Speaking Topics for ESL Instructors

So as the only foreign English teacher at my academy, I oversee every speaking and presentation class. This entails coming up with possible speaking topics and providing an outline for them to structure their presentations. Here a just a few I have utilized in my classes. If used effectively, you can use each topic for a 50-minutes course.

About Me: Self-Introductions

Best Friend

Book Report on any book

Careers and Your Dream Job

Chores and Other Responsibilities you have

Daily Schedule: An average day in your life

Extinct and Endangered Animals

Family

Famous Person

Favorites

Greek Gods and Goddesses

Hobbies: In my free time

Holidays

If I had one hundred days to live

If I had one million dollars

If I lost one sense

If I owned GnB

If I ruled the world

My Hero

Seasons and Seasonal Activities

Singers and songs

Sports and Exercise

Superheroes and Superpowers

Versus (Cake vs Pie, Dog vs Cat in debate form)

Ways to Destress

Weather Safety

What are some benefits of learning English?

What country do you want to visit?

What institutes a country?

Write a personal letter

5 Senses Diary (sense of time, common sense)

5 Surprising Things About You

And remember, these are just a few. There are a plethora of versatile topics that you can use. Please feel free to add your own to the list!

DISCLAIMER: Read First! before continuing

DISCLAIMER:

This blog is neither meant to provide answers nor allow a shortcut to earning your TEFL/TESOL certification.

Consequently, please do not copy and paste, utilize any of these answers, or present these answers as your own.

Rather, the purpose of this blog is to demonstrate examples and to give an idea of how to answer. You should still read the lesson modules and attempt to answer all questions by yourself.

I hope this blog helps and good luck with your TEFL/TESOL certification! :)
Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback as I would love to hear from you.



Best of luck,
Jay MeLee




*Not affiliated with any TEFL or TESOL Certification program, whether in class or online.
*By reading this disclaimer and continuing onto this blog, you agree to the above terms.

Unit 1

UNIT 1 WORKSHEET

Task 1 – List 5 qualities that a ‘good’ teacher should have and give reasons for your choices. Which of these qualities do you consider to be more important, and why?

           

            A "good" teacher should have an extensive comprehension of the subject so that they could be a reliable resource for students. Students will rely on the teacher for accurate information and knowledge. If you yourself do not know the correct answer, how does one expect the students to know the answer? The knowledge that you teach the pupils must be valid and certain in order to be applicable. Sometimes, the teacher may be the only available source of information about that specific subject. If the students discover that your teachings are inaccurate, it would lessen the validity of your teachings and the rapport you had built so far. Also, an extensive knowledge of the subject leads to more innovate ways of teaching and more applications of that subject in the real world.

            A "good" teacher should be flexible and able to adjust quickly. Sometimes, lessons do not always go as planned. An instructor could be very well prepared and have back-up lessons, but he/she can not foresee everything that could possible go wrong. Flexibility and the ability to improvise are essential for moments like those. In addition, you need flexibility in general in order to adapt and acclimate to your novel surroundings in a foreign country. The culture and customs are different from what you are used to, and this applies to the classroom settings. The students' beliefs and thinking processes may differ tremendously, and the instructor must take that in consideration.

            A "good" teacher should be patient and compassionate. Every student is unique and may learn at a different pace than their fellow peers. This may require the teacher to explain concepts over and over again or taking additional time to show the process of solving a problem. As long as you contribute the time and effort to do so, it demonstrates compassion and faith in the students. The student will not feel rushed or deficient for taking more time than the allotted time. As a result, a rapport between the teacher and the students begin to develop.

            A "good" teacher should be extremely engaging and make the classes interactive and interesting. This attribute is probably one of the most significant traits a teacher should possess since it facilitates the process of teaching and learning the materials. When the class is entertaining, students find it easier to discover applications of the subject. Consequently, it provides ample motivation for the students to learn, and it prospers a desire in the students to educate themselves. By relating the materials to the students on a personal level, everyone is equally active and involved in the class when the course is actually interactive.

            A "good" teacher should enjoy teaching. Why teach at all if you do are not enraptured with the prospect of teaching? Is teaching worth it if you don't enjoy it? Students are aware when a teacher does not want to be at school teaching. As a result, both the teacher and the students endure a terrible experience with academics. This is probably an important trait the teacher should have. No matter how patient, flexible, or well-versed a teacher is, those traits do not matter if there is no love of teaching.

Task 2 – State what you consider to be the five most important roles of a teacher. Describe each role and say why you think it is important.

            Teacher as a model/mentor: The obligations  includes being available to provide feedback and advice. Students look up to teachers for not just only academic advice, but also life counseling. They follow the teacher's examples and depend on your teachings. A teacher's duty as a model is to enlighten the class with your expertise and knowledge. In specific countries, the class may solely depend on the instructor for their knowledge in English because they may not encounter other native English speakers frequently. In that situation, they can only learn English to the extent of your personal knowledge; and therefore, the students benefit tremendously by learning from an authentic native English speaker. That is why this role is crucial as a teacher.

            Teacher as an observer/monitor: As an observer, the teacher takes either mental or written notes about his/her students. The teacher needs to be observant of his/her surroundings and know the location of the supplies as well. Once the preparations and observations are completed, the teacher should make the necessary adjustments to ameliorate the environment where the students will learn and to suit the students’ individual needs.

