Ait Tesol - Exam Preparation Manual

Australian International
TESOL
Live the Dream
AIT
Exam
Preparation
Teaching English to Speakers of Foreign Languages

Welcome to ESL, the wonderful world of
teaching English as a second language.
Globalisation and technology has enabled communication in the world to expand rapidly
therefore requiring the one language to communicate effectively in the business world
and of course travel.
Teaching English is where we can impart our knowledge to our students for positive
outcomes to ensure the students' goals are fulfilled. Governments in most non English
speaking countries require students to learn English as a second language. This will
assist students from these countries with boundless opportunities to work abroad, travel
or be employed by International companies in their native countries or employment
overseas.
Students who wish to study abroad are required to have a very good IELTS or TOEFL
score for the English language to be admitted to Western Universities. The trainers at AIT
TESOL are dedicated and well committed to the student outcomes. The trainers have
many years of experience teaching and training English in foreign countries.
It is with this manual that we welcome you to the
Australian International TESOL family in Vietnam (AIT)
Heather Joy Wright, Director
BRISBANE, INTERNATIONAL OFFICE HANOI OFFICE, VIETNAM

EDUCAP Training Vietnam JSC
Floor 21 My Son Tower: 62 Nguyen Huy Tuong Str.,
345 Queen Street Thanh Xuan dist., Hanoi
Brisbane, QLD, 4000 Hotline: (+84) 968 098 781 ### Email: tesol@educap.vn
AUSTRALIA Website: www.educap.vn
Facebook: Tesolhanoi/ Australian International TESOL
Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 1

Table of Contents
Chapter 1
The Origin of English .......................................................................... ..5
Chapter 2
Grammar Skills .................................................................................... 13
Chapter 3
Linguistics and Phonology ................................................................... 51
Chapter 4
Reading Skills ..................................................................................... 65
Chapter 5
Writing, Spelling and Punctuation..................................................... ...87
Chapter 6
Music and Video .................................................................................. 117

CHAPTER 1
The Origin of English

Where does English come from?
Where does English vocabulary come from and how has it been adapted?
English is a ‘word salad’ of other languages that has been cut up, refined and has evolved into
what it is today and continues to evolve. It is the mongrel breed of various languages. The history
of the English language really started when the Angles came from an area in Europe called
‘England’ and their language was called English - from which the words England and English are
derived.
The arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded what is now Britain, during the 5th century AD
also complicated things. They were the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes who crossed the North
Sea from what, today, is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain
spoke a Celtic language.
Eventually most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - mainly into
what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Old English (450-1100 AD)
The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain developed into what we
now call Old English. It did not sound or look like English today. Nevertheless, about half of the
most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words be, strong and
water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100 AD.

Middle English (1100-1500 AD)
In 1066 William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy (which is now part of modern day France),
invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors (called ‘Normans’) brought with them a kind
of French, which became the language of the Royal Court the ruling and business classes.
For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English
and the upper classes spoke French. As time passed the French influence faded and by the 14th
century English became dominant in Britain again, with many French words added. This language
is called Middle English. It was the language of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400 AD), but it
would still be difficult for modern English speakers to understand today.
Modern English – Early Modern English (1500-1800 AD)

Towards the end of this period, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel
Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. Also from the 16th century the
British had contact with many different people from around the world. This, and the Renaissance
of classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language.
Late Modern English (1800-Present)
One of the greatest influences on English was the invention of the printing press. Books became
cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of
London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 AD the first English
dictionary was published. This contributed to the standardisation of English. The main difference
between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has
many more words, arising from the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new
words and the spread of the British Empire and the English language adopted many foreign words.

Modern Influences on English
From around 1600 AD, the English colonisation of North America resulted in the creation of a
distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations and words ‘froze’ when they
reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than
modern British English is. Some expressions that the British call ‘Americanisms’ are in fact original
British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain, for example
trash for rubbish, loan as a verb instead of lend, and fall for autumn.
Spanish also had an influence on American English with Spanish words that entered English
through the settlement of the American West. French words (through Louisiana) and West African
words through slavery also influenced American English (and so, to an extent, British English).
Today, American English is particularly influential around the world, due to the USA's dominance
of cinema, television, popular music, trade and technology, including the Internet. Many other
varieties of English around the world, including for example, Australian English, New Zealand
English, Canadian English, South African English, Indian English and Caribbean English.
The Germanic Family Members
English is a member of the Germanic family of languages. Germanic is a branch of the Indo-
European language family. Throughout history the English language has adopted or borrowed well
over half its vocabulary from other languages. This accounts for the many differing rules in
pronunciation, phonetics and spelling. When teaching upper level English students it is important
to explain the history of the English language as it is an invaluable insight into how the language
has evolved, plus why it has become so varied and widespread.
Some examples of where words come from are:
Boulevard (French, from Dutch Bolwerk – bolwark, meaning bastion) has several generally
accepted meanings. It was first introduced in the French language in 1435 as boloard and has
since been altered into boulevard. In this case, as a type of road, a boulevard is usually a wide,
multi-lane arterial divided thoroughfare, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and
scenery. When Paris was rebuilt during the Napoleonic years these were large wide roads that
could be used by the military to march troops into the centre of the city easily (in case there was
another revolution).
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy, oppressor or employer through

subversion, obstruction, disruption, and/or destruction. Powered weaving looms could be damaged
by workers throwing their wooden shoes or clogs (known in French as sabots) into the machinery,
effectively clogging the machinery.

A Brief list of Important Times for the Origins of English
BC 55 Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar. Local inhabitants speak Celtic.
BC 43 Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain.
436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.

449 Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins.
450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions.
1066 William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and conquers England.
1348 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
1362 English replaces French as the language of law. English is used in Parliament for the first
time.
1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.
1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.
1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press.
1564 Shakespeare is born.
1604 ‘Table Alphabetical’, the first English dictionary, is published.
1607 The first permanent English settlement in the New World (Jamestown) is established.
1616 Shakespeare dies.
1623 Shakespeare's First Folio is published
1702 The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily Courant, is published in London.
1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.
1776 Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.
1782 Britain abandons its American colonies.
1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary.
1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.
1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.

The Future of the English Language
Historically English has swallowed words from other languages and turned them into Standard
English. Now other languages are swallowing English words.
Russians say – futbol (football), chempion (champion), faks (fax), kompyuter (computer), pamflet
(pamphlet), striptiz (striptease)
Japanese use – konpyu-ta (computer), rajio (radio), supootsu (sports), sutoresu (stress), ranchi
(lunch)
Even the French say – le weekend, le mixed grill, le babysitter, le jogging, le showbiz, le camping,
le hold up and le know-how.
L2 English
Other forms of English such as Singlish from Singapore/English which blends a mix of Chinese
and English into one sentence, and Japanish with “terebi” which is a shortening of the Japanese
pronunciation of terebision (television) are becoming more widely used and accepted. The ultimate
outcome of this is that L2 English speakers (that is people who speak English as a second
language) will have more impact on the future of the English language.
Internet English
Internet usage has had a major impact on how English is used as 70% of all postings are in English.
Additionally, the domination of English spoken film and music influences internet users greatly.
Language Facts and Fun
90% of the world’s languages are under threat of extinction.
People learn to speak and process spoken language earlier than writing. Children all over
the world learn their mother tongue at the same stages.
Sanskrit is the common ancestor of all the languages of Europe and Asia.
Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020

10
Summarise the evolution of the English language

11
12
CHAPTER 2
Grammar Skills

13
Reading Objectives
After reading this section you will be able to:
• Define the following grammar points with examples; noun, verb, adjective, adverb,
preposition and conjunction.
• Explain the differences between each tense; give examples of activities using the
continuous tenses.
• Identify and evaluate a range of techniques for teaching grammar.
• Establish grammar points to cover at each of the TESOL Levels.
The tools you'll use to teach Grammar are:
• Grammar Points for each TESOL level.
• Key Grammar Terms.
• The Tenses.
• Grammar Games and Activities.
• A Grammar Quiz.
• Article: ‘Teaching Students to notice grammar’
Why is Grammar Important?
We need to use grammar to be able to structure sentences and communicate effectively. At the
Beginner levels students do not need to be taught grammar explicitly but it should be addressed
through the context of conversation. If students are at Intermediate level or higher and above 10
years old they are better equipped to decipher grammar rules.
In many countries students will learn L2 English from a non-native speaker. They will learn
grammar rules but the rules will be explained in their first language and as a result TESOL teachers
will find their students overseas will often have a very good understanding of English grammar
concepts. It then becomes important to give students opportunities to put the grammar into practice,
particularly when speaking.

14
Approaches to Teaching Grammar
It is not necessary for TESOL teachers to use the Grammar Translation Approach as there is not
a lot of opportunity for using the grammar correctly in authentic contexts for real communication.
Approaches that are recommended for teaching Grammar in the TESOL Classroom:
The Communicative Approach: Listening and Speaking activities to demonstrate or practise a

particular grammar point.
The Task Based Approach: Students work together on a task, perhaps making up a
dialogue and as a result are practising a grammar form.
The Student Centred Approach: The lesson is based around the students needs and the
grammar points that are covered are requested by the students or arise naturally through activities
students complete related to their needs.
Another general approach to teaching grammar in a TESOL context is to first do an activity based
on a particular grammar point. Model the form but don’t explain in detail at this stage. After the
students have had fun with tasks practising this grammar point, then the specific rules of the point
can be explained. This is related to the theory of ‘noticing’ which is discussed in the article at the
end of this section.
Tips on Teaching Grammar
• Always incorporate the grammar points with a communicative task to practise.
• Focus on only one grammar point per lesson.
• Set reasonable time limits for students to complete work in.
• Demonstrate a concept well before asking students to complete a task.
• Use charts to remind students of grammar terms and definitions.
• Use flashcards to explain grammar terms.
• Only correct one grammar point per lesson.
• Do not teach grammar explicitly to Beginner level students.
• Use Macrologues for brainstorming particular word types.
• Use Micrologues for practising tenses.
• Use team quizzes for review to make it more fun.

15
Beginner Level Grammar
Grammar Point Examples Techniques
Nouns: objects desk, pencil, car,
people whiteboard, boy, girl
Flashcard drills
Pronouns He, She, It, They, We
Articles a pencil, the book, a girl, Describing pictures

Say what’s happening
Adjectives big/small, high/low, colours, Quick pairs
numbers, shapes
Fashion parade
Adverbs fast, slow TPR Command activities
Verb: to be It is a cat Describing pictures
Verbs: actions walk, run, jump, throw, Association technique

classroom read, write, speak, listen,
Sport play football/basketball, TPR: Teacher and class commands for
actions
Imperative: Walk! Jump! Stop! Go!
TPR: Give directions in pairs
Commands
Verb forms: to be I am 8 years old.

to have I have one brother. Personal information
to like I like ice cream. Pair interviews
Pronoun + Verb she likes swimming.
Simple present I play football Can you remember activities

She plays the piano
Present continuous What are you doing? Action charades
I’m playing table tennis.
Possessive my book/his book Spot the difference activities
Preposition (at) + place He is at school. Describe the picture

She is at the park.
Question words What is it? Describe something

what, where Where are you going?

16
Upper-Beginner Level Grammar
Nouns: plurals: desks, pencils, boys,
regular/irregular girls, men, women,
Places children, the beach, the Role plays:
How many? hospital at the store
How much? How many cars are there? at the beach
To be + How much is that ice cream?
Plural/singular There are 6 books.
They are $10. It is $2.
Contractions It is / it’s, cannot / can’t, Describing pictures
That is / that’s What’s happening?
Adjectives old / young, tall / short, hot / cold, clean / Quick pairs, make a match,
dirty, happy / sad mystery object
Adverbs quickly/slowly TPR Adverb activities
Prepositions on, in, under, over, behind Where’s the ball…..?
Time: at at 7:00pm, at 8:00am What time do you…..?
Verbs: actions walk, run, jump, throw, Association technique

classroom read, write, speak, listen,
Sport play football / basketball TPR: Teacher and class
commands for actions
Imperative: Walk! Jump! Stop! Go!
Commands
Preposition (to) + place Walk to the wall
Verbs: Everyday routines get up, brush my teeth, eat breakfast, go Progressive story
to school
Can (ability) Can you swim? Find someone who can…..

She can play the piano.
Questions: Who? Who is that? Retelling a story from a picture
When? When do you get up?
Where? Where is the dog?
Present continuous Affirmative: She is sleeping. Describe a picture, describe a
cartoon, fashion parade
Question words + verbs Negative: She is not sleeping.
Interrogative: What is she doing?
Past Tense walked, talked, danced, What I did…? Put a story in
sequence
regular/irregular I woke up, I got up, I went to school
Future tense I will go to piano practise. Oral interview

Will + simple present verb I will study.
Invitations Can you come to my party? Role play

Can you…..? Can you come now?

17
Pre - Intermediate Grammar
Comparatives bigger, higher, taller, smaller, happier,
sadder
Role plays:
at the store
at the beach
Contractions It is / it’s, cannot / can’t, Describing pictures

That is / that’s What’s happening?
Adjectives slow / fast, quiet / loud, rich / Quick pairs, make a match,
poor, modern / historical, beautiful / ugly mystery object
Adverbs often / sometimes / frequently / always TPR Adverb activities
Prepositions next, near to, about, in front Where’s the ball…..?
Time: at at 7:45pm, at 9:10am What time do you…..?
Verbs: actions admire, borrow, chew, discover, repeat, Association technique

understand
TPR: Teacher and class

commands for actions
Verbs: Everyday routines get up, brush my teeth, eat breakfast, go Progressive story
to school
Can (ability) Can you swim? Find someone who can…..

She can play the piano.
Questions: Who? Who is that? Retelling a story from a picture
When? When do you get up?
Where? Where is the dog?
Present continuous Affirmative: She is sleeping. Describe a picture, describe a
cartoon, fashion parade
Question words + verbs Negative: She is not sleeping.
Interrogative: What is she doing?
Past Tense walked, talked, danced What I did… Put a story in
sequence
regular/irregular I woke up, I got up, I went to school
Future tense I will go to piano practise. Oral interview

Will + simple present verb I will study.
Invitations Can you come to my party? Role play

Can you…..? Can you come now?

18
Intermediate Grammar
Conjunctions Because, both, but,
Debate: Giving opinions
therefore
I like them both because Which movie is best?
they are funny.
Modal Verbs I must study. I should go for a walk. Role play: Accepting
Could you please...? and Refusing invitations
Polite requests Would you like to come to
my party?
Phrasal Verbs Look at, Look for, Look out Role play: Telephone dialogue
Look forward, Look after
Collocations Take the bus, doing my washing Cloze exercises
Fill in the word.
Past Continuous I was doing some washing Suspect Game
She was walking the dog Fashion Parade Games
He was studying
Future Continuous What will you be doing on your Interview- holiday plans
holiday?
Interview- goal setting
I will be relaxing on the beach.
Where will you be in 5 years time?
I will be studying at University in 5 years
time.
Present Perfect What countries have you Role Play – dialogue

been to? Student Biography
I have been to Germany. Exchange
The house has been Spot the difference-
cleaned. Clean and Dirty houses

19
Upper Intermediate Grammar
Phrasal verbs slow down, speed up, give up, give in Role plays: dialogues
Idioms You’re barking up the wrong tree Discuss the meanings
Passive voice The meeting was held last Thursday. Write a newspaper report
Explain someone’s story TPR
Adverb activities
Reported speech The man said that he saw the accident.
Conditionals If you study well, you will pass. Explain game rules
Past perfect I had finished the dishes so I went to Journal writing

watch TV.
Present perfect continuous I have not been sleeping Presentation

Explain a skill
Advanced Grammar
Phrasal verbs calm down, catch up, call off Phrasal verb of the day
Past perfect continuous I had been teaching English for 5 years Presentations
before I decided to move to Vietnam.
Interviews
Future perfect continuous I will have been visiting Asia for 20 Future plans
years, I feel so comfortable here now.
Relative causes That is the woman who taught me how Review situations
to play tennis.

20
Key Grammar Terms: Parts of speech
These are the building blocks of structuring sentences. The following parts of speech should be
addressed from Beginner level through conversation tasks.
Noun A person, place or object. • girl / boy
• park / ball
Verb An action word. • go / run
• sleep / take
Adjective A word to describe a noun. • red / square
• spotty / big
Adverb A word to describe a verb • fast / slow
• quickly / quietly
• noisily / happily
Preposition A word to describe a position. • In / out / on
• under / over
• through / behind
Conjunction A linking word. • and / so
• then / either
• after / because
• since / therefore
Interjection A word to express emotion. • ouch / wow
• absolutely / bravo
Auxiliaries Additional word to indicate ability, mood, obligation, • can / could
possibility.
• may / might
• must / will
• would / might
Determiners Modifiers for nouns including articles, • a / an / the

interrogatives, possessives.
• that / these
• each / every
Quantifiers Words that indicate quantity. • all / any
• either / neither
• first / second
• a little / a lot

21
Conjunctions
Conjunctive adverbs make up a more descriptive category of conjunctions. They show logical
relationships between two independent sentences, between sections of paragraphs, or between
entire paragraphs.
Conjunctive Adverbs
also consequently
hence furthermore
however nevertheless
still instead
likewise moreover
otherwise then
therefore thus
conversely meanwhile
rather accordingly
Example: If the steak is tender, I will have that; otherwise, give me the fish.
Relative pronouns and relative adjectives are also used to join ideas together by creating
adjective or noun clauses, which allow a writer to create smoother, more flowing and effective
sentences by combining ideas.
Example: This is the woman who sells fish.

Relative Pronouns & Relative Adjectives
who which
whom that
whose what
whoever whichever
whomever whatever
Adverbs of time, place, and sequence are actually transitions of logic, but as such they also
have conjunctive force, because they connect ideas by showing a time relationship.
Adverbs of Time, Place and Sequence
earlier then first
next now second
lastly soon third
later fourth
here
before eventually
there
after tomorrow
today
Example: First, get a pad and pencil. Next, find a quiet place to think.

22
Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs
Prepositions are words that describe position.

