Passionate Writing Assignments That Motivate Language Learners

Even Ernest Hemmingway Had to Learn to Write


We said in the first article of this series that there are no native writers of English or any other foreign language for that matter. Each of us, no matter what our first language is, must learn to write in a clear, logical manner that promotes easier reading. Even the legendary Ernest Hemmingway had to “learn” to write. And so it is with our foreign language learners. So here in the second article of this series, we’ll continue with some passionate writing assignments which will motivate our English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners to strut their stuff on paper or the keyboard and screen without undue concern for “correctness” that might inhibit the free flow of words and ideas.

4. Compiling of Specialized Lists

How about writing a list, and then of course, expounding in detail on its content? It can be a list of anything (almost) that motivates your learners. From the “Ten Best” discos, restaurants, boutiques, bars, movies, sports cars, game web sites, video games or videos, hot entertainers or whatever else, you can derive a writing assignment piece which allows you to really “strut your stuff”, so to speak. Doing so thereby produces a worthwhile piece of writing far and above the usual “dreck” that passes for essays and compositions these days. The language learners need only to choose their topic, draft their “list”, then detail the elements of each list item to the best of their knowledge and abilities. And finally “Voila!”, a paper you can read without your soul filling with tears – or worse.

5. Help and Advice or Answers to Peer Topic Questions

How about inviting your language learners to write an “answer” to a common or at least plausible situation question? You know, kind of a “Dear Abbey” type of question and detailed answer response to the question, situation or problem. Producers turn this kind of drabble into soap operas that make millions.
“You see, there’s this really cute gut in my English class who I like but he’s kinda seeing this other girl who I can’t stand – but my best friend told me that he said he was going to quit that girl, so I’m thinking, what should I do to…?” (Remember to break for a commercial right before all the “juicy” parts)

6. Relevant Link Lists

Are your language learners internet or video game addicts? Well then, it’s highly likely they can easily come up with a list of links or websites useful to them and their “passion”. So let them! Allow them to create a list, then detail each item on it. They could compare the links, contrast them or illustrate any variety of relationships between the links they’ve chosen to write about. How did they find them? How often do they use or visit? Why? Ask for and expect details – and the unexpected. As long as it’s not a list of best porno sites of whatever, you should get some good really interesting results for this writing assignment. Just remember to set some “ground rules” for the writing and topics. If your language learners are anything at all like mine are, you’ll be glad you did!

Passionate Writing Assignment Ideas That Are Coming Up

Okay, so we’ll wrap it up for this second article of the series now. In the next installment of “Motivate Your Language Learners with These Passionate Writing Assignment Ideas”, we continue once again with some Task-Based-Learning writing ideas to keep the words and ideas flowing from the pens, pencils or computer (or even typewriter) keyboards of your English as a Foreign Language learners. If your language learners like watching videos, playing video games or enjoy one or more of a score of other performing arts, then you’ll be “in the clover” when using our upcoming writing assignment ideas. See you then.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 130 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Anatomy Activities Websites in English

Human Anatomy Online for English Language Learners


If you have English as a foreign language learners who have the need to study anatomy, feel free to direct them to any number of these useful websites. In my health faculty class groups, I schedule two computer room sessions to allow my Nursing and Physical Therapy English language learners time to visit up to four or five of these websites to explore and “play around” in. Most of the anatomy-based websites are inter-active, allowing the language learners to manipulate organs, acquire new vocabulary in context and expand their working knowledge of the human anatomy. Even I learn something new each time one of these class sessions is held. On occasion, I schedule a quiz the following class session to help the students internalize new material.

List of Websites on Human Anatomy Web Quest:

Human Anatomy Online
http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
The site activities are separated into ten body systems, skeletal, digestive, muscular, lymphatic, endocrine, nervous, cardio-vascular, urinary, male and female reproductive. body parts are identified using the cursor to locate and click for a description to appear to the left of the figure.


Artificial Anatomy using Jerome
http://americanhistory.si.edu/anatomy/bodyparts/nma03_bodyparts.html
Jerome is the name of the male anatomy figure which can be turned 180 degrees for different views of body parts. Learners match the body part close-up with the full figure image.


Anatomy Body Parts Gap Fill British Council
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/activities/body01.html
Learners drag and drop boxes with names of body parts onto a body figure, then check their answers

Anatomy Arcade
http://www.anatomyarcade.com/
This site is six different anatomy arcade games featuring muscles, bones, the eye, the brain, the heart and the digestive tract. Learners drag and drop body part images onto the correct location in the body. There is a computer voice and sound to accompany each game and give feedback to learners.

