CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT with EFL students

 "Classroom management refers to the ways in which student behaviour, movement and interaction during a lesson are organized and controlled by the teacher” Richards (1990, 10)

Classroom management is more of an art than a science and what can work with one class can sometimes ruin another. I've been teaching for over 10 years and I can honestly say I have loved teaching almost every class I've had however there have been some situations where I thought I was going to lose it. I remember it wasn't that easy but it wouldn't have been if only I had know that they key for a great class was Classroom management.
     In the following lines you will be able to read and get tips for 10 essential categories for an effective classroom management.

1. Planning and preparation
The most important element for a teacher to get hold of a good class is to have an organized lesson plan. This lesson plan should have a select set of hands-on activities to be performed during class. As far as teaching EFL is concerned having clear learning goals and/or weekly objective is a must. It is also crucial to focus on transitions from one activity to the other. Materials such us photocopies, power point, wall charts, markers, USB, visuals should be checked before starting your class so that you don't panic when a kid asks for an extra worksheet.

2. Consistency: Setting up a routines & instructions
The only way to establish consistency in your classroom is to be consistent. The way you set the rules and instructions in the classroom should be given at the beginning of the class, once, twice, three times or more if necessary, until you and your class get your morning (or afternoon) routine clear.
Routines should be concrete, should be learned in a visual way, should first be modeled by the teacher and then be told or modeled by the student.
Start with something as simple as the beginning of your class (starters). Do it today, tell your students that there will be some changes in your class format and from now on you will do as written on the board. Actually, you can even ask your students to create their own rules and then sign it as a contract. Remember to stick it somewhere visible for as long as the course takes.

Display any of these sets of instructions on the board for a 1, 2 lessons or even a week and I can assure you they will learn the routine. In addition, when setting rules, students should have a clear understanding of the consequences of breaking your classroom rules.


3. Discipline
Complimenting a positive attitude should be publicly rewarded. If you have a noisy class and want them to start (or continue) working then praise someone out loud. Call out his/her name and tell everyone "wow, it looks like Carlos is ready, keep it up Carlos" this will foster discipline, students will turn around and imitate that behavour. 
Another tip would be writing Carlos' name on the board next to a +1 , everybody loves merits or extra points, this works great in my classes (and it also works well the opposite way Carlos -1).

Try to come up with a discipline systems such as 3 warnings and you are out. First warning call their attention by name, 2nd warning move him/her to another place, 3rd warning give them time out, or as I love to call it "Reflection time", this means allowing the student to step outside the classroom and breathing fresh air and reflect on their current behaviour. If he/she continues then demerit, detention after class or a visit to the head of discipline is recommendable. 

* If you are the technological type of teacher you can create an edmodo account and keep everybody controlled with merits and demerits, attitude and effort records online.

4. Student-centered environment
According to J. Harmer (1990, 2001) the teacher can have the roles of controller, assessor, organiser, prompter, participant, resource, tutor and observer. 
According to me, the 21st century teacher should be a facilitator of the language, monitor, guide, role model, collaborative, innovator, risk taker, a good listener, a truth detector, creative, critical thinker, researcher, inclusive, open minded and a user of technology.  

We need to be able to create classes where our students feel safe and fee to participate and voice their opinions. Working collaborative nowadays is a must in EFL classes. It is a proven fact that our students learn better by working in pairs if paired wisely. Even when the weak student is paired with the strong one, the strong one will play the role of a mentor and relearn everything learn while reproducing it while working in pairs. Group work is really effective with large classes and for project based learning and research. 

Teacher talking time, TTT, should be minimum and use for instructions, now we have technology and can insert audiobooks, videos, songs, or esl online games for students to be more engaged and exposed to the language. Let's incorporate research into most (if not all) of our classes and allow students to find the answers by themselves. Millenials are the first generation of students who are producers of knowledge in the classroom. I am pretty sure that if we keep this in mind we will no longer have chaotic classes but active and participatory learners. 

5. Developing relationships
James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. It was my first bimester teaching the Diploma Program to 16-year-old kids and believe me they wanted to learn as much as I wanted to teach them. I came up with the idea of applying for an scholarship program for www.Knowmyworld.org and have my G11 students connected with a class in another part of the world. The first bimester didn't work as well as I planned but in the process of trying them to introduce themselves and relate to other culture I got to meet each one of them. Needless to say, I am about to finish the third bimester and I love my students just as much as they love me. They enter the room with a hello, they ask for my weekend, they chat and they even wish me a good day when they leave. The fact that we've become more connected in a student-teacher relationship has helped me own my role as a guide and role model and now they don't just sit there because they have to but because they are eager to know what my next class is going to be about and how it would help them in their future. 

