Description

The feature article focuses on Virginia, The Old Dominion, and a companion lesson plan is titled “Virginia: Jamestown and Its People.” Other articles in this issue explore literary analysis in the EFL classroom, English instruction for the tourist industry, livening up college English classes with games, using VOA Special English to improve vocabulary, and motivating students to read.

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Table of Contents

The Relevance of Literary Analysis to Teaching Literature in the EFL ClassroomExpand

This article presents a review of six approaches to teaching literature based on the author's and his colleagues' experience. It looks at the theoretical bases of these six approaches and discusses the pros and cons of using literature in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The six approaches are evaluated based on the core principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This article discusses the benefits of combining literary works with communicative activities and student motivation.

Author: Truong Thi My Van
Format: Text
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Between the ESP Classroom and the Workplace: Bridging the GapExpand

This article discusses the need to bridge the gap between ESP classroom content and activities, and workplace needs. It suggests using observation, interviews, and questionnaires from the workplace to make teaching methods in ESP classrooms match employment needs. The article offers an example of this from Morocco, where the ESP textbook was supplemented with data gathered from employers and employees in the local hospitality industry.

Author: Hassan Bouzidi
Format: Text
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Livening Up College English Classes with GamesExpand

This article discusses the use of games in teaching college-level English as a second language (ESL) classes. It describes how teachers can use games such as Taboo to change the direction of teaching from being teacher-centered to student-centered. The article addresses problems such as classroom management and the time spent adapting or creating games and presents useful tips for teachers to consider related to the use of games as a teaching tool.

Author: Emerita P. Cervantes
Format: Text
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Using VOA Special English to Improve Advanced English Learners' Productive Use of High Frequency WordsExpand

This article focuses on advanced ESL learners’ acquisition of the spelling, pronunciation, and comprehension of high-frequency words at the productive skill level rather than at the receptive skill level. It discusses the use of the Voice of America (VOA) Special English program to expose learners to different activities requiring productive skills. The article offers examples of how the VOA program exposes learners to comprehensible input through high-frequency words and helps them produce these words both in writing and speaking.

Author: Yao Nan and Zuo Mingfang
Format: Text
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CAR: A Means for Motivating Students to ReadExpand

This article addresses the relationship between motivational approaches and second language reading development. It discusses competence, autonomy, and relatedness (CAR) as instructional strategies to teach reading. Competence is established when learners feel they can do the task, autonomy is established when they feel they have the control over it, and relatedness is established when tasks are related to each other. The article suggests ways to use these ideas in the classroom.

Author: Reiko Komiyama
Format: Text
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Virginia: The Old DominionExpand

This article describes Virginia. It presents facts about its geography, climate, history, work life, symbols, and tourist attractions and activities. It also provides useful websites about Virginia.

Author: Jean Kirschenmann
Format: Text
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Lesson Plan - Virginia: Jamestown and Its People (Volume 47, Issue 3)Expand

The lesson plan “Virginia: Jamestown and Its People” consists of two parts using Jamestown, a historical site in Virginia, and several of its famous figures as the source for classroom activities. Part I activities are about the site including a brief history of Jamestown and its artifacts as a basis for writing and speaking activities, while the second part focuses on some famous figures who lived there as a basis for listening and writing activities.

Author: Sally La Luzerne-Oi
Format: Text
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