آموزش زبان انگلیسی

نکاتی پیرامون تدریس و یاد گیری زبان و نکات متنوع دیگر

 Some terroristic actions of America and Israel in Iran. 

Terror of Iranian scientists

Killing 290 passangers of Iranian airplane

Terror of 72 of Iranian authorities like Ayatollah Beheshti and others

Terror of president Rejaei and priminister Bahonar

Terror of religious leader like Motahari and Mofateh

        Sanction of Iran over than thirty years

and now they are trying to prevent Irans scientific development

Its strange they claim that they are defender of human right,But they themselves are the big ignorer of human right  

 

با سلام
پایگاه توسعه فناوری اطلاعات مدرسه ی اول همزمان با بازگشایی مدارس به صورت آزمایشی و از ابتدای زمستان 90، راه اندازی شد. شما می توانید در این پایگاه سایتی کاملا رایگان با امکانات کامل مدیریت مدرسه ایجاد کنید.
لطفا بعد از آشنایی با پایگاه توسعه فن آوری اطلاعات مدرسه اول، جهت حمایت از ما و گسترش فناوری اطلاعات در تعلیم و تربیت کشور، این پایگاه را در یک پست معرفی کرده و لینک پایگاه را در وبلاگتان قرار دهید و سایر همکاران را دعوت کنید.
هدف ما توسعه فناوری اطلاعات در بین مدارس، معلمان و دانش آموزان به صورت کاملا کارآمد و رایگان است.
با تشکر
آدرس ‏پایگاه www.sch1.

Submitted by Katherine Bilsb... on 13 December, 2010 - 12:24

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This is a simple speaking activity that can be used with A2 level groups to provide practice in using prepositions of place and giving clear instructions. The lesson is usually successful with adults and teenagers.

Activity type: Drawing dictation/pair work

Level: A2-B1

Age: Adults or senior YLs

Preparation

• Write these incomplete phrases on the board:

… the top … the bottom … the left  … the right

… the middle … the corner … the corner

• Ask students to copy the phrases into their notebooks and to complete them by adding the correct prepositions.
• Ask students to compare their answers in pairs and then complete the phrases on the board:

At the top  At the bottom  On the left  On the right 

In the middle  In the corner  At the corner

• Write these incomplete phrases on the board:

… the top right … the bottom corner … the left corner

• Ask students to suggest which prepositions are missing.
• Complete the phrases with the correct prepositions:

On the top right  In the bottom corner  In the left corner

• Draw the following geometrical features on the board:

A circle - a square - a triangle - a rectangle - an oval

a straight line - a dotted line - a broken line - a wavy line - a zigzag line

• Label each drawing. Elicit the vocabulary from the students.

 

Procedure

• Draw two big squares (frames) on the board.
• Draw a simple design using geometrical shapes and lines in one square.
• Explain that you are going to copy the design in the second square but you are not going to look at the first square. You are going to follow the instructions that the students give you.
• Invite a student to give you the first instruction.
• Go around the class eliciting instructions and building up the second picture.
• When an instruction is not clear, draw the wrong thing so that the student has to reformulate the instruction.
• Pair work: Now get students to draw a geometric design in their notebooks. Give a limited time (3 minutes) for this.
• Put students into pairs, A and B.
• Students take turns in describing their design to their partner so that they can make an exact copy.
• Allow students to refer to the notes they made about prepositions and vocabulary.

 

Extension
As a follow up activity, get students to write a description of their original design in their notebooks. They can exchange notebooks and correct their partner’s writing.

By Katherine Bilsborough

Copyright - please read
All the materials on these pages are free for you to download and copy for educational use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place these materials on any other web site without written permission from the BBC and British Council. If you have any questions about the use of these materials please email us at: teachingenglish@britishcouncil.org

 

Grammar to go! Lesson Link
Unit 7: Past continuous
Oxford Living Grammar explains how grammar works and when to use it. The
exercises use real-life situations to practise grammar in context. This lesson
consolidates your students’ knowledge of the past continuous in the context of storytelling.
Lesson length: 60-75mins
Aim:   1.  to review the use of the past continuous in storytelling for setting the scene and describing
 background situations and activities, in contrast to the past simple for telling the main events
2.   to give students supported practice in writing a story with the past continuous and past simple.
Preparation:
n    Prepare an enlarged copy of the man with a cat from Activity worksheet: Past continuous to use as
 a visual aid.
n    You will need a copy of the following for each student:
Activity worksheet: Past continuous (from Oxford Living Grammar Elementary Unit 7) n    You will need a copy of the following for each pair of students:
 Activity worksheet: Roll-the-dice storytelling
A dice
n    If you want to do the Extra activity, prepare the nine scenario cards.