However, you must be careful and learn to draw a very clear line between your student and you, the teacher. Teachers have a position of trust and a duty of care to the pupils. You can listen to them when they feel down or need advice and always talk to their tutors, your coordinator or the school psychologist. Always remember your role as a guide or even a coach but not as a psychologist.     
  
6. Motivation
By building relationship I'm pretty sure you must have found out what interests and motivates some of your students; if not, do activities where students define their preferences, life objectives and dreams. Adapt or adopt new strategies in your classes so that your students feel more eager to participate.

Motivation are the internal and external factors that stimulate the desire in people to continue interested and committed to a goal. In order for your students to continue feeling motivated to attend your classes (and be participatory) you should address to them by their names, reward their participation and efforts, use interesting, relevant, and/or controversial topics to encourage speaking through debates or discussions.

Start your class by explaining your lesson objectives orally, it is not enough to just write them on the board... Stand up and walk around, pad them on the shoulder if they did well, smile. Encourage them to give the A+1. Thank them for their participation even if the answer was wrong. Make eye contact, give them constant feedback and make sure your class is going to be helpful in their life. Make each of your sessions memorable, I know you can do it!

7. Differentiation & Mixed-ability classes
Heterogeneous classes are classes made up by students of different level of proficiency however Penny Url suggested in the early 90's these term is misleading as no learners are really alike and "homogeneous" classes don't actually exist. Every time I train teachers I tell them every student is unique, every student is a different world. Thus, we have to consider their level of language proficiency, background, learning styles and even maturity, so we should be smarter and anticipate the problems that dealing with these differences might arise. 

Find a good course book that can supplement your school one and always trust on it for extra material. Also, an effective seating arrangement will help your student stay more focus in the task and the way you draw their attention should be consistent so that everybody pays attention to your instructions. 

The following sites will help your students practice and improve their English at their own pace:
Writing: storybird.com (my students love it!) /   makemynewspaper.com /   storyboardthat.com
PUZZLE: www.eslgamesplus.com/crossword-puzzles/ 
http://esl-galaxy.com/crosswords.htm  / 
Listening & reading: learnoutloud.com    / discovermagazine.com Lit2go: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/books/  storynory.com (for children and teens, I love it!)
Vocab & Grammar through  Youtube: real english  / tutor time (great videos for conditional sentences)  / teacher mark 
For Children: http://pbskids.org/

8. Drawing attention
1, 2, 3 who's ready? - This attention getter is one of my favorites! As I said at the beginning "consistency is key" and we need to get them used to our tricks. Some teachers use a whistle, some scream out loud, I just stand up in front of the class very serious looking and put my hand up up counting 1, 2, 3... always works. I remember I taught these kids to respond to my Are you ready?? - I was born ready - Then I said awesome! and started telling them what my class was going to be about. I think I've tried many things through out my career starting from the 1,2,3 to songs to even a 10-minute yoga session, you just need to have them aware that you want their full attention. 

Using an Online Stop Watch also helps: 
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/

9. Seating arrangement (S.A.)
Your seating arrangement says a lot about you, whether you are an authoritarian, a team player or a careless teacher, this will be reflected also on your classroom environment. Remember that the place where your students sit should not only work for you, but for them too so by selecting the appropriate seating arrangement your students learning and production process will be more effective. There are many ways for S.A., here you can see some of them: 

10.  Teacher's Confidence
Every time I have to show up for the first day of class I make sure to wear my best suit, and prepare a great lesson carefully. Students know when you are not prepared, doubtful so you need to fake it until you make it! I mean you really should think about how to build up your confidence otherwise students will tear you down. 

Don't play the arrogant or know-it-all teacher instead focus on your students strengths and give them leadership roles, say thank you for their participation and encourage them to continue working well. Be enthusiastic and show concern about your students'  lives, they will look up to you for that. 
If your students are complaining about something you are doing in class and according to them it's boring, ask for opinions or recommendations, but remember it's up to you to decide which changes are to be made. 

Students talk. They talk, about their teachers, with their peers and with their parents. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want your kids imitating your husky voice, your "sexy" clothes or your long strides. So project your voice and be aware of "your teacher outfit", your body posture and especially your body language.   


   Consider these 10 aspects of teaching in order for your students to achieve their learning goals and always keep in mind that what works with one class might or might not work with another.  

Siorella Gonzales



Penny Url (1990) A course in Language teaching: Theory and Practice
Richards J (1990, 10), cited in Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, edited by Keith Johnson and Helen Johnson. http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631214823_chunk_g97806312148237_ss1-12

Rogers T. (2016) You can tell a lot about a teacher from how they lay out the desks in their classroom https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-teacher-how-they-lay-out-desks-their 

ESL or EFL? To be or Not to be?

