Frequently Asked Questions By English Teachers
Activating vocabulary
"How can I help pre-intermediate students speak more fluently and actually use the vocabulary they have been learning recently, i.e. make passive vocabulary become active?"
Suggestions
A
Try to use your target vocabulary list again and again in the class. That will make the students comfortable as they will be able to listen to the pronounciation again and again. You can also use the same list of words in worksheets etc to reinforce them.
B
You can write down questions which contain the vocabulary items you are teaching onto slips of paper. You can either...
1. Prepare a few more questions than you have students, give each student a question slip and they find another student and ask them their question. When they finish talking about that question, the other student asks their question. When both questions have been asked they SWAP questions and go to find another student, armed with their new question.
NOTE: Try to make sure students realise they are not allowed to read the other person's question, so questions have to be read out.
2. Prepare a few question s, maybe 6-12, depending on the vocabulary difficulty level... students work in groups of 2-4. They turn over question slips one by one, look at each question, then talk as a group for as long as they want about it. When they 'dry up', they turn over the next question etc... I sometimes use question slips for helping students to use any new target language in conversation, whether it's vocabulary or grammar.
Put a little thought into the questions to make them as stimulating/ entertaining as possible. Of course, this doesn't just work for pre-intermediate... As long as you grade the questions according to the level, you can use it for any level.
C
1. Issue to the pupils copies of a locally popularly-available and inexpensive phrase-book (English/Castilian) for tourists.
2. Have pairs of pupils read out short (one-minute) "encounters" using the phrases strictly in turn as they come on a page (one pupil is "tourist" other is "local inhabitant"). Proper pronunciation of English must be demanded! "Th", "V", "B" must be correct, and word-endings crisply sounded.
3. Then challenge all the pupil-pairs to write their own 5 minute sketch using phrases they have selected from the book. They will be allowed to augment the book with their own words if they feel they have to, but such additions must be introduced only in the form of complete "phrases" (bi-lingual Castilian/English) which sound as if they could have come from the book.
4. Form class into teams (of two pairs each) and challenge each team to write its own 15 minute sketch entirely composed of phrases they have made up themselves (for an imaginary phrase-book the "tourists" can use for the sketch).
5. All teams read or perform their sketches.
6. Class votes, tabulating all sketches in order of merit, scored on Entertainment Value only.
حـ * ـلم @h_lm
عضوة شرف في عالم حواء
يلزم عليك تسجيل الدخول أولًا لكتابة تعليق.
حـ * ـلم
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FAQ
Q1-Can anyone explain clearly the difference between 'at the end of', 'by the end of' and 'in the end'
A1-BY the end of = done anytime before the end of something
AT the end of = not done before the end but really at the end
For example
I'll finish this exercises by the end of the class
I'll work on it during class and it will be finished before class ends - anytime before class ends
I'll finish this exercise at the end of the class
I'll work on other things but I'll keep the 10 last minutes to finish this exercise.
Q1-Can anyone explain clearly the difference between 'at the end of', 'by the end of' and 'in the end'
A1-BY the end of = done anytime before the end of something
AT the end of = not done before the end but really at the end
For example
I'll finish this exercises by the end of the class
I'll work on it during class and it will be finished before class ends - anytime before class ends
I'll finish this exercise at the end of the class
I'll work on other things but I'll keep the 10 last minutes to finish this exercise.
حـ * ـلم
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Q2- How can i introduce a lesson that explains the simple past tense
......A teacher said
I always start class with a general what did you do yesterday/last weekend question to warm up my students (and while we're waiting for everyone else to show up
That's to keep it up
Then i write the verbs they used on the board with the appropriate endings and go over the sounds (t, d, ed) pronunciation
We do that for about half an hour, and they generally ask me questions about rules.
Then to practice i go over examples out of a grammar book with them
......A teacher said
I always start class with a general what did you do yesterday/last weekend question to warm up my students (and while we're waiting for everyone else to show up
That's to keep it up
Then i write the verbs they used on the board with the appropriate endings and go over the sounds (t, d, ed) pronunciation
We do that for about half an hour, and they generally ask me questions about rules.
