Operation TEFL

Free Worksheets to Teach ESL English Using Pop Songs

2011-06-24T00:11:00.000-07:00

Musical English Lessons International England -
Free worksheets to teach ESL/English using pop songs

The best song (simplest song) for ESL English teaching that I've found so far is "I'm So Tired" by The Beatles

The Beatles - "I'm So Tired"

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink

I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink

I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink

No,no,no.

I'm so tired I don't know what to do

I'm so tired my mind is set on you

I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do

You'd say I'm putting you on

But it's no joke, it's doing me harm

You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain

You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane

You know I'd give you everything I've got

for a little peace of mind

I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset

Although I'm so tired I'll have another cigarette

And curse Sir Walter Raleigh

He was such a stupid get.

You'd say I'm putting you on

But it's no joke, it's doing me harm

You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain

You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane

You know I'd give you everything I've got

for a little peace of mind

I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind

I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind

(mumbling)

Pop Songs ESL English Grammar Lessons

2011-06-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

Activity Ideas for Songs in ESL Lessons

Grammar Focus: Students read the lyrics. They highlight the verbs in one color and the nouns in another. Discuss the use of nouns and verbs in the lyrics.

Listening and Scanning Focus: Each student receives a copy of the lyric which has been cut into strips; one line printed on each strip. Students listen to the song and try to put the song together by placing the strips in the correct order. This encourages students to listen well, and scan for words so that they can complete the song.

Vocabulary Expansion: Students choose ten words from the song. They can write ten new sentences with their chosen words. Advanced students can use their chosen words to write a new poem or song with the words.

Pop Songs for Grammar Practice

Songs to Teach the Present Simple:

"Good Day Sunshine" – The Beatles
"I Just Don't Understand" – The Beatles
"As Tears Go By" The Rolling Stones
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong Songwriters: Thiele, Robert;Weiss, George David
"Behind Blue Eyes" – (The Who) Pete Townshend
"Across the Universe" – The Beatles
"Friends" – Elton John Songwriters: John, Elton; Taupin, Bernie

Songs that Teach the Question Form:

"Why" – The Beatles
"What Goes On" - The Beatles
"Tell Me Why" – The Beatles
"Why Worry Now" – Dire Straits
"Baby’s in Black" – The Beatles

Songs that Teach the Present Progressive/Continuous:

"What You’re Doing" – The Beatles
"I'm Only Sleeping" - - The Beatles
"I'm Looking Through You" - The Beatles

Songs that Teach the Conditional:

"If I Fell in Love with You" – The Beatles
"If I Needed Someone" – The Beatles
"I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party" – The Beatles

Songs that Teach the Past Tense

"Candle in the Wind" – (Elton John) Songwriters: John, Elton; Taupin, Bernie
"Our Last Summer" – Abba. Songwriters: Ulvaeus, Bjorn; Andersson, Benny
"No reply" – The Beatles
"Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War" – Paul Simon
"Was a Sunny Day" – Paul Simon

Middle School Science Lesson Plan Planning

2011-06-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

10 projects about the environment Thirteen Ed Online

Middle School Science Lesson Plans

Best Language Learning Books

2011-06-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

Margarita Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish (my first choice)

Joseph Keenan Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish

William Linney Getting Started with Latin

Sentence Patterns - Learning Teaching English ESL

2011-06-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

Language acquisition - learning without studying (from fluentlyenglish.com)

Adult Language Learning

A foreign/second language is often more easily acquired by learning to think in that particular language, and constantly listen to the language being spoken by native speakers. As with a child, the language then develops naturally, and not only makes more sense but the different uses of the same word become automatic.

Thus, the best way for adults to acquire a second or third language is by repeating what they had done before (listening and watching). Focus most of the time on listening and watching will instill an understanding of the creative way to communicate with others.

http://www.fluentlyenglish.com/vocabulary-sentences.html

What is the best way to learn English vocabulary? The best method is to use your new words and build vocabulary sentences. Try plugging each new word into phrases and sentence patterns that you already know.

Travel Trip Itinerary Lesson ESL EFL

2011-06-02T01:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/new-south-wales/travel-tips-and-articles/76107
(Australia - Sydney)

http://tourbytransit.com/toronto/
(Canada - Toronto)

http://www.downunderecotravel.co.nz/new-zealand-tours/tours/extraordinary-new-zealand-tours/option-three/
(New Zealand - Auckland)

http://www.africansky.com/capetown/5daycapetowntour.html
(South Africa - Cape Town)

http://promptguides.com/london/guides/five_day_guide.htm

(United Kingdom - London)

http://www.tourvacationstogo.com/collette_tours.cfm?npid=1817&nhr=1

(USA - New York)

Books for Teaching English in a Korean High School

2011-05-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

kimchi-ice cream What are good EFL/ESL lesson plan, activity, game, resource books for teaching English in a Korean high school? - Here's my list.

Planning a Trip Teaching ESL English

2011-05-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Tourism English Getting Around

This is a final project of TSL 6372, materials for use in teaching Tourism English at the English Language Institute. The topic in this page focuses on making trip arrangement by car, air, bus, rail, and sea and things related to travel agents or tour guide. Teachers can find not only online activities but also teaching ideas in a traditional classroom setting without technology.

Free Printable Worksheets for Preschool Elementary Primary

2011-05-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Jim Wilson's Fence (Junior Worksheets for TEFL)

ESL Lesson Plan Template

2011-05-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Lesson Plan
▪ Title (Unit):

▪ Grade (Level):
▪ Lesson Focus: Speaking and Listening
▪ Objectives (vocabulary goals, grammar goals, communicative goals):
- Students will be able to
- Students will be able to
▪ Key Expressions: Students will focus on using the following language:
1.
2.
▪ Materials:
Procedure Details
Presentation:
Introduction of Content and Language
Describe activities that will introduce students to new language, or activities that will refresh the language for a review.
(Time: ‘)
Procedure Details
Practice:
Students begin to work with language
Describe the activities that show how the students will apply the language personally, or describe how students will practice with previously review language.
(Time: ‘ )
Production:
Students internalize and use language
Describe the activities that show how students will use language to communicate with peers or how students will use review language to communicate in many ways
(Time: ‘)
Assessments or Other Work
(Time: ‘)
▪ Anticipated Problems & Solutions:
-
-

I Can't Think of ESL English Lesson Topics

2011-04-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

By Jason Ryan ESL Lesson Plan Topic List for Korean Public Schools

1. Introductions

2. Classroom English: Basic Commands, Expressions, Questions and Answers

3. Family

4. Interview English: Getting to know you

5. Debate English: Plastic Surgery, Artificial Beauty vs. Natural Beauty

6. Math in English

7. Game English: expressions and vocabulary

8. Five Important Questions:

1. Can you repeat that SLOWLY please?

2. How do you spell ________________?

3. What does _______________ mean?

4. Can you give an example?

5. I don't understand ________________. Can you please try again?

9. Uno English

10. Interview-first-encounter English: What’s your name? Where are you from?

11. Blind-mini-golf: Giving Directions in English

12. Jenga: Balance and Warning/Caution Language

13. Scavenger Hunt

14. Cultural Differences Part I: Personal Space

15. Cultural Differences Part II: Table Manners

16. Christmas Culture: Dear Santa Letter, and Christmas Cards

17. Christmas Carols and making Christmas Decorations (making a human Christmas Tree competition)

18. Christmas Movie about Xmas Culture: The Santa, Tim Allen

19. Chusok and Thanksgiving Culture

20. Taegukgi: Korean National Flag, and National Anthem in English

21. English Diary

22. Deserted Island Survival List

23. Music Part I: different genres of music. many students don't know different kinds of music. pick 8-10 genres per lesson, give basic definitions, etc.

