Carrollton, United States TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

Equipment and teaching aids Teaching equipment Many different teaching aids can be used to make lessons more interesting, effective and less dependent on the textbook. Different schools, of course, have different resources available to teachers. Following are some of the resources often found in classrooms and study centers. *White/black board *Inter whiteboard (IWB) *Overhead projector (OHP) *Visual aids *Worksheets and work cards *Cassette recorder *CD player *Videos and DVDs *Video camera *Dictionaries *Course books *Resource books *Photocopier *Computers *Online resources 1 The board All classrooms should have a board of some kind, or flipchart. It is important for all board work to be planned and organised. It can be a very useful idea to make a board plan on a piece of paper beforehand, to show what you intend to have on the board and when. board can be used for many things; writing, drawing, sticking things on, projecting overhead transparencies etc. Boards draw and hold the attention of the students very effectively. Most teachers prefer whiteboards to the traditional chalk blackboards, as they are cleaner and easier to use. Basic principles for board-work *Start with a clean board. *Write legibly and neatly. *Use the correct writing tool for the board. *Keep the board clear and easy to read. *Try to section of the board, to give areas for vocabulary, grammar and notes. Many teachers use columns to achieve this. *Use different colours and/or underlining or circling particular language points to focus on, or th show irregularities, differences in language etc. *Adjust the size of your writing to the size of the board, and make sure that it can always be seen and read from the back of the class. *Only put essential or requested information on the board. *Erase what is no longer needed. *Avoid unnecessary capitalisation, as all text on the board should reflect natural writing. Additionally, studies show that CAPITALISED TEXT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO READ than lower case text. *Bear in mind that students will often note down everything they see on the board, so accuracy is essential. *Involve the students in the writing process. *clean the board at the end of the lesson. 2 Interactive whiteboard Interactive whiteboards, often referred to as IWBs or smart boards, are increasingly being used in both state funded and private classrooms world-wide. However, their expense inevitably delays the introduction of IWBs in many schools in less developed regions. There are many different types of IWBs on the market, ranging in both price and complexity, working on a number of different technologies. Some are based around specially-made whiteboards that are touch sensitive or have wires inlaid so as to detect the movement of the mouse-pen across the surface. Other systems, often much cheaper, use an Infra-red (IR) scan to detect the movement of a mouse-pen across a normal whiteboard or other flat surface. All require their own product. Whether you are faced with a top-of-the-range wall-mounted IWB with self contained light projector/sensor box, or a smaller IR detector sitting on top of a normal light projector, all IWBs require to be connected to some form of computer or laptop. Incidentally, most manufacturers warns against the use of normal whiteboard markers on the IWB. Please bear in mind the following: Test and have a back up plan When planning an IWB lesson remember it's a computer, and like anything else electronics may well let you down at the most embarrassing moment. Test your lesson works prior to the class and have a back up plan ready. System selection and location Even some renowned educational facilities place their IWBs in poor locations; often in a flagship classroom where it can be seen by prospective fee-paying students! Background lighting and/or poor positioning of the IWB can make life difficult for the teacher. IWB training regime When newly installed, most schools will run training sessions to introduce the new equipment o the teachers. However, don't rely on this being a given, especially if the equipment has been there for a while and the initial interest has waned. IWBs are generally easy to get to grips with but training is essential for effective use. Even IWB-competent teachers often don't use the equipment to its full potential, preferring to use it merely to understand the quirks of the operating system and the lesson software provided. Lesson planning with an IWB There is no doubt that it is possible to produce some visually stunning lessons using the IWB software available. However, even experienced IWB users will, if they are honest, say that it is a time-consuming labor of love. Some schools will have purchased IWB lesson plans, which drastically cuts down the time teachers needs to prepare a lesson. As the use of IWB has become more common place, teachers and companies are putting their lesson plans online, often free of charge. Making your own IWB lesson plans on planing paper and lesson planning electronically are really no different. The thought process and flow remain unchanged, though teachers need to avoid over-complicating an IWB lesson plan to the point it loses the focus on the grammar point or target language. This is often due to the fact that the teacher is still experimenting with the equipment to see what it is capable of. Using the IWB as a screen It is possible with most IWB to show a pre-existing Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, movie or sound file from the attached computer. When using non-IWb applications the pen supplied normally reverts to being a simple remote mouse. The teacher will need to be familiar with functions such as switching between applications smoothly. 