Then to practice i go over examples out of a grammar book with them
jullnar
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و الرجاء دعوة منكم في ظهر الغيب لوالدي الحبيب أن يشفيه ولوالد الغالية عزيزة .. و يعوضهم خيراص ...و يغفر لهم ما تقدم من ذنبهم وما تأخر و يأجرهم على كل ما قدموه من خير و تضحية ...و يبدلهم بعد عمر طويل بأهل خير من أهلهم ودار خير من دارهم و يجمعهم مع النبيين و الصديقين و الشهداء في دار النعيم و أن يجعل خير ايامهم يوم لقاء وجهه الكريم و خير أعمالهم خواتمها و أن يثيبهم خيراً .. هم وسائر مرضى المسلمين أجمعين يارب العالمين .. اللهم آآآآآآآمين
اللهم اٌاٌاٌاٌمــــــــــــــــــيييين........
وجزاك الله خيرا عن كل حرف كتبتيه و انجا الباري اناملك من نار جهنم,,,,اللهم اٌاٌاٌاٌمــــــــــــــــــيييين
اللهم اٌاٌاٌاٌمــــــــــــــــــيييين........
وجزاك الله خيرا عن كل حرف كتبتيه و انجا الباري اناملك من نار جهنم,,,,اللهم اٌاٌاٌاٌمــــــــــــــــــيييين
حـ * ـلم
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حبيبتي و إياكم جميعاً ياااااااارب
تسلمي عيوني على الدعوة الحلوة و الله يكتب لك مثلها و أفضل
:26: :26:
تسلمي عيوني على الدعوة الحلوة و الله يكتب لك مثلها و أفضل
:26: :26:
الصفحة الأخيرة
"How can I introduce the present perfect in an easy way? My students are adolescents."
Suggestions
A
Use your clothes, especially your shoes!
When introducing the concept of a state or situation that started in the past and continues up to the present - I have had my shoes for six months - I ask the students to guess how long I have had my shoes. I show them the shoes - keeping them on my feet! - drawing attention to signs of wear and tear. Then, in pairs, they have to guess how long I have had them. Whilst they are discussing, I put the beginning of my marker sentence on the board - 'I think you ____ ____ your shoes ___ ....' I then ask for their guesses - I don't ask for a sentence, the length of time is sufficient - writing each one up on the board at the end of the marker sentence. I then give the correct answer, the pair closest wins a prize (a round of applause!). Then, we work on the marker sentence, filling the gaps, beginning with the missing 'for' or 'since', and then the verb form. I then elicit the question - 'How long have I had my shoes?' or 'How long do you think I have had my shoes?'. A bit of choral drilling and then the students practise. Either in pairs or as a mingle activity, the students guess how long their partners have had their shoes, jackets, trousers, glasses...
teenagers are always willing to talk about clothes, and the concept is clear from the example, it is clear that I still have my shoes now (they are on my feet) and that I bought them in the past. It is also easy to contrast the use of the present perfect with the past simple - 'I have had my shoes for two months.' 'I bought my shoes two months ago.' I hope this idea works with your classes .
B
There's a game you can play that will lure students into a communicative approach to what is being taught. I used this for teaching Present Perfect tense. It is just like Bingo. In a 4 or 5 by 5 grid write statements like 'Has never been to New York', or 'Has been to the cinema twice this month' in each cell and so on until your grid is filled. You might want to have different Bingo cards to create more variety. Students will then ask each other questions to fill the grid up. Standard Bingo rules apply about winning the game. (Creating a row or column etc with answered questions). !
C
First, teach your students the regular and irregular verbs, and tell them the present perfect = the subject + have or has + past participle of the verb e.g: I have bought a new car, (bought from buy); It's important for your student to know the past participle and when to use either have or has. I hope for you have good luck in your profession.