact with and meet all kinds of people. That's why it has contributed to my teaching practice.

If you feel like joining Brad's challenges, at the top you'll find the link to his post.

Interactive Practice for Beginners

2012-04-08T21:15:00.002-03:00

I haven't written posts for a while due to lack of time. In January and in February I worked in London as an assistant to the supervisor of a firm that organises educational trips for adolescents. And in March I started teaching one-to-one and group classes. Among my one-to-one students, I have beginners who need to practise basic structures such as: verb to be, personal pronouns, possessive adjectives, questions. To this end, I've designed examples and opportunities for interaction so as to practise and remember those grammar points and vocabulary in context through pictures and data.

This material can be simple but I imagine it can be helpful for many of my colleagues who may need it.

All's About Sharing

2011-07-03T16:34:00.005-03:00

One of the benefits of having a PLN (Personal Learning Network) via Twitter is the great opportunity of "sharing" it offers. I am extremely grateful to the members of my PLN for all

they have been sharing: My Timeline.

A short time ago, I came across Nadia Bentoua, who has shared her English language e-book. Nadia has travelled widely and she based her book on her travels. Her book is a resource for teachers and a self-study book for students.

In her Website Dynamic English Lessons, Nadia has included sample pages, which I have browsed and have found resourceful to introduce new vocabulary to students.

Is there anything you've created or a fellow educator has issued and you'd like to share? Please accept the challenge and write a post in your blog, making reference to this post.

Cambridge Exam Updates

2011-05-22T20:59:00.003-03:00

Last Saturday morning I attended a seminar on Cambridge exams and this is a report on the most significant points covered:

Cambridge offers “standard version” and “for school version” exams. The speaker made it clear that the introduction of “for school version” exams is the result of an informed decision and is not justified by the test-takers’ age.

The decision as to which exam best suits a test-taker’s profile should be taken after engaging in a critical analysis of Cambridge handbooks, which contain precise information.

The format, content and assessment criteria for both versions are identical.

The level has been preserved. What counts is the level accredited by the exam. The school version is not easier.

There’s a quality assurance system that is in charge of Cambridge exam validity.

KET exam deals with everyday English at a basic level.

Pet exam (preliminary): deals with everyday English at a pre-intermediate level.

Reliability is a key factor. A reliable test can be depended on to produce very similar results in repeated uses.

Reliability is guaranteed by a comprehensive description of the levels.

The exam validity can be classified into:

A. Construct validity: resides in the interaction of the underlying cognitive ability and the context of use. In the past it was based on the CLA model: communicative language ability, designed by Backman in the 90´s. It has been replaced by the socio-cognitive framework, designed by Professor Cyril Weir in 2005. The latter offers the distinction between an internal mental process (cognitive) of the test-takers and the external contextual factors (social). The standard and the school versions have the same level (cognitive) but the context is different.

B. Content validity: is connected to which extent the content of the test represents the target language domain; the area of interest. It is based on the schema theory: the mental structure that represents some aspects of the world. It depends on a collection of organized, interrelated ideas or concepts: the knowledge of the world. It's connected to the reference store from which a person can retrieve relevant existing knowledge (experiential background). One retrieves/remembers information that is relevant to one's own schema. One will try to resist information that is not relevant to one’s own schema. When automatic thought is triggered, one acts effectively without effort. Accessibility is defined as a cognitive shortcut. There is a direct impact on the way the individual processes the task set up in the context.

C. Scoring validity: implies what has to be measured. In the case of writing there is a General Mark Scheme:

Band 5: All content elements covered appropriately. Message clearly communicated to reader. (Excellent)

Band 4: All content elements adequately dealt with. Message communicated successfully, on the whole. (Very good)

Band 3: All content elements attempted. Message requires some effort by the reader. Or, one content element omitted but others clearly communicated. (Good)

Band 2: Two content elements omitted, or unsuccessfully dealt with. Message only partly communicated to reader. Or, script may be slightly short (20-25 words). (Fair)

Band 1: Little relevant content and/or message requires excessive effort by the reader, or short. (10/19 words). (Poor)

Band 0: Totally irrelevant or totally incomprehensible or too short (under 10 words). (Below standard)

In the case of speaking, it implies the interplay between the underlying cognitive ability and the context of use. Now they’ve introduced the terms “speaking examiners” as they assess a spoken test.

