Interchange 4th Edition.

Segue uma dica de um excelente site para praticar inglês se divertindo. Trata-se do interchange (4ª edição). Venho usando esse material em minhas aulas.

Link: http://www.cambridge.org/interchangearcade/

É possível baixar todas as faixas de áudio para ouvir quantas vezes quiser.

Link: http://www.cambridge.org/interchange/audioprogram/?utm_source

Na minha opinião, esse material é o melhor no mercado.

Não estou ganhando nada para fazer a propaganda, pois quando digo que gosto de algo é porque gosto mesmo. 

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So What Book Are You Using? How to Select (or Not Select) a Great ESL Textbook.

Often when in the teacher’s room, another teacher will ask me, “So what book are you using?” I used to smile at this: “What book are you using?” not “Who are your students?” or “What level of class do you have this semester?” It seemed a pretty shallow question.

However, through experience, I no longer view it this way: what book a teacher uses—or doesn’t use—reveals a lot about her teaching style and curriculum.

For example, a teacher who uses Azar’s grammar series, with its clear charts and explanations of grammar points, probably takes a rather traditional, structured approach to grammar. The teacher’s colleague who uses Molinsky and Bliss’s “Side by Side” series probably takes an audiolingual approach to language instruction, with a focus on oral language and repetition of patterned drills. If I’m not familiar with the textbook the teacher names, I can find out about from him, perhaps look over a copy if he has one, and I might decide to try it next semester for my own class. Traditionally, in fact, before the electronic revolution, the textbook was considered the cornerstone of a class, much of the curriculum and instruction based on it.

So how do you go about choosing an excellent textbook for your class? There is a process that will ensure picking out a strong, if not ideal, textbook.

How to Select (or Not Select) a Great ESL Textbook

ü  Get to Know Your Students

ü  Get to Know Publishers and Their Websites and Representatives

ü  Select Options

WRITTEN BY Stacia Levy.

Dr. Stacia Levy teaches writing and reading skills at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California to both native and nonnative speakers of English. 

She also has taught academic and creative writing at the University of California, Davis. However, she began her teaching career twenty years ago as an instructor ESL in adult education programs and still primarily defines herself as an ESL teacher. 

Publishing credits include two academic works based on her dissertation, several short stories, and a novel, California Gothic, a story of romantic suspense.

Read the full version by clicking here (LINK). 

TEXT: WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR ENGLISH?

Will the English language’s dominance last?

IS THE TIDE TURNING?

English is increasingly compulsory in schools worldwide. 80 per cent of people in Taiwan want it as the country’s second language. Mongolia’s prime minister declared that his country must become bilingual.

Yet David Graddol’s book English Next (British Council, 2006) deconstructs the traditional narrative: like a rags-to-riches fairy tale hero¹, English rose² from humble³ Anglo-Saxon origins, fought off French oppressors, produced Shakespeare, Newton and the Oxford English Dictionary and has now triumphed globally.

This ethnocentric view, says Graddol, ignores signs in today’s global geo-economics.

CULTURE CLUBS

The internet (which was invented by an American, Vincent Cerf, in 1973, while the World Wide Web was invented by an Englishman, Timothy Berners-Lee, in 1989) has brought the English language into homes around the world.

But translation engines and software supporting all languages and alphabets have rapidly reshaped the net. In 1996, 90% of web content was in English and 80% of users native speakers. Today those figures have fallen to 40% and 20%. Likewise, regional culture is bouncing back. US and UK music and film remain popular, but Indians prefer Bollywood films; Brazilians prefer homegrown music. As traditional distribution methods break down, two culture layers will coexist – global and regional.

HIGH ANXIETY

Campaigns to simplify English and reform spelling show anxiety about this “universal language”. With no Academy to police misuse, will English become a cacophony of mutually unintelligible dialects? Chinglish, Britalian, Europanto…

Brits and Americans set the norms for speaking English, but will they retain authority unchallenged? Their universities created the global education market, but their overseas student numbers are falling, their e-universities failing. Emerging nations like China are fighting back preparing students for global markets with homegrown courses in English which are more accessible and cheaper. This places foreign speakers in a paradoxically strong position. Monolingual native speakers will lose out, unless they learn language awareness. I know Brazilians who chat confidently in English with Japanese, Spanish and German businessman, but avoid idiomatic Americans. Meanwhile, 91% of top US companies cannot respond correctly to foreign emails. Such insularity⁴ is laughable to multicultural Europeans. 

