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TESOL English Language Bulletin- English: A divider or equalizer? 15 April 2014
- Improving English channels 15 April 2014
- Minnesota surge in bilingual students calling for teaching shift 15 April 2014
- Call for participation for the 2015 TESOL convention 15 April 2014
- Those who can't do, shouldn't teach: learning English in Saudi schools 15 April 2014
Tag Archives: adult language learners
Learning English With William Shakespeare
Alexandra Lowe
In honor of U.S. National Poetry Month, I wanted to share with you an activity I did with my Level 6 IEP Speaking & Listening students last semester that drew its inspiration from the words of the most exalted poet … Continue reading
How to Cook A Camel: Giving Instructions
Alexandra Lowe
Explaining to someone how to do something is a fundamental communicative skill in any language. If you are looking for ways to teach this skill to your ESL students, my favorite vehicle is the website Howcast.com, a perennially popular source … Continue reading
Getting Ahead in English Outside of Class: Next Steps
Alexandra Lowe
In a recent blog post, I described how—from the very first day of class—I introduce my students to the idea of pushing themselves to speak, read, and listen to substantially more English outside of class. In that blog post, I … Continue reading
Posted in TESOL Blog
Tagged as adult ESL, adult ESL activity, adult language learners, alexandra lowe, classroom practice, evergreen, self-directed learning
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Classroom Activity: Hiring the New ESL Instructor
Alexandra Lowe
Adult ESL students often have strong opinions about their current and former ESL teachers. Why not channel that into a challenging speaking, listening, reading, and writing activity? Here’s what we did in my advanced speaking and listening class earlier this … Continue reading
Getting Ahead in English Outside of Class – Day 1
Alexandra Lowe
On college campuses all across the United States, adult ESL classes are getting underway for the fall semester. Ever since I began teaching, I have devoted a substantial portion of the first day of class to laying the groundwork for … Continue reading
Check It Out! Resources for Adult ELLs at the Library
Alexandra Lowe
For well over a century, American public libraries have offered a gateway to immigrants learning English. In some cities, free library-based ESL classes are so over-subscribed that lotteries are held to determine who gets in. Countless additional ELLs participate in … Continue reading
Using Smartphones in Class to Improve Speaking Skills
Alexandra Lowe
For better or for worse, smartphones and tablets are here to stay in the ESL classroom. At worst, they are an annoying distraction, with students furtively texting family and friends and disengaging from class. But at best, they can be … Continue reading
Great Grammar Websites for Adult ELLs
Alexandra Lowe
My recent blog post, “Unearthing the Secrets of Successful Adult ELLs (Part 2),” explored some of the secrets of successful language learners. Two things are clear: (1) successful language learners don’t depend exclusively on their classroom teacher to master English … Continue reading
Unearthing the Secrets of Successful Adult ELLs (Part 2)
Alexandra Lowe
In a recent blog post, I described a class project in which my intermediate-level adult ESL students interviewed relatives and friends who had successfully made the leap to fluency in English as adults. Their assignment was to unearth the secrets … Continue reading
Posted in TESOL Blog
Tagged as adult ESL, adult language learners, alexandra lowe, ELL strategies, self-directed learning
2 Comments
Unearthing the Secrets of Successful Adult ELLs
Alexandra Lowe
Years ago, a social worker friend taught me that the best way to help people tackle difficult challenges was to focus on past instances of success rather than on failure. Success, he told me, was worthy of detailed investigation: What … Continue reading