Tuesday 19 November 2019
Wednesday 10 April 2019
Paulina's Traditional ESL Easter Egg Hunt
An egg hunt is an activity celebrated around Easter time (different countries celebrate it on different days). In this activity, children look for hidden coloured eggs or, nowadays, chocolate eggs.
This activity is an ESL adaptation, in which children get to practise English, have fun and win a sweet prize!
What do you need?
- a colouring page with Easter eggs (+/- 100 eggs, although it will depend on your game) - ask your students to colour them and cut them out for you.
- (+/- pins - you will need one pin for each "egg")
- a board with numbers (in my case 1-100)
- a list of secret words
- a list of questions/mini tasks for your students
- a die
- some counters, although these can be improvised
- a prize for the winners.
How much time do you need?
- On average, the game takes between 45-75 minutes. It depends a lot on the number of kids that play (almost unlimited) and their level of competitiveness.
How do you play?
- Prepare the questions and tasks appropriate for your students' level and age (There is a link below to the activities I prepared for my students A1-B2).
- Prepare a list of secret words. I have used words from the FCE word formation exam.
- Write numbers 1-100 on eggs and on the reverse write a secret word. Place the eggs on the walls. Depending on your students, you may want to hide them or make them more difficult to reach - it's up to you!
- When students arrive, divide them into small groups and explain the rules to them (Don't move the eggs, steal the eggs or take them off the wall) and demo how to play the game.
- You may need to add or change your rules according to your workplace policy (No running, no shouting, etc).
- Students roll a die and move around the board. When they land on a number, e.g. 5, they have to go and find the egg number 5. When students find the egg, they need to check the secret word and memorise it (without removing the egg from the wall if possible). They come back to the teacher and tell them the secret word (for B1-B2 levels I actually ask them to spell the word). If the word is correct (check with your secret word list), the teacher asks them a question or gives them the task. When the question has been answered or the task done, students can roll the die and the procedure repeats until students get to the final number (100 in my case).
Here's the link to all the materials
For more teaching ideas go to http://polishyourenglishwithpau.edublogs.org/
Thursday 14 February 2019
It's Valentine's Day
Monday 29 October 2018
Spooky Use of English Practice
Here are some Halloween Use of English activities I prepared for my FCE students. My students always ask for some Halloween related activities, but we can always do fun stuff. I hope that thanks to these activities I will kill two birds with one stone - they will learn something more about Halloween and we will practise Use of English for the FCE exam :).
Part 1 Multiple-choice cloze
For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
Halloween: Where It All Began
In Ireland, 1) _____ Halloween originated, the day is still celebrated much as it is in the United States. In rural areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts, and all over the country, children 2) _____ dressed up in costumes and spend the evening “trick-or-treating” in their neighborhoods. After trick-or-treating, most people attend parties with neighbors and friends. At the parties, many games are played, including “snap-apple,” a game in which an apple on a string is tied 3) _____ a doorframe or tree and players attempt to bite the hanging apple. 4) _____ addition to bobbing for apples, parents often arrange treasure hunts, with candy or pastries as the “treasure.” The Irish also play a card 5) _____ where cards are laid face 6) _____ on a table with candy or coins underneath them. When a child chooses a card, he receives whatever prize is found below it.
A traditional food eaten on Halloween is barnbrack, a kind of fruitcake that can be bought in stores or 7) _____ at home. A muslin-wrapped treat is baked inside the cake that, it is said, can foretell the eater’s future. If a ring is found, it means that the person will soon be wed; a piece of straw means that a prosperous year is on its 8) _____. Children are also known to play tricks on their neighbors, such as “knock-a-dolly,” a prank in which children knock on the doors of their neighbors, but run away before the door is opened.
1.
|
a
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when
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b
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whose
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c
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where
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d
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that
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2.
|
a
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make
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b
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set
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c
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take
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d
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get
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3.
|
a
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to
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b
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with
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c
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up
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d
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along
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4.
|
a
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In
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b
|
On
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c
|
With
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d
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No
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5.
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a
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trick
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b
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play
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c
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game
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d
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toy
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6.
|
a
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up
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b
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down
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c
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back
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d
|
off
|
7.
|
a
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cooked
|
b
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fried
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c
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boiled
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d
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baked
|
8.
|
a
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way
|
b
|
road
|
c
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path
|
d
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street
|
Part 2 Open cloze
For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS.
The Legend of “Stingy Jack”
1)______ October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated 2) _____ candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, 3) _____ large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities.
People have been making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween 4) _____ centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself 5) _____ a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to 6) _____ the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, 7) _____ the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack 8) _____ to bother him for ten more years.