24. Music Part II

25. English Verbs and Bingo

26. Trip to the Doctor

27. MacDonald’s Lesson: Fast Food and Ordering in English

28. Four Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

29. Kimchi Ice-cream: Cooking and Recipe English

30. Fashion Magazines

31. Shopping In English

32. Win, Lose, or Draw (TV Show): Daily Activities, i.e. brushing your teeth

33. Telling the Time in English

34. Puppet Show: Fashion Show using puppets

35. Halloween Culture

36. Peppero Day and Remembrance Day: cultural differences lesson about what many countries around the world do on November 11th.

37. What would you do if . . . .

38. Why/Because Lesson

39. Soccer-baseball: Hybrid Sports

40. Parts of the Body

41. Stretching in English: Body parts and stretching commands

42. Bowling

43. Spelling Bee: Explain concept of this North American competition, and then have a spelling bee

44. Mini-Golden Bell Review

45. Spray-bottle Review Testing

46. Geography Part I: World Flags

47. Geography Part II: Around the world . . .

48. Geography Part III: World Time Zones

49. Reality vs. Illusion: What is the Matrix?

50. Ghost Stories

51. Dreams, hopes, and goals for the future. When I grow up I want to be/want to have/want to travel to . . .

52. Tongue Twisters and Pronunciation: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Sally sells seashells down bythe seashore . . .

53. Family Tree: Different kinds of trees, different kinds of families

54. Fairy Tales: Once upon a time .. .

55. Planning a Trip

56. Banks and Finances

57. Signs, Notices, and Warnings in English

58. Supermarkets and Grocery Stores

59. How to read a Newspaper: different sections, etc

60. Major Historical Figures in Western Culture: Martin Luther King, Jr

61. Major Historical Figures in Western Culture: Shakespeare

62. Science in English: egg in a box drop and physics

63. History of Flight, making paper airplanes

64. Comic Strips: Design your own comic book in English

65. Group Broadcasting: Weather Report, Celebrity Interviews, News Headlines

66. Ice-Breaking Games: Hello, my name is, Her name is, His name is (balloon is popped every time there is a mistake)

67. Newspaper: Make your own Headline in English, and draw the pictures for the story you write

68. Famous Women in Korean History Part I

69. Famous Men in Korean History Part II

70. Puppet Fashion Designing clothing class, students design new versions of traditional Korean costume

71. Poem by Bernard Shaw from TEFL Unit on Pronunciation and words that sound the same but are spelled differently in English

72. Mini-Olympic Games

73. Body Art (tattoos) and Subcultures

74. World Religions

75. Holiday Culture: Easter: egg painting . . .

76. Holiday Culture: New Year’s Eve: New Year’s Resolutions

77. Holiday Culture: Valentine’s Day

78. Basics 101: alphabet (and consonants/vowels pronunciation) seasons, months of the year, days of the week, numbers, colours

79. Phone conversation

80. Idioms

81. Konglish and English: make a list of Konglish, and English expresions. The students have to figure out which expressions are Konglish, and which are English.

82. Careers/Jobs

83. Personality Types: What’s your personality type? Get a survey from the internet, maybe do the colours and personality type survey. (Explain that the blood type and personality theory in Korean popular culture has no scientific basis of truth or validity.)

84. Feelings and Emotions

85. Grammar Rules: must and musn’t, or, can and can’t

86. Bingo and Irregular Verbs

87. Simon Says and Body Parts

88. TV Game Show: Blind Date, three boys and a girl, three girls and a boy, questions and answers . . . . have a host, etc.

89. Nature Part 1: Animals

90. Nature Part 2: Environment

91. Nature Part 3: Weather

92. Popular Culture: learn a song

93. Jeopardy

94. Wheel of Fortune

95. The Price Is Right

96. C.P.R. Part 1

97. C.P.R. Part 2

98. Emergency First Aid Part 1

99. Emergency First Aid Part 2

100. Hygiene: Viruses, Bacteria, and Germs

100. Treasure map . . . .

101. Twister Game . . .

102. Robot: Giving directions in English. Students have toilet paper, string, markers, and tape. Make one student in their group into a "robot"and then they practice giving the robot orders in English.

103. Scrabble.

104. English Diary

105. Writing post cards and letters.

106. How to write a paragraph.

107. How to write an essay.

108. Flags and countries

109. Art and different styles of art.

110. Planning a Trip

111. Politics . . . voting, elections . . . .

112. Love Songs

113. Olympics: go over brief history, and get students to make a new olympic sport, and then demonstrate it. Or make a HYBRID SPORT of two or three existing events. WINTER OLMPICS ANDSUMMER OLYPICS

114. Cooking in English

116. Insects and Bugs . . .

117. Airport English

118. Hotel English

119. Taxi English

120. Traveling by Bus or Subway

121. Making reservations at a hotel or restaurant.

122. Fantasy and the future: design a city of the future, school . ..

123. Space Explorers: Trip to Mars . . .

124. Time Capsule Project

125. Superheroes

126. Design a new model for the family home that is not based on the traditional family home design.

127. Memory Game . . .

128. Time Machine . . .

129. The Korean School of the future . . . what would they change, and keep? How many school days, hours per day, uniforms???

130. If was Principal for a day, I would . . .

131. If I were invisible for a day . . .

132. Genie and 3 Wishes . . .

133. Mad Scientist Experiment . . . Kimchi Ice-cream lesson combo

134. Homemade Rocket Experiment . . .

135. Nature: if you were God for a day, what kind of world would you create?

136. Murphy’s Law: conditionals (bogglesworld.com)

137. Aliens

138. Genetics

139. Deadly Reptiles: The world’s most poisonous animals

140. 7 Wonders of the World

141. Cooking in English: Harry Potter: Magic Potion Recipes (bogglesworld.com)

142. Solar System and planets, Astronomy and Astrology

143. Psychology 101

144. Cyborgs . . .

145. Design your own family crest, coat-of-arms, etc

146. Fortune Telling: palmistry, tarot cards, oracles

147. How to make balloon animals.

148. How to use a map and compass.

149. Emergency Wilderness Survival 101

150. Laws: make new laws that you would like to see in your society. Explain why. And explain how they would be enforced, and what penalties you would choose.

