My English Page

Teaching number

2009-08-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

How to teach young learners about numbers

Assalamualaikum.

Teaching numbers to the beginner is always chalenging . Especially, those who live in non english speaking country, like in Indonesia. The main thing a teacher should understand is that our students must have concept of number in their mother language. They must be able to count numbers in their own language first unless we will get stuck in teaching them in the future.

Well, just start our lesson joyfully. Enter their world first and take them to our world. Ask the students the number of chairs, tables, or anything in the classroom using their mother language. Ensure that all students follow us and keep attractive.

Teacher : Repeat after me (use this frase in the beginning of our teaching and stress our intonation in this phrase or we can translate into the students' language. using this frase also means that we speak in target language and in the future they will understand while we speak it again)

Teacher : one (write the symbol on the whiteboard)
Students : one
Teacher : Two
Students : Two, etc

Ensure that we have each students' pronounce the words correctly. I find that they mispronounce three, five six, eight, thirteen,fifteen. I suggest to teach them 1 to 12 first.
If they are geting bored, we can use songs or quiz. Remember that we must keep the learning interesting.

We can use the modified songs they have known. I usually sing 'one and one'.
Now, if the students are good in this step, ask them in group or individually.
Teacher : Bayu, What number is it?
Bayu : one
Teacher : Good, what number is it?
Bayu : Six

Do this to the rest of the students. To check their understanding, we can random the number. We can also ask them the number of the things in the classroom.

Thanks.
Wassalamualaikum.

Time Worksheer Creator

2009-05-14T02:20:00.000-07:00

When I surfed the internet yesterday, I was looking for a worksheet about telling time in English. I need the worksheet for my students who will be holiday for five days. To fill the holiday, the teachers should give worksheets. I found an exciting site. If I usually just downloaded the worksheets available free. This site offered me something different. Here, I can create the time myself then print it whenever I wish.

In the sreen shot above, you just need fill the time you wish.

After filling out all the time, it will appear like the picture above.

Or If you want to show the digital clock, you just need to click the 'show digital' button.

Thanks for the creator. If you are interested, just click HERE.

ICE BREAKERS; activity to cool down the class situation

2009-05-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Well, sometimes when I am teaching, i get bored or, even, my students get bored. To avoid this many things to do. The most important is never teach in a mere way. You just stand in the center of the classroom, holding a marker and a ruler. 'Shut up', you suddenly scream out seeing your noisy students. Or, you just ask your students to write and write. Hmmmm... If you always do this during teaching. I 'm sure not only you but also your students will get bored. Ok, I have some activities to make the class situation interesting and exciting. You can find ten ice breaker activities to apply in your class. This site provides some games and activities helping you to cheer up the situation. The activities do not require certain equipments. In my opinion, the ideas are very helpful in my classroom. Thanks alot. If you're interested, Plese visit HERE

Using a and an

2009-05-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Assalamualaikum.

Good morning every one. Well, this is my first lesson to share you all through this blog about learning English. In this hapyy occasion, I am going to explain how to use article 'a' and 'an' in English.
'a' is used before a singular noun begins with consonants.
For example:

a table a book a chair

In the example above, the word 'table' begins with a consonant 't',
the word 'book' begins with a consonant 'b', and
the word 'chair' begins with a consonant 'c'
'an' is used before a singular noun begins with vowel (a, i, u, e, o)
For instance:

an orange an apple an eraser
In the example above, the word 'orange' begins with a vowel 'o',
the word 'apple' begins with a vowel 'a', and
the word 'eraser' begins with a vowel 'e'

INCORRECT:

an dog the word 'dog' begins with a consonant 'd' not a vowel.

a octopus the word 'octopus' begins with a vowel 'o', not a consonat.

CORRECT: a dog
an octopus

EXCEPTION: For a singular noun begins with a 'vowel' but it is pronounced 'consonant'. The article 'a' is used, not 'an'.
For example: A university INCORRECT: an university

If you would like to download a worksheet related to article 'a' and 'an', you could send me an email to icikicik86@blogspot.com

Learning from Horton

2009-05-08T02:34:00.000-07:00

A week ago, My students and I watched a film named "Horton Hears A Who". Actually this is an old film but it's no matter since what I want is that the students can learn from the movie.

Horton is a funny elephant living happily in a jungle called 'Nool'. Everything goes as usual until he finds a dust. It's not an ordinary dust. Horton hears something comes out from the dust as if there were a life in the dust. Yupp, it's true. There is really a life in that dust. Even Horton can communicate with the living things in the dust. Realizing that there is a life there, he began to get worried of one in the jungle know ot and do something dangerous. He then decides to save the very tiny tiny planet to the top of mountain.M eanwhile, the news that Horton speak to the dust make all animals get mad. The do not want their kids get mad like Horton. They finally get Horton trapped.

