by: Chuck Lunsford
As parents we all want our children to grow up to be well educated. But sometimes your kids may not want to jump up and go do their homework or they get frustrated when school becomes, confusing, tedious or boring. Fortunately there are a lot of ways that you can make learning fun for your children.
Have a game for everything
Just as a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down a dash of fun can turn chores and homework into games. Have the mindset that anything can be turned into a game and you may be surprised at how creative you can become. If you have a negative attitude about homework and use it as a threatening thing or something that you must do when you misbehave, of course your children are going to avoid it. Instead, switch the tables and have homework be the reward. You can help to teach the metric system by making a map where specific metric directions are to be followed in order to find the ‘treasure.’ Reinforce geography or social studies by having dinners that reflect the types of foods eaten by people living in different parts of the world. The most ordinary games and sports can be altered to create games that your kids won’t be able to resist.
Blur the line between home and school
Make sure that during school is not the only time that your kids have fun learning things. You should be teaching your kids at home as well as entrusting their education to teachers while they are at school. In the beginning you may have to sneak learning opportunities into your child’s favorite games but over time, setting aside time to learn and experiment will become more habitual and your children will begin to think more analytically about their studies at school and the world around them. You do not have to make learning feel like homework. It should be a fun thing, an activity that your kids look forward to. In the following paragraphs you will read about resources that are available to you to help you with your creative learning ideas.
Have a positive attitude and use outside sources
You do not have to be a scientist to teach your kids about science or a mathematician to teach your children their times tables. What is most important is that you have a positive attitude about learning. When you show excitement about learning it is likely that your children will follow your example. Children are highly impressionable and will sense your energy level and be prone to mimic it. Here are some examples of things that you can do at home and find online to help you and your family to stay excited about learning.
* Monitor the growth of a plant. Does talking to it make it grow faster? How long did it take to bloom?
* Record the changes of the moon and learn why and how it looks different every night.
* Measure your child’s growth over time and learn about how the body changes, repairs itself, etc.
* Cook or bake and talk about how molecules react to hot and cold.
* Take a look at your appliances and talk about how they work.
* Look online for excellent science project ideas as well as help preparing for a science fair.
Custom Search
Jumat, 19 Desember 2008
FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING: 5 MORE PRACTICAL TIPS
by: Aaron Kuroiwa
In my previous article we discussed the basics of learning foreign languages. To supplement your experience we will go over 5 more practical language learning tips that you can apply easily in your daily life. These tips to accompany your already existing foreign language learning studies.
1. CARRY A DICTIONARY: I know that sounds hard to do. I’m not talking about carrying Webster’s collegiate dictionary that would require its own backpack. You can find miniature dictionaries that can easily fit in your pocket or purse. Although it will never be convenient this is how I learned to speak French fluently. While I was in France anytime anyone said anything I didn’t understand I could instantly look it up, and then use it in my vocabulary. Also, anytime there was a French word I wanted to say I could instantly look it up. This is so important because there are so many times when you are out and you want to know how to say something but are unable to. Then by the time you get home and can look it up you have either forgotten the word or forgotten altogether and you have missed out on a great opportunity to you improve your language skills.
* One alternative that is also effective is to carry a pocket notebook where you can keep a running list of words you’ve learned or want to learn.
2. WATCH MOVIES: The great thing about English movies is that everyone wants them so that means they all get dubbed into a couple of languages. This may only work for French, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, or Japanese but is still a great tool. Turn on the dubbing for the language your want to learn and enjoy your movie. Don’t turn on the subtitles even if you don’t understand because you will start to focus only on the subtitles and not gain anything from the experience. Subtitles can be a good tool for learners who are already advanced and want to learn the exact idiomatic meanings of sayings. This is also a great tool to increase your listening comprehension. Start a small segment of the movie. Listen carefully and then replay it over and over until you understand every word. Secondly, mimic the voices exactly in each segment. This will allow you to learn proper pronunciation and accent.
3. READ THE NEWSPAPER: There are several ways to get Newspapers, Magazines, and Comics in foreign languages. I mention these forms of print media because they are the most conversational. They will teach you to speak and write like a native does in their natural state, not when they are trying to speak in dramatic or intellectual terms. You can find these materials at libraries, online, or for languages like Spanish and Chinese often times at your local newsstand. Most of them are free. I prefer the online sources because they are always free and easy to get. You can find links to Newspapers in foreign languages here: http://www.letutor.com/resources. Comic books are great because they are the most conversational print material. You can see the people in action and connect with what they are talking about.
4. WRITE LETTERS: Even if the letter is pretend write a letter about your day. This will force you to learn new words and to think in the language. Although you WILL make mistakes, don’t worry, it is all apart of the process. I look back at some of the things that I wrote when I was starting and wonder what I was thinking. Even though the writings are reminiscent of the ramblings of a crazy man it helped me to refine my abilities. I can see the progress in my writings month by month they improve significantly. Don’t forget to pay attention to your Conjugations.
5. THINK THE LANGUAGE: Think as much as possible in the language. When you are thinking at anytime during the day do it as much as possible in the foreign language you are learning. Fill in the blanks with your native language but just keep thinking in the language. This is HUGELY important. One of the biggest problems when learning to speak a foreign language is HABIT. If you are not used to thinking in the language how will you speak. This will prepare you to be comfortable and confident when confronted with the opportunity to speak the language. If you make this a habit it eventually becomes natural and extemporaneous.
Stay tuned for more articles on improving your language skills in the near future. If you have questions or requests feel free to contact the author.
In my previous article we discussed the basics of learning foreign languages. To supplement your experience we will go over 5 more practical language learning tips that you can apply easily in your daily life. These tips to accompany your already existing foreign language learning studies.
1. CARRY A DICTIONARY: I know that sounds hard to do. I’m not talking about carrying Webster’s collegiate dictionary that would require its own backpack. You can find miniature dictionaries that can easily fit in your pocket or purse. Although it will never be convenient this is how I learned to speak French fluently. While I was in France anytime anyone said anything I didn’t understand I could instantly look it up, and then use it in my vocabulary. Also, anytime there was a French word I wanted to say I could instantly look it up. This is so important because there are so many times when you are out and you want to know how to say something but are unable to. Then by the time you get home and can look it up you have either forgotten the word or forgotten altogether and you have missed out on a great opportunity to you improve your language skills.
* One alternative that is also effective is to carry a pocket notebook where you can keep a running list of words you’ve learned or want to learn.
2. WATCH MOVIES: The great thing about English movies is that everyone wants them so that means they all get dubbed into a couple of languages. This may only work for French, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, or Japanese but is still a great tool. Turn on the dubbing for the language your want to learn and enjoy your movie. Don’t turn on the subtitles even if you don’t understand because you will start to focus only on the subtitles and not gain anything from the experience. Subtitles can be a good tool for learners who are already advanced and want to learn the exact idiomatic meanings of sayings. This is also a great tool to increase your listening comprehension. Start a small segment of the movie. Listen carefully and then replay it over and over until you understand every word. Secondly, mimic the voices exactly in each segment. This will allow you to learn proper pronunciation and accent.
3. READ THE NEWSPAPER: There are several ways to get Newspapers, Magazines, and Comics in foreign languages. I mention these forms of print media because they are the most conversational. They will teach you to speak and write like a native does in their natural state, not when they are trying to speak in dramatic or intellectual terms. You can find these materials at libraries, online, or for languages like Spanish and Chinese often times at your local newsstand. Most of them are free. I prefer the online sources because they are always free and easy to get. You can find links to Newspapers in foreign languages here: http://www.letutor.com/resources. Comic books are great because they are the most conversational print material. You can see the people in action and connect with what they are talking about.
4. WRITE LETTERS: Even if the letter is pretend write a letter about your day. This will force you to learn new words and to think in the language. Although you WILL make mistakes, don’t worry, it is all apart of the process. I look back at some of the things that I wrote when I was starting and wonder what I was thinking. Even though the writings are reminiscent of the ramblings of a crazy man it helped me to refine my abilities. I can see the progress in my writings month by month they improve significantly. Don’t forget to pay attention to your Conjugations.
5. THINK THE LANGUAGE: Think as much as possible in the language. When you are thinking at anytime during the day do it as much as possible in the foreign language you are learning. Fill in the blanks with your native language but just keep thinking in the language. This is HUGELY important. One of the biggest problems when learning to speak a foreign language is HABIT. If you are not used to thinking in the language how will you speak. This will prepare you to be comfortable and confident when confronted with the opportunity to speak the language. If you make this a habit it eventually becomes natural and extemporaneous.
