Marmara Elt/EFL Resources

Assign the reading at least two sessions before it will be discussed. Give students ample time to prepare and try to pique their curiosity about the reading: “This article is one of my favorites, and I’ll be interested to see what you think about it.” (Sources: Lowman, 1984; “When They Don’t Do the Reading,” 1989)

Assign study questions. Hand out study questions that alert students to the key points of the reading assignment. To provide extra incentive for students, tell them you will base exam questions on the study questions. (Source: “When They Don’t Do the Reading,” 1989)

If your class is small, have students turn in brief notes on the day’s reading that they can use during exams. At the start of each class, a professor in the physical sciences asks students to submit a 3″ x 5″ card with an outline, definitions, key ideas, or other material from the day’s assigned reading. After class, he checks the cards and stamps them with his name. He returns the cards to students at a class session prior to the midterm. Students can then add any material they would like to the cards but cannot submit additional cards. The cards are again returned to the faculty member who distributes them to students during the test. This faculty member reports that the number of students completing the reading jumped from 10 percent to 90 percent and that students especially valued these “survival cards.” (Source: Daniel, 1988)

Ask students to write a one-word journal or one-word sentence. Angelo (1991) describes the one-word journal as follows: students are asked to choose a single word that best summarizes the reading and then write a page or less explaining or justifying their word choice. This assignment can then be used as a basis for class discussion. A variation reported by Erickson and Strommer (199 1) is to ask students to write one complex sentence in answer to a question you pose about the readings and provide three sources of supporting evidence: “In one sentence, identify the type of ethical reasoning Singer uses in his article ‘Famine, Affluence, and Morality.’ Quote three passages that reveal this type of ethical reasoning” (p. 125).

Ask nonthreatening questions about the reading. Initially pose general questions that do not create tension or feelings of resistance: “Can you give me one or two items from the chapter that seem important?” “What section of the reading do you think we should review?” “What item in the reading surprised you?” “What topics in the chapter can you apply to your own experience?” (Source: “When They Don’t Do the Reading,” 1989)

Use class time as a reading period. If you are trying to lead a discussion and find that few students have completed the reading assignment, consider asking students to read the material for the remainder of class time. Have them read silently or call on students to read aloud and discuss the key points. Make it clear to students that you are reluctantly taking this unusual step because they have not completed the assignment.

Prepare an exam question on undiscussed readings. One faculty member asks her class whether they have done the reading. If the answer is no, she says, “You’ll have to read the material on your own. Expect a question on the next exam covering the reading.” The next time she assigns reading, she reminds the class of what happened the last time, and the students come to class prepared. (Source: “When They Don’t Do the Reading,” 1989)

Give a written assignment to those students who have not done the reading. Some faculty ask at the beginning of the class who has completed the reading. Students who have not read the material are given a written assignment and dismissed. Those who have read the material stay and participate in class discussion. The written assignment is not graded but merely acknowledged. This technique should not be used more than once a term. (Source: “When They Don’t Do the Reading,” 1989)

References
#Lowman, J. “Promoting Motivation and Learning.” College Teaching, 1990, 38(4), 136-39.
#Daniel, J. W. “Survival Cards in Math.” College Teaching, 1988, 36(3), 110.
#Lowman, J. “Promoting Motivation and Learning.” College Teaching, 1990, 38(4), 136-39.
#Barbara Gross Davis, University of California, Berkeley.

GoAnimate.com: blogging by evasimkesyan

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It’s free and fun!

I want to write. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a novelist. Dreams from past, forgotten long ago.

I still want to write.

What about starting a blog?

Actually there are people who write about theories. I’m not one of them.

There are great educators writing magnificent materials for classrooms. I just create handouts and exercises for my own classes.

So what can I write?

What’s the reason for me to keep a blog?

By the way, I don’t want to be online. It’s like you are so approachable. The thought of being watched is a bit scary.

But wait a second, what’s wrong with it?

If I write, people will read me. I’ll have a target reader. Good…

It’s something like being a student again.

I’ll have writing tasks.

I’ll have a reason.

Wow, that’ll be great.

I think I can reach my students too. They can blog too. Oh God, they will have real readers too. May be I should think about it.

If I blog and if I have readers, most probably, I’ll read their blogs too.

So I’ll read more.

They will be ELT people maybe.

Yes, that’ll be an opportunity to learn, to share, to collaborate.

Yes, yes, yes,

I want to start a blog.

