Motivating EFL and ESL learners with Authentic Use of Language for Communication and Content: Practical Ideas

and Tips for Real Classrooms

Dr. Christel Broady

Lets Break it Down to the Subtopics

Authentic Language Use
Motivation ESL & ESL

Authentic Language as Communication and Academic Content

Practical Ideas Contact Info

English Learners

Who Learns English, Where, and How?

Where
In the USA

Who
K-12 Immigrants and their families=ESL in US Schools Content-based and academic language-driven

Who
International Students=EFL in educational organizations Syllabus-driven

Outside of the USA

K-12 students = EFL

Adults=EFL in Higher Education

Implications for Teaching and Learning

What Does This Mean? Do we Need Different Methods?

Distinct Difference between ESL and EFL

Does it Make a Difference Which Groups Tries to Learn Vocabulary?

In EFL classes, kids often do not get sufficient exposure to and interactions with words and language overall. Without watering, vocabulary and language skills will grow very slow.

Cont.: Does it Make a Difference Which Groups Tries to Learn Vocabulary?

In ESL classes, kids often get too much exposure to and interactions with words. With too much watering, vocabulary and language skills will grow very slow.

It Does Not Make a Difference Which Groups Tries to Learn Vocabulary!

Both need an environment with the right amount of comprehensible input (Krashen) so they can grow. Learn more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiTsduRreug

Vocabulary Learning: What Language Learners Have in Common

Vocabulary MUST Connect to Learners Interest and Life Experiences

NOT teachers experiences NOT teachers interests Not teachers learning styles And definitely not textbook chapters
listening

organized around grammar topics!!!

writing

Motivation = Vocabulary Learning

reading

speaking

Lessons Need to be Planned Around Reasons to Communicate and not Grammar Topics
listening

writing

Lesson Planning = Reasons to Talk

speaking

reading

Q: What is Authentic Communication? A: That Depends.

listening

writing

Authentic Communication

speaking

reading

How to Make Communication Authentic to Learners? Just Ask Them

listening

writing

Authentic Communication

speaking

reading

Vocabulary Learning K-12 ESL Style in the USA

Making Language Count: Teaching Vocabulary While Teaching Content

listening

writing

Learning language and Content

reading

speaking

Done by Content Teachers in Regular Classrooms (Mostly)

Using WIDA Can Do Descriptors

(for more information see http://www.wida.us/ each Lesson

Defining Language Objectives in

Define how the language

domains reading, writing, speaking, listening are addressed

Define what words learners need Provide background in L1

Provide pictures for learners

Scaffold, scaffold, scaffold

Vocabulary Learning EFL Style

Why Should Learners Use English Language? Is the reason for the use relevant to them? How can you motivate English language learners?

The Role of Music and Rhythm

Students can remember words much better when they learn them in a context of music and rhythm. Music also chunks language
If we only all could have a Fluency MC in our rooms

And: The most Important Lesson Part: The Fun Factor!!!

When learners have fun, they learn more

And they build community!!

Essential Question: Does Using Language/Words Fulfill a Real-Live Function?

Language use needs to have a purpose. Here are exaples of using language for real purposes in a beginning classroom:
Designing graphic organizers or Ven Diagrams together to organize content Use language chunks/ high frequency phrases/ phrasal expressions Use passwords (H. Curtain) to navigate the classroom and real life Use ladders to communicate real meaning and building it week after week

TPR and Story TPR

YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/channel/HCWOp5lLm5DZs

On Being Creative: Shape and Concrete Poetry

Now to Your Fun Part!

Define the Communication Reason or Academic Content

What is the context????

Let Learners Decide What They Want to Learn! They can Do it. Really
Inquiry Learning: Want to learn more? http://www.inquirylearn.com/Inquirydef.htm

Inquiry Learning: The Think About Giving up Control

Lets face it: Language teachers do not know EVERYTHING about the target language communities and language. When they share the role of a learner with their students, they will grow immensely each year. When students are permitted to assume the role of a creator of knowledge, they will rise up to the level of responsibility and will succeed much more than otherwise.

