Examples Of Interlanguage

In its initial form, interlanguage refers to the state a language learner finds themselves in when using a mixed form of L1 and L2 before being proficient in L2. This means the language learner may borrow rules and forms from their first language and apply them to their L2 output. This gives an incorrect output or “Interlanguage”. The same is true of new rules learnt for L2 which may be overused in situations where they do not apply.  [Read more]

  So let's take an example of what those drills might involve. So here is an example of a repetition drill. I will model the language and then my class will repeat after me. So "This is a cup." "Spoon" ? "This is a spoon." "Knife" - "his is a knife." Thank you. The reason that it's called or also called the army method is that it was the method adopted by the United States military who had personnel stationed around the world at the end of Second World War and they realized that they needed those personnel to pick up the language very quickly and one of the positive things about this particular methodology is that you do very quickly learn vocabulary. Another positive thing about it is that you quickly learn the correct pronunciation of that vocabulary. However, there are some...  [Read more]

  The next example of a game that we can adapt very easily for classroom use is the game of Jeopardy and in this particular game, what we can do is to have a set of levels for our questions, I'd say one through five, where one is going to be the easiest example and five is going to be the most difficult and then, in each of these sets of boxes, we can have various grammar points, such as tenses, perhaps modals, vocabulary and maybe even conditionals. So what the students can do is they can pick a particular topic first of all and within that topic, they can pick the level of the question that they want and then we can have a set of cards that have been created to fit into these slots and we can ask them that question at that level. So, a very simple adaptation of the game jeopardy...  [Read more]

  Okay, so we're going to use this pro-forma as our lesson plan and we're going to fill one out as though we were planning for an actual lesson. So, we start off with some basic information about the class. So, the name of the teacher, date and time and the class level. In this particular case, our class is going to be an elementary class and the room will be room 3. Having looked through the registers we see that the expected number of students for this particular class is going to be 10. This will help us in creating our worksheet copies. The context of the lesson for this class is going to be present continuous tense and it may well be the first time that this particular level of class has been introduced to this tense. So, our focus is going to be fairly general and it's going...  [Read more]

  So, let's take a common game that's been played over the years, which is called Noughts and Crosses or Tic-Tac-Toe. What we're going to do is to adapt this game for classroom use. So, we've taken the normal Tic-Tac-Toe or Noughts and Crosses grid and we've just numbered out each of the particular squares. What we can then do is to form teams and those teams can then be asked a series of questions and they get to choose which question they want from 1 to 9. So, let's say, for example, they choose question 1. That could be on anything that they have studied ,the grammar or vocabulary. If they get that question correct and say they are the Noughts or the zeros then they get to put their mark here. What the next group will probably do is to try to block them in some way by choosing...  [Read more]

  So, having elicited this particular structure, what I'm now able to do is to move on to the actual study activities. Typically, they will be in the form of worksheets to check that the students actually understand this information. So, I might prepare three activities. They may not do them all but, for example, I could prepare these three study activities. So, the first one is going to be a fairly straightforward matching activity, where perhaps they match the subject to its correct verb "to be" in that part of the sentence. The second one is going to be a gap fill. For example, I might use this verb here and ask them to complete a sentence using that verb, so that I can check that any spelling changes that take place are correct and the final one is going to be an unscramble,...  [Read more]

  The first part of my study phase is going to be the board work and I'm going to use the information that I generated in the elicitation part of my engage phase to move on to the actual board work. What I'm going to do is to show the structure of this particular tense. So, the phase study I'm expecting to take about ten minutes on this particular part and, again, the interaction will mainly be the students talking to me. So, how am I going to achieve that with this information? Well, we could ask the students to have a look at the sentences themselves and to tell us what they can see. If we look at each of the first words in here, then at this level, I should hopefully be able to elicit from my students what each of these words have in common and they may well give an answer that...  [Read more]

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method that encourages students to learn through active engagement in real-world and personally meaningful projects. In the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), incorporating PBL into lessons can have numerous benefits for both language acquisition and overall student development. One of the primary advantages of incorporating PBL into TESOL lessons is the enhancement of language skills. Through working on projects, students are exposed to authentic language use in context, which helps improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Additionally, PBL promotes meaningful communication as students collaborate with their peers to complete tasks, leading to increased fluency and accuracy in English....  [Read more]

--- Community service projects offer TESOL teachers valuable opportunities to make a positive impact beyond the classroom. Engaging in community service projects allows teachers to apply their teaching skills in real-world settings, contribute to the community, and enhance their own professional development. These projects can take various forms, including volunteering at local organizations, organizing language workshops for immigrants, or collaborating with schools to support English language learners. Participating in community service projects as a TESOL teacher provides numerous benefits. Firstly, it allows teachers to connect with diverse communities and gain a deeper understanding of their needs and challenges. This hands-on experience can enhance cultural competence and empathy,...  [Read more]

--- Storytelling has been a fundamental part of human communication for centuries, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. In the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), incorporating storytelling and narrative-based approaches can significantly enhance language learning experiences for students. By weaving stories into language lessons, educators can create a more engaging and immersive learning environment that fosters language acquisition in a natural and authentic way. Utilizing storytelling in the TEFL classroom offers a myriad of benefits for both teachers and students. Firstly, stories captivate learners' attention and make language input more memorable, aiding in vocabulary retention and comprehension. Additionally, narratives provide context for language...  [Read more]

