For Volunteers

Final Consonant Articulation - For adult ESL learners from many language backgrounds, accurately producing the final consonant sounds in words is a major pronunciation challenge. In this classroom demonstration, the teacher demonstrates a series of systematic pronunciation activities with a beginning level adult ESL class that are designed to help learners improve their awareness of the importance of final consonants, develop listening skills, and practice articulating the sounds. ​

Word Stress - Observe a beginning level class as the instructor introduces them to the concept of word stress and leads the learners through a series of controlled practice activities. The learners work with their weekly vocabulary words as they practice counting syllables, identifying stressed syllables, and grouping words according to their stress patterns.​

Word Stress Routine - In this beginning level class, the teacher takes the learners through their regular word stress routine where they practice counting syllables, and identify, record, and practice word stress patterns and using words from their weekly story. ​

Voice Quality Settings - Observe a multi-level classroom as the instructor introduces the concept of voice quality settings and demonstrates how voice settings influence accent and the ability to generate sounds specific to the English language. The instructor uses videos, mirrors, and lip-reading activities as she leads the learners through several activities to build awareness of the importance of voice quality settings and to give the learners opportunities to practice producing English voice quality settings.​

Intonation - Prominence and intonation are key to conveying meaning in spoken English. The words speakers choose to highlight and the movement of pitch in the voice signal to the listener what is important and indicate the speaker’s attitude and emotion. These spoken cues are often enhanced by the use of body language, providing the listener with visual cues to interpret the main points of the message. In this classroom demonstration, the teacher uses a TEDtalk video to give learners practice listening for and analyzing prominence and intonation while also observing the impact of the speaker’s body language to her message.

Contrastive Stress - Observe an intermediate level adult ESL class as they work through a lesson that explains the purpose of contrastive stress and provides them with communicative opportunities to practice this pronunciation feature. The teacher weaves the pronunciation instruction into the class unit to give the learners the opportunity to practice contrastive stress in a familiar context.

Orton-Gillingham Phonics Approach - Observe an adult ESL Beginning Literacy Level class as they move through the multi-sensory Orton-Gillingham Approach to teaching phonics. The instructor explains her rationale for using this approach, and the purpose behind each step of instruction.​

Phonics and Rhyme Activities - Join a pre-beginning adult ESL class as they work through their weekly phonics and rhyme routine, including guided practice, writing, and a speaking mingle. Learn new ideas for how volunteers can assist in beginning level classrooms. ​

Building Speaking Skills - Learn teaching techniques to encourage adult literacy level learners to develop their speaking skills. The instructor uses highly interactive activities and demonstrates what learner-centered teaching looks like at the literacy level.​

Routines for Starting the Class - This video showcases three different literacy level routines that start the class off on the right foot: reviewing objectives, the daily calendar and graphing weather, and movement to focus learners' attention.

Picture Stories - Picture stories are a fun and engaging way for language learners to practice vocabulary and expand their speaking and storytelling skills. Learners work together in partners or small groups to put the picture story in order, and then practice telling other learners the story they created.​

Concentration - Concentration helps learners to strengthen their memory and knowledge of vocabulary through an engaging and interactive game. Learners sit in a small group and take turns turning over flashcards with pictures or words of the lesson’s vocabulary. When a learner finds the two flashcards that match, he or she gets to keep them.​

Total Physical Response (TPR) - TPR is a technique that is used to practice listening comprehension and get learners moving. Learners listen and respond to commands that are given by the teacher using real objects and actions.​

Walking Dictation - Walking dictation is a popular ESL classroom activity that helps learners develop sort-term memory skills while reinforcing spelling, word order, pronunciation, and listening and writing skills. Learners work with partners to dictate words or sentences that are posted at the front of the room or out in the hallway. One partner reads the sentences and reports back to his or her partner. Their partner listens and writes down what he or she hears.​

Letter/Sound Drill - Letter/Sound drill helps to reinforce letter and sound correspondence in the broader context of a vocabulary lesson to help learners develop the phonemic awareness that they need in order to sound out words. Learners listen to the sounds that letters make, then the letter/sound correspondence is reinforced as they: trace the letters on the table while saying the sounds, write the letters while saying the sounds, trace letters where they appear in the weekly vocabulary, copy the full words down, and read the words out loud.​

Conversation Queue - Conversation queue gives the teacher the opportunity to assess whether or not each learner has mastered a simple speaking task such as a question/answer pair or a short dialogue. The class breaks into two lines with the learners at the front of each line facing one another. Each line is assigned a different speaking role, and the learners take turns speaking to one another while the teacher monitors.​

Exit Ticket - Exit ticket is a quick wrap-up activity that allows the teacher to gauge learner comprehension and gather information about the learners’ mastery of a topic or concept. Learners respond to a written or verbal cue as they leave at the end of class.​

Ball Toss - Ball toss is an active and engaging activity that allows learners to practice their speaking skills and reinforce vocabulary. Learners stand in a circle and take turns asking and answering questions as they throw a ball to one another.​

Substitution Drill - Substitution drill is a quick activity that reinforces vocabulary and language structures. Learners repeat a sentence, substituting  one word in the sentence for another with picture or written cues.​

Concentric Circles - Concentric circles is a speaking and listening activity that provides every learner in the class an equal opportunity to speak. Learners stand in an inner and an outer circle facing each other. They ask and answer questions or discuss a topic. When the teacher calls time, they move over and repeat the process with a new partner.​

Mingle Grid - Mingle grid is a highly interactive activity speaking activity that is a favorite with many ESL teachers. Learners get out of their seats and move around the classroom, asking set questions to other learners and recording their responses on a grid.​

Post-It Chart - Post-It chart is a hands-on activity designed to help learners interpret graphs and charts that using learner data. Learners respond to a question and write their responses on a post-it™ note. The notes are then organized into columns, and the learners create a graph around the columns.​

Number of the Day - Number of the day is an extended numeracy activity which provides learners with extended practice with numbers and basic math skills. Learners identify a number of the day, then use that number to practice tallying, counting money, writing number words, comparing, and addition and subtraction equations.​

Walk, Talk, Trade - Walk, talk, trade is a participatory activity that reinforces students’ familiarity with vocabulary through repetition and interaction. Students receive a card with a picture or vocabulary word on it, then move around the classroom asking and answering questions and swapping cards.​

Dialogue and Dialogue Variations - Dialogue and Dialogue variations are activities that provide practice with listening and speaking skills in structured conversations. Using variations of a dialogue gives learners the opportunity to introduce their own responses into the activity and create a more authentic language experience. Learners practice a set dialogue, discuss possible responses that they can use, and then take turns saying the dialogue with their classmates.​

Jigsaw Reading - Jigsaw reading is a cooperative learning technique where learners develop reading skills while working together to build comprehension. Learners work in small groups to become experts on a section of a longer text, then form new groups with a representative from each section. Learners take turns teaching their new group about their section of the text.​

Vocabulary Bingo - Vocabulary bingo is a fun and popular activity that gives learners the opportunity to develop reading fluency through increasing sight word recognition and reading speed. Learners play bingo using cards with vocabulary words written on them. The teacher may create the cards ahead of time, or learners may fill out the cards before the start of the game.