Most people I have met do not really know the difference between EFL and ESL, and honestly there was a time in my life I didn't know either. I still believe sometimes we go from EFL to ESL and back again.

People have been learning English for over 1000 years now and English has been adding Latin, Spanish, and French words for a long time, so in a way we have been sort of picking up the language little by little... If we think about it we didn't have proper English teaching until the late 1800's (Remember Berlitz?) and it wasn't until the 1960's that language teacher training became a priority.

Moreover, only 10% of the world's population lives in English speaking countries, for the other 90% English is a foreign language. So teachers who teach English to native speakers do not have to bother explaining the verb to be, however explanation is a must for teachers of English as a Foreign Language. In addition, students who do not have English as their first language need to be expose to English inside the classrooms and thanks to technology nowadays it is the teacher's obligation to help his pupils to continue being exposed to English after classes (flipped classroom, mobile learning, blended learning).

So to keep it clear,  EFL students is the term of choice for students who were not born or do not live in an English speaking country. EFL students are the ones who learn English as a foreign language in their hometown and make a fairly homogeneous class because they are probably from the same country and culture.
EFL students need more oral practice because once the class is over they will go back to use their native language (Not English). EFL students need to be motivated to learn the language so international mindedness is a must. Only by doing that, students will become more aware of the importance of using English to connect with other cultures and start the process of becoming a world citizen.

ESL students are not native speakers who usually live in countries such as the USA, Canada, England, Scotland, etc. Thus, it would be common to see students from a variety of backgrounds and cultural heritages looking for a better living attending these type of classes. As the world is becoming more interconnected everyday, many international students are looking for an ESL education and they are settling down in English speaking countries in order to learn their target language faster.
ESL students need hands-on English lessons, they need more projects and research because they are usually more motivated to master this language, and sometimes because they will soon experience interviews, negotiations, traveling or citizenship tests. I believe Bilingual education plays a key role into ESL (But that's another blog entry!).

In conclusion, if you are a student and you are learning English, it is always a great idea to decide what the appropiate type of learning you would like to follow but remember if you really want it it does not matter the type, of the teacher, you are in control of your progress. If you are a teacher on the other hand, I am thinking now you know which type of English you should be putting into practice, so go ahead and find out some effective strategies for improving your teaching style and offering a better education because your students need it. As Jeremy Harmer once told me, never lose your curiosity because that's the best quality any teacher has in order to keep trying new things so start looking for fun interactive ESL/ EFL activities for your next lesson!


Siorella Gonzales

http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/

MOBILE LEARNING

YEAR: 2015 - Most of my students are between 14 to 24 years old which means they had been born after I finished highschool (in 1999). That means my students were born in a different time than me...
While I was in highschool I never used my computer to do any of my assignments. My teachers never asked me to search for any information on the Internet. I live in a small city in Peru and back in that time most of us could not afford that "luxury". 
I hardly remember using my computer, which my father had bought me when I was 10 years old, to do something different from playing Snake, Tetris or Prince of Persia. I need to point out that I got my first computer in 1993 when the screen was blue and the words were white. Then something must have happened because although the words were still white the screen turned black... anyways it didnt matter to me I was enjoyed my computer games too much too worry about that. Nowadays I personally can't help using my computer for a whole day. I need it for work.
In class, it is like a mandatory thing to do if you want to get your students attention, if you want them to interact and to be awake. My students get bored fast if I only use the textbook (I try to remember one of my highschool classes where I did not have to open my textbook. I can't) and I know that they get things done when I let them use their portable devices in order to find information and complete a task. 
So one day I started searching for information about this difference in my and their learning and I came across with this new phrase: "DIGITAL NATIVES" and then it hit me. Of course! Most of them have been born after 1995 this means they have always been in touch with technology thus technology is a part of their lives so we need to teach them embrasing this new tool. 
Most of my pupils prefer laptops rather than desktop computers and this is because they cant carry their desktop to their friend's. Some students don't have laptops, instead they have complex state of the art portable devices which are I must admit really useful and flexible when you are not at home and you want to find some information or look for a file or practice your English.    
QUESTION: 
Have you ever banned your students cellphones in class?
Did yo know that 6 BILLION portable devices are being used in the world today. And by PORTABLE DEVICEs I mean: Cell phones, smartphones, iphones, blackberries, HTC as well as ipads, ipods, tablets, netbooks, laptops, Personal Digital Assistants PDAs, e-book readers, etc… 
Did you know that 75% of the world's population own a portable device?
Then... WHY WOULD YOU BAN THIS SO POPULAR TOOL IN CLASS? 
WHY DONT YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS? AND EXPLOIT IT!!!

