Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

Tour around the ELT conference circuit as our team shares conference highlights and session reviews.

Conferences

Learn tips on how to teach grammar and usage from our editors and grammar experts. 

Grammar & Usage

<h1>Say It Plainly</h1>

<p>Last weekend, I had the chance to attend the <strong>Plain Language Association International 2013 Conference</strong> in Vancouver, BC. From October 10 to 13, this inspiring, informative conference brought together more than 500 people from many different fields who are all interested in making communication as clear as can be.</p>

<p>The main message was that whether you&#39;re a teacher, a literacy professional, a government worker, or a lawyer, you should try to speak and write in a way that is clear&mdash;plain and simple!</p>

<h1>What Is Plain Language?</h1>

<p>Plain language involves keeping your audience in mind at all times, and the goal is to write to be understood by all your readers. There are guidelines you can follow, such as using the pronoun &ldquo;you&rdquo; and avoiding jargon and the passive voice, but the success of any document is measured by how well your readers understand it.</p>

<p>As English teachers, we are all already familiar with the concept of plain language. We continually strive to speak and write in a way that our English learners will understand. For more information about what plain language is and what the conference was all about, read the conference host&#39;s <a href="https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is-plain-language/">definition of plain language</a>&nbsp;website or see my summary of the conference in this BCBusiness&nbsp;online&nbsp;magazine article:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bcbusiness.ca/your-business/say-it-plainly#!">Say It Plainly</a>.</p>

<p>While the conference covered a wide variety of topics like the future of plain language (it&rsquo;s becoming more and more popular all over the world) and ethics in plain language (such as the right to understand all forms and documents), I want to focus on some sessions that relate directly to English&nbsp;teaching.</p>

<h1>User-Testing</h1>

<p>Kate Harrison Whiteside, one of the conference cofounders, led a panel presentation called <em>Successfully Integrating Plain Language</em>. During the presentation, she mentioned that user-testing was key to ensure understanding. This relates directly to us teachers because we need to carefully monitor understanding when using new materials in class.</p>

<p>I find the best way to do this is by circulating as students are working (whether it&rsquo;s individually, in pairs, or in groups). Often students won&rsquo;t volunteer that they are confused by the material. But when you circulate, you can quickly assess who is getting it and who isn&rsquo;t, and offer help to those who need it at that time or after&nbsp;class.</p>

<h1>Getting Feedback</h1>

<p>Terri Peters, a plain language trainer, also emphasized that talking to a lot of people for feedback is invaluable. As a teacher, I agree. At my old school, we did student evaluations once a month that included a written rating and a counseling session. But sometimes I found it beneficial to talk to students throughout the semester, especially after the first week of class, to make sure everyone was keeping up and not feeling frustrated with the&nbsp;material.</p>

<h1>Reading</h1>

<p>Diana Twiss, of <em>Decoda Literacy Solutions</em>, talked about what makes people effective readers and how plain language can model this. Teachers can use her findings in their classrooms to help students understand the reading portion of a lesson more clearly.</p>

<p>First, teachers should always tell students what they will learn in the reading (i.e., the <strong>purpose</strong>) before they read.</p>

<p>Second, providing some <strong>background information</strong> about the reading topic before students read helps all levels of learners get more out of the reading.</p>

<p>Third, using <strong>headings</strong> helps students piece the information together more easily. If the reading you&rsquo;re doing with your class doesn&rsquo;t have headings, you could always make a photocopy and write them in yourself before presenting the reading to students.</p>

<p>Finally, <strong>summarizing</strong> the key points after the reading will help students put it all together in their minds. For other reading tips, check out <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/reading-lessons-interactive">3 Ways to Make Reading More&nbsp;Interactive</a>.</p>

<h1>Grammar</h1>

<p>Linda Comerford, in her session <em>Creating Clarity with Grammar</em>, presented her audience with some interesting statistics. Did you know that English has <strong>over 600,000 words</strong>? On average, that&rsquo;s four times more than other languages.</p>

<p>She often tells this to her students when they are feeling discouraged in order to remind them that they&rsquo;re not alone in thinking English is hard. She also mentioned that <strong>16&ndash;18</strong> is the number of words that your brain can hold onto when forming a sentence. So, for teachers, it&rsquo;s important to speak and write in sentences that don&rsquo;t exceed this amount, and we should encourage our students to do the&nbsp;same.</p>


Teaching Tips from the Plain Language Conference

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1439/Tara-Tanya_Top-10-TESOL-Takeaways_Banner.png

<h3>Try to understand / Try and understand...</h3>

<p dir="ltr">I love when I get asked a question that I don&rsquo;t immediately know the answer to. I enjoy looking into various parts of this fascinating, complicated language of ours! Two weeks ago, ESL Library&rsquo;s VP of Publishing, Tara Benwell, asked me to explain the difference between &ldquo;<strong>try to</strong>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<strong>try and</strong>&rdquo; in a blog post. I told her I&rsquo;d <strong>try to</strong> do it! Or is that <strong>try and</strong> do it&hellip;</p>

<h3>Online:</h3>

<p dir="ltr">First, I turned to my new favorite resource, <a href="http://www.googlefight.com" target="_blank">googlefight.com</a>. Googlefight looks at all the results on Google and gives you stats on which is mentioned more often. I typed in <strong>try to</strong> and <strong>try and</strong>, watched the stick men duke it out, and I got some interesting results. The results were pretty even: <strong>try and</strong>, with 3,190,000,000 results, only slightly beat <strong>try to</strong>, with 3,180,000,000 results. I was surprised! I thought that <strong>try to</strong> would be the more &lsquo;&ldquo;correct&rdquo; grammar. This required further investigation!</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Winner = try and</strong></p>

<p dir="ltr">Next, I used<a href="http://books.google.com/ngrams" target="_blank"> Google Books Ngram Viewer</a> to see how often <strong>try to</strong> and <strong>try and</strong> have appeared in books. The search parameters were from 1800 and 2008 from the corpus of English. The image below clearly shows that <strong>try to</strong> appears more often than <strong>try and</strong> in print form.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Winner = try to</strong></p>

<p dir="ltr">Another search I did that might appeal to students was to enter the following into a Google search: 1) <strong>&ldquo;try to&rdquo; song</strong>, and 2) <strong>&ldquo;try and&rdquo; song</strong>. Tell students to look for song titles with those phrases followed by a verb. Several songs appeared on the first results page for <strong>try to</strong>, whereas only one song appeared for <strong>try and</strong> (&ldquo;Try and Love Again&rdquo; by the Eagles, in case you were wondering).</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Winner = try to</strong></p>

<h3>Reference Books:</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Although the dictionaries I checked only had entries for <strong>try</strong> in general, some of them gave examples using <strong>try to</strong> and <strong>try and</strong>. <em>The Oxford Dictionary Online</em> gave examples of both:</p>

<ul>
	<li dir="ltr">He<strong> tried to</strong> regain his breath.</li>
	<li dir="ltr">I started to<strong> try and</strong> untangle the mystery.</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Winner = tie</strong></p>

<p dir="ltr"><em>The Chicago Manual of Style</em>, a very reputable style guide, had nothing to say specifically about the two phrases. But a quick online search of their website showed that they use<strong> try to</strong> a few times in their writing. (E.g., section 8.118: <em>Writers and editors should<strong> try to</strong> follow the standards established within those fields.</em>) <strong>Try and</strong> did not appear anywhere in the manual.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Winner = try to</strong></p>

<p dir="ltr"><em>The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style</em> defined&nbsp;<strong>try and</strong> as &ldquo;...a casualism for <strong>try to</strong>.&rdquo;&nbsp;But the best source of information on these two phrases, by far, was&nbsp;<em>Merriam-Webster&rsquo;s Dictionary of English Usage</em>. According to MW, the use of <strong>and</strong> in place of <strong>to</strong> in infinitive verbs has been occurring in English since the 16th century, with<strong> try and</strong>, specifically, appearing in the 17th century. Furthermore, there is no difference in meaning, although it remains a contentious issue for grammarians.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Winner = tie</strong></p>

