ESL conference in Mexico!! Ariba!!!!

Dear colleagues,

The National Association of University English Teachers (ANUPI, A.C), an
Affiliate of TESOL and an Associate of IATEFL, invites you once again to
participate at our 9th International Conference
“Connecting Research and Performance in the EFL/ESL Classroom”
(October 13-16, 2011) in San José los Cabos, Baja California, México.
Our three-day conference offers an exciting opportunity to learn from one
another in the field of foreign/second language education. ANUPI is
well-known for having created a forum for presenting research, establishing
academic networks, and exchanging best practices in foreign language education.
This forum allows language educators to share and exchange ideas across
diverse language learning and teaching contexts. Our conference will also
have an exhibitors’ area.
We encourage you to submit a proposal before May 31st, 2011.
For more detailed information please visit our conference website at:
_http://www.anupi.org.mx_ (http://www.anupi.org.mx/)
We’re looking forward to welcoming you in San José los Cabos.
Sincerely,
The ANUPI Organizing Committee

Cristina Seguí R.
ANUPI, A.C.
(222) 130 77 50
2223 909 621
_www.anupi.org.mx_ (http://www.anupi.org.mx/)
Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more ~Bob Talbert~

disfluencies in speech and the patterns they form

This is the link I have been looking for. The psychologist Richard Aslin has been studying disfluency and the regular patterns that ums and ers play in language development.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028095.800-baby-brain-expert-ums-and-ers-help-children-learn.html

I wonder if disfluency plays a role in learning a second language too. Do language teachers give unconscious cues to new vocabulary or information in class? Intonation plays a very important role in this regard but perhaps disfluency may play a role too.

Focus on Intonation (Wikipedia)

Intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words.

All languages use pitch pragmatically, that is, as intonation, for instance for emphasis, to convey surprise or irony, or to pose a question. Tonal languages such as Chinese and Hausa use pitch to distinguish words in addition to intonation.

Generally speaking, we can identify the following intonations:

Rising Intonation means the pitch of the voice increases over time [↗];

Falling Intonation means that the pitch decreases with time [↘];

Dipping Intonation falls and then rises [↘↗];

Peaking Intonation rises and then falls [↗↘]

How to use the IPA Chart

How to use the IPA Chart

Pronunciation: Adrian Underhill Clip No.1

Clip 1- Teaching Pronunciation as a physical activity- not a mental activity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5RekixAMoM

In this 5 minute clip (of 4) Adrian Underhill (author of Sound Foundations) outlines the approach he takes in teaching pronunciation to second language learners.

His approach tries to give learners visible clues as to the pronunciation of sounds. One of the main problems with the teaching of pronunciation is that it often is a mental activity and not rooted in any physical experience. He highlights the use of the teacher model as one to raise awareness not to reinforce habit formation. Pay attention to his use of gestures throughout these instructional clips and his language in giving students feedback.

Adrian Underhill Clip No.2

Clip 2-The teacher listening to student output

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN6HgF37uwI&feature=related

In this clip Adrian introduces the IPA chart and discusses the production of sounds that can be made from it. This 3½ minute clip focuses on the small differences native speakers make in producing the same sounds and eludes to the idea that there isn’t any one ‘standard’. What are your thoughts about a ‘standard pronunciation’? Do you think there is a standard that we should be modelling with our learners?

Adrian Underhill Clip No.3

Clip 3- The teacher modelling different sounds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y57Dmcmr49I&feature=related

Listen carefully in this 4 minute clip to Adrian’s instructions. In this clip the student directs the teacher and then it is changed around. He outlines a way to help students articulate certain jaw movements and talks about taking snapshots of certain sounds. This approach seems to require the student to visualise certain processes and create a mental model of the place and manner of

articulation. The traditional view is the teacher in control, in this extract he hands over control to the student. What do you think of the idea of student directing the teacher?

Adrian Underhill Clip No.4

Clip 4- Introducing the consonant sounds, tongue position and voicing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eunyc1VdDHQ&feature=related

In this 3 ½ minute clip Adrian introduces consonant sound pro

duction. Watch how he makes use of gestures in this clip and how he differentiates two particular sounds /s/ and /z/. He introduces the idea of voice as a sort of switch that can be turned off and on and look carefully at the gesture that he uses. Look carefully at the way he demonstrates the Interdental fricative (/θ/ & /ð/) with his hands and models these sounds in the mouth. Listen out for the expression ‘somewhere in between’. How does he make use of gesture in this clip? When does he introduce this approach to the learners?

This link will take you to Adrian’s Interactive phonemic chart

http://www.onestopenglish.com/5411.file

This is a good site that transforms your text into phonetics

http://www.photransedit.com/Online/Text2Phonetics.aspx

Mr W, a receptive skills activity?

Mr W

Misunderstandings

Look at the handout (see link below)

http://sites.google.com/site/westminsterquestions/mr-w

5 Questions (below), asking why he feels the way he does.

http://sites.google.com/site/westminsterquestions/suuuf

Listen to the clip (below), but don’t watch it- everyone turn your chairs around!! (play clip-MrW)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTLO2F_ERY

Write a story describing the man’s life. Describe it to everyone.

Watch video (link above). See if story and clip are close together.

Internet Links to Jobs in Asia

Click on the links below for links to jobs in a variety of locations in Asia.

KOREA

Education Adventure http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=44427

Opportunity Korea http://www.opportunitykorea.com/a_menu/menu2_1.asp

English Work http://www.englishwork.com/english/index.html

Dave’s ESL Café http://www.eslcafe.com/

CHINA

Aston English http://www.astonrecruiting.com/

Disney English http://disneyenglish.com/EN/careers/20091112270.html

Tefl One http://www.teflone.com/china/index.cfm

Dave’s ESL Café http://www.eslcafe.com/

TAIWAN

Shane English School http://www.shanetaiwanjobs.com/vacancies/index.htm

Tefl One http://www.teflone.com/taiwan/index.cfm

VIETNAM

Language Link http://www.languagelink.edu.vn/en/be-part-of-our-winning-team.html

VUS English Centers http://www.vus-etsc.edu.vn/en/job-at-vus/staff-positions/detailstaff/6

Discover ELT Vietnam http://discovereltvietnam.com/page.php?p=157

Saxoncourt http://www.saxoncourt.com/jobs-abroad/vietnam/

JAPAN

Interac English Language and Culture Training https://www.interacnetwork.com/recruit/

BEO http://www.beo-study.com/recruit/teacher-recruitment.html

BRITISH COUNCIL JOBS

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-teachingjobs.htm

Tefl Teaching in Peru

Things to consider before signing a contract...

http://tefltips.blogspot.com/2008/01/accepting-job.html

This is a useful blog to search for jobs and get a bit of insider knowledge....

http://www.tefltips.blogspot.com/

Who still wants to learn languages?

The new GCSE results show foreign languages are in severe decline – with the number of children learning French and German falling most dramatically of all.

Find out more at The Guardian,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/aug/24/who-still-wants-learn-languages