Things Teachers Should Avoid

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Engage Your Students in Your eLearning Course

In order to engage your students in your elearning course, let
them know that this course is solely made up for them, and that they can
contribute to its content. Personally, I ask my students to suggest websites
that they find useful for their classmates. I add these to my course, and, to
encourage others to do the same, I give credit to the contributors by referring
to them on the main webpage.
Below are two websites that were suggested by two of my students, Alaa’ Raddadi and
Hanan Johani, respectively. The first is a comprehensive and interactive site where
a student can find plenty of activities, exercises and resources. In the second,
a student can read, watch and listen to stories online.
http://www.tolearnenglish.com/index.php
http://www.storylineonline.net/

English Games | LearnEnglish | British Council | Pic your wits

English Games | LearnEnglish | British Council | Pic your wits
This application may help some of low level prep year students to learn vocabulary.

Connectivism and English Language Teaching

Connectivism sees learning as "a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements" (Siemens 2005, "Connectivism," ¶1). Learning is the process of building connections that enable us to acquire knowledge and learn more. This focus recognizes the fact that learning is based on "rapidly altering foundations . . . currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities" (Siemens 2005, "Connectivism," ¶2). (Ref:http://www.innovateonline.info/extra/definition2771.htm)

If you are interested in understanding connectivism in the context of ELT click here.

A slight undercurrent of success | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

A slight undercurrent of success | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

What’s a PLN, why build one and how?: Part 1 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

What’s a PLN, why build one and how?: Part 1 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Learning our learners | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Learning our learners | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

Dealing with Students' Errors

Here is a nice idea on how to deal with students' errors.

Various Resources on Portfolio Assessment

(1) Using Informal Assessment for English Language Learners

(2) Portfolios Assessment Guide

(3) Alternative Assessment Methods

(4) The Implementation of Portfolio Assessment in an ESL/EFL Classroom

(5) Portfolios in the ESL Classroom: A Critical Review of the Literature

(6) Portfolio Assessment

(7) Practical Assessment on Alternative Assessment for ESL Students

(8) Assessment Portfolios

Using Grammar Terminology in Class

Click here to go to the discussion thread. In ELCYUC context, you may add your opinion and comments below.

Too much grammar, not enough grammar

Teach Yourself to Teach with Technology

Click here to go to the page.

Problems vs. Solutions for English Learning at YUC

Teaching English as a Foreign Language is itself a difficult task here at Y.U.C. In my experience, the students of non-speaking English countries in Europe and also the Sub-Continent are learning English from their own culture. At Y.U.C. the Prep Year books are from Western Cultures which becomes a barrier for students to learn English.

Problems:

1. The language barrier.

2. The seclusion of the environment for female students.

3. The Interchange books are not understandable and grammar rules based.

4. Students cannot relate to different units in the Interchange books because most of the students have not been away from home or travelled abroad.

5. The write up is not proper English but it is American slang.

6. When the students cannot even write simple words without making mistakes, how do you expect them to write sentences or paragraphs and also be able to speak good English by the end of the course?

Solutions:

To solve these problems we need to concentrate on what are the best solutions from which the students can benefit almost 100%.

When new students take their Entry Test and are put into sections, they need to have a short course in basic simple rules of English Grammar, in which they can learn what a subject is, what is an object, verbs, adverbs, tenses, adjectives, nouns, pronouns, predicates etc. etc..... Only then they can understand what the units are telling them and what the teachers are asking them to do.

When we say ''Students should always come first,'' then we should all make the efforts to revise the teaching material and try to find such material that is in the best interest of the students. No matter how good your Methodology is or how brilliant a teacher you are, if the basic structure (the books) are not upto the capability standard of the students, then only a few students will reap the rewards while the rest will dwindle away without tasting the fruits of learning.

Developing English Skills outside the classroom/Accurate Assessment

A click here will lead you to a discussion thread on developing English skills outside the classroom.

A click here will lead you to a discussion thread on accurate assessment.

Making Large Classes Smaller

Click here

Talk a Lot

This is an e-coursebook that helps teachers plan speaking lessons through a variety of activities: Sentence Blocks, Discussion Questions, Role Plays, Discussion Words, Vocabulary Tests and Lesson Tests. The grammar is taught indirectly; in each lesson, students are motivated to use certain verb forms suitable for the topic without being aware that they are learning grammar. An answer key is provided at the end of the book.
You can download this book from this link:
Download.com

A few funny things!!!!

