Teaching ideas

[Iris]

I would hate to be stuck in a rut when it comes to teaching English. I am always on the lookout for new ideas and fun activities. Any suggestions?

[Tomisimo]

Creative new ideas are a must.

One idea is to find some interesting Youtube videos and then using a laptop & video projector, play them for your students. You could pick different themes- politics, music, interviews, pieces of newscasts, etc and have the students watch/listen to the clip and then discuss/answer questions as to the content/try to distinguish what English accent the speaker has etc.

What level are your students and how many do you have?

[Iris]

My students are quite advanced, most of them in their twenties and thirties and I have around 30 per class, though fortunately on a normal day only twenty or so turn up.

[Tomisimo]

OK, what are a couple of activities that they like to do? If you share that with me, I'll be able to think of some related/similar activities that would be appropriate for their level and interests.

[Iris]

They love talking but they find it quite challenging. They also enjoying watching films and series, which we do quite often. Any novel speaking activities?

[Alfonso]

One of my star games in Spanish classes is the so-called subasta de frases (phrases auction). I use it for the last part of a lesson to fix up what we have learnt. You write some phrases, both correct and incorrect, in some little cards, reflecting the items you have taught. You divide the class into several groups (five or six people use to work), and tell each of them that they have 1000 euros to spend in your phrases auction. You say your are going to read some phrases and they have to make a bid to buy it. If it's correct, they buy because it's correct. If it's not, they buy it because they know how to explain it. You start the auction. You will notice there are groups which rapidly spend all their money, and some other groups that don't spend an euro until the end. None of them will win. It's a game of strategy. Only good investors will win. Of course, at the same time, they are practising numbers. You have to write on the blackboard the spend of each group to notice who is going on bankrupt.
So, when you have finished selling all cards, you start asking owners for the explanation of each phrase. If they are right, they count one point. If not, they count minus one point. You have to buy some sweets for the winners. Good luck!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

One of my star games in Spanish classes is the so-called subasta de frases (phrases auction). I use it for the last part of a lesson to fix up what we have learnt. You write some phrases, both correct and incorrect, in some little cards, reflecting the items you have taught. You divide the class into several groups (five or six people use to work), and tell each of them that they have 1000 euros to spend in your phrases auction. You say your are going to read some phrases and they have to make a bid to buy it. If it's correct, they buy because it's correct. If it's not, they buy it because they know how to explain it. You start the auction. You will notice there are groups which rapidly spend all their money, and some other groups that don't spend an euro until the end. None of them will win. It's a game of strategy. Only good investors will win. Of course, at the same time, they are practising numbers. You have to write on the blackboard the spend of each group to notice who is going on bankrupt.
So, when you have finished selling all cards, you start asking owners for the explanation of each phrase. If they are right, they count one point. If not, they count minus one point. You have to buy some sweets for the winners. Good luck!

One of my stellar games in Spanish classes is the so-called subasta de frases (phrase auction). I use it for the last part of a lesson to firm up what we have learnt (Am. Eng. learned). You write some phrases, both correct and incorrect ones, on some little cards, reflecting the items you have taught. You divide the class into several groups (five or six people usually works well), and tell each of them that they have 1000 euros to spend in your phrase auction. You say you are going to read some phrases and they have to make a bid to buy it. If it's correct, they buy it because it's correct. If it's not, they buy it because they know how to fix it. You start the auction. You will notice there are groups which rapidly spend all their money, and some other groups that don't spend a euro until the end. Those groups don't win. It's a game of strategy. Only good investors will win. Of course, at the same time, they are practising (Am. Eng. practicing) numbers. You have to write the expenditures of each group on the blackboard to keep track of who is going bankrupt (going in the red).
So, when you have finished selling all the cards, you start asking the owners for an explanation of each phrase. If they are right, they get a point. If not, they lose a point. You have to buy some sweets for the winners. Good luck!

This sounds like a fun idea!


I'll explain the 'phrase auction' correction. In Spanish you designate what type of auction it is by appending de and a plural object. In English you place the singular noun that describes the type prior to the noun being typed. For example:
car auction = subasta de coches
bachelor auction = subasta de solteros
car rental = alquiler de coches

[Alfonso]

Thank you very much, Rusty, for your superb corrections. The only one I can't understand is this one: a euro, instead of an euro. I guess it's an exception from the general rule, but I can't know if it is because of the beginning diphthong or because the word euro itself.

[Iris]

It's because of the diphthong, you also say a university, a European city...

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Iris

It's because of the diphthong, you also say a university, a European city...

Iris said it well. That is the reason for the correction.

[Iris]

Thanks everybody.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Thank you very much, Rusty, for your superb corrections. The only one I can't understand is this one: a euro, instead of an euro. I guess it's an exception from the general rule, but I can't know if it is because of the beginning diphthong or because the word euro itself.

Originally Posted by Iris

It's because of the diphthong, you also say a university, a European city...

I don't know if it's because it's a dipthong or if it's simply because of the pronunciation. For example university doesn't start with a dipthong. But in any case,

• a university
• a European
• a Euro

All start with the "y" sound like "you're", and that's not considered a vowel, at least not for this rule.

Edit: The rule about a and an is based strictly on the pronunciation of the following word (if it's a vowel sound or not), rather than the first letter.

For example I personally pronounce history and historical both with an initial /j/ sound. So I would say 'a history ...' and 'a historical ...' But some people pronounce historical without the j and the word starts with /I/. They say 'an historical ...'.

[Iris]

David,
University doesn't start with a diphthong in spelling but in pronunciation. The first part of the diphthong, as you say,is not a vowel but a semi-vowel.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Iris

David,
University doesn't start with a diphthong in spelling but in pronunciation. The first part of the diphthong, as you say,is not a vowel but a semi-vowel.

Good point, Iris

Teaching English isn't as difficult as you thought, you can teach whatever you see and think in daily life, for students, interesting and motivation are very important.

I also recommend students surf on the net for web pages of English contens.

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by twalker

Teaching English isn't as difficult as you thought, you can teach whatever you see and think in daily life, for students, interesting and motivation are very important.

Yeah, and what's important for teachers?

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Yeah, and what's important for teachers?

Alfonso, I'm not sure about your meaning here. Did you mean, What's the
importance of teachers? If so, here's my answer:

Un profesor que tiene la motivación de comunicar es verdaderamente importante, porque reacionan al progreso del estudiante y tienen alma que un programa internet falta.

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by poli

Alfonso, I'm not sure about your meaning here. Did you mean, What's the importance of teachers? If so, here's my answer:

Un profesor que tiene la motivación de comunicar es verdaderamente importante, porque reaccionan al progreso del estudiante y tienen el alma que un programa de internet no tiene.

También, puedes decir: ... que a un programa de internet le falta.

Great!, but I cannot understand why my phrase is ambiguous or incorrect.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Yeah, and what's important for teachers?

Did you mean: 1)Sí, y que es importante para lo maestros. (because that is how this translates directly to English
o
2) Si, y que importancia tienen los maestros ahora que la tecnologia ayuda tanto. (Yes, and what's the use of teachers now that technology is so helpful)

I think you meant 2, because it's a good resonse to the previous post.

[Alfonso]

But in the quote I selected from twalker there is nothing about new technologies. Only about teaching, teachers, students and important things for this last ones.

Twalker had already said that motivation is important for the student:

... for students, interesting and motivation are very important.

So, since I realised motivation is important for a student, I asked what's important for a teacher. I'm even copying the propositional regime from Twalker phrase (to be important for somebody).

Anyway, my doubt is why I failed in communication, as I cannot see any grammar mistake nor an ambiguous meaning.