—M-learning is considered to be the ability to use all of these mobile devices to support teaching and learning. It is a new era...  a Digital one. Mobile devices are on-the-go, handheld, versatile, motivating, and active learning tools. USE THEM!

—Marck Prensky once said:  “Today’s "digital natives" are being exposed to more gadgets and technology than was ever thought possible. Our students have changed radically.  Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach."

Lisa Nielsen from the Innovative Educator blog said: 

—"When the world inside schools looks so different from the world outside of schools, What are we really preparing students for? "
"When we ban, rather than embrace, real-world technologies  we leave students ill-equipped to know how to harness the power of technology for learning.”

—Mobile learning technologies offer teachers-and students-a more flexible approach to learning. Our students don't just want m-learning. They need it!
Statistics prove it: 69% of children aged 2-5 can use a computer mouse, but only 11% can tie their own shoelaces. More young children know how to play a computer game (58%) than swim (20%) or ride a bike (52%) 
Mobile learning is really successful when 
L—earners choose the learning content (projects).—
Learners are integrating artifacts, realia, objects, and experiences that surround their daily lives (real world learning).—
Learners are moving around with the device. (portability)
—Learners are now motivated to expand the learning outside the classroom walls.(apps)—
Learners work collaboratively to explore the world around them (exchange info with peers).
Learners are motivated to search for several possible options, solutions, and answers to problems.—
Learners are presented with tasks in which they must find many possible solutions and are able to test out these solutions.
Let tell me how you can use well, make your students use these devices in and outside your classroom: Use e-books and other digital materials as alternatives to lugging around tons of heavy books.

*Use them for Blogging! I hate carrying students "Writings" in my briefcase so I usually ask them to create a Blog and post every writing they are asked there and then send me their link to my email. You can send comments or correct their writings using a screenshot and the simple PAINT Program! Try it, I promiss it won't hurt! —Blogs are important because students are more prolific (they dont want to be judged) in their blog posts and to be honest  writing in class seems a lot less important  than writing a cool Blog because according to most students their posts will be “out there”. —Students do care how they sound in public spaces. This is something I know from my practice. The key is that the Blog space has to be public.

I'd like to share one of my university students with you.

 This is HENRY CASTRO RAMOS an Intermediate 1 (2014) UPAO Univeristy student's Blog

 http://henrycastroramos.blogspot.es/1397237921/  

This is AMBAR ALVAREZ Intermediate 4 (2014) UPAO Univeristy student's Blog

http://ambaralvarez.blogspot.es/1397264364/a-terrible-experiencie/#com

BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!

—*Use these devices for them to share photos or videos or projects via bluetooth, whassap, Fb, blogs or apps. 

—*Practice by playing, ask them to download fun apps which should be given by you the very first week of your cycle, semester, bimester, etc. Hey! Nobody said it was going to be easy! Remember this pays off! You will be more appreciated because they will know you are on top.

It is mandatory that you are aware of the following:

1. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS, SETTING RULES:

Simply have the students put down their phones/tablets, and focus on what you are

teaching.

2. PLAYING MUSIC IN CLASS IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD:

The noise level in the classroom goes down, and the work amount goes up when you let

them listen to their music. 

* LEARNING DISABILITIES:

—Being a more individual trend, students with learning differences benefit greatly from

mobile learning. It allows them to feel more like their peers, and foster a sense of

normalcy.

Proloquo2go, is an assistive technology app available on iTunes for children with special

needs.

—Autism apps is simply a comprehensive list of apps that are being used with and by

people diagnosed with autism, Down syndrome and other special needs.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autism-apps/id441600681?mt=8 

REMEMBER: Not every classroom can get a laptop every day, so devices like

smartphones, even if you have to pair up or work in groups become something useful
for us as teachers.

I'm going to mention some cool APPS  so that you can use technology in your classroom and also for your students to learn and practice their English on their own.

1. HEADS UP: Charades for vocabulary. I love it and even though sometimes it can get harder (even for me) there are some apps where you have basic, intermediate and advanced level of words so you do your homework and start having fun!
2. WORDLENS: Ask your students to download this app. It is supercool and believe me once they have it they will never stop using it.
3. MARTHA SPEAKS: If you have primary sudents or perhaps under 12 years old this app is really captivating and entertaining for children. It tests their English without they notice it. 
4. FLUENT ENGLISH: This is a great APP for Reading, listening, and pronunciation
This application is great for your students to improve their pronunciation, and to
increase their vocabulary. Not only does it reproduce a native speaker voice but also
gives you a translator with synonyms to understand the meaning of a specific word. 

