TUNE INTO ENGLISH

The Story of Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T21:16:00.008Z

This is a lesson on Thanksgiving for 8th graders. Before watching the film, students are asked to refer what they know about this festivity. Then they watch the follwing video.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FILM “The First Thanksgiving”

Food vocabulary in the video: duck, geese, turkey, deer, clam, corn, peas, wheat, barley

• Which king ruled in England around 400 year ago?

• Why were some people unhappy?

• Where did they first go?

• Why did they leave Holland?

• How did they go to America?

• What was the ship called?

• How long did it take to get to America?

• What was the sea journey like?

• What was the weather like when they arrived in America?

• They did they survive winter?

• Who helped them?

• What did the Indians teach them?

• Why did they decide to give a Thanksgiving party?

• Who did they invite?

• Which food did they prepare?

To find out more about Thanksgiving, click here

Back to the past (simple)!

2011-10-05T21:54:00.016+01:00

Every school year we have to revise the past simple and every time we revise it, students stumble over the "awful" irregular verbs ... again and again. Why is it so painful for them to learn anything by heart?
Well, students and teachers alike... just keep on trying, because "where there's a will, there's a power".

So, student, if you're still "haunted" by the "awful" irregular (or regular, for that matter) verbs, give these activities a try ...and have fun! After you have finished, please leave a message on how well (hopefully!) you did.

Games with the past simple

Test your memory

http://www.manythings.org/wbg/verbs_past2-mw.html

Spelling (Write the missing verbs)

http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/perfectpast/irregular%20past%20spelling.html

Two betting games
Game one: completing sentences. You get points for the correct answer:

http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/perfectpast/past%20simple%20betting.html

Game two
http://www.quia.com/cb/119049.html?AP_rand=1602325017

Matching game

http://www.bradleys-english-school.com/online/jigword/jigpast1.html

Snakes and Ladders

http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/New_Snakes_%20Ladders/Past_simple_tense.html

Quiz Show (exciting)
http://eslgamesworld.com/members/games/ClassroomGames/Quizshow/Irregular%20Past%20Simple%20Quiz%20Show/index.html

Now, if you're not really a game lover, here are some exercises:

Negative in the simple past

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?05

Questions in the simple past

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises?06

Mixed exercise

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises

A list of irregular verbs, just in case...

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/irregular-verbs

Feeling like doing a test? Here are some:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/simple-past-1 (easy)

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/simple-past-2 (medium)

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/simple-past-3 (difficult)

Last but not least, DO NOT FORGET to write about your last summer holidays on WALLWISHER. Just click on "post a sticky" and you'll be redirected to the wall! Have fun learning English!

Your teacher.

Studying Vocabulary - Fantastic Tool!

2011-07-28T21:45:00.014+01:00

Surfing the net trying to find different ways for my students to study/memorize voacabulary, I came across this fantastic online fashcard programme - www.quizlet.com
As they say quizlet is "...the largest flash cards and study games website with over 6 million free sets of flashcards covering every possible subject. It's the best place to play educational games, memorize vocabulary and study online."
In fact, you can create sets of flashcards (with sound and pictures)with your own terms and definitions for your students, or you can ask students to do so. In case you have no time to create your own flashcards, you can choose from sets created by other users. Everything for free! Pretty amazing, isn't it?
I was so curious to test it, I created this one:

Study these flash cards | Study english flash cards

To know how it works watch this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1AbcKz-_q8
Have fun and ... enjoy your summer holiday!

Using Songs to Motivate Students' Creativity

2011-07-20T21:18:00.016+01:00

Teenagers and music are inseparable. So it's always an excellent tool to use in the classroom to teach or revise both grammar and vocabulary, or just for fun. I posted some examples some time ago (click here to check).
With songs students can practise the 4 skills: from a simple listening activity, or a reading comprehension, or even a debate, to a more elaborate writing activity, you just have to pick (or let them pick) the song.
I've recently written about arousing student's imagination and creativity through art. Music is art too. So why not using it to stimulate creativity? Here are some ideas:

1. After listening to the song, ask students to create a new verse to it;

2. Ask students to find a photo which best describes the song lyrics;

3. If the topic of the song allows it, you can ask students to improvise a dialogue between the song writer and the character in the song. In this case, you have to make sure students understand the lyrics so as to feel confident enough to accomplish the task. Give them the timing and the setting to give it more meaning and make it easier (Coldplay's Scientist is a suitable song for this activity);

4. Have students write a letter/e-email to the main character (or the singer), or send an answer to the character referred to in the song;

5. "A song talk" - students usually have their favourite songs. Maybe they know interestings facts or stories to tell about their songs, so ask them to prepare a short talk;

6. If the song tells a story, you can challenge students to turn it into a cartoon story using Xtranormal or Goanimate;

7. Ask them to draw or collage the song and compare the visualizations in class.

Well, the sky is the limit! Enjoy.

Rethinking Education

2011-06-24T00:22:00.005+01:00

Reflections and opinions on education in the 21st century. How do we teach? To what extent have we changed the way we teach so far? Are we teaching the same way we taught 10, 15 or 20 years ago? If it's the case, are we willing to change? How and what can we change? These are questions worth answering.
I guess most of us teachers really want to adapt and adjust to these changing times, in which technology plays an important role. Students are no longer the same as the ones we taught years ago!
Here are some videos on the subject. A must see! I hope you get inspired by them as I did.

