DEVELOPING TEACHERS.COM Newsletter

Welcome to the July Newsletter.

This month we've got more articles & plans. We are joined by Sam Smith with an article & lesson plan around the theme of drama, Ceri Millward on cohesive devices, both an article & a plan, Sandra Bradwell provides us with a plan about narrative structure & Michael Berman returns to the site to revisit multiple intelligences.

The 1st July was International Joke Day & we had a Weekly Tip this week around telling jokes in a warmer. We also began a competition to win a copy of 'Laughing Matters' by Peter Medgyes. All you have to do is send in jokes about teaching, learning, the classroom etc. Send them to competition@developingteachers.com with 'Joke Competition' in the subject line.

Happy teaching!

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INDEX

1. THE SITE - plans & articles

2. FORUMS

3. E-MAIL COURSES

4. TEACHING LINKS

5. CVs & JOBS

6. WEEKLY TEACHING TIPS

7. PS - Internet/computer-related links

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1. THE SITE

Sandra Bradwell gives us another lesson plan this month. It is an advanced lesson that looks at narrative structure through a video of anecdote telling. The aims are:

Main aims: to sensitise students to the discourse features of oral narrative · to raise further awareness of the listener's active role in story telling

Subsidiary aims: to develop the listening skill: listening for pleasure, gist · to widen the students' range of vocabulary and expressions
· to provide an opportunity for students to prepare and practise story telling

To read the lesson plan

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Here are the new articles on the site this month:

Using Drama as a Resource for Giving Language More Meaning by Sam Smith

Reflecting on my teaching experience, I have realised that an area of teaching I have not paid enough attention to has been that of providing my students with adequate opportunity to put what they have been studying into use. Combining this with my recent experience with some groups studying at the rather unusual times, during the afternoon, and in intensive classes over the last couple of years, where the students are from quite different walks of life, from teenagers to late middle aged business men, and therefore find it difficult to find things of
common interest to motivate them to participate, I decided to turn to drama as a way of trying to get them more interested in producing some language. In this paper, I hope to show where drama can be applied, why it can be a useful resource, looking at the benefits in terms of situation and motivation, and say what it is, before going on to look at how to employ it.

To read the article

The accompanying upper intermediate lesson plan has the following aims:

To revise and provide spoken and written practice of modal verbs in the past for criticism.
To raise awareness of the importance of the connection between linguistic and paralinguistic aspects of language.
To practice listening skills, listening to the fast speech of a native speaker.
To practice speaking in the forms of discussion and organisation.
To facilitate proceduralisation of target structures by responding and adapting in real time to a partner's message.

To read the lesson plan

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Applying Discourse Analysis in the Classroom with a Specific Focus on Teaching Discourse Markers by Ceri Millward

The introduction of discourse analysis into the classroom has, despite its relative novelty, added a new frame to the understanding of language and its usage, and in this sense has given the teacher new tools with which to cater for students' needs. If we consider that comprehension and understanding are the primary concerns behind most forms of communication, be they written or oral, formal or informal, then our focus as teachers should be centred on ensuring that our
students manage to acquire the skills necessary for such comprehension.

Furthermore, discourse analysis can bring to the forefront considerations that may be of use in terms of the students' use of the target language. In this sense it is important to be acquainted with any potential similarities, or differences, between the students' L1 and the L2 they are learning. In this paper we shall look at discourse analysis, focusing on the use of cohesive devises and more specifically on discourse markers as a useful tool to enable students to make
logical connections and coherent stretches of both written and spoken discourse.

To read the article

The accompanying intermediate lesson plan uses a review of the Oscar-winning film 'Chicago'. The main aims of the lesson are:

To highlight the use of discourse markers in context, I shall use a written film review taken from the Internet.
To clarify the meaning, form and appropriacy of each discourse marker.
Help students to infer meaning and correct usage of target language through context by means of inductive exercises.

