TESL Ontario Conference 2010
Hit the Ground Running
Tips for New Teachers
Presenters:
Tracy Manning, MEd. MISt.
York University
Ellen Servinis, M.A.
University of Toronto
Introduction
Adaptable resources and activities
– Skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing,
grammar
– Prep time
– Level
– Time
– Theme
Hit the Ground Running
Podcasts
• Prep: Medium-high
• Adaptability: level, theme
• Skills
–
–
–
–
Listening
Note-taking
Speaking: summarising
Vocabulary
Hit the Ground Running
Podcasts
Hit the Ground Running
http://www.podcastalley.com/
Hit the Ground Running
Podcast – Jigsaw Listening
Hit the Ground Running
iTunesU
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Dictations
Four Kinds of Dictation
• Traditional
• Running
• Dictogloss
• Drawing
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Traditional Dictation
• Teacher reads a short text while students
listen and write it down
• Check after for accuracy
Spelling Test
streetcar
bus
subway
token
Metropass
transfer
Introduce a Grammar Point
Toronto is the capital of Ontario
and the largest city in Canada.
The CN Tower is the most
famous building in the city and
the tallest building in North
America. It has the best view of
Toronto.
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Running Dictation
Writer
Runner
Text
on the
Wall
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Dictogloss
Dictogloss
• Read a text with few pauses, faster than
students can write
• Students reconstruct text together in pairs
or groups
• Focus on grammar point, note-taking
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Drawing Dictation
Drawing Dictation
• Teacher describes a picture, students
draw it
• Check after for accuracy
• Low: Shapes and prepositions of place beside, on top of, inside, outside, etc.
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Drawing Dictation
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Drawing Dictation
Hit the Ground Running
Listening: Dictations
• Prep: Low-Medium
• Adaptability: level, time, theme
• Skills
– Listening: note-taking (dictogloss)
– Writing: spelling, punctuation
– Speaking and pronunciation: students can
dictate to each other
Hit the Ground Running
Speaking: Surveys
Survey Lessons
1. Introduce grammar point or vocabulary
2. Each student gets a different question
and must ask it to every other student
3. Teacher circulates to correct
pronunciation or encourage
conversation
4. Students keep track of responses
5. Report back to class
Hit the Ground Running
Lower Level Surveys
• Do you eat fruit every day?
• Do you exercise every day?
• Do you sometimes eat fast food?
HEALTH SURVEY
Name
Circle the answer
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Yes, I do
No, I don’ t
Hit the Ground Running
Higher Level Surveys
• Should men and women should live together before
they are married?
• Are video games a waste of time?
• Is the TTC efficient?
Nam Y N
e
Details
Hit the Ground Running
Speaking: Surveys
• Prep: Medium
• Adaptability: level, theme
• Skills
– Listening
– Speaking: asking and answering questions,
asking follow-up questions
– Vocabulary for agreeing/disagreeing
Hit the Ground Running
Debatabase
Hit the Ground Running
Debatabase
Hit the Ground Running
Debatabase
Hit the Ground Running
Debatabase
Hit the Ground Running
Reading & Vocabulary
• Prep: Medium
• Adaptability: level, theme
• Skills
– Reading: scanning, guessing vocabulary
from context
– Writing: spelling, punctuation
– Speaking and pronunciation
– Dictionary skills
Hit the Ground Running
Reading & Vocabulary
Hit the Ground Running
Vocabulary
(verb) to increase in intensity
Tracy
Word
Part of
Speech
Definition
Sentence
Escalate
Verb
To increase in
intensity
He has been president for just nine
months and he is still deciding
whether to escalate the war in
Afghanistan.
Hit the Ground Running
Reading: Folktales
•
•
•
•
•
Fun
Non-copyrighted
Short
Simple vocabulary
Students familiar with genre
Hit the Ground Running
Reading: Folktales
Lower
• Mix up order
• Fill-in-the-blank
• Controlled
composition
(rewrite in
different tense)
• Dictation
Higher
• Leave out moral and
have students discuss it
• Memorize and retell
the story to a partner
• Students share
folktales from their
countries in groups and
present one to class
Hit the Ground Running
Reading: Folktales
• Prep: Low- Medium
• Adaptability: level, theme
• Skills
–
–
–
–
Reading
Listening
Speaking
Writing
Hit the Ground Running
Writing: Picture Perfect
Hit the Ground Running
Hit the Ground Running
Writing: Picture Perfect
Hit the Ground Running
Writing Pictures
• Flipchart paper, markers, tape, photos
• Small groups
• Students:
– Talk about the picture
– Write on the flipchart paper
– Tape the paper to the wall
– Walk around, read texts, and correct or add
to them
Hit the Ground Running
Writing Pictures
• Prep: Low
• Adaptability: level, grammar/writing
points, time
• Skills
– Writing
– Listening
– Speaking
Hit the Ground Running
Grammar: Cartoons
• Prep: Low
• Adaptability: level, grammar structure
• Skills
– Grammar
Hit the Ground Running
Grammar: Cartoons
John
Janice
George
Teacher
Doctor
IT Professional
teach
students
mark tests
Help sick people
fix computers
teach people to use
software
John used to teach students.
John used to mark tests.
Janice used to help sick people.
George used to fix computers.
George used to teach people to use software.
Hit the Ground Running