Teaching Vocabulary to Learners of English As a Foreign Language

Vocabulary is clearly an essential part of Language learning and teaching vocabulary in a productive way is something which must be at the forefront of our minds as teachers of English. Teaching new words to learners of English as a Foreign Language at first seems quite a straightforward proposition. You provide the appropriate word and meaning much like an automatic dictionary and move on. However, the teacher is far more than merely a speaking dictionary.

There are many things to think about when teaching vocabulary.

How many words should you try and teach students in one class? How do you decide which new words you should teach to your students? What criteria do you use to decide which words are most useful? How do you guide the students themselves in recognising which words are most useful for them? What is the importance of active and passive vocabulary? Why are frequency and coverage important? Why is register important? Do all students need to learn the same words?

How many new words should you think about teaching in a class?

There is no definitive figure here of course, as every student is different, but lower level students can generally manage about 5-8 new words of vocabulary a day. At higher levels usually a few more.

What new words should you teach to your students?

Even if you wanted to, you clearly can't teach students every word in the English Language. There are upwards of 500,000 words in English so you clearly only know a fraction of them yourself. A typical B2 (Upper Intermediate) learners' dictionary contains about 55,000 words of vocabulary. The average native speaker probably uses less than 20,000 words actively. Reducing huge quantities of words to manageable learning is a significant challenge for ELT and one of the great challenges for teaching vocabulary is which words to choose.

What criteria do you use in choosing what words to teach?

Frequency and Coverage:

Choose words to teach that are frequently used. Telling students about how often words are used or in what situations you might use them (formal, informal, academic, spoken or written English etc) is something invaluable that they often can't get from a dictionary. Clearly, the most frequently used words will be the most valuable to learn. The words taught also need to be assessed in the light of topic, function, structure, teachability, needs and wants.

Polysemic Words and Word Building:

In English, many words are polysemic - have more than one meaning - and can be used as nouns, verbs or part of a phrasal verb. It is important to bear in mind these alternative meanings and uses when teaching new words. It would appear logical to learn these polysemic words as a priority. The important point to remember when explaining meaning is that context will show which of the various meanings and uses is intended.

Word formation is an essential part of vocabulary teaching, for example, the way that root forms of words change to form adjectival and adverbial forms with the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Learning about word formation raises students' awareness of the language they use. Teach students word building skills. For example, if you teach the verb 'to advance', you might also teach the adjective 'advanced' and the noun 'advancement.' This gives the student extra vocabulary immediately but it also indicates broader patterns within the language. For example, you can point out that 'ment' is a common noun ending. (Others include 'ness' 'ence' 'ation' 'ism' etc.) Typical adjective endings would include 'ed' 'ing' 'ent' 'ive' 'ical' etc.

How do words lead onto other words? How can you point students towards patterns in the language?

Another important aspect of teaching vocabulary is 'word grammar', some words trigger/collocate certain grammatical patterns. Countable/uncountable nouns are an example of this, the former can be used with both singular and plural verbs, while the latter with only singular verbs. Other nouns are neither countable nor uncountable but have a fixed form and collocate with only singular or plural verbs, e.g. people (plural), the news (singular).

Register:

Register refers to a particular style of language relevant to a particular situation or context. For example the way a doctor talks to a patient about a prognosis/diagnosis will differ in style from the way the same doctor will relate the same information to a fellow colleague. Similarly, the way we speak in a job interview will differ from the style of language we use in conversation with close friends. Students need to be aware how certain words fit into different registers. When explaining vocabulary, bear in mind that explanations need to include relevant aspects of context and usage, e.g. 'mate' is a synonym of friend but is used colloquially typically for males.

Topic Area Words:

You could select a theme such as 'weather.' The ensuing vocabulary would include: rain, sunny, cold, windy etc. This is particularly useful if the student is interested in a particular topic or if a topic area has a direct relation to their life or job. Not all vocabulary or topic areas are of equal importance to every student.

Passive and active Vocabulary:

New words enter the Passive Vocabulary of students. Students may understand meaning, especially in the specific context where they see a new word used but as yet cannot use the word independently themselves. To ensure words enter the students' Active Vocabulary, regular revision in meaningful situations is essential. It is estimated that a student needs to encounter a word 10-12 times before it fully enters their Active Vocabulary. Vocabulary, in the same way as Grammar, is learned through use. It is therefore very important to give students opportunities within the classroom to use the new vocabulary themselves. Students remembrance of words is relative to the degree which they have used the word, thus the more we get students to use words in a task of some sort - finding opposites, transformation etc - the better they will remember them. Similarly, if we involve students in presenting new words the better they will remember them. Hence, acting out definitions in a dramatic way - trip, stagger etc - should lead to deeper learning of the words. Sense memory becomes involved, taste, smell, touch etc, which further enhances recall. Discovery techniques where students have to find out the meanings of words themselves will be more effective than standard teacher presentation of new vocabulary.