Level to teach: Beginner – Upper Beginner
Examples: in, on, under, through, over, behind, in front of, next to, opposite... There are also
specific collocations that use prepositions:
at: describes time and location: Example - at 6 o’clock, at home.
on: describes a state of being: Example - on holiday, on location, on time.
Techniques for Teaching Prepositions

• Picture description: The toy is on the floor.
• Where’s Wally?: Similar to the book series. Spot Wally (or something similar in a picture and
describe where he is).
• Give commands (TPR): Stand next to the chair, stand on the chair…
Phrasal Verbs are commonly used phrases that use:

• A verb + a preposition.
• ESOL students find these very difficult to understand and learn.
Examples
• to look; at, after, down, for, forward to, in, into, out, over, up, through
• to cut out, to find out, work it out, work out, take out
• to give up, to pick up, to set up, put up, wake up, shut up
• put down, slow down
• take off, turn off, cut off
Techniques for Teaching Phrasal Verbs

• Cloze activities
• Teacher and Student generated dialogues

23
Verb Tense Overview
Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future
I study English everyday. I studied English in Australia. I will study English in Australia next
year.
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
I am studying English now. I was studying English when you I will be studying English when you
called. arrive tonight.
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
I have studied English in several I had studied English for one year I will have studied every tense by the
countries. before I came to Australia. time I finish this course.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
I have been studying English for five I had been studying English for five I will have been studying English for
years. years before I came to Australia. five years when I take the IELTS
exam.

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The Simple Past Tense
Usage: It is used for actions completed at a definite time in the past.
• For a past action when the time is given

- I met her last week.
- Captain Cook died in 1779
- Their time expired 90 days ago.
• When the time is asked about
- When did you see her?
- When did the clock stop working?
• When the action clearly took place at a definite time even though this time is not
mentioned
- The plane arrived 2 hours late.
- When did you get your new job?
- We sold our house a long time ago.
Often the word ago is used with simple past sentences.
Typical student errors:

Most errors with this tense arise from the use of did and did not for questions and negatives, and
the use of irregular verbs. Usage problems often lead to confusion with the present perfect tense.
Regular verbs:
Affirmative: (add -ed or –d to the base form of the verb) I worked, I played, I hoped etc.
Negative: (add did not or didn't before the base form) I didn’t work etc.
Question: (add did plus subject before the base form) Did you work? etc.
Irregular verbs
There is only one simple past verb which has two forms according to person. That is the verb ‘to
be’ which has the forms ‘was’ (used with I, he, she and it) and ‘were’ (used with you, we and they).
Techniques to teach the Simple Past Tense:
• Snap or Matching game: present and past tense match (go-went)
• Narrative story / Micrologue
• Curriculum Vitae / Resume statements
• Interview role-play
• Discussion: example, past holidays, major events, etc.

25
Verb List (Irregular Past Tense)
Infinitive Simple Past Infinitive Simple Past

Past Participle Past Participle
to go Went I gone fall fell fallen

I go I went I have gone feed fed fed
He goes he went he has gone feel felt felt
I don’t go I didn’t go I haven’t gone fight fought fought
he doesn’t go he didn’t go he hasn’t gone find found found
be was / were been forget forgot forgotten
I am I was I have been freeze froze frozen
he is he was he had been give gave given
we are we were we have been get got gotten
beat beat beaten go went went
become became become grow grew grown
begin began begun hit hit hit
bet bet bet hold held held
blow blew blown hurt hurt hurt
break broke broken keep kept kept
bring brought brought know knew known
build built built lay laid laid
burst burst burst lead led led
buy bought bought leave left left
catch caught caught lend lent lent
choose chose chosen let let let
come came come lie lay lain
cost cost cost lose lost lost
cut cut cut make made made
deal dealt dealt mean meant meant
do did done meet met met
draw drew drawn pay paid paid
drink drank drunk ride rode ridden
drive drove driven ring rang rung
eat ate eaten rise rose risen

26
Verb List (Irregular Past Tense continued)
Infinitive Simple Past

Past Participle
see saw seen

sell sold sold
send sent sent
shake shook shaken
steal stole stolen
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
spring sprang sprung
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swim swam swum
take took taken
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
write wrote written
wake woke woken

27
The Past Continuous Tense
Usage: The past continuous describes actions that were continuing at a certain point in
time.
• For interrupted past actions.
While I was having a bath, the phone rang.
• Used without a time expression, it can indicate gradual development that took place in the
past.
It was getting darker.
The winds were rising.
• It can express an action, which began before that time and probably continued after it.
At eight he was having breakfast, implies that he was in the middle of breakfast at
eight, i.e. that he had started it before eight. He had breakfast at eight, would imply
that he started at eight.
Form: Past tense of ‘to be’ verb + present continuous + subject + time
(I was) (eating) (breakfast) at (8’oclock)
Typical student errors:
• Omission of the verb to be (e.g. I playing tennis yesterday).
• Omission of the –ing (e.g. I was play tennis yesterday).
• Use of -ing with state verbs (see present continuous).
• Confusion with past simple.
Note: that the past continuous almost always requires some form of time reference. For
example, I was playing tennis simply doesn’t make sense, as we don’t know when.
Techniques to teach the past continuous tense:
• Suspect game: Where were you yesterday at 7:00 p.m.? What were you doing?
• Use of diaries / journals. What were you doing at 7.00am on Monday?
• Telling stories: Narrating and describing a story using a combination of past simple and past
continuous. These can be based on visual prompts and / or other stimuli.
The Present Continuous Tense

Usage: The present continuous describes actions that are in progress now.
Form: Subject + auxiliary verb: to be + continuous form of verb (with -ing)

Examples: I am swimming. They are walking. It is raining.
Techniques for teaching the Present Continuous Tense:
Picture Description / Action Charades.

28
The Future Continuous Tense
Usage: The future continuous describes actions that will be happening in the future.
Form: Subject + will be + present continuous + time

(It) will be (raining) (tomorrow)
I will be laying on a beach this time next week.
Note: The time can also come at the start of the sentence.
Example: 5 years from now I will be studying English in Australia.
Techniques for teaching the Future Continuous Tense:
• Personal Predictions: Students make conditions and put in a time capsule with statements
Like: 5 years from now I will be working.
The Present Perfect Tense

Usage: The perfect tenses describe actions that are complete. The present perfect tense
describes actions that have been completed and have an effect on the present.
Examples:
I have cleaned my room.
I have finished my homework.
The kitchen has been cleaned.
The rubbish has been taken out.
The class has started.
Form:
Affirmative: (subject + has / have + past participle)
Negative: (subject + has / have + not + past participle)
Question: (has+ subject + past participle)

Past participle = the past form of the verb.
In the sentence: Have you taken out the rubbish? The past participle is ‘taken’ – the past tense
form of the verb take.
Techniques for teaching the Present Perfect Tense:
• Spot the difference: Show pictures of a messy room and then a tidy room. Students make
up sentences to say what has changed. Example, The bed has been made. The rubbish has
been taken out. The floor has been cleaned. The window has been opened.
• Letter: to ask permission Ask children to write a letter to their parents saying some good
things that they have done and then asking for a favour as a result of this good work. Example,
I have tidied my room, so can I go out with my friends now? I’ve saved $100 so can I go
shopping tomorrow?
Note: The present perfect is quite often used with the contraction, ‘I’ve’, instead of, ‘I have’.

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The Past Perfect Tense
Usage: The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that had finished at a particular
time
in the past and had an effect on an event in the past.
Examples: When I got to the car park I realised that I had lost my keys.
She told me she had worked in France and Germany.
He arrived late; he hadn’t realised the roads would be so icy.
She was upset because Paul hadn’t telephoned.
Form:
Affirmative: (subject + had + past participle)
Negative: (subject + had + not + past participle)
Question: (had + subject + past participle)
Completely finished actions:
Try to complete these 2 sentences with a suitable word to emphasise the fact that a past perfect
action is 100% over:
• “ he had painted the kitchen, he decided to rest.”
• “ she had finished the report, she realised that it was too late to post it.”
After and when are often used to show that a past action had completed before another action
in the past started.
Techniques for teaching the Past Perfect Tense:
• Give students a final situation and ask them to think of reasons why that situation had
happened.
• Students read or hear a story and then retell the story backwards, starting from the end and
describing what had happened before.
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Usage: The past perfect continuous certainly isn’t the most frequently used (or taught) tense
in the English language but it does have one major use:
• To talk about longer actions or situations in the past that had been going on
continuously up to the past moment that we are thinking about. We don’t know or are
not concerned with whether or not it continued after, example, Before eating lunch, she had
been painting her toenails for two hours.
Form:
Affirmative: (subject + had + been + verb + ing)
Negative: (subject + had + not + been + verb + ing)
Question: (had + subject + been + verb + ing)
Common student errors: This tense has two auxiliary verbs – ‘had’ and ‘been’ – the omission
of either or the failure to add ‘ing’ to the main form are the usual major errors. It can also be easily
confused with the past perfect (which stresses completed actions), and the past continuous.

30
Grammar Activities
TPR Adverbs Game: ‘Run quickly, Speak slowly’
Level: Beginner-Upper Beginner
This is a variation of the basic TPR commands game, except the students don’t just do actions for
a verb but an adverb as well. The game starts with the teacher calling out a verb first then the verb
and the adverb.
For example, the teacher says ‘run’ and then ‘run fast’ or ‘run quickly.’ Next the students come up
to the front and give the commands. The students could just make up the verbs and adverbs
themselves or alternatively the teacher could prepare two sets of cards with adverbs and verbs for
the students to read from.
Ideas for vocabulary could be:
run fast
jump quickly
throw loudly
hop happily
swim slowly
fly softly
dance badly
sing angrily
Categories Game: Tutti Fruitti

Level: Upper Beginner- Intermediate
The teacher needs to have word cards with a letter of the alphabet on each card. The teacher
selects a letter card at random. The students have to come up with as many words as they can
that start with this letter under each of the categories. Each category is a grammar term.
Nouns Verbs Adverbs
Adjectives Prepositions Conjunctions
Students could work in teams for this activity and it could be made into a competition to see who
can think of the most words.

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Review Game: Noughts and Crosses
Level: Intermediate
This is similar to the tic tac toe game except students can play this in pairs and they have actual
noughts and crosses counters to place on the square if they get the question for that square correct.
Verbs Nouns Adjectives
Synonyms Antonyms Plurals
Adverbs Conjunctions Contractions
O O O
O O O
X X X
X X X
Questions for Noughts Questions for Crosses
Verbs: What is the verb in the sentence?: Verbs: What is the verb in the sentence?:
The cat jumped over the dog. The boy ran to the shop.
Synonyms: Give a synonym for big. Synonyms: Give a synonym for small.
Adverbs: What is the adverb in the Adverbs: What is the adverb in the
sentence?: The car drove quickly down the sentence?: They ran slowly to school.
road.
Nouns: What is the noun in the sentence?: I
Nouns: What is the noun in the sentence: I saw a big black dog?
like to eat cake?
Antonyms: What is an antonym for fast?
Antonyms: What is an antonym for up?
Compound Nouns: What is a compound
Compound noun: What two words are in word that can be made with sea?
the word rainbow?
Adjectives: What is the adjective in the
Adjectives: What is the adjective in the sentence?: I see a long snake.
sentence: I had a red bike?
Plurals: What is the plural of sheep?
Plurals: What do you add at the end of fox to
Contractions: What two words are in the
make it a plural?
contraction don’t?
Contractions: What two words are
contracted in the contraction we’re?

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Biography Exchange: Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of Frequency are used to describe how often you do something. Examples of these
types of words are: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, never
Level: Upper Beginner- Intermediate
1. The teacher reads out these sentences:
• I always have breakfast.
• I usually get up at 7 o'clock.
• I often watch television.
• I sometimes exercise.
• I seldom go shopping.
• I never eat fish.
2. The Teacher asks one student a question using the phrases “How often?”
Example: “Ken, how often do you do your homework?”
3. The teacher asks other students several similar questions based on daily routine.
Example: How often do you watch TV or walk to school or exercise?
4. Ask 5-10 students ‘How often…’ questions. The teacher then asks some students who have
not had a turn to report back what they have heard their classmates say.
For Example: Does Ken always do his homework? or How often does Ken do his home
work?
5. Student Biography Exchange: Get students to work in pairs and ask each other questions
with adverbs of frequency.
6. The students report back what they learned about their partner.
7. The students could also be given words that they have to put together to make a sentence.
Example: James / breakfast / never, means, “James never eats breakfast” or “James never
skips breakfast.”
Always Usually Often Sometimes Seldom Never
Watch TV
Play sport
Go to a
movie
Use the
computer
Talk on the
telephone

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‘Fashion Parade’ Grammar games
Level: Beginner
Grammar Focus: Using adjectives
This activity is easier to do if the students are not wearing a uniform and they are wearing a wide
variety of colours and styles of dress. If the students are wearing a uniform, the teacher could
provide some items of clothing such as a hat, scarf, jacket, belt etc.
Create an area in the classroom to use as a ‘catwalk’ or path for the students to walk down. The
teacher walks down the catwalk and points to three pieces of clothing or footwear and says a quick
phrase about each one.
For example the teacher might say: Purple top, Black Skirt, Black shoes, or striped shirt, blue tie,
black trousers (as they point to these items.)
The students then take turns walking down the catwalk pointing to their clothing and saying the
adjective + the clothing words.
What is she wearing?
Level: Upper Beginner to Intermediate
Grammar focus: Present Continuous (is + ing) + articles (a and the)
This is the same as the one above, except the students walk down the catwalk and do the
‘modelling’ while other students are chosen to do the ‘voiceover’ describing what the models are
wearing. Example: “Jenny is wearing a black T-Shirt, black spotted dress, green handbag and
black high heel shoes”. “Amy is wearing a blue striped top, a small red bag and black high
heels.”
News Report: Fashion Parade
Level: Intermediate
Grammar focus: Simple Past (Irregular - wear/wore)
This could be an extension activity after the fashion parade. The students recall what everyone
was wearing and say these statements as if it was a news report example, Sally wore a denim
jacket.

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Picture Dictation and Picture Barrier Game Picture Dictation:
Level: Upper Beginner – Intermediate
Grammar Focus: Simple present and Present Continuous tense
1. First, give each student a plain white sheet of copy paper. Explain that you are going to
describe a scene. This is not a traditional dictation. Students should not write down your
description; rather, they should draw it.
In the top right hand corner a man is swimming in the ocean. There are several boats on the
horizon. In the top left hand corner the sun is shining brightly. At the bottom of your page is
the beach. A little girl is standing on the beach. She is crying.
2. Students should not look at anyone else’s paper while they are drawing.
3. When the teacher finishes saying the description, the students have a few minutes to
compare their drawings.
4. The students then repeat the scene back to you and you can draw it on the board. You can
adapt the scene in the picture to include any vocabulary your class has recently covered.
The teacher shows the picture to the students and asks for questions.
Sentence Finish: Tense Review
Level: Intermediate – Upper Intermediate Sentence Finish Activity:
1. Ask students to take a piece of paper out for a dictation. Explain that you will say part of a
sentence. They first have to listen and write down what they hear you say.
2. Students copy the sentence starter that the teacher says.
• I like watching television because…
• Despite the cold weather, …
• If I were you, …
• I wish he...
3. Students write the end of the sentence.
4. At the end give the students some time to read over their sentences. The teacher walks
around and checks sentences but doesn't correct.
5. The teacher chooses 2-3 people to read out their sentences.
6. The sentences that the students write can be collected and used for assessment purposes.

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Picture Dictation: Barrier Game
Level: Intermediate
Grammar focus: Imperative Tense = bare infinitive Example, draw a line, make a circle.
1. Arrange the students in groups of three. One person in the group is given a picture which is
not allowed to be seen by the rest of their group.
2. The person with the picture has to instruct the rest of the group to draw a picture exactly like
the one they have.
3. When the instructions have been given the picture is revealed. The team whose drawing is
closest to the original wins a prize.
Review Activity: Listening for Mistakes
Level: Intermediate
1. The teacher reads out a story and the students listen for the mistakes. Tell the students
how many mistakes they should hear. 5 mistakes per paragraph is plenty.
Example: (Mistakes are recorded in bold)
2. Last month I go on holiday to a tropical island. There was a lot of palm trees on the island and
many white sandy beaches. I sunbathed everyday but I was remembering to put on some
sunscreen. I went sailing on a boat and see many tropical fish. My holiday was very relaxing.
I want go on another tropical island holiday soon.
3. Students listen to the micrologue paying attention to the mistakes.
4. The teacher reads the micrologue again and stops at the end of each sentence and asks
the students if they can share what the mistake was for that sentence.
5. If necessary, give the students a copy of the micrologue and get them to mark the mistakes
and keep for their reference.
Answers:
go; changes to went (simple past tense)
was; changes to were (plural)
was remembering: changes to remembered (simple past)
see; changes to saw (past tense)
go; changes to ‘to go’ (infinitive tense)

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Review: Create a Sentence or Story
Level: Intermediate – Advanced
1. Each student needs his / her own sheet of paper.
2. The teacher writes words on the board then gives the students a few minutes to form a
sentence. Students work individually. The sentences can focus on one type of tense and be
used for review.
3. Students raise their hands when they think they've formed a good sentence.
Encourage the students to make interesting sentences: Perhaps students at Upper

Intermediate level could be encouraged to write 2 sentences or even a short story and to use
at least one adjective or adverb per sentence. If writing a story the students could make sure
they include Who, What, When, Where, How, Why.
What happened in the story.
Example, She went mountain biking on a rough muddy track on Sunday. Sarah was feeling very
excited because it was the competition for the national championship. As she was finishing the last
lap of the track her tyre got stuck in the sticky mud. The race official helped to get the tyre out and
she raced excitedly to the finish line. She won the race!
4. Ask some students to read their sentences to the class.
She / was / breakfast / phone
She / went / mountain
I / movie / am / tomorrow
She / in / rushing / catch / train / time
Who Dunnit’ Game

Level: Intermediate
Grammar Focus: Past Continuous Tense
1. The teacher sets the scene that all of the class is a suspect in crime that was committed
yesterday afternoon. The teacher acts out the role of policeman and questions the students
about where they were yesterday afternoon and if they have an alibi.
2. All students are given a ‘role card’ with different characters such as a shopkeeper, a student,
a teacher or cleaner. Some students will be given an answer to say and other students have
to make up their own stories.
3. The teacher knows who committed the crime and writes it on one of the student's role cards
but they can't tell anybody. This person then makes up the story or excuse.
4. Briefly describe the crime and make it relevant to the students. For example: The football
world cup has been stolen from the coach's office. Who has stolen it?