Anatomy of the Human Body – Henry Gray
http://www.bartleby.com/107/
This detailed illustrated text on the human anatomy is by Henry Gray from his classic anatomy text for serious students of anatomy.

The Interactive Body
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/index_interactivebody.shtml
This site requires an updated version of Flash, available for free download. Body parts are dragged and dropped to form a correct sequence.

The Virtual Body
http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp
First, choose between English or Spanish to work with parts of the brain, heart, skeleton or digestive tract. Learners can view and identify parts, see animations and listen to narrations.


Visible Human
http://www.madsci.org/~lynn/VH/
At the stunning, animated visual “Visible Human” site, the human body is explored via a series of 1800 cross-section views for a full-featured guided tour. There are transverse, coronal and sagittal cross section views to elaborate on virtually any body organ, part or system for the more serious student of the human anatomy.

Basic Anatomy – Tissues and Organs
http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~acarpi/NSC/14-anatomy.htm
The Basic Anatomy site has the sound of a heart beating in the background. Learners can read about basic organs and systems of the human body with simple illustrations posted to the left of the text.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

12 Keys to Using Songs for Teaching Children English as a Foreign Language

Teaching Children English Using Songs

In answer to a reader question on using songs for teaching Italian children English, I gave the following twelve quick keys. They’re equally effective, however, for children from any country, or of almost any age too for that matter.

Here they are:


1. You can use most songs for English Language Teaching, but learners usually prefer songs which are currently popular. Both you and your learners can collaborate on selecting songs.

2. You should also select songs with easy-to-understand lyrics, absolutely NO profanity, violent, illegal or immoral themes like sex, drug use, prostitution, gang violence, kill-your-mother, suicide, etc. (It’s easier to fall into this trap than you think. Many popular song lyrics are horrid)

3. For motivating children take along a dozen or so children's songs on cassette or CD with the lyrics. Beg, borrow or steal a selection of popular children’s songs and you’re all set. (Okay, don’t steal them, ask – politely, about a million times until they say “yes”)

4. Most popular song lyrics are available online. You’ll need to be very, very careful of downloads from sites like these since they frequently FULL of viruses, Trojans, worms and lord only knows what else.

5. Walt Disney has a truckload of great children's songs. Us e films and shorts directly or just a recording with display pictures for visual support.

6. In addition to the above keys, there are the standard children's favorites any primary song child or teacher can tell you. You can even use songs from your childhood, if you were ever a child, that is.

7. Use inter-active games and Total Physical Response (TPR) along with the songs. Choreograph simple moves and actions to the beat and rhythm of the song.

8. Keep a fairly fast-paced class going as children get bored and restless easily with their short, short, short attention spans. Change activities every 15 minutes or so – even LESS with tiny “Chiquiticos”.

9. Try incorporating some simple “dance” moves into the songs too for some added benefit. Have the “kiddies” ad lib, lip sync, pantomime, swing, sway kick, hop, slide, glide, whirl, spin, dip, step, jump and wave – you get my drift?

10. Use pictures as an aid in teaching key words in the song lyrics. Cutouts, posters, drawings, anything that provides positive visual support and reinforcement for lexical elements, grammatical them, connected speech, pronunciation or use in context is fair game in EFL classes for children (and adults too, actually)

11. Practice a couple of the songs and activities beforehand in front of a mirror on your own. (See how silly you look! That’s okay though, so don’t worry. We can’t see you)

12. Oh yes, and be sure to have lots of FUN yourself! Whoever said English and foreign language teachers can’t have fun too? (Certainly not me. Despite my scholarly appearance, sometimes I’m nuts in EFL classes!)

So “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

I hope this helps you with using songs to teach English to children. Be sure to check out the other article posts of mine like "9 Reasons Why You Should Use Songs to Teach English as a Foreign Language" on this blog for teaching English using songs.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Motivate Your Language Learners with These Passionate Writing Assignment Ideas

Motivating Language Learners with Passionate Writing Assignments


No Native Writers

“Not again”, the students whined. “Teacher, we don’t like to write. Especially not in English.”

Oh, how true, how very true.

It’s difficult enough to get your language learners to read – they don’t like doing THAT either. But with interesting, relative material they can usually be easily persuaded to breeze through short passages before expounding and commenting on them. Writing though, is a totally different matter. You see, while there can be native speakers of a language, there are NO native writers of a language. Everyone, native speaker or not, must learn to form sentences, then paragraphs and finally coherent expositions, compositions or articles, often to their dismay. An academic paper? Are you kidding me? It’s the area where learners of virtually every college major “cheat” (and plagiarize) the most extensively. How about a book? Again, even most native speakers of a language absolutely cringe at even the suggestion of attempting such a feat. Hey, I don’t exactly “chuckle with glee” about it either.

