fresh, fresher, freshest: building vocabulary through rhythm and rhyme

49
Fresh, Fresher, Freshest Vocabulary Building Through Rhythm and Rhyme - Jason R. Levine

Upload: jason-levine

Post on 17-Aug-2014

344 views

Category:

Education


25 download

DESCRIPTION

These are slides from my session in the iTDi Summer School MOOC, August, 2014 on WizIQ.

TRANSCRIPT

Fresh, Fresher, Freshest

Vocabulary Building Through Rhythm and Rhyme

-Jason R. Levine

Respect, Tunisia  - Fluency MC and MK Productions

Don’t throw the ________ out with the _______.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Audio-Lingual Method• Sufficient input and repetition but often boring, out of context, not meaningful• Easy for students to lose motivation

Communicative Approach• Often interesting and meaningful with

language in context but not enough repetitive exposure to input

• Easy for students to lose motivation

The Baby and the BathwaterIn its response to the Audio-Lingual Method, Communicative Language Teaching ultimately threw the baby out with the bathwater.

We need interesting and meaningful language in context with enough repetitive exposure to input.

“Kids are like sponges.”

Can teens and adults be “sponges” when they learn a second language?Can they…

…get exposure to large amounts of repetitive input?

…be relaxed?…be interested and engaged?…be unconcerned with errors?…turn off our “analytical brains”?

How important is repetition?

Is there “good” repetition? “Bad” repetition? “Natural” repetition? “Unnatural” repetition?

When we are relaxed, we engage; when we are engaged we relax.

Explain __________ foodTotally _____A bus __________ smoking

Collocation =

A high-frequency CHUNK of language

Collo = Collocation

“listen music” or “listen to music”?

The brain only cares about what sounds right and looks right.

To do so, the brain needs sufficient, repetitive input.

And we must be relaxedand engaged.

• An ELL who lacks the ability to automatically recall collocations, lacks the foundation on which to build accurate and fluent communicative skills.

• Textbooks, worksheets, and flashcards do not provide enough repeated exposure to collocations.

Most students are neither farmers nor sailors.

Always ______

Just ______

Kentucky _____

My 9th grade European history class:

I loved the teacher.The content was interesting.Her lessons were exciting.

I studied like crazy.I got an A in the class.

Today I remember nothing.

ColloTunes

I got to know this kid when I got to junior high. He used to get into trouble, get in fights, and get high. But when he got a little older, he got more mature. His mom got him in line so his vision wouldn’t blur. She got on his case to get straight and get a job, so they could get by without having to rob. Every night when he got off, he’d get out his notebook and get busy writing rhymes because he was no crook. He got a look at universities and got some applications, got approval from his teachers to get their recommendations. He got grief from his friends; he got insulted and got hurt when they got scared and insecure because they knew he would desert them.

Get a Life

How do songs promote vocabulary acquisition?

How do songs promote vocabulary acquisition?They increase motivation.Students are relaxed.Students like to listen to them.They are not part of the curriculum.It’s fun to sing along.Students repeat the vocabulary words.It’s easier to listen to songs repeatedly because of technology.The singers are native speakers.Students can select the songs themselves.They can practice movements.They learn subconsciously.

How can we use songs toteach vocabulary?

How can we use songs toteach vocabulary?Make gap-fills (word, phrase, sentence level).Make lyrics scrambles/jumbles (picture scrambles).Students correct mistakes.Elicit ideas before listening.Pre-teach vocabulary.Ask students questions about new vocabulary.Students circle unknown words.Students infer meaning from context.Students write sentences with new vocabulary.Discuss the song and the artist in class.The teacher can play an instrument in class.Students can create an activity for a song; they “get to be the teacher.”

Challenges we face using pop songs to teach

Need to consider dialect vs. standard; low-freq. vocab. vs. highMessages may be difficult to understand and/or explainStress patterns may be unnaturalSome material may be inappropriate for certain ages or culturesThe vocabulary may not be what the students most need to learn

Things to keep in mindDon’t take away the lyrics if it lowers interest or increases stressDon’t pressure students to sing or performConsider and assign different roles to studentsDon’t pressure yourself to sing or perform

“Delights” vs. “Complaining with Noise”Students need to like the song.You should have objectives and plan a lesson around the song.You need to consider the students’ ages and levels.The song should not be too fast.The song should be related to things the students are interested in.The students should have copies of the lyrics.Teachers should take students’ individual differences into account.You need to spend enough time with the song; repeat enough times.

What are ColloTunes™?ColloTunes are songs created and performed by Fluency MC to teach English to children and adults. Students listen, speak, and rap while following along with the lyric sheets. ColloTunes are rich in the high-frequency vocabulary and grammar structures we need to speak fluent, accurate English. In a ColloTunes activity, students are relaxed and engaged. Conscious effort to memorize gives way to fluent, subconscious learning.

The Collo in ColloTunes is short for collocation. A collocation is a high-frequency chunk of spoken or written language. “Take a shower,” “meet for coffee,” “a tough situation,” and “so much time” are collos.

When we meet collos again and again, they stick in our heads; we say and write them automatically without hesitating, translating, or worrying about grammar. ColloTunes contain the collos we use every day in English. Repeated practice with collos helps learners improve all four skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

ColloTunes™

Build all four language skills

Accelerate vocabulary acquisition and understanding of language functions

Follow the natural stress patterns of English

Make it easy (and fun!) to learn difficult grammar structures

Provide practice for students in and out the classroom

Are available for multiple levels, ages, and learning styles

Include conversation activities, writing practice, quizzes, and lesson plans Supplement any syllabus or curriculum

Are used by teachers in dozens of countries worldwide

This is the basic procedure for learning with ColloTunes

1 Listen to the Tune without reading the lyrics. 2 Read the lyrics without listening. 3 Discuss the meaning and purpose of the Tune.4 Listen while silently reading the lyrics.5 Discuss vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. 6 Speak/rap/sing while listening.7 Listen, read, and write with the Gap-fill Exercises. 8 Do additional practice with the Activity Sheets.9 Speak/rap/sing over the instrumental versions of the

songs.10 Write your own lyrics and perform your own Tunes in

class.Tips• Pause Tunes and repeat, reorder, or omit steps when necessary.• Create your own procedure to meet your students’ needs.• Do Gap-fills and Activity Sheets in class or assign them for homework.• Create your own activities to suit your students’ interests.

Fresh (fresher, freshest)

Fresh (fresher, freshest)Whether you’re young (younger, youngest) or old (older, oldest). If you’re shy (shyer, shyest) or bold(bolder, boldest) follow Fluency MC. Stick with me and you’ll see we keep it hot (hotter, hottest) nevercold (colder, coldest). Make it loud (louder, loudest).I’m proud (prouder, proudest) of my family round the world; I could never be without this. Across the globe we’re spreading wide (wider, widest)-don’t you know-we learn through having fun; you ought to try this! Soon (sooner, soonest) you’ll learn quick (quicker, quickest). If your books and lessons make you sick (sicker, sickest) sing along to this song and you’ll be strong (stronger, strongest). Relax and repeat. It won’t take long (longer, longest).

ColloLearn is based on the principle that when we are relaxed and actively engaged in communicative activities, repeated exposure to collocations forms a foundation of accurate and fluent language.On top of this foundation, we can build critical and creative thinking skills to achieve our communicative goals.

“Let’s build a base to support higher thought and hold on to all of the things that we’re taught.”

-Fluency MC, “More of America”

*

* Super-Powered Automatic Recall of Knowledge

it’s easy to

When youyour time