Stay tuned for more articles on improving your language skills in the near future. If you have questions or requests feel free to contact the author.
Best Way To Learn A Foreign Language
by: Richard Henderson
I have never quite understood how to learn a foreign language. It is a shame too. Learning a foreign language is pretty necessary in this day and age. If you learn foreign language, it makes you more employable in a variety of areas, as well as enhancing your cultural experience. Say what you want about modern translations, but until you learn foreign languages you never get to experience the beauty of foreign writers. Nevertheless, I have only managed to learn a foreign language once, and it was so difficult for me that I doubt I will ever try it again. It was just too much work!
I managed to get all the way through college without ever successfully completing a learn foreign language program. I took a little bit of French in high school, but I dropped it after a couple of semesters. In general, I was a good student. Most subjects came easy to me, but I couldn't manage to learn foreign language no matter how hard I tried. I loved French culture and French literature, and I desperately wanted to learn how to speak French, but it just wouldn't come. I ended up taking an American sign language class to get rid of my learn foreign language requirement. Even that was difficult!
I struggled with learning a foreign language all through college. I went to a liberal arts university that demanded it, and I knew that I could not graduate with the degree that I wanted unless I managed to learn foreign language. I tried using how to speak French software, hiring a private tutor, and working with conversation partners, but nothing worked. I only successfully managed to learn foreign language when I finally went abroad. I spent a year in France, and it was one of the most difficult years of my life. Ultimately, however, it was also one of the most rewarding. I would never have managed to learn foreign language without it, you see.
To this day, I believe that the only way to really learn foreign languages is to completely immerse yourself in another culture. If you can speak English at all, you will not learn how to speak a foreign language. Instead, you will keep falling back on your English skills. If you need to learn foreign language in order to interact on a daily basis, however, it will come much more quickly. If I learned a foreign language in a year, you can probably do it using the same methods in six months!
I have never quite understood how to learn a foreign language. It is a shame too. Learning a foreign language is pretty necessary in this day and age. If you learn foreign language, it makes you more employable in a variety of areas, as well as enhancing your cultural experience. Say what you want about modern translations, but until you learn foreign languages you never get to experience the beauty of foreign writers. Nevertheless, I have only managed to learn a foreign language once, and it was so difficult for me that I doubt I will ever try it again. It was just too much work!
I managed to get all the way through college without ever successfully completing a learn foreign language program. I took a little bit of French in high school, but I dropped it after a couple of semesters. In general, I was a good student. Most subjects came easy to me, but I couldn't manage to learn foreign language no matter how hard I tried. I loved French culture and French literature, and I desperately wanted to learn how to speak French, but it just wouldn't come. I ended up taking an American sign language class to get rid of my learn foreign language requirement. Even that was difficult!
I struggled with learning a foreign language all through college. I went to a liberal arts university that demanded it, and I knew that I could not graduate with the degree that I wanted unless I managed to learn foreign language. I tried using how to speak French software, hiring a private tutor, and working with conversation partners, but nothing worked. I only successfully managed to learn foreign language when I finally went abroad. I spent a year in France, and it was one of the most difficult years of my life. Ultimately, however, it was also one of the most rewarding. I would never have managed to learn foreign language without it, you see.
To this day, I believe that the only way to really learn foreign languages is to completely immerse yourself in another culture. If you can speak English at all, you will not learn how to speak a foreign language. Instead, you will keep falling back on your English skills. If you need to learn foreign language in order to interact on a daily basis, however, it will come much more quickly. If I learned a foreign language in a year, you can probably do it using the same methods in six months!
Using a Student’s Strengths for Better Studying
by: Jim Hartley
At SuperCamp, the learning and life skills academic summer camp for kids 9-18, we focus on individual’s particular learning styles. Knowing one’s own learning style, or strengths, can help when it comes time to study for a test. At SuperCamp, we make this point by telling campers the story of Slim ‘n’ Bil.
Slim ‘n’ Bil are both very smart people – smart in very different ways. Slim ‘n’ Bil both have a wide range of skills. Whenever they meet, they like to show off their talents to each other, and practice their skills to build their intelligence in different areas. The question they ask each other isn’t ‘How smart are you?’ it’s ‘How are you smart?’
When Slim ‘n’ Bil first got together, they realized that their names together spell out each of the eight different ways that we’re all smart – and they created ways to practice and improve each area. Check this out:
S – Spatial-visual read maps, create 3D art, look at hidden-shape puzzles.
L – Linguistic write stories, give speeches, play Scrabble
I – Interpersonal take on projects in groups, get to know people
M – Musical practice beats, play an instrument
N – Naturalist look for patterns, do odd-one-out puzzles
B – Bodily-kinesthetic play with a hackey, act things out, dance
I – Intrapersonal keep a journal, create goals for yourself
L – Logical-mathematical do logic puzzles, play tic-tac-toe, look for reasons
Everyone is smart in all eight ways, and we may have particular strengths. When you study, use these strengths to study in a way that will be most effective for you. When you’re not studying, try out some of these practices to improve the areas you find challenging. No two people are the same, and we’re all smart. The question is, how are you smart?
Learn More at SuperCamp
At SuperCamp, our exceptional staff go in-depth with campers from age 9 to 18 on helping them identify their own learning style and how to go with their particular strengths. Our Youth Forum is seven days long and is for students going into grades 4-5 in the fall. Junior Forum and Senior Forum are 10 days long. Junior Forum is for incoming 6-8 graders and Senior Forum is for incoming 9-12 graders. We even have a college boot camp, Quantum U, an 8-day programs for incoming college freshmen.
SuperCamp is held at eight beautiful colleges across the U.S. throughout the summer. Quantum U takes place at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. More information on our programs is available at www.supercamp.com and www.quantum-u.com.
We also offer a unique 3-day Parent Weekend at which parents of kids in SuperCamp gain an insight into what their children are learning in their programs. In the process, parents tell us they learn a lot about themselves, as well. You can view a Parent Weekend video at http://www.SuperCamp.com.
At SuperCamp, the learning and life skills academic summer camp for kids 9-18, we focus on individual’s particular learning styles. Knowing one’s own learning style, or strengths, can help when it comes time to study for a test. At SuperCamp, we make this point by telling campers the story of Slim ‘n’ Bil.
Slim ‘n’ Bil are both very smart people – smart in very different ways. Slim ‘n’ Bil both have a wide range of skills. Whenever they meet, they like to show off their talents to each other, and practice their skills to build their intelligence in different areas. The question they ask each other isn’t ‘How smart are you?’ it’s ‘How are you smart?’
When Slim ‘n’ Bil first got together, they realized that their names together spell out each of the eight different ways that we’re all smart – and they created ways to practice and improve each area. Check this out:
S – Spatial-visual read maps, create 3D art, look at hidden-shape puzzles.
L – Linguistic write stories, give speeches, play Scrabble
I – Interpersonal take on projects in groups, get to know people
M – Musical practice beats, play an instrument
N – Naturalist look for patterns, do odd-one-out puzzles
B – Bodily-kinesthetic play with a hackey, act things out, dance
I – Intrapersonal keep a journal, create goals for yourself
L – Logical-mathematical do logic puzzles, play tic-tac-toe, look for reasons
Everyone is smart in all eight ways, and we may have particular strengths. When you study, use these strengths to study in a way that will be most effective for you. When you’re not studying, try out some of these practices to improve the areas you find challenging. No two people are the same, and we’re all smart. The question is, how are you smart?
Learn More at SuperCamp
At SuperCamp, our exceptional staff go in-depth with campers from age 9 to 18 on helping them identify their own learning style and how to go with their particular strengths. Our Youth Forum is seven days long and is for students going into grades 4-5 in the fall. Junior Forum and Senior Forum are 10 days long. Junior Forum is for incoming 6-8 graders and Senior Forum is for incoming 9-12 graders. We even have a college boot camp, Quantum U, an 8-day programs for incoming college freshmen.
SuperCamp is held at eight beautiful colleges across the U.S. throughout the summer. Quantum U takes place at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. More information on our programs is available at www.supercamp.com and www.quantum-u.com.
We also offer a unique 3-day Parent Weekend at which parents of kids in SuperCamp gain an insight into what their children are learning in their programs. In the process, parents tell us they learn a lot about themselves, as well. You can view a Parent Weekend video at http://www.SuperCamp.com.