151. Men and Women: Gender Equality Debate, and Differences . . .

152. Violence and popular culture,http://esl.about.com/od/conversationlessonplans/

153. Life Then, Life Now: Traditions and Change

154. Stereotypes

155. ‘Human Nature’: Debate in English: Tabula Rasa vs. Original Sin, provide students with model scripts of different styles of logic/argument phrases, expressions/questions/rhetorical questions . . .

156. Tag: Freeze Tag, Blob Tag, etc.

157. Jenga: roll the dice, different colours require different spoken English in order to take your turn pulling out the block. Red: say a verb using a sentence, Blue: use a noun, Yellow: . .. . . Pick a TOPIC to guide the students in their selections.

158. Speed Limit card game from www.englishtiger.com, each card has a different vehicle of kind of transportation on it. Instead of saying "____ plus/minus _____ equals _____," when the studentplays a card, they look at the picture on the card of a mode of transportation, and the student says "A ____ goes _____ km/miles per hour."Teach speed expressions, and language related to vehicles and transportation.

159. TV Commercial: design a new product, and then make a TV commercial for the product. I.e., Kimchi tooth paste.

160. If I won a million dollars I would buy, go to . . . .

161. Make your own English t-shirt. Students bring a plain white t-shirt to class. Supplies: markers, glue, stickers, etc. Provide sample slogans of t-shirts.

162. Sock-Puppet Theater: Students bring one or two white socks from home, and make their own puppets. Consider the supplies needed and what students might be able to bring themselves. Use cardboard to make a stage that sits on top of the teacher’s desk. The students can use markers, and construction paper and glue, to make sets and different locations.

163. Archetypes, Myths, Heroes and Heroines. Students make up their own 1-4 topic depending on lesson topic . . … . .

164. CSI TV show lesson . . .. . have no idea how that would work, but it could be cool.

165. Year Book Project . ..

166. Class or School Blog Project/Club . . . . with pics from classes, and more advanced students could write entries for it . . .

167. Family Feud Game Show, need Korean statistics for that . . .

168. Boy Bands and Girl Bands

169. Pop songs: learn a song that has everyday English expressions it, If I Had A Million Dollars, Barenaked Ladies, etc

170. Shakespeare: Take a 12-20 line dialogue from, i.e. Romeo and Juliet, show students a video clip of the dialogue segment, teach the vocabulary and expressions, drill the dialogue, and then they perform the scene in pairs . ..

171. Movie/TV show script from online sites: make copies for students. Underline key words and phrases and idioms they may not know, go over them, CT explains them, and then drill pronunciation, explain things about body language and cultural rules for the scene/people/situation, and then role play practice, then volunteers perform the script==use a video camera if your school has one . . . . then watch the tape after and coach students on what they can improve upon in their English speaking—plus it would be fun to watch too.

About Me

2011-04-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

I am an American who has spent most of the past 7 years teaching English in South Korea.

I have been teaching English in South Korea since September of 2003.

I had never planned to stay in Korea this long, but I'm still here (2011).

Teaching English in South Korea's public elementary and middle schools is very interesting....

It's a job full of ups and downs, and some burn-out.

Operation TEFL is my directory of good links that I found while I was scouring the Internet for usable ESL/EFL lesson plans and lesson plan materials.

Operation TEFL has been an off-and-on project, but I'm definitely going to keep it updated with good links to English, ESL, EFL teaching materials and resources

1000 Most Common English Phrases

2011-04-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the 1000 Most Common English Phrases and 100 English Lessons from englishspeak.com, where you can "learn spoken English for free"

Youtube for ESL Vocabulary Development

2011-04-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Using Youtube for Vocabulary Development (from An ELT Notebook)

2. Viewinga. First Viewing : Ss watch the video and compare what it shows and the image of Australia created with their predictions. With lower level students, this first viewing might be done with the sound turned off, in order that the high percentage of text which they won’t understand doesn’t distract them. In any case, tell students not to worry if they don’t understand everything, they can make the comparison just by viewing the images. T-Class follow up.

b. Second Viewing : Ask Ss to watch and listen again. Set gist comprehension questions -

- What sports are mentioned by the speaker (not shown in the images) ?
- Can you go surfing if you’ve never tried before?
- Why might you need your walking boots on an Australian holiday?

c. Third Viewing : What you do next may differ depending on the level of the students. Here are some options :

Intermediate students : Give out the complete transcript with any expressions you predict will be a problem underlined and a scrambled glossary below (as in the worksheet illustrated). Ask students to listen again to the video, following the text, and then to match the underlined expressions with their meanings.

Text : If it’s action and adventure you’re after, then a holiday to Australia will be just up your street. But don’t take my word for it—take a look for yourself. The waves are massive off the coast of Australia, making surfing the nation’s favourite pastime. If you’ve never tried it before, don’t worry — most resorts offer courses for beginners. Diving is immensely popular here too. With the Great Barrier Reef stretching all the way down Queensland’s coast, it’s the perfect place for an underwater adventure. Ifyou’d rather stay above sea level, then try a sailing tour around the Whit Sunday Islands, home of the famous Whitehaven Beach. This is an experience not to be missed.

There’s loads to do on dry land too. The thrill of four-wheel driving across the dunes of Frazer Island or the barren outback is unforgettable. And for the view of a lifetime, get your walking boots on for the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb.
And if you need a drink to calm your nerves after all that excitement, head to any of Australia’s city centres for an action-packed evening.
Wherever you see Australia from, it’s a breathtaking experience.
Scrambled glossary : a lot / you want / you would prefer to / Australian countryside / port / go / exciting / excitement / exactly right for you / extending / leisure activity / don’t believe me / infertile / holiday town

Upper Intermediate + : Give out a gapped transcript of the text. Ask students first to predict the missing words, and then to listen in order to confirm or complete their answers.

Africa is Origin of Language

2011-04-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

Phonetic Clues Hint Language Africa-born

Giving Advice Lessons ESL English

2011-04-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Giving Advice Powerpoint from authorSTREAM.com/

Giving Advice from Michelle Henry's ESL Resources

Advice Formulas from About.com

Free Powerpoint Lessons ESL English

2011-04-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

Complete Powerpoint English ESL Lessons from English Language Space Station

I wish I had stumbled across this site 2 years ago....

Lesson Plan Links Resources Korean Schools

2011-04-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Lesson Plan Resources from A Year in Mokpo (a blog which hasn't been updated since 2008)

Lesson plan What did you do yesterday?