To read the lesson plan

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Multiple Intelligences Revisited by Michael Berman

IQ Tests were developed by Binet early in the 20th century and were frequently used to assess the potential of children in schools until quite recently. Tests of this type, however, have now fallen into disrepute. All they test is linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence and this traditional definition of intelligence is now regarded as too narrow. We now know that 75% of teachers are sequential, analytical presenters but 70% of students do not actually learn this way!
The educational psychologist most responsible for this change of attitude is Howard Gardner, the creator of the Multiple Intelligence Theory. Gardner's work at the Boston University School of Medicine lead to the identification of eight criteria for the existence of intelligence types: potential isolation by brain damage, the existence of prodigies such as autistic savants, an identifiable set of core operations, a distinctive developmental history along with a definable
set of expert end-state performances, an evolutionary history, support from experimental psychological tasks, support from psychometric findings, and susceptibility to an encoding symbol system. (The criteria are explained in detail in Gardner's "Frames of Mind" if you would like to read more about them). Gardner originally identified seven intelligence types which satisfy the
above criteria and our intelligence profiles consist of combinations of the different types: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal - the way we relate to others, and intrapersonal - our ability to self-evaluate. (Emotional Intelligence, the term popularised by Daniel Goleman, covers what Gardner refers to as interpersonal plus intrapersonal).

To read the article

Michael has published several books on the craft of story telling. 'Working With Wisdom Tales' is 'the first in a series of 'Wisdom Tales'.... All the major religious traditions have made use of metaphorical stories to communicate their teachings - the stories from early India, Greek fables, Zen, Sufi, and Hasidic tales - as they have long been recognized as a means of bypassing the set attitudes and limitations of the conscious mind. Stories not only entertain; they can also alter our experience so as to facilitate growth and change and the stories presented in this collection have all been chosen with this aim in mind.' Also, The Power of Love by Michael Berman - the second in the 'Working With Wisdom Tales' Series. For information on buying these books, e-mail contact flyingwitchpublications@hotmail.com

Thanks to Sandra, Sam, Ceri & Michael

If you've given a course or seminar or have a lesson plan & would like to give it a public airing then do send it to:

articles@developingteachers.com

ADVERTISING - We reach a few thousand teachers every week with the Weekly Teaching Tip & the same each month with the Newsletter, not to mention the 1000+ unique visitors a day to the site. If you've got a book, course, job...anything that you'd like to advertise, then do get in touch at:

advertising@developingteachers.com

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2. FORUMS

Lots of different Forums to choose from. Post your jobs, your CV, your questions, finds on the net, ideas, activities, questions, grumbles, suggestions, your language courses, your training courses...

From the Teaching Forum:

Will is wondering about 'fossilisation': http://foro.developingteachers.com/viewtopic.php?t=195

Galina would like to know if "at present" shows that Present Continuous is used in the sentence? Or is it Present Simple? http://foro.developingteachers.com/viewtopic.php?t=191

Ruptigrove needs some fun preposition practice activities:
http://foro.developingteachers.com/viewtopic.php?t=185

ryandalcampbell is thinking about combining moody subjunctives and confused conditionals:
http://foro.developingteachers.com/viewtopic.php?t=190

Check more out at: http://foro.developingteachers.com/

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3. E-MAIL COURSES

Relax & maximise your time by getting started on a quality personalised teacher development course.

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4. TEACHING LINKS

http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/default4.htm

Centre for Independent Language Learning - masses of activities & links to help our learners take responsibility for their own learning.

http://www.contemporarywriters.com/

'Contemporary Writers in the UK - This unique, searchable database contains up-to-date profiles of some of the UK and Commonwealth's most important living writers - biographies, bibliographies, critical reviews, prizes and photographs. Searchable by author, genre, nationality, gender, publisher, book title, date of publication and prize name and date.' From the British Council & the Book Trust.

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/games/index.html

Lots of word games, check out the 8-letter game - addictive. Link c/o Will at:
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk/index2.html

http://www.puzzlechoice.com/pc/Puzzle_Choicex.html

Wide selection of puzzles of all ages.

http://www.free-translator.com/

Translators & dictionaries.

http://www.bogglesworld.com/

'Boggle's World is a resource site for teachers who teach elementary and middle school English, ESL and EFL to kids. Just click, print, and copy.'

http://www.johnsesl.com/templates/teachers/

'Teacher Resources - On this page you will find many resources that are designed to make your job easier. Please use these resources freely and as often as you like.'

http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens/esl_home.htm

ESL_Home - A Web Resource for CALL Lab Managers and for Teachers and Learners of Languages Online prepared by Vance Stevens

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BUYING BOOKS? If you're going to Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk then please go through our Books page. You will pay the same & we will receive a few pennies to keep the site & newsletters free. Thanks.

