U.S.A. and G.B. - two English language variations

Before starting the tasks, please save four evaluation charts. Each activity is to be evaluated for each group member including self-assessment.

Task 1 – providing examples of the English language variations.

Think of at least three words which are either spelled differently or are completely different in American and British- English. Those words do not necessarily need to be nouns. Post them in the chat session for the other group members to see. If you cannot think of the three words or have more than three – that is fine as well; however, do not take more than 5 minutes to do so as there are other tasks to be completed during this 120 minute session. 

Task 2 – opening the URLs, reading through carefully, collaborating with peers, and having fun.

Now consider the choices of words given to you on the following Web sites that present the variations of the English language. Do not only glance at them but rather try to remember particular ones that catch your attention or quickly refresh the ones you have already thought of. You will need them for the completion of the tasks that follow. To get the general idea, you can consult the offered Web site choices and you are welcome to search for additional ones. Collaborate with your group members about your findings using the chat software you are used to.

• Choice 1
• Choice 2
• Choice 3
• Choice 4  
• Choice 5
• Choice 6

A 200-300 word feedback about the progress of the task and peer participation is expected at this point. This is an ESL activity and the expansion and fluency of the English language while using the Internet as a tool are the major goals. Other comments or questions are welcome. As the group members have already talked about the data found on the URLs, additional time is not needed for the concept of the conclusive paragraphs. 

Once having written the short paragraphs, it is time to have a little fun. Please try to complete the drag-and-drop activity produced by the British Council. The procedure to complete this fun activity is to drag-and-drop each word offered on the list either under the British or the American flag after deciding where it belongs. Please click here to open the URL for this activity. This is just one example; you could search for additional ones on the Internet for further practice.

Task 3 – brief theory coverage for the language variations.

After the fun, a little theory coverage is needed as the ESL learners are aware; namely, it is important to find out why certain verb or noun endings are different in the two regions where English is spoken. This can be found on the Internet as well. Ask Oxford.com Web site can be consulted. Please click here. The task should not last more than 40 minutes. The idea is to read through the Web page and then discuss and analyze with other group members why you believe the differences exist.

During the discussion it is important to open the Esl.about.com Web site in order to narrow down the discussion by concentrating on the presented examples on the quiz. They require each learner to choose which fragments or words are used in the particular English speaking region. To open the URL please click here.  

Task 4 – survey.

Please answer the following questions. If the activity is done synchronously or asynchronously, it is to be completed in a 15’ time frame. The questions are:

1. What are your comments about the tasks that needed to be completed in this two-hour block session?
2. On a scale of 1-10, how many points would you give for these types of activities?
3. What changes would be appreciated by you?