Re: Using songs in ESOL.

I have successfully used the Susan Vega song, "Tom's Diner" to teach prepositions of place.  Most students are already familiar with the tune. 

The first four stanzas are especially relevant:

I
am sitting

In the morning

At the diner

On the corner



I am waiting

At the counter

For the man

To pour the coffee



And he fills it

Only halfway

And before

I even argue



He is looking

Out the window

At somebody

Coming in

etc......



The techniques I have used include: 

1. Using the lyrics as a prepositions cloze exercise handout.
2. I replay and rewind the stanzas as often as the students request. 
3. For homework, they must complete the rest of the cloze ex.  I burn a CD copy of the song for each student to take home, presenting to them at the end of class, and they are VERY pleased.
4. During the following class, we listen more and review the homework. Other grammar points will inevitably come up. So, once the prepositions are relatively mastered, I give them an alternate cloze ex handout using the same song, but this time for all the verbs.  

I have also had great success using the Drifter's song, "Under the Boardwalk" with similar methods.  


/Kearney Lykins
   


----- Original Message ----
From: Paul Rogers <pumarosa21 at yahoo.com>
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, August 8, 2007 12:23:04 PM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1644]  using songs

Below is an essay I wrote  the use of songs in an ESL class of intermediate or advanced students. For beginning students I use rhymes such as ... Mother Goose! ...and the old popular songs such as The Hokey Pokey and I've Been Working on The Railroad.
  Paul Rogers
   
    The Use Of Songs To Teach Grammar and Pronunciation in ESL Classes, by Paul Rogers, January, 2000
      
 For those constantly seeking materials to use in the classroom, here is an article on the use of songs to teach pronunciation and grammar to Spanish speaking (and other) students. 
  Paul Rogers
   
  Summary - 
       Popular songs, such as those of  The Beatles, can be very effective in teaching English pronunciation and grammar in ESL classes. Many students from Latin American countries, especially Mexico, have already attended classes in which they have learned basic vocabulary and grammar, and they are capable of translating English to Spanish. But, unfortunately,  these students also cannot or
 are reluctant to speak English due in great part to difficulties in pronunciation of certain sounds. These difficulties in pronunciation seem to “cause” the students to feel  hesitant to attempt to speak English. Conversely, when the students learn English pronunciation to a certain extent, this hesitancy to speak  English decreases.
   
  Methods used in the classroom  
  A. The following letters or sounds have been found to be particularly
  difficult for Spanish speaking students:
  1. the short i and u
  2.  the soft g
 and the j
  3. th
  4. v (as distinct from b)
  5. y  (as distinct from j)
  6. gh words (e.g, though
 versus through, thought, etc.)
  7. the three pronunciations of the past tense of regular verbs (e.g.
  looked, lived, constructed)
  8. There is a tendency for Spanish speaking students to pronounce an e before s in words beginning with s and followed by a consonant (e.g. student, school).. 
   
   
   
  B. To begin with, it is explained to the class in Spanish that for a
  month or so the classes will focus on pronunciation using songs as the material to be “studied” and as homework. It is also explained that a lack of ability or confidence in pronouncing English is “normal” because the pronunciation of English is difficult for  the following reasons:
  1. The previous teachers concentrated on  vocabulary, grammar and
  translating.  
  2. There are certain sounds in English which do not exist in Spanish,
  like the short i, short u, etc.
  3. Unlike Spanish, English words are not pronounced the way they are spelled because English is a language consisting of  many words from
 Latin, Greek, German, Dutch, French, etc.
  4. And sometimes the pronunciation is very comical and people may feel “stupid” speaking English.
   
  D. In a humorous way, examples of  making various sounds are then
  demonstrated, followed by a class exercise (for example, TH - “the three thirsty boys drink the soda”).    
   
  E. A song is then written on the blackboard to be copied,  followed by a translation. Some of the more popular songs are:  “Stand By Me”,
  “Unchained Melody”, “”Yesterday”, and “Saw Her Standing There.”   .
   
  F. The song is played once.
   
  G. The teacher reads the song out loud with the students reciting after the teacher.
   
  H. Certain words containing problem sounds are repeated by each student 2
  or 3 times.
   
  I. A brief grammar lesson is given.
   
  J. The song is played again with the
 students being encouraged to sing along.
   
  K. Cassettes are loaned to those students who wish to listen to the songs as “homework.”
   
  I. Students are encouraged to bring in a cassette of their favorite
  songs.
   
   
   
  An Example: “Saw Her Standing There”
      There are many different pronunciation and grammar lessons contained in the Beatles’ song, “Saw her Standing There.”  
   
