Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate & Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed: St. Martin’s Day
Goal of the class: Learn about German culture and master casual conversation
How did you structure the class?
A) Warm-Up: Have you heard of St. Martins Day or seen lantern-walks before? Why are they happening?
Watch short cartoon about St. Martin:
B) Activity: Make a lantern as is a custom in Germany on 11/11 while listening to songs that are traditionally sung, like “Ich geh mit meiner Laterne“ and “Laterne, Laterne”.
Maybe watch video of actual St. Martin’s procession towards the end, when people are settled in with crafting (you can find some on Youtube).
C) Discussion while crafting or after: What were your favorite Childhood activities this time of year? Is there something similar in your culture?
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)Props: Share Screen function in Zoom, Chat, Youtube, Spotify, Course Website as a resource for homework and reference.
I emailed students a few days before with what is needed so they could get the supplies needed for making the lanterns (cardboard box, scissors, thumb tacks, glue, tissue paper, fake candle, etc.).
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The students very much enjoyed making the lanterns. It is a bit hard to make them multi-task, so they became chattier once they were almost done with their work. It worked well to listen to some traditional songs while they were crafting and showing the videos in the beginning & end.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I’d leave it as is. And we took a screenshot photo with all our lanterns at the end, which made a fun memory.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Get to know some contemporary attempt of Japanese traditional music
Describe music videos, what do you see? What do you hear?
How did you structure the class?
How are you doing? Hanging there? Good news if any??? (7 min)
We are trying to stay calm with the presidential election result being updated.
Today’s plan (3 min)
Breakout room (30 min): Each group has a different music video
Watch the videos
How many people are there?
What are they doing? What are the instruments?
What do they wear?
What kind of music?
What is traditional and what is not traditional?
Do you like it or not and why?
Main room (20 min)
Explain the music video and watch video
Wrap up. Stay positive, and stay calm,
What technology, media or props did you use? (internetresources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Class agreement, breakuprooms
Zoom, breakout rooms, youtube videos
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Students were a little tired at the beginning with upcoming exams and all the homework they have
Each breakout room had a different music video. So I told them to describe the video really in detail.
They enjoyed the videos.
We learned some way of describing music, terms such as “traditional,” “contemporary,” and other terms used for traditional clothing.
In breakout rooms, they asked me some words that explain musical moments, things artists are wearing, or the scenery. They used these terms when shearing in the main room.
I first let all the groups explain what they watched. After that is done, I shared my screen and played all three videos at once. They loved it.
Students enjoyed the music, costumes, the techniques of artists, and other details.
This is one of classes students chose as the best.
Advanced:
Students enjoyed the music, costumes, the techniques of artists, and other details.
We ended up with talking a lot about Japanese arts and elements in videos.
Students have a little more knowledge about Buddhism in this class, and it made some discussions very interesting.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I noticed that students used chat a lot as we all watch the videos together. Probably I can make use of the chat function more effectively with music moment. I don’t know how yet though. Something to keep thinking for the next time.
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
https://youtu.be/KHna8ngTaOg 17:06:41 From Lena She-Her : This lit 17:06:50 From Mason Cai : ^^ 17:06:54 From Marina Aina : ^^^ 17:07:00 From Ruby Hoffman : ^^ 17:07:10 From Ashley Cheng : ^^^^^ 17:07:32 From Marina Aina : The mv visuals are so nice too 😮 17:07:48 From Alyssa Zhang : those masks damnnnnn 17:08:06 From Mason Cai : :OOOoOOO:
https://youtu.be/cbObLy5MjWU 17:10:24 From Marina Aina : Ive never felt more untalented in my life LMAO they’re so good 😮 17:10:32 From Kate McHale : this really slaps 17:10:34 From Ashley Cheng : It really do be one of those days
https://youtu.be/nvIGCMhjkvw?t=120 17:12:03 From Kano Cheng : I want to be this man when I grow up 17:12:29 From Ruby Hoffman : yes oh my god 17:12:37 From Marina Aina : i think you can accomplish that dream :,) 17:12:40 From Kate McHale : immaculate vibes 17:12:42 From Ashley Cheng : I wonder if my buddhist grandma would appreciate this 17:13:07 From Alyssa Zhang : i want to know what hes saying
Language and Level (intermediate
or advanced class):
Spanish advanced
Class theme/topics discussed:
.Goal of the class: To learn and discuss about traditions in Spain. To discover new music artists in Spain
How did you structure the class?
Activity 1:
Students get a piece of paper with prompts to discuss about their musical taste
They stand up and walk around asking each other
Activity 2:
Students are asked the features that a good artist needs to have. We write those words in the whiteboard
Activity 3:
Students look up the artist Rosalía on Instagram. They describe what they see and what they think of her.
Activity 4:
We brainstorm different elements from the Spanish culture. Students are
guided with a powerpoint presentation in order to get them to discuss about
semana santa, bullfighting, suburbs…
Activity 5:
Students watch the Malamente music video by Rosalia. They have toidentify the elements we have learnt before. Then we discuss how they arerepresented in the video and figure out the meaning of the video.
