ESL, EFL, ESOL Lessons: 10 Steps In Using Social Media As Content
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There are a number of ways you can bring your ESL, EFL, ESOL lesson into the real world of native English speakers. One way is by using social media as content.
What do I mean by content?
Content is the actual linguistic material that we present to our students. Many language institutes use language textbooks that present the target language in a systemic manner. However, it could be that these texts do not incorporate examples from the internet, i.e., new media or social media. So when possible it is a good idea to bring in social media to supplement the textbook.
(It is important for non-native ESL/EFL/ESOL teachers to be aware of the fact that a high percentage of native English speakers use the internet and social media daily in their lives – and this use also has significant influence in their use of language – therefore, the need to expose our students to this use of English by mother tongue English users.)
In choosing real content from the internet, including that of social media, in goes without saying that we need to be aware of the ESL/EFL level of linguisitic development that our students have obtained – and then s-t-r-e-t-c-h them a bit to the next level in each lesson.
10 Steps to Using Social Media or New Media in an ESL/EFL lesson
Here are 10 steps that will help us in using social media, such as blogs, podcast, websites, videos, etc. in our lessons:
- We need to go over the internet material first.
- We need to choose topics that are of interest, professionally or personally, to our students.
- We need to check the material we have chosen for level of grammar, new lexical items that our students could have difficult with, e.g., phrasal verbs, idiomatic and/or colloquial expressions, puns, etc.
- We need to look at what background information we may need to provide, such as explaining particular cultural modes of behaviour, history, etc.
- If it’s an audio or video we have selected, in addition to the above, we need to assess the speaker’s speed, clarity of pronunciation, as well as clarity in the audio reproduction. (What might seem like clear audio to native speakers can be full of distracting noise for ESL/EFL/ESOL learners.)
- We need to organize our ESL/EFL lesson plan so that we have an introduction that prepares the student for the topic and linguistic input they will receive and connect it to their own work or lives so that it is meaningful for them.
- We need to prepare them for the new lexical and/or grammatical input with pertinent exercises.
- We need to monitor input, adjusting the material depending on the students’ reaction as they read, listen and/or view.
- We need to follow up the use of social media with exercises that will help them apply the language that they have learned to to their own situation.
- We need to incorporate the new lexical and grammatical material in the following lessons to help the students remember it and use it.
Using social media or new media in the ESL/EFL classroom makes the lesson more real and interesting for students, but it will only help their progress in learning English if we take the necessary time to prepare its use in our lesson plans.
How do you use social media in your classroom or lives? Post a comment and let me know. Or if you are not an ESL/EFL/ESOL teacher but you produce material on the internet – how can you make your material more ESL/EFL/ESOL-friendly?
25 Comments
April 14th, 2010 at 12:35
Social media provides for the widest variety of topics and ever-changing and ever-updating content.
Perfect for those trying to learn a language.
Seize the Day,
Rob
Simple Family Survival Tips For Disasters and Emergencies
April 14th, 2010 at 13:02
I don’t use social media that much YET but I see your point. When I was in grad school in Linguistics, the hardest section for students who had not grown up speaking English was the section on PUNS. I tutored a fellow student from China. Just try explaining puns to someone from another culture and language!!!!
Sonya Lenzo
http://www.yourchanceforromance.com
April 14th, 2010 at 14:03
Eileen I had never thought of how back ground noise would affect how some one else could learn but it makes total sense. If I was learning a different language I would want the information comming across to me as clear as possible. I am on the right track I learned something new today
April 14th, 2010 at 19:44
You have a good point how social media is an important tool. Rob is right that it provides such a huge range of choices.
The stories, content are always changing and it also makes what the student is trying to learn relevant. If you are actually interested in what the translation means, then you are more likely to give it your attention and best effort.
Great post
Jennifer Battaglino
April 14th, 2010 at 20:21
Yes, Dale, it is a big problem, especially for ESL/EFL learners at the early levels. Audio has no body language per se to read, so it leaves only the sounds. Slowly, we introduce ESL/EFL students to audio that has a variety of common noise interference, such as airports, loud speakers, etc.
Eileen
April 14th, 2010 at 23:51
Great point on lack of body language with Social Media, maybe with the exception of certian videos. Since some body language is culturally influenced, it can alter the meaning of the English words by indirectly defining aspects of the context the communication is taking part in. What tools do you use to address body language’s influence over the context in which the verbal interaction takes place?
Mark
Direct Selling Advice, Tips, Skills & Techniques
April 15th, 2010 at 01:00
I loved that you emphasized preparing before giving them the content. So many times in foreign language classes I would be given some article, video or sound bite that had the vocab words in it, but also a million more that I didn’t know. It was more like a puzzle than learning the language!