Kamis, 20 November 2008
The Internet - THE Best Place to Learn English
by: Steve Kaufmann
Table of Contents
The Primacy of Input
Vocabulary over Grammar
Learning in Chunks
Better Tutors on the Internet
Meaningful Communication
Motivation and Enjoyment
Efficiency
A Learning Community, The Linguist
English is the dominant language of the Internet. The Internet will in turn become the dominant place to learn English. The way languages are learned is changing, and these changes are accelerating.
The Internet is constantly evolving. It has created a dynamic environment for the communication and the management of information. The Internet has brought with it new forms of social interaction without boundaries. Technologies like MP3, iPod, Skype and PDAs, as well as blogs and podcasts, are making an immense variety of communication, information, literature, news and other language content available anywhere and anytime. A cascade of developments is causing interactive communities to spring up based on common interests, without regard to geography. This is going to stand traditional language learning on its head. English dominates on the Internet in areas ranging from entertainment to science. If you want to learn English, this represents an unprecedented opportunity.
You can access English language content on any subject and learn from it. You can connect with English speaking people who share your interests. You can do this via e-mail, through blogs, podcasts and forums. You can link up with friends or even language tutors using free Internet telephony. The World Wide Web is the ultimate dynamic classroom and learning community.
Over the next few years the Internet will take over from the classroom as the place of choice to learn English: Here are some of the reasons.
The Primacy of Input
If you want to learn English or any other language, you need input, meaningful, interesting and at your level. Today language learning experts emphasize input over output, listening and reading over grammar study. Before you can use the language, you must get used to the language. You don't need to be in a hurry to speak English, and you don't need to speak it all the time to improve.
"Real language acquisition develops slowly, and speaking skills emerge significantly later than listening skills, even when conditions are perfect. The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are 'ready', recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production." Stephen Krashen.
When you learned your own language as a child, you didn't begin by speaking. You began by listening. New language learners can benefit from a "silent period". During the "silent period" you can absorb the language. You need not force yourself to speak it until you are confident. Even if you are an intermediate learner, extensive reading and listening will increase your familiarity with the language, enrich your vocabulary, and develop confidence. This is more beneficial than studying grammar.
While listening and reading often and regularly are vital, the content must be meaningful. Learning content should be interesting and comprehensible to you. This means that you, not the teacher, should choose what to learn from. The Internet allows unlimited choice of fascinating authentic content. The traditional textbook cannot compete.
Motivated learners used to spend their time in book stores looking for graded content that would help them in their language studies. Yet, inevitably a lot of this material could only be found in uninteresting textbooks and readers. But today authentic content on a variety of subjects is only a click away. This is especially the case for the person who wants to learn English.
This range of material is made accessible to learners, since new systems can grade it for difficulty in a way that is customized to your specific vocabulary. You can learn English by listening to and reading on subjects that interest you and you won't find it too difficult.
Vocabulary over Grammar
In order to achieve fluency in English you need to be comfortable using at least 10,000 words. On the Internet, you can choose appropriate content to listen to and read. The content can be graded to your level. But what about learning and remembering all those new words. We know how quickly we forget words when we look them up in a dictionary. And there are so many words to learn. Fortunately, the Internet makes it a lot easier to learn vocabulary.
On the Internet you can use online dictionaries to look up words instantly (i.e., Babylon). There are learning software programs which create customized word lists for you as you learn words. This software can help you accumulate example sentences for these words from the familiar contexts you are listening to and reading. You can set vocabulary goals and follow your progress towards these goals.
The Internet helps you to efficiently accumulate vocabulary based on lively and interesting language content, customized to your needs. This combination of vocabulary learning efficiency and limitless content is only part of why the Internet will become the place of choice to learn English.
Learning in Chunks
Vocabulary does not only mean words. It also means phrases, or chunks of words. Phrases are groups of words that come together in a way that is natural to the native speaker but not always to the learner. Michael Lewis has been one of the pioneers in pointing out that you learn language in chunks, or lexical phrases. The Internet and the computer make this easier.
On the computer, you can grab language chunks as you are listening and reading and collect them in an easy to use database. Phrases and chunks of the language can be linked to larger contexts, which are already familiar to you. You don't need to rely on dictionary definitions and rote memory. You can review these chunks of language in short fragment form, in sentence form and as part of a larger context that you can listen to and read many times.
In this way you gradually develop an instinctive sense for how words are used. This is the natural way to learn correct usage. It is more effective than trying to remember and apply grammar rules.
As you build up your confidence in English through regular input and word and phrase learning, you will no doubt want to talk to native speakers. Once again the Internet is the ideal environment, offering more opportunities than the classroom.
Better Tutors on the Internet
The Internet connects people who are looking for each other. A quick search on a few professional web sites will locate native English speaker writers, editors, or professionals from all over the world, who are interested in acting as language tutors and coaches. If you want to learn English, you can interact with this outstanding pool of qualified people with a wide range of experience and knowledge.
You do not need teachers with specialized linguistics degrees if you want to learn English on the Internet. The new learning paradigm does not require teachers who are trained in the details of grammar and language teaching. Instead the important qualifications for a tutor on the Internet are; an interest in people, an ability to use one's native language well, and rich experience to share with learners in English.
On the Internet you can choose the tutor whose accent and interests match your own.
Meaningful Communication
Technologies like Skype make conversations via computer easy to organize and the communication is free of charge. You can get your friends together for a chat or make an appointment with a tutor.
It is like having lessons on demand. You can schedule one-on-one or four-on-one discussions via Skype with the tutor of your choice. You can invite your friends to join, or make new friends from different countries and cultures. Tutors need only provide advice and encouragement as well as feedback, at your convenience. There is no need for grammar instruction or quizzes, since you are learning the language naturally through your input activities.
In the relaxing atmosphere of Internet online discussion, learners and tutors become friends and form a community of people helping and encouraging each other. These are not stressful lessons. They are pleasant opportunities to communicate. You can record these conversations or produce your own oral essays and file them or share them. In this way you can keep track of your progress as you learn English on the Internet.
To really improve your accuracy of expression it is important to write. The correction of written texts can be efficiently organized on the Internet and integrated with your input and speaking activities. Systems can keep a permanent record of both your original texts and the corrected texts. These records can include details on the nature of your mistakes and the tutor's notes. Tutors can make audio recordings of your corrected writing for you to listen to, in order to reinforce the learning of the corrected phrases. The writing can range from casual writing for a blog to serious academic essays.
Motivation and Enjoyment
Learning on the Internet is effective because it is fun. The Internet avoids the tension and boredom of the classroom and increases your motivation. You choose the content, vocabulary is easy to learn, progress is constantly measured, and you become part of a community.
There are already blogging communities with learners and tutors sharing their experiences. People come together from all over the world to help each other. Bloggers may post in their own language, or in English. English becomes the medium of communication among people of different cultural backgrounds. Blogging isn't an assignment, but a genuine, enjoyable, and meaningful activity. A contagious enthusiasm will keep you learning. It is not like studying. It's more like making new friends and discovering new cultures through language.
Efficiency
The Internet introduces a higher level of efficiency in language learning. Efficiency is essential because it creates intensity. It takes a high degree of intensity to transform yourself into a fluent speaker of another language.
There is also another reason why efficiency is important. You have a right to a decent return on your investment of time and money in language learning. If you want to learn English, efficiency is important, yet it is often ignored in traditional language teaching.
"I spent over 14 months studying English in a school. It was a waste of money for Canadian government and a waste of time for me." Humberto Soto, a recent immigrant to Canada.
Traditional classroom methods are not as efficient as the Internet. It is difficult to cater to learners of different levels and interests. Stress and boredom are often the results. Many people are discouraged by their school experience, and end up convinced that they cannot learn to be fluent in a new language. They lose interest and give up.
For people who want to learn English, the Internet opens up a new world of efficient and satisfying language learning. The Internet makes possible a quality and variety of input that far exceeds the resources of a traditional classroom. Learning methodologies and communication opportunities are available to you on the Internet that the classroom cannot match. Goals can be set and achievements measured. The result is a highly integrated and enjoyable learning environment.
This new method of learning appeals to all ages. While youngsters and students are the most avid users of the Internet, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation 70% of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 use the Internet! Similar trends are being seen in Europe and Asia.
A Learning Community, The Linguist
The Linguist is both a learning methodology and a community. It is the first language learning system developed specifically to take advantage of the possibilities offered by the Internet. It was initially developed to help people learn English. It is now being revised and expanded in order to offer other major world languages. In the future, The Linguist model has many applications for life-long education.