In the case of listening, there is overlapping between context and cognitive validity. It’s ephemeral and it’s marked by the absence of paralinguistic information in a testing context.

I think it is necessary for ESL teachers to be well-informed so as to be able to help those students interested in having international certifications.

FlexiMoti in Action

2011-04-20T12:32:00.003-03:00

In a post I wrote last year called My Teaching Approach: FlexiMoti I reflected on my teaching practice in response to one of Jason Renshaw´s posts. It was Jason himself who generously coined the name of my approach and I've adopted it.

My attempts to be flexible are designed to meet my students' needs with the aim to motivate them to learn the English language in a way that suits their likes and dislikes. Having those principles in mind, I've also introduced technology in the classroom and we use wikis and blogs so my students can develop long-life skills that would help them become independent learners.

When classes started last March, I felt absolutely satisfied when one of my students from a group I had taught the previous year asked me if we would use blogs and wikis this year. I had already created a wiki for this class and was about to introduce it to them. So I thought the motivation level was ideal. I was too hopeful to consider that my students are teenagers and so their motivation fluctuates. Nothing new so far.

After considering ways to encourage my students to visit the wiki, I decided to start a competition and to offer a reward to the winner. I created a Lino Canvas in which I include a riddle a week and the first one to provide the correct answer as a comment in the wiki receives a prize. The first one I've granted was a chocolate.

I've found out that some of my students seldom visit their e-mail accounts and so when I update the wiki, they don´t realise about it. I hope this competition will be helpful.

I've been reluctant to appear in Facebook as I consider it's a social tool rather than a professional one but I've had to give in. As a Twitterholic myself I haven't found the sense of being on Facebook. Anyway, my students spend most of their cyber time on Facebook and so I've finally opened an account, which I'll try to keep only as a way of updating my students as to the class wiki new material. I'll do my best to keep my Facebook account as a learning/teaching tool.

What are the changes you've been forced to introduce in your teaching practice? I'd like to hear...

Babylon's Initiative in Support of Bloggers

2011-03-30T22:34:00.004-03:00

I've been invited to join this initiative and decided to accept not only because of the valuable opportunity of being awarded a free one-year licence of the translation software but also because of the consideration of bloggers as "the true voice of the Internet". As a teacher of English, I've experienced the benefits of writing posts and of reading my colleagues' articles. The former has given me the chance of reflecting on my teaching practice whereas the latter has contributed a lot to my professional development and to the improvement of my classes.

Babylon points out the relevance of bloggers to foster freedom of speech and I'd like to add that blogging is a great way of communicating one's views to a wide number of readers all around the world.

I'd like to share the link to this initiative for other bloggers to join and enjoy the benefit of trying this helpful tool: Babylon's Initiative.

My Blog As A Word Cloud

2011-03-28T11:30:00.005-03:00

I wasn´t able to attend Dave Dodgson´s (@davedogson) presentation at the VRT11 conference but thanks to Cecilia Lemos (@ceciELT), I've been able to learn about it. Cecilia wrote an insightful post in her blog, Box of Chocolates, about Dave's presentation on the use of word clouds in the classroom and accepted Dave's challenge, which she shared in her post. Well, I've accepted joining it and this is the result:

It's been funny to see the result, which is mainly based on the song I shared "Hey, Soul Sister".

I guess, in a way my messages are directed to my soul sisters (or brothers) among my readers.

"Cecilia" and "Vicky" also appear, my Twitter soul sisters. The word "students" is also highlighted,

which is suitable as I often have my students in mind and I do my best to motivate them to learn.

"Learning" stands out and it shows my attitude in life as a life-long learner. "Teacher" is seen several

times and it reflects my inborn vocation. "Languages" and "Challenge" have similar importance in the cloud.

I love languages and learning languages is a challenge.

Are Educators Life-Long Learners?

