Five Creative Methods of Teaching English to Tefl Learners

As English teachers, we’re roughly all the time on the surveillance for new and tantalizing ways to stimulate our language learners. It was Elt author and researcher Stephen D. Krashen who gave us his Affective Filter hypothesis of Second or Foreign language acquisition. (Krashen – Terrell, 1983) His hypothesis states, that conditions which promote low anxiety levels in class allow improved learning on the part of students. When learners enjoy class activities their Affective Filter is low and they learn more. New and distinct activities “out of the norm” also lower learner affective filters.

Here are some not-so-commonly-used techniques for adding that “new twist” to your English or foreign language classes. Giving learners something new does wonders in relieving boredom, spiking interest and lowering the Affective Filter of learners on whom you may have “tried everything”.

1. Using an iPod

Do you learners carry iPods or cellular phones? Don’t curse and swear at them for using technology in their lives. Turn it to your advantage! A whole of good websites now exist that can get you and your learners up and running using this latest new technology for language learning and practice. Here are useful website for more podcasting information:

• Podcasting: Audio on the Internet comes of age
[http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/Tesl-Ej/ej36/int.html]

• Morning Stories
[http://www.wgbh.org/schedules/program-info?program_id=143912]

• Podcast Pickle http://www.podcastpickle.com

• Internet Tesl Journal http://iteslj.org/links/Esl/Listening/Podcasts/

2. Let Mr. Bean Help You

You all know him and love his humorous twists on daily living. So don’t just sit there nodding, grab a Cd or Vhs full of episodes and try a few out on your learners. Let them do the talking. They can offer suggestions, write to Mr. Bean and his other characters, express opinions and do comparisons of his world vs. Their own. By the way, is he beyond doubt an alien? result his antics, get video clips, agenda guides and more at:

• [http://www.rowanatkinson.org/mr_bean.htm]

• [http://www.dsv.su.se/~mats-bjo/bean/bean.html]

3. Ask Walt Disney for Advice

Although I’m old adequate to remember his presence and passing, Walt Disney can still make us laugh, smile, cry and cheer with the antics of scores of his characters and their families. Take some short “clips” from his tantalizing stories. Turn the situation. Alter the characters. Modify an ending or a beginning to cause a whole distinct outlook on age-old themes. Are your stories and characters better? As long as they’re different, stimulating and generate interest or discussion, that’s all that matters. Everyone, even you, will have a great time coming up with new twists on these first-rate themes. Try it!
Visit Disney online here:

• http://disney.go.com/home/today/index.html

• http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/

4. Letting Learners generate chapter Materials

Turnabout is fair play, or so they say. Take a day to switch roles. Have you ever let your learners write an exam? How about planning a fun class? Having a “hot” conversation on a topic that They want to talk about – music, movies, cute guys / gals, techno-babble? Nothing is taboo – well roughly nothing, anyway! What do you think they’ll talk about? You’d be surprised!

5. Join the Club

Let’s all go to the Conversation Club. What you don’t have one? Okay then, start one – every Thursday from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm or anything time, day and period may suit you and your learners. The key is to give Them the majority of control, or at least as much as possible. Use props, use realia, use pictures, music or anything you and your learners may have on hand to start, stop and sustain the activities. Other “clubs” you could join include:

• Pronunciation clubs

• Reading clubs

• Movie clubs

• Acting Clubs

Use your and your learners’ imaginations. The sky’s the limit – or maybe the Administration’s sky is the limit. But no matter, just try something new for starters.

Try out some of these not-so-commonly-used techniques for adding that “new twist” to your English or foreign language classes. Give your learners something new to comfort any boredom and spike their interest. Can’t you just hear those Affective Filters falling now?

Teaching the difference between Make and Do to English Language Learners

Distinguishing the Differences in the middle of "Make" and "Do"

English as a Foreign Language learners like those whose first language or L1, is Spanish can have indispensable mystery in distinguishing when to use "make" and when to use "do". Why? It's because in Spanish, for example, the same verb, "hacer", is commonly used to relate both. The trick then, is to find a way of aiding these English language learners with production the distinction.

Here's how I do it.

Make

Essentially "make" means to "create" or cause something to happen or furnish a result.
You make a cake, make noise, make trouble or make friends.

Do

On the other hand, "do" ordinarily signifies plainly performing an performance without alluding to the results. So you do aerobics or exercises, do firm or do your job. You can do well or do badly, do great or do worse.

Other Uses of Make and Do

Depending on context, both make and do can be used in a sentence to give it different meanings. A good example is homework. Teachers make homework, but learners do homework.

The two verbs form a part of scores of idioms and expressions too. This can sometimes cause their contrast to be less clear, but ordinarily the definitions given above still hold true. Some added examples using "Do" and "Make" are:

Do

Do a dance, do a deal, do as you're told, do away with, do chores, do favors, do harm, do it yourself, do (it or something) over again, do man in, do the dishes, do the laundry, do the right thing, do time, do well, do without, do your best, do your duty

Make

Make a contract, make a delivery, make a difference, make a list, make a mess, make a phone call, make a point, make a profit, make a promise, make amends, make an effort, make believe, make contact, make enemies, make fun of someone, make love, make money, make news, make out, make over (very similar in context to do over), make peace, make room, make sense, make man happy, make man laugh, make man sad, make sure, make the bed, make time, make room, make tracks, make up (has multiple meanings), make up a story (same as create a story), make up your mind, make war, and make way

This is but a quick reference list to give you some idea of the range and contrast that using "do" and "make" can have in the colloquial English language. For the most part, after a session explaining and demonstrating these language elements in context, my learners have far fewer problems in distinguishing when to use "make" and when to use "do". I hope that this helps you and your Efl learners too.