  A.  The pronunciation exercises include:
  1. “TH” - with vibration, there, the , that, without vibration, through.
  2.  “j” - just
  3. 
 the “t” sound of various regular verbs - looked, crossed, danced. 
  4. “V” - love
  5.  gh words - through, night, tight
   
  B. Grammar lessons include:
  1. The past tense of irregular verbs - saw, was, went, held, fell.
  2. The use of could and would.
  3. The use of the apostrophe - I’d, wouldn’t, I’ll.
  4. The use of will - I’ll.
   
  C. “Saw Her Standing There” - by The Beatles       
  Well, she was just seventeen,
  And you know what I mean -
  The way she looked was way beyond compare.
  So how could I dance with another
  When I was her standing there?
   
  Well, she looked at me, 
  And I, I could see, that before too long
  I’d fall in love with her.
  She wouldn’t dance with another
  When I saw her standing there.
   
  Oh, my heart went BOOM
  When I crossed that room,
  And I held her hand in mine.
   
  We danced through the night,
  And we held each other tight,
  And before too long
  I fell in love with her.
  Now I’ll never dance with another
  When I saw her standing
 there.
   
  Discussion
   
       I
 have been teaching English to Mexican students for about 7 years both in the United States and in Mexico.  Usually, I used a few bilingual texts which I wrote myself, primarily a grammar exercise book, a text on pronunciation rules and exercises, and several graded readers. 
       In January of 1999, I began to teach 8 classes at a private school
  which is both a High School and a Junior Technical College. The 8 classes consisted of between 25 and 35 students, and the grade levels were between the 10th and 14th. Each class also contained  students of various levels of English proficiency.                                           
            There were no textbooks, nor any curriculum to be followed, so that I was “on my own” and needed  to   develop a curriculum that was both instructive and interesting. Previously I had used songs and poems in some classes, but not in an organized or planned way. Faced with more than 200 students who seemed to know the basics of English grammar but could not or would not speak English, I introduced the “study” of songs at first to hold the students’ attention. 
       The initial success of this approach  led me to conclude that I
  should base the curriculum almost totally on songs, at least until the
  majority of the students had learned how to pronounce English relatively well.  After a few months, not only had the students’ pronunciation improved, but their overall interest in speaking and learning English increased. 
      I have found that there are a number of advantages to using songs as an important part of any curriculum. First, there is an infinite supply of songs, an important consideration for those teachers who have a limited supply of materials. And permission to use songs which are copyrighted is not necessary under the “Fair Use” clause which permits material to be used as long as the purpose is educational and there is no profit made. Many songs are well written and can be considered to be good
  examples of English poetry. All students in the
 US and along the border are exposed to English songs on the radio, especially the Oldies which apparently are making a “comeback”  in popularity among young people.
       Needless to say, the students know a number of songs already, and usually need to translate them and practice the pronunciation. Playing songs in a classroom setting is an excellent way to establish rapport and introduce
 fun into learning English. Plus “active learning” evolves naturally as students begin to bring in their own songs and form their own singing groups.  In addition, adult students usually work and have families, and can therefore keep up with the class simply by listening to the radio or a cassette with the songs being studied. 
       I have also found that the use of songs creates an atmosphere of
  interest in the study of English, and can lead to a change
 from a
  “teacher centered” to a “student centered” class.  And, at a certain
  point, small groups are formed by the students with the more advanced students acting as teacher’s aides or even as para-professionals.
       In addition, using songs is a
 good way to gradually introduce
  English Only instruction, which can begin probably after a month or so. In this case, students began to request that I speak more in English. In other words, their motivation and interest in listening to English had increased. 
       The songs can also be used as Dictations in lessons to teach writing in English. And they can be used in an “open book exam” to test for vocabulary and grammar rules.
       
  Conclusion
       Learning a language involves learning how to understand, pronounce, speak, read and write in that language. Because of a number of factors, there is a tendency for Spanish speaking students to know how to read and write in English to a certain extent, but their skill in speaking is
 hindered by a number of pronunciation difficulties. The acquisition of fluency and literacy in English, therefore, is affected so that the students’ progress is slowed unnecessarily. The “study” of popular songs in the class is a very effective tool  in leaning English pronunciation, as well as grammar, and therefore can lead to a more efficient acquisition of English. 
   