2011-03-17T20:27:00.004-03:00

If we, educators, love teaching then, we love learning as the former

implies the latter. As Vicky Loras (@vickyloras) expressed in one of her latest posts "Number three-What do you believe about

learning?- The 30 Goals Challenge", A good teacher is also a good

learner. Vicky has been writing insightful reflections on The 30 Goals Challenge created by Shelly Terrell (@ShellTerrell), both of whom are colleagues and mentors of mine and I feel thankful to them for being so supportive, personally and professionally.

Many times we forget how a student feels when they start learning a new language and it's difficult to gain insight into the language learning process from scratch. Imagine I started learning English when I was 6 years old and even if I can remember my classes, my memory is not so weak, I don't have any idea as to the way I felt in those times. So as to be able to be in my students' shoes, I've decided to start studying French. When I told my students about it, they looked at me in surprise but I guess it's a good way of showing students that it's never too late to learn a language and that teachers can also be learners. The line between teaching and learning is fragile and movable.

Hey, Soul Sister by Train

2011-03-10T22:30:00.002-03:00

This is the link to the tasks described in my previous post:

Hey, Soul Sister by Train

I hope your students enjoy the song.

A Song To Welcome My Students

2011-03-06T19:40:00.004-03:00

My group classes are about to start and I've prepared a song to

welcome them and to motivate them.

I've chosen: Hey, Soul Sister by the band Train as it offers lots

of possibilities to prepare tasks to develop listening, writing, reading

and speaking skills.

My plan to deal with the song is the following:

1) Introduction of what we're going to do: Name of the song and band.

2) Questions to motivate my students:

Have you heard this song?

If so, do you like it?

If you haven´t, What do you imagine the song is about?

3) I've devised a Glog with information about the band "Train": The Band Train

4) Brainstorming of ideas connected to the phrase "soul sister". There's a link where

the students can read about it: Soul Sister

5) The students watch the video in silence and write ideas that describe what the song is about. After that, they share those ideas in pairs and write a summary of the story.

The video

6) The students watch the video while listening and write words and phrases from the lyrics.

7) Last exercise: listen to the song and insert the missing phrases:

the way you move who's one of my kind be myself now finally

blow your mind I don't want to miss

my heart is bound to beat a single thing you do

that Mr. Mister on the radio the only drug I need

I wouldn't forget you I'm dreaming of I'm so glad

gave my life direction smell of you in every

left side brains

Hey, hey, hey

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my …………………………………

I knew ………………………, and so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moon beam, the ………………………single dream I dream
I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided ……………………
Hey soul sister, ain't …………………………, stereo, the way you move ain't fair, you know!
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss ………………………….....tonight
Hey, hey,hey

Just in time, …………………..you have a one-track mind like me
You ……………………………, a game show love connection we can't deny
I'm so obsessed, ……………………………….right out my untrimmed chest
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna, and I'm always gonna wanna …………………………………

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, ………………….. ain't fair, you know!
Hey soul sister, ………………………….a single thing you do...tonight

The way you can cut a rug, watching you's ………………………………
You're so gangsta, I'm so thug, you're the only one ……………………..
You see, I can …………………………………, in fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you be with me

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, the way you move ain't fair, you know!
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do tonight,
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do...tonight
Hey, hey,hey

Tonight

Hey, hey,hey

Tonight

Students can be encouraged to prepare their own glogs connected to the song as a final step.

My Lesson Plan History

2011-02-26T13:09:00.004-03:00

After reading the post "What's Your Plan? My First Challenge" by Cecilia Lemos (@CeciELT), one of the members of my PLN I always enjoy sharing and chatting with, I decided to accept the challenge and describe my lesson plan history.

At Teachers' Training College, I was taught to devise plans on sheets of paper that unfolded and I included the step of the lesson, the material needed, the aims, the procedure for each task, the teachers' words, examples, time needed and so on. I remember figuring if I would ever be able to teach without having that large plan on my desk. As time went by and my teaching experience grew, I didn't need to include so much in my plans, which became a list such as:

Monday, September 14th

6th adolescents

· Oral correction of sts.´ homework. Check they've understood the grammar point.