37
5. You start asking the students to take turns saying where they were during the crime. What
were you doing yesterday afternoon? I was going for a run with my teammate.
6. As a summary, the students take turns to compose a sentence about one of the other
students. For example: It wasn't James. He was going for a run with Gary. This gives the
students more opportunities to use the past continuous.
7. Finally the students guess who committed the crime.
Pair Activity: Question Tags

Level: Upper Intermediate
Auxiliary Verbs: These are also known as helping verbs. They are used with another verb
to indicate tense, mood, ability, obligation and possibility.
Examples:
• variations of the verb ‘to be’ ( is, was, were)
She is talking on the telephone.
She was sleeping.
• can, may, might, must, should
I can touch my toes.
It might rain today.
I should clean my room.
You must be here at 9am.
Tag questions: A tag question is one in which a statement is made and then it is turned into
a question using the auxiliary verb. For example: It's a nice sunny day today- isn't it? To make a
tag question a negative statement comes after a positive statement and vice versa.
Example, It is a nice day today (positive) – isn’t it (negative) You haven’t eaten yet
(negative) - have you? (positive)
Tag Question Activity
1. Ask students to pair up with another student they feel they know reasonably well.
2. Ask each student to write a set of ten different questions using question tags based on what
they know about their partner.
Examples:
You can do the splits, can’t you?
Your favourite movie is Madagascar, isn’t it?
You came to school yesterday, didn't you?
You haven't been to Paris, have you?
You were living in Australia 5 years ago, weren’t you?
You have been learning the guitar for 5 years, haven’t you?
3. Students get into their pairs and ask each other their questions. The teacher can walk
around and monitor the correct usage of the tenses and the tag questions.

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Make a Match: Conditional Sentences
The Conditional: Conditional sentences have two parts, the conditional clause and the main clause.
The main part of the sentence usually starts with the word ‘if’ and the conditional clause often uses
words such as ‘would’, ‘wouldn't’, ‘will’ and ‘wont’.
1. Make enough copies of the lists below for all students to have one half of a sentence each.
If it were New Year’s Eve, I would be at a party.
If I got a pet, it would have to be a cat.
I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
How would your life be different if you spoke English perfectly?
If we studied all night, we still wouldn’t pass the test.
If our teacher was absent, we wouldn’t be doing this activity.
If we went to the beach, would you go swimming?
If I invited you to dinner, would you accept my invitation?
We wouldn’t have cars if the year was 1768.
2. Instruct students to walk around the class reading their half of a sentence and asking students
if they have the matching half of the sentence. Combinations must be grammatically correct
and logical. (Remind students that they should pay attention to punctuation.)
3. When the students find their partner you can then use these partnerships for your next activity.
Note: This is a great warm-up activity and can be used with different sentences to model the
language you have been studying in class.

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Biography Exchange: Conditional Sentences
1. Instruct students to interview each other in pairs writing down their answers.
2. Students interview each other in pairs and write their answers on the form below.
What if …..?
What would you do if you won free flights for a

year?
How would life be different if everyone in the

world received the same salary?
If your doctor told you that you had one year to

live, how would you change your life?
How would life be different if people did not

have thumbs?
Imagine someone gave you $50,000 and you

had to spend it all in only two weeks, what
would you do with the money?

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Find your Partner: Modal Verbs
Modal Verbs express mood and obligation. Examples of modal verbs are must, could, would,
should and might.
Level: Intermediate and Upper Intermediate
1. Print the questions in the grid below and cut out each section individually.
2. Students walk around the room and find the missing half of their sentence. Combinations
must be grammatically correct and logical. Remind students that they should pay attention to
punctuation.
She hasn’t called me back. She must not have checked her messages yet.
Their plane might be delayed. It’s snowing like crazy in New York.
His jacket’s here, so he must be here too.
It must be a good restaurant; the prices are very high.
His phone’s been busy all night. He must be online.
Why didn’t you call? For all I knew you could have been in an
accident.
Let’s just go over to his house. He should be home by now.
That really can’t be Elvis. He’s been dead for years.
This restaurant can’t be too expensive Just look at the people going in.
That couldn’t be the real price. They must have made a mistake.
Variation:
As an alternative, make multiple copies of this page, cut the same as above, divide students into
groups, and give each group all the sentences to match. This is a fast fun way to pair students for
another activity. The bonus is that they get extra exposure to the target structure.

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Idioms in the Classroom
Definition: An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not compositional, that is, whose
meaning does not follow from the meaning of the individual words of which it is composed.
Example: the English phrase ‘to kick the bucket’ means ‘to die.’ A listener knowing the meaning of
‘kick’ and ‘bucket’ will not thereby be able to predict that the expression can mean ‘to die.’ Idioms
are often, though perhaps not universally, classified as figures of speech.
Explain the Metaphor and Act Out an Idiom!
Help students understand idioms through metaphor! The visual can help explain the idea. Idioms
are a fun way to bring the English language into the classroom. For language students however,
they are particularly challenging. Role play and discussion are the best ways to demonstrate
idioms.
Activity 1
Place idioms on the board and ask students for the meaning.
Group students and give each group an idiom that they have to guess and write an
explanation for.
Have each group present their idiom to the class and have the class vote if the meaning is
correct or not.
Activity 2
• Place a list of 5 idioms on the board.
• Pair students and give them 20 minutes to try to guess the meaning of each idiom.
• Have pairs read out their answers to see which pair got the most correct.
Activity 3
Demonstrate role-playing the meaning of an idiom for the class.
List 10 idioms on the board. Put students into groups and instruct each group to
choose one idiom and prepare a role-play to demonstrate the meaning of the idiom for the
rest of the class to guess.
Groups act out idioms for the class to guess.

42
Activity 4
• Demonstrate drawing a picture to explain an idiom.
• Put a list of idioms on the board and ask students in pairs to draw the meaning for each one.
Activity 5
Show a video clip in which an idiom is used.
Ask pairs of students to guess what the idiom means in the context of the video clip.
Discuss the meaning with the class, role-play the meaning in groups.
• Students show pictures and give explanations.
A List of Common Idioms
You're in the dog’s house. Barking up the wrong tree. Let the cat out of the bag.
Can it. Jump the gun. Drive me up the wall.
My hands are tied. Stick your neck out. Play it by ear.
Out on a limb. On your high horse. Paint the town red.
Without turning a hair. Shed some light on it. Up in the air.
Roll with the punches. Have a heart. The lion’s share.
Keep it under your hat. Walking on air. Burns the candle at both ends.
On cloud nine. Put your foot in your mouth. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Between a rock and a hard place. Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. By the skin of your teeth.
Break a leg. You’re pulling my leg. Elbow grease.
Butter him / her up. Pull some strings. Turned a deaf ear.
Still wet behind the ears. Hold down the fort. Too many Irons in the fire.
Break the ice. Put your nose to the grindstone. Off the hook.
Left high and dry. Out of the woods. Pass the buck.
Swallow your pride. On the right track. Wild goose chase.
Talk a mile a minute. Over the hill. Walking a tightrope.
Up a creek without a paddle. Skating on thin ice. over your head.
Bury the hatchet. Get off my back. Beat around the bush.
Kick the bucket. Raining cats and dogs. Butterflies in your stomach.
Eyes are bigger than your stomach. Spitting image. Give a cold shoulder.
Keep a stiff upper lip. Don’t lose your head. Foot the bill.
Eats like a bird. Keep your shoulder to the wheel. Clear sailing.
Blow your top. Six feet under. Hit the roof.

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Grammar Quiz for TESOL Teachers
Complete the following grammar quiz using the resources found in this chapter.
Give five examples of the following types of nouns:
Proper Common Uncountable Pronouns
Give the correct tense for each of the following verbs: study, dance, fly, sleep, eat.
Past Simple Present Perfect Future Perfect Continuous

44
Complete the following Grammar Grid.
Grammar Define the Use an example of the Grammar Point in a sentence

Point Grammar Point
Idiom
Adjective
Conjunction
Comparative
Superlative
Adverb

45
Verb Review Grid
Complete the verb review grid below using the resources in this chapter for a guide.
Note: “continuous” is sometimes referred to as “progressive.”
Sentence Verb Tense

1. I eat my banana.
2. I ate my banana.
3. I will eat my banana.
4. I am eating my banana.
5. I was eating my banana.
6. I will be eating my banana.
7. I have eaten my banana.
8. I had eaten my banana.
9. I will have eaten my banana.
10. I have been eating my banana.
11. I had been eating my banana.
12. I will have been eating my banana.

46
Teaching the Students to ‘Notice’ Grammar
This article explains how to help students to ‘notice’ grammar.
Francis J. Noonan III
Introduction
Many teachers are confused on how to teach grammar. The form-focused instruction of the audio-
lingual method produced students that knew a lot about a language but could not apply what they
knew to spontaneous speech.
Conversely, the lack of grammar instruction in the Communicative Approach has often produced
students who communicate well but lack grammatical competency. Is it possible to teach grammar
in a way that will help students develop grammatical competency, even in spontaneous speech?
This article explores a possible answer to this dilemma, the theory of noticing, and its application
to the classroom.
Why Noticing?
The theoretical basis for noticing centres on the relationship between explicit and implicit
knowledge. Explicit knowledge is conscious knowledge of grammar rules learned through formal
classroom instruction. For example, Li knows every rule about subject-verb agreement but makes
frequent mistakes in natural speech. This knowledge is only available to him when he has time to
think about the rules and then apply them (i.e. a grammar exercise or a writing assignment). In
contrast, implicit knowledge is unconscious, internalised knowledge of a language that is available
for spontaneous speech. For example, Jim speaks English with near perfect use of the basic rules
of subject-verb agreement. This is despite the fact that he may have no idea what subject-verb
agreement is or what the rules are.
The question is can explicit grammar knowledge (Li's knowledge) become implicit knowledge (Jim's
knowledge)? There are two basic answers to the question. The first is the non-interface position
proposed by Krashen. In his view, explicit knowledge can never become implicit knowledge
because these two types of knowledge are located in different parts of the brain. Li could keep
studying grammatical rules for the rest of his life and never speak like Jim. On the other hand, the
interface position claims that explicit knowledge can have some impact on implicit knowledge.

47
The interface position is divided into two views, the strong and the weak position. The strong
interface position holds explicit knowledge becomes internalised through practice, like the
acquisition of other skills. The weak interface position, however, agrees with Krashen that explicit
learning does not become implicit knowledge, but that it can aid or foster the acquisition of implicit
knowledge (Brook). Proponents of this position acknowledge that there are simply too many
linguistic rules for any learner, native speaker or not, to learn them all consciously.
Thus, a strong interface is unlikely. Nevertheless, recent data suggests that students who have
explicit grammar instruction as part of their study achieve a higher level of grammatical accuracy
than those who do not (Ellis, 2002, p19). This suggests a weak-interface between explicit and
implicit knowledge. Noticing is based on this position.
What is Noticing?
Noticing is basically the idea that if learners pay attention to the form and meaning of certain
language structures in input, this will contribute to the internalisation of the rule (Batstone,
1996).
Ellis expounds on this idea: ". . . we don't actually try to influence the construction of the complex
network [implicit knowledge] . . . because really learners can only do it themselves. We cannot
implant rules into that network. Learners extract from the available information around them the
regularities that form into their knowledge system. If this is the case, all that we can do is make
them aware of some of these patterns . . . under the assumption that if you have an awareness of
them, then ultimately your pattern detector might function a bit more efficiently" (Ryan, 2001, p2).
In addition, learners acquiring language through a natural approach often experience fossilisation,
certain errors do not get better despite a significant amount of experience with the target language.
Perhaps once learners develop communicative sufficiency they do not make progress in accuracy.
Noticing helps rectify this by helping learners "notice the gap." They recognise that the language
features noticed are different from their current language.
Remember, according to this theory, the primary nature of explicit knowledge is to develop
awareness of rather than production of target forms. Hence, teachers ought not to grade students
on accurate use of these forms in spontaneous speech. Hopefully, this awareness will help learners
notice target forms in future input and facilitate the eventual acquisition of these forms as implicit
knowledge (Ellis, 2002, p 29).

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How Do Teachers Help Students Notice?
How can we as teachers help students notice target forms? Cross (2002) summarises factors that
draw attention to certain features in input:
• Explicit instruction -- instruction explaining and drawing attention to a particular form.
• Frequency -- the regular occurrence of a certain structure in input.
• Perceptual Salience -- highlighting or underlining to draw attention to a certain structure.
• Task Demands -- constructing a task that requires learners to notice a structure in order to
complete it.
Also, Rod Ellis outlines five teaching activities to develop grammatical knowledge,
1. Listening to Comprehend: Students listen to comprehend a text that has been

structured to contain several examples of the target form.
2. Listening to notice: Students listen to the same text again, but are given a gap-fill
exercise. The target form is missing and the students simply fill it in exactly as they hear it to
help them notice the form.
3. Understanding the grammar point: With help from the teacher, the students analyse
the data and "discover" the rule.
4. Checking: Students are given a written text containing errors and are asked to
correct them.
5. Trying it: Students apply their knowledge in a production activity.
Ellis warns that this is not designed to develop implicit knowledge, but simply to develop awareness
of grammar, which, when supplemented with other forms of input and communicative tasks, may
aid in the eventual acquisition of implicit knowledge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, explicit grammar knowledge can foster the acquisition of implicit knowledge through
noticing. Teachers can draw students' attention to certain language features of input through
explicit instruction, increasing the frequency and perceptual salience of the structure, and / or
designing tasks that require the students to notice a structure to complete it.

49
References
Batstone, Rob. (1996). Key Concepts in ELT: Noticing. ELT Journal, Volume 50/3, 8 paragraphs.
Available:
http://www3.oup.co.uk/eltj/hdb/Volume_50/Issue_03/freepdf/500273.pdf Brook, Andrew and

Edina Torlakovic. The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Acquisition. 40 paragraphs.
Available:
http://www.cognitivesciencesociety.org/confproc/gmu02/final_ind_files/torlakovic _brook.pdf
Cross, Jeremy. (December 2002) „Noticing' in SLA: Is it a Valid Concept? TESL-EJ.
Vol. 6, No.3.
Available:
http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej23/a2.html Ellis, Rod. Options in Grammar Teaching

(Speech Notes).
Available:
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/esol/esolonline/teachers/prof_read/rod_ellis_e.php Ellis, Rod. (2001).

Second Language Acquisition: The Role of Consciousness. Lecture given at National Chengchi
University, Taiwan.
Available:
http://english.nccu.edu.tw/academic/RodEllis/Lect1.doc
Ellis, Rod. (2002). The Place of Grammar Instruction in the Second/Foreign Language Curriculum.
In Fotos, Sandra and Eli Hinkel (Eds.), New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second
Language Classrooms (pp. 17-34). Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Krashen, Stephen. (1981). Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning.
Pergamon Press.
Also available on-line:
http://www.sdkrashen.com/SL_Acquisition_and_Learning/index.html
Ryan, Kevin. (2001). Interview With Rod Ellis. ELT News Online Journal, 37 paragraphs.
Available:
http://www/eltnews.com/features/interviews/015_rod_ellis1.shtml Sysoyev, Pavel V. (1999).

Integrative L2 Grammar Teaching: Exploration, Explanation and Expression. The Internet TESL
Journal. Vol. V, No. 6. Available: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Sysoyev-Integrative.html

50
CHAPTER 3
Linguistics and Phonology

51
A Definition of Linguistics
Linguistics is simply defined as the scientific study of language. This includes the study of the
structure of language (morphology and syntax), sound (phonology), and meaning (semantics) as
well as the history of the relations of the languages to each other and the cultural place of language
in human behaviour.
History of Linguistics
Early Linguistics
Two centuries ago language was studied mainly as a branch of philosophy. Early philosophers
interested in the study of language include Wilhelm von Humboldt, who considered language an
activity that arises spontaneously from the human spirit and Sir William Jones who was the first
person to suggest languages might have familial ties, as he believed that Sanskrit and Persian
had some connection to Greek and Latin. His hypothesis led to the development of the study
of comparative historical linguistics. Through the comparison of language structure the concept of
a family of Indo-European languages took hold.
Structural Linguistics
Last century the school of structural linguistics emerged. It considered languages at a particular
point in time rather than their historical development. The father of modern structural linguistics
was Ferdinand de Saussure who believed in language as a systematic structure serving
as a link between thought and sound. He regarded language sounds as totally arbitrary. It was at
this time that rigorous procedures determining language structure were developed.
Transformational-generative Grammar
In the 1950s Noam Chomsky's school of linguistic thought, (Transformational-Generative
Grammar), became widely regarded by linguists. Chomsky holds that all languages have the same
deep structure but they differ from one another in surface structure because of the application of
different rules for transformations, pronunciation, and word insertion. The first work done in
transformational-generative grammar was syntactic, later studies have applied the theory to the
phonological and semantic components of the language. This work has been further developed by
Bandler and Grinders studies of the structure and the use of particular language patterns by Drs.
Milton Erickson and Virginia Satir in their therapy work.
Applied Linguistics
Applied linguistics is the field of linguistics that impacts most directly on the everyday working lives
of TESOL teachers. In the second half of last century linguists have focused on developing
effective methods of language teaching. Many areas of applied linguistics today involve the explicit
use of computers.

52
Pronunciation Skills
Teaching English Phonology
Phonology refers to the sound of English. It is made up of pronunciation, stress and intonation.
Students need to use words correctly by using the correct sounds (pronunciation), the correct
stress (emphasis) and the correct intonation (variation in pitch) to be fully understood. This takes
a lot of practise. L2 students may find pronunciation, stress and intonation in English particularly
difficult if the sounds used and patterns of the language differ greatly from their own language.
Often students have to learn to make sounds that do not exist in their own language. It is
thought that Adult learners struggle with correct pronunciation more than children. A possible
reason for this is that they are already fixed in their understanding and feel not as flexible to learn.
Many languages have different patterns of stress and intonation to English and it can be very hard
to adapt to the new patterns and rules of English phonology.
Rap / Hip Hop / Grammar Chants
These are an excellent tool for getting students to practise the pronunciation and rhythm of English.
They are called chants because the teacher or leader says a phrase for the students to either
repeat or reply to. Students with a strong musical intelligence and auditory learning style will enjoy
practising these chants.
Beginner children
Example 1: (Teacher and students say all together)
1-2 I like you.
1-2 I like you.
1-2-3 You like me and I like you.
Example 2: (Teacher and students have different lines)
Teacher: What do you wear on your head?
Students: A Hat.
Teacher: What do you wear on your hands?
Students: Gloves
Teacher: What do you wear on your feet?
Students: Socks – Shoes and Socks – Shoes and Socks

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Intermediate level (Students repeat each line after the teacher)
Teacher: Yesterday (Students repeat)
Teacher: Yesterday was such a bad day (Students repeat)
Teacher: I got in trouble (Students repeat)
Teacher: because I laughed in class (Students repeat)
Teacher: I wish I hadn't laughed (Students repeat)
Teacher: If I hadn't laughed, I would have got an A on my test!

