TOEIC Preparation: Week 13 - Part 4 - Talks

Warm Up: How much is just right?

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

• "For me the perfect amount of ... is ... because ..."

Task 1: Listening for Sign Posts

Signposts are phrases that serve the function of guiding the listener's attention during a talk. They help the speaker give a more effective message by indicating what he or she is going to say next. By learning to recognize common signposts, you will improve your listening comprehension abilities for extended texts. Click on your group link below 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: Practice with Graphic Questions

Two or three of the questions in Part 4 will ask you to intepret information from a graphic. Take the mini-test with your group. Click the link below and share your screen and computer sound.

• Mini Test Link: CLICK HERE    

Task 3: Focused Practice - Common Talk Types

Click the link below to complete a group quiz focused on the following common talk types: Business Announcements, Special Announcements, Advertisements, and News Reports.

• Group Quiz: CLICK HERE
• Transcript: CLICK HERE to view the transcripts for the talks to check your answers.

Task 4: Auditory Memory Practice

In this task you will read a text to your partner and he or she will answer some comprehension questions. Listen carefully to see how many details you can identify and retain in your short-term memory. If you don't remember the answer to some of the questions, you can ask your partner to read it again.  

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

 Culture & SLA - Week 14 - Multicompetence and Learner Identity

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 14 of the course Culture and Second Language Acquisition for the master's in English teaching at ULACIT term IIC0 2023. In this class we will explore the topic of multicompetence as a model to explain the unique abilities of the L2 learner and discuss its implications on our role in L2 learner identity formation. We will also share our reactions to the the cultural analysis reading you were assigned and we'll take time for a final review and reflection on the topics seen in this course.

Today's Goals:

• Look back and topics, assignments, and activities covered in this course and express ways in which our beliefs and understandings of culture have changed, deepened, or remained the same.
• Explore the features of Multicompetence as a model for healthy L2 learner identity formation.
• Discuss the roles we have as teachers in shaping our students' identities as L2 and C2 learners.
• Analyze and evaluate the claims of a published study of Costa Rican cultural perspectives.

Guiding Questions:

• What are my biggest takeaways from this course?
• What are the implications of the concept of multicompetence on my views about ELT?
• What role do I play in shaping my students' identities as L2 and C2 learners?
• How would I describe the perspectives of my culture to an outsider?

Community Builder: Course Review and Reflection

This is the final regular class of the term. We have covered a lot our first 13 lessons. Let's take a moment to look back at some of the key concepts, readings, assignments, and class activities. Click the link below.

• Group Link: CLICK HERE

Task 1: Deficit or Additive Model?

Language learners are often unfairly judged in terms of what they do "incorrectly" and they are seen to have a "deficit" compared to some ideal standard. Although Bert is talking about accent change among native speakers of English, how can his views of language learning being an "additive" process relate to the concept of Multicompetence?

Theory Break: Imagined Communities and Identity

Quotes from Last Week: 

• English Language Learner or Multilingual Speaker: The authors discussed the perspectives about multilingualism in English speaking countries where non-English native speakers, who may be quite proficient speakers of English as well as their L1 and additional languages, are seen by the overwhelmingly monolingual native English speaking population as deficient speakers and are “often positioned within a deficit framework that limits the kinds of identities and communities that can be imagined by and for these learners.” In the extreme case are cultural perspectives that “equate bilingualism and non-native speaker status with disability and cognitive impairment (p. 596).”

• The authors also talked about possible strategies to counteract these prejudiced cultural perspectives about legitimacy and ownership of English in the area of writing. “The written medium is ideal for this discursive battle over legitimate ownership” because in spoken interactions L2 speakers’ views can be dismissed because of their foreign accent or ethnic appearance but “published texts constitute excellent equalizers and unique arenas where accents are erased and voices imbued with sufficient authority (p. 597).”

Task 2: Introduction to Multicompetence 

Vivian Cook's (1999) model of Multicompetence provides us with an alternative way of viewing the nature of the language learning process, the goals it should have, ELT curriculum and the implications this has in the way language should be taught and our role as teachers. This topic has connections to the topic of learner identity and there are parallels between the ideas of Multicompetence and the outcomes of culture learning.

