RAK REPORT

RAK Chapter Newsletter

June 2006

RAK Report Looks Ahead

Hard to believe that the school year is already coming to an end! As we give our final exams and prepare for our summer holidays, many of us will begin reflecting on the past year and how we might do things differently next year. To help you with this process, the June RAK Report will look at advice for classroom discipline, management and motivation for the next academic year. We will also review books and courses you may want to explore over your summer holidays. All of us at the RAK Report want to wish you a great summer holiday and we look forward to your continued support in September! Darcy Harris, Anna Bailey, Teresa Thiel

For an e-Mail version of this or previous newsletters, or to submit an article for the RAK Report, please contact Darcy at Darcy.harris@hct.ac.ae

Music and TEYL

Teaching English to Young Learners through Song

Music can be a very effective way of teaching young children English as it encourages them to become actively involved in their learning. Children love songs and singing so it can be easily integrated into language learning.

In many cultures songs are used to introduce or practise the mother tongue with young children, so this is a medium that children are familiar and comfortable with. Singing is a happy and stress-free activity that will add to a positive classroom learning environment.

All children have boundless energy and love to make noise, singing helps channel that energy into positive, purposeful activities. Action songs are especially effective because doing actions along with the words helps children remember the words and emphasises the meaning. Songs that include repetitive phrases also help to make the language memorable as these songs contain short segments of language that children can remember and use. Most songs must be sung at a reasonably fast speed and this encourages natural speech patterns.

Singing is effectively integrated into language learning whereby the children first listen, then sing and finally do actions or activities around the songs. Parents really enjoy hearing their children singing in English. This helps the child get over their shyness of using English.

In the classroom many lessons can be reinforced through singing. If you want the children to finish an activity and tidy up so as to start another activity, they can be directed to do so through a song. Chanting your instructions in a sing-song fashion gets the children’s attention and they respond accordingly. Tidy up time can become a fun activity if you do it to music.

Example: Tidy up time, tidy up time, toys away, toys away, everybody helping, everybody helping, tidy up. tidy up.

You can use the same sing-song idea when you want the children to line-up to leave the classroom.

Example: Line up, line up, everybody line up, line up, line up, everybody line up now.

In no time at all the children will be singing these simple, repetitive instructions themselves and they will be listening and following the instructions. Make language learning through music a fun and positive experience. You will enjoy it and the children will love it!

Cathy Stang

Get Ahead This Summer

Why not travel to the UK this summer and get some further training? Look at these websites for more information on teacher training and courses: International House in the UK – http://www.ihlondon.com/ Embassy CES in Hastings – http://www.studygroup.com/embassyces/english/index.asp Pilgrims in Kent – http://www.pilgrims.co.uk/ All run summer schools and are currently advertising in the EL Gazette.

Getting to Know New Classes

New Classes

The first week of classes is very important because that is when the teacher should establish a good rapport with the students while, at the same time, establishing a good learning environment. The following are some areas that should be covered during that week.

• Getting to Know Each Other Bring a couple of ice-breaker exercises that will allow everybody to get to know each other better. One exercise could help everybody learn each other’s names and another could be about their hobbies, favorite car, favorite food, etc.

• Discipline in the Classroom In order to have a good learning environment, there has to be discipline in the classroom. Write your rules on the board and as you go over them elicit a discussion so it is clear to everyone why they have to follow them. At the end, distribute the rules on a piece of paper and have each student sign their name stating they understand and will follow the rules. However, the rules have to be reinforced on a daily basis in order to be effective. It takes an effort but, in the end, everybody benefits.

• Materials To be prepared to learn the students need to have:

Writing supplies: in a pencil case A big 2-ring file: the students should make dividers

for Vocabulary, Reading, Grammar/Writing, Listening/Speaking, Tests, etc. At the end of each class the students have to put each handout in the correct section. The teacher should make sure the students do it properly. At the beginning of the semester, the teacher should check the files every other week; this way the students are encouraged to keep it organized.

A notebook All their books: the students should get used to

bringing all their books every day even if they are not all used daily.

• Classroom Language

In order to speak politely in English, the students need to be given the necessary language to do it. It’s important to teach them polite requests (Could I have a pencil, please?) as well as polite phrases (I’m sorry. / Thank you. / Please. etc,.). At the same time, be sure to teach classroom vocabulary (pen, pencil, eraser, etc.) so the students can

practice their polite requests with objects they need all the time. Also, don’t allow students to ask you for things with a word (“Teacher, bathroom”). Make them ask you politely (Could I go to the bathroom, please?).