· Introduction of the topic "Travel Broadens the Mind" (pairwork ideas/group discussion)

· Recording of new vocabulary: adventure/cultural/package/get away from it all/a minute's walk away from/stylish shops/leisure facilities/gourmet cuisine, etc.

· Sts. read the article on the book (page 45) in silence and ask questions if necessary.

· Sts. do the comprehension exercises.

· Games to practise the new vocabulary

After I started using technology in my lessons, my plans have changed and some examples are:

Second Class ( August 21st ): 1) Pronunciation Practice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dSY60K486g&feature=youtu.be&a

2) Videos: http://video.about.com/esl/ESL--Question-Words-in-English.htm

3) Conversation: http://esl.about.com/library/media/audio/aconverse.mp3

4) Present Simple and Continuous: PresentSimpleandPresentContinuous.pdf PresentSimple2.pdf PresentContinuous2.pdf PresentContinuous1.pdf

Extra Practice: Video: Listen and repeat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMH3Ne_6Zns

Multiple Choice: http://www.montsemorales.com/gramatica/PresSimpleAffirm1.htm

Present Simple Negative:http://www.montsemorales.com/gramatica/PresSimpNeg1Spt.htm

Complete the sentences:http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/presentsimple/exercise4.swf

Present Continuous: http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/presprog2.php

Introducing a talking point with a song: Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode

I can conclude that the more experience a teacher has, the more confident he/she feels and and the dependence on the lesson plans is reduced. One of the qualities a teacher should develop is adaptability so that he/she can make changes according to factors such as students' interest, their mood, queries and doubts that come about, students' suggestions, etc.

I'd like to thank Cecilia for her inspirational post and the opportunity to reflect on the changes that have been going on in my plans and in my classes.

Do We Take Our Voice For Granted?

2011-02-13T17:58:00.005-03:00

Last Saturday morning I attended a seminar on the use of

our voice called "Performing What We Say". It was practical

as the listeners were encouraged to participate, which makes

it memorable.

These are the most relevant ideas discussed in the seminar:

In our communication process, 7% of our message is expressed with words, 38% with our voice and 55% with our bodies.
The voice is the sound factory. It's articulated air.
Before speaking/giving a class it's essential to be relaxed and to stand in the right way. There are many exercises to relax the neck, shoulders and the face muscles.
Coughing so as to clear our throat is bad for our vocal cords. The correct way of keeping our throat humid is drinking water.
Our vocal cords are affected by extreme coldness and by extreme heat.
When we speak, we should vary our tone of voice so as not to bore our audience.
The features of the voice are: the tone (acute or grave), the pitch, intensity, rythm, duration (length of the phonemes).
The personality of the voice is determined by the individual's anatomy.
The most common speech malfunctions are: synaloepha (linking the final vowel of a word to the initial vowel of another word), omitting the pronunciation of some letters, wrong word stress in a statement, use of a monotone, lack of air, dropping the end of statements, nasalization.
Our bodies confer meaning.

An interesting exercise we did during the meeting was called "the funnel". In groups of three members, we had to stand facing each other at a distance and forming an imaginary triangle. All the triangles crossed each other. We had to tell the other members of our group what we had done the previous weekend and made ourselves audible. The idea was to check the intensity of our voice.

At the end of the seminar, we were given tips on how to speak in public as to body posture, gestures and the most suitable clothes to wear. As a kind of conclusion, we watched a video and some of us made a presentation of the video and others participated in interviews connected to it. Then we commented on all the aspects we had discussed.

All in all, the seminar made me aware of the importance of taking care of my voice and of using it in the most effective way.

Peer-to-Peer Encouragement and Support

2010-11-20T13:31:00.005-03:00

My First Certificate Level Students are sitting their Cambridge FCE in the next two weeks and they are studying harder.

When the course started back in March I did my best to make them

aware of the fact that their success depended on them and on their

commitment. I created a wiki space where I've been uploading lots

of material for them to practise in class and at home. from freedigitalphotos.net

It proved really helpful as a kind of "virtual library" and also as a means of communication. My students have made comments, solved doubts and kept in touch with me throughout the whole year.

