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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acquire28 acquisition33 adults1 children8 ci16 comics1 communicate5 communication7 communicative7 compelling10 comprehensible41 comprehensible input6 comprehension31 content5 culture22 describe4 describing1 description5 Education8 engaging9 foreign language5 France4 French20 fun13 game8 guess who1 high frequency7 high interest5 input39 interest9 interesting9 language26 language learning1 learner8 learners2 message2 online7 physical2 play7 playing3 reading36 story34 story asking9 story building3 TPRS34 tutor2 tutoring1 unconscious3 unconsciously3 understand7 understanding8 write5 writing17

Story listening is powerful!

https://goo.gl/photos/q3JwpJ4wErVuXC6e9

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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How to find out about your learners interests in a compelling way?

https://goo.gl/photos/Lv9KJs14RiDxpNb16

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 acquire28 acquisition33 answers8 approach1 asking1 Ben Slavic2 brain break5 chinese portrait1 chinois1 cognates3 communicate5 communication7 communicative7 compell1 compelling10 comprehensible41 dance2 dancing1 dig up1 disco1 dislikes1 Education8 engage14 engaging9 establish1 establishing1 find out1 fit3 fitness3 foreign language5 fun13 get to know1 girls1 group3 information5 input39 interest9 interesting9 language26 learner8 level2 likes1 meaning3 natural3 naturally3 near cognates1 one word image2 party2 personalized13 portrait1 questions19 repeat3 repeating3 repetition11 repetitive5 second language4 session2 story34 story asking9 storyasking3 target language12 target structure10 TPRS34 try out1 video32 vocabulary18 youtube17

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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acquire28 acquisition33 advanced course1 answer1 answering1 celebrate4 celebration5 ci16 circling5 comprehensible41 comprehension31 customized2 edmodo3 Education8 fluency15 fluent12 free writing1 immerse1 immersion1 improve3 input39 languages5 listen6 listening29 Martina Bex10 online7 personalized13 PQA5 proficiency8 proficient6 progress2 reading36 ressources8 share8 Skype4 story34 storyasking3 storytelling28 success2 successful1 teaching8 understand7 understanding8

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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acquire28 acquisition33 activity13 answers8 article5 communicate5 communication7 communicative7 compelling10 comprehensible41 comprehension31 conversation12 culture22 debate3 edmodo3 Education8 esl2 fluency15 input39 interesting9 language26 learner8 learning14 meaning3 meaningful4 personalized13 practise2 questions19 reading36 teacherspayteachers11 theme3 topic8

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 comprehensible41 comprehension31 conversation12 culture22 debate3 debe2 discuss1 discussion3 Education8 effort1 en contra1 engage14 family16 high interest5 input39 interest9 interesting9 issues1 key structures7 listen6 listening29 lo que hace1 Martina Bex10 meaningful4 output10 performance2 prison1 read7 reading36 reflect3 reflection4 skills24 social relationships2 South American1 speaking37 story34 storytelling28 structures6 target8 target language12 TPRS34

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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acquire28 acquired3 acquisition33 civilization1 collaboration work1 collaborative2 communication7 communicative7 comprehensible41 culture22 Education8 fluency15 grade 85 group work5 history5 imperfect2 incas1 independent3 information5 informative1 innate1 input39 internalize1 invented1 language26 language skills1 listening29 mayas1 oral11 output10 pair work2 past5 poster2 presentation10 proficiency8 project10 simple past4 skills24 speaking37 storylistening2 video32