| | |  AUGUST 21, 2008  Hi,
My name is Ashley and I will be going to Spain with Geovisions in September to work with two adults in Albacete.
The adults are interested in learning all areas of the English language, mostly conversational. I have been told their current skill level is "advanced basic."
I have never taught English as a Second Language and could certainly use some advice and/or suggestions regarding teaching ideas, strategies, and activities.
Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Dear Ashley,
Congratulations on your upcoming adventure! I know you will have fun exploring and working with a new culture and a new family.
Working with adults can be fun as they share their culture and ideas with you. Since you will be with adults, I would suggest informal, rather than 'formal,' classes. I am attaching some conversation starters and possible ways to enhance their conversation abilities while exploring some very interesting topics.
The suggestions I am sending can be used as either conversation or writing topics. Grammar surfaces in both instances and gentle correction may be in order.
Many times, informal conversation in a relaxed atmosphere can be beneficial. By not thinking too hard about the formal side of the language, the informal takes over and the 'student' finds they know more of the target language than they thought. Short trips to museums, parks, remarks on what you are discovering and why they can point out and explain may go a long way in opening up the language channels.
More formally, I hope the attached will help. One is many suggestions and topics that are useful in teaching conversation and vocabulary. The other is a listing of possible internet sites giving even more suggestions. You may wish to pack in a scrabble set (fun and a good way to enlarge vocabulary; can become a contest in who wins the most games/points over the entire experience), a pocket American English dictionary with a Thesaurus attached, and several Word Seek/Search puzzle books. They are very inexpensive and are found on magazine racks in grocery stores. The puzzle books are great because the individual puzzles are often vocabulary-specific to a certain subject. When the student searches for the word, they must concentrate on spelling and definition. These can be expanded to sentence placement of the word and building a story around certain of the words. Once the words are found in the puzzle, people tend to remember the words and how they relate to the given subject/topic. The puzzle books are a great way to start and something they can keep for the future.
Let me know if you feel this helps. You will be teaching, but you will also be a guide for the family in the English language. They can gain confidence through you in using English. Likewise, they will be good guides for you as you explore their culture and thoughts and ideas. Pay attention to your expectations and to their expectations for this adventure. Sometimes they may differ.
How long will you be with the family? Beautiful time of year to experience Spain and there is so much history to explore that I am certain the family will enjoy showing it to you - in English as they learn from you. Have you studied spanish?
I look forward to hearing from you and hope you will keep in touch. I would enjoy learning how your experience develops. If you feel you need more information, please let me know. Very best wishes for a most successful adventure!
Sincerely, Jane
GeoVisions Resource Center Hello Jane,
Thank you so much for all the helpful information.
I have spent a significantly amount of time preparing suggested materials (games, word searches, magnetic poetry, dictionaries, maps, pictures, etc) and at this point am pretty ready to be there!
I'll be there for two months - from September 8th until November 7. If I have any teaching related-questions while I am there I will be sure to be in touch. I just started studying Spanish with the Rosetta Stone program and hope to get in a few hours each day until I leave. I already know some basics but figured the program would still be helpful.
Thanks again for all the info you sent.
All the best, Ashley Hi, Ashley~~
Thank you for the update and information. I am really glad that you feel more prepared and am certain that you will do a fine job and have a great experience. I am excited for you - and for the family receiving you.
Let me know how things progress in your new adventure. I am curious to know how you feel about the Rosetta Stone language program and if it helps you in acquiring Spanish while surrounded by the language.
I suspect you are all packed and ready to go. Very best of luck to you! Have fun!
Best wishes, Jane back to top | |