Collaboration between TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers and teachers of other languages can offer numerous benefits to both educators and students. By working together, teachers can share best practices, resources, and innovative teaching strategies that can enhance language learning outcomes. Collaboration can also provide a platform for professional development and growth, allowing teachers to learn from each other's expertise and experiences. Additionally, interdisciplinary projects can help students make connections between different languages and cultures, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for linguistic diversity. Successful collaboration between TESOL and other language teachers requires effective communication, mutual respect, and a...  [Read more]

--- Incorporating real-world experiences into TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) lessons is crucial for enhancing language learning and making it more relevant and engaging for students. Utilizing real-world contexts helps learners connect the language they are acquiring to practical situations they may encounter in their daily lives, thus increasing motivation and retention. By bringing authentic materials and experiences into the classroom, teachers can ensure that students are better prepared to use the language outside of the classroom. There are several effective strategies that teachers can use to incorporate real-world experiences into their TEFL lessons. One approach is to use authentic materials such as newspapers, advertisements, and menus to create meaningful...  [Read more]

  Now an example of a straight arrow ESA lesson for our engage phase. What we're going to do is to show the students a video of animals and they are going to say what they like about those animals and try to create a list of some more. So, remember what we're trying to do here is to get the students talking and thinking in English. We're using a typical engage activity, which is to create a list and we try to make sure that all the students have been involved in some way in creating those lists. Moving on to the study phase, the first part is going to be the board work and the teacher is going to try to elicit from the students what each of those animals can and can't do. Typically, what the students will say is just single words, so "run," "jump," "fly," etc. What we would then...  [Read more]

Integrating language skills in English language teaching is crucial as it provides learners with a holistic approach to language learning. By integrating skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, students can develop a well-rounded proficiency in the language. This approach mirrors real-life language use where these skills are often used together. It also helps students see the interconnectedness of language skills and how they support each other in communication. There are several strategies that TEFL teachers can use to effectively integrate language skills in their lessons. One approach is to use a task-based learning method where students work on meaningful tasks that require the use of multiple language skills. Teachers can also incorporate authentic materials such as...  [Read more]

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional method that encourages students to delve into real-world challenges and acquire a deeper understanding of the subject matter through hands-on projects. In TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), PBL can be a powerful tool to engage students, enhance their language skills, and foster critical thinking and collaboration. By working on projects, students are motivated to use English in authentic situations, promoting language acquisition in a meaningful context. Incorporating PBL into TEFL lessons offers numerous benefits to both students and teachers. Firstly, it enhances student motivation and engagement by providing a purposeful context for language learning. Projects allow students to take ownership of their learning process, leading...  [Read more]

Storytelling is a powerful tool in language teaching as it engages students in a meaningful and memorable way. Incorporating stories and narratives into TESOL lessons can enhance language learning by providing context, promoting vocabulary acquisition, improving listening and speaking skills, and fostering cultural understanding. By using stories, teachers can create a more dynamic and interactive learning environment that caters to different learning styles and levels of proficiency. The use of storytelling in TESOL lessons offers numerous benefits to both teachers and students. Stories help create a context for language learning, making vocabulary and grammar more meaningful and easier to remember. They also provide opportunities for students to practice listening and speaking skills in...  [Read more]

Action research is a systematic inquiry conducted by practitioners to improve their own practices, solve specific problems, or enhance the effectiveness of their work. In the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), action research plays a crucial role in promoting reflective teaching practices and empowering teachers to be agents of change in their classrooms. TESOL teachers have various opportunities to engage in action research to enhance their teaching methodologies, address specific challenges, and contribute to the ongoing development of the field. Engaging in action research offers numerous benefits for TESOL teachers. Firstly, it provides teachers with a structured approach to reflect on their teaching practices and make informed decisions based on...  [Read more]

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional approach where students work on a project over an extended period of time that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. In TESOL, PBL can be a powerful tool to enhance language learning as it provides opportunities for students to use language in authentic contexts, collaborate with their peers, and develop critical thinking skills. By engaging in PBL, students become active participants in their learning, which can lead to deeper understanding and retention of language skills. There are numerous benefits to incorporating PBL in TESOL teaching practices. Firstly, PBL helps students develop their language skills in a meaningful way by applying them to real-life situations. This approach also fosters...  [Read more]

English grammar forms the foundation of the language and is crucial for effective communication. Without a solid understanding of grammar rules, students may struggle to express themselves clearly and accurately. Teaching grammar helps students improve their writing skills, enhances their speaking abilities, and boosts their overall language proficiency. By mastering grammar, students can convey their thoughts and ideas more effectively, leading to better academic and professional outcomes. There are several strategies that can help make grammar lessons engaging and effective for students. One approach is to use real-life examples to illustrate grammar rules. By incorporating everyday situations and conversations into lessons, students can see how grammar functions in context. Another...  [Read more]

  A final example is going to be an example of a patchwork ESA lesson and remember we said the form of this particular lesson will start with and engage always and will finish with and activate and there'll be some variation of E, S and A within the brackets here. So we're going to generate our patchwork ESA lesson as follows. Starting with the engage, the students are going to look at holiday photos and talk about what they like and don't like from what they see. From that, we're going to move directly into an activate phase and what the students are going to do is to make comments about holiday brochures and try to act out a role-play between the travel agent and a customer. Again, as this is taking place, the teacher will be moving around and looking for gaps in knowledge in...  [Read more]