Article: Learning a new language can be a stressful experience for many adults, and can make them feel like children struggling to pick up something new. Build on the positives of this perspective by enabling your students to have some fun with it. Most adults like to reminisce about their own childhood, or that of their growing / grown children. Let them pick a favorite kids' book from one of those times that is available in the foreign language, and read it together in class. It will seem familiar but new, and fun but challenging. Listen to songs, even sing songs together in class. Use familiar nursery rhymes and lullabyes in the foreign language, along with songs distinct to that language / culture. Most adults will be sympathetic to the experiences of the other students in the class, and want to help each other succeed. And, according to the notions of task-based learning discussed in this article, having students learn from each other's successes and mistakes is vital to adult language development. One good paired activity is the aforementioned "information gap" game of having one student describe a picture in the foreign language to another, who must draw it. A similar option is having students do a variation of the old "pass a secret down the line" game, except having them alternate the language in which the sentence is whispered -- (essentially translating back and forth down the line). Even simply encouraging your students to listen to each other carefully as they attempt to solve problems and answer questions can be quite useful. Hearing others struggle and succeed provides both consolation and challenge. Each student will also naturally "notice the gap" between the response given, how they would have responded, and/or the correct response, thereby helping to build confidence and competence. Unlike many child students, adult learners usually have a specific goal in mind for wanting to learn a foreign language. Crafting activities that support this goal, and offering related goals and rewards along the way can fuel motivation and a sense of achievement. If your adult student hopes to land in a foreign country and be able to "jump right in," consider having them watch episodes of a program in that language (without subtitles!), and attempt to summarize what they can from full-speed conversations in the foreign tongue. Set up a pretend restaurant, for instance, in the classroom. Offer simple prizes for the student(s) who do best in ordering lunch. Adults like to be rewarded for small achievements just as much as children. No, the adult classroom, just like the child one, cannot be all fun and games. Most adults will want it to be a fun experience, but in the end, learning the language is the goal. Some of the traditional methods that have at least partly fallen out of favor may be of more value to adult learners, especially those who are self-motivated to learn the language. They will be more willing to copy down verb tables and go through flash-card drills. Speaking of copying down information, encouraging your students to write down information longhand may be beneficial. (It will also probably be easier to convince adults to do this than their tech-savvy kids.) Research indicates that handwriting information aids memorization more than typing, as it requires more active participation in the process.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Let the adults be kids. Help students help one another. Offer goals and rewards. Don't skip the work.
Article: Newspaper usually works well for this, if it is big enough. If you can't find a newspaper large enough, any large craft paper will work. As you draw around the string frame, leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) extra around it. You don't need to be too careful about making perfectly straight lines because what you trace will be folded later. Set the frame to the side and cut the kite shape out. You can discard the extra paper, as you won't need it anymore. Be careful to stay right on the line, or even outside it a little bit, so you don't cut the kite too small. Once you have finished cutting it out, lay it flat on the table and lay the frame on top of it. Make sure the frame is centered on the kite body. Going around the kite one side at a time, fold the paper over the string. Tape the corners first and then put some tape around each folded edge. For extra support, you can put a few pieces of tape along the dowels to secure them in place. Now that the kite is fully constructed, tie a string to it, which you will hold when you fly the kite. You'll want it to be around 20 yards (18 meters) or so. Make sure it's long enough that the kite can fly freely.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Trace around the frame on a large sheet of paper. Cut out the kite shape. Fold the edges of the paper over the string and tape it in place. Tie a string around the cross section.
Article: Presenting yourself depends on how you feel about yourself. Without genuine confidence you lack the key elements of a positive self-image. Believing in yourself and living with confidence improves your success in dating, leads to upward mobility at work, and leads to greater achievement of personal goals. Many of the steps listed above in this article can help build confidence. Exercising, dressing well, and being a gracious and friendly conversationalist all lead to improved levels of confidence. Nobody is perfect, and even if you present yourself as perfect you'll still have flaws in your personality. Remember, it's ok to be yourself even if you have faults. Try to work to improve on the aspects of yourself you don't like. If you feel you aren't well spoken or don't have interesting stories, try reading more and sharing what you learn. If you can't lose weight no matter how you change your diet and exercise, embrace it as a part of who you are, and learn to take pride in yourself. When focused on your own flaws, it's easy to forget other people aren't perfect either. If you actively work to better yourself, people will notice and admire you for it. You aren't always out in the world trying to impress people and make a good impression. Maybe you're at home by yourself, or making a routine trip to the grocery store. Keep these tips in mind during the smallest interactions and make presenting your best self a part of your routine. Compliment a cashier, exercise when you're tempted to watch television, and practice other healthy habits that will pay dividends down the road for presenting yourself to others. Even when you're working to present yourself to others, don't get bogged down worrying about how they'll judge you. Be yourself, and be content with the effort you put as long as you are comfortable with who you are. These changes won't come overnight, so be patient. Remember, while it's important to present yourself to others, it's far more important to present a positive image to yourself. When you're happy with who you are, it shows in the way you present yourself to others, so focus on yourself as the person you want to impress the most.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Build your confidence. Understand your strengths and your flaws. Maintain your efforts to present yourself to others even when you're by yourself. Don't worry about what other people think.