   
           Developing Texts and Educational Materials 
           for Teaching English to Adult Mexican Immigrants
   
  by Paul Rogers, May 6, 1998
   
  1. Introduction
  In general, there is an increase in the need to teach ESL in the
 United
  States as more and more immigrants, primarily from Mexico, enter the
  country. In addition there seems to be an increase in the interest in
  learning English in other countries, particularly in Latin America. 
  However, a cursory view of the texts available for students reveals a
  need in that area also.
  The purpose of this paper is to explore the use and development of texts
  and other materials, such as audio and video tapes, in the context of
  teaching Beginning and Intermediate English to adult Mexican immigrants
  in bilingual classes.
   
  2. Description of the Population
  The students targeted in this discussion are Spanish speaking adults
  primarily from Mexico and now residing in the United States. The age
  range of these students is from 21 on up and the educational background
  varies. These students usually work in minimum wage jobs as laborers.
  Their knowledge of  English ranges from Beginners who know a few words or
  phrases of “survival English” to  Intermediate or Advanced Beginner
  students who have acquired a vocabulary, etc. through several years of
  English instruction in their native countries or from adult ESL classes
  in America.  These students attend one or one and a half hour classes 1
  to 4 times per week at night in an adult education setting or in a Home
  Study tutorial setting.
   
  3. Some Basic Premises
  A. Fluency versus Literacy 
  Fluency is here defined as the ability to speak a language.
  Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write.
  The goal of teaching (and learning) English should be competency in
  fluency and literacy.
  In addition, it must be stressed that the ability to listen to a foreign
  language and understand the majority of the words spoken should not be
  underestimated and also needs to be “taught.” 
  And, finally, learning how to communicate or “get around” is a component
  part of the beginning stage.
  B. Length of Time Needed
  According to Collier and Cummings (see
 Bibliography) the length of time
  needed  to learn a foreign language is between 5 and 7 years. This figure
  is usually given with respect to children in an elementary school program
  who also have the opportunity to interact and communicate with native
  English speakers every day. At the present time there does not seem to be
  any research on how long an adult would require to learn English in the
  context of adult evening classes. Therefore it must be assumed that 5 to
  7 years would be the minimum amount of time expected.
  C. Step by Step, or “Graded” Learning Process
  Just as in the learning of other subjects, such as math, biology,
  chemistry or history, learning English progresses in stages from a lower
  to higher level. Therefore, the texts and materials used should allow the
  student to learn step by step through the gradual increase in complexity.
  Such an approach can be called a “graded” approach, and the texts “Graded
  Readers.”
  D. Bilingual Classes or English Only Classes (The Direct Method)?
  The author prefers a bilingual approach to teaching English for a number
  of reasons:
  1. To facilitate  explanations.
  2. To build rapport among students.
  3. To create an atmosphere of relaxation and “comfortableness.”
  4. To allow for team learning.
  5. To create cross cultural respect.
  The rationale for English Only classes is clearly related to availability
  of multi-lingual teachers. But at the same time, the author learned
  German in a German Only class many years ago, which was
 based on a Graded
  Reader method and which was very effective (see Appendix A). 
  It is the author’s opinion that bilingual texts can also be used in an
  “English Only” classroom setting . In addition, the texts can also used
  by the teacher to learn Spanish.
  E. Student Ownership Of Texts
  In this paper it is assumed that it is better for a student to own the
  textbooks and materials than not to own texts. It is the author’s belief
  that personal ownership adds to the student’s sense of importance and
  self-esteem, along with incentive to study at home. Yet from the author’s
  own experience and research, there seems to be a tendency for teachers to
  offer photocopied “worksheets” instead of textbooks and materials.
  Perhaps this method is a result of the fact that state sponsored ESL
  classes are free to the students and therefore there are funding
  considerations. In that event, perhaps textbooks and materials could be
  distributed in the context of a library loan. In any case, it is argued
  here that students should have access to an adequate amount of
  appropriate material for the study of English.
  It is the opinion of the author that students should also pay a minimum
  fee for classes.
   
