Episode 014: What is the last P in PARSNIP? - a podcast by Stephanie Axe and Jean Dempsey

1. What’s the difference?
   • EFL – English as a Foreign Language is taught to a mostly homogenous group of ELLs in a non-English speaking country
   • ESL – English as a Second Language is taught to any group of ELLs, primarily immigrants, in an English speaking country)
2. Objectives

• EFL
  • Less urgency/ irrelevant to daily routine – speakers don’t need English in their everyday lives
  • Topical– literature, cinema, art, culture, conversation, etc. are all courses that could be offered
• ESL
  • More urgency/practical – speakers need to use English to survive, so they’re less concerned with technicalities
  • Holistic – communication skills, reading, writing, ESP, “big picture”/long-term purposes

3. Our experiences…
4. Planning/preparation:
   • EFL
     • Focus on practice, especially speaking, pronunciation, and conversation
     • Exposure to authentic English
     • Reasons/motivation
   • ESL
     • Hands on/suitable for immediate needs
     • Explicit cultural instruction
     • Integration
5. Sources:
   • Oxford University Press, English Language Teaching Global Blog, article by Kate Bell – oupeltglobalblog.com
   • Teaching ESL to Adults – www.teaching-esl-to-adults.com

1. Identifying auditory learners

• Good memory for conversations, jokes, music, lyrics, etc.
• Enjoy discussion, debate, conversation, listening to music, etc.
• Sing/hum/whistle to themselves
• Prefer oral presentations to written reports
• May read slowly and/or have trouble interpreting graphs, maps, charts, etc.

2. Teaching Tips

• Beginning
  • Read directions aloud (while projecting them on the board or providing a handout)
  • Paraphrase/restate directions, especially difficult words
  • Allow students to record lectures
  • Word association/verbal mapping
  • Reading aloud (alone or with someone)
  • Books on tape
  • Mnemonic devices, like PARSNIP (stay tuned!)
• Intermediate
  • Assigning oral presentations to supplement written work
  • Incorporating music and videos to supplement reading/lecture
  • Allow students to record lectures
  • Word association/verbal mapping
  • Reading groups to share/supplement written journals
• Advanced
  • Assigning oral presentations to supplement written work
  • “What questions do you have?” (rather than “Do you have any questions?”)
  • Ask them questions, too
  • Encourage active participation so students get a variety of input from people with different backgrounds, levels of fluency, accents, etc.
  • Listening to/creating podcasts

3. Source:

• The Study Gurus, “Study Advice for Auditory Learners,” article by Clare – www.thestudygurus.com

1. PARSNIP

• Politics
• Alcohol
• Religion
• Sex
• Narcotics
• –isms
• What does the last P in PARSNIP stand for?

2. Tips for teachers – countdown:

3. Source:

• LinkedIn Group, TESOL International Association, discussion started by Anes Abdelrahim Mohamed on July 4^th

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