Instructors, you will find the following important first-day materials in a black milk crate on the counter next to the microwave and coffeemaker. (For those of you who remember the fish tank, the milk crate is where the fish tank used to be.) Please pick up enough materials for your class(es). Pick up extras if needed. Return any unneeded forms for others to use. And please let me know whenever we are running low on any materials!
-- Background Information forms (beige). Have your students complete these; return them to me as soon as possible.
-- BE Policies and Procedures handout (pink). Be sure each student has a copy of this important document, and go over it in detail in class.
-- Attendance forms. You should turn in attendance to me each week. This form is provided for you, but if you have another form you prefer (electronic, for example), please feel free to use it.
By the end of this week, two more items will be available for your use. I’ll let you know when they are back from Duplication.
-- Demographic survey form (blue). Have your students complete these; return them to me as soon as possible.
-- Class syllabus (yellow). Be sure each student has a copy of the syllabus. NOTE: The syllabus is provided as a guideline of what we would like to see covered in that class. If the class as a whole is having difficulty in a certain area, please use your best judgment in regard to spending more time on a certain topic, even if it means not . I strongly suggest using quizzes (written and/or verbal) to be sure your students are understanding the material presented.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Professional Development Opportunity
For those who are interested, there are some great (and very inexpensive!) online classes in TESOL. You can check them out at eltadvantage.thomson.com.
Useful Web Pages (3)
English Grammar Online References
http://www.educationworld.com/
http://www.thestudyplace.org/welcome.taf
http://esl.about.com/cs/vocabulary/
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/step/ep301/Spr2000/multimedia/litcomics.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar
http://www.refdesk.com/factgram.html
http://esl.about.com/blgrammar.htm
This is the electronic site for a very interesting magazine on immigration and education.
Useful Web Pages (2)
http://www.manythings.org/
http://www.free-english.com
http://www.educationworld.com/
http://www.eslcafe.com/
http://www.smic.be/smic5022/
http://a4esl.org/
http://www.onestopenglish.com
http://www.thestudyplace.org/welcome.taf
http://esl.about.com/cs/vocabulary/
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/step/ep301/Spr2000/multimedia/litcomics.htm
http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/library/student/ch12.htm
http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/vocabulary.html
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/index.html
http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/
http://www.americanteachers.com/
http://www.sitesforteachers.com/
http://www.ohioable.org/neable/
http://www.theholidayzone.com/links.html
http://www.free-english.com
http://www.educationworld.com/
http://www.eslcafe.com/
http://www.smic.be/smic5022/
http://a4esl.org/
http://www.onestopenglish.com
http://www.thestudyplace.org/welcome.taf
http://esl.about.com/cs/vocabulary/
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/step/ep301/Spr2000/multimedia/litcomics.htm
http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/library/student/ch12.htm
http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/vocabulary.html
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/index.html
http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/
http://www.americanteachers.com/
http://www.sitesforteachers.com/
http://www.ohioable.org/neable/
http://www.theholidayzone.com/links.html
Useful Web Pages (1)
Here are some of the web pages I've found to be useful and/or interesting. Please comment and/or add. This will give us a bank of shared Internet resources.
www.longmanusa.com/multimedia
This is the "tour" site for Longman Publishing, with some of their new multimedia products.
www.nelrc.org/changeagent
This is the electronic site for a very interesting magazine on immigration and education.
www.google.com/educators
www.dolch-words.com
www.grammarandmore.com
www.longmanusa.com/multimedia
This is the "tour" site for Longman Publishing, with some of their new multimedia products.
www.nelrc.org/changeagent
This is the electronic site for a very interesting magazine on immigration and education.
www.google.com/educators
www.dolch-words.com
www.grammarandmore.com
Basic English 1 - 5 course descriptions
BASIC ENGLISH 1
In Basic English 1, students will be introduced to English pronunciation, the alphabet, numbers and basic literacy (reading and writing), as well as American culture as it relates to life skills.