Yesterday I felt a sense of achievement when a student of mine sent me a list of queries and he told me that it would be a great idea if I uploaded those queries with the replies for his classmates to have the opportunity to read. I thought it was highly thoughtful of him and I felt that was peer-to-peer collaboration. This student was concerned his classmates would have the same doubts he had. I felt proud of him and totally rewarded as to one of my aims was to encourage collaboration and support in the classroom.

After I uploaded this material, that same student wrote a very considerate message for his classmates. It was in Spanish but it made me feel a higher sense of satisfaction. His message was:

"Chicos: tengan en cuenta que las dudas que le envié a Marisa y ella completó son sólo una parte de todo el vocabulario para el speaking, si se fijan al comienzo del libro hay una tabla donde en una columna llamada speaking justamente están todas las pags. y temas del libro para no andar buscando, yo hice una fotocopia de eso y subraye vocabulario en la fotocopia, seran unas 20 pags. de speaking."

The translation of the message is: "Boys and girls: please consider that the doubts I sent to Marisa and which she replied are only a part of all the vocabulary for the speaking paper. If you check at the beginning of the book, you'll find a table which includes a column called speaking and you'll find all the pages and topics of the book. So as not to look up those topics, I made a copy of those pages and underlined the key vocabulary. They must be around 20 pages of speaking."

I'm not sure my students will pass Cambridge First Certificate Exam but I have managed to foster a sense of collaboration and support within the classroom. And that is highly rewarding.

How do you encourage collaboration and support within the classroom? I'd like to know about it.

Meet My PLN (Personal Learning Network) Series: Part 3

2010-10-31T15:58:00.002-03:00

As part of this series I've interviewed Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto, a teacher of English currently living in Kitakyushu, Japan. She´s taught English as a second language for a little more than 20 years and she´s a valuable member of my PLN. The following are her replies:

Why have you decided to start the teaching career?

Barbara: I never actually wanted to be anything except a teacher. Even as a child, when we played school I was ALWAYS the teacher--I'm sure it was quite annoying for my sister and friends. To be perfectly honest, there was a two week period in junior high school when I wanted to be a flight attendant. We'd gone on a field trip to the airport and I thought it would be lovely to have a job where I was paid to travel. Unfortunately, I realized that I'd never reach the minimum height requirement, so I happily returned to wanting to be a teacher.

In your opinion, what are the advantages of using technology in the classroom?

Barbara: There are times when technology can improve on what you are already doing. For example, having my students write their own alphabet book helps them "own" their learning. Typically, they would make a page for each letter, and add words that begin with that sound. In the past, I would make a copy of the book for each student, and that was the end of the project. This past year, however, I added a technology twist to the project by using Voicethread for their book. Each page was uploaded as a separate slide, and the children recorded their words as comments on that "page". The advantage of using technology was that it allowed other people to collaborate on the project by adding their own words to the letter pages. The volunteers included native and non-native speakers of English from around the world, so that my students understood from a young age that English has many varieties, and that all speakers don't sound like me. A first grade class in the US adopted my students' alphabet book as their project too, and added words. My students were surprised to learn that children in the US were learning the same thing that they were, and impressed with how many words those children knew!

I could download copies of the book for my students, so they could watch and listen at home, and students were able to share the link with friends and grandparents. Since the book is online, other classes can use the alphabet book or continue to add words--it's an ongoing, global collaboration.

In this case, adding technology improved on what I'd be able to do in class without the technology. That made it worth the additional time it took for me to learn how to use the tool, and for my students to use it. Everything has a learning curve, and I have to weigh that cost against the benefits. I only have a finite amount of time with my students, and I want to make the best use of it that I can.

As you see it, what factors determine that a class has been successfully taught?

Barbara: If my students leave knowing something they didn't know when they arrived at class, if they leave feeling more confident in their skills as language users, if they are happy and excited to return to class the following week--these are my signs that things went well.

Is there a teaching method you favour? If so, which one?

Barbara: I don't really favor one method over another. I'm more of a "whatever works" kind of teacher. I believe in learning as much as I can about many different methods so that I can pick from among them depending on the needs and personality of each class.

