2. Presented by: Amy E. Lingenfelter English Language Fellow 2013-15
From the Text to the Best: Adapting and Expanding Textbooks for Greater Cultural Relevance and Communicative Language Teaching
Presented by: Amy E. Lingenfelter
English Language Fellow

3. About Teaching: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t
force him to drink”
– Old English adage
How does this
adage apply to
teaching?

4. About Teaching:
The wind blows the dandelions throughout the field, and some seeds stick and grow into flowers. Other seeds do not.
Note: one seed that sticks and grows into a flower is better than none at all!

5. About Teaching:
“My students! That’s the only reason that I am working. I am working for them because I want them to improve. I want them to learn.”
– Recent GO TEACHER participant
Could you add to and improve this statement?
There are people who teach
to live, and those who live to
teach. Which are you? Do you have
“heart?”

6. About Teaching:
We don’t get pleasure from other people’s pleasure IF we’re suffering while helping others. You make others happy when you’re happy.
We must enjoy what we’re teaching and make it meaningful to both ourselves and to our students.
If you TEACH FOR YOURSELF, FOR THE MOMENT AND THE JOY OF IT, the rest will follow!
Remember: teaching is a 50/50 effort!

7. Teaching/Classroom Challenges:
Limited time
Limited resources
Lack of technology
Textbooks are “boring”
Curriculum is not relevant to Ecuadorian students’ real, everyday lives
Lack of respect from school
administration and
other forces “in charge”

8. Teaching/Classroom Challenges:
Lack of respect from society, parents, even students
Student behavior problems
Excessively large class sizes that make Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) difficult
It’s so easy to take the “easy way out!”
How do we save time and money, and still deliver the best lessons possible?

9. Cultural Bias: Which object doesn’t belong with the others?

10. Cultural Bias: Which is the “best” answer to the following question?
Log:
CATEGORICAL/ABSTRACT/
LOGICAL FOCUS
(This doesn’t belong in the abstract category of “tools” as we categorize and define them in our culture and language)
Ax:
PHYSICAL MATERIALS FOCUS
(This is the only object that doesn’t contain the material wood)
Saw:
EMOTIONAL FOCUS
(Example: the person has a negative emotional memory of getting hurt by a saw as a child)
Hammer:
UTILITY/CONCRETE FOCUS
(You can’t use this object with the other three; the other two objects can be used to cut the log; a hammer is useless especially without a nail)

11. Cultural Bias: Which is the “best” answer to the following question?
Tall is to short as: a. Orange is to blue
b. Black is to white
c. Green is to white
d. Neon yellow is to gray

12. Cultural Bias: Which is the “best” answer to the following question?
a. Orange is to blue:
b. Black is to white:
c. Green is to white:
d. Neon yellow is to gray:

13. With a Partner, Discuss:
What is the purpose of textbooks?
Name at least 3 occasions when textbooks are helpful/beneficial.
Name at least 3 occasions when textbooks should be supplemented (changed, added to, parts skipped)
How do you know the difference?

14. Challenges with Some Textbooks:
Culturally biased, too “gringo,” and topics are irrelevant to students’ real needs and lives in Ecuador
Layout is overwhelming, poorly organized, and/or boring to the eye
Not enough practice or independent activities
Not student-centered
Not enough focus on oral communication/conversation skills

15. Challenges with Some Textbooks:
Too much emphasis on grammar, reading, and writing
Not enough supporting visuals to contextualize what it’s teaching
Incomplete components
Just plain boring!!!

16. Things to Consider when Using Materials Somebody Else Made:
Is it level-appropriate (beginner, intermediate, advanced?)
Is it age-appropriate (elementary school, middle school, high school, university, adult?)
Is it culturally appropriate?
It is socioeconomically appropriate?
Is it gender appropriate?
Is it appropriate PERIOD?

17. Things to Consider when Using Materials Somebody Else Made:
How can I make this more practical, meaningful, and relevant to my students’ actual, everyday lives in Ecuador? Can they relate?
Who made these materials? Are they culturally biased?
Do students have prior background knowledge (content/skills) to understand and complete these tasks successfully?

