Summary of Living Waters ESL Class Session 1 (Readiness Phase)

Summary of "Living Waters ESL Class Session 1 (Readiness Phase)"

This video captures an ESL (English as a Second Language) class session focused on readiness activities, icebreakers, and foundational grammar concepts (specifically past and present continuous tenses). The session is interactive, engaging students in games, discussions, and writing exercises to build comfort with English communication and grammar usage.

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Main Ideas, Concepts, and Lessons Conveyed:

1. Classroom Icebreaker & Following Instructions

• The teacher introduces a game where students must follow verbal commands (e.g., clap, stomp) but not mimic the teacher’s physical actions.
• Emphasis on listening carefully and following instructions exactly.
• Encourages attention, listening skills, and physical engagement.

2. Getting to Know Each Other

• The teacher attempts to guess students’ names to build rapport.
• Students write their names on cards placed visibly on their desks to aid name recognition.
• Discussion about students’ countries of origin and the teacher’s background.
• Sharing personal information fosters community and comfort.

3. Teacher Introduction

• Teacher Joseph introduces himself, his background as a university lecturer, and his experience teaching English and volunteering with refugees.
• He clarifies his role as a volunteer ESL teacher for this class.
• Encourages students to ask questions about him to build rapport.

4. Classroom Agreements

• Students agree on classroom norms:
  • Respect each other.
  • Be nice.
  • Be willing to learn.
• Reinforces a positive and respectful learning environment.

5. Introduction to Grammar Focus: Past and Present Continuous Tenses

• Teacher introduces the concept of past continuous and present continuous tenses.
• Explains usage:
  • Present continuous for actions happening now or around now.
  • Past continuous for actions happening at a specific time in the past or two simultaneous past actions.
• Examples given using students’ daily activities.
• Emphasis on making language clearer and more expressive.

6. Use of Anime Character "Luffy" from One Piece

• Luffy is used as a fun theme to engage students.
• Students receive “gear” worksheets (gear 1, gear 2, gear 3) that represent stages or levels of learning tasks.
• Luffy’s characteristics and story are briefly introduced to build interest and relate learning to popular culture.

7. Interactive Games and Activities

• Action cards with verbs (e.g., swim, drive, write) are used in games where students act out or identify actions.
• Students practice distinguishing between past and present continuous verbs by clapping or stomping according to the verb tense on their cards.
• Physical activities like running races are included to energize the class.

8. Writing and Sharing Exercises

• Students write down activities they were doing the previous night or around now using phrases (not full sentences initially).
• Sharing of interesting activities among classmates to encourage speaking and listening.
• Teacher corrects and guides students on sentence structure for past continuous (e.g., “When I played FIFA, I was listening to music.”).

9. Checkpoint and Review

• Students self-assess their understanding of past and present continuous tenses.
• Most students respond positively, indicating comprehension.
• Teacher encourages continued practice.

10. Classroom Management and Break

• The session includes planned breaks to maintain student focus and energy.

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Methodology / Instructions Presented (Detailed Bullet Points):

• Icebreaker Game: Follow What I Say, Not What I Do
  • Teacher gives verbal commands (clap, stomp).
  • Students respond only to the verbal command, ignoring teacher’s physical actions.
  • Reinforces attentive listening.
• Name Recognition
  • Teacher guesses student names.
  • Students write names on cards and place them on desks.
  • Helps teacher and students learn names quickly.
• Classroom Agreements
  • Agree to respect each other.
  • Agree to be nice.
  • Agree to learn.
  • Students respond “agree” or “disagree” to each.
• Grammar Focus: Past and Present Continuous
  • Present continuous: used for current/ongoing actions (e.g., “I am writing.”).
  • Past continuous: used for past actions happening at the same time or ongoing in the past (e.g., “I was playing and listening to music.”).
  • Signal words: “was/were” indicate past continuous; “is/am/are” indicate present continuous.
• Action Card Game
  • Each student receives a card with verbs.
  • Teacher calls out actions; students respond by raising hands or standing if the action matches their card.
  • Students act out verbs to reinforce vocabulary and comprehension.
• Writing Activity
  • Students write phrases describing what they were doing last night or around now.
  • Focus on key verbs and activities rather than full sentences initially.
  • Sharing and peer review follow.

Notable Quotes

— 03:02 — « Dog treats are the greatest invention ever. »

Category

Educational

Video