ER: A different ending

Have you ever regretted reading a story (or watching a film) because you wish the ending were different? You then complained about why the main character died or why the couple could not live happily in the end. Or perhaps, on the other hand, you wish the ending could be darker with a few characters dead and a cliffhanger of the villain winning the battle and continuing the evil mission. 

This week's assignment on my Extensive Reading class asks students to think of and create a new, different ending to a story they have read. They can either narrate the new ending or write a summary of that. 


I have read Jaws, written by Peter Benchley. It's a 29-page, A2-level horror story, with a total of 10,888 words. Jaws is actually a popular thriller film, released in 1975, and I can remember how scared I was as I watched the film on TV in the 90s.


The book narrates the terror caused by a giant shark, preying on visitors on Old Mill Beach. It killed more and more people, and that forced the local police chief, Brody, to close the beach area. He also sought help from Hooper, a shark scientist, and Quint, a shark hunter, to capture and kill the creature. The three made a few attempts and always failed. 

Hooper decided to dive in a shark cage, trying to get a closer look at the beast and kill it. However, the shark managed to ruin the cage and killed Hooper. Quint was furious, no longer interested in hunting the shark to get any money, and he vowed to kill the giant fish. In the end, Quint harpooned the shark several times, badly wounding the shark, but he was dragged deep into the dark sea as the shark tried to escape. The shark eventually died,  and it was only Brody who survived.

I had to write my new ending too. So, here's the ending, 

To be added soon.

What about my students? Are you interested in reading their original endings to the stories they have read? Here's the list of my students' blog updates on this project. I mention the book titles, so perhaps you are also interested in reading some familiar titles.


What do you think of this assignment? And do you like my new ending? Share your ideas in the comment box below.


By on
Labels: , , , ,

ER: That Perfect Song

I introduced my students to English e-Reader, another free source of graded readers. While ER Central has several levels in numbers, English e-Reader uses CEFR Levels. The texts or stories are longer on English e-Reader. Once students log in to the site and read a story, their progress will be automatically recorded and they can check their track of which story they are still reading and which they have finished reading. 

Another thing I like about this site is that English e-Reader has that feature that allows me to customize the reading view. I can adjust the font size and color as well as the layout of the text. I'm a visual learner, so that lets me enjoy the reading experience more. 

I have also tried reading a few stories there. One is an A1-level (or Starter) story, titled Sister Love. The site categorizes it as a crime story. It is written by John Escott, consisting of 7 pages with a total of 2,704 words. It is surely a short one; still, the story is interesting.

Sister Love, by John Escott

It tells the story of Marcia and his partner, Howard. They loved each other, but things got more interesting when Howard began to meet Karin, Marcia's sister, more frequently. Apparently, Karin was also interested in that man and cunningly-plus-secretly flirted with him. Things went fishy and of course, Marcia learned the bitter truth about their affair. She surprisingly did something to her sister to get Howard back to her in the end.



My students' assignment this week is to choose and write about a perfect soundtrack for the story they have read. I want to pick a soundtrack for that story I have read also. 

For this love triangle, considering Marcia's effort to win Howard back, I'd like to use Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up.

When I look into your eyes,
it's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise;
Well, there's so much they hold

It was Marcia who first met and loved Howard. Then, Karin started to see the 'beauty' in Howard and fell in love with him. I'd agree that what Karin did was mean. Wicked. Both Marcia and Karin made their effort to win Howard, regardless Karin's evil intention to steal Howard from her sister. Neither of the sisters gave up on their struggle to get the man's attention.

Well, I won't give up on us
even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love;
I'm still looking up

Marcia could have confronted them when she secretly found out their affair, but she didn't. She pretended that she knew nothing. She still hoped that Howard would turn back to him and somehow, she let them meet each other while waiting and preparing her best move. 

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

I'm imagining this part of the song being played with a piano, no vocal, as Marcia stealthily witness her lover and sister affair behind their back. She was heartbroken and I guess she must have been angry, but she decided to hold her back and wait. Haha.

