ESL on a Thumbdrive

As part of my adult ESL classes, I have added my texts and videos to a thumbdrive which, of course, can be copied to the students' device in a few minutes. My texts have all been converted into PDFs, and include workbooks and Graded Readers. The videos focus on pronunciation. So now not only are my students using their own computers at home, but they have almost my entire course on the thumbdrive. Pumarosa is also on a CDRom in case a student does not have the internet. Almost all my students use smartphones, so they can study English at any time and anywhere! I also use the smart phone to send messages about the class and to answer questions.

During the past month, I have noticed a marked increase in the students' ability to pronounce English while they read out loud or speak. This is a result of including pronunciation exercises in each class. A very good example is Maria L. who had a lot of difficulty with English pronunciation. Maria only went to school for three years and has difficulty reading and writing in Spanish. But she likes the class. Then a few weeks ago while she was reading out loud, I was amazed at how she had improved. She told me she was practicing my exercises and reading at home. Now she has a computer with an internet connection.

My program is now a complete "Home Study" ESL course, and can be replicated anywhere. I think that it serves as a very good "transition" to an English Only class and helps to encourage people to continue in their education. Like Antonia whio is getting her GED...but that is another story.

  

Comments

Thanks for your support, Leecy! I work for a good cause. Most of my students are working mothers, with childen in elementary school. Family literacy begins at home, and I am proud of my students who work hard at their jobs and then study hard to master English.  I hope that the future will bring some support for them and for the program I have developed. Actually I am sure it will.

 

I am really intrigued by your program, and it sounds like it's really making a difference for your students!  Is this a program that you have complied yourself from various sources over the years, or is it something that your program purchased?  Can you share more details?  Please and thank you!!

 

This website looks great, however, I don't work with only Spanish speaking students -- I don't even know Spanish! I have a handful of ELL students, and they are from Viet Nam, China, Russia, and one from Honduras.  I am looking forward to sharing this resource with my one student whose native language is Spanish. 

I have everything on Google Drive and share the links through Edmodo.  I have curated pronunciation videos, video grammar lessons (done by a REAL teacher - LearnAmericanEnglishOnline) with additional online practice links attached, the slides I give out in class and the notes I make on what I am going to teach which are full of extra links to vocabulary practice, life skills, etc.  I have put a lot of time into creating this and would like some way to share it more widely and get feedback or cooperation. I am not interested in money or recognition. This is my first year teaching and I may be doing it all wrong?!?!?!?!?

One thing you might want to do is to give it a "Creative Commons" License --  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/  and share it at www.oercommons.org   describes them but I'm reasonably sure there's an even more "open" license ("0" or something like that) if you want to convey that you don't even want recognition.   I share my things CC-BY because I *would* like to get feedback and cooperation so if people have said where they got it from, that's more likely to happen.   I'm not going to chase after anybody using it otherwise, though. 

I'm working on math stuff myself... better get back to that exponents video :) 

 

Thanks, I will look into this. Most of my material is online for free anyway, so this may help introduce my course to more people. I also would like to put some texts on Apps and charge a few dollars because doing things for free is great but I am constantly broke!!!!

I have made an Edmodo account and I think that once you confirm adding me to your group, I will be able to view your lessons.  Looking forward to it!  I am both a teacher and administrator (part-time), so finding resources that are already compiled is like finding gold!!