2011-04-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

from About.com

Robert: Hi Alice, what did you do last weekend?
Alice: I did a lot of things. On Saturday, I went shopping.
Robert: What did you buy?
Alice: I bought some new clothes. I also played tennis.
Robert: Who did you play?
Alice: I played Tom.
Robert: Did you win?
Alice: Of course I won!
Robert: What did you do after your tennis match.
Alice: Well, I went home and took a shower and then went out.
Robert: Did you eat in a restaurant?
Alice: Yes, my friend Jacky and I ate at 'The Good Fork'
Robert: Did you enjoy your dinner?
Alice: Yes, we enjoyed our dinner very much thank you. We also drank some wonderful wine!
Robert: Unfortunately, I didn't go out this weekend. I didn't eat in a restaurant and I didn't play tennis.
Alice: What did you do?
Robert: I stayed home and studied for my test!
Alice: Poor you!

Grocery Shopping Dialogue

2011-04-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.stickyball.net/adult/256.html

Advertisements Lesson Plan

2011-04-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Korean Middle School - Grade 2 - Chunjae Lesson 4 - Advertisements and Our Life

http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-vocabulary/advertising_and_brands-worksheets/

Shopping Lesson Plan ESL English

2011-04-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

from ESL PartyLand

Tell the students they all live in the same small town and they are going shopping today. They will have to visit several different stores. Half of the students are shop keepers, one each at the following stores:

Green's Produce Market--print The Picture Cards for Green's Produce Market

Fine Clothing by Michele--print The Picture Cards for Michele's Fine Clothing

Maxine's Cafe--print The Picture Cards for Maxine's Cafe

The Home & Office Shop--print The Picture Cards for the Home & Office Shop

Each student from the other half of the class receives a "shopping list" and $250 cash.

Shop keepers receive a set of picture cards for their store. When a customer buys an item, the shopkeeper gives the customer that card. Shop keepers set their own prices, but items should be reasonably priced. Students are given 20-25 minutes to buy everything on their list. Each student must visit each shop. If they need to wait on line, they should make small talk with their neighbors.

*******************************************************************

from Heads Up English

LET'S GO SHOPPING
Discuss or debate the questions below. Remember to support your answers!
 Do you like shopping? Why/not?
 Do you usually buy expensive products or are you a bargain hunter? Please explain.
 If you didn't need to worry about money, would you go shopping every day?
 Did you go shopping last week? If yes, what did you buy? If no, why didn't you go
shopping?
 Have you ever bought something on the Internet? If yes, what did you buy?
 How often do you go shopping? Do you think this is too much or too little?
 What was the last thing that you bought?
 What was the most expensive thing that you have ever bought? How did you feel after
you bought it? Please explain.
 What is a spur-of-the-moment purchase? Do you often make spur-of-the-moment
purchases?
 What is a shopaholic? Are you a shopaholic?
 What is a cheapskate? Are you a cheapskate?
 What kind of stores do you prefer, big department stores or small shops? Why?
 If money weren't important, what would you really want to buy? Why would you want to
buy it? Please explain.
 Do you have any plans to go shopping this weekend? If yes, what do you want to buy?
If no, then why aren't you going shopping?
 Have you ever participated in an auction? If yes, what did you buy? If no, would you
want to?
 Do you think women love shopping more than men? Why do you think so?
 If you found $100, what would you buy? How about $10,000? Why would you buy these
products?
 Why do people often buy something that they don't really
need?
 Which is better, shopping alone or shopping with friends?
Why do you think so?
 A classmate or friend plans to visit your hometown or
country. What should he/she buy as a souvenir? Please
explain.

Lesson 4 Advertisements - Lesson Idea

2011-03-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

Korean Middle School - Grade 2 - Chunjae Lesson 4 - Advertisements and Our Life

http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-vocabulary/advertising_and_brands-worksheets/

Fun Games to Learn English

2011-03-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

ttp://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/94296.aspx

Pick it Quick!

Games to learn English need to motivate your students to participate! In this game your students divide into two groups that try to quickly grab a piece of paper in English. Imagine two students hovering over a table of vocabulary words that you are reviewing. The rest of the class is divided in two lines and into teams that are all intently watching the two competitors. The teacher, who is standing next to the cards, begins to say a sentence. One of the English vocabulary words is within the sentence. The students have to listen to the teacher to be able to pick the vocabulary word that the teacher says as soon as the teacher says it. If a student picks incorrectly, the other students gets to take their time, this is often hilarious. If one student is constantly winning, you can ask another student to act as the teacher while you become that student's competition. This helps level the playing field.

What did she say? Lyrics

Lyrics are some of those most difficult words to understand. Do you know what it is like to listen to a song in a foreign language? It is difficult. So, help your students by having them, or yourself, choose a few songs to study in class. More often than not these songs will touch on some grammar that you are currently working on. The game you can play involves having students listen to a section of the song and having them guess what the artist said. You should have them listen to the lyrics once, without the words in front of them, and then later you should repeat the song and have them try again.

Listen, Write, Say!

As the title implies, in this English game, have your students divide into two teams and make sure there are two markers close the whiteboard. You will say a sentence in English. Your students have to run to the board and write the sentence, turn around, and then say the sentence. The first to do so correctly wins a point. You can also play this game having each student sit at their desk and write their answers on a piece of paper, or whiteboard, which they then hold up and say, when you call on them.

Have Fun!

As with every class, you must have fun! Make sure that each student is getting a chance to participate and that they are feeling good about the game. Make sure to speak with all of your students to make sure that they know that you will not, under any circumstances, tolerate disrespect to another student or yourself. If you have an overly competitive student, you may need to take them aside and speak with them about their behavior, or even remove them from the game if it becomes too much of a problem. Remember, the point is to have fun and learn at the same time. Feel free to check out some more educational games.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/94296.aspx#ixzz1G1AJpLGJh

English Camp Summer Camp Lesson Plan Curriculum

2011-03-03T23:02:00.000-08:00

Exploring the World Summer Camp Waygook

ESL Games No Technology Required

2011-03-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

5 Letter Words

How to:

• Students call out a five-letter word, eg. ‘fears’. Circle the letters that appear in your word too, and put a square around the letters that not only appear in your word but are at the right place (e, a and r in my example). The goal is to find out the teacher's word in maximum five tries (hence the name; there are going to be five lines and five columns).

- Good Words: Heart, House, Catch, Crazy, Fears, Train, Crown, Sleep, Small, Hello, Movie, Phone, Cream, Grape, Music, Water, April, Horse, Magic, Pizza

A Ship Comes Loaded

How to:

• Split the class into two teams. Let the students choose a letter randomly for example ‘A’. Now the first team is going to say words, one by one (no helping), that begins with an A until that team cannot think of words that start with A. The team gets points for every word they say. Once they cannot think of a word (5 second rule, it’s the next team’s turn).