(Students repeat)
Teaching Sounds with Rhymes
Beginner students will first learn the sounds of the alphabet. They then need to learn the different
vowel sounds and letter blends as shown below.
short a: short e: short i: short o: short u:

rat, apple egg, ten in, tin orange, pot umbrella, fun
long a: long e: long i: long o: long u and ‘oo’:
rain, drain, day me, tea, see I, kite, high go, bow, slow uniform, food
‘ah’ sound: ‘oo’ sound: ‘ow’ sound: ‘ir’ sound: ‘oy’ sound:
ago, about look, cook, book how, owl, house girl, bird, fur boy, toy, soy
‘ar’ sound: ‘ear’ sound: ‘air’ sound: ‘or’ sound: ‘ng’ sound:
car, bar, father hear, dear, here hair, there, fair for, door, saw sing, song
‘ch’ sound: ‘sh’ sound: ‘th’ sound: ‘th’ sound:

chop, church shop, shape thin, three the, this
A good way to practise these sounds is to use rhymes.
Short vowel sounds
The cat is on the mat. My pet is at the vet.
The top of the pot is hot! Pick up the sticks! Run in the sun-It's fun!
Long vowel sounds
Make a cake on a plate! See the sheep leap!
Fly the kite high! Row the boat-slow! Sing a tune in June!

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Tongue Twisters
Definition: A phrase or sentence which is hard to speak fast usually because of alliteration
or a sequence of nearly similar sounds. Tongue twisters help to develop speech skills & speech
therapy. To get the full effect of a tongue twister, try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible,
without stumbling or mispronouncing.
A box of mixed biscuits. Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fish.
Any sea anemone is an enemy of mine! Freshly-fried fat flying fish.
A mixed biscuit box. Green glass globes glow greenly.
Blue glue gun, green glue gun. He threw three free throws.
Busy buzzing bumble bees. If two witches would watch two watches, which
The big black bug bit the big black bear. witch would watch which watch?.
Double bubble gum, bubbles. Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead.
Casual clothes are provisional for leisurely trips King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the
across Asia. thistle of his thumb.
Caution: Wide Right Turns. Lovely lollies linger longer.
Dust is a disk's worst enemy. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, If
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Eleven benevolent elephants. where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter
Elizabeth has eleven elves in her elm tree. Piper picked?
Extinct insects' instincts. Real rock wall, real rock wall, real rock wall.
Jolly juggling jesters jauntily juggled jingling Red leather, yellow leather.
jacks. Red lolly, yellow lolly - Red lorry, yellow lorry.
Three free throws. The batter with the butter is the batter that is
Round and round the rugged rock the ragged better! Upper roller - lower roller, upper roller
rascal ran. - lower roller…
She sells sea shells by the sea shore, and if Wow, race winners really want red wine right
she sells sea shells by the sea shore Where away!
are the sea shells she sells?

55
Phonology
The Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system used to transcribe words phonetically,
or by how they sound. This is done by utilising universal symbols to represent the spoken sounds
in language. Because pronunciation varies from region to region, the IPA provides a systematic
and uniform way to perform these transcriptions.
Most English dictionaries use the IPA as a standardised system to show pronunciation for all
words. By using universal symbols to do so it takes the guesswork out of the often complicated
and conflicting spellings of English words.
For improving pronunciation it is essential for the students who wish to sound more authentically
English to become aware of these characteristics and to try to modify their own voice quality.

56
The Pronunciation Structures of the Mouth
The larynx is used predominantly with low energy and low tension, therefore, English sounds rather
relaxed and 'breathy.’ The supralaryngeal tract is also quite neutral and relaxed with the exception
of the tongue tip which tends to be very active frequently moving towards the alveolar ridge. The
throat muscles are kept quite loose and relaxed as compared to Japanese pronunciation.
It can be achieved through a number of exercises involving the observation and imitation of
articulatory movements employed in speaking English.
Drama Voice Techniques
Relaxation and posture: these exercises are

designed to release tension as stiff bodies
impair our breathing and, consequently,
decreasing voice control. They include
assuming a correct posture, basic stretching
exercises and relaxation of face muscles.
E.g. smiling broadly or tensing and relaxing
facial muscles by making the face as big and
then as small as possible. The following
techniques may be useful to develop some
general features of the English voice.
• Speaking with a light object placed between the lips (e.g. a pen-cap) which indicates a small
degree of opening in English.
• Using a 'yawning' voice when counting in English to lower the position of the larynx, applying
breathing exercises to achieve an almost total laxity of the English voice.
• Exaggerating the length of long open vowels and diphthongs produced in context e.g. I'll see
to the tea, How now, brown cow, as long vowels in English are closely connected with
muscular laxity.
• Practising rhythmic sentences with frequent /t/, /d/ or /n/ sounds to activate the tip of the
tongue to make contact with the alveolar ridge, e.g. Tip this tin into the bin.

57
Exercises
Breathing and resonance exercises: a basic breathing exercise consists of breathing in for a
count of three, holding the air inside for three seconds, and releasing the air for three seconds.
Resonance exercises involve inhaling the air and letting it out on a long vowel or a consonant-
vowel sequence e.g. aaah, oooh, eeeee, mmmaaaa, mmmoooo, mmuuu.
Phoneme sequences: practising phoneme sequences can be compared to playing scales on the
piano, so that the production becomes semi-automated e.g. lee lay la low lu, pin nip pin nip,
thick tin thick tin.
Pitch, volume and rate control: producing sound sequences or whole passages progressively
louder or softer and at different rates of delivery; practising e.g. singing, humming or chanting
sentences like 'I can make my voice go really high / fall really low' with a gradually falling or
rising intonation.
Tone awareness exercises: learning to use resonators to create particular tones (e.g. soft or
harsh, bright or dull, etc). This can be accomplished through practising mini-dialogues expressing
each time different emotions such as surprise, anger, great pleasure or politeness,
e.g. 'Let's go for a walk.' 'OK.'
Articulation exercises: called 'vocal warmups' since they help to exercise the muscles of the
mouth and the tongue, contributing to a greater articulatory agility and clearer speech. They include
popular tongue-twisters e.g. She sells sea shells on the sea shore, chants and raps.
Imitations of a native-speaker model: - mouthing - miming a dialogue without words - mirroring

– repeating simultaneously with the speaker and imitating his / her gestures and facial expressions
- tracing – repeating simultaneously without mirroring the speaker's gestures - echoing – repeating
slightly after the speaker.
Other drama techniques that are nowadays frequently applied in pronunciation teaching involve
performing dialogues or scenes from a play.
Emotional involvement and context provided by the dramatic situation fosters communicative
competence and leads to increased empathy and self-esteem. When performing these role plays
students tend to go beyond the normal limits of fluency and accuracy, particularly in intonation.

58
General Relaxation Techniques
An ideal receptive learning state occurs when a person is physically relaxed, emotionally calm and
mentally alert. Research from such people as Prof. Lozanov and his demonstrations of
Suggestology using Baroque music to induce an ALPHA state indicate, that a relaxed frame of
mind and a degree of confidence facilitate an accurate production of L2 sounds. Consequently,
creating a non-threatening student-friendly environment is amongst prime concerns of modern
pronunciation instruction.
Efficient methods of reducing stress connected with pronunciation practice and dealing more
efficiently with learners' emotions rely on the use of relaxation self-hypnosis, guided imagery and
drama techniques. Thanks to these techniques learners become more expressive and are more
willing to experiment with sounds or intonation patterns. A commonly used strategy involves
assuming an English or American identity and putting on a strong native accent, as if becoming a
different dramatic persona.
Voiced and Unvoiced Consonants
Sharpening correct pronunciation of similar sounds is essential for learners to develop clear
speech.
Voiced consonants create a vibration in the vocal cords. You can feel voiced sounds where they
are produced, at the neck.
Voiceless consonants are the opposite of voiced, and do not create any vibration in the vocal
chords. To demonstrate voiceless sounds, students put fingers of one hand on their throat, and
the other hand in front of their mouth. If they feel a heavy breath, but no vibration, it is a voiceless
sound. There are many more voiced sounds than voiceless. Here is the list of letters that are voiced
and voiceless:
• VOICED: b, d, g, j, l, m, n, r, v, w, y, z, th
• VOICELESS: f, h, k, p, s, t, ch, sh, th
When working on these sounds, it is quite common to use a pair of opposites to really drive the
point home. The pairs are often the commonly confused sounds anyway, so it is only natural to
work on them together to punctuate the differences. Common pairs are k/g, b/p, h/r, and s/z. Also
th has both a voiced and voiceless component. To practise these, choose words that you can
compare. For example, use the sentence: Think about this thing, that thing, and those things. In
general, the voiced th sound occurs in a lot fewer words than the unvoiced th. However, the voiced
th sounds occurs a lot in small words like the, that, these, their, and them.

59
The Vowels
[xː ] long vowel
When the symbol ”ː ” follows a vowel symbol, it means that the vowel is pronounced longer.
[æ] cat, bad, sad, sand, land, hand
Among all English vowels, the greatest problem for most learners poses “æ”. It is somewhere
between “a” in “father” and “e” in “bed”. It is usually pronounced slightly longer in American English
than in British English. It is always represented by the letter “a” in a stressed closed
syllable, but not all such occurrences are pronounced as [æ].
[ɑː ] bra, calm, palm, father, start, dark
This vowel is the closest one to the sound of the letter “a” in many other languages and as such
is also denoted [a] in some dictionaries. There is no reliable general rule which would tell you
when “a” is pronounced as [ɑː ] instead of [æ]
[ɒ ] god, pot, top, spot
This vowel is quite similar to the sound of “o” many other languages. It is always represented by
“o” in a closed stressed syllable, although such an “o” can also be pronounced differently (e.g. in
“son”). Americans don't use this vowel and say [ɑː ] instead.
[ʌ ] but, cut, gun, come, some, glove
This vowel very similar to [ɑː ], but it's never pronounced long in English. It is always represented
by “u” in a stressed closed syllable, or by an “o”, but both can be pronounced also in a different
way.
[ɛ ] get, bed, set, sell, fell, men
This vowel is the closest one to the sound of the letter “e” in most other languages and is some-
times denoted by “e” in dictionaries (for example in the one I am linking to). It is usually repre-
sented by an “e” in a closed stressed syllable, but often also by “ai”, e.g. said, fair, “ae”, e.g. bear,
pear, and others.
[ɪ ] pit, bin, fill, will, village, bullet
In writing, this sound is most commonly represented by “i” in a closed stressed syllable, but also
unstressed “a”, “e”, or “i” is often pronounced as [ɪ ]. If you find [ə] (see below) in a dictionary for a
word in which you can clearly hear [ɪ ] (or conversely), don't worry; in most cases the two
possibilities are interchangeable.
60
[iː ] he, she, see, keep, family, hyperbole
This is just a softer [ɪ ]. It is mostly represented by “ee”, but quite often also by “ea”, single “e”, final
“y” and others. It is usually long when it is in a stressed syllable and short when it is not, but not
necessarily.
[ɔː] saw, straw, dawn, fall, call, wall
A similar sound to the British [ɒ], but somewhat “darker”. It is usually represented by “aw”, “al” or
“au”.
[ʊ ] put, full, good, wood, could, would
The sound most similar to the sound of “u” in many other languages. It is often denoted by “u” in
a closed stressed syllable (when it is not [ʌ ]), but also by “oo”, “oul” and other letter groups.
[uː ] you, who, chew, shoe, cool, tool
[ʊ ] would sound strange if it were long, so when there is a long “u” sound in English, it is
pronounced somewhat “darker” than [ʊ ]. It is most commonly denoted by “ew” and “oo”, but there
is no way to tell when “oo” is pronounced as [uː ] and when as [ʊ ] (this has to be learned
by heart).
[ə] a, syllable, moment, terrible, felony, papyrus
Most learners of English learn very fast how to pronounce “a” when it means an indefinite article,
and this is exactly the pronunciation of [ə]. It can be represented by any vowel (a, e, i, o, u) in an
unstressed syllable, see the examples above. When represented by “a” or “i”, it is often freely
interchangeable with [ɪ ]; for example “terrible” can be pronounced either /ˈ tɛ rəbl/, or /ˈ tɛ rɪ bl/.
[ɜː] curve, purge, herd, serve, bird, stir
Don‟t confuse the symbol with [ɛ ]. [ɜː] is pronounced the same as [əː ] in some dialects while it is
slightly “darker” in others, and many dictionaries don‟t use it at all and write simply [əː ]. The
difference between [ɜː] and [ɝː ] is the same as between [ə] and [ɚ]. The former is used chiefly in
British English, the latter chiefly in American English (listen to the recordings). Dictionaries which
denote [ɜː] as [əː ] would denote [ɝː ] as [əː r]. In writing, [ɜː] and [ɝː ] are usually represented by
the letter groups “ur”, “er”, or “ir”.

61
After having taught or exposed the students to long and short vowels through listening and oral
work, the teacher can check recognition, retention and ability to discriminate in the following ways.
This could also be used simply for teaching.
Techniques and Resources for Teaching English Pronunciation, Stress and Intonation
Jazz Chants and Rhymes
Tongue Twisters
The International Phonetic Alphabet
Role play tasks focusing on pronunciation and expression
Teach some of the rules for Stress and Emphasis
Story book read by the teacher to model correct pronunciation
Watching video clips and studying the use of stress and intonation
Other Activities
Record and Replay: At times, your students may think they are using correct pronunciation
when in fact they are saying something quite different. By using a device to record what your
students are actually saying, you have data to play back for each person. Encourage them to listen
to what they actually said rather than what they think they said. You may also want them to
compare a recording of a native speaker against their recording of themselves.
Use a Mobile Phone: Giving your students a chance to view their own physical movements while
they are working on their pronunciation can be of great value. You can always encourage your
students to look at your mouth and face as you pronounce certain sounds, but they will also benefit
from seeing what movements they are making as they speak. Sometimes, becoming aware of the
physical movements involved in pronunciation is all your students will need to correct pronunciation
issues of which they are unaware.
Sing: Surprisingly enough, singing can be a good way for your ESL students to practise their vowel
pronunciation. Because singing requires a person to maintain vowel sounds over more than just a
moment, it can give your students a chance to focus in on the target sound and adjust what sound
they are making.
62
References
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D., & Goodwin, J. (1996). Teaching pronunciation:
Reference for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Gilbert, J. (1990). Pronunciation: What should we be teaching? (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 320 443)
Gillette, G. (1994). On speaking terms: Practical guide to pronunciation for
ABLE/ESL teachers. Euclid, OH: Northeast ABLE Resource Centre. (EDRS No. ED 393 323)
Graham, J. (1994). Four strategies to improve the speech of adult learners. TESOL Journal, 3 (3),
26-28.
Jordan, J. (1992). Helping ESOL students to improve their pronunciation. London:
Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit. (EDRS No. ED 359 837)
Morley, J. (1998). Trippingly on the tongue: Putting serious speech/pronunciation instruction back
in the TESOL equation. ESL Magazine, January/February, 20-23. Morley, J. (1991). Pronuncia-
tion component in teaching English to speakers of other languages. TESOL Quarterly, 25 (3), 481-
520.
Pennington, M. (1994). Recent research in L2 phonology: Implications for practice.
In J.
Morley, (Ed.) Pronunciation pedagogy and theory. New views, new directions. pp. 92-108.
Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. (EDRS No. ED 388 061)

63
64
CHAPTER 4
Reading Skills

65
Introduction to the Reading Skills
Reading is the other receptive skill. Some students find the reading skill easier because they can
work independently and at their own pace on reading tasks. Unlike listening with reading the
information is captured on the page and can be referred back to if needed.
The reading skill can also be difficult. The differing spelling and pronunciation rules in English make
deciphering and decoding unknown words a challenge. The use of a range of vocabulary in written
material can also be overwhelming for ESOL students. When listening students can ask the
speaker for clarification, however, the opportunity is not available to speak to the person who has
written the text, therefore students need to be taught how to gain meaning from a text.
Students may become unmotivated to read in English if the reading material is not relevant to their
needs, TESOL level and interests. A range of reading texts should be provided to spark students’
interest. If the right sort of reading material is provided the students will choose to read for
enjoyment and maybe even for language practise in their own time and it can have a great effect
on their language learning.
It is a good idea to encourage students to read purely for enjoyment as students will often become
bored or overwhelmed if they always have to do a comprehension task to go with a reading text.
Similar to when teaching the listening skill, students need to be taught how to skim and scan for
specific and key information. Students also need to be taught that it is not necessary to understand
every single word in a text in order to get the gist. There are also specific decoding and estimating
strategies that students can use if they do not know a word.
At the Beginner levels students need At the Intermediate and Advanced

to be taught the alphabet and then letter levels students should practise skills
blends and sounds. They also need to such as skimming and scanning.
learn to recognise some words by sight Reading tasks at the Intermediate level
without having to break the word down should be communicative and integrated
into letters and chunks. with the other language skills.

66
Approaches to Teaching Reading
When teaching reading to Beginner ESOL Learners there are several different approaches that
can be used.
The Phonics Approach
When using this approach, readers derive meaning by first decoding letters, then words, phrases
and sentences to make sense of print. Students are taught to read phonemes which are the
smallest meaningful units of sound.
This means learning letters and letter combinations and their associated sounds. Rapid word
recognition is important to this approach which emphasises sight reading of words in isolation. This
approach is sometimes referred to as the ‘bottom u’ approach as it starts from the smallest unit of
sound.
A criticism of this approach is that the reading is not done within a meaningful context. However, it
is recognised that students need to have these basic decoding skills in order to have the confidence
to understand text. Students are taught to decode words based on letter blends and letter sounds
that have been previously taught.
The Whole Language Approach
The Whole Language Approach involves readers using their background knowledge (schema) to
predict the meaning of the text. This approach is sometimes referred to as the ‘top down’ approach
to reading because the overall meaning takes precedence over structure. Students using this
approach might use strategies such as:
1. looking at the pictures to deduce meaning.
2. reading on to the end of the sentence then guessing the meaning of the unknown word.
3. thinking of a word that makes sense in the context of the sentence.
The Communicative Approach
All levels should practise reading using the communicative approach. Students will enjoy the
reading task more if they are reading for a purpose and if the reading material is related to their
interests and current area of study. Reading tasks should be integrated with other language skills
and made part of a communicative activity. Reading games and activities are included at the end
of the chapter.

67
Key Reading Skills and Techniques
Beginner and Upper Beginner
Reading Skills Reading Activities
Alphabet recognition Alphabet Song / Alphabet Chart
Letter blend recognition Rhymes Sound Chart Rhymes / Jazz
Sight word recognition Chants Picture books - teacher led
Reading simple sentences Sentence unscramble / Running
Dictation
Treasure hunt
Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate

Reading multi-phrase sentences Sentence unscramble
Scanning for details True/False Quiz
Skimming for general ideas Multiple choice Quiz
Vocabulary development Synonyms and Antonyms
Upper- Intermediate and Advanced

Skimming for general ideas Comprehension Questions
Scanning for details Paragraph Reading Match
Identifying Authors views True / False Quiz
Vocabulary development Written Reviews
Tips for Teaching the Reading Skills:
• Check all texts for reading activities are • Play reading games.
age / level appropriate. • Choose a book and read to your class
• Create a reading incentive program. then around the class.
• Include other language skills with the • Allow students to choose books to read
reading skill. (give options and choices).
• Use varied resources for reading i.e. • Have students read instructions on how
academic texts, newspapers etc. to do something in class.
• Have students read for a variety of • Read poetry with your class.
purposes. • Read, listen and discuss song lyrics and
• Have students read aloud individually and poetry and explain the connection.
choral drill. • Develop key strategies such as:
• Give silent reading tasks for homework. ‘skimming’, ‘scanning’, ‘predicting’, and
using ‘context.’