1. Grammar Review 1: Past continuous for describing the background to a story
 before the main events begin
n  Hand out Activity worksheet: Past continuous and direct the students to the picture of the man with
 the cat. (Alternatively, project the image on an OHP.) Let the class look at the picture for ten seconds,
 then tell them to turn over their worksheets (or switch off the OHP). Ask the class what they can
 remember about the weather, the man and the cat. Elicit these past continuous sentences and write
 them on the board:
It was raining.   The man was wearing a hat.   He was holding a cat. The man and the cat were sitting under a tree.
The man was smiling. The cat wasn’t smiling.

n    Ask ‘Do these sentences describe events in a story or the background information?’ (background
 information, not events) Ask ‘Why is it helpful to give background information at the beginning of a
 story?’ Write these answers on the board:
4  It helps the listener create a picture in their mind before the main events of the story. 4  It creates suspense / drama.

n    Before doing the review activity, briefly highlight the form of the past continuous (was / were  +
verb + ing). Use the sentences on the board to elicit the question and negative forms of the past continuous (Was it raining? It wasn’t raining, etc.)

 

 

© Oxford University Press 2010 PHoTocoPIable page 1
 

 

Grammar to go!   Lesson Link

2. REVIEW ACTIVITY: Telling a story
n    Give the students about five minutes to complete the conversation in exercise 1 on the worksheet
with past continuous question and negative forms. Let the students check their answers in pairs before going through the correct answers with the whole class.
Answers
1 Were you walking home? 2 I wasn’t going home. 3 What was he doing? 4 Was he jogging?
5 he wasn’t running. 6 was he walking? 7 he wasn’t walking. 8 Was he sleeping? 9 He wasn’t
sleeping. 10 What was he wearing?

n    Put the students in pairs to practise reading the conversation together.

3. GRAMMAR REVIEW 2: Past simple for the main events in stories
n    Draw the students’ attention to the final three lines of the conversation about the man and the cat. Ask
 two students to read it aloud. Ask ‘Was the ending happy, sad, mysterious …?’ (Answer: happy, but
 mysterious) Then ask, ‘What tense do the speakers use at the end of the conversation? (Past simple)
 ‘Why?’ (Because they are talking about events, not the background situation.)
n    Point out that the story in exercise 1 followed this pattern:

description of situation event / ending
(lots of past continuous) (past simple)

4. REVIEW ACTIVITY
n    Point out that many stories follow this pattern:
situation → event → situation → event → situation → event / ending
(continuous) (simple) (continuous) (simple) (continuous) (simple)
n    Write this on the board:
 My morning
I got up at 7 a.m. The sun shone.   The birds sang.   I got up and went downstairs.
Tell the students that two of the tenses are wrong. Which ones? Why? Write the answers on the board:
The sun shone. 8  The sun was shining. 4 = The weather is background information about
the situation, not a main event, so we should use the past continuous.
The birds sang. 8 The birds were singing. 4 = again, the birds’ song is background
information, not a main event.
n   Give the students about five minutes to do exercise 2 on the worksheet. Let the students compare
 their answers in pairs, then go through the correct answers with the whole class. Use the words
 ‘situation’ and ‘event’ to reinforce the concept when talking about the correct answers and the tenses.
Answers
1 ate was eating   2 ran was running   3 walked was walking   4 sat was sitting 5 drove was driving
6 rained was raining

 

© Oxford University Press 2010 PHoTocoPIable page 2
 

 

Grammar to go!   Lesson Link

5. CONTEXTUALIZED ACTIVITY: ROLL-THE-DICE STORYTELLING
Task Instructions:
Tell the students they are going to do their own storytelling now, with the help of a dice. Remind the
students about using the past continuous to help build a picture in the reader’s mind, and to create drama.
A. Divide the students into pairs and give each pair a copy of Activity worksheet: Roll-the-dice storytelling and a dice.
B. Tell the pairs to look at the seven sections of the worksheet and roll the dice seven times. Each time they must circle the relevant piece of information on the worksheet. This information will form the
background situation and the events in their story.

