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Tips for the ESL Classroom

Talking Feedback
Moving cursors and voice comments could revolutionise the way teachers correct learners' work

Moving images of computer text with a personal commentary are unlikely to become the next YouTube sensation, but the use of screen-capture software, which allows this kind of voice-annotated manipulation, could become a major asset for English language teachers and students.

Screen-capture software allows you to record the screen of your computer as if you had a camera pointed at it and also record your voice. An attachable or built-in microphone is the only hardware requirement. Teachers can "capture" the contents of their screen as they correct and comment on students' work. All the notes, highlights and spoken comments recorded and the resulting video can be forwarded to the students.
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Creative Use of Crowdsourcing

English language learners in Japan are getting the benefit of feedback on their written work from over 6,000 internet users. A class project, co-lead by EL teacher James York uses the internet news site reddit.com as a platform to publish the students' digital comic strips. "For teachers the project can be seen as crowd-sourcing native English-speakers to voluntarily correct students' mistakes, praise them and communicate with them," he said.
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Books Apps and ELL Students

Step inside Julie Kusiak's first-grade class at Ocean Knoll Elementary in Encinitas, Calif., and you'll find her students using iPads in small group rotations. For her English language learner students in particular, it's an enriching time where they get to read books on an iPad.
The apps provide tools for them to master words and sentences on their own.

"My favorite feature in book apps is the Read to Me option," says Kusiak. "Additionally, kids not quite able to read at their grade level can access the book, tap on a word and have it pronounced and tap on an object and see and hear the word. This is great for second language learners and helps build their vocabulary and reading fluency."

According to Liz Griffiths, an educational consultant for Oceanhouse Media, ELL students often do not have English modeled for them at home. This means they are not getting valuable reinforcement at story time every night. Apps can step in and provide children with an accurate and consistent supplement to their language studies.
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Do's and Don'ts
A few best practices to keep in mind when teaching ELLs
by Larry Ferlazzo

Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski teach at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. Their book, The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide, will be published this
summer by Jossey-Bass; this article is an excerpt.
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The J. Paul Getty Museum's Innovative Language through Art: An ESL Enrichment Curriculum

This site provides lesson plans, images and a list and explanation of art terms for beginning ESL students.
Visit the museum site


Teacher-Turtle Team Helps Yuba City Students Learn English

He's accustomed to being shrieked at and having his shell tapped upon by little human fingers. For 30 years, E.T., a box turtle originally named when the popular Steven Spielberg movie was still in theaters, has been helping inspire immigrant school children to speak. His owner, Lincoln Elementary School teacher Kathy Hanlin-McPherrin, placed him on the floor in front of her students, ages 6 to 8 years old, and allowed them to move in close.

"I want everyone to notice one new thing about the turtle today," she told them. "The turtle was opening his mouth and closing it," said Manvir Sahota, 7, several seconds later. "It's hard to get little kids excited about grammar," she said. "But they want to say things about the turtle, and I give them prompts to get them to use the appropriate tense."
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From the Desk of Mr. Foteah

Matt Ray (Mr. Foteah ) teaches a self-contained special education class of 100% ELLs at intermediate or beginner levels. He chose to go into teaching because he "wanted to impact lives. It’s a cliche thing to say, but it’s the truth. In my three years of teaching, I have been heartbroken to see students as young as seven who already had it in their mind that they were worthless and incapable – but I’ve seen them shed those beliefs in favor of more positive ones. I’ve had students come to me, castigated by their previous teachers as “low-functioning,” only to have them speed past their classmates in what were considered their weakest areas. All it takes is believing in these kids and letting them know I believe in them."
Matt Ray's blog


Guardian Weekly Provides Complete Lesson Plans Based on News Articles

The Guardian Weekly is one of the world's best-selling international weekly newspapers, offering a unique blend of international news, politics, culture and comment. Originally founded to keep the US informed about world events as it became increasingly isolationist after the first world war, its first edition was printed a week after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. A monthly education supplement reports on the latest developments in English language education and provides complete lesson plans for TEFL teachers based on news features.

Two recent articles accompanied by lesson plans include Music brings back memories for people with dementia and Ferrari launches its first hybrid car.
Read the latest Guardian TEFL education supplement