The Minimal Pair

Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: I Can't Be Bothered with Vowels Episode no: 016 Date: Recorded on 09/04/14 Topics in Language Learning Language snobbery English is spoken in many countries – so which is the “right” English? English has official/special status in 75 countries (2 billion speakers) Numbers and their implications: more non-native speakers than native speakers (probably…) ESL students from English-speaking countries: what does that say about us (the ESL programs)? Grammar snobbery There’s a time and a place to get it right (formal vs. informal English) Prescriptive grammar vs. descriptive grammar Privileges: education, class, race, L1 vs. L2, ability Language evolution Sources: LinkedIn Group: English Skills and Language: Discussion: “India is the single largest English speaking population on Earth. Do you agree?” (discussion started by GB Singh, 8/18/14) “FAQs The English Language” – British Council (http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-faq-the-english-language.htm) “Why Grammar Snobbery Has No Place in the Movement,” from 5/2/14 (http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/05/grammar-snobbery/) [20:50] Methodology PowerPoint PowerPoint, taboo? Pros Visual aid – especially helpful to visual learners Keeping the lesson on track/organized Accessible (can be saved in Bb and referred back to later) Interactive (sometimes… depends on who made it!) Student use Cons One-way learning/teacher-centered classroom Inhibits organic discussion Visual pollution/over-saturation of slides “Overly formal” vibe Over-simplifies the material (reduces critical thinking) Tips Guy Kawasaki’s 10, 20, 30 rule – 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font Keeping it simple – but not simplifying the material Make it interactive (to avoid “one-way learning) Spice it up! Set expectations (i.e., students shouldn’t just sit and copy from the slides) Take breaks Sources: “Does PowerPoint Help or Hinder Learning?” by Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/does-powerpoint-help-or-hinder-learning/) Blog post from Guy Kawasaki, December 30, 2005 (blog.guykawasaki.com) [41:35] Adjunct Antics Valuing Adjuncts The downside of being an adjunct Lower pay No retirement plan or benefits No job certainty/guarantee No/less input to department decisions “Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act” Student debt is a problem for most people, but adjuncts (who have less job certainty and low pay) have an especially hard time paying off their loans 2007 – Congress created PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness), to offer loan forgiveness to people in public and non-profit sectors Many adjuncts don’t qualify for PSLF because you have to work an average of 30 hours a week/year, and adjuncts don’t always get enough hours The Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act would allow adjuncts to access PSLF, regardless of hours worked Sources: “Adjunct faculty exploring unionization,” by Koran Addo, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/adjunct-faculty-exploring-unionization/article_5691bb7b-08b7-5f36-9e48-c52544c840c8.html) “Big News: Sen. Dick Durbin Introduces Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act,” from Adjunct Action (http://adjunctaction.org/2014/07/big-news-sen-dick-durbin-introduces-adjunct-faculty-loan-fairness-act/)

Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: A Slogan is Born Episode no: 015 Date: Recorded on 8/12/14 Topics in Language Learning Always “on” What do we mean by “on”? When is it hard to be “on”? How do we stay “on” in challenging situations? Take a deep breath! Set the timer Fake it ‘til you make it Remember, you’re human Call in reinforcements Don’t be afraid to say no [17:20] Methodology Breathing new life into a course Why is it necessary? How do you know it’s time? What should you do? What should you not do? Did it work? [28:10] Adjunct Antics… Getting ready for a new semester Coordinating your schedule Waiting for classes to “make” Last minute changes Creating a syllabus/schedule Gathering materials Getting familiar with new systems/schools SHOUT OUTS: Program coordinators and department secretaries…and adjuncts, of course!! Especially to Julie Heyer, for her cheerful disposition, positive attitude, and suggesting our slogan “keep it minimal.”

Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: What is the last P in PARSNIP? Episode no: 014 Date: Recorded on 8/7/14 Topics in Language Learning EFL vs. ESL What’s the difference? EFL – English as a Foreign Language is taught to a mostly homogenous group of ELLs in a non-English speaking country ESL – English as a Second Language is taught to any group of ELLs, primarily immigrants, in an English speaking country) Objectives EFL Less urgency/ irrelevant to daily routine – speakers don’t need English in their everyday lives Topical– literature, cinema, art, culture, conversation, etc. are all courses that could be offered ESL More urgency/practical – speakers need to use English to survive, so they’re less concerned with technicalities Holistic – communication skills, reading, writing, ESP, “big picture”/long-term purposes Our experiences… Planning/preparation: EFL Focus on practice, especially speaking, pronunciation, and conversation Exposure to authentic English Reasons/motivation ESL Hands on/suitable for immediate needs Explicit cultural instruction Integration Sources: Oxford University Press, English Language Teaching Global Blog, article by Kate Bell – oupeltglobalblog.com Teaching ESL to Adults – www.teaching-esl-to-adults.com [19:00] Methodology Audio learners Identifying auditory learners Good memory for conversations, jokes, music, lyrics, etc. Enjoy discussion, debate, conversation, listening to music, etc. Sing/hum/whistle to themselves Prefer oral presentations to written reports May read slowly and/or have trouble interpreting graphs, maps, charts, etc. Teaching Tips Beginning Read directions aloud (while projecting them on the board or providing a handout) Paraphrase/restate directions, especially difficult words Allow students to record lectures Word association/verbal mapping Reading aloud (alone or with someone) Books on tape Mnemonic devices, like PARSNIP (stay tuned!) Intermediate Assigning oral presentations to supplement written work Incorporating music and videos to supplement reading/lecture Allow students to record lectures Word association/verbal mapping Reading groups to share/supplement written journals Advanced Assigning oral presentations to supplement written work “What questions do you have?” (rather than “Do you have any questions?”) Ask them questions, too Encourage active participation so students get a variety of input from people with different backgrounds, levels of fluency, accents, etc. Listening to/creating podcasts Source: The Study Gurus, “Study Advice for Auditory Learners,” article by Clare – www.thestudygurus.com [38:57] Culturally speaking… Taboo topics PARSNIP Politics Alcohol Religion Sex Narcotics –isms What does the last P in PARSNIP stand for? Tips for teachers – countdown: 5. Raising cultural awareness 4. Know your audience 3. Warm, but not hot (let them discuss something without it getting too heated) 2. R-E-S-P-E-C-T 1. Keep it neutral Source: LinkedIn Group, TESOL International Association, discussion started by Anes Abdelrahim Mohamed on July 4th

The Minimal Pair: Episode 013 Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: Tweet Me in St. Louie Episode no: 013 Date: Recorded on 7/2/14 & 7/6/14 Topics in Language Learning Technology in the classroom Digital divide What is it? Effects students and teachers Challenging classroom roles How do tech skills help make students and teachers more marketable? Tech controversy Is technology replacing teaching? When Sugata Mitra gave slum kids a computer, they learned how to use it on their own… Should the Internet be included in curricula? Why ask students to leave their devices outside? Are we excluding the Internet from classrooms? Is this controversy fueling the digital divide? Sources: http://eltchat.org/wordpress/summary/sugata-mitra-and-the-future-of-teaching-an-eltchat-summary 090414/?utm_content=buffer3dce3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/archives/technology.shtml http://www.usnews.com/education/technology-in-the-classroom http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/technology-in-the-classroom/ http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html [19:45] Methodology Twitter What is Web 2.0? When should a teacher use it? What issues exist? Suggestions for new users? Thanks again to Nate Soelberg for talking to us about Twitter!! You can reach him at @MrNatethteacher Until next time, keep it minimal…and TWEET ME IN ST. LOUIE!