                                                                                      Source: Speak up # 247

GLOSSARY

1. rags-to-riches fairy tale hero: fictional hero that becomes rich after a life of extreme poverty.

2. rose: past simple of rise.

3. humble: poor or of a low social rank; ordinary; not special or very important.

4. insularity: interested only in your own country and not willing to accept different or foreign ideas

BRAZIL STUDENT EXPELLED AFTER WEARING MINI-DRESS

[EXTRA ACTIVITY – LEVEL: STARTER] ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ACCORDING TO THE TEXT BELOW.

BRAZIL STUDENT EXPELLED AFTER WEARING MINI-DRESS

Woman was heckled by hundreds of fellow students during incident

SAO PAULO - A Brazilian university expelled a woman who was heckled by hundreds of fellow students when she wore a short, pink dress to class, taking out newspaper ads Sunday to publicly accuse her of immorality.

The private Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo, outside Sao Paulo, said 20-year-old Geisy Arruda disrespected "ethical principles, academic dignity and morality."

Arruda made headlines last month when she had to be escorted away by police after she tried to go to class wearing the mini-dress. She put on a professor's white coat and left amid a hail of insults and curses.

Video of the Oct. 22 incident was posted on YouTube and picked up by Brazilian networks. Arruda has since appeared frequently on TV, saying she is struggling to return to normal life after being humiliated.

Bandeirante University published advertisements accusing Arruda of attending class with "inadequate clothing" and having a provocative attitude that was "incompatible with the university environment."

In the ad, titled "Educational Responsibility," the college said it had warned Arruda to change her behavior and decided to expel her after talking to students, staff and Arruda herself. It accused her of posing for pictures and provoking other students.

Arruda told Folha Online on Sunday she was appalled.

"I was the victim," she said. "How can I be expelled? It's absurd."

Arruda said she learned of her expulsion through the news media and had not received official notification.

She said university officials told her last week she would be allowed to return to classes with the protection of a security guard.

Questions.

a)    Why did the university expel the woman?

b)   Bandeirante University published advertisements. What did the university say?

c)    Did the woman receive an official notification about her expulsion?

d)   What do you think about the whole situation? Do you agree with the university?

As frases a seguir estão listadas seguindo a mesma coloração das frases no texto.

Uma universidade brasileira expulsou uma mulher que foi vaiada...

Arruda foi destaque mês passado...

Ela está lutando para retornar...

Ela ficou sabendo de sua expulsão através da mídia...

Key-words: Arruda, University, Pink, Dress, SP,

[TEFL TIPS] SOME TIPS FOR PARENTS: HELPING PARENTS TO ASSIST THEIR CHILD.

This blog is not only worried about English language learners, but also about their parents. Moreover, we would like to help everyone who wants to learn this language.

After you read this, if your child is learning English, you’ll feel more confident to help him or her in his/her studies.

I hope you enjoy the tips.

There is a pretty good chance that sometime during middle school or high school, your child will come to you with a problem that even you cannot solve. What can you do to help when you don’t know the answer? Here is a list of constructive ways to assist your child.

1.  Be positive. While it’s is acceptable to briefly empathize with your frustrated child, try to respond optimistically so the child knows that there is a solution and you will help him or her find it. Don’t demean your child’s struggle; all students have problems at some point. There is nothing wrong with struggling to understand something.

2. Listen to your child. Ask your child to explain exactly what it is that he or she doesn’t understand. If it is a textbook-related question, have your child show you where it is found in the book.

3. Get the whole picture. Ask your child if the teacher provided any extra materials such as handouts or Web resources, which might help. If it is an assignment that takes several days or weeks to complete, have your child check with the teacher to be sure he or she has everything.

4. Re-read the question or homework task. Once you have all the material, re-read the question or problem together. Break down the problem into component parts, if possible. Take an analytical approach and work through the steps together. It is acceptable to guide your child through the steps, but beware of completing the work for him or her. Your child will not learn the material and will ultimately suffer.

5. Use the textbook as a resource. Textbooks are usually filled with examples and supplementary materials that help relate concepts to the real world. Be certain to also check the textbook Web site, if there is one. Sites such as glencoe.com offer a wide array of text-related materials, including illustrations, Web links, and games that help students learn in a fun and interactive environment.

Textbooks – homework – parents – help – child.