Language game to provide more comprehensible input: Guess Who?

https://goo.gl/photos/JPio26rjA9UosKXR7

As I mentioned in my previous post about story listening, I am part of an amazing group on Facebook called “CI Liftoff” where educators around the world are discussing about how to use pure comprehensible input in the language acquisition process.

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How to find out about your learners interests in a compelling way?

I have started teaching French to a group of 3 girls aged 10 years old. They are native German but they have been attending a primary school where they were taught French intensively, it was like an immersion type of school so their level is very good.

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10 years old1 5 a day1 acquire50 acquisition65 answers24 approach38 asking1 Ben Slavic2 brain break6 chinese portrait1 chinois1 cognates7 communicate9 communication10 compell1 compelling39 comprehend52 comprehensible100 dance4 dancing2 dig up1 disco1 dislikes13 Education20 engage150 engaging10 establish1 establishing1 find out1 fit3 fitness3 foreign language35 fun413 get to know2 girls2 group4 information7 input47 interest10 interesting23 language45 learner217 level3 likes12 meaning17 natural165 naturally5 near cognates2 one word image2 party7 personalized16 portrait4 questions74 repeat78 repeating70 repetition42 repetitive22 second language44 session2 story46 story asking15 storyasking15 target language12 target structure20 TPRS71 try out1 video350 vocabulary256 youtube67

French culture: celebrating la Chandeleur !

Candlemas is around the corner and I have prepared some fun activities to do in the French class to celebrate this special event. In fact as the activities are mainly centered around crepes and how to make them, you could also use them to celebrate Mardi Gras (which is on the 9th of February this year) or if you are teaching a topic on food.

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acquisition65 activities5 bundle1 celebrate26 celebration20 comprehensible100 Cooking41 cultural10 culture246 Education20 food154 French41 grammar66 infinitive1 input47 logic1 logical2 numeracy1 passé-composé227 past316 perfect tense4 recipe36 song29 story46 storytelling39 teacherspayteachers11 TPRS71 tradition57

Communicative activity for French learners (beginner level).

As well as teaching online private English lessons to Spanish students, I help some French students at beginner level. As you may already know, I am a big fan of Martina Bex and I decided to use her storytelling unit for French 1: Dit.

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activity13 adjective1 beginner318 cognates7 comprehensible100 dit1 Education20 endings1 French41 game21 grammar66 guidelines2 ideas7 input47 instructions6 intermediate707 key structures8 Martina Bex11 oral12 repetition42 speaking73 story46 story asking15 storytelling39 TPRS71 unit3

Resources for English learners: shopping and the issue of being a shopaholic.

Last week, I was writing about my new “job” which is to teach online private lessons to Spanish students who want to improve their English. (via Google hangout or Skype). For now, it is going very well and I am receiving positive feedback from my students which is always good!

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acquire50 acquisition65 activity13 answers24 article46 communicate9 communication10 compelling39 comprehend52 comprehensible100 comprehension250 conversation311 culture246 debate11 edmodo3 Education20 esl2 fluency107 input47 interesting23 language45 learner217 learning15 meaning17 meaningful15 personal13 personalized16 practise2 questions74 reading252 teacherspayteachers11 theme3 topic24

Speaking activity: giving opinions about TV programs and films.

This is a fantastic idea from one of my emails from the mflresources@yahoogroups.com: “I show the students some clips (2-3 mins each) from YouTube and they play the role of critic – after each clip they get 30 seconds to write their opinion of each clip and then a further 30 seconds to share their opinion with their neighbor.

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channel2 clip1 communication10 comprehensible100 comprehension250 debating3 films2 flashcards8 fluency107 fluent57 forum1 group4 group work5 ideas7 input47 listening52 mfl1 movies2 opinions27 playlist4 programs1 quizlet9 series71 sharing6 skills26 Spanish33 speak85 speaking73 television5 trailer2 vocabulary256 youtube67

Civilization project to use the past tense in Spanish

I have covered the past tense in Spanish with my grade 8 students (13-14 years old) this term and I want them to be able to describe past events confidently and accurately. Over my teaching experience I have found out that doing the traditional grammar exercises such as filling in the gaps with the correct verb forms does not really work with students.

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acquire50 acquired4 acquisition65 civilization1 collaboration work2 collaborative3 communication10 comprehend52 comprehensible100 culture246 Education20 fluency107 grade 85 group work5 history92 imperfect187 incas2 independent4 information7 informative1 innate1 input47 internalize1 invented1 language45 language skills1 listening52 mayas1 oral12 output44 pair work2 past316 poster2 presentation140 proficiency12 project11 simple past24 skills26 Spanish33 speaking73 storylistening142 video350