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Reading Materials for the TESOL Classroom
Reading Material Techniques and Examples
Picture dictionaries These are very useful for Beginner learners.
www.enchantedlearning.com has a useful online picture dictionary.
The Oxford Picture Dictionary is also a very useful resource. It is
set out in topics.
Shopping brochures and Shopping brochures and Junk Mail are useful as they are readily
Junk Mail available. Comprehension questions can be made such as:
“How much is the bike on page 10 of the catalogue?‟
Children's Readers These are small reading books, often only about 10 pages so they
are easy to carry around. Great for Beginner learners.
Travel Brochures These are also easily accessible. Activities can be

adapted for reading maps for Upper Beginners to studying
persuasive language for Advanced students. Online travel guides
are also available at http://bookboon.com
Hand-made Books Take photos of activities that you do with your students, write
captions under the photos to turn these photos into a book.
Alternatively you could write stories about yourself and your family
or pets.
Newspapers and Activities can be adapted for Beginner to Advanced level
depending on which section is used. English newspapers are
Magazines
available in most countries in print or online.
Colouring books These are useful for Beginner learners as they contain simple
instructions.
Encyclopaedia Wikipedia is a great online dictionary.
How-to books, art and These are great for students to learn how instructions are written
cook books and how to explain how things work.
Menus Collect the takeaway menus from restaurants in your area or print
online versions of the menu.
Application Forms Students can fill out application forms for relevant activities in their
lives such as driver’s licence.
Comics/ Children and adults alike enjoy comic books. The visuals help with
understanding.
Graphic Novels
Online Stories and Some websites offer sample stories to read online with picture
You tube aids. www.livingbooks.com is recommended. ‘You tube’ also has
copies of picture books made into plays or short movies.
Websites There are a multitude of websites available that students can use
for reading practice.

69
Activities
Intermediate: Cloze Activity
‘The Maths Test’
Gwendolyn and Sharrie were about to take the test of their lives. It was a long
test and they had to be able to divide a 4 digit by 1 digit number. of
them had been working hard on this skill.
Gwendolyn was in Maths and Sharrie was at reading and writing skills.
Their , Mrs. Lawton had worked very to teach them this Maths skill.
Gwendolyn was she knew how to do the problems .
Sharrie was a little and hoped she could remember each step.
Mrs. Lawton out the test and everyone was very .

Gwendolyn smiled at Sharrie and whispered, " ," Sharrie back
at her and went to on her test. The children had thirty to complete the
fifteen . Everyone was quiet and were on doing their best
.
Soon Mrs. collected in the test papers and told everyone to take a fifteen minute
. She would the papers while they were gone. Mrs. Lawson came outside
and called the students the classroom. She had a big on her face and
started to call each student's to pick up their papers. Sharrie's name was
third. She went to her paper and looked down at the on the
top of the . It was an and a comment was by Mrs.
Lawson with a big smiling face on it.
Sharrie could not believe she had an A. Gwendolyn's name called fifth. She
walked slowly up to her paper from Mrs. Lawson. There at the of the page
was a big red . Gwendolyn almost all the way back to her .
She knew she was at division, she just couldn't believe she didn't miss a single
problem. School was for the of the day.

70
Strip Story Technique
A Strip Story is a technique where different parts of a story are written on separate strips of paper
and mixed up. The students have to put the strips back into the correct order.
‘Sprog the Frog’
Story Strips:
(a) On the way they encountered a storm and a very large bird stole their lunch.
(b) Phew! It was his friend, Fluffy, a small fish from just up the pond. She giggled.
(c) That day Sprog felt very lucky to have a friend like Fluffy!
(d) Once upon a time there lived a young frog, who often sat upon a very soft lily pad.
(e) They swam and swam.
(f) His name was Sprog, probably because he liked flowers. One day, when was scrubbing his
toes in the pond he suddenly felt something moving in the water.
(g) Fluffy had good news. She heard there were giant flowers on the other side of the pond!
Sprog could hardly wait.
(h) When they got to the other side of the pond, they noticed that the flowers were huge! Sprog
was so happy.
(i) He packed a nutritious lunch and they set off to smell the flowers.
1) As a simple reading activity:
Read the short story strips in pairs, then cut out each paragraph and glue them onto another
page in the correct order.
2) Alternatively, as a listening activity:
Record the story and allow your students to listen, or simply read the story out to the class and
treat it as a dictation activity.
3) Comprehension Activity Read the short story ‘Sprog the Frog’ and complete the story by
filling in the blanks or answering the questions.
1- What were they swimming in? 2- Sprog is a ......
3- What type of animal stole their lunch? 4- What was the like?
5- What will they do to the flowers once 6- Fluffy is Sprog’s .......... they find them?
7- Sprog packed a ................ lunch. 8-Fluffy’s lily pad is very......................
9- How did they get across the pond?
10- What were the giant things on the other side of the pond?
71
Rhyming Words
Level: Upper Beginner – Intermediate
Age: Children
Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Recognise rhyming words in print.
• Explain that the words sound the same at the end.
• Recognise the pairs of rhyming words in a poem.
• Make up their own pair of rhyming words.
Materials
Use a book with rhyming poems
Procedure
1. Enjoy reading the book and singing any songs. Then put the book aside.
2. Ask for pairs of rhyming words in the story (or song).
3. Print these pairs on the board. Printing them on large cards or a chart is also good. This way,
show only one pair at a time.
4. Sing the song again. Point to the rhyming words as the children sing these words.
5. Ask children to add their own rhymes.
6. Have the child print his or her pair of words on the board (card or chart) before singing the child's
verse. If some children want to say the words but they do not want to print them, I suggest printing
them for the child. Keep the activity fun!
Follow-up
Have children draw pictures of some of the pairs of words. Be sure they also write the rhyming
words under the pictures. Word recognition in print is the main object. Some children might draw
several pictures and make a small book. Less artistic children might find pictures to cut and paste.
Alternatively stick them on to posters and pin up on the classroom walls.
Obstacle Course Game Level: Upper Beginner
This is a good way of combining reading and TPR activities. Students read the commands on the
cards and perform the actions. Later the students could make up their own cards and set them up
in an obstacle course.
Jump 3 times Turn around Run to the door Look up Look down
Take 3 steps backward Walk 3 steps to your right Hide under your desk

72
The Titanic: Order the Paragraphs
Write the correct order of the paragraphs. Write the letters only.
The Titanic
(a) The ship was now near the coast of Nova Scotia. Suddenly, Frederich Fleet, one of six lookouts
on board the Titanic, saw something in the distance: it was an iceberg. He warned Officer Murdoch
about this. The Titanic veered to the left at the last minute, but it was too late. The iceberg had
scraped along the side of the ship.
(b) Panic was now on the Titanic. All the passengers knew that the ship was sinking and everyone
of them wanted a place in a lifeboat. Finally, at about 2:20 a.m., on April 15, 1912, the Titanic
cracked in half. Then, as if the Titanic had never been there, the waters closed over it. Of the 2207
people aboard the Titanic, approximately 700 were saved. All the others died in the waters off Nova
Scotia.
(c) The Titanic crew went to every cabin to tell the passengers that for security reasons all women
and children must assemble on deck in their lifejacket. Even though the crew members tried not to
raise panic among the passengers, everything changed in fifteen minutes. Everybody had to be on
the deck with their lifejackets at once.
(d) On April 10, 1912, the Titanic was leaving on its first voyage from Belfast, Ireland to New York
City. The ship was the largest ever built so far. The White Star Line, which owned the Titanic, had
said that its ship was unsinkable. Unfortunately, on April 14, 1912 something happened that would
destroy 1502 lives. Here is what happened that night.
(e) All through the Titanic, passengers were dressing for bed and every one of them felt the
collision. Captain Smith also felt the collision. He went on the deck and saw the extent of the
damage. Water was getting into the ship at a terrible rate. Before they could try to repair it, they
realised that they were sinking and that they had to save the passengers, women and children first.
(f) The ship had never had a lifeboat drill, so most of the crew had no idea how to launch or load a
lifeboat. Very few passengers seemed to understand that the ship was sinking and some of them
didn't even know how to get into the lifeboats. Finally, Captain Smith had to tell the passengers
that the lifeboats were their only hope. What he did not mention was that there were not enough
lifeboats for all of the 2207 passengers and crew.
The answers are d, a, e, c, f, b

The Titanic: Comprehension
Comprehension Questions
1. Where was the Titanic leaving from on April 10, 1912?
2. On what date did the Titanic sink?
3. What did the Titanic hit?
4. How many passengers were on the Titanic?
5. Where did the Titanic sink?
True/False Quiz
1. There were six people on lookout duty when the iceberg was seen.
(True/False/Unknown)
2. Under half of the passengers on the titanic were saved.
3. The men were put into the lifeboats first.
4. The passengers on the boat had practised a lifeboat drill before the accident occurred.
5. The passengers stayed calm and they understood that the boat was sinking.
Match the heading with the paragraph
1. The damage to the boat Paragraph
2. The actions of the crew Paragraph
3. The outcome of the disaster Paragraph
4. The iceberg strikes Paragraph
5. Facts about the Titanic Paragraph
6. The captains final decision Paragraph
The answers are e, c, b, a, d, f

The Titanic: Vocabulary
Synonyms
A synonym is a word with the same or similar meaning.
Write synonyms for the following words based on the context of the Titanic story on the previous
pages:
1. drill: 2. damage:
3. voyage: 4. collision:
5. rate:
Definitions
Write a short definition for the following words or expressions.
1. only hope:
2. at once:
3. on-board:
4. approximately:
5. suddenly:
Parts of Speech
Put the following words under the correct headings.
coast, captain, lookouts, iceberg, veered, panic, scraped, Titanic, lifeboat, terrible, assemble, life-
jacket, repair, launch, crew, iceberg, deck, on board, mention, largest
Noun Verb Preposition Adjective Adverb
Antonyms
An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning.
Write antonyms for the following words based on the context of the Titanic story on the previous
pages:
1.approximately: 2.unfortunately:
3. unsinkable: 4. repair :
5. very few:
Macrologue
Write as many words as you can think of about ‘Sea Transport.’

Newspaper Job Ad: Comprehension
Students read the advertisement and then answer the questions.
POSITION VACANT
URBAN MAGAZINE is seeking an editor-in-chief to manage the weekly production of
Shanghai's leading English language lifestyle and entertainment magazine. Major responsibilities
include overseeing the editorial content and production of the magazine. Other responsibilities
include supervising advertising sales staff, writing a quarterly visitor guide to Shanghai and
developing story ideas for staff writers.
The editor-in-chief is also required to edit all contents of the magazine, recruit freelancers,
maintain the editorial schedule and budget; and liaise with PR contacts and readers.
Candidates must have extensive writing and editing experience and be able to manage weekly
production while developing future issues. Magazine production experience and Mandarin
language skills preferred.
Remuneration is significantly above industry average. Send your resume with a cover letter and
writing samples to Greg Simpson (gsimp@ugly.com)
Questions Part 1
1) What is the name of the magazine?
2) What can you say about the magazine?
3) What is the title of the job that you are interested in?
4) What are the major responsibilities of the job?
5) What are the other responsibilities?
6) What type of experience is necessary to apply for this job?
7) Is it necessary to speak Mandarin?
8) What will the salary be?
9) What should be sent to Allison Beynon?
10) Write your own advertisement for a job you would like to do.
Part 2
Put all of the words in bold into a list of nouns and a list of verbs then write definitions for 5 of the
words.

Travel Brochures Reading Activity
Students read the travel brochure information and then answer the questions on the next page.
DREAM TRIPS
Your Holiday Specialists
Discover the United Kingdom
Focus on England and Scotland -18 day tour from $3999 per person twin Share. Enjoy the
must-see sights of England and Scotland on this escorted First Class tour. Highlights
include a tour of Buckingham Palace, a West End musical and a trip to Loch Ness.
Outstanding inclusions, 15 English breakfasts, 9 dinners, 5 star hotel in London and airport
transfers included. Departing 18 May, 21 July, 8 November.
Egypt's Best
14 Day tour from $3999 per person twin share (plus taxes) Discover the splendours of an
ancient civilization as you view the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings. This
trip is truly luxurious as it includes a bilingual escort, excellent hotels and a 5 day cruise
on the Nile on the ‘Princess Isis’ which is the best cruise ship in Egypt. Departing 2
August, 12 October.
Discover South America
15 Day tour from $4599 per person twin share. Wonder at the magnificent sights of South
America, highlights include the Lost City of Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the beautiful
Iguazu Falls. Countries visited include Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Comfortable
hotels and 5 banquets featuring local cuisine complete this exciting tour. Departing 5
June.
Russia and Central Europe
16 Day tour from $3299 per person twin share. Magnificent is the best way to describe
this tour. Our Russian highlights include Red Square, the Kremlin, the Hermitage and
Catherine's Palace. We then explore the most beautiful cities of Central Europe, Prague,
Budapest and Vienna. Departing 12 May, 18 September.

Holiday Brochure Questions
1. If I want to see Buckingham Palace which tour should I take?
2. What type of hotel do the tour members stay at in London?
3. Does the Egyptian tour price include taxes?
4. What is the name of the cruise ship in the Egyptian tour?
5. Name two of the highlights of the South American tour?
6. How many banquets are included in the South American tour?
7. What are the most beautiful Central European cities?
8. When do Russia and Central Europe tours depart?
9. With a partner chose a tour that you would like to take and tell your partner why you would
like to take that tour.
10. Design your own tour then tell the class about where you plan to go.
Using Newspapers in the TESOL Classroom
Newspapers are a great resource to use in the TESOL classroom.
Advantages
• Cost effective - much cheaper than buying a course text book!
• Readily available.
• Able to be downloaded from the internet if in a remote area.
• Contains up to date information on current events.
• Contains a lot of pictures to aid understanding.
• Uses a lot of different styles of writing such as informative, opinionative, persuasive writing.
• Newspapers are an excellent example of realia (i.e; real materials not originally designed for
the classroom that illustrate everyday living).
• Newspapers show the language in a real context. The articles are not designed for the
ESOL classroom so they will be more difficult but they are also more authentic.
• Different sections in the newspaper can be used for different levels from Beginner to
Advanced.

Guidelines for using Newspapers as a classroom resource
• Always check the newspaper and remove any inappropriate material before giving to students
to work with. You should always read the entire article or section that you want your student
to work with before assigning an activity.
• Newspaper activities can be ideal for students to work on independently as an extra activity.
Activities could be kept in a self-access facility for students to go to. Alternatively they could
be displayed on the wall to attract students’ attention.
• Quizzes and comprehension activities are useful for working with newspapers.
• It is a good idea to photocopy news articles if you want to use the article again because the
original copy will fade and become hard to read.
• Whole class activities based around newspapers can be useful for multilevel classes because
different ability groups can be provided with level specific articles from the same newspaper.
Newspaper Section Activities – Main Headlines and General News
• Editorial Section and Letters to the Editor
Write letters to the editor about an article.
Use letters as a basis for a role play.
• Finance and Business News
Comprehension questions about an article.
Match the headline with the article.
Role plays based on article.
• Cartoon Commentaries
Fill in the blank speech bubble from an existing cartoon.
Discuss meaning of political comments for advanced students.
• Sports
Students read out sports results as if in a live news bulletin.
Students write their own headline to match each article.
• Entertainment and Lifestyle
Students write their own opinion about an entertainment event.

Weather
Students read out the weather as if in a live news bulletin.
Comic Strips
Write and draw their own comic strips.
Fill in the blank speech bubble from an existing cartoon with different emotions and
tenses reported speech etc.
Classifieds and Advertisements
Students have to find specific items for sale and find the costs.
Advice Columns
Students write their own responses giving advice to those in need.
Horoscopes
Students read out horoscopes to each other or write each others’ horoscopes.

Newspaper Activities for Each Level
Activities for Beginner Level
• Have students cut out pictures of things they like in the newspaper and then write sentences
about the pictures.
• Read a few scores from the sports page and have students write them down.
• Find numbers in newspaper advertisements that deal with money and have students
practise reading the prices aloud.
• Using pictures found in the newspaper, have students write sentences about the pictures
using prepositions to describe the spatial relationships.
• Discuss an issue found in an editorial that may be pertinent to students' lives.
Activities for Intermediate Level
Have students circle words they do not understand and ask them to try to figure out the
meaning from the context or look up the definition in the dictionary.
Cut out headlines from various articles and have students match headlines with stories. Cut
photo captions from photographs and have students match captions with photos.
Analyse advertisements to discuss the way prices vary from store to store. Students may
report their findings by writing a paragraph.
Collect newspaper photographs of people and have students make up stories about the
people.
Activities for Advanced Level
• Cut out several photographs of people and have students write descriptions of the people;
let other students match the photographs with the descriptions.
• Work as a group to write a letter to the editor; more advanced students might write letters on
their own.
• Follow a news item over a period of time and discuss the events that occur.
• Have students read an article that describes a problem and discuss the problem's cause
and effects.
• Have students work in pairs, interviewing each other about an article in the newspaper.

Quick Newspaper Activities
Guess the Headline
Cut out a number of headlines and from each one remove an interesting word (example, Missing
Painting Found In ). Stick the incomplete headlines on a piece of paper, photocopy
and distribute to teams of 3-4 students. Ask each team to come up with two possible answers for
each headline: the most likely word and the funniest word.
Collect all the responses and give each team a point for any correct answer, and for the funniest
answers. Get everyone involved by holding a vote for both the funniest and the most original
answer for each headline.
Guess the Article
Select an interesting newspaper article, preferably one which involves an exciting or unusual story.
Choose eight key words from the article and write them on the board. Ask students to work in teams
of 3-4 to come up with a story including these words. When they have finished, read out or tell them
about the original article.
Get students to read aloud their own versions - this can create a lot of laughs!
Newspaper Lies
Ask students to select a short item of news and to summarise it to a partner or group, changing
some of the details. Partners need to try and guess which of the facts are true and which have
been changed.
Wall Quiz
Write a list of questions based on a selection of newspaper articles, and distribute the quiz to teams
of 2-3 students. Pin up the articles around the room and ask students to walk around the room
trying to find the answers. The winning team is the first to find all the answers. This can be quite a
lively activity!
Newspaper Treasure Hunt
For this activity you will need a pile of old newspapers, enough to distribute amongst groups of 4-
5 students. Write a list of articles, words or pictures which the students need to find, and give
groups a copy of the list. Tell them to cut out their 'treasures' and glue them next to the appropriate
word in the list.

