Activity-Based Web Resources for ESL Instruction

Benefits for ESL Students

1. Provide language practice
2. Link to a wealth of web resources
3. Improve computer skills
4. Improve communication
5. Publish teacher-made materials
6. Publish student work

Support the "Best Practices"
(Gamson & Chickering, 1987)

1. Encourage contact between students and faculty.
2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students.
3. Encourage active learning.
4. Promote prompt feedback.
5. Emphasize time on task.
6. Communicate high expectations.
7. Respect diverse talents of students.

And then there is "Shovelware".......

Sample Activities

Scavenger Hunt
Students browse a website for specific information. Works well as a group activity.
Sample site: http://www.pova.com/visitor/index.html (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
Sample questions:

• What time does the zoo open every day?
• What is "Pioneer Place", and where is it located?
• If you are hungry for Greek food, where could you go?
• Find an event you would like to attend this weekend, and be ready to discuss this with a classmate.

Culture Capsules
Students collaborate in pairs, research the Web on a cultural topic, and write a comparison/contrast paper to be published as a web page, complete with links to images and web resources used.
Sample sites:

• http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/gregcc/Culture_Capsules.html (Greg Kaminski's former ESL class at Lewis & Clark College.  Based on original design by Michael Krauss, Lewis & Clark College)
• http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/advwrf99/culturecapsules/culturecapsules.html (Michael Krauss' Advanced Writing class, F99, Lewis & Clark College)

Benefits of using Web-based Collaborative Activities

1. More incentive & effort if publishing to a wider audience. Sense of pride & motivation can be stronger.
2. Opportunity for more feedback.
3. Establishes stronger connection to others in class.  Facilitates cross-cultural interaction.
4. Strengthens communication: partner work requires teamwork, negotiation, responsibility.
5. Published in a public area, could be viewed by anyone in the world.
6. Students learn some relevant technical skills.

An Online Writing Activity with Photos
Students interview a classmate and write an introduction. These are put on a web page along with a picture of the student. They can be linked from a main class picture. As an alternative, students can write about themselves, or a descriptive composition.
Sample sites:

• http://spot.pcc.edu/~gkaminsk/league/classpicture98.html
• http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/advwrf99/home.html

Send a Virtual Greeting Card
Students practice writing skills through a real activity, sending a card to a friend.
Sample site: http://greetings.yahoo.com/

Use "Explore Science" for a "Process/Result" paper
Students can manipulate objects to perform an experiment, record results, and try to explain the results. Can be used as the basis for a presentation or a paper about a process/result.
Website: http://www.explorescience.com

Read Newspapers Worldwide
Students compare coverage and opinion of the same issue from different sources, e.g. the U.S. election coverage, or the tension in the West Bank, etc.  This is an excellent tool to promote cross-cultural awareness.
Sample site: http://ajr.newslink.org/news.html

Explore a U.S. Holiday
Students read about a U.S. Holiday through exploring web resources. Have them discuss what they found with other class members, write a summary, send an email summary, or even post a web page with a picture.

Sample sites:

• http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/web.pages/holidays/purpose.html (Ann Salzmann, U. of Illinois)
• http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~leslieob/RW5Thanksgiving.html (Leslie Opp-Beckman, U. of Oregon; take a look at the CNN examples.)

Build Reading Skills with CNN Interactive Learning Resources
This is a great resource that provides simplified & full versions of current news articles, complete with comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, and listening practice.
Sample site: http://literacynet.org/cnnsf

Use Simulations  http://one.fhda.edu/services/simulationClass/relatedWebsites_sim.html
Using Simulations to Enhance Teaching and Learning, resources compiled by @one Services, serving California Community Colleges, by Jan M. Boucher and Lorraine Vance.  This site has links to a number of simulations on the web that can be used for instructional purposes.  A few examples:

•      Nursing simulation: "Painless"
•      Virtual Earthquake
•      Interactive physics & math
•      Murder Mystery, for Spanish & French
•      MERLOT, repository for numerous online resources 

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