Activity 6:
Now that students are more familiar with the artist and the imagery. We discuss about elements that are relevant also in the US. Cultural appropriation and Rosalía.
Activity 7: If there is time, we watch another music video by the same artist that shows similar topics, and discuss the different elements portrayed in it.
What technology, media or props
did you use? (Internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
We used prompts to bring up the topic at the beginning of the class.
We also used a powerpoint presentation to bring the imagery of the
artist to the classroom and make it more fun to engage in the topic.
What worked well in this class?
What did not work?
This class worked very well with advanced students because they really liked the artist. They could see and discuss elements from the Spanish culture that they were already familiar with, and put them into a different perspective. After this class, this artist became a recurrent topic in class, students would follow her progress and the new material she was releasing. It was a fantastic resource for them to bring Spanish home and keep practicing.
If you have a more detailed
lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate/Advance
Class theme/topics discussed: Conditional sentences, description.
Goal of the class: Students overview conditional sentences and practice them.
How did you structure the class?
Heads-up: upcoming cultural activities
Warm-up: I quickly remind students how to conjugate conditional verbs and I write a couple of sentences as example.
Activity 1: After a couple of comments about what they are about to see, I play a clip muted on youtube of a famous songwriter from Spain. Students are in pairs, one facing the screen, the other one facing backwards. The student who can see the screen must describe what is happening while the video is playing. Then everyone watches the clip with music and test how much they were able to describe/understand. After, pairs switch places and I play a second clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HpIgZUqfn8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-u-xjSREkM
Activity 2: I play again the last song. I handle out the lyrics with blanks on it, students must listen and fill the blanks. After, we discuss the lyrics and I make them realize that most of the sentences are written using a conditional structure.
Activity 3: In groups of 3, students must answer to some questions I write on the board that start by “What would you do if…?”
-You won the lottery
-You had a time-travel machine
-There was an earthquake
-You could have the job of your dreams
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Youtube
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It was a bit challenging for some of the students but very fruitful for others, hopefully all your students will have gone through conditional sentences at least once. The description activity is also intense, but despite the difficulty, you definitely can tell that they had a lot of fun.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): German Advanced Conversation
Class theme/topics discussed:
Basic understanding and interpretation of a German song.
Goal of the class:
Practicing listening comprehension and understanding of texts (also stylistic devices) and justification.
How did you structure the class?
20-25 minutes: Odd man out. The class is divided in two groups or pairs to have a competition. The LR provides 4 to 5 different words. Each group has to provide the reasons for each of the words to be the odd man out. The students are given a time limit during which they have to make up their reasons. They take notes so that they have proof that they do not copy from the other group that is presenting. Each word that they were able to describe as the odd man out will be rewarded a point. The LR varies the intensity by setting tougher time limitations.
25-30 minutes: Song analysis of “Madsen – Geschichte”. The students listen to the song “Geschichte” by Madsen. They try to remember as much as possible (words, phrases, the general issue). The ideas are then shared with the class. Afterwards, they receive the songtext with gaps. The song is played a second time. The students then try to fill out the blanks in pairs. The LR then helps them to clarify misunderstandings and questions. Each pair gets to analyze one paragraph, the LR provides the categories that help them understanding the meaning. They present their ideas in class
3 minutes: Information about study break on 21st of October. Information about film festival next week (class will be dismissed at 4:55). Information about conversation class project – what is needed.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Music so that they cannot hear each other that easily, wordlist for odd man out, TV/speakers to play the song, Songtext with gaps, questions for interpretation
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Students liked both the song and the activities of this class.
Say as many nouns for these adjectives (all cognates) as you can in every gender, take turns.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Maybe a little too much time on the song, so I’ll skip that part next time. Repeating things in Activity 3 in very, very good for these two students, same with pronouncing long adjectives in Activity 4 – even though they’re cognates, they’re sometimes hard to pronounce for the first time. VERY good to practice conjunctions in Activity 2, because American students often tend to translate “and so” as “и так” (literal translation instead of “поэтому”).
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Announce two cultural activities coming up – two films at the Laemmle, introduce students to “Aquarium”, a cult Russian indie-rock band, their music, their spirituality and their fearless leader, Boris Grebenshikov
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
Activity 1 Announcements – 10 min
I show the trailers for the movies I am taking students to see:
It’s from January 21, so it’s really new! Each student gets Handout 2 with the question and a couple of answers (rescrambled). I give them 3 minutes to look at their answers. I ask them to read the questions out loud and whoever has the answer reads it. We discuss and clarify the vocabulary if needed. Some of the more sophisticated structures are great examples of a translation challenge, e.g. “не могло не отразиться”, “искусственно раздутый скандал”.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The more I do it, the more I see how great reading out loud is for students of any level! Some of my students are very fluent speaking, but seem to have hit a “glass ceiling” where they cannot really make their vocab and structures more varied – and reading really helps that, I find. Some of them have difficulty with it, but they all seem to be enjoying it. So I do want to keep integrating it, maybe in smaller doses.