The explosion of new media and learning technologies via the Internet will change forever the way people learn. The Linguist system will influence how many subjects are taught. It will make it possible for people all over the world to share their knowledge, expertise and learn from each other, in many languages. Learning English is just one of many lessons we can learn on the Internet. Another one of them is to learn how to learn.
About The Author
Steve Kaufmann, CEO and Founder of The Linguist, grew up in Montreal. He obtained a Diplome from l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris in 1966 and then entered the Canadian Foreign Service, as a Trade Commissioner.
Steve was posted to Hong Kong in 1968 and then served in Japan from 1971 to 1974. In 1974 he left the diplomatic service and served in senior executive positions in the Canadian forest industry until 1987. In 1987 he founded his own company, KP Wood Ltd which today has offices in Japan, Sweden and Canada.
Steve speaks fluent Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese as well as six European languages. He wrote: The Way of the Linguist: A Language Learning Odyssey. In 2002 he established The Linguist Institute Ltd.
Table of Contents
The Primacy of Input
Vocabulary over Grammar
Learning in Chunks
Better Tutors on the Internet
Meaningful Communication
Motivation and Enjoyment
Efficiency
A Learning Community, The Linguist
English is the dominant language of the Internet. The Internet will in turn become the dominant place to learn English. The way languages are learned is changing, and these changes are accelerating.
The Internet is constantly evolving. It has created a dynamic environment for the communication and the management of information. The Internet has brought with it new forms of social interaction without boundaries. Technologies like MP3, iPod, Skype and PDAs, as well as blogs and podcasts, are making an immense variety of communication, information, literature, news and other language content available anywhere and anytime. A cascade of developments is causing interactive communities to spring up based on common interests, without regard to geography. This is going to stand traditional language learning on its head. English dominates on the Internet in areas ranging from entertainment to science. If you want to learn English, this represents an unprecedented opportunity.
You can access English language content on any subject and learn from it. You can connect with English speaking people who share your interests. You can do this via e-mail, through blogs, podcasts and forums. You can link up with friends or even language tutors using free Internet telephony. The World Wide Web is the ultimate dynamic classroom and learning community.
Over the next few years the Internet will take over from the classroom as the place of choice to learn English: Here are some of the reasons.
The Primacy of Input
If you want to learn English or any other language, you need input, meaningful, interesting and at your level. Today language learning experts emphasize input over output, listening and reading over grammar study. Before you can use the language, you must get used to the language. You don't need to be in a hurry to speak English, and you don't need to speak it all the time to improve.
"Real language acquisition develops slowly, and speaking skills emerge significantly later than listening skills, even when conditions are perfect. The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' in low anxiety situations, containing messages that students really want to hear. These methods do not force early production in the second language, but allow students to produce when they are 'ready', recognizing that improvement comes from supplying communicative and comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production." Stephen Krashen.
When you learned your own language as a child, you didn't begin by speaking. You began by listening. New language learners can benefit from a "silent period". During the "silent period" you can absorb the language. You need not force yourself to speak it until you are confident. Even if you are an intermediate learner, extensive reading and listening will increase your familiarity with the language, enrich your vocabulary, and develop confidence. This is more beneficial than studying grammar.
While listening and reading often and regularly are vital, the content must be meaningful. Learning content should be interesting and comprehensible to you. This means that you, not the teacher, should choose what to learn from. The Internet allows unlimited choice of fascinating authentic content. The traditional textbook cannot compete.
Motivated learners used to spend their time in book stores looking for graded content that would help them in their language studies. Yet, inevitably a lot of this material could only be found in uninteresting textbooks and readers. But today authentic content on a variety of subjects is only a click away. This is especially the case for the person who wants to learn English.
This range of material is made accessible to learners, since new systems can grade it for difficulty in a way that is customized to your specific vocabulary. You can learn English by listening to and reading on subjects that interest you and you won't find it too difficult.
Vocabulary over Grammar
In order to achieve fluency in English you need to be comfortable using at least 10,000 words. On the Internet, you can choose appropriate content to listen to and read. The content can be graded to your level. But what about learning and remembering all those new words. We know how quickly we forget words when we look them up in a dictionary. And there are so many words to learn. Fortunately, the Internet makes it a lot easier to learn vocabulary.
On the Internet you can use online dictionaries to look up words instantly (i.e., Babylon). There are learning software programs which create customized word lists for you as you learn words. This software can help you accumulate example sentences for these words from the familiar contexts you are listening to and reading. You can set vocabulary goals and follow your progress towards these goals.
The Internet helps you to efficiently accumulate vocabulary based on lively and interesting language content, customized to your needs. This combination of vocabulary learning efficiency and limitless content is only part of why the Internet will become the place of choice to learn English.
Learning in Chunks
Vocabulary does not only mean words. It also means phrases, or chunks of words. Phrases are groups of words that come together in a way that is natural to the native speaker but not always to the learner. Michael Lewis has been one of the pioneers in pointing out that you learn language in chunks, or lexical phrases. The Internet and the computer make this easier.
On the computer, you can grab language chunks as you are listening and reading and collect them in an easy to use database. Phrases and chunks of the language can be linked to larger contexts, which are already familiar to you. You don't need to rely on dictionary definitions and rote memory. You can review these chunks of language in short fragment form, in sentence form and as part of a larger context that you can listen to and read many times.
In this way you gradually develop an instinctive sense for how words are used. This is the natural way to learn correct usage. It is more effective than trying to remember and apply grammar rules.
As you build up your confidence in English through regular input and word and phrase learning, you will no doubt want to talk to native speakers. Once again the Internet is the ideal environment, offering more opportunities than the classroom.
Better Tutors on the Internet
The Internet connects people who are looking for each other. A quick search on a few professional web sites will locate native English speaker writers, editors, or professionals from all over the world, who are interested in acting as language tutors and coaches. If you want to learn English, you can interact with this outstanding pool of qualified people with a wide range of experience and knowledge.
You do not need teachers with specialized linguistics degrees if you want to learn English on the Internet. The new learning paradigm does not require teachers who are trained in the details of grammar and language teaching. Instead the important qualifications for a tutor on the Internet are; an interest in people, an ability to use one's native language well, and rich experience to share with learners in English.
On the Internet you can choose the tutor whose accent and interests match your own.
Meaningful Communication
Technologies like Skype make conversations via computer easy to organize and the communication is free of charge. You can get your friends together for a chat or make an appointment with a tutor.
It is like having lessons on demand. You can schedule one-on-one or four-on-one discussions via Skype with the tutor of your choice. You can invite your friends to join, or make new friends from different countries and cultures. Tutors need only provide advice and encouragement as well as feedback, at your convenience. There is no need for grammar instruction or quizzes, since you are learning the language naturally through your input activities.
In the relaxing atmosphere of Internet online discussion, learners and tutors become friends and form a community of people helping and encouraging each other. These are not stressful lessons. They are pleasant opportunities to communicate. You can record these conversations or produce your own oral essays and file them or share them. In this way you can keep track of your progress as you learn English on the Internet.
To really improve your accuracy of expression it is important to write. The correction of written texts can be efficiently organized on the Internet and integrated with your input and speaking activities. Systems can keep a permanent record of both your original texts and the corrected texts. These records can include details on the nature of your mistakes and the tutor's notes. Tutors can make audio recordings of your corrected writing for you to listen to, in order to reinforce the learning of the corrected phrases. The writing can range from casual writing for a blog to serious academic essays.
Motivation and Enjoyment
Learning on the Internet is effective because it is fun. The Internet avoids the tension and boredom of the classroom and increases your motivation. You choose the content, vocabulary is easy to learn, progress is constantly measured, and you become part of a community.
There are already blogging communities with learners and tutors sharing their experiences. People come together from all over the world to help each other. Bloggers may post in their own language, or in English. English becomes the medium of communication among people of different cultural backgrounds. Blogging isn't an assignment, but a genuine, enjoyable, and meaningful activity. A contagious enthusiasm will keep you learning. It is not like studying. It's more like making new friends and discovering new cultures through language.
Efficiency
The Internet introduces a higher level of efficiency in language learning. Efficiency is essential because it creates intensity. It takes a high degree of intensity to transform yourself into a fluent speaker of another language.
There is also another reason why efficiency is important. You have a right to a decent return on your investment of time and money in language learning. If you want to learn English, efficiency is important, yet it is often ignored in traditional language teaching.
"I spent over 14 months studying English in a school. It was a waste of money for Canadian government and a waste of time for me." Humberto Soto, a recent immigrant to Canada.