• Group Link: CLICK HERE

Task 3: Exploring Multicompetence and Appropriate Models for L2 Learners to Follow

For our final topic of this course we will explore possible problems with holding the native English speaker as the ideal model for learners to follow and instead look at the possible benefits of the Multicompetent English L2 User as an alternative. Click the link below and discuss the questions with your partners.

• Discussion Prompts: CLICK HERE

Theory Break: Implications of Multicompetence

• "Being a native speaker is ... an unalterable historic fact; you cannot change your native language any more than you can change who brought you up (Cook, 1999)."

• "L2 students cannot be turned into native speakers without altering the core meaning of native speaker in English. A view such as 'adults usually fail to become native speakers' is like saying that ducks usually fail to become swans: adults could never become natives speakers without being reborn (Cook, 1999)."

• Most L2 users differ from L1 monolinguals in the way they know and use the L1 and the L2, but...should such differences be seen as deficits from the native speaker standard (Cook, 1999)?"

• "L2 users have to be looked at in their own right as genuine L2 users, not as imitiation native speakers (Cook, 1999)."

• Implications for teaching: 

• Classroom teaching should be related to L2 user goals.
• Incorporate successful L2 users in course materials and encourage learners to identify Multicompetent L2 users as language role models. 
• Native English speaking teachers are not the best teachers by virtue of their L1.
• Acknowledge students L1 in class activities. 
• View students' L1 knowledge as a meaning making resource.
• Encourage codeswitching

• Taking a multicompetent view of L2 learners can, "begin to acknowledge that L2 users have strengths and rights of their own by giving the students role models of L2 users in action and by requiring the use of both languages by one person: in short, convincing students that they are successful multicompetent speakers, not failed native speakers (Cook, 1999)."

Task 4: Reading Reaction - Outsider Analysis of Costa Rican Culture

Click the group link below and follow the instructions in the document.

• Group Link: CLICK HERE

References:

Cook, V. (1999). Going Beyond the Native Speaker in Language Teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), pp. 185-209.

Hiltunen Biesanz, M., Biesanz, R., Zubris Biesanz, K. (1998). The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica. Lynne Rienner Publishers

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

Pavlenko, A. & Norton, B. (2007). Imagined Communities, Identity, and English Language Learning. In J. Cummins & C. Davidson (Eds.), International Handbook of English Language Teaching Part II (pp. 589-600). Springer.

   TOEIC Preparation: Week 12 - Part 4 - Talks

Warm Up: The Ulitmate Alphabet Game

Click the group worksheet link below. You will work with your partners to examine the images and find as many words as you can that begin with a particular letter. Use the time you have to write all the words you can find in the pictures to complete your two lists. You will get one point for each UNIQUE word on your list. If a word is repeated on the lists of multiple groups, it does not count.

• Group Worksheet: CLICK HERE 

Picture 1: Find Words that Begin with the Letter P!

Click to see full size image

Picture 2: Find Words that Begin with the Letter S!

Click to see full size image

Task 1: Common Talk Types

Part 4 will contain different kinds of talks given by a single speaker complete the following exercises with your partners to become familiar with some of the most common types of talks. If you do not have access to your anthology, CLICK HERE. 

• Anthology Section 4 pg 43: Match they type with a description and sample phrases.
• Anthology Section pg 44. Quickly skim the transcripts of the four talks and identify what kind it is. Underline key words and phrases from the transcript that let you know.

Task 2: Group Mini-Test

Take this mini test to preview common talk and question types for Part 4. 

• Group Quiz: CLICK HERE

Task 3: Practice with Paraphrasing

In this task you will work with your partners to practice paraphrasing. You teacher put you  in a group. Click on your corresponding link below and complete Task 1. DO NOT click on the Task 2 tab until your teacher tells you to.

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

Task 4: Focused Practice

Let's work in groups to practice two of the more challenging question types in Part 4: Questions about speaker intent and questions about graphics.