            Teacher as an organizer: Fulfilling as this role requires the teacher to prepare the class beforehand by creating lesson plans, obtaining the necessary materials for class, giving instructions, and planning daily activities. In addition, this role includes managing and organizing grades, feedback, and assessment scales. This role is essential for teaching because preparation is the key to providing an exceptional education for the students. If an instructor is unkempt and unprepared ahead of time, then it is difficult to teach unorganized, and the teacher wastes valuable time with unnecessary actions. Classes would be very discombobulated if students had no prior instructions or guidance.

            Teacher as a tutor: A tutor provides more exclusive attention and guidance to a few students at a time. It is more personal and mostly conducted one-on-one or a pair. It is important because it builds the foundation to create a rapport with the students and shows that the teacher is open and approachable. Students may need more concentrated attention since each student is a unique individual with different needs. They may need guidance in different focus of subjects. However, you should try to avoid enabling the student or spending too much focus on just one particular student. Instead, the teacher should distribute his/her attention and time equally among all the students.

            Teacher as prompter: A teacher acting as a prompter helps the student arrive at the correct answer without giving the actual answer. He/she just facilitates the thinking process and encourages the student to continue to try to find a solution. Prompting includes motivating the student to consider different aspects of a problem in order to come up with an innovative solution. Different students require different types and different amount of prompting. The student should be inspired to try to think of versatile solutions first before quitting rather than just spoon-feeding the answer.

Task 3 – List 5 qualities you would expect to find in a ‘good’ learner. Which of these qualities do you consider to be more important, and why?

            A “good” learner should be committed and dedicated to earning an education and completing what they started. Another quality should include being an attentive listener; otherwise your teachings fall on deaf ears. Listening does not just mean hearing the speaker but actually pay attention to the speaker. The learner will learn something that they may find interesting or useful. If the instructor is willing to dedicate the effort and time to teach the learner, the students should be willing to reciprocate the same effort and time. A “good” learner should also think in innovate and creative ways and consider different viewpoints of a problem. This exemplifies that the learner is original and can think quickly.

            More importantly, a “good” learner should have the desire to learn and broaden their horizon. It would be ideal if the learner already possessed the self-discipline and motivation to learn but the teacher also should foster a love of learning and inspire the student to continuously get an education. The most pivotal attribute a learner should have is the willingness to err and ask questions. As humans, we are bound to make mistakes since we are not perfect. Instead of being embarrassed by our mistakes, we should apply ourselves and learn from them. If we truly learn the lesson, then we should not repeat the same mistake twice. A learner who does not ask questions can not make significant progress in his/her academics. A good learner should not be afraid to venture forth because that is the only way to gain experience and expand his/her knowledge of the subject. If a learner uses his/her errors constructively, then it could prove to be very beneficial for the learner.

Task 4 – What are some of the major differences you would expect to find between adult and young learners?

            Young learners tend to have a shorter attention span, which makes it more difficult for them to retain information. Adult learners possess the cognitive skills to maintain a longer attention span, which contributes to the lack of behavioral and discipline issues. Another crucial difference is that adult learners are more self-motivated about their education because they made the conscientious decision to learn while young learners may have not really chosen to do so. For this reason, younger students may not be as accepting or understanding in the beginning. However, as long as the teacher encourages them to continue, then they will be excited and more than willing to learn.

            Adult learners may be more self-conscious and nervous about speaking or experimenting with English because they are anxious about losing face and embarrassing themselves in front of the whole class. They hesitate to try out novel grammar structures and to practice speaking English. This hesitation could hinder their progress in learning, so it is vital to encourage them to experiment and try new things. Young learners are not as hesitant to make errors while exploring the new materials. In fact, they have a more open-minded approach to new learning methods and processes since they hardly have any experience in English. They are more receptive and able to absorb language quicker than adults because they start afresh and still are learning their native tongue. On the other hand, adult learners are more fixed on how they learn and often try to relate English with their native tongue. They do not adapt as well to new teaching styles because they have a long history of both learning and life experiences. However, because they have a long list of life experience, they have broader options of discussion topics that they can talk about, which makes the lessons more enjoying and versatile.

Task 5 – List the levels of language ability that learners are often grouped into and give a brief summation of each level:

            At the beginner level, the learners have no or little experience with English. If they do have knowledge of English, they have a very rudimentary knowledge. English grammar and comprehension is practically nonexistent. Teaching at this level is relies heavily on visual hand-on activities.

Learners at the elementary level can produce simple sentences and use very basic grammar structures. They can discuss about simple topics for a short period of time. They may be able to do introductions and talk about the weather or family.

Pre-intermediate level includes being able to communicate on more diverse topics but still making many flaws in their sentences. The fluency might have improved a little but still sounds awkward.

During the intermediate level, the learner should be able to discuss about numerous topics with an improvement in vocabulary. However, fluency, accuracy, and idioms may still be flawed.

            Upper intermediate level learners should be able to form more complex sentences and talk about more complicated topics. Their grammar should be near impeccable and be able to keep the flow of conservation. At this point, the teacher should be very fastidious with even small grammar mistakes.

            The last level, advanced level, should be achieved when learners have a profound knowledge of English. Their vocabulary should be more mature and intricate. They should be able to discuss topics in almost every situation and should start comprehending more subtle text, such as idioms and jargon.

Task 6 – Give as many reasons as possible why students are motivated to study English. The reasons that you give do not have to be in the unit reading material.

            English would be a tremendous help for your career since English is vital for any type of business now these days.

            It may be a required course for your school in order to graduate. Many schools demand their students take English.

            It would be a great asset if you planned on either traveling/living abroad in an English-speaking country. It would help with acculturating and adapting in that country.

