Welcome ESL Level 5 Spring 2011 Students

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Keys to Your English Language Proficiency Success

Hello Class (and former students and those who many be reading this from around the world) and welcome to your ESL Level 5 class. I am so excited to have all of you in my class as I know all of the wonderful projects I have planned will really help you to grow in your English language fluency.

You might be feeling anxious, shy, or worried about studying at L5. You may feel you are not prepared, or that the challenge feels too great. I just want you to know that this is normal and it is OK to have some worries. Let me reassure you. Last semester, I am proud to announce that three of my students placed into RHT 101 at Triton College. RHT 101 is native language English composition -- those students had the same worries when they came to me and now they are in college English! The point of telling you this is that it can be done; you can go from ESL L5 directly into RHT 101. However, it will take a lot of work from both of us. My work is that I must constantly challenge you and 'raise the bar' as you master your lessons. Your work is that you must be dedicated, work hard, study daily, and have a positive attitude and most importantly:

look yourself in the mirror every day and say out loud "I am becoming more fluent in English with each passing day."

It might sound silly (just tell your family members it is part of your homework) but positive affirmations really do work!

Do you want to be fluent in English? Do you really want to? Do you want to know the secret? Are you ready to learn the secret? If so, then let me tell you...

The secret to becoming fluent in English is:

believing in yourself!

I know that is not the answer you were looking for. You wanted me to tell you that it is owning the right dictionary, or getting up at 4:00 a.m. to recite the irregular past participle list, but really it is that simple...

...and that challenging.

Self-esteem with language learning is no easy thing. You must convince yourself that you believe deep down inside, that you can master the English language.

So every day, for the few months that we are together, begin your day with telling yourself that you are becoming more and more fluent. See what happens....

The Nuts and Bolts

Here are some helpful tips to starting the semester off on the right foot! (I have nothing against left feet as I find having a left foot makes balancing and walking quite easy, but I only teach the English language, I didn't write all of the idiomatic sayings, so I just have to work with what I've got, OK? OK!)

1. Read this blog after your class. I will try to have the posts uploaded no later than 8:00 p.m. Also, I will try to add extras from time to time. Therefore...
2. Join this blog as a follower. You will then be notified by e-mail when a new post is uploaded so that you will not have to worry that you are missing something.
3. Read the syllabus. Re-read the syllabus. Carry it with you the entire semester. This is the roadmap of your class. Yes, I will need to make changes because of guest lecturers, testing days, etc. but this is our map to the buried pirates treasure a.k.a English language fluency!
4. Get to class before 9:00 a.m. You will then have time to get settled with all of your books and catch up with your classmates. It puts you in the frame of mind for learning to have a few minutes of calm instead of rushing into class late.
5. Communicate I: I know it can be embarrassing to be confused, but if you don't tell me what is going on, how am I going to know if you are struggling? Waiting until you don't do well on a test is far too late to let me know. Let me know as soon as material is unclear.
6. Communicate II: We all have busy lives. Things come up out of the blue. (Look this up if you do not know what it means!) Please e-mail me a) if you cannot come to class, b) if you cannot finish your homework (state why please!), c) if you must miss a test/essay/speech, etc. Remember, your free schooling is based on a Federal Grant and I must report attendance to the State of Illinois. Which leads us to...
7. Do not be absent for more than four class periods in a row. If you are, the State of Illinois requires me to drop you from the course. NO EXCEPTIONS! (I didn't write the law, I simply must follow it to the letter). However...
8. Do not come to class if you are sick. It is winter. We are all trying to stay healthy. If you are really sick, please do not crawl into class and spread your illness to your fellow classmates (and your Instructor). Just send me an e-mail telling me you are out sick. OK? Don't play the hero; stay home and get well.
9. Do your homework. After positive attitude, the next most important thing to becoming fluent in English is doing your homework. Language learning is like mathematics; repetition is the key to learning. I hate busy work homework. You know, mindless homework for the sake of homework. You won't have any busy work homework in this class. All the assignments build one upon the other; they are vital to improving your English proficiency. Do them!
10. Have fun. I bet you were not expecting me to tell you to have fun, now were you? Yes, have fun. Have lots of fun. Learning takes place when you are relaxed and happy. Learning does not take place when you are stressed out and miserable. Be playful. Have fun with the language. Try to see it in a new way.
11. Challenge yourself. Having trouble putting words to paper? Add an extra paragraph to each writing journal assignment. Having trouble spelling? Write ten vocabulary flashcards each day. Having trouble with vocabulary? Read for 15 minutes every day on a topic of your choice. Write down ten new words in a vocabulary notebook. Having trouble with speaking? Switch to English at the dinner table with your family. Having trouble with listening? Borrow audiobooks out of the library. Bet honest with yourself. What is your weakest skill? Focus on this for the entire course. You will be amazed (and proud of yourself) by may with your now-no-longer-weakest-skill.

Comments about anything I wrote in this post? Feel free to comment directly here if you want to start a dialogue with your fellow English language learners or do e-mail me privately if you wish!

Happy English Learning!

J.P.

Homework for Monday, January 24th, 2011

1. Read all the handouts from Friday. Write down any questions you may have and bring them to class.
2. Writing Journal: My Goals for ESL Level 5 Spring Semester (150 words); Due: February 11 @ 9:00 a.m. 
3. Finish Student Survey if you have not done so. Bring to class to hand in.