• Group Quiz: CLICK HERE

Task 5: Auditory Memory Practice

In this task you will read a text to your partner and he or she will answer some comprehension questions. Listen carefully to see how many details you can identify and retain in your short-term memory. If you don't remember the answer to some of the questions, you can ask your partner to read it again.

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

  Culture & SLA - Week 13 - Learner and Teacher Identity in SLA

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 13 of the course Culture and Second Language Acquisition for the master's in English teaching at ULACIT term IIC0 2023. This week we will explore the topic of learner and teacher identities and the concept of the language ego in the SLA process.

Today's Goals:

• Explore the concept of public and private self and discuss to what degree your preferences are idiosynchratic or culturally informed.
• Analyze the influence of imagined community memberships on the learning of English around the world. 
• Discuss the roles we have as teachers in shaping our students' identities as L2 and C2 learners.

Guiding Questions:

• How do learners view their personal identity when learning a foreign language?
• How do cultural, social, and personal components intersect in learners' identity in ways that effect their language learning process?
• What role do I play in shaping my students' identities as L2 and C2 learners?

Task 1: Public or Private Self?

Ideas about what kinds of information are appropriate to discuss publicly and which are private depend both on personal and cultural factors. An exploration of this topic can help us better understand different cultural perspectives and it also helps introduce the topic of identity which will be the central focus of today's lesson. Click on your group link below and complete the quiz individually. Then compare your results with your partners.

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

Theory Break: Cultural Persons - Our Identity(ies) as Cultural Beings

• "Culture resides in persons, in individuals. Each member of a culture, like a miniscule twist in a kaleidoscope, refracts and reflects the common colored lights of their culture in a unique display, recognizably similar yet unquestionably different (Moran, p. 98).”

• “Like other aspects of culture, identity is both explicit and tacit. There are aspects of ourselves that we can describe or put into words and there are others that we cannot express, or that are simply outside of our awareness. Not until we find ourselves in situations where our sense of self – our values, beliefs, practices – is called into question do we perceive the tacit dimensions of our identity (Moran, p. 99).”

• “Identities become even more complex when persons of one culture and language enter other cultures and learn other languages. The degree to which they do or do not integrate these new ways of thinking, acting, and interacting affect their cultural identity. For those of us who are nonnative teachers, these dimensions of our identity emerge in our language classrooms (Moran, p. 103).”

• Exploring our avowed and ascribed identities: CLICK HERE 

• “When students whose first language is not English first encounter the learning of English as an additional language, they cannot really avoid the issue of learner identity (be it imposed, assumed, and/or negotiated) because they must participate in a community different than what they are used to (Farrell, p. 33).” 

• “Throughout their careers teachers construct and reconstruct (usually tacitly) a conceptual sense of who they are (their self-image), and this is manifested through what they do (their professional role identity) (Farrell, p. 34).”

• “TESOL teachers, who are often the first contacts for newcomers in ESL situations and cultural informants in EFL situations, play a key role in not only helping to construct their L2 learners’ identities but also determining how they want to construct their own identities as TESOL teachers (Farrell, p. 35).”

• "At the very least, TESOL teachers can reflect on their own L2 learning experiences as well as their intercultural experiences and identity formation and revisit their classroom teaching practices with those reflections in mind (Farrell, p. 36).”

Task 2: Imagined Communities, Identity, and Language Learning

Pavlenko and Norton discuss the role of idenitty formation and how that shapes English learning around the world. Click your group link below and discuss the questions with your partners. It might be best if you have your study guide available for reference.

• Group Link: CLICK HERE

Task 3: Exploring Bilingual Teacher Identities

Joyce is a Costa Rican English teacher who moved to the US for several years to teach Spanish. In this recording she shares differences in how she viewed herself as a teacher and how others viewed her in both circumstances. Listen to the interview then discuss the questions.

• What aspects of Joyce's teacher identity seem to be important?
• What were some of the differences between how she viewed herself and her role as a teacher and they way that others viewed her?
• What other ideas about the topic of your teacher identity were provoked in you by this recording?

