Getting Them to Talk

1
Getting Them to Talk

• Classroom Strategies for
• Beginning Students
• Celebrating the Many Faces of English Language
  Learning
• Maryland TESOL Fall Conference
• November 3, 2007

2
Session Goals

• Discuss the function of speech in L2 language
  acquisition.
• Review the different learning styles.
• Discuss the characteristics of students who are
  learning English.
• Explore ways to encourage students to speak in
  the classroom.
• Exchange ideas!

3
The Function of Speech in L2 Language Acquisition

• Beginning students learn to speak after
  listening.
• Speech is the precursor to reading and writing.
• Speech (or oral communication) allows students to
  pull together everything they know.
• They can create original responses and initiate
  conversations.
• They can ask questions.

4
Students Learn in Different Ways

• Visuals the note-takers.
• Verbals need to put everything into language.
• Aurals remember things they hear.
• Tactiles need to touch to learn.
• Kinesthetics learn through movement.
• Or, a combination of two or more types!
• Do you know how your students learn?

5
Assess Your Students

• Take note of their cultures and backgrounds.
• Understand their personality traits.
• What is their literacy level in their native
  language?
• How long have they lived in the U.S.?
• Note biological differences (biorhythms).
• Are there other barriers to learning English,
  such as learning disabilities?

6
Assess Yourself and Your Strengths

• As an ESOL teacher, you play many roles,
  including
• ? Administrator
• Assessor
• Performer
• Psychologist
• Culture guide
• Mind-reader
• Translator
• Motivator
• And most important of all, Teacher!

7
Part of the Challenge

• English is not accessible even to Englishmen.
• George Bernard Shaw
• Preface to Pygmalion
• 1913

8
So Why, Really, Do We Teach?

• To help beginning students learn enough English
  to feel comfortable and to interact in society
  now.
• To help them form friendships and relationships.
• To help them achieve personal and career goals.
• Speech is a vital component it is the most basic
  means of human communication!

9
The Classroom Environment

• Use the resources available to you in the
  classroom (maps, globe, boom box, etc.)
• Establish ground rules.
• Establish classroom rituals.
• Work to gain mutual trust and respect.
• Be a role model.
• Be patient.
• Be flexible.
• Have a sense of humor.
• Have fun!

10
Classroom Strategies to Encourage Speech

• Ice-breakers
• - Round Robin names and native countries
• - Nametags
• - Shuffle the cards
• TPR (Total Physical Response, Asher, 1969)
• - Foam or yarn balls
• - Songs and chants

11
Classroom Strategies to Encourage Speech cont.

• Lets Pack a Suitcase (in handout)
• The Fashion Show
• These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (in
  handout)
• What is today?
• What did you do over the weekend?
• Celebrate special occasions baby shower, bridal
  shower, holidays, etc.
• Your ideas!

12
Final Thoughts

• Change activities to fit students needs.
• What place does (should) grammar have?
• - Teach basic sentence structure, word order.
• - Learning to speak in complete sentences is
  key.
• Mistakes are part of learning!
• Every moment is a teaching moment capitalize on
  the Aha! moments.

13
Resources

• Celce-Murcia, Marianne, ed. 2001. Teaching
  English as a second or foreign language, third
  edition. Boston, MA Heinle Heinle.
• Pollard, Laurel, Hess, N., Herron, J., eds. 2001.
  Zero prep for beginners. Burlingame, CA Alta
  Book Center Publishers.
• Spiller, Melanie. 2007. The five ways of
  learning. www.officezealot.com.
• Teaching adults An ESL resource book. 1996.
  Syracuse, NY New Readers Press.
• And, last but not least my students!
• Presented by
• Debi Rager
• Adjunct Instructor, ESOL
• Center for Adult and Family Literacy
• Community College of Baltimore County