Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Commands. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Commands. Mostrar todas las entradas

martes, 6 de septiembre de 2022

Is translation necessary for teaching Kindergarten English Language Learners?

A common question that everybody has a different vision on. Is translation necessary to teach children? Books, articles and more have very different views on this. Basically it is more based on your students, your situation and where you teach.

As an English as a Foreign Language Teacher, meaning that I have taught in a country where the language is not spoken, in Venezuela, my experience is different from many teachers.
Starting teaching I would speak in English all the time, I only spoke in Spanish when I saw that whatever the message was not delivered.

teaching Kindergarten English Language Learners

I had plenty of visuals: flashcards, realia, cutouts and more. I tried to make myself understood first in English and if mission imposible I would use Spanish. The focus is on effective communication.

Modeling the classsroom commands was a must from the beginning of the school year, I would use flashcards, TPR and any other practice that could come to my mind. When I started creating resources, the first one that I did was the commands set.Wish I had such pretty cards back then, but I made my set out of magazine pictures, yes! I know, no Internet back then. You can get the resource here.   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Commands-Flashcards-1816475

Mime whatever and whenever to get the message across your students. I would even mime their answers when they weren't enthusiastic.
Pairing students is great because there is always a students that gets you at the first sentence and becomes your translator and doesn't interrupt the class.

Scaffold! Read about it and practice it with your students. "Support every student by breaking learning up into chunks and providing a concrete structure for each."

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domingo, 2 de agosto de 2020

Classroom Commands for ESL

The classroom commands flashcards have been a best seller in the TPT store. Use them to relieve your stress by having to translate. Don't be overwhelmed.Here is a link to the resource to improve your classroom communication. 

classroom commands flashcards
On the first day of class students learn the vocabulary related to inside classroom actions. Make it easy for them to understand and respond to the commands. The ability to follow directions requires daily practice.

Use the commands in class as often as you can. Using the word and picture flashcard will help students focus with all the directions given in English and help you not to translate. Most of the time students don´t know what to do when you give a command, the visuals guide the students to complete the action. 


   Watch the video of the complete resource and check all the flashcards:


School Counselors can help English Learners by incorporating the flashcards as visuals for the students of all languages that need an extra aid to adapt to the new language, if it is in an English Language Speaking Country or at an English language school. Help your students connect to the classroom environment in an easy way. The learners will engage into the activities as they will understand what has be done,no matter their age. 
Language is a communication tool!

Here are the Classroom Commands 
flashcards!

This set is for the younger learners. The cards come in the letter size for in a classroom setting and small cards, four in one page, for distance teaching. Many teachers display them as rules for their students.

Classroom Commands flashcards
 
This  set is thinking of the older students and the clip art that I used is different. It comes in the letter size, one in each page and then a smaller size for distance learning,four in one page. Perfect to use for your classroom management and get better at your classroom expectations.

Classroom Commands flashcards printables
A video with all the flashcards!

 The cards come in handy for the start of the school year to introduce students to the language to communicate with you online or not. School sucess will start if your students can follow directions in class.
Here are 4 activities for you

 Activity 1. Miming.Give instructions to the class and have them mime the command.  Start with the listen flashcard. The students can touch their ear as they say listen! There are a lot more flashcards that you can use for miming.

Classroom Commands flashcards ENL

Activity 2. Simon Says. I am sure that you know the famous game. Play it using the flashcards if you need to.

Activity 3. Scrambled words on the board. If you are doing distance teaching use a small board and write a command in a jumbled order and have the students unscramble it and write it down on a piece of paper and show it to you or shout the command. Then show the flashcard to confirm or not the answer.  

Teacher: aeeprt


Classroom Commands flashcards newcomer

Activity 4. The robot. This is another famous game. Each student will be a robot that will follow the command given by you or a student. They can’t speak, just follow the command. After you say the command word, wait a few seconds and show the flashcard so the students that didn’t understand can do the command action.

CREATE puppets for easy directions to your class.

Commands flashcards into puppets

You can cut the picture and the word and glue it onto a craft stick.

Commands Flashcards printable


You can make smaller puppets using the smaller set of commands flashcards for ESOL.

Commands cards small puppets

The use of this functional language should be clear, specific, and in a positive manner as in the flashcards starting with a verb. Students will do a physical response to the action.
Teacher: Sit down.
ESL classoom language


I created a set of commands symbols to represent the imperatives (included in the file). You can also put them on the board when you need them. Give orders by pointing to the symbol card. There are a lot more for your classroom instructions.

ESL classroom commands and instructions
Don´t use questions in a commandclassroom imperative, it can be thought as a request, like whether you can do it or not.
Teacher: Can you please write your name ?  
The correct form is: Please, write your name.

Use short phrases in an imperative form, as your lessons continue, add new words to the command verb. Repeat until your children are familiar with all these new words.
Teacher: Listen to me.
         Write with your pen.


Grab student´s attention before each command. I use shakers or any noisy object , that will indicate the class that an instruction will come. Also, vary the volume and pitch of your voice. Use gestures and body language. Establish eye contact with the students when giving an order.


After giving the instruction, take the time to pause, wait, give the students the opportunity to comply, don´t threaten them. Stand close to the students when giving a command. Use some student´s name when giving a command. Be polite and respectful.
Teacher: Roberto, be quiet, please.