YouTube playlist

Motivate your students with GoAnimate

2011-06-17T22:16:00.008+01:00

I found this great free tool that allows anyone to create fully animated cartoons by choosing characters from scratch, props, backgrounds, audio and text.
This could be a good tool to stimulate reluctant writers to animate a story, a text or a song in a creative way. I think the best way to describe GoAnimate is to have a look at their demo video below. Check it out here.

An example of what you can do with GoAnimate:

GoAnimate.com: by Cognito

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Hugs!

Stimulating Creativity - Art in the English Language Classroom

2011-06-03T22:46:00.020+01:00

I sometimes use art (paintings or photos) in the classroom, because I think it’s a good way to stimulate student’s creativity (as important as any other skill), and bring something different to the English Language classroom. As the means to creativity is imagination, this one has to be carefully planned, structured and practiced. In addition, by developing students’ imagination we are providing them with different ways of learning, which is one of our teaching goals.
Many teachers think activities that stimulate student’s imagination will be a source of indiscipline in the classroom, but that is not so. Sometimes students who do not use their imagination may become uninterested and misbehave. Thinking about or even creating art can be very motivating. It can take the emphasis off accuracy and put it onto fluency and the ability to clearly express thoughts and ideas. This is great for students whose progress in speaking is hindered by a fear of making mistakes.

So here are some examples of activities on two paintings (I couldn’t find the authors’ names. My apologies for that!). They were developed as speaking activities, but they can be used as writing ones too.

Painting one: for 7th graders (Places in Town)

GIF animations generator gifup.com

Activity
-Imagine where this town is.
-Is it a large one or a small one? Say why.
-Where is everybody?
-What kind of shops are there in this town?
-Would you like to live there? Why (not)?
-What do you feel when you look at this town?
-Find a piece of music to go with this painting.

Painting two: to be used with 9th graders (Multiculturalism)

GIF animations generator gifup.com

Activity
-Compare the two paintings. What do they represent?
-Where do these families come from? Where do they live?
-Similarities and differences (9th grade)
-Which is the happiest family? Why?
-What feelings are conveyed in these two paintings? (9th grade)
-Choose one of the paintings and write a short story about it.

Well, these are only two ideas to practise speaking and stimulate our students' imagination. You can also teach grammar using paintings. I love this topic. I'll get back to this subject with more ideas.

Meanwhile, I leave you with a talk on creativity by Sir ken Robinson. Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation. He is also one of the world’s leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences everywhere.
So listen to his talk "Schools Kill Creativity" and enjoy!

Jing - a great tool for both teachers and students!

2011-03-23T22:34:00.006Z

Ever heard about Jing? If you havent't, give it a look - it's a great tool!
Jing is a quick way of capturing images and videos (up to 5 minutes) of what you see on your own computer monitor. As a teacher, how can you use Jing? Here are some ideas:
- You can create teaching tutorials as a learning tool. For example, explaining students a difficult grammar point;
- you can make a video about vocabulary students have to know for a specific test, or for them to know how to pronounce these words;
- you can highlight a webpage for your students;
- you can give feedback on compositions (correction of mistakes). It’s time consuming though;
- you can talk about a picture / describe a picture (students use Jing themselves). A good speaking activity!
- you can talk about someone famous (students use Jing themselves) as a homework / project work. Also a good speaking activity!
- you can read aloud. Students can choose a passage or a story to read, record it and then send it to the teacher.
- you can create tutorials for working with new technologies.

Well, I'm sure you'll come up with other ideas. Enjoy learning!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T23:17:00.006Z

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Here is a video about St. Patrick's Day history Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Activities

2011-03-13T22:52:00.008Z

GIF animations generator gifup.com

St. Patrick's Day is arriving! Although it began in Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world. People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities. Saint Patrick’s Day is usually celebrated with a parade. The one in Dublin, Ireland, is known to some as the Irish Mardi Gras. But the one in New York City is actually one of the biggest. It lasts for hours. Two Irish wolfhounds, the mascots of the New York National Guard infantry regiment the “Fighting 69th”, always lead the parade. More than one hundred bands and a hundred thousand marchers follow the wolfhounds in the parade. To promote sudents' awareness of this cultural aspect in the classroom, here are some ideas. Happy St. Patty's Day!

St Patrick's Day activities.docx
St patrick's Day isa.pptx

More Activities to Celebrate Women's Month

2011-03-09T23:28:00.005Z

Four different activities to celebrate women's month. Click on the link below to download the activities.
women's month activities.docx

Women's Month Activity

2011-03-07T23:45:00.022Z

In 1911 in Europe, March 8 was first celebrated as International Women's Day. Later, in the United States, March became the women's month. Contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society are highlighted throughout March.
So as to find out about some women's contributions, not only in British and American history, but also in Portuguese histoty, I gave students this webquest (WOMEN IN HISTORY), which I share with you.

women in histoty webquest.doc

To get more ideas and information on this topic, check out this site:
http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history-month

Teaching Listening - Resources

2011-02-18T23:32:00.005Z

As promised in my last post, here is a list of some sites where you can find useful listening resources for your classes. I hope it'll be useful.