            Some people may know a person who only speaks English and want to communicate with them.

            Some people have a general linguistic interest and transform the process of learning English into a hobby. It would make sense that an aficionado of foreign languages would learn English since it is the most popular language in the world.

            Some people learn English to better themselves as human beings by pursuing any type of knowledge just for the sake of enlightenment.

            Once you learn English, you can learn more about the English-speaking countries and understand their culture, their arts, beliefs, popular music, daily life, and customs. By contrasting and comparing your culture to the cultures of those English-speaking countries, you can better understand your own country at a more profound level. This helps broaden your horizons, therefore making you an open-minded person with much life experience.

Unit 2

UNIT 2 WORKSHEET

Task 1 - Write 5 examples of each of the following:

 Countable noun: bird, school, pillow, shirt, computer

Uncountable noun: freedom, air, knowledge, hatred, hunger

Adjective: big, hurtful, red, sick, hot

Adverb: quickly, lastly, never, wistfully, well

Preposition: on, at, under, over, through

Verb: dive, contemplate, analyze, submerge, divide

Pronoun: I, we, her, its, them

Infinitive: to sing, to wish, to stop, to collect, to pack

Gerund: climbing, biking, planning, cleaning, smoking

Comparative adjective: slower, colder, greater, thinner, darker

Superlative adjective: smartest, closest, warmest, sharpest, widest

Article (3 only): the, an, a

Conjunction: and, but, yet, so, or

Task 2 – Identify the parts of speech in the following sentence:

I usually go swimming with my best friend and his rather unusual girlfriend.

a)        I- personal pronoun

b)       usually- adverb (frequency)

c)        go- action verb

d)       swimming- gerund

e)        with- preposition

f)        my- possessive adjective

g)       best- adjective

h)       friend- common noun

i)        and- conjunction

j)        his- possessive adjective

k)       rather- adverb

l)        unusual- adjective

m)      girlfriend- common noun

Task 3 – State the differences between the following, and give an example of each:

a)               Adjectives and adverbs

`         Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adjectives describe the appearance of the noun/pronoun, and adverbs describe the manner and quality of an action. Adjectives are simply descriptions of an object. Adverbs are used to describe the manner in which the action was done.

Example: The happy man sang a song. Happy is an adjective because it describes the man.

       The man sang a song happily. Happily is an adverb because it describes the way he sang the song.

b)               Nouns and pronouns              

A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea while a pronoun is a word that replaces that same noun. Pronouns are used to refer to specific nouns in a more general sense. Pronouns help reduce redundancy in speech.

Example: John left to go meet Anna. John and Anna are common nouns that refer to 2 specific people.

      He met her at the store. He and her are pronouns because the sentence doesn’t specifically mention John or Anna but the reader knows who he and her refer to.

Task 4 – Explain the following parts of speech as you would to a student. An example sentence would help to clarify your explanation:

a)               Conjunctions – Conjunctions can combine sentence clauses to make a one sentence or join words of the same parts of speech (verbs with verbs, nouns with nouns). Its function is to connect things so that the sentences flow smoothly.

Example: I like pizza. I like ice cream. à I like pizza and ice cream. “And” combined two similar sentences into one sentence by joining the two nouns together.

b)               Gerunds – When you use a verb as a noun by adding –ing to the end of the verb, that is called a gerund. It is different from the present participle because it becomes a noun and is no longer a verb. Its function is to transform a verb into a noun.

Example: She is running everyday. Running in this sentence is a verb because it is an action, something she does.

Running everyday is good for your health. This sentence uses running as the topic of focus, therefore a noun.

c)               Verbs – Verbs are words that depict actions/states of being. Anything that you do physically/mentally is a verb.

Example: I can jump, swim, and run all day. All of these words are something you can physically do and see other people do.

d)              Comparative adjectives – Adjectives that compare one specific quality between two nouns are called comparative adjectives. They usually are denoted either with –er or the word “more.”

Example: Jean is wiser than Carl. The Siamese cat is more beautiful than tabby cat.

e)               Prepositions – Prepositions are words that are placed in front of nouns/pronouns to relate those nouns to another part of the sentence. Its function is to form a relationship between the noun and another part of speech group. Basically, think of a rabbit and a fence. Anything the rabbit can go with the fence is a preposition.

Example: The rabbit ran over the fence.

The rabbit ran through the fence.

The rabbit ran by the fence.

The rabbit ran under the fence.

The rabbit ran near the fence.

f)                Superlative adjectives – Adjectives that compare one specific quality between three or more nouns are called superlative adjectives. The difference between superlative and comparative is the context in which the sentence is used. Superlative adjectives do comparisons between more nouns than comparative. They usually are denoted with either –est or the word “most.”

Example: Out of the whole class, Sam is the tallest. Peppers are the spiciest food in the world. Elizabeth is the most intelligent among all the daughters.

Task 5 – What do articles do in a sentence? Give examples of your own.

Articles are placed in front of nouns to indicate the type of reference of the noun that is used in the sentence.  Its function is to specify which noun is being referred to. There are two types of articles: definite (the) and indefinite (a, an).

Example: Joe has a football. The “a” article in this sentence refers to no specific football. It could be any football and doesn’t specify which football exactly.

The football Joe has is expensive. The article in this sentence refers specifically to Joe’s football and no other football.

Unit 3

UNIT 3 WORKSHEET

Task 1 – Based on your understanding of the unit, which four teaching methods do you think have most influenced current TEFL practice? Give a brief summary of each and give reason(s) for your choice.