3 Overhead projector (OHP) Although with the advent of computers their use is diminishing, overhead projectors are useful for showing pre-prepared overhead transparencies (OHTs), or as an alternative to the board. Advantages of the OHP *Focuses students attention *OHTs can be prepared in advance and help the teacher avoid having his/her back to the students while doing board work. obviously OHTs also cut down on the time necessary for writing on the board *Teachers can put OHTs one on top of the other to show emerging or developing patterns *Putting one OHT on top of another allows the teacher to write on top of a text with out writing on the original OHt (which is underlined). This can be particularly useful for correcting writing and showing different layout patterns, as well as for highlighting language points *Sheets of paper or card can be used to cover parts of the OHT, allowing the teacher to reveal information gradually *They can be used for timed reading, gap fill exercises etc *They are a perfect tool for feedback after written exercises, as the student' worksheets can be copies on to OHT, and the answers filled in together in front of the class *OHTs can be kept in a file and reused time and time again *Teachers can take their time over writing OHTs ensuring legibility Disadvantages of the OHP *Classrooms need a surface (board, wall, screen) that is not bleached out by the sunlight *Some OHPs can be rather complicated or troublesome to set up effectively *The classroom needs to be of a sufficient size to allow for effective projection *The classroom may need reorganizing to allow for an uninterrupted projection path 4 visual aids Many different types of visual aids can be used in the classroom, but the most common are real objects, pictures and photos. *They are often used to illustrate meaning more quickly and effectively than through verbal explanation- thus reducing teacher talking time *They can bring the outside world into the classroom and add variety and interest *They attract attention and help with the memory process *They can stimulate discussion and elicit language *They can be used for prompts in communication games-prompts for study building etc. *Visual aids can set the context-a picture of a market, town centre, clothing on the board, etc *They can be used in hand for presenting new vocab items, and used in drills etc. *In order to make the visuals effective, it is important to make sure that they are big enough to be seen and unambiguous. *They can be produced by the teacher. You don't need to be able to be able to draw-stick figures and pictures cut out of magazines are fine. *Some are used for a small part of the lesson, and others can be left up for students to see throughout the lesson.Some visuals, such as wall-charts and maps, can even be put up on permanent display. 5 worksheets and work cards These can be bought from a publisher, or made by the teacher, and are particularly useful in the following situations: *To adapt published materials *To act as prompt/cue materials *To write your own exercises with authentic materials *To make cards (role-play) for communication activities *They can be used for reading and grammar exercises, and cards for presenting new vocabulary, etc. *Please note that if you wish to re-use cards it may be worth covering them in plastic to keep them clean/undamaged. 6 The cassette recorder This has been one of the most useful tools for the EFL teacher for many years, though today more modern technology is gaining in popularity. In the past, cassettes have accompanied many course books and blank cassettes can be used to record authentic materials, record the students' communication, or for teachers to make their own dialogs for use in the classroom. Whilst it is a simple piece of equipment, practice and preparation are essential. Therefore: *Before you start the lesson make sure that you are familiar with the machine. Which way round do you insert the tape? Where are the pause, rewind and volume buttons? Is there a counter? What is the sound quality like? *How long does it take to rewind the tape back to the start point, so that the students can listen again? Rewind the tape to the beginning of the piece and "zero" the counter if it has one. Bear in mind that you're likely to need to rewind the tape at least once, and that it will be done in front of the class! *Make sure it is set to the appropriate volume level, bearing in mind the size of the classroom, the distance the students are from the speakers, and external noise *Listen in advance to the whole of the excerpt you want to use. Is it clear and complete? *make sure it works in the classroom! *During the discussion of what the students heard on the first listening, rewind to the right place for the second listening 7 CD player CDs have largely taken over from cassettes over the last few years and are now widely used as a primary audio source in the classroom. Many of the guidelines in the section above apply equally to CDs in terms of preparation and use. Make sure you make a note of the exact track number you intend to use, as pressing 'stop' instead of 'pause' may mean that you will need to find the right point on the CD again very quickly in front of a waiting class of students. 