Don´t use commands as criticism.  Teacher: Mary, didn´t you listen ?  say: Mary, please listen .Touch her ear or show her the listen symbol.


Give the commands one at a time. Repeat maybe once, but not a series of 5 times each command. Even more when working with the youngest learners.  Always praise the students for complying to all the commands.
Teacher: Please ,sit down. (pause)  Thank you, class.
             Take out your book. (pause) ( Ok, very good)
           Open your book on page 12. (pause) ( Great, we are ready)


Too many and unnecessary commands are annoying . Think if you are giving commands that are not contributing to the lesson.
Don´t use STOP commands, such as:
Teacher: Stop coloring. Don´t  color. All commands should be positive.
The stop sign is mainly for games, and used with the Go sign.

 Collocations are words that can work together. It´s a combination of a verb and a noun. Give examples and have students make more collocations with all the other flashcards.
Teacher: Look at the board.

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domingo, 18 de marzo de 2018

Town Flashcards for ELL

Town Flashcards
I made 190 flashcards for the Town theme and included places, community, stores, land features, neighborhood, places for leisure activities. And here are several ideas to promote speaking using flashcards.

The resource is also here:


                     This is the complete set of flashcards! The language objective is to learn the name of the places in a town.


Town Unit Flashcards 1. Demonstartives This and That. Use the point finger to introduce this and that.
Teacher: This is a bank. That is the cinema.
Hand in the point finger and using more flashcards, have the students say the sentences.

Town Unit Flashcards 2. Drill. Nominate an individual student to be the driller. The class or the group members have to read each flashcard.
Give the flashcards at individual students.
Teacher: Where are you ?
Student: I am at the police station. ( shows the card)This is the police station.
Town Unit Flashcards 3. Go to. I use my Commands Flashcards for this activity. LINK: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Commands-Flashcards-1816475
Place a flashcard on each seat or desk.

Teacher: Pam, run to the police station.
Teacher: Kim, Go to the hospital.
Town Unit Flashcards 4. Name more. Place several flashcards and have students name a place in your town or city. Write the place under each flashcard. Have the students make another list with more flashcards. Here I wrote examples of my hometown.


Town Unit Flashcards 5. Sort the flashcards by buildings, stores, work places,nature.


Town Unit Flashcards 6. Let´s go ! Have the students make sentences using Let´s go to.
Teacher: Let´s go to the museum!
Students: Let´s go to the park !


Town Unit Flashcards 7. There is ,  Guess game using interrogatives . Have 5 students come to the front and give a flashcard to each one and don´t let them show the flashcards to the class, but they do have to know what flashcards are playing. The class has to guess the buildings in town.
Students: Is there a library?
Student in the front: Yes, there is. (shows the card)
Students: Is there a museum?
Student in the front: No, there isn´t.

Town Unit Flashcards. Use of the structure There are to describe the town. Place several town flashcards on the board. Have a student come up one at a time and draw as you say. The students will draw the scene on their notebooks and write the sentences.

Town Unit Flashcards. Use of the structure There are
Teacher: There are two cars at the post office. There are four flowers at the restaurant. There are three giraffes at the zoo.

Town Unit Flashcards 8.  Where is the family? I added a set of family flashcards to make sentences with the town flashcards.
Teacher: Where is Mother ?
Students: Mother is in the shoe store.


Or, you place more place flashcards and tell students where the family members are and have them attach the corresponding flashcard.
Teacher: Father is in the restaurant.

Town Unit Flashcards 9. Where?. Place several flashcards on the board.  Draw Main Street and start asking questions.
Teacher: Excuse me, It is on Main Street, between the fire station and the library.
Teacher: Where is the library ?
Students: It is on Main Street, next to the hospital.


Town Unit Flashcards 10. Use of the adjectives On the left, on the right. Draw the street and arrows, place a flashcard on the right and another on the left.

Teacher: The bus station is on the right. The beauty salon is on the left.
Have students write questions to ask you about your street.
Student: Is there a bus stop ?
Teacher: No, there isn´t.

Town Unit Flashcards  adjectives  left right.

Flashcards 11. Where and what number? A good review for the numbers 1 to 20.
Place several flashcards on both sides of the road and add a write on each one.
Teacher: Where is the apartment building ?
Students: It´s on the right.
Teacher: What number is it ?
Students: It´s number 14.

Where and what number? town flashcards numbers 1 to 20.

Flashcards 12. Use of the preposition At the corner of. Draw a street intersection, if it is a known one of your town the better. Add the flashcards.
Teacher: The school is at the corner of First Avenue and Main Street.

preposition At the corner of town unit flashcards
Have the students draw more examples and write the sentences. Then dictate to a student that will go to the board and place the flashcards.

Flashcards 13. Draw a street on the board. Give a set of flashcards to several students. Have them place the cards in the correct position on the street. Give them a written text where the cards should go. The students have to discuss how to place them.


The shoe store is on Main Street. The clothing store is next to the shoe store.The Hotel is next to the shoe store. The shoe store is between the clothing store and the Hotel. The bowling alley is across the street. The planetarium is next to the bowling alley.

                                     
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