1)                  Grammar-Translation: The main idea behind this teaching method is incorporating the student’s native language with English. The teacher tries to find equivalents between the two languages and relate English to the student’s language. It is fundamental to TEFL practices because it provides the basic building blocks for learning a foreign language and makes it easily accessible for the students. However, students may not learn the actual language itself, but rather just the similarities between the languages. In addition, not only does the instructor have to be knowledgeable about the student’s native language, but also sometimes there may not be an equivalent to English. For example, Japanese and Korean sentence structures differ greatly from English. Nevertheless, it is a great starting block.

2)                  Task-Based Learning: In this teaching method, the student learns the language through various activities. The teacher assigns the work that will aid the student in his/her acquisition of a foreign language. When the student completes the task, the teacher can then provide the necessary feedback and encourage the student to try to correct his/her mistakes. The teachers should refrain from correcting all of the errors so that the pupils have an opportunity to identify and correct their own mistakes while learning from them. When the students correct their own mistakes, they become more conscious of those types of errors. Additionally, teaching by assigning tasks also helps make the materials more relevant and entertaining since it is more hand-on. Task-based learning is an interactive approach that has greatly influenced TEFL practices.

3)                  Communicative Language Teaching: This teaching method emphasizes language function and situation. Most activities using this method rely on real-life situations, so role-play and dialogue practices are popular activities for this teaching method. By exposing the students to the foreign language frequently and utilizing the language in the students’ everyday speech, the students will naturally acquire the novel language. The various applications that this teaching method has in the real world facilitate the acquisition of the foreign language hereby, making it a significant contribution to current TEFL practices.

4)                   Presentation, Practice, and Production: In this teaching method, the instructor introduces the language situation first through various activities, such as drilling, creating sentences, or memorization. The students then practice the new materials while the instructor supervises their practice. The production stage allows the students to use their creativity to apply the foreign language in real-world situations. By allowing the students to express themselves innovatively, the materials become more personal and recalls easier. This method provides an interesting way for students to be more interactive with their studies.

Task 2 – State five ‘engage’, five ‘study’ and five ‘activate’ stage activities (also give the probable language level of the students):

Engage – 1) Play “I Spy” using the rhyming words with pre-intermediate language level students.

2) Anagrams could be used for elementary language level students.

3) One word linking stories would be ideal for intermediate language level students.

4) Play fizz-buzz with elementary language level students.

5) Student self-introductions are useful for any language level.

Study – 1) Hangman is a good game to develop spelling skills for pre-intermediate/ intermediate language level students.

2) Tongue twisters would be a good exercise for upper intermediate language level students.

3) Word search could be used for elementary language level students.

4) Doing language drills would be ideal for beginners and elementary language level students.

5) Gap fills would help pre-intermediate language level students.

Activate – 1) Elementary to intermediate language level students can conduct surveys for an activity.

2) Group debates would be helpful to upper intermediate and advance language level students.

3) Role play would be an interactive way to learn for pre-intermediate/intermediate language level students.

4) Producing their own TV ad for a made-up product would be entertaining for intermediate and upper intermediate language level students.

5) Writing and performing short skits would allow advance language level students to apply all their vocabulary and grammar skills.

Task 3 – Structure an ESA (straight arrow pattern) based lesson for an elementary level class in which the learners would learn the vocabulary of clothes and be able to use it when describing what people wear and are wearing:

Engage: The instructor points and labels various clothing articles that he/she is wearing and asks the students if anyone else is wearing the same piece of clothing. The teacher can expand by describing the clothing article by stating colors and numerous adjectives or even doing comparisons.

Study: The teacher gives every student a handout that has them matching a picture of a piece of clothing to its correct English name. Then the instructor would go over the answers and direct the attention of the students to different examples of people wearing various clothing articles. The instructor will then have the students describe what that person is wearing. The teacher makes sure the sentences are grammatically correct and the students are using the right vocabulary.

Activate: The teacher will have students split into small groups and decide who will be “model.” Then, from a pile of various clothing articles, the students will proceed to dress their model with scarves, jackets, accessories, and other various clothing. Then each group will have to describe what they dressed their model in. For entertainment purposes, the class could become a fashion show.

Task 4 – Structure an ESA (boomerang pattern) based lesson for a pre-intermediate class, teaching language commonly used for shopping, so that students can ask for, find the price for and purchase everyday food and clothing items:

Engage: Have the teacher start a one-word linking story with this phrase: “One day, I went to the mall/ (grocery) store and bought:” and have every student come with up one item that they could purchase at the mall/ (grocery) store.

Activate 1: Students role-play out a shopping scene. One student can be the cashier while the other student can be the customer. The teacher should allot time for everyone to plan their dialogue and keep notes of common mistakes.

Study: When the activate 1 stage is completed, the teacher reviews the mistakes and the key phrases. The instructor works with the students and provides feedback. The students would then incorporate the new vocabulary and language points into their role-play.

Activate 2: The students role-play the same scene again, using the corrections made during the study stage.

Task 5 – How, what and when would you correct mistakes/errors made during the following stages:

Engage stage – The teacher should try to refrain from correcting any mistakes during this stage because the focus of this stage is to have the students practice and speak the new material. Instead, the teacher should take notes of prominent mistakes that the students made and discuss some of these mistakes during the study phase.