<h3>Conclusion:</h3>

<p dir="ltr">What do these results tell us? Overall, <strong>try to</strong> is the safest choice. In my opinion,<strong> try to</strong>&nbsp;seems to be the more formal, &ldquo;correct grammar&rdquo; choice. It&rsquo;s favored use in books points to that. However, we can&rsquo;t overlook common usage, especially since a lot of publishing happens online nowadays. It seems that, these days, <strong>try to</strong> and <strong>try and</strong> are equally acceptable. For casual speaking and writing, you can basically choose which one you want to use.</p>

<p dir="ltr">What should we tell our students? I&rsquo;d tell my students that there are two forms with the same meaning, and in casual writing and speaking, they can use either <span style="color: #000000;"><strong>try to</strong> or&nbsp;<strong>try and</strong></span>. But in more formal academic or business writing, it might be best to stick with <strong>try to</strong>.</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Overall winner = try to (but only slightly)</strong></p>

<p dir="ltr">Note: It&rsquo;s interesting that you can&rsquo;t use <strong>try and</strong> when you change the tense of <strong>try</strong>. <em>I <strong>tried to</strong> explain it</em> is correct, but <em>I <strong>tried and</strong> explain(ed)&nbsp;it</em> is incorrect. That could be another reason to suggest that students stick with <strong>try to</strong>.</p>

<p>Try, try again!</p>

“Try To” Vs. “Try And”

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1431/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>&ldquo;They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.&rdquo; &mdash;&nbsp;Carol Buchner</blockquote>

<p>Many of us will be meeting a new set of learners we get to guide and make an impact on this year.</p>

<p>We have the mission to engage our students with the content, and more importantly, inspire them to be continuous learners. We have several methods and tools to choose from to teach content, including the most widely used, coursebooks and worksheets.</p>

<p>These are just one set of tools in our teachers&rsquo; kit of ways to engage learners.</p>

<p>I&rsquo;d like you to consider getting your students to accomplish some of the activities listed.</p>

<p>As educators, we should experiment with various instructional strategies that inspire our learners to explore and make personal connections with the content.</p>

<h3>Share their stories</h3>

<p>Each learner has a story to tell about their experiences and connections to the content. Encourage learners to create movies, comics, books, podcasts, and/or vodcasts of how they interpret the content.</p>

<p>Hundreds&nbsp;of free web tools and mobile apps allow learners to create stories with characters, backgrounds, creative commons music, their own photos/ drawings, and more. Find many digital storytelling tools, apps, examples and ideas listed in this <a href="http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/222323?present=true" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">LiveBinder of digital storytelling resources</a>.</p>

<p>If you don&rsquo;t have access to the Internet, they can always produce digital stories using cell phones, digital cameras, and/or computer programs like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.</p>

<h3>Publish their work online</h3>

<p>Learners worldwide are sharing their creations and talents on various social tools, like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.</p>

<p>We have an incredible opportunity to motivate our students to explore the content beyond the classroom walls if we create virtual spaces where our students can publish their work and receive feedback.</p>

<p>Two free educational platforms that many teachers recommend are <a href="http://edmodo.com" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Edmodo</a> and <a href="http://kidblog.org/home/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Kid Blog</a>. Beware of the age requirements and&nbsp;privacy settings of any tool you use. Also, make sure to get parents to sign Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) where they detail what they will allow to be published. Find many <a href="http://technology4kids.pbworks.com/w/page/31013688/Parent%20Forms" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">AUPs for you to download, edit, and use</a>.</p>

<h3>Organize their ideas in a graphic organizer</h3>

<p>Graphic organizers help break down vast amounts of information into more manageable chunks. They help learners think critically. Learners can use concept maps to explore a theme further and list examples from their experiences. There are 100s of graphic organizers to support any subject matter.</p>

<p>Many free online tools help learners complete multimedia graphic organizers with links, videos, images, and audio. Find many <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2013/03/29/lets-brainstorm-with-mobile-devices-15-free-apps-for-iosandroid/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">free mobile brainstorming apps here</a> and <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/graphic-writing-organizers/id6566287" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">free tools in this PearlTree,</a> a mindmap of bookmarks.</p>

<h3>Have class time to explore their interests</h3>

<p>Consider ideas like 20% time or <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-percent-time-a-j-juliani" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Genius Hour</a>, where students are given dedicated blocks of class time to design their own projects that explore what they are passionate about.</p>

<h3>Make a global connection</h3>

<p>Tools like Skype and Google HangOuts make it easy to quickly connect with students, authors, and subject matter experts across the globe.</p>

<p>When I was teaching 4 to 6 year-olds in Germany, we <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2010/08/22/learning-beyond-walls-21-skype-resources/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Skyped with a boy in the UK</a> who taught us origami and we created a <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2009/08/01/getting-children-involved-with-edtech/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">digital story on Voicethread with children in Turkey</a>.</p>

<p>Most companies are global so it is important our students learn how to interact with peers worldwide. Check out the <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2012/03/18/goal-7-make-a-global-connection-30goalsedu/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">various ideas listed here</a>.</p>

<h3>Play</h3>

<p>Learners of all ages enjoy play. Play helps us explore content hands-on.</p>

<p>One activity I use with students of all ages is I Spy with my Mobile Device. I preteach the content, then students are given about 5 minutes to take a close-up picture that represents what they learn.</p>

<p>For example, if you teach geometry shapes, a student might take a close-up shot of a chapstick tube. The student would then show another peer the picture. The peer would have to guess what geometric shape is represented and identify the object. Find various <a href="http://pinterest.com/shellyterrell/kids-classroom-games-for-learning/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">games for young learners bookmarked here</a>.</p>

<h3>Establish connections with their peers</h3>

<p>The first days of school are important for helping our students begin to build relationships with their classmates.</p>

<p>Icebreakers, team building, and getting-to-know-you activities make it easier for students to talk to and learn about each other. These activities help prevent bullying and the creation of cliques, because it is difficult to be consistently mean to a friend versus a stranger. These activities promote a classroom culture of trust and respect.</p>

<p>Many language learners fail to contribute to discussions because they fear making mistakes in front of strangers. When the students get to know each other, they begin to feel more confident making mistakes.</p>

<p>Find <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2012/08/03/10-getting-to-know-you-activities-for-teens-adults/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">getting-to-know-you activities for teens and adults here</a> and <a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2012/08/20/10-getting-to-know-you-activities-for-kids/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">those for children here</a>. You can find <a href="http://pinterest.com/shellyterrell/icebreakers/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">various icebreaker activities here</a>.</p>

<h3>More resources</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2011/08/23/surviving-the-1st-month-of-school-20-tips-resources/" target="_bank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Surviving the 1st Month of School: 20+ Tips &amp; Resources</a></li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you have?</p>


7 Activities for Engaging Students This School Year

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/259/Shelly_Generic_Banner.png

<blockquote>&ldquo;<em>I believe there&#39;s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride.</em>&rdquo;<br />
&mdash;May Parker, Spider-Man 2</blockquote>

<p>With summer comes movie blockbusters and you can bet one of those blockbusters will be about one of our favorite superheroes. People love superheroes, because we can all find a superhero we identify with and therefore, this is a great topic to explore with your students.</p>

<p>Learning about superheroes helps empower our kids that deal daily with peer pressure, bullying, and other stresses. Superheroes motivate us because they are brave and courageous during the most stressful situations. They give us hope when we most need it.</p>

<p>The following lesson ideas, web tools, materials and apps will inspire your learners to enjoy reading and writing about various superheroes.</p>

<h2>Host a Superhero Day or Party</h2>

<p>Set-up a day, week, or event dedicated to superheroes. If you work with young learners, have them dress up as their favorite superheroes or have them bring in a toy that represents their favorite superhero.</p>