Part 3 Word formation
For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS.
The Legend of “Stingy Jack” (continued)
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an 1) _____ figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, 2) _____ not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a 3) _____ coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this 4) _____ figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, 5) _____ “Jack O’Lantern.”
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving 6) _____ faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to 7) _____ away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. 8) _____ from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o’-lanterns.
|
SAVOUR
WILL BURN GHOST SIMPLE SCARE FRIGHT MIGRATE |
Part 4 Transformations
For questions 1–6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. Write the missing words in CAPITAL LETTERS.
1. Due to bad weather, Ana Belén had to postpone the Halloween Party.
OFF
The Halloween party had ______________________________ of bad weather.
2. When Paulina was a little girl, she always wore princess dresses.
AS
Paulina used ______________________________ princess when she was little.
3. Fran said, “This is the scariest Halloween Party I have ever attended!”
BEEN
Fran said that it was the scariest Halloween Party ______________________________.
4. Not every child got candies at the Halloween Party.
ENOUGH
There ______________________________ all the children at the Halloween Party.
5. Michael says he liked last year’s Halloween Party more.
AS
According to Michael, this year’s Halloween party ______________________________ the previous one.
6. The Halloween Party was attended by more than 120 students!
IN
More than 120 students ______________________________ Halloween Party.
Texts adapted from: https://www.history.com/
Here's the link to the activities and the answer key
For more teaching ideas go to http://polishyourenglishwithpau.edublogs.org/
Wednesday 24 October 2018
Practise your Use of English with Songs
Have you ever struggled to prepare an entertaining activity for your teen students to prepare them for the Reading and Use of English part of the exam?
I certainly have and it has taken me some time to come up with something they really loved: SONGS!
My students always ask for song based activities or simply songs. My (students') favourite website is www.lyricstraining.com, we use it at the end of almost every lesson. It's a great activity to have at hand but it only practises listening for specific informationa and might not always be suitable at my students' level.
This is how I decided to adpapt the lyrics available at LyricsTraining to create use of English activities for my students. Here are come examples and link.
Budapest - George
Ezra
Students first do the use of English task and then they listen to the song to check their answers!
Do I have to tell you they loved them?
They absolutely did!
I certainly have and it has taken me some time to come up with something they really loved: SONGS!
My students always ask for song based activities or simply songs. My (students') favourite website is www.lyricstraining.com, we use it at the end of almost every lesson. It's a great activity to have at hand but it only practises listening for specific informationa and might not always be suitable at my students' level.
This is how I decided to adpapt the lyrics available at LyricsTraining to create use of English activities for my students. Here are come examples and link.
Budapest - George
Ezra
My house in Budapest
My (1) _____ treasure chest HIDE
(2) _____ grand piano GOLD
My (3) _____ Castillo BEAUTY
You, you, I'd leave it all
My acres of a land
I have achieved
It may be hard for you to stop and (4)
_____ BELIEF
But for you, you, I'd leave it all
(Oh) for you, you, I'd leave it all
Give me one good (5) _____ REASONABLE
Why I should never make a change
Baby, if you hold me then all of this will
go away
My many (6) _____ ART
The list (7) _____ on GO
If you just say the words I'll up and run
(Oh) to you, you, I'd leave it all
(Oh) to you, you, I'd leave it all
Give me one good (5) _____ REASONABLE
Why I should never make a change
Baby, if you hold me then all of this will
go away
Give me one good (5) _____ REASONABLE
Why I should never make a change
Baby, if you hold me then all of this will
go away
My friends and family they
Don't understand
They fear they'd (8) _____ so much LOST
If,
you took my hand
But for you, you, I'd (8) _____ it all LOST
(Oh)
for you, you, I'd (8)_____ it all LOST
Give me one good (5) _____ REASONABLE
Why I should never make a change
Baby, if you hold me then all of this will
go away
Give me one good (5) _____ REASONABLE
Why I should never make a change
Baby, if you hold me then all of this will
go away
My house in Budapest
My (1) _____ treasure chest HIDE
(2) _____ grand piano GOLD
You, you, I'd leave it all
(Oh) for you, you, I'd leave it all
Do I have to tell you they loved them?
They absolutely did!
For more teaching ideas go to http://polishyourenglishwithpau.edublogs.org/
Wednesday 18 January 2017
Monday 16 January 2017
Saturday 14 January 2017
CELTA Written Assignment: Lessons from the classroom
Teaching Strengths
1.