  3. Description of Texts and Materials Developed by The Author
  The following texts were created by the author while teaching English in
  Mexico for 2 years and have been revised while teaching in the United
  States for the past year. 
  In general, the average student takes about 50 hours to complete the
  study and exercises of these texts.
   A. “Introduccion a Ingles” - “Introduction to English” ( for Beginners)
  50 pages.
        The text is completely bilingual and consists of  20 chapters of 
  basic vocabulary for what is considered “survival English” with most of
  the English words also spelled phonetically (Spanish accents are omitted
  in this paper). During class, each student reads the lessons out loud
  either individually or repeating after the teacher.
  The Chapters are:
   1. An Overview of English/Spanish Cognates
 emphasizing
    a. words that are spelled the same
    b. the ending “mente” changes to “ly” - 
        rapidamente, rapidly.
    c. the ending “cion” changes to “tion”
        atencion, attention
    d. the ending “ia” changes to “e”
        policia, police
     e. or the ending “ia” changes to “y”
        historia, history
  2. The Alphabet
  a. The pronunciation of the letters 
  b. “How do you spell...” with a list of 20 words to be used in an oral
  exercise.
  c. Exercises in the Basic Pronunciation of letters and certain
  combinations:
     1. List of letters pronounced the same in English as in Spanish
     2. Letters pronounced differently:
          A. The consonants G, H, J, Q, V, X, Y
          B. The vowels, long and short sound differences especially with
  the ending “e.”
          C. Combinations:
            1. “TH”
            2. “IGH”       
          D. “S” followed by a consonant as a special exercise for Latino
  students who have a tendency to pronounce an “e” before the “s.”  
  3. The Numbers, 1 to 1 million.
    A. “How much is ...?” - oral exercise.
    B. “What Time is it?” - oral exercise with vocabulary list.
  4.  Days, Months, and Seasons of the Year.
     A. “What is the date ...?” exercise
  5. Greetings and Salutations
  6. Food Vocabulary
     A. “How much does it cost? exercise with vocabulary
  7. “At the market” vocabulary.
  8. Directions
    A. “Where is..” exercise.
  9. Questions
      A. Who, what, when, where, why vocabulary.
       B. “What would you like, what do you want?” exercise.
  10. Colors
  11. Useful or commonly used verbs and commands.
  12. “How do you say...?”
    A. A translation of  dozens of common phrases
  13. Adjectives and first “grammar” lesson on the placement of adjectives
  in English.
  14. The Family Members
  15. The House
  16. Parts of the Body
  17. Present, Past and Future Tense of “To Be”.
  18. 300 of the most commonly used words in English
  19. More Pronunciation exercises of “problem areas” for Spanish speaking
  students:
    A. J and soft G
    B. OO
    C. short I
    D. Difference between V and B
    E. Short U
    F. IGH
    G. OUGH
    H. Difference between SH and CH
  20. Written test.
  Completion of this text should take no more than 20 hours.
    
 
  B. “La Gramatica Ingles” - “English Grammar” - 40 pages
  This bilingual text is usually studied by the student after the
  Introduction. “La Gramatica”
  does not include phonetically spelled words and the presentation of  the
  lessons is in order of priorities and difficulty, explained in Spanish
  and followed by exercises to be completed in writing. Usually contrasts
  and comparisons between Spanish and English are explained. The
 answers to
  the exercises are in the back of the book.
  The Chapters are:
  1. Adjectives
  2. Pronouns
    a. Contractions
  3. The Present tense of the Verb “To be.”
    a. The use of the infinitive
    b. Asking and Answering questions
  4. The Articles 
  5. Present tense
  6. Asking and Answering Questions: The Use of “Do” and “Does”
  7. The Past Tense
  8. Asking and Answering Questions: The Use of “Did” 
   a. The Pronunciation of the 3 sounds of the Past Tense, “T” - “ED” - “D”
  9. The Most Common Irregular Verbs
  10. The Future Tense
  11. Asking and Answering Questions: The Uses of “Will” and “Shall”
  12. Commands
  13. The Gerund
  14. Present Progressive Tense
  15. Past  Progressive Tense
  16. Future Progressive Tense
  17. Perfect Tenses - Present, Past, Future
  18. The Subjunctive Tense
  19. Would, Could, Should, Can, May, Might
  20. The List of Irregular Verbs Divided into Five Groups
  21. Prepositions and Indefinite
 Pronouns
  22. Answers to exercises.
   