The animals, provoked by a mother kangaroo, offers him two difficult option. First, Forgetting the crazy idea (which is actually a truth) about living things in the dust. And he is permitted to live in the jungle. The second is he keeps his crazy idea but he will be vanished together with the dust.

One thing that we learn is that We must appreciate a life although it is very small. And it has been done bt Horton. Of Horton get struggled so hard for a life in the dust, why we, as the human being, do nt want to do the same thing for the bigger world.

Tic Tac Toe

2009-05-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

This is another game I like to play with my students. it's easy and interesting to play. First, ask your students to choose an opponent. Then, decide who will get 'X' and 'O'. After that, in turn, give a question. If they could answer, they might draw an 'X' or an 'O'. The student who could draw three Xs or three Os in straight line (vertically, horizontally or diagonally) win the game. The question can be anything, depending on what are your students learning at this time. I usually play this game in the end of lesson. Instead of just asking them, this game offers different learnning atmosphere. Just try it.

Learning from Kungfu Panda

2009-05-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Kungfu Panda is one of animated movies made by Dreamworks, which its story, music and animation is very exciting. What impressed me from the movie is actually its moral message. I can find the examples how to behave in good manner to achieve a better life.

The major figure of the film is a panda anmed Po, which ic very fat as fond food, full of spirit but a little sloopy and is crazy about learning self defence 'Kungfu'. Though he is busy helping his father running a wellknown noodle restaurant for its great taste, he is obsessed to master the self defence 'kungfu'.

Po is very enthutiastic in watching a kungfu tournament held in his town. Po get difficulty when he climbs stairs to see the tournament, as it is held on the top of a mount, as its fat body. With panting breath he tries and tries stepping the stairs one by one up to the top. His tough attitude and willingness so impressed master Ogway that he chooses Po as the Dragon Warrior. And surely, Po is very happy having the precious chance.

Master Shifu, a successor of master Ogway, is actually disspaointed to master Ogway's decision. He regrets why master Ogway does not choose oe of his five excellent students. But this is actually the challenge just begins, since mister Shifu attempts to kick Po out from the Kungfu school. Po is very upset since master Shifu and his five students dislike him. Some ime master Ogway advises Po, "yersterday is a history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present". Po understands what master Ogway means in order to appreciate the opportunity he has already got and ignores the negative things around him, including master Shifu hatred.

What was said by master Ogway is done seriously by Po. He tried to make Master Shifu and his five students like him by cheering up, making jokes, and showing his cooking ability. Otherwise Master Shifu still stands in his attitude. He wants to train Po only because of Master Ogway's command. Po's spirit to learn Kungfu is so amazing. He loves training together with his idol, the monkey. The training process creates Po gradually to be a great kungfu warrior and even he is the one knocking Tai Lung out.

We can learn from how Po behaves. though many people dislike him, he alwas tries to behaves well as he can. He kicks out his egoism since he does not want to loose the chance he gets. His good behavior by neglecting his negative emotion relly makes his partners like him and makes him reach his dream to be a Dragon Master very seriously.

The film, moreover, shows that Po becomes the dragon master, he has right to read the sacred scroll. But, Po got no one word in that scroll. He, surely,gets dissapointed and looses hopes. He, then, decides to return helping his father in noodle restaurant. One time Po's father telling him his secret recipes. 'There is no secret recipe. To make something to be special, you just have to believe it is special'. Po is very surprised but get an inspiration that the sacred scrol is truly empty, but he must be optimist he could beat his awaiting enemy. What can we get from the story? There is no special secret to get success. each of us has our own potention, strength and uniqueness. Just by being serious to pass the process, the willingness to do self reflection and also do the our best, then all potention in ourselves will grow to be an amzing achievment. Amin.

Book For The Third Grade Has Been Launched

2009-04-27T02:15:00.000-07:00

After few days of hard work, Alhamdulillah the book for the third grade is ready to launch. The book is specially designed for the students type of study. Since the students of the third grade are mainly kinetics, I made the contents with full of activities (of course, you could make use the book as your style teaching).
The book has two chapters mainly discussing about profession.
It will take your students to know the vocabulary about profession and their tools as you will find in the first chapter.

chapter one also discuss about the use of 'what and where' and also yes-no question with to be.

In the second chapter, you will find the profession and where they work. It also discuss weather the profession is done indoor or outdoor.

In every chapter, you will see reading text, conversation and dialog and many more. If you would like to get the book you can download it here. Hurry up, it's FREE

Let's play Hangman

2009-04-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

When I teach my students for long time and they start to get bored, I offered them to play a game. One of the games I often play with is "Hangman". This is a word guessing game and very good for students, first, to avoid their boredom during studying and, second, to test their vocabulary mastery. This game could be done in a group but it will be more challenging to play individually. This word game does not need special media, what you need is only chalk or marker and a board.
This is the rule of the game:
First : Draw a picture of a pole with a rope.

