What I learned from painting

There was a temporary hiatus in my sporadic blogging career (if you can call it that). I spent  the past few months indulging myself on watercolor painting instead of publishing articles. Something about painting -- mixing shades and hues, and soft music that is very soothing to the soul no matter how turbulent things around are.

Now before you get any ideas that I can paint a Monet, let me tell you that I didn't have any background on art at all except back in kindergarten. But one day out of a whim, I just bought a  watercolor tube set, brushes and paper to practice. The output wasn't bad. I was able to paint decent pictures of nature, most of them copied from somebody else's drawings. However because I didn't study the technique and the rules on how to correctly compose a painting, my artworks were not consistent, that to a point it became frustrating.

And then one day, I decided to go to Upper Arlington Library and searched for watercolor books.  It was fascinating to realize how learning the basic techniques and having the right tools can create the most interesting pictures. Lesson learned: if you are not a natural genius at something, you have to read  books and learn.

This is true to studying the English language. Although some are more gifted in learning languages, some people people need to spend more time to absorb and gain fluency. Grammar is the framework of sentence structure. Sentences will be lame, clumsy and even incomprehensible if it's not correctly applied. Grammar, as most of my students complained, is boring. My answer is, "Yes, it (used) to be boring." But that was before online ESL quizzes and games were invented!

Check out these websites and have fun while brushing up your English skills:

http://www.brainpopesl.com/ 
http://www.manythings.org/voa/001225sp2.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/chill-out/games/shopping-quiz
http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/index.html
http://www.manythings.org/cg/

Impact of Positive Words to ESL Students

People who naturally notice negative information over positive information are more susceptible to stress, research has revealed. The findings increase our understanding of what makes people vulnerable to stress and could lead to new forms of therapy.
~ PhysOrg.com

To equate negativity to stress is nothing new nor does it take a rocket scientist to figure this out. It seems that the more we think we dislike something because it is difficult, the longer it is for us to grasp it and therefore the more stressful it becomes.
This is true in learning English as a second language as well. Learning a new language in itself can be challenging but the hurdles are harder to overcome when students are not interested to get over it. To recognize that these challenges cause a lot of stress to ESL students is already a step towards finding a better method of helping them learn the course or better yet like it.
It is therefore good to have a pocketful of positive vocabulary when dealing with mistakes. Here are few examples:


I don’t say………
The sentence structure is not right
Instead……….
We can improve your sentence.

I don’t say………
The grammar is wrong.
Instead……….
Let’s look closely at the sentence and correct the grammar

I don’t say………
I can’t understand what you mean.
Instead……….
Please give examples so I can understand you better.


The good relationship I have with my students is a proof that words have tremendous power and that positive ones build great friendship and draw warm response that creates a great learning atmosphere and also builds self-esteem to empower them towards excellence.

On ESL Students and Learning Personality

One of the things I enjoy most about teaching ESL online is engaging in interesting conversations with my students whether it’s something about their private lives or the Copenhagen environmental summit. These conversations reveal so much about their personalities that I find very useful in determining the most effective teaching method to make sure they’re learning our English lessons and at the same time enjoying it.

Experience has taught me to tune in better to their moods, sentiments, interests and their sources of joy. I found out that although there are standard textbooks to use, there is no generic method to make the ESL program achieve its fullest potential than by an individualized approach based on the learning personality of the student.

What is learning personality? It is defined as the combination of natural talent, personal interest, current opportunity, social environment, character, motivation and how the brain processes. All these factors can be useful in bringing out the student to engage in the discussion and stay motivated to focus and stick to the ESL classes.

A lot of students get bored when the topic is about grammar. The moment I utter “grammar” I can almost visualize their brain spelling out b-o-r-e-d-o-m. However, by using sample sentences about their favorite sport, or something related to their jobs, they become receptive and involved which makes it easier for them to learn.

But beyond the discovery of how to make the lessons effective, knowing my students, learning their personality and gaining their trust is the most rewarding of all. It makes teaching ESL online truly worthwhile.

~~ Daphne