ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), Unit Pref’s, 2018-19, 1st go

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On May 17-18, 2018, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study first semester. The graphic below represents results.

That survey was the latest covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1 (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013, the second in October 2013, the third from April to May 2014, the fourth in October 2014, the fifth in April 2015, the sixth in November 2015, … [and once each semester since then].

Those surveys have continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see blog Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). For this post, I’ve adopted and adapted wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB;-).

Though findings have been remarkably consistent over the years, one noteworthy difference this semester (1st sem., 2018-19) was no preferences submitted for Unit 09 on first go. I usually choose that unit as a starting point due to its relevance to a string of holidays occurring shortly after first semester begins. When I conducted the unit preferences survey, classes had begun studying U. 09. Written instructions on the survey ruled out units already started.

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey or the findings, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

Reference

Anderson, Neil J. (2013). ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1, Third Edition. Boston: National Geographic Learning [ISBN 1-133-30799-X].

[231 words]

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), Unit Pref’s, 2017-18, 1st go

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From April 24-27, 2017, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study first semester. The graphic below represents results.

That survey was the latest covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1, Third Edition (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013, the second in October 2013, the third from April to May 2014, the fourth in October 2014, the fifth in April 2015, the sixth in November 2015, … [and once each semester since then].

Those surveys have continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see blog Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). For this post, I’ve adopted and adapted wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB;-).

Though findings have been remarkably consistent over the years, one noteworthy difference this semester (1st sem., 2017-18) was no preferences submitted for Unit 09 on first go. I usually choose that unit as a starting point due to its relevance to a string of holidays occurring shortly after first semester begins. When I conducted the unit preferences survey, classes had begun studying U. 09. Written instructions on the survey ruled out units already started.

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey or the findings, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

Reference

Anderson, Neil J. (2013). ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1, Third Edition. Boston: National Geographic Learning [ISBN 1-133-30799-X].

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), Unit Pref’s, 2016-17, 1st go

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On June 1 and 2, 2016, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study first semester. The graphic below represents results.

Unit preferences (Anderson, 2013), June 2016

That survey was the seventh covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1, Third Edition (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013, the second in October 2013, the third from April to May 2014, the fourth in October 2014, the fifth in April 2015, and the sixth in November 2015.

Those surveys have continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see blog Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). For this post, I’ve adopted and adapted wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB;-).

Though findings have been remarkably consistent over the years, one noteworthy difference this semester (1st sem., 2016-17) was an increase in values for Unit 09 on first go. I usually choose that unit as a starting point due to its relevance to a string of holidays occurring shortly after first semester begins. This year, however, earthquakes interrupted classes before day two (ordinarily in April), and recovery activities postponed resumption of class meetings until after the holidays.

When I actually conducted the unit preferences survey, June 1-2, classes had begun studying U. 09. Written instructions on the survey ruled out units already started. Yet in once class, June 1, I forgot to announce explicit exclusion of U. 09 from available choices. Consequently, a dozen students in that class selected that unit as their first (1), second (6), or third (5) choices.

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey or the findings, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

Reference

Anderson, Neil J. (2013). ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1, Third Edition. Boston: National Geographic Learning [ISBN 1-133-30799-X].

[290 words]

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), Unit Pref’s, 2015-16, 2nd go

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From October 7-8, 2015, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study second semester. We’d already done UU. 1, 3  and 9 (Anderson, 2013). U. 6 was next on the most wanted list from first semester

That survey was the sixth covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1, Third Edition (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013, the second in October 2013, the third from April to May 2014, the fourth in October 2014 and the fifth in April 2015. Findings have been remarkably consistent.

Those surveys have continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see blog Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). For this post, I’ve adopted and adapted wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB;-).

I tried something different this time to get an interactive chart to appear below, live from a Google workbook, but the iframe embedding disappeared. So I’ve gone back to using a screenshot.

October 7-8, 2015

October 7-8, 2015

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey or the findings, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

Reference

  • Anderson, Neil J. (2013). ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1, Third Edition. Boston: National Geographic Learning [ISBN 1-133-30799-X].

[224 words (Microsoft® Word count)]

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), Unit Pref’s, 2015-16, 1st go

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From April 15-17, 2015, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study first semester. We’d already started U. 9, a unit on festivals and celebrations (Anderson, 2013) relevant to upcoming holidays in Japan.

That survey was the fifth covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1 (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013, the second in October 2013, the third from April to May 2014, and the fourth in October 2014. Findings have been remarkably consistent.

Those surveys have continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see blog Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). For this post, I’ve adopted and adapted wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB;-).

Unit Pref's, 2015-16, 1st go

 

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey or the findings, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

Reference

  • Anderson, Neil J. (2013). ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1, Third Edition. Boston: National Geographic Learning [ISBN 1-133-30799-X].

[163 words]

Pronunciation Practice @ EnglishCentral

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The snippet below is from a February 22, 2015, post on EnglishCentral: The Official Blog entitled:

The Importance [o]f Pronunciation [f]or Language Learners.

… EnglishCentral provides many possibilities for students to improve their pronunciation. Here are some big tips!

1.  Visit your pronunciation profile and do the practice lessons for the sounds that you are weak or average  in (red and yellow).  Click HERE to visit your profile.

https://englishcentralblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/pron.png

Every student after speaking 100 lines will have a pronunciation profile on EnglishCentral. It is located in the progress bar at the top right of every page….

There are two more tips following on to number one (above). Number two includes a language display option for advanced learners. I suggest that your read all the tips in the blog post, and then try them out at EnglishCentral.

[128 words]

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), 2014, 2nd go

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From October 1st through 16th, 2014, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study next this semester. We’d already done UU. 1, 3, and 9, and started U. 6 (Anderson, 2013).

That survey was the fourth covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1 (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013, the second in October 2013, and the third from April to May 2014. Those surveys continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). This post borrowed wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB;-).

Unit Pref's, 2014, 2nd go

Unit Pref’s, 2014, 2nd go

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

[143 words]

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), 2014, 1st go

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From April to May 2014, I conducted another survey using a Google form to discover students’ preferences for units to study next this semester. We’d already started in as usual on Unit 9, Festivals and Celebrations (Anderson, 2013, pp. 107-116). Unit 9 is a unit I like to get into with students before the string of spring holidays in Japan at the end of April and beginning of May.

That survey was the third covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1 (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013 and the second in October 2013. Those surveys continued a practice that I started while using the second edition (see Archives for May and October, 2010-2012). This post borrowed wording from previous posts about those surveys with permission of the author (PB). Results shown here have extended the trend of Units 1, 3, and 6 being the most common choices for first semester, regardless of edition.

Unit Pref's, 2014, 1st go

Unit Pref’s, 2014, 1st go

If you have concerns or questions regarding this survey, please feel free to voice them in class or post them in comments on this post.

[181 words]

ACTIVE Skills for Reading: Book 1 (3rd ed.), 2013, 2nd go

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Below is a snapshot of findings from a follow-up survey I conducted on October 9th and 10th, 2013. It represents students’ preferences for units to study 2nd semester. The survey earlier this month (October 2013) was the 2nd covering the third edition of ACTIVE Skills for Reading, Book 1 (Anderson, 2013). The first was in April 2013 (see Archives). This post itself includes wording from previous posts with permission of the author (PB).

20131009-10_chart
Students’ preferences for units to study 2nd semester.

You can find similar results from surveys covering previous editions by browsing the archives from April and October in previous years. If you have comments or questions regarding this survey, please feel free to add them to this post.

[115 words]