The Soul of ESOL: Speaking and Listening Skills

Speaking and Listening Skills – Tips and Tricks

Motto: “People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order so they’ll have good voice boxes in case there’s ever anything really meaningful to say.” ~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Intermediate and high intermediate students should strengthen their skills through various structured assignments and activities if they wish to improve their general English or Academic English listening and speaking skills. I recommend activities which help language learners practice taking accurate notes, analyzing radio/news reports, lectures, and oral presentations: main idea and relevant details. There are activities which can also improve and develop using complex sentence structures, using advanced level vocabulary and appropriate meaningful questions when partaking in a group discussion. I find Academic Encounters 4 and Contemporary Topics great textbooks to build on.

Weekly activities that I recommend:

USA Today- reading the news together (homework and in-class activity: bring USA Today with you to class and discuss the articles you find interesting)
Listening practice and note taking activity: npr.org, www.wtop.com, VOA.com
Word Cards: min. 10 words per week
NPR–According to the News…(homework + in-class activity: listening to the news: main idea, relevant details)
News Journal (homework activity: listen, analyze and write about the news on your own)
TED.com 3 minute summary-based presentations must be topic related

Recommended activities in details:

Listening activities

News – NPR.org – Morning Edition, Tell Me More (play a segment 2x and have students take notes then discuss it in groups of 3’s) longer segments that students need to summarize (main idea, details, plus their opinion)

Ted.com - speeches relevant to each textbook unit (at the beginning of the course play it with subtitles 2x, mid course play it 2x only 1x with subtitles, very end of the course try some without subtitles and play it once) student take notes and discuss them in groups

TED talks and other videos that I have used in class based on given textbook topics:

Language and Communication

Juno – trailer with slangs
Jimmy Fallon slang/modern communication
The technologically challenged – slang
Blackberry is frozen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI
Language and National Identity
nancy_lublin_texting_that_saves_lives
Keith Chen – language and saving money
Reporting Crisis via Texting : http://www.ted.com/talks/erik_hersman_on_reporting_crisis_via_texting.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/laura_trice_suggests_we_all_say_thank_you.html
Connected but Alone? http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.htm
http://www.ted.com/talks/keith_chen_could_your_language_affect_your_ability_to_save_money.html

Social Stratification

Melinda Gates – quality of life
Rachel Botsman – collaborative consumption – Transient Lifestyle: watch the video and take notes. What is the main idea?http://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_botsman_the_case_for_collaborative_consumption.html
Richard Wilkinson – social status and inequality
Mark Pagel – humanity and communication

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/mark_pagel_how_language_transformed_humanity.html

“ Monkey see monkey do” – what does it mean? Is it true?
What is telemetry?
What is social learning?
What does cumulative cultural adaptation mean?
What was the human turning point?
What does the crisis of visual theft mean?
How does language establish identities?
Why does language impose a barrier?
What is the dilemma of a modern globalized world and what is the role of language in it?
What is FOXP2? What role does it play in language use?

Political Science:

Ivan Krastev – Democracy http://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_krastev_can_democracy_exist_without_trust.html
Paddy Ashdown – global power shift http://www.ted.com/talks/paddy_ashdown_the_global_power_shift.html
Also: Have them look at the map on transparency international, corruption index! http://www.transparency.org/cpi2011/results http://www.transparency.org/country
http://www.ted.com/talks/melinda_gates_let_s_put_birth_control_back_on_the_agenda.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_specter_the_danger_of_science_denial.html
A Time To Kill: http://youtu.be/7hfTnum9fVA

Learning:

http://www.ted.com/talks/michelle_obama.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids http://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/diana_laufenberg_3_ways_to_teach.html
Sugata Mitra: The child-driven educationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/colin_powell_kids_need_structure.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think.html

Astronomy: Sample student answer (note taking and summary)

TED http://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_petranek_counts_down_to_armageddon.html

Intro: Space travel is dangerous but curiosity and the desire to explore is stronger.

We might need to colonize other planets because life on Earth might not be sustainable due to lack of resources.