BASIC ENGLISH 2
Using present and past tenses, students will expand their abilities and knowledge in written and spoken vocabulary, questions and answers and description. The course also includes a secondary emphasis on life skills, culture and reading comprehension.
BASIC ENGLISH 3
Basic English 3 is a course designed to improve vocabulary skills as well as reading comprehension and writing ability. Students will build on previous knowledge and pave the way for further learning.
BASIC ENGLISH 4
In Basic English 4, students will work to improve vocabulary, writing skills, grammar ability and reading comprehension.
BASIC ENGLISH 5
This course is designed to further improve the reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary skills of students seeking to improve their ability in English.
Mastery of Basic English 4 and 5 is especially important for those students who plan to continue toward credit coursework through the College, the Academic Enrichment program and/or preparation toward the GED.
In Basic English 1, students will be introduced to English pronunciation, the alphabet, numbers and basic literacy (reading and writing), as well as American culture as it relates to life skills.
BASIC ENGLISH 2
Using present and past tenses, students will expand their abilities and knowledge in written and spoken vocabulary, questions and answers and description. The course also includes a secondary emphasis on life skills, culture and reading comprehension.
BASIC ENGLISH 3
Basic English 3 is a course designed to improve vocabulary skills as well as reading comprehension and writing ability. Students will build on previous knowledge and pave the way for further learning.
BASIC ENGLISH 4
In Basic English 4, students will work to improve vocabulary, writing skills, grammar ability and reading comprehension.
BASIC ENGLISH 5
This course is designed to further improve the reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary skills of students seeking to improve their ability in English.
Mastery of Basic English 4 and 5 is especially important for those students who plan to continue toward credit coursework through the College, the Academic Enrichment program and/or preparation toward the GED.
Miss Tara's life story (short)
In case anyone wondered ...
It’s been a long, twisty path, but I finally ended up in the field (more or less) that I intended to be in when I was a little girl. As the sign on my office door says, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I have ended up where I needed to be.” (Douglas Adams)
Columbus in the 1960s and 1970s was a much different city from the Columbus of 2007. Many people have heard me tell the story about my 8th-grade Spanish teacher, who told me that it was really nice that I was taking Spanish, “but you have to understand that you’ll never meet any real Spanish speakers in Columbus”.
At the time, that was not too far from the truth. Columbus today is much more interesting – and a lot more fun.
I fell in love with the Spanish language when I was in the fifth grade, and I started taking classes when I was 11. I was at a used-book sale at Barnett Elementary School and saw a Spanish textbook. I opened it and started looking through it and was transfixed by a picture of the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. What went through my 10-year-old brain was, “I must go there and see that and meet those people. To do that, I need to learn this language.” I bought the book, but of course made no progress with it at all.
(And when I did finally get to Spain nearly 20 years later, I went to the Alhambra. It was a beautiful day in May. The smell of roses and oranges hung in the air. The sound of water was everywhere from fountains and channels cut into the handrails of the stone staircases. Kittens followed me around looking for just one more bite of the ham sandwich I’d shared with them. Then, without really knowing where I was, I turned a corner and there it was, with sunlight pouring down on it – the Court of the Lions. Just like in the picture so long ago. I stood there and burst into tears.)
I come from a long line of teachers and should-have-been teachers. Apparently, it’s in the blood. My “School Days” book (you know – the one to be added to each year with the school picture and spaces to fill in information such as “My friends” and “What I want to be when I grow up”) shows that when I was in kindergarten, I intended to be a teacher. That held true pretty much through elementary school and junior high. By high school, I became more specific: English teacher ... maybe. I had some serious doubts about my ability to handle some of the students I saw in normal junior-high and high schools. And elementary students? No way.
Taking journalism in high school and working on the high-school newspaper got me thinking about other directions to take my love for words. Then there was the consideration of what major to have in college. My first plan was to major in English; but was that practical? Strangely, it was the comedian Gallagher who really got me thinking about that, with his line: “If you’ve got a degree in English and you don’t teach, what do you you? Open up a poem repair?”
