Unit 2: How do I use/adapt materials for
teaching reading and vocabulary?
teaching reading and vocabulary?
A giraffe's neck, a hummingbird's beak, a hare's white winter coat - what do all these have
in common? All these creatures are beautifully adapted to thrive in their environments. A
giraffe is able to gracefully graze the high up leaves of the Acacia trees, the iridescent
hummingbird is able to reach the sweet nectar inside a trumpet flower with its long beak and
the hardy hare is able to stay camouflaged through the long snowy winter. The specializations
these animals possess allow them to survive, thrive and reproduce. We live in a awe-inspiring
world!
in common? All these creatures are beautifully adapted to thrive in their environments. A
giraffe is able to gracefully graze the high up leaves of the Acacia trees, the iridescent
hummingbird is able to reach the sweet nectar inside a trumpet flower with its long beak and
the hardy hare is able to stay camouflaged through the long snowy winter. The specializations
these animals possess allow them to survive, thrive and reproduce. We live in a awe-inspiring
world!
Like these animals, the texts we use in the classroom need to be adapted for the use of our
students. If the text has any hope of being useful to the student it must be adapted to their
appropriate level. As teachers, we want the texts we use in class to survive in the minds of
our students long after class has ended. If a text has be inappropriately selected/adapted
and the student is frustrated and discouraged it's unlikely it will shape their mind and future
learning.
students. If the text has any hope of being useful to the student it must be adapted to their
appropriate level. As teachers, we want the texts we use in class to survive in the minds of
our students long after class has ended. If a text has be inappropriately selected/adapted
and the student is frustrated and discouraged it's unlikely it will shape their mind and future
learning.
Text selection and adaptation should be done in the light of suitability of content, exploitability
and readability (Brown and Lee, pp. 411). Suitability means that the material supports your
learning goals for the class and is something your students can fully engage in. Exploitability
means that the text has lots of fodder for a teacher to use in creating content that is specific
to the desired teaching outcomes. Readability means that the text is readable from a
mechanical stance and not overwhelming for the students.
and readability (Brown and Lee, pp. 411). Suitability means that the material supports your
learning goals for the class and is something your students can fully engage in. Exploitability
means that the text has lots of fodder for a teacher to use in creating content that is specific
to the desired teaching outcomes. Readability means that the text is readable from a
mechanical stance and not overwhelming for the students.
We are to reflect on this resource: https://universityofmanitoba.desire2learn.com/content
/enforced3/309456-17787.201890/Content/Readings/Reading%20Skills%20Practice%20
Foreign%20Exchange%20Emails.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Uus3ntVlKq78ZjehSJZiCClL5&ou
=309456
/enforced3/309456-17787.201890/Content/Readings/Reading%20Skills%20Practice%20
Foreign%20Exchange%20Emails.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Uus3ntVlKq78ZjehSJZiCClL5&ou
=309456
This activity includes an email exchange between two friends, Simon and Fran.
Fran is a foreign exchange student studying English in Edinburgh.
Fran is a foreign exchange student studying English in Edinburgh.
Thinking of your own context, how might you adapt this text or springboard from
this exercise, in order to use it in your classrooms? I currently work in a high school EAL
classroom. I really like the activity linked above because I think it would be fun format for my
students. It's a casual text and is very relatable in their situation. They commonly stay with host
families and communicate frequently with friends back in their home country. The text is long
enough and contains enough interesting details that I could pull out many areas for study. The
language used is fairly common and casual. I would maybe adapt this text for my context by
changing the places and events to suit a local situation. Maybe a Korean student is writing
home to share about his time attending the Canada Day celebrations at the Forks for instance.
Using this activity as a spring board, I would get my students to write correspondence letters
of their own.
this exercise, in order to use it in your classrooms? I currently work in a high school EAL
classroom. I really like the activity linked above because I think it would be fun format for my
students. It's a casual text and is very relatable in their situation. They commonly stay with host
families and communicate frequently with friends back in their home country. The text is long
enough and contains enough interesting details that I could pull out many areas for study. The
language used is fairly common and casual. I would maybe adapt this text for my context by
changing the places and events to suit a local situation. Maybe a Korean student is writing
home to share about his time attending the Canada Day celebrations at the Forks for instance.
Using this activity as a spring board, I would get my students to write correspondence letters
of their own.
How might you adapt this text for a LINC level 4 class with mature students?
I would edit the correspondence to be more relatable to adults. I would rewrite it as two
sisters updating each other on the happenings on their children and new life in Canada. I
would use short simple sentences and bolded key words.
I would edit the correspondence to be more relatable to adults. I would rewrite it as two
sisters updating each other on the happenings on their children and new life in Canada. I
would use short simple sentences and bolded key words.
