Language IS Power

This is an old advertisement for learning a new language, but it's message is still very effective.  Isn't that why so many people are studying English?  From my 12 years of teaching ESL, the reason they study is not from love of foreign languages.

That's what makes the teachers' job challenging.  Many language learners seem to think that if they just sit in a language class, they can absorb everything they need to move to the next level without doing any work outside of class, including speaking the target language.  Go figure!

Ten weeks ago, I had a student announce in class that he didn't think his teachers (including me) understood how much work it is to learn a language.  The other students nodded in agreement and stared at me for an expected defensive reaction.  Instead, I smiled and said that undoubtedly EVERY ESL teacher at our school has had the experience of studying a foreign language and has first-hand knowledge of exactly how hard it is to learn a foreign language.  "Not only that," I explained, "if you haven't cried out of frustration, you're probably not working hard enough!"

I've known male students and female students (besides myself) who've had an immersion experience in a foreign language that brought them to the point of tears.  I often ask my students if they've had dreams or nightmares in their target language because that's another indicator of a foreign language penetrating the subconscious.

Recounting stories of my immersion in Lingala in the former Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) always gets students' attention.  I went from being laughed at by villagers for my almost non-existent Lingala to wielding the language well enough to pressure a group of men to help me load brick on the camp truck without bribing them with a "tip" of cigarettes (I never gave cigarettes to our workers because they're just as unhealthy for Africans as for Americans.)   Seeing words moving people to action is imprinted on my mind.  Language is POWER.

Read Signs to Build Vocabulary

There are many ways to continually add to your knowledge of English.  Noticing and reading signs wherever you go is an easy way to do it.  Not only do you expand your vocabulary, but you also learn something about local culture and values.  These are some photos I took while roaming around Dana Point in Southern California.  Yes, there were a lot of dog-walkers!  

Pictures definitely help a                            Again the simple drawing of
person figure out the meaning of                   the bird (a pigeon) with the hand

a word like "leashed" (leash =                      and red line drawn through the

a verb and a noun).  The dog in                    image signal to the reader, this is

the picture is leashed by a leash.                  a no-no.  DO NOT FEED THEM!

                                                                  I guess "feed" is what the hand is
                                                                  doing.

"Fine" doesn't mean it's a fine day.  This is a verb meaning to charge 
someone to pay for a rule/law that was broken.  You don't want to be fined 
in Orange County, so be sure to "pick up (the poop!) after your dog." 

Why is English Cool?

English is my business.  These days it seems like that's all that I think about and do - whether it's putting together a literature review for a graduate class in TESOL or teaching ESL in an IEP (Intensive English Program).

I can't remember where I ran across the following reference.  I believe it was a link from a Facebook friend.  It comes from www.freerepublic.com although it's, in my view, primarily for our amusement with the English language - and not to promote conservative politics.

You should definitely have a look at the numerous comments posted after checking out the list of sentences.  The replies contain even more funny (haha-funny and strange-funny) English.  The polysemous nature of my language makes it an endless source of fascination.

Sentence Types and Connectors

Thanks to the miracle of Authorstream, I have instantaneously uploaded a Power Point slide presentation (so can you!).  Even though this online tool has been around for some years, it's my first time using it, and it's so cool!  Thanks to Beth Bogage at San Diego's ECC for bringing it to my attention.  My students can view my slides without having the Microsoft program on their computer. That makes this material accessible to all.

Low Intermediate 102 Writing Students:  For those of you who are having problems with construction and punctuation of compound and complex sentences and the use of conjunctive adverbs (such as however, in addition, in conclusion, etc.), here is the slide show that I presented in class.  If you have questions, please ask by clicking below on "comments" or ask in class.

Online Vocabulary Quiz #4

To Intermediate Vocabulary Students:
Finally, I succeeded in putting together another online quiz for you to practice before tomorrow!  Yay!
Also, I eliminated extra credit vocabulary as you were tested on this in the previous quiz.  As always, you can do this online quiz as many times as you like.  It is set to change the order of questions every time.  In that way, each time you test yourself, it will feel like a new quiz.  Good luck!  Have fun!  You're welcome. ;-)

If you have any questions or problems with the online quiz, you can post your comments below.

To memorize or not to memorize--that is the question....

A few years ago, I talked about memorization, but the topic came up again in a Wall Street Journal article at the end of last year and prompted me to rethink the subject.  Back in the day, memorization used to be a standard part of all my Spanish language classes from junior high school through high school.  In my view, it was a very effective tool for learning a foreign language.  What we now call "automaticity"was a large component of developing fluency in the language. Amazingly, I can still remember parts of poems that I memorized, just as I do in English.

If you're American of my vintage, you might have had to learn Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" ("Whose woods these are I think I know....  But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep....).  After one of my ESL classes seven or eight years ago, I impressed a couple from Mexico when I told them that I remembered a poem by Ruben Darío: "Juventud, divino tesoro...  ya te vas para no volver... Cuando quiero llorar, no lloro.  Y a veces, lloro sin querer...."  I have no idea where the words came from, but trying to think of something in Spanish brought parts of the poem pouring out of my mouth.  This phenomenon felt the same as my memory of the "times" table in arithmetic 9x2=18, 9x3=27...9x9=81...9x12=108.  It is a great advantage to be able to do these computations in your head.  Who needs a calculator?  In fact, a calculator slows down my brain as well as my answer.

You can practice reciting English at a site like English Central, where they've got great video and vocabulary exercises plus recording capability.  This one, for example, compares British and American English vocabulary for common or everyday items.  You can listen and record yourself. It even rates your pronunciation.

Here's another interesting link that gives you ideas for how to quote a long text verbatim.  I tried Lincoln's Gettysburg address just using the first letter of each word and was amazed that that mnemonic worked even decades after memorizing the speech.  It is amazing that some previously memorized material can stay embedded in the brain for years without using it and can be quickly reactivated.  Even though I don't demand it of my students, now I wonder how many of them memorize vocabulary.  Tomorrow I must ask.

Online Vocabulary Quiz (#3)

To Intermediate Vocabulary Students:

Here's another online Practice Vocabulary Quiz (3).  There seems to be a slight glitch in the matching sections of the quiz, so if YOUR answer and the ONLINE answer match, you can consider your choice CORRECT (even though the site says "incorrect" and takes off points).  I will contact the hosts of this site to see if there is something I'm doing wrong to create the errors.

You can take these online quizzes as many times as you like and get a certificate of completion.  You will get extra credit for taking the quiz by printing out your score/certificate and bringing it to class.

Have fun!  Hope this helps you prepare for the next quiz!

Online Vocabulary Quiz (#2)

After a wonderful free training session on Friday afternoon at OTAN with Barry Bakin from LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District), I have created my first online practice quiz for my intermediate vocabulary students.  This example is primarily posted here for the benefit of my students, but you are welcome to check it out.  To take the quiz, you need to type in a name (any name will do). When you finish it, it will ask for your e-mail, but you don't need to give it.  Just click the "x" to close the box, and you should get your results.  It will display your correct and incorrect answers (unfortunately, it won't explain why they're incorrect) and display a certificate that you can download or print out as evidence of your success.

As a graduate student and ESL instructor, I am continually growing my skills.  When I have another block of time, I will post more information about how to use the ProProfs site for creating online quizzes. It is pretty straightforward if you have worked with other online testmakers.  I have struggled to create my own quiz with Hot Potatoes software.  ProProfs is so much easier for me.  You should also visit OTAN (the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network) as Mr. Bakin taped the online training session so that you can view it on your own at a convenient time.  The advantage, however, of actually attending a session is that you can ask questions of the trainer as you are trying out the site.