The interview is great – great language and very representative of the political stance of Russian intelligentsia.
Finding answers in a great exercise – they have to look for thematic vocabulary, but most importantly, structures! Also, it’s great for listening comprehension, because the others don’t have those answers.
I wanted to give them time to work in pairs and answer the interview questions from a completely different perspective – say, that of a hardcore Putin supporter, or a communist, or a pop star, but we didn’t have enough time. I should have definitely cut down the number of questions. But they still enjoyed it!
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): German advanced
Class theme/topics discussed: Gestures review and slang
Goal of the class: consolidate the vocabulary from Tuesday and introduce them to the most important slang words in German as well as one of the best and most famous German singers right now
How did you structure the class?
Ice Breaker: We talked about our plans for the weekend (one of my students is turning 21 and everyone spontaneously came up with ideas for how he could spend his birthday) and about Halona
Activity One: The students asked for a review of Tuesday’s topic right in the beginning, so I got out the same cards and had them act out the gestures and guess the names for them again.
Activity Two: We listened to the song “Oh Jonny” by Jan Delay twice and I gave the students the lyrics where they had to fill in the blanks. We then discussed the cultural references the song makes both in the video and the text
Activity Three: We discussed the slang words in the text and what other slang words the students know
Activity Four: There is this thing in Germany called “Your mom” jokes, which basically are mean one liners about people’s mothers. At this point, everyone back home is so familiar with those that just the words “your mother” are enough to start or finish a whole conversation. We look at a couple of the jokes
Activity Four: I prepared a slang puzzle and the students have to match the slang expressions with their standard German equivalents
Activity Five: Work in groups of three and write a short dialogue using as many slang words as you ca
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Video, whiteboard, handout
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Everything worked great! The students enjoyed the game, loved the song and were interested about its cultural implications. And they got the chance to shine with knowledge you can’t usually shine in a classroom with. They knew the most obscure expressions and the class was a lot of fun for all of us.
We didn’t get further than activity three, though. I’ll do the rest of the lesson on Tuesday next week
How could this class be improved/ modified?
More time!
If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that). Please attach any handouts as well.
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Japanese, Ad and Int.
Class theme/topics discussed: Japanese-English mishearing.
Goal of the class:
Students will be familiar with Japanese-English mishearing.
How did you structure the class?
1.Introduction
I get students watch a video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQpsJ-4-cmw In the video, interviewer says some words in Japanese which sound also like English. For example, “Hamachi,” the name of a fish, can be recognized “How much” in English. Interviewees answer how the words sound.
2. Quiz
I ask students some quiz. First, I show Japanese sentences with PowerPoint to the students. The sentences can also sound English ones. The students guess what English ones they are
3. Lists
I distribute the list of mishearing sentences and explain the meanings of Japanese sentences. I ask students if they sound English ones.
There are a lot of music lyrics that sound Japanese. Students watch a videos and confirm if they can hear both in English and Japanese http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWtc-s0Bd6c
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Handouts, Youtube, Powerpoint
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It worked very well. Some mishearing sentences are very famous in Japan. However, I think they were very new and eye-opening for the students. They reacted very well.
Class theme/topics discussed: La gente anda diciendo/Usos de “Por y para”/ Yeísmo
Goal of the class: For students to work on the uses “Por y para” and “Yeísmo”. Discussion on “La gente anda diciendo”
How did you structure the class:
Ice-breaker: Short game “Por y para” (see attached file)
Warm-up: The teacher asks the students the following questions:
-How you ever listen to other people talking without intention?
-What conversations do you remember?
-Would you like to read these conversations on Facebook?
After that, there’s a small discussion on “La gente anda diciendo” (a Facebook page in Argentina that collects quotes mentioned by ordinary people walking around town, in class, at the store, etc.) Then, the students look on their phones for quotes said by famous people. They write them down on their phones (without mentioning the author). They give them to their teacher, who then, mixes them up and hands them in back to students. Students read them out loud and try to guess who is the famous person that said a certain quote.
The teacher writes “yo” and “lluvia” on the board. Then, asks the students how do they think people in Argentina pronounce these words. As different versions come up, the teacher selects the correct version and explains briefly the linguistic phenomenon of ““Yeísmo”. After that, the teacher hands the students a copy of a song. The students have to fill in the gaps in the song and identify cases of “Yeísmo” while listening. (See Handouts)
Wrap up: “Whiteboard game”: the students draw lots of words on the board related to the songs. Then, two students (not facing the board) listen to one of the classmates saying one of the words on the board. The winner is the student who first shouts and erases with his/her hand the word said by their classmate.
