Low Level Activities for Adult ESL

Low Le ve l Act ivit ie s f or Adult ES L

Pr e s e nt e d b y S us an Gae r S ant a Ana Colle ge S chool of Cont inuing Educat ion s gae r @yahoo.com

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S pe aking

I nt e r vie w f ive pe ople

This is an int e r vie w t e chnique t o allow s t ude nt s t ime t o pr act ice t ar ge t s t r uct ur e s :

1. S t ar t of f b y having s t ude nt s copy t he que s t ions f r om t he b oar d.For t his e xample , le t ' s us e pe r s onal inf or mat ion: W hat is your f ir s t name ?

W hat is your las t name ? W hat is your f ull name ?

W hat is your addr e s s ? 2 . S how s t ude nt s how t o ans we r t he que s t ion. I us e a dif f e r e nt color and ans we r t he que s t ions ab out mys e lf : W hat is your f ir s t name ? My f ir s t name is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . W hat is your las t name ? My las t name is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . W hat is your f ull name ? My f ull name is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . W hat is your addr e s s ? My addr e s s is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . 3 . He lp s t ude nt s t o f ill in t he inf or mat ion ab out t he ms e lve s . Ne xt s how s t ude nt s how t o make a t ab le b y f olding t he ir pape r . For t his act ivit y t he y will have f our columns and s ix r ows .

Firs t N ame Las t name Full name Addre s s

4 . Mode l t he int e r vie wing pr oce s s b y int e r vie wing f ive s t ude nt s and wr it ing t he inf or mat ion in t he t ab le . 5 . Have s t ude nt s int e r vie w f ive pe ople and wr it e t he ans we r s in t he t ab le .

Ot he r t opics f or t he int e r vie w t e chnique

Topic: Food

W hat is your f avor it e f r uit ? W hat is your f avor it e ve ge t ab le ?

W hat f oods don' t you like ?

Topic: Te lling Time

W hat t ime do you wake up? W hat t ime do you e at b r e akf as t ?

W hat t ime do you e at lunch? W hat t ime do you e at dinne r ?

W hat t ime do you go t o b e d?

Topic : He alt h

W hat e xe r cis e do you do? How of t e n do you e xe r cis e ?

Topic : Communit y

W hat s upe r mar ke t do you s hop in? W he r e is your local pos t of f ice ?

Do you like your ne ighb or hood? W hy? W hy not ?

Topic : Hous ing

Do you live in a hous e or an apar t me nt ? How many b e dr ooms do you have ?

How many TVs do you have ? W he r e ar e t he y?

Topic: J obs :

W hat do you do? W he n do you wor k?

W he r e do you wor k? W hat ar e your hour s ? S cave nge r Hunt s

S t ude nt s have t o ans we r t he f ollowing que s t ions ab out t he ir clas s mat e s . I n or de r t o do t his t he y f ir s t have t o as k t he s t ude nt s f or t he inf or mat ion. Pr oce s s : 1)

Fir st have st udent s answer quest ions about t hemselves. Next using t he inf or mat ion gat he r e d f r om s t ude nt s wr it e t he que s t ions f or t he hunt on

t he b oar d. For e xample : I s Mar ia' s las t name Gome z ? Doe s J os e live in Gar de n Gr ove ? Have s t ude nt s wr it e t he que s t ions . Ne xt have t he m wr it e t he ans we r s .

Mode l how t o as k anot he r s t ude nt f or inf or mat ion b y wr it ing conve r s at ion s t ar t e r s on t he b oar d:

Pe rs onal I nf ormat ion Conve rs at ion S t art e rs

W hat is your las t name ? W he r e do you live ?

How do you s pe ll _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ? Excus e me ?

Ot he r t opics f or t he s cave nge r hunt t e chnique

J obs and Work

I s Loan a manicur is t ? I s J os e a car pe nt e r ? W hat doe s Ana Mar ia do?

