My final classroom observation was of an advanced listening class. The day that I visited, the students learned how the history of the English has caused the language's writing system to become so odd. I especially liked the material that the instructor used. It was a video off of YouTube. I think it did a great job giving explanations of the evolution of the language over the centuries. The video also gave plenty of compelling reasons for students to give up trying to figure out English spelling and simply learn each word's spelling. All the students agreed with the video when it was time for class discussion. During discussion time, the students were asked to think of words they found difficult in groups. After, the class regrouped and did dictation exercises. The instructor had a very clear and steady cadence, making sure to speak at a normal speed yet annunciated the words very clear.
It was a great class. I particularly like that she found a video that gives historic explanations of why the English language is what it is. It really satisfies the students need for a reason for their struggles in English spelling even if that reason is historical and has nothing to do with the actual phonetics of the language. Also, the lesson did a great job breaking up the monotony of dictation while still preparing the students for the exercise.
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