Jokes for distinguishing the D / Th

I know some Spanish speakers mix up the sound the D makes and the sound the TH makes (yes I realize th has different sounds).

I saw this meme today and though "That's a perfect example of this minimal pair." For those of you who don't know this meme is one of the many floating around the internet that always ends in, "you're going to have a bad time."

For example, "If you don't do homework in my class.... you're going to have a bad time."

"If you don't compliment your girlfriend's haircut... you're going to have a bad time." etc.

This one's especially humorous to me because of the play on words. As most of you may have figured out I have been in a big joke mood lately and am currently compiling a series of  knock knock jokes and other jokes that deal with minimal pairs and connected speech. Since this meme popped up I thought I'd share a few jokes I have as well:
 

D / Th

·     Knock Knock. Who’s there? Dishes. Dishes who? Dishes your friend let me in.  This is your friend.

·     Knock Knock. Who’s there? Datson. Datson who? Datson awful question to ask. That's an awful question to ask.

·     Knock Knock. Who’s there? Dakota. Dakota who? Dakota’s too thin. Please open the door.  The coat is too thin. Please open the door.

      Knock Knock. Who’s there? Gladys. Gladys who? Gladys isn't a robber, aren't you? Glad this isn't a robber, aren't you?

·

NOTE: The Th and D sound are normally mixed with a voiced TH however since the meme used an unvoiced TH as an example I chose to to delve into this.

Do you know any fun jokes or tricks for helping EFL students with the differences? Would you ever use a meme or knock knock joke in your EFL class? Are you laughing, but only because these are so lame? Leave a comment and let me me know.

But HOW do you teach abroad?

The famous fortress of my first city I lived in teaching abroad, Suwon-si Korea.

The second most commonly asked question I get is, "But Carissa, HOW do you teach all these places?"

There are TONS of programs out there you just need to use common sense when you are looking at them and find the best one for you. I have different standards when I look for jobs now, but now I have years of different levels of experience, certificates, and a Masters. When I was just starting off I would look at jobs and think:

1. Is it legal? I always avoided anything that appears to be under the table. First, because I hate breaking the law (yes yes I am a goodie goodie) and second because I planned on spending most of my life living abroad; the last thing I needed was to be blacklisted from visiting some country because of visa violations. It is also safer if you have a legal job with a legal visa.

2. Is it verifiable? Google those people! Use your blind date stalking skills for good. Google e-mail addresses, names, the company, etc.. Check out their LinkedIn profiles. Check blogs for past employees. Ask to speak to past/current employees.

3. Is it survivable? A lot of the programs I am going to mention don't pay tons of money, but they do give you enough based on what you are doing. If you are working 80 hours a week with a homestay and may still struggle to make ends meet, I wouldn't recommend it.

So, what kind of programs are out there and appropriate for someone without a lot of experience?

Some of my best times in Korea were spent in the rural Korea.

TALK is a program that I never did, but I want to mention it because it does not require a Bachelors degree. You have to be a "native English speaker" meaning that you are a citizen of : Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK or USA. You also need to have an associates degree OR be enrolled in your Bachelors with 2 years of schooling completed.  You teach for 15 hours a week (normally in rural areas of Korea) Monday through Friday. Perks? Free outings, your accommodation is provided (either an apartment or a homestay) and you earn about 1.5million won a month (this is about $1,500 US but it depends on the exchange rate). This program is encouraged for those 35 and under (though they accept people up to 55).

Suwon, where I taught, is the capital of Gyeonggi-Do

If you are looking into Korea and you have more experience and want more money. Check out EPIK(rural Korea and Seoul) or GEPIK (involving the doughnut shaped province that surrounds Seoul). Again you must be a "native English Speaker." Salary varies from 2 million won to 2.5 million won depending on your experience and qualifications (2,000-2,500 USD roughly) plus a one time settling fee (to buy pots, pans, etc). If you finish your contract you get a months salary as a bonus. You are given an apartment (which is paid for by the school) and there are often workshops. You work 8 hours a day 5 days a week, but you should only teach 22 hours a week.
EDITED TO ADD As of March 2012 a 100 hour TOEFL course was a new basic requirement.

You can also work at hagwons (private academies) but since these are not government backed jobs you REALLY need to do your research.

A bunch of fellow English teachers at the El Escorial

What if you have no desire to go to Korea? OK. What about Europe?

