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Content Type: 1
Title: Education Connections: Website for English Language Teachers
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From https://www.obaverse.net/edconnect
The Education Connections website is designed to serve as a portal for educators working with English learners, providing a wide range of resources and building connections among educators to share best practices.
Presented by the Center for Applied Linguistics and powered by the University of Oregon's Oba platform, the Education Connections website will be growing and expanding with new resources in the coming months.
Briefs, articles, and video clips already on the website include the following:
Implementing the Common Core for English Learners
Common Core 101
Teachers in Action: Video clip of a lesson with English learners
Understanding Language: Resources for Teachers on CCSS, NGSS, and English learners
You can join Education Resources by creating an account. Here are the benefits of joining:
Access more resources
View webinars conducted by expert practitioners
Participate in communities of practice with your peers
Learn more about how to plan lessons targeted at standards with English learners in mind
Receive periodic email updates about new resources
Submit a lesson plan to compete for a monthly $100 prize!
Education Connections is available at https://www.obaverse.net/edconnect
Source: CAL
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Content Type: 1
Title: More World Cup Resources
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The 2014 FIFA World Cup starts on June 12 in Brazil! Here are a few more soccer resources for you and your students:
The official website of the World Cup is here: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup
It is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Arabic.
Here is an annotated list of recently-found soccer resources from the Zambombazo website: http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/betsys-recap-football-dictionary-tricks-messi-portrait-brazuca
Here is a collection of World Cup for (mostly) young learners of Spanish: http://spanishplayground.net/world-cup-activities-spanish
Larry Ferlazzo has put together an annotated list of “The Best Sites For Learning About The 2014 World Cup In Brazil” at http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2014/03/09/the-best-sites-for-learning-about-the-2014-world-cup-in-brazil
If you’re in the Boston area, you can watch the German team play at the Goethe-Institut. Here is a schedule and ticket information: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/bos/ver/en12665879v.htm?code=bos1405
Source: Various
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Title: 15 Fun and Effective Ways to Learn a New Language over Summer Vacation
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Challenge your students this summer! Encourage them to change to the target language on their mobile devices, or to watch TV or read books in the target language, or to celebrate holidays from the target culture. Get more ideas here: http://blogs.transparent.com/language-news/2014/05/14/summer-is-coming-15-fun-and-effective-ways-to-learn-a-new-language-over-summer-vacation/
Source: Transparent Language
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Title: #Langchat Summary: Flipped Classes
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A recent #langchat Twitter discussion focused of flipped instruction, in which the bulk of instruction happens outside of class, so that classroom time can be used for practice. See how language teachers define flipped classes, what works, and what doesn’t in this summary of the discussion: http://blog.calicospanish.com/2014/05/19/flipped-class-language-teaching-works-doesnt.html
You can learn more about #langchat at http://leesensei.edublogs.org/langchat-2/#.U35YYC-Sbrl or at http://blog.calicospanish.com/2011/02/05/getting-involved-in-langchat-on-twitter.html
Source: Calico Spanish
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Content Type: 1
Title: Using Posters as Part of a Reading Activity
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From http://leesensei.edublogs.org
Japanese teacher and blogger Colleen Lee-Hayes describes a recent activity she did involving posters. First, students read an authentic text. Next, in groups, they created PSA posters. Then, with careful scaffolding, they read and responded to each other’s posters. Read how she did all of this at http://leesensei.edublogs.org/2014/05/12/the-psa-poster-activity-and-the-reading-practice-it-brings/#.U3yudy-SY_0
Source: Language Sensei
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Content Type: 2
Title: Language Learning Strategies
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Our InterCom theme for June is language learning strategies. This week's Topic of the Week features Andrew D. Cohen of the University of Minnesota classifying different strategies. In coming weeks we'll look more at different types of strategies, access a learning strategies inventory, learn how we can use technology for learning that is targeted at individuals' learning strategies, and find out how we can assess our own strategies. We hope you enjoy this month's series!
Source: CASLS
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Title: Language Learner Strategies
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Andrew D. Cohen is a Professor Emeritus in the Second Language Studies Program at the University of Minnesota. He served as the Director of the Language Resource Center at the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) from 1993–2004. His most recent project with CARLA centered on the development of the Spanish Grammar Strategies Website for learners, which is intended to serve as a model for how to support the learners of problematic grammar forms in any language.
Language learner strategies have been defined in numerous ways over the years. Here is one working definition:
Thoughts and actions, consciously chosen and operationalized by language learners, to assist them in carrying out a multiplicity of tasks from the very onset of learning to the most advanced levels of target-language performance.
The element of choice is important here because this is what gives a strategy its special character. These are moves which the learner is at least partially aware of, even if not being fully attentive to them.
Strategies have been further classified in various ways – for example, strategies for language learning vs. strategies for language use, strategies by language skill area (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), and strategies according to function (metacognitive, cognitive, social, or affective).
Language learning strategies include strategies for identifying the material that needs to be learned, for distinguishing it from other material if need be, for grouping it for easier learning (e.g., grouping vocabulary by category into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and so forth), for repeatedly dealing with the material (e.g., through classroom tasks or the completion of homework assignments), and for memorizing whatever material is not acquired naturally through exposure.
Let us look at an example of a strategy from a Spanish Grammar Strategies website
Language use strategies at whatever the learners' current level of mastery involve at least four subsets of strategies: retrieval strategies, rehearsal strategies, coping strategies, and communication strategies. Retrieval strategies are used to call up language material from storage by means of whatever memory searching strategies the learner can muster. Rehearsal strategies are for practicing target language structures. Coping strategies are of two kinds – compensatory strategies that learners use to make up for the lack of some specific language knowledge, and cover strategies for creating the impression of control over material when there isn't any. Communication strategies are intended to convey a message that is both meaningful and informative for the listener or reader.