There may be many words that students will not need to use actively themselves at a particular stage in their learning career and therefore they can remain in the students' Passive Vocabulary. For example, at Beginner level it is enough to know 'big' and 'small'. At Intermediate levels, you might begin to use 'huge' 'massive' 'tiny' 'minute' etc. At Advanced levels, you might use words like 'vast' or 'minuscule' to give a different shade of meaning or to adopt a more formal or academic tone. The point is that at Beginner level it is clearly not practical or useful spending time trying to get the student to use a word like 'vast'.

Vocabulary Testing:

Vocabulary testing has several forms, and as with all techniques in ELT the more variety in the classroom the better.

Examples include:

1. Multiple choice Questions
2. Matching (opposites/complements)
3. Odd one out
4. Writing sentences
5. Dictation
6. Close/gap-fill (with and without wordlist)
7. Sentence completion

Conclusion:

In the classroom, the teacher remains central to the effective acquisition of new vocabulary. Every student is different so their language learning needs and vocabulary requirements are different too. As a teacher, you are interacting with students face to face on a human level. You have an expertise about who the student is and what is useful for them to learn that no dictionary or computer programme could ever have.

Literature in an ESL TEFL TESOL Classroom - Teaching Literature to English Language Learners

Professor Colin MacCabe of the University of Exter School of English says that to truly know a Language, you must know something of the literature of a Language.

Literature is intellectually stimulating because a Book allows a reader to imagine worlds they are not familiar with. This is done through the use of descriptive language. In order to understand, the reader will create their vision of what the writer is saying. In this sense, the reader becomes a performer or an actor in a communicative event.

Using literature versus a communicative textBook changes the learning approach from learning how to say into learning how to mean (grammar vs. creative thinking). Conversation-based programs tend to focus on 'formulas' used in contextual situations so there is little allowance for independent thought and adaptation of language. On the other hand, literature-based programs focus on personal interpretation of the language so students begin to experiment with the language. This experimentation can be especially helpful to the students for use in different subjects such as science.

Per Carter and Long, the 3 main approaches to using Literature in a language classroom are:

1. Cultural model

Based on the notion that literature is the expression of:

Socio-cultural attitudes.

Aspirations of individual societies.

Mythic and universal values.

Text is regarded as finished product.
Associated with teacher-centered approach

2. Language model

Literature is taught for the promotion of:
Vocabulary
Structure
Language manipulation

Puts students in touch with the subtle and varied creative uses of language.
Emphasizes language observation.
Student-centered methodology.

3. Personal growth model

Concerned more with student's:
Maturity as individuals
Progress as individuals through reading

'Literature for life' approach
Promotes individual evaluation and judgment.
Learner-centered approach.

When adding literature into the classroom remember to choose some good Books that students can relate to. Visual books are very helpful to help spark interest in children. For older students, you can incorporate questions into the reading process that require thought and expression from the students. In addition, set aside specific times for reading. Don't worry if students don't respond well when you begin because they will start to enjoy it more (and therefore interact more) as they relate to the stories and experiences shared.

Some Literature School Basics by Lorraine Curry of the Easy Homeschooling Companion

1) Select a number of well chosen books.

2) Set a particular time to read each book.

3) Let nothing interfere with your scheduling.

4) Use discussion and research to create interest.

5) Process, by writing or narrating.

Each child should have the opportunity to read aloud each day to encourage pronunciation practice. During this time you can note and correct mispronounced words.

Older Students

*Present questions that require thought. Some questions may not have one perfect answer. Some may not have an answer at all. Nevertheless, thought is stimulated and learning takes place.

*Copy challenging writing in order to practice English skills and increase comprehension.

*Do extensive research in order to understand deeper writing such as poems. *Research authors, times and places.

*Report by presenting orally or compiling results of research in writing. The quantity and quality of written assignments should increase with older students.

