Action Plan — Listening & Speaking Activities for Intermediate & High-intermediate Students

1. Action Plan—Listening & Speaking Activities for Intermediate & High-intermediate Students Racing, Shannon, Sam, Vivian

2. Outline • Introduction—identifying the problems • Literature Review • Rationale—Research Questions • Method and Design • Predicted Results

3. 1. Introduction Identifying the Problems

4. 1.1 Introduction—the problems • English learning environment—exam-oriented, test-centered • Memorization is emphasized—passive vocabulary • Lack of phonemic awareness—weak/small vocabulary • No time in class for speaking and discussion

5. 1.2 Introduction—the problems • Personalities: reserved, shy, and timid, lack of confidence and critical thinking • Rural countryside, limited teaching resources • No immersion in an EFL environment---desensitized to English • Big challenge: Large homogeneous classes made up of multi-level students, PR Value 50~90 in one class • Teachers seldom model English in class.

6. 1.3 To sum up • Students in Taiwan • Lack of motivation in using English as a communication tool • Listening & speaking skills need to be further developed

7. 2. Literature Review VARK Bloom’s Taxonomy AFL (Assessment for Learning) Phonemic Awareness

8. 2.1VARK Learning Styles Theory

9. 2.1 VARK • Visual Learners: learn through seeing

10. 2.1 VARK • Auditory Learners: learn through listening

11. 2.1 VARK • Reading and Writing Learners: learn through reading and writing

12. 2.1 VARK • Kinesthetic Learners: learn through moving, doing, and touching

13. 2.2 Bloom’s Taxonomy

14. 2.2 Application of Bloom’s Taxonomy • An example from Omaha Public Schools Teacher's Corner-- “Goldilocks and Three Bears” • Remember: Describe where Goldilocks lived. • Understand: Summarize what the Goldilocks story was about. • Apply: Construct a theory as to why Goldilocks went into the house.

15. 2.2 Application of Bloom’s Taxonomy • An example from Omaha Public Schools Teacher's Corner-- “Goldilocks and Three Bears” • Analyze: Differentiate between how Goldilocks reacted and how you would react in each story event. • Evaluate: Assess whether or not you think this really happened to Goldilocks. • Create: Compose a song, skit, poem, or rap to convey the Goldilocks story in a new form.

16. 2.3 AFL (Assessment for Learning)

17. 2.3 AFL (Assessment for Learning) • Formative Assessment Activities: • Muddiest Point • One-sentence summary • Minute paper

18. 2.4 Literature Review—Phonemic Awareness • Mandarin speakers: learn to spell sound of Chinese characters by using Chinese phonological symbols • Taiwanese students as EFL learners: seldom have the chance to learn about the phonemes in English. crucial in developing English reading proficiency • Yopp 1988: ten phonemic tasks conducted • Phonemic Segmentation • Phonemic Blending • Rhyming

19. 2.4 Literature Review—Phonemic Awareness • Mandarin speakers: learn to spell sound of Chinese characters by using Chinese phonological symbols • Taiwanese students as EFL learners: seldom have the chance to learn about the phonemes in English. crucial in developing English reading proficiency • Yopp 1988: ten phonemic tasks conducted • Phonemic Segmentation • Phonemic Blending • Rhyming

20. 2.4 Literature Review—Phonemic Awareness • Mandarin speakers: learn to spell sound of Chinese characters by using Chinese phonological symbols • Taiwanese students as EFL learners: seldom have the chance to learn about the phonemes in English. crucial in developing English reading proficiency • Yopp 1988: ten phonemic tasks conducted • Phonemic Segmentation • Phonemic Blending • Rhyming

21. 3. Rationale: Research Questions GOAL: To Intrigue Students’ Motivation in English Learning

22. 3.1 Research Questions • How can Taiwanese English teachers help students to find their best English learning strategy by understanding students’ individual learning preference? • Traditional teaching (lectures done by the teacher) ignoring the different learning preferences of each student • Use cooperative learning to replace teacher’s instruction • Goal 1: Teacher-centered class student-centered one • Goal 2: remembering creating

23. 3.2 Research Questions • How can Taiwanese English teachers improve students’ listening and speaking skills and enlarge their vocabulary by raising students’ phonemic awareness? • Exam-oriented English teaching  focus on reading and writing only  less attention to the training of listening and speaking • Low phonemic awareness  poor listening ability  reluctance to speak up • Goal 1: get familiar with linking words and some pronunciation • Goal 2: know the way to learn words by sounds • Goal 3: be able to understand the authentic conversation

24. 3.3 Research Questions • How can Taiwanese English teachers motivate students to learn English by changing the way they assess students’ performance? • English as subject for exam or a means of communication  to change the ways of assessment • Assessment of learning  Assessment for learning [Formative Assessment] • Goal 1: to ease students’ anxiety when speaking and listening to English • Goal 2: to diagnose students problem immediately from their response

25. 4. Method & Design--Interventions

26. 4.1 Procedure • Teachers model English in class create an English speaking classroom • Encouraging students to speak English and listen to English

27. [Activity 1] • TITLE : Dictation Game– Soup or Salad? vs. Supersalad • Aim: To raise students’ phonemic awareness • MATERIALS: handouts, paper, and pens • LEVEL: Intermediate and above • TIME: 15 minutes • PREPARATION: Construct a dialogue where misunderstanding arises as a result of inappropriate linking and mispronunciation. The dialogue goes with the name “Supersalad.”

