This Saturday I attended the TESOL conference at Molloy College and I had a great time. I was introduced to some wonderful and creative teachers that were so inspiring. The college provided the guests with a delicious breakfast before the conference began, which was very nice.
Before arriving, I did not know what to expect. After a short presentation, the guests were handed a schedule of the meetings that were taking place. I thought it was nice to have the option to attend the meetings which I desired. The first presentation I selected was “The First-hand Experiences of a Second Year Teacher” by Claudia Leon. I have previously been introduced to Mrs. Leon through one of the graduate classes at Molloy and I found her to be very informative. I thought her presentation was very helpful, as she gave many tips on what she found useful in her ESL classroom.
The second presentation I joined was, “The Before, During, and After Techniques for NYSESLAT”. I thought the presenter was such a great teacher. She is very creative and always trying to incorporate new ideas and activities in her classroom. I think this is so important to keep the students focused and engaged in the material. When she was sharing her ideas with the guests in the room, it was clear that she wants to see her students succeed. Her love for teaching was very vibrant and I admired that about her. She was not afraid to try new things with technology, which is also an important factor for a teacher.
The third presentation I selected was, “Learning Difficulties for The Korean Student”. The presenter was a graduate student from University of Pennsylvania, who spoke about her study of Korean students as English language learners. I thought the data that she collected was very interesting. Information that she shared with the guests were that most Korean children come to the United States alone or with their mothers only. The fathers stay at home to make the money to send their children to school in the United States. She also shared that most Korean students come to the United States not wanting to make friends with other Koreans. They look for American friends to acclimate to the culture and learn the language quicker. I also found it interesting when she stated that the “peer pressure” among Korean students is so strong. They have high standards and are constantly competing with each other to learn the language and become Americanized.
All in all, the TESOL conference was a great experience and I found it very useful. I am now only more eager for my own classroom. What were your thoughts?
Vocabulary
1. Creative: imaginative, inventive, artistic and original
2. Inspiring: stimulating and moving; motivating
3. Delicious: enjoyable; pleasant
4. Desired: wanted or preferred
5. Informative: helpful, useful and explanatory
6. Selected: chosen
7. Previously: earlier, happened before; beforehand
8. Incorporate: include; integrate, combine
9. Succeed: to do well, thrive; make it to the top
10. Eager: willing and enthusiastic; ready
Exercise
Change the following sentences from past tense to future tense.
1. The presenter was a graduate student from University of Pennsylvania.
2. The third presenter I selected was, “Learning Difficulties for The Korean Student”.
3. Before arriving, I did not know what to expect.
4. The guests were handed a schedule of the meetings that were taking place.
5. The first presentation I selected was “The First-hand Experiences of a Second Year Teacher” by Claudia Leon.
Change the following sentences from past tense to future tense. (Hint: the verbs are highlighted)
This Saturday I attended the TESOL conference at Molloy College and I had a great time. I was introduced to some wonderful and creative teachers that were so inspiring. The college provided the guests with a delicious breakfast before the conference began, which was very nice.
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Grammar Point
Proper Nouns vs. Common Nouns
Nouns name people, places, and things. Every noun can be classified as common or proper. A common noun names general items.
Go to the kitchen. What do you see? Refrigerator, magnet, stove, window, coffee maker, spatula and a sink. All of these are common nouns.
Leave the house. Where can you go? Mall, school, post office, backyard, beach, pet sore, and a gas station. All of these places are common nouns.
Go to the mall. Who do you see? Teenager, grandmother, police officer, baby, manager, janitor and a shoplifter. All of these people are common nouns.
Common nouns are general names. Thus they are NOT capitalized unless they begin a sentence of are part of a title.
Proper Nouns are SPECIFIC things and require capitalization.
Here are some examples:
Common
- coffee shop
- waiter
- chair
- jeans
- shirt
- Starbucks
- Simon
- Australia
- Captain Joe
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