I should start a blog.

I must start it ASAP.

I think the ones who haven’t started yet, should consider it seriously. It’s great, it’s addictive, it’s challenging.

I think we, the ones who have started blogging and tweeting should at least try to encourage the others once or twice.

They should also join us.

The more, the merrier.

Finally, I’d like to thank you for this opportunity. Being a guest writer is a great feeling. I’m really happy to be a part of your PLN.

Eva Büyüksimkeşyan

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Eva BüyüksimkeÅŸyan is an EFL teacher in Ä°stanbul,Turkey.She has been teaching English for 20 years. She loves teaching because it allows her to improve myself.She is married and has two kids. They are twins.She loves reading. She says :”If I weren’t a teacher, I’d do something related with comparative literature. Literature makes you grow up, realise and take action… I love music, any kind…as long as it’s good.”

You can follow her web2.0 experiences at her education blog: A Journey in TEFL

Golden Grammar Rules  By Michael Swan

1. Don’t use an with own.

Sue needs her own room. (NOT Sue needs an own room.)

I’d like a phone line of my own. (NOT … an own phone line.)

For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 405.

2. Use or rather to correct yourself.

She’s German – or rather, Austrian. (NOT She’s German – or better, Austrian.)

I’ll see you on Friday – or rather, Saturday.

For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 157.

3. Use the simple present – play(s), rain(s) etc – to talk about habits and repeated actions.

I play tennis every Saturday. (NOT I am playing tennis every Saturday.)

It usually rains a lot in November.

For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition sections 461–4.

4. Use will …, not the present, for offers and promises.

I’ll cook you supper this evening. (NOT I cook you supper this evening.)

I promise I’ll phone you tomorrow. (NOT I promise I phone you tomorrow.)

For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 217. Read the rest of this entry »

Like Suggestopedia,the Silent Way rested on more cognitive than affective arguments for its theoretical sustenance.While Caleb Gattegno,its founder,was said to be interested in a “humanistic” approach ( Chamot & McKeon 1984 : 2 ) to education,much of the Silent Way was characterized by a problem-solving approach to learning.Richards and Rodgers ( 1986:99) summarized the theory of learning behind the Silent Way :

#Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remember and repeats what is to be learned.

# Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects.

# Learning is facilitated by problem solving the material to be learned.

The Silent Way capitalized on discovery-learning procedures.Gattegno ( 1972) believed that learners should develop independence,autonomy,and responsibility.At the same time, learners in a classroom must cooperate with each other in the process of solving language problems.The teacher-a stimulator but not a hand-holder- is silent much of the time,thus the name of the method.Teachers must resist to come to the aid of studets at the slightest downfall and must ” get out of the way” while students work out solutions.

In a language classroom the Silent Way typically utilized as materials a set of Cuisinere rods-small colored rods of varying lengths-and a series of colorful wall charts.The rods were used to introduce vocabulary [colors,numbers,adjectives ‘long,short, and so on’, verbs ‘ give,take,pick up,drop’ , and syntax ‘ tense,comparatives,pluralization,word order, and the like’ . The teacher provided single-word stimuli, or short phrases and sentences once or twice, and then the students refined their understanding and pronunciation among themselves, with minimal corrective feedback from the teacher.The charts introduced pronounciation models and grammatical paradigms.

Like Suggestopedia,the Silent Way had its share of criticism.In one sense,the Silent Way was too harsh a method,and the teacher too distant, to encourage a communicative atmosphere.A number of aspects of language can indeed be “told” to students to their benefit;they need not,as in CLL as well, struggle for hours or days with a concept that could be easily clarified by the teacher’s direct guidance.The rods and charts wore thin after a few lessons,and other materials had to be introduced,at which point the Silent Way resembled any other language classroom.

There are, of course,insights to be derived.All too often we are tempted as teachers to provide everything for our students,served up on a silver platter.We could benefit from injecting healthy doses of discovery learning into our classroom activities and from providing less teacher talk so that the students can work things out on their own.These are some of the contributions of innovation.They expose us to new thoughts that we can-through our developing theoretical rationale for language teaching-sift through,weigh,and adapt to multiple contexts.

However, the underlying principles of the Silent Way were valid. All too often we’re tempted as teachers to provide everything for our students, all neatly served up on a silver platter . we could benefit from injecting healthy doses of discovery learning into our classroom activities and from providing less teacher talk than we usually do to let the students word things out on their own.