Task 4: Exploring Our Teaching Personas and Language Egos
Click the worksheet link and work with your partners to discuss the questions. You do not need to write.

• Discussion Questions: CLICK HERE

References:

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

Pavlenko, A. & Norton, B. (2007). Imagined Communities, Identity, and English Language Learning. In J. Cummins & C. Davidson (Eds.), International Handbook of English Language Teaching Part II (pp. 589-600). Springer.

 Teaching Writing - Week 14 - End of Course Reflection

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 14 of the course Teaching Writing for the Bachelor's in English Teaching at ULACIT in term IIC 2023. Today we will look at some final practices you may want to consider incorporating into your writing classroom then we will review the major contents and tasks of this course and reflect on what we have learned. We will also take time to review your final creation and discuss the instructions for your Portfolio and Needs Analysis projects due next week.

Today's Goals:

• Demonstrate the design features of your Peer Feedback / Self-Editing Protocol creation.
• Consider a series of final teaching practices that can be applied in the writing classroom during the school year.
• Review and react to some of the key ideas covered in this course and articulate your learning takeaways.

Guiding Questions:

• How can you support peer feedback and self-editing?
• What more can I do to help my students develop appropriate skills and attitudes regarding writing?
• In what ways have your thoughts on teaching writing changed or deepened through this course?

Task 1: Creation Demo- Peer Feedback / Self-Editing Protocol

This week you were asked to design your ninth and final activity creation. Let's take a moment to review what you created.

• Example: Walk us through your plan.
• Strengths: Tell us what you think are the strengths of using protocols to stimulte peer feedback and self-editing.
• Challenges: Tell us the potential challenges associated with these protocols.

• Additional Considerations: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Final Ideas to Consider

Let's take some time to explore some of the key ideas from the final chapter of our assigned textbook, "A Year of Writing".

• Looking at Student Writing: How can we look past the text and see the writer?

• Quote: "Skilled writing teachers develop an ability to look closely at student writing and quickly assess strengths and weaknesses, as well as other aspects of writing that aren't good or bad. They're just interesting (p. 123)."

• Quote: "The writing itself can only tell you so much...It's crucial to build a portrait of your student writers so you can put their individual pieces in context (p. 123)."

• Assessment and Grading: How can we assess and grade students' writing effectively?

• Quote: "If you want to ensure your young writers do not progress, grade everything they write (p. 130)."

• Quote: "The adage Think globally but act locally applies to gradding writing. ...Instead of describing one grading system, I'l propose a few guiding principles (p 131)."

• Involve Students: 

• Talk to students about what strong writing is.
• Have students choose examples of their best work to grade.
• Have them complete self-assessment: What did you do well in this text? etc.
• Grade the texts along with other factors such as quantity of writing, willingness to revise, willingness to try something new, etc.

• Use Portfolios: 
• Collect multiple writing samples
• Student reflection on progress during the year

• Don't Grade Everything: 
• We want them to take chances.
• Learning always involves failure.

• The Genre Study: How can you expose students to multiple writing types?

• Quote: "There are many factors to consider when you decide which genre to pic: what your students are clamoring for, the demands of the curriculum, and your own preference and passions. I urge you to avoid make-believe genres that only exist in school. Instead, select forms of writing that can be found in the real world: nonfiction, sports writing, memoir, persuasion, and poetry (p. 135)."

• Quote: "Embraice choice within the genre study, and try not to judge which topics seem legitimate and which strike you as bogus. I recently worked in a fifth-grade class where one boy's list included:
• Dark Magic
• Superheroes
• Magic Cards
• WWE (wrestling)
• How to make a Meme
• How to get extra food at Chipotle without paying extra
• "This list shows where this boy lives - his expertise as well as his passion - so there's a great chance he'll be able to write well about these subjects (p. 136)."

• Engaging Boy Writers: How can we encourage all students to find their writing voice?