C. Give the pairs about five minutes to talk together and plan their stories. For some of the items on the
worksheet they will need to answer ‘What’, ‘Why’ or ‘Who’ questions. Go round the class as the students talk to give encouragement and support where needed.

D. Give the pairs ten to fifteen minutes to write their stories out. Again, go round the class as the students work to correct and give help where needed.

E. When everyone has finished, invite individual students to read their stories aloud to the class, or post
them on the wall and get everyone up and reading. Students can say which story they liked the most, and
why.
6. EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Mime game: When I got on the train yesterday, someone was …
Distribute the cards below. Allow students time to check unknown words in their dictionary. Write this ‘event’ on the board:

I got on the train.

Then change the sentence to:

When I got on the train, someone …

Students take turns to mime the background activity on their card while the rest of the class guesses what the activity was. Do an example with the whole class first.

… someone was listening to … someone was sleeping. .… someone was talking on their
music on an MP3 player. phone.

… someone was reading the … someone was eating a .… someone was holding a cat.
newspaper. burger.

… someone was arguing with … someone was drinking a .… someone was putting on
the inspector. hot cup of coffee. make-up.
 

 

 

 

© Oxford University Press 2010 PHoTocoPIable
 

 

 

 

page 3
 

 

Grammar to go!   Lesson Link

HOMEWORK/EXPANSION
Students look again at the morning / afternoon / evening stories in exercise 2 on Activity worksheet: Past continuous. They then write their own mini stories about an event that happened to them one morning, afternoon or evening.
Students exchange and read each other’s stories. They ask each other questions with past simple and past
continuous to find out more information e.g. How did you feel? What was the weather like? Where were
you going?

EXTRA HELP
Do your students need more help with the past continuous?: Direct them to unit 7 of Oxford Living Grammar Elementary.
Do your students need more help with the past simple?: Direct them to unit 6 of Oxford Living Grammar Elementary.
Have you got the right books to develop and extend vocabulary?: Use units from Oxford Word Skills for ‘I can…’ confidence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Oxford University Press 2010 PHoTocoPIable page 4
 

Grammar to go! Lesson Link

Activity worksheet: Past continuous

1. Telling a story
Bill and Maria are in Bill’s garden. Use the words in brackets to make past continuous
question forms for Maria, and past continuous negative forms for Bill.
BILL I saw a man in the woods last night.
MARIA     What were you doing in the woods? 0 (What/you/do/in the
woods?) 1 (you/walk/home?)
BILL No, 2 (I/not/go/home.) It was almost
midnight. It was raining, and I was looking for Ben, my cat. Then I saw a man.
MARIA  Really? 3 (What/he/do?)
4 (he/jog?)
BILL No, 5 (he/not/run.)
MARIA  Well, 6 (he/walk?) Did he have a dog with him?
BILL No, he didn’t have a dog, and 7 (he/not/
walk.) He was sitting under a tree.
MARIA  Really? 8 (he/sleep?)
BILL No, he was watching me. His eyes were open. 9
(He/not/sleep.)
MARIA  Was he an old man or a young man? 10
(What/he/wear?)
BILL He was young. He was wearing a very big black hat and he was holding Ben!
MARIA  No! What did you do?
BILL I ran home and phoned the police. But he wasn’t there when they arrived. And
my cat came home about an hour later.

2.  Breakfast, a hot afternoon and a small accident
Jack, Olivia and Marcia are describing what they did yesterday. In each text, you need to change two verbs from the past simple to the past continuous. Cross out the verbs, and rewrite them at the end.
Jack: morning           I got up at 7 a.m. as usual. The sun shone. My dad was having a
shower. I got dressed and went downstairs to have some breakfast. When I ate, the
phone rang. It was Benjamin on his mobile. He ran along Green Street. He said, ‘I’ll be at your house in ten minutes.’ I normally go to school with Benjamin. While I was waiting for him, my sister came downstairs and put the radio on.
was shining 2
0 1
Olivia: afternoon I was working hard all morning, so I went for a walk after lunch. I
walked through the park when I met Megan. She sat on the grass. We went to the library together, but it was very busy. Some students were reading, and others were working on the computers. It was very hot, too, so we didn’t stay.
3 4
Marcia: evening           I drove home from work at about 6.30 p.m., when I saw a small
accident on the other side of the road. A car stopped quickly and another car hit it. It
rained hard at the time. When I got home at about 7 p.m., my husband Oliver was
making dinner in the kitchen. I told him about the accident. We had dinner and watched TV until bedtime.
5 6

 

© Oxford University Press 2010 PHoTocoPIable page 5
 

Grammar to go! Lesson Link

Activity worksheet: Roll-the-dice storytelling

1 Where were you going? 2 How were you travelling?
to a friend’s house I was walking.
home I was driving a …(what?)
to a party I riding a …(what?)
to school I was on the train.
to the beach I was on the bus.
to a wedding I was flying.