Study stage – The teacher should make most of his/her corrections during this stage because the students are learning a new language point, so fluency and accuracy is the main focus of this stage. It is especially vital for the teacher to correct mistakes/errors when the mistakes are relevant to the language point and impedes understanding of this language point. Also, if a student repeats the same error continuously to the point that it becomes ingrained, it is very important to correct those errors as well. The teacher should make the necessary corrections at the end of activities, so he/she does not affect the flow. Also, the teacher should make sure that the students are listening to the feedback and not trying to finish their work. Before the teacher makes the corrections, he/she should give the students an opportunity to let them correct it first.

Activate stage – Correcting should be kept to a minimum during this stage but it does require feedback. The focus of this stage is communication and making sure the students understood the lesson. Teachers should monitor the classroom carefully and make corrections as needed. When the teacher has to correct a mistake/error, he/she should correct it after the activity, so he/she does not interrupt the flow of the class. The teacher wants to make sure that all errors/mistakes have been discussed before moving onto the next lesson.

Task 6 – Create or find a short sample piece of writing that a student might produce containing at least five of the errors mentioned in the page 23 table, and annotate the text using the codes in the table.

(Here is an example of how a student may write “Fred went to London with Jenny last week” and how you should correct it: Fred has gone(t) to l(p)ondon with ^ last week.)

In w(p)ashington [d^c^](p), [me(s/p) and my friends](wo) saw the White House. Than(na) we was(t) hungry and wanted diner(s). I asked, “w(p)here should we eat(p)” Everyone want(t) to eat at there(na)  favorite restaraunt(s). It was still a fun day.

Corrected: In Washington D.C., my friends and I saw the White House. Then we were hungry and wanted dinner. I asked, “Where should we eat?” Everyone wanted to eat at their favorite restaurant. It was still a fun day.

Unit 4

UNIT 4 WORKSHEET

Task 1 – Complete the chart below with the present simple tense, using the verb ‘go’:

PERSON	POSITIVE	QUESTION	NEGATIVE
I you he/she/it	I go You go He/She/It goes	Do I go? Do you go? Does he/she/it go?	I don’t go You don’t go He/She/It doesn’t go
we you they	We go You go They go	Do we go? Do you go? Do they go?	We don’t go You don’t go They don’t go

Task 2 – Identify the following tenses, and give reasons for the identification:

a) I have never met anybody famous.

Present perfect because it is talking about something which began in the past and is still true now. However, the state of the action could change. It relates the past to the present. The speaker has never met anyone famous in the past and has yet to do so currently. Also, the sentence matches the form of the present perfect: subject + auxiliary verb “have” + past participle.

b) John is having a shower at the moment.

Present continuous because it describes an action that is in progress at the time of speaking. John is currently in middle of a shower. Also, the sentence fits the form of the present continuous: subject + auxiliary verb “be” + verb + ing.

c) I go shopping at least twice a week.

Present simple because the sentence is used to describe a habitual/routine action. Also, the sentence matches the form of the present simple: subject + base form (+s/es).

d) I have been working here for 10 years.

Present perfect continuous because it expresses an incomplete and ongoing activity. This person has been working at the same company and is likely to continue to doing so. The sentence matches the form of the present perfect continuous: subject + auxiliary verb “have” + been + verb + ing.

Task 3 – State as many usages as possible of the present tenses with an example sentence for each (not a sentence from the unit!). One of the usages for the present simple, with an example sentence, has been done for you. Bear in mind that there are more:

a) Present simple

1. facts and permanent situations – The sun sets in the west.

2. habitual or routine actions- The teacher drinks her coffee everyday before class starts.

3. commentaries- He fakes left, circles around Mendez and shoots!

4. directions and instructions- Close the door when you leave the room.

5. newspaper headlines- Girl saves little brother from horrible accident.

6. present stories- So I enter the room when this lady comes out of the closet with a bat.

b) Present continuous

1. to talk about an action that is in progress at the time of speaking- I can’t talk right now. I’m working.

2. to talk about a temporary action that is not necessarily in progress at the time of speaking- She’s taking classes for her CPR certification this week.

3. to emphasize very frequent actions- Todd is always talking about his dog.

4. background events in a present story- Mother’s cooking in the kitchen while father’s watching the news.

5. to describe developing situations- The temperature is increasing quickly.

6. to refer to a regular action around a point of time- She’s usually talking with her boyfriend after school.

c) Present perfect

1. to talk about finished actions/states that happened at an indefinite time. It refers to general experience without specific detail- They have seen the Eiffel tower.

2. to think about completed past actions carried out in an unfinished time period at the time of speaking- I’ve written eight pages this morning.

3. to talk about something which began in the past and is still true now, at the time of speaking-He’s been teaching math at Hunter Elementary for 30 years.

4. to describe past actions with present results- John hasn’t finished his homework yet.

d) Present perfect continuous

1. to communicate an incomplete and ongoing activity, when we want to say how long it has continued- She’s been waiting for her child’s return for 40 years.

2. to describe a recently finished, uninterrupted activity which has a present result- You’re going to need time to adjust to walking since you’ve been wearing a cast the last 8 months.

Task 4 – State how the tenses below are formed grammatically.  Explain positive, negative and question forms:

a) Present simple

-Affirmative: subject + base form of verb. For third person singular (he/she/it), you make the verb plural. For most verbs, just add –s to the base form of the verb. For verbs ending in a consonant plus y, change the y to i and add –es. For verbs ending in o, s, z, x, ch, and sh, add –es.

-Negative: subject + auxiliary verb “do” + not + base form of verb. For third person singular (he/she/it), you turn the “do not” into “does not.”