Mars is a contender for this mission.

There are 3 obstacles to overcome:

Design or build space crafts

The Martian atmosphere is too thin and present day space shuttles are not adequate.

We need to use a capsule. How to power it?

Propulsion – power source

– Ion propulsion engine: fast acceleration but it takes time

– Nuclear thermal propulsion: fast but heavy and environmentally unfriendly

– Plasma propulsion: fast but underdeveloped

Supply: water, air, food, fuel are needed but this cargo would be too heavy – couldn’t launch the shuttle
Length of travel: 14 months to get there but 18 months to wait for the proper rotation of the planet – it is about 3 years
Other obstacles to overcome: politics and bureaucracy

Main idea: There are two arguments for space exploration: survival, curiosity.

Survival: evolution shows that when the environment is in danger (shrinking) or it threatens life, endangered species look for a new place to live in order to survive. The survival strategy of evolution.
Curiosity factor: humans have the intellectual urge to explore the unknown (continents, mountains).

We are looking for the ultimate frontier, and satellites are not good enough.

Opposition: some say that space exploration is an unnecessary and expensive extravagance.

Pollution:

Student sample: note taking and summary:

Carbon dioxide is released into the oceans
Because of that the water is warmer and more acidic
The acidic ocean water is destroying the coral reefs because they are Calcium based
Corals are made of Calcium
Acid dissolves Calcium
It is not only happening in Australia but worldwide
It is an important issue because the coral reefs are home to lots of fish
Humans living near coral reefs depend on those fish
While the first scientist’s experiment is based on a sudden shock, in reality the oceans are going through a slow gradual change
The seconds scientist thinks that coral reefs may adapt to this change and the real damage may not happen until the end of this century
Tourism will also fade away

Aging

Queen: Who Wants to Live Forever? http://youtu.be/_TsOPjZEF6E
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100.html
hw: http://www.ted.com/talks/cynthia_kenyon_experiments_that_hint_of_longer_lives.html
hw: http://www.ted.com/talks/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_can_avoid_aging.html

Sociology – Marriage

– Apprehension measure – Willingness to Communicate

http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/WTC.htm
http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/prca24.htm
http://blog.ted.com/2013/05/24/chris-anderson-shares-his-tips-for-giving-a-killer-presentation/

Happiness:

Who was her first patient and her issue?
What does she specialize in?
What is “dating down”?
What is “mindful marriage”?
Who are “kdults”? Who talks about “extended adolescents”?
Who rob young adults from the “urgency of ambition”?
What do your 20’s have an impact on?
What does she mean by “identity capital”?
What are “weak ties” for?
What does she mean by explorations vs. procrastination?

Speaking activities

word cards (students create 10 word cards per unit/topic; word cards should include word forms, collocations, synonyms/antonyms, definition and sentence example), students then will test their knowledge of vocabulary in small groups by showing each other the front and back of the cards asking questions http://youtu.be/UydkGHgMz-0

Cultural/World Heritage Project (this project/portfolio explores students’ cultural background and promotes critical thinking) Individual presentation they might do it in PPP or Prezi.

Blue/Grey Azar English Grammar Textbook: Let’s Talk activities. I briefly discuss a grammatical structure and then put students in groups/pairs to try it out. 30-40 min activity. Or: https://jeopardylabs.com

NPR presentation (each student 2x/semester) they listen to a segment and then present it to the class. Play it once or twice asking the class to listen and take notes, and engages the class by asking 3-4 questions. The student then summarizes the main idea and adds relevant details.

TED presentation (each student 3x/semester) they pick a no shorter than 10 min segment. They watch it at home and take notes. Then in class in appr. 3 minutes they summarize it to the class. Then they play a 60 second clip from the speech which they find impressive.

Fun questions that students can discuss:

What are your weaknesses?
Describe yourself in three words
If you were a fruit or vegetable what would you be and why?
Describe a time when you have failed
What are your strengths?
If you were a flavor of ice cream, what would you be and why?
What has been your greatest achievement?
What type of job would you want to apply for?
How did you choose your career?
Which kind of job would you want to do the least? the most?