18. Things to Consider when Using Materials Somebody Else Made:
Does it allow for pair/group work?
Does it maximize student speaking time and “keep them talking?”
Does it involve and keep engaged the maximum amount of students possible?
Does it involve speaking and writing practice of grammar?
“A picture tells 1000 words:” are there are enough supporting visuals?
Use pre-made, or draw on the board, graphic organizers whenever you can
Use gestures and body language (T/S)

19. Things to Consider when Using Materials Somebody Else Made:
Does it give students a choice and some learning independence?
IF there is cultural bias, can you also use that as an opportunity to teach about English-speaking CULTURES?
For example, for Unit 2, pg. 18 “Your Daily Routine:” compare/contrast the North American breakfast with the typical Ecuadorian breakfast

20. Example of Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer:
COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TWO THINGS
ITEM A: ITEM B:
Item A Only
(Differences)
Item B Only
Both A and B
(Similarities)
Typical American Breakfast
Typical Ecuadorian Breakfast
What Both Have
in Common
 Cereal with milk and/or fruit
Pancakes or Waffles
Eggs
Bacon
Oatmeal with milk
Bread with butter
Juice
Coffee
Sierra: (Bread with butter, cheese, and marmalade, coffee, juice, and fruit), mote, yucca
Costa: (Bolon con café, patacon, empanada de verde, black coffee)
Oats with milk
 Oats with milk
Bread and butter

21. Textbook Exercise: Get into groups of 3.
Look through your Postcards textbook with your group mates:
Find 3 activities that could/should be supplemented for any reason
Discuss reasons why
Discuss ideas about how to supplement and improve the lesson/activity in the textbook.
Write it down- you will need this for later!

22. Content vs. Skills in English:

23. Content vs. Skills in English:
CONTENT/KNOWLEDGE
SKILLS
THE INFORMATION YOU ARE TEACHING (KNOWLEDGE AND FACTS)
The WHAT
DEFINING things and terms
Background knowledge of the topic students are reading and writing about (e.g. “Mother Theresa”)
________________________________
Cultural knowledge and awareness of English-speaking countries
Knowledge of English, including:
Grammar rules
Meanings and correct uses of vocabulary words, transition words, expressions, idioms, etc.
Labeling the components of a paragraph or essay
Different genres of reading
Knowledge of informal vs. formal language
THE ABILITIES, METHODS, APPROACHES, AND STRATEGIES YOU ARE TEACHING
The HOW (to apply your knowledge)
Writing skills
How to organize an essay/paragraph
How to write an introduction, paragraph, and conclusion
How to write a topic and concluding sentence
How to use vocabulary in context of a sentence
How to apply the grammar rules in a sentence
How and when to use informal and formal language in writing
Listening skills
Note –taking
Understanding pronunciation and intonation

24. Content vs. Skills in English:
CONTENT/KNOWLEDGE
SKILLS
THE INFORMATION YOU ARE TEACHING (KNOWLEDGE AND FACTS)
Teaching WHAT and DEFINING things
Background knowledge of the topic students are reading and writing about (e.g. “Mother Theresa”)
________________________________
Knowledge of English, including:
History of English and etymology
Linguistics
Physical structure of mouth/throat during pronunciation
Definition of skimming and scanning
Difference between academic/formal and casual/informal written and spoken language
THE ABILITIES, METHODS, APPROACHES, AND STRATEGIES YOU ARE TEACHING
Teaching HOW to DO something and APPLY your knowledge
Reading skills
Skimming/Scanning
How to guess unknown vocabulary in context
Predicting and using background knowledge
Speaking skills
Group speaking strategies
Pronunciation and intonation strategies
How to use words and phrases in a conversation in the right context
How and when to use formal and informal language in speaking
How to speak politely

25. Example Lesson: “Postcards” Book 1B 2nd Edition, Unit 6, pg
Example Lesson: “Postcards” Book 1B 2nd Edition, Unit 6, pg. 54 Grammar Focus: Teaching Simple Past
In groups of 3, discuss:
What’s missing from the blue “Grammar Focus” box?
What may confuse students about the “Practicing Grammar” section that wasn’t covered right before?
Is there cultural bias in the photos on this page? (Think of your own students)
Are there enough visuals provided?
What should I write on the board or “copy” that’s already in the book?