*Solidify language-learning with a formal grammar course and a formal writing course

Some good online literature teacher resources:

Total ESL Resources: totalesl.com/resource.php

Total ESL Lesson Plans: totalesl.com/lesson.php

The Children's Literature Web Guide: career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/interview/TEACHER.htm

Literature.org: literature.org

English Literature on the Web: lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/EngLit.html

The Literature Network: online-literature.com

Bibliomania: bibliomania.com

Literature Learning Ladders: eduscapes.com/ladders

BBC Arts and Books: bbc.co.uk/arts/books

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Use and distribution of this article is permitted subject to no changes being made to the content and the original author's information (About the Author) must be included with appropriate hyperlinks/URL references in place.

What is a Communicative Approach to English Language Teaching?

A Communicative Approach?

There are a variety of approaches to teaching English as a second or foreign Language. One aspect of English and foreign Language teaching involves using a Communicative Approach. But what exactly does using a communicative approach mean?

Well for me, a Communicative Approach to Language teaching includes several distinct aspects. We'll mention two of them here. Applying these aspects means that language teaching and learning become far more than a series of grammar lessons and vocabulary lists. For language teaching and learning to be truly communicative, it must not only be in context, but used to convey ideas, preferences, thoughts, feelings and information in a way that is addressed to reach others. Usually, I address communicative language teaching through the use of two approaches:

o Content-Based Instruction (CBI)

o Task-Based language teaching (TBLT)

Definitions of CBI vs. TBL in ELT

In CBI (Widdowson, 1978), the focus of classes is not on the language and structure itself, but rather on learners acquiring skills or knowledge using English as the language of instruction. If you teach a learner how to repair computers, for example, and use English as the language of instruction, the learners improve their language communicative skills while learning foremost the skill of computer repair.

Task-Based Learning in ELT

In the TBLT approach (Willis, 1996), the focus is on providing communicative activities needed for English language learning, performing tasks using the target language (English) and using the English language in other ways for learning tasks. Examples would be having learners buy postage to mail a letter by first teaching them the structures and language needed to perform the task, then actually having them do it. Another example would be teaching learners the needed English to order a meal in a restaurant, or make a shopping purchase, then allowing them to complete such tasks on their own using unguided or free speech.

In the publication, "Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching" by Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers (CUP, 2001) more than a dozen approaches to ELT are explored in depth. From the now defunct Grammar-Translation and Situational approaches to Total Physical Response (TPR), Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Lexical approaches to the Communicative approaches, the Natural approach and Cooperative Learning, English and foreign language teachers world wide have a much greater language teaching approach repertoire than ever before.

So, what's it going to be then?

12 Keys to Using Songs For Teaching Children English As a Foreign Language

Teaching Children English Using Songs

In answer to a reader question on using songs for teaching Italian children English, I gave the following twelve quick keys. They're equally effective, however, for children from any country, or of almost any age too for that matter.

Here they are:

1. You can use most songs for English Language Teaching, but learners usually prefer songs which are currently popular. Both you and your learners can collaborate on selecting songs.

2. You should also select songs with easy-to-understand lyrics, absolutely NO profanity, violent, illegal or immoral themes like sex, drug use, prostitution, gang violence, kill-your-mother, suicide, etc. (It's easier to fall into this trap than you think. Many popular song lyrics are horrid)

3. For motivating children take along a dozen or so children's songs on cassette or CD with the lyrics. Beg, borrow or steal a selection of popular children's songs and you're all set. (Okay, don't steal them, ask - politely, about a million times until they say "yes")

4. Most popular song lyrics are available online. You'll need to be very, very careful of downloads from sites like these since they frequently FULL of viruses, Trojans, worms and lord only knows what else.

5. Walt Disney has a truckload of great children's songs. Us e films and shorts directly or just a recording with display pictures for visual support.

6. In addition to the above keys, there are the standard children's favorites any primary song child or teacher can tell you. You can even use songs from your childhood, if you were ever a child, that is.

7. Use inter-active games and Total Physical Response (TPR) along with the songs. Choreograph simple moves and actions to the beat and rhythm of the song.

8. Keep a fairly fast-paced class going as children get bored and restless easily with their short, short, short attention spans. Change activities every 15 minutes or so - even LESS with tiny "Chiquiticos".

9. Try incorporating some simple "dance" moves into the songs too for some added benefit. Have the "kiddies" ad lib, lip sync, pantomime, swing, sway kick, hop, slide, glide, whirl, spin, dip, step, jump and wave - you get my drift?