Controversial topics are always challenging but useful to discuss:

http://www.procon.org/

Discussion questions (topic specific) to recycle weekly vocabulary words:

Introduce yourself by talking about your goals for the future. Why are you at this college?
Talk about social stratification in your society/culture please. Use at least 4-5 target words from unit 3.
Explain a political system you are familiar with.
What method, used by the police, is the best deterrent?
Record a summary of one VERY INTERESTING piece of news you heard, read, saw this week/last week. Shocking? Outrageous? WOW? Record it here
Think about one global product and tell us how it is advertised in your home country, then talk about a local product and tell us how that one is marketed.
What do people/foreigners typically think and say about your culture? What is it really like?
How was your Spring Break? What did you do? Where did you go? Discuss while paying attention to correct grammar and sentence structures.
What is your plan to extend your lifespan? How, in what way(s) should or could you change your lifestyle in order to live more healthfully?
Describe the cultural concept of marriage in your society. Did you follow it when you got married? OR: will you follow it?
Summarize a movie about space in 3 minutes please: make sure that you include the plot, main characters, your favorite scene.
Which love song is your favorite one? Why? Summarize what the lyrics are about and why you like it so much

More topic specific questions to discuss: Expect students to constantly recycle the new vocab. Questions are based on units/vocabulary:

What is your plan to extend your lifespan? How, in what way(s) should or could you change your lifestyle in order to live more healthfully?
Do you think language change is inevitable? Why is it happening? How has your language changed? Is it very different from what it sounded or looked like 10, 50, 100, 500 years ago? Is there slang being used these days, or English words added to it? Are there words that no one uses anymore?
What do you think about the transient lifestyle? Collaborative Consumption?
Discuss the advantages or the disadvantages of using a single currency. Are you for or against it?
Think of a globally known product. How is it advertised in the U.S. and how is it advertised in your country? Make a comparison please.
Describe the cultural concept of marriage in your society. Did you follow it when you got married? OR: will you follow it?
Talk about a song that you think best represents the concept of being in love/ in a relationship. Tell us the singer and the title of the song.
Is it better to be 21 years old or 41 years old? Choose one OR the other. Introduce your choice with a clear reason and support it properly. What are the advantages or disadvantages of being 21 or 41?
Do you know a gifted and talented person? Please describe him/her. Discuss his/her talent(s) aptitude, interests, characteristics.
Summarize a movie about space or aliens. Title, characters, plot, any famous actors? Did you like the movie? Why? why not? What was your favorite scene?
What are some of the challenges planet Earth faces? What are the possible solutions? Which challenge do you think is the most imminent? Why? How could it be solved?
Do you think constant surveillance reduces crime? If so how? If not, why? What techniques do the police use to deter criminals in your society? What are sophisticated techniques that criminals use in your country?
What do civil liberties groups typically promote or oppose in your society?
Do you think that becoming affluent through heredity is always a good thing?
Is it acceptable to use violence to fight for something you believe in? For an ideology?
What is your stance about interracial marriages? How should people choose marriage partners? Why?
Talk about social stratification in your society/culture please. Where are you in the hierarchy?
How have the ways we communicate changed in the past 100 years?
I am particularly interested in the problems that parents of a gifted child might face. What do you think that these problems might be?
In your country, is texting widespread? Are there any laws prohibiting texting in your country?
Is the transient lifestyle we discussed in unit 3 appealing to you?
Do you feel that children of interracial couples may face bullying in school?

Including Additional skills (reading):

USA Today (students read the online or printed version of USA Today – can use the app, like the page and get the news feed on Facebook – Students must choose 3 articles and summarize them in class in groups of 3’s: It’s a 25 min group activity each Friday)

News Journals (based on an npr.org news segment)

News Journal

Name:

Date:

Journal number: 01

News Segment date: 28 January 2015

Station: www.npr.org Morning Edition

Length of segment: XX seconds (news No.X)

Main idea:

According to the news….