Listening Sites

TEACHING LISTENING COMPREHENSION

2011-02-15T22:41:00.026Z

GIF animations generator gifup.com

Teaching listening skills is one of the most difficult tasks for me as a teacher. I think it is because good listening skills take a long time to be acquired and with lots of practice. It's also difficult for students, because there are no rules as in grammar teaching.
One of the inhibitors for students is often mental block due to lack of practice. While listening, students say they don't understand what is being said, because they want to understand every word and then translate it, which takes a lot of time. As a result they easily give up and listening turns into something frustrating for them, as well as for us.
The key to helping students improve their listening skills is to show them that they don't have to understand everything. I try to teach my students that they need to listen to English as often as possible outside the classaroom. This is not difficult as they usually listen to anglo-american music music, and watch movies quite often.

Listening skills are really important to develop. Of the 'four skills,' listening is by far the most frequently used. Although listening and speaking are often taught together, beginner/elementary students should be given more listening than speaking practice.

There are many types of listening activities. For example:
- Students can be asked to "Close the door" with a physical response;
- Students select an appropriate picture or object;
- Students choose the correct letter or word on a worksheet;
- Students draw a route on a map;
- Students fill in a chart;
- Students continue a story, solve a problem;

These are some activities, but there are much more, of course.
We all (teachers) know how difficult it is to get good listening materials for our students, so next time I'll post a list of listening resources here.

EYE ON IDIOMS 2

2011-02-09T19:57:00.012Z

GIF animations generator gifup.com

Some weeks ago I promised I would write about one of my favourite topics again: idioms. They are not as often brought up in ESL lessons as they should (teaching speaking also involves teaching some idioms). They are not easy to teach, I know. Sometimes I use short texts to introduce them (usually related with a topic). Here is an example (the topic is the present economic crisis!):

On the Dole
Unfortunately the economic crisis means more people are out of work, because firms and factories are firing more people every day. So, presently a lot of people are on the dole. The present number of job seekers is increasing by the minute...

Well, you could go on introducing more idioms on the topic. I then ask the students to guess the meaning of the expressions in bold. Sometimes I ask them to write a short text or some sentences using the idioms they learned. The most creative ones come up with funny stories. Or you culd ask them to "draw" the idioms as in the animation above.
I found this interesting pps (www.worldofteaching.com). It´s another way of teaching them. You could ask the students to create one like this.

Idiom Dictionary

WORKING WITH SONGS - EXAMPLE

2011-01-27T23:36:00.004Z

As I previously promised, here is an example of a worksheet on the song "Empire State of Mind" (Alicia keys).
First I used some pictures to introduce some vocabulary to help them understand the song. Then they had to listen to the lyrics and correct some mistakes, finally they had to answer some questions on the story of the song. "Empire State of Mind" was used with level 3 students and I tell you ... it was a success. They practised listening, they sang an they had fun! Motivated students are easy to teach.

empire state of mind ws

HOW TO MOTIVATE TEENAGERS - USING SONGS IN THE CLASSROOM

2011-01-24T17:45:00.015Z

Music is a great language tool that bundles culture, vocabulary, listening, grammar and a great variety of other language skills in just a few rhymes. Music can also provide a relaxed lesson for teenagers.
English songs can be used for a wide variety of learning and teaching activities. They can start discussions on a topic or even become the centre of debate.
Most songs reflect the background of the singer, why not do activities on something like varieties of modern English; or as an introduction to a topic to be studied.
Songs are also great for teaching listening, of course.
You can also teach grammar with songs in many ways.

I try to use up to date songs that are within the students' interests, because it's halfway to motivation. In the following grid you can find some examples of songs and how they can be explored (research by I.S. and S.P.):

Songs

EYE ON IDIOMS

2011-01-21T20:27:00.011Z

Isn't it nice when an expression translates easily into English? It really is a "piece of cake". For instance, if you are living in London on a tight budget, you may "struggle to make ends meet", I wonder if you can get the idea!
Sometimes expressions are not quite the same and the changes can be amusing. Suppose you have a cold and your voice is hoarse. The English would say "I've got a frog in my throat". When someting is impossible to happen, we (the Portuguese) use an expression about chicken having teeth. In this case, in English you would say "when pigs fly".

There's a whole world of idioms in English to explore. They are widely and mostly uded in spoken Elglish. So, if you want to become a fluent speaker of English, study them and use them!

I'll be back with other commom idioms.

A PROJECT WORK

2010-03-28T21:02:00.003+01:00

I created this project work on "Teenage Tribes" for 8th grade students. I like using projects with my students for many reasons:
1. Projects allow students to use their imagination;
2. They can help develop a full range of the learners’ capabilities.
3. Projects motivate students. They offer students a way of practicing their English while having fun.
4. It is also a way to develop students' computer skills.

I wasn't really worried about language mistakes, because language accuracy wasn't really the main aim. I just wanted them to research on a teenage topic (something they really enjoy), use their imagination and have fun doing creating a powerpoint presentation on their findings!
I'll post some of their works pretty soon.

Project Work

TEACHING VOCABULARY

2010-03-07T20:50:00.006Z

Ran out of ideas to teach vocabulary?
Well, here are some ideas to teach new words/expressions:

Vocabulary Build

Aim of the activity

To brainstorm vocabulary

Preparation

Prepare a selection of pictures to illustrate a vocabulary area you would like to brainstorm.
Stick them to a larger piece of paper.
For example:
Food you eat in Winter
Food you eat on special occasions
Food you eat in Summer
Food you don't like
Get a selection of coloured pens - preferably a different colour for each group of students.