I don't wanna be someone
who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make
the difference that I can make

So, I guess the Mraz's song is suitable to accompany the story. It beautifully articulates both sisters' effort to win Howard's affection and their not giving up. 

Want to check what my students pick for the story they have read? Well, here's the list of their blogs and the songs they chose. Go, check their updates.

Do you want to share any story you have read? Can you think of a soundtrack that perfectly suits the story?
By on
Labels: , , , , ,

ER: My Special Gift for X

One of the students' assignments in the extensive reading class is that they need to think as if they were preparing a special gift for a character in the story. I love this assignment!

Years ago, back then when I was sitting in my extensive reading class as a student, I had to present my gifts in front of my friends. I picked The Prince of Egypt. 

It is an easy one, Level 2, and actually an adaptation of Spielberg's animated film. The book narrates the story of Moses and how he grew up as a prince in Egypt, once saved by the Egyptian queen when he was still a baby. Appointed by God, Moses was tasked to lead and free his people from slavery in Egypt, standing against his stepbrother, Ramses. 

I had to think of what gift was special for Moses. I remembered my favorite scene in that book, that is when Moses stood before the river/sea, prayed to God, raised his staff, and let his people witness the powerful God split the sea before them. It is that scene that I always imagine when I read the same story told in the Bible. I thought of giving him this item. 


A wooden walking cane

So, instead of walking with that old, curvy wooden staff, Moses could walk and move more elegantly with this new wooden staff. And that scene would be way cooler when he raised this stylish staff! And he could do more miraculous things later with his staff, too!


The next person I chose was from the same story: Ramses. Well, it would not have been fair if I had treated Moses but his stepbrother. After all, I would like to make the story more interesting. Haha. 😎 

I knew Ramses .was the wicked one. Although Moses had reminded him how omnipotent God is--remember those ten plagues, Ramses was headstrong and ignorant. Even when he seemingly let Moses and his people walk away from his land, he tried to chase and capture them back. Then, they were riding their chariots but got stopped--and trapped--when the sea closed. 

Forgive me for my being 'naughty', but here is what I would like to give Ramses (and his army). Tadaaa!

A jetski!

The chase would not have ended right there when the sea closed. I would love to see how this stubborn Ramses kept chasing Moses and his people. And what next would God show to those people? I would love to witness more miraculous things to happen and let Moses utilize his new staff too! Haha. 

What about my students? Well, let me tease the gifts they have prepared for the characters. Please check their blog updates, too.

What about you? Who is your favorite character? And what special present would you like to give him/her? Mind sharing your ideas? 😉
By on
Labels: , , , , ,

Reading Journal #5: Emoji Stories

Emojis are not only fun to use but also resourceful. I use it in my English classes too. Besides using memes or animated GIFs, I use emojis—a lot. Btw, check this article that discusses how you can have fun with emojis in your teaching. 

I remember that meme of how a mother misused that crying-LOL emoji. So, instead of using the appropriate crying emoji to respond to a tragedy, she used a Face-with-Tears-of-Joy emoji that got her kid to protest! Funny. 

One of the assignments in my extensive reading class also uses emojis. I asked my students to pick and read two stories in ER Central. Then, for each story, they needed to choose an emoji that best represents their opinion on the story or what they feel after reading the story. You may check my student's update in the list below. 

Star Struck Emoji, from Emojipedia.org

I also read two articles. I chose this star-face/star-struck emoji to describe how I felt after reading my first text. It's a non-fiction one, 'Sign Language,' written by CompassMedia. It is a Level-8 text with 299 words—an easy one. As the title suggests, this text discusses sign language, particularly American Sign Language. The text briefly introduces how people who cannot hear make different finger-shapes, move their hands, and use facial expressions to communicate. I always want to learn how to sign, but I haven't got the chance to do so. I love watching some signing clips on YouTube, even those songs sung in sign language!

Grinning face with sweat, from Emojipedia.org

The Monster is the second text I read, still written by CompassMedia. Surprisingly, because I didn't notice it, although it is a Level 16 fiction text, it only contains 60 words. A super short one! Haha! So, it's about a kid lizard and his/her mom. The kid reported to her mom that he/she had seen a monster, which turned out to be a train--with a big noise and many round feet! I love reading and watching fantasy stories, including the ones about monsters. I chose that grinning face with the sweat because I was quite surprised to find out that the story only has few words. Whew!

What about you?  What's your favorite emoji? And have you read a story recently? What emoji will you use to describe the story or your feeling after reading it? Why don't you share your emoji in the comment box below? 

Btw, here's the list of my student's recent blog posts with their emoji stories. And I would like to invite you to read their writings by teasing the emojis they used. 

By on
Labels: , , , ,

ER Assignment #2: I think, I don't think...

Even when we're talking about the same thing or topic, we might have a different opinion from others--and that's okay actually. That also applies to the discussion on reading interest and habit.

Smoking scandal quit GIF - Find on GIFER

Some might think that reading is fun, while others don't really enjoy it. I might prefer a particular genre or topic to read, but my friends might roll their eyes when they find out that I love reading a certain book. Many can read texts quickly and fast, while others, including me, often need to read and reread a sentence to really grab its meaning. 

Today's online discussion I had with my students is about our opinion on reading. We need to respond to these eight statements. 

  1. Reading in my first language is fun. 
  2. Reading English is difficult. 
  3. I should usually look up new words in my dictionary.
  4. Reading English is boring. 
  5. It is easier to read about sports than science. 
  6. If I read very fast, it is hard to understand the meaning. 
  7. Reading out loud is a good idea. 
  8. Reading English is fun.

I think I'd agree with the first statement. Of course reading in Bahasa Indonesia is (still) fun, although I do enjoy reading English books, too. I would carefully choose what I want to read, which includes selecting the topics and the authors. I am easily interested in an article when I know who writes it. I fall in love with certain authors or writers, whose writing is systematically composed and style is both engaging and convenient to follow. 

Nothing To Do But Read GIF - Bored Crazy Reading - Discover & Share GIFs

Reading in English can also be difficult for me, again, based on the authors and the topics. Even if the language is difficult, with complex structures of sentences and unfamiliar words, I'd still love to read the material if it's written by a certain author or it discusses a topic I love. And when I come across difficult words, I sometimes need to consult an online dictionary (I have a dictionary app on my phone too). I'll write about online dictionaries next time. 

And when I have to read those 'challenging' books or articles, I often have to slow down my reading speed. Rereading a single sentence or a paragraph and even reading out loud helps me much in understanding those tough materials!

Talking about my favorite genre or topic, I'd easily (and proudly) say that I always enjoy reading sci-fi or fantasy stories (Magic always excites me! I'm not into occultism, tho. LOL). I used to read many novels. Nowadays, I'd rather read non-fiction: self-help, personal development, communication, or even psychology. And I'd admit that I enjoy reading books or articles on Christian spirituality too. Sports? That's not my cup of tea. 

25 Literary GIFs for Book Lovers | Book memes, Icarly, Why book


A few weeks ago, there's this challenge I joined on Facebook. I was asked to share seven book covers, without providing any explanation or reason. But of course, I picked those seven books because I love them and I want to encourage my FB friends to read them too. Here are those books, 

  1. How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
  2. Boundaries
  3. Mere Christianity
  4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  5. Talk Like TED
  6. Matinya Kepakaran, or originally The Death of Expertise
  7. Judy Moody Menaklukan Dunia


Wanna read what my students think of those eight statements related to reading? Check their recent blog posts below.


What about you? Please leave your comments below.
By on
Labels: , , , , ,

ER Assignment #1: Reading and Me

Hullo!

First, Happy International Literacy Day!



In the first meeting of my extensive reading (ER) course, I gave my students their first assignment. They were asked to write about their reading experience. Previously, my students and I discussed a few questions related to that experience in our online meeting (Pssst. I'm using Google Chat to have online discussions with my students this semester). We talked about memories of our first reading experiences.