• Motivation Students like friendly competition. Every week I use a marked assignment and choose the top three students. Then I enter the students’ names on a table like this:

1st place 2nd place 3rd place Week 1

Omar M. 89 Ali H. 85 Ahmed Y.

82

Week 2

Week 3

This table can be posted on a bulletin board. If that is not possible, the names can be announced the first day of the week, or sent to the entire group by email.

• Conclusion Before you go into your new class next semester, be prepared:

Have your ice-breaker activities ready Make a list of your rules Decide what supplies you want the students to

have Bring a sample file with the dividers Teach and practice classroom language

Adrienne Londono

Starting Your Students Off Right

New Classes – Some Tips

Get to know your Coursebook – a quiz. When you hand out a new Coursebook, help students to familiarize themselves with the text by asking them to scan the book and answer questions like:

- How many units are there in the Student’s Book? - What are the important grammar lessons in Unit ….? - On which page can you find a picture of a ……? - What can you find between pages ...-…? - What sport are they playing on page …. of the Workbook?

Put students in pairs or groups and turn it into a competition. Who can answer the questions first? Who gets the most correct answers? Get to know your teacher Write a paragraph about yourself and delete content information. Hand the paragraph to students and ask them to form appropriate questions to discover the missing information. Students then ask you the questions and you supply the missing content. For low-level classes, write the missing content information on the board in random order. Ask students to guess which answers go where. They can then ask their questions to check if their guesses were correct. Example: My name is______________ and I was born in ________________. Student questions: What’s your name? Where were you born? As a follow-up activity for students who don’t know each other, they can write their own paragraphs about themselves with information missing. In pairs or small groups, they can ask each other questions to fill in the blanks. Here are some more ideas from the Guardian Weekly (“Learner English” September 17-23 2004 p.5 “Class tip: new year, new class” by Jim Scrivener) “Lying” to the teacher

When a teacher is new to a class that already know each other, try this game. In groups of five or six, the students should carefully prepare to introduce members of their group to the teacher. Everyone should introduce another person (not themselves). They should say names and something about their interests, home area, personality etc. All the information must be true except for one person in each group – for whom every single thing must be untrue. Allow plenty of time for careful preparation, after which the teacher should listen to all of a group’s introductions (while learning useful names etc) and decide which is the untrue one. Warn all students that they must be careful not to give away the “lies” by laughing or sniggering! Setting year goals It is all too easy to simply launch into teaching from a new Coursebook assuming that the class is automatically with you. It is worth taking time to make sure that students are really clear about why they are learning and what they want to get out of it. A simple way to do this is to ask them to make brief notes in answer to questions you ask. Make sure you allow enough thinking time. Students can then meet up in pairs or threes and compare thoughts. Possible questions:

- Why do you think English will be useful to you in the future? - What is the most important area you want to improve on this

year? - What types of activities do you enjoy most in English

classes? - What advice would you give to your English teacher? - What do you want to be able to do by the end of the year that

you are not able to do now? More ideas for first lessons by Jim Scrivener can be found on this website: http://www.onestopenglish.com/Teacher_Support/Tips/general_teaching_skills_and_planning/tip_3.htm

Jonathan Hadley

Book Reviews

The English Verb: an exploration of

structure and meaning

For English teachers, if you haven’t already read this classic, I would recommend: “The English Verb: an exploration of structure and meaning” by Michael Lewis (Language Teaching Publications 1986). It is 20 years old now, but I think it is still a revolutionary approach to the subject of grammar and verbs. In many ways, this book kick-started the exploratory approach to grammar and language rather than the more traditional didactic approach with black n’ white rules. “The English Verb” does not deny the importance of grammar in teaching but rather places it in the content of lexis and stresses the importance of using realistic English. As such, it is still relevant for the EFL world today as lexis, corpus-based language, concordancing and consciousness—raising activities become part of mainstream teaching. Lewis addresses some of the traditional beliefs about grammar and then usually destroys them with simple explanations and clear examples from real-life English. “Can the past simple be used with reference to present time?” Yes! “Is there a future tense in English? No! Lewis’ book is primarily theoretical but he does examine the practical implications for the teaching of verbs and grammar. It also sets the scene for his subsequent books on vocabulary that I would also highly recommend: “The Lexical Approach: the state of ELT and a way forward” (1993) “Implementing the Lexical Approach: putting theory into practice” (1997) “Teaching collocation: further developments in the Lexical Approach” (2000) If nothing else, Lewis is a provocative writer who might just make you reassess what you thought you knew about the English language. Jonathan Hadley

Classroom Motivation from A to Z

This book focuses on basic strategies you can integrate into everyday instruction in every subject area and across grade levels. It shows teachers how to motivate and engage students.