What technique do you use to correct your students' mistakes?

Barbara: I use a variety of techniques, depending on the age, skill level, and personality of my students. I'll often shadow my students, repeating what they were trying to say (correctly) or I'll do a quick mini-lesson focusing on a mistake that several students have been making. I try to focus on errors that interfere with understanding rather than correcting every mistake. If I focus on a few important corrections each class students stand a better chance of remembering (and changing) than if I try to correct too many things. I also try to use humor in error correction, partly because it makes students laugh and reduces their feeling of being criticized and partly because it makes the correction easier to remember.

Should technology be present in the students' assessment? In what way?

Barbara: I think it depends on the class, of course. If technology is used throughout the course, then it makes sense to assess students the way they've been taught. However, I think there's a risk that you might end up testing their ability to use the technology more than their understanding of the language. I think it's important to be sure that you're actually testing what you intend to test.

What is an effective way of assessing students?

Barbara: The most effective way I've found is informal--I keep notes about student progress, problems, areas to strengthen, and preferences. I'm not currently teaching in a formal school setting, so my assessments are simply a way for me to improve my own instruction or to give suggestions to parents who want to include additional enrichment at home. Several of my students have recently decided that they'd like to take a standardized English test that's popular here in Japan (Step Eiken) so we've been including practice for test-taking skills in class. What's interesting is that the test is not really serving as an assessment as much as it is providing another topic for our lessons. I'm looking forward to hearing their feedback about the test after they've taken it.

a final question, What is your recommendation for new teachers?

Connect. Join a teacher's group in your country, go to conferences and attend workshops. Join Twitter and/or online groups for teachers. There are so many fabulous, experienced teachers around that there's no reason to try and figure everything out on your own. Ask questions and ask for help--I can guarantee that there is some teacher somewhere who has been in a situation similar to yours, and you'll discover more support and experienced advice than you could ever imagine! Even after you've finished your formal training, continue to learn as much as you can about methods, philosophies, techniques, and materials so that you can choose what will work best for your students. And finally, (my personal motto!) always try new things :-)

Thank you very much for your time, Barbara! And thanks for sharing your expertise with all us.

Meet My PLN (Personal Learning Network) Series: Part 2

2010-09-11T11:33:00.000-03:00

As part of this series I've interviewed another member of my PLN, Vicky Loras (@vickyloras), who's a Greek Canadian teacher of English. Vicky is really supportive and open-minded. Here are her replies:

Why have you decided to start the teaching career?

Vicky: The truth is that ever since I remember myself, I wanted to become an attorney. I was in love with Law School. In our final entrance exams for university, for half a grade I did not make Law School, but succeeded in getting into what was my second choice - English Language and Literature. When I began to study that, I realised how wrong I had been all those years for not giving the thought of teaching a chance. I love it and I am so happy I teach!

In your opinion, what are the advantages of using technology in the classroom?

Vicky: Nowadays, we have access to so many technological developments. The best thing we can do is put them into practice in the language classroom, as students can both learn how to use the respective technological tools and learn the language in the process. I believe technology increases the interest in learning and gives it a whole new dimension. For instance, I teach some students through Skype and it is amazing what we can do with this fantastic tool. Student and teacher are literally face-to-face, we can use the chat feature as a board when we want to make notes of something, share files and send files...the potentials there are so many!

As you see it, what factors determine that a class has been successfully taught?

Vicky: I believe that it shows throughout the lesson. If the teacher is interested and enthusiastic, then the students are as well. If the lesson comes to an end and the students are motivated and excited, that means that they have also learned and then go home to study with a different approach to lessons. In addition, if the students apply what they have learned in the subsequent lessons as well at their own initiative, then that means that the teacher has succeeded in pressing that magic button that has turned on learning.

Is there a teaching method you favour? If so, which one?

Vicky: I absolutely love role-playing. Here in Switzerland I use it a lot in my adult classes (I mainly teach adults) and it is so impressive to see the responses and how their English comes out so beautifully and spontaneously. I even take part in them and we always have a lot of fun, laughs and it is amazing how much they can learn. My adults love it so much, they keep asking for role-playing! They are so eager to do it, as it puts them in realistic situations.

