Reflection 6: A case of effective language teaching

I consider that ESL classes are not only for teaching students about language, they also are there for learning different things in relation to their everyday life.
One of the most interesting things I saw in the class in which we were involver, and I think that it was useful, was the project "Knowing Washington State".
I realized that this project had different porpuses (this is only my guess).

1.- Let the students know different interesting places in this state (where they live).
2.- Use their limited language for writing "what they have seen" in this trip.
3.- Use of mathematics (probably this objective was in relation to the WASL).
4.- Work in pairs or groups.

I realized that almost ALL the students did not know where WA is, the boundaries, which other cities are close to Spokane, or what other interesting places they can visit. Probably this project was a good help for them to know and learn where they are and how to express their feelings by writing about what they know now about WA.