Brainstorming Words and Concepts

There are wonderful tools available to brainstorming by paper and pencil,

blackboard, or online
ASSOCIOGRAMS

Group work
the center.

Group work trick: Each student writes their own answer on a post-it, they being the answers together and write a group answer in http://pinterest.com/pin/2251868536661173/

Online: Popplett

http://popplet.com/

Backwards Approach
Why are you communicating in class?
What words will you need to do that? What grammar will you need to do it? What activities provide opportunities for authentic communication? How will you and the students know that can can communicate effectively and use

the words correctly?

Gather Resources
Gather anything that helps learners acquire vocabulary online and handson

Teach Kids with Music Videos Featuring WORDS

Check out Some Examples:
Adjectives and Animals: Kids English by Pumkin - 4 Adjectives & Animals English Song for Children
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODRVgvjwkbo

Colors: Color Song for Kids: Learn 9 Colors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0HZNaM7gTg

Science/Space: Space Song by Peter Weatherall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIZLKibBEBI&list=PL1ACF2B447778D1E2 Math 10 TIMES TABLE Math Song Count up by 10s! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB6ZoUbvJsQ&list=PLBE33C1412A7E9E7A

The Other Kind of Vocabulary Drill: Let Kids Find Music Related to the Topic And Let Them Write their Own Music or Text

Living Words Vocabulary Drill

Let students write out words of the unit/lesson on pieces of paper or

cardboard: one word for each student

Then, collect the words, mix them up, and hand one to each student Next, call out the words The student with the word will get up and stand in front of the class Continue until all words are done

Words for Stores or Rooms of a House

Let students write out all words they want to learn in a lesson
Meanwhile, take colored tape and design a street with stores or a house

with rooms and hallways house

Then, let students negotiate, where the words should go in the street or Next, let them create role plays around the places so that all class

members will actually interact with them

Kids are Makers. Let Them with Words

Something

Kids are Makers. Let Them Something with Words: Infographics

Find many links to free infographic online tools here: http://digitallearningandteaching.wordpress.com/category/infographics/

What Did We Forget? Yes, Culture! The Glue That Keeps Things Together!

How Can Culture Be Brought into the Classroom? Do Learners Need Teachers to Provide Answers for Questions? No! Todays Learners are Information Seekers

Example: Studying Clothing, Household, Sports Words Online

How Can Learners Find Images for Almost Anything for a Virtual Class Unit Wordbook?

For Recycling of Words, use Wordart

For Recycling of Words, use Crossword Puzzles. But Wait: Let the Kids Make Them!!!

For Recycling of Words, Let Kids Make Digital Class Picture Dictionaries Together in a Safe Online Classroom

Let Kids Make Facebook Profiles

Ask them to use as many words as possible in each one and see who uses

the most one

Let them make up a celebrity FB page Find 5 online fake Facebook tools here:

http://web20edu.com/2011/04/16/fake-facebook-templates-and-pagesfor-student-projects/

Use Words in Contexts of Sentences or Phrases

Chunk language to provide tools

Provide Early Success: Total Physical Response But Wait: Let the Kids Give the Commands
Find more Info Here: http://www.tprsource.com/

The Power of Music

Example Fluency MC English/ESL ColloTunes

Utilize YouTube Videos and Music

Phone Scavenger Hunt:

Kids get into groups They hide an object in school As a group, they write out instructions

for others to find the object or Walkie Talkie

Then, the other group will get a phone

The first group provides spoken

instructions on how to get to the object the process until every group is finished

After it is found, the groups reverse

The Best Book for Practical Activities:

Languages and Children: Making the Match, New Languages for Young Learners, Grades K-8 (4th Edition) [Paperback] Helena I. Curtain (Author), Carol Ann Dahlberg (Author) 5.0 out of 5 stars The 5th edition will come out in 2014

Guess who co-authored a chapter???

Learning a language is not hard If communication is at the heart

Motivate learners to dare to speak With a real-life word technique

How to get in touch:

Christel_broady@georgetowncollege.edu

Find daily updates on:

http://broadyesl.wordpress.com/ http://digitallearningandteaching.wordpress.com/

Twitter @ BroadyESL
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