FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE FOR ALL ESL CLASSES

What is Figurative Language?

ž  language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal meaning

ž  Literal: fact

¡  Ex.: It is raining two inches per hour.

ž  Figurative: not a fact

¡  Ex.: It’s raining cats and dogs.

ž  uses exaggerations

ž  very common in poetry, non-fictional stories, and every day American conversations

Literary Devices Used in FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:

Simile: A simile is a comparison that often uses the words like or as.

ž  Example: Jamie runs as fast as the wind.

¡  She is as beautiful as a flower.

¡  He is hungry like a lion.

¡  The stars shine like diamonds.

¡  The stars are as shiny as diamonds.

Metaphor: A metaphor is a comparison made between things that are not the same

ž  similar to a simile, but does not use like or as

¡  Example: Nobody invites Carlos to parties because he is a wet blanket.

¡  Her eyes are stars in the night.

¡  I am a prisoner of the English language.

Personification:  When something that is not human is given human-like qualities, this is known as personification

¡  Example: The leaves danced in the wind on the cold October afternoon.

¡  The cell phone died, it does not work.

¡  My computer is crazy, it lost my file.

Hyperbole: Exaggerating, often in a humorous way, to make a particular point

¡  Example: I ate like a pig.

¡  I've told you a million times don't exaggerate.

¡  If I don't get these jeans, I will DIE!

¡  Maybe I'll do it in a million years.

¡  I was so embarrassed, I thought I might die.

¡  I am so tired I could sleep for a year.

Onomatopoeia: Words spelled they way they sound & shows an action

¡  Example: The bees buzz angrily when their hive is disturbed.

¡  He banged on the drum.

¡  The phone beeped in class.

¡  The cat meowed at the dog.

Idiom

ž  Cultural sayings

ž  http://www.englishdaily626.com/idioms.php

ž  http://www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/english/idioms/american

ž  http://www.rong-chang.com/idioms.htm

Homophone

ž  Words that sound the same but have different meanings

ž  http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/homophones.htm

Homographs

ž  Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings

ž  http://www.dailywritingtips.com/homograph-examples/

ž  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_homographs

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES:

ž  Similes: http://www.worsleyschool.net/socialarts/simile/page2.html

ž  Homographs: http://a4esl.org/q/h/lb/homof.html

ž  Homographs: http://a4esl.org/q/h/lb/homop.html

ž  Idioms: http://a4esl.org/q/h/idioms.html

ž  Homophones: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/quiz/homophones.html

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE GAMES:

ž  *FLING A TEACHER (most popular game): http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fling3.html

ž  Hang-man Figure of Speech: http://www.quia.com/hm/80390.html

ž  Homographs / 2 players can play: http://www.quia.com/cb/8285.html

ž  Idioms / Answer correctly to creat a piece of art: http://www.funbrain.com/idioms/

ž  A Variety of Games: http://www.vocabulary.co.il/homophones/

TRANSITIONAL WORDS

What are transitions and how are they used?

• transitions are phrases or words used to connect one idea to the next
• transitions are used by the author to help the reader progress from one significant idea to the next
• transitions also show the relationship within a paragraph (or even within a sentence) between the main idea and the support the author gives for those ideas
• different transitions do different things....

Transitional Words List:

http://jc-schools.net/write/transition.htm

http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm

Transitional Words Power Point and explanation:

http://jc-schools.net/write/transitions_files/frame.htm

Transitional Words Games & Quizzes:

Games: http://www.studygs.net/trans/wrtstr6a.htm

Quiz: http://jc-schools.net/write/trans-quiz_files/frame.htm

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not just a day to eat turkey, watch sports, and sleep all day.  Thanksgiving was started by the immigrant experience!  Watch the videos and read a story to answer the questions to learn about Thanksgiving:

Click on:

WATCH AND LISTEN:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFDSobNnfQs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2yeQs8gXo0&feature=related

READ: 

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/thanksgiving/short-stories/the-first-thanksgiving.html

Answer the following:

1.      Why did the English people(Pilgrims) go to America?

2.      What was the name of the ship the Pilgrims used to come to America?

3.      Who originally lived in America before the Pilgrims came?

4.      Why did the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag (Indians) celebrate thanksgiving?

5.      How are the Pilgrims similar to the immigrants of today?

6.      What are some American Thanksgiving traditions?

7.      What does the word THANKSGIVING mean?

8.      Does your family celebrate thanksgiving? If no, why?  If yes, why?  Explain your answer.

All questions are to be answered using complete sentences.  Make sure to place your answers in the homework box for credit! All work is due on Wednesday Nov. 24, 2010!

LEARN MORE AT:

THE REAL THANKSGIVING

http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/intro.html 

ESL 2: Verbs

Use the following sites to practice using verbs:

Action Verbs:
http://www.quia.com/quiz/799985.html

Linking Verbs:
http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/grammar/linking_verbs/quiz522.html

Helping Verbs:
http://www.quia.com/rr/121293.html

http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/grammar/helping_verbs/quiz520.html

Linking & Action Verbs:
http://www.quia.com/quiz/424609.html
 
http://www.quia.com/quiz/653873.html

Grammar Help

Many of my students have amazing ideas and great insight in their writing.  However, grammar is the main reason their writing grades are not improving.  As a former ESL student, I can say that grammar was and still is a challenge for me.  The good news is that now we have the Internet to help. 