I think in general, people can spell and grammar check their web pages to make them more ESL friendly. There are some sites I have trouble reading as a native speaker. And if you ever need to look up a word, you won’t find it in the dictionary if it is spelled wrong!
Michelle
Fun and Free Activities
April 15th, 2010 at 10:53
Social media is growing bigger by the day. The way that you utilise it Eileen is brilliant.
Reading the 10 steps I’m thinking how to translate that into videos.podcasts etc for any specific business.
http://alamghafoor.com
April 15th, 2010 at 12:14
I’ve known a number of people who moved to the United States
barely knowing any words in English. Nearly every one of them
said they learned the language quickly by watching television
because it showed the language actively in use by people rather than
through some drab textbook or stale language tape or CD.
So, I think you’ve really hit on something here by utilizing social media because it is like television in that it’s a way to observe
the language in use by rela people in real time.
Nicely done!
Michael
The Success Secrets
April 15th, 2010 at 15:57
Great post, you really get it!
April 15th, 2010 at 18:14
You present a great check list that people can use when delivering content.
David Escalante
San Rafael Roofing
April 15th, 2010 at 19:28
Eileen,
I would say that your methods are far more enjoyable than just using a textbook, paper and chalboard. Plus I think that getting your older students (if you have any…like age 50+) to be comfortable with the interet is a great thing.
Sabrina Peterson, NASM CPT, CES
Fat Burning Home Workouts
April 15th, 2010 at 19:34
First, what an outstanding blog.
My comment: I never would have thought of using Social Media as content for a course. I would have thought of using Social Media as the vehicle to share information, to link people to the English speaking world so they could get a feel for what American’s, Aussie’s, Brit’s and the like communicate in real life. But this is really a cool idea.
Kudos for having a brighter bulb than I do!
Kevin Hogan
April 15th, 2010 at 21:07
What a great idea. Learning language is really about exposure and there is a lot of social media to be exposed to.
Shane Kester
Hypnosis Can Change Your Life
April 15th, 2010 at 22:11
Social media really allows you to get a peep-show into someone elses life. If you’re interested in it, you be much more likely to learn the language faster.
It reminds me of the movie “Doc Hollywood,” with Michael J. Fox. In the movie, the doc would go over to one of his patients house to read the letters that the family’s cousins sent. By the end of the movie, when he had moved away from the town, he was still inquiring about the fate of the cousins. The social media sucked him into their life.
Tim Van Milligan, helping you Make Money Online, God’s Way!
April 15th, 2010 at 23:22
It seems that using twitter and texting would make learning English more difficult because of the way words ar shortened or abbreviated like “gr8″ “LOL” “ur” “rolmao” etc. It seems like it would be almost like learning two languages. Am I misunderstanding it?
Lisa McLellan
Babysitting Services, Nanny Services, and Nanny agencies
April 16th, 2010 at 00:04
I like you point on social media as being a tool. This is a great idea in what you do.
Robert Kaufer
Law and Health with Robert Kaufer
April 16th, 2010 at 02:40
I’ve heard the best way to learn a new language is total immersion into a society. Maybe social media provides that immersion without leaving “home.” Technology is sure making the world a smaller place it seems.
Peggy Larson
http://customhomemadegifts.com/
April 16th, 2010 at 02:52
Social media is such a growing market..ever expanding…it’s a great way to work and learn.
April 16th, 2010 at 03:14
I wold think social media would be a great resource for non-native english speakers trying to learn the language. It would familiarize them with the more common language patterns and idioms and such.
Steve Chambers
Body Language Expert
April 16th, 2010 at 04:00
Thanks for giving the great tips. I can use them in developing my Social Media plan.
Mike
http://www.ColumbiaSafetyProducts.com
April 16th, 2010 at 04:44
Eileen social media content spans so many different venues of information. There is so much to look at there would be no way for one of your students to not find something interesting to them and watch or listen to the content.
Scott Sylvan Bell
http://www.scottbellconsultant.com
Now go implement!
April 16th, 2010 at 08:38
Hi Eileen,
I admire how as an ESL/ESOL teacher you provide your lucky students with current social mores and social codes not just a dry (insert yawn) iteration of the language. They must adore you as an English Language teacher. Hmmm, cool excuse to get to watch TV and YouTube, too! lol
What do you find it the average age of the ESL/ESOL student?
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Cyber Dating Expert and Online Dating Coach
April 17th, 2010 at 17:26
[...] I noted in a previous post, it is important to prepare our students for the material they are going to watch. We need to give [...]
November 8th, 2010 at 13:44
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Roger,