Motivating Your Language Learners to Write

Motivating your language learning students to write – and now in a foreign language – is indeed a challenge. That is, up until now. Here are some English as a second language classroom-tested writing assignment types that frequently tend to motivate learners to perform their best. As we’ll delve into further on in this article, your learners must be encouraged to write with “passion”. “What I did on my Summer Vacation” simply won’t cut it unless you had a hot date with a movie star. If so, then - Gosh, who was it? Tell me everything. I want details!

1. How - To or “Teaching” Writing Assignments

Everyone knows how to do or make something. Not only that, but they’re usually quite proud of their knowledge, skill or ability. They’ll require little encouragement to get the ball rolling to talk or write about it. Your language learning students should also feel free to attach an image or series, drawings or step-by-step illustrations to their piece too. This will add visual and graphic support to the text as well as increase the interest in their writing assignment.

2. Expound on a News Event

Any news or current event that stirs the fires of your language learners’ imaginations is ripe fodder for a writing assignment. Okay, so YOU may not be particularly enthralled by a daring bank heist, a new community center or a severe storm that destroys property and causes destruction locally. Your learners however, may be personally vested in such events and be able to weave a spell-binding composition related to such events. Imagine: “Teacher, there was that really bad storm last month that was in all the papers, but you know, it tore most of the roof off our house, so …” Sometimes the events may not exactly be positive ones, however, the learner can then elaborate of the effects and solutions to create an interesting, informative dialogue on the events.

3. Writing Up Reviews

Who hasn’t read, seen or experienced something that they truly loved, were stirred or moved by – or hated with a passion. That’s the key, you see – passion. With passion you can drive almost any endeavor in life from a hot date to a breakout career or from a cold shoulder to the departure from a negative lifestyle. So, let your English as a second language learners write about any topic they are truly passionate about. That is unless it’s taking drugs or the like, in which case I’d recommend a change of subject – and passions.

Make the Language Learning Writing Experience Engaging

Everyone, native speaker or not, must learn to form sentences, then paragraphs and finally coherent expositions, compositions or articles. Why not make the writing experience an engaging one for your English or other foreign language learners? You can quite easily do this by incorporating these writing assignment types into your language learning classes. We'll continue with more passionate writing assignment ideas in the next posts. Stay tuned ...


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com If you need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter. Then E-mail me for further information.

Is Teaching English as a Foreign Language Abroad DANGEROUS?

Is English Language Teaching Safe?

With news of the suspicious deaths of several English as a Foreign Language teachers in various countries during the past few weeks, the question now arises:

“Is teaching English as a foreign language abroad safe?”

For those who want to work abroad, there are a variety of options. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is but one of these, although for native English language speakers with a TEFL certificate it can be a simple, yet profitable and rewarding one.

English as a Foreign Language Teaching: A Life-Altering Event

However, new information is continually coming to light from countries in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia which likely will give many cause to pause and reflect on a decision of this magnitude. Yes, it’s no exaggeration that teaching English as a Foreign Language abroad can easily be a life-altering event. It’s not infrequently that teachers leave their homeland for foreign soil and return years or even decades later. Some never return at all.

ESL Daily Reports

Recently in the “ESL Daily” reports of the “suspicious” deaths of EFL teachers in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, China and now Benin, have now rocked the TEFL ex-pat world. True, some countries and locations are well-known to be inherently more risky and dangerous than others. I certainly know first hand of what I speak. I live and teach English as a Foreign Language in Colombia, arguably in the “Top Ten” most potentially dangerous countries in the world, according to the U.S. government’s State Department and the CIA`s World Factbook reports. So should current and prospective EFL teachers abandon the field for “safer”, more secure occupations or locales? What are some reasonable precautions one might take when considering teaching English abroad as an on-going profession? Is a particular ethnic group, race, religion or gender at an abnormally high risk?

Consider Questions Like …

What if you`re a Single White Female?
What if you`re elderly?
What if you`re white in a predominantly black country?
What if you`re black in a predominantly white country?
How about if you’re a Christian in a predominantly Muslim locale?

These are but a smattering of the questions which now stream through the hearts and minds of concerned English Language Teaching professionals and their families worldwide.

What Do You Think?

What do you think about the growing danger to English language teachers abroad? We’ll continue to examine some of these and other critical issues and questions in upcoming posts. In the meanwhile, stay tuned – and do be more careful.

