I’ve been quite busy which has cut into my time to create new posts, however I am slowly swimming out from under a sea of great ideas and read to start posting again.
Check back next week for new worksheets for you EFL/ESL classroom!
Have something special you’d like to see? Send me a message and ask. I love being able to create specific things for people.
Cheers,
Sara
Planning on being on Jeju island this weekend? I am. Come and see me, I”ll be presenting on creative thinking techniques and giving away free books.
You can listen in about it here:
For more information:
Jeju City, Jeju-do 690-810
On Saturday 6 April 2013, from 3-5pm, Ms Sara Davila will be conducting a workshop on “Creative Thinking Techniques for the English Language Classroom”. Ms Davila has been teaching and training teachers for over ten years and is considered a leader in the field of English Language Teaching. If you would like to learn more about Ms Davila, check out her website www.saradavila.com or even better – come along to the workshop!
The Jeju Chapter will provide light refreshments, a free goodie bag for attendees and the opportunity to meet with other teachers on Jeju Do and network. If you have any questions about this event, e-mail the Jeju Chapter President, Marlene Wilkinson:jejuchapter@gmail.com or call her on 010 9003 1840. Alternatively, you can contact any one of our Executive Officers, all their details are on this website.
http://www.koreatesol.org/content/jeju-creative-thinking-techniques-english-language-classroom-workshop
This is a mingle information gap suitable for beginner ESL/EFL learners who are also exploring information about other countries. This information gap activity is designed to be done as a mingle, where each student has the answer to one question. Students look around trying to find out the correct answer.
This worksheet includes simple lesson plan instructions for teachers and ideas for additional activities. This would be a nice introduction lesson for a unit on China, research on China, or learning about other countries and cultures.
In my quest to uncover hidden gems on my website, I also found this soccer game board. This board was designed for use with different question and answer types cards. Clue cards and the soccer cards here would be great. You could also have students design their own trivia cards for use with the game. This is a fun board for question and answer at any level of EFL/ESL study.
World Cup Soccer Game Board
Recommended Quiz Cards
This has to be one of my favorite game boards, ever, and I just realized I had not shared it on my site. It’s been hiding out in the file directory preventing the world from having it. So here you go, world, Watch Out, for the Watch Out game board.
This game board works great with dice and any set of cards. Student take a card and read, make a sentence, write a sentence, answer the question, have a discussion. The rules are only limited by your, and your students, creativity. This was always a winner in my classroom with my groups of boys or girls. This is a great game for improving vocabulary or doing spontaneous conversation in your EFL/ESL classes.
And now to search through my file directory and see if there are other hidden gems I haven’t made public!
Watch Out Game Board
Cards to use with this game.
I’m still working to create these model text analysis worksheet designed for EFL/ESL students who are also working on developing writing skills.
This process lesson looks at a short report style writing that uses information from sources. In the report learners can explore how information from sources can be organized to present information about a specific place. In this report learners examine the amazon rainforest and problems currently happening in the area.
This analysis includes examination of the way information is presented and asks learners to think about how the information is collected and reported. A graphic organizer is included for students to organize ideas and prepare for their own research to create a report about a place. General information is provided for a peer review, moving this lesson into a writing process lesson after the analysis.
I’ve included the general Writing Model Text Analysis procedure lesson plan which can be adapted to this writing lesson. This lesson would be appropriate for high beginner, intermediate or advanced EFL/ESL students interested in improving their writing.
Amazon Rainforest Report and Write Model Text Worksheet
Model Text Analysis Writing Lesson Plan Procedure
Here is another model text analysis worksheet designed for EFL/ESL students who are also working on developing writing skills.
This process lesson looks at a short research based essay that presents information in a historical timeline perspective. In the essay learners begin to look at how to present information about changes in specific items over a period of time with a focus on changes of historical significance from the past to modern times.
This analysis includes examination of the language used to introduce the historical information in a way that clearly presents the movement over periods of time. A graphic organizer is included for students to research and organize the information they find. General information is provided for a peer review, moving this lesson into a writing process lesson after the analysis.
I’ve included the general Writing Model Text Analysis procedure lesson plan which can be adapted to this writing lesson. This lesson would be appropriate for high beginner, intermediate or advanced EFL/ESL students interested in improving their writing.
Birthday Candle Research and Write Model Text Worksheet
Model Text Analysis Writing Lesson Plan Procedure
I’m still working on providing writing worksheets that will help students structure an essay or short writing piece using model text analysis to help examine and understanding the required elements for a complete writing.
This process lesson looks at a short non-fiction essay about a current pop culture hero or icon. This could easily build to have students research and write about an international pop culture hero, or to write about a pop culture hero from their own country. This piece features Lie Wei, a Chinese pop culture hero made famous on China’s Got Talent.
This analysis includes examining the use of a “hook” in the introduction to grab the readers attention, and asks students to look at the details included to add interest and information to the story. A graphic organizer is included for students to organize their own writing. General information is provided for a peer review, moving this lesson into a writing process lesson after the analysis.
I’ve included the general Writing Model Text Analysis procedure lesson plan which can be adapted to this writing lesson. This lesson would be appropriate for high beginner, intermediate or advanced EFL/ESL students interested in improving their writing.
Pop Culture Hero Model Text Worksheet
Model Text Analysis Writing Lesson Plan Procedure
I just finished a great teacher training in the city of Daegu with some really great teachers. One in particular, Jerry Park, put together a really nice lesson using an authentic model text to teach learners how to write a movie review of their own.
This lesson has a great, natural, context, is relevant to learners, and uses an authentic model text with model text analysis activities to help guide learners to understand the construction of a text before writing. This worksheet continues with a brainstorming organizer to have students write there own movie review.
The authentic text here is based on an IMBD movie review that has been modified somewhat for use. The procedure is a general one explaining the process of using model text analysis to aid learners in writing.
This lesson plan and worksheet incorporates both model text and writing process for learners, including a peer content review. This writing activity would be appropriate for high beginner or intermediate level ESL/EFL learners. As this lesson was designed in the Korean context the movie features is the international Korean hit, The Thieves, from 2012. I’ll be putting up a few more of these with other international movies.
Thanks Jerry, I hope you like what I did with your lesson.
Movie Review Model Text Worksheet
Model Text Analysis Writing Lesson Plan Procedure
This lesson plan with model texts is designed to help learners plan for and write the ending for a story based on writing prompt. This lesson begins with a board splash and uses reading process steps to analyze a model text to determine how language is used to make writing more interesting for learners.
This writing lesson is designed for intermediate level EFL/ESL learners. See how it works out in your classroom.
Happy Holidays everyone. To help you through the holidays and the end of the year planning, here is a writing worksheet designed to help learners organize for a descriptive writing paragraph. The topic is holiday oriented. EFL/ESL learners are prompted to think about the types of holiday presents they have recieved and then to choose one to describe. The worksheet includes an organizer to help students plan before writing.
This would be appropriate for multiple levels of EFL/ESL learner and is open to focus on any holiday gift, not meant to focus on gifts received for non-secular holidays. Have fun and see how it works for you.
These are creative writing prompts with an organizer for beginner or intermediate EFL/ESL learner, or any learner who is working on improving writing. The worksheets are constructed with some basic word prompts to assist with spelling and provide additional scaffolding.
The worksheets are structured to follow basic process writing with a think, brainstorm and organize, then write approach. Teachers are encouraged to expand on this by having student peer edit and publish in the classroom for the full writing process.
To learn more about teaching writing process in EFL/ESL environments check out my paper including tips and activities here: Teaching Writing in the Language Classroom
This is a creative writing holiday prompt organizer for beginner or intermediate EFL/ESL learner, or any learner who is working on improving writing. The worksheet is constructed with some basic word prompts to assist with spelling and provide additional scaffolding.
The worksheet is structured to follow basic process writing with a think, brainstorm and organize, then write approach. Teachers are encouraged to expand on this by having student peer edit and publish in the classroom for the full writing process.
See how it works and Happy Holidays.
Here is a webbing bubble organizer for brainstorming ideas related to a topic before writing. This writing worksheet is prepared for writing and organizing ideas about a previous holiday vacation trip. Students begin by brainstorming ideas and using the webbing to organize. This is followed by writing a paragraph using the details from the organizers.
The organizer includes writing process of error correction and feedback from peers with some scaffolding questions that learners can use with peers to help improve the writing.
This activity would be appropriate for writers at a number of levels of EFL/ESL learning, or as a general writing organizer for students working with writing organization.
Here is an list style organizer for writing a descriptive paragraph about the the room of a student. The list is used as a brainstorming tool and a pre-writing task to help EFL/ESL learners organize their ideas. This list helps learner think about what they need to write about in the room and adjectives and descriptors that can be used to make the writing more interesting.