Traditional classroom methods are not as efficient as the Internet. It is difficult to cater to learners of different levels and interests. Stress and boredom are often the results. Many people are discouraged by their school experience, and end up convinced that they cannot learn to be fluent in a new language. They lose interest and give up.
For people who want to learn English, the Internet opens up a new world of efficient and satisfying language learning. The Internet makes possible a quality and variety of input that far exceeds the resources of a traditional classroom. Learning methodologies and communication opportunities are available to you on the Internet that the classroom cannot match. Goals can be set and achievements measured. The result is a highly integrated and enjoyable learning environment.
This new method of learning appeals to all ages. While youngsters and students are the most avid users of the Internet, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation 70% of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 use the Internet! Similar trends are being seen in Europe and Asia.
A Learning Community, The Linguist
The Linguist is both a learning methodology and a community. It is the first language learning system developed specifically to take advantage of the possibilities offered by the Internet. It was initially developed to help people learn English. It is now being revised and expanded in order to offer other major world languages. In the future, The Linguist model has many applications for life-long education.
The explosion of new media and learning technologies via the Internet will change forever the way people learn. The Linguist system will influence how many subjects are taught. It will make it possible for people all over the world to share their knowledge, expertise and learn from each other, in many languages. Learning English is just one of many lessons we can learn on the Internet. Another one of them is to learn how to learn.
About The Author
Steve Kaufmann, CEO and Founder of The Linguist, grew up in Montreal. He obtained a Diplome from l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris in 1966 and then entered the Canadian Foreign Service, as a Trade Commissioner.
Steve was posted to Hong Kong in 1968 and then served in Japan from 1971 to 1974. In 1974 he left the diplomatic service and served in senior executive positions in the Canadian forest industry until 1987. In 1987 he founded his own company, KP Wood Ltd which today has offices in Japan, Sweden and Canada.
Steve speaks fluent Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese as well as six European languages. He wrote: The Way of the Linguist: A Language Learning Odyssey. In 2002 he established The Linguist Institute Ltd.
Minggu, 16 November 2008
Teaching English To Non-English Speakers
by: Yvonne Volante
Teaching the English language to a non english speaking person can be exciting and interesting. If this is of interest to you, consider traveling to other countries to teach.
It is generally preferred for the English teacher to be a native English speaker.
Here are some common terms you should familiarize yourself with:
Before you excitedly answer any employment ads you should learn the meaning of commonly used terms as well as recommendations for working locally or abroad.
TEFL: Teaching English Foreign Language; often refers to teaching English in a foreign country. Known to students as EFL classes.
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language; usually refers to teaching English to foreigners in an English speaking country. Known to students as ESL classes.
Would you prefer to teach locally or abroad?
For people who wish to travel TEFL can be a great opportunity to interact with new cultures and to finance traveling. It is important to investigate the country you will be traveling to as well as the employer offering the position to ensure you will be safe and have reliable work. You may decide to work with an agency based in your home country that will assist you with legal questions and assist you in making living arrangements.
While many foreign positions are available to individuals without experience or certification you will likely find the education and resources of a class to be valuable before taking an assignment. If you think you would like to try this career out you might offer your services locally, as a private tutor, or take an instruction class to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities and work required to teach a language.
If you choose to work in your own country there will be various guidelines for certification, experience and materials as determined by the employers. If you consider private tutoring you can research recommended course materials and methods online or at a book store or library. You can then advertise your services in a local paper or on college and university billboards.
Teaching English can be very rewarding. However, English is a language that is full of rule breaking nuances. Trying to explain these to a student can be difficult and a person needs to have patience and good personal skills to become an effective teacher.
Do your research to be sure you are interested in the opportunities that there are. Teaching English to non-English speakers really is rewarding and profitable. And, you may get the chance to travel as a bonus!
Teaching the English language to a non english speaking person can be exciting and interesting. If this is of interest to you, consider traveling to other countries to teach.
It is generally preferred for the English teacher to be a native English speaker.
Here are some common terms you should familiarize yourself with:
Before you excitedly answer any employment ads you should learn the meaning of commonly used terms as well as recommendations for working locally or abroad.
TEFL: Teaching English Foreign Language; often refers to teaching English in a foreign country. Known to students as EFL classes.
TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language; usually refers to teaching English to foreigners in an English speaking country. Known to students as ESL classes.
Would you prefer to teach locally or abroad?
For people who wish to travel TEFL can be a great opportunity to interact with new cultures and to finance traveling. It is important to investigate the country you will be traveling to as well as the employer offering the position to ensure you will be safe and have reliable work. You may decide to work with an agency based in your home country that will assist you with legal questions and assist you in making living arrangements.
While many foreign positions are available to individuals without experience or certification you will likely find the education and resources of a class to be valuable before taking an assignment. If you think you would like to try this career out you might offer your services locally, as a private tutor, or take an instruction class to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities and work required to teach a language.
If you choose to work in your own country there will be various guidelines for certification, experience and materials as determined by the employers. If you consider private tutoring you can research recommended course materials and methods online or at a book store or library. You can then advertise your services in a local paper or on college and university billboards.
Teaching English can be very rewarding. However, English is a language that is full of rule breaking nuances. Trying to explain these to a student can be difficult and a person needs to have patience and good personal skills to become an effective teacher.
Do your research to be sure you are interested in the opportunities that there are. Teaching English to non-English speakers really is rewarding and profitable. And, you may get the chance to travel as a bonus!
Senin, 03 November 2008
Create a Teacher Website that Works for You
by: Richard Jake
If your classroom webpage isn't making your job easier, or helping you do it better, maybe its time to evaluate and consider some changes.
People today are busy, and teachers are no exception. Either are students and parents for that matter. We all want information quick, easy, and pertinent. And that is exactly what a teacher website must do. If it fails, then valuable time, and maybe resources, are being spent without accomplishing an important goal. One way to help you achieve this is to use a service that allows you to create your own site (such as www.DapperApple.com)
Information Quick:
Daily updates are a must. Remember, a student that is absent may want to check your site for the night's homework assignment. Well, he may not, but his parents will. The information must be posted promptly. Reserve time before class to update your site. If properly planned, just a few minutes should be all that is needed.
If possible, get your class involved. If they can update some pages, it can become a rotating, class job.
Information Easy:
Don't bury the important information two, three, or more levels deep into your site. If it's important, link from the homepage or put it on the homepage. A consistent place that is easy to navigate to will ensure that users will always see your key messages. As users, we can get discouraged when we can’t find what we are looking for. That shouldn’t be the case with your students.
Information Pertinent:
We are bombarded with information online. Popups, advertisements, videos, and websites of every flavor are competing for our attention. Nothing is as welcome to a user as a crisp, clear message. Do away with space wasters such as visit counters and unnecessary graphics or games.
The bottom line - any and all features of your web site must be there because they help you do your job in some way.
As a busy educator, you probably have little time to devote to creating, and nurturing your classroom website. But it is becoming an essential tool. So, make sure that your content addresses problems, or areas you want to improve. Are too many of your students not doing their homework? Are they not getting the desired outcomes from lessons? Do you need more parent involvement? All of these, and other, questions should be considered when you are creating or modifying your website.
If you take the time to make sure your website provides quick, easy, and pertinent information, your site will work for you - making your job easier and helping you do it better.
About The Author
Richard Jake
www.DapperApple.com
If your classroom webpage isn't making your job easier, or helping you do it better, maybe its time to evaluate and consider some changes.
People today are busy, and teachers are no exception. Either are students and parents for that matter. We all want information quick, easy, and pertinent. And that is exactly what a teacher website must do. If it fails, then valuable time, and maybe resources, are being spent without accomplishing an important goal. One way to help you achieve this is to use a service that allows you to create your own site (such as www.DapperApple.com)
Information Quick:
Daily updates are a must. Remember, a student that is absent may want to check your site for the night's homework assignment. Well, he may not, but his parents will. The information must be posted promptly. Reserve time before class to update your site. If properly planned, just a few minutes should be all that is needed.
If possible, get your class involved. If they can update some pages, it can become a rotating, class job.
Information Easy:
Don't bury the important information two, three, or more levels deep into your site. If it's important, link from the homepage or put it on the homepage. A consistent place that is easy to navigate to will ensure that users will always see your key messages. As users, we can get discouraged when we can’t find what we are looking for. That shouldn’t be the case with your students.
Information Pertinent:
We are bombarded with information online. Popups, advertisements, videos, and websites of every flavor are competing for our attention. Nothing is as welcome to a user as a crisp, clear message. Do away with space wasters such as visit counters and unnecessary graphics or games.