So I graduated from Columbus Alternative High School in 1981 and got my BA in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from OSU in 1984. At that point, I was thinking about being an international journalist; however, one of my professors told me I wasn’t “obnoxious enough to be a good journalist”. (There are those who would disagree with that assessment, I’m sure.)
One of my professors in the Romance Languages Department at OSU suggested that I go on for a master’s degree, which I did. In 1986, I received my MA in Romance Languages and Literature. During that period, I taught my first ESL class (for the Diocese of Columbus) and then began working part-time for a place called – yes, really – the House of Tutor.
At that point, I was completely burned out. I’d been in school since the age of four. But money still had to be made, so I started temping. That eventually led to a job in the marketing department of Wendy’s International, where I did marketing research, budget coordinator and advertising materials work. By the time I left, my title was Advertising Materials Administrator.
From there I went to the Marketing Department at Combustion Engineering (which two months later was bought by ABB Process Automation). Four years later I was near the breakdown point. I was not doing what I wanted to do – I wanted to TEACH!
I started taking classes part-time in the Ph.D. program in the Spanish and Portuguese Department at OSU. Then my department at ABB was downsized, and I was out of a job. So I moved to full-time graduate student status, and got a TA position. I was back in the classroom!! And loving every minute of it.
In 1997 I finished my classwork for the doctorate and my funding ran out. I started teaching Spanish and ESL as an adjunct in the Modern Languages Department at Columbus State. In 1999 Garry Fourman and I wrote the grant for what would become the Language Institute. On January 3, 2000, the Language Institute was officially born. (I’ll let the Language Institute have its own bio.)
In August 2000, I graduated from OSU with my Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics. Derek and I were married in December of 2001. We have a house in Clintonville and four cats. We enjoy reading, writing and music.
It’s been a long, twisty path, but I finally ended up in the field (more or less) that I intended to be in when I was a little girl. As the sign on my office door says, “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I have ended up where I needed to be.” (Douglas Adams)
Columbus in the 1960s and 1970s was a much different city from the Columbus of 2007. Many people have heard me tell the story about my 8th-grade Spanish teacher, who told me that it was really nice that I was taking Spanish, “but you have to understand that you’ll never meet any real Spanish speakers in Columbus”.
At the time, that was not too far from the truth. Columbus today is much more interesting – and a lot more fun.
I fell in love with the Spanish language when I was in the fifth grade, and I started taking classes when I was 11. I was at a used-book sale at Barnett Elementary School and saw a Spanish textbook. I opened it and started looking through it and was transfixed by a picture of the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. What went through my 10-year-old brain was, “I must go there and see that and meet those people. To do that, I need to learn this language.” I bought the book, but of course made no progress with it at all.
(And when I did finally get to Spain nearly 20 years later, I went to the Alhambra. It was a beautiful day in May. The smell of roses and oranges hung in the air. The sound of water was everywhere from fountains and channels cut into the handrails of the stone staircases. Kittens followed me around looking for just one more bite of the ham sandwich I’d shared with them. Then, without really knowing where I was, I turned a corner and there it was, with sunlight pouring down on it – the Court of the Lions. Just like in the picture so long ago. I stood there and burst into tears.)
I come from a long line of teachers and should-have-been teachers. Apparently, it’s in the blood. My “School Days” book (you know – the one to be added to each year with the school picture and spaces to fill in information such as “My friends” and “What I want to be when I grow up”) shows that when I was in kindergarten, I intended to be a teacher. That held true pretty much through elementary school and junior high. By high school, I became more specific: English teacher ... maybe. I had some serious doubts about my ability to handle some of the students I saw in normal junior-high and high schools. And elementary students? No way.
Taking journalism in high school and working on the high-school newspaper got me thinking about other directions to take my love for words. Then there was the consideration of what major to have in college. My first plan was to major in English; but was that practical? Strangely, it was the comedian Gallagher who really got me thinking about that, with his line: “If you’ve got a degree in English and you don’t teach, what do you you? Open up a poem repair?”