• Quote: "The data shows clearly that boys continue to struggle in writing classrooms. Why? Boys' difficulties with writing have something to do with the scarcity of male teachers. In elementary school the teacher population is overwhelmingly female. This gender gap may make it difficult for teachers to appreciate the sensibility boys bring to writing (p. 139."

• The author cites some of the following reasons that boys tend to struggle:

• Their writing often includes irreverent humor and violence which is deemed inappropriate.

• Their fine motor skills develop later than in girls so they are often marked down for poor handwriting.

• Quote: "But I do think teachers could take steps to make the writing classroom boy-friendlier. The items in the following list are designed to nurture boy writers, though it occurs to me that they will bost girl writers as well (p. 140)."

• Give them real choice of what to write and how. Do not judge their interests.

• Show interest in their passions.

• "Be more accepting of violent writing (with commonsense limits)."

• Celebrate their humor. Their humor is their voice.

• Give them praise.

• Allow boy writers to collaborate with each other.

• Make room for genres that engage boys.

• Allow them to draw. "A boy will often rehearse what he's going to write while he's drawing."

• Don't worry about messy handwriting. 

• "Boys write for each other. Don't be surprised in boys view other boys as their main audience."

• Get them excited about writing. If you engagethem first, quality will come later.

• End-of-the-Year Rituals: How can I help students reflect on what they have learned?

• Quote: "When students have been in an active workshop for many months, they will become stronger writers. If we don't take time to reflect, then we miss an opportunity to see and celebreate their progress. Celebration fuels writers. By taking time at the end of the year to reflect, we build students' confidence as writers and send them on to the next leg of their journey knowing they can become a stronger writer and ready to persevere (p. 157)."

• Surveys: Give students prompts and surveys to review what they have learned, reflect on their feelings, identify areas of growth, interest, celebrations, etc. 

• Selection: Have students select a piece they want to photocopy to share with the teacher's future students. They have to review their writing and tell their partners why they chose it. "The best par tof that is when students tell me why they want me to copy a particular page and why it is important to them as a writer. How students interact with each other and reflect on their own work is what cements the message that they are writers (p. 158)." 

• Teacher Reflection: The author says it's also essential that writing teachers reflect on their experiences through the school year to identify areas they are proud of, activities that worked and are worth repeating, challenges, and areas of future experimentation.

Task 3: Reflecting on the Course Content

As a final wrap up for the course, let's take a look at the main ideas, content, and tasks you engaged with through out this term. Click the link below and follow your teacher's instructions.

• Course Reflection: CLICK HERE

Task 4: Review of Remaining Projects

Let's finish today's class by previewing your final projects due next week.

• Writing Activity Portfolio: CLICK HERE
• Writing Needs Analysis: CLICK HERE

References:

Fletcher, R. (2017). The Writing Teacher's Companion. Scholastic Inc.

 TOEIC Preparation: Week 11 - Part 7 - Reading Comprehension

 

Warm Up: Would You Rather...

Spin the wheel and make a choice. Compare your choice with your partners.

Task 1: A Quick Glance

Click the worksheet link below and go to your group's section. Then complete the chart with the required information based on a quick glance at the series of texts below. Remember you can click the images to see a larger version.

• Group Worksheet: CLICK HERE

Text 1

Text 2

Text 3

Text 4

Text 5

Text 6

Text 7

Text 8

Text 9

Text 10

Task 2: Triple Passage Practice

Click your group link below and complete the triple passage practice.

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

Task 3: Focused Practice - Insert a Sentence Questions

One of the challenging question types in the single passage texts in Part 7 requires you to insert a sentence into the most logical place in the text. Click your group link below and follow the instructions in the document. 

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

TOEIC Speaking Practice: Questions 8-10

Instructions: Share your screen and computer sound and watch the videos below. In each case you will have 30 seconds to prepare before you hear the questions. 

 

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More Timed Video Practice

In the Google Slides presentations below you will find videos containing eight exercises (some of which you have previously seen). The videos also contain audio and timers so that you can practice giving your responses under real test conditions. Use the arrows in the bottom left corner to move between the slides. Sometimes you have to click the arrow several times for it to change slides.