All teachers have a stock of techniques or procedures which they do not have to think about, such as starting and ending classes, writing new language on the board, arranging pair work, correcting spoken errors and so on. These quickly become habits/rituals, which can be done without conscious thought, so that the strain of teaching is reduced and teachers can focus on other things in a lesson. However, by staying in our comfort zone, reluctant to try out new ideas, we might be preventing ourselves from being as effective as we can be.
Students too, become dependent on certain rituals, such as approaching written exercises in a certain way, working with the same partner or going straight to a bi-lingual dictionary to check a new word. This can inhibit learning rather than encourage it.
HUGE difference!
STATEMENT SWOP SHOP
Level: Pre-Intermediate and above
Level: Pre-Intermediate and above
Aim of the activity
To practise giving opinions
Preparation
Prepare a list of about 10 statements that your students can agree and disagree with, maybe from a particular topic area in your coursebook.
For example:
Maths is more interesting than History. Learning English is fun.
There’s not enough Sport on our timetable.
Girls like playing with dolls.
Boys are good at climbing trees.
There’s not enough Sport on our timetable.
Girls like playing with dolls.
Boys are good at climbing trees.
Real Madrid has better players than Barcelona FC.
Being a goalkeeper is the worst position to play in.
An iPOD is easier to use than an MP3 player.
Social networking sites are a good way to make new friends.
Procedure
Give every student a blank piece of paper. Dictate the statements to students, one by one. Or ask a student to!
Tell the students to write the statements at the top of the page if they agree, at the bottom of the page if they disagree and in the middle of the page if they are undecided. Ask students to compare their opinions in pairs, and give reasons why.
Ask students to feedback to the rest of the group.
ROLE CALL
Level: all levels
Aim of the activity
To revise recently learnt vocabulary, within a lexical set or topic area
Preparation
Decide on lexical sets/topic areas that you would like to revise
For example:
Items of furniture (sofa, bookshelf, TV unit, bed . . .)
Things you might find in a car (sweet wrapper, steering wheel, CD . . .)
Ways of moving about (run, jog, fly . . .)
Things to do when you are bored (do a crossword, phone a friend, make a coffee . . .)Procedure
Ask one of the students to read the register/ call the roll.
Students must listen carefully because no item should be repeated. If necessary change the set/area after every 10 students or so.
If necessary, ask the student reading the register to do it in a different order.
CLASS SCRIBE
Level: elementary and above
Aim of the activity
To keep a record, for all the students in the class of the incidental or taught language that comes up during a lesson.
Preparation
Choose one student in the class to make a note of any new words and phrases that come up during a lesson. You can simply give the student a blank piece of paper, but to make this activity more formal, it’s a good idea to prepare a worksheet. You should choose a different student for each week/month; depending on how much time you spend together. Younger students will benefit from strict turn taking and rewards. For instance, it may be a good idea to draw students’ names from a hat and to put a marble into a jar for every correct item that is noted down.
Procedure
Tell the student that s/he must make a note of any new language that is extra to the lesson. Tell the student that there will be an area on the board where you will record it, but the ‘Class Scribe’ must keep a record for the whole class, which will then be photocopied at the end of the day/week/month for each student.
At the end of a month/term, students can vote for the best Class Scribe and you might like to try an end of term/year vocabulary test to see what effect this regular activity has had on their new language retention.
Level: elementary and above
Aim of the activity
To keep a record, for all the students in the class of the incidental or taught language that comes up during a lesson.
Preparation
Choose one student in the class to make a note of any new words and phrases that come up during a lesson. You can simply give the student a blank piece of paper, but to make this activity more formal, it’s a good idea to prepare a worksheet. You should choose a different student for each week/month; depending on how much time you spend together. Younger students will benefit from strict turn taking and rewards. For instance, it may be a good idea to draw students’ names from a hat and to put a marble into a jar for every correct item that is noted down.
Procedure
Tell the student that s/he must make a note of any new language that is extra to the lesson. Tell the student that there will be an area on the board where you will record it, but the ‘Class Scribe’ must keep a record for the whole class, which will then be photocopied at the end of the day/week/month for each student.
At the end of a month/term, students can vote for the best Class Scribe and you might like to try an end of term/year vocabulary test to see what effect this regular activity has had on their new language retention.