So I graduated from Columbus Alternative High School in 1981 and got my BA in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from OSU in 1984. At that point, I was thinking about being an international journalist; however, one of my professors told me I wasn’t “obnoxious enough to be a good journalist”. (There are those who would disagree with that assessment, I’m sure.)
One of my professors in the Romance Languages Department at OSU suggested that I go on for a master’s degree, which I did. In 1986, I received my MA in Romance Languages and Literature. During that period, I taught my first ESL class (for the Diocese of Columbus) and then began working part-time for a place called – yes, really – the House of Tutor.
At that point, I was completely burned out. I’d been in school since the age of four. But money still had to be made, so I started temping. That eventually led to a job in the marketing department of Wendy’s International, where I did marketing research, budget coordinator and advertising materials work. By the time I left, my title was Advertising Materials Administrator.
From there I went to the Marketing Department at Combustion Engineering (which two months later was bought by ABB Process Automation). Four years later I was near the breakdown point. I was not doing what I wanted to do – I wanted to TEACH!
I started taking classes part-time in the Ph.D. program in the Spanish and Portuguese Department at OSU. Then my department at ABB was downsized, and I was out of a job. So I moved to full-time graduate student status, and got a TA position. I was back in the classroom!! And loving every minute of it.
In 1997 I finished my classwork for the doctorate and my funding ran out. I started teaching Spanish and ESL as an adjunct in the Modern Languages Department at Columbus State. In 1999 Garry Fourman and I wrote the grant for what would become the Language Institute. On January 3, 2000, the Language Institute was officially born. (I’ll let the Language Institute have its own bio.)
In August 2000, I graduated from OSU with my Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics. Derek and I were married in December of 2001. We have a house in Clintonville and four cats. We enjoy reading, writing and music.
Document security
Please keep in mind that occasionally we have students in the office and Xerox areas. Please be sure that all tests and other items of a personal/sensitive nature are not left out where students may see them.
Is my class going to run? Might it be canceled?
“Is my class definitely going to run? Might it be canceled?”
Registration is still in progress. As of now, there are NO confirmed classes. Please come to your class(es) ready to teach the first week. The final decision will be made about class cancellations at the end of the first week.
If your class is canceled, you will be paid for the hours taught during the first week.
When a class is confirmed, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) will be generated for your class. Remember that payment is ALWAYS generated by means of time cards or electronic time entry (as applicable). You will not be paid if you do not submit your time as directed.
Registration is still in progress. As of now, there are NO confirmed classes. Please come to your class(es) ready to teach the first week. The final decision will be made about class cancellations at the end of the first week.
If your class is canceled, you will be paid for the hours taught during the first week.
When a class is confirmed, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) will be generated for your class. Remember that payment is ALWAYS generated by means of time cards or electronic time entry (as applicable). You will not be paid if you do not submit your time as directed.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
English for Success Update
As you may remember, we had been told by Franklin County
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
BE Testing - Spring 2008
Basic English testing schedule. Below is the testing schedule for this term. If you have any questions or need to request any changes, please let me know. For easy access anytime, this schedule will also be posted on my door and on the blog (http://lang-inst.blogspot.com).
Class: BE 4 (M-F – 8:00 a.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Class: BE4 (T,Th – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: BE4 (S,Su – 1:00 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Saturday, June 14
Class: BE4 (T,Th – 5:30 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: BE5 (M,W – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Class: BE5 (M,W,F – 6:00 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Class: BE5 (S,Su – 1:00 pm.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Saturday, June 14
Class: BE5 (M,T,W,Th – 12:30 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: Writing 1 (T,Th – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Language (Language Test Kit)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: Writing 2 (M,W – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Language (Language Test Kit)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Test instructions.
- Basic English 1, 2 and 3. You should give the test within the last two days of the course. Tests will be in your mailboxes this week.
- Basic English 4, Basic English 5, and Basic Writing. Since we have a limited number of test kits, we will need to coordinate test dates as well as pickup and return of kits to ensure that all the instructors can have access to what they need. Please pick up the materials just before your test and return them immediately after the test is over.
