Creative, dynamic elt materials for teaching english

Creative, Dynamic ELT Materials for Teaching English

to Diverse Groups of Learners “How to prepare multi-modal

EFL class materials to motivate and meet the needs, interests, and intelligences in diverse groups of EFL learners”

Presented by: Prof. Larry M. Lynch

Santiago de Cali University

http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/ lynchlarrym@gmail.com

A Language Teacher is: A person who teaches language.

Person(personality)

Teach(methodology, knowledge & skill)

Language(knowledge & Use)

Balanced control and flexibility

Neat / organized Well-groomed Authoritative

In-depth knowledge Uses a variety of

techniques Knowledge of

materials Implication of theory

Grammar knowledge Language history Idioms & expressions Ability to discern

levels & needs

… Costas Gabrielatos, 2002

COUNTRIES / LOCATIONS with SPANISH as the Official L1

Colombia Panama Ecuador Venezuela Peru Puerto Rico Mexico El Salvador Guatemala Chile Honduras Argentina Dominican Republic Uruguay Spain Paraguay Nicaragua Bolivia Costa Rica Cuba Equatorial New Guinea

COUNTRIES / LOCATIONS with ENGLISH as the Official L1

United States Trinidad & Tobago Belize Barbados Canada U.S. Virgin Islands Guyana British Virgin Islands Australia Falkland Islands England Grenada, St. Nevis / St. Kitts Jamaica India Bermuda South Africa Bahamas New Zealand Cayman Islands St. Vincent Grenadines Samoa St. Lucia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Liberia Ghana Ireland Hong Kong Zimbabwe

Varieties of the English Language

Tools / Languages / Define Language /

Australia Ireland Jamaica Canada Malaysia Caribbean

United States United Kingdom BelizeSingapore Hong Kong South Africa India Trinidad & Tobago Indonesia Zimbabwe New Zealand Philippines

English Language Teachers can often be overburdened by:

• Large class sizes• Limited time• Insufficient resources• Mixed ability students• Behavioral problems• Administrative demands• Personal restrictions

Key Aspects of GOOD ELT Materials

• Underscore or Focus on a SPECIFIC language theme in a variety of ways

• Vary in Length and Difficulty • Intrinsically Motivating for

learners

• Elicit language competency reinforcement

• Multi-modal and Diversified • Cost-effective to produce and

Utilize

• Accessible in multiple learning environments

• Provide for Allocation of Learner Resources

Let’s Meet the Language Learners: • 10 Americans • 3 Brits • 5 Latinos • 9 Blacks • 9 Women • 16 Men • 7 Elderly • 1 Muslim (Arabic) • 6 violent or criminals • 26 Total

• Chile • Spain • Germany (German) • USA • Brazil (Portuguese)• UK • Jamaica • France (French)• Italy (Italian) • Cuba

How could you Successfully teach English to this widely diverse group? • Theory of Dual Psychology (P. MacClean)• Provide an Enriched Learning Environment (M. Diamond)• Apply Multiple Intelligences Theory (H. Gardner) • Use Hermann’s Brain Dominance Model (N. Hermann) • Identify & Use Learner-Preferred Activities (D. Lazear)

The Theory of Dual-Psychology

Does an enriched environment increase the dimensions of the brain, while an

impoverished environment decreases the dimensions of the brain?

“The answer, very clearly, is YES.”

The MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCESCan you identify them?

THEORIST INNOVATORS

ORGANIZER HUMANISTIC

Lecture Facts Details Critical thinking Textbooks Readings

Outlining Check lists Exercises Problem-solving

with steps and procedures

Brainstorming Illustrations Pictures Metaphors Mind-mapping Synthesis Holistic

approaches

Cooperative learning

Group discussion Role-playing Dramatization

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ACTIVITY TYPE

LEARNERS PREFERRED ACTIVITIES

Which learners in the group would like:

• Drama & dialogues• Songs and music • Independent projects • TPR & physical

games • Art, graphics, videos

& visuals • Group projects • Puzzles &

crosswords or computer learning

• Who would be friends? Why?

• Who wouldn’t be friends? Why?

• Who would YOU be friends with? Why?

• Who wouldn’t you let work together? Why?

What are some differences in language learning in these situations?

Exploiting Learner characteristics:

• “EFL learners are not all the same. They do not all learn the same way.”

• “We must not limit EFL learners by thinking they can only learn in a particular way.”

M. Spratt, 2005

Adapt: Meet learner needs by Using a Variety of Activity Types:

• COGNITIVE PAIRS• CLOZE EXERCISE• FILL in the BLANKS• WORD or LETTER

UNSCRAMBLE• RE-ORDERING a

SEQUENCE• TRUE or FALSE• GIVE a DESCRIPTION• EXPOSITORY WRITING• COMPLETE the

PHRASE or SENTENCE• PROBLEM-SOLVING

• ERROR CORRECTION• COMPREHENSION

QUESTIONS• WRITE the QUESTION• COMPLETE a CHART or

GRAPH• MAKE a COMPARISON • SELECT an ITEM FROM a

GROUP• RE-WRITE or RE-STATE• GIVE an OPINION• DRAMATIZATION • COMBINE EXERCISE

TYPES

Use a Specific or Focused Grammatical Element to Create:

• a Rap, Rhyme, or Poem• a Word Search or Crossword Puzzle• a Short Story • a Visual Jigsaw Puzzle • Find a song that features the grammar focus • A TPR (Total Physical Response) activity• A short Drama or Dialogue

• Little boy blue came and blew his horn His sheep were in the meadow The cows, they ate the corn Where was the little boy who saw the sheep? He had laid in a haystack where he slept.

• Mary, Mary was quite contrary, but how her garden grew. She used snakes, snails and puppy dog tails with pretty maids all strung in a row.

The STATE BANK

This morning someone robbed the State Bank. The thief entered the bank and stated that he wanted all their money. The thief smiled but looked very tired. The tellers seemed worried. The thief received the requested money, asked to be excused, then stormed out quickly as the door revolved. He dashed down the street and screeched away in his damaged car.

The ZOO Last week we decided to visit the zoo.

We arrived the next morning after we breakfasted, cashed in our passes and entered. We walked toward the first exhibits. I looked up at a giraffe as it stared back at me. I stepped nervously to the next area. Some lions gazed at me as they lazed in the shade while the others napped. One of my friends first knocked and banged on the tempered glass in front of the monkey’s cage. They howled and screamed at us as we hurried to other exhibits.

Key Techniques and Strategies for Teaching Diverse Learners

• Use Right & Left brain activities• Provide an enriched learning

environment• Address multiple learning styles• Use a variety of exercise types• Utilize multi-media based strategies

& Classroom observation• Use learner-preferred activities • Teach each theme or topic using

from 4 to 6 different approaches

For more FREE information on producing creative, dynamic ELT materials, EFL classroom teaching and learning techniques, informative TESOL articles, please go to:

“Becoming a Better EFL Teacher” online at:

http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/ or E-mail Prof. Larry M. Lynch at:

proflmlynch@gmail.com

THANK YOU Teachers and Attendees!!!

THANK YOU TEACHERS !For your attendance and attention

Prof. Larry M. Lynch Santiago de Cali Universitylynchlarrym@gmail.com

ASOCOPI National Conference Tunja, Boyaca October, 2008

THANK YOU TEACHERS !

Prof. Larry M. Lynch Santiago de Cali Universitylynchlarrym@gmail.com

ASOCOPI National Conference Tunja, Boyaca October, 2008