QUIZ

So, as decided by us here are the questions that will be there in the quiz on Thursday the 29th.
The class that day is scheduled at 5.30 PM.

We have been asked to write on 3 of the 4 questions below, not more that 3 pages long and the quiz will go for about 2.5 hours or less.


Q1. What is the difference between accuracy and fluency? Discuss how these relate to English Language Learners.


Q2. What is the difference between acquiring language and learning language? Why should teachers consider both is preparing lessons?


Q3. Which reading strategies (pre-reading and during reading) will you use for the given scenarios?


Q4 What is meant by communicative instruction? Why is this method preferred? Note- This may include the perspective of holistic teaching for your reference.


I suppose Marc will help us by editing the questions as he may, and will give us further feedback soon.


Also I invite you all to give an input as to how you are preparing for the quiz.

Lets Brainstorm

Hi everyone, I hope you all are doing good and having a fabulous weekend. I have been handed over the baton to run this blog this week so please bear with my stupid pun jokes that may follow. However I will be trying to do my best to maintain the standard set by my predecessors.

I have been a non native speaker of English, who has been taught through out the life in a deductive manner. In the past few years I got a chance to teach non native speakers too and succeeded in giving good results.
My biggest concern since I have joined TESOL program has been that I will be unable to balance the two parts well, that is inductive and deductive. It was also mentioned in the last class, errors that make ELL students stand out like using the wrong form of the verb and many more. I have seen in the past during my teaching experience that this is the most challenging thing to over come in ELLs.

Now lets brainstorm and think of activities and techniques in class to make the deductive learning fun.

How do you think my friends will it be effortless and fun for us to teach our students inductively the deductive material?

Looking forward to your amazing answers.....

And a funny one...

Reading Week

Hi there class, I have confirmed with Debbie that we will NOT be observing the reading week scheduled for next week. So she will be continuing her classes as usual, including the week of Remembrance Day. I talked about taking that Thursday night off, and that's what I have scheduled. So to confirm, there will be no class on November 11th (Remembrance Day), and following day November 12th. See you all tomorrow night. Marc

My Vocabulary Lesson

Hi Everyone,

I will be teaching my first practicum class soon, and I have been asked to review the following list of vocabulary words from John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men. The class should already be familiar with these words, so I am to design a lesson plan to review their meaning and spelling. I have 2.5 hours to work on 47 fairly sophisticated words with about 25 students. This is a grade 11 prep class with students from 19 to 70 years old. Their vocabulary knowledge will eventually be tested in exams.

Given the level and number of the vocabulary words, I'm a little uncertain about designing a lesson plan that can cover them all without getting overwhelming. I want to do two related exercises, at least one of which should be group work. I was thinking about starting with a fill-in-the-blanks exercise, with groups choosing one of four words to write in each blank. A class game might be fun in the second half, maybe with teams rotating to write a given word on the board and use it in a sentence. At the end, I need to have some sort of measurable assessment of their learning.

These are just some first thoughts. I'm inviting each of you to help me out with other ideas and resources.

Here are the words:

Chapter 1
reluctantly, morosely, contemplated, pantomime, anguished, ashamedly, gestured, dejectedly, mimicking, glumly/goomily
Chapter 2
plaintively, complacently, ominously, contorted, apprehensive, derogatory, mollified, profound, skeptically, precede
Chapter 3
reprehensible, subdued, bemused, impressively, entranced, concealing, subsided
Chapter 4
sullenness, persuasive, convincing, gloominess, mauled, appraised, indignation, contemptuously, disarming meager
Chapter 5
sniveled, confided, sulkily, bewildered, writhed, consoled
Chapter 6
retorted, quivering, belligerently, monotonous

Collaboratively yours,
Ed

Selective Mutism

Hi,

I did a Google search on selective mutism and found it's a childhood anxiety disorder that has a high incidence among immigrant children with a minority first language. So, Rod's student belongs to a high risk group.

It seems the first step should be referral for diagnosis by the teacher and the development of a treatment plan in conjunction with a counsellor and parents. A key recommendation in the literature is that the child be made to feel as relaxed and secure as possible in the classroom. Strategies include pairing the child with a student who is outgoing or placing him in a small group to encourage speech. Another strategy is self-modelling where the student uses a video recording at home to practice answering questions provided by the teacher. I believe you are already doing some of this in the classroom but It looks like it could be a slow process. Good luck!