* E-BOOKS: You find these everywhere: Google play / Play store / Apple store

— Students are understimated sometimes I thin that students are in constant reading

nowadays, one interesting fact however is that most of this reading is

performed through portable devices. Reading an e-book is by far most appealing for

them than reading a plain, old-fashioned “real book”. We must take this advantage!

—E-books are portable, easy to update, cost-effective, and can be read on almost all

mobile devices.

It’s only a matter of time for peruvian educational institutions to start using e-books

into their own curriculums.- Lectura en ingles (Audiobook) -Easy english reading (Audiobook)-Reading Friendzy -Romantic love stories - 100 + Horror stories

* LEARNING THROUGH VIDEOS: This is actually a website which I totally adore because it keeps me entertained and it also allows me to practice my listening while Im commuting to work or if I have a break sometimes I check it out before I go to bed. It helps a little when you are a movie fan so maybe you want to mention that to your students. Here you have only 2 levels "easy" and "difficult". http://cinema.clubefl.gr/

* Dictionaries and/or translators: There are great APPS for dictionaries and translators. Wordreference and Linguee are my favorites. 

So what if your student tells you he or she doesnt have a smartphone but a very basic cellphone. Fair enough they can use NOTES as a mobile diary or us them to organize their schedules or use them TO CALL THEIR CLASSMATES AND SPEAK TO THEM IN ENGLISH FOR 5 MINUTES and RECORD THAT CONVERSATION!

Let me give you some ideas on how to use portable devices IN & OUTSIDE your classroom:

•Snap a photo: Of notes on the board in class, of assignments, etc

•Call a friend: Connect with guest speakers or other classrooms via skype.

•Use pictures from devices as resources to encourage speaking.

•Share photos or videos or projects via bluetooth, whatssap, Fb, blogs or apps.

•Use as a research tool (for web-enabled devices)

•Make voice recordings and check your pronunciation.

***SELFIES? PHOTOS?

Recycle the vocabulary you practiced in class and exploit your speaking skills after

taking pictures of certain things.

You can extend this to higher levels. Ask them to make a small project during a weekend

in order to tell a story on your Monday lesson.

*TASK 1: Take a photo of everything on a checklist. (e.g. 10 forms of transportation / food + make an audio note describing them)Take a photo of everything on a checklist. (e.g. 10 forms of transportation / food + make an audio note describing them)*TASK 2: Take a photo of 5 things that make you happy or sad and tell us why. - 5 places you have been / sports you have practised  *TASK 3: Poster project: Take 10 to 20 photos on the weekend (Then tell a story of your weekend / your family / your free time activities in class, etc )

***CREATE A MOVIE—For a more higher level. You can use a smartphone and you only need 1 per group. Task would be: Interview a native speaker and ask questions about their hometown (task can vary).
—Play a conversation and record it then upload the video to a blog, facebook group, or youtube, so that all the students can watch it.
—Get students to collect a bunch of photos and then use movie maker, using their voice for describing the picsture. You can check the videos at home or project the best ones in class. 

I'll share one of my students links again now:

This is Estefania's assignment. I really liked it because she added subtitles to it —https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf2IaVT_orY

*** CAMERAROLL (Personalize their learning) Just to start the class and get them entertained ask them to take out their smartphones and show s3 to 5 pics to their friends.

1. Find a photo and tell the story.

2. Introduce someone from a photo.

3. Select a photo and get your students to ask at least 5 questions about it.

4. Give 3-5 words (nouns)  and ask students to try to find them in their pictures, then

talk about it.

-----> This is a 5 - 10min activity (countdowntimer), after that cellphones go back to their pockets.

This is Diana Hora, a senior executive from a big company and it is a 2 student class. I used the CAMERAROLL to activate their speaking skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIhxohjZNXI 

In conclusion, M-learning is the new "trend", the new style to adopt in our teaching practice. it might take a while to incorporate this into our teaching but eventually we will feel more connected with our students and what is better they will definitely improve their level of English.

Miss Siore.

USING SOCIAL NETWORKS: Teaching English in Modern Times

Starting the year 2000 the Internet has affected the preferred learning styles of young people wanting to learn English around the world. Now if teachers are to remain relevant and effective, then they need to use 'learning technologies' to help students reach the world outside the classroom.

According to a research in 2007 by the British Council BBC 69% of learners around the world said that they learned most effectively when socializing informally.