What technology, media or props did you use?: My laptop, TV set and handouts, and flashcards.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
I think the main content of this lesson (La gente anda diciendo) was a bit too advanced for my intermediate students. As well as the song “Vuelos” was too complex and abstract for their level. They did it well with the board game as well as the song though, and they loved playing with grammar items!
How could this class be improved/modified?
I believe that “La gente anda diciendo” and “Vuelos” may be too advanced for Intermediate learners. If working with these topics, take special attention to the quotes to be selected.
Class theme/topics discussed: Student party/Parties
Goal of the class:
Learning vocabulary about party and partying.
Learning slang
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
1 Warm-up
Weekend? Did you go to a student party?
Dans votre pays d’origine, participiez-vous à des soirées étudiantes? Racontez-nous vos soirées étudiantes, vos meilleurs souvenirs et vos anecdotes.
Est-ce que vous aimez les soirées étudiantes ? Pourquoi ?
Avez-vous déjà participé à des soirées étudiantes dans d’autres pays ? En quoi sont-elles différentes ?
Quels conseils pouvez-vous donner aux étudiants qui s’apprêtent à aller pour la première fois en soirée étudiante aux Etats-Unis ?
2 Article
Read altogether an article about the French student parties.
Qu’est-ce que ces témoignages vous apprennent sur le mode de vie des étudiants français ?
Quelles sont les alternatives aux soirées étudiantes ?
On rentre chez les parents le week-end ; soirées étudiantes le jeudi ; pas de « vie de campus » à l’américaine
3 Brainstorming
What are the reasons to party? (talking about “la pendaison de crémaillère”)
4 Listening comprehension
Video from Norman about birthday parties
http://www.normanfaitdesvideos.com/2013/12/04/les-anniversaires/
Students then have to answer to 10 questions about this video
5 Scenario
You are at an American student party with a French friend. You have to explain him (in French) the meaning of two words or expressions of American slang.
6 Song
Tryo “Désolé pour hier soir”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f1yCKZMnbI
They have to “translate” the slang from this song into a “correct” French
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
This class took me actually two days instead of one. Students who already lived in France loved sharing their experiences about students’ parties. One of the good surprises was the scenario exercise: it worked really well, and it was a good activity to paraphrase something they know and realize the connotations and levels of language in their own language, so then they understand better the French slang as we worked on translations.
Goal of the class: Talking about living in a city, learn vocabulary about it
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
General discussion about the coming feedback session
Listening comprehension with a song. I give them the lyrics of the song by Pauline Croze “Dans la ville”. They have to fill the blanks with words related to the city while listening the song. Then we explain the song, the vocabulary, etc. Finally, we listen to it a second time and sing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nSJ59c-DZE (handout 1)
3. You prefer… Pair work.I give them a list of questions “do you prefer this or that” and they had to answer each of them. Then, each pair answer a question in front of the rest of the class. (handout 2)
Debate : do they prefer to live in a big city or in a smail town/in the countryside?
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
They really loved singing the song and asked me to show another song from Pauline Croze.
This class would actually be more adapted for intermediates.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Next page: handouts 1 and 2
Dans la ville – Pauline Croze
J’avais pensé quelques fois,
Tiens il faudrait retenir
Le nom de cet endroit, il faudra revenir…
Je m’étais dit bien souvent,
c’est une adresse garder
Il faudra essayer ce banc, cet été…
Mais dans la ville,
Je m’aperçois,
Ces adresses inutiles,
je n’y reviendrais pas…
Mais dans la ville, je m’aperçois, ces journées d’avril, ce n’était que toi…
La pensée m’était venue, en t’attendant un matin, je reviendrai dans ces rues, l’an prochain.
J’avais gardé pour plus tard, un quartier à visiter
Les environs de la gare, le papier peint du café
Ce n’était que toi…
Tu préfères ceci ou cela ? Pourquoi ?
– Habiter en centre-ville ou en banlieue, ou à la campagne ?
– Sortir en boîte ou aller au cinéma ?
– Vivre seul(e) ou avec des colocataires ?
– Habiter dans une petite rue ou sur une grande avenue ?
– Parler aux étrangers dans la rue ou les éviter ?
– Préserver les parcs publics ou construire plus d’édifices ?
– Rouler en voiture ou prendre les transports en commun ?
Have an enjoyable tea-party with delicious cookies and listen to/watch some genuinely fun examples of contemporary culture and also talk about some aspects of simultaneous translation.
GREAT for MID-TERM class
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
Warm-up – sign Christmas/New Year’s cards in Russian. Cards are provided. How do you wish things in Russian, etc. – 10 min
Russian parody song about Demi Moore who longs to go to Russia and live a “normal” Russian life – lots of fun stereotype inversions etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx_OLNxyt3YHandout 2
Discussion – what makes the parody funny? What Russian stereotypes are involved?