            I made a list of grammar help sites based on the grammar writing needs of my students.  I promise that if you visit these sites regularly and do the practice exercises three to four times a week, your grammar problems will improve. 

Run-on Sentences:

·        http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/grammar/adv/advrunon.htm  

• http://www.quia.com/pop/35933.html?AP_rand=137728172

·        http://wps.ablongman.com/long_faigley_penguinhb_1/7/1978/506477.cw/index.html 

o   Use this site to learn how to improve your writing and not write run-on sentences

o   On the Left side of the side is a list of examples and activities to help

Demonstrative Pronouns: this, these, that, those

·         http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/pronouns-demonstrative.htm

·         http://www.grammar.cl/Games/This_That_These_Those.htm

·         http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm

            (in this site click on Pronouns…you will get a list to choose from)

All Areas of Grammar:

o   On the right side of this web site look for ESL Sites

o   Click on English Language Study Zone

o   Click on Grammar Index

·         In Grammar Index you will find mini-grammar lessons at the end of each lesson click on continue with the exercise

©Brenda Avila

ESL5 Themes: Student Interviews

During this week you worked together with a mainstream student to complete student interviews.  The mainstream student interviewed you and your experiences of being an immigrant student in WOHS and you interviewed them about their experiences of being a mainstream student in WOHS.

Open-Ended Paragraphs: BE SPECIFIC AND GIVE A DETAILED ANSWER!!! Write TWO Paragraphs, one for each question.

• How did you feel when the mainstream student interviewed you?  Explain and give specific examples.
• What have you learned about working with mainstream students?  How has your opinion changed about mainstream students after completing the interviews? Explain and give specific examples.

ESL 5 Lit: Open-ended Quiz for THE BIRDS

We just finished reading the story THE BIRDS by Daphne du Maurier.  Throughout the story, the main character of Nat tries to survive and save his family.  As the reader, we were able to hear Nat’s ideas and thoughts, and learn of his actions about the bird attacks. 

The following is a home-made video clip of a modern version of The Birds.  In this clip, the scene takes place in London, England.  Watch the video to answer the open-ended question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JudOfO0KZoM&feature=related

Answer the following Questions as one Open-ended Paragraph: What happened in the video?  How are the actions of the people in the video similar and/or different than Nat's actions in the story?  EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWERS WITH SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.  Use your plot notes for help!

Bye, Bye ESL…Hello Mainstream English!

The main goal of ESL is to prepare students to survive and do their best in mainstream classes.  Mainstream means…NOT ESL.  At WOHS we have many students that are in transition, which means that they have one ESL class and one mainstream class.  These students are in a special place, their English is good enough to take a regular English class, but they are not ready to completely leave ESL.  If you are one of these students CONGRATULATIONS!!  Your hard work and dedication to learn English is working!

                However, there are many new experiences and challenges when leaving ESL.  Most mainstream teachers are not trained to work with ESL students, so they speak faster English, use more challenging vocabulary, give more advanced reading and writing assignments, and have larger classes.  For an American student that grew up going to American schools, this is normal.  But for ESL students that are transitioning out of ESL, all of this is new and a bit scary.  Don’t worry.  In this blog I will provide some advice and tools that can help any student improve in their non-ESL classes.

10 STEPS TO SURVIVE LEAVING ESL:

·         1^st: Have a positive attitude: Be happy that your teachers think you are smart enough to be in a regular English class. Be proud to represent your culture and country to an American class!  Be exited to work harder to learn more English and have the advantage to be fully bilingual!  This is a great opportunity to learn the same as the non-ESL students, make new friends, and learn new experiences about your school. 

·         2^nd: Communicate - Many non-ESL teachers will not know that you are a former ESL student. Get to know your new teachers and communicate with them openly about you being a former ESL student.  Let them know that you are happy to be in their class; but that this is your first time and that you want to do well. Be honest about what areas you will need the most help with.    

·         3^rd: Ask for help - Ask the teacher when you can meet for extra help and if there is tutorial for their class.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help during class activities.

·         4^th: Location – Ask to sit at the front of the room or close to the teacher.  That way you will hear and understand better, and if you sit next to the teacher it will be easier to ask for help during class time. Also, ask if you can sit next to a student that speaks your language or a more advanced student that can help you explain and translate the work.

·         5^th: Vocabulary – Write down any words you hear or see during a class activity that you don’t know or are confused about.  You can ask the teacher for help by being specific with the words you don’t understand. Also, look up the words in a dictionary and make a list of words and definitions.  This will help you in all your classes and it will improve all areas of English.

·         6^th : Make LIBRARIANS your new best friends! – Libraries and Librarians are awesome; they can help you find the answer to almost any question.  They can also show you websites, books, movies, and other materials that will help you in any class.  You can borrow and use most of these materials for FREE!!  Visit the school and public library!  Make it your second home!

