SUMMARY WRITING ASSIGNMENT

LANGUAGE LEARNING GAMES:

According to the article “Language and learning games”, games are a good way for learners to acquire and practice vocabulary, grammar and structures unconsciously, since their attention is not on the language when they play. These games can be used several times a week by teachers to revise certain aspects of the language. In the article, three types of games are mentioned. First, there are number and letter games, with which students can practice numbers and letters not in the ordered way they are learned, but in the way they occur in real life (dates, prices, and so on.). In this kind of games we have bingo, secret messages, prices, and count again. The kind of games that are used to revise vocabulary are called word games, and they are word sets, word building, card scrabble, my shopping basket, anything to declare?, sound chains, letter chains, word associations, and the grammar focus game. Finally, there are speaking games, which allow students to practice both speaking and listening. Also they help students to develop their creativity. These games are what’s my line?, animal, vegetable or mineral?, and chain story. Due to the fact that games are a way to learn a language, they should be prepared taking into account the most important aspects of the lesson the teacher wants to review. They can be easily adapted to any lesson since they can be as long as the teacher wishes; it means that there is a lot of flexibility to prepare them.

"looKing to the future of TESOL teacher education: web-based bulletin board discussions in a methods course"

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to providethe result of a research into the use of a computer Mediated Communication tool in a course of L2 teaching. It compares the discussions with their participation in Web-based Bulletin Board discussion. There were twenty students who participated in this study, thirteen were non-native and seven were native English speakers. The information for the report was gotten using the following instruments: Computer use survey, interview protocolar, videotapes of whole class, face-to-face discussion and transcripts of the Web-based B.B interactions. This is a descriptive investigation, where the students participated in whole class, presented five mini-lessons and finally participated in asynchonous Web-based B.B discussions. the results indicate that the use of these tools in such course helped students to develop knowlege and gave them experience in learning through technology. Finally, the lack of information related to this topic suggest more future researches related to the use of Web-based BB systems in the preparation of TESOL teachers.