Simultaneous translation and language transformations involved (cf. “make the world more connected” – “сделать мир более открытым», “the challenge is..” – “задача в том, чтобы….”, “a lot of why we’re here..” – “главная причина, по которой мы здесь…») – you can sometimes hear both languages, interesting to compare.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
Video, text
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The goal was without a doubt fully achieved! The students are also so proficient already that it makes sense to talk about certain application of language such as simultaneous translation. It is fascinating to them and certainly can be something they could try!
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Proust Questionnaire – Traits of character/qualities
Goal of the class:
Talk about traits of character/qualities, listening comprehension (normal speed spontaneous speech)
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
PART 1 (60 minutes)
Activity 1 – Warm-up
First glance at the lyrics of “Vasya”, a song by Bravo, a 80’s-90’s Russian disco/rock’n’roll band – some words are missing (see handout 1) – 3 minutes
Fill in on the first listen, check together, discuss etymology of words, watch again – 7 minutes
Activity 2 – Marcel Proust’s Questionnaire – 30 questions divided into 3 parts (number of students). Each student reads their question to make sure everyone understands it – 15 minutes. Make sure we understand the vocabulary.
Video 2 – “Pozner” – Russian tv-show by Vladimir Pozner. Questionnaire part of the interview with director and tv personality Aleksandr Gordon, starts at 46:03 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhXPdJZK8Uk – 7 minutes
Video 3 – “Pozner” – Russian tv-show by Vladimir Pozner. Questionnaire part of the interview with magazine editor Aliona Doletskaya , starts at 45:32
Ask your partners a few of «your» questions, discuss – 20 minutes
PART 2 – SHORT (30 minutes)
Activity 1 – vocab revision – take one sentence from HANDOUT 3 (all adapted from handout 2) and describe a situation/evaluative scenario which ends with this sentence, 9 sentences – 25 minutes
Activity 2 – discuss conversation class projects – 5 minutes
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
Video, Internet, text
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
I thought the class went very well.
Vasya is a fun song and relatively easy to understand for this level, serves as a nice warm-up for any class, regardless of the topic. With it, we also establish continuity for this class as well as for an advanced Russian/Post-soviet culture class all the 3 students are taking (they will be covering different subcultures, including stilyagi)
The Proust Questionnaire integrates well thematically with the topics we have covered so far: learning types (visual, aural, kinesthetic), personal preferences in life and work as well as recycles an important task type – personality test questions.
Going through the questions in activity worked well: 1) listening comprehension (each students has 10 out of 30 questions); 2) structural transformations/synonymy (some of the Proust questions are phrased slightly differently by Vladimir Pozner). Also, students are generally interested in learning about themselves and each other, and in this group they are very comfortable discussing these matters, the group dynamics are very good and is only strengthened by the use of such exercises.
Watching interviews with very interesting Russians – journalists, writers, politicians etc. seemed to be appreciated by the students as very good exposure to the culture.
Describing an evaluative scenario which leads up to a sentence containing vocabulary to be revised is very effective (Handout 3), and I will definitely use it more. It creates a “context” and thus 1) really checks whether the students understand the word well, and 2) helps them remember new vocab better, because their situations are personalized even if they are completely imaginary.
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Handout 1
Группа «Браво» – «Вася»
Когда _____ ______ огнем витрины
На старых улицах Mocквы
Не трудно встретить этого мужчину
Небесной _____ ______ _____
На нем всегда _____ ______ отличный
Оттенка _____ ______ с _____ ______ _____
И побродить по улицам столичным
_____ ______ _____ ______ _____
Спросите у любого на Тверском бульваре,
Кто лучше всех танцует __________ и _____ ______ _____,
Кто лучше всех _____ ______ _____ Пресли на _____ ______ _____
- На это каждый ответит, каждый ответит:
– Конечно, Вася, Вася, Вася,
Ну, _____ ______ _____ _____ ______?
Вася, Вася, Вася – стиляга из Москвы.
Пойдите в _____ ______ “Современник”,
На _____ ______ _____ в Дом _____ ______
В таких местах всегда вы, _____ ______ _____,
Встретите его
_____ ______ _____ ______ “Спартак”-“Динамо”
И переполнен _____ ______ _____
А это кто сидит с _____ ______ _____ _____ ______ –
Ну, конечно, он.
Handout 2
Опросник Марселя Пруста Часть 1
1. Что такое, по-вашему, крайне бедственное положение?
2. Главная черта Вашего характера?
3. Качества, которые Вы особенно цените в мужчинах?
4. Качества, которые Вы особенно цените в женщинах?
5. Что Вы больше всего цените в друзьях?
6. Ваш главный недостаток?
7. Ваше любимое занятие?
8. Что для Вас наивысшее счастье?
9. Что было бы для Вас самым большим несчастьем?
10. В какой стране Вы хотели бы жить?
Опросник Марселя Пруста Часть 2
11. Ваш любимый цвет?
12. Цветок, который Вы любите?
13. Ваша любимая птица?
14. Ваши любимые писатели?
15. Ваши любимые поэты?