26. Example Lesson: “Postcards” Book 1B 2nd Edition, Unit 6, pg
Example Lesson: “Postcards” Book 1B 2nd Edition, Unit 6, pg. 54 Grammar Focus: Teaching Simple Past
Are there enough opportunities for students to work collaboratively and practice their communication (speaking and listening) skills?
What do I need to pre-teach? What background knowledge do students need to understand this?
What do I need to do to alleviate and clarify these issues?

27. Possible Ways to Supplement and Expand on the Activity:
Adding pronoun and indirect object “it” to the box and giving several examples of what “it” represents (e.g. “days of the week) and provide example sentences
Pre-teach “there is/are/was/were”
Pre-teach or do a vocabulary lesson on professional roles/labels/titles
Pre-teach or do a vocabulary lesson on personality adjectives

28. Possible Ways to Supplement and Expand on the Activity:
Expand on people in pictures and recreate the activity using famous people in the past known to Ecuadorian students
Make it more fun! Do a guessing game both with famous people and the students in the class
Make the connection between present simple and past simple of “be” (current famous people, and those from the past who are now dead).

29. Example Mini-Lesson: “Personality Adjectives”
English Adjective
Spanish Translation
Friendly
Talkative
Quiet/Calm
Shy/Timid
Realistic
Practical
Traditional
Decisive
Organized
Responsible
Honest
Good-looking
Logical
Compassionate
Kind
Serious
Cautious
Brave
Amigable/Amistoso
Locuaz
Silencioso/Tranquilo
Tímido
Realista
Practico
Tradicional
Decidida
Ordenado
Responsable
Honesto
Guapo/a
Lógico
Compasivo
Amable/Bondadoso
Serio
Cauteloso/Cuidadoso
Valiente
Imaginative
Creative
Athletic
Adaptable
Disorganized
Go-with-the-flow
Carefree
Intuitive
Funny
Sensitive
Hard-working
Spontaneous
Intelligent/Smart
Cooperative
Independent
Confident
Clumsy
Talented
Imaginativo
Creativo
Atlético
Desordenada
Flexible
Despreocupado
Intuitivo
Cómico/Divertido
Sensible
Diligente
Espontaneo
Inteligente
Cooperativo
Independiente
Confiado
Descuidada/Torpe
Talentoso

30. Example Mini-Lesson: “Personality Adjectives”
English Adjective
Guess the Face/Drawing:
Friendly
Talkative
Quiet/Calm
Shy/Timid
Realistic
Practical
Traditional
Decisive
Organized
Responsible
Honest
Good-looking
Logical
Compassionate
Kind
Serious
Cautious
Brave
Imaginative
Creative
Athletic
Adaptable
Disorganized
Go-with-the-flow
Carefree
Intuitive
Funny
Sensitive
Hard-working
Spontaneous
Intelligent/Smart
Cooperative
Independent
Confident
Clumsy
Talented

31. Is it EVER OK to Translate?
ANSWER: Usually not, unless there are no other alternatives and it would be extremely time-consuming to explain in English
It should be used as a last resort after attempting other ways to explain it!
Alternatives:
Think about how you learned your first language: contextualized!!
Contextualize a word or grammar point and give it MEANING

32. Is it EVER OK to Translate?
For example: To teach the word “compassionate” do the following to contextualize the word:
Give synonyms in English (kind, tender, sympathetic, understanding)
Give antonyms (cruel, unkind, heartless)
Use in a sentence/s
Give examples of what a person does when they are being compassionate
Show pictures or photos!!

33. Is it EVER OK to Translate?
Have students draw a picture
Teacher or students act out facial expressions
Yes, there are times when it saves time, but is the end result worth it? Will students retain the information?
Age, level, educational attainment, and learning preferences are a factor (they can justify native language use at times)

34. Example Mini-Lesson: “Personality Adjectives”
BE AWARE OF FALSE COGNATES, for example:
“Realize” vs. “realizar”
“Estoy embarazada” vs. “I’m
embarrassed”
“Actualmente” vs. “Actually”
Use graphic organizers for vocabulary
Website Resources: > Reading Skills/Vocabulary

35. Example Mini-Lesson: Personality Adjectives

36. Example Mini-Lesson: Personality Adjectives

37. Example Mini-Lesson: “Descriptive Personality Adjectives”
1. “I am (adjective) because I ________.”
Example: “I am cautious because I
think before I do things.”
OR . . .
2. “(Person/name) is (adjective) because
he/she _________.”
Example: “My mother is friendly because she talks to everybody.”

