Crowd-Sourcing Superstitions and the Grammar of Four Leaf Clovers

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABill Bliss

The three leaf shamrock might be a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s the four leaf clover that will bring you good luck if you’re fortunate to find one and make a wish on it.  This enchanting superstition from Ireland is part of a rich mosaic of worldwide traditions and customs for making wishes.  It is also a wonderful context for practicing the grammar of conditionals and for stimulating some fun cross-cultural sharing as students crowd-source superstitions from their countries and traditions. READ MORE

 

 

Hitting the Right Note:
Extending the Theme of Your Song Activity #4

2013_Heyer_Sandra Sandra Heyer

One way to extend the lessons in True Stories Behind the Songs and More True Stories Behind the Songs is to follow up each unit with a supplemental song that connects to the theme of the unit, plus an activity to go with the supplemental song. Each month I’ll share a song-based activity that has worked well with my beginning and high-beginning students.

This month, let’s look at some examples of song choices and building a lesson around a repeated phrase. Continue reading

Blending Instruction through a Flipped Model

2014_CCavageChristina Cavage

In last month’s newsletter I wrote all about the increased level of engagement among students when a blended model is employed.  I touched briefly on the FLIPped model.  In this edition, I’d like to take a deeper look at the FLIPped model and what exactly it means for an ESL classroom.  Continue reading