Dictation Race Game for the ESL Classroom

Hello fellow ESL Teachers, ESL Tutors and Happy Followers!

Thank you so much for visiting ESL Teacher. You are loved and appreciated!!!

Today, let's talk about a fun classroom activity for almost any level of students!



Method:
1) Pick out a conversation, preferably on a CD or other audio recording. Interchange is a good ESL textbook with a lot of conversations.
2) Write the names of the people talking in the dialogue on the board for each line of the dialogue. Write the names twice, one on each side of the board, so that two teams can write at the same time.
EXAMPLE:

John:
Sally:
John:
Sally:
John:

3) Divide the class into two teams, line them up with the first person holding a whiteboard marker and ready to write.

4) Play the CD once, tell the students to write what they hear.

5) The next student comes up, gets the marker, play the CD again.

6) Keep rotating students until every student has gotten a try.

7) Compare the teams' work. Who is more accurate? Correct any mistakes you find for both teams.

8) Congratulate the winners!

How to Effectively Use the Board

Hello ESL Teachers, ESL Students and Supporters!

Thanks for visiting ESL Teacher, a truly AWESOME resource for ESL teachers and ESL learners!

Today, let's discuss how to use the board in the ESL classroom.



Tips:
1) Write only new information on the board, do not copy the book onto the board.

2) Use the board to help with pronunciation if needed: write a word and then break it into parts, underline the parts or separate them with lines.

3) If you say a word or a sentence the students don't all understand, write it on the board and explain it to the students.

4) Use the board to keep you focused. Be sure that if you say something that is not in the book, then write it on the board. If you are writing words that are off topic or too complicated, or just too many new words on the board, you know that you need to be more careful with the words you are using.

5) Be sure you write clearly! Check your legibility.

6) Be sure to spell the words correctly. Check your writing!

Thanks for your visit. Leave your own tips in the comments below =)

Your fellow ESL teacher,

Meylysa

Speaking Slowly in the Beginning ESL Classroom

Welcome ESL Teachers, ESL Tutors, and Supporters!

Thank you for visiting ESL Teacher, the most happening ESL place on the internet!

Today, let's talk about speaking slowly in the beginning ESL Classroom.



I usually speak slower when teaching ESL beginners, as it is difficult for them to understand what I am saying.

Tips:
1) For the elementary ESL learner, speak slowly. Focus on individual words and use pictures, pointing or gestures to convey the meaning until the students understand.

2) For the elementary ESL learner, pause between words. This gives them time to understand one word at a time.

3) For the intermediate ESL learner, speak normally first. Then slow your words down until you have everyone understanding.

4) For the advanced ESL learner, speak normal speed. You can slow down if they have difficulty pronouncing a word.

Just imagine if you were learning a foreign language...would you want the ESL teacher to speak slowly?

Hope this was helpful! Please leave your comments!

Your fellow ESL Teacher,

Meylysa

How You Can Support ESL Teacher!!

Hello Fellow ESL teachers, ESL Tutors and Supporters!

Thank you for visiting ESL teacher! Now that you've found this excellent resource, and now that it has greatly improved the quality of your life and your ESL students' lives...you are wondering how can I support this amazing website!



FREE WAYS TO SUPPORT ESL TEACHER:


1) Volunteer and help with video editing, upkeeping the website, teaching ESL lessons, and all the other tasks that need to be done. I will train you for FREE. More details on the Help Wanted blog post.


2) Tell your co-workers and students about the blog. Write down the address and give it to five teachers and five students. Tell them to pass on this AWESOME and FREE resource to their friends, family and co-workers. Spread the word =)

3) Leave thoughtful comments and suggestions under the posts.

4) Suggest an AWESOME idea of your own on how you can divinely help ESL Teacher! You or someone you know may have an amazing marketing/business strategy that could help us out even more!


FUN WAYS TO SPEND SOME MONEY AND HELP ESL TEACHER:

1) Buy your ESL textbook or have your students buy their ESL textbook from the links in this blog (such as The Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition or Basic English Grammar, Third Edition  (Full Student Book with Audio CD and Answer Key)). Buying books from Amazon through the links in ESL Teacher will raise a small commission...and the cost will be the same to you!

2) Buy Hawaii Chocolate for fundraising or to give as gifts! The earnings go to ESL Teacher, and some also go to a designated charity. Plus...it's fun to buy chocolate...and this chocolate is really yummy =)

3) Donate to ESL Teacher by pressing the Donate Button below. Donations are not tax deductible, but go towards feeding, clothing and sheltering your ESL teacher...as well as paying for equipment and supplies!  Suggested donations are $5/year for students, and $15/year for teachers. For our wealthier patrons, we have a contest. The highest annual donation over $10,000 gets the opportunity to meet with Meylysa in-person. The winner will be announced by January 4 of the following year by 5pm Hawaii Time. May the best one win!

Thanks for wanting to support ESL Teacher! It's much appreciated =)

Your local friendly ESL Teacher super hero!!!!

Meylysa

Pointing as a Learning Tool

Hello fellow ESL Teachers!

Welcome to ESL Teacher, an awesome blog here for you always!

Today we discuss having students point to things to improve their listening ESL comprehension.



When you tell students to point, they can take a physical action to re-enforce their listening ESL comprehension. It's also a fun and easy activity!

Thanks, and as always, please leave comments!

Your fellow ESL teacher,

Meylysa

Pulling Out Patterns to Teach ESL Vocabulary

Hello and welcome to ESL Teacher...the most amazing and wonderful place to hone your English teaching skills In The World!

Let's begin today's topic, how to pull out patterns to help ESL Learners retain new vocabulary.



Whether you are teaching advanced ESL learners or elementary ESL learners, they learn phrases and sentences just like they learn words. They memorize it as a whole. If you want students, especially elementary ESL learners, to break out and learn to use a pattern, you need to show them the pattern, and have them practice the pattern.

Example 1: 3-year-old boy
1) Teach the meaning of 3-year-old boy
2) Teach that you can use other numbers like 4-year-old boy
3) Practice giving students numbers like 5, 10, 12 and have students make the pattern (5-year old boy...etc)
4) Change boy to girl, do a pattern practice with different numbers again.
5) Change to woman...then man...and repeat.

Example 2: My ____ hurts.
1) Teach body parts (head, hand, leg, etc.)
2) Teach "My head hurts"
3) Give students body parts ("Head") and have the students say the pattern ("My head hurts").
4) Let the students create their own patterns.

ESL learners need to practice the words a lot, and practice the patterns a lot. Advanced ESL learners and elementary ESL learners will benefit from this constant practice in the classroom, and will gradually build up their vocabulary and the number of useful phrases and sentences that they can make on their own.

If you have any other advice on pulling out patterns and using these patterns to re-enforce vocabulary, then please share! This post is similar to the post on using sentence practice help students learn new vocabulary, so please visit it as well!

Thanks!

Your fellow ESL Teacher,

Meylysa

Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition, pp. 30-31 Adults and Children

Hello English (ESL) Students!

Welcome to ESL Teacher. Open your English (ESL) textbook, The Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition to pages 30-31. Listen to your English (ESL) teacher, Meylysa, and learn English! We are learning about adults and children, and what you call people with different ages.

pp. 30-31 Adults and Children


pp. 30-31 REVIEW


PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AND YOU ARE PERFECT!

Be Enthusiastic!

Hello ESL Teachers and Tutors,

Welcome to ESL Teacher, a place to become your ultimate ESL teaching self! Today!



Today we will talk about the value of enthusiasm. It's important in beginning classes to be enthusiastic. Why?

1) You want to keep yourself excited and happy about teaching (after all, we love what we are doing!)

2) You want your ESL students to be excited about learning (after all, learning English rocks)!

3) You want your ESL students to understand the material better!

So, enthusiasm rocks! But how do you do enthusiasm?

1) Act out the words and phrases you are teaching. If you are doing a dialogue, act out the dialogue. If the students are doing a dialogue, have them act out the dialogue!

2) Smile and be perky. Be energetic (if this is hard for you, then try to exercise a lot and eat proper nutrition).

3) Look at your students and see if they understand. If they don't look like they understand, then ask them directly if they understand. If they say no, act it out, write descriptions, draw pictures until they understand! It's a fun challenge!

Good luck and invite me to your ESL class sometime soon! If you are an ESL teacher now, please leave comments!

Your fellow ESL teacher,

Meylysa

Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition, p. 22 Calendar Events

Hello English (ESL) Students!

Thank you for visiting ESL Teacher. Today we are learning about Calendar Events in your Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition to page 22. An event is a special time or occasion. We are going to talk about days that are printed on a calendar from the United States. These days are holidays. We are also going to talk about days that you write on your calendar, like appointments with your doctor!

Calendar Events on p. 22 in Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition


Review of Calendar Events on p. 22 in Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition


So, watch the lesson, use your dictionary if you have to and study hard =) Today in the United States is "Administrative Professionals (Secretary) Day" so Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

Your English ROCKS!

Oxford Picture Dictionary: Low Beginning Workbook

Hello Fellow ESL Teachers and ESL Tutors,

Here is another great book to add to your library, Oxford Picture Dictionary: Low Beginning Workbook. I suggest that you have students buy the book, as it is excellent practice for them.

Each page in the The Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition corresponds to a page in this workbook. Students can also practice listening, as there are two audio CDs included in the back, which they can listen to while they do the listening activities in the back of the book.

These books are very useful as an added practice in your class. They can be used in the last half hour and give you time to walk around and give students individual attention.

The cost is only $13-$16 depending on where you buy the book. It's a really good deal.

Please feel free to post a comment on this workbook!

Thank you for your visit today!

Your fellow ESL teacher,

Meylysa

First Week of ESL Teacher Training LEVEL 1

Hello Aspiring ESL Teachers!

Welcome to the first week of ESL Teacher training. After watching each training video you should drop to the floor and give me 20 push-ups. Well, you don't have to, but it wouldn't hurt =)

Video 1


Let's begin with an introduction to the bible of ESL textbooks for vocabulary, The Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition. This is the textbook we use on ESL Teacher and if you are serious about teaching, you should order the teacher's book: The Oxford Picture Dictionary Lesson Plans (Oxford Picture Dictionary 2e).

Finally, please view the following lessons:
The Importance of Repetition and the Language Habit

Keep it Simple

Learning Student Names and Introductions for Beginners

How to Introduce Vocabulary to Beginner and Intermediate Students

You're first assignment is to teach! If you are at the Drop-In Center, you will only have to do introductions. Please write in the comments section when you want to teach, one question that you have regarding teaching, and one new thing you learned from this training session.

Thank you for joining the class!

Your Fellow ESL Teacher,

Meylysa

Building ESL Student Confidence

Hello Fellow ESL Teachers and ESL Tutors,

Welcome to ESL Teacher, a great place to become all that you can be as an ESL teacher and ESL tutor.



Today we are going to touch on a very important milestone in an ESL student's life, when they become confident that they can and will succeed in learning English.

Before this point, your student will give up easily and will think that they are not good enough or smart enough or whatever. If you have ever learned or attempted to learn a foreign language, you probably personally already know what this feels like.

TIPS ON BUILDING STUDENT CONFIDENCE

1) Teach them some basic but very useful sentences to memorize. I have students learn the following:
Let me introduce myself.
My name is ____
I'm American/Chinese...
I've been in Hawaii for ____
I've been coming to the Drop-In Center for _____
I'm a teacher/housewife/...


2) I have the beginner students recite these sentences every class until they have them memorized.


3) If the student refuses to believe in their ability to memorize these sentences, I have them memorize one sentence first. And I have them say it to me every class, at least 10 times but an upward of 50 times, until they've memorized it. Then I work on the next sentence, and have them say the 1st and 2nd sentences many many times again, until they have memorized it as well.


4) Be persistent and be consistent. Don't change up the sentences until they have mastered them. Don't teach them anything else until they have memorized all of the sentences. Be sure that they say all of the sentences at the beginning of every class and that they remember them before you teach anything new.


5) The very act of memorizing those sentences will help them break down their negative beliefs, and will give them the confidence and the knowledge of how to study on their own.

Please share any techniques that you have! We would all really appreciate it!

Your fellow ESL teacher,

Meylysa

Motivating Students to be On Time

Hello fellow ESL Teachers and ESL Tutors,

Welcome to ESL Teacher, the most happening English Teacher training on the PLANET! Thank you for visiting today.

Let's focus for a moment on how to motivate students to be on time for class.



5 TIPS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS TO BE ON TIME:

1) As an ESL teacher, always be on time. Always start the class on time. This will motivate almost all of your students to come on time, as they will know that you will be there and if they aren't there, they will miss part of class.

2) Tell your students to be on time.

3) Have activities that are graded (if you have grades) at the beginning of class, like review quizzes and so on.

4) Give late students an activity. For example, have them stand in front of the class and have all of the students ask them one question about why they are late (this give the class question formation practice, and gives that late student lots of speaking practice).

5) Talk to the late student privately and find out if they have an ongoing commitment that causes them to be late (bus schedule, job, children going to school, etc). If their lateness cannot be helped, then have them come in the room in a non disruptive a method as possible. If possible, let the other students know that you are allowing that student to be late because they have a valid commitment.

Any other suggestions? Leave a comment!

Thank you for visiting!

Your fellow ESL teacher,

Meylysa

Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition, p. 11 A Day at School

Hello English (ESL) Students!

Welcome to class at ESL Teacher! Today we will be learning about A DAY AT SCHOOL. Open your English (ESL) Textbook, The Oxford Picture Dictionary, 2nd Edition to page 11. Listen and repeat after your English (ESL) Teacher Meylysa.

Practice everyday until you remember!

Page 10 A Day at School



Page 10 REVIEW



Your English is Amazing!

Using Eye Contact in the ESL Classroom

Hello Fellow ESL Teachers and ESL Tutors,

Thank you for visiting ESL Teacher, the best place to hone your English teaching skills. I really appreciate your visit!



Today I wanted to discuss the use of eye contact as a tool in teaching an ESL class. As most teachers perhaps instinctively already know, it is important to look at your students. This is how you can tell if they understand the lesson, if they are pronouncing the words correctly...or if they're sleeping!

However, I find it interesting that some new teachers are not looking at their students. Give your students eye contact time, be sure to look at each and every student as you teach. It makes the students feel like a part of the class.

In addition to getting a feel for your students, you can use eye contact to help students practice speaking. Here's a technique that I use to help students learn dialogues:

1) Write a dialogue on the board and then pair up students and have them practice it.

2) Have the students switch partners, and this time tell your students to look at each other, and not read the words.

3) If your students tell you they can't remember, tell them to look at the words, then look at their partner, and then speak.

4) Feel free to tell the students that you are having them practice speaking without reading for their own good. After all, they aren't going to walk around reading a book when they talk to people!

5) Have the student pairs come up to the front of the class and perform the dialogue. Be sure that they look at each other (and not stare off to the ceiling or the floor!).

Eye contact is very important in keeping a class focused. If they can look at you in unison, then you have a class that's ready to learn from you.

Please, share your advice or experience with eye contact in the ESL classroom. Thank you again for visiting ESL Teacher!

Your fellow ESL Teacher,

Meylysa