BEDA is a program for the Catholic schools in Madrid. It does NOT require a Bachelors (but you need to be in at least you second year of college). Technically you are not a teacher (you are an assistant). You work 16-24 hours a week and your pay varies based on the hours you work. You must be a native English speaker, older than 20 and competent in Spanish. You can read more here

Catholicism isn't your thing? OK, then just work for the government. People from the United States or Canada can apply to become an Auxiliare de conversación. You could end up teaching anywhere in Spain in schools ranging from Kindergarten through 12th grade. You get at least 700 Euros a month (depending on the hours this could increase) and you pay nothing to apply. It is designed for Junior and Senior College students (so no Bachelors needed) or recent graduates.

Crazy wild Carnivalle party in Dunkirk France!

You have no desire to be in Spain. France rocks a similar program. You need to be a United States citizen (or have a greencard) . You must be between 20 and 30 with at least 2 years of college experience, and you must be proficient in French. You make about 780 Euros a month. There is a small fee to apply. You can read more here.

These are all programs that help new teachers get the experience they need to decide if teaching is really what they want, or to become desirable to hire.

Am I missing any? What programs do you find great for budding EFL teachers who want to get their feet wet?

Last Day

This is the last day I will type from my school´s computers.

This year has been a whirlwind. I have learned so many things, improved my Spanish and made great friends.

I am looking forward to teaching at International House San Diego again this Summer, though I hope I can be a more successful teacher than last year.

I will miss...

• The blank stares of stduents followed by , "Profe, que quapa hoy" (Teacher how beautiful you are today)


• The random little one who runs up to me in the hall to tell me, "Profe, te quiero" (Teacher I love you)


• Having them mix English in the most adorable way "I am my name is Marina" (Yes my college students may do this, but let´s face it it is cuter at 4)


• Their excitement, "Profe, ayer you store cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Roughly Teacher, yesterday I saw you at the store buying cheese)


• Towering above my stduents


• The hugs


• Singing and coloring about 80% of my class


• "Baby Beluuuuuuuuuuuuuuga" (Really they are just adorable)

I will not miss...

• "Profe Me hago piss" (Teacher I need to pee)


• Little Ivan (3 years old) taking his penis out in the middle of class (though I will miss his honest to goodness face of, "what???")


• Them complaining they are tired and can´t color (really, the hardest part of your day is staying within the lines...stop whining!)


• That high pitched noise that comes from their mouth when they whine


• Telling everyone to stop kissing each other during class


• Never doing anything more complex than The Little Red Hen


• The commute

I am very glad that this year gave me more patience, the ability to break things down, to really really learn my students level before giving an assignment, and some practical differentiation.

I know that because of this Masters and my year at the Colegio I should be a better teacher, now let´s see if I am.

Bilingualism helps postpone Alzheimers!

This is for a Spanish class for native speakers, while I MAY in some circles be considered a native speaker, I certainly would NEVER want to teach Spanish to native speakers! If a Korean school asked me to give a class to students in basic Spanish I would feel confident, but this is never something I would feel qualified to do.

So anyways, the

Ficha de la actividad
1. Objetivos
a.Trabajar la comprensión lectora.
b.Refuerza la importancia para ser bilingüe.
c.Usa del pensamiento de mayor nivel
d.Para aplicar el información del texto a la vida de la estudiante.

2.Nivel especifico recomendado: B2

3. Tiempo: 1 hora
Antes que leer 25 minutos
El gran olvidor 8 minutos
Luces Camar Accion 6 minutos

(Elecita la palabra Alzhéimers de los estudiantes y pregunta si alguien sabe alguien con Alzhéimers. Pregunta la conexión entre Alzhéimers y las primeras actividades.) 7 minutos

Un minuto para el video que da un poco de un cuento de Alzhéimers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXMV1x-iugI) 4 minutos (primero solo para ver, la segunda vez para notar las señales de Alzhéimers).

Durante la lectura 6
Elija el mejor 6

Después de la lectura 27
Obtener toda la historia 6
Preguntas 10
Imagen vale más que mil palabras (y resumen) 3
¿Qué más? 4
¿Y tú? 4

4. Materiales: Fotocopias de las hojas de trabajo

5. Dinámica: grupos de dos, individual, como un clase grande

===========================================================================================



Hay otra hoja para parte B pero mas o menos ellos son lo mismo.

You can download A and B for free at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Practicas de Escritura (facebook and Greek myths)

One of my classes (taught in Spanish) was supposed to help us be better teachers in regards to writing. So this is Spanish as a Second Language class designed for high school students around the Greek myth of Summer. Most of it is pretty standard, but I am quite happy with the fake facebook page!


Essentially students read the myth make a bullet point timeline for the characters and then pick one and make a facebook page on their behalf.

Ignore the typos please (if you can read them).