16. Любимый литературный герой?
17. Любимые литературные героини?
18. Любимые композиторы?
19. Любимые художники?
20. Любимые имена?
Опросник Марселя Пруста Часть 3
21. Что Вы больше всего ненавидите?
22. Исторические персонажи, вызывающие у Вас презрение?
23. Военное событие, достойное, по-вашему, наибольшего восхищения?
24. Реформа, которую вы оцениваете особенно высоко?
25. Способность (дар), которой вам хотелось бы обладать?
26. Как вы хотели бы умереть?
27. Состояние духа в настоящий момент?
28. Проступки, вызывающие у вас наибольшее снисхождение?
29. С кем из ныне живущих людей Вы хотели бы встретиться?
30. Ваш девиз?
Handout 3
Я испытываю к этому человеку глубокое презрение.
Я по-настоящему ей восхищаюсь.
В общем, он очень нетерпеливый.
Одним словом, у него много необычных способностей.
Доверчивость – одна из ее главных черт.
Одним словом, наша организация находится в бедственном положении.
В общем, его девиз – «Один раз живем!»
Поэтому теперь она сидит дома и погружается в уныние.
Но это все не так важно, больше всего, конечно, я ценю в нем его доброту и честность.
Goal of the class: Talk about immigration and the differences between the US and Spain
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below)
I started the class with a song (papeles mojaos-chambao) that talked about immigration. We commented that song and then I showed them a news video in which they were talking about African immigrants crossing the ocean to get to Spain. We talked about all the differences between Spain and the US, how the immigrants get to the US, what they can do once they have arrived, what kind of jobs they can get, etc. We also talked about the DREAM Act and they explained to me what it was about. I had some questions with me that I kept looking in case I forgot something that I wanted to ask.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
Youtube and rtve.es
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
They were interested in the topic and I think the song was a good start.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
At first I wanted to have them work in two groups and talk about this, but after, since they were all explaining things in the US to me I thought it would make more sense if we just discussed it altogether. Also, instead of keeping the questions with me, I could have handed them to the students and have them discuss them in groups of 3 or 4 people.
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
I attach the lyrics of the song and the questions that I had with me to keep the conversation going.
Canción:
Chambao – Papeles mojados
Miles de sombras cada noche trae la marea,
navegan cargaos de ilusiones que en la orilla se quedan.
Historias del día a día, historias de buena gente.
Se juegan la vida cansaos, con hambre y un frío que pela.
Ahogan sus penas con una candela, ponte tu en su lugar,
el miedo que en sus ojos reflejan, la mar se echó a llorar.
Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueño papeles mojaos, papeles sin dueño Muchos no llegan se hunden sus sueño papeles mojaos, papales sin dueño
Frágiles recuerdos a la deriva desgarran el alma,
cala to’ los huesos el agua los arrastra sin esperanza.
La impotencia en su garganta con sabor a sal,
una bocanada de aire le da otra oportunidad.
Tanta noticia me desespera, ponte tu en su lugar,
el miedo que en sus ojos reflejan, la mar se echo a llorar.
Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueño papeles mojaos, papeles sin dueño. Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueño papeles mojaos, papeles sin dueño
Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueño papeles mojaos, papeles sin dueño. Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueño papeles mojaos, papeles sin dueño
Questions:
¿Con qué se asocia el término inmigración?
¿Cómo acceden los inmigrantes a EE.UU?
¿Existen en EE.UU trabajos temporales para los inmigrantes?
¿Cuáles creéis que son las formas en que se pueden conseguir “papeles”? ¿Es posible trabajar sin tener papeles? ¿En dónde?
¿Qué ventajas tiene la inmigración para el país y para los inmigrantes? ¿Y problemas/desventajas?
¿Con qué medios llegan los inmigrantes a EE.UU?
En EE.UU, ¿las leyes de inmigración son las mismas en todos los Estados? ¿Hay alguno que tenga leyes más severas? ¿Cuál y por qué?
Los inmigrantes, ¿qué tipo de trabajos desempeñan normalmente?
Class theme/topics discussed: The way of life in a communal flat (kommunalka)
Goal of the class:
– To learn new cultural information (to become familiar with the way of life in a communal flat) and to learn new vocabulary
– To practice listening, reading, speaking
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
– Watching a music video clip of the Russian song ‘Communal flat’ (‘Eta kommunalnaya kvartira’): students are asked to watch it really carefully so they could identify the details of the communal life style and its possible problems;
– Students get the handouts with the song’s lyrics, which contain blank spots: students need to remember/guess the missing words and write them down;
– Listening to the song for the second time in order to help the students to write down more missing words (those they didn’t get from the first listening);
– Checking the answers with the whole class;
– Discussion: students tell what they noticed about the communal way of life and its advantages and disadvantages (they also come up with possible solutions to the most common problems). While they are doing that, the teacher writes the necessary vocabulary on the whiteboard (such words as schetchik and so on);
– The teacher tells some cultural information about the communal flats (or, just like me shares his/her experience about living in a communal flat if he/she used to);
– Students get the handouts with a fact about communal flats written on them (it contains difficult numbers): they are asked to read a piece of it;
– Role-play: students get their roles (babushka, studentka, molodaya sem’ya s rebenkom etc), they have to pretend that they are neighbors in a communal flat. They start the conversation with ‘complaining’ about some problems and they have to reach some kind of a compromise (for example, imagine the rules that would make their life easier in this flat).