38. Example Mini-Lesson: “Descriptive Personality Adjectives”
3. “My ideal (best friend / significant
other) is (adjective) because
________.”
Example: “My ideal husband is organized because I don’t like extra work in the house.”

43. Example Mini-Lesson: “Profession Nouns”
Profession/Job
Singer / Musician
Newscaster
Bodybuilder
President / Politician
Football/Soccer Player

44. Example Mini-Lesson: “Profession Nouns”
Profession/Job
Liberator/General
Doctor
Artist
Nun
Football/Soccer Player
Actors

45. Example Mini-Lesson: “Professions”
1. “I want to be a (profession) when I grow up because I like ________.”
Example: “I want to be a doctor because I like to help people.”
OR . . .
2. “(Person/name) wants to be a (profession) because he/she likes ________.”
Example: “My brother wants to be a singer because he likes to sing.”

46. Famous People of Now: Guess Who?

47. Famous People: Guess Who? Reviewing Simple Present of “Be”
This person is a talented singer.
This person is a serious bodybuilder.
This person is an athletic soccer/ football player.
This person is a talkative newscaster.
This person is an intelligent politician.
This person is a good-looking musician.

48. Example Mini-Lesson: “Professions”
PRESENT:
Juan Fernando Velasco
Alexandra Escobar
Antonio Valencia
Tania Tinoco
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado
Gerardo Morán

49. Famous People of Past: Guess Who?

50. Famous People: Guess Who? Reviewing Simple Past of “Be”
This person was a brave general.
This person was a creative artist.
These people were hardworking football/soccer players.
This person was an independent female doctor.
This person was a compassionate nun.
This person was a funny actor.
These people weren’t imaginative artists.

51. Example Mini-Lesson: Famous People
PAST:
Simón Bolívar
Oswaldo Guayasamin
Chucho Benitez
Matilde Hidalgo de Prócel
Mother Theresa
Ernesto Alban Gomez “Don Evaristo”

52. Past Simple “Be:” Singular & Plural
Simon Bolivar ______ a general.
Simon Bolivar and his lover, Manuel Saenz, ______ liberators for Latin America.
Mother Theresa ______ an artist.
Antonio Valencia and Chucho Benitez ______ women.
Matilde Hidalgo de Prócel ______ the first female doctor in Ecuador.

53. Follow-Up Writing Summative Activity: Myself and My Classmates
Students write a paragraph describing themselves, their personalities, and what they want to be when they grow up using all previously learned: 1) simple past of “be,” 2) personality adjectives, 3) profession nouns.
Give them a choice: they can also write about their ideal best friend, family member, or significant other using the same information.
Always model an example of what you’re expecting from students.
Sometimes, it also helps to model a “non-example” (the opposite of what you want)!

54. Follow-Up Writing Summative Activity: Myself and My Classmates
For the paragraph, students must use at least:
5 personality adjectives
2 profession nouns
At least 3 examples of simple present “be” form
At least 5 examples of past simple “be” form in singular, plural, positive, and negative
Students can imitate the structure of teacher’s model paragraph

55. Follow-Up Writing Summative Activity: Myself and My Classmates
After writing and self/peer-editing their paragraphs, students switch them with a student.
In groups of 4-5, each student reads the other’s “secret” paragraph to his/her group mates and the others must guess who in the class it is!

56. Follow-Up Writing Summative Activity: Myself and My Classmates
I am a student at ABC High school. I want to be a soccer player when I grow up because I like to compete and move my body. I think a soccer player is a good profession for me because I am very athletic and cooperative and play well in teams. However, sometimes I want to be a politician because I want to change my country. I think I would be a good politician because I am hard-working, friendly, logical, and confident. Although many real politicians are not compassionate, I will be one of the few!
When I was a child, I played in a soccer league with children who were older and stronger. However, I was very brave, and I learned a lot because I wasn’t cautious. Our team won the championship that year.

