English V - Week 11 - World of the Future

 World of the Future

Introduction: In today's class we are talking about positive and negatvie posibilities in the future. Work with your partners to complete the tasks below.

Warm Up: History's Greatest Inventions

Read the chart below with a list of what some historians think are the 10 greatest inventions in the last 1,000 years. What do you think they are? Guess what the inventions might be. Then check your answers.

Click to see full size image.

When you are ready, you can CLICK HERE to check your answers. Now, with your partners decide which of these inventions you think are the 3 most important and why. How have they changed the world? Imagine these inventions didn't exist. How would the world be different?

Task 1: Listening Practice

Listen to a concerned couple discussing possible problems in the future. Click play on the video to hear the conversation. Then click your group link to open your worksheet and complete the tasks.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE
• Group 5: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Agree or Disagree

Read the list of predictions made by experts about the year 2040. Use the phrases in the yellow box to express your opinion about each one. Make sure you give reasons and details to support your opinion. You will have 7 minutes to complete this task. Click play on the timer so you can keep track of the time.

At Home

• Most people will install solar panels or wind turbines on their houses or apartment buildings to generate their electricity.
• People are going to recycle almost 100% of their waste (residuos) and people who don't will have to pay a fine.

Transportation

• Cars that use a lot of gas (ex. 4x4s) will be banned and many people will drive electric cars.
• Low-cost airlines are going to disapear and flights will be much more expensive.

The Environment

• Paper books will no longer be produced to save trees from being cut down, and all books will be electronic.
• Fresh water will be limited in many parts of the world and we will get much of our water from the ocean through desalination plants.

The Weather

• Temperatures worldwide will rise even further. Many ski resorts will close because of a lack (escasez) of winter snow and some beaches and vacation resorts will disappear completely.
• We are going to have even more extreme weather, and heat waves, hurricanes, floods, etc., will be frequent occurrences. 

Task 3 - Drawing the Future 

Click on your group link below. On each page, make 2 or 3 predictions about the future. Then make drawings to represent your predictions. You CAN'T write any text or add photos. Only drawings!

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE

Task 4 - Interpreting the Future

Now, click the links of the other groups. Interpret the drawings and write a sentence saying what each drawing possibly means. You can use these phrases to start your sentences.

• They could be saying...
• They might mean that...
• Maybe they think... 

Task 5: World Weather Warnings

Click on your group link below and complete the tasks in your worksheet.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE
• Group 5: CLICK HERE

Task 6: Future Effects of Climate Change

Nowadays, scientists don't talk about global warming. Instead, they talk about climate change because there are many ways that the ways can affect the weather. Some places may get warmer and others colder. Some will get wetter and others will get drier. Now click on the link below and leave audio comments making predictions about how climate change might affect the weather in different parts of Costa Rica and the world. 

World Map: CLICK HERE

Now listen to the comments made by your partners. Use the phrases in the yellow box to express your opinion about each one. Make sure you give reasons and details to support your opinion. 

Task 7: It's Raining Cats and Dogs....and Fish and Worms

Over the centuries there have been many documented incidents of animal rains where animals fell from the sky during a storm. Click your group link and read about a recent case. Then speculate with your partners about the possible explanation.

• Group 1 - Fish Rain: CLICK HERE
• Group 2 - Worm Rain: CLICK HERE
• Group 3 - Worm Rain: CLICK HERE
• Group 4 - Bird Rain: CLICK HERE
• Group 5 - Blood Rain: CLICK HERE

Scientists have proposed several explanations for this phenomena. CLICK HERE to read about a possible reason for these animal rain events. 

Culture & SLA - Week 11 - Culture Lesson Plan Walkthough

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 11 of the course Culture and Second Language Aquisition. In this class you will share your culture lesson plan and demonstrate an activity with your peers.

Today's Goals:

• Share your cultural lesson plan with your peers.
• Demonstrate one of your cultural activities with your classmates playing the role of students.
• Give feedback on your partners' plans and activities.

Guiding Questions:

• How can I integrate cultural teaching into the EFL classroom?