Procedure
Divide the students into groups of 3 or 4.
Hand out a picture to each group and ask them to write as many words or expressions connected with this area of vocabulary as they can. If they don't know the word for something in English, they should draw it. Give them a coloured pen to write with. Set a time limit of a few minutes.
When the time limit is up, ask them to pass their picture onto the next group.
Tell each group to write as many words or expressions as possible connected with their new picture, but not including any that the previous group have written. Tell them to stop writing after a few minutes and pass their picture on to the next group. Continue this procedure until all the groups have seen all the pictures. With the class, look at each picture in turn, discussing, providing and correcting vocabulary, where necessary.

Gift words

Aim of the activity

To practise recently learnt vocabulary in a fun and positive way.

Preparation

Ask the students to pick out some words they feel need reviewing from recent work and to check they know what they mean.

Procedure

Tell them to put the words each on a slip of paper, and to write on each slip the name of a person in the group for whom the word would be an appropriate gift. Everyone now gets up and mills around, giving the words away. If the receiver of a word does not understand it, the giver should explain the meaning, and the reason for the gift.

HAVE FUN!

My Students' Webquests on Food

2010-02-21T20:30:00.003Z

Better late than ever! As promised, here are some of my students' webquests on "Food". I think they enjoyed doing them, just as much as I did! It was really a good way to expand their knowledge on the subject as well as using computer skills.

webquest patricia

webquest vinicius 8 2

webquest Ana 8 6

MORE WEBQUESTS

2010-01-18T19:47:00.004Z

After a long pause, due to intensive work, I'm back ... for good, I hope!
As you've noticed by reading the title, once again I'm writing about webquests. The reason why is that I think it's a great way to both motivate and teach students about a variety of topics. They have worked well with my student!
The one I present here is a good example of that. My 8th graders enjoyed doing it.
Have a look!

Webquest on Food Doc

I'll show some of my students' results soon. Have a wonderful week!

I'm Back!

2009-09-10T19:00:00.003+01:00

I'm back after a few weeks holidays. I haven't posted anything on my blog while I was on holidays, because I really needed some time away from routine. Now that I'm back I'll be soon posting some new materials and ideas. I hope you keep in touch and ... welcome back!

"You're a star, because..."

2009-06-12T21:13:00.005+01:00

I used this activity with my 7th graders.
First I asked them to draw a six pointed star on a cardboard or paper, any colour they liked. Then they brought their stars to class. The aim was to think of someone they would like to give their star to and write on it (in the middle) the sentence "You're a star because ..." and finally write an adjective on each of the six parts of the star. It was a nice way to practise different adjectives. When they finished their work, they exchanged their stars. It was quite a surprise what they thought about other classmates.

I'm showing here only three of the many stars.

This was an end of the school year activity.

THE STORY BEHIND A SONG - A PROJECT FOR 9TH GRADERS

2009-05-26T21:13:00.008+01:00

I used this project with my 9th grade students. I wanted them to practise some structures and vocabulary, as well as research on their favourite songs / singers. And we all know how much teenagers love music!

First I handed this guide out:

Project Work

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Research music Story

And these were some of the results:

SOFIA'S "EVERYTHING I DO I DO IT FOR YOU":

The Story Behind a Song 2 Sofia

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work music Story

FABIO'S "NOVEMBER RAIN":

The Stoty Behind the Music Fabio r

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work music Story

Nice work!

THEIR FAVOURITE RAINFOREST ANIMALS

2009-05-18T22:01:00.007+01:00

Once again, the final result of a WEBQUEST on "Rainforest Animals". I'm really glad with the results. They learned about their favourite rainforest animals, they used the "new technologies", they practised their researching skills and, last but not least, they had fun!

Thank you, Tânia! Great job!

Animals of the Rain Forest Tania

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work

Angela, wonderful job!

Animals of the Rain Forest Angela

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work

PATRICIA´S RAINFOREST ANIMAL

2009-05-01T23:12:00.005+01:00

Another ppt presentation about "The Jaguar" , the result of a Webquest on "A Rainforest Animals". This one is from PATRICIA, 7th grade, class 2. Great job, Patricia! Keep up the good work!

Power Point Patricia- Jaguar

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work ppt jaguar

A WEBQUEST ON A RAINFOREST ANIMAL - STUDENTS' WORKS

2009-04-29T22:01:00.002+01:00

After choosing their favourite rainforest animals, after looking for information on them, here's the result. This is RICARDO'S ppt presentation. Good job! Congratulations, Ricardo!

PS: Ricardo is a 7th grade student. He's in class 2.

Ricardo Alpoim Arara-Vermelha

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work rainforest animals scarlet macaw

THE FUTURE SIMPLE FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS - A PPT PRESENTATION

2009-04-27T21:51:00.004+01:00

A ppt presentation for elementary students who study a Future Tense for the first time. Quite easy, straight to the point examples, with some explanations in Portuguese.
I used it after they studied a text with some sentences in the Future Simple. Well, they were more involved because, at this age (12 year olds!), they're strongly attracted to image. A lesson that worked well. I'm sharing it with you:

Simple Future

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Study Guides, Notes, School Work future simple Elementary

AWARD

2009-04-27T11:43:00.006+01:00

Hi, everybody!
I got this nice award from Hannie and "Teaching Frenzy". Thank you, Hannie. All the best!