A second way to classify strategies is by skill area. Bearing in mind that a skill constitutes the ability to do something (such as looking up a word in a dictionary or paraphrasing a text), strategies are the means used to operationalize this skill. Strategies play an important role in operationalizing both the receptive skills of listening and reading, and the productive skills of speaking, and writing.
A third way to classify strategies is in terms of their function, namely, metacognitive, cognitive, affective, or social. Metacognitive strategies deal with preassessment and preplanning, online planning and monitoring, and postevaluation of language learning activities and of language use events. Cognitive strategies deal with the crucial nuts and bolts of language use since they involve the awareness, perception, reasoning, and conceptualizing processes that learners undertake in both learning the target language (e.g., identification, grouping, retention, and storage of language material) and in activating their knowledge (e.g., retrieval of language material, rehearsal, and comprehension or production of words, phrases, and other elements of the target language). Social strategies encompass the means employed by learners for interacting with other learners and native speakers, such as through asking questions to clarify social roles and relationships, asking for an explanation or verification, and cooperating with others in order to complete tasks. Finally, affective strategies help students regulate their emotions, motivation, and attitudes. In addition, they are used to reduce anxiety and provide self-encouragement.
References
Cohen, A. D. (2011). Strategies in learning and using a second language. Harlow, England: Longman Applied Linguistics/Pearson Education.
Griffiths, C. (2013). The strategy factor in successful language learning. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Oxford, R. (2011). Teaching and researching language learning strategies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Longman.
Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
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Content Type: 4
Title: Language Learner Strategy Activity: Learning or Reinforcing Target-Language Vocabulary Knowledge
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– Andrew D. Cohen and Susan Weaver, 2006
Format: Individual, interactive
Target Audience: This activity is designed to be used with students in a second/foreign language classroom with facilitation by the teacher and/or second/foreign language teachers, researchers, and administrators in a workshop/course.
Purpose: To perform an individual learning task and to give participants a chance to discuss strategies for learning foreign language vocabulary (based on the participants' own learning experiences). The participants are asked to learn or reinforce their knowledge of ten target-language words and to share their insights about strategies for learning new vocabulary with the rest of class. After this discussion, the technique used for the activity is described and discussed.
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: A list of ten words and their definitions in a target language.
Directions:
- Explain to participants that they are to learn or reinforce their knowledge of the ten words using any strategy or technique that they choose. They can work individually or with a partner. Ask them to pay attention to how they are learning the words and their meanings, that is, the strategies that they use. Their grasp of the words will be checked by having them take a quiz where they either write the definition when the word is read aloud or write the word when its definition is read.
- Hand out the list of the vocabulary words. Give the participants 4-5 minutes to learn or refresh their knowledge of the ten words individually or in pairs. (Note: If they question the authenticity of this kind of exercise, explain that students frequently learn vocabulary through definitions or translations – often using the list of words at the end of each chapter in a language textbook, despite teachers' efforts to encourage students to learn words in context. The disadvantages of learning words out of context can also be discussed.)
- A variation on this task would be to change the response format when given the vocabulary words so that they have to write meaningful sentences rather than just a word or phrase. An alternative format for the task would be to present the word in a sentence that provides at least one or more contextual clues and have them figure out the meaning of the words.
- Read aloud the "Vocabulary Test," having the participants either write down the word or its definition, as appropriate. When finished, they can self-correct their tests.
- Have them form groups of 3-4 to discuss their relative success with learning the words and to describe the strategies that they used to learn the new words (for 4-5 minutes).
From Cohen, A. D. & Weaver, S. J. (2006). Styles and strategies-based instruction: A teachers' guide. Minneapolis, MN: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, University of Minnesota.
For more strategy activities, see: Paige, R. M., Cohen, A. D., Kappler, B., Chi, J. C., & Lassegard, J. P. (2006). Maximizing study abroad: A students' guide to strategies for language and culture learning and use. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Content Type: 5
Title: ATJO Visits CASLS by Mandy Gettler, CASLS Associate Director
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In February, the Association of Teachers of Japanese in Oregon (ATJO) visited CASLS at the University of Oregon in Eugene. ATJO promotes and supports Japanese teaching in Oregon, and they create strong connections among all Japanese teachers in the state.
CASLS and ATJO have a unique history of working together. CASLS was founded in 1997 as the Japanese Language Project to help establish standards-based benchmarks for Japanese as a result of state legislation passed in 1992 targeted at reforming the K-12 school system. CASLS founding director Carl Falsgraf spent many months visiting ATJO members' classrooms to discover the realities of K-12 education.
CASLS current director Julie Sykes reaffirmed the center's historic connection with ATJO. As a leader in the field in digital technologies and language acquisition, she provided a talk on place-based augmented reality and mobile games, specifically focusing on their application in a Japanese language and culture context. ATJO members participated in small group discussions. Afterward, ATJO conducted their annual meeting.
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Content Type: 1
Title: May 2014 Issue of TESL-EJ
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The May 2014 issue of TESL-EJ is available at http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume18/ej69fromed
In this issue:
Shogo Sakurai, Corrective Feedback and Student Uptakes in English Immersion Classrooms in Japan: Is the Counter-Balance Hypothesis Valid?
Budsaba Kanoksilapatham, Thai Elementary School Teachers’ English Pronunciation and Effects of Teacher Variables: Professional Development
Enas Abdullah Rajab Hammad, Palestinian EFL Teachers’ Attitudes Towards English Textbooks Used at the First Three Grades of Elementary School
Kay Hong-Nam, ELL High School Students’ Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategy Use and Reading Proficiency
James Buckingham, Open Digital Badges for the Uninitiated
Plus reviews of books and media articles.
Source: TESL-EJ
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