The practical examples in this book make it easy for you to apply these strategies in your own classroom. It presents lively stories about how teachers help their students succeed. You’ll meet teachers of all types, from preschool to high school, and you’ll hear

the voices of real students.

There are 26 chapters, one for each letter of the alphabet: A. Achievement Is More Than a Test Score B. Begin With the End in Mind C. Catch Them Doing Something Good D. Dealing With Diversity E. Engagement Equals Success F. Form Partnerships G. Goals and Success H. High Expectations for Everyone I. It's All About Me (the Value of Intrinsic Motivation) J. Jump to Conclusions (Don't) K. Keys to Evaluation: Grading and Motivation L. Literacy M. Myths of Motivation N. Never Give Permission O. Owners, Not Renters P. Perception is Reality Q. Quantify Quality R. Rigor is Not a Four-Letter Word S. Scaffolding for Success T. Track Progress, Not Students U. Understanding at High Levels V. Variety Is the Spice of Life W. What You See Is What You Get X. X-Factor Y. You Are the Key Z. On Beyond Zebra

Darcy Harris

Field Trip Recommendation for Next Year

Zayed Heritage Village

On Monday 24th, April, 2006 we had a great chance to explore

Zayed Heritage Village in RAK. Saeed Ali Lahha AL. Shehh, who is

the founder of the village, welcomed us to see the contents of the

village. It was built to tell people how our life was in the past and

how Zayed has changed the living standard from basic to luxurious

life.

First we saw the library which is a marvelous part of the village. It

contains more than 5,000 text books in Arabic and English. The

library also has various types of silverware and some traditional

weapons. Furthermore, the library holds manuscripts which show

the British colony events in RAK since 1895 respectively.

After that, we moved to different traditional houses. First we saw a

Siplah, which is built of palm branches, open from one side and

used as a guest room in both coastal and mountain areas.

Mr. Lahha then welcomed us in the guest room by serving us

traditional food such as: dates, coffee and bread.

Next we moved to the Al Areesh, which is built of palm leaves,

opened at the bottom for ventilation and was used by coastal

people during the summer season.

After that, we wandered around Al Khaima, which is built of palm

leaves, closed from all sides except the door. It was used by coastal

people in winter.

Al siphah is another style of house, which is built of stones and has

many holes. It was used by mountaineers as a summer residence.

Later we found a very interesting house called Bit Al Gifiel, which is

an underground room, closed from all sides with a big door made of

cedar wood and used by mountaineers.

In the last few minutes we visited the Al Dehriz room, which has

small windows used by wealthy coastal people during the summer.

In the Al Dhriz room we watched a very interesting film that talked

about the British colony in RAK. There were also many different

photograph albums, which showed us the history of RAK.

To sum up, during this trip, we learnt many interesting facts about

the life in the past. We suggest you take your students on this

useful and valuable trip.

By BEd TEYL students: Khadija M. ,Hessa A., Alya, Noora

Tips for Teachers

Teacher! Write? Write where?

One of the most striking omissions in a student’s educational armoury is their complete lack of preparedness for class. It often happens for each and every lesson, for there is always one student who has forgotten his homework, lost his book, left his pen at home. The list is endless.

This situation persists no matter how many times you tell the students to bring a pen to class. You can politely ask them, suggest, play with them, cajole them, plead, lecture, shout, scream, threaten… Well, I think you know what I mean. It is therefore an essential part of the teacher’s armoury to start the students off in the right way. So, first lesson, in order to show best practice and to try to instill a sense of routine for the rest of the year, the teacher must address this issue. Here are some ideas:-

1. Have the students tell you what they need for the lesson and make a list on the board – brainstorm them, if you will.

2. Get the students to draw images of the equipment needed.

You could get them to cut pictures out of a magazine for homework or you could get them to download images from a computer. Once you have the image, label it. The equipment being the usual pencil case suspects – pen, pencil, ruler, rubber, sharpener.

3. A poster could be created out of this and placed on the wall

of the classroom as a constant reminder. 4. Get the students, at the beginning of every lesson, certainly

for the early days of the year, to place the equipment on the desk for a quick inspection.

5. Have a penalty/reward system. How about a League Table?

If a student forgets an item then he is given a mark. The more marks the higher up the league he is. The winner is the loser and has a booby prize – an outlandish pencil to work with for example.

6. The students also need to be reminded to bring paper and/or

notebooks. If they are using a file system, then the file must be organized. Again, regular checks can be made of their file and can be part of their classwork marks.

