Author Archives: commonsenseesl

• Purposeful reading: Students read faster if they know what they are looking for.

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Having a purpose.

Having a purpose.

(This posting includes a handout which you are welcome to use with your students.)*

One reason that ESL students often take so much time reading a passage is because they think that they need to understand all the information.  As a result, many of them tend to cover a text in translation of every word that they are not familiar with.  We have often heard of international students staying up until 2 a.m. trying to complete reading assignments in their academic courses.

This can change if they know in advance the purpose of the reading assignment.

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• ESL Culture: You worked hard for your students, but on their course evaluations, they said that you didn’t. How come?

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Working hard but seemingly unappreciated

Working hard but seemingly unappreciated

A colleague of mine was dumbfounded after getting back students’ evaluations of her class at the end of the term.  One of the items on the evaluation form (which came from the college administration) was:

  • My instructor returned checked homework to me ____________.
  1. a) always quickly  b) sometimes quickly    c) not quickly

All of her students circled (a) “always quickly” except two Japanese students who circled (c) “not quickly.”  This confused not only her, but also the rest of us who knew that she was especially diligent about checking assignments and returning them the very next class.

Why was there this disconnect between these students’ perception and reality?

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• Writing class: Easy, focused, POSITVE feedback on essays.

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victory

“Good style!”

Many instructors want to not only point out errors on students’ papers but also encourage them with positive comments about what they did well.  Unfortunately, it can take a lot of time writing out these comments with clear handwriting, and it involves mental energy trying to formulate what to say in a way that students can understand.

There is a method for indicating specifically what the student did well on any writing task, which takes little time on the part of the instructor and results in improved writing in the future.

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• ESL Teaching: Giving Your Course Credibility In The Eyes Of Your Students

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Credibility cover shot

Motivating Tool

A very powerful tool for motivating your students is their belief that your course will help them develop their skills.  Just giving them a syllabus at the start of a term with a list of goals for the course seems to have little effect on the level of confidence students will have.  However, testimonies by previous students (your students’ peers) about how much your course has helped them can give your course a great deal of credibility.

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