What edits would you make to accommodate a group of international students in an
EAP setting? In this context I would rewrite the emails to be formal letters that use formal
academic language. The emails could be between a student and a professor. I would increase
the text complexity to provide them with a challenge.
EAP setting? In this context I would rewrite the emails to be formal letters that use formal
academic language. The emails could be between a student and a professor. I would increase
the text complexity to provide them with a challenge.
If you are teaching at a school that uses a Learning Management System (LMS), how
would you share this reading with students? (Do you know what copyright laws say
about sharing texts in an educational setting and how to provide appropriate references?)
would you share this reading with students? (Do you know what copyright laws say
about sharing texts in an educational setting and how to provide appropriate references?)
Our school uses Google classroom for everything, I would upload this activity to the Google
classroom so that everyone could easily access it.
classroom so that everyone could easily access it.
According to the Copyright Act I would be able to share short excerpts of copyrighted material
in the classroom setting provided that the use is considered “fair” and that I reference the source.
If I wanted to use the full copyrighted material then I would have to pay for the material or
received permission to share the document from the company or person who owned the
copyright. I am not allowed to copy or reproduce worksheets or materials that are considered
“one-time use”.
in the classroom setting provided that the use is considered “fair” and that I reference the source.
If I wanted to use the full copyrighted material then I would have to pay for the material or
received permission to share the document from the company or person who owned the
copyright. I am not allowed to copy or reproduce worksheets or materials that are considered
“one-time use”.
“Teachers, instructors, professors, and staff members in non-profit educational institutions may
communicate and reproduce, in paper or electronic form, short excerpts from a
copyright-protected work for the purposes of research, private study, criticism, review, news
reporting, education, satire, and parody. Copying or communicating short excerpts from a
copyright-protected work under these Fair Dealing Guidelines for the purpose of news
reporting, criticism, or review should mention the source and, if given in the source, the name
of the author or creator of the work.” (Noel and Snel, 2016)
communicate and reproduce, in paper or electronic form, short excerpts from a
copyright-protected work for the purposes of research, private study, criticism, review, news
reporting, education, satire, and parody. Copying or communicating short excerpts from a
copyright-protected work under these Fair Dealing Guidelines for the purpose of news
reporting, criticism, or review should mention the source and, if given in the source, the name
of the author or creator of the work.” (Noel and Snel, 2016)
I can freely share material that has been posted to the internet as long as it has been
referenced properly.
referenced properly.
“Educational institutions, teachers, and students may save, download, and share publicly
available Internet materials, as well as use that material in the classroom and communicate
it to students or others within their education circle.” (Noel and Snel, 2016) “To encourage
copyright awareness and respect in all circumstances, students and educators are required
to cite the source of the Internet materials they use.” (Noel and Snel, 2016)
available Internet materials, as well as use that material in the classroom and communicate
it to students or others within their education circle.” (Noel and Snel, 2016) “To encourage
copyright awareness and respect in all circumstances, students and educators are required
to cite the source of the Internet materials they use.” (Noel and Snel, 2016)
Teachers can't abuse copyrighted materials in the classroom for the simple reason that it is
the against law.
the against law.
There are many details to copyright law for educations in Canada. For more information
please see: http://cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/291/Copyright_Matters.pdf
please see: http://cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/291/Copyright_Matters.pdf
Or watch this short video:
Is this text too difficult for your group of learners? What would you do if your curriculum
includes this as a mandatory reading? This text would be at level for the high school students
I work with. If it wasn't a good fit for my classroom and I had to use it, I would adapt it by
reducing the complexity of the sentences, choosing simpler words, adding pictures (eg. of a
street festival) and headers. I would also explain the cultural reference of the movie "Frozen"
with a short YouTube video.
includes this as a mandatory reading? This text would be at level for the high school students
I work with. If it wasn't a good fit for my classroom and I had to use it, I would adapt it by
reducing the complexity of the sentences, choosing simpler words, adding pictures (eg. of a
street festival) and headers. I would also explain the cultural reference of the movie "Frozen"
with a short YouTube video.
Where can you springboard from here? Like I mentioned before, my first idea is to havethe class write their own "snail mail" letters. I might even pair them off and have them write
back and forth a few times with each other. I would get the students to edit each others work.
I might even include a lesson on the Canadian mail system. Have they ever sent a letter or
parcel? Do they know how to address a letter and where to put the stamp? Where is the closest
post office? I would even get them to actually mail the letters to each other. Everyone loves getting
a personal letter in the mail! I might also include a lesson on different letter styles, personal and
business. I would have students write letters of both kinds. They would be able to choose the
recipient of the letter so that they have some autonomy and choice which increases motivation
and engagement.
References
Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language
Pedagogy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Pedagogy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Noel, W., Snel, J. (2016) Copyright Matters! Retrieved from: http://cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/291/Copyright_Matters.pdf
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