The bottom line - any and all features of your web site must be there because they help you do your job in some way.
As a busy educator, you probably have little time to devote to creating, and nurturing your classroom website. But it is becoming an essential tool. So, make sure that your content addresses problems, or areas you want to improve. Are too many of your students not doing their homework? Are they not getting the desired outcomes from lessons? Do you need more parent involvement? All of these, and other, questions should be considered when you are creating or modifying your website.
If you take the time to make sure your website provides quick, easy, and pertinent information, your site will work for you - making your job easier and helping you do it better.
About The Author
Richard Jake
www.DapperApple.com
Strategies for Motivating Students to Learn
by: Adam Waxler
As an adjunct education professor I am often asked, "How do I motivate students to learn?"
Motivating students to learn is a struggle that all teachers face.
Since I also teach middle school social studies it is the challenge I personally face everyday.
The truth is motivating students to learn is one of the key components of effective teaching AND classroom management.
If students are not motivated to learn then they are most likely not involved in the lesson and if they are not involved in the lesson they are much more likely to cause classroom management problems.
Therefore, it is critical for teachers to increase student motivation to learn and the best way to do this is for teachers to spark student interest at the beginning of every lesson.
Here are six effective strategies for motivating students to learn I do at the beginning of lessons:
1. Use critical thinking questions ~ The great thing about using these types of questions is that they don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer so students are allowed to express their own opinions as opposed to simply being told to memorize facts.
Here's a quick example. Let's take a social studies lesson on the use of the atomic bomb to end World War II. To spark interest at the beginning of the lesson the teacher can ask students to all write down an answer to the following question... "Do you think President Truman was justified in dropping the atomic bomb to end WWII? Why?"
Teachers can then let students share their answers for a quick class discussion and then take a class poll. Now that the students are interested in the topic it is much easier for the teacher to start the lesson.
Then, at the end of the lesson, the teacher can take another poll to see if the student's opinions have changed.
2. Use music to teach ~ Music is one of the most underrated learning tools and is a great way to spark student interest. For example, when teaching a lesson on the slave trade and the Middle Passage I introduce the topic by playing the Bob Marley songs "Buffalo Soldier" and "Catch a Fire".
3. Use video ~ Video is one of the most misunderstood teaching tools and is often abused. However, if used correctly video can be a great tool increase student motivation to learn. The key is to use short clips from movies and documentaries at beginning of lessons rather than the end. Hollywood movies are great for this, but you can also use unitedstreaming.com to download short clips from documentaries on any subject for any grade level.
4. Relate what students are learning to what is going on in the "real world". This is obviously easier done with some subjects than others, but it can be done. Students need to know "why" they are learning something.
5. Relate what students are learning to what is important to them. The trick here is to get to know your students and learn about their own interests.
6. Use technology...or rather, have the student use technology to learn. Have them create podcasts, videos, web sites, brochures etc.
Increasing student motivation to learn can be challenging, but it is an essential element in being an effective teacher. The added bonus is you will also find yourself enjoying teaching much more when it doesn't feel like you are pulling teeth trying to get your students involved.
About The Author
Adam Waxler
Want to learn more strategies to motivate students to learn? Sign up for the FREE Teaching Tips Machine Newsletter @ http://www.Teaching-Tips-Machine.com
As an adjunct education professor I am often asked, "How do I motivate students to learn?"
Motivating students to learn is a struggle that all teachers face.
Since I also teach middle school social studies it is the challenge I personally face everyday.
The truth is motivating students to learn is one of the key components of effective teaching AND classroom management.
If students are not motivated to learn then they are most likely not involved in the lesson and if they are not involved in the lesson they are much more likely to cause classroom management problems.
Therefore, it is critical for teachers to increase student motivation to learn and the best way to do this is for teachers to spark student interest at the beginning of every lesson.
Here are six effective strategies for motivating students to learn I do at the beginning of lessons:
1. Use critical thinking questions ~ The great thing about using these types of questions is that they don't necessarily have a right or wrong answer so students are allowed to express their own opinions as opposed to simply being told to memorize facts.
Here's a quick example. Let's take a social studies lesson on the use of the atomic bomb to end World War II. To spark interest at the beginning of the lesson the teacher can ask students to all write down an answer to the following question... "Do you think President Truman was justified in dropping the atomic bomb to end WWII? Why?"
Teachers can then let students share their answers for a quick class discussion and then take a class poll. Now that the students are interested in the topic it is much easier for the teacher to start the lesson.
Then, at the end of the lesson, the teacher can take another poll to see if the student's opinions have changed.
2. Use music to teach ~ Music is one of the most underrated learning tools and is a great way to spark student interest. For example, when teaching a lesson on the slave trade and the Middle Passage I introduce the topic by playing the Bob Marley songs "Buffalo Soldier" and "Catch a Fire".
3. Use video ~ Video is one of the most misunderstood teaching tools and is often abused. However, if used correctly video can be a great tool increase student motivation to learn. The key is to use short clips from movies and documentaries at beginning of lessons rather than the end. Hollywood movies are great for this, but you can also use unitedstreaming.com to download short clips from documentaries on any subject for any grade level.
4. Relate what students are learning to what is going on in the "real world". This is obviously easier done with some subjects than others, but it can be done. Students need to know "why" they are learning something.
5. Relate what students are learning to what is important to them. The trick here is to get to know your students and learn about their own interests.
6. Use technology...or rather, have the student use technology to learn. Have them create podcasts, videos, web sites, brochures etc.
Increasing student motivation to learn can be challenging, but it is an essential element in being an effective teacher. The added bonus is you will also find yourself enjoying teaching much more when it doesn't feel like you are pulling teeth trying to get your students involved.
About The Author
Adam Waxler
Want to learn more strategies to motivate students to learn? Sign up for the FREE Teaching Tips Machine Newsletter @ http://www.Teaching-Tips-Machine.com
Educational Evaluation Quality - Good Results
by: Luiz Gustavo Arruda
An adequate educational evaluation enhances instruction. Just as evaluation impacts student learning and motivation, it also influences the nature of instruction in the classroom. There has been considerable recent literature that has promoted evaluation as something that is integrated with instruction. To her, when evaluation is integrated with instruction it informs teachers about what activities and assignments will be most useful, what level of teaching is most appropriate, and how summative evaluations provide diagnostic information. For instance, during instruction activities informal, formative evaluation helps teachers know when to move on, when to ask more questions, when to give more examples, and what responses to student questions are most appropriate. Standardized test scores, when used appropriately, help teachers understand student strengths and weaknesses to target further instruction.
Good assessment is valid and considers validity as a concept that needs to be fully understood. Like reliability, there are technical terms and issues associated with validity that are essential in helping teachers and administrators make reasonable and appropriate inferences from evaluation results (e.g., types of validity evidence, validity generalization, construct underrepresentation, construct-irrelevant variance, and discriminant and convergent evidence). Both intended and unintended consequences of evaluation need to be examined with appropriate evidence that supports particular arguments or points of view. Of equal importance is getting teachers and administrators to understand their role in gathering and interpreting validity evidence.
Good evaluation is fair and ethical and there are four views of fairness: as absence of bias (e.g., offensiveness and unfair penalization), as equitable treatment, as equality in outcomes, and as opportunity to learn. It includes entire chapters on the rights and responsibilities of test takers, testing individuals of diverse linguistic backgrounds, and testing individuals with disabilities or special needs.
According to his text, there are also three additional areas characterized as also important:
- Student knowledge of learning targets and the nature of the evaluations prior to instruction (e.g., knowing what will be tested, how it will be graded, scoring criteria, anchors, exemplars, and examples of performance).
- Student prerequisite knowledge and skills, including test-taking skills.
- Avoiding stereotypes.
Evaluation that is fair, leading to valid inferences with a minimum of error, is a series of measures that show student understanding through multiple methods. A complete picture of what students understand and can do is put together in pieces comprised by different approaches to evaluation. While testing experts and testing companies stress that important decisions should not be made on the basis of a single test score, some educators at the local level, and some (many?) politicians at the state at the national level, seem determined to violate this principle. There is a need to understand the entire range of evaluation techniques and methods, with the realization that each has limitations.
Good evaluation is efficient and feasible. Teachers and school administrators have limited time and resources. Consideration must be given to the efficiency of different approaches to evaluation, balancing needs to implement methods required to provide a full understanding with the time needed to develop and implement the methods, and score results. Teacher skills and knowledge are important to consider, as well as the level of support and resources.