Second: Write the alphabet from A-Z under the pole.

Third : Write some words on a piece of paper and fold it. The words can be food, colour and so on. Put the paper in a bottle and ask your students to take the paper. This means that the student himself choose the word he is going to guess. Take the paper from the studens. Don't let him open it.
Fourth: Make underscores as many as the alphabets of the words. For example the word 'rabbit' have six alphabets.

Fifth : Ask your student to guess the word (e.g:rabbit) by saying the alphabet, not guess whole word directly. Whenever he says one of the word you have (e.g rabbit) for instance 'a', you write the alphabet 'a' in the correct order of the word.

But, if he say the alphabet is not one of the alphabets in the word you have (a.g rabbit), for example he says 'c'. Cross the false alphabet and draw a head under the pole.

Fifth: The game ends when the student is hung because of failing in guessing word or he succeeds guessing the whole word.

Present Perfect Simple or Continuous Test

2009-04-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Click on the answer you think is correct.

In some examples two answers may be possible but one is more natural than the other. This natural one is the correct answer.


1. I'm very hungry. I______________________ all day.
a)	didn't eat
b)	haven't ate
c)	haven’t eaten
d)	have been eating

2. Their new kitchen looks fantastic. They ________ completely ________ it.
a)	have been redecorating
b)	have redecorated
c)	already redecorated
d)	didn't redecorated

3. Our kitchen’s a mess. We____________________ any cleaning for weeks.
a)	didn't do
b)	haven't been doing
c)	have done
d)	haven't done

4. I think they are dating. They______________ a lot of each other recently.
a)	had seen
b)	haven't been seeing
c)	have been seeing
d)	have seen

5. We've discovered this great café and we__________________ there a lot.
a)	have been going
b)	have gone
c)	are going
d)	have went

6. How's your Mum? I ______________________ her for ages.
a)	had seen
b)	haven't seen
c)	haven't been seeing
d)	didn't see

7. You're covered in paint! What __________ you __________?
a)	have done
b)	were doing
c)	did do
d)	have been doing

8. She’s gone to the doctor's. She ______________________ too well lately.
a)	hasn't felt
b)	hasn't been feeling
c)	has felt
d)	doesn't feel

9. Where have you been? I______________________ for ages.
a)	have waited
b)	waited
c)	was waiting
d)	have been waiting

10. I have to write an essay. I___________________ about half of it so far.
a)	have written
b)	have been writing
c)	wrote
d)	have to write

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

2009-04-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Present perfect continuous – form:

The present perfect of the verb 'to be' (have/has been) + the present participle of the main verb.

EXAMPLE:

Subject	has/have been	verb+ing
He	has been	jogging

Affirmative
He has been / She's been	swimming
Negative
He hasn't been	swimming
Interrogative
Has he been	swimming?
Interrogative negative
Hasn't he been	swimming?

EXAMPLE:

to work, present perfect continuous

Positive	Negative	Interrogative
I have been working	I haven't been working	Have I been working?
You have been working	You haven't been working	Have you been working?
He, she, it has been living working	He hasn't been working	Has she been working?
We have been living working	We haven't been working	Have we been working?
You have been working	You haven't been working	Have you been working?
They have been working	They haven't been working	Have they been working?

Use:

We use the present perfect continuous for an action over a period of time leading up to the present. We are interested in the action as well as the result, and this process may still be going on, or may have just finished

EXAMPLES:

1. Actions that started in the past and continue in the present.

a. We have been waiting for you all day.
b. She is tired. She has been working all day.
c. They have been studying since 5 o’clock.

2. Actions that have just finished, but we are interested in the results:

a. It's been raining and my hair is still wet.
b. I’ve been reading all afternoon. I’ve just finished the book.
c. Who's been sleeping in my bed?

Learn English through Songs

2009-04-16T11:26:00.001-07:00

Vocabulary needs to be revised again and again. Well, what could be better than studying vocabulary by listening to your favourite songs?

Read the lyrics first and try to understand them. You don’t have to translate the lyrics word by word, just try to find out what the song is all about. (Note: ‘Rap’ might not be practical as those songs usually contain slang words that not even ‘ordinary’ English native speakers know.)

Pick some words or phrases from the song that you would like to learn. If necessary, look up their exact meaning in a dictionary. A dictionary might also be useful to find other interesting phrases with the word.

Now, to learn the vocabulary, all you have to do is listening to the song again and again (that shouldn’t be a problem if it’s one of your favourite songs).

