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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Resources for English learners: superstitions.

Although I am taking a break from my school and “formal” teaching, I have not really quit and I have now started to teach online (via Google hangout or Skype) private lessons to Spanish students who want to improve their English. It is actually very different from teaching a whole class and my students have a good level of English but they are not confident enough.

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activity13 comprehensible100 comprehension250 culture246 Education20 engage150 fluency107 fluent57 language45 learning15 personal13 practice33 questions74 reading252 teacherspayteachers11

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 comprehend52 comprehensible100 comprehension250 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

Reviewing holidays with IGCSE students

We are now reviewing for the IGCSE speaking examination in less than two weeks time! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I created different boards on Audioboo related to the different topics my students will be asked about. I posted samples of questions and answers which my students recorded in groups so that they can review at home or in the bus or wherever and whenever they want!

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answers24 audio file10 audioboo3 board4 brainstorming1 converse36 difusionELE1 Education20 examination5 file1 grade 108 holidays10 IGCSE12 oral12 questions74 record3 review26 reviewing5 revise1 revision2 Spanish33 speaking73 theme3 topic24 video350 youtube67

How to practice and review the general conversation for the IGCSE oral exam?

My students in grade 10 have a speaking examination in 5 weeks time and I believe this is the most stressful part of their IGCSEs. In order to prepare them well for the general conversation (which consists of asking a series of linked questions on two or three topics which students have covered in grade 9 and 10) I asked my students to get in pairs,

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answers24 audio55 audioboo3 engage150 fun413 grade 108 grade 98 IGCSE12 listening52 oral12 personal13 practice33 preparing5 questions74 review26 revision2 share17 social life8 Spanish33 speaking73 topics19

Students blogging in Spanish and learning many skills.

I created another blog for my Spanish students where I want to share resources and students’ work. As a matter of fact I already had another blog on Posterous but it closed down and therefore I had to look for another free platform. I found Kidblog which is free for up to 50 students and does not require students to sign in with an email address.

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blog7 Blogging1 category1 comment3 conditional13 creative13 Juanes1 kidblog1 la historia de Juan1 post5 productive9 publish2 simple past24 skills26 song29 Spanish33 tag1 tools14 useful7

More on Spanish food

Last night I posted a video about Spanish table manners from Ben and Marina. Here is another video from Ben and Marina to learn and/or review Spanish fruit and vegetables:

As well as the video, you can get the full list of vocabulary on Ben and Marina’s website.

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activity13 Ben and Marina2 curriculum5 drinking9 eating15 Education20 expressions5 fluent57 food154 fruit12 grade 108 grade 98 IGSCE1 learning15 list4 listening52 memorize11 Notes in Spanish2 Spanish33 speaking73 table7 talk107 topic24 vegetable1 video350 vocabulary256 wiki5