Teacher Rebecca F's Page

One of the best ways of introducing vocabulary is through reading from a variety of sources, whether it's newspapers or books. I like to introduce new vocabulary and then build on a new word by incorporating it through usage and even exploring words of similar meaning. Merriam Webster's visualdictionaryonline.com has been a great resource for finding images for a wide range of vocabulary words. I also like to use simpleenglishnews.com for simplified news stories. I also incorporate visuals as often as I can when introducing new vocabulary.

One of the best ways of learning a language is through immersion, where we use the various elements of a new language in functional ways, with conversation being one of the best methods of practicing language in a functional way. By exploring a student's interests, we can engage in coversation that is practical and meaningful. I always try to make sure that my speech is slow enough (based on the student's learning level) to give the student time to listen and process, taking special care to enunciate each word properly.

I like to explore with students how widely the pronunciation of consonants and vowels can vary in the English language, and then build on that with the various sounds created by pairs of consonants and vowels as well. I like to find creative ways to teach students how to recognize common sounds and then help them find ways to learn and memorize these common sounds. If I feel like a student is far enough along in their study, I'll introduce the phonemic chart to them as a helpful tool.

Because English can be such a difficult languageto learn, I believe a student can gain a firm foundation through learning and using proper grammar. Through the introduction of form, and by teaching how to recognize various forms of grammar, students can then build upon the meaning of those forms through context. Then through various exercises, they can practice the proper uses of these forms. I like to utilize as many grammar exercises as I can where a student can identify the various forms of grammar within a sentence, and then introduce activities that allow the student to use what they've learned in a practical context.