• Start like this: say to the first student "a ship comes loaded". The student answers "with what" and you say "with apples". Then the student continues to say to the next one in his team "a ship comes loaded"...he/she answer "with what"...the student says "with apples and apes" for example.
If anyone fails to remember all the words that have been said or if he/she can´t come up with a new word, then there team’s turn is over. The team receives points for every word they come up with starting with the second word.

Street Fighter Fever

How to: Find and laminate 2 large pictures of your favorite Street fighter Characters

• Stick the two pictures on the whiteboard. Above them write 20 (or whatever total points you feel like) Divide the class in two teams, each one representing one of the characters on the board. Now ask questions or review your content. For each correct answer the team can roll a die, the number is then subtracted from the other team's points. The first team to have no points left loses.

ESL ways to drill repeat vocab & sentences

2011-03-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Ways to repeat / drill

Variety in repetition is vital. Try these ideas:

Teacher to student repetition
- The teacher says a sentence and the students repeat as a class.
- The teacher says a sentence and one half of the class repeats, then the other half. Do this alternatively i.e. one half and then the other. You can make this a competition i.e. which half is better/louder etc.
- The teacher repeats and then a quarter of the class repeat and then the next quarter and so on. Again you can make this into a fun competition.
Whispering repetition
- The teacher says a sentence and then the students whisper when they repeat it.
- The teacher says a sentence and then asks the students to repeat it, as they
  are doing so the teacher can mime turning up and down the volume. For this activity you may want to draw a volume control on the board. This is fun for younger learners.
- Telephone drilling- arrange the students in a line; they can stand or sit down for this activity.
- The teacher says a sentence to one of the students at one end of the line. That student then repeats it to the next student and then he/she says it to the next student and so on until it gets to the other end of the line. This is fun and is useful with younger learners.
Mumble repetition
- The teacher says a sentence and then the students mumble it to themselves. This is a good technique for students who need to feel confident when speaking. Ask them to mumble behind a book, if need be, and then slowly get them to say the sentences more clearly and in front of you.
- It is also a nice idea to ask students to bring in hand mirrors that they can speak to also. This will help them see how they are forming the words and compare the way that they are trying to say it with the way that you are saying it.
Back chaining
- You can say a sentence word by word from either the end of the sentence or from the front. The students repeat each word after you. Once you have done this a few times, start by saying the first word of the sentence – the students repeat, then say the first and second word
- The students repeat and then say the first, second and third word – the students repeat and so on until you have completed the whole sentence . You can also start at the end of the sentence and go to the beginning.
Paired drilling
- Put the students in pairs and ask them to face one another. The teacher then says the sentence and the students repeat it to one another.
- The teacher gives the pairs cards with one half of each sentence written on it. One student reads out the one half that he/she has and the other student says the next half. The students then say the entire sentences as a pair.
- The teacher teaches the students a question, affirmative answer and a negative answer. The students then ask each other the questions and answer each other.
Moving drill
- The teacher asks the students to stand up and to move into a circle. When the teacher says a sentence the students step in rhythm to what they are saying. Alternatively they can clap or do arm movements. This is useful with younger learners and groups that clearly like kinesthetic activities. It is a nice little activity to do as a review, at the end of a lesson before the students go home.

Jesus Christ is the real reason for Christmas

2010-12-27T05:50:00.000-08:00

James: Dad, I want a smartphone for Christmas.

(아빠, 저 크리스마스 때 스마트폰 선물 받고 싶어요.)

Daniel: Is something wrong with the cell phone you have now?

(지금 있는 휴대전화는 무슨 이상 있어?)

James: Nothing is wrong, but all of my friends have smartphones.

(아무 이상 없지만 제 친구들은 다 스마트폰을 가지고 있어요.)

Daniel: James, do you know the meaning of Christmas? Why do people celebrate Christmas?

(제임스, 크리스마스의 의미를 아니? 사람들이 왜 크리스마스를 기념할까?)

James: I don't really know.

(저는 잘 모르겠어요.)

Daniel: Church-goers celebrate Christmas because they are thankful that Jesus Christ came from heaven to save humanity. I think people should help each other during Christmas. Do you know anyone we can help?

(교회 다니는 사람들은 예수 그리스도가 인류를 구원하기 위해 천국으로부터 온 것에 감사해서 크리스마스를 기념해. 크리스마스니까 사람들이 서로에게 도움을 줘야한다고 생각한다. 우리가 도와줄 수 있는 사람을 아니?)

James: My friend, Joon, told me his Dad isn't working right now because of the bus strike. Joon's dad is a bus driver.

(제 친구 준이네 아빠께서 버스 파업으로 지금 일을 쉬고 계신대요. 준이 아빠는 버스 기사시거든요.)

Daniel: Let's buy a sack of rice and secretly deliver it to Joon's apartment.

(쌀 한 포대 사서 몰래 준이 집에 가져다 놓자.)

James: Good idea! We can be Secret Santas!

(좋아요! 우리는 ‘몰래 산타’가 되는거에요!)

■단어 및 어구풀이

Let's make Christmas a time for sharing with our neighbors.

크리스마스를 이웃들과 나누는 시간으로 하자

Let's do good deeds and help people during the Christmas season.

크리스마스 때 우리는 선행을 하며 사람들을 도와줍시다.

The idea of Secret Santa started with American businessman Larry Stewart. Beginning in 1979, he helped poor people every winter. He helped people for 28 years.

'몰래 산타'의 원조는 미국 캔자스시티의 사업가 래리 스튜어트. 그는 1979년부터 28년간 겨울이 되면 지치고 가난한 사람들을 찾아 다니며 100달러를 선물한 일화로 유명하다.

In Korea, marriage is about showing off how rich you are.

2010-12-08T22:43:00.001-08:00

Pride comes before a fall (과신은 금물이다, 자만하면 낭패 당한다)

In Korea a Wrong Gift Means No Love No Marriage (New York Times article)

2010년 12월 08일 (수)

Christina: Mom, I want to marry a man who can buy me a spacious apartment.

I want to marry a man who can take care of me for the rest of my life.

(엄마, 저는 저에게 넓은 아파트를 사줄 수 있는 남자랑 결혼하고 싶어요.
저는 저를 평생 소중히 여길 수 있는 남자랑 결혼하고 싶어요.)

Sandra: Honey, showing off how rich you are is not the meaning of life.
(얘야, 네가 부자라는 것을 자랑하는 게 삶의 의미가 아니다.)

Christina: A man who can't buy me a spacious apartment isn't good enough for me.
(제에게 넓은 아파트를 사줄 수 없는 남자는 저에게 어울리는 상대가 아니에요.)

Sandra: Why do you say that?
(왜 그런 말을 하니?)

