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THE INTERMEDIATE STUDENT

Who is the intermediate student? Hard to say. When you are teaching, it probably doesn't matter much what level you lay on the student. She's going to learn at her own level, no matter what you call her.

If you want to place the student or assess progress, however, it is important to figure out where a student functions in a general sense. No two students will ever have the same abilities among all skill levels, or even within the same performance levels. One student will speak better, while another will read more effectively. Go figure.

According to the National Reporting System (NRS), instructors can classify intermediate students into two levels. I bet you can't guess. Okay, I'll tell you: low and high ( good luck working with intermediate students who are high...or any other high students for that matter). To review the new descriptions for levels in ESL, study the chart provided by the NRS and included in these materials for your benefit.

LESSON PLANNING FOR INTERMEDIATES

Intermediate students have the same characteristics as all adults, and they will learn in the same way. Therefore, the principles and techniques covered in earlier sections still apply. Interestingly, using the four or eight -step models covered, you will also be applying ideal techniques for students with learning disabilities. (We will discuss learning disability issues further along this course.)

What will change with intermediate students is the time you spend on certain activities. You will probably spend less time developing oral proficiency and more time helping students read, write and understand the language better. Of course, intermediate students will be able to have longer and more creative conversations, as well.

LISTENING/REPEATING/MEMORIZING

Teach all relevant vocabulary (clothes, store items, and commands) using pictures or action games.

Example:

1) Charades: this  is an excellent game that can be played at all levels to help students acquire vocabulary and good sentence structure. It is one instant source of humor and can be played very briefly once students acquire enough words to make simple sentences. A word of caution - in multilevel classrooms, be sure to get a good mixture of all levels in each group, and as the instructor, you determine the level of sentence that will be used. Also, make sure you time the performance very strictly and that the group gets the sentence exactly as it was written - no excuses! Students get very competitive and they insist on fairness. The game takes awhile to do well, but it later can be used without much turmoil.

2) Ten Questions: this is a fun little exercise that students of different levels can play with each other. The teacher can also play with the whole class. Game: You imagine an object, either at random or from a long vocabulary list. Imagine that you are holding this object in your hand, fist closed. Really imagine! You can have an elephant, 10 children, or the ocean itself in your hand. Students have to guess what the object is by asking "yes/no" questions. Every "no" answer counts against them. Ten, or five if the object is easy, "no" answers and the student/class loses; the teacher wins. Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppeeeeeeeeee!!!! Be sure to give them some free practice before you start scoring.

3) Draw the Object: students love this one. Have a long vocabulary list from which to draw, and have cards with ten objects in order (1-10). Each group sends a person to the front (with just two, people take turns and get timed on how long it takes) to get the name of an object from you. You show them the name on a small card. They run to their group and start drawing. The "artist" is not allowed to gesture or say a word. The group says words until they get the object. The person guessing it goes to the front and gets the next word on the list, following the object the group just guessed. It's tricky to keep up with people running around, but they love it! The group that goes through all of the list first wins!

Using the same techniques discussed in earlier sessions, practice the following dialogue and oral instructions, which reinforce CA competencies:1) Level: Intermediate -- Competency 2CE 15: Express the need to return an item, state the reason in terms of size/color, fit, etc... and  2) Level: Intermediate -- Competency: 2H0 37: Ask and follow instructions for using and maintaining household equipment.

(I have created the dialogues and passages used in this course as we go along, and you can, too. However, remember that good ESL textbooks and Web sites contain a good variety of excellent dialogues that will support CA competencies.)

1. Exchanging Something Hi. Where can I return these shorts? Go to the desk/counter next to the first register. They'll help you there. Thanks. =================== Excuse me. I'd like to return these shorts. Sure. What's the problem? They're too big for me. Okay. Leave the shorts here and come back when you find some that fit you better. Thanks. I'll be back.

2. Cleaning an Electric Coffee Pot (Commands) Unplug the coffee pot. Empty the filter container of all coffee grounds. Wash the filter container and stem (if it has one) in warm water with very little soap. Rinse and dry it. Place a few drops of liquid soap in the pot along with warm water. Do NOT immerse the container in water. Using a sponge or cloth, wash the inside of the basket. Rinse the inside and all of the parts well. Remember that soap tastes bad. Wipe the outside clean and replace the stem and basket. Replace the top and you are done!

READING SUGGESTIONS

Write, or have a more advanced student write, a narrative (see writing examples in the previous session and below)  about the segments you use. Use those narratives as reading and writing exercises. Once the students can read the passages well, have them complete a cloze sequence.

Cloze

Personally, I love close exercises. You can modify them in a number of ways to adapt to your students. The basic cloze leaves every 7th word blank. The student must fill in the word. Studies have shown that it doesn't matter if the student replaces the blank with the exact word or another that fits the context. People disagree on that, however. Purists say that you count as incorrect words that are not exactly as they appear in the reading. Oh, well. Guess it's up to you!

