Application of iTalk Show English Zone Part 2

(Picture above: The pulling members of Class102 are in a close tie with those of Class 113.)

In the afternoon, we held a first-grader tug of war for my senior high school in honor of the final countdown of the year 2006.

There are 16 classes in the first-grade. Each class chose 20 students as pullers for the competitions. After several rounds of matches, those who win the alternating game can eventually compete for the finalists. Among the finalists, only one class will win the championship and the rest the runner-ups.

There are some rules for the tug of war, including such items as:

1. Each class should be properly dressed for the competitions (ie apporiate shorts and shirts).
2. A pull should be won when the central red tape or the markings on the rope has been pulled over the white line on the ground or mat and will be signalled by the judge blowing his/her whistle and pointing in the direction of the winning team.
3.All pulling members should have a good warm up to avoid any damage from the matches.
4. No knots or loops should be made in the rope, nor should it be locked across any part of the body or any member of the team.

Since students are eager to know how to put "tug of war" and its regulations in English, it is a high time to employ the broadcast program: "baseball" of iTalk Show English Zone to have students learn some terms for other sports. The steps I may take are as follows:

1. Point out some terms for the tug of war:
e.g.
puller
pulling member
knot
loop
rope
judge
competition
match
championship
runner-up
2. Have students browse the broastcast program:baseball first. And then disply some terms for soccer, basketbll, swimming and baseball from the attached online knowlege bases.
3. Make sure if students are aware of the names of any positions in a baseball game.
4. For further information, show the website:http://www.tugofwar.co.uk/ to students, in which a tug of war association is introduced, and in which some rules of tug of war are presented.
5. Have students videotape any match in which they have joined. Urge students to introduce the game in English.

Congratulations! My Class got the second runner-up among all teams!

Learning English by watching movies?

I was a big movie-goer when I was a college student. I enjoyed watching a movie even in a sweat-smell cinema then. Watching the movie over a shack of pop corns is a blessing. You may not be in favor of my opinion here. I know some people might be driven crazy by the dim light and stiffy air in the movie.


Modern people find it more comfortable and cozy to watch video movies at home. That is also the way I prefer compared with stepping into a stiffy movie theater.

I have tons of experience in learning English through watching video movie at home. Truly, I do think it a good way to learn English well even without the real cultural impact abroad. Watching home video movies takes me lots of preparations.
First, I cover the subtitles on TV with rolls of tapes for fear that I might depend too much on the subtitles when comprehending the dialogues in the movie. Then, I might rewind the video over and over again in order to play a part of the leading character. I might pretend to be the leading actor and thus I can keep most of the actor's script in mind. That is fun to imitate the pitch and intonation of different genders and ages.

Some teachers might think it a good way to watch movies in English class, through which students can learn a lot by watching the movie.
Honestly speaking, I favor the idea, but when it comes to putting it into practice, it takes lots of padagogical techniques.

Watching the movie for the whole period of English class? No, it is not good. For one thing, the teacher might find him/her short of time moving onto the next lesson in the textbook. For another, from the perspective of some psychological assumptions, students might know of the movie but depend too much on the Chinese subtitles. They might end up without learning any English because the distraction of too much images in the movie. Based on some related literature revivew in Taiwan, college students can learn more English through watching video movies. Above all, this way can boost students' motivation to learn any foreign language. But the pragmatic applications in the class are still on the way, requiring some experiments.
Thus, I conclude some tips to learn English by watching video movies from the literature review as follows:
1. Have students watch the movie only for or less than half an hour. That is, only show the students parts of the movie based on the teaching plan.
2. Before watching the movie, the teacher can ask students some questions to arouse their attention while watching the movie.
3. After watching the movie, some activities can be engaged to make sure if the students gain a lot from the movie.
Some activities? That's a big question for most English teachers. I might give you an example here. After watching the movie" Legally Blonde", the teacher can have students linked onto a wonderful website http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechlegallyblonde.html
where students can listen to and watch Elle Woods delivering Student Address in Harvard Law School's 2004 Graduation Ceremony. After that, the teacher can have students learn the text of the address and thus make their own address.


Bear these literature review in mind and then you can desin a good teaching plan for your dear students!

A Santa Claus in my school this year!

Big news!!Santa Claus Visited my school this year! Believe it or not!!!

Is Santa Claus real? I have asked myself hundreds of time if Santa Claus does exist since I was a girl. Tell you what...... I would rather believe in the existence of Santa Claus........
(illustration of the picture: plastic Santa Claus in the hall on my campus)

Years ago, we invited a couple of foreign friends to be dressed as Santa Claus seated under a huge Christmas tree on my campus. Students in my school thus lined up, waiting passionately to share their wishes with Santa in English. Students did wait in a long line, eager to chat with Santa in disguise. This reminded me of my happy memories abroad years ago while shopping at Christmas time. In the shopping mall, Usually Santa Claus hired by the manager have kids seated on the laps and give them candies then. People in the mall are busy buying Christmas gifts for the beloved and their relatives. Tell you what.....when Santa wants to go to the rest room, a sign reads" Santa is now feeding his reindeer. Please wait......" I wonder if small kids take the sign as real.......Ha.....Ha.....Ha........

This year we do have a Santa Claus on campus. Tell you what..... it is plastic.

My teaching activity for Christmas

We don't have a silver Christmas here in Taiwan. Gosh! How I wish we could have a Frosty in a snowy day.





My teaching activity for Christmas on Dec.25, 2006 is to be planned as follows, if time is permitted:



1. Have students click on http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-crispy-golden-roast-turkey or http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-decorate-a-tree-in-traditional-style There comes two wonderful movies by VideoJug. Students can learn how to make a crispy and golden roast turkey and furthermore decorate their own traditional Christmas tree!