The Minimal Pair: Episode 012 Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: “Where can I get a Brazilian wax?” Episode no: 012 Date: Recorded on 6/25/14 Topics in Language Learning English for Specific Purposes Sources: http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/elp-esp http://iteslj.org/Articles/Gatehouse-ESP.html http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/teaching-english-for-specific-purposes-esp.html What is it? How is it different from ESL? (from UsingEnglish.com) Types of learners Types of instruction Learner motivation What are “specific purposes”? Business Law Architecture Engineering Medicine Tourism Restaurant industry Instructor responsibilities (from UsingEnglish.com) and challenges Setting goals Learning environment Evaluating students Who is qualified to teach it? Is a TESL certification enough? Do instructors with content specific backgrounds (like an MBA or J.D.) have an advantage? [19:10] Methodology Authentic situations Online presence Email Social media Students who are new to the country and dealing with lots of “real-world” issues Finding housing Setting up utilities Figuring out public transportation; getting cars and driver’s licenses Getting acquainted with a new city: what to do, where to go for fun, etc. Overlooked things: where to get a haircut, how American pharmacies work, etc. Remaining approachable; validating their challenges Having authentic situations in ESP classes Product pitch Writing emails Good news vs. bad news Requests & reminders Job interviews “Water-cooler” conversation skills Book recommendation: Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People (by Craig Storti) [36:15] Culturally speaking… High-context vs. low-context cultures Sources: http://www.marin.edu/buscom/index_files/Page605.htm Worldwide ERC What’s the difference? High-context – indirect (Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America) Less likely to share thoughts and feelings Stress expressed non-verbally or accidentally Conversation is monotone (lack of inflection and enthusiasm) Communication is indirect (evasive, talking around the point, tactful, ambiguous) Conflict (harmony valued) Low-context – direct (North America, most of Western Europe) More open with thoughts and feelings Don’t hide stress/tension Conversation is enthusiastic Communication is direct (precise, blunt, to the point) Conflict is a means of expressing (and having pride for) personal opinion Tips for teachers Make students aware of the difference (validate both) Be specific with directions for assignments (putting it on paper helps indirect communicators) Modeling being direct (i.e. through teacher feedback) Prefacing authentic situations with a discussion about being direct vs. indirect Encouraging classroom participation (challenging for indirect communicators) Students who want to tell the teacher how to teach

Click here to listen to The Minimal Pair: Episode 011 Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words! Episode no: 011 Date: Recorded on 5/29/14 Topics in Language Learning Classroom Management Source: The English Skills Learning Center blog: “Tips on Classroom Management for Adult ELL classes” http://www.eslcenter.org/about-us/blog/103-tips-on-classroom-management-for-adult-ell-classes Classroom management—what and why? Challenges of teaching different age groups and cultural backgrounds in the same classroom Challenges of “mixed classrooms”—English and ESL Different college settings (Community college, 4 year college, grad school) The 7 tips the English Skills Center blog shares in their article, and how we implement them in the classroom: Make class expectations clear and realistic and stick to them Be consistent: set class routines that students can become familiar with Find a balance between being your students’ teacher and being their friend (respected vs. approachable) Work to engage all the students while teaching. Don’t base the pace of an entire class on one or two students Use interactive activities and open-ended questions as a chance to check student comprehension Ask for student feedback and incorporate it as appropriate for everyone Recognize that some discipline concerns need to be addressed immediately, while others are better done individually after class Plus, 3 more tips (from us) for an even 10! Follow the “golden rule”—treat students with the same respect you expect from them Don’t shame students into submission, participation, etc. (Brene Brown) Address different learning styles (in addition to pace) in order to reach everyone [18:04] Methodology Visual learners FYI: listen to future episodes for similar segments about audio learners and kinesthetic learners! Source: Adam Simpson’s blog, “Teach them English,” http://www.teachthemenglish.com/2014/05/using-infographics-to-teach-language-the-why-how-and-where/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Beginning English Picto-wikis Infographic Timeline of events in a story Illustrating student work Diagrams: Venn diagrams, columns, thought-webs Building blocks of English writing (bottom of pyramid) Intermediate English Building blocks of English writing (top of pyramid) Outlining essays (outline as a “blueprint”) Videos (i.e. “School House Rock” for Grammar) Powerpoints (a picture is worth a thousand words—being succinct; animations—giving students a chance to answer first) Presentations (posters, Powerpoints, passed objects, etc.) Graffiti Advanced English Research presentations (Powerpoint and beyond) Videos (for the student and by the student) Including pictures in wikis (literal and abstract) Picture outline (a picture for each point) [32:40] Culturally speaking… English-only debate Immigration issue Preserving L1/living in predominantly L1 communities Learning the spoken language of new country and letting go of L1 Actively integrating both in daily life Language and identity First-generation Americans Kids caught between cultures 3rd culture kids Role reversal in immigrant families Multilingual countries The linguistic divide can cause political/cultural tension (i.e. Quebec) Language status (English vs. anything in the U.S.) Countries that were formally colonized and the linguistic implication English as the official language of the U.S. The U.S. does not have an official language English’s status in the U.S. as the “unofficial official language” Should the U.S. have an official language? What should it be? Should/could there be more than one? Is this an issue to be decided at a state or federal level? Check us out on twitter, FB, gmail Keep it minimal!