Task 1: Visible Culture in Costa Rican National Holidays

We recently enjoyed a day off for the celebration of the Annexation of Nicoya. On this day and other patriotic celebrations you can see many visible cultural symbols. Click the link below and follow the teacher's instructions.

• Cultural Symbols: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Culture Lesson Plan Walkthough

You'll spend the rest of this class working in small groups to lead your peers in a walkthough of your lesson plan and a breif demo of one of your activities. To maximize time, follow these steps for each round.

• Decide who will present and who will keep time. The presenter should spend no more than 8 minutes to summarize the following information form his/her plan. Do NOT read your plan word for word! 

• Topic: Tell your partners the cultural topic you chose and why you chose it.
• Outcomes: Share the outcomes related to the four cultural knowings that you want students to learn, experience, explore, and reflect upon.
• Objectives: Read the objectives for your lesson.
• Walkthough: BRIEFLY summarize the different activities students will do in the lesson.

• Take a maximum of 5 minutes to demonstrate one activity from your lesson. You will obviously need to compress the time significantly.

• Take 2 minutes to share some comments about the lesson and activity your partner just presented.  

References:

Moran, P. (2001). Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Heinle Cengage Learning.

   Grammar II - Week 11 - Counts and Non-Counts

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 11 of the course English Grammar II. In this course we will cover an intensive survey of a variety of grammar topics. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate our synchronous class activities and to serve as a record that you can refer back to for study purposes.

Today's Goals:

• Collaborate with your partners to complete a grammar study guide document explaining the main features of countable and non-countable nouns.
• Complete some grammar practice exercises to clarify your understanding of these structures.
• Use quantity expressions to plan a party.  

Community Builder: How much is too much?

Tell your partners about the perfect amount of the following items.

Grammar Expansion: Quantity Expressions

Click on your group link below and comple the exercises to review the grammar points for this week.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Collaborative Practice: Quantity Expressions 

Let's practice some of these concepts a bit more. Click your group link and follow the instructions in the document.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Communicative Activities: Quantity Expressions

Click on the blog link below and comple the exercises to review the grammar points for this week.

• Student A: CLICK HERE
• Student B: CLICK HERE

Group Discussion: Party Planners

Click the link to the Jamboard below and follow your teacher's instructions. 

• Jamboard: CLICK HERE

 English II - Week 10 - Making Plans

Introduction: Hello, and welcome to Week 10 of English II. In today's class we will talk about the following topics:

• Making Future Plans
• Going to
• Infinitive of Purpose

• Guiding Question: What are you going to do when you graduate?

Activity 1: Making Predictions

One person in your group can share the screen. Then you can play this game. You spin the wheel and then make a prediction about how probable you are going to do that activity sometime this week. 

• 1 Finger = It is definitely not going to happen.
• 10 Fingers = It is definitely going to happen.

Activity 2: Group Discussion

Discuss these questions with your partners.

• What are you studying at Castro Carazo?

• Why did you choose to study that?

• What are your plans for after you graduate?

• What are some of your personal and professional goals (metas) for the future:
• 5 years
• 10 years
• 20 years

Activity 3: Ask Your Partner

Ask your partner questions about their plans for next weekend using the information below.

• Next weekend are you going to ...?  - Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.

• watch TV
• have a coffee
• see your friends
• cook a meal
• do some shopping
• wash your hair
• do your homework
• play video games
• wake up early
• do some exercise
• MORE IDEAS!

Activity 4: Grammar Practice

Click your group link and complete the activities with your partners.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE
• Group 5: CLICK HERE
• Group 6: CLICK HERE

Activity 5: Listening and Speaking

Click the listening link and follow the instructions from your teacher.

• Listening Link: CLICK HERE

Activity 6: Reading and Speaking

Click your group link and complete the activities with your partners.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE
• Group 5: CLICK HERE
• Group 6: CLICK HERE

  Culture & SLA - Week 10 - Social Contexts of SLA

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 10 of the course Culture and Second Language Aquisition. In this class we will follow up on the topic of pragmatics that you saw in many of your reading group articles last week in order to look at the social contexts the shape the second language acquisition process. We will also share a short version of your Moxie and begin preparing for your culture lesson plan.