For example, after watching the movie,
ask students about the steps to making a roast turkey.
Step 1 ______________________
Step 2 ______________________
Step 3 ______________________
Step 4 ______________________
Step 5 ______________________
......
Step 10______________________

The following is the complete textversion from VedeoJug for the reference to teachers.

Step 1 You will need
1 fresh turkey, 5.5 kilos, washed and dried
1 ½ onions, chopped into quarters
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic bulbs, cut in halves
1 lemon, cut into quarters
A few celery tops
some rosemary
some thyme
40 ml olive oil
2 Tbsp rock salt
salt and pepper
1 baking tray with rack
some kitchen twine
1 cutting board
1 knife
1 thermometer
1 bowl
Step 2Preheat the oven
Set the temperature of the oven to 200°C (400ºF/ gas mark 6).
Step 3Prepare the vegetables
Add to a bowl the onions, garlic, carrots, lemon, rosemary, rock salt, thyme, celery tops, and a little olive oil. Mix them all together by hand and set aside.
VIDEOJUG TIP
Handle raw turkey with the same care that you would raw chicken. Wash the inside and out with water and lemon juice and dry with paper towels. Use a separate cutting board and utensils.
Step 4Trim the turkey
Place the knife deep inside the neck cavity and cut off the neck, trying to reserve as much of the skin as possible. Next, find the elbow joint of one of the wings, insert the knife, cut and remove. Repeat with the other wing.
Step 5Fill the bird
Place the vegetables into the main cavity of the turkey, stuffing it as much as possible.
If there is enough skin remaining around the neck cavity to close it, stuff that area as well.
Step 6Tie the bird
Start with a 1 metre piece of string.
Place it around the turkey's neck and wings. Cross the legs together .Wrap one side of the string around the legs and then wrap the other side. Pull them together and tie a knot.
Step 7Prepare for oven
Place the bird on the rack. Pour some olive oil over its skin and rub it in well, covering the entire surface. Season well with salt and pepper. Turn the bird onto its side and season again. Repeat until the whole bird is coated and leave it on the rack, breast-side down.
Step 8Roast
Allow for 10-15 minutes for each 450g of weight. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 180°C and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours more.
Step 9Check the turkey
At this time, test your turkey with a meat thermometer. Place it into the thigh first and then into the breast. The temperature should exceed 85°C for the thigh and at least 76°C in the breast. Once these temperatures are reached, remove the turkey and turn it breast-side up so it will brown. Increase the oven to 220°C and let it cook for 10 minutes more. At this time, remove the turkey from the oven, cut the string, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Don't forget to save the drippings for the gravy from the oven tray!
Step 10Serve
Time to carve and serve. Why not watch our other videos accompanying this one to complete your meal? How to Carve a Turkey and Perfect Turkey Gravy are just a couple of examples. Enjoy!
2. Have students make their own pwerpoint or videotape shared in my blog. This assignment takes time. First grouping the students should be the first step. Samples of students' work will be presented here........... So let's wait and see how far my students will go. Their live shows are to be continued and expected.......

Cats are mysterious and awesome animals

I post a video from youtube to check if I can post any video on my blog from Youtube....
Here comes an awesome kitten shared by Youtube....

Kitty's application of iTalkShow English Zone Part One on the freshmen of a senior high school in Taipei Part one

The bell rang as usual. I taught my dear students a new lesson passionately as usual on the platform.
But on Dec. 13 last week, I engaged myself in an entirely pilot teaching activity.

My teaching activity for Class 111 and Class 112 (teaching time: one hour for per class) was as follows:


4 Steps of my teaching activity include:


1.Have students watch a live show of Band Class305 on iTalk Show English Zone first.
Next, have students listen to a live broadcast also on iTalk Show English Zone by Jenny, one of Kitty's students, graduated from Kitty's senior high school in the year 2006. In the live broadcast, Jenny hosted an interview with this band.


2. Have students express what they feel about the band. Maybe grouping the students into several teams is a splendid idea. Students then could have a small disscussion. They may love it.

3. Have students write down what they feel about the band and the interview.

4. Have students either post their reflections onto the Comment Area of iTalk Show English Zone or post what they think onto this blog.


P.S.
To be engaged in this teaching activity, the teacher should go to the Website of iTalk Show English Zone(Website:http://ttsh.tp.edu.tw/engblog) first.
Then click on the broadcast of Band 305.
We encourage teachers to develop their own teaching plans based on the programs from iTalk Show English Zone and their share their own reflections.

Band introduction [audio:http://www.ttsh.tp.edu.tw/englishsound/band_class_305.mp3]
Welcome any senior high school student to host the broadcast and interview the band.

Aims of this blog

It is splendid to have my own blog here.

This blog aims to establish a Blogtopia(Blog +Utopia)
where those who are especially interested creative English teaching can share their ideas.
Through the link to your blog and others' blogs, a new virtual English-learning community, Blogtopia, can be set up.
Through comments and links, a new vision of English teaching can be displayed.
Welcome to be one of the members of this community of Blogtopia.
Please blog me!

This blog also aims to offer a teaching plan based on iTalkShow English Zone which has already designed by Kitty herself. This blog will irregularly display how kitty apply the programs on iTalk Show English Zone to her daily English teaching. Those who are interested in the application can keep track of kitty's logs here.

Besides the application, Kitty will record her teaching plan for holidays, some of her teaching reflections, etc.

Blog this, and you will be provided some food for thought!