© 2016 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… If you were going to teach English to someone who was just beginning to learn it, what would you teach? There is a game I sometimes play with beginners, a kind of bingo with a die and some beans … Continue reading
© 2016 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… To the English Learner: If you want to learn English, begin with the verbs. That is where the action is. This is true with any language, and very true with English because what makes English English are its helping … Continue reading
© 2015 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… In English we can take a noun and change it into a verb and the sentence still makes sense. I saw an example recently. There was a sushi restaurant on First Avenue near St. Mark’s that had a great … Continue reading
© 2012 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… Acquainted with the Night I have been one acquainted with the night. I have walked out in rain—and back in rain. I have outwalked the furthest city light. I have looked down the saddest city lane. I have passed … Continue reading
© 2012 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… The five poems and poets that follow are for anyone who enjoys poetry, of course, but they are also for English or ESL teachers who are looking to do a class with some poetry. I made Vimeos to go … Continue reading
© 2012 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… What follows is an ESL lesson I use with Fog by Carl Sandburg. I present it from the point of view of a teacher talking. The objective is to get the student writing, and that process is divided into … Continue reading
© 2011 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… I love and yet have mixed feelings about a poem by Emily Dickinson, but it doesn’t stop me from using it in a poetry lesson for students who are learning the English language. I let the class memorize the … Continue reading
© 2010 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
Objective: Students will be able to recognize an adjective, and know its three forms: positive, comparative and superlative. They will also be able to recognize adverbs. Method: Groups of three Materials: Handout: “The Rabbit and the Turtle” Handout: Adjective … Continue reading
© 2010 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
.. The Objective: Spelling. In preparation for reading “The Rabbit and the Turtle,” students will spell the words the teacher says to them. These words are from the story. Defining. Each student will select one of the spelling words, define … Continue reading
© 2010 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… Introduction: If we want students to write well, it’s good to emphasize correction marks. When students use them, it helps them to focus on the writing and to think about punctuation and syntax. All correction marks are pretty similar. … Continue reading
© 2010 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… Introduction: Adjectives and adverbs, and shortening compound sentences with neither, either, so, and too The first four lessons in The Rabbit and the Turtle are pre-reading, designed to get students used to working together writing, talking and thinking about … Continue reading
© 2010 Don Yorty. All rights reserved.
… Objective: Students will understand the simple structure of a sentence by writing four kinds of sentences using the completed Venn diagrams from Activity One as prompts: affirmative and negative sentences, and Yes/No and explanation questions. Students will write explanation … Continue reading