Today's Goals:

• Analyze cultural differences in communication styles and pragmatics. 
• Share a brief "elevator pitch" of the main thesis of your Moxie paper.
• Discuss the ways that social contexts can influence the process of SLA.

Guiding Questions:

• How do social factors influence the second language acquisition process?

Task 1: Analyzing Pragmatic Considerations

As you know, becoming communicatively competent involves more thant just linguistic knowledge. Pragmatic and interactional competence are essential to ensure smooth social interactions among cultures. Click the link below to read a brief handout adapted from Stringer and Cassiday (2009). 

• Digital Handout: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Moxie Elevator Pitch

This week you submitted your Moxie papers. Let's take a moment to share the highlights with your partners by completing this elevator pitch. You will have 5 minutes to prepare your pitch and 90 seconds to deliver it. Click your link below and begin outlining what you will say. The presentation is just a place for you to take notes. You don't have to share it.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE
• Group 5: CLICK HERE
• Group 6: CLICK HERE

Make sure someone in the group uses these timers to keep track of your 5 minute preparation time and 90 second presentation time.

Task 3: Social Context of SLA

For homework you focused on the socalled "Macrosocial Factors" that affect the out comes of the SLA process. Let's take a moment to focus more on each of these factors in a class discussion. Click the link below.

• Discussion Task: CLICK HERE

Task 4: Prepare for Your Culture Lesson Plan

Your homework for the week is to submit your culture lesson plan based on the Four Cultural Knowings and the Experiential Learning Cycle. A few weeks ago, you participated in a demo lesson on the topic of tipping in US culture that followed the same cyle. Take a moment to brainstorm some possible cultural topics you would like to explore in your lesson plan.

The final chapter in in Moran's book can be very helpful for thinking of possible activity types, question prompts, outcomes, and teacher roles in the four stages of the plan.

Click to see full size image.

Click to see full size image. 

Feel free to also take a look at the lesson plan for the Demo class as inspiration.

• Demo Lesson Plan: CLICK HERE

References:

Moran, P. (2001). Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Heinle Cengage Learning.

Savile-Troike, M. (2012). Introducing Second Language Acquisition. (2nd Ed.) Cambridge University Press.

Stringer, D. & Cassiday, P. (2009). 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication. Intercultural Press.

  Grammar II - Week 10 - The Future

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 10 of the course English Grammar II. In this course we will cover an intensive survey of a variety of grammar topics. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate our synchronous class activities and to serve as a record that you can refer back to for study purposes.

Today's Goals:

• Collaborate with your partners to complete a grammar study guide document explaining the main features of the future tense.
• Complete some grammar practice exercises to clarify your understanding of these structures.
• Use future structures to make predictions about the world in the near and distant future.  

Community Builder: Making Predictions

Spin the wheel and look at the option. On a scale of 1 to 10, now likely are you to do this in the next 48 hours? Why?

Grammar Expansion: The Future

Click on your group link below and comple the exercises to review the grammar points for this week.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Collaborative Practice: The Future 

Let's practice some of these concepts a bit more. Click your group link and follow the instructions in the document.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Communicative Activities: The Future 

Click on the blog link below and comple the exercises to review the grammar points for this week.

• Blog Post: CLICK HERE

Group Discussion: Making Predictions

Let's discuss your predictions. Be sure to justify your predictions with reasons and details.

• Do you agree or disagree with your partners' ideas? Why?

Making Predictions about the Future 

Task 1: What do you think?

Scientists predict that global warming or climate change will transform our world forever. Look at the photos below. What do you think will happen? Use these phrases to make predictions:

• I think/don't think that... will...

Click to see full sized version.

Click to see full sized version.

Task 2: Agree or Disagree

Read the list of predictions made by experts about the year 2040. Use the phrases in the yellow box to express your opinion about each one. Make sure you give reasons and details to support your opinion. You will have 7 minutes to complete this task. Click play on the timer so you can keep track of the time.

At Home

• Most people will install solar panels or wind turbines on their houses or apartment buildings to generate their electricity.
• People are going to recycle almost 100% of their waste (residuos) and people who don't will have to pay a fine.

Transportation

• Cars that use a lot of gas (ex. 4x4s) will be banned and many people will drive electric cars.
• Low-cost airlines are going to disapear and flights will be much more expensive.