We may consider a lot the importance in the fact of good evaluation appropriately incorporates technology. As technology advances and teachers become more proficient in the use of technology, there will be increased opportunities for teachers and administrators to use computer-based techniques (e.g., item banks, electronic grading, computer-adapted testing, computer-based simulations), Internet resources, and more complex, detailed ways of reporting results. There is to him, however, a danger that technology will contribute to the mindless use of new resources, such as using items on-line developed by some companies without adequate evidence of reliability, validity, and fairness, and crunching numbers with software programs without sufficient thought about weighting, error, and averaging.
To summarize, what is most essential about evaluation is understanding how general, fundamental evaluation principles and ideas can be used to enhance student learning and teacher effectiveness. This will be achieved as teachers and administrators learn about conceptual and technical evaluation concepts, methods, and procedures, for both large-scale and classroom evaluations, and apply these fundamentals to instruction.
About The Author
Luiz Gustavo is a Brazilian expert author and give classes of writing and research development in his country. Give him the pleasure to visit his website of Monografia de Educação. He also works for another company: TCC de Avaliação
Monografia de Educação - http://www.monografiaac.com.br/monografia.html
TCC de Avaliação - http://www.monografiaac.com.br/artigocientifico.html
An adequate educational evaluation enhances instruction. Just as evaluation impacts student learning and motivation, it also influences the nature of instruction in the classroom. There has been considerable recent literature that has promoted evaluation as something that is integrated with instruction. To her, when evaluation is integrated with instruction it informs teachers about what activities and assignments will be most useful, what level of teaching is most appropriate, and how summative evaluations provide diagnostic information. For instance, during instruction activities informal, formative evaluation helps teachers know when to move on, when to ask more questions, when to give more examples, and what responses to student questions are most appropriate. Standardized test scores, when used appropriately, help teachers understand student strengths and weaknesses to target further instruction.
Good assessment is valid and considers validity as a concept that needs to be fully understood. Like reliability, there are technical terms and issues associated with validity that are essential in helping teachers and administrators make reasonable and appropriate inferences from evaluation results (e.g., types of validity evidence, validity generalization, construct underrepresentation, construct-irrelevant variance, and discriminant and convergent evidence). Both intended and unintended consequences of evaluation need to be examined with appropriate evidence that supports particular arguments or points of view. Of equal importance is getting teachers and administrators to understand their role in gathering and interpreting validity evidence.
Good evaluation is fair and ethical and there are four views of fairness: as absence of bias (e.g., offensiveness and unfair penalization), as equitable treatment, as equality in outcomes, and as opportunity to learn. It includes entire chapters on the rights and responsibilities of test takers, testing individuals of diverse linguistic backgrounds, and testing individuals with disabilities or special needs.
According to his text, there are also three additional areas characterized as also important:
- Student knowledge of learning targets and the nature of the evaluations prior to instruction (e.g., knowing what will be tested, how it will be graded, scoring criteria, anchors, exemplars, and examples of performance).
- Student prerequisite knowledge and skills, including test-taking skills.
- Avoiding stereotypes.
Evaluation that is fair, leading to valid inferences with a minimum of error, is a series of measures that show student understanding through multiple methods. A complete picture of what students understand and can do is put together in pieces comprised by different approaches to evaluation. While testing experts and testing companies stress that important decisions should not be made on the basis of a single test score, some educators at the local level, and some (many?) politicians at the state at the national level, seem determined to violate this principle. There is a need to understand the entire range of evaluation techniques and methods, with the realization that each has limitations.
Good evaluation is efficient and feasible. Teachers and school administrators have limited time and resources. Consideration must be given to the efficiency of different approaches to evaluation, balancing needs to implement methods required to provide a full understanding with the time needed to develop and implement the methods, and score results. Teacher skills and knowledge are important to consider, as well as the level of support and resources.
We may consider a lot the importance in the fact of good evaluation appropriately incorporates technology. As technology advances and teachers become more proficient in the use of technology, there will be increased opportunities for teachers and administrators to use computer-based techniques (e.g., item banks, electronic grading, computer-adapted testing, computer-based simulations), Internet resources, and more complex, detailed ways of reporting results. There is to him, however, a danger that technology will contribute to the mindless use of new resources, such as using items on-line developed by some companies without adequate evidence of reliability, validity, and fairness, and crunching numbers with software programs without sufficient thought about weighting, error, and averaging.
To summarize, what is most essential about evaluation is understanding how general, fundamental evaluation principles and ideas can be used to enhance student learning and teacher effectiveness. This will be achieved as teachers and administrators learn about conceptual and technical evaluation concepts, methods, and procedures, for both large-scale and classroom evaluations, and apply these fundamentals to instruction.
About The Author
Luiz Gustavo is a Brazilian expert author and give classes of writing and research development in his country. Give him the pleasure to visit his website of Monografia de Educação. He also works for another company: TCC de Avaliação
Monografia de Educação - http://www.monografiaac.com.br/monografia.html
TCC de Avaliação - http://www.monografiaac.com.br/artigocientifico.html
Selasa, 07 Oktober 2008
lesson plan
Speaking Skills - Asking Questions
Many post beginner to lower intermediate students are quite capable of expressing their ideas reasonably well. However, they often run into problems when asking questions. This is due to a number of causes: i.e., teachers are the ones that usually ask questions, the inversion of the auxiliary verb and subject can be especially tricky for many students. This simple lesson focuses specifically on the question form and helping students gain skill while switching tenses in the question form.
Aim: Improving speaking confidence when using question forms
Activity: Intensive auxiliary review followed by student gap question exercises.
Level: Lower-intermediate
Outline:
• Focus on auxiliary verb usage by making a number of statements in tenses the students are familiar with. Ask students to identify the auxiliary verb in each case.
• Ask a student or students to explain the underlying scheme of the object question form (i.e., ? word Auxiliary Subject Verb). Have students give a number of examples in different tenses.
• Split students up into pairs. Distribute worksheet and ask students to ask an appropriate questions for the given answer taking turns.
• Follow-up check of questions either by circulating through the student pairs or as a group.
• Ask students to each take the second exercise (one for Student A the other for Student B) and complete the gaps by asking their partner for the missing information.
• Solidify question forms by quickly playing a verb inversion game using the various tenses (i.e., Teacher: I live in the city. Student: Where do you live? etc.)
Asking Questions
Exercise 1: Ask an appropriate question for the response
• A steak, please.
• Oh, I stayed at home and watched tv.
• She is reading a book at the moment.
• We are going to visit France.
• I usually get up at 7 o'clock.
• No, he is single.
• For about 2 years.
• I was washing up when he arrived.
Exercise 2: Ask questions to fill the gaps with the missing information
Student A
Frank was born in ______ (where?) in 1977. He went to school in Buenos Aires for ______ (how long?) before moving to Denver. He misses _______ (what?), but he enjoys studying and living in Denver. In fact, he _____ (what?) in Denver for over 4 years. Currently, he _________ (what?) at the University of Colorado where he is going to receive his Bachelor of Science next ______ (when?). After he receives his degree, he is going to return to Buenos Aires to marry _____ (who?) and begin a career in research. Alice ______ (what?) at the University in Buenos Aires and is also going to receive ______ (what?) next May. They met in _____ (where?) in 1995 while they were hiking together in the ______ (where?). They have been engaged for ________ (how long?).
Student B
Frank was born in Buenos Aires in ______ (when?). He went to school in _______ (where?) for 12 years before moving to ______ (where?). He misses living in Buenos Aires, but he enjoys ________ (what?) in Denver. In fact, he has lived in Denver for ______ (how long?). Currently, he is studying at the ______ (where?) where he is going to receive his _______ (what?) next June. After he receives his degree, he is going to return to _____ (where?) to marry his fiance Alice and begin a career in ______ (what?). Alice studies Art History at the ________ (where?) and is also going to receive a degree in Art History next _____ (when?). They met in Peru in _____ (when?) while they _______ (what?) together in the Andes. They have been engaged for three years.
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Helping Students Write a Creative Story
Once students have become familiar with the basics of English and have begun communicating, writing can help open up new avenues of expression. These first steps are often difficult as students struggle to combine simple sentences into more complex structures. This guided writing lesson is intended to help bridge the gap from simply writing sentences to developing a larger structure. During the course of the lesson students become familiar with the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'.
Aim: Guided Writing - learning to use the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'
Activity: Sentence combination exercise followed by guided writing exercise
Level: lower intermediate
Outline:
• Write a sentence with 'so' and a sentence with 'because' on the board: Example: We needed some food so I went to the supermarket. | He studied all night because he had a difficult test the next day.
