Update 19.4.20
I have been writing narrow reading resources for the Y8 page. These can be used in conjunction with the sentence builders on the same page. There is also one more screen cast on my YouTube channel. Check out any recent additions to my research links site informedlanguageteacher.com too.
..............................................................................................................................................................
When I say Frenchteacher HQ, I am referring to my computer corner in the back room overlooking the garden, in the company of the comfy chairs, posh hi fi and my electronic drum kit. Not surprisingly, given the current circumstances, I've had plenty of time for working as well as reading, drumming, video chats, TV, painting, gardening and relaxing.
So my recent focus on the frenchteacher site has been writing narrow reading resources for the Y9 page. In case you are aren't aware, narrow reading tasks are (as Gianfranco and I have shared them in our books) designed around a small number of paragraphs (say between four and six), each of which contains exemplars of high frequency language patterns. In other words, the idea of input flooding is used to build in multiple repetitions of the same structures. This results in very contrived, repetitive text, but text which is useful for learning. Where text books have used the same concept the language is a little more authentic, but although some repetition is built in, the input is not as highly flooded.
The term narrow reading goes back to Stephen Krashen, but his original idea was for each of the source texts to be comprehensible, but much more loosely related linguistically.
The exercises which accompany the texts provide more repetitions of the same source language through gap-fill, chunk-spotting, gap-filling and translation, for example. In the examples I've been writing the worksheets end with a controlled writing tasks where students recycle the language they have seen to write their own paragraph.
So I have 14 of those tasks now written, with more to follow. You could always edit them and supplement with other exercises if you wish. Although they are on the Y9 page, you could use them with Y10-11 with less proficient classes. Here is the list so far:
Apart from that, you may be aware that I have been recording screencasts about language teaching. So far there are 20 of these on my YouTube channel. Do go and have a look and subscribe for notifications.
I've used a mix of revamped slides from face-to-face presentations I do, plus newly written slides. Some are on the more theoretical side, some very much to do with practical pedagogy. Topics have included grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, memory, listening, lexicogrammar, teaching with pictures and question-answer technique. It's been fun doing these. I partly have new teachers in mind, partly more experienced teachers who might welcome other ways of looking at the craft. I'm sure you'll find information you find useful, and no doubt some you don't always agree with!
Here is an example of a screencast. If ever you feel like doing something similar, I'd recommend spending at least £40 on a good microphone (mine is a Fifine) and make sure your webcam is of reasonable quality. The microphone is most important, I would say.
I've been using a very good screen-casting website called Screencast-O-Matic, which has a free version (limited to 15 minutes only) and a low-cost version ($30 for three years) which allows you to record for longer and edit your presentations if you want to. I've done no editing, so it's relatively off-the-cuff presenting based on sessions I have done before.
In other news, Gianfranco and I have been researching for our book about cognitive psychology for language teachers. I have written Part One, focused a good deal on memory, while Gianfranco is focusing on Part Two, where the emphasis is on skill acquisition. We hope to have this book published later in the year.
Wishing you well.
I have been writing narrow reading resources for the Y8 page. These can be used in conjunction with the sentence builders on the same page. There is also one more screen cast on my YouTube channel. Check out any recent additions to my research links site informedlanguageteacher.com too.
..............................................................................................................................................................
When I say Frenchteacher HQ, I am referring to my computer corner in the back room overlooking the garden, in the company of the comfy chairs, posh hi fi and my electronic drum kit. Not surprisingly, given the current circumstances, I've had plenty of time for working as well as reading, drumming, video chats, TV, painting, gardening and relaxing.
So my recent focus on the frenchteacher site has been writing narrow reading resources for the Y9 page. In case you are aren't aware, narrow reading tasks are (as Gianfranco and I have shared them in our books) designed around a small number of paragraphs (say between four and six), each of which contains exemplars of high frequency language patterns. In other words, the idea of input flooding is used to build in multiple repetitions of the same structures. This results in very contrived, repetitive text, but text which is useful for learning. Where text books have used the same concept the language is a little more authentic, but although some repetition is built in, the input is not as highly flooded.The term narrow reading goes back to Stephen Krashen, but his original idea was for each of the source texts to be comprehensible, but much more loosely related linguistically.
The exercises which accompany the texts provide more repetitions of the same source language through gap-fill, chunk-spotting, gap-filling and translation, for example. In the examples I've been writing the worksheets end with a controlled writing tasks where students recycle the language they have seen to write their own paragraph.
So I have 14 of those tasks now written, with more to follow. You could always edit them and supplement with other exercises if you wish. Although they are on the Y9 page, you could use them with Y10-11 with less proficient classes. Here is the list so far:
Apart from that, you may be aware that I have been recording screencasts about language teaching. So far there are 20 of these on my YouTube channel. Do go and have a look and subscribe for notifications.
I've used a mix of revamped slides from face-to-face presentations I do, plus newly written slides. Some are on the more theoretical side, some very much to do with practical pedagogy. Topics have included grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, memory, listening, lexicogrammar, teaching with pictures and question-answer technique. It's been fun doing these. I partly have new teachers in mind, partly more experienced teachers who might welcome other ways of looking at the craft. I'm sure you'll find information you find useful, and no doubt some you don't always agree with!
Here is an example of a screencast. If ever you feel like doing something similar, I'd recommend spending at least £40 on a good microphone (mine is a Fifine) and make sure your webcam is of reasonable quality. The microphone is most important, I would say.
I've been using a very good screen-casting website called Screencast-O-Matic, which has a free version (limited to 15 minutes only) and a low-cost version ($30 for three years) which allows you to record for longer and edit your presentations if you want to. I've done no editing, so it's relatively off-the-cuff presenting based on sessions I have done before.
In other news, Gianfranco and I have been researching for our book about cognitive psychology for language teachers. I have written Part One, focused a good deal on memory, while Gianfranco is focusing on Part Two, where the emphasis is on skill acquisition. We hope to have this book published later in the year.
Wishing you well.
Comments
Post a Comment