The Environment

• Paper books will no longer be produced to save trees from being cut down, and all books will be electronic.
• Fresh water will be limited in many parts of the world and we will get much of our water from the ocean through desalination plants.

The Weather

• Temperatures worldwide will rise even further. Many ski resorts will close because of a lack (escasez) of winter snow and some beaches and vacation resorts will disappear completely.
• We are going to have even more extreme weather, and heat waves, hurricanes, floods, etc., will be frequent occurrences. 

Task 3: In My Expert Opinion

Now, you will work with your partners to choose four new categories and write at least two predictions for each one. Your teacher gave you a group number. Click the link below and find the space for your group. Then complete the document with the required information.

CLICK HERE to access the document.  

 Culture & SLA - Week 9 - Reading Group Activity

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 9 of the course Culture and Second Language Aquisition. In this class we will work in small groups to carry out a reading group activity regarding content from the following articles from Hinkel's book Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning:

• The Development of Interactive Competence in Another Language
• Issues in the Teaching of Pragmatic Comptence
• Cultural Codes for Calls
• Cultural Mirrors: Materials and Methods in the EFL Classroom

Today's Goals:

• Explore the results of a survey researching Costa Rican perspectives on national identity.
• Participate in a reading group with your peers in order to transmit the key concepts from your assigned academic article and guide your peers in a group discussion to connect these ideas with their teaching context and other content seen in this course.

Guiding Questions:

• What does the professional literature say about teaching culture in the L2 classroom?
• How can I promote professional discussion among peers about an academic article from my field?

Task 1: What does the research say?

A recent survey carried out among a group of adult Costa Ricans from various provinces asked participants to identify the key features of the Costa Rican national identity, mention aspects that make them unique, and to discuss what makes them happy. 

• What do you think were the most commonly mentioned words?

Click the group link to explore the results. As you read, discuss the questions below.

• Survey Results: CLICK HERE
• What words stand out? How accurately do they represent the national identity in your opinion?
• What are some of the less frequently mentioned words? How do you feel about them?

Task 2: Reading Group Activity

Now work with your assigned peers in breakout rooms. Take turns doing the following.

1. Choose who will go next and who will be the time keeper.
2. Introduce your assigned article and present your information to your peers in a clear and visually appealing way.
3. Clarify any questions or doubts your peers may have.
4. Lead your peers in a group discussion about your topic using the questions you wrote.

The time keeper will use the 15 minute timer below in order to ensure that all students have the chance to participate equally.  

References:

Hinkel, E. (2000). Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Cambridge University Press.

  Grammar II - Week 9 - Simple Past

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 9 of the course English Grammar II. In this course we will cover an intensive survey of a variety of grammar topics. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate our synchronous class activities and to serve as a record that you can refer back to for study purposes.

Today's Goals:

• Collaborate with your partners to complete a grammar study guide document explaining the main features of the simple past.
• Complete some grammar practice exercises to clarify your understanding of these structures.
• Use the simple past to retell the main points of a book or movie you like. 

Community Builder: Don't Break the Chain

We will work to gether to tell a chain story. Each person will add a new idea to it. The next person whill repeat what the people before said and then add their own comment. Each comment should contain a new verb.

• Last weekend I went to _____ and I ...
• Then I ...

Grammar Expansion: Simple Past

Click on your group link below and comple the exercises to review the grammar points for this week.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Collaborative Practice: 

Let's practice some of these concepts a bit more. Click your group link and follow the instructions in the document.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Communicative Activities: 

Click on your group link below and comple the exercises to review the grammar points for this week.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE

Group Discussion: Life Changing Books and Flims

Let's discuss the topic of books and movies to wrap up our class. 

• Do you like to read for fun? If so, what genres do you enjoy? Why?
• What was the last book you read? What was it about?
• What kinds of tv shows or movies do you enjoy? Why?
• What is your favorite movie? What was it about?
• Do you think that fictional stories have something to teach us? 
• Some people say that high schools and universities need to prepare students in the hard sciences and technical fields and that a focus on literature and the arts is a waste of time. Do you agree or disagree with this thought? Why?