LPs Ellen Murphy
Our class this past Tuesday night primarily used bus and subway maps to help students learn to ask for and give directions and find community institutions - hospitals, police and fire stations and parks. The grammar/vocabulary points centered on prepositions and direction/location words (next to, behind, beside, through, up, down, near, far, blocks, streets, avenues, etc.)
For the warmup in the large group we reviewed the previous lesson about family by asking students to describe their families - how many brothers and sisters they have; how many are in the US and how many back in their home countries. One African student surprised the class by telling us about his 23 brothers and sisters (!), most of whom are here. This warmup was good for reviewing not only the family vocabulary, but numbers.
Next we reviewed the vocabulary for the lesson by eliciting and listing the location/direction words. We then had students stand, and directed them (one by one) to stand next to, behind, far from (etc.) each other. We then broke up into our level-based groups for work with the maps.
In my beginner group I had each of them describe their trips to class or from home to work, which we traced on the subway map. We discussed how many blocks they had to walk to get from place to place, and how long their trips are. I also had them give directions from their homes to the nearest subway stops, supermarkets, hosptals, police stations, etc.
We looked for Brooklyn cultural points on the subway map and some neighborhood maps I had brought. The previous week the students had drawn sketches of their families, and I had told them they were artists - a word that they liked. Thinking that we could tie in the search for cultural institutions with their interest in "artist," I had brought in books of Latin American and African art. However, this went over like a lead balloon - some students leafed through the books in a cursory way, but in general it wasn't worth the schlep to the Strand!
After a final reiew of the vocabulary, we roleplayed asking for directions using a generic map of a downtown area. Each student in turn would tell us how to get from, for instance, the supermarket to the hospital on the map.
Things went well, although at a really slow pace. It was amazing to learn that one of my students has been here for 14 years and is just now learning this vocabulary. She is Mexican, and this pointed out to me how much easier it is to navigate New York if the use of your native language is widespread. Presumably, my African students or those from smaller countries in Eastern Europe don't have this advantage outside of their own neighborhoods or social circles. I wonder if they learn English more quickly? I expect, also, that learning will also be a result of the work an immigrant does. If you're cleaning houses or offices, or doing data entry or other work that doesn't involve public contact, I presume you don't pick up English as quickly.
One point. I have noted in my earlier posts that the structure of my teaching experience is pretty loose. This is, for instance, the first time that Imani House has had a formal curriculum; lesson plans are sketchy, and much is left to individual teachers (I observed an intermediate-level class this week, and had a lot of reservations about how it proceeded). Classes often proceed like pick-up basketball games, with teachers filling in for others as needed. Last Tuesday I had another co-teacher, a young man who has newly volunteered for the program. He's interested and experienced; however, his style is a lot different from mine (he speaks quickly, in a loud, staccato voice, and he repeatedly says things like "this is really important and I want you guys to know this" - notwithstanding that most of the students are women). I had really mixed feelings about his presence; on one hand, I thought "hey, these are my students! I've had them since the first week!!" (very proprietary!) On the other, it was nice to share the class; I wasn't as exhausted afterwards. This guy wants to stay with my beginner group; I'll be interested to see how things work over the weeks to come.
Next week we have class on Valentine's Day. I'll do the full-class warmup by asking students if they plan to do anything special for the holiday, and for whom, and whether they have a similar holiday in their home countries. When the class breaks up by level, I want to review the location words and add some more prepositions. I plan to do a pair exercise with the beginners using a schematic of a room and having them describe the location of objects (on the table, next to the chair). For the more advanced group, I plan to suggest the pair exercise we did in our class last week of having one person describe a room in his/her house and the other draw it from that description, asking questions as appropriate.
I've asked students to bring in each week three English words that they either learned or have questions about. The students like homework, and I have asked them to do this each week. I also will prepare a set of multiple-choice questions to be used either in class or as homework to reinforce the prepositions we've been learning.
Our plan for all the ESOL students is to go on a field trip that the students will organize over the next few weeks, with help from the teachers (this was one reason we did the lesson with bus and subway maps). We introduced the idea last week and solicited possible destinations. There was a surprising amount of interest in Atlantic City (we were thinking more in terms of the Brooklyn Museum or main library!). The idea is to have the students select a place, call and find out about hours and lay out travel directions for the entire class. We've asked them to bring some more ideas next week; I expect at least one person will want to go to Disney World. We're going to have to figure out how to deal with this!
Imani House
Tuesday ESOL Class
February 14, 2006
Objectives:
• To have students read, write and converse in large- and small-group settings, using the theme of Valentine’s Day and vocabulary of emotions (like/don’t like).
• To review vocabulary of location and direction from class of February 7.
• To continue discussion of possible field trip options.
Resources:
Facsimile maps, crossword puzzles, crossword-related word sheets, worksheets for
Warm-Up
It’s Valentine’s Day - what do we celebrate on that holiday? How do we celebrate it? Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day? Is there a special holiday in your country that celebrates love? Tell us more about that.
Have students brainstorm words associated with Valentine’s Day - teacher will write words on whiteboard.
Writing/Vocabulary (Activity 1)
Break class into small groups, mixing students of various levels. Distribute Valentine’s Day Crossword Puzzle for students to complete, with assists from teachers. Have answer-wordlist available for distribution in case students have difficulty with the crossword.