A Possible list for Newspaper Treasure Hunt:
A job advertisement Some good news Some bad news Weather forecast
News about an unusual sport Names of other countries Favourite news item
Reference to a famous entertainment figure
Gossip
This is an easy activity for helping students to summarise articles. For this activity it is best to use
tabloid newspapers or articles involving a bit of scandal, perhaps about famous people. Teach
students useful phrases for chatting or gossiping, example, 'Have you heard about…?', 'Did you
know that…?', 'Guess what?' etc.
Use of emotional gestures and intonation.
Ask students to choose an article of their choice, underline or jot down important parts of the article
and report it to a friend, as though having an informal chat. They could then go round the class,
chatting with different people about their news article. You could also teach students some useful
phrases for responding, example, 'Really? I don't believe it!', 'Are you joking?', 'How / When did it
happen?'
News Program
This is a great team activity for both reading and speaking practice. Put students into small teams
and give them one or two recent newspapers. Tell them that they are going to work together to
produce a news program, including the headlines, special reports, interviews, perhaps some
footage from a story (if students like acting!), perhaps the weather forecast. Their program should
be based on news items from the papers, and everyone must be involved in some way. If you have
the equipment, you might like to film the program, or if not, each team could act out their programme
to the rest of the class.
Using the TV guide section
Use the TV guide section like the one below and make up comprehension questions based on the
information.
6:00: News 6:30: The World Around Us 7:30: Harry Plodder
All the latest local, national and international A documentary about the wild animals of A troll army threatens to take control of a nuclear
news and weather. Botswana. power plant as a jacuzzi and Harry Plodder may be
the only person who can stop them.
8:30: Movie: How to Train your Dragon 10:00: National News 10:30: The Late Show
Two brothers are constantly playing tricks on All the latest news and weather with a focus on Interview with Jon Stewart from the enormously
their family and friends until one day they acci- international events. successful “The Daily Show”
dentally set fire to their home and are sent to jail.

Reading Lesson Plan: Olympic Sports
Topic: Sports
Level: Intermediate – Upper Intermediate Age: 10+ years
Length: 60 minutes
TESOL Methodology: Communicative Approach:
Pre-task: Video, Macrologue, Pair Worksheet, Note-taking, Jigsaw Reading, Comprehension

Task, Free-Writing, Charades Miming Game.
Language Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to;
Read and pronounce the Olympics sports names correctly.
Skim and scan a 3 paragraph text for key information.
Summarise the content of a paragraph by matching a heading to a paragraph
Resources:
Video Recording from the Olympics
Pictures and photos about the Olympics
Olympics sports word cards
Olympics sports information sheets for jigsaw reading
Olympics sports Note sheets for jigsaw reading
Pre-task:
Play a 1 min video clip of an Olympic sporting event and medal ceremony to set the scene and
have some pictures of athletes and Olympics symbols displayed around the room.
Teaching 1: The teacher explains that the students are going to be learning about the
Olympics then asks the students for names of sports that are in the Olympics.
The responses are recorded in a macrologue on the board.
After 10 different sports have been given the teacher introduces the terms: water sports, team
sports, individual sports, racquet sports, track and field and martial arts. The meaning of each term
is explained and then the teacher asks the students which headings the words they have
brainstormed will go under.

Task 1: Students contribute Olympic sports words for the macrologue and discuss with whole class
which heading to put each word under.
Teaching 2 : Teacher explains the categories worksheet.
Task 2: Students complete the worksheet in pairs by reading the words for all of the sports and
then putting them under category headings.
Teaching 3: Teacher explains that they are going to learn more about a sport called ‘hockey’
and gives the information sheet about the sport. After the students have read the information sheet
once, some key words are explained such as; aim of the game, opponents, scored, goals, match,
comprised, allowed.
Finally comprehension questions are distributed on the note taking worksheet.
Task 3: Students read the hockey information sheet individually. During the reading they highlight
any words that they do not understand. They discuss the meaning of key words with the whole
class and write them down in their glossary.
Finally they complete the note taking worksheet about hockey individually.
Teaching 4: Teacher explains that they are going to learn about 4 more Olympics sports. Each
person in the class is given an information sheet about one of the following; Tennis, Badminton,
Basketball or Football and it is explained that they need to get into groups and discuss the sport
with other people studying the same sport. Then they will share the information with a different
group who will take notes on what they say (Jigsaw Reading).
Task 4: Students read about their focus sport in ‘expert groups.’ One person in the group can read
aloud while the others listen and comment. The group discusses the aim of the game, equipment
and rules and then goes into a different group to share what they have learned while the group
makes notes on the note taking sheet about each sport.
Follow Up: The students have a copy of the information sheet for Badminton. They work
individually to select the appropriate heading for each paragraph and then answer the true / false
quiz.

Teaching 5: The teacher asks the students if they could play any sport in the Olympics what
sport would it be and why? The question is discussed and the teacher shares a sport they would
like to do in the Olympics and writes on the board “I would like to do pole vaulting in the Olympics
because it would be fun to fly up so high.”
Task 5: The students share their ideas for a sport they would like to play in the Olympics as
a whole class (going around in a circle) then in pairs and then in an individual writing task where
they write for 3 minutes imagining they can play any sport that they want to in the Olympics (free
writing).
Teaching 6: Teacher gives example of charades game with 2 volunteers. They act out the
game of football with a goal keeper, a player kicking and a defender.
Task 6: Students work in groups of 3-4 to act out an Olympic Sport and perform for the class.

CHAPTER 5
Writing, Spelling and
Punctuation

Approaches to Teaching Writing
Approaches to Teaching Writing
The following 6 approaches to teaching writing can be used from Beginner level to Advanced level.
Communicative Writing Approach
With this approach students use the writing skill in conjunction with the other 3 language skills
(listening, speaking and reading) and work in pairs or small groups. Some techniques using this
approach include macrologues and micrologues, student biography exchanges, questionnaires,
progressive stories, running dictation, role plays with student generated dialogues, obstacle
courses or scavenger hunts where students write directions and interview articles for the class
newsletter or webpage, and writing letters, emails or postcards.
Free Writing Approach
With this approach the students write for a set period of time on a topic that interests them. There
is little or no error correction at this stage as the focus on getting ideas and thoughts down on
paper. The pieces of writing are not always shared but can be kept in a portfolio for the students
and teacher to refer back to. Diary and Journal Writing, Macrologues and micrologues can be used
with this approach. Teachers can use free writing responses to assess students’ knowledge of a
topic and check for frequent errors across the class to revisit at later stage. This approach is
particularly useful for creative writing and student generated writing tasks where the students
choose a topic.
Language Experience Approach
The key characteristic of this approach is that students write about a personal experience they
have had either individually or as a class. The Language Experience Approach works very well
when the students have had a shared experience together with the teacher because the teacher
can help generate vocabulary during the activity to help with the written task after the activity.
Examples of language experiences could include class excursions, cooking, sporting or art and
craft activities. Vocabulary could be brainstormed using a macrologue after the language
experience. Students could then write a short micrologue about what happened using the
vocabulary in the macrologue. Additional writing activities using this approach include writing
captions for photos taken during the language experience or labelling items and people in photos
for lower level learners. This approach can be used with Beginner students and the teacher can
help to write the words that the student can say or draw but is not able to write.

The following 6 approaches to teaching writing are used with students at Intermediate to
Advanced level.
Guided Writing Approach
This approach is particularly useful when teaching a specific writing skill such as opinionative
writing, review writing or informative writing. The teacher models how to write each section in the
piece of writing and gives examples, students study the examples and discuss key features, the
students are given time to write each section of the piece of writing, the work is shared with the
class and teacher after each section and then the final product is presented at the end.
Paragraph Pattern Approach
When using the paragraph pattern approach students analyse pieces of writing paragraph by
paragraph and imitate the structure of each paragraph in their own writing. This approach is useful
when writing opinionative essays, reviews and informative reports. For students at Upper
Intermediate level or higher, newspapers and magazines can be useful resources for paragraph
pattern analysis.
Process Writing Approach
This approach is useful when students are producing a piece of writing to be shared with a wider
audience. To use this approach the teacher will show the students the 7 step writing process.
Emphasis is placed on editing and reworking by the student and their peers as well as the teacher.
This approach is particularly useful for students when learning about essay writing as they are
constantly reflecting on their work and checking that it makes sense. Students are encouraged to
use the COPS editing strategy with this approach which helps to give their editing a clear focus. It
is recommended that the teacher uses correction symbols to make the student aware of the types
of mistakes that they are making without actually correcting the error for the student. The student
is then given the opportunity to fix the mistake themselves before constructing the final copy.
Tips for Teaching the Writing Skill

• Be sure to use resources that incorporate the interests and needs of your students.
• Use realia in writing tasks i.e. actual forms, applications and surveys.
• Have students keep a daily diary.
• Have students write for different purposes.
• Include editing as a writing task for upper level students.
• Teach the writing process to upper level students.
• Do not mark all errors in student writing. Only correct one point being taught in the lesson
example, verb tense, punctuation, plurals etc.
• Create a student profile in which you keep regular updated copies of student work.
• Use everyday tasks for writing skill activities such as email, lists, and memos.
• Students should only be asked to write what they can already say.
• Set reasonable time limits for students to work in and give students help if they are unsure
or cannot complete the task.
• Class word box: every week students write words learned on small cards.

Comprehension can be checked, an oral spelling test can be given with random words chosen. If
the words are known and spelt correctly, the word can go into a separate box or can be placed into
the original box. Later, add-on exercises (choose a word, make a sentence, etc.) can be done. This
gives the students a sense of confidence and a concrete way to see that they are learning.
Key Writing Skills
The following pages detail the 7 key writing skills that students should be practising by Intermediate
level. Students at Beginner levels are able to write macrologues and basic 3-5 word sentences
including basic descriptions, opinions and information. The techniques outlined include a range of
activities for each level to practise the key writing skills.
Descriptive Writing
Students will start to use descriptive writing at Beginner level by describing people, places and
objects. This skill becomes more advanced from Intermediate level with the use of more descriptive
adjectives and words to describe personality and feelings.
Topics Techniques
• Your favourite place Students could practise writing descriptions
with the following activities:
• Your house
• Guess the object game
• Your holiday
• Crosswords
• Your family
• Macrologues
• Your favourite gift
• Category lists
• Your pet
• Micrologues
• Your dream home
• Postcards to friends
• Creative story writing
Opinionative Writing
At Upper Beginner level students should be able to write about their own and others likes and
dislikes and favourite things. At Intermediate level students should practise stating their opinion
and giving a supporting statement. Upper intermediate level students should write opinionative
essays with an introduction, body and conclusion.
Topics Techniques
• Technology Students could practise writing opinions
using the following techniques:
• Public Transport
• Class Surveys; favourite movies,
• Service in a shop
songs, food
• School issues such as: Wearing a
• Pro and Con lists
uniform, Homework policy.
• Macrologues / Micrologues
• The best song of all time
• Debates
• Write letters of complaint

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Directive Writing
Students can practise writing directions using simple one word commands from Upper Beginner
level. Directive writing becomes more detailed from Intermediate level when students break a task
down into steps and use and explain key vocabulary terms.
Topics Techniques
• Fitness; Numbers example, Jump 3 Students could write directions using the
times following activities:
• Street Directions • Write directions for class to do a
fitness trail / obstacle course
• How to play a game
• Give directions to get to your house
• How to write an email
with a map
• How to cook something
• Write a recipe for your favourite meal
• How to play a sport
• Write the steps for writing an email to
• How to do a dance move display for class
Dialogue Writing
Writing dialogues is useful for students to demonstrate their understanding of everyday speech and
relevant vocabulary for a given situation. This can also be a good opportunity for students to learn
how to write direct and indirect speech using speech or quotation marks. Students could write
simple 3-5 word dialogues from Upper Beginner level.
Topics Techniques
• At a Restaurant Students could write dialogues for the
following purposes :
• At the Doctors
• Short role plays
• At the Beach
• Comic Strip Dialogue
• At School
• Dictation - fill in the blanks
• At University
• Creative story writing
• In the workplace
• Silent movie dialogue

Informative Writing
This type of writing is used to give information about how something works, or background
information on a subject. Students should be able to write basic informative sentences on a range
of topics from Intermediate level. At Upper Beginner level students are able to give information in
short sentences.
Topics Techniques
• Sport Report An event / celebration example,
• Country Profiles The Olympics Students could
present information in the following
• Family Profiles formats:
• People Profiles • Writing about pictures
• Cultural customs • Photo captions
• Class web page articles
• Individual projects
• Micrologues
• Class newsletter articles
Creative Writing
This type of writing is useful for right brain learners who enjoy creating their own stories and
characters. Students will be able to do some creative sentence structuring from Upper Beginner
level.
Topics Techniques
• Fairy Tales Students could practise creative writing with
the following activities;
• One day at the beach
• Progressive Stories
• The Future
• Create a story from a story starter
• Monsters Robots
• Write what happens next in the story
• If I won the lottery...
after watching a movie
• The strangest dream...
• Write a prequel to a movie
• Colours
• Write poems
• Use story wheel to create stories
• Create a story from flashcard words

Review Writing
Review writing is useful for students to practise writing opinions and to practise using a particular
structure for a piece of writing. It can be useful to provide a template to help students become
familiar with the format for a review.
Topics Techniques
• Music: Albums, Concerts Students could present their reviews in the
following formats:
• Movies: Favourite Scenes, Actors/
Characters, graphics, plot • Micrologues
• Characters, Storyline • Power point presentations
• Books: Storyline, Setting and • Letters to friends
Characters • Letters to staff
• Electronic Game Reviews: level of • Newspaper articles
difficulty, graphics, features
• Newsletter articles
• Restaurant Reviews: Food, Service
and atmosphere. • Internet blog / class web page article
• Hotel and Holiday Reviews: value for • Class surveys; rating favourite movies,
money, staff service songs, games with comments
• Course or lesson Review: most • Business meeting role plays with

interesting parts, difficulties business reports
• Business project review: strengths, • Questionnaires with rating scales

weaknesses and areas for
improvement
• Web site reviews: layout, features,
information

Picture Description: What's happening?
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Writing Focus: Informative Writing
Students are given a copy of the picture and an enlarged version is displayed on the board.
Beginner level students can write down 5 things that they can see in the picture. (Flashcards could
be displayed so that the students can copy the spelling of certain words) Upper Beginner and
Intermediate level students could write full sentences about what they can see in the picture.
For example:
I can see a yellow taxi. I can see a motorcycle. (Upper Beginner level)
People are sitting in a restaurant ordering food. (Intermediate Level)

Writing Activities: What's your opinion?
Level: Upper Beginner to Advanced
Writing Focus: Opinionative Writing
The teacher reads out or provides students with copies of the statements below.
The students have to decide whether they agree or disagree with the statements. Before writing
their opinion they do a kinaesthetic task where they are asked to stand on one side of the room if
they agree and the opposite side if they disagree and in the middle if they are undecided or they
think the topic is just okay.
Ice cream is one of the most delicious foods in the world.
English is an easy language to learn.
School students should not have to wear a uniform.
Mobile phones should be banned in public places such as schools, restaurants and
shops.
The students then work in groups to discuss reasons why they have this opinion. The students
could use the following template to help with formats for stating their opinion with supporting
reasons.
I think that
Because
In my experience
After discussing with others

Directive Writing - Unjumble the recipe
Level: Intermediate
Recipes are a good way for students to practise writing directions and instructions.
Cooking can also be a great language experience to do as a whole class activity. The teacher can
be modelling the instructions orally for the students and this will help the students to write the
instructions later. In this task the students need to unjumble the words and make them into
instructions for a recipe for pancakes.
PANCAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
2 cups of Butter
50g of Milk
Method
1. bowl / flour / in / sugar / mix / a / and
2. the / egg / then / milk / beat / until / slowly / batter / the / smooth / in / the / is
3. mixture/quarter/cup/of/a/at/a/time/pour/pan/into/a/of/the/large/bubbles/you/see/when/
on/the/surface/flip/pancake/the/cook/golden/ brown/and/until
4. Honey / maple syrup / with / cream / or / and / served / best

Guidelines for Writing Directions
Give the students the following information as a guide of how to write directions.
Writing Directions
• Explain what the directions are for.
• Tell the order in which things should be done. Use such words as: first next, then finally.
• Include any warnings or special instructions.
• Mention any tools, equipment, or other things needed.
• Write a title for your directions. Let the reader know at a glance what the directions are for.
Be clear and to the point.
Making Lists
When writing lists give students an opportunity to provide and choose their own items for the lists.
 Shopping lists - They can write a list of what they want to buy. They can go to the store
and locate the items and prices. It's also a good opportunity to exchange cultural information
by explaining what their item is in English or bringing it in to class (Asian, African, Middle
Eastern items, etc.)
 Family / Friend lists - make sure students are comfortable with this before assigning it.
They can write their family members‟ names, relationship to the student and number.
 Identity lists - can change lists, according to vocabulary studies – how do they refer to
themselves - mother, Vietnamese, gardener, etc. This is often a good ongoing project,
students add to the list each time a theme is introduced (and can supplement with photos,
drawings, etc.)
 Dictionary lists - students can form their own dictionaries from words they find important to
them in class or hear outside the class - this can be supplemented with a recording – the
student can dictate this recording or draw small illustrations.
Note: Class Glossaries are very valuable in the classroom. With this technique the teacher says
which focus words to use in the glossary and the teacher and students write a definition together.
This is a good way of checking that the students have an accurate definition for each word.

The AIT TESOL Writing Process
 Preparation: topic is discussed, considered and lists of ideas and resources needed are
written.
 Rough draft: first copies written. Mistakes not edited paragraphs put in sequence.
 Proof-reading: work is proof-read by student for spelling, grammar and layout.
 Second Draft: Edited work is re-written with mistakes corrected.
 Edit by Teacher: teacher checks work for spelling, grammar and flow.
 Final Production: work is written up as final copy with all editing by teacher included.
 Display: work is displayed, read for class. Each student presents their work to the class.
Resources for Writing: Resumes. Students use the template below to complete their own
resume.
PERSONAL DETAILS
NAME
ADDRESS
E-MAIL
Available to work:
QUALIFICATIONS & EDUCATION
Year Name of Qualification:

Year Educational Institution:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Year Name of Organisation

Position
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Write in dot point format
Other relevant experience
Write in dot point format
REFEREES
Use no more than three references

Follow Up: The teacher shows an example of a completed country profile with information about
their home country. The students write a country profile for their own country or a country of their
choice. (They will share their profile orally with the class in a later lesson). The students mark the
countries on the map as they listen to the presentations.
Extensions: For Upper Intermediate only
The country profile could be adapted and written as an opinionative essay convincing the rest of the
class to visit this country.
The teacher would read out and give the students a copy of the essay. The key parts and important
sentences would be marked on the essay for the teacher to discuss with the students. The essay
would be written using the guided writing and the process writing approach and the 7 steps writing
process.