Setting up activities
Before the CELTA course, I used to struggle a lot with
setting up activities. I had to repeat some instructions many times and quite
often I saw that my students looked puzzled. During the input session with
Barbara, I learnt how to successfully set up an activity. During TP sessions, I
noticed how fellow trainees Katie and Cristina used ICQs and demoed the
activities and I tried to do it during my lessons. At the beginning I always
forgot about something but eventually I’ve managed to do it all. My students
have been able to follow my instructions and by using ICQs I was sure that they
really knew what to do. During Tutorial 2, I was told that setting up
activities is one of my main strengths.
2.
Lesson planning
I never prepared detailed lesson plans, I honestly
considered them a waste of time. However, I changed my mind while observing
fellow trainees teaching. I realised that a good plan means a very well
organised lesson. The more detailed the plan the smaller the possibility of
being asked a question we are not prepared for. After observing one of the DVD
lessons (If I found a little money…), we were given a lesson plan and I
realised that it’s a very good idea to include CCQs, ICQs and form checking
questions. I noticed during TP sessions that when Katie included her ICQs in
the lesson plan she always used them. So I decided to do the same. My tutor
commented on how I used my CCQs included in the lesson plan during the TP
feedback. Having a well thought plan has helped me overcome my initial stress
and move smoothly from one activity to another.
3.
Language analysis
Even though I studied linguistics I never used the knowledge
to analyse the language I teach. After observing fellow trainees, Cristina and
Ewa, I realised it is important to adjust the language in the classroom to the learner group and the context (CELTA 5
– 2a). I started paying more attention
to the language I use and analyse more carefully the language in terms of form
and meaning. Also, my tutor has highlighted during Tutorial 2 that I’ve worked
well on providing clear context and a communicative context for language which
led to “meaningful communicative practice of TL”. Thanks to analysing the
language I am about to teach I feel more confident during TP sessions and know
what kind of problems I can encounter during the lesson which I find very
useful.
Development needs
1.
Using too much TTT
Before CELTA course I didn’t know what TTT was and that I
definitely overused it. I’ve been working on reducing TTT, especially echoing,
but so far I haven’t stopped doing it. I should apply some of the techniques
that I observed while watching experienced teachers. During the demo class for
the trainees, Declan and Peter used praising students instead of repeating the
answer for them. Also, I should elicit more and ask for more justifications
from students as I could see in the DVD with Nick (lesson about listening and
phonology). Finally, I could use more gestures, for example to show pair work
which I saw during TP sessions, for example Cristina uses it very naturally.
2.
Monitoring and error correction
I am a very passive teacher while monitoring. During TP
feedback my tutor has suggested that I should interact more at times and I
should be more helpful. During TP sessions, I noticed that Nigel and Katie
observe students closely and they use of a lot of on-the-spot correction.
Something I should definitely include while monitoring. Also, while observing
experienced teachers, I noticed how Declan approached students and how Peter
used white colour to write students’ mistakes on the board without interrupting
the activity. I would like to copy these techniques during my future lessons.
3.
Teaching pronunciation
I am extremely self-conscious about my pronunciation and it
visibly affects the way I teach it. In almost every tutor observation notes I
can read that I need to focus more on drilling, don’t skip it and use a varied
range of drills. During DVD observations, I could see how to use fingers to
teach students contractions and connected speech. Later on I had an opportunity
to see Ewa, one of the trainees, use this technique during drilling and it
worked very well. I would also like to practice drilling in a more friendly
atmosphere. During Tutorial 2 it’s been suggested that I sometimes sound
like barking dog. I would definitely
like to work on that.
Action plan
|
Areas to work on:
|
Action plan:
|
|
1. Reducing TTT
|
a.
I’ll watch Jo Gakonga’s video on Teacher echo and IRF to analyse the
reasons why I echo my students’ answers in order to reduce it.
b.
I’ll read an article on Teacher talking time on https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teacher-talking-time.
c.
Once a month, I’ll record myself in order to
check how much TTT I use.
|
|
2. Improving monitoring and error correction
|
a.
I will read Chapter 8 on Mistakes and feedback in The practice of English language teaching
by Jeremy Harmer.
b.
I’ll plan more time to the PACS stage and I’ll
include possible that students might make in the lesson plan so as to have
more errors to analyse.
c.
I’ll observe two different colleagues to see how
they monitor their students and try to introduce their techniques during my lessons.
|
|
3.
Teaching
pronunciation
|
a.
I’ll do an online Teaching pronunciation course
available on the Cambridge English Teacher
website to improve my teaching skills in this idea.
b.
I will read Chapter 15 on Teaching pronunciation in The practice of English language teaching
by Jeremy Harmer.
c.
I will test drilling first on my colleagues to
check if they respond well to my instructions and the techniques I use.
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