<p>Sit in a circle and have children demonstrate their superpowers (Total Physical Response learning), tell the group the superhero&rsquo;s catch phrase, confess a weakness, give a reason why this is the favorite superhero, and play games.</p>

<p>You can play games like Superhero charades and guess the superhero through the drawing of clues. You can have a superhero playlist of music the class listens to all day.</p>

<p>Your teens can contribute to a Superhero playlist if you use tools that have a collaboration option, like <a href="http://spotify.com">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://youtube.com">Youtube</a>. If you work with teens, your superhero day can consist of them sharing comics and presenting about their favorite superheroes.</p>

<h2>Read Superhero Stories</h2>

<p>When you choose your reading list, include stories, novels, and comics about superheroes. You can ask your students for suggestions. You might also ask learners to suggest books that show the non-typical hero. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a popular book about a boy who represents the non-typical hero.</p>

<p>You can also find several graphic novels with superheros. This type of novel is great for language learners because there are visuals to accompany difficult vocabulary and plots.</p>

<p>You can teach your students about the hero&rsquo;s journey and have them create a mindmap, animated video, or infographic of their favorite superhero&rsquo;s hero journey. The following are a few recommended resources for superhero stories for children:</p>

<ul>
	<li>You Can Do Anything Daddy by Michael Rex</li>
	<li>Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds</li>
	<li>Superhero Max by Lawrence David</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/superhero-high">Superhero High</a>&mdash;a free&nbsp;interactive ebook by the British Council with free printable activities and online games</li>
</ul>

<h2>Create Superhero Songs and Music Videos</h2>

<p>Have your teens work in pairs or groups to create music videos or movie previews about their favorite superheroes. They can use free mobile phone apps to create special effects like Quo Movie Fx, Creature Fx, and Action Movie FX. These record clips with explosions, ghosts, dinosaurs, etc. super imposed to an actual recorded scene.</p>

<p>With these apps they can literally make their house looklike it&rsquo;s exploding or being swallowed by an earthquake.&nbsp;Your students can use a video editor like iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or a free app like VidEditor to piece together their movie.</p>

<p>For young learners you might try songs like <a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/amazing-superheroes">Amazing Superheroes</a>&nbsp;from the British Council, or <a href="https://genkienglish.net/teaching/curriculum/level-1-adventure/lesson-5-superhero/">I&rsquo;m a superhero! I can&hellip;</a>&nbsp;by Genki English.&nbsp;These come with interactive online exercises to learn the lyrics and vocabulary.</p>

<h2>Use Toys and Stuff Animals as Superheroes</h2>

<p>Have very young learners bring in their toys and pretend these toys are superheroes. They can name what powers they have by repeating the phrase, &#39;I&#39;m a superhero, I can...&rdquo; and have their stuff animals perform the movement.</p>

<p>Use these <a href="https://bogglesworldesl.com/superhero_flashcards.htm">Superhero Ability Cards</a>&nbsp;to demonstrate verbs like jump, fly, rescue, climb, capture, and punch. Children can play a game after they learn the vocabulary where they pick up a card from the deck and have the toy perform the action. They can even do this as a charades activity where their peers guess what the action is.</p>

<p>After they learn the vocabulary, they can also work in pairs or groups and pretend their toys are saving another toy or they can work as a team to save other toys.</p>

<h2>Invent and Create Superhero Gear</h2>

<p>Remember how Batman has a team that designs his gear and vehicles? Walk into class, describe a new hero or have a card deck of superheroes you assign to each group, and tell the students they have to work in groups to create that superhero&rsquo;s gear and vehicle.</p>

<p>Have students work in pairs and design the gear and what it does. The gear should align to the mission of the superhero. They will have to research common enemies and know some history of battles to create the right gear.</p>

<p>Preteach vocabulary dealing with materials and actions related to gear. For example, they might learn words like titanium, steel, lasers, and so forth. Give them a chart where on one side they list the material and the other side they list it&rsquo;s elements.</p>

<p>They can draw the gear with apps like <a href="http://educreations.com">Educreations</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.abcya.com/animate.htm">ABCYA Animate</a>. Another option is for the groups to create an infographic with free tools like <a href="http://piktochart.com">Piktochart</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://thinglink.com">Thinglink</a> where they create labeled drawings of the gear and vehicle. With <a href="http://thinglink.com">Thinglink</a> (which also has a free iPad app) students can link to research for each material.</p>

<p>Have them explain why they chose the gear, what it does, and how it helps support their superhero&rsquo;s mission.</p>

<h2>Invent a New Superhero to Solve a Problem</h2>

<p>Divide students in pairs or groups and give them each a problem they need to create a superhero to tackle. Possible problems include pollution, bullying, sexting, name calling, bad grades, etc.</p>


<h2>Invent an App for a Superhero</h2>

<p>Tell your students the modern superhero now needs an app. Have students use tools&nbsp;like <a href="http://educreations.com">Educreations</a>, or create an infographic to talk about an app for either a current superhero or one they have already created. Watch a series video examples of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Q24CSS0FQ&amp;list=PLD482F70A9023ED2E">student invented apps</a>. They can work in groups or pairs.</p>

<h2>More Resources</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://pear.ly/b-MI5">My bookmarks of various superhero games and lessons updated regularly</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/games/style-hero">Style-a-hero</a>&mdash;a game by the British Council for designing your own superhero&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="http://marvel.com/games/play/31/create_your_own_superhero">Create Your Own Super Hero</a>&mdash;games and activities from Marvel for creating your own superhero&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammarman/552373.article">Grammar Man</a>&mdash;a comic strip by Brian Boyd about a superhero who tackles grammar</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/">Comic Master</a>&mdash;a free tool for creating&nbsp;custom comic strips and illustrations</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.openculture.com/2012/07/the_mathematics_of_spiderman_and_the_physics_of_superheroes.html">The Mathematics of Spiderman</a> and the <a href="http://www.openculture.com/2012/07/the_mathematics_of_spiderman_and_the_physics_of_superheroes.html">Physics of Superheroes</a>&mdash;free videos from the University of Emory</li>
</ul>


I’m Invincible! Resources, Apps & Lesson Ideas About Superheroes

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/258/Shelly_Im-Invincible-Resources-Apps-Lesson-Ideas-Superheroes_Banner.png

<blockquote>&ldquo;Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.&rdquo; ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson</blockquote>

<p>Today&rsquo;s post celebrates the innovative ways teachers are motivating their English language learners. We are describing different ways to teach English that will astound your students. We offer you a peek at what other teachers are doing with their language learners and the results. We hope these ideas inspire you to be creative with a lesson or two even if you don&rsquo;t choose to use these methods throughout the year.</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Rap</h3>

<p>Jason Levine, <a href="https://twitter.com/FluencyMC">also known as Fluency MC</a>, uses rap songs to teach learners collocations and vocabulary. He raps about grammar and structures and provides the pdfs with lyrics. He has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/collolearn?feature=watch">several videos</a> created that you can use with your learners in case you aren&rsquo;t the type of teacher who raps. Here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/collolearn?feature=watch">a recorded presentation</a> in which he explains his method, how he started, and the results.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Lip Dubs</h3>

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/chucksandy">Chuck Sandy</a> has his university students in Japan create Lip Dub videos of famous songs. You can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEZniP5I-vo">check out one of these videos here</a>. In a lip dub, students learn the lyrics to a song then record a video in which they mouth the words to the lyrics as the music plays. The students lip sync in the video. The students seem to be having a lot of fun and it helps with team building.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Karaoke</h3>

<p><a href="http://gret.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/divingintoaskypingadventure/">Greta Sandler</a> had her 5th graders in Argentina karaoke on Singing Fridays. They use this time to sing English songs they have created, teach others English songs through Skype, and sing famous English songs they have prepared and memorized throughout the week.&nbsp;One of our favorite tools for language learners is <a href="http://lyricstraining.com/">Lyrics Training</a>.</p>

