If you are looking to improve your English in a fun and interesting way then you need to take a look at The Australia Network.
They have a range of programs including
Passport to English where you experience what it’s like to sit a formal English Language interview for assessment purposes. You will experience a simulation of the IELTS speaking test. For more information on IELTS click here.
Nexus is a collection of stories about Australian life and culture. Be sure to check out the archives which give transcripts of each video and learning notes including vocabulary building and grammar.
English Bites is an informative and entertaining way to improve your knowledge of the English language. It also includes a multiple choice quiz, story spotlight as well as transcripts and story notes.
The Business of English is a 15 part series for intermediate to advanced English language learners which looks at the language used in every day business situations such as meetings, presentations and negotiations.
Study English - IELTS preparation, for intermediate to advanced learners draws on authentic material that you can watch, read, listen to plus study notes, tips and activities for practice and consolidation.
Living English is for the English language beginner. The 42 part series looks at the English language used in everyday situations such as checking into a hotel or describing people.
QUESTION:
I’ve been a primary, classroom teacher in Central Queensland and I”ve now taken on the role of ESL Co-ordinator. Where can I get training?
ANNIE ANSWERS:
As ESL Co-ordinator in a primary school, your role may include not only to teach those students from non-English speaking backgrounds but to advise your fellow teachers on how to best support ESL learners in their classrooms.
When I was ESL Advisory Teacher on the Sunshine Coast, I did a 4 day training called ESL in the Mainstream that was both up-to-date in theory and gave practical strategies that I could implement immediately into my classroom.
Here’s some of my favourite websites with excellent English Language Learning Resources
Dave’s ESL Cafe One of the best comprehensive sites with interactive resources, bookstore, teaching ideas, links to ESL sites, job information and a discussion centre.
English Club Very comprehensive British site for teachers and learners. Provides lesson plans, teacher forum, job centre, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation activities.
Vocabulary Incorporates 40 topics with over 1500 English words and phrases along with audio. Requires Flash version 7 and Java script
English Zone Skills based lesson ideas and worksheets
Most current theorists of Second Language Acquisition seelearning as a continuum. That is, there are predictable and sequential stages of language development, in which the learner progresses from no knowledge of the new language to a level of competency closely resembling that of a native speaker.
Their theories have resulted in the identification of several distinct stages of second language development.
These distinct stages of second language development are most often identified as
Stage 1- Silent/Receptive
Stage 2- Early Production
Stage 3- Speech Emergence
Stage 4- Intermediate Fluency
Stage 5- Continued Language Development.
As a parent, teacher or tutor of a second language student; understanding that students are going through a predictable and sequential series of developmental stages helps you predict and accept a student’s current stage, while modifying your instruction to encourage progression to the next stage.
Further to this, a concept endorsed by most language acquisition theorists is Stephen Krashen’s “comprehensible input” hypothesis, which suggests that learners acquire language by “intaking” and understanding language that is a “little beyond” their current level of competence (Krashen, 1981, p. 103).
For instance, a preschool child already understands the phrase “Get your crayon.” By slightly altering the phrase to “Get my crayons,” the teacher can provide an appropriate linguistic and cognitive challenge— offering new information that builds off prior knowledge and is therefore comprehensible (Sowers, 2000).
Providing consistent, comprehensible input requires a constant familiarity with the ability level of students in order to provide a level of “input” that is just beyond their current level.
Another theory that has directly influenced classroom instruction isCummins’s distinction between two types of language
basic interpersonal communications skills (BICS) and
cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP).
Research has shown that the average student can develop conversational fluency within two to five years, but that developing fluency in more technical, academic language can take from four to seven years depending on many variables such as
Factors influencing Second Language Learning
age of learner
motivation of learner
aptitude of learner
personality of learner
degree of exposure to L1
formal vs informal learning
quality of instruction literacy in L1
degree of similarity between L1 and L2 (eg phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax, etc)
Understanding that language learners are going through a predictable and sequential series of developmental stages helps you predict and accept a student’s current stage, while modifying your instruction to encourage progression to the next stage.
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