-Question: auxiliary verb “do” + subject + base form of verb? For third person singular (he/she/it), you turn the “do” into “does.”

b) Present continuous

-Affirmative: subject + auxiliary verb “be” + verb + ing (progressive form of verb).

-Negative: subject + auxiliary verb “be” + not + verb + ing (progressive form of verb).

-Question: auxiliary verb “be” + subject + verb + ing (progressive form of verb)? For the question form, there is no contracted form.

The auxiliary verb “be” is conjugated like so: [I am] [You are] [He/she/it is] [We are] [They are]

c) Present perfect

-Affirmative: subject + auxiliary verb “have” + past participle of verb.

-Negative: subject + auxiliary verb “have” + not + past participle of verb.

-Question: auxiliary verb “have” + subject + past participle of verb? For the question form, there is no contracted form.

The auxiliary verb “have” is conjugated like so: [I have] [You have] [He/she/it has] [We have] [They have]

In order to conjugate most verbs into the past participle form, add –ed to the verb. However, there are irregular verbs that can only be memorized.

d) Present perfect continuous

It is similar to the present perfect form but you add “been” after the auxiliary verb “have” and use the progressive form of the verb.

-Affirmative: subject + auxiliary verb “have” + been + verb + ing.

-Negative: subject + auxiliary verb “have” + not + been + verb + ing.

-Question: auxiliary verb “have” + subject + been + verb + ing? For the question form, there is no contracted form.

The auxiliary verb “have” is conjugated like so: [I have] [You have] [He/she/it has] [We have] [They have]

Task 5 – Consider the following student errors. After each error, state:

            i) What the mistake is.

            ii) Why you think it has been made.

            iii) How you would explain and correct the mistake with a student.

a) I am a secretary for five years.

i) It is in the present simple form when it should be in the present perfect form. The sentence should read: I have been a secretary for five years. The verb is “be” so the past participle for be is been.

ii) The student probably made the mistake because the person may still be a secretary even now, and the student wanted to describe his/her position as a secretary as of now. So since it is in the present, the student thought to use present simple.

iii) I would explain that the present perfect form relates the past to the present, and we use it to talk about something which began in the past and is still true now. The present simple form only is used to describe things that happened now in the present. You want to specifically mention the five years in the past that you have been a secretary. If you didn’t have that part, then you could just say I am a secretary.

b) I have eat breakfast.

i) The mistake here is that the student forgot to use the past participle form of the verb “eat.” The sentence should read: I have eaten breakfast.

ii) Since eat is a verb that conjugates irregularly into the past participle, the student may have not known how to conjugate it properly or did not even realize that it needed to be conjugated. So he/she decided to just leave it in the base form.

iii) I would explain that the present perfect form is the subject (I) + auxiliary verb have + past participle. Eat is an irregular verb when it comes to conjugating it into the past participle form. Eat becomes eaten in the past participle form. Then I would give more examples of irregular verbs and review some of them.

c) She’s liked him since six months.

i) Instead of since, for would be grammatically correct because it refers to a general period of time, not a specific point of time. The sentence should read: She’s liked him for six months.

ii) For and since both refers to doing an action for an amount of time, so students may think that they are interchangeable. It is difficult to distinguish the difference between for and since.

iii) I would explain the difference between for and since. For is used with periods of time, and since is used with points of time. If it specific, you want to use since. If it’s more general and vague, then use for. And then give example sentences: I’ve been asleep for 8 hours (how long/ how many hours) versus I’ve been asleep since 8:00 (since when/ what time).

d) When you start work?

i)        Since this is the present simple form, and it is in the form of a question, there should be a “do” in front of the subject. The sentence should read: When do you start work?

ii) The student may not have been aware that you have to add the auxiliary verb “do” when it is in question form. He/she might have assumed that “when” took the place of “do” as the question word, so “do” was unnecessary.

iii) I would go over the present simple form again and review the affirmative, negative, and question form. Then I would try to allow the student to see if he/she could see what was missing.

e) I’ve been knowing her for three months.

i) The present perfect continuous form cannot use verbs that don’t take the continuous form, such as like, prefer, believe, and know. It should be in the present perfect form, not the present perfect continuous form. The sentence should read: I’ve known her for three months.

ii) One of the usages for present perfect continuous form is to describe an incomplete and ongoing activity that they are still continuing to do so. Since you can’t stop knowing a person, the student might have thought that you need to use the present perfect continuous form.

iii) I would explain that in order to use the present perfect continuous form, you cannot use certain verbs that don’t take the continuous form. I would categorize some of the verbs into mental/emotional state verbs (want, hate, realize), communication verbs (agree, promise, deny), sense verbs (feel, seem, appear), and others. Under each category, we would go over a couple of examples.

Task 6 – Give at least 2 teaching ideas (suitable for the Activate stage of a lesson) for the tenses below and give examples of sentences that you would expect your students to produce:

a) Present simple: 1. Guess my profession using 20 Questions. A student chooses a profession and has the students try to guess what it is by having them ask yes/no questions. For example, “Do you travel a lot for your job?” “Do you work mostly at night?”

2. Conduct a classroom survey. Have the students come up with at least 5 questions to ask about daily life and have them report their results. “Do you have any siblings?” “How many hours do you study every day?” “How often do you go to the movies?”

3. Information-gap- students are given maps with different information and must give directions on how to get to a particular location.

b) Present continuous: 1. Miming is a great activity where the students have to guess what the action is. For example, the students could guess, “You’re running,” or “You’re fishing at a lake.”