Rainforest Animals - A WEBQUEST for 7th grade students

2009-04-18T21:18:00.006+01:00

Searching for information on the net about a topic is not as easy as it may seem, especially if you're an elementary student of English. Don't just ask them to use the net to research a topic. There's so much information about any topic, that they will feel lost. As a result, they will copy and paste the first thing they set their eyes on. Besides, there's the language barrier. Not every piece of information is adequate to their langauge level, so they won't understand what they read and will soon lose interest.

So try to make their search easier and adapt the language to their language level giving them clear instructions. An example of this is a WEBQUEST. If you don´t know what that is, visit this site:

http://webquest.org/index.php

So, here is a WEBQUEST on "RAINFOREST ANIMALS" I created for my 7th grade students.

It's their first webquest. I hope they're enjoying it!

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=12837

"WEATHER CHANGES" - A GROUP WORK

2009-04-13T21:46:00.006+01:00

I created this task for my 9th graders. It's a pretty hot topic nowadays, so it was quite easy to find the pictures I wanted them to work on. They are supposed to work in groups of 3 or 4 students. They have to follow all the steps and present their group work in class. The following worksheet is just one of them, because each group gets a differet one.

Calamities Tranparency1

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Presentations & Spre Marketing marketing culture

Where is the Love ?

2009-03-13T21:06:00.006Z

I usually use songs with my students. I think they are a light way to teach both vocabulary and grammar. I've recently used ... WHERE IS THE LOVE? by the Black Eyed Peas, with my 9th graders.
Here is the song:

And its worksheet:

Song Where is the Love

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work song

Feel free to use it if you so wish!

Games for Revision and Recycling

2009-03-06T20:12:00.004Z

Dear teachers, if you want to turn your revision lessons into something more interesting, then here are some ideas:

Lying game

Aim of the activity
Improve fluency skills.
Preparation
You will need dice for this game.
Procedure
Write a list of general topics, numbered 1 to 6, on the board. For example,
1) love
2) family
3) sport and hobbies
4) holiday
5) ambitions
6) food
Students work in groups. One student in the group throws the dice and the number showing on the dice decides on their topic for the next part of the activity. They then have to talk for one minute on the topic, but before they do that, they choose a card which they must keep hidden from the other members of the group. On one card is written Tell the truth and on the other is Tell a lie. While they are talking, they must follow the instruction on the card and the object of the exercise is for the rest of the group to decide whether they are telling the truth or lying.

Criss cross quiz

Aim of the activity
Revise a variety of language skills and structures in an engaging way.
Preparation.
You will have to prepare questions for each category in advance.
Procedure
This game is based on a game of noughts and crosses. Draw a grid on the board and in each of the nine squares write a different language category. For example, spelling, pronunciation,verbs, odd one out, etc.
In two teams, the students take it in turns to choose a category and to answer the
corresponding question. If they answer correctly, their team can mark a nought or cross in that square. If they do not answer correctly, the question passes to the other team. The first team to get a row of noughts or crosses is the winner.

Label game

Aim of the activity
To revise idioms by using them to talk about personal experiences, thus making the new language more memorable.
Preparation
Make a copy of a list of idioms to be practised for each student in the class.
You will need 6 to 10 blank sticky address labels for each student in the class. Post-its can be used as an alternative. You will also need a poster-size piece of paper for each group of 3 to 4 students, dice and counters.
Procedure
Give a copy of the list of the idioms to be practised to each student in the class.
Give each student in the class a pile of blank sticky address labels. Ask them to look at the list of idioms and to think of a time when any of them were relevant
to their own experience. For each relevant idiom, they should take a sticky label and write the idiom on it, as well as the approximate time of their life the event they are thinking of happened (e.g. last year, yesterday, when I was a child, on my birthday, about three weeks ago etc). They should not write down what happened, just the idiom at this stage.
When they have finished writing idioms on separate labels, ask the students to work in groups and give each group a poster-size piece of paper.
Students now arrange their idioms in a line or a snake on the piece of paper in chronological order and stick them down.
Give each group dice and counters and ask the students to take it in turns to throw the dice and move their counter along the idioms according to the number on the dice.
Students should either talk about a time when the idiom they land on was relevant to
themselves, or ask the student who wrote the idiom down to talk about their experience.

HAVE FUN!

Giggle Poetry in the English Class!

2009-02-27T22:16:00.005Z

Students are usually reluctant to reading poetry, let alone ... writing it!
Well, that's because they think a poem is an extremely difficult and serious piece of writing. But it shouldn't be, because it really isn't! Trying to turn it into something more appealing to my students, while I was teaching the unit "Addictions", I came across an interesting site on Giggle Poetry:

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/index.aspx

And I thought to myself it would be an easy way to make them write something funny.
I chose the "Smoker's Epitaph", a funny poem which they had to complete in order to rhyme. Here is the original poem:

Smoker's Poem

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Poetry Creative Writing addictions

After completing it they had to go on writing similar rhyming verses. These were the results:

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was thirteen
Now he won't know what he could have been
(DÚNIA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was fourteen
Now he can't eat a bean
(AISHA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was fifteen
Now he cannot fulfil his dream
(CLAUDIA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was sixteen
What he did was a sin
(JOÃO, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was sixteen
Now there's only an epitaph to be seen
(SOFIA and KARLA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was seventeen
Now he'll never meet his queen
(SOFIA and KARLA, 9º 2ª)

Here lies Sam Shay
Smoked six packs a day
He started smoking when he was eighteen
I wonder what he could have been
(DAVID, 9º 2ª)

They exercised their imagination and, at the same time, they had fun. I had fun, too!

