EDU134 - Teaching ESL to Adults: A course leading to Colorado’s ABEA Certification
Red Rocks Community College, Spring 2016 (Leecy Wise, Instructor)
Breaking Barriers: Creating Comfort in English Speaking Communities
  
A WebQuest for
This WebQuest is intended for adult ESL learners with a high intermediate English speaking level or above, in an online learning environment ( Schoology or other Learning Management System)
Created by Sheri Michael
Spring 2016
Rationale: When working with students whose first language is not English, I have learned that many (even those who have lived in English-speaking parts of the world for 10+ years) use very little written or spoken English in their everyday lives. Many live in communities with others who speak their native language and shop in ethnic grocery stores where using English is not necessary.
In speaking with my students, many would like to use English more than they do but do not know how. Shopping in grocery stores where using English is important or visiting local libraries where English is the primary language may seem like easy ways to engage with the English-speaking world, but it can be very scary and intimidating. |
I. INTRODUCTION |
Welcome to Breaking Barriers.
During this WebQuest you will increase your comfort levels and time that you spend writing and speaking in English. You will be asked to participate in activities with people who do not speak your home language but do speak English.
This WebQuest will take two to three weeks depending on how many days and hours you meet each week for class. You will be asked to interact with the English only speaking world in a variety of ways.
Let's get started. |
II. TASK |
In this project, you will do the following:
- Create a 1-2 minute video with a smartphone expressing worries or fears about talking with people you do not know using only English.
- Practice various dialogues in English.
- Visit a grocery store where employees speak English. While at this grocery store, ask an employee a question as to where a specific product is located.
- Create a 1-2 minute video with a smartphone describing your experiences interacting with people you did not know using only English.
- Respond to other students’ postings in various discussion forums.
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III. PROCESS |
- Look at the attached timeline for completing the activities in this WebQuest (WebQuest Timeline for Students). Pay attention to deadlines as discussion forums will be locked at midnight on the day each activity is due.
- Using a smartphone, create a video expressing your feelings about talking with others in the community using only English. Post your video in the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Intro Video, in our class Schoology site. If you need help creating a video, go to the Resources section for suggestions.
- Post a two to three sentence reaction to two other students’ videos. How are other students’ fears similar to yours? How are they different? (Please note that the intent of this WebQuest is to increase comfort levels of using English. While simple sentence structure is encouraged to clearly communicate thoughts and ideas for all written components, grammar and mechanics will not be graded.)
- Using a computer, google "conversations in English asking for information."
- In the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Dialogues, in our class Schoology site, copy and paste three different URLs with different dialogues. In this forum also write two or three sentences explaining the kind of information that is being asked for in the dialogues you found.
- With a partner, practice dialogues that you find. Write down ways of asking questions that do not begin with the words, "can" or "could." Write these questions in the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Questions, in our class Schoology site.
- Post a three to four sentence reaction to two other students’ explanations of the kinds of information that was being asked for in the dialogues they found. In what ways are these students’ dialogues similar to yours? In what ways are they different?
- Post a paragraph reaction to two other students’ questions in the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Questions. In what ways were other students’ questions similar to yours? In what ways were they different? List two ways you could ask for information with respect to your dialogues.
- Imagine that you are at the grocery store. With a partner, practice asking questions for information (i.e. bathroom, red pepper paste, Mexican Coke, . . .). Also practice saying, "Thank you. I appreciate your help." Write one-to-two sentences about how comfortable you are using only English to ask for information in the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Asking for Information, in our class Schoology site.
- Post a one-to-two sentence reaction to two other students’ explanations about how comfortable they are asking for information using only English. In what ways do you share their comfort levels? In what ways are their comfort levels different from yours?
- Visit a King Soopers. Ask an employee where you can find red pepper paste. Also, practice thanking the employee. Walk around the store and find two more opportunities to ask someone for information. Post a paragraph describing your experiences in the grocery store in the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Grocery Store. State the questions you asked people and their responses. Also, include a question you can ask the next time you are at the grocery store.
- Post a three-to-four sentence reaction to two other students’ explanations of their experiences in the grocery store. In what ways were their experiences similar to yours? In what ways were they different? In what ways were their questions similar to yours? In what ways were they different?
- Using a smartphone, create a video expressing your feelings about talking with others in the community using only English. Was it scary to ask people you did not know for information? Describe two ways you will ask for information at the public library using only English. Post your video in the discussion forum, Breaking Barriers Final Video, in our class Schoology site.
- Post a three-to-four sentence reaction to two other students’ videos. Point out the things that these students did well. Suggest something that students could improve.
- After completing the WebQuest, we will have a class discussion on what we liked and did not like about the activities in the WebQuest.
- Complete a one-page evaluation that includes suggestions for improving this WebQuest (See WebQuest Student Feedback Form).
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IV. RESOURCES |
Handouts
- WebQuest Timeline for Students
- WebQuest Student Feedback Form
Also, you may find the following Youtube videos helpful for using a smartphone to create a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KH9C2-F4Dc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mDk45VNN1k
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V. CONCLUSION |
Upon completing this WebQuest, you will have
- Interacted with the English speaking world using a real world application (i.e. asking for information at a grocery store).
- Made 6 written posts in discussion forums and will have responded to at least twelve other students.
- Completed an evaluation that includes suggestions for improving this WebQuest.
As you talk with your children’s teachers, librarians at public libraries, or with other English speaking people, continue to find opportunities to ask people in the English world for information. It is a great way to practice speaking and to meet people. |
VI. EVALUATION |
WebQuest Assignments will be graded using the rubric below. Be sure to read the rubric before completing the WebQuest’s activities. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Name of Activity |
4 points
Meets All Criterion |
3 points
Meets Most Criterion |
2 points
Meets Some Criterion |
1 point
Meets A Few Criterion |
0 points
Not Completed |
Intro Video
|
Completed on time and addresses all elements of prompt |
Completed on time but 1 element of prompt is missing |
Completed on time but 2 elements of prompt are missing |
Completed on time but does not address any element of the prompt |
Not completed |
Student Postings |
Completed on time and addresses all elements of prompts (length and questions asked) |
Completed on time but not all elements of prompts are addressed |
Missing 1-2 posts or not all elements of prompts are addressed |
Missing 3 or more posts |
Not completed |
Responses to Other Students’ Postings |
Completed on time with at least two responses for each topic (6 topics = at least 12 responses) |
Completed on time but 1-2 responses are missing |
Completed on time but 3-4 responses are missing |
Completed on time but more than 5 responses are missing |
Not completed |
Final Video |
Completed on time and addresses all elements of prompt |
Completed on time but 1 element of prompt is missing |
Completed on time but 2 elements of prompt are missing |
Completed on time but does not address any element of the prompt |
Not completed |
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VII. TEACHER NOTES |
The intent of this WebQuest is to create opportunities for students to use written and spoken English. It is intended to be a multi-week WebQuest that eases students into using English in public community places such as the grocery store or the library.
Prior Knowledge Needed:
To be most successful with this WebQuest, students are expected to be
- Familiar with Schoology or another Student Management System,
- Familiar with posting in discussion forums of Schoology or other Student Management System,
- Familiar with using the recording features of smartphones
Student Resources Needed for WebQuest:
Students need access to a computer with internet access both in and outside of the classroom to successfully complete this WebQuest.
It is anticipated that teachers will use their knowledge of their students to facilitate discourse around WebQuest activities and to provide necessary scaffolds to complete the activities in this WebQuest.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sheri Michael works in the world of adult education and training. In her spare time, she loves spending time outdoors with her family.
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