Brief dissertation on English language teaching

Brief Dissertations on English Language Teaching

March 2007

The Language Impact on English students

I am going to begin this series of little dissertations on English Language Teaching by telling you a little about my own experience as a learner of English. So let’s move far back to 1988 when I first went to an English speaking country. The idea was to practice my English language in a natural environment, so I made arrangements to spend two weeks in California. At that time I had studied English in different schools achieving the highest grades in my groups and finishing all the levels they offered. I had even taken the first months of a Teacher’s diploma course. So my expectations, regarding my English proficiency, when getting to L.A. were very high.

However, since my crossing the USA border to my arrival at my aunt’s house I realized that I, undoubtedly, knew English, that is I knew how to ask questions, how to explain things, that I knew how to read (signs, documents, and so on), and that a I knew English grammar, but I did not understand spoken English. My first hours in USA proved that my listening skills were somehow nonexistent. I didn’t understand anybody speaking English. I remember very vividly when I entered a McDonald’s restaurant and the clerk on the other side of the counter asked me something that sounded like Me a hep a sa? It took him four repetitions and a smile to make me realize he was saying May I help you, sir? And asking a Greyhound bus driver the best way to get to my aunt’s house, where to get off the bus and what direction to walk was an awful experience. I just watched his lips whistling words and then when he finished I muttered a thank you and got to my seat to check on my city map to find myself the best route.

I was terrified, either for realizing that people in America did not speak English but a different language or that my English teachers had cheated on me for the past five years.

So, in that moment, I made two crucial decisions in my life: spend the rest of the year in California and enroll at a public high school to have full exposure to the language.

The first two weeks were very difficult: I didn’t understand my teachers and I didn’t understand my classmates insults (remember I was a hispanic –how I hated that word at that time- at an almost all white high school). But I didn’t give up: at the third week I understood every single insult from my classmates and eventually, I got to understand my teachers and became a very good student.

To be continued…

A very short story

This was a very short storytelling contest among letters.
A capital letter began her story, and it was such a boring story that when she
finished, everybody was Zzzz.

Have a nice weekend.

Calculate your Body Mass Index

The homework this week is to calculate your Body Mass Index. If you are between 20 and 24 you have an adequate weight. If you are under 20 you need to eat better. On the other hand, if you are over 24, you need to eat more balanced food. Go to the next link to calculate your BMI.
Then send me your index.

See you,

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Younger than/older than

Important language: older than, the oldest

younger than, the youngest

Dayanara 35---- Kate 34---- Megan 23----Kristen 19

Complete the sentences:

Dayanara _______________.

Kate is 34 years old.

Megan is _______________

___________ is 19 years old.

Complete the questions:

Is Kate 34 years old? Yes, ________.

_________23 years old? Yes, she_____.

___________________? Yes, she is.

Is Kristen 34 years old? No, she isn’t.

Is________23________? No,_________

__________35________? ____________

How old _____________? She’s_________

Follow and complete the sequences:

1.-Dayanara is older than Kate. Kate is _______________ Megan. Megan is ____________ Kristen.

Dayanara is the oldest. (But she is also the most beautiful).

Kristen is younger than Megan. Megan is _______________ Kate. Kate is ____________ Dayanara.

Kristen is the __________.

2.-Kristen is 4 years younger than Megan. Megan is __________________Kate.

Kate is_____________________ Dayanara.

Dayanara is 1 year older than Kate. Kate is______________________Megan.

Megan is ______________________ Kristen.

Comparatives and superlatives

Here you have some exercises to practice comparatives.
Important language:
more expensive than
cheaper than
the most expensive
the cheapest

Passat CC $500,000




Bora $300,00




Jetta $200,000




Gol GT $150,000





1.-The Passat CC is $500,000 (five hundred thousand pesos).
2.-The Passat CC is more expensive than the Bora.
3.-The Bora is more expensive than Jetta.
4.-The Jetta is more expensive than the Gol.
5.-The Passat CC is the most expensive VW car.

Yes/No/How much questions

Is the Passat CC $500,000? Yes, it is.
Is the Bora more expensive than the Jetta? Yes, it is
Is the Gol more expensive than the Bora? No, it isn’t
Is the Jetta more expensive than the Passat CC? No, it isn't
How much is the Jetta? It is $200,000

1.-The Gol is 150,000 (one hundred, fifty thousand pesos).
2.-The Gol is cheaper than the Jetta.
3.-The Jetta is cheaper than the Bora.
4.-The Bora is cheaper than the Passat CC.
5.-The Gol is the cheapest VW car.

Homework: Write 3 Yes and 3 No questions with cheaper than and 1 How much question.

No homework this weekend

Yeeees¡ You don't have homework this weekend.
So spend the time with the people you love or just relaxing.
Listen to your favorite music and see a good movie.
Maybe you prefer to go dancing. Guuau¡
See you next week.

Regards,
Your teacher Norbert

The Evaluation

Hi, dear students:

This weekend the homework is very simple. You don’t have to investigate anything in the libraries, you don’t have to go to any link. All you have to do is to write a ONE page report about your signatures in this sixth semester. In this report you have to analyze all the classes you are taking this semester. You can include opinions and comments, but remember you have to be respectful of everybody.

In particular, I am very much interested in your analysis of our class, the English class. Of course, this report includes the analysis of what you have done in the course so far, until this moment.

And to finish, you have to imagine you are the teacher and you have to evaluate yourself. What would you put your student, an Avanza or a Recursa in this moment of the semester? And you have to explain the reasons.

You have to send your homework to nobymor@gmail.com

Remember, it has to be ONE complete page, written in coherent Spanish, with no spelling mistakes.

Have a very nice weekend,

Sincerely,

Your teacher Norberto