This result suggests that a lot of students learn best from their friends and family. Perhaps that isn’t so surprising. The things we learn from our loved ones are often more immediately relevant to our lives than what we learn from a teacher in a classroom. Also, when we are relaxed (such as when we are at home or in a café), then we are more open to suggestions and new ideas. Does that mean teachers should start taking their students to cafés more? No, of course not. However, a lot of teachers take their students outside of the classroom once a term to try and create a different experience, atmosphere and dynamic for their teaching and learning.

There are other implications from the result above. For example, teachers might find they are more successful if they:

·        organize group work in their classes

·        make the exercises they give their students fun, since students are motivated when they are having fun

·        give their students work to do outside of the formal setting of the classroom

·        take on the role of 'facilitator' rather than the role of 'giver-of-knowledge'.

It feels like everyone has a mobile phone today. So smartphones are a great way to being online, communicate in English, check your partner’s blogs, do homework and send it to the teacher in no time, in short if your mobile has internet access all day long then you have the possibility to practice your English all day long.

What these findings mean is that sometimes young people get more new information from the technology they use outside of school than they do from their teacher in the classroom. Sometimes, young people learn more from using the Internet at home or in a café than they do at school.

When young people are on the Internet, they feel 'connected' to people and the world’s knowledge. In the classroom, they can feel 'disconnected' and 'isolated'. They sometimes feel that school isn’t particularly relevant to their lives.

The implications, therefore, are that teachers might:

·        try to use 'learning technologies' in the classroom whenever they can, to make the learning experience relevant to their students

·        show students how to find and access information and opportunities through technology

·        focus on developing students’ networking skills (both online and face-to-face) so that the students become 'connected' to people who can give them information, help them learn and keep the learning experience relevant to the student’s life

·        take on the role of 'trainer' rather than 'engineer'.

Given the globalized online world we live in, learning a new language has never been easier— nor as interactive, interesting, and social! From Twitter to blogs to social networks, there are numerous ways you can start your social language learning and keep it up while making new friends.

"With social networking, students share their work with a whole class. They care a lot more about it and are willing to do things to make it special,” -Allen Teng, a Woodland Park Middle School teacher.

Using social media and online publishing has helped serve students who otherwise wouldn’t have participated as much in a traditional classroom environment: The technology gives shy and reticent students an easier way to participate in classroom discussions, allowing them to type feedback in a chat session instead of having to raise their hand to offer opinions. The landscape of social media offers a wealth of resources and information where people can discuss and expand on hobbies, interests and passions – while creating connections with others who feel the same way. Learning a language is no different.You might wonder how a student finds time both to study and socialize as much as they want. Well, it’s important to understand that successful students combine studying and socializing, and that combining the two things helps them to be successful at both.

The implications here are that teachers might:

·        find out what social networking sites students like to use

·        show students what free learning opportunities are available through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook

·        show students how they can set up their own blog site for free using sites like Word Press or Blogger and even Wikipedia

·        Take on the role of 'network administrator' rather than 'materials writer'.

A list of websites is to be used in order to make it easier and more attractive for the students to get online and practice their English lessons, we have:

BLOGS - A blog is a self-published, web-based collection of writing and sometimes photos. Blogs offer a hugely exciting platform for learners to express themselves in a new language. Also to improve their writing skills having their peers correct and comment their classmates blogs, essays, poems book reports and some contemporary topics, as well as post photos, videos and audio clips to augment their presentations.
Rather than just the teacher reading student work, an entire class can read, review and give feedback on other students’ writing task.

You can Build a class blog and create lessons based on blogs. Use reading tasks, make students skim read each blog and answer thematic questions. They then exchanged their opinions on each blog and decided which one seemed most interesting. We then had a language analysis task, with samples of text from each blog. Students examined differences in style (i.e. formality), lexis and tone, before focusing on the personal blog, which used more colloquial language. After a matching task where some key phrases were identified, students were set the task of writing a blog entry on something they had done that week. Remind your students that blogs can be written in Short posts, Informal or colloquial language, and must be in First person perspective.

YOUTUBE - has become a hot commodity in the classroom, especially in high school and language centers.  Teachers are sharing videos from their classrooms, recording lectures, and asking their students to create and upload videos for tasks such as presenting a conversation. You might as well ask your students to interview and record (using a smartphone, webcam or digital camera) a native teacher for a listening/speaking task. Using Youtube encourage learners to do their best because they know their video is going worldwide.

Don’t forget that at the end of one of your classes, decide on a particular topic that your class would enjoy, take suggestions or choose a topic on your own that fits in well with your curriculum. Before the next lesson begins, go to YouTube and search for short videos on the topic your class has chosen. Once you have found appropriate videos, watch the video a few times and create a difficult vocabulary guide.

·        Write a short introduction to the videos you will watch. The more context you provide the better your students will understand the videos they are about to watch.

