Computer as a teaching/ learning tool

 Computer as a teaching/ learning tool

Although at first it might sound daunting to teach students ESL writing using computers, it apparently is an effective way if used wisely.

Let's take a moment to see what computer assisted teaching is.

A word processor

 A word processor is the modern version of paper, pen, typewriter, eraser, dictionary and thesaurus… all in one.

Some examples of word processing programs include Microsoft Word, Word Perfect (Windows only), Apple Works (Mac only), and Open Office.org.

 

 Effect on Writing Process 

 

1.Planning - smart art graphic tool as an outliner

2. Drafting / composing- text editor tool– note-taking - annotation-devices

3. Revising - Post writing tools – spell checker, dictionary look up, grammar checker 

1. Text Editor 

A type of program used for editing text files. As with word processors, text editors will provide a way to

•undo and redo the last edit

•text formatting

•copy, paste, cut,

•automatic tabulation

•replacing text automatically

•comment

 Theoretical Background

 

•Drawing on interactionist Second Language Acquisition theory and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) research, Chapelle (1999) suggests that types of interactions in CALL may be beneficial for language development if they focus learners’ attention on input form, and allow self-correction.

Noticing hypothesis -Schmidt (1990)

•Noticing hypothesis claims that conscious awareness (noticing) of grammar plays an important role in the L2 acquisition process. According to empirical research CALL has supported this hypothesis.

 Zone of Proximal Development Vygotsky- 1978

 It is defined as the zone between what students can already accomplish on their own and what they can accomplish with appropriate help.

-The implementation of this concept in terms of computer-assisted writing instruction, is the help that computers provide to students in learning and carrying out the writing process. 

 Advantageous and Disadvantageous of CAI (computer assisted instructions)

Teacher - Benefits

Easy to read, easy to edit, can easily get the error statistics, time saving

Student - Benefits

Writing becomes Interesting & enjoyable, reduces writing anxiety, easy to revise, gives high text quality. 

Teacher - drawbacks

 Reduces communication between students and teacher

Student - drawbacks

Anxiety to use the software

Limited typing/word processing abilities

Focus on surface feature of texts

 

I'm a final year Master's student majoring in TESOL at the State University of New York at Buffalo. I created this blog during my final year of study.

I wanted to create this weblog to provide a platform for all the  teachers of English to support each other overcome the problems they encounter in the classrooms. These problems include grammar, vocabulary, reading, speaking, writing, listening and everything that concerns ESL teachers in general.

I've been an ESL teacher for five years and have taught from K3 - K12. In addition to ESL I've taught English literature both Cambridge and Edexcel curricula. I've conducted several teacher quality enhancement workshops. I wish to share some of the material of these workshops with my fellow bloggers.

I greatly appreciate your comment and ideas and invite you to share your personal experiences, instructional materials, methods that worked for you and those failed, classroom control techniques and so on and become a potential source of inspiration to others.

Grammar

I wish to share some interesting and intricate features of the structures that I came to know of during my teaching and learning of ESL. I will also be posting the following:

• Some difficult to answer grammar questions that we as teachers can expect from our students
• Suggestions to teach grammar
• Interesting activities

As you know there are two approaches to teaching grammar. They are inductive and deductive approaches.

Deductive Approach

First the grammar rules are outlined. Teacher defines the grammar structure before getting the students to practice it. I believe this approach is good if the proficiency level of the students is low. For example, if students don't know what conditional clauses are, it's better to show the structure first and analyze it before talking about examples.

Inductive Approach

In this approach the analysis of the grammar rule comes last. First examples of the intended structure is given/ practiced. Then students are expected to discover the elements of rules. When I teach conditional clauses most often I use the inductive approach. (Please see below)

I find inductive approach more interesting than deductive approach. Most often I try to use inductive approach even when teaching lower levels and resort to deductive approach only when the first doesn't yield intended results. Inductive teaching a great way to keep the students actively engaged in the learning process. It also helps the teacher to find out how much prior knowledge students have and to figure out how much of scaffolding is needed.

Indirect / reported Speech -1


According to my experience teaching indirect/ reported speech is not an easy task.

Let's start from easy to difficult.

In reported speech we have to pay attention to the time factor.

Example 1: If we are reporting something immediately after it's spoken and while the effect still pervades, we use present time.

At 1.00 p.m.
A says to B :      "I'm tired." At 1.01 p.m.
B reports to C:   A said that he is tired. (It's more correct to think A is still tired.)

Example 2.
A said he was tired. (If you are reporting much later in the day you could expect that A is not tired anymore)

Example 3.
A to B : "I will visit you tomorrow afternoon." The following day morning B to C: A said he will visit me this afternoon. The following day evening B to C : A said he would visit me this afternoon.

When reporting speech verbs change in the following manner.

