English Club.com offers an impressive entry of Language Tools that ESL/EFL learners and teachers can use. The section not only lists online antonym and synonym dictionaries but also two rhyming dictionaries! On Rhyme Zone you can type any word and find a huge list of words and phrases that rhyme or nearly rhyme with that word. I was really excited to discover such an innovative concept of a dictionary. I am trying to think of ways in which I can effectively use this resource for classroom teaching. And, the most relevant and obvious use I see is to teach pronunciation. In my class on teaching pronunciation, we often talked about using a list of different words to practice one particular sound. I feel this website might be helpful in coming up with an extensive inventory of such words.
Alternatively, this resource could be used to make students write small poems or limericks! I don't know for sure if an activity like this would be suitable for learners at the intermediate level. But, I would still like to try it in class, for I strongly feel that associating different words with similar ending sounds can be effective in vocabulary learning.
Another fascinating language tool mentioned on this site is the Make Your Own Wordle tool. Worlde is officially defined as 'a toy for generating word clouds.' The tool can be used to create interactive and colorful electronic flashcards that students can use to learn new vocabulary words or even idioms and proverbs. I am really excited about this tool and can't wait to try it myself!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Audio English
As the name suggest, this site is focused on listening activities. It provides audio recordings on different types of dialogues, phrases, narrations and role-play exercises, for different contexts. There is a section on Practical English that gives phrases that can be used in everyday situations. The site suggests that students listen to the audio clips and practice pronunciation. Apart from pronunciation practice, the site can be used for listening comprehension and also as part of pre-exercise for speaking activities. The students can be asked to prepare their own dialogues based on what they hear on the clip.
However, this resource is primarily in British English and hence the speakers have prominent British accents. So, this might not be helpful for learners learning English for and in the American context. But, I think this might be an interesting resource to use in my teaching context, since it will be helpful in familiarizing the learners with different English accents.
However, this resource is primarily in British English and hence the speakers have prominent British accents. So, this might not be helpful for learners learning English for and in the American context. But, I think this might be an interesting resource to use in my teaching context, since it will be helpful in familiarizing the learners with different English accents.
Teaching Resources
Lanternfish provides many helpful teaching resources for ESL and TEFL teachers. There are a wide range of worksheets and lesson plans available, all based on the kind of skills and themes the teachers wants to work on.The brief description of each lesson plan on the main page makes it easier for the teacher to choose. Also, each lesson plan is laid out clearly and comprehensively. The variety of areas and topics makes this site suitable for all age groups and levels of learners.
One lesson that I would particularly like to try with my students is the Job Fair role-play. Although the site gives step-by-step instructions on the lesson plan, the teacher can adapt it according to her own context and learning needs of her students. Like, the lesson lists What did you study in University? as one of its questions for the interview. If this appears to be too simple, then I can introduce the word 'qualification' and tell me my students that this question can be rephrased as 'What are your qualifications?'.
This lesson is part of the Business English section of the website. This section has many activities that I can try with my college level students to prepare them better for the professional world.
The site can also take you to an interesting link on the Glossary of ESL terms. It is a relatively short but helpful resource for language teachers as well as students learning to navigate the world of second language teaching and education. I was excited to see so many of the concepts that I have learned this semester listed on this site! Each entry is explained in simple terms. The site can be very helpful for refreshing some of the key concepts related to language acquisition theories and practices.
One lesson that I would particularly like to try with my students is the Job Fair role-play. Although the site gives step-by-step instructions on the lesson plan, the teacher can adapt it according to her own context and learning needs of her students. Like, the lesson lists What did you study in University? as one of its questions for the interview. If this appears to be too simple, then I can introduce the word 'qualification' and tell me my students that this question can be rephrased as 'What are your qualifications?'.
This lesson is part of the Business English section of the website. This section has many activities that I can try with my college level students to prepare them better for the professional world.
The site can also take you to an interesting link on the Glossary of ESL terms. It is a relatively short but helpful resource for language teachers as well as students learning to navigate the world of second language teaching and education. I was excited to see so many of the concepts that I have learned this semester listed on this site! Each entry is explained in simple terms. The site can be very helpful for refreshing some of the key concepts related to language acquisition theories and practices.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)