Christina: You and Dad gave us a comfortable life and financial security.

That's why I think that a man who can't give me a comfortable life

isn't good enough for me or our family.

(엄마랑 아빠는 저희에게 안락한 삶과 재정적인 안정을 주셨어요.

그래서 저는 안락한 삶을 제공해줄 수 없는 남자는

저나 저희 가족에게 어울리는 상대가 아니라고 생각해요.)

Sandra: Honey, you shouldn't look down on other people. Remember that

pride comes before a fall.

(얘야, 다른 사람을 무시하면 안 된다. 자만하면 낭패 당한다는 것을 기억해라.)

Christina: What's wrong with wanting to marry someone who has a lot of money?
(돈 많은 사람이랑 결혼하고 싶어 하는 것이 나빠요?)

Sandra: Making a lot of money is ok, but it's not the meaning of life.
(돈을 많이 버는 것이 괜찮지만 그 것은 삶의 의미가 아니다.)

■단어 및 어구풀이

신명기 8:17-20

¹⁷ You may say to yourself, “My power and

the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

'이 재산은 내 손으로 뼛골이 빠지게 일해서 모은 것이다.' 이런 엉뚱한 생각이 들거든,

¹⁸ But remember the LORD your God,

for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,

and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors,

as it is today.

너희 하나님 여호와를 생각하여라. 하나님께서 너희 선조들에게 맹세하신 당신의 계약을

이행하셔서 오늘 이처럼 재산을 모으도록 너희에게 힘을 주셨다는 것을 생각하여라.

¹⁹ If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods

and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today

that you will surely be destroyed.

만일 너희가 너희 하나님 여호와를 잊고 다른 신들을 따라가 섬기고 예배한다면,

내가 오늘 너희에게 다짐해 둔다, 너희는 반드시 망할 것이다.

²⁰ Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

여호와께서 너희 앞에서 멸하신 민족들과 똑같이 너희도 망할 것이다. 너희 하나님 여호와의 말씀을

듣지 않으면 정녕 이렇게 되리라.

디모데 전서 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people,

eager for money, have wandered from the faith

and pierced themselves with many griefs.돈을 사랑하는 것이

모든 악의 뿌리입니다. 돈을 따라다니다가

길을 잃고 신앙을 떠나서

결국 격심한 고통을 겪은 사람들도 있습니다.

디모데 후서 3:2

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,

proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy...

그 때에 사람들은 이기주의에 흐르고 돈을 사랑하고 뽐내고 교만해지고 악담하고

부모에게 순종하지 않고 감사할 줄 모르고 경건하지 않고

Don't judge a person by his appearance or how much money he makes
사람을 외모나 돈 버는 액수로 판단하지 마라

Focus on a person's positive qualities rather than their negative qualities
사람의 부정적인 점에 집중하지 말고 사람의 긍정적인 점에 집중해라

Respect other people
다른 사람들을 존중해라
Treat other people the way you want to be treated
대접 받고 싶은 대로 대접하라

[출처] In Korea, marriage is about showing off how rich you are. 돈 없으면 한국에서 결혼 못 한다|작성자 English사랑

Physically attractive people who are arrogant are not beautiful.

2010-12-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

Inner beauty is true beauty

(내적 아름다움이 참 아름다움이다)

2010년 12월 07일 (화)

Christina: Mom, can I get eyelid surgery?

(엄마, 저 눈꺼풀 수술해도 되요?)

Sandra: Why do you want to get plastic surgery? You are beautiful
just the way you are.

(왜 성형수술하고 싶니? 너는 있는 그대로의 모습이 아름다운데.)

Christina: All of my friends are getting eyelid surgery.

(내 친구들이 다 눈꺼풀 수술하고 있어.요)

Sandra: Does this have anything to do with what we talked about yesterday?
If I remember correctly, your classmate said that you are ugly.

(이 얘기는 우리가 어제 얘기한 것과 관련이 있니? 엄마가 맞게 기억하고 있다면,
네 반 친구가 너보고 못생겼다고 했지.)

Christina: I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to be pretty.

(예뻐지고 싶은 마음은 나쁘지 않다고 생각해요.)

Sandra: You are pretty. You are beautiful. Do you know what is more important
than outer beauty? (네가 예뻐. 네가 아름다워. 뭐가 외적 아름다움보다

중요한지 아니?)

Christina: I'm not sure. What is more important than outer beauty?

(잘 모르겠어요. 외적 아름다움보다 중요한 게 뭐예요?)

Sandra: Inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. A physically attractive
person who is arrogant and inconsiderate is someone who does not have

inner beauty.

(내적 아름다움이 외적 아름다움보다 중요하다. 육체적으로 매력 있지만 교만하고
배려가 없는 사람은 내적 아름다움이 없는 사람이다.)

■단어 및 어구풀이

I want to get eyelid surgery 눈꺼풀 수술하고 싶어요.

You are beautiful just the way you are.

당신은 있는 그대로의 모습이 아름다워요

Does this have anything to do with what we talked about yesterday?

우리가 어제 얘기한 것과 관련이 있어요?

Inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

내적 아름다움이(성격, 정신, 사고가) 외적 아름다움보다 중요하다

physically attractive 육체적 매력이 있는, arrogant 교만한, inconsiderate 배려가 없는

English Conversation Dialogue - Let's be careful what we say

2010-12-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

What we say can help people or hurt them

2010년 12월 06일 (월)

What we say can help people or hurt them

(우리가 하는 말은 사람들을 도와주기도 하고 상처주기도 한다)

Sandra: Christina, did you have a good day at school?

(크리스티나, 학교에서 좋은 하루 보냈니?)

Christina: No. It wasn't that good.

(아니요. 별로였어요)

Sandra: You look sad. What's wrong?

(너 슬퍼 보인다. 뭐가 문제야?)

Christina: My classmate said that I was ugly. She said that I should get plastic surgery if I want to look pretty.

(반 친구가 나보고 못생겼다고 했어요. 예뻐 보이려면 성형수술 해야 한다고 했어요)

Sandra: Why in the world would she say something like that?

(그런 말을 도대체 왜 했지?)

Christina: She got eyelid surgery. She's really popular at school so she's a bit stuck-up (그녀가 눈꺼풀 수술했어요. 학교에서 인기가 많아서 좀 거만하거든요)

Sandra: It's too bad that your classmate's popularity made her arrogant. You should keep in mind that what we say can help people or hurt them.

(네 반 친구의 인기가 그녀를 교만하게 만들어서 유감이다. 우리가 하는 말은 사람들을 도와주기도 하고 상처주기도 한다는 것을 명심해야 한다)

Christina: Yes, Mom. I'll keep that in mind. I'll be careful what I say.