Present tense He said, “I'm tired.”	Past tense He said he was tired.
Present continuous He said, “I'm planning to buy a house.”	Past continuous He said he was planning to buy a house.
Present perfect He said, “I have watched that movie.”	Past perfect He said he had watched that movie.
Present perfect continuous He said, “I have been working hard.”	Past perfect continuous He said he had been working hard.
Simple past tense He said, “I forgot to lock the door.”	Past perfect He said he had forgotten to lock the door.
Past continuous He said, “I was watching a movie at that time.”	Past perfect continuous He said he had been watching a movie at that time.
Past perfect NO  CHANGE He said, “I had already posted the letter.”	Past perfect   NO  CHANGE He said he had already posted the letter.
Past perfect continuousNO  CHANGE He said, “I had been answering the phone at that moment.”	Past perfect continuousNO  CHANGE He said he had been answering the phone at that moment.

Songs and grammar

You will find some of the songs I've used to teach grammar structures.

1. If I had a Million Dollars

 This is an ideal song to teach the conditional clause - type 2.

Eg: If I had a million dollars, I would buy you a house.

 

 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MdRNAOHrTDI#!

Lyrics
 

If I had a Million Dollars- by Barenaked Ladies


If I had a million dollars (If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you a house (I would buy you a house)
If I had a million dollars (If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you furniture for your house
(Maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)
And if I had a million dollars (If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a K-Car
(A nice Reliant automobile)
If I had a million dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars
I'd build a tree fort in our yard
If I had million dollars
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I had million dollars
Maybe we could put like a little tiny fridge in there somewhere
You know, we could just go up there and hang out
Like open the fridge and stuff
There would already be laid out foods for us
Like little pre-wrapped sausages and things

Lesson Plan

Grammar focus – Conditionals Type 2 

Level :  Intermediate

Duration :   45 minutes

Materials: cassette player, handouts of the song, Over head projector or white/ chalk board

Procedure:

1. Do a quick brainstorm of conditional clauses in general.

2. Give out the handouts of the song to all.

3. Play the song and get the students to sing along with the singer.

4. Discuss the grammar structure as follows:

Different forms can be used to convey the same idea. Think of three other model auxiliary verbs you can use instead of 'would' in the following sentence.

If I had a million dollars, I would buy you a house.

                                           could

                                           might

                                           should

5. Engage the students in the activity given below.

Chain story : The first student begins a sentence using conditionals type 1. The second student develops the idea of the first student by taking the verb of the main clause, and transforming it to the (simple past) verb of 'if clause' in his/ her original sentence. This process continues and everybody makes sure the outcome is a story.

If the man played well, his team would win the game. 

If the team won the game, they could become famous.

If they became famous, ……………………………………

6. Wrap up.



Thematic lessons

 Theme : Banking

Lesson Plan 1

Topic:             Banking

Level:             Beginner

Objectives:     To identify parts of a check

    To learn how to write a check

Duration:         1 hr

Materials:       Sample checks printed on paper, a poster board with a sample of a    
                         check on it.

Procedure

1.     Students look at the poster board and identify features of a check. They discuss from A – I (please look at the lesson 1 materials).

2.     They write three checks based on the instructions they get. They do the first one with the instructor.

Practice activity:

a)     write a check to Princeton Courts Apartments for $ 500.00- Rent.

b)    write a check to National fuel for $ 55.00 – gas.

c)     write a check to National grid for $ 30.00 – electricity.

3.     Extension activity – time permitting

Students get a deposit slip and fill in the information according to the instructions they get.

Lesson 1 Materials

A.  Your name and address go here. These are preprinted on the check for your convenience and tell the person or company to whom you’re giving the check – known as the payee – that you’re the one who wrote it.

B.  Write in today's date.   

C.   This is where you write the name of the person or company who will be receiving the money. If you’re making a withdrawal for yourself, write “Cash” here.

D.  The amount of the check is written here.     

E.   The amount in words is written on this line. You start at the left edge of the line and when you’re finished, you will draw a line through the remaining empty space as far as the word “Dollars.”

F.   The name of the bank that holds your account appears here.

    G. To remember what you bought, you can write a brief description here. 

H. Your signature should be the last thing you complete. It gives the bank   
     permission, or authorization, to release the money to the payee.

I.           This is the check number. This reference number will help you keep track of your payments by check. Each time you write a check, you should record the check number, date, payee, and amount in your check register, and calculate your new balance. 

Lesson 2

Topic:          Banking

Level:           Beginner

Objectives:   To identify parts of a deposit slip

To learn how to fill in a deposit slip

Duration:     1 hr

Materials:       Sample deposit slips printed on paper,  a poster board with a sample  

                     of a deposit slip on it.

Procedure

1. Students look at the poster board and identify features of a deposit slip. They discuss from A – I (please look at lesson 2 materials).

2.     They fill in three deposit slips based on the instructions they get. They do the first one with the instructor.

Practice activity: 

Date • 04/06/12 Checks to deposit: • #2542 for $25.00 • #1502 for $120.00 Cash back: • $40.00

Date • 03/06/12 Checks to deposit: • #2567 for $80.00 • #1534 for $250.00 Cash back: • $60.00

Date • 04/25/12 Checks to deposit: • #2345 for $100.00 • #1689 for $300.00 Cash back: • $100.00

Lesson 2 Materials