Click here to listen to The Minimal Pair: Episode 010 Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: Don't Box Them In Episode no: 010 Date: Recorded on 5/30/14 Topics in Language Learning Introverts/Passive Learning Sources: “Passive Learners vs. Introverts—A comment,” by Naomi Epstein (from the blog Visualizing Ideas) #ELTChat Summary from May 7th 2014—“How we deal with passive learners,” compiled by Lizzie Pinard Talking points from both sources and our experiences: Distinction between “introverts” and “passive learners” Introverts didn’t raise their hands, but were clearly listening; rather than conforming to the expected learning behavior, they adapt their own Passive learners seem completely disengaged from the lesson; often don’t know what’s going on, when things are due, and how to complete assignments Motivation Students who have to be there vs. students who want to be there Age and life experience as factors in student beahvior Avoiding labels, targeting the problem “Introvert” and “passive” are not mutually exclusive Not important to argue over definitions or positive & negative connotations of each More important to focus on the behaviors inherent to both/all kinds of learners and how to make space for them in the classroom Our tips: Introverts Variety of activities (i.e. speaking vs. writing) Take it slow (build up to oral participation & give them time to think before responding) Partner work (gives them a space to build confidence) Passive Learners Meeting them where they are (trying to get them to see it from their perspective) Academic contract Frequent conferences How our tips support distinguishing between the two,… …but don’t “box them in!” [24:30] Methodology Journaling What Informal assessment Homework/in-class Who Academic English students Listening & pronunciation students Grammar? Why Reading comprehension Summarizing, paraphrasing, & plagiarism Vocabulary building Description, Analysis, Self-reflection Real world participation incentive Progress monitoring When & Where At home vs. in class Before reading vs. after Testing situations Extra credit How Side-by-side Quote-paraphrase-reflect Vocabulary Listening comp. Group work STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) journals Daily reflections [45:20] Culturally speaking… Cross-cultural communication Source: DFA Intercultural Global Solutions, LLC http://dfaintercultural.com/top-10-tips-for-communicating-with-anyone-in-the-world/ What are Dean Foster’s tips and how do we use them in the classroom? Take your time – Ask the other speaker to slow down – Keep it simple – Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Avoid baseball English – Skip the acronyms – Don’t ask yes/no questions – Get rid of double negatives – Talk to more than one person – Start formal – Pay attention to the non-verbal – Be respectful, be interested, & be humble SHOUT OUTS: #ELTchat and everyone who participated in the conversation, especially Naomi Epstein and Lizzie Pinard) YOU our listeners! Thanks! Adjunct Action! Keep it minimal!