WEBQUESTS

2009-02-10T22:12:00.003Z

TEACHERS
If you're looking for a more interesting way to teach the topic "Environment" and if both you and your sudents have easy access to the internet, then you can try this WEBQUEST with your elementary students. It's easy and I'm sure they'll have lots of fun, while they learn about "Rainforest Animals".
In case you need any further information about how webquests work, feel free to cantact me!

Rain Forest Animals Webquest
value="true">

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Ana's School

2009-01-22T22:22:00.012Z

Ana O. is one of my 12 year old students in the 7th Form. She's been learning English for 3 years. After studying the topic "School", I asked Ana and her partners to write a composition under the title "My School". Ana was one of the first students to hand in her composition. She is a hard working student and an enthusiastic learner of English. This her composition:

Hello !
I’m going to talk a little about my school ...
My school´s name is ...
My school is in (...).
In this area there are people with different backgrounds and cultures, so it is quite varied. And I think it´s quite rewarding, too.

My school is big. There are four big buildings.
In building A, on the ground-floor, you can find the school office, the “AGIR” room, the staffroom, the phones and the “SASE” office.
On the first floor, we find the library, the headmaster´s office, the computer room and the rooms of some school clubs. This building, as all the other school buildings, was recently painted in light blue and white.
On the ground-floor of building B you can find some classrooms and the toilets; on the first floor there are more classrooms.
It is painted in pink and white.

On the ground-floor of building C you can find some classrooms and the toilets. On the first floor there are other classrooms. This building is painted in green and white.
In building D you can find the bar, the gymnasium, the canteen, the recreation room, the toilets and the stationer´s.
This building is painted in orange and white.
I like my school because we don´t have to wear a uniform.
We can wear what we want : jeans or skirt, blouse or pullover.
I also enjoy spending my free time with my friends there. We like each other very much.
I like my class and my teachers very much.
I don´t have my own locker at school to put my things in and I would like to have one.
My favourite subjects are English, Portuguese, French and Computers.
I´m good at all my subjects, except Science.
I hate my school timetable.
I confess : I love talking in classes, sometimes …

Ana

Class ...

CONGRATULATIONS, ANA!

The "awful" Present Perfect!

2009-01-12T21:41:00.004Z

Have you ever had trouble teaching/learning the Present Perfect? Well, I have as most of you, I think. There are no easy "recipes" to learn/teach it, but a good thing is to start by practising its form, not worrying much about when to use it (that is reaaly difficult for us Portuguese, because there is no similar Tense in our language). As soon as students understand how it's formed, then it's time for 2nd "round". Here is a simple way of practising the 1st "round". I'll soon be back to this topic.

Present Perfect (Beginners)

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Present Perfect

ON FRIENDSHIP!

2008-10-16T22:02:00.007+01:00

Having friends, finding new friendships and friendly relationships is an important developmental task for preteens and teens.

Class 2 had a 90 minute lesson on FRIENDSHIP. As a pre-reading activity for "Friends will be Friends" text, they were asked to finish one of the following sentences, expressing their own ideas on the subject:

A FRIEND IS ... / FRIENDSHIP IS ...

They've come up with some pretty interesting ideas. Have a look:

"A friend is someone whom you can tell your secrets", Érica

"A friend is someone we can count on, someone that laughs with you and is always by your side to show you the right way", Dúnia

"A friend is someone I admire. When I'm feeling really bad, he helps me, sings for me and tells jokes.", Inês

"A friend is someone I can trust, someone who helps me, makes me laugh and cry.", Fábio Ribeiro

"A friend is someone we can tell a secret.", Carla Biage

"A friend is someone who helps in the bad moments and laughs with me in the good moments"

"A friend is someone we can trust", David

"A friend is someone who helps me out in the most difficult moments, he is someone I can trust.", Bruno

"A firend is someone that helps you, understands you, talks to you and shares your thoughts with you", Henrique

Diagnostic Tests

2008-09-13T00:15:00.006+01:00

Diagnostic tests are important to find out how much your students have learnt so far. I usually use them when I get new students in my classes. After I get the results, lesson planning will be adjusted to their needs. The following Diagnostic Test is a level 3. Grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening and writing skills are tested, as well as their knowledge about English speaking countries.

Diagnostic Test1 - Upload a Document to Scribd

I'm glad to share it!

ICE BREAKERS - Activities for the first English lesson (Part 2)

2008-09-01T18:59:00.012+01:00

Back from holidays! Now let's get ready for the new school year!
Here are some more ice breaking activities for the first lesson:

Spot the false information

Aim of the activity
To introduce yourself to a new class.

Preparation
Write three pieces of information about yourself on the board, only one of which is true.

Procedure
Tell the students that they should ask you questions in order to find out which information is true. When they have asked some questions, ask them to say which one they think is the true piece of information and then tell them whether they were right.

Names and numbers

Aim of the activity
To introduce yourself to a new class. To encourage the exchange of personal information in English.

