Author Archives: Tanya Trusler

Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive

Posted by on Nov 05, 2013 3 Comments

The simple present tense is one of the first things English language learners learn. Later on, grammar textbooks introduce the present progressive (also known as the present continuous), and students learn how to describe actions that are happening at that time. The problem is that most textbooks don’t compare these two present tenses together, so young learners don’t often realize which one to use in different situations.

When I was teaching TOEIC test prep classes to beginner and intermediate students, I would compare and contrast the two tenses side by side, and my students would tell me that this method really helped them understand the differences. Try the method outlined below with your young learners as an introduction to the present progressive or as a review of these two essential tenses.   (more…)

10+ Halloween Lessons, Crafts, and Activities

Posted by on Oct 29, 2013 0 Comments

It’s that scary, creepy, spooky, eerie time of year! The monsters are coming out to play, and I don’t mean your students! On Thursday, October 31st, many countries will be celebrating Halloween. Kids will get dressed up in costumes like witches, ghosts, cats, cartoon characters, etc. and go trick-or-treating. The next day, they’ll undoubtedly have tummy aches from all the candy they collected and consumed! It’s a fun time of year for kids. Teachers and parents can keep the fun going all week long with various Halloween activities, lessons, and crafts. Sprout English has some great Halloween resources that are right at your fingertips! Try some of our suggestions below to infuse your kids with the Halloween spirit. (more…)

Spooky Spelling – 5 Tricky Halloween Words

Posted by on Oct 22, 2013 0 Comments

It’s almost Halloween! This scary, fun holiday takes place on October 31st in many countries. Many teachers will be doing Halloween activities with their classes, and this means that Halloween vocabulary will be featured a lot. Now is a good time to review some of the trickier words that scare English learners and native speakers alike!

1. COSTUME / CUSTOM

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen students get these two words mixed up. They’re tricky! Point out to your students that they have different pronunciations and different meanings. A costume, pronounced /ˈkɑs tjum/, is an outfit that people wear on Halloween in order to appear as someone/something else.

  • I bought a cat costume for Halloween this year. My friend is dressing up in a zombie costume.

A custom, pronounced /ˈkʌs təm/, is a tradition or habitual action that people do.

  • Taking off your shoes when you enter someone’s house is a well-known Japanese custom. (more…)

Adventure – Writing Project

Posted by on Oct 21, 2013 0 Comments

Adventure, in the Writing section of the Project Depot, is a great way for your young learners to practice their writing skills.

All Sprout English’s writing activities include vocabulary words and phrases that are related to the writing topic. Your students will not only learn new words, but will also be more likely to remember them because they’ll use them in context in their writing. The phrases are designed to get students’ imagination going. Students must work them into their stories. (more…)

Article Review: Apps to Use in the Classroom

Posted by on Oct 18, 2013 1 Comment

With so many apps out there, it can be time-consuming to sort through them all and figure out which ones best meet your needs. That’s why when someone takes the time to do that sorting, it’s worth sharing! I don’t know about you, but I’m fairly new at using tech in the classroom. Even so, I’m keen to learn more and take advantage of what’s out there for us teachers.

This week’s article review is on Teach with Your iPhone: Apps to Use in the Classroom by Monica Burns on Edutopia‘s website. The article focuses on apps that teachers can use to make life easier. These apps aren’t educational apps to use directly with the students, but rather apps that teachers can use for classroom management. Monica introduces eight handy apps and explains the use for each one. Examples include a grading app, a timer, and an app to ensure each student has a turn an activity. Worth checking out!

Teaching the Present Progressive

Posted by on Oct 15, 2013 0 Comments

The present progressive, also called the present continuous, is a very common verb tense in English. It is natural in speaking since a lot of conversations start with “What are you doing?” It’s also useful when talking about sports and actions. Since the Lesson of the Week this week is our coloring activity about Baseball, I thought it would be a good time to review this grammar tense. The method below is one I’ve often used with my students for presenting the present progressive. Next week, I’ll blog about comparing the simple present and the present progressive. Being able to use each one in the correct context is the ultimate test of your students’ understanding.

1. Form

BE + -ING Verb

Remind students that the BE verb must be conjugated according to the subject (I am, you are, he/she/it/third person singular count nouns/non-count nouns is, we are, you (pl.) are, they/third person plural count nouns are). (more…)

Baseball

Posted by on Oct 14, 2013 0 Comments

Baseball, in the Sports section of the Color Mart, is our Lesson of the Week.

Last week, there was an article about how to use Sprout English’s site on our blog. The article mentioned that it’s important to give your students a break between challenging skills lessons such as grammar, reading, listening, etc. Giving your young learners a chance to color does just that! (more…)

Sprout English Lessons: Suggested Teaching Order

Posted by on Oct 08, 2013 0 Comments

Last week, we got a tweet from Libby Sturgeon (@sturgeonesl) with a very good question: “Do you suggest doing the lessons/grammar in a certain order?”

Sprout English has hundreds of lessons in nine different categories (represented on the site by buildings). Are they already in order within the buildings? How do you go about combining lessons from different categories—what is the best order to follow in that case? (more…)