8 Videos and DVDs The basic principle behind using audio cassettes in the classroom can also apply to video cassettes and DVDs. For effective use of video in the classroom, the monitor (usually TV screens) needs to be big enough and located in the correct place so that all students can see it clearly. Videos can be used for many things; presenting information giving background to a topic, various forms of dialogues and interactions, building listening comprehension skills etc. Many course books have videos to support the content. Materials for these purposes can be recorded directly from TV or set up and filmed using a video camera. Many teachers have found that showing modern video films in short instalments over a period of time can be very motivational for the students. It is important that films are not just shown for the sake of it. They must still have some purpose and task. That could be to analyze/present new language, predict what will happen in the next instalment, write a brief summary/review, etc. Videos can often be used to stimulate discussion and also for communicative activities. One particularly effective activity is to put the students in pairs, sitting back to back so that only one of each pair can see the screen. With the volume turned off, one of each pair watches a short extract from a film, series, documentary, etc and describes what he/she can see to the other student who then uses this information to complete a questionnaire that the teacher has prepared in advance. After the clip the students who haven't seen the video can ask questions to their partners to complete the questionnaire. The pairs then swap roles and continue with the video. There are a couple of advantages over audio cassettes: *Students can see as well as hear. Video is therefore much easier to understand *Video holds the students' attention more 9 Video camera Video cameras can be extremely useful in the classroom. One of their major uses is to record the students during an activity, and then play it back to them for analysis and discussion. The camera can also be used by the students to record a film as part of an activity or project. They may wish to record their own news broadcast, play, soap opera episode etc. They might also want to take the camera onto the streets to record interviews as part of a survey. More recently most smartphones are capable of HD quality video recording, so the need to purchase expensive and often complicated video camera systems has now become a thing of the past for many people. The main thing is to watch out for when using any camera to record video is correct usage of the equipment. Some training for the teacher and students may be necessary to ensure effective usage. After all there is not much point in recording an activity if the picture isn't clear on the sound cannot be heard! 10 Dictionaries Whether a dictionary is in book or computer form, it is probably the single most useful tool available to students. A good dictionary will not help students look up meaning, pronunciation and usage, but should also help students produce language. Many students rely too heavily on dictionaries that translate between English and their own language. This is certainly necessary at lower levels but we should encourage the use of English-English dictionaries that are clearly presented, have an example sentence and definition written in simple English so that students can understand them. There are many good English-English dictionaries on the market which were specially written for English language students. Good examples are the "Learner's" dictionaries produced by Oxford University Press (OUP), available at Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels. All classrooms should have a stock of dictionaries available for use and students should be given some instructions on how to get the most from them. 12 Resource books Resource books range from grammar exercises books, through to communication games books. There are literally thousands of these on the market and most good schools will have a reasonable selection. Resource books are useful for adapting supplementing and replacing material from a course book. Many of these books give permission for photocopying and are extremely popular with teachers, as they give a host of ideas and activities to help make classes more interesting and stimulating. Every teacher has his/her own favorites. In a short while you will too when you start a new job, one of the first things you should do is to have a look around the resource room and familiarize yourself with some of the materials and books contained there. Here are some common resource books that many schools will have (in no particular order): Grammar Practice Activities, by Penny Ur (CUP) Elementary Communication Games, by Jill Handfield (Longman) Intermediate Communication Games, by Jill handfield (Longman) Essential Grammar is use, by Raymond Murphy (CUP) English Grammar in use, by Raymond Murphy (CUP)(known as "the Blue Murphy"!) Grammar Games and Activities, by Peter Watcyn-Jones (Penguin) Grammar in Action, by Mario Rinvolucri (Prentice Hall) Grammar games, by Mario Rinvolucri (CUP) Five Minute Activities, by Penny Ur and Andrew Wright (CUP) Keep Talking, by Friederike Klippel (CUP) Discussions that Work, by Penny Ur (CUP) 13 Photocopiers Almost every school will either have a photocopier, or have access to one. These particularly necessary for copying materials that aren't contained within the students' course books. Teachers should try to make sure copies are clear and attractively presented and avoid wasting paper unnecessarily. Each photocopier is different in its use, and staff at the school or institute at which your working should be able to provide some training in its operation. 