Bibliography

Shipon-Blum, E. (n.d.). What is selective mutism? Retrieved from  http://www.selectivemutismcenter.org/media_library/what ism.pdf

Camposano, L. (2011). Silent suffering: Children with selective mutism. The Professional Counsellor. 1(1), 46-56. Retrieved from http://tcpjournal.nbcc.org/wp-content/uploads/Camposano-Article.pdf

A Graphic Representation of Modal Verbs

Strategies For Selective Mutes

Hello team!

Yesterday's class about the different teaching methods was quite interesting to me.  During the times I was not doing the sleepy head nods (sorry Marc! It's been hectic lately with few hours of sleep!) I found myself reflecting back on my years of work with various teachers and the methods they use to engage their students.

Then I started thinking about my present work as and Education Assistant at an elementary school, specifically one particular student.  This kid is awesome.  He came from Italy to Canada three years ago.  His younger sister attends the same school.  The first year they came I would just greet them with a big smile and a high five.  Last year this student was in my class.  He would never speak in class even when prompted by our awesome, easy-going, and fun class teacher.  It was challenging getting him to do work and I think it was because he didn't clearly understand the lesson.  On the playground he plays soccer and other sports as a normal kid, he just doesn't speak with his freinds.

This year he is in my class again.  He still doesn't speak in class.  His sister however speaks fluently and interacts normally with her peers and teachers.  When I pass by his desk he is writing quite well in English so I know that this year is a huge improvement in terms of him understanding the assignments and putting in effort for the written assignments.  He will speak with this music teacher privately one to one but not in front of the class.  The music teacher is frustrated that he doesn't speak in front of class and she gives him zero class points until he speaks up.  In my opinion I think that pressure creates more anxiety but how long do we wait for him to feel comfortable?

His mom tells me that I am the only staff member that he is comfortable with however I have to prompt him to speak very simple phrases such as "good morning." This simple task is quite a challenge.  When he does speak with me he's very timid and quiet.  His ELL teacher informs me that he speaks regularly in his small group of other ELL students.  Last week we started putting him in small groups of 3 with other fluent English speaking students to ease him into speaking in front of a large class. The first session he wouldn't speak at all.  Today he had some small minor success and said a couple of words to this small group.

So! To my team of ELL instructors I ask what thoughts, ideas and/or strategies would you use for students who are selective mutes?  This is a real life scenario and your suggestions may be implemented and help this awesome kid out!

Thanks guys and have a great Thanksgiving!

Rod

Writing Experience

Until a few months ago, my writing was mainly related to my work as a librarian at a College library and included a range of items such as emails, reports, planning documents, guides, bibliographies, class notes, minutes, questionnaires and a variety of web content. Since retirement, I find that I write primarily personal emails and texts. As a volunteer at a campaign office for the upcoming federal election, I just prepared cheat sheets for various activities in the office. I've also started proofreading a novel my husband recently completed. Hopefully there'll be other interesting opportunities to expand my writing experience.

Dianne

                                             
Writing? So sorry to say I haven't written anything called my own for decades...perhaps, at least, 2 decades..

28 years ago, I graduated from a teacher's school and started to be a village school teacher in an extremely under-developed rural town of China. I didn't have good education ( graduated from a local community college), nor did a great talent for any discipline, except my full passion on literary scribbling (certainly in my native tongue - Chinese) with a lofty yet remote dream to be a Nobel Prize winner someday in the future (in fact, my juvenile dream was to be a Physcist Nobel Prize winner like Einstein....See, I might have been a great figure, though now I have to struggle for a living).

During my 3 years as a country teacher, I scribbled hundreds of pages - none of them was ever on any publications, and also wrote my diary every day. Though harsh and propertyless, more accurately, penniless ( My monthly salary was 46 RMB, meant 8 US dollars! ), I felt everything had been so true, even sour sweet - the moons, days, nights, rains, pains, sweats, promises, failures, lost love...

Finally, I realized I had to move my way up, otherwise I might be completely drowned in the hopless oblivion. I started to discipline myself in English, and helped myself got into a specialized language university in Guangzhou, a 1st tier city and a hot spot of capitalist economy.

Then, I taught business English at a college for 4 years and then went to do legal and financial translation for Hong Kong market and law firms. I transleted numerous IPO prospectus, AR, IR, legal papers, yet, I seldom wrote anything of my own (diaries or literary scribblings).

Appreciate MO's space for and his pesonal spurring to any one of us to write something of our own. That's hard at beggining, yet wonderful once you kicked off your keying. Hope every one of us could pick up your pen, write something of your own everyday, no matter how busy you are. In fact, I believe, each of us have spend more hours in online surfing or watching videos. Just forget those junkies (any info. beyond our purpose or capacity could be called addictive junkies), say something of your own!