10. Use pictures as an aid in teaching key words in the song lyrics. Cutouts, posters, drawings, anything that provides positive visual support and reinforcement for lexical elements, grammatical them, connected speech, pronunciation or use in context is fair game in EFL classes for children (and adults too, actually)

11. Practice a couple of the songs and activities beforehand in front of a mirror on your own. (See how silly you look! That's okay though, so don't worry. We can't see you)

12. Oh yes, and be sure to have lots of FUN yourself! Whoever said English and foreign Language teachers can't have fun too? (Certainly not me. Despite my scholarly appearance, sometimes I'm nuts in EFL classes!)

So "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

I hope this helps you with using songs to teach English to children. Be sure to check out the other article posts of mine like "9 Reasons Why You Should Use Songs to Teach English as a Foreign Language" on my blog for teaching English using songs.

5 Reasons to Use Popular Movies for English Language Teaching

As progressive professionals in our continual search for additional resources, approaches, techniques and methods for expanding our repertoire of English Language teaching tools, often, we need not look far beyond our immediate surroundings for inspiration. A commonly available resource of authentic English is movies. Are movies practical for English Language teaching? How do you go about it? What are good movies for English teaching? Where can you get them? Why bother using movies at all? These questions, and others, will be briefly explored in this series of articles. Here then, are five good reasons why you should use popular movies with your learners for English Language practice and acquisition.

1. Movies in English are widely enjoyed

A wide variety of learner types enjoy watching movies. It is one resource from which you can extract considerable mileage on a wide range of themes and topics.

2. Movies in English are easily available

Unless you live in Tibet or Borneo perhaps, movies in English are usually available from a variety of sources. Rental shops, Book stores, theaters, media outlets, record shops and music stores all have numerous titles avail at any given time. Offerings change or are upgrades as new films are released.

3. Different movie formats are available

Whether your available viewing equipment is VHS or BETA format, NTSC or PAL, 35mm, 16mm or even 8mm video, you can still find an expansive variety of flicks from which to choose.

4. The length of viewing is controllable

How long are your English Language class sessions? Fifty minutes? One hour? Ninety minutes? Two hours or more? No matter what length classes you have, movies can be adapted to suit the timeframe you have available. How? Simply use clips from films or "installments" instead of the whole film in one shot. This actually seems to work much better for many teachers and class groups.

5. Use of sub-titles and close-captioning is controllable

Another useful aid in movie-watching is the ability to turn on or turn off features like sub-titles in English or the learners L1, or the use of close-captioning in movies, documentaries or videos produced with this feature. Using sub-titles in English not only provides listening comprehension support, but aids in vocabulary development and reading comprehension as well. As the English language learners' skills develop, these aids can be turned off.

As progressive professionals in our continual search for additional resources, approaches, techniques and methods for expanding our repertoire of English language teaching tools, movies can offer us an easily accessible, dynamic resource to enrich and expand our English language teaching. These reasons contain only a few of the many benefits we and our learners can experience. In the companion to this article entitled, "5 Ways to Use Popular Movies for English Language Teaching", we'll look at ways movies, clips and videos in English can be exploited in the EFL class room.

Sign Language For Kids - 3 Simple Steps For Successfully Teaching Your Infant Sign Language

While learning sign Language for kids can be both a difficult and challenging endeavor, it can also be very rewarding. Learning to sign and can not only stimulate your babies brain, it can also let them communicate with you well before they are able to verbalize words.

Below I illustrate 3 simple steps to master sign Language for kids or infants.

1 - Use sign Language in context

When teaching baby sign language, it is very important to relate the word to the current situation. I would not recommend introducing any new signs to a baby if they have not seen a particular event in the recent past. One good example might be if you are reading a story to your baby and it has a cat in the story; this would be a perfect time to introduce the sign for cat.

2 - Use motivating signs

Try to use both a combination of practical and motivational signs when you start to introduce infant sign language. While it might seem like a good idea to introduce words like eat, drink or pain, be sure to use some motivational words as well. Some examples of motivational words are ball, teddy bear or play.

3 - Teach other family members or friends the signs

It is very important to show other family members or friends that will have consistent contact with your baby the signs you are trying to teach them. The more often your baby sees the signs and the correct times, the sooner they will learn and begin to sign back. Some childcare facilities are introducing sign language for infants. Be sure to check with your childcare facility if this is an option. If it is, make sure you are on the same page as they are and are using the exact same signs.

Sign language for kids can be a beautiful and fun learning experience for both mom and baby. If you become stressed out while you are trying to teach your baby, they will pick up on this. Just remember to have fun and be patient!