3   How were you feeling?
sad (why?)
worried (why?)
excited (why?)
sick (why?)
happy (why?)
relaxed (why?)
4   What was the weather like? 5   What were you wearing?
It was raining. jeans and a T-shirt
It was snowing. very old clothes - what?
The wind was blowing. very smart clothes - what?
The sun was shining. pyjamas
The weather was getting colder. a magic cloak
The weather was getting warmer. sports clothes - what?

SUDDENLY…
6   What happened?
You met someone - who?
You found something - what?
Something good happened - what?
Something bad happened - what?

7   How did the story end?
a sad ending - what happened?
a happy ending - what happened?

 

© Oxford University Press 2010 PHoTocoPIable page 6

 

Practical activities to help your teaching.

• My English telephone
• Classroom issues
• Childhood stories
• Snakes and ladders
• Games from around the world
• The Christmas tree
• Getting students feedback
• Managing teenagers
• Action Research - Stop, start, continue
• Circle games
• Christmas Games
• Planning lessons for students' preferred learning styles

My English telephone
Sally Trowbridge

In this activity, I demonstrate how to use the telephone and my students try it out. The class discusses how to make the phone and what materials are needed. I elicit the necessary language to make and use the phones.

Materials

• Disposable plastic cups, 2 per student
• Nylon string, about 2 metres per student
• Small square pieces of paper / stickers, 20 per student
• Scissors
• Pens / pencils

Preparation
Make your own telephone as an example

Instructions for telephones >> 58k

Procedure
The following works well with a low intermediate junior class, but you can adapt as appropriate for the level and age of your students.

• Show students a phone you made earlier. Ask for telephone numbers then pretend to call students pressing sticker buttons. Chat on the phone with various students and let them try the phone in pairs to show how it works.
• Elicit a dialogue, line by line onto the board.
  Example
  A- Hello. Can I speak to Maria please?
  B- It's Maria here.
  A- Hi! It's Jane. Do you want to go to the cinema at the weekend?
  B- Yes, I'd love to. What about Saturday night?
  A - .............

(The above practises telephone language and making plans. Adapt according to your students' needs.)

• Various students practise the dialogue in open pairs. In closed pairs all students practise the dialogue and then swap roles. Encourage students to repeat the dialogue without looking at the board if they can. Early finishers can extend the dialogue.
• Explain that the students are going to make a phone and elicit or feed-in how it's done. Elicit the necessary vocabulary onto the board
  Example:
  • string, tie a knot, plastic cup, stickers
  • Can I have the scissors please?
  • etc.
• While students make their phones (see instructions above), monitor and help. With a large class, use responsible early finishers as helpers.
• In pairs students use one phone to practise and extend the dialogue.
• Use the phones in future classes as a fun way to practise new language. This can be very controlled, e.g., to practise question forms in the past simple (Did you see the new film at the weekend?) or question tags (The teacher gave us some homework, didn't she?) or less controlled conversations on topics to practise new vocabulary.

This has been a repeated success with my students. Despite the low-tech aspect of the telephones they love the fact that you can actually hear through the phone. Playing with the phone motivates students to make one. While making the telephones students need constant reminders to speak English and use the language on the board. They often want to play with their phones and make up conversations. If you call it 'My English telephone', this encourages students to use English. Once you have made your telephone and used it in class, preparation will be minimal next time around.

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Classroom issues
Paul Kaye, British Council

Learners have a lot of ideas about how they should learn a language and it is important to encourage them to discuss these and to communicate them to the teacher. Many of these ideas are not necessarily things you agree with, and discussion also gives you an opportunity to explain your beliefs about language learning and share your rationale.

The example cards can be used in a variety of ways depending on your need. Each one has an opinion that is often heard in classrooms.