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
– Whiteboard
– Youtube.com
– Handouts with the lyrics
– Handouts with a sentence containing difficult numbers
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Students enjoyed watching the video and they really liked the song. They noticed quite many things about this special life style and they managed to identify quite many possible problems. They also enjoyed the stories I told from my experience. The students were very good in reading numbers as well. And we all had fun during the role-play.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Everything worked well so I wouldn’t change anything.
Goal of the class: Learning about different popular Carnival songs and dances for the songs
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
1) Text about the origins of Carnival
2) Group work: 3 groups, each group has to pick one of the following songs:
– Cowboy und Indianer
– Du hast mich 1000x belogen
– Das rote Pferd
The groups then have to find out what the song is about and what dance comes with it (→ internet, youtube) and then tell the class about their song and teach their dance to everyone.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
Internet, several Laptops, TV
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Worked well, I think students had fun learning the different dances and teaching them to each other
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Modification: Other songs, for example summer songs, that comne with a dance
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Class theme/topics discussed: Health: Dating and relationships
Goal of the class: learn about dating in France, the vocabulary of relationships; make the students know each other better
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
-Warm up activity with the previous vocabulary (10 minutes)
-Conversation about the vocabulary of relationships (15 minutes)
-Speed dating, guess who’s who in the class with a 2 minutes dating (25 minutes)
-Analyse of a song by Bénabar dis lui oui -2004-(20 minutes)
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
-Whiteboard
-Paper Sheet to write down the vocabulary for warm up activities for next class
-TV and computer
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
-The students were interested in the topic. The song was perfect to get new vocabulary. The students had a lot of fun playing the dating game.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
-A scheme of the modern family would be necessary to recap all the different names of family relatives which are quite intricate in French.
Dis-lui oui _ Bénabar
Je sais bien, Muriel, que ça ne me _________ _____
Tu l’as foutu dehors et je respecte _____ ________
Mais il voudrait revenir… d’accord, j’insiste pas
C’est mon ami quand même! Non, C’est pas lui qui _ ________
ça me fait de la peine, vous alliez si bien ensemble
____ ______ de vie commune mais je veux pas le défendre
Avec tout ce que vous avez vécu, avoue que c’est dommage
Et j’ te dis pas combien il souffre, ça serait du _________
Muriel je t’en prie
Je t’en __________
Dis-lui Ouiiii
Depuis qu’ tu l’as ____________, il habite chez moi
Je ne peux plus le supporter, Muriel aide-moi
Il veut toujours qu’on parle et qu’on parle que de lui
La discussion consiste à l’écouter, à dire ” oui ”
Le seul moment tranquille c’est quand il t’écrit
Mais les poèmes de cinq pages, après ___ ___ ___ ______
Il me raconte votre vie dans les moindres détails
Ce qui s’ passe ____ ____ ___ depuis vos fiançailles
Je suis un gentleman, j’ répéterai pas, c’est intime
Rassure-toi Muriel… Espèce de _______ _________
Il va et vient la nuit à n’importe quelle heure
Il _______ dans ma chambre pendant que je dors
J’ai frôlé la ____ ________, j’en ai encore mal dans le bras
Il a fait semblant d’être somnambule pour que j’ l’engueule pas
Tu sais, c’est un mec bien mais j’ veux pas _’________
Il gagne pas mal sa vie, à deux c’est mieux pour le loyer
Voyons les choses en face, t’es pas non plus __________
Regarde-toi dans une glace, Muriel, faut être ___________
Bon, il a des torts, il t’a __________ c’est vrai
Avec ta ________ d’accord mais ramène pas tout à toi
Muriel, mon enfant, je t’aide parce que je t’aime bien
Mais on ne s’en sortira pas, si t’y mets pas __ _________.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
Laptop, TV set
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Everything worked very well. Students spoke a lot and were interested. They especially liked the part about addiction to social networks and the Internet. The plan is a bit too long for one class, in my class with three students it took one lesson and a half. I guess, in a bigger class it can take even more time.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
There is probably too much audio/video in this class, so it would be really better if the last part about social networks addiction can be left for another class.
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Class theme/topics discussed: Telephoning/role play
Goal of the class: directing the conversation, hesitating, expressing uncertainty.
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
5-10 minutes ice break talks —–we talked about our plans for the coming weekend
15 minutes——let’s sing Japanese song, learned about vocabularies and the meaning of the song.
