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I dont earn very much money in my job. At the moment Im renting a flat. Id really like to buy
a flat, but I dont have enough money to do that. I know that Im not going to buy my own flat,
but I like to dream about it anywayso, what could I say about buying a flat, anyone?
2. Help students to say the target language
Make a point of actually asking the students to say something (rather than just listen to you)! Make it clear
what the target language is (it can be confused with instructional language). Give the students enough time
to get their tongues round the target language. And make sure that you get each individual student to say
the target language in a comprehensible way.
Sample teacher language:
So can you all repeat this after me, please? Have you had your hair cut?GoodNow say it
as many times to yourself as you likeand then tell me when youre happyOK? Now, Tania,
let me hear you say it, please.
3. Provide a written record
Make a point of putting up (on the board) the written record directly after initial oral work. Make sure that the
students write the written record down (and in a particular section of their notebooks). Write legibly and big
enough for all the students to see. Write as concisely as you can, and be sure to include both the target
language itself, the stressed syllables (including the tonic one) and a mini concept statement.
Sample teacher language:
Ok, now, Id like you to copy this down in your special grammar sections of your notebooks
(the teacher then writes The article was published last year = A journal published the article,
but we dont know, or dont care, which journal it was.)
Carlos, please take these chocolatesOk, now go to Lucia and Mohamednow give him a
chocolateno, give him a chocolateGood!Now go to Anna and Markus, and give her a
chocolateGood!And now go to Patrizia and Yuko, and give them the last chocolatewell
done, Carlos!And now here's a chocolate for you, Carlos!
7. Help students to understand the importance of grammatical accuracy
Discuss with your students the importance of making a good impression with some formal correspondence,
e.g. a job application. Encourage them to edit 'roughly-tuned texts.
Sample teacher language:
so you know that, sometimes, its important to write very accurately (for example, like you
said, if youre applying for a job here in Britain)I want you now to look at this textYou can
understand what the writer means, but there are some mistakes which will leave a bad
impression on the readersee if you can find the mistakes.
Conclusion
Is the above rocket science? No. But its surprising how well-intentioned teachers can make learning
grammar a miserable experience for their students. After a poorly taught grammar-focus lesson, students
will come away feeling blinded by science, cheated, and disempowered. After a well taught grammar-focus
lesson, students will come away feeling not only both proud and confident, but they will also know that they
have learned some new item of language that they can genuinely use for their own purposes.
Paul Bress can be contacted at paulbress@tinyonline.co.uk. His website is at www.bemycoach.co.uk
beginning of each paragraph or is a numbered list, students will get the sense
that the text lists steps or is a roundup article.
Reading Exercise: Choose a newspaper article with a great headline. Before
reading the article, ask students what they think the article will be about, based
on the headline.
2. 2
Contextualizing
It is always helpful for students to learn to place the text within
a context. Is the news article centered on something that happens everywhere
in the world, or just in one specific location? Is this something that affects you,
the reader, or other people in the world? Does the main character in the story go
through something you can relate to, or something you have no experience in?
These are great questions for students to think about as they read.
Reading Exercise: Before reading this text about Education in Britain, discuss
the educational system in the country your students are currently in: How many
years of grade school are there? How many years of high school? Students read
about what its like to go to school in Britain and compare it to their country.
3. 3
Visualizing
Some students, especially those who are visual learners, need to see
the information. Can you see the main character in your minds eye based on
the description? Can you picture the contaminated river as described in the
news article? Visualizing also involves organizing the information in a visual way,
usually through the use of a mind map or other graphic organizer.
Reading Exercise: Have students read a text like By the Water. After the
reading, ask students to record the images that come to mind as they read: I can
picture the sun shining on the water and the birds flying above
4. 4
Asking and Answering Questions
What questions come to mind when you preview an article? How will the
main character solve this problem? Students need to come up with questions
they would like answered in the text and pay attention to how they are answered.
Reading Exercise: Read a news article or a piece like this one about the Boston
Marathon. After reading the title, ask students to come up with three questions
they expect the article will answer and then read to see if they find the answers.
5. 5
Summarizing
After the reading, students should be able to summarize what theyve
read. This may be a short oral summary or a full paragraph. Summarizing
includes a very important skill: getting the gist. What was the main point in the
story? Summarizing is not retelling everything that happened as it happened, and
students need to not only tell the difference, but also learn to give back
information in a clear concise manner.
Reading Exercise: Ask the class to read the story of Helen of Troy. Then, ask
them to summarize in just one sentence or two what caused the Troyan War.
6. 6
Skimming
Skimming and scanning are usually considered speed-reading skills
because they are not used for intensive reading. They are essential skills
nonetheless, and students need to know that sometimes intensive reading is not
necessary.
Skimming a text involves running your eyes over it quickly to get the main idea.
It also allows you to identify which parts of a long text you might want to read
more closely. This skill is particularly useful, for example, forBusiness
English students who have to read long reports that are several pages long. By
skimming the report, they can still follow the gist and stop when they find
something of particular interest to them.
Reading Exercise: Hand out different magazines or newspapers in English, and
tell the class they have five minutes to skim one. After theyre done skimming,
ask them what stories they remember reading.
7. 7
Scanning
Scanning, on the other hand, allows you to quickly search a text for a
particular piece of information. Scanning is ideal when students need to find
a phone number in a directory, the date of a historical event or the time their
train is leaving.
Reading Exercise: Show the class this PowerPoint slide about Jobs. Divide the
class into groups and give each group 2-3 questions to answer. You can use the
same questions that appear on the right but in a different order. Each group must
scan the text to find the information they need to answer the questions.
Sometimes teaching ESL is more than teaching English.
We must also teach skills and strategies that will help our students succeed
in whatever they choose to do.
What other reading skills do you think are useful for ESL students? Share your
thoughts below!
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