The Minimal Pair: Episode 009 Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: DO Talk to Strangers Episode no: 009 Date: Recorded on 5/16/14 Topics in Language Learning Tutoring/student support Inspired by the article “Minimalist Tutoring: Making Students Do All the Work,” by Jeff Brooks of Seattle Pacific University (https://docs.google.com/document/d/18iposMnhBlTZIKhZ_s2gpgtfnd5-XV_nBRabuv44o3w/edit?hl=en_US) Talking points: Teaching students to fish Improve the student, not the paper Helping vs. editing Goal of writing a paper? Student ownership (both of their writing and their mistakes) “Basic Minimalist Tutoring” Tips: Sit beside the student Have the student be closer to the paper than you are Position yourself so that it’s not convenient to try to write on the paper; don’t bring a pen Have the student read the paper (so they’re not excluded) “Advanced Minimalist Tutoring” Tips: Concentrate on the paper’s strengths Ask “leading questions” Give the student a task, leave him/her alone, come back to check in “Defensive Minimalist Tutoring” Tips: Imitate student body language to show deference Be honest: “This is your paper, not mine!” [23:00] Methodology Small talk Our experiences… Why should we teach it? “Making space for English”—shout out to Anna Loseva The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine  How can we incorporate it into our classrooms? 5 Tips for Students: Do talk to strangers Keep it light Being engaged Closing the conversation Reflect [40:40] Culturally speaking… Group work Why group work? How do we determine groups? Factors to consider and why: skill level, confidence/personality, age, gender, language background, religious/cultural background… The importance of teaching students how to be students in an American classroom SHOUT OUTS: Jeff Brooks of Seattle Pacific University & Anna Loseva @AnnLoseva 

The Minimal Pair: Episode 008  Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: The Little Episode That Could Episode no: 008 Date: Recorded on 5/8/14 Introduction: So, it’s finals time…how are you holding up? Topics in Language Learning Students’ perception of their own performance: Students who think they are doing fine/don’t seem worried, but are failing Students who are doing fine, but constantly worry about their grades Students who wait until the very end of the semester to ask what they can do about their grade Students who didn’t do the original work, but want extra credit Students reactions to final grades [17:04] Methodology How to deal with a test/writing prompt that doesn’t go as planned… The test takes longer than anticipated Give them extra time? But what if another class is coming in…? The test results were lower than expected: was it too challenging? How to decide: Look at scores overall: did everyone do poorly? Look at individual scores: did anyone do drastically worse than they did on previous tests? Adjusting scores for tests that were deemed disastrous Avoiding the same mistakes in the future/gauging the length of time and level of difficulty of future tests [32:27] Adjunct Antics Career Adjunct? Being an adjunct wasn’t meant to be a career, yet that’s what it is for many people Feeling like a second-class citizen Unions: the solution? Or part of the problem? SHOUT OUTS: Dan Clark, thanks for listening and giving us positive feedback on the quality of our recording—it means a lot, coming from a fellow pod-caster (First World Podcast). Also, I have a HUGE shout out to Stephanie, for figuring out our microphone problem so that we could record tonight, against all odds. This truly was the “little episode that could.”

The Minimal Pair: Episode 007 Show Notes: The Minimal Pair Title: The Ball is Pretty Episode no: 007 Date: 4/21/14 Topics in Language Learning Student attendance & making up work Importance of coming to class, especially in a second-language classroom Reasons for absences; where do we draw the line? Attendance policy Homework that’s due on the day that class is missed Making up what was missed (including assessments) [20:18] Methodology On the lighter side: fun things we’ve done and would like to do! Games Ice-breaker Mad libs The Minimal Pair game Taboo Simon Says… “Speed” vocabulary BINGO Music “School House Rocks” Conditionals & modals, YouTube compilations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBIawQGe-88 Azar song lessons: http://www.azargrammar.com/materials/uueg/UUEG_SongLessons.html Count & non-count nouns (My Favorite Things) Conditionals (If I Had a Hammer or Octupus’ Garden) Vocabulary cloze Role play/dramatizations Lower Academic English Point-of-View Pronunciation [38:28] Adjunct Antics/Culturally speaking… When worlds collide: varied perspectives in the classroom Modals: “should/shouldn’t” discussion “Food for thought”: how sharing food opened a discussion on cultural differences “Diversity theme” in a diverse classroom Culturally informed opinions about lecture topics Keep it minimal!