(네, 엄마. 명심할게요. 말을 조심할게요)

■ More Practice

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18)

The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight (Proverbs 15:26)

The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction
(Proverbs 16:21)

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones
(Proverbs 16:24)

Be careful what you say 말을 조심 하라.

mean 심술궂은, 불친절한

Mean words make people angry (=Unkind words make people angry)

심술궂은 말은 사람들을 화나게 한다.

Thoughtless words hurt and bring pain

생각 없이 하는 말은 상처를 주고 아픔을 가져온다.

Wise words bring healing 지혜로운 말은 치유를 한다

Travel English - learnenglishfeelgood.com

2010-07-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

The learnenglishfeelgood.com Travel English section offers 60 free exercises that will assist you in a wide variety of possible travel-related situations.

Tower of English - ESL EFL clearinghouse

2010-06-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Tower of English is here to help ESL students and teachers quickly find the best places on the Internet to practice real English! You'll find about 300 fun and interesting websites in 34 different categories.

The Tower of English is an easy-to-navigate link site which is designed to provide ESL/EFL learners as well as TESL/TEFL instructors with a clearinghouse of links

Pattern English for ESL EFL Learn English Through Patterns

2010-05-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Practicing English Conversation - 50 Patterns

Young Learners ESL Curriculum

2010-04-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.lang-works.com - Language Works Online English Classroom

ESL Conversation Dialogue Links

2010-04-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.stickyball.net/dialogues.html (Stickyball.net)

http://dialogueworkout.blogspot.com/2009/02/dialogue-workout-39-to-65-for.html

http://www.rong-chang.com/book/ (Rong Chang)

http://www.englishclub.com/speaking/index.htm (EnglishClub.com)

http://bogglesworldesl.com/directions.htm (Boggles World ESL / Lanternfish)

ESL EFL for Elementary School Students Young Learners

2010-04-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

ESL EFL for elementary school students and young learners

www.teachmetapes.com - teach (and learn) English through songs

download workbook from Scribd - workbook for preschool and kindergarten students

www.englishbanana.com - a complete English conversation course (suitable for middle school students and adult beginners)

Reference - list of ESL resource books

Best High School Flicks

2007-08-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

1. The Breakfast Club -- The first of two John Hughes-directed movies on the list, the movie's genius is summed up in the letter composed by the main characters at the end, breaking down what divides and connects all teens.

2. Sixteen Candles -- Sure, some of it is slapstick, but Molly Ringwald's portrayal of a girl coming into her own is spot-on.

3. Dazed and Confused -- From Jason London's rebellious football player to Matthew McConaughey's creepy guy who can't let go of his teens, Richard Linklater not only nailed beautifully mundane ups-and-downs of high school, but cast a list of future all-stars including McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck and Renee Zellweger.

4. Fast Times at Ridgemont High -- All post-1982 high school movies should thank this genre-defining film from Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe.

5. Donnie Darko -- Sure, Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie is probably cuckoo, but his earnest portrayal of a boy out to save the world reminds us just how poignant adolescent emotion can be. And that teens are smart enough to grasp a complex storyline.

6. Mean Girls -- Pay close attention: This 2004 movie about the often-ruthless world of teen girls may just stand as Lindsay Lohan's best performance ever.

7. Dead Poets Society -- Because before being beat down by the work-a-day world, all of us were once inspired.

8. Lucas -- That's right, this understated movie starring a young Corey Haim, is a touching and sometimes heartwrenching look at what it's like being an outcast in love.

9. Clueless -- Okay, so we may not all live in Beverly Hills lives loosely modeled on the plot of Jane Austen's "Emma," but Amy Heckerling's 1995 movie does a good job of chronicling one teen's quest for her true self.

10. Heathers -- Remember those girls you hated in high school? The ones who seemed to have everything, but you somehow knew they'd end up as tanning salon receptionists? Well, if you ever wondered what it would have been like if they'd started murdering each other, this movie's for you.

Read full article

Affluenza - rampant consumerism

2007-01-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

A Reuters Life! article titled "Affluenza" echoes my sentiments regarding materialism:

Beware the Affluenza Virus. An epidemic of mindless consumerism is sweeping the world with the compulsive pursuit of money and possessions making people richer but sadder.

I wish people would listen to the words of British psychologist Oliver James and change their ways.

Some excepts from the Reuters article:

"We have become addicted to having rather than being and confusing our needs with our wants," he[Oliver James] told Reuters in an interview to mark publication on Thursday of "Affluenza."

Bigger houses, more cars, larger televisions, younger faces -- these goals are frenetically pursued by middle-class workaholics afflicted by "Affluenza."

Always wanting bigger and better is an emotional cul de sac, argues the 53-year-old psychologist, broadcaster and author.

Technorati tags: materialism

Return to Sender

2007-01-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

California Latinos are fearful after immigration raids, reports Reuters. Big Brother and Miniluv conducted a week-long sweep, dubbed "Operation Return to Sender"

Excerpts:

The raid was the latest in a series of get-tough enforcement measures by ICE in the United States, but the largest action of its kind in California, where more than a third of the population is Hispanic.

"We hadn't seen anything like this here before, and it came as a shock," said Antonio Bernabe, a community worker who runs a day labor program at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

"The police didn't just take people with deportation orders, they took anybody ... guys who were just hanging out in the street and even from a Jack in the Box restaurant ... and now people are afraid to go out," he added.

The high-profile sweep netted mostly Mexican nationals, but included people from 14 countries including Ukraine, Japan, Poland and Trinidad.

....

Others in the city[Los Angeles] believed that the only clear message from the raids and the speech[George Bush's State of the Union address] was that the situation for immigrants in California had changed.

Technorati tags: immigration

Big Brother Toughens Passport Rules

2007-01-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

AP reports (via Yahoo News) that new passport rules start January 23rd.

Some excerpts:

Starting Tuesday, Canadian, Mexican and Bermudan air travelers, as well as U.S. citizens flying home from those countries or the Caribbean, must display their passports to enter the United States.

....

For now, the rules affect only air travelers. Land and sea travelers will not have to show passports until at least January 2008. Air travelers who cannot produce a passport will be interviewed by customs agents, who will decide whether to let them into the country.

Here's my response:

Privacy protections have been eroded gradually over many years. The Social Security Number has become a universal ID number, causing rampant and massive identity theft. Government routinely keeps records on the bank accounts, travel plans, and spending habits of law-abiding civilians, for no other reason than they “might” commit a crime in the future. (platform of the Libertarian National Committee)

Big Brother should just go ahead and require everyone in the United States to have bar codes implanted under their skin....

Big Brother is watching you....

Technorati tags: homeland-security immigration

Immigrants Face Deportation

2007-01-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

As I was searching for another KoreAm Journal article, I came across an article from 2003 about Aaron, a 27-year old Korean American adoptee who was adopted from Korea at the age of 3. A misprinted birth certificate sent from the adoption agency led Aaron's parents to believe that Aaron’s alien status had been changed to that of a U.S. citizen, so they never pursued the naturalization process for him as adoptive parents are required to do.