Drop the tie, pick up the mic.

About 15 years ago I quit my corporate office job in hopes to fulfil my teenage dreams...to be a rapper and run my own independent hip hop record label. Yes you heard right...a "rapper."  Everybody, especially my parents, thought I was crazy but I had to give it a shot! I didn't want to be that guy 20 years down the road thinking “Could've, should've, would've!” Along with rapping, my passion was in finding musical talent and putting them together to produce something special. I loved meeting producers, going to local live shows to talent search, and putting it all together in the studio.

However, I learned that running a label involved a lot more to it than the music side. Being independent with little funding meant that I had to wear many hats which included publicist and marketer. In these roles I had to produce public service announcements to radio, create bio's for my artists, conjure up creative slogans for our marketing handbills and posters and also write media invitations. Although I recognized the importance of all this writing, they were extremely challenging and were my least liked tasks.  Because of this experience I have a whole new level of respect for the individuals who do this professionally.

Long gone are the days at the office and studio. My present days pecking away at the keyboard now consists of duties involving my work at an elementary school and a community living organization. This involves communicating through email, writing entry logs, incident reports, and adapting lesson assignments.

Needless to say I didn't make my millions through the music industry but those sure were good times!

Cheers guys!

Rod

       When I was in elementary school, I used to write diary . Writing let me express my feelings easily at that time.  But I stopped writing in diary for a long time because of busy and laziness.

        I was an aesthetician in Hong Kong, and in my job I didn't need too much writing. After I came to Canada, I worked as a care-aide, so I did writing more often to my supervisor to report the clients' circumstances and working schedule. Besides, while I was studying English in Canada I did a lot writing for assignments.

       Now, I am a house wife, I usually I write grocery list, emails and  text. And also, my husband and I have been volunteering ESL free class, new immigrants basic class, one a week for one year at our church, so, I has done lesson planning for  the class every week.

       Once in a while, in my leisure time, I enjoy writing poems, and I have been writing 83 poems up to this point. ------ Carol

The soul less writer

For me, writting is something which is like a beautiful song, it needs great lyrics, rythm, a nice beat to it, an amazing chorus and most importanly a soul which speaks to you. unfortortunately, for me, I am struggling to strike between all of these.
My writings are limited to the technologically advanced texting, microblogging and posting on various social media platforms, occasionaly I write some blogs or articles, which definitely dont please me much.
https://campusdiaries.com/vipasha.dhillon
I hope my quest for the soulful writing comes to an end soon and I write my masterpeice.
Someday you never know I may even write my very own modern classic.

I think I am on board.  There was a lot of problems between window 8 and 10

Hi everyone
This picture was taken by me in year 2012 on my first holiday with my husband at Radha-krishnan beach, in the Andaman Islands in India. There is something very calming and reassuring about this picture that I love to see this when ever I am in turmoil. I absolutely love the white sands and the hues of corals that are in abundance at this beach. This is certainly my magical little memory that will always be very close to my heart. I hope you guys enjoyed my little memory that I shared with this picture
Hoping to see you all soon.  

I Do. I won't. I might

For me, writing has long been an experience of loving avoidance. I do lots of writing. I think I'm pretty good at it. But I never seem to get around to the writing I really want to do.

As a university administrator and also as Technical Director of a large arts organization, I write quite often for business purposes - email, proposals, policy drafts, meeting minutes, promotional copy, contracts, and the like. As a Communications student in university, I wrote an endless tome of analytical papers.

However, my dream of being a creative writer seems doomed to a life of listless fantasy. The blank page is my enemy; limitless possibility evokes terror. I sweat. I procrastinate. I eat. I sleep. I seldom put pen to paper. A few poems, perhaps, and some folk songs have been scratched out over the years. I even took a couple of journalism courses in the hope of blending creative writing with commercial incentive. No such luck. At least I'm consistent in my obstinacy.

Hi everyone!  I worked as a teacher and I hope that I can continue my job in Canada. Cheers! Nadia.

Good morning class! It was a great week in our program. I think we had some rich experiences, and I'm grateful that Kelly could spend some time with you as well. For our Week 2 blogging practice, I'd like you to write a short narrative (personal experience) on writing. What types of writing activities do you regularly participate in? What do you write? Journals? Diaries? Blogs? Social Media? Share your love (or lack thereof!) of writing with our group. Have a great weekend. Marc