Procedure
Write in random order on the board a selection of names and numbers which mean something to you personally. For example, the number of your house, the name of your dog, the number of children you've got, the number of times you've been married etc. Ask the students to guess the significance of the names and numbers you have written. Confirm their guesses or correct them. Now ask them to work in pairs and to write names and numbers for their partner to look at and guess their significance. Alternatively, ask students to write three numbers, or three names on a post-it and to stick in on their front. They should then circulate and ask and answer questions with as many partners as possible about the numbers or names on their post-its.

(these ice breakers were provided by the Lake School of English in Oxford)

Ice Breakers - Activities for the first English lesson (Part One)

2008-08-15T16:57:00.008+01:00

Meeting a new class is always an important moment. First impressions (specially the bad ones) persist for a long time. So, in the first lesson, I try to convey the idea that they can have fun while learning English or while reviewing their English. Instead of traditionally roll calling them, I try these Ice Breakers. They always work with my teenage classes! Take a look:

1. The Bingo Ice Breaker

Bingo Icebreaker - Upload a Document to Scribd

- Use this game to facilitate introductions in new classes.

Instructions:
1. Print and copy of a bingo card for each player.
2. Players circulate to find group members who match descriptions in the bingo squares.
3. When a match is found, the player writes the name of the individual in the square.
4. Different names must be used in each square. When a player has filled a row with names, s/he yells "Bingo!"
5. With the group, check the squares and identify the individuals described.
6. Continue the game for a second round, with the new goal of filling the entire card.
7. When a player has filled the entire card, s/he yells "Bingo!"

2. My Classmates

My Classmates - Upload a Document to Scribd

Instructions
1. Hand out the worksheet
2.Tell your students to mingle and find other students so as to fill in the blank spaces
3.They write the students' names
4. After completing their worksheet you can ask them what they have found out about their classmates.

3. Student Search

icebreaker(new) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Instructions

- This ice breaker works pretty much the same way as the previous one. The only different is the score they can get. The one who has the highest score, is the winner. This works quite well with very competitive classes.

As usual, if you want a copy of this material, do not hesitate to contact me.
Cheers!

Songs for the English Lesson (how to motivate teenagers)

2008-08-14T13:59:00.000+01:00

Teenagers love listening to music! In fact, they can't live without it. Some prefer rap, pop, hip-pop, others love listening to rock. So, why not using their favourite songs, singers/bands in class? Either for teaching purposes or just as a background tool during lessons, music is an enjoyable alternative to the traditional listening comprehension. When I'm looking for songs for my students, I try to get the ones which are new at that moment and which have to do with the topic they're studying (as a starting point for discussion, for example). I also use them to consolidate grammar, or teach vocabulary.
I used the following songs in my teenage classes:

* "Wise up", by Aimee Man (topic: alcoholism)
- while listening activity: choosing the correct words in the song
- after listening activities: choosing the correct picture; discussion on the topic

* "Apologize", by One Republic & Timbaland (grammar review)
- while listening activity: inserting the corrects verbs from the box
- after listening activity: filling in a chart about verb tenses

* "Losing my Way", by Justin Timberlake (topic: drug addiction)
- while listening activity: inserting the correct verbs from the box
- after listening activity: American English vs. British English

I also used Christina Aguilera's "Hurt" and U2's "One" as listening comprehension tests. I chose these two songs because they are quite easy to understand.

All the songs can be seen below. If you would like to have a copy of these songs, do not hesitate to cantact me.

If you want to know more about "How to use songs in the classroom", check out these sites:
http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?docid=146787

http://www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/music-classroom.htm

TIP
Have your students pick up the songs they would like to listen. As soon as they get involved, they'll be more interested in your lessons!!

Motivating weak students - Creating a Scrapbook

2008-08-11T19:12:00.003+01:00

"I hate English!", "I don't need it!", "Do we really have to study it?", "What's English for ?" were my students' feelings in the beginning of the year. They belonged to a CEF class. They were sixteen-seventeen year olds who had been failing for years. This class was their last chance to complete 3º ciclo.
So, what to do with a bunch of unmotivated students?
I tried to think of something which would mix handicraft (one of their best areas!) and their (scarce!) knowledge of the English vocabulary and grammar. So, I asked them to create a Scrapbook with the following sections:

1. Personal Identification
2. My Family
3. My Friends
4. My School and my teachers
5. My daily routine
6. My hobbies
7. (Student's choice)

Well, the idea proved to be a good one, because they really got involved in it. They looked for photos, pictures, materials to create it. They were afraid they didn't know how to write their texts, but each one developed the texts according to their knowledge. I'm glad they enjoyed it!
Here are some examples:

More Poets!

2008-08-08T16:43:00.001+01:00

While I was teaching the unit "Dependencies:smoking", I came across with this interesting site:

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryfun/smokersfib.html

I thought I would try it with my students (I was not really sure about their reaction, but it was worth giving a try. So I did it! THEY LIKED IT! They were so involved during this lesson, they didn't hear the bell ringing!!!

TASK
Smoker's Epitaph Fill-In-The-Blank Poems

Here's a great way to be a poet and learn about why you shouldn't smoke! An epitaph is the writing people put on their gravestones. Each of these Smoker's Epitaph Anti-Smoking Poems is missing a word or two. Can you figure out what they are? For a hint, look at the third line of each poem. The missing word or words must rhyme with the last word in the third line. Good luck.

