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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Story listening is powerful!

To me, developing listening skills are vital in life, yet not practiced enough. As teachers, we are told to let students learn by doing (which is valuable too in some cases) and that classrooms should be students led. As a consequence the skill of listening is being put aside,

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acquire50 acquisition65 brain61 Canada24 ci145 comprehensible100 comprehension250 content6 culture246 demo5 Education20 engage150 Facebook4 film41 focus36 free13 French41 ghost12 group4 intent3 language45 learn10 learner217 legend78 liberate1 liberating1 listen283 listening52 message4 mind3 powerful6 practice33 skill4 skills26 story46 story listening19 technique3 tool8 TPRS71 unconscious3 unconsciously3 understand67 understanding22 useful7 valuable1 video350 vocabulary256

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 communicative7 compell1 compelling39 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

Let’s celebrate success!

https://goo.gl/photos/ZvJ23xgZM28AiXo58

Today as we enter the month of September and we slowly start to wave goodbye to summer, let the sun shine and let me share a success story using TPRS and comprehensible input online!

Back in April an ex Spanish student of mine contacted me because he wanted to learn French.

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acquire50 acquisition65 advanced course1 answer1 answering11 celebrate26 celebration20 ci145 circling5 comprehensible100 comprehension250 customized2 edmodo3 Education20 fluency107 fluent57 free writing37 immerse2 immersion93 improve19 input47 languages13 listen283 listening52 Martina Bex11 online38 personalized16 PQA8 proficiency12 proficient9 progress101 reading252 ressources40 share17 Skype6 story46 storyasking15 storytelling39 success17 successful2 teaching42 understand67 understanding22

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 communicative7 compelling39 comprehensible100 comprehension250 conversation311 culture246 debate11 edmodo3 Education20 esl2 fluency107 input47 interesting23 language45 learner217 learning15 meaning17 meaningful15 personal13 personalized16 practise2 questions74 reading252 teacherspayteachers11 theme3 topic24

Cultural input: the prisons in Bolivia (or how to engage Spanish learners)

How to get students engaged and producing a lot of language???? Well…. I recommend purchasing Martina Bex 7-day lesson plans about Los niños prisioneros de Bolivia as it is truly worth the investment! Not only did it save me a lot of prep-time, it also made my students had a meaningful discussion in the target language!

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a favor1 Bolivia1 comprehensible100 comprehension250 conversation311 culture246 debate11 debe2 discuss30 discussion39 Education20 effort1 en contra1 engage150 family164 high interest7 input47 interest10 interesting23 issues1 key structures8 listen283 listening52 lo que hace1 Martina Bex11 meaningful15 output44 performance2 prison2 read40 reading252 reflect17 reflection20 skills26 social relationships7 South American3 Spanish33 speaking73 story46 storytelling39 structures7 target9 target language12 TPRS71

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 communicative7 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