·        Include both the short introduction and difficult vocabulary list on a class handout. Make sure to include the url (web page address) of the YouTube video.

·        You can create a short quiz based on the videos.

·        Hand out the introduction sheets and go through the introduction and difficult vocabulary list to make sure everyone understands.

·        Watch the videos together as a class. If you have a computer lab this will work better as students can pair up and watch videos repeatedly. Students can then work on the quiz sheet in small groups or in pairs.

TWITTER - Twitter is a microblogging site. Microblogging involves writing very short updates on what you are doing, your ideas, activities, links to interesting sites and so on. Twitter limits updates to 140 characters, and these updates are known in the Twitter community as ‘tweets’.

When you join the site, you can ‘follow’ other users’ tweets, which appear in a kind of news feed when you sign in. They have the option of following you back. Some users are very prolific, tweeting many times per day, while others are less active. The short length of tweets is linguistically interesting because it forces the writer to be very concise, and to focus very specifically on the readers’ interests.

Twitter warmer: Focus on a Twitter feed from a news source such as the BBC or CNN. In small groups, learners can read one tweet and try to predict the broader details of the story. They can then exchange ideas with another group before checking fuller details online. Once you "follow" CNN, BBC, ABC, THE TIMES, etc. students can be given an item of new vocabulary, and search for authentic examples of use in real time. They can then derive the meaning from context (with appropriate support from the teacher). Another example is to practice of the present continuous- the immediacy of Twitter suggests the present continuous usage just like in Facebook.

FACEBOOK – Is a Social networking site which allows users to make connections and keep in touch with other users, who become ‘friends’. As there is the possibility to interact via messaging (both instant and via a form of email service) and status updates (you say what you are doing), there is the opportunity for language practice. Students could use Facebook to create accounts in order to chat with their partners using a whole new personality or Id.,  also  practice the present simple/continuous "It's a sunny day, I'm going to class right now" have their partners correct their status every time they see it written in English. Or you as a teacher can become the monitor and create a Facebook group from your own Facebook account. (Must add your students first), there you can post tasks for the students to write on, then choose the best three for voting. This competition style stuff will make them prepare well and hopefully students will improve their writing skill.  Videos, links, and other “wall” items may be posted to assist them in their preparation. In fact, this is a means to continue the classroom in other settings with much flexibility. Furthermore, using your own personal network, you could invite “guests” into the group (if you have any native speakers as contacts, colleagues or ex-students from upper levels) so that they can contribute to the discussion boards. There is a real benefit to get other experts talking to your students. The students might establish fraternity with other students and much benefit can be exchanged. Finally, make sure the students always respond to the teacher’s original post for a grade, and then give points for when they respond to others in the discussion board. Your guests will have to become members of the group to post to the Discussion Board.

MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) describes an approach to language learning that is assisted or enhanced through the use of a handheld mobile device.

MALL is a subset of both Mobile Learning (m-learning) and Computer-assisted language learning (CALL). MALL has evolved to support students’ language learning with the increased use of mobile technologies such as mobile phones (SMARTPHONES) - MP3 and MP4 players, PDAs and devices such as the iPhone or iPad. With MALL, students are able to access language learning materials and to communicate with their teachers and peers at any time, anywhere. Not only students but also teachers can SKYPE friends all over the globe for free, chat in English on their mobile, ipad, iphone, etc and download a variety of applications from websites like babbel or itaki to your phone in order to practice and improve your English.

BABBEL - to become autodidactic, Babbel bets for the usage of modern methods and the available technologies, facilitating the foreign languages learning process through multimedia interactive coursesand fun exercises.  The Babbel system helps you to improve your own level and to interact with people from other cultures.   WithBabbel Mobile you can practice through your iPhone, iPod Touch o iPad and take advantage of the many features Babbel offers you. 

You may check out your Babbel-vocabulary using Babbel Refresh, which you can download into your computer so you can use it even if you do not have internet access. Besides all that if you consider your students are eager to learn English in their own free time, then you can recommend to explore Babbel and use the feature called GENTE-PEOPLE, there you can search for someone that speaks English (or other language you would like to learn), send him or her a message and offer to exchange classes. So our students could “teach” Spanish and they will be practicing their English in return. Also in Anuncios-Presentations one can post a question or even introduce itself in order to say whom he or she would like to meet. There’s also a chat zone. And this is particularly interesting because you have chat in English, chat in Spanish, chat in Portuguese, French, German etc. so this way is very interesting and your students would love to interact with foreigners while practicing their English. The user will have the right to receive and send emails to any Babbel members. So this way of practicing any language you would like to learn is indeed extremely interactive and will definitely be really appealing to your students.   