The COPS Editing Strategy
The COPS editing strategy focuses on checking different aspects of the writing separately.
C- Capitalisation: Are the first words in each sentence as well as the proper names capitalised?
O- Overall: How is the overall appearance and readability (i.e. spacing, legibility, indentation of
paragraphs, neatness, complete sentences, etc.)
P- Punctuation: Is the punctuation correct?
S- Spelling: Are all the words spelt correctly?
The student is to read through the essay four times, each time concentrating on one of the four
points in COPS.
Applications for the COPS editing strategy include:
Proof-reading students’ own writing after completion of a rough draft.
Students checking each other's work before handing in an assignment.
Checking group work after each draft.
Proof-reading essay exam questions.
Further suggestions include:
1. After students have written a rough draft of a paragraph or essay, have them exchange work
in order to COPS each other's compositions.
2. Rather than the teacher correcting work, hand it back uncorrected for the students to COPS.
This activity could be used as an initial teaching approach in order to illustrate to the students
the effectiveness of the COPS strategy.
3. A modification of the previous example would be to mark a paragraph or composition before

returning it to the students to COPS. Mark the work again after the students have used the
COPS strategy of self-correction. They then can compare it to their marks to see the
usefulness of the strategy.

Correction Techniques
Writing Lesson Plan - Countries
Topic: Country Profiles
Level: Intermediate – Upper Intermediate Age: 10+ years
Length: 90 minutes
TESOL Methodology: Communicative Approach: Warm Up: Alphabet game, pair drawing barrier
game, guess the country game, micrologue, macrologue, written task (profile / individual project)
Language Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to,
• Write a sentence about a country using correct pronouns, articles and verb forms.
(Example, it has a population of 3 million people).
• Write an opinionative micrologue stating why a country is a good place to visit using 3 clear
supporting reasons.
• Write an opinionative essay convincing someone to visit a country that includes a clear
structure with paragraphs an introduction, body and conclusion, correct punctuation and
correct grammar.
Resources: Flag pictures, Country pictures, photos and names on cards for display
• A world map with main counties labelled
• Alphabet game answer template
• Travel Brochures
• A teacher prepared micrologue about their home country
• Country profile worksheets
Pre-Task: Have a world map displayed on the wall and names of countries and pictures of
countries around the room.
Warm Up: Alphabet Game
Students work in groups to think of a country starting with each letter of the alphabet. They write
their answers on the answer sheet provided. The first group to get to 20 countries reads out their
answers.

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Teaching 1: The teacher gives the students instructions on how to draw the Australian (or another
other country's) flag without telling the students that this is what they are drawing. Instructions might
include sentences like; Draw a rectangle with a long top and bottom and two short sides. Colour
the rectangle blue, draw a star in the top left hand corner.
Task 1: Students listen and draw as they hear the teacher's instructions. Then they work in
pairs, one person is given a flag. They don't show it to their partner instead they have to describe
it to their partner who draws it.
Teaching 2: The teacher writes 3 sentences on the board about a country that is displayed on the
wall. In the sentences the name of the country is not used. For example, the sentence might be;
This country is very long. It is in South America. It has 5 letters in its name.
Task 2: The students listen and guess which country the teacher is talking about. Then they
are given time to write 3 clues for a different country. They can choose a country that is displayed
around the room or just chose a country that they know some facts about. Each person reads out
their clues to their partner and their partner writes down what country they think it is.
Teaching 3: The teacher presents information to the class about their home country as a
micrologue that is 8-10 sentences long. The micrologue needs to cover the name of the country,
how big the country is, population, a comparison between their home country and another country,
important celebrations and foods in this country and reasons why people should visit this country.
Task 3: Students listen to the micrologue and write down the key words that they hear.
Teaching 4: The teacher asks the students to share the key words that they heard and records
them on the board in a macrologue. After the key words have been identified by the students the
teacher adds the main headings such as population, size, food, celebrations.
Task 4: The students share their key words then copy the macrologue.

How to Spell in 10 Easy Steps
Basic Spelling Rules
1. The magic ‘e’ with vowels. When a one syllable word finishes with the letter ‘e’ It makes
the vowel sound a long sound. For example by adding an ‘e’ to the words man, pin and not
the words change to mane, pine and note.
2. All syllables must have a vowel. An ‘e’ is added to the end of a word when the last syllable
has no vowel. For example with the words: ap/ple, bot/tle, ta/ble.
3. The letters ‘s’, ‘f’ and ‘l’ are doubled at the end of most one syllable words. For example
with the words: miss, call, off, dress, drill.
4. ‘u’ and ‘v’ never come at the end of English words. An exception to this rule is the word
‘you.’ Common spelling errors for beginner spellers can be writing the word have with no ‘e’
(hav).
5. ‘e’, ‘l’ or ‘y’ makes a ‘c’ or ‘g’ soft. For example with the words: excite, giraffe, face,
gym.
6. The letter ‘x’ is never followed by an ‘s.’ The words excite, exited and boxes emphasise
this rule.
7. At the beginning of a word it is written as ‘sh’ or ‘ch.’ For example in the words: shop and
chef. In the middle of a word it is written as ‘ti’, ‘si’ and ‘ci’. For example in the words: lotion,
tension, and social.
8. When two vowels go walking the first one does the talking. In most one-syllable words
when there are two vowels together, we say the long vowel sound for the first vowel. For
example: In the word boat we say the long ‘o’ sound. In the word meat we say the long ‘e’
sound. In the word rain we say the long ‘a’ sound. In the word pie we say the long ‘I’ sound.
9. Put the letter ‘i’ before the letter ‘e’ except after ‘c’ or when using ‘ei’ as in neighbour.
10. One syllable words with a "y" at the end of changes to "i" when a suffix is added. For
example: fly changes to flies.
Homonyms and Homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have a different meaning and a different spelling.
For example: The words ‘one’ and ‘won’ are said with exactly the same pronunciation but have
different meanings. It is important for students to learn the different spellings and meanings for
each of these words.
Common homophones Advanced homophones
there/their/they’re find/fined
here/hear flower/flour
bye/by/buy aloud/allowed
which/witch band/banned
our/hour blew/blue
board/bored brake/break
fair/fare stair/stare
mail/male wait/weight

Homographs are words which are spelt the same but have different pronunciation and meaning.
• Close the door / He is close
• I live in Australia / I saw a live concert
• We wound the rope around the post / I have a wound on my arm
Homonyms are words which have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings.
For example: the word ‘fine’ can mean money penalty or something that is thin or of high quality.
Spelling Activities
Cut out each letter separately in the chart below and the letter cards can then be used for several
different spelling activities.
Activity: Make a Word
Description: Students use up all of the letters to make at least 5 words.
Activity: Scrabble
Description: Use all of the letters up to 5 different words, some words have to overlap as
in the game of scrabble or as if the words are in a crossword.
Activity: Spelling Quiz
Level: Intermediate to Upper Intermediate
Description: Students work in groups or individually to spell the words that the teacher
calls out by arranging the letters in order.
Activity: Spell Check
Read these commonly mispelt English words then use the 8 spelling steps to practise writing
them. At the end ask a partner to check if you spelt them correctly.
Potatoes apartment ambitious fortunately government
height disappear incredible disappoint unnecessary

Phone Role Play
Level: Intermediate
Get your students to practise this role-play that emphasises spelling difficult words.
Ross: Hello thanks for calling. Firstly, can I have your name and number?
Jen: Jen Zaffarelli, and my mobile phone number is 0303 126 848.
Ross: Can you spell that please?
Jen: Yes, Zaffarelli. Z-A, double F, A-R-E, double L, I.
Ross: Excuse me, would you mind repeating that again?
Jen: Not at all. Zaffarelli. Z-A, double F, A-R-E, double L, I.
Ross: I'm sorry your name is really difficult for me.
Jen: Please just call me Jen, a lot of people have trouble with my family name.
Spelling Chain
Level: Any
Use this activity to review vocabulary.
Make a list of vocabulary covered in previous lessons. Have students stand. Call out a vocabulary
word. The first student begins by saying the word and giving the first letter, the second student the
second letter of the word, the third student the third letter, and so on until the word is spelt correctly.
If somebody makes a mistake they must sit down and we start from the beginning again until the
word is spelt correctly. The last student must then pronounce the word correctly and give a
definition in order to stay standing. The student who is left standing is the ‘survivor’ and wins the
game. A small prize for this sort of activity works well.
The students love it and it is a great way to practise vocabulary!

Scrambled Words
Level: All levels, small group, pair or individual work
Each student is given a worksheet and letter cards or magnetic letters.
Materials: worksheet, paper strips, letter cards or magnetic letters. Purpose: to review
vocabulary, practise spelling and writing.
• Students work alone or together and manipulate the letters until they can spell the word.
• With some students, you may want to put a picture prompt beside the word or have a word
or picture bank for the vocabulary studied.
• The students can be given only the letters used to make the word, or extra letters.
• When a student spells the word correctly with the cards, they can copy it onto the page
(stronger students can use the worksheet directly).
Alternatives
• Students mix up vocabulary words they are reviewing.
• Words solved can be word processed or placed on a vocabulary card for future study.

Australian-British-Canadian-American Spelling
American and British English spelling differences.
The differences in the spellings of British English and American English are differences between
the U.S. usage on one side and British and Commonwealth usage on the other are generally
more conspicuous than spelling differences within the Commonwealth. For this reason,
the term Commonwealth English is used throughout this page to collectively refer to the spelling
used in the British Isles and the Commonwealth of Nations, as opposed to American spelling.
Differences within Commonwealth usage are duly noted. Many of the differences were
introduced into the United States by Noah Webster's dictionary; he was a strong proponent of
spelling reform for a variety of reasons, both nationalistic and philosophical.
There were many advocates of spelling reform in England as well, but the influences of those who
preferred the Norman (or French) spellings of certain words proved decisive. Some of the changes
in American spelling were largely phonemic, while others involved the restoration of "etymologically
correct" Latin (or Greek) spellings, often to words which English had borrowed from French (or
indirectly, Greek) – color, Gk. διαλογος → Fr. couleur, dialogue → British English colour, dialogue.
At the time, spelling in English was not regular, and Webster was eager to distinguish American
usage from British usage – and in some cases to create distinctions. Although many of Webster's
spellings became standardised in the U.S., only a few spread to other English-speaking countries,
which were more influenced by Samuel Johnson's dictionary. (Webster's more radical suggestions
for spelling reform made in his younger days, such as the dropping of silent ‘e’ at the end of words,
were adopted nowhere).
Australian Spelling
The exposure to the different spellings of British and American English leads to a certain amount
of spelling variation such as organise / organize. British spelling is generally preferred, although
some words are usually written in the American form, such as program and jail rather than
programme and gaol (although commonly one could be 'jailed' in a 'gaol'). Publishers, schools,
universities and governments in Australia typically use the Macquarie Dictionary as a standard
spelling reference. Both -ise and –ize are accepted, as in British English, but '-ise' is the preferred
form in Australian English by a ratio of about 3:1 according to the Australian Corpus of English.
There is a widely-held belief in Australia that American spellings are a modern ‘intrusion’, but the
debate in fact goes back to the 19th century. A pamphlet entitled The ‘So Called American Spelling’
printed in Sydney over 100 years ago, argued that, "there is no valid etymological reason for the
preservation of the ‘u’ in such words as honor, labor, etc." At the time it was noted that, “the
tendency of people in Australasia is to excise the ‘u’, and one of the Sydney morning papers
habitually does this, while the other generally follows the older form". Some Melbourne newspapers
once excised the ‘u’, but do not anymore, and the Australian Labor Party officially adopted the '-or'
ending in 1912.

500 Commonly Mispelt Words
A B committee desperate
absence balloon commitment develop
abundance barbecue comparative dictionary
accessible bargain competent difference
accidentally basically completely dilemma
acclaim beggar concede dining
accommodate beginning conceivable disappearance
accomplish belief conceive disappoint
accordion believe condemn disastrous
accumulate beneficial condescend discipline
acquaintance benefit conscience disease
acquire biscuit conscientious dispensable
acquitted boundaries conscious dissatisfied
across C consistent dominant
address calendar continuous E
advice camouflage controlled easily
advise candidate controversial ecstasy
affect Caribbean controversy effect
alleged category convenient efficiency
amateur cemetery correlate eighth
analysis challenge counsellor either
analyse changeable courteous eligible
annual changing courtesy eliminate
apartment characteristic D embarrass
apparatus chief deceive emperor
apparent choose chose defendant enemy
appearance climbed deferred encouraging
arctic clothes definitely entirely
argument clothing definition environment
ascend cloth dependent equipped
atheist collectible descend equivalent
athletic colonel describe especially
attendance column description exaggerate
auxiliary coming desirable exceed
commission despair excellence

exhaust governor influential M
existence grammar information magazine
existent grievous inoculate maintain
expense guarantee insurance maintenance
experience guardian intelligence manageable
experiment guerrilla interference manoeuvre
explanation guidance interrupt manufacture
extremely H introduce marriage
exuberance handkerchief irrelevant mathematics
F happily irresistible medicine
facsimile harass J millennium
fallacious height jealousy millionaire
fallacy heinous judicial miniature
familiar haemorrhage K minuscule
fascinating heroes knight minutes
feasible hesitancy knowledge miscellaneous
February hindrance L mischievous
fictitious hoarse laboratory misspelt
fiery hoping laid mortgage
finally humorous later mosquito
financially hygiene latter mosquitoes
fluorescent hypocrisy legitimate murmur
forcibly hypocrite leisure muscle
foreign I length mysterious
forfeit ideally license N
formerly idiosyncrasy lieutenant narrative
foresee ignorance lightning naturally
forty imaginary likelihood necessary
fourth immediately likely necessity
fuelling implement loneliness neighbour
fulfil incidentally loose neutron
fundamentally incredible lose ninety
G independence losing ninth
gauge independent lovely noticeable
generally indicted luxury nowadays
genius indispensable nuisance
government inevitable

109
O personnel pronounce S
obedience perspiration pronunciation sacrilegious
obstacle physical propaganda sacrifice
occasion physician psychology safety
occasionally piece publicly salary
occurred pitiful pursue satellite
occurrence planning Q scary
official pleasant quantity scenery
omission portray quarantine schedule
omit omitted possess questionnaire secede
opinion possession quizzes secretary
opponent possessive queue seize
opportunity potato R sense
oppression potatoes realistically sentence
optimism possibility realise separate
optimistic possible really separation
orchestra practically recede sergeant
ordinarily prairie receipt several
origin precede receive severely
outrageous precedence recognise shepherd
overrun preceding recommend shining
P preference reference siege
pamphlet preferred referring simile
parallel prejudice relevant simply
particular preparation relieving simultaneous
pavilion prescription religious sincerely
peaceable prevalent remembrance skiing
peculiar primitive reminiscence sophomore
perceive principal repetition souvenir
performance principle representative specifically
permanent privilege resemblance sponsor
permissible probably reservoir spontaneous
permitted procedure resistance statistics
perseverance proceed restaurant stopped
persistence profession rheumatism strategy
personal professor rhythm strength
prominent ridiculous strenuous

110
stubbornness temperature unnecessary weird
studying tendency until wherever
subtle themselves usable whether
succeed theories usage which
success therefore usually wholly
succession thorough utilisation withdrawal
sufficient though V woman
supersede through vacuum women
suppress tournament valuable worthwhile
surprise towards vengeance writing
surround tragedy vigilant Y
susceptible transferring village yacht
suspicious tries violence yield
syllable truly visible
symmetrical twelfth vision
synonymous tyranny virtue
T U volume
tangible unanimous W
technical undoubtedly warrant
technique unforgettable weather
temperamental unique Wednesday

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Commonly Used Punctuation Marks
1. An apostrophe (') is used for:
Indicating possession, example, Sarah's bag.
Letter/s omitted, example, It's = It is (the second ‘I’ has been omitted)
2. Brackets – (( )), are used for:
Giving further thoughts or qualifying remarks
3. A colon (:) is used to introduce a list.
4. A comma (,) is used to:
Separate words in a list
Separate phrases in a sentence
5. A dash (-) shows a sudden interruption or shift of thought.
6. An exclamation mark (!) is used to indicate strong feeling.
7. The ellipsis or suspension points (...) are used to show:
An omission in the middle of a sentence.
To indicate the sentence continues on the next page
To indicate an unfinished ending example, ‘to be continued’…
8. A full stop or period (.) is used to end a sentence.
9. A hyphen (-) used in compound words example,
Son-in-law
To form prefixes and suffixes.

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10. A question mark (?) is used at the end of a sentence that states a question.
11. Quotation marks (“,”) are used to indicate someone is speaking.
Example, “Wait for me!” said Tom.
12. A semicolon (;) is used to separate parts of a compound sentence.
13. A slash/ forward slash (/) is used to mean ‘and’ or ‘or’.
14. A space is used between words and after each full stop.
15. Capital letters should be used in the following instances:
At the beginning of sentences
At the beginning of direct quotes
For names of people, cities, towns, days of the week, months and seasons
It is also useful to teach ESOL students the names for the following symbols used in
everyday writing and communication.
16. Bullet points / dot points (•) used for making lists of key points.
17. The ‘at ‘ sign (@) is often used in email addresses and shorthand for the word ‘at’.
18. Number sign (#) is used in shorthand to indicate a number. It is also known as ‘hash’
or the ‘pound’ sign when referring to this button on the telephone.
19. Underscore ( _ ) is often used in email addresses.
20. The greater than sign ( > )and less than sign ( < ) are often used when talking about
numbers in business reports.