Begin by having students list what is in their room in the first column. In the second column students can list adjectives and descriptions of use that can help to add depth to the descriptive writing. These ideas will then be used to communicate information about the room in a short paragraph.
The organizer includes writing process of error correction and feedback from peers with some scaffolding questions that learners can use with peers to help improve the writing.
This is a good beginner level writing tool with a common topic used at introductory or beginner level writing with EFL/ESL students. Furniture vocabulary, adjectives and verbs describing the use of common objects would all work well with this writing activity.
Here is an idea square organizer for writing on the topic of my family. The idea square is used as a brainstorming tool as a pre-writing task to help EFL/ESL learners organize their ideas.
To use the writing square have students think about the family members that are presented in each corner. Ask students to write two or three things that others should know about each family member. These ideas will then be used to communicate information about the family in a short paragraph.
The organizer includes writing process of error correction and feedback from peers with some scaffolding questions that learners can use with peers to help improve the writing.
This is a good beginner level writing tool with a common topic used at introductory or beginner level writing with EFL/ESL students. Family vocabulary, likes dislikes, hobbies and interests are topics that can be reviewed and utilized for writing in this activity.
Here is a bubble organizer for brainstorming ideas related to a topic before writing. This is a general organizer that can be used with any topic introduced by the teacher. This is a perfect writing organizers for any learner who is interested in writing, include EFL/ESL learners at a number of levels. This organizer would be most useful for paragraph writing and should be easily adaptable to a number of levels of writing ability.
The organizer includes writing process of error correction and feedback from peers with some scaffolding questions that learners can use with peers to help improve the writing.
I’ll be in Seoul for the next two days for the International Conference. I’ll be presenting today and tomorrow. On Saturday you can catch me at 2:30 in B161 for a presentation on Creative Thinking Techniques.
Tomorrow I’ll be presenting with EnglishCentral and participating in a panel discussion on video in the classroom.
I hope to see you all there. Come up and say hi and pass me a business card.
Cheers,
Sara
For this one day event I will be giving away 20 copies of the collected worksheets and lesson plans I’ve developed that utilize the creative thinking techniques. You can download them all here:
http://saradavila.com/front/materials/creative-thinking-techniques-and-lesson-plans/
Daegu-Gyeongbuk KOTESOL
E-Bulletin ~ Sept 2012
September Workshop Program
| Speaker: | Sara Davila |
| Topic: | Using Creative Thinking Techniques to Improve Communication |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012 |
| Time: | 3:00~5:30 |
| Venue: | KNU, Woodang Building, Room 203 |
| ????? ?????203?? | |
| Map at: | http://polaris.umuc.edu/~sgarrigu/Maps/Woodang.jpg |
What’s your favorite sport?
. . . Soccer.
Why?
. . . It’s interesting.
Sound familiar? Do you suffer in your classroom from the same tired answers to every question you ask your students? Does pair work fall flat when the answers range between, yes, no, interesting, and I don’t know? Many language students are stuck in a trap of repetition of the same phrases and words, limiting their communicative ability and impeding future progress. By incorporating Creative Thinking techniques teachers can help push students out of language traps and towards more engaging and creative conversations.
In this workshop, teachers will look at several creative thinking techniques that allow students to produce more relevant and meaningful conversations in the classroom. These techniques include the Lotus Blossom, Random Element, Attribute Listing, Reverse Brainstorming, and Idea Box. Worksheets and sample lesson plans will be provided to help teachers utilizes these techniques in classrooms ranging from young learners to university aged students.
Help your learners break out of the yes/no box. Let’s work to bring creativity back to language communication with these exciting, engaging, and simple-to- use techniques.
Sara Davila has been teaching and training teachers for over ten years. She holds a Masters degree in Education with a focus on instructional strategies and assessment. In Korea, Sara has done extensive research on performance assessment and communicatively based instructional strategies. As a teacher she has worked with students from head-start to university age. Sara has worked with the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) to train over 7,000 teachers living and working in South Korea. She is a licensed trainer with World Learning/SIT TESOL institute and is currently the director of research and development for Education Designers.
The following is a reading comprehension worksheet details the history of the birthday candle from ancient Greece to modern times. It provides details about how cakes came to be covered with candles.
This worksheet utilizes reading skills and guides students through the comprehension process from gist to deeper meaning. The worksheet uses a graphic organizer mind map to organize information from the reading. The worksheet also includes a discussion topic to help teachers take the reading a bit further in the classroom.