When students have completed the puzzle, reconvene the class and ask students to volunteer answers.
Break students into groups by level
Additional Activities: Beginners: Review vocabulary from previous weeks:
• Homework questions: Who do you love? What do you love?
• Vocabulary of location and direction from last week, using a facsimile map to practice near, far, next to, behind, left, right, etc.
• Go over homework assignment (bring in three English words to explain or discuss).
Intermediates
Additional Activities: Teachers’ options:
• Use facsimile map to continue discussion of vocabulary of location/ direction from last week (I have two maps of different levels of complexity; see attachment)
And/or -
• Introduce additional vocabulary related to emotions: like, don’t like, can’t stand, enjoy, prefer. Have students discuss in a group or in pairs, choosing categories like foods, TV programs, activities, places to visit. Why does he/she feel this way?
• Have students write short sentences using the vocabulary, either as follow-up to the discussion or for homework.
Reconvene the full class to discuss suggestions for field trips and to discuss next steps.
Tuesday, February 21
We did a lesson on public policy last Tuesday as part of Presidents' Day. As directed by the program director, the students did skits in which they played immigrants and immigration officers (in which an immigrant trying to enter the US is turned back for having no papers); a teacher and students (in which an English class is cancelled because of budget cuts) and a store owner and job seeker (in which the job seeker is offered a job, but the owner wants to pay less than the minimum wage and is corrected). The students seemed to enjoy the skits (each had a role), but, more important, had the experience of practicing English sentences and becoming better and more confident at saying them.
After we broke out into groups, there were discussions about the allocation of public funds for various programs, with students expressing opinions as to where money should be allocated. Interesting, but I'm not sure of the long-term benefits of the evening.
This week we have the first of two lessons on work I'll try to post the lesson plan here (technical difficulties, as usual), which was put together by one of my co-teachers. I will add a grammar lesson on simple past for the beginners.
I am beginning to despair of my effectiveness with the basic beginners. It takes so much energy to work with this group - which I don't at all mind, but I don't know how much they retain and how much this class is helping them navigate their lives outside of class in English. It seems we go over the same ground again and again without much progress. They are utterly resistant to working in pairs; when I introduce an exercise in that format everyone stares at me blankly! I think my next tactic to get them talking to each other is to give them something to work on, sort the pairs out, and excuse myself to go to the ladies room.
Does anyone have any thoughts????
Ellen
ESOL Lesson
Objectives:
• To teach students about occupations and job related vocabulary
• Teach what are some of the jobs we can do in the United States
• To get students talking and writing
Materials Needed:
• Occupation Handouts
• Crossword Handouts
All student warm-up: eraser toss game, begin having students say each others name, then have say, What job they do/ would like to do.
Vocabulary
Have vs. Want
I have a job, I want a job etc.
Activity
Guess the occupation with the handouts provided
Break Into Groups
Discussion
1. What job did you do in your country? What do you do at work.
“In my country I….”
2. What job do you do here? What do you do at work?
3. What do you want to do?
4. What are you good at? (I Am good at…..) What do you like to do
Write
1. Have students write three sentences of what their responsibilities are at work as discussed.
2. Have students list different qualifications they have for their jobs
Homework Have students look at classified sections of newspapers and bring into class the jobs/job descriptions that they are qualified for or would like to have./ Crossword Puzzle
If time allows Have students and tutor review classifieds section of the newspaper. Have students think of some questions that would be asked of them on the interview for their ideal jobs. Have students mock interview one another.
A good class tonight.
We had the first of two lessons about work and jobs. Since the lesson plan called for discussions that centered on "what do you do in the US?" and "what did you do in your country?" the time was ideal for a lesson that incorporated the simple past tense. My program director wasn't entirely keen on this, preferring to focus on occupation-related vocabulary (?!!?); however, I said I couldn't see how we could have a discussion of what people did before they came to the US without going over the different way we express what happened in prior times.
We started out with a handout of photos I'd put together for a lesson plan in Authentic Materials on work and jobs. This is sort of a stealth-bomber approach to political/cultural education - a collection of photos of people from very diverse backgrounds and in non-traditional occupations (female construction workers, male teachers, a 60-ish year old dancer, a cabaret singer who uses a wheelchair, etc.) The task was to look at a list of occupations (the target vocabulary) and match the words with the photos. We had lots of fun with the consternation of some of the students (mostly the group from the Middle East) at seeing people depicted outside traditional roles; the female students also got a kick out of a photo of a mother included in this group of illustrations of workers (they all said this was the hardest job - especially since it's unpaid work. Good discussion among the more advanced students about whether unpaid work = a job).
We broke out into groups, and I had my basic beginners. I had drawn the timeline to show the difference between present and past tenses, and talked about the "regular" past-tense endings. I had a matching exercise of verbs in the present and past tenses that, after discussion, I handed out. One student finished it very quickly, so I asked him to help the others - and then walked out of the room to see what would happen. Lo and behold, they worked away together, and had the exercise finished by the time I came back - which was a delight, given the problems I've had getting them to work in pairs or small groups. They were really getting into the past tense - so we then worked on sentences I'd originally planned to assign for homework, rewriting from present to past. Everyone seemed really pleased at the end of the evening; I got the sense that they thought they'd really accomplished something tonight (plus they avoided homework - always a plus).