7. Course books, too, must be brought to every lesson and

students without them could be asked to complete the classwork for homework.

Finally, trying to get students to copy important information from the board can also be a time consuming and frustrating activity. One technique I use is to draw a rectangle on the board in an approximation of a page. Then I put the date (and name if needed) and the title within the rectangle. The students quickly get the idea that this means they must write on a page. These are just some of the many study skills needed at the

beginning of the year. The student, though, is unlikely to have these skills and the teacher will be starting with a blank page as it were. So bear that in mind when a student says on the first day, Teacher, what pen? Ian Taylor

Resolutions for the New Year

New School Year Resolutions

There are three universal truths about teachers. They are busy

people. They are life long learners. They are motivated by

professional development opportunities. If your institution provides

you with the time, the financial support and the opportunity for

professional development- congratulations! For the rest of us, here

are eight suggestions. Resolving to achieve one or two a year will

contribute to your professional growth.

1. Subscribe to an ELT magazine or journal with teaching

ideas- Modern English Teacher, ELT Professional or EL

Gazette- all available in hard copy or online.

2. Plan well ahead to attend the annual TESOL Arabia

conference and choose a theme to focus on when attending

presentations.

3. Attend TESOL Arabia local chapter events to network with

other professionals.

4. Become your institution’s expert on a particular area of

teaching and learning- spelling, authentic classroom

materials, portfolio assessment, multiple intelligences. Find

information on the topic from the RAK newsletters and

publishers’ websites, and search the internet to gather useful

articles.

5. Write up your favourite teaching idea in an article and send it

to the RAK newsletter.

6. Resolve to observe one of your peers each semester

teaching a grade level, topic or skill you haven’t taught.

7. Find a colleague with a similar teaching or learning passion

to you. Agree to meet once a semester to exchange

resources and ideas.

8. You now have a portfolio of resources and ideas which will

enable you to present a workshop for your peers, for TESOL

Arabia local chapter or for the next TESOL Arabia

conference.

Teresa Thiel

Thinking of Getting Another Degree?

Sessions Online School of Design Since November, I have been working on an online degree in graphic design from Sessions – online school of design. I recommend this institution because it offers many individual courses as well as certificate degrees in subjects ranging from digital imagery, web design, branding, composition and design, typography, color theory, Flash and HTML. Sessions meets the PD funding criteria at HCT and is accredited by the NY state board of education, as well as a few other international organizations. To date, I have completed five courses and have nothing but praise for the content, structure, instructors, support and hands-on experience I have received. I have been looking for an entirely online course in graphic design for a few years and was pleasantly surprised to find this one. You can view their website at www.sessions.edu Again I highly recommend the courses. The instructors are all professionals in the industry which allows them to relate personal experience to the lectures. Jeff Fulmer

Dates for Your Calendar

TESOL Arabia

Young Learner SIG And

RAK Chapter Present

Strategies for Teaching Reading to Young Learners

Saturday, September 16th 2006

9:30 to 12:30 At

RAK Women’s College

A professional development opportunity for

English teachers working with young learners.

Pre-Registration is REQUIRED Please

Numbers are Limited

TESOL Arabia Members FREE

Non-members 40 DHS Abstract: In this workshop we will explore ways to incorporate a variety of activities into the UAE Parade curriculum. Topics covered will include listening and speaking activities, reading groups, literacy centers, writing activities and assessments. This is a great opportunity for English teachers to learn new ways to utilize UAE Parade more effectively.

Please Contact:

Anna Bailey, RAK Representative

Tel: (work) 07- 2026233

E-mail: abailey@hct.ac.ae, rakrep@yahoo.com

Useful Websites

The following are useful websites that discuss

classroom discipline, motivation and management http://www.sonoma.edu/cihs/classroom/ http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-62-pg.html http://712educators.about.com/od/discipline/tp/disciplinetips.htm Techniques for Better Classroom Discipline What is your classroom management profile? Darcy Harris

RAK Representative

Anna Bailey is our local TESOL Arabia representative.

You may contact Anna at: rakrep@yahoo.co.uk ,

PO BOX 4792 HCT Women’s College Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

The next edition of the RAK Report will come out on September 1, 2006. It will focus on Reading and Phonics. To contribute articles, ideas or suggestions, please contact Darcy at:

Darcy.Harris@Hct.ac.ae

The RAK Report will come out on the following dates and feature the following topics: September 1: Reading and Phonics October 1: Vocabulary November 1: Independent Learning December 1: Problem, Project and Task Based Learning January 1, 2007: Grammar