2. The students could interview each other about their daily habits/routine and report it to the class. They could ask questions like: “What are you usually doing after school?” or “What else are you doing while you’re doing homework?” The students can answer, “I’m always resting after school,” or “I’m usually watching T.V. while I’m doing my homework.”

c) Present perfect: 1. Students can do role-play and act out a job interview. Some of the questions asked could be: “Have you ever lost any important papers?” or “Have you ever worked at a retail store before?” “How have you interacted with fellow employees?”

2.  Have three/four people leave the room while you change the room and have them come back in and guess what’s been changed. “Have you added more posters?” or “Have you moved the chairs?”

d) Present perfect continuous: 1. A student takes a piece of paper that has a past activity and a related result written on it. You’ve been showering. - You’re wet and your hair smells like clean. Or You’ve been jogging. - You’re sweaty and breathing hard. The student then tells the result and the others try to guess what the activity is. I’m wet. - Have you been swimming?

2. Class survey on who’s been doing what the longest. The survey could have questions, such as “How have you been living in this country?” or “How long have you been learning English?” or “When did you start working at your company?”

Unit 5

UNIT 5 WORKSHEET

When answering the tasks here please refer to any experience you have had in the classroom, or experiences you have noted while observing another teacher, as either a student or onlooker.

Task 1 –How can a teacher use his/her physical presence and voice in the classroom?

            A teacher can utilize his/her physical presence to get the students’ attention or restore order in the classroom. For example, good eye contact can convey messages and build a strong rapport with the students. Eye contact shows the students you are giving your attention to them, and they should be attentive as well. Also, various gestures could be used to add visual cues and covey the tacit meanings of the language. However, gestures should only be used if the meanings of those gestures are understood ahead of time.

            The teacher’s voice is another useful tool to apply in the classroom if used correctly. Clarity, range, variety, and projection are important aspects of voice that the teacher should keep in mind. The flow of the class can be influenced by the teacher’s volume since the students follow the teacher’s pace. Quieting and increasing voice levels can change the ambiance and pace of the class. The teacher should alter his/her voice according to the circumstances, such as size of room or number of students. However, the instructor should never be monotone since it creates boredom. The greater the variations of the voice, the more attentive students are.

Task 2 – Is there a best seating arrangement for a class?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various seating plans?

            No, each seating arrangement is ideal for different situations and should be adjusted accordingly to different factors, such as space availability and students’ personality.

1)      Orderly rows: The most traditional style of seating arrangements, orderly rows is best suited for large classes of 25 or more students. Not only can the teacher have a clear view of all the students, the students can see him/her as well. This makes lecturing and maintaining eye contact simpler. Also, it allowed the teacher easy accessibility to move around the room freely and check on each student’s progress. However, it reduces the amount of student interaction since the student will usually just interact with his/her neighbors around him/her.

2)      Circles and horseshoes: Mostly used in smaller classes, this seating arrangement facilitates pair work and allows students to have eye contact with the teacher and other pupils. It produces a more intimate and relaxing ambiance in the class. The teacher’s position is less dominating, which allows students to be more focused on the lesson. On the other hand, the teacher’s mobility is reduced and must stay in one position to teach since the students are all facing one direction.

3)      Separate tables: This seating arrangement is great for group work because the instructor can help one table while the other groups work without interruption. Since the students are placed at a small table together, the class becomes more informal. This can cause discipline problems because they feel that they are in their own group and not a part of the class as a whole. Also, since the teacher won’t be able to keep eye contact with all the students at once, some students may feel like they can do whatever they want.

Task 3 – List the different student groupings that a teacher can use and give advantages and disadvantages for each:

1)      Whole-class grouping: Students feel a sense of belonging with other, and it promotes camaraderie since it gives students the opportunity to interact with their fellow peers. Organization of the activity is quick and easy to manage. It is the ideal grouping for when the teacher needs the focus of the entire class or needs to be mainly in control of the activity. However, it’s harder to ensure that every student gets an equal amount of talking time since it reduces the chances for a student to speak. Furthermore, the more introverted students may be more unwilling to speak since they do not wish to do so in front of the class.

2)      Students working on their own: There is less pressure on the students since they can work at their own pace and do not have to contribute in front of the class. Also, students don’t have to worry about making mistakes publicly, thereby encouraging them to become more independent by solving problems on their own first. In general, it provides a stress-free environment for the students to learn in while providing an ideal setting for the teacher to respond to individual differences among the students’ learning process. However, it limits the opportunities for the students to interact among one another and gain that sense of belonging.

3)      Pair work: It is the ideal setting to allow the students to interact with their fellow peers and have student talking time. Since it is quick and easy to organize, the teacher can distribute his/her time equally between every pair and not disturb the other pairs. It encourages students to share the responsibility of the work and removes the burden from the individual, especially from the weaker students. However, some students may prefer to only speak with the instructor and hesitate to interact with other students, especially with students they particularly don’t like. In addition, it is harder for the teacher to keep an eye on the whole class in general if she/he is diverting her/his attention to one pair at a time.

4)      Group work: This grouping is good for increasing both student talking time and student interaction. Since there are more students working in a group, personal issues become less problematic and the dynamic of the group is more equal. With more heads thinking together, they can come up with more innovative ideas. But with so many differing ideas, it could lead to some conflicts and could actually be more time-consuming. Time is an issue with grouping since it takes a while to organize and start the activity, especially with all the students trying to talk. In addition, some stronger students may end up doing all the work while the more passive students don’t have a chance to participate.