What technique do you use to correct your students' mistakes?

Vicky: Reformulation is my favourite technique. I believe it is important that students can hear the correct answer or sentence right after their own, so they can realise the mistakes that have been made. It also does not demotivate them and is a softer way of correcting.

Should technology be present in the students' assessment? In what way?

Vicky: Well, perhaps it would be useful to see how students use the technology they have utilised in the language classroom to their own benefit, that is to the benefit of learning. It should not be the sole purpose of assessment though, I believe. It should be a combination of various aspects of their presence and performance in the classroom.

What is an effective way of assessing students?

Vicky: As I mentioned earlier, for me, assessment comes when I notice a student using a particular aspect of the language that we have learned in previous lessons. When they do this on their own, for example they use some new terminology we have learned or a grammar structure which is quite complex, then that tells me all I need to know about the students. How eager they are, whether studying at home and my assistance in the classroom has really helped them and how much the language is starting to settle down in them. When students apply what they have learned, all on their own and without teacher intervention, then that for me is an automatic assessment of their presence as students.

A final question, what is your recommendation for new teachers?

Vicky: I would recommend that they get all the professional development they can. Fortunately, we are in a very creative profession in which we are lucky to be constantly learning. Twitter is an amazing tool that can assist them in this, as they can come into contact with excellent educators around the world from whom they can learn a great deal. Conferences and workshops are also extremely useful and helpful. They should follow these, as we have the opportunity of having lots of them organised for our profession. There is also a great number of fantastic books which can help them improve their teaching or learn about new practices and methods. In other words, teachers should be the best students themselves!

Thank you very much for your time, Vicky! And thanks for sharing your expertise with all of us.

Vicky: I thank you very much as well, it has been a pleasure and I truly appreciate this opportunity you have given me. Many thanks, Marisa and I hope to meet you in person one day!

I have enjoyed this very much and it is the first time I have ever given an interview, thank you so very much!

My Teaching Approach: FlexiMoti

2010-09-02T09:44:00.000-03:00

I must admit I don't believe in coincidences. I'm into the principle that states that everything happens for a reason and I feel amazed when I come across a post that catches my attention and I find out that that information is what I needed in that very moment.

That is what happened to me when I read Jason Renshaw's post about his approach to teaching, which encouraged me to reflect on my own teaching practice. In my comment to Jason's post I explained that my approach boasted flexibility in my attempt to motivate my students and Jason suggested calling it "FlexMoti", which I find suitable and I'm thankful to Jason for.

The main feature of my approach is flexibility as I adapt my teaching practice to my students in one-to-one classes or in group classes with the aim of meeting their individual needs and of motivating them to learn the English language in a way that suits their likes and dislikes. To make use of a flexible way of teaching I rely on my experience as a teacher and look for inspiration in my PLN members' educational posts, which provide a valuable possibility of improving my teaching career and of renewing my approach. I feel as if I were attending teaching lectures all the time from the comfort of my home and when I can spare time to do so.

I invite you to make comments as to your source of inspiration for your teaching practice.

Meet My PLN (Personal Learning Network) Series

2010-08-18T23:56:00.000-03:00

As part of this series, I have decided to interview some of the

members of my PLN. I have started by interviewing one of the

most supportive and encouraging educator I have met: Shelly

Terrell (@shellterrell). Shelly is a freelance technology trainer

and social media consultant for language institutes, schools and

educational organizations worldwide. She's the creator, moderator

and coordinator of #Edchat, a weekly discussion on Twitter involving nearly 1000 educators all around the world.

These are the questions I asked Shelly:

Why have you decided to start the teaching career?
What are the advantages of using technology in the classroom?
What elements determine that a class has been successfully taught?
Is there a teaching method you favour? If so, why?
How do you correct your students' mistakes?
Should technology be present in the students' assessment? In what way?
What is an effective way of assessing students?
What is your recommendation for new teachers?

Shelly has recorded her replies: Shelly's Recording.

Thanks a lot, Shelly, for sharing your expertise!