Changing meaning

Kelli, blogging about her experiences teaching English in South America, wrote about the perils of teaching “regret” this week.  She quite rightly says that contexts and examples are the key.

It got me thinking about the number of times I’ve taught “regret” as one of those verbs that we use to show how meaning can change if you follow it with a gerund or an infinitive.

The other verbs usually grouped with it in this category are “stop”, “remember” and “try”.

So how can we explain the difference to our students between “I stopped smoking ” and “I stopped to smoke”, or “I regret to tell you” and “I regret telling you”?

Plenty of different examples in different contexts is definitely key.  I often use a text, usually a story (it doesn’t take long to come up with one containing a lot of examples contrasting use), and after some initial scene setting and text comprehension, start focusing on form and meaning of the different examples.

And it’s at this point that I find teachers diverge on what’s best - the question being how far to go in to the “first action”, “second action” aspect. For example:

“He stopped to smoke” - we can imagine someone walking down the street, stopping what she is doing and then lighting up. Chronologically, “stop” is clearly the first action” and “smoke” is the second.

“He stopped smoking” - well, here, we can imagine someone smoking a packet a day for 20 years, and then deciding to quit. “Smoke” is the first action chronologically, “stop” the second.

It’s the same thing with “remember” or “regret”…

“I remember buying the flowers” - first you buy them, then you remember the fact that you bought them.  “I remembered to buy the flowers” - first you remember that you have to do something, then you do it.

“I regret to tell you that you have failed the exam” - first you have a regret, then you tell the person. “I regret telling him that he failed” - first I told him, then I regretted this action.

…and so on.

The problem is that although this seems to make sense logically (and might therefore appeal to the theorists among your students, who like rules and clear, logical explanations), the contexts in which we set these examples differ quite widely - a man walking along the street and stopping to light up is difficult to contrast with the much more general and long-term context of someone quitting smoking.  Similarly, remembering to do something is about reminders; remembering doing something is about memory.

The other problem, of course, is that with “try”, the first action, second action trick doesn’t apply. “I tried to cook the lasagne” suggests that it was difficult, and might be followed by “but I couldn’t do it”, whereas “I tried cooking lasagne” suggests some kind of experiment and might be followed by “but I didn’t enjoy it”.

So, first action, second action, or not?  Tell us what you think…

If you teach young learners, you may have used CDRoms and interactive games in your classes.

Well, here’s a new one for you… Dots and Diamond and the case of the Missing Mummies. Dots and Diamond are a dog and cat detective team called in to the museum late at night to help solve the mystery of the missing mummies. Your job is to guide them through the museum, finding clues to help them in their quest. Along the way they learn a lot of new vocabulary and interesting information.

Have a try, see if you can solve the case, then see how much quicker your young learners can do it!

Is it time to look beyond “specific designer” teaching methods to a more eclectic approach? The Language Works Online thinks so, arguing for language teaching to be an “adaptive process rather than the application of an ideal method or approach”.

The “post-communicative” approach calls for variety, in the extent to which students engage in their learning process, in the way lessons are delivered, and in the choice of teaching materials.

Have a look at the article (ed: link no longer working) and tell us what you think…

In a post last month about using ipods to teach English, we said that it never takes long for imaginative teachers to find ways of using new technology in ESL teaching. Well, handheld computer gaming devices could soon be making their way into the classroom too.

Language experts, computer games designers and educational technologists from Nottingham University are teaming up to make language learning more fun for children. They are conducting research, funded by Sharp Laboratories of Europe, to teach grammar and vocabulary on handheld devices.

According to this report, the research, targeted at children living in Asia, aims to use mobile gaming technology to make language learning more engaging and enjoyable for kids.

What do you think about this project? Is this a significant step forward that will alter the way we teach, or just the latest craze? Post a comment below…

ESL students in Sevierville, Tennessee are using their new English language skills to do good deeds in the community, according to this article. After reading about Martin Luther King, the class has started a project called “100 Acts of Kindness” to fulfil his vision of harmony among people and races.

Each student keeps track of his or her good deeds and then reports back to the class. In this way they connect their English learning with their real lives and do some good at the same time.

What do you think about this project? Post a comment below…

Do you hold debates in your ESL classes? With a motivated and imaginative group of students, debates can be a very good method of improving communication skills.If your students are good enough, they might even follow in the footsteps of a group of students from the International Islamic University in Malaysia, who have won the ESL category at the 27th World Universities Debating Championship in Vancouver, Canada, seeing off a challenge from university teams from India, Sweden and Israel.

A member of the winning team, Suhaib Hassan, is quoted as saying that the university “understand[s] the importance of debate in sharpening a student’s skills in critical thinking and communication”.

If you’ve held debates in your classes, what have your students debated about? Post a comment below…

It doesn’t take long before teachers find a way to use new technology in their classes. iPods are certainly no longer in the “new” category, and I’m sure some readers have already found innovative ways to use them in their ESL teaching.

If not, here’s an idea from an elementary school ESL program in Pittsburgh in the USA. Teachers at the school record children’s stories from a book on to a PC, and then download them to the students’ iPods. The kids listen first, then “follow (the story) along with the words in the book and then listen to the story and read it out loud”, according to school Principal Barbara Mellett, quoted in the article.

The school hopes to expand the program beyond ESL, using iPods for students to “help rehearse and practise speeches related to social studies, language, arts and science”, according to school librarian Jane Sestric.

Have you ever used iPods in your ESL teaching? If so, how? Post a comment below…

Adult ESL students at the Aiken County School District in South Carolina have been participating in a Christmas card writing scheme for American military personnel in Iraq. The project was started to help students with their writing skills, learn something about the culture and increase troops’ morale, according to the article.

What do you think about this project? Post a comment below…

If you’ve ever taught English to children, you’ll know that songs feature in many textbooks as an effective way of teaching grammar and vocabulary.

Have you ever wondered how they get written? Have a look at this interview with Steve Roslonek, who has just released an album of children’s songs called Marvelous Day. At least two of the songs were originally written for publisher Macmillan Oxford for educational products distributed in Asia and Mexico.

Fast Monkey is one, and the lyrics, according to the interview, go something like this:

I’m happy, I’m very, very happy, I’m happier than a happy monkey. I’m sad, I’m very, very sad, I’m sadder than a sad monkey.

What do you think about using songs to teach children? Do you find them effective? Post a comment below…

Need a new way to teach your students shopping vocabulary? Show them this video, filmed in a Jusco shop in Japan and made, says purplemary, who posted the video on YouTube, for high school students learning English…