Why's English so difficult?

Quotes

Kids' smart pieces of advice

Parents' excuses for not sending kids to school

http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/oxford3000/

A list of 3000 frequently used words. Thinking why not to make it a part of prep year teaching (if the students can digest them).

So what happens when a student chooses the incorrect form of the Simple Present on a quiz, not because she doesn't know the "rule," but because she doesn't know that Marcos is a name and not the plural of some unknown-to-her object called Marco?

What is Marcos or Marco anyway? Maybe it's a type of bird, maybe it's a fruit--who knows? Obviously not someone just climbing the ladder of proficiency in regards to the English language--someone who has absolutely no experience with Latin-derived names of Spanish origin. Marcos is. Marcos are. Unless this Marcos is engaging in an undeniably human act in the sentence, has this student really gotten the answer wrong? Does she deserve not to receive a point for applying grammar correctly when, in fact, she quite honestly, absolutely has?

In the wake--and yes, I do not use the term "wake" lightly here--I've been mulling over the finer points of bias in assessment. In fact, just today, one of the other teachers approached me with possible items for her next quiz, and we both identified a number of "biased" questions.
My experience with standardized testing in general (both as a parent and educator) tells me that bias is unavoidable to some extent. However, speaking specifically for the context we're now operating in, what steps can we take to minimize the above?

Learning Difficulties

My students are facing the problem of differentiating between sentences with verb form 'be' and those of simple present tense. They, after repeated drilling of two weeks, still mingle both structures and come up with sentences like 'He's come home', and 'Is he come home?'. Additionally, they have problems with recognizing and using parts of speech.
Another problem is that of retention. They learn and produce sentences in a class or on a day but next day they come to class with a clean slate. Probably the reason is that prep year being too intensive. All subjects hours added together come to about more than 30 a week. Their daily schedule is packed. They are stuffed with more than what they can digest daily. After 6-7 hours of lessons daily, they are saturated in the evening and probably never touch their books outside the classroom. I tried to motivate my class to study and revise their English Lessons for at least 45 minutes daily, hoping that it may lead to the habit of independent and autonomous home study. Hope they may start doing it.
Then I'm trying to give more attention to the students who are, let me call it '-1' level of the prep year. Meaning that they are not at the level of language proficiency where we expect them at the beginning of the university prep year. Among these students, we have three types. Type 1 are those who, though at a lower level of the language proficiency, are trying hard to catch up and learn English. They, at the begging of the semester, can hardly speak a word or understand the instruction of the teacher. But through persistent motivation and encouragement by the teacher, they achieve a metamorphosis at the end of the semester and start communicating in broken and basic English with the teacher, and also pass all components of the assessment. Type 2 of the level are those who have the capacity to be at par with type 1, but they have least interest in college studies, and one wonders why are they here as students. Such students need a consistent push by the teacher, towards the end of the semester some of them become type 1 and pass. Type 3 are those who genuinely want to improve and continue with their study. However, previous education has done little good to them, and they are even below level '-1'. They make a great effort and one can see them bewildered but struggling. Sometimes, in their moments of hopefulness and hopelessness, they will bring a translator to the teacher, requesting and invoking his kindness, and requesting to pass them. They hope that whatever marks they may get; the teacher will add something from his own 'kitty' to their marks and make them progress to the next level of the prep year. For such students the time of 16 weeks is not enough to improve. They never reach the finishing line of the learning, though they keep on running. They fail and ultimately leave the institution. I think for them the semester should be of 8 months rather than of 4 months, and they should take a start from the very very basic level (even below intro level).
Finally, language learning is not learning a maths sum or formula. Language learning is acquisition and the process is not abrupt and quick fix kind. Sometimes, teacher feels exasperated with students that they are not learning which in my opinion is not the right approach. A student may not display any visible or palpable signs of learning but still he/she has learned something at the end of the class. In language learning, it takes time to put all pieces together and come out with production. We should keep on working with the students encouraging them; motivating them; and lauding them -even for their mistakes as at least the student has made an effort, and effort ultimately leads to yielding some fruit.
(Ignore mistakes in the post as is not revised after typing)