Visual Literacy in the English Classroom - Handouts

I was invited to give at talk at the 40th Anuual  Regional Teacher Training Event in Alicante on January 17, 2014. These are the handouts for that talk. I have also posted links to the videos as well.

Handouts

The City Limits

Health

London

ABSTRACT

Travel and study abroad are both an integral part of language learning. Both go hand in hand and allow language learners to move beyond the textbook and the language classroom to put their skills to the test and to hear authentic language as it is spoken by native speakers. The purpose of this workshop is to demonstrate ways to help teachers prepare creative and exciting lessons using pictures and memorabilia, such as menus, metro maps and advertisements, from their past travels.  This workshop is of special interest to teachers who are looking for ways to bring the culture and customs of English-speaking countries to life in a meaningful way to help improve student’s language skills, as well as sparking their interest in travelling to an English-speaking country." 

A picture is worth a thousand words." This cliché we have heard a thousand times, or more, yet we do not really take into account the words of wisdom that are staring us right in the face. We find that the use of pictures in English textbooks is to accompany a reading and that many of these pictures are stock photos of people with outdated clothes and hairstyles. We have to remember that pictures are also sources for teaching culture. When the teacher carefully selects the right picture that is rich in information, and that is of high interest to students, this image can help students to explore not only the culture and customs of English-speaking countries, but also the richness of the English language. 

International Conference on Bilingual Teaching in Educational Institutions - July 2010

Using Videos in the Bilingual Science Classroom

Moving Beyond the Science Textbook: Using Authentic Video in the Bilingual Science Classroom

Shawn Redwood

Language Department

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

SYNOPSIS

Science is all around us in our daily living and the more students experiment with science and observe; the more fascinated they will become in finding answers.  Science experiments and projects help make learning fun and help to answer questions asked by students.

Authentic video from the Internet can help bring science concepts to life and will give both students and the teacher a chance to move beyond the science textbook.  It can be a daunting task to look for material appropriate for students learning Science in English and this is why sites such as How Stuff Works, Simple Science and YouTube are such a valuable resource.   Videos from the sites mentioned present students with actual everyday language, just as it appears in real life, and lets them hear the language in a visible context.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this session is to help teachers:

a.     understand the role of authentic material in the classroom.

b.     find authentic science material on the Internet,

c.     create activities based on authentic material,

DEVELOPMENT

I will start with a definition of authentic material and why it is needed in the Bilingual Science Classroom.  From there, I will give tips on how to find such material on the Internet and how to create activities based on it according to the level of the students in the classroom. 

CONCLUSIONS

Through this workshop, I hope to demonstrate that authentic material leads to greater interest and variety in the classroom. Teachers must be enthusiastic and take advantage of the benefits and use authentic material properly and in sufficient quantities to motivate students and allow them access to a rich body of knowledge.

Welcome to my blog . . .

I have more than 20 years of experience in education; teaching, tutoring and working in administration both in the USA and abroad. I am currently an English Language Trainer at a private bank in Madrid, an English Language Assistant at Santa Isabel School and a Bilingual Teacher Trainer for the Department of Education of Madrid and the Catholic Schools of Madrid. I have been teaching English for 10 years in Madrid to all age groups, from nursery to adults.

I completed a 250 hour diploma course at Comillas University titled "Specialist in Methodology of the Teaching and Learning of English in the Classroom." An integral part of this course was a teaching practicum completed at Colegio Nuestra Señora de Loreto, which also included teaching teachers and preparing them for the First Certificate in English.

My principal areas of interest and research are bilingual and international education, as well as visual literacy and how to implement authentic material in the EFL classroom. I have given numerous presentations on English teaching methodology and I am a current member of TESOL-SPAIN.