14 Computers are gradually becoming as much a part of the English language classroom as they already have in most other areas of life. The major with students using computers in the classroom is having enough of them to allow class members access at the same time. Obviously the cost is high and many schools simply cannot afford the quantity that the teacher would like, so they are often only available to the teacher, if at all. As with video, computers shouldn't be overused or they will lose their impact and effectiveness in the classroom. Students using a computer too often can also become rather uncommunicative, which is not what the teacher wants! Computer-aided language learning (CALL) is developing rapidly, as the use of computers increases throughout the word. Word processor A word processing program such as Microsoft Word or the free Open Office enables a teacher to put text and/or images together in a more legible and professional format than anything handwritten, or photocopied then cut and pasted. Computer-generated worksheets and activities also allows the teacher to store materials electronically to adapt or use again at a later date. EFL CDs Many course books now also have a CD to support the content, which contain anything from games and tests to other classroom activities. Reference tools Computers can be a useful reference tool, via installed dictionaries, encyclopedia and locally stored resources, or on CDs. If the computer has Internet access them any materials that can be searched and found online can become live teaching aids in an EFL classroom. Email Email can allow students from all over the world to communicate together in English, or for students to communicate electronically with others as part of a project or exercise. Videos/video clips VHS video cassettes andvideos on VCD or DVD have been largely superseded nowadays with videos started electronically, either on a computer or external storage device. With so much content online, there is more available now than ever to supplement an EFL lesson, or even to base a lesson around. YouTube (www.youtube.com) is an excellent source of videos and audio for use in the classroom. Do a search for a subject or song in YouTube and likelihood is that you'll find what you need. There are add-ons for YouTube (found via the 'add-ons' option within your browser) that will allow you to download either video with audio or the sound only so that you can use it offline later if you prefer. Podcasts/MP3s/audio clips The Merriam Webster Tenth International Collegiate defines a podcast as a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet Podcasts are now widely available from a variety of sources, such as broadcasters, publishers and private websites, and are an excellent form of authentic listening materials for a TEFL classroom. An online search for 'TEFL audio clips' or 'TEFL MP3s' will yield many results for created materials, but perhaps the best are created by the BBC, specifically for English language learners. They are available at www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english, with a search facility at the top of the page which should produce the language point you're looking for. Should you prefer American English, VOA (Voice of America) has an audio section on its website designed for students of English. You can find these resources at http://learningenglish.vooanews.com/. 15 Online sources There are literally thousands of websites that a TEFL teacher can use as resources. The following resources, taken from CALL@HULL, compiled by Fred Riley, are just a few. Please note that as websites are by no means permanent, some of the sites may no longer be available. The original link is www.fredriley.org.uk/callhull/languages/english Dictionaries Online dictionaries, grammar references, thesauri, and etymologies Cambridge International Dictionaries Online (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/) Search online Cambridge Dictionaries of English, American English, Phrasal Verbs, and Idioms. Very useful. The DICT Development Group (www.dict.org/) Aproject to develop a protocal and tools to develop and query online natural language databases. The site currently features an interface to several online English dictionaries, allowing the user to query all or any of them at one time using advanced search criteria. Dictionary.com (www.dictionary.com) Online searchable English dictionary, including links to other English and non-English online dictionaries and a glossary of English jargon terms. The Exploding Dictionary (http://projects.ghostweel.com/dictionary/) A sort of 'meta' search form for various publicly-available English dictionaries (including Webster's, the Hackers dictionary, and