Category: skills

New Ways of Teaching Your Students

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MyEnglishLabs are online components designed to complement your favorite Pearson course or skills textbook. MyEnglishLabs optimize instruction through a blend of coursebook and online content. When students use MyEnglishLabs, they access interactive activities and assessment tools that help them take an active role in their learning. With instant access to a wide range of diagnostic tools, teachers can customize learning environments to meet the needs of every student.

Check out MyEnglishLab now!

Want to talk to our ELL Specialists about MyEnglishLab? It’s easy.
Visit www.pearsoneltusa.com/specialists

Hitting the Right Note:
Extending the Theme of Your Song

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2013_Heyer_SandraSandra Heyer

This concludes the series of articles on extending lessons with songs and song-based activities. In past newsletters, we’ve taken a look at six activities that work well with beginners and high-beginners; a technique for quickly matching a song with an activity; and general tips for using songs in the classroom. One of those tips was to choose songs that are thematically related to the lessons. I know from experience that is sometimes easier said than done; finding classroom-friendly songs on specific themes can be a challenge.

For the past several years, I’ve been building a list of popular songs that are suitable for beginning and high-beginning English language learners–songs that have clear, comprehensible lyrics and language that is at least “PG.” I now have a list of over 150 songs, organized by sixteen themes: friendship, falling in love, taking chances, work, and freedom, to name a few. The songs coordinate with the themes in True Stories Behind the Songs and More True Stories Behind the Songs but could be used to enhance other theme-based curricula.

You’ll find the list, and all the activities and tips you’ve read here, on my new site at sandraheyersongs.com. The site has no ads and requires no registration–it’s simply a place where teachers can get and share ideas. If you have a song-based activity or classroom-friendly song you’d like to suggest for the site, please e-mail me at truestories@ticon.net.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sandra

New from Pearson this fall

Posted on | by Pearson

See what’s new from Pearson this fall. We are excited to show you all of our new titles and new editions of your favorites. From the fourth edition of NorthStar  – now with a fully blended MyEnglishLab – and the new adult video-based program, Project Success, to the third edition of the Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL iBT Test  for exam prep – there is something to meet your classroom needs!

Click here to get up-to-date product information and to see sample units in an instant!

Want to speak to an ELL Specialist? Just go to www.pearsoneltusa.com/specialists

 

 

 

 

Preparing Students for Success with Pre-Listening Tasks

Posted on | by Pearson

David BohlkeDavid Bohlke

The challenges of listening in another language are great. Our students have to deal with unfamiliar sounds, new vocabulary, and complex sentences. They may not be familiar with the setting, know anything about the speakers, and have little knowledge of the topic being discussed. And they’re expected to listen and understand a text in real time, with no control of the discourse, in a classroom setting. It’s no wonder listening remains a challenge for many learners. Continue reading →

Take the Express to TOEFL iBT Success:
Note-taking Skills and Practice

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Tammy_LeRoi_2014Tammy LeRoi Gilbert

Co-author of Express to the TOEFL iBT Test

For students hoping to achieve success on the TOEFL iBT, learning how to take quick and efficient notes is one of the most essential skills for nearly all sections of the test. Knowing that students need clear instructions, detailed models, and a great deal of note-taking practice, Express to the TOEFL iBT Test provides students with:

1. A special note-taking section (Note-Taking Skills, pages 87-91) that concisely covers the most useful note-taking guidelines, including how to effectively organize notes and use abbreviations and symbols. Students can use this note-taking section as an ongoing reference.

2.  Note-taking models for the Listening section and for each specific independent and integrated task in the Speaking and Writing sections, plus many more detailed tips such as using signal words and phrases to determine what information is important to note.

3.  And most importantly, lots of note-taking practice, both individually or with a partner.

By using the targeted note-taking strategies in Express to the TOEFL iBT Test, I believe students’ stress levels will be significantly reduced as they gain confidence and are better prepared to meet the challenges of taking the TOEFL iBT.