  C. Graded Readers
  A “Graded Reader” is a textbook which uses essays or articles
 which
  increase in difficulty in a progressive manner. The students are asked to
  write a translation of the text as homework, and during class each
  student reads the lessons out loud as an exercise. 
  For example, a text on English might include the following as the first
  few sentences for study in Chapter One:
  “John is a student. He is in the fifth grade. John studies English, math,
  science, and history. He likes school, and he likes his teacher,
 Mrs.
  Smith.”
  Chapter One would include the basic vocabulary, short lessons on
  cognates, the placement of adjectives, and the present tense, along with
  a pronunciation drill on the sound of TH. 
  Lesson Fifteen might include the following:
  “As John was walking to school on Thursday, he realized that he left his
  homework in his house. Therefore he thought that it would be better to
  return immediately. Upon arriving home, his mother asked him why he had
  returned.”
  In Chapter Fifteen the grammar lesson would include the comparisons of
  the past progressive, simple past, and pluperfect tenses, an exercise
 on
  irregular verbs, and  a pronunciation drill on the short U sound.
  Obviously, the chapters in between one and fifteen increase in complexity
  gradually - or in a gradation.
  There are 2 Graded Readers already in use, “Ricardo Y Su Familia” -
  “Richard and His Family,” and “La Historia de los Estados Unidos” - “The
  History of the United States” which also can be used in citizenship
  classes.
   1. “Ricardo Y Su Familia” consists of 20 lessons with a bilingual
  vocabulary of difficult words. Each essay is about 100 to 150 words long 
  which are written with emphasis on the use of cognates. The text is
  basically a story about a Mexican-American boy named Ricardo who lives in
  Santa Barbara, California with his family. The chapters are about what he
  learns in school, the adventures of his brother, the businessman, as he
  travels throughout Mexico on business, and other, day-to-day experiences
  of various members of the family.
 
 2. “La Historia de Los Estados Unidos” consists of 40 lessons on American
  History with a focus on the material needed to be learned for the U.S.
  Citizenship Test. Each lesson is about 100 to 150 words long also. The
  first 17 chapters include a bilingual vocabulary, whereas the last 23
  lessons omit the vocabulary leaving that task up to the students.
   
  D. “La Pronunciacion de Ingles “ - “English Pronunciation” - 22 pages
  Many Spanish speaking students from Mexico and Latin America have either
  studied English in grammar school for a year or two or have begun to
  study English here in he United States using any of the various
  “self-teaching” English courses for sale in stores or have availed
  themselves of the classes sponsored by adult education.
  >From the author’s observation, one of the most common problems that
  beginning and intermediate students of English share is difficulty in
  pronunciation of at least ten sounds in English. Therefore, as an
  integral and key element in the texts and materials, concentration and
  drill on pronunciation can become part of any lesson until pronunciation
  is mastered by the student enough so that the student feels comfortable
  speaking English, or speaks English with increasing confidence.
   
   
  “La Pronunciacion de Ingles”  consists of the following chapters:
  1. The Alphabet, etc. - or the same material covered in the first chapter
  of the
 Introduction:
  same sounding letters, differences in vowels and consonants, and
  combinations.
  2. 13 Rules of Pronunciation for Spanish Speakers
   TH
   J, G
   I
   V, B
   S followed by consonant
   E at the end of the word
   U
   OUGH
   IGH
   AI
   SH
   OO
  3. 30 groups of Cognates
  4. Words that Confuse (homophones, minimum pairs, etc.)
  Examples-close, close, clothes; bat, but; ship, chip...
  5. Homonyms
  6. The 3 sounds of the Past Tense (“T”- “ED” - “D”)
   
  E. Other Materials
   1. Flash Cards. Students are expected to make their own flash cards of
  the vocabulary or lesson that needs the most work.
   2. Audio tapes. Each of the texts above is accompanied by an audio
  cassette which the students can listen to at home and which the
 teacher
  can sometimes play to the class or to a small group within the class.
   3. Video tapes. Except for “la Gramatica” the texts have been videotaped
  using the monitor of a word processor as the screen, with a voice over
  reading the text.
  4. Miscellaneous: songs, poems, “dictados” or dictations, dialogs, and
  skits are also part of the materials list.
   