28. [Activity 2 to 4] • Phonemic Awareness Test • Phonemic rhyming test: http://teams.lacoe.edu/reading/assessments/rhyme/rhyme2.html • Phonemic blending test: http://teams.lacoe.edu/reading/assessments/blending.html • Phonemic segmentation test: http://teams.lacoe.edu/reading/assessments/yopp.html

29. 4.2 VARK: Learning Preference Test http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/guidebk/teachtip/vark.htm

30. 4.3 Listening Pretests • GEPT Intermediate Listening Test • Randall’s ESL Cyber Lab: http://www.esl-lab.com/ • Asking students to do the two kinds of listening tests without teacher’s instruction • Choose one piece of listening tests as a pretest • Keep the scores as the result of listening pretests

31. [Activity 5] • TITLE : Dial the Phone • AIM: To raise students’ phonemic awareness and practice pronunciation of vowels • MATERIALS: blackboard, paper, and pens. • LEVEL: Intermediate and above • TIME: 15 minutes • PREPARATION: Words that comprise different vowels in between the same cluster of consonants.

32. 1. beat • 2. bit • 3. bet • 4. bait • 5. bat • 6. but • 7. bought • 8. boat • 9. boot • 0. bite

33. [Activity 6] • Dr. Seuss’ “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” • Native speakers reading • Clear, yet with linking words • Students are asked to read along with the film clip • Train students’ pronunciation via natives’ reading chants

34. [Activity 7] • Dialogue Relay • AIM: 1. To encourage students to apply what they have learned and create their own dialogue 2. To elevate students’ level from Remembering to Applying (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy Pyramid)

35. Students are asked to form a group of 3 or 4. Each group has to sit in a row. • The student sitting in the very front of each row has to start a dialogue by writing a question on a piece of paper. • Then, he/she has to pass the paper to the next member sitting behind him/her. The second student adds another line to respond to the question, and then pass to the one behind him/her. • The creation of the dialogue continues until the paper is finally back to the very front. Then read the dialogue aloud.

36. [Activity 8] • Comic strips: • Good for visual, audial, and kinesthetic learners • Creation of dialogues: “Creating” + “Applying”

37. Father & Son—original dialogue

38. White out the dialogue

39. Follow-up • Ask critical thinking questions: • What’s the relationship between the father and the son in the original comic strip? • What’s the relationship between you and your parent(s)?

40. [Activity 9] • Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab • http://www.esl-lab.com/ • For example: Answering Machine [Phone ringing . . .] Bill: Hey, this is Bill. I'm sorry I'm not in. Just leave a message. [Beep] Hey Bill. This is Hank. I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be a little late to the game tomorrow night. I have to work a few extra hours to finish a report. I should wrap things up sometime between seven and eight though. Oh, then I'm planning on dropping by Lisa's house for about an hour since she's been sick recently. And, uh, one more thing. I'll swing by my house to pick up some food for the game. See you then.

41. Examples of New Words • wrap up (phrasal verb): to finish • - We need to wrap up this project by the end of the day. • drop by (phrasal verb): to visit • - Please drop by my place on your way home from work. • swing by (phrasal verb): drop by, stop by • - I need to swing by the store and pick up some food for dinner.

42. Vocabulary Card: Format provided by Beth Coleman, ELI, UBC

43. [Activity 10] Muddiest Point • Song: Party in the USA • AIM: To reflect upon and understand learners’ own learning process; to promote learning autonomy; to practice listening and speaking skills • MATERIALS: Music video, a task sheet for each student • LEVEL: Elementary to intermediate • TIME: 30 minutes • IN CLASS: Tell the students that a music video is going to be played. They are going to explore the song by listening to it for mood and meaning of the lyrics. Ask students to write down the least clear idea and discuss.

44. After-test • Listening: • GEPT Intermediate Listening Test • Records of the scores of the listening tests on Randall’s ESL Cyber Lab • Speaking • Students recite the book of Dr. Seuss’ • Students make up a chant with the vowels, consonants, and rhymes learned from the book.

45. 5. Significance and Conclusion • Students are a bit highly motivated because they have better phonemic awareness. • Students are offered an environment that learning English is more than a tough subject but a means to communication. • Students understand how sounds are pronounced and linked in the authentic daily dialogue or conversation. • Students learn to cooperate with each other and build self-confidence.