A NEW YOU
Level: Intermediate and above
Aim of the activity
To provide fluency/conversation/dialogue practice by accepting different roles and being someone different!
Preparation
Prepare some (unusual) conversation openers; perhaps practising recently learnt grammar or vocabulary.
There should be enough for each pair of students plus a few more, for any pairs who struggle to create conversations;
You never told me you had a pet iguana. Your cat has just been sick on my sofa. Apparently you train tigers?
He’s cute, is that your dog?
Have you decided what you’re going to give the students for homework? Have you finished filming the movie yet?
Have you been to Antarctica yet?
Have you spoken to your husband/wife about it yet?
I see you’ve started doing karate again. Why do you want to borrow my parachute?
Is that your baby over there on the skateboard?
What did you win the medal for?
Procedure
Divide the class into pairs and then into A and B, give each ‘student A’ one conversation opener.
Tell the students that they are going to have a short conversation; tell ‘Student A’ to start the conversation using the opener that they have been given and tell ‘Student B’ to give a convincing reply. Tell students to continue the conversation for one minute.
After one minute, tell the students to pass their conversation opener to the pair of students sitting on their right.
Continue the activity until every pair has used all the openers (or until time runs out).
Extend the activity by asking each pair of students to recall the conversation they liked the best and write it down. Ask pairs to act out their conversations to the rest of the class.
TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Level: all levels
Aim of the activity
To involve students in self-assessment of their learning and to provide the teacher with instant feedback on activities (rather than blank faces!)
Preparation and procedure
Cut circles of red, yellow and green enough to have one of each colour for each student. (They can be covered with plastic and kept by each student to re-use, during the year.)
At the end of an activity, hand out the traffic lights to each student.
Ask the students to assess the activity, and hold up the appropriate colour:
RED = I couldn’t do the activity.
ORANGE = I found the activity difficult and needed more help.
GREEN = I could do the activity easily without any help.
OR
RED = I didn’t like this activity at all, it was boring.
GREEN = I really liked this activity and would like to do it again.
Website links:
Follow the links below to watch useful videos about implementing the “traffic light” system for self-assessment.
• Secondary Assessment - Assessment for Learning: Questions and Answers http://www.teachers.tv/video/3308
SETTING GOALS
Level: all levels
Aim of the activity
To motivate students as individuals or as groups or as a class, to develop an understanding of goal setting and attainment in language learning. To encourage self-assessment.
Preparation and procedure
Help student/s decide on the target you/they would like to work towards.
For example:
Co-operative group work
Good concentration
Tidy writing
Learning 20 phrasal verbs
Draw a picture to represent the target (such as the moon, a chequered flag, a goal). Write the target on the image.
Draw a marker to show progress towards the target (such as a rocket, a racing car, a football)
Decide on a reward for when the target is reached.
Stick the target, the marker and the reward on the wall. Move the marker towards the target each time there is a positive example of the target activity.
Have fun giving the reward.
LEARNER DIARY
Level: elementary and above
Aim of the activity
To help students to monitor their own progress, to help students become reflective learners, to develop students’ self-awareness.
Preparation
Prepare a diary format for your students to use; this could be paper-based or an electronic version.
Procedure
Discuss diaries and the idea of learner diaries with your students.
Tell students that they are going to write diary entries on a regular basis (decide the day and frequency) as part of their homework, but that it will not be marked/assessed.
Tell students that they can write their diaries in L1 or L2. Model the diary, if possible, yourself.
Take in the diaries, from time to time and respond positively to the entries.
Ask students to look back over their diaries occasionally to see how much progress they have made.
YOU ARE MY SUNSHIN
Level: elementary and above
Aim of the activity
To develop students’ self-confidence in their ability to learn, to help students recognize their positive characteristics
Preparation and procedure
Tell students to draw a picture of the sun and sketch a quick self-portrait (or stick a photo) in the centre.
Give your students examples of positive characteristics.
For example:
I’m a good listener.
I find decision-making easy.
I’m good at understanding technical manuals.
People like my cooking.
I can swim.
I’m good at having ideas.
I try my best.
I try my best.
I love helping my little sister.
Tell students to write their good points / strengths in the rays around the sun. Tell the students to share their good points with their partner or in their group Display on the wall, if possible.
Tell students to write their good points / strengths in the rays around the sun. Tell the students to share their good points with their partner or in their group Display on the wall, if possible.