<h3>Teaching English through a Geolocation Game</h3>

<p>Paul Driver has invented <a href="http://digitaldebris.info/spywalk">SpyWalk</a>, a location-based urban game. Language learners play in teams with mobile devices and live GPS tracking to complete missions. The project was recently nominated for an ELTon.</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Memes</h3>

<p>Nina Jeroncic, who is based in Slovenia, recommends teaching with Internet language or memes. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme">wikipedia</a>, memes are ideas, behavior, or language spread throughout a culture. Here is a <a href="https://lancelot.adobeconnect.com/_a875817169/p4nco5930jt/">recorded presentation in which Nina explains various tools and lesson ideas</a>. She uses examples like YOLO, the Grumpy Cat, and more. Her ideas would be great to motivate teens and university students.</p>

<h3>Teaching English by Creating Apps</h3>

<p>Ozge Karaoglu, a young learner teacher in Turkey, has her 5 to 7 year-old students create the content for mobile apps. They have created a children&rsquo;s dictionary, games, and stories that integrate their voice, imagination, and drawings. Find the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Terakki+Vakf%C4%B1+Okullar%C4%B1&amp;hl=en">free Android apps here</a> and the <a href="http://ozgekaraoglu.edublogs.org/">IOS apps listed on her blog</a>. Ozge&rsquo;s kids&rsquo; apps were recently nominated for an ELTon and have won various awards.</p>

<h3>Teaching English in Virtual Worlds</h3>

<p>Language learners of all ages are immersing themselves in virtual worlds to learn English. They create an avatar that travels through a virtual world like <a href="http://secondlife.com">Second Life</a> and they can interact with others and objects. Language Labs is one of the more well-known virtual schools that teach English to adults.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Teaching English through Magic</h3>

<p>Get your students to learn English by teaching them magic tricks, having them create magic potions, and getting them to write in invisible ink.</p>

<h3>Do you have more innovative ideas to add to this list?</h3>

<p>Comment below!</p>


Not Your Ordinary English! 8 Creative Ideas for Teaching Language Learners

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/257/Shelly_Generic_Banner.png

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Johann Wolfgang von Goethe</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Many teachers deal with a learner motivation problem. Sometimes, we have tried doing our best to inspire our learners to explore the topic and be excited about learning. If you feel you are running out options in your bag of tricks, then this post is for you.</p>

<p>Below are a list of 10 ideas to motivate your learners by using magic. Many of our learners enjoy the supernatural and are wowed by spells, optical illusions, and tricks. Try one of these ideas to bring a bit of magic and motivation to your class of language learners.</p>

<h2>Magic Potions</h2>

<p>For this lesson, learners create magic potions they can drink. They imagine what their potions do by completing creative writing tasks.</p>

<ol>
	<li>Tell your students they are good wizards or witches and will be creating their own spells to help their peers. You might want to introduce by drinking a fizzy drink and telling them what spell it has cast on you. Make sure it is a positive effect like smiling non-stop for an hour or laughing straight for 5 minutes, etc. (You are practicing verbs)</li>
	<li>Pair the students. Each pair consults in English for about 5 minutes. They must tell each other what kind of good spell they&rsquo;d like the other to create. Have them brainstorm options then write these down. Here&rsquo;s a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dPpTwNW-AN1LrFZdEsihjv9GZnJpCoBwlUhFQZ5tyno/edit?usp=sharing">free hand-out you can copy and adapt</a>.</li>
	<li>Then have your students create a magic potion following one of the recipes below. They can drink each other&rsquo;s and imagine the spell has been cast.<br />
	- Recipe for a <a href="http://www.thegunnysack.com/2011/07/magic-potion-rainbow-drink-tutorial.html">magical rainbow colored drink kids can drink</a>. Comes with labels and visual instructions.<br />
	- Magic <a href="http://notjustcute.com/2011/06/06/magic-potions-and-fizzing-formulas-getting-kids-attention-with-chemistry-3/">baking soda potion</a> with visual instructions. (don&rsquo;t drink)</li>
</ol>

<p>After drinking the potions, have the students use a digital storytelling tool&nbsp;to tell a story or create a comic about drinking the magic potion and what happened next. They can use tools like <a href="http://storybird.com/">Storybird</a>&nbsp;or <a href="http://littlebirdtales.com">LittleBirdTales</a>. Your students do not have to register to create comics at <a href="http://writecomics.com/">WriteComics</a>, <a href="http://chogger.com/creator">Chogger</a>, and <a href="http://makebeliefscomix.com/">MakeBeliefs</a>.</p>

<p>Alternatively, your students could use one of the digital storytelling tools to create a magic potion book where they include a picture of the potion, list the ingredients (can be made up) and list what the spell does. Stress positive spells so students aren&rsquo;t tempted to create mean spells. This is a great way to also teach citizenship.</p>

<h2>Magic Tricks</h2>

<p>Teach your learners a magic trick as a class. You will need to get each of them the supplies. There are simple magic tricks like <a href="http://magic.about.com/od/Easy-Magic-Tricks-for-Kids/ss/Easy-Magic-Trick-Money-Bill-Smile.htm">making a bill smile</a> or you can <a href="http://magic.about.com/od/Easy-Magic-Tricks-for-Kids/tp/Magic-Tricks-For-Kids.htm">choose from one of these easy and cheap tricks</a>.</p>

<p>Another option is to have your kids choose a magic trick to teach the class to do. You can put in a list of tricks with the website url printed on a paper strip. Put these strips in a bag and the student pulls out the trick they must demonstrate.</p>

<p>You can have them demonstrate this on Youtube, create a how-to video using <a href="http://www.educreations.com/">Educreations</a>, or demonstrate through a class live presentation. Check out this video of how <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbdOt_e4o3Q&amp;list=LLCC3RDxws3dOmIWWoMS9lrA">YL teacher, Barbi Bujtas, teaches her language learners with magic tricks</a>.</p>

<h2>Optical Illusions</h2>

<p>Optical illusions are a great way to teach students about shape, light, patterns, colors, and vision. Here are some free resources:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://designpress.com/inspiration/optical-illusions-for-kids/">25 Brilliant Optical Illusions For Kids</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/riddles/illusions/index.htm">Tons of optical illusions</a> to use as discussion starters or to get them thinking at the beginning of class.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Magical Music, Reads, &amp; Films</h2>

<p>These are some of my favorite books and films with magic. You can throw a party where the students dress up like a magical creature, witch, or wizard; make magic potions; teach others magic tricks; dance or karaoke to their favorite magical tunes: and watch a film or listen to you read a story to them.</p>

<h3>Stories</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://roomonthebroom.com/activities/">Room on the Broom</a> by Julia Donaldson</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.magickeys.com/books/invis-allig/index.html#pictop">Invisible Alligators</a> by Hayes Roberts</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/ali-and-the-magic-carpet">Ali and the Magic Carpet</a>&nbsp;by Sue Clarke</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/unit/harry-potter-everything-you-need">Harry Potter</a>&nbsp;by J.K. Rowling</li>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/jack-and-the-beanstalk">Jack and the Beanstalk</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h3>Film Ideas</h3>

<p><em>(Please review &amp; get permission from parents before showing any film or clip)</em></p>

<ul>
	<li>Harry Potter (2001-2011)</li>
	<li>The Never Ending Story (1984)</li>
	<li>How to Train Your Dragon (2010)</li>
	<li>The Pagemaster (1994)</li>
	<li>Aladdin (1992)</li>
	<li>Jumanji (1995)</li>
	<li>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)</li>
	<li>Casper the Friendly Ghost (1995)</li>
	<li>Puff the Magic Dragon (1978)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Music</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/abracadabra">Abracadabra</a> by the British Council Learn English</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBS4bMIAu20">I&rsquo;ve Got the Magic in Me</a> by B.O.B</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5-5a9VrDWs">Do You Believe in Magic?</a> by Aly and AJ&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZONGRYmGjg">Captain&rsquo;s Magic Buttons</a> by The Wiggles</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0PI2djoA10">Puff the Magic Dragon</a>&nbsp;(song and video story)</li>
</ul>

<h3>Magical Apps</h3>

<p>Magic can be found on mobile devices. Try any of the free apps below with your learners.</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-the-magic-marker-remastered/id1256928610">Max and the Magic Marker</a>- Draw interactive objects.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.minilabstudios.com/apps/arties-magic-pencil/">Artie&#39;s Magic Pencil</a>- kids learn the fundamentals of drawing</li>
	<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spellcraft-school-of-magic/id471396267?mt=8">SpellCraft School of Magic</a>- role-playing game where the student goes to school and makes magic potions</li>
	<li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=upworksolutions.themagictricks&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US">Learn Magic Tricks</a> - Video tutorials and reveals for easy magic tricks</li>
</ul>

<h3>More Great Websites and Resources</h3>

<p>Find more ideas and safe jokes to share with students using these websites:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/potionbook.htm">Boggles World Curriculum: Magic Potions</a>- Lots of fantastic ideas, free hand-outs, listening activities, a story and more!</li>
	<li><a href="http://bogglesworldesl.com/spellbook.htm">Boggles World Curriculum: Spell Book</a>- Lots of fantastic ideas, free hand-outs, a story and more!</li>
	<li><a href="http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-party-time-and-witches-brew.html">Witches Brew Curriculum</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.teachbymagic.com/">Teach by Magic</a>- A site full of videos and ideas so you can teach with magic year round</li>
	<li>Have students <a href="http://www.alexslemonade.org/files/schools/k8/Invisible%20Ink%20Lemon%20Juice%20(K-6).pdf">create messages in invisible ink</a></li>
</ul>

<p>What other ideas do you have?</p>


Magic Mayhem! 10+ Ideas & Resources to Motivate Using Magic

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/256/Shelly_Magic-Mayhem-10-Ideas-Resources-Motivate-Using-Magic_Banner.png

<h1>Under the microscope&hellip;</h1>

<p>ESL&nbsp;Library recently received a request from one of our subscribers to explain what the concepts <strong>macro</strong> and <strong>micro</strong> <strong>lesson planning</strong> meant. To be honest, it was the first time I&rsquo;d come across these terms. After a bit of research, I realized both methods of lesson planning were indeed familiar to me because I&rsquo;d put them into practice many times during my teaching career. Let&rsquo;s look at macro and micro lesson planning in more&nbsp;detail.</p>

<h2>Macro Lesson Planning</h2>

<p>The term <strong>macro</strong> comes from Greek <em>makros</em> meaning &ldquo;long, large.&rdquo;&nbsp;For teachers, <strong>macro lesson planning</strong> means coming up with the curriculum for the semester/month/year/etc. Not all teachers feel they are responsible for this as many schools have set curriculums and/or textbooks determined by the academic coordinator. However, even in these cases, teachers may be called upon to devise a curriculum for a new class, modify an older curriculum, or map out themes to match the target lessons within the&nbsp;curriculum.</p>

<p>At my old school, for instance, I had the chance to develop the curriculum for a TOEIC Intermediate and a TOEFL Advanced class when they were first introduced at our school. I&rsquo;ve also modified older curricula (or curriculums, if you prefer&mdash;both are acceptable) for various levels because of students&rsquo; changing needs. And finally, my old school kindly granted the teachers one day a month of paid prep time/new student intake, where we&rsquo;d decide on the themes that we&rsquo;d be using for our class to ensure there wasn&rsquo;t too much overlap with other classes. We did have a set curriculum in terms of grammar points, but themes and supplementary materials were up to us. Doing a bit of planning before the semester started ensured that we stayed organized and kept the students&rsquo; interest throughout the&nbsp;semester.</p>

<p>Another benefit of macro lesson planning is that teachers can share the overall goals of the course with their students on the first day, and they can reiterate those goals as the semester progresses. Students often lose sight of the big picture and get discouraged with their English level, and having clear goals that they see themselves reaching helps prevent&nbsp;this.</p>

<h2>Micro Lesson Planning</h2>

<p>The term <strong>micro</strong> comes from the Greek <em>mikros</em> meaning &ldquo;small, little.&rdquo;&nbsp;In the ELT industry, <strong>micro lesson planning</strong> refers to planning one specific lesson based on one target (e.g., the simple past). It involves choosing a topic or grammar point and building a full lesson to complement it. A typical lesson plan involves a warm-up activity, which introduces the topic or elicits the grammar naturally, followed by an explanation/lesson of the point to be covered. Next, teachers devise a few activities that allow students to practice the target point, preferably through a mix of skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing). Finally, teachers should plan a brief wrap-up activity that brings the lesson to a close. This could be as simple as planning to ask students to share their answers from the final activity as a&nbsp;class.</p>

<p>Some benefits of micro lesson planning include classes that runs smoothly and students who don&rsquo;t get bored. Lesson planning ensures that you&rsquo;ll be prepared for every class and that you&rsquo;ll have a variety of activities on hand for whatever situation may arise (well, the majority of situations&hellip;I&rsquo;m sure we&rsquo;ve all had those classes where an activity we thought would rock ends up as an epic&nbsp;fail).</p>

<p>For more information on micro lesson planning, check out <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-make-a-lesson-plan">How to Make a Lesson Plan</a>, a blog post I wrote last year, where I emphasized the importance of planning fun, interesting fillers so that students stay engaged. I also provided links in that post to many examples of activities you can use for warm-ups, main activities, fillers, homework, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Can anyone think of other benefits of macro or micro lesson planning? Does anyone have a different definition of these terms? Let us know&nbsp;below.</p>

<p>Happy planning!<br />
Tanya</p>

Macro and Micro Lesson Planning

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1412/Tanya_Macro-and-Micro-Lesson-Planning_Banner.png

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Laughter is more than just a pleasurable activity...When people laugh together, they tend to talk and touch more and to make eye contact more frequently&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Gretchen Rubin</p>
</blockquote>

<p>April Fool&rsquo;s Day is around the corner and it&rsquo;s a great time to get your students laughing while learning. Laughter is healthy and gets us to relieve the stress of language learning.</p>

<p>Many of these lessons deal with studying the language in jokes. Jokes are cultural. They play on words, take critical thinking skills to decipher, and enhance the classroom atmosphere. Many will make your students roll their eyes but they will still smile.</p>

<p>Try a few of these ideas and let us know how much your students enjoyed them!</p>

<h2>Joke Mingle</h2>

<p>You can have students bring in jokes for any topic, grammar, or vocabulary you teach. Have them bring in jokes about food, with a phrasal verb, that play on a word, that include a gesture, are their favorites. Remember to have a discussion beforehand to keep it clean!</p>

<ul>
	<li>Students memorize at least one of the jokes.</li>
	<li>Put students in pairs facing each other.</li>
	<li>Give them 30 seconds to a minute to tell their jokes.</li>
	<li>Blow the whistle. They must tell their jokes to different students.</li>
	<li>Create a checklist for them to carry around and check off every time they hear a joke:<br />
	✓ Was it funny?<br />
	✓ Did you get it?<br />
	✓ Have you heard this joke before?</li>
</ul>

<h2>My Favorite Joke</h2>

<p>Have students present their favorite jokes to the class then discuss where they first heard the joke, who told them the joke, and why they think the joke is so funny.</p>

<h2>Corniest Joke Contest</h2>

<p>One of the ways to get your students laughing is to have them tell corny jokes. Have them bring in at least 5 and host a contest for the one that gets the most eye rolls.</p>

<h2>Jokes Across Cultures</h2>

<p>Have a discussion with your students about various types of jokes. Brainstorm on a cognitive map the different types of jokes they come up with such as knock, knock jokes, the chicken crossed the road joke, how many (profession) does it take to screw a lightbulb, etc.</p>

<p>You can use a tool like <a href="http://popplet.com/">Popplet</a> to create a collaborative mindmap. Pair or group learners and have them search for an example of each to include in the mindmap.</p>

<p>Poll your students to see if their countries share similar joke styles. My students in Germany had never heard of knock-knock jokes but they had heard of the <em>how many does it take to screw a lightbulb</em> joke.</p>

<p>Have students create a comic that illustrates the meaning behind the jokes they found. Your students do not have to register to create comics at <a href="http://writecomics.com/">WriteComics</a>, <a href="http://chogger.com/creator">Chogger</a>, and <a href="http://makebeliefscomix.com/">MakeBeliefs</a>.</p>

<h2>Research a Joke</h2>

<p>With a mindmapping tool like <a href="http://popplet.com/">Popplet</a>, students include the origins, history, vocabulary, grammar, of a joke. They present their joke research to the class.</p>

<h2>Mobile Joke Telling: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?</h2>

<p>Put students in a circle. Tell them a few of the chicken crossed the road jokes. Then ask them to think of reasons why the chicken crossed the road.</p>

<p>Using the audio recording feature of a cell phone, record the first student asking, &ldquo;Why did the chicken cross the road?&rdquo; Student B gives a clever answer, then repeats, &ldquo;Why did the chicken cross the road?&rdquo; Student C gives a clever answer and continues the cycle.</p>

<h2>Jigsaw Jokes</h2>

<p>Cut jokes and their punchlines into strips. Distribute each slip to different students. You can have them grab the paper strips from a bag.</p>

<p>The students with the joke search for the student with the matching punchline. Instruct them to read their jokes aloud each time they approach someone.</p>

<p>When a pair finds each other have them work together to figure out the meaning. After everyone finds their partners, have them read the joke aloud to the class.</p>

<p>Then have a class vote on the funniest joke, the corniest joke, and the most difficult joke to understand (and why).</p>

<h2>Some Digital Tools and Ideas</h2>

<p>Your student will love having their jokes told by colorful characters using the <a href="http://voki.com/">Voki</a> speaking tool.</p>

<ul>
	<li>With <a href="http://blabberize.com/">Babblerize</a> your students can take a picture of an animal, pet, or object to tell their joke. It looks funny because a fake mouth is created.</li>
	<li>Your students can illustrate their jokes with 2 characters at <a href="http://goanimate.com/">GoAnimate</a>. They can also create reactions to the joke, like the character laughing a lot or saying something like, &ldquo;Argggghhhh!&rdquo;</li>
	<li>If you&rsquo;re using mobile devices, check out apps like <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sock-puppets/id394504903">Sock Puppets</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-pocket/id395844666?mt=8">Puppet Pals</a>.</li>
</ul>

<h2>A Laughing Diary</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Have students keep a small notebook with them.</li>
	<li>Instruct them to write down the details of every time they laugh.</li>
	<li>After a week have them share the details and have a discussion about what makes us laugh. The class can see if any similar incidences make them laugh.</li>
	<li>Do this with a class from another country and compare to see if upbringing or culture might influence the outcomes.</li>
</ul>

<h2>More Great Websites and Resources</h2>

<p>Find more ideas and safe jokes to share with students using these websites:</p>

<ul>
	<li>My <a href="http://www.pearltrees.com/shellyterrell/teaching-english-jokes/id6912440">bookmarks of Joke sites and lesson ideas</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://manythings.org/jokes">Many Things- Jokes for English Language Learners</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://theoatmeal.com/djtaf">Dumb Jokes That are Funny</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://lessonstream.org/2011/10/04/chickens-crossing/">Lesson plan: Chicken Crossing</a> by Lesson Stream</li>
	<li><a href="http://lessonstream.org/2007/11/09/the-train-tunnel-joke">Lesson plan: The Train Tunnel Joke</a> by Lesson Stream</li>
</ul>


Let’s Laugh! 10+ Resources Activities for Inspiring Laughter in Your Class

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/255/Shelly_Lets-Laugh-10-Resources-Activities-Inspiring-Laughter-in-Your-Class_Banner.png

<p>Valentine&rsquo;s Day is celebrated worldwide. The holiday is named after the martyr, St. Valentinus, who often performed secret weddings for soldiers for which he was imprisoned.</p>

<p>Lovers worldwide celebrate the holiday by giving each other gifts to show how much they care about each other. It is a time when children eat candy hearts and send heartfelt messages to each other.</p>

<p>It is the holiday of romance, but in the classroom we can teach various themes including relationships, kindness, and various kinds of love, such as love of a pet, family, one&rsquo;s self, or hobby.</p>

<p>Be sure to check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/holidays-events/love-relationships">Valentine&#39;s Day &amp; Love</a> collection for lessons and resources on&nbsp;love, dating, marriage, and relationships. Below are a few more activities with these themes in mind.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Life&#39;s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are&nbsp;loved.&quot;<br />
&mdash;Victor Hugo</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Heart, Love, and Romance Idioms</h2>

<p>Valentine&rsquo;s Day is a perfect excuse to teach idioms. Your students will enjoy learning about various idioms related to love, such as, &ldquo;falling in love,&rdquo; or &ldquo;head over heels.&quot; Try this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2145">Love Idioms Poster</a> from our Visual Learning section.</p>

<p>Here are some more ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Use this <a href="http://grammar.net/loveidioms">Love Around the Clock</a>&nbsp;infographic from Grammar.net to teach various idioms like, &ldquo;Pop the question,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Get back together.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>After learning some idioms, have students choose a few to explain in a comic, with tools like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/">Make Beliefs Comix</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.creaza.com/">Creaza</a>.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h2>Heart Candy Activities</h2>

<p>Ever receive a box of candy hearts with their short but lovely messages? Try any of these activities:</p>

<h3>Charades</h3>

<p>Each student picks a candy heart and has to act out the message for their classmates. When someone guesses the message the actor gets to eat the candy heart. This could help motivate shy students to play.</p>

<h3>Guess the Drawing</h3>

<p>Each student picks a candy heart and has to draw&nbsp;out the message for their classmates to guess. Have students pick out three to five of the messages and create written or digital stories using these messages. They can use tools like <a href="http://storybird.com/">Storybird</a>&nbsp;or <a href="http://animoto.com/">Animoto</a>.</p>

<h3>Video Dialogues</h3>

<p>Students pick out four&nbsp;to six of the messages and create a video dialogue between two or more fictitious characters using a digital storytelling tool,&nbsp;like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.xtranormal.com/">Xtranormal</a>.</p>

<p>If you want them to use their mobile devices, then try the free dialogue apps,&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-pocket/id395844666?mt=8">PuppetPals</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://outfit7.com/apps/talking-news/">Talking Ben and Tom News Reporter</a>.</p>

<h3>Create a Comic</h3>

<p>Students pick out four to six of the messages and create a digital comic of the conversation.</p>

<h2>Explore Love in Art</h2>

<p>Take a famous piece of art like <a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3338/3311447615_7bf0850881_z.jpg">Marc Chagall&rsquo;s Dream Village</a>. This painting represents Chagall courting his wife. Break students into pairs and have them write down at least three scenes or visual symbols they observe in the painting. Have them guess what each of these scenes or visual symbols represents, then share their ideas with the rest of the class.</p>

<h2>Explore Love in Poetry</h2>

<p>Valentine&rsquo;s Day is a perfect time for students to explore the language of love in sonnets, haikus, limericks, etc. Try these ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Break students into pairs and give them a few poems to explore then have them create a comic or multimedia presentation where they recite the poem and add visuals that highlight the meaning. Use tools like <a href="http://animoto.com/">Animoto</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://photopeach.com/">Photopeach</a>.</li>
	<li>With <a href="http://photopeach.com/">Photopeach</a> they can create a multimedia, interactive quiz about the poem that their classmates have to answer.</li>
	<li>Have students create their own love poetry with this <a href="http://play.magneticpoetry.com/poem/original/kit/">cool online magnetic poetry tool</a>. The words are there. They just put them together to create a poem, then can take a screenshot and post in a blog or wiki.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Analyze Love Quotes</h2>