Hous ing and t he communit y

Doe s Van live in a nois y ne ighb or hood? Doe s Pe dr o have a t wo b e dr oom apar t me nt ? I s t he r e a pos t of f ice ne ar Rob ' s hous e ?

Or al Pr e s e nt at ion Pr act ice

Drawings f loor plans of hous e s .

pict ur e s of f ood in t he ir r e f r ige r at or pict ur e s of t he ir f amilie s maps of t he ir communit y Af t e r dr awing is comple t e d, put s t ude nt s int o gr oups of f our . Each pe r s on in t he gr oup de s cr ib e s t he ir dr awing t o t he ot he r s . Ne xt t wo pe ople f r om e ach gr oup move t o anot he r gr oup. Now you have a ne w gr oup of f our . Again t he dr awings ar e s har e d. Cont inue r ot at ing t hr ough t he gr oups unt il t he t wo pe ople have vis it e d e ach gr oup in t he r oom.

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Re ading and W r it ing

Flas h car ds —Have s t ude nt s make f las h car ds f or ne w wor ds S t ude nt s ar e give n dir e ct ions on how t o make f las h car ds wit h vocab ular y wor ds f r om t he t e xt .

Ex ample :

Mat e r ials f or e ach gr oup: 8 f ile car ds pe r pe r s on 2 pair of s cis s or s One color mar ke r pe r pe r s on Fold e ach f ile car d in half .

Cut t he f ile car d.

W r it e t he wor d on t he f ile car d (t he s e ins t r uct ions var y de pe nding on t he act ivit y)

What you can do wit h f las h cards (ide a was gle ane d f rom Grace Tanaka)?

One of my f avor it e f las h car d act ivit ie s is go f is h. Fir s t I put on t he b oar d:

A. W hat ar e you looking f or ? B.I am looking f or _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ? Do you have any? A. Ye s , he r e it is . I have a pair .

OR A. No, go f is h.

B. I t ' s your t ur n. (t o C) Fir s t have s t ude nt s pr act ice t he dialogue . Divide s t ude nt s int o s mall gr oups .

Mode l t he act ivit y wit h one gr oup while t he whole clas s ob s e r ve s . Have s t ude nt s put t he ir name on e ach f las h car d. Mix all gr oups f las h car ds t oge t he r . De al f our car ds t o e ach me mb e r of t he gr oup. S how how t o play t he game us ing t he language f r om t he dialogue .

The Writ ing Proce s s

S t ude nt S t or ie s Have s t ude nt s de ve lop s t or ie s ab out t he ms e lve s and wr it e t he m. Example s of s t or ie s f or low le ve l ES L would b e : Ab out Me My Family My hous e My j ob Pr e wr it ing S t ude nt s r e ad a mode l as a r e ading act ivit y Dict at e a s e r ie s of que s t ions f or s t ude nt s t o ans we r S t ude nt s ans we r t he que s t ions .

Af t e r s t ude nt s wr it e t he ans we r s on t he ir pape r , have dif f e r e nt s t ude nt s ans we r dif f e r e nt que s t ions on t he b oar d. Go ove r any pr ob le ms in language s t r uct ur e , vocab ular y, e t c.

Finally, have s t ude nt s int e r vie w a par t ne r . Encour age s t ude nt s t o as k que s t ions ab out inf or mat ion t he y want t o know mor e ab out .

W r it ing S t ude nt s put s e nt e nce s t oge t he r us ing t he mode l r e ading as a s ample .

Pos t W r it ing Gr oup s t ude nt s and have t he m r e ad t he ir s t or ie s t o e ach ot he r . Have s t ude nt s ans we r t he f ollowing ab out e ach of t he ir gr oup me mb e r s t or ie s .

