From story-telling to story-asking

I am reading TPRS with Chinese characteristics: making students fluent and literate through comprehensible input by Terry Waltz and I am learning a great deal! I definitely recommend this book if, like me, you want your learners to truly develop fluency and proficiency in another language and on the other hand you do not consider yourself advanced in TPRS and comprehensible input,

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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 comprehend10 comprehensible41 comprehension31 customized2 edmodo3 Education8 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

How to develop fluency for an oral examination?

The speaking examination for the IGCSEs can be a stressful experience for our students as they are having to speak in the target language for 15 minutes and they are being recorded. It is therefore best to practice this experience often during class time. In the past I have used Audioboo so that my students could practice and review the general questions (which are a series of linked questions on two or three topics which students have covered in grade 9 and 10).

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acquire28 acquisition33 answers8 convey1 develop2 Education8 exam2 examination4 fluent12 GCSE1 grade 108 grade 98 IGCSE12 information5 list3 oral11 personal8 personalized13 PQA5 practice17 questions19 set2 Spanish27 speaking37 speaking skills2 teacherspayteachers11 tenses2 TPRS34

Finding input which will engage English learners.

One of my online Spanish student has an advanced level of English and she wants to practise her speaking skills but she lacks confidence. I have noticed that most language learners often lack confidence when it comes to having a conversation. They can comprehend a lot but they fear of speaking because they think people will not understand them or they will make too many errors.

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conversation12 document1 Education8 engage14 esl2 ethnic1 fluent12 food13 free4 input39 inspire4 inspiring3 interesting9 international1 output10 practise2 practising1 questions19 quizlet5 resource4 speak2 speaking37 talk4 talking1 teacherspayteachers11 TEDx1 Thai1 topic8 video32 vocabulary18 world3 youtube17

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 comprehend10 comprehensible41 comprehension31 conversation12 culture22 debate3 edmodo3 Education8 esl2 input39 interesting9 language26 learner8 learning14 meaning3 meaningful4 personal8 personalized13 practise2 questions19 reading36 teacherspayteachers11 theme3 topic8

Resources for English learners: superstitions.

Although I am taking a break from my school and "formal" teaching, I have not really quit and I have now started to teach online (via Google hangout or Skype) private lessons to Spanish students who want to improve their English. It is actually very different from teaching a whole class and my students have a good level of English but they are not confident enough.

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activity13 comprehensible41 comprehension31 conversation12 culture22 Education8 engage14 fluent12 language26 learning14 personal8 practice17 questions19 reading36 teacherspayteachers11

Reflection on Comprehensible Input

I haven't updated my blog for a while now, and as I am taking a break due to my fourth baby coming at the end of September, I wanted to reflect on my last school year. I was teaching Spanish from grade 6 to 12 and I decided to turn to comprehensible input and TPRS since I was never fully satisfied with the traditional way to teach languages.

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6th graders2 acquisition33 comments1 comprehensible41 Education8 encourage2 feedback3 fluent12 grade 108 grade 74 grade 85 grade 98 IGCSE12 input39 inspire4 languages5 listening29 Martina Bex10 middle school3 motivate7 motivation6 personalized13 reading36 review4 song10 Spanish27 story34 story asking9 storytelling28 TPRS34