  F. New Materials in Progress
  1. Textbooks:
    a. “English Today - Conversational English for Beginners”
  This text will be (or is becoming) an extension of “Introduction
 to
  English” with more written exercises to be included.
     b. “Ricardo and His Family” will  include Grammar lessons from “La
  Gramatica” in a shortened version, and pronunciation drills from “La
  Pronunciation de Ingles” along with  short questions to be answered in
  writing. Civic lessons which are part of the Citizenship test will also
  be included.
    c. “La Gramatica” as a text will be shortened so that it is more like a
  glossary or reference.
    d. “La Historia de Los Estados Unidos”  will be modified so as to be
  the answers to the “100 Questions” which are
 part of the Citizenship
  test. Also, pronunciation drills and grammar lessons will be included in
  the appendixes.
  2. Audio-tapes:
     All the texts except for “La Gramatica” will be made into audio-tapes.
  3. Video-tapes:
      A series based upon “English Today...” will be put on video tape
  using the “roving camera” technique. For example, 
 in the section on
  telling time, the cameraman/reporter will ask a number of people on the
  street or in stores for the time. The section on shopping in a grocery
  store will be “filmed” in a similar manner, so that the student not only
  can build a food vocabulary but also receive practice in how much items
  cost, how to ask directions to a certain item, how to read key words on
  coupons,  reading the warning signs on chemicals, figuring out which
  items are less expensive, etc. 
  The video will eventually turn into a story of an English student who
  perhaps is the new owner of a restaurant and must do a great deal of the
  work her/himself including waiting on the customers. In this scenario,
  material from Ricardo and His Family can eventually be included, plus
  lessons from the Citizenship course.
  One objective of this series is to produce a television program which can
  be aired on Public Access and
 Educational Access Television copies of
  which can be donated to the public library system. 
   
  4. Theories of Learning a Language
      a. In general, to the list of learning to Listen, Speak, Read and
  Write, the author would add Communicate. When a student attempts to
  communicate in a foreign language, he or she becomes an “active learner”
  and will most likely progress more
 effectively.
       b. Pronunciation as a key element. Beside the physical or muscular
  difficulties students have with English, there is also “interference” due
  to the effects that one language has on another (Broughton). Therefore,
  the author feels that concentrating on problem sounds during each class
  or lesson in a step by step manner will greatly assist the student of
  English. Many students feel uncomfortable speaking English because of
  pronunciation difficulties, and when these difficulties begin to
  disappear, the students feel more “confident” and become “active
  learners.”
       c. Latent learning. There is a phenomenon in learning psychology
  called latent learning which we all experience, probably. Basically, it
  means -in everyday life- trying very hard to master something, getting
  frustrated, leaving it alone, then going back to the task and finding out
  - voila! - that it is now easier to learn than before. Probably the brain
  rehearses the task, but in any case, considering the fact that many adult
  students work and cannot attend classes for a variety or reasons, it is
  the author’s opinion that explaining latent learning to the students
 can
  alleviate the anxiety and pressure of “not attending class.”
      d. Teacher centered versus student centered. Teacher centered refers
  to the practice of some teachers to stand in front of the class and
  lecture and drill the students who sit at their desks in front of the
  blackboard. Student centered refers to the setting in which the students
  sit in small groups and work together on exercises, etc., and in which
  some
 students are given the responsibility of assistant teachers. The
  teacher’s role in a student centered approach is to provide most of the
  material and curriculum, answer questions, give guidance, teach how to
  teach, and listen very carefully to the students’ progress in
  pronunciation, communication, and ability to speak. It is the author’s
  opinion that the latter approach leads to a more efficient use of class
  time and therefore to a more rapid learning of a language.
    e. Literature Based versus Grammar and “Situational” Based
      Literature based refers to the use of an abundant amount of
  literature, poetry, songs, stories, and even music in the process of
  teaching/learning a language.
 