57. Follow-Up Writing Summative Activity: Myself and My Classmates
In my first year of high school, I was the student leader of my class. There were also two other leaders and we worked together. We were all decisive and organized, so we made a lot of good changes in the school. This experience gave me skills to be a confident politician in my country, Ecuador, when I grow up.
I hope that my dream comes true someday. Now, can you guess who I am?

58. A More Advanced Example:
Born on 29th, August 1958, this talented person started his entertainment career as the lead singer of a famous group. The band was made up of his brothers who were all older than him, and was run by his father Joseph. The group did very well and the star of the band was undoubtedly this person at only eleven years of age! He started singing solo two years later and pioneered the entry of African Americans into the world of pop music. Many different types of people around the world started following his creative music, which gave him instant success. His fans numbered in the millions even though he was just in his teens. Three of his albums which records. The Guinness World of Records listed him as the entertainer who was the most successful and imaginative.

59. A More Advanced Example:
During his career he won 13 Grammies with singles that remained on the music charts for a very long time. This person's fame and fortune caused him to be the focus of billions of people and also led to his being followed by the paparazzi, the press, and the media constantly.
Sadly, he was sensitive about his appearance and was not confident about his nose, which his friends used to tease him about as a teen. This made him get surgery for his nose. This surgery was the first of many that he did throughout his life. His reasons for doing this are a mystery because he was born quite good-looking. In spite of the cosmetic changes that he did make to himself, this person kept being considered the greatest entertainer in the world.

60. A More Advanced Example:
However, he was always introverted and sometimes had a strange way of relating to people. His life took a sad turn when he was accused of child molestation. He was followed by the media who continued to obsess about the topic even though his innocence was proved. His image in public eyes was destroyed and even his devoted fans could not stop this damage to his reputation. His unique dancing, singing, and songwriting skills have led to many entertainers copying him. This person was a philanthropist and his charities have helped millions worldwide. His death is a huge loss to the entertainment industry and the entire world. He will always be remembered and will be in the hearts of his fans, forever.
Who is he??

61. But There’s No Time, Technology, or Resources to Supplement!
Some suggestions:
You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel!”
Use resources that others have made
Make students create and copy the images/graphic organizers themselves (the students should be doing most of the work!)
Simply writing the language on the board, having students both write it first and then speak it second, saves preparation time

62. But There’s No Time, Technology, or Resources to Supplement!
Use chart paper to create materials on the spot that can be re-used and copied
Act things out, use gestures, body language, and contextualize, contextualize, contextualize!!!
IF you have internet access, use them as much as you can!

63. But There’s No Time, Technology, or Resources to Supplement!
IF YOU HAVE NO TECHNOLOGY, use:
Journaling
Art/drawing Images (teachers and students both)
Paper never hurt anybody!
Again: gestures, body language, facial expressions, etc.!

64. Help: Too Many Students in My Class!
How do you group students, maximize speaking time, AND monitor all of them with a class of 40-plus students?
Some suggestions:
“Butterfly teacher” is key!
Routines, structure, routines, structure!
Random selections (e.g. name cards) so students must constantly be “on toes.”
Mingling, pair, and group work can work!
Students must be responsible for “note-taking:” recording everything that their classmates and teacher are saying!

65. Help: Too Many Students in My Class!
For pair and group work: requires students to constantly talk
Pairings: strategically pair strong students with weaker students who get along well
Groups of 3 or more: strategic grouping is key (mixture is good!)
Give each student a role for which they must be held accountable.
Website resources: > Miscellaneous

66. Help: Too Many Students in My Class!

67. Textbook Lesson Plan Exercise:
With your previous group members and notes, create one supplemental lesson plan based on a lesson in the textbook.
Please write the following components of your lesson. Be ready to share with the whole group:
Objectives (what you want to students to know and do by the end of the lesson): “SWBAT”
Procedure / steps (includes teacher and student activity)
Timing
Materials (if any)
Assessment / success indicators (demonstration of actual learning)

68. THE END! THANK YOU! ANY QUESTIONS? 
MY CONTACT INFO:
My website: My
Shaping the Way We Teach English Website: oelp.uoregon.edu/shaping
American English Website: americanenglish.state.gov
MOE Resources: