Whose responsibility?

Who should carry the burden?

“But teacher….YOU did not tell us…”

“How were we supposed to know that?”

“I did what YOU said…”

Judy Steiner and Judy Kramer’s tutorial on marking Bagrut

Examinations: Judy Steiner said, “You know from the first tutorial that we do take off some points for grammar and spelling on open ended questions in reading comprehension. However, that’s a very small number of points and actually the purpose of having the writing test …This is where we’re going to checking grammar, spelling and punctuation”

Misconceptions about the dictionary

And the truth…..

Misconceptions…

•Dictionary use is easy•Dictionary use does not need to be taught•Dictionaries just give you the translations of words

BUT, her suggestion that you understand every word BUT, her suggestion that you understand every word before before you start to read is unrealistic. you start to read is unrealistic. How can a student find the correct meaning of a word How can a student find the correct meaning of a word without knowing the context?without knowing the context?

The Truth…

Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the best cannot be expected to go quite true. Samuel Johnson [1709-1784]

Suggestion 1

TEACH DICTIONARY

USE

Prepositions

Two kinds of prepositions…

Rule governed: at 8:00; on Monday; in June

Collocations: succeed in_____;

aware of_____; arrive at______.

Prepositional Collocations are USUALLY in the dictionary!

Verb Patterns

Can OFTEN be found in sample sentences;

Can SOMETIMES be found as separate entries:

Can, ON OCCASION, be found at the beginning of the entry

AND, sometimes they are not there at all.

See the handout…[I used Oxford Student’s Dictionary for Hebrew

Speakers, 1993]Exercise 43Prepositions:a. (often cling to something)b. Sample sentence: He’s full of worries about his

father.c. Prevent (somebody)(from doing) somethingd. After two definitions: argue about something e. Object (to somebody/something)f. Sample sentence: succeed in passing an

examination

See the handout:Verb Patterns a) Sample sentence: I suggested a visit to/suggested going

to/suggest that we should gob) Sample sentence: We are considering going to Canada.c) Sample sentence: The boy decided not to become

/decided that he would not become a sailor.)d Enjoy: The dictionary has no helpful example!

e) [Definition 3] happen to + verb to do, be, have I happened to be out when he called. )f Pretend: The dictionary has no helpful example!)g don’t mind: The dictionary has no helpful example!

h) [definition 5] expect somebody/someone to do somethingi) Sample sentence: Have you finished (reading) that book?j) Sample sentence: He offered to help me.

Explore the dictionary page

•

Practice Finding Collocations

Look up “sense”

Sense of duty

Sense of humor

Sense of direction

Come to one’s senses

Look up “feeling”

Feeling of hunger

Feeling of joy

Mixed feeling

Spare somebody’s feeling

Look for Idioms and Phrases

• Bear in mind• No laughing matter• Word of mouth

• Cold feet• Not in her good books• Black and white

Once they get to know what is in the dictionary…..

Suggestion 2

Suggestion 2

Make them use the dictionary when they write their second drafts

Put the BURDEN on them

Type of errorMy response Example

1. Untreatable Option 1: “Revise”Option 2: Direct correction

2. Grammar that they have learned Underline error For many years, researchers seek to find the convenient environment…

3. Verb patterns, prepositions, collocations DEC (means “refer to dictionary and search for problems in the environment of the word-in collocations, prepositions, verb patterns”). The arrow indicates the problem (in these cases) is to the left of the word.

<DECOn one hand <DECOrdaining control

4. Word errors (count, non-count, word form, spelling, meaning)

DEW (means “refer to the dictionary and check the word itself- its meaning, its form, etc.)

DEWRelating to the above

mentioned

5. Grammar that they have not learned Direct correction & Give a mini-grammar lesson in class.

• That means the more the class is quiet, the more qualified the teacher is.

Direct correction: The quieter the class…

DEW=Dictionary (Error-Word)DEC=Dictionary (Error-Collocation) + arrowUnderlined = You learned this!

DEW=Dictionary (Error-Word)DEC=Dictionary (Error-Collocation) + arrowUnderlined = You learned this!Revise/ mini lesson (the more…the more; The sooner, the better; The more, the merrier; The bigger they are, the harder they fall.)

Suggestion Summary

Teach Dictionary Use

Make them use the dictionary when they write their second drafts

Be patient and be available to help

Do not get depressed when they do not get it (telling myself!)

Because:

• Judy Steiner said, “You know from the first tutorial that we do take off some points for grammar and spelling on open ended questions in reading comprehension. However, that’s a very small number of points and actually the purpose of having the writing test …This is where we’re going to checking grammar, spelling and punctuation”

Grammar, Punctuation, &

Spelling Grammar, Punctuation,

& Spelling

The students should take responsibility for carrying this

load!

WHO will carry the burden?