As k your par t ne r a que s t ion ab out t he s t or y. W hat is s ome t hing you don’t unde r s t and? W hat mor e would you like t o know?) Do you s e e any s pe lling mis t ake s ? Do you s e e any ot he r mis t ake s ? S t ude nt s r e wr it e s t or ie s and give t he m t o t he t e ache r . Te ache r r e ads and comme nt s . I nor mally comme nt dif f e r e nt ly f or e ach s t ude nt b as e d on his or he r le ve l. For e xample , f or a lit e r acy s t ude nt I would j us t e xpe ct a f e w s e nt e nce s . I would not comme nt at all on s t r uct ur e or s pe lling and pe r haps as k t he m a que s t ion t o ge t mor e inf or mat ion. Howe ve r , f or a low b e ginning s t ude nt , I might pick one gr ammat ical point f or e ach s t ude nt , cir cle t he ir e r r or s in t hat one point . S how t he m how t o cor r e ct t hat one point . Cont inue advis ing, r e wr it ing, advis ing, r e wr it ing unt il t he s t ude nt f e e ls t he wor k is f inis he d.

Pub lis h all s t ude nt wor k b y e it he r making a clas s b ook. or pos t ing it on t he wall or on t he I nt e r ne t .

Mode ls of many s t ude nt s t or ie s can b e f ound at : ht t p:/ / www.ot an.dni.us / we b f ar m/ e mailpr oj e ct / s t or ie s .ht m

Q ue s t ion Pr ompt s :

Family s t orie s

I divide t he s t ude nt s up int o t wo gr oups ; t hos e wit h childr e n and t hos e wit hout childr e n.

Q ue s t ions f or t hos e wit h no childr e n: W hat is your name ? How many b r ot he r s and s is t e r s do you have ? W he r e ar e you f r om? W he r e do your b r ot he r and s is t e r s live ? W he r e do you live ? How do you f e e l ab out your f amily? W hat is your mot he r ’s name ? W hat is your f at he r ’s name ? W he r e do your par e nt s live ? Q ue s t ions f or t hos e wit h childr e n: W hat is your name ? How old ar e your childr e n? W he r e ar e you f r om? How do you f e e l ab out your f amily? Ar e you mar r ie d? W hat is your hus b and’s name ? How many childr e n do you have ? W hat ar e your childr e n’s name s ?

De s cribe your hous e

W he r e is your hous e ? I s it b ig or s mall? How many r ooms doe s it have ? How many b at hr ooms ? How many b e dr ooms ? W hat f ur nit ur e is in your b e dr ooms ? W hat f ur nit ur e is in your living r oom? Doe s your hous e have a yar d? Do you like your hous e ? W hy or why not ?

Your J ob

W hat is your name ? W he r e ar e you f r om? W he n did you come he r e ? W hat is your j ob ? W hat ar e your hour s ? W hat do you do at wor k? Do you like your j ob ? W hy or why not ?

Chart s and Graphs

Favor it e f r uit s Favor it e ve ge t ab le s Favor it e color s Favor it e hob b ie s Favor it e f ood

Name Country Occupation

Teresa Mexico housewife Enrique Mexico masseuse Leticia Mexico housewife Elena Mexico housewife Imelda Mexico housewife/baker Ignacio Mexico assembler Rossy Mexico unemployed and looking Long Vietnam cashier Oralia Columbia secretary Miguel Honduras busperson Nguyet Vietnam housewife Minh Vietnam retired Adalberto Mexico retired Jose Mexico driver Hector El Salvador assembler Phong Tran Vietnam sewer Phong Pham Vietnam sewer Isabel Mexico housewife/baker Orlando Honduras machine operator Efrain Mexico delivery driver Margarita Mexico housewife Fabby Mexico housewife Jose Mexico kitchen supervisor Veronica Mexico housewife Trinh Vietnam manicurist Elena Mexico housewife

How many are housewives? How many women? How many men?

W om en M en total w orking

W r it ing Che cklis t f or Be ginning Le ve l Y N There is a title

Y N The writer’s first and last name is under the title.

Y N Every sentence begins with a capital letter.

Y N Every sentence ends with a period.

Y N Spelling is correct.

I have checked this story. Sign your name.

Low Level Activities for Adult ESL