the Jargon File) which generates of a term from these dictionaries in both plain and hypertext format, so that you can follow links to related material. FreeDictionary.org (www.freedictionary.org) A meta search engine, which searches one or more online English-language dictionaries (e.g. Webster's Free Online Dictionary of Computing). You can search for words, prefives, substrings, or even Unix-style regular expressions. There's also an anagram word game, although it's although it's not entirely obvious how to play it. Geordie Dictionary (http://newcastleupontyne.tripod.com/geordie.html#T) A dictionary, on page, of one of the most impenetrable regional dialects in the UK. Hypertext Webster Interface (www.websters-online-dictionary.org) A searchable online version of the Webster English Dictionary. KnowPlay Reference (www.kplay.cc/reference.html) A 'meta search engine' which allows you to search various dictionaries, thesauri, and encyclopedia from a single form. Online English Grammar (wwww.edufind.com/english/grammar) A comprehensive reference hosted by St. John's Wood school of English, London. Oxford Reference: English Dictionaries and Thesauruse. (www.oxfordreference.com/views/SUBJECT_SEARCH.html?subjects=s7) Online, searchable versions of Oxford English dictionaries and thesauri, giving full definitions and etymologies, with a useful cross-reference feature to follow leads. Roget's Thesaurus (http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/ROGET.html) An online search form for the famous English thesaurus. WordNet-a Lexical Database for English (http://wordnet.princeton.edu/) A searchable online English dictionary organised semantically rather than alphabetically, with full hypertext-annotated definitions, and including slang terms. You can also download your own copy from the site. Wordsmythe English Dictionary-Thesaurus (www.wordsmyth.net) An English dictionary with a difference, as the search produces related words and phrases as well as definitions. World Wide Words: exploring the English language (www.worldwidewords.org) A fascinating and highly 'browsable' site containing the derivation and history of hundreds of English words and phrases, including very recent terms. Indexed and searchable. Highly recommended. Learning Online lessons, exercises, and learning materials for students of English. Accents in English with eViews (www.eviews.net) Weekly comprehension exercises based on recorded interviews (MP3, RealAudio) in different English accents, which subscribers can download from the site. Subscription is charged to EFL teachers, but is free to students. There's also a list of EFL-related Internet links, some of which are annotated. The Amazing Cognate Poems Homepage (wwww.rajeun.net/tcw/amazing.html) Laugh and learn. A few French and English lessons based on funny poems. Dave's ESL Cafe (www.eslcafe.com) A friendly website for students and teachers of ESL, with forums, language resources and online chat rooms. English@WSL (http://english.wsl.ed.pl/) A large number of interactive quizzes, sorted by level, for learners of English, plus a database of annotated links for English learners, searchable by category,and links to current news stories. Created by students at the collage of foreign Languages in Czestochowa, Poland. English through the Internet (http://mofetsrv.mofet.macam98.ac.il/~elaine/eti/) A 'virtual course' using the Internet to teach English via distance learning. ESL Lessons and Links (http://cs.clark-ip.com/eslessonsonline/index.html) Lessons, grammar info, and interactive exercises which give meaningful responses, rather than just right/wrong. The authors also publish an interesting online Internet journal (which is at http://news.journalmaker.com/esljournal/) written by and for ESL students. English@home (www.english-at-home.com) A large compendium of resources for people learning English at home, including grammar and vocabulary, "Real lifeEnglish", a "Radio Room" where you can Listen to English to English radio stations online, online forms, and a free email newsletter. EnglishClub.net (www.englishclub.net) Lots of resources, including references materials, study aid, and quizzes, for teachers and learners of English. English School on the net (www.study.com) Free online English classes for beginners to advanced students. ESL Internet Group (http://www.reocities.com/CollegePark/campus/1233/) A project using the Internet as an aid to English learning. Students in the ESL Internet Group produce personal Web pages as a learning activity. There are also links to resources for EFL and for creating your own Web pages. Infotech online learning activities (http://www.cambridge.org/gb/elt/catalogue/subject/projectcustom/item2489380/) Some EFL exercises online and to print out fromthe Cambridge University Press (http://uk.cambridge.org/elt/). Interactive Listening Comprehension Practice (www.iei.illinois.edu/current/studyresourcees) Interactive recorded from American radio stations. Interesting Things for ESL Students (www.manythings.org) Interactive of English, including quizzes, sentence generators, and Hangman. The focus is on American English. Internet Grammar of English (www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar) An online course in English grammar written primarily for university undergraduates, including Javascript exercises and a glossary of grammatical terms. Learn