Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Teaching & Education

What is Scaffolding and How is it Implemented?

Scaffolding is the support/guidance/assistance given to a learner during the period of learning until he/she can do a task on their own.

By using scaffolding, the teacher:

1. Maintains student's interest.
2. Encourages learners to communicate.
3. Promotes activities in which all learners are encouraged to participate.

Explain What is ZPD (Vygotsky's Social Constructivism)

The period in which a learner passes from doing something with help, to doing it without guidance.

Describe CLT and its 10 Principles (Communicative Language Teaching)

It's a language approach (or method) that promotes

Busy Work vs. Engaging Learning Activities

BUSY WORK:

Tasks JUST to keep students entertained.

Not thinking nor learning.

ENGAGING LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

Activities that get the student involved in his learning and foment cognitive learning.  We are actually learning something.

Misbehavior: Examples & How to Deal

• Examples of Misbehavior:
  • Class disruption
  • Not following the rules
  • Talk out of context
• How to Deal:
  • Give responsibility
  • Give clear instructions
  • Be firm, not rude
  • Reprimand privately
  • Give reinforcers

Classroom Layout & Seating Arrangements

Classroom layout and seating arrangements can affect learning in several ways:

• Affects interaction
• Affects eye-to-eye contact
• Affects board access
• Affects the teacher's attention to students
• Affects teacher's supervision

Common

Editing and Proofreading Essentials

Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

• Indefinite pronouns as antecedents.
• Compound subjects joined by "and."
• Collective nouns.
• Titles of single entities.
• Plural form subjects with a singular meaning.

Parallelism in Writing

Ensure that coordinate structures and lists maintain a consistent grammatical form to improve clarity and flow.

Strategies for Reducing Wordiness

• Replace "soft verbs" with "strong verbs."
• Eliminate the passive voice in favor of the active voice.
• Turn long phrases into concise adjectives.
• Use "-ing" verb forms instead of relative clauses.
• Substitute strong verbs for "-tion" and "-sion" words whenever possible.
• Eliminate redundant phrases.

Common Grammar and Spelling Errors

• Its vs. it's: "Its" is possessive; "

How to Teach the Four Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Listening

a) How to Teach ReadingActually there are three stages in teaching reading:

• Pre-reading: In this stage, the teacher starts by contextualizing the topic of the reading process by using proverbs, quotes, pictures, videos, or short discussions, etc. Then, move to explain vocabulary items that students may encounter in the text. After that, he asks for their predictions about the topic of the text they are going to read.
• While-reading: Teacher gives the text to students and asks them to read it silently and check their predictions (this process called skimming). Then the teacher asks them to read again to answer the comprehension questions (this process called scanning).
• Post-reading:

To Whom it may concern:

My Name is Julito Maraña. I have a degree in Marketing from Uniovi in 2008.
I am Writing with regards to a job position as Head of I.T. That I saw in today´s Newspaper.
As You can see in my CV, I have driving license and a B2 in English and French. Also I have my own car.
My Personal skills include being fast learner and good at multitasking.
I don’t mind working shifts or at any time.
I´m Available at any time for a job interview.
I Thank you for your time and look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Julito

English Vocabulary and Grammar Reference

Relationships Vocabulary

• Acquaintance: Conegut
• (Best / Close) Friend: Friend
• Boss: Jefe
• Colleague: Col·lega
• Classmate: Company de classe
• Flatmate: Company de pis
• Neighbour: Veí
• Parent: Pares
• Step-sister / Step-brother: Germanastra
• Relative: Parent/Familiar
• (Ex-) Girlfriend: Ex-novia

Phrasal Verbs:

• Get together: Juntar-se
• Get on well: Portar-se bé
• Get in touch: Estar en contacte

Appearance and Personality Descriptors

Appearance

• Auburn: Castany (referring to hair color)
• Casual: Informal
• Clean-shaven: Ben afeitat
• Good-looking: Guapo
• Medium build: Estatura mitjana
• Medium height: Constitució mitjana
• Scruffy: Mal vestit
• Shoulder-length (hair): Cabells per l’espalla
• Skinny: Molt prim
• Slim: Prim
• Smart: Elegant
• Spiky (hair): Cabells

Guided dictation is an effective way to assess the skill of writing. It challenges students' listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling abilities. The process encourages active engagement and provides immediate feedback, enhancing writing proficiency. Moreover, guided dictation promotes language acquisition by exposing learners to authentic spoken language. Collaborative learning can be assessed effectively through peer evaluation, promoting self-reflection and fairness. Formative assessment aims to inform and guide teaching and learning, while summative assessment measures overall mastery. Continuous assessment provides ongoing feedback and supports learning throughout the process. TEFL benefits from informal assessments, promoting... Continue reading "Effective Assessment Methods for Writing Skills: Guided Dictation and Collaborative Learning" »

Forestry and Environmental Careers

• Forester: Assessing forest health, planning timber harvests, implementing conservation strategies, and acting as a guardian of forests.
• Environmental Consultant: Advising clients on land management, recommending conservation measures, evaluating ecological systems, and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
• Wildlife Biologist: Studying the relationship between forest ecosystems and wildlife, monitoring populations, assessing habitat quality, and developing conservation strategies.
• Forest Ranger: Enforcing regulations, preventing wildfires, educating the public about responsible forest usage, and ensuring the preservation of forests.
• Urban Forester: Planning and maintaining urban forests to promote

Professional Email Writing: Business Scenarios

Scenario 1: Recruiting an IT Expert / Financial Advisor

Task: Your company needs to recruit an IT expert. Write an email to Sanford asking for their help. In your email:

• Give details of the post you need to fill.
• Provide your contact details.
• Suggest times for Sanford to call and discuss your requirements.
• Enquire about their fees.

Example Email: Recruitment Inquiry

Dear Sir or Madam,

We are a leading private financing enterprise that currently needs to recruit a new financial advisor. This will be an indefinite post with a salary of around £25,000 a year. I would be grateful if you could call me on +44 684 49682659 before 3 PM today, or you can send me an email at [email protected] so that we can discuss... Continue reading "Professional Email Writing for Business Scenarios" »

Advanced English Vocabulary: Character and Emotion

Adjectives Describing Character Traits

• Adventurous
• Talented
• Sensible (Sensato)
• Sensitive (Sensible)
• Brave (Valiente)
• Determined
• Reliable (De confianza)
• Organised
• Independent
• Stubborn (Obstinado, terco)
• Ambitious
• Confident
• Practical (Práctico, eficaz)
• Generous
• Mean (Egoísta)
• Responsible
• Aggressive
• Optimistic
• Pessimistic

Additional Character Adjectives

(Often used to describe negative or strong traits)

Violent, Arrogant, Rude, Loud (Ruidoso), Selfish, Aggressive, Stupid, Hard-working, Loyal (Leal), Enthusiastic.

Adjectives Describing Feelings and Emotions

• Relaxed
• Nervous
• Pleased (Satisfecho)
• Embarrassed
• Angry
• Annoyed (Disgustado)
• Fed up (Harto)
• Disappointed
• Stressed
• Calm
• Upset (Trastornado/acongojado)
• Scared (Asustado)
• Satisfied
• Confused
• Shocked
• Glad
• Concerned
• Depressed

Essential