<p>Collect a list of love quotes like Einstein&rsquo;s, &quot;Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love,&rdquo; and cut them into strips. Have the quote in one strip and on another strip list the author and a few clues.</p>

<p>Give each student a strip. Instruct students to walk around the room to find their partners. Then give them 5 minutes to discuss the meaning of the quotes, whether they agree with the author, and name an example to support their stance.</p>

<p>They will present their quotes and ideas to the rest of their peers when you regroup as a class.</p>

<h2>Analyze Pick Up Lines</h2>

<p>Take famous <a href="http://www.librarything.com/topic/53846">pick up lines</a> and have students create dialogues in which they have to create clever comebacks like <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cMr1QVpdBzw/T_XGK2_qLvI/AAAAAAAAAzo/lA6hHw8DUN8/s1600/anti-pickup-lines.png">in this funny post</a>. They can use the previously named dialogue tools and comic strip tools.</p>

<h2>Create Valentine&rsquo;s Day Messages &amp; Send to Friends &amp; Family</h2>

<p>Have your students create handmade crafts, cards, or origami where they insert kind messages for their family members or classmates. When sending these creations to their classmates, make sure they send nice messages to everyone so no one is singled out. You may want to check the messages for any grammar errors before they send these out.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Find out how to make <a href="http://www.en.origami-club.com/valentine/index.html">origami hearts, boxes, and more</a>!</li>
	<li>Use mobile apps, such as <a href="http://www.fotobabble.com/s/mobile">Fotobabble</a>&nbsp;or <a href="http://animoto.com/features">Animoto</a>, to send Valentine&rsquo;s Day messages. These are free and have templates related to the holiday.</li>
</ul>

<h2>More Great Websites and Resources</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://cybraryman.com/valentine.html">Valentine&rsquo;s Day Sites and Activities</a> by Cybraryman</li>
	<li><a href="http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/01/08/the-best-sites-to-learn-about-valentines-day">Best Sites to Learn About Valentine&rsquo;s Day</a> by Larry Ferlazzo</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/valentines-day.html">Valentine&rsquo;s Day Resources</a> by ESOL Courses</li>
</ul>


14+ Activities & Resources for Celebrating Valentine’s Day

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/254/Shelly_14-Activities-Resources-Celebrating-Valentines-Day_Banner.png

<h1>It&rsquo;s confusing for students and teachers alike when textbooks use different grammar terms!</h1>

<p>It&rsquo;s not only a difference between countries. Sometimes, in the same country, grammarians choose different terms to represent the same grammatical function. It could be a matter of preference, or maybe it&rsquo;s what they learned when they were studying grammar. As a teacher, it can be quite frustrating to see a grammatical term referred to in two different ways (e.g., &ldquo;progressive&rdquo; in one textbook and &ldquo;continuous&rdquo; in another). Our poor students, who already have so much to take in, now have to remember more than one term for the same function!</p>

<p>Let&rsquo;s look at the list below to get some of the more common mix-ups straightened out.</p>

<h2>Progressive Vs. Continuous</h2>

<p>These words are used for many tenses to refer to a continuing action (the -ing form), such as the present progressive or the present continuous, the past progressive or the past continuous, etc. <em>Progressive&nbsp;</em>seems to be the preferred choice in the US and <em>continuous</em> seems to be preferred in the UK. In Canada, I have seen many textbooks that use <em>progressive</em> and many that use <em>continuous</em>. I learned it as <em>progressive</em>, but I have had many Canadian co-workers also call it <em>continuous</em>. Telling students right off the bat that there are two terms for this grammatical function may help them avoid confusion down the road.</p>

<h2>Word Forms Vs. Parts of Speech</h2>

<p>This was the one that inspired this blog post. A teacher wrote us to say that she wasn&rsquo;t sure what we meant by <em>word form</em>. Both terms refer to the grammatical function of a word in a sentence, such as <em>noun</em>, <em>verb</em>, <em>adjective</em>, <em>adverb</em>, etc.</p>

<h2>Subject-Predicate Vs. S-V-O</h2>

<p>Both cases refer to the subject and the <em>verb</em>, <em>verb</em> + <em>object</em>, or <em>verb</em> + other type of <em>clause</em> or <em>phrase</em>. Both are ways to describe the basic sentence patterns of English. I always teach using S-V-O. Which do you prefer?</p>

<h2>Restrictive/Non-Restrictive Vs. Identifying/Non-Identifying Adjective Clauses</h2>

<p><em>Restrictive</em>, or <em>identifying</em>, adjective clauses don&rsquo;t use commas because the adjective clause is necessary to identify the noun. (Example: <em>The man who sat next to me on the bus was friendly.</em> There is no way to identify this man from any other man unless we include the info that he sat next to me. Now it is one specific man that I&rsquo;m referring to.) <em>Non-restrictive</em>, or <em>non-identifying</em>, adjective clauses need commas because the adjective clause is simply extra information that is not required in order to identify the noun. (Example: <em>Mr. Green, who was wearing a funny hat today, seemed tired when he was teaching us about grammar.</em> The teacher, Mr. Green, is already one specific man, and there&rsquo;s no need to identify him further. The fact that he was wearing a funny hat is just extra information.) Both terms make sense: <em>restrictive</em> means that the clause cannot be omitted from the sentence without affecting the meaning, and <em>identifying</em> means that the clause is necessary in order to identify the noun.</p>

<h2>Reported Vs. Indirect Speech</h2>

<p>Both terms refer to saying what someone else said. (Example: <em>He told me he was coming to the party tonight.</em>) The term <em>indirect</em> is used in contrast to direct speech. (Example: <em>He told me, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming to the party tonight.&rdquo;</em>) But it&rsquo;s easy to guess where the term <em>reported</em> came from, because that is the purpose it serves, to report someone else&rsquo;s speech.</p>

<h2>Non-Count Vs. Uncountable Nouns</h2>

<p>Referring to nouns that are too small or too shapeless to count, such as sand or milk, these terms both use a negative prefix with the word count. You won&rsquo;t find <em>non-count</em> in the dictionary (whereas <em>uncountable</em> is listed), but in grammar terms, <em>non-count</em> seems to be used much more often.</p>

<p>If you have any other commonly confused grammatical terms to add to the list, please let us know in the comments section below. Here&rsquo;s to progress(ive)!</p>

<p>&mdash;Tanya</p>


Progressive Vs. Continuous and Other Synonymous Grammatical Terms

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1403/Tanya_Grammar_Banner.png

<h3>&rsquo;Tis the season...</h3>

<p>In the last few weeks leading up to the holidays, students usually get restless. Even if they don&rsquo;t celebrate Christmas in their own cultures, most are looking forward to having some time off. Throwing in some fun-filled activities that are different from your normal class routine will be well received! Also, students will appreciate learning about the holiday traditions of different cultures.&nbsp;These tried-and-tested Christmas and New Year&#39;s activities will make this time of year special for everyone.</p>

<h3>1. Secret Santa</h3>

<p>This can be done within one class or as a school-wide event. Find out who wants to participate (as students may have to spend their own money, it should be voluntary) and have them write their names on a slip of paper. Mix the slips up and pass them out to the students. Tell your students that they are responsible for purchasing or making a gift for the person whose name is on the slip. Set a dollar limit ($5.00 for example) and remind students not to tell each other who they are buying for. On the last day of school before Christmas break, students can present their wrapped gifts to each other. As a fun variation, the gifts can be hidden around the school or classroom and students can hunt for their presents. Who doesn&rsquo;t love presents?</p>