Modifications of cloze suggest you leave specific words out (from the vocabulary list, or from spelling lists, or from other lists). I've also left blanks for punctuation marks, and other items. Have fun and keep your students challenged with these little activities.

Another good reading strategy is to ask questions that help the student read critically. Following are a few of those:

• Do you think it's a good idea to return clothing? Why?
• What happens if you leave soap in the pot?
• What are stems for?
• Have you been to an exchange counter?
• What else can the word "register" mean?
• What is the dialogue about?
• What are the instructions about?

CONVERSATION

Getting what you want in another language is one of the biggest challenges faced by new English speakers. We all know that politeness pays off (ha!), but students need to know how to be polite and also how to defend themselves. Intermediate students can begin to develop some finesse through conversational practice.

• Have students get into pairs or three's and develop polite ways of getting a child to do four chores. (Commands and instructions)
• A customer is angry that she bought a computer that doesn't work. What does she do? How can she solve the problem?

WRITING

Intermediate students are beginning to learn to change verb tenses to express different time contexts. (We'll cover more about grammar in the next session.). They are also ready to learn the basics of good academic writing, which requires an introduction, details and a conclusion.

Give students some examples of good simple chronological writing, and have them develop the skills themselves.

Example: Making chocolate pudding is easy. First, buy a box of instant pudding at the store. Next, dump the mix in a bowl with the recommended milk. Beat it up until it is smooth. Finally, eat it. If you get some pudding on your whiskers, wipe it off and be happy.

Narrative writing can also be very simple.

Example: John bought some shorts at the store. He liked the color, but they were too small for him. He took them back to the store and exchanged them. His new short now fit fine, but he hates the color. Life isn't perfect.

Example: Sara had to clean the coffee pot at the office every day. The boss told her that she was not cleaning it well. The coffee was bitter and awful. Sara's aunt taught her how to clan the coffee pot. The next day, Sara unplugged the pot. She emptied the filter container and .... (Tell what happened).

The idea behind academic writing is to establish first what the passage is about. Follow that with short sentences that develop/illustrate/liven up/detail the main idea. Finally, put a bow on the package; give it a conclusion.

Color Coding

If students are having difficulty identifying the order of each sentence, have them copy simple passages, using a different color for each of the following: Topic sentence, detail, and conclusion. Later, they can use additional colors to relate details to subtopics in their writing.

TESTING AND GRADING ISSUES

The important question to answer around testing and grading is, "What for?" There are programs where grading is a requirement to show progress and determine future funding for study. But even when grading is required, the question is still, "What for?" If a teacher simply gives tests to add a grade to the grade book, students will become anxious and perceive the value of what they learn only in terms of how much it helps them pass the test.

TESTING

There are good reasons for testing students properly:

• It prepares them to perform under pressure - a life skill.
• It provides both you and the student with a measure of progress and success, or lack of it.
• It diagnoses weakness.
• It motivates learning.
• It's a great learning tool.

What is a good test, in my humble opinion?

• A good test measures only what has been taught or how the student can relate to what has been taught.
• A good test does not threaten or surprise. It is predictable, so that any student who has succeeded in class can succeed in the test.
• A good test is designed for the person/class. I've never given the same test twice.
• A good test attempts to include humor. Use student names, refer to things that have happened in class, make fun of yourself, get the students involved in the test.
• A good test is challenging. Bring some form of critical thinking into some of the questions so that students don't think that all they need to do is memorize to pass.
• A good test, like good teaching, is sensitive to different learning difficulties. As a teacher, you are not policing student progress, but encouraging it.

Brainstorming for Class Discussion

1. Should tests be timed?
2. What should happen if students cheat?
3. How do you know when you've given a good test?
4. What do you think of bonus points for tests?
5. What kinds of tests make you feel successful?
6. Should all teachers test?

GRADING

Grading is a measure of student progress only if the student has been fairly tested.

What do I consider good grading?

• Good grading involves the student. She knows what will be graded and why. She may even be graded by her peers occasionally.
• Good grading awards credit equivalent to the value of the skill.
• Good grading does not surprise or threaten students.
• Good grading involves remediation so that the student isn't left with the mistake - notes can be made, suggestions can follow corrections, correct models and exercises can be geared to each question.
• Good grading allows the student to perceive strengths as well as weaknesses and makes the student responsible for improvement. Instructors who award good grades just to make everyone feel good miss the point!

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During the next session, we will discuss the grammar issue, gender issues, and learning disabilities.

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FIELD PRACTICE III - TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE CLASS

1.  Visit Dave's http://www.eslcafe.com/ and e-mail me a comment on one activity on that site that you believe will be useful to you or your students and why.

or

2.  E-mail me 1-10 questions for a test measuring how well the students learned the skills taught above, and tell me how you would award points.

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