113
Correction Techniques
The ability to correct is a skill that takes time and experience to perfect. It is an area in which
students are often critical of the teacher. Too much correction can be equally as off-putting as too
little. It is also important to note that praising the students is equally as important as correcting, if
not more so.
In teaching ESOL it is usual to distinguish between mistakes and errors. A mistake can be thought
of as a slip of the tongue or the pen. The student is able to correct himself or herself, either
unprompted or with the help of the teacher or other students.
An error is something that is more deeply ingrained and may be made because:
• The student believes what he or she is saying is correct.
• The student does not know the correct form.
• The student knows the correct form, but can't get it right.
The positive side of errors
• At least the student is trying.
• By making errors learners are experimenting with language, which is part of the learning
process.
• By noting errors the teacher can see what needs focusing on in future lessons.
Who corrects?
Self correction
This should be the first option as it provides the student with the opportunity to reflect upon what
he / she has said and to try again. Before students can correct themselves, they must be aware of
the following:
Something is not accurate.
Where the error is.
What kind of error it is.
If the student is unable to correct him/herself fairly quickly it is best to move on rather than
humiliating the student by pausing the class when the student is clearly unable to self-correct.

114
Student – student correction
If the student is unable to correct his / her own mistake it is often useful to allow the other students
to correct the mistake. Students usually like helping each other; however, this method should not
be used if the teacher feels that it would make the student who made the mistake feel
uncomfortable or confused.
What should the teacher correct?
It can be difficult for teachers to know exactly what type of mistakes to correct. Generally we can
say that for activities where accuracy is the focus, correction is more vital opposed to activities
where fluency is the primary objective.
There are three occasions when it is relevant to correct:
• The mistake is with the language point we are teaching.
• The error is being regularly repeated.
• The mistake or error seriously impedes understanding.
Remember never to jump into a student's speech to correct. Wait until the student has finished
speaking or until the end of the activity to avoid interrupting the flow of the activity, whichever is the
most appropriate, depending upon the type of task (example, it is better to correct mistakes from
role-play at the end of the activity, so as not to break the flow).
Correction Symbols
Probably the most effective way of correcting written work is by using codes in the margin or the
body of the writing. This makes correction neater, less threatening and gives the students a chance
to correct their own work.
Frequently used codes refer to issues such as tense, spelling and word order.
Typical codes include:
S spelling
WO word order
T wrong tense
S/P wrong usage of singular / plural form
^ something is missing
[ ] something is not necessary
M meaning is not clear
NA usage is not appropriate
P punctuation is wrong

115
‘Wixed Mords’: Humorous English Translations
Examples of how translations can go awry can be found on signs posted in hotels, stores and
rental-car agencies around the globe.
Some cases in point:
“Please leave your values at the front desk”
“The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable”
“In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter”
“If this is your first visit to Russia you are welcome to it”
“When passenger of foot have in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he
still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigour”
“English well speaking. Here speeching American too”

116
CHAPTER 6
Music and Video

117
Music and Songs for the TESOL Classroom
Using music and songs in the TESOL classroom enables students to relax and enjoy the listening
and speaking skills without the pressure of concentrating on pronunciation. There are many ways
to incorporate music into lesson themes or to teach a song as a lesson. This is a guideline as to
how this can be done.
Song Activities Instrumental Music Activities
Type lyrics into lines and cut each line into Students write a music review.
strips. Place strips in envelopes and give
groups/pairs of students envelopes to place
strips in order while listening to the song being
played.
Fill in the blanks worksheet: give students Students in pairs or groups prepare a scene for
worksheets with missing words in the lyrics. the music.
Students listen to the song and fill in the missing
words.
Students write a review about the song. Students write lyrics for the music.
Students design a CD cover for the song. Students create a poster for the music.
Students learn to sing the song. Students write movie dialogue
Students will find these activities interesting and enjoyable. Songs are catchy and easy to learn
and remember. They are a great way to ‘disguise’ drills and repetition in a lesson.
Music also activates the right side of the brain. Language learning is essentially a left brain activity
so by activating the right side of the brain as well this will help students to learn quicker and retain
the learning for longer.
There are different media for using music and song in the TESOL classroom. It is best to check
what resources will be available to you before lesson planning with music. Most schools will have
recording devices and / or CD players. If you take resources to an overseas country you will need
to check for compatibility. Before signing a work contract ask what resources and which technology
is used by the school. This will allow you time to prepare before going overseas. You can always
buy your own player when you get to your destination and sell off second-hand (or give it away to
a friend) when you leave!
Types of audio technology:
Recording devices Mobile devices Karaoke DVD player CD player
MP3 player IPOD Radio TV Laptop

Tablet Mobile phone

118
Teaching a Song
When teaching a song for the lesson you should follow a specific format. It is important that students
have plenty of opportunities to hear the song and lyrics before being asked to sing the song
themselves.
The following is a procedure for teaching songs.
1. Play the entire song for students to listen to.
2. Hand out a sheet of lyrics to each student.
3. Play the song line by line, repeating each line of the song as you go.
4. Play the entire song again.
5. Play the song line by line and have students repeat each line with you.
6. Sing the song with your students as a class.
Tips for Teaching with Music and Songs
• Check song lyrics are age appropriate.
• Check song lyrics are level appropriate.
• Use songs with repetitive lyrics.
• Use rap chants.
• Only use English language songs.
• Allow students to hear the song at least three times before asking them to sing it.
• Prepare a follow up activity for the song you are using.
• Sing along with your class (Yes! Do it!)
• Have students sing in rounds.
• Allow students to choose songs they would like to learn from prepared song lists.
• Play instrumental music in the background for some activities. Classical and relaxing
‘theme’ music or movie soundtracks can be great!
• Play games that incorporate music and song.
• Have students write lyrics to music (perhaps just one verse or a chorus).

119
A TESOL Music Activity
Music is a fun way to teach language, but using a song as part of your lesson plan takes proper
planning. For this group activity choose a song from the list on the following pages to suit the topics
given. Include a follow-up activity to use with the song. List the language level, age group, song,
and follow-up as in the example below.
Topics:
Animals
Transport or travel
Body parts or love
Example:
Topic: Animals
Level: Beginner
Age: Children 6-8 years
Song: Wiggly woo
Follow-up: Have the children sing the song while dancing around the room in a ‘Conga
line’, acting out each action as it is called out.

120
Application of Video in the TESOL Classroom
The use of video brings a whole new dynamic to the TESOL classroom. Students can view
language in natural settings and within limitless contexts. Incorporating video into TESOL Lesson
Plans is an important way to immerse students in the English language. Video should be used in
short segments of 30 seconds to two minutes for pre-tasks; or for 5 - 10 minutes for children, and
5 - 15 minutes for adults for main activities.
Always be sure to use age / level appropriate video segments and check for
inappropriate (innuendo) and language!
It is also important to have the specific clip or scene pre-prepared prior to the lesson, paused at
the correct place to begin. When using video be sure it fits the topic of your lesson and always have
a follow-up activity prepared.
Follow up activities could include:
• Role-play
• Dialogue reading
• Fill in the blanks worksheet
• Guess the idiom used
• Look and listen for specific words or expressions
• Guess the language function
• Predictions of action or dialogue
Types of video materials could include:
News Weather Current affairs programs Documentaries

Comedies Children's shows Commercials Movie clips YouTube
Tips for Teaching with Video
When using video for a pre-task only use 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
When teaching children only use approximately 5-10 minutes of video.
When teaching adults only use approximately 5-15 minutes of video.
Always be sure the video you are using matches your lesson topic.
For lower level students make sure video clip used depicts clearly the vocabulary you are
teaching.
Play the video clip more than once for comprehension activities.
Check video clip for any use of bad language or inappropriate scenes.
121
Using Video in the TESOL Classroom Activity
Video Film Survey Activity
Answer the following questions individually:
1. What kind of movies do you generally prefer? (You can pick more than one.)
a. classics (1920s-1950s)
b. comedy
c. drama
d. romance
e. action / adventure
f. horror / terror
g. mystery / suspense
h. independent films
i. science fiction / fantasy
Why
2. What kind of movies would you like to see in this class?
3. Name three movies that you really enjoyed. For each, give one reason why you enjoyed this
movie.
4. Name an actor / actress that you really like. Why do you like this person?

122
5. What attracts you to see certain films?
a. actor / actress
b. the director
c. story
d. country
e. opinions of movie critics
f. ‘word of mouth’ (advice from family, friends, acquaintances)
g. other
6. What is your main purpose/goal in taking this class?

a. to see films I've never seen before
b. to learn more about Western culture through film
c. to improve my listening comprehension
d. to analyse/learn about cinematic style
e. to improve my knowledge of idioms and slang
f. to participate in discussions about movies
g. other
7. What percentage of class time would you like to spend on each of the following?
(Please make sure your % add up to 100%)
Watching movies
Discussing movies
Reading background information
Learning new vocabulary
Doing listening comprehension exercises
Other

123
TESOL teacher brainstorm activity.
Each group must share their video activities.
In groups of 3 brainstorm an age/level appropriate movie for each of the following TESOL Levels
and age groups below:
1. Beginner children
2. Intermediate adolescents
3. Advanced adults
Include the topic for your movie, language level, movie title, movie clip(s) and follow-up activity.
You must include which specific clip(s) you will use from each movie.
Example:
Topic: Extreme weather.
Language level: Advanced adults.
• Movie: choose a movie that has a slow well-acted speech to listen to.
Follow-up activity: A class macrologue entitled ‘what were the obvious and hidden meanings
behind the speech.’
Film Review Activity
After watching a movie, students in groups will be film critics. The class is given 15 minutes to
prepare group presentations. Then groups will present to the class.
Presentation criteria:
Provide a brief summary of the film. Two or three sentences is fine; you don't need to include a lot
of details. For example, you might summarise the film Titanic by saying, "This film is a classic love
story set on the only voyage Titanic ever made. The young woman involved comes from a high
society family and is travelling first class. Meanwhile, the young man is poor and travelling in third
class. Their relationship is intensified by the fact that the ship is sinking."

124
State your opinion of the movie. What are its strengths and weaknesses? Provide specific
examples (scenes, situations) from the film. About Titanic, you might say, "Overall, I really liked
this movie. For one, I'm a die-hard romantic, so I really got involved in the story. I loved the way
that the photographs at the end showed how Rose went on to do everything she and Jack had
talked about together - like riding a horse in California. Also, I thought the filming was beautiful. I
really liked a lot of the shots. For example, I loved the aerial shot at the beginning that panned the
whole length of the ship. It really gave you a feeling of how big the ship was! I also really liked the
scene with all of the china floating in the dining room. As far as weaknesses go, I didn't like the fact
that this movie gives us a distorted view of history. It was a really nice story, but it was obviously
fictional."
What character(s) do you most identify with? What are the main personality traits of this (these)
character(s)? About Titanic, you might say, "I really identified with Jack. He's a free spirit. He
doesn't have any money, but he's travelled all over the world looking for adventure. Maybe he finds
more adventure than he wants on Titanic, but he's strong and true to his principles."
In your opinion, what was the director's intention or message? Of Titanic, you might say, “I think he
wanted to provide some great blockbuster entertainment while at the same time recreating one of
the most famous sea disasters in history. Actually, I'm really glad that Jack died at the end. If he
had lived, this story wouldn't be tragic. It would just be another Hollywood movie."
How does the film relate to American culture? Specifically, how does it relate to the era in which it
was made? For Titanic, you might say, “I think this movie shows that American attitudes have
changed somewhat”.
For example, it's accepted that Rose and Jack are lovers. This definitely wouldn't have been
accepted in 1912. Also, both characters are very independent. Rose decides to go against her
mother's wishes, but we see this as the right thing to do. It seems to be a dominant American value
that young people make their own decisions, even when these decisions go against their parents.
Also, it doesn't matter that she's high society and he's not. This seems to re-enforce the American
ideal that love can bridge economic distinctions."
Finally, give the movie a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." Obviously, Titanic gets the thumbs up.

Video Research Activity
Online you can read reviews, watch clips, find out about different directors, comment on new
releases, buy movie-related merchandise and more.
Have fun answering these questions.
What is currently the most popular movie in the US?
How much money has this movie made?
What is it about?
Find a movie you would like to see. Are there any comments on this movie? If so, what are
people saying about it?
Find a movie that you have seen. Read the comments on this movie; then, submit your own.
What three movies have grossed the most money in US history?
How much money did each movie make in the US?
What three movies have grossed the most money in international history?
How much money did each movie make internationally?
Click on Soundtrack Listening. (You will be linked to Amazon.com to hear audio clips from this
movie
Finally, do a title search for a movie you would like to see. This can be an older movie that has
been recommended to you by a friend.
Time for another search, I can't remember the name of this movie I'd like to rent. I know one of
the characters was a woman named Mother Sister.
What's the movie's title?
Time for another search, when did actress Grace Kelly die? Take a few minutes to search for
some of your own favourite actors, actresses, and directors.

The ‘Audio Visual Lingual Response Approach’
The Audio Visual Lingual Response Technique was designed to utilise technology in the ESOL
classroom. By incorporating mimicry along with video students are able to see and hear the
vocabulary in context. Lessons are based around students repeating the dialogue and then role-
playing.
This method is very good for pronunciation practise as it not only allows for the student to hear
the dialogue but also to see it produced with natural intonation and stress in the intended context.
Activities for utilising the Audio Visual Lingual Response Technique:
• Dialogue reading Choral drill
• Dialogue reading individual for pronunciation
• Role-play dialogue in context
• Dialogue reading with intonation and voice stress
• What kind of technology can be used in the classroom
• Recording stories or other listening activities
• Videotaping role plays or student presentations
• Computer software
• Create projects involving use of web searches
• TV programs/ instructional videos
• Overhead projectors
• CD’s

Using Video in the Classroom – Lesson Plan (Children) Topic: Animals
Level: Upper Beginner
Age: Children 8-10 years
Length: 45 minutes
TESOL Methodology: Eclectic approach, flashcards, game, worksheet
Language Skills: Listening, speaking, reading
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to properly name and pronounce five animals: lion,
monkey, hippopotamus, zebra, giraffe
Resources: Clip from the movie Zootopia, computer and screen / projector, worksheets,
flashcards, animal masks
Pre-Task: Teacher holds up masks and acts like each animal and imitates each of the animal's
sound.
Teaching 1: Teacher demonstrates each animal flashcard 5 x
Task 1: Students repeat flashcards 5 x
Teaching 2: ‘Run to flashcard’ game: Teacher places animal flashcards around room. Teacher
calls out one animal name and all students run to the correct flashcard.
Task 2: Students play ‘Run to flashcard’ game.
Teaching 3: Teacher plays video clip and demonstrates ticking off animals on a worksheet as
they appear in the video clip.
Task 3: Students watch the video clip and complete worksheets.
Follow-Up: Students play ‘animal charades.’

Using Video in the Classroom – Lesson Plan (Adults) Topic: Marketing Techniques
Level: Advanced
Age: 18+ Adults
Length: 45 minutes
TESOL Methodology: Eclectic approach, video, pair work
Language Skills: Listening, speaking and writing
Lesson objectives: Students will be able to plan marketing strategies.
Resources: Video clip advertisements, magazines
Pre-Task: Hand out magazines with various adverts for students to look over.
Teaching 1: Put students into pairs and instruct them to choose an advert and write to explain
what they like about it.
Task 1: Students in groups choose their adverts and write to explain what they like about it.
Teaching 2: Show video clip of commercials to class.
Task 2: Students view video clip.
Teaching 3: Instruct students in pairs to write/prepare a TV ad for the magazine advert they
have chosen.
Task 3: Pairs write/prepare their adverts.
Follow-Up: Student groups share their adverts with class.

Information Technology in the TESOL Classroom
Information Technology is fully integrated into today's society. Computers are used in most areas
of our lives including the home, business and education. There are many Information Technology
Systems available each with individual benefits. These benefits apply to their specific area of use.
With this in mind it is important to source the most appropriate IT Systems for application within the
English language learning classroom. Systems commonly in use globally are the best ones to use
in the TESOL classroom as these provide a format for the largest amount of available resources
and are ones your students will go on to use outside of the classroom.
Through the use of IT based lesson activities students can benefit from learning English within an
IT context. This is necessary for study and future job or business prospects.
One simple rule, Google it!

HOMEWORK READING
Exam Preparation
Manual
Research www.rassias.dartmouth.edu Internet
Where does English come from Page 6
L2 English Page 10
Why is grammar important and grammar approaches Page 14-15
Key grammar terms/ parts of speech Page 21
The past continuous tense/ future continuous tense Page 28-29
Definition of Linguistics/ Teaching phonology Page 52-53
Tongue twisters/ Phonology/ Structures of the mouth Page 55-57
Voiced and Unvoiced consonants Page 59
Introduction to Reading
Approaches to teaching Reading Page 66-68
Tips for teaching Reading
Using newspapers in the classroom Page 78
Approaches for teaching Writing/ Tips for teaching Writing Page 88-90
COPS/ Homophones/ Homonyms Page 100
Australian/British/ Canadian/ American spelling Page 107
500 Commonly mispelt words Page 108-111
Commonly used Punctuation Page 112-113
Correction symbols Page 114-115
Tips for teaching songs Page 118-119
Tips for teaching with video Page 121


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Australian International

Teaching English to Speakers of Foreign Languages

teaching English as a second language.

It is with this manual that we welcome you to the

Australian International TESOL family in Vietnam (AIT)

Heather Joy Wright, Director

BRISBANE, INTERNATIONAL OFFICE HANOI OFFICE, VIETNAM

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 1

The Origin of English .......................................................................... ..5

Grammar Skills .................................................................................... 13

Linguistics and Phonology ................................................................... 51

Reading Skills ..................................................................................... 65

Writing, Spelling and Punctuation..................................................... ...87

Music and Video .................................................................................. 117

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 3

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 5

Old English (450-1100 AD)

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 6

Modern English – Early Modern English (1500-1800 AD)

Late Modern English (1800-Present)

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 7

The Germanic Family Members

Some examples of where words come from are:

Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy, oppressor or employer through

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 8

BC 43 Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule of Britain.

436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.

450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions.

1348 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.

1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.

1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.

1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press.

1564 Shakespeare is born.

1604 ‘Table Alphabetical’, the first English dictionary, is published.

1616 Shakespeare dies.

1623 Shakespeare's First Folio is published

1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.

1776 Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of Independence.

1782 Britain abandons its American colonies.

1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary.

1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded.

1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020 9

Language Facts and Fun

90% of the world’s languages are under threat of extinction.

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020

After reading this section you will be able to:

• Identify and evaluate a range of techniques for teaching grammar.

• Establish grammar points to cover at each of the TESOL Levels.

The tools you'll use to teach Grammar are:

• Grammar Points for each TESOL level.

• Key Grammar Terms.

• Grammar Games and Activities.

• Article: ‘Teaching Students to notice grammar’

Why is Grammar Important?

Australian International TESOL - Revised 2020

The Communicative Approach: Listening and Speaking activities to demonstrate or practise a

Tips on Teaching Grammar

• Always incorporate the grammar points with a communicative task to practise.

• Focus on only one grammar point per lesson.

• Set reasonable time limits for students to complete work in.