English (www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish) The British Council website for learners of English. This site has a range of literacy materials, information about courses and links to other websites. Learners can enter the site using their first language and identify the learning zone appropriate to their learning level. Languages currently available are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Learning English with BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish) Learn or improve your English with this interactive multimedia website run by the BBC, which uses authentic audio and video clips. Beginners lessons are available in an eclectic of source languages, including Mandarin, Russian and Ukrainian. La Mansion del Ingles (www.mansioningles.com) A free multimedia beginners English course for Spanish speakers, comprising 12 lessons, interactive exercises, and useful additional resources (grammar, vocabulary, song lyrics). The audio clips are in .wma format and require the Winamp player (www.winamp.com) (full version), and unfortunately the site is currently only usable in Internet Explorer. Site text in Spanish. The Many Roads to Japan (http://www2.gol.com/users/norris/roadsdownload.html) A downloadable interactive hypermedia book (PDF) by Robert W Norris which tells the story of a Vietnam War resister's journey of self discovery. Aimed at ESL students and teachers (intermediate and above levels), the book includes hyperlinks, essay and comprehensian questions, and exercises. The website also has a reading by the author in Real format. Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com/) Lots of English listening quizzes using audio and video materials. Each quiz has Pre-listening, Listening, and Post-Listening Activities, and the transcript of each clip is available with popup definitions of target words. There's also a Bulletin Board and Chat Centre. Tom Robb's page (http://tomrobb.com/tomspage/) Email projects of Japanese students learning English (in English and Japanese), publications by Prof.Robb, and a few links. Hosted by the Dept of English, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan. Wicked stuff for English learners (www.stuff.co.uk/wicked.htm) Interactive multimedia activities, most of which require browser plug-ins (Shockwave, RealAudio). Literacy and Poetry The On-Line Books Page (http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/) A searchable database of links to over 12,000 books online, the vast majority English-language. There's also a page of links to online libraries of non-English-language texts. Media English-language newspapers. TV and radio stations, and journals British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (www.bbc.co.uk) Information on all BBC radio and TV channels, including RealAudio files of broadcasts on Radio 1, 4, and 5. BBC English Radio (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish) The English Language Teaching department of the BBC World Service. The server contains radio schedules, programme information, and teaching resources. BBC World Service (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) A website packed with features, including all World Service output in RealAudio, and educational material for English based on selected broadcasts. Recommended. Capital Radio (www.capitalradio.co.uk) London's main commercial radio station online, with live RealAudio broadcasts. CNN (www.cnn.com) The world-famous US news service online, including a live RealAudio feed. Broadcasts in Spanish and English. Daily Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk) The online edition of the popular English tabloid newspaper. Electronic Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk) The online version of the English daily broadsheet. For registered users only, although you can register online for free. The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk) The English daily broadsheet newspaper online. The Independent Online (www.independent.co.uk) Full news stories and articles from the UK broadsheet. The New Internationalist in Easier English (http://www2.gol.com/users/bobkeim/contents.html) Selected articles from the liberal affairs magazine New Internationalist, re-written to be more accessible to learners of English as a second or foreign language. The Scotsman (www.scotsman.com) The Scottish daily online, including a Java-powered interactive crossword. Reuters (www.reuters.com) The international news service. This is London: Evening Standard Online (www.thisislondon.com) The London daily evening newspaper online. The Times (www.timesonline.co.uk) The online version of the English broadsheet newspaper, including online access to back issues. UK Newspapers and International Newspapers with English Versions (www.thebigproject.co.uk/news) A compendium of links to websites of newspapers in the English-speaking world, and to non-English language papers which publish English versions. There are also selected links to non-English papers, and to other sites listing papers and periodicals. Resources General resources for anyone interested in English in general, or TEFL in particular. Business English Special Interest Group (BESIG) (www.besig.org) A SIG for international business English teaching community The website has back issues of BESIG publications and a discussion forum. EFL resources (www.tewtjo