35 minutes——provided useful expressions and the situations written in a piece of paper. Less complicated situations for intermediate students, more complicated situations for advanced students. Paired into 2 people, then one person and the other person act the telephone conversations in front of everyone.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
None. Just some handouts.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
YES: Students loved creating the conversations and without assistance, they kept talking.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
For the Let’s sing a Japanese song, I used old song from 50s, they disliked the old song (even though I thought they will like it, because it is so beautiful song!) I will use more up to date song.
Language and Section: Japanese Advanced and intermediate: Homosexuality and Law in Japan and America
Date: November 22nd
Class theme/topics discussed: Homosexuality
Goal of the class: To learn about Japan’s social issue and compare it with American society.
Structure of the class (unless you attach your lesson plan below):
Japanese songs dictation: 10 to 15 minutes. ( You can choose songs according to students’ favorite genre)
First, students were asked how each state has different laws on same-sex marriage and the people’s reactions on it. Let students explain them to you. They speak well when they are asked to explain to you.
I introduced Japanese laws on the topic and people’s attitudes on it. I showed some Japanese TV shows that are ran by mainly gay people, which is very rare in Japanese TV history. I asked how they think of it and we had discussion on it.
What technology, media or props did you use? (satellite tv, internet resources, playmobiles, etc.)
I used youtube for the song dictation.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Students enjoyed this topic a lot, since students in my class are interested in social issues. They were curious on learning my (Japanese) perspectives on this issues. I recommend you to choose this topic after learning about your students first.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
Before start the discussion in big group, I will divide students into smaller groups and let them discuss on it first in the future.
If you have international students in class, you should definitely ask other country’s situations on this topic.
Please attach your lesson plan and handouts for this class below – if you used any.
Section: Intermediate Conversation Date: April 28, 2011
Class theme/topics discussed:
The German National Anthem.
How did you pick this theme or topic?
I just thought that it was an interesting topic
How did you present the material? (handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
I asked my students to find out about the history of the German anthem online and gave them questions to that.
How did students react?
They found it interesting
Did they engage with each other and you?
Yes.
What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
PCs + internet
Would you recommend this activity for a future class?
Yes
Class theme/topics discussed: Listening Practice + working on individual mini-lessons.
How did you pick this theme or topic? n/a
How did you present the material? (handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
Handouts, presentation, general discussion.
How did students react?
The text, even with commentaries, turned out to be difficult for them. (Maybe they were tired – since it’s the end of the semester. Not motivated, vey low participation, slow reaction… Might be general condition, not a reaction to the song…)
Did they engage with each other and you?
Yes.
What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
Handouts, laptop, TV screen.
A laptop/ computer for each student (ask in advance to bring laptops in class)
Would you recommend this activity for a future class?
Yes.
Why or why not?
Students can share with the group sth that they find interesting / entertaining. They can design a new activity that they think everyone would enjoy. Moreover, it is a geat way to find out what they like doing in class and where their interests lie (so I would suggest having this class somewhere in the middle of the semester, too).
Intermediate Russian
Lesson 27
April 26, 2011
1. Warm-up: song (15 mins max.)
Distribute the lyrics, read and discuss.
Listen to the song.
2. Introduce the tasks for this class :
Next class will be created by the students themselves, 50 minutes of class time are divided between students in class (3 students = approx. 15 minutes for each of them). Students are expected to share sth they personally find interesting about Russia/Russian language. It can be a short presentation / video followed by a discussion; a grammar exercise; role play; a game – anything!
Their task for today is to create a mini-lesson plan for these 15 mins.
Again – they can do anything they want to, the only requirements are:
– a maximum of 5 minutes can de dedicated to presentation, i.e. showing a video/ the presenter’s talk, etc. 10 mins should go to GROUP work, i.e. discussion/ exercises/ practicing;
– discussion/ activity should be structured and well organized (with vocabulary notes, if needed, or handouts with questions).
By the end of class they should email the instructor their plans/ handouts/ links/ list of equipment they need + instructions on what materials have to be printed, how many copies.
NEXT CLASS – Student Presentations.
Intermediate – 1) showed a cartoon “Винни-Пух” (1 episode) + a short pPowerPoint about this character;
2) showed a video about logging industry and corruption in Russia (w/English subtitles); 3) designed a taboo game.
Although the task was made clear, two of the students used the whole time period for a presentation and did not prepare any discussion/ activity based on what they presented. Was interesting, but lacked conversation. Put more stress that the presentation should only be 3-5 minutes! They cannot show a 10-15-minute long video.
Advanced – 1) designed a Apples to Apples game in Russian; 2) designed a word guessing game-competition; 3) prepared a mini-lesson that included a) short intro with a powerpoint about V. Mayakovski; b) a song by Splin “Mayak” on a poem by V. Mayakovsky “Vmesto Pis’ma” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSicf98fn4; c) a writing activity – writing a short love letter.
Advanced mini-lessons were perfect! Could be used in the future.