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5. WEEKLY TEACHING TIPS

Free weekly practical teaching tips by e-mail.

Recent Tips have included:

- International Joke Day
- Expressions of trust - drama trust activities
- Using the script - ways of using the tapescript
- Stressed rules - word stress rules

To see the Past Tips

To sign up to receive them

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6. CVs & JOBS

Ceri Millward is looking for work in Madrid in the coming October. To see her CV:

http://foro.developingteachers.com/viewtopic.php?t=193

China with International House A wide variety of vacancies, from teaching to managerial, are currently available within the rapidly expanding International House network in China. Benefits include competitive salaries, free accommodation and flight allowance. For more details please contact Mark Falvo at recruitment@ihqd.com

Vacancies in China Currently Jordan's Language School has English teacher vacancies in our Suzhou, Hanzhou (Jiangsu Province) and Qingdao (Shangdong Province) Schools of China. If you are interested in working with enthusiastic and active people, please send us your resume (with photo) and reference.

Suzhou is located in Jiangsu province, close to Shanghai. Suzhou is famous for her beautiful ancient gardens and rivers. No wonder Suzhou is called "Chinese Venice". Besides, Suzhou is also a hot foreign investment location where 89 out of World 500 enterprises already invested in Suzhou. The traffic of Suzhou is quite convenient. For example, from Suzhou to Shanghai takes only one hour while from Suzhou to Hanzhou takes mere 2 hours by train.

Living in Suzhou is very comfortable where supermarkets like Carrefour and Auchan are located in city centres and special industrial park. Moreover, the living cost in Suzhou is also cheap compared to that of Beijing or Shanghai. Worth mentioning, Suzhou University is particularly famous for its Chinese learning education in the world, which has attracted lots of foreign students studying Chinese each year. Why not experience the fantastic life in Suzhou?

Summer camp teacher & full-time teachers required. For further detail of our school, please refer to our website www.jordan.com.tw or www.jiangsu-jordan.com.cn Melody Tseng Tel: (86) 512-6567 2231Fax: (86) 512-6515 4481 Mobile: (86) 138 148 58525

We are starting to get postings of CVs in the CV Forum. If you'd like to have your CV on the site then please go to the Forums first. We will then pick it up & give it a page on the site. The same goes for job adverts - in the Jobs Forum & then on the Recruitment page of the site. Thanks.

For the Jobs Forum
http://foro.developingteachers.com/viewforum.php?f=8

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7. PS - Internet/computer-related links

http://www.wildgrape.net/

'Wildgrape NewsDesk is a fast, convenient, and easy to use RSS headline reader for Windows. '

http://www.time.com/time/techtime/200306/intro.html

TIME's 50 Best Websites

http://www.ssynth.co.uk/~gay/anagram.html

Andy's anagram solver - not sure about this one - try it & see.

http://www.papercdcase.com/index.php

Paper CD Case: 'Use this website to create a PDF file which can be printed and folded to create a paper CD case. For folding directions, see the about section. To add more tracks, a mailing address, or graphics to the case, use the advanced form. Mix CD cases created with the advanced form can be optionally added to our public mix CD database. To create a case for an existing CD, use our CD search engine to find the CD and it will fill in this form for you. Jewel case inserts can also be created.'

http://www.h9k.com/index.html

Lots of free clocks for your computer.

http://www.lunchclock.com/

A slightly less serious clock - give yourself longer for lunch!

http://immersion.sega.com/panzer/

Free Panzer Dragoon Flash game.

http://www.excuses.co.uk/

We all need excuses, did something, didn't do something, your late, broke something, don't feel like it, do feel like something else. We all know the feeling. You'll find here every excuse you'll ever need, from down right lies, to plausible reasons why you did, or didn't do whatever it was you were supposed to, or not!