- Be sure to check the type of kit you need – READING or LANGUAGE.
- Some kits consist of more than one plastic folder. Pick up a complete kit!
- Kits are labeled on the outside of the plastic folders.
- Kits will be located in the CABINET below the FISH TANK.
Class: BE 4 (M-F – 8:00 a.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Class: BE4 (T,Th – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: BE4 (S,Su – 1:00 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Saturday, June 14
Class: BE4 (T,Th – 5:30 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: BE5 (M,W – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Class: BE5 (M,W,F – 6:00 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Class: BE5 (S,Su – 1:00 pm.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Saturday, June 14
Class: BE5 (M,T,W,Th – 12:30 p.m.)
Test: Reading (Pages 1-21 in “E” booklet)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: Writing 1 (T,Th – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Language (Language Test Kit)
Test date: Thursday, June 12
Class: Writing 2 (M,W – 9:30 a.m.)
Test: Language (Language Test Kit)
Test date: Wednesday, June 11
Test instructions.
- Students should mark their responses on the answer sheets. They should NOT write in the test booklets.
- Have the students complete the information above the solid black line.
- They may use pen or pencil.
- Students should be given 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the test (either Reading or Language).
Monday, June 2, 2008
June-July 2008 Calendar
JUNE
5 Spring term of English for Success ends at Somali Senior and Family Services
5 UN World Environment Day
6 Anniversary of D-Day (1944)
8 Race Unity Day
11 – 15 Spring term of Basic English (on campus) ends.
Instructors, don’t forget to turn in the tests, completed course evaluation sheets (in your mailboxes) and your teaching preferences for next term!
13 Spring term of English for Success on campus ends.
13 Completed time cards due (for period of 6/1 – 6/15)
14 Flag Day
15 Father’s Day
15 Electronic time entry due (for period of 6/1 – 6/15)
19 Juneteenth
20 Summer Solstice
27 Spring term of English for Success at Centro Esperanza Latina ends.
27 Basic English at Catholic Social Services ends.
27 Completed time cards due (for period of 6/16 – 6/30)
30 Summer term of Basic English (on campus) begins.
30 Electronic time entry due (for period of 6/16 – 6/30)
JULY
1 Summer term of English for Success begins at all sites.
4 Independence Day. No classes. Campus offices are closed.
9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahá’í)
14 Completed time cards due (for period of 7/1 – 7/15)
15 Electronic time entry due (for period of 6/1 – 6/15)
29 Completed time cards due (for period of 7/16 – 7/31)
31 Electronic time entry due (for period of 7/16 – 7/31)
5 Spring term of English for Success ends at Somali Senior and Family Services
5 UN World Environment Day
6 Anniversary of D-Day (1944)
8 Race Unity Day
11 – 15 Spring term of Basic English (on campus) ends.
Instructors, don’t forget to turn in the tests, completed course evaluation sheets (in your mailboxes) and your teaching preferences for next term!
13 Spring term of English for Success on campus ends.
13 Completed time cards due (for period of 6/1 – 6/15)
14 Flag Day
15 Father’s Day
15 Electronic time entry due (for period of 6/1 – 6/15)
19 Juneteenth
20 Summer Solstice
27 Spring term of English for Success at Centro Esperanza Latina ends.
27 Basic English at Catholic Social Services ends.
27 Completed time cards due (for period of 6/16 – 6/30)
30 Summer term of Basic English (on campus) begins.
30 Electronic time entry due (for period of 6/16 – 6/30)
JULY
1 Summer term of English for Success begins at all sites.
4 Independence Day. No classes. Campus offices are closed.
9 Martyrdom of the Bab (Bahá’í)
14 Completed time cards due (for period of 7/1 – 7/15)
15 Electronic time entry due (for period of 6/1 – 6/15)
29 Completed time cards due (for period of 7/16 – 7/31)
31 Electronic time entry due (for period of 7/16 – 7/31)
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