Task 4 – How can the teacher make sure all students are equally involved in the lesson and give individual attention?

            Refrain from picking on just the students with the familiar names all the time. Memorize all the students’ names and use their names at the end of a question when you want to ask a specific student that question. Also, you shouldn’t teach exclusively to only the weak or strong students. Although, you should make sure that every student understand the materials. That means spending more time with students who are having difficulties with the task while trying to keep the other students busy with another task. Do not go in any order when checking homework or asking questions because that makes it very predictable and dull. Students will not pay attention until it’s their turn. Going in a random order will keep the students attentive. Most importantly, try to ensure that every student is involved equally in any activity. Don’t allow any individual student to hog all your attention. The only case in which you may not include all the students equally in an activity is when they don’t want to or cannot contribute to the activity. It may be better to let them remain silent. You can ask simple questions now and then to encourage contributing more to the class and boosting their self-confidence.

Task 5 – When is teacher talking time important?

TTT is important when the teacher is building rapport with the students because the teacher should take the initiative to get to know his/her students first. Also, TTT should be included before every activity since the teacher has to set up the activity and give instructions to the students. They have to direct them on how to do the activity. In addition, TTT is necessary when providing feedback and language input. The teacher can make slight improvements to the student’s speech. The teacher will have more TTT when she/he is presenting, checking, modeling, or clarifying problems, instructions, or answers.

Task 6 – How can the teacher reduce unnecessary teacher talking time?

Don’t over-elaborate concepts or instructions. Keep them simple. For example, don’t use TEFL language or any other jargon that the students would not understand. That way you don’t have to take time explaining unimportant things. Use mime, gestures, or other visual cues to really emphasize your point. Carefully choose your word choice for explanations, feedback, and directions. Once the students start an activity, don’t interrupt the flow. Overall, just keep the language simple and below the students’ English language level.

Task 7 – What can a teacher do to ensure that instructions are understood?

            First, make sure the students are paying attention to the teacher. The teacher should attract the attention of the class and make sure everyone is listening carefully, not distracted. Then use consistent, simple language when giving instructions. The teacher should repeat the same commands for the instructions and use language that is below the students’ language level. Using visual cues help as well since they really reinforce your instructions. Sometimes, some students are visual learners and prefer to see the instructions written instead of spoken. Keep the instructions short and simple as to not overload the students. In addition, the teacher should give a demonstration as an example since showing the activity can really clarify the instructions. Lastly, make sure the students comprehend all the instructions given. Have them repeat the instructions to you to see if they know what to do and monitor the class to check.

Task 8 – How exactly would you ‘explain’ to a group of elementary students how to complete a gap fill exercise?

            I would have the handout in my hand, get the attention of the students, and point to it. I would explain that on this paper, there’s 20 sentences (or how many sentences there are) that has one word missing from each sentence. On the right side of the paper, there are 20 words that will go to exactly one of these sentences on the left. You have to find which word completes each sentence the best and fill in the blank with that word. I would then do one for an example.

Task 9 – What can the teacher do to help establish rapport with the students?

            The teacher should try to make a stable, relaxed atmosphere in the class. Also, the teacher should project an image of wanting to be there in the class by smiling and being positive in everything you do. Students notice when a teacher does not particularly like his/her job.

            Not only should the teacher know their students’ names, but also the students should know their classmates’ names as well. A teacher should show some personal interest in their students and encourage other students to get to know one another. This could be done by student interaction in pair work or group work activities and ice breakers.  Also, allow the students to help one another by letting them correct each other. Refrain from doing everything by yourself in the class all the time. Elicit help and opinions from the students. Most students would love to get involved and make class more personal. When giving instructions, keep it simple and clear. Do not let individual students hog all the attention of the class.

Task 10 – List some of the reasons for problem behavior that you may experience in an EFL classroom.  How can/should the teacher prevent it?  How can the teacher deal with problem behavior should it arise?

            There are versatile factors that could lead to problem behavior from a student. Family problems can definitely influence problem behavior. If the home environment is unsafe or unstable, then that student could feel unsafe/out of place anywhere. Low self-esteem or boredom could cause a student to lash out and create problems. A student who is not challenged enough or too much can be bored. Peer pressure can lead to a lack of respect for the teacher if their peers don’t respect the instructor as well. Also, a large class size may make the student feel out of place and lonely. He/she might think that they need to cause trouble to get any attention at all.

            You can prevent problems if you’re punctual and well-prepared for class. It shows that you take your job seriously and that you’re genuinely enthusiastic about being there. Also, if you build a rapport with the students, they will trust you and learn to open up to you. If you’re consistent and fair, they know you will be just and unbiased. Most importantly, you must be patient, calm, and never lose your temper. You should not let your personal feelings interfere with class and never bluff about punishment you do not plan on carrying out. You should also show respect in order to get respect in return. It wouldn’t hurt to make classes varied and interesting as well.

            If problems do arise despite numerous prevention tactics, then the teacher should act immediately. The problem may worsen if it is not dealt with quickly. Make sure to focus on the problem itself, not the student. Sometimes the problem may be due to his/her peers. In that case, reseating could help resolve it. You should reprimand the problem student in private after class because doing so publicly may embarrass the student and cause further lashing out. Do not threaten to use punishment that is not within the school’s disciplinary code. If you cannot enforce it, the student will think you cannot punish them at all. Also, use the experience of your colleagues because they will have probably been in that situation before. Above all, keep calm because having a temper will not help the situation.