Monday, December 3rd, 2007
Putting the seasonal cheer back into grammar (and putting the grammar back into Xmas)
Some of you might be thinking that the problem with Xmas today is an excess of commercialism or the lack of real religious feeling, but the way I see it the problem is an excess of worksheets teaching students vocabulary like “holly” that they will have forgotten by the same time next year (if they even understand the concept of holly anyway) and a lack of tie ins between those seasonal worksheets and everything else students do in the classroom. For those that agree with me that what is needed to make your Xmas complete is lots more grammar, here are some ideas on how to tie in your Xmas lessons with whatever grammar point you are studying at the time (the ideas should work with other major festivals and celebrations too)…
See below for not only shed loads of good grammar ideas in the continuation of this article, but also a whole stocking full of other ideas for Chrimbo-themed lessons for kids (from pre-school) to adults- “Christmastastic fun for all the family” (R)
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Posted in Christmas lessons, Christmas themed lessons for adult classes, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Festivals and celebrations lessons, Flashcard games, Genki English, Grammar games, Grammar- modals of deduction, Lesson planning, Modals, Pairwork and groupwork, Passives, Photocopiable worksheets, TEFL, TEFL games, TPR, Teaching, Teaching grammar, Teaching listening skills, Teaching low levels, Teaching modals, Teaching pre-school kindergarten/ teaching very young c, Teaching present simple for routines etc., Teaching present tenses, Teaching young learners, Using songs with adults, Using songs with kids, Word origins, links | 2 Comments »
Friday, August 10th, 2007
Just in case anyone thinks I am overdoing it on slagging off native speaker English teachers in Japan, here’s another reminder how being a TEFL teacher (even a shite one) isn’t the worst thing in the world. At least we don’t work for pharmaceutical companies:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/09/america/NA-GEN-US-Red-Cross-Lawsuit.php
Although, having said that, I actually have taught in two pharmaceutical companies in Japan. And it was exactly articles like this about dodgy business practices, dangerous drugs, marketing that doubles as bribery etc. that made my job so difficult. I simply could not find an interesting neutral article or book on the pharmaceutical industry, and nothing in Japan is more likely to produce blank stares than slagging off someone’s industry.
If anyone else is having the same problems, here are some links to my Medical and Pharmaceutical English materials here and elsewhere:
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/worksheet-medical-english-mimes/
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/worksheets-and-game-medical-breakthoughs-dominoes-passives/
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/worksheets-medical-english-difficult-sounds-pairwork/
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/worksheets-medical-moral-dilemmas-2nd-conditionals/
http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/worksheets-medical-problems-and-symptoms-guessing/
Onestopenglish ESP Medical English section:
http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?sectionType=listsummary&catid=58034&docid=144627
Posted in Difficult sounds, Grammar games, Lesson planning, Medical and pharmaceutical English, Pairwork and groupwork, Passives, Roleplays, Second conditionals, TEFL, TEFL games, TESOL, Taboo topics, Teaching, Teaching Business English and ESP, Using articles in class, Using authentic texts, links | No Comments »