<h3>2. Holiday Lessons</h3>

<p>Turn the holiday season into an opportunity to learn! At <a href="https://ellii.com">ESL Library</a>, we&rsquo;ve got lower level and intermediate lessons on <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1857">Chanukah</a>, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1946">Christmas,</a> <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/2096" s="" title="New Year">New Year&rsquo;s</a>, and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/93/lessons/1856">Kwanzaa</a>. The lessons each contain reading, vocabulary, speaking, and writing exercises, as well as other fun activities like songs and &ldquo;find someone who.&rdquo; There&rsquo;s lots of fascinating information about the history and culture of these holidays for you and your students to discover.</p>

<h3>3. Christmas Party</h3>

<p>Let&rsquo;s face it, on the last day before the Christmas break, your students won&rsquo;t be in the mood for any heavy learning. Make this day fun and special by having a class party. Students can decorate by cutting out snowflakes out of paper to put up on the windows or the walls of their classroom. A pot-luck lunch usually works well, with each student bringing in food to share. Encourage students to prepare a dish from their native country, if they can. Have the students briefly explain their dish before everyone digs in. Students usually love this opportunity to learn about the food in other cultures, especially when they get to experience it firsthand! In addition to (or instead of) the food, you can prepare fun Christmas activities, songs, or even a movie about Christmas (there are tons of choices out there). See the rest of this blog post for ideas!</p>

<h3>4. Holiday Flashcards</h3>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com">ESL Library</a>&nbsp;has a bunch of holiday flashcards you can use. Check out our <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/21/flashcard_categories/20">Christmas Flashcards&nbsp;</a>and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/ideas-for-using-christmas-flashcards">ideas on how to use them</a>. There are lots of fun activities you can do with your class, such as memory games, hot seat (or cold seat, depending where you live), making your own cartoons, and more.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>5. Christmas Field Trip</h3>

<p>Most cities usually have lots of places with Christmas displays. For example, there is a hotel in Vancouver, BC, Canada that has a huge Christmas tree display. You might also check out a local event such as a choir performing Christmas carols outdoors. You can incorporate an activity into the outing, such as learning the carols beforehand, marking off a checklist, or writing a paragraph about what they saw. It&rsquo;s a good way to get into the Christmas spirit!</p>

<h3>6. Christmas Discussions</h3>

<p>Use this opportunity to get some lively conversations going. You can write discussion questions on the board and have students discuss in pairs, groups, or as a class. Beginner students can talk about simple things such as what kinds of presents they buy and like to receive, or what they want for Christmas this year. They could also discuss the different Christmas traditions they follow within their family or culture, including food and activities. If you have students who don&rsquo;t celebrate Christmas, have them discuss another holiday that takes place in December or January. More advanced students can discuss topics such as the commercialism of Christmas and their cultural traditions in depth. Students usually love finding out about other cultures! If your class contains students who are all from the same country, have them tell you about their traditions and tell them about yours, or focus on variations between families.</p>

<h3>7. New Year&rsquo;s Resolutions</h3>

<p>Find out which students usually make New Year&rsquo;s resolutions and have them explain the concept to the rest of the class. Brainstorm some examples together, and then have students make their own lists. You could assign a limit such as five or ten resolutions. Afterwards, have the students share their lists with their partners or in small groups. This also makes a great homework activity. Have students write their lists for homework, and discuss them the next day.&nbsp;</p>


7 Christmas and New Year's Classroom Activities

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1398/Christmas-Default_Banner.png

<p>One of the best topics to teach as a language teacher is food. Language learners will use vocabulary and phrases related to food during their travels or while hosting guests from other countries.</p>

<p>Moreover, teachers can teach math, instructions, health, poverty, culture, etiquette, and more while teaching about food.</p>

<p>The activity ideas and resources below will help you have a successful food unit.&nbsp;Be sure to also check out ESL Library&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/collections/everyday-topics/food-dining">Food &amp; Dining</a>&nbsp;collection.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Virginia Woolf</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Activities and Ideas</h2>

<h3>Food Vocabulary</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Group students and have them design a restaurant menu using a multimedia tool like <a href="http://edu.glogster.com/" target="_blank">Glogster</a>. They will pick the restaurant theme and design the menu with images of the food and prices. Show them a variety of menus collected from restaurants or have them look at online examples.</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/cooking-descriptive-language-designing-842.html" target="_blank">Read, Write, Web </a>has created a free tool for students to learn about restaurants and design menus.</li>
	<li>Check out these <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/13/flashcard_categories">Food &amp; Drink</a>&nbsp;flashcards.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Food and Culture</h3>

<p>Students can learn about various cultures and traditions by studying various cuisines and the food within an area. Here are a few lesson ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Have students teach the class a food tradition or custom. This can be one they are familiar with, like making tea, or it can be one they research.</li>
	<li>Pair or group students and have them research the food manners or etiquette in a country. The students then role play in front of the class what they learned. You can have them use a multimedia tool like <a href="http://voicethread.com/" target="_blank">Voicethread</a> to share these etiquette rules through images, audio, and doodling.</li>
	<li>Pair or group students and have them plan a trip to a different country. They must come up with a list of restaurants they would like to visit and detail what they would order. Students then role play being at the restaurant and ordering the menu items.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Recipes</h2>

<p>Recipes offer students a way to learn vocabulary in chunks through performing tasks and following instructions. Students learn about portion sizes, cooking tasks, ingredients, and cookware. Moreover, students are rewarded for their efforts by being able to taste what they cooked. Here are a few lesson ideas:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://education.skype.com/">Skype</a> a local or famous chef, a student from a cooking school, a cookbook writer, or other food expert and have them teach the class how to prepare something simple</li>
	<li>Assign a project where students work in pairs or groups to teach the class how to cook a chosen recipe</li>
	<li>Have students create a short how-to video in which they teach others how to cook a meal or perform a cooking task like boiling an egg or chopping onions. They can upload these to Youtube. You can find several examples of these videos to show your students by doing a search on Youtube.</li>
	<li>Have students use a multimedia scrapbooking tool like <a href="http://www.mixbook.com/edu">Mixbook</a> to share a few of their favorite recipes accompanied by pictures and memories.</li>
	<li>Create a class recipe ebook on Google Docs or <a href="http://www.boomwriter.com/#SchoolParentsInfo">BoomWriter</a> in which each student submits a recipe and shows step by step instructions through pictures.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Digital Dialogues About Food</h2>

<p>Students can create a video dialogue between 2 or more fictitious characters using digital storytelling tools like <a href="http://goanimate4schools.com/public_animations/history">GoAnimate</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.xtranormal.com/">Xtranormal</a>. Students can also create a digital comic of a conversation involving food with tools like <a href="http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/">Make Beliefs Comix</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.creaza.com/">Creaza</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are a few ideas of dialogues students can create:</p>

<ul>
	<li>A conversation between a waiter and customer</li>
	<li>A customer complaining about the food</li>
	<li>A conversation between a couple on a date at a restaurant</li>
	<li>Parents with noisy children</li>
	<li>Students ordering food in a school cafeteria</li>
	<li>A conversation between two food critics who disagree</li>
	<li>A food fight</li>
	<li>People critiquing the food at a party or event</li>
	<li>Friends ordering at a food court</li>
	<li>A vegetarian and a non-vegetarian ordering food</li>
	<li>Friends shopping at the grocery store</li>
	<li>Friends shopping at a farmer&rsquo;s market</li>
</ul>

<h2>More Great Websites and Resources</h2>

<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-kids/food">Games, lesson ideas, and resources for teaching children about food</a> by Teaching English</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/teaching-the-food-system/">Food Curriculum for Teens and Adults</a> by Johns Hopkins</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.foodtimeline.org/food2.html">Food History Lesson Plans</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://www.teachervision.fen.com/foods/teacher-resources/6621.html">100s of Food Lesson Plans for K-12</a></li>
</ul>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
