jueves, 30 de septiembre de 2010

Mind map on Grammar (Chapter 5 from Hedge)

HI again.
I wanted to make a mindmap about Grammar (chapter 5 from Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom, by Tricia Hedge) with the tool we had already used, remember Mindmeister? But I couldn't. So I have tried a similar site. Here is the link, and you are welcome to collaborate with the map. Just click on GRAMMAR below

GRAMMAR
Lots of love,
Norma

lunes, 27 de septiembre de 2010

http://normabt.glogster.com/listening/

Hi everyone,
here is my glog on listening. I hope you enjoy it.

jueves, 26 de agosto de 2010

Here I am again. I have chosen to work with an authentic text for the project on chapter 4 of Hedge's Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. I have used this activity and it worked very well. However, I would really appreciate any criticism from all of you, especially on the weak points you can spot. I hope there aren't too many, anyway.
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/aSGuest62983-487271-hedge-chapter-4/

sábado, 10 de julio de 2010

Learner autonomy

This is an example of learner autonomy, and it's all to your credit, Gla! In a few months I have improved on blogging, I have also learnt to use the Glogster and I would never have dreamt I would be able to make a Power Point presentation just by myself. Thank you for insisting, it feels great! It's just that I need time to process and try like a hundred times until I find the way to do the things on my own, without help. Well, here it goes. Hope you all enjoy it.
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/normabt-435842-chapter3-hedge/

lunes, 21 de junio de 2010

Looking Back

http://normabt.glogster.com/looking-back/
If you ever, ever, ever see this, please let me know. I've spent almost 9 hours trying to track this glogster; only God knows where it was and how it came to be posted. I guess He pities me somehow and posted it Himself ha, ha! Just one piece of advice: I would zoom in to read the whole page of the books. But if you want some fun, just click on the page and see what happens. Typically Normus, you know!

lunes, 10 de mayo de 2010

Activities for teens or adults

"Why are you studying English?" Together with Shakespeare and Dickens, this is a classic of the English language. I mean, how many of us have asked our students that question? The thing is that we do not start shooting them with this question the moment they sit at their desks and have barely taken their notebooks out of their bags. That would be a bit intimidating rather than relaxing. So, what about disguising our genuine interest and engage them in an activity if we want to find out their reasons for learning English?
We could carry out a survey. That's a typical activity in the classroom, and every teen or adult knows how they are carried out, so they need very few instructions, indeed. We could provide them with a list of reasons for learning the language and they number them in order of importance, and then they can share their results with the rest of the class, so that a pie chart can be drawn for the class, which shows the percentages reached. It provides time for the student to reflect upon their answers; it fosters peer communication when they have to share results; it is a very good way of breaking the ice and an excellent opportunity to get to know each other; and every student is represented in the outcome (the chart).
A much less time-consuming activity could be the teacher-friendly Finish the sentence. We could write some unfinished sentences on the board for them to finish (kind of: I want /must / have to /am learning English because ...), something which can be done orally, and then used as a springboard to link students with the same interests or work with similarities and differences.
Anyway, never get rid of the old straightforward question. It could be useful when there is only one new student in the group, ...but let them sit down and relax first!
Now, since there are different reasons for learning a language, I think the best way to motivate them is to vary the kinds of activities and tasks. The more variety, the more chances we have to address a wider range of students. Besides, that will give us a chance to see which activities they feel more (or less) comfortable with, which will in turn be beneficial to create a good learning atmosphere. Something I usually do is to surprise them with the unexpected. For example, surprise adults by teaching commands using cartoons or films for kids, work on physical descriptions with adolescents watching a video clip from the 90s... I mean, something they are not used to, and something that shakes them out of routine and makes them think "What will come next?" I have found that truly gratifying.

jueves, 15 de abril de 2010

Start afresh

OK, here I go again.
A new academic year has started and this time (I hope!) I will be able to finish what I have started...twice! Time is definitely not on my side, you see, Mick. I'm always short of it.
My expectations as for this year? To learn to understand teens and adults, but mostly adolescents; to learn and borrow techniques from my peer trainees ;-); this is the last time (hopefully) I will be attending Methods at a TTC so, yes, I think that those are the key words for me: learn, understand. And of course, to finish the course this time!!! I can only promise to do my best.
Me