Here lies Sam Shay.
Smoked six packs a day.
He started smoking when he was thirteen.
Now, he doesn't have the life he used to dream
(Verónica, 9º 6ª)

Here lies Sam Shay.
Smoked six packs a day.
He started smoking when he was thirteen.
Now, he won't see the Queen.
(Sílvia, 9º 6ª)

Here lies Sam Shay.
Smoked six packs a day.
He started smoking when he was thirteen.
Now, he'll never be seen.
(Íris, 9º 6ª)

Here lies Sam Shay.
Smoked six packs a day.
He started smoking when he was thirteen.
Now, you can only see him on the screen.
(Mafalda Mota, 9ª 6ª)

Here lies Sam Shay.
Smoked six packs a day.
He started smoking when he was thirteen.
Now, he's out of scene.
(Conceição, 9º 6ª)

Here lies Sam Shay.
Smoked six packs a day.
He started smoking when he was thirteen.
Now, he can't watch Mr Bean on the screen.
(Tiago Baptista, 9º 8ª)

These are just a few examples!

Valentine's Day - Activities

2008-08-08T15:01:00.001+01:00

Valentine's Day brings to mind presents, chocolate, flowers, cards, but most of all love. Even small children enjoy this yummy holiday! No exception for teenage students.
Some have just started their first relationship. Why not take advantage of this situation and ask them to surprise their loved ones? And how, you ask me ?? Well, here is the challenge: write a poem to your loved one (or you imaginary loved if it's the case!. I must confess this was absolutely daring, but ... I like challenges!

Well, well, well !!! I've got poets in my classes!!!!

If I..
…could have just one wish,
I wish I woke up every day
to the sound of your breath on my neck,
the warmth of your lips on my cheek,
the touch of your fingers on my skin,
and the sound of your heart beating with mine...
Knowing that I could never find that feeling
with anyone else than you.
(Mafalda Mota, 9º 6ª)

LOVE POEM
You are the sun shining in the sky
The reason I am alive
For you I will give my life
So as not to see you cry!
(Celso and Luís, 9º 2ª)

MY LOVE
Once upon a time love was born
Sometimes we burn inside
And it flows away and eventually we find
It is hard to take it out from our heart
Sometimes everything seems to be amazing
The one we love is perfect
But then all the feelings run away
Without warning
Even though my broke my heart
I'm still in love with you!
(Ruth, 9º 2ª)

These are only a few examples!

A "Country Profile" II

2008-08-08T14:45:00.001+01:00

Well, here are some of my students' "Country Profiles". At first they were quite worried about it: they didn't know how to do it, they were not sure their English was good enough to do it, but as it turned out, it was just a momentary lack of self-confidence. Congratulations, boys and girls!

A "Country Profile" I

2008-08-08T14:05:00.001+01:00

According to research by the British Council, "English has official or special status in at least seventy-five countries with a total population of over two billion. English is spoken as a native language by around 375 million and as a second language by around 375 million speakers in the world. Speakers of English as a second language will soon outnumber those who speak it as a first language. Around 750 million people are believed to speak English as a foreign language. One out of four of the world's population speak English to some level of competence. Demand from the other three-quarters is increasing.

Being such an important foreign language, and so as to learn more about it, I asked my 9th grade students to choose one of those countries (see Worksheet) and create a "File" about it. Well, the results were not bad at all. See my next post...

Christmas Activities

2008-06-27T22:06:00.002+01:00

Before Christmas, students were asked to research on "Christmas Traditions Around the World". In class, they formed groups and chose a country to research about and then presented their conclusions to their class. Some created colourful posters on the chosen countries, but "computer experts" chose different ways to present their discoveries. I'm glad they accomplished their tasks on due time and learned about other countries. GREAT!

O Portfolio de Inglês

2008-06-26T21:44:00.000+01:00

Vou falar de uma nova forma de avaliação (pelo menos para estes alunos e nesta disciplina) que resolvi experimentar neste ano lectivo. Eram alunos do 9º ano, sem qualquer, ou pouca experiência em elaboração de portfolios. À partida, a tarefa não se revelava fácil, devido às características dos alunos (com fracos conhecimentos de Inglês para um nível cinco de língua e pouco motivados). Mesmo assim, resolvi que valia a pena tentar, pois já tinha tido uma experiência positiva, embora com alunos de características opostas (com esses alunos, tudo resulta !). Bom, meti mãos à obra, e juntamente com outra colega, pesquisamos, lemos, e finalmente elaboramos o portfolio. Queriamos algo que ajudasse o aluno a organizar o seu estudo, que lhe desse alguma autonomia nesta matéria, e que a ele aliasse a sua criatividade, escolhendo o formato, as imagens do seu portfolio.
E lá apresentamos o nosso portfolio!! Resultado ? Alguma resistência inicial à mudança (não fossemos nós humanos, rs!!), mas aderiram e acabaram por achar a tarefa entusiasmante, muitos deles competindo entre si para apresentarem o mais atraente e organizado portfolio da turma (havia prémios para os melhores!).
A estrutura do portfolio referido pode ser vista mais abaixo. Outras haverão, talvez mais interessantes, mas esta funcionou com estes alunos, que acabaram, no final do ano lectivo por me perguntar se podiam continuar com este tipo de trabalho no 10º ano, noutra escola. Segundo eles, o portfolio ajudou-os a organizar o seu estudo (afinal era um dos objectivos) e, pela primeira vez, conseguiram não perder o material de inglês. Ainda bem !