      Grammar and ‘situational” based methods concentrate on memorization
  and drill of grammar rules and usage and phrases used in conversation.
       The author feels that a step by step literature based course is the
  more effective in learning a language. Actually, it may be argued that 
  providing appropriate literature to the student also accelerates speaking
  ability.
    f. English Only versus Bilingual or Multi Lingual classes.
       The author believes that an English Only (the Direct Method or
  English Immersion) can be the most effective method of teaching English
  under certain conditions, namely; (1) small classes
 of 6 to 8 students
  who are at the same level; and (2) appropriate texts, video  and audio
  tapes arranged in gradation (see Appendix A).
       However, the normal ESL class in the United States, especially in
  California, consists of at least 10 to 15 students, and perhaps as many
  as 30, whose primary language is Spanish, who do not come on a
 regular
  basis, and who are at different levels. Therefore a “one size fits all”
  approach does not suffice. In addition, as the author has mentioned,
  bilingual classes and texts seem to facilitate the students’ interest in
  learning English, and therefore speeds up their knowledge. 
      Classes in which there are students of various language backgrounds
  are a special case and need to be discussed further than the scope of
  this
 paper. But at least bilingual texts can be used by students as
  references or for home study. And perhaps other language bilingual texts
  can also be created by the students themselves! 
      Or, perhaps in the above multi-lingual class, the teacher can find
  methods to work more closely with non-Spanish speaking students while
  “peer teaching” takes place among the Spanish speaking students.
       Some background of the author can serve to explain his point of
  view:
       The author is an uncredentialled, uncertificated teacher who taught
  English for 2 years in Mexico in order to earn an
 income. The classroom
  setting  was based primarily on English Only methodology, due to the
  author’s lack of  Spanish speaking ability. The author, like many other
  ESL teachers, provided photocopies of various exercises and drills
 for
  each class, and was therefore constantly looking for interesting
  material. 
       The author soon learned that the students’ interest increased when
  he began to use Spanish and at the same time involved the students in
  teaching him vocabulary, etc. To use a modern phrase, the class became
  “interactive.” 
      Eventually, the author found a Graded Spanish Reader which
 was an
  excellent text for learning Spanish and which he translated and updated
  for use by the students. One day the author announced that the cost of
  classes were to double (from 50 cents to a dollar) and that all students
  were to begin work in a new book called “Ricardo Y Su Familia.” Within a
  week, class size doubled!
      “La Gramatica de Ingles” and “La Pronunciacion de Ingles” followed
  shortly after “Ricardo y Su Familia.” 
      
  5. Bibliography
  a. Alesi, “Family Life in the USA,” regents Publishing Company, New York,
  1962, An excellent model of a Graded Reader.
  b. Bowen, Madsen, Hilfertz, “TESOL Techniques and Procedures,” Newbury
  House Publishers, Rawley, Massachusetts, 1985. General theoretical
  summary of  methodology.
  b. Broughton, Brumfit, Flavell, Hill and Pincas, “Teaching English as a
  Foreign Language,” Routledge Educational Books, University of London
  Institute of Education, 1980. An excellent glossary of terms for ESL
  teachers.  
  c. Dixson, “Practical Guide to the Teaching of English as a Foreign
  Language,” Regents Publishing, New York, 1960.
  d. Grimser, “Easy Spanish American Reader,” Longmans, Green and Co.,
 New
  York, 1946. Excellent model of a Graded Reader.
  e. Lecompte and Sundeen, “Unified French Course,” Heath and Co. 1937. An
  excellent example of a Graded Reader with a good theoretical
 discussion
  in the Preface.
  f. Rivers, “A Practical Guide to the Teaching of English as a Second
  Language,” Oxford University Press, 1978. 
  g. Warriner, “English Grammar and Composition,” Harcourt, Brace and Co.,
  1948.
 University Press, 1978, New York. 
   
   Appendix A
       A summary of a German Immersion course taken by the author as a 
  model for “English Only” or monolingual classes.
       The author studied German in an Experimental
 Immersion course for
  three years, between  1959 and 1962 while in High School. Each class
  consisted of 6 to 8 students and was conducted entirely in German. The
  first text used was “Deutsch Fur Auslander” (German For Foreigners) by
  Hermann Kessler, published in 1954 by Hans Kohler. the course progressed
  from this text to reading and discussing short stories, plays and novels.
                       
       “Deutsch Fur Auslander” is  designed in a question and answer format
  and is approximately 200 pages long. The following is a rough English
  translation:
  1. We speak German, colors, countries of Europe, 
  2. Question one: Who is that?
  3. Question 2: What is that?
  4. Question 3: What does he do?
  5. Question 4: Who is that?
  6. Question 5: What is he?
  7. Question 6: How much?
  8. Question 7: What
 is your name?
  9. Question 8: Where?
  10. Question 9: Whose?
  11. Question 10: What for?
  12. Question 11: When?
 
  13. Question 12: Where?
  14. Question 13: To whom?
  15. Question 14; To where?
  16. Question 15: To whom does it belong?
  17. question 16: Whose?
  18. Question 17: What will be done?
  19. Question 18: How questions.
  20. Question 19: Who questions.
  21. Question 20: Why...?  Because..
  22. Answers to the questions in the exercises.
  23. Multi-lingual vocabulary: German, French, English, Spanish. 
   
       
   
       
   

 
      
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