Relevant points and details:

there is…
also…
then….

Essential vocabulary:

1) forecast (V) to predict, calculate in advance

e.g. to forecast a tornado in Kansas

2) …

3) …

4) …

5) …

Note Taking Samples:

Play an NPR segment between 3-5 minutes twice. Play a TED clip once without subtitles. Students summarize them – main idea and support. Their notes will be assessed.

NPR segment: http://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175714511/why-not-apologizing-makes-you-feel-better

To err and apologize for those errors is human.
From toddlers and talk show hosts to preteens and presidents people who have done stupid, silly and evil things, then told the world they’ve done nothing wrong.
Parents, educators and even public relations talked about the value of coming clean, and the psychological value of apologizing.
But psychologists recently decided: If so many people don’t like to do it, there must be psychological value in not apologizing, too.
In a recent paper, researchers reported on what they’ve found happens in people’s minds when they refuse to apologize. They find that parents who tell their kids that saying sorry will make them feel better have been telling kids the truth — but not the whole truth.
“We do find that apologies do make apologizers feel better, but the interesting thing is that refusals to apologize also make people feel better and, in fact, in some cases it makes them feel better than an apology would have,”
Okimoto surveyed 228 Americans and asked them to remember a time they had done something wrong.
Then asked the people whether they had apologized, they also divided the people at random and asked some to compose an email where they apologized for their actions, or compose an email refusing to apologize.
In both cases, Okimoto said, refusing to apologize provided psychological benefits —
The same thing happened when people were asked to imagine doing something wrong, and then imagine apologizing or refusing to apologize.
“ When you refuse to apologize, it actually makes you feel more empowered. That power and control seems to translate into greater feelings of self-worth.
Ironically, Okimoto said, people who refused to apologize ended up with boosted feelings of integrity.
The researchers are not suggesting that refusing to apologize is a useful life strategy: Okimoto himself said he has little trouble apologizing.
The interpersonal benefits of apologizing are huge, and an apology can renew bonds not only between people but also between countries.
Okimoto believes the research, in fact, may provide a clue on how best to get people to apologize.
Our conventional approach, especially with kids, is to force people to apologize.
But if people are reluctant to apologize because apologies make them feel threatened, coercion is unlikely to help —
Support and love, by contrast, may be a more effective way to counter the feelings of threat involved in an apology.

Daphne Koller: What we’re learning from online education TED clip

Main idea:

She discusses a new practice namely that top universities put their most exciting courses online for free — not just as a service, but as a way to research how people learn. With Coursera (the online program that they use), each keystroke, quiz, peer-to-peer discussion and self-graded assignment builds an unprecedented pool of data on how knowledge is processed.

Support:

In some countries education is offered scarcely or for an unaffordable fee
Degrees from Reputable universities are worth more/valued more
Online education for free offers a solution for both problems
Best universities offer their best courses and best instructors (640,000 students from 190 countries)
Real experience is offered thru videos, homework, tests and quizzes with real deadline
A Certificate is given at the end of the course and college credit is offered
Course components: short modular units instead of long lectures (basic, core, enrichment)
Personalized curriculum: listen to modules that fit your level
Engagement: short lectures and quizzes in between
Grading: technology is used heavily in the process (multiple choice is not preferred by instructors)
Effective strategy: peer grading (as effective as teachers’)
Global Community: study groups, 24/7 chat, is there is a question it is answered in 22 minutes average
Data is also collected on learning strategies, misconceptions on assignments
Technology is used to provide individual tutoring and personalized feedback
Old school: lecture + content, new school: problem solving + creativity
Active learning means: higher attendance, higher engagement and better learning
Top quality education for free: skills, life-long learning and innovation worldwide

http://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education.html

The Soul of ESOL

English for Academic Purposes

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Speaking and Listening Skills – Tips and Tricks

Speaking and Listening Skills – Tips and Tricks

Motto: “People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order so they’ll have good voice boxes in case there’s ever anything really meaningful to say.” ~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

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