·         7^th : Use the Internet – There are many sites to help you on the net...WOHS Library has a great list of websites and search engines to help any student.  If you are using any school computer just Click on: http://wohs.woboe.org/LMC/Pages/OnlineResources.aspx

*If you are not in school you will find a logn-in box.  Just log-in the same way you log-in to a school computer.

·         Best Sites from our LMC for English Classes:  netTrekker,   Facts on File Online Databases

o   Click on: http://wohs.woboe.org/LMC/Pages/OnlineResources.aspx

o   Click on netrekker: click on Language Arts, then Literature for help on any story or book

o   Click on Facts on File Online Databases: click Bloom's Literary Reference Online for help on any story or book

·         8^th : Get a Group – Get together with other students that are studying the same thing.  You can share notes, help each other, and give each other support

·         9^th: Feelings & Emotions – For some students leaving ESL can be stressful and full of anxieties, don’t be afraid to reach out and speak to your counselor, teachers, or an adult you trust about how you feel.  There are many people that care about you and want you to do your best, the more you talk openly about how you feel; the easier it will be.

·         10^th : Don’t Give Up -  Yes…it will be hard…but all good things are worth fighting for…and your education is a very good thing. 

Remember: The choices you make today will decide your tomorrows!

©Brenda Avila

ESL 5 Lit: Extra Credit for THE BIRDS

The word PERSPECTIVE mans: your opinion / your point of view

In the story THE BIRDS by Daphne du Maurier, the author’s perspective of birds is full of suspense, fear, and horror.  However, not everyone has the same perspective.  In Brazil a musical artist saw some birds on wires and his perspective of the birds was based on his ability to read and write music.

View this YouTube clip by clicking on the link bellow.  It was created by the Brazilian Musical Artist focusing on his perspectives of birds:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeUD263ou5w  

Answer the following Questions as one Open-ended Paragraph:  How are the birds in the video clip presented different from the birds in the story THE BIRDS?  Why can birds produce such different perspectives?

©Brenda Avila

Seniors: Asking for a Letter of Recommendation

It’s that time of the year when seniors start coming back to my classroom asking “Ms. Avila, could you write a letter or recommendation for me?”  It is an honor for me to help my student further their education, but there are some things students need to prepare before they ask any teacher for a letter of recommendation:

1.       Visit the Guidance Office and get a “Recommendations” Packet (ask the secretaries)

2.       Read and Complete the Packet

3.       Write a list that Includes the following information:

a.       List all of HONORS and/or AP level classes

b.      List the years and marking periods you made HONOR ROLL

c.       List all the clubs, sports teams, band, etc. you have participated in and what was your position (member, president, secretary, front fielder, goalie, ect.)

d.      List all out-of school activities and explain your position / For example: Church Youth Group, Sports Clubs, Musical Groups, Choirs, Volunteering, etc.

e.      List any awards or recognitions you have received, even if they occurred in your home country

f.        List of languages that you speak

g.       List any jobs you have done and your position / For example: McDonalds – Cashier

h.      List of hobbies and interests

4.       Make sure you date all of the events on your list by writing the year or grade / For example: Honors Chemistry – Junior Year

5.       Choose a teacher that knows you well and that has positive things to say about you

6.       Don’t interrupt a teacher while they are teaching / come at the beginning or ending of a period and ask them in a polite manner, remember they are doing you a favor

7.       Let your teacher know when you need the letter

8.   THANK YOUR TEACHER!!

©Brenda Avila

ESL5 Themes: Poor Visitor / Figurative Language

The last few days we have been reading “Poor Visitor” by Jamaica Kincaid. 

Read the following passage from the story several times.  Use what we learned about figurative language to help you understand what you read…

 “But I did not know that the sun could shine and the air remain cold; no one had ever told me.  What a feeling that was!  How can I explain?  Something I had always known – the way I know my skin was the color brown of nut rubbed repeatedly with a soft cloth, or the way I know my own name- something I took completely for granted, “the sun is shining, the air is warm”, was not so.”  By: Jamaica Kincaid

Question: What does Jamaica Kincaid mean when she states “Something I had always known…was not so”?  Explain in your own words.

Make sure to write your explanation on a piece of paper and hand it in tomorrow!!!

©Brenda Avila

ESL 2: 4Ps of Marketing Descriptive Paragraphs

Hi ESL 2 Students...

  By now your group should be half-way done with your project.  Remember that by Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 I will check each group for the following:

• Title Page: Group Name and Names of Students
• The 4Ps of Marketing Report
• Survey Results
• Surveys
• Cereal Box
• Presentation

One of the most important parts of your project is writing the descriptive paragraphs for your 4P's of Marketing Report.  The following are the notes that we took in class that review how to write a basic descriptive paragraph:

Descriptive Paragraph

}  A paragraph that describes / explains what something is like

  How to write an DESCRIPTIVE paragraph

}  1 Main Idea Sentence: tells what the paragraph is about

}  3 supporting sentences: 3 examples with explanations (remember to use transitional words!)

}  1 conclusion sentence: re-state main idea in other words

©Brenda Avila