Teaching the Difference Between MAKE and DO to English Language Learners

Distinguishing the Differences Between "Make" and "Do"

English as a Foreign Language learners like those whose first Language or L1, is Spanish can have considerable difficulty in distinguishing when to use "make" and when to use "do". Why? It's because in Spanish, for example, the same verb, "hacer", is commonly used to represent both. The trick then, is to find a way of aiding these English language learners with making the distinction.

Here's how I do it.

Make

Essentially "make" means to "create" or cause something to happen or produce a result.
You make a cake, make noise, make trouble or make friends.

Do

On the other hand, "do" usually signifies simply performing an action without alluding to the results. So you do aerobics or exercises, do business or do your job. You can do well or do badly, do better or do worse.

Other Uses of Make and Do

Depending on context, both make and do can be used in a sentence to give it different meanings. A good example is homework. Teachers make homework, but learners do homework.

The two verbs form a part of scores of idioms and expressions too. This can sometimes cause their distinction to be less clear, but usually the definitions given above still hold true. Some additional examples using "Do" and "Make" are:

DO

Do a dance, do a deal, do as you're told, do away with, do chores, do favors, do harm, do it yourself, do (it or something) over again, do someone in, do the dishes, do the laundry, do the right thing, do time, do well, do without, do your best, do your duty

MAKE

Make a contract, make a delivery, make a difference, make a list, make a mess, make a phone call, make a point, make a profit, make a promise, make amends, make an effort, make believe, make contact, make enemies, make fun of someone, make love, make money, make news, make out, make over (very similar in context to do over), make peace, make room, make sense, make someone happy, make someone laugh, make someone sad, make sure, make the bed, make time, make room, make tracks, make up (has multiple meanings), make up a story (same as create a story), make up your mind, make war, and make way

This is but a quick reference list to give you some idea of the range and distinction that using "do" and "make" can have in the colloquial English language. For the most part, after a session explaining and demonstrating these language elements in context, my learners have far fewer problems in distinguishing when to use "make" and when to use "do". I hope that this helps you and your EFL learners too.

Language Lesson Plans - Form a Solid Language Teaching Strategy This Semester

Regardless of the Language you teach, it's nevertheless a good idea to have a solid teaching plan for each semester. Languages and linguistics are complex subjects that require structured planning if your students are to get anything out of your teaching. Here are a few things to consider when writing out your own Language lesson plans.

Whether you're teaching elementary school, middle school, high school, or college courses, it's likely your lesson plans will be submitted for scrutiny before a committee. This not only ensures that the materials is suitable for your students' current level, but it also makes sure that there is enough time to include everything you need to teach. Typical items to include in your Language plans include texts, movies, tapes, essay topics, assignments, field trips, and others. Many language courses also include days where they study the culture of the language they study as well. This may include a day set aside to enjoy music, food, and games from the language's place of origin.

With this in mind, it's easy to see why having quality language plans is important. In addition to having everything planned out and approved, having your plans looked over also ensures that your students have enough time to grasp and absorb the material at hand. Language courses, after all, are unique in that the material isn't always common knowledge, and so the resources for getting help are somewhat limited. By making sure there is enough time for your students to study, ask questions, and relearn difficult material, you are doing your part to make absolutely sure that your material remains cemented in their memories.

Some teachers, however, argue against language lesson plans. They see them as far too structured and rigid, leaving no room for spontaneity or fun. However, it is possible to arrange extra time aside for days when classroom discussions run off on tangents or you simply need an extra day or two to go over a certain topic. The key is simply arranging things ahead of time. This can be a tricky endeavor, as it's not possible to predict everything that may happen throughout the semester, but it is indeed possible.

These are only a few things to consider when making language lesson plans. If you're self-teaching a language, you'll find that you'll do much better with a lesson plan than without one, especially if you're juggling work, school, or domestic duties with your lessons. Learn more about language lesson plans today!

Second Language Teaching Methods

Teaching is a process in which ideas and information are disseminated from one person to another. The process can either take place in schools or outside the school. The objective of any teaching session is to make the learner understand important concepts of the content required (Brumfit, 2009). However, there are ways in which teaching can be made efficient. This can be achieved through the use of specially designed teaching methods which concur with the knowledge to be disseminated. In this essay, I would review the basic methodologies in teaching a second Language to learners. These methods may include: the grammar translation method, the natural method, audio-lingual method and other contemporary methods (Brumfit, 2009).

Study the Italian Language and Enjoy the Italian Way of Life Living With an Italian Teaching Host Family in Florence

How to learn a Language without going back to school.


