[NIFL-ESL:3845] Re: Teaching prepositions

From: Dottie (dshattuck@carolina.rr.com)
Date: Sat Dec 11 1999 - 14:08:26 EST


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From: "Dottie" <dshattuck@carolina.rr.com>
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Subject: [NIFL-ESL:3845] Re: Teaching prepositions
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----- Original Message -----
From: <Bostonluna@aol.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 1999 9:01 AM
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:3829] Teaching prepositions



I teach ESL, level 0, at the community college in Charlotte, NC.  We have many
Spanish-speakers, but MANY other languages too.

Prepositions are a natural for TPR activities!  I include prepositions in the unit on
"Things in the Home" (The pan is on the stove).  However, I always begin the lesson
with a simple TPR exercise:
    *    Stand up, please;
    *    Put your pencil OVER your head;
    *    Put your pencil ON your head;
    *    Put your pencil IN your desk'
    *    Put your pencil IN FRONT of you;
    *    Put your pencil BEHIND (in back of) you;
    *    Put your pencil BESIDE you;
    *    Put your pencil BETWEEN you and another student.
    *    Put YOU ON your chair.  (Sit down)

I use other demonstrations (table settings are good) & TPR activities too.

These are the basic prepositions I teach first ("at" is just part of our regular
sentence structure, as needed).  I always use lots of pictures & examples.  I always
suggest some ways to remember:
        ON = touching (The boat is ON the water.)  [Some student almost always
reminds me that the                 Titanic is IN the water -- another good example!]
        IN = inside (The fish is IN the water.)  [I draw a simple picture on the
board of the boat, water &             fish.]
        BETWEEN = a sandwich (The ham & cheese is BETWEEN the 2 pieces of bread.)

We also strongly review these prepositions (& 'across', 'through', 'near' & 'far')
with "directions".

I explain that these are "little" words that put other words together & usually tell
us Where or Which.

This group of lessons is usually fun for students & teacher.

Dottie

>
>
> Hello all:  Does anyone have a suggestions about teaching preposition to
> Spanish-speaking students with a good command of the English language.  In
> particularly, I am interested in the preposition in and on and when to use
> them.
>
> Thanks any suggestions.



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