• Ask students which sentence expresses a reason (because) and which sentence expresses a consequence (so).
• Now, write these variations of the sentences on the board: Example: I went to the supermarket because we needed some food. | He had a difficult test so he studied all night.
• Ask students to explain what has changed in the sentences. Check the students understanding of the differences between 'so' and 'because'.
• Give the students the sentence matching exercise. Students should match the two sentences that logically go together.
• Once students have completed this exercise, ask them to combine the two sentences in each pair using 'so' or 'because'. Check their answers as a class.
• Read the example story to the class as a listening exercise which also sets the tone for the follow-up exercise. Ask students some comprehension questions based on the story.
Example Story:
A young Swedish man named Lars met a beautiful young French woman named Lise. They met in a cafe in Amsterdam during the afternoon. As soon as Lars saw Lise, he fell hopelessly in love because she was so beautiful and sophisticated. He wanted to meet her, so he introduced himself and asked her if he could speak to her. Soon, they were talking about their two countries and having a wonderful time. They decided to continue their discussion that evening so they made a date to have dinner in a wonderful restaurant. They continued to see each other every day because they had such a wonderful time together. Five months later, Lars moved to France and they married and lived happily ever after.
• Have students write a similar story using the guided writing prompts provided on their worksheet. Tell them they should be a creative as possible as that will make their story all the more enjoyable.
• Circulate around the room helping students with their short compositions.
• As a follow-up listening exercise which can be a lot of fun, have students read their stories aloud to the class.
• Results and Reasons
1. I had to get up early.
2. I'm hungry.
3. She wants to speak Spanish.
4. We needed a vacation.
5. They're going to visit us soon.
6. I went for a walk.
7. Jack won the lottery.
8. They bought a CD. A. I needed some fresh air.
B. She takes evening courses.
C. Their friend had a birthday.
D. We went to the seaside.
E. I had an early meeting at work.
F. He bought a new house.
G. We haven't seen them in a long time.
H. I'm cooking dinner.
Writing A Short Story
Quickly answer the questions below and then use the information to write your short story. Use your imagination to make the story as enjoyable as possible!
• Which man? (nationality, age)
• Loved who? (nationality, age)
• Where did they meet? (place, when, situation)
• Why did the man fall in love?
• What did he do next?
• What did the two do together that day?
• What did they do after that day?
• Why did they continue to see each other?
• How does the story end? Do they get married, do they separate?
• Is your story a sad or happy story?
Many post beginner to lower intermediate students are quite capable of expressing their ideas reasonably well. However, they often run into problems when asking questions. This is due to a number of causes: i.e., teachers are the ones that usually ask questions, the inversion of the auxiliary verb and subject can be especially tricky for many students. This simple lesson focuses specifically on the question form and helping students gain skill while switching tenses in the question form.
Aim: Improving speaking confidence when using question forms
Activity: Intensive auxiliary review followed by student gap question exercises.
Level: Lower-intermediate
Outline:
• Focus on auxiliary verb usage by making a number of statements in tenses the students are familiar with. Ask students to identify the auxiliary verb in each case.
• Ask a student or students to explain the underlying scheme of the object question form (i.e., ? word Auxiliary Subject Verb). Have students give a number of examples in different tenses.
• Split students up into pairs. Distribute worksheet and ask students to ask an appropriate questions for the given answer taking turns.
• Follow-up check of questions either by circulating through the student pairs or as a group.
• Ask students to each take the second exercise (one for Student A the other for Student B) and complete the gaps by asking their partner for the missing information.
• Solidify question forms by quickly playing a verb inversion game using the various tenses (i.e., Teacher: I live in the city. Student: Where do you live? etc.)
Asking Questions
Exercise 1: Ask an appropriate question for the response
• A steak, please.
• Oh, I stayed at home and watched tv.
• She is reading a book at the moment.
• We are going to visit France.
• I usually get up at 7 o'clock.
• No, he is single.
• For about 2 years.
• I was washing up when he arrived.
Exercise 2: Ask questions to fill the gaps with the missing information
Student A
Frank was born in ______ (where?) in 1977. He went to school in Buenos Aires for ______ (how long?) before moving to Denver. He misses _______ (what?), but he enjoys studying and living in Denver. In fact, he _____ (what?) in Denver for over 4 years. Currently, he _________ (what?) at the University of Colorado where he is going to receive his Bachelor of Science next ______ (when?). After he receives his degree, he is going to return to Buenos Aires to marry _____ (who?) and begin a career in research. Alice ______ (what?) at the University in Buenos Aires and is also going to receive ______ (what?) next May. They met in _____ (where?) in 1995 while they were hiking together in the ______ (where?). They have been engaged for ________ (how long?).
Student B
Frank was born in Buenos Aires in ______ (when?). He went to school in _______ (where?) for 12 years before moving to ______ (where?). He misses living in Buenos Aires, but he enjoys ________ (what?) in Denver. In fact, he has lived in Denver for ______ (how long?). Currently, he is studying at the ______ (where?) where he is going to receive his _______ (what?) next June. After he receives his degree, he is going to return to _____ (where?) to marry his fiance Alice and begin a career in ______ (what?). Alice studies Art History at the ________ (where?) and is also going to receive a degree in Art History next _____ (when?). They met in Peru in _____ (when?) while they _______ (what?) together in the Andes. They have been engaged for three years.
===========================================================================
Helping Students Write a Creative Story
Once students have become familiar with the basics of English and have begun communicating, writing can help open up new avenues of expression. These first steps are often difficult as students struggle to combine simple sentences into more complex structures. This guided writing lesson is intended to help bridge the gap from simply writing sentences to developing a larger structure. During the course of the lesson students become familiar with the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'.
Aim: Guided Writing - learning to use the sentence connectors 'so' and 'because'
Activity: Sentence combination exercise followed by guided writing exercise
Level: lower intermediate
Outline:
• Write a sentence with 'so' and a sentence with 'because' on the board: Example: We needed some food so I went to the supermarket. | He studied all night because he had a difficult test the next day.
• Ask students which sentence expresses a reason (because) and which sentence expresses a consequence (so).
• Now, write these variations of the sentences on the board: Example: I went to the supermarket because we needed some food. | He had a difficult test so he studied all night.
• Ask students to explain what has changed in the sentences. Check the students understanding of the differences between 'so' and 'because'.
• Give the students the sentence matching exercise. Students should match the two sentences that logically go together.
• Once students have completed this exercise, ask them to combine the two sentences in each pair using 'so' or 'because'. Check their answers as a class.
• Read the example story to the class as a listening exercise which also sets the tone for the follow-up exercise. Ask students some comprehension questions based on the story.
Example Story:
A young Swedish man named Lars met a beautiful young French woman named Lise. They met in a cafe in Amsterdam during the afternoon. As soon as Lars saw Lise, he fell hopelessly in love because she was so beautiful and sophisticated. He wanted to meet her, so he introduced himself and asked her if he could speak to her. Soon, they were talking about their two countries and having a wonderful time. They decided to continue their discussion that evening so they made a date to have dinner in a wonderful restaurant. They continued to see each other every day because they had such a wonderful time together. Five months later, Lars moved to France and they married and lived happily ever after.
• Have students write a similar story using the guided writing prompts provided on their worksheet. Tell them they should be a creative as possible as that will make their story all the more enjoyable.
• Circulate around the room helping students with their short compositions.
• As a follow-up listening exercise which can be a lot of fun, have students read their stories aloud to the class.
• Results and Reasons
1. I had to get up early.
2. I'm hungry.
3. She wants to speak Spanish.
4. We needed a vacation.
5. They're going to visit us soon.
6. I went for a walk.
7. Jack won the lottery.
8. They bought a CD. A. I needed some fresh air.
B. She takes evening courses.
C. Their friend had a birthday.
D. We went to the seaside.
E. I had an early meeting at work.
F. He bought a new house.
G. We haven't seen them in a long time.
H. I'm cooking dinner.
Writing A Short Story
Quickly answer the questions below and then use the information to write your short story. Use your imagination to make the story as enjoyable as possible!
• Which man? (nationality, age)
• Loved who? (nationality, age)
• Where did they meet? (place, when, situation)
• Why did the man fall in love?
• What did he do next?
• What did the two do together that day?
• What did they do after that day?
• Why did they continue to see each other?
• How does the story end? Do they get married, do they separate?
• Is your story a sad or happy story?
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