My parents used to buy me a preschool magazine back then when I was in kindergarten. I forget the title of that magz but it had pictures to color and several other written activities or worksheets to do by its readers. I almost forgot that my parents also regularly bought me Bobo, not until a student mentioned that he subscribed to Bobo! 


Well, Donald Duck series and Doraemon comics are my favorite too when I was at elementary school. My parents would occasionally buy me Donald Duck, while I would spend the money my aunt gave me monthly to buy Doraemon. I would also go to the school library during recess. There, I would take a series of my favorite encyclopedia or borrow my favorite detective book: Hawkeye and Amy. 

When I went to junior high school, I started to collect Goosebumps. I knew Harry Potter and bought the first title of the saga. I remember once my friend borrowed one of my Harry Potter books and she got it peed by her cousin! Dang! My cousin bought another title of Harry Potter and he somehow ruined the cover. Since then, I had a trust issue in lending my books. LOL

I used to read a lot of fiction books, but nowadays my interest has shifted. I prefer reading non-fiction. Rarely do I read fantasy books although I still love this genre. I have several e-books on my phone as well as tons of PDFs in the storage of my laptop. But, I have my tsundoku. I buy many books (though fewer nowadays) but pile them up at home, reading only the first pages or chapters of the books or even ignoring them at all. LOL

I guess I've written too much about myself and almost forgot to share what my students have written on their blogs. Here's a list of links to their individual blog posts. Have fun reading my students' updates!

By on
Labels: , , , , ,

Teaching Extensive Reading Course at PBI, UKSW

 Hi!


First of all, actually, this is not the first blog I created. I have my personal blog as well as another teaching blog (in Bahasa Indonesia, not yet updated). Hopefully, I can update this blog more regularly. But for sure, I will often update this blog, at least once a week.


That's because this semester, I'm teaching an extensive reading course at PBI, UKSW. This is not my first time teaching an ER course. Years ago, when I first taught at PBI too, they trusted me with an ER course. Now that I'm back at PBI (after several years working in Magelang, managing schools), I'm trusted to teach this course again. 


(You might want to check this post I have on Instagram. It was last year when I taught Extensive Reading at both PBI and Sastra Inggris program.)


What's new this semester is that we're still doing remote teaching and learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used to have book clubs or conferences in the classroom. I would invite students to have an individual conference with me occasionally. And students would hand-write and submit book reports weekly. But now, here we are with this online teaching. 


So, instead of asking our students to submit their hand-written book reports, we have decided to go online and use a weblog! So, here I am. With this new blog. But I have promised myself to regularly update this blog not only for the extensive reading course I'm teaching. I also plan to share ideas and stories related to my teaching. #fingerscrossed


Let me end this post by inviting you to watch this short clip introducing the Extensive Reading course we have at PBI, UKSW. Ciao!


By on
Labels: , , ,

Welcome!

den /den/ noun [countable]    
1/ the home of some animals, for example, lions or foxes
2/ a place where secret or illegal activities take place
3/ an enclosed and secret place where children play
4/ especially American English a room in a house where people relax, watch television, etc.
5/ British English old-fashioned a small room in a house where people can work, read, etc. without being interrupted
from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Welcome to my den!

In the Bible, Prophet Daniel was thrown into a lions' den. 

Worry not. There are no lions in this den. This is my teaching den, where I will update this blog with my stories, reflections, ideas, and other things related to my teaching.


Enjoy reading!


By on
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • ER: My Special Gift for X
    One of the students' assignments in the extensive reading class is that they need to think as if they were preparing a special gift for ...
  • ER: That Perfect Song
    I introduced my students to English e-Reader , another free source of graded readers. While ER Central has several levels in numbers, Engli...
  • ER Assignment #2: I think, I don't think...
    Even when we're talking about the same thing or topic, we might have a different opinion from others--and that's okay actually. That...