Both, Either, Neither, Nor and So

2009-04-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Expression	Example
both … and …	I like both cats and dogs.
so	Jane likes cats. So do I.
not … either	Jane doesn't like cats. I don't like cats either.
either … or …	Jane either has a cat or a dog.
neither/nor	Jane doesn't like cats. Neither do I./Nor do I.
neither … nor …	I like neither cats nor dogs.

Exercise

Find out why some parents think that their teenage sons or daughters have a lot in common with cats. (Don't take it too seriously, though.) ;o)

cats teenagers turn their heads when you call them.
You would hardly ever see a cat walking outside of the house with its master. would you see a teenager in public with his or her parents very often.
A cat doesn't share your taste in music. A teenager doesn't
cats teenagers can lie on the sofa for hours on end without moving.
Cats expect you to prepare the food for them. do teenagers.
If you tell a joke, your cat your teen will laugh about it.
If you make a sudden move in their direction, cats teenagers get frightened.
Cats do not improve your furniture. Teenagers don't
Cats roam outside and often come home very late at night. do teenagers.
Conclusion: no matter if you have a cat a teenager at home - it's all the same.

Mark wrong ans

The Smiths' House

2009-04-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Mr Smith's house has got four bedrooms, a living-room, a dining-room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a separate toilet. There is a toilet in the bathroom too. The bedrooms and the bathroom are upstairs, and the living-room, the dining-room, the kitchen and the toilet are downstairs.
The first bedroom is Mr and Mrs Smith's, the second one is John's, the third one is Mary's, and the fourth one is Anne's. Catherine's baby bed is in Anne's bedroom too.

When you enter Mr Smith's house, the room on your left is the living-room, and the room on your right is the dining-room. Where is the kitchen? It is behind the dining-room. And where is the toilet? It is straight on, in front of you. There is a garden behind the house, but it is not big. Is there a garden in front of the house too? Yes, there is, but it is very small.

When you go upstairs, Mr and Mrs Smith's bedroom is on your left. The bedroom on your right is John's, and the bathroom is between his bedroom and Mary's. Anne's bedroom is behind Mary's.

There is a big bed and two big wardrobes in Mr and Mrs Smith's bedroom, and there is a small bed and a wardrobe in John's room. John and Mary's beds are big, and Anne's bed is small. The wardrobe in Mary's room is very big, and the wardrobe in John's room is small.

Anne's room has got blue walls, and there are white ships and green islands on them, because it is a child's bedroom. John's bedroom has got white walls, and Mary's has got grey walls. John has got pictures of horses on his walls, and Mary has got pictures of beautiful क्लोथ्स
Multiple-choice exercise


1	Which of the following is correct?
		Three of Mr Smith's bedrooms are upstairs, and one of them is downstairs.
		Mr Smith's four bedrooms are downstairs.
		Mr Smith's four bedrooms are upstairs.

2	Choose the correct sentence
		There is one toilet in Mr Smith's house. It is downstairs.
		There are two toilets in Mr Smith's house. One of them is upstairs.
		There is one toilet in Mr Smith's house. It is upstairs.

3	Choose the correct answer:
		The living room is upstairs.
		The living room is downstairs.
		The dining room is upstairs.

4	Choose the correct answer:
		There are two beds in Anne's bedroom.
		There is one bed in Anne's bedroom.
		There are three beds in Anne's bedroom.

5	Choose the correct answer:
		The kitchen is between the living-room and the dining-room.
		The dining-room is between the living-room and the kitchen.
		The living-room is between the dining-room and the kitchen.

6	Choose the correct answer:
		There is a small garden in front of the house, and there is a big one behind it.
		There is a small garden in front of the house, and there is a small one behind it.
		There is a big garden in front of the house, and there is a big one behind it.

7	Choose the correct answer:
		The bathroom is between the first bedroom and the second one.
		The bathroom is between the second bedroom and the third one.
		The bathroom is between the third bedroom and the fourth one.

8	Choose the correct answer:
		John's bedroom is behind Mary's.
		Mary's bedroom is in front of John's.
		Mary's bedroom is in front of Anne's.

9	Choose the correct answer:
		Anne's room is on a green island.
		Anne's room is in a white ship.
		Anne's room is a child's bedroom.

10	Choose the correct answer:
		There are pictures in all of the children's bedrooms
		There are pictures in some of the children's bedrooms.
		There aren't any pictures in the children's bedrooms.

Does / Is / Has?

2009-04-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Does / Is / Has?

Please fill in the blanks.
The list of words is at the bottom of the text.
Press the down arrow to see them. Does does does has has is is is Is is

Welcome to my world

2009-04-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

Assalamualaikum.

Hello, people.
This is my blog.
I hope i can share my opinion, experince and so on to you all especially about learning and teaching english as foreign language to young learners kin Indonesia.
If you've got any comments and critics, i'm really wellcome and would respond it proudly.
Thanks.
Wassalamualaikum.