Throughout Aaron’s childhood, Aaron's adoptive parents thought he was a U.S. citizen. In April 2001, Aaron was picked up for selling marijuana, and an INS purge identified him as an illegal alien - news that shocked him and his family.

An excerpt from the article:

Because of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which imposed harsh regulations on non-citizens who commit crimes, the INS placed Aaron in the San Diego detention facility. The law mandates that immigrants convicted of crimes that are punishable by at least a year - even permanent residents who have committed relatively minor crimes like shoplifting - be detained and face deportation.

TEFLLogue One Stop TEFL Guide

2007-01-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Operation TEFL has been mentioned in the blogosphere (in the ESL / EFL blogosphere).

TEFL Logue - part of the BootsnAll Travel Network - has described Operation TEFL as the blog of "an American teacher in Korea on the road to getting a fiancee visa for...his fiancee"

TEFL Logue's Katie has taught English in Sarajevo, Budapest, and Chicago and will soon be teaching again in Eastern Europe. Katie describes TEFL Logue as a "One Stop Travel Guide to TEFL." From the looks of TEFL Logue's six major sections, I'd say that Katie's description of her blog is a good one. Of TEFL Logue's six major sections, I especially liked the sections titled Training and The Teaching Life.

Check out TEFL Logue.

Technorati tags: ESL blogs

K-1 Visa Interview Sample Questions

2006-12-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

1. Write your fiance's full name in English.
2. What city was your fiance born in?
3. What is your fiance's mother's maiden name?
4. When and how did you first meet?
5. How many times has he been to _____(country name)?
6. What things do you have in common?

Documenting Relationship with Fiancee

2006-12-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

visalaw.com - the web site of Siskind Susser Bland - provides tips on how to your relationship with your fiancee:

While there is no minimum, using as many of these items as possible will make it less likely that you will receive a Request for Evidence (RFE) from an USCIS Service Center -

Copies of all airline-boarding passes, train passes, itineraries, hotel receipts, passport stamps (make sure you can read the dates on the stamps), and other documentary evidence that you have met your fiancé(e) within the last two years. You may want to highlight the relevant dates and locations on the copies (to make the adjudication easier) for the person reviewing your file.

Color photos of you and your fiancé(e). Make sure you write your names, date, and location on the back of every photo. Place photos in a plastic bag or photo sheet and label the sheet. Note that you may not receive originals of photo's back. A good alternative is to make color photocopies of the photos and then put the relevant information underneath the pictures.

Copies of phone bills, cell phone bills, emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also), stamps on the letters (to document the date they were sent), and other written documentary proof.

Provide a reasonable amount; two to four of each type. Pick a range of dates up to and including the present.

tips for applicants of K-1 Fiancee Visa

2006-12-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

Immigration/Fiancee Visa attorneys, Hoffman & Herrera, blog some tips for K-1 Fiancee Visa applicants:

(The post was in need of some clean-up)

Give direct and concise answers to the various questions. Vague answers such as, "I want to be with _____" or "I want to see the U.S." will NOT suffice.

You will have an interview. You would do well to dress in a professional manner. The best attire is a full business suit with matching (extremely modest) skirt and hose. Remember to wear sensible shoes.

You should be specific: “While in the United States I would very much like to see the following..."

Display - as clearly and visibly as possible - an interest in cultures and history.

Submit character references.

If you do not understand a question, you will be unable to answer properly. Some forms and details can be quite tricky. If in doubt - during the interview - ALWAYS reply, “I do not understand the question” or “Could you please rephrase the question?”

NEVER get emotional. If things appear to be going wrong, always ask for more detailed information or instructions. Never make assumptions.

About Operation TEFL

2006-11-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

World English has some tips on how to learn English. Reading those tips - especially the one about surrounding yourself with English - renewed my enthusiasm for setting up my own personal English immersion program. I plan to turn my one-room (studio) apartment into a Little North America, so that my fiance can receive full-on English exposure whenever she comes to visit my place.

I'm not a linguist or authority on second language acquisition.... I'm just a guy who graduated from university, spent 5 months working at a glorified collection agency, spent 6 weeks in Canada, and then moved to his ancestral homeland to work as an EPIK English language instructor for at least one year. I have spent 3+ years (public elementary & middle schools as well as the occasional adult class) in working as an English language instructor. I spent two of those 3+ years being plagued by little or no confidence in my teaching methods...I was just killing time and pocketing my salary (along with a guilty conscience).

Then I discovered Longman's English Firsthand textbooks. Discovering this textbook series was a boost to my confidence as an English language instructor. I also met the love of my life as I was teaching an English conversation class for nurses (My fiance is a graduate of my mom's alma mater).

....

I don't know whether I will continue on in the ESL/TESOL field after my fiance and I relocate to North America, but I would like to see Operation TEFL become more than a personal hobby....

Technorati tags: ESL, teaching, TESOL

Links - Learning English

2006-11-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

http://jeffreyhill.typepad.com/english/learning_english/index.html

Really Good ESL Resources

2006-11-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

http://del.icio.us/danielcraig

Your Grammar is Rubbish

2006-11-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

An expat Chinese-English translator - a John Biesnecker - blogs about Globish and titles his blog entry "Globish is Rubbish."

As is true of many native speakers of English, his grammar is rubbish:

Some of my wife and I’s funniest inside jokes are those involving the bastardization of English and Chinese.

IMHO...given that so many native speakers of the English language seem to be in need of grammar and spelling refresher courses, I don't understand why some people are so offended by Globish....

Do British Commonwealth countries and the United States have a monopoly on the English language? If they do.... Should a handful of countries continue to have a monopoly on the English language?

You have little to be proud of, you Anglo-centric bigots!

Noam Cohen's New York Times article on Globish is similarly Anglo-centric:

But the danger is that proper English will be overwhelmed by the English of nonnative speakers, he[linguist David Graddol] acknowledged. “This is not English as we have known it, and have taught it in the past as a foreign language,” he wrote. “It is a new phenomenon, and if it represents any kind of triumph it is probably not a cause of celebration by native speakers.”

Leave it to a native of France — a country that itself in the 1990’s briefly required that 3,000 English words be replaced by French ones — to suggest that this simpler English be codified.

Technorati tags: Globish, esl, tefl, rants

Organizations - English Language Programs

2006-11-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

American Association of Intensive English Language Programs

Commission on English Language Program Accreditation. (CEA is U.S. DOE-approved, and its member schools are eligible for Title IV federal financial aid)

Immersion Programs & Language School Links

2006-11-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

Penobscot School Summer English Immersion Program - Maine

PlanetEdu Language School Links