NEW ITINERARIES CULTURAL ASSOCIATION is an Association of over twenty qualified teachers living in Tuscany who offer Italian Language and Culture Homestays to foreign students wishing to gain a better academic and working knowledge of the language.


As a guest, you will live in the home as one of the family and have daily tuition from one of the hosts who is a qualified and experienced teacher.


Since 1971, university students, opera singers, professionals and senior citizens participate in our homestay programs, using our individually-planned, tutor-to-student method.


WHAT WE TEACH


Italian grammar, with practical, everyday conversation based on the student’s personal interests and goals. Tutor and guest student plan lessons on basic, intermediate or advanced Italian linked to the history of art, music, history, commerce, literature and cooking.


WHERE THE TEACHING HOST FAMILIES LIVE


Accommodation is in comfortable homes of excellent quality, in or near Florence and the Chianti Wine Area.


WHY SHOULD I STUDY ITALIAN?


Enjoy the advantage of natural assimilation of the Italian language. Italian is a melodious and charming language. Enchanting to listen to, and a delight to speak.


Tastes differ widely, of course, but Italian is considered by many to be one of the world’s most beautiful languages.


A few excellent reasons are that Italy is a world leader in manufacturing, import-export activities, in an extensive range of fashion articles, in interior and furniture design, automobiles and motor cycles, and other commercial activities.


Italian is indispensable for students of art, music, law, European history and archaeology.


The artistic and literary heritage of Italy is an exaltation of the Genius Loci.


Tuscany in partucular has its great poets - Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch, its mighty master, Leonardo da Vinci, who created a new universe here on earth. It gave the world, among many others, the ageless, muscular art and brawny sculpture of Michelangelo to which we can add such great geniuses as Galileo, Macchiavelli, Giotto, Botticelli, Brunelleschi....


Italian explorers include Christopher Columbus, Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), Giovanno da Verrazzano, and Amerigo Vespucci – the man who gave his name to America.


The world’s greatest art treasures are in Italy. Indeed, according to UNESCO over 60 percent are in located in Italy.





Our Homestays are available all year round. Minimum homestay one week.





ITALIAN LANGUAGE and CULTURE HOMESTAY TUITION





The qualified and experienced tutors give practical, essential tuition taking into account personal interests and aspirations.





TUITION PROGRAM





Daily one-to-one individually-planned tuition is given for 15 or 20 hours weekly, from Monday to Friday.The guest student’s present level of Italian, past study experience, and all personal and specific interests for studying Italian will be evaluated by the teacher.The Cultural Excursions and Walks program and the Cooking Activity program are given for 20 hours weekly.





STUDY PLANS





We recommend that you prepare, specify and discuss personal study interests with


the teacher before lessons begin. These may include concentrating on grammar and


conversation, or on particular tuition which can be linked to literature, history, art,


music, or business Italian.


Tuition will be given during the morning or in the afternoon, at a time suitable to both.


The guest student should make a constant effort to speak Italian all day and every day.





FORGET YOUR OWN LANGUAGE FOR A WHILE





Italian language courses are in the comfort of your teacher's home. In the classroom and after attending school, students inevitably meet other students from their own country and so speak in their own language to each other. In a host family this cannot happen.


The guest student is compelled to think and speak Italian in every day-by-day situation.


This round-the-clock exercise is the very heart of constant and permanent learning.


A language which is assimilated and intensely lived and used in this practical manner


makes "Living and Learning with Your Teacher" the most effective and natural way of securing a good knowledge of the Italian language and culture.





HOMESTAY TUITION AND TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL TEACHING


The most frequent objections raised against learning a foreign language in a traditional language school are:


- I always meet students from my own country and we inevitably speak our own language during our free time.


- Too many students. The classroom is overcrowded.


- I am able to speak the language only for a few minutes every hour (this is the


disadvantage of group learning).


- We all have different learning speeds and some of my classmates just lag behind.


- We all have miscellaneous study plans and personal interests for studying Italian and above all at my level students have a widely different basic knowledge and experience of the language.


THE SUCCESSFUL STUDENT


Before beginning an Italian Language and Culture Homestay, you are strongly advised to:


- Prepare to adjust yourself to your new Italian studies and to the length of time you will be away from home.


- Prepare to live with, and accept, those cultural differences which may exist between


your own country and Italy.


- Prepare to accept, and learn from, the local daily way of life, however different from


your own.


- Prepare to live in harmony with your family and make a constant and daily effort to


study and speak the language.


- Prepare a study plan, according to your personal interests, sufficient to cover the


entire homestay period. This plan will be discussed with your teacher before tuition


begins.