Resource Description: This resource will help ESL instructors teach abstract concepts to students about intercultural communication.  Learners will engage in higher order thinking skills analyzing the metaphors from the film and applying them to Chapter One of the textbook.

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: This lesson was taught in a bilingual course, Intercultural Communication, taught in English and Spanish to Spanish-speaking undergraduate students.  This is their first semester in a two-year associate's degree program.  The use of film engaged students in connecting the concepts from the textbook to a true story about three Maori girls in Australia who are abducted by authorities from the department of aboriginals. Students will develop inquiry-based skills, linking the text to the events in the film. They will also connect the concepts to the metaphors used in the film. They will be able to practice their English language skills -- speaking, listening, reading, and writing -- using academic and professional English. 

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: Phonics=Toons (PT) is a series aimed at gapping the digital divide. PT work best as an enhancement resource that can be used in/out of the classroom. My Fin is Fine, enriches students use of  CVCe/CVC vowel 'i' words. Attached is the PDF version preview, it lacks many pages due to the limitations of PDF. The toon can be watched on their phones and pads, while they are on the go or at home.

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: This webinar offers a lively balance of the why and how of using humor in English language teaching. The presenter starts with an overview of current research about humor in language education and follows with practical demonstrations of a range of ways to include humor in the language teaching classroom. Finally, the presenter offers suggestions for the future of research on humor in English language education.

Resource Type: Virtual Seminars

Resource Description: This is the introductory lesson for a content unit on intellectualism in America. In this lesson, the students will have pre-read the article “What Happened to America’s Public Intellectuals?” from the July 2017 issue of the Smithsonian Magazine. In pairs and small groups, they will learn about American intellectual history and influence while experiencing the reading skills of scanning, looking for organizational structure and comprehension, and identifying multimodal writing type.

Resource Type: Lesson Plans

Resource Description: In my EAP reading/writing course, I use the first 4-5 classes to set up my students for long-term academic success by helping them develop broad, foundational areas of knowledge. This particular class assists students in learning to work in groups, on task-based projects, while reading about, sharing, discussing and reflecting upon good learning techniques and traits that can be applied across the academic spectrum and into the job market.

Resource Type: Lesson Plans

Resource Description: An authentic activity for practicing writing and following commands.

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: The AWL Master is an app (on iTunes and Google Play) that helps students learn, practice and master the academic word list.  They work on pronunciation, syllable division, meaning and collocations. 

Resource Type: Teaching Tips

Resource Description: This game, MatchIt, helps students hear and see commonly confused Sound-alike words such as too, to, and two: there, their, and they're, and so on. It is one of the many free games provided by VocabularySpellingCity for ESL worldwide, it works on any device.

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: This is an interactive powerpoint presentation that teaches a modifed NATO alphabet typically used with a Talkman system for pick and pack employees.  This in-ear voice system is particularly challenging for ELLs because of the robotic nature of the voice, so this powerpoint seeks to provide additional input and support in this new "language". Presentation of the alphabet with audio and visual support is included with group controlled practices and games at the end. 

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: This is an integrated lesson plan using a whole language approach for the essay “Wal-Mart Orientation Program.” This lesson plan is for teachers who teach intermediate English to learners who speak English and Spanish. It includes tasks and activities aimed at developing the students’ literary skills . It also aims at increasing  students’ understanding of the American culture, namely themes related to worksite environment. 
In this lesson plan, students will work with pre-reading  and reading comprehension activities as well as with across-the curriculum ones. Some of the activities are designed to further develop  the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, along with the allied linguistic- components of grammar, vocabulary, and critical thinking.

Resource Type: Lesson Plans

Resource Description: The objective of this game is to help students review and study the concepts for a midterm or final test. 
In college, students must take many tests.  Some students know how to study for these tests but others need help.  This activity helps students review concepts learned during the class while also teaching them important rules about the American game of baseball.
The instructions for the activity are also contained in the supporting file document at the bottom of this activity.

Resource Type: Activities

Resource Description: Once in college, students often have to write research papers for academic classes.  When writing academic papers, students need to cite sources with parenthetical reference.  Yet there are very few exercises to help students practice this important skill.  This is a lesson plan designed to help college students use correct MLA parenthetical reference for academic research papers by identifying the correct format and practice using it for quotes and paraphrases.

Resource Type: Lesson Plans

Resource Description: A primary goal of US college and career readiness initiatives is to ensure students in K-12 schooling and beyond develop the verbal skills to communicate effectively in diverse academic and professional settings. Orchestrating classroom interactions that significantly improve students’ language and literacy skills is both a science and an art. Simply providing text-dependent questions and opportunities to collaborate with peers will not yield impressive linguistic results. Students at every age and English proficiency level serve to gain from informed guidance in targeted language to achieve a range of communicative goals within lesson interactions, from articulating and justifying claims to restating and comparing. Drawing on extensive experience serving under-resourced youths and English learners in K-12 classrooms and college, the presenter details the language demands posed by classroom collaboration and discussion and provides practical guidance and resources to help all students become more agile and confident communicators.

Resource Type: Virtual Seminars

Resource Description: Thank you for accessing the first version of the Second Language English Comprehensibility scale. Please find attached some notes to guide your understanding of the way that comprehensibility is operationally defined in this scale, its intended purpose, and possible ways that you can use the scale with your students.

Resource Type: Assessments