Free Online Self-Study Mini-Course

by AJ

Ive decided to try something new next semester. I will create an online
mini-course that will run alongside one of my regular in-class courses. This
mini-course will act as a self-study guide for those who wish to continue to improve their English by studying on their own.

Here's how it will work:

- The class will start in the beginning of November.

- Each participant will develop a set of weekly learning goals.. then
email them to me. I will provide suggestions and guidelines on this website

- Each week I will post a newspaper article or a segment of a book
chapter on my website. I will also read this article and post it on the
website using audioblogger. This way, online students can read and listen to
the article at the same time... thus hearing my pronunciation. Ill explain
key vocabulary at the bottom of the article. Ill also try to find links to
(free) online dictionaries so you can look up words yourself (Thai-Eng,
Jap-Eng, Spa-Eng). If you know of a good online dictionary (free), please
email the link to me.

- I will provide a list of recommended readings.. the same ones I will
use with my on-campus class.

- I will provide a list of recommended movies..(using English
subtitles).... the same ones I will use with my on-campus class.

- Optionally, students will be encouraged to keep a new vocab notebook
and to choose vocab goals for the week and the semester.

- Each online student will create a blog. They'll post one page or
more each week... and will comment on two blogs (other student's) each week.
Ill put links to these blogs on my website. Ill check every students blog
once a week or more and leave comments. In addition to any personal
information, each week the online student will post about their learning
progress... how well they are doing on their weekly goals.

- I will investigate Meetup, Skype, and other options for free
international voice meetings... Id love to host a meeting once a week that
would allow online students to chat with me and each other.

- Online students will have the option of joining one of the Project
Teams of my on-campus class. These teams will work together on a project
topic of their choice (I will provide more details once the class starts).


I need to investigate the technology options to see what I can do... specifically, I need to check the details of audioblogging, meetup, Skype, etc.

If you want to join the online class... or just want updates when I send them, please join the Effortless English mailing list at: http://groups.google.com/group/effortlessenglish

Ill send details about the course sometime in October. The course will start the first week in November.