Please Note: The author also wishes to express his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Catherine "Kate" Puzey.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

New Squidoo Lenses

Welcome to 21st Century Language Learning Strategies, Techniques and Tools


Do you or your foreign language learners use Squidoo? Or Hub Pages perhaps? How about Synthasite or Weebly? No? Well, you should consider digital versions of assignments, readings, and language learning feedback of all types. Why? Because if you don't, there will be herds of dinosaurs walking around waiting to be wiped out into extinction and one of them will be you, that's why.

Wake up and check out some of these new Squidoo lenses offerings online now. Show them and loads of others to your learners. Get their feedback. Answer their questions. Get them started moving forward even if all you want to do is chaw on the grass safely all around you (for now).

Here are some of my latest Squidoo Lenses. Feel free to check them out.

1. How to Make a Money Tree
http://www.squidoo.com/make_a_money_tree

2. How a Good SEO Article Writer Can Boost Your Business http://www.squidoo.com/SEO_Article_Writer

3. Water and Weight Loss: Keys to Better Health http://www.squidoo.com/water_and_weight_loss

4. Unique Habits of Highly Successful People http://www.squidoo.com/successful_peoples_habits

5. Five Lessons President Barak Obama Can Teach You
http://www.squidoo.com/Barak_Obama_Lessons

6. Two Outstanding Reasons to Hire a Professional for Your SEO Content Writing http://www.squidoo.com/SEO-content-writing

7. Is Living in an Eco Friendly House for You?
http://www.squidoo.com/eco-friendly-house

8. Eco Friendly Cars You Can Truly Enjoy
http://www.squidoo.com/eco-friendly-cars

9. Three Natural Methods of Weight Loss for Women http://www.squidoo.com/natural-weight-loss-for-women

10. Hire a Niche Marketing Article Writer to Write Your Online Content Instead of Doing It Yourself
http://www.squidoo.com/online-content-writing

11. The Top Five Reasons to Hire a Professional to Write Your SEO Content
http://www.squidoo.com/SEO-Content-Writer

12. Teach English as a Foreign Language in Colombia
http://www.squidoo.com/TEFLColombia


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

March Is National Reading Month

March Is National Reading Month:
Read Across America Day, March 2nd
Babies Can Read Too!
Dr. Robert C. Titzer Verifies Babies Benefit
From Learning Oral and Written Language Earlier Than Age 4

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29464924/

updated 10:08 a.m. CT, Mon., March. 2, 2009

SAN DIEGO, CA - March is National Reading Month and there is no better time to address the need for children everywhere to be introduced to the early learning skills which will play a critical role in their lives. Babies as young as 9 months have the ability to read. Not only is this natural, it is an essential part of development, says Dr. Robert C. Titzer, an expert on infant research.

For over a decade, Dr. Robert C. Titzer has been teaching babies and toddlers all over the world to read. He started teaching his own daughter, Aleka, to read at 9 months. By the age of four, she was reading at an 11th grade level. Dr. Titzer says the current practice of starting to teach reading skills in school is too late and children actually benefit from getting a much earlier start. "Each child has only one natural window for learning language -- from about birth to about age four. During this period it is easier for them to learn any type of language including spoken, receptive, foreign and written. The earlier the child is taught to read the better they will read and the more likely they will enjoy it. My own children's lives have been dramatically enriched as a result of their early literacy."

Dr. John W. Oller, Jr., co-author of "Milestones: Normal Speech and Language Across the Lifespan" and a distinguished professor at the University of Louisiana, concurs. "The main thing to note about Dr. Titzer's work is that it demonstrates that infants can learn to read before they can talk and well before 17 months. It refutes the long-standing nonsense that reading is merely converting print to speech. That theory cannot explain the reading comprehension of Aleka Titzer at only 9 months. This was before she could talk."

Numerous infant studies prove that the earlier a child learns to read, the better they perform in school and later in life. Early readers have more self-esteem and are more likely to stay in school. Meanwhile, a national panel of reading specialists and educators determined that most of the nation's reading problems could be eliminated if children began reading earlier.

DOCTOR ROBERT C. TITZER BIO

Dr. Robert C. Titzer is a prestigious infant researcher, professor and teacher. He taught his own children to read as babies using a proprietary learning system he developed. Dr. Titzer is an expert in the area of infant learning with work published in scientific journals such as Psychological Review. He has spoken with U.S. Senators and leading U.S. Department of Education officials on the importance of early learning. He has appeared on numerous television broadcasts around the globe. Titzer regularly does free Early Learning Workshops for parents of infants and toddlers.

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© MarketWire 2009


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.