Content-based instruction is an approach in which language is taught by teaching a subject. If the subject is mastered, then the student must have acquired the language to acheive the content objectives. Language features can be taught more explicitly alongside this instruction, and the content can be simplifed or the pace slowed to accomodate the language level.

Theme-based is a type of content-based.
Here are some characteristics:
1. Use of authentic texts
2. Not isolated sentences, so cohesiveness and coherence important
3. Something else I don’t remember right now

There are many types of theme-based courses, including ESP, EAP, EST, Sheltered-content.
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Stoller’s article discusses the use of projects in the language classroom. This term “project” has its own rhetoric, not to be confused with that of “task.” This is seen most clearly by noticing that “projects” can be used in both task-based instruction (as evidenced with Beglar/Hunt) and Content-based instruction (as shown in Numrich).

Words can be formed in a variety of other manners (other than derivation). We discussed and brainstormed examples of:
1. Compounding
2. Blending
3. Clipping
4. Backformation
5. Borrowing
6. Clititization (interesting word, every one has avoided saying it out loud)

We also began the chapter on Syntax. I love syntax! and I was on fire with it, too, in class yesterday. Tree diagramming sentences is fairly easy and natural. Chompsky’s updated (1981) X schema is fairly straightforword.

Briefly, we started by diagramming phrases (noun, adjective, and verb as their head). Later we learned that a sentence can be thought of simply as a phrase with inflection as its head. So, all sentences start by diagramming the inflection. Unlike normal phrases, however, a sentence must have a specifier and complement. These act as arguments to a phrase. To see a lot of examples, and neat little trees (I have a 1000 of them in my notes) go here. Complex sentences are just as easy once you learn that Complex sentences just have multiple clauses that can be thought of as individual sentences (inflectional phrases). Clausal phrases obviously have a connector word as their specifier and an inflectional phrase as their complement then.

On another happy note:
I got done early with the graded assignment, did an extra one, turned it in, and then left.

So I’m searching “coffee” on Google. You know you love [*cough* addicted] coffee when you search for sites about coffee. And I come across this one. I was going to just put a picture from the site up on the blog, but then I thought I’d just link it. I mean, advertisers can sell beer like this, why not coffee? I love it. When you get to the site, click on “About Us” in the side bar to find out more about the company.

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Using blogs as teaching tools is nothing new (by not new, I mean it has been done for at least the past few years). I want to emphasize this in the presentation and article with B. Many presentations on this topic that I have read seem to act as if they are starting something completely new, whereas blogs have been used in research and teaching for the past few years. However, they are becoming more popular (and more mainstream) as the technology to support them becomes more user-friendly and available.

I just stumbled upon an article in the May 10, 2005 Georgia State University Villager with the headline, “Blogs becoming valuable teaching tools – Electronic diaries now a part of the curriculum at Georgia State” that I would like to reference. The article discusses the multiple blogs maintained by the library at GSU. More information can be found here:

http://www.library.gsu.edu/news/