 
ITALKI- It is a site to learn not only English but any other language you like. First create an account and start. Similar to Babbel but with little more responsibility, your students can be a virtual teacher or a partner. Your student should get a language partner by not only asking for classes but also offering to help with their Spanish. The student would get a notebook and they can answer some questions posted there like “write what happeed today” or “write about your school, home town, best friend, family etc” so once the user post thei comment or entry they will have to wait for a correction from a person online, then while waiting they may surf the site in other users diaries and help correcting them. If your student wants special or personalized help they can get in touch with a teacher and pay their fee per hour. Italki is also a very interesting and attractive way to learn new languages.  

WIKIPEDIA – Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia, written collaboratively by the people who use it. It is a special type of website designed to make collaboration easy, called a wiki. Many people are constantly improving Wikipedia, making thousands of changes per hour. All of these changes are recorded in article histories andrecent changes.

Current State of Wikis in Education.  Although the wiki was introduced more than ten years ago, its use is relatively new in academia (Chao, 2007; Evans, 2006; Schaffert, Bischof, et al., 2006).

Higher education has only recently begun to explore the potential educational value of wikis as a means to promote deeper learning and integration of learning experiences from both inside the classroom and out (Chen et al.,2005). As a consequence, papers related to wiki use in education have finally begun to appear in recent years. A literature search reveals the current state of the wiki education. There are a variety of applications, primarily in writing assignments, group projects, and online/distance education, although innovative uses in other areas can be found as well.

Duffy and Bruns (2006) list several possible educational uses of wikis:

• Students can use a wiki to develop research projects, with the wiki serving as ongoing

documentation of their work.

• Students can add summaries of their thoughts from the prescribed reading tasks.

• A wiki can be used for publishing course resources like syllabi and handouts, and students

can edit and comment on these directly for all to see.

• Teachers can use wikis as a knowledge base, enabling them to share reflections and

thoughts regarding teaching practices, and allowing for versioning and documentation.

• Wikis can be used to map concepts. They are useful for brainstorming, and editing a

given wiki topic can produce a linked network of resources.

• A wiki can be used as a presentation tool in place of conventional software, and students

are able to directly comment on and revise the presentation content.

• Wikis are tools for group projects. Often group members collaborate on a document by

emailing to each member of the group a file that each person edits on their computer, and

some attempt is then made to coordinate the edits so that everyone’s work is equally represented; using a wiki pulls the group members together and enables them to build and

edit the document on a single, central wiki page.

Lamb (2004) reports that:

• wikis stimulate writing ('fun' and 'wiki' are often associated);

• wikis provide a low-cost but effective communication and collaboration tool

• wikis promote the close reading, revision, and tracking of preliminary work;

• wikis discourage 'product oriented writing' while facilitating 'writing as a process'

• wikis ease students into writing for a wider audience

GOOGLE+ - Using Google is indeed the most complete website in order to improve your English proficiency. You can find millions of websites here just by writing the grammar you are teaching in each class, or by writing the vocabulary you need you can get a wide range of webpages where to get exercises for free.

You can use Google docs and use it as blogs. You have Google translator. You have Google academic.   You have Google+ to create class circle of friends and chat about a certain topic like a debate or discussion forum, similar to Facebook. You have Second life.  

In conclusion, once teachers know all about these webpages they will be prepared to advise students and encourage them to be autodidactic and also to try to make their students work as a whole class group online.Teachers must be aware that while it’s easy and exciting to put your thoughts all over the web, you must be aware of the law in the country you are working in. You must also be particularly careful if you’re working with minors and ensure that no sensitive information is revealed online. Remind your learners never to share addresses or location specific contact details with people online who they don’t know. You can help protect them by making blogs password protected, protecting Twitter updates and creating hidden profiles on Facebook.As personal mobile technologies for learning become more widespread, studies are starting to show evidence of the value of incorporating mobile devices in teaching and learning (McFarlane, Triggs and Yee 2008; p.7) and also substantial issues, including conflicts between informal learning with personal devices and traditional classroom education (Sharples 2007). Children are developing new skills and literacies enabled by mobile devices, such as SMS texting, moblogging (writing diaries and weblogs on mobile devices) and mobile video creation. A new generation of location-aware mobile phones will offer further possibilities, of education services and educational media matched to the learner's context and interests.

You should also check terms of use and privacy statements to make sure you know what the owners of the sites are doing with any information they collect and to check that the services are suitable for the age group of your class (Many don’t allow users below the age of 13)

Above all, social media is a very hot area of communication within young people’s lives at the moment, so it makes sense for language teachers to get involved. Have fun!