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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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 comprehend10 comprehensible41 dance2 dancing1 dig up1 disco1 dislikes1 Education8 engage14 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

The lion's breath or how to refocus

Last year when I was teaching Spanish, I became a fan of brain breaks. According to Dr. Lori Desautels: "They refocus our neural circuitry with either stimulating or quieting practices that generate increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, where problem solving and emotional regulation occur.

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How can a children's book be for everyone?

I am always on the look for interesting funny stories and at the same time stories which are comprehensible to my learners. A few months ago when I was busy breastfeeding, I was reading the TPRS bible "Fluency through TPR storytelling" by Blaine Ray and Contee Steel and one chapter entitled "Kindergarten Day" caught my eyes.

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acquiring5 acquisition33 activities5 animal sounds1 animals2 bedtime2 children8 ci16 circle3 circling5 comprehensible41 comprehension31 connection3 exercises1 fun13 funny2 high frequency7 home practice1 input39 interesting9 kindergarten day1 listening29 own pace2 parallel story2 practice17 present tense1 reading36 repetition11 repetitive5 story34 storytelling28 teacherspayteachers11 TPRS34 verb forms1 video32 vocabulary18

Total Physical Response in online teaching

It is amazing how time is flying and I have realized that it has been way over a month that I have written a new post! As it happened, I have been busy teaching students online face to face. It is a truly exciting time for me because I am experiencing teaching in another way than in a set classroom and because I help learners acquire different languages (French,

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acquistion1 beginner10 ci16 commands2 compelling10 comprehensible41 comprehension31 demo3 Education8 face to face1 flashcards4 French20 fun13 input39 inspiring3 interaction1 intsructions1 listening29 memorize5 one to one1 online7 own pace2 physical response1 practice17 quizlet5 responding1 scenario1 Skype4 storytelling28 tpr2 TPRS34 understanding8 video32 vocabulary18 webcam1 youtube17

Reading activity for French learners (beginner level).

Yeah!!! I am back to blogging! I had a very good excuse though for not posting for such a while: I had my fourth boy on the 24th of September. His name is Antoine and he is a lovely baby boy doing well :-)

Whilst recovering from the birth and taking care of my precious little boy,

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acquire28 acquisition33 beginner10 blog6 ci16 comprehensible41 comprehension31 confidence4 confident4 content5 creative12 Education8 French20 grammar6 input39 key structures7 languages5 Martina Bex10 meaning3 meaningful4 parallel story2 practice17 prepare2 printable1 reading36 story34 storytelling28 teacherspayteachers11 TPRS34 vocabulary18 worksheet2 writing17

Spanish story script number 4: Lo siento.

Here is another story script which follows the last story about little Pedro losing his notebook. This story has lots of repetitions to focus on "lo siento" and "no sé qué hacer". I am telling those stories using wooden ice cream sticks which the students love.

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acquire28 acquisition33 acting1 ci16 comprehend10 comprehension31 comprenhensible1 drama1 engage14 fluency15 fluent12 fun13 funny2 high frequency7 high interest5 input39 interest9 interesting9 intonation1 key1 listening29 motivate7 motivated1 motivating1 motivation6 practice17 proficiency8 proficient6 pronunciation2 reading36 repetition11 repetitive5 retell2 retelling3 script10 second language4 skills24 story34 storytelling28 structure10 target8 target language12 target structure10 TPRS34 vocabulary18 words2