Internet: Military Teaching Ideas for EFL Classes

By: Christine Canning-Wilson, ADMC, Higher Colleges of Technology

Contact: [email protected]

The following 5 ideas have been successful with Military Students in the United Arab Emirates. They can easily be adapted for other EFL teachers who have military students in class.

Sample Idea #1: Practice with Suppliers/Tenders/Budgets

Directions:
Find 5 military suppliers on the Internet. Compare their products for tender. Decide upon the 7 best purchases the military could make for its soldiers. Be prepared to explain your choices to the class.

Information needed:
Budget: 2.2 million US Dollars
Troops: 200 soldiers special division (may be sent to fight abroad)

Sample Idea #2: Vocabulary Practice

Directions:
Type into the computer: Newbury House Online Dictionary. Open this educational site. Ask students to locate, define, and use in a sentence the following core vocabulary words on a worksheet that you design:

? Backorder
? Stock
? Inventory
? Operations
? Bid
? Records
? Record Keeping
? Warehouse
? Function
? Replenish
? Record Information
? To stock up on
? Out of stock
? Quality of goods
? Quantity
? Purchase order
? Inventory Control
? Purchasing
? Taking stock
? Equipment Code
? Accounts
? Balance
? Bar code
? Enquiries
? Replies
? Quotations
? Tenders
? Orders
? Payments
? Insurance
? Correspondence
? Agents versus Agencies
? Complaints
? Adjustments

Sample Idea #3: Create a purchase order form

Directions:
List 10 common items purchased by the military. Next, find sites to buy these products using the Internet. Complete the purchasing order form listed below. If the necessary information is not there, leave a note in the remarks column explaining how you will find it for the military. Please fill in each item accounting for the information below:

Entry Date Bar Code Equipment Code Asset Type(chair or desk) Cost LPO # Purchase Date Location(where the supply will go) Supplier Name Quantity Remarks

Sample Idea #4: Important Points

Because of the nature of warehousing and order processing the following grammar points or referent ideas must be taught in a foreign or second language course dealing with such content:

? Count and mass nouns
? Passive versus active voice
? Time clauses
? Future and Future Real (possibility)
? Sequential markers
?

Sample Idea #5: Cloze exercises for purchase ordering

*The following text was adapted from Jaishree Asarpota?s course materials (Abu Dhabi Women?s College in connection with CERT) :

Directions:

1. Copy both passage A and passage B for students.
2. Put the students in pairs. Ask student A to read passage A to student B. Student B should write the missing vocabulary words that he/she hears.
3. When complete ask student B to read to student A in order to identify the missing
Vocabulary words.
4. Ask the students to find information on the Internet about warehousing/processing. Ask the students to copy, cut and paste the paragraphs on to a word document. Next ask the students, to create their own vocabulary cloze exercises.

SAMPLE:
Passage A:
Order processing will be the process organized around the request from one department for specific materials. These materials can be raw materials for production, finished goods for a shop, etc. Of course, they can be either found within the company -as purchased at an earlier stage and stored in a warehouse, cold storage, etc.- or, they will have to be purchased according to the requirements. The order processing will start by completing a requisition form. The department needing the materials will complete this form. It is indicating what material is needed, how much is needed, and sometimes when is it needed by. This material could be a pen or a container of cans. There will be a certain number of authorizations to obtain prior the processing of a requisition. The order size and value will often also trigger the number of authorizations required.

Passage B:

Order processing is the process (1)________ around the request from one (2)___________ for specific materials. These (3) ___________ can be raw materials for production, finished goods for a shop, etc. Of course, they can be either found within the company -as (4)____________ at an earlier stage or stored in a warehouse, cold storage, and etc.- or, they will have to be purchased according to the (5)________________. The order processing will start by completing a (6)________________ form. The department needing the materials will (7)_______________ this form. It is indicating what material is needed, (8)____________ _____________ is needed, and sometimes when is it needed by. This material could be a pen or a container of cans. There will be a certain (9)_______________ of authorizations to obtain prior the processing of a requisition. The order size and value will often also trigger the number of (10)___________________________ required.

Author:

Christine Canning-Wilson is the author of Teaching and Technology. She is the past conference chairperson of TESOL Arabia 2000. She regularly publishes teaching ideas, hints, and techniques. She is regularly invited speaker on issues related to foreign and second language teaching in the Arab world. She can be contacted at: [email protected]