Example issue cards >> 47k

Possible uses

• You can use them as discussion prompts, with learners in groups. All 20 example cards can be placed in the middle of each group and they turn them over one by one, then discuss. Learners can also choose the card which closest expresses their own opinion.
• You can use them as a role-play. Prepare a class meeting to discuss learning issues. Hand out the cards and tell learners to pretend they have this opinion and must express it in a class meeting.
• You can use them as a mixing exercise. Learners are given one card and must find out how many other people have the same opinion in the class. This could then feed into a class survey and a written report.

Note: You can guide discussion in all of these activities by selecting the cards you want learners to have. This can be useful if there are specific issues you would like to discuss with your learners, e.g. group work and why you do it.

If you do find learners respond to these activities and really do start to give opinions, be ready to respond with the same honesty and make sure you know why you do things the way you do them!

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Childhood stories
Robert Haines, ESL Teacher, Unites States

This series of activities enables students to practice what are traditionally called 'language skills' (reading, writing, etc.) in the context of their own lives and learn more about each other in the process.

Preparation
Have a short childhood story of your own on hand to share with your students. You could also write the story for them to read, but the 'live listening' aspect of an oral version can be more effective because it allows you to use gestures and intonation, immediately clarify, and monitor students' reactions as you tell the story. Of course, a combination of the two (written and oral) is also possible.

Procedure

• Share a story from your childhood.
• Students write a childhood story of their own for the next lesson.
• Copy the stories for students to read.
• Students ask questions and make comments about the stories in groups, rotating until they've spoken with all their classmates. The goal is to ensure that everyone understands each story.
• Together again as one group, ask questions you have about each story. You can also clarify anything you noticed students missing or misunderstanding as you monitored the group work.

Why it works
Most of us enjoy a good story. It's also fun to learn more about everyone in the classroom. Because the students can choose which experience to share, their motivation is relatively high and control over the story's content ensures that they don't feel too vulnerable.

Variations
Obviously, language related to telling stories (e.g., past tense, 'When I was…') tends to emerge out of this series of activities. A good sample of stories from any genre should demonstrate which language features usually realise that genre. Teachers can select story tasks accordingly, or even better, work with stories that come up as the result of classroom interaction.

Follow-up
Students can write questions about their stories for each other, which teachers could then compile as a quiz.

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Snakes and ladders
Arizio Sweeting, Teacher, Trainer, ICTE-UQ, Brisbane, Australia.

Board games like Snakes and ladders have been around the EFL block for a while because they add the element of fun to the English classroom and are certainly a very useful way to develop more effective classroom dynamics. I decided to adapt the Snakes and ladders game to give the learners in my group an opportunity to discuss cultural differences between countries.

Preparation

• Before my lesson, I modified the typical Snakes and ladders game board so that it could give my learners an opportunity not only to make comments but also to interview other people in the class.
• On the game board I alternated the words in the squares between Askand Tell and drew a few snakes randomly along the board. I decided to get rid of the ladders since I thought the board would look far too crowded.
• Then, I created two game cards, an Ask card and a Tell card, using
  different colour cardboard paper. The Ask card was printed onto yellow
  paper and the Tell card onto pink.
• I also needed dice and counters. I separated two dice and four
  counters for each group of four learners.

Download an example board and cards >> 100k

Procedure

• I'd recommend demonstrating the learners what to do to make sure they know the rules of the game, particularly because my group had never played a Snakes and ladders' game before.
• Tell your learners that they must throw the dice and move his/her counter the
  appropriate number of squares.
• If the counter lands on an Ask square, the learner must pick up the the Ask card and select one question and use it to interview as many people as he/she likes in the group. Alternatively, if the counter lands on a Tell square, the learner needs to select one topic from the Tell card and talk about it
  for approx. 1 min.
• The game goes on in this manner until someone reaches the Finish square.
• If a counter, however, lands at a snake's mouth, the learner must move
  his/her counter over the snake's body to its tail and follow the new instruction, which will be either Ask or Tell.
• While my learners were playing the game, I took notes of their comments and wrote them on the board, fixing some linguistic problems, to use at the end of the activity.
• At the end of the activity, I asked the learners to read the comments
  on the board and decide which country they think those comments referred
  to.
• Finally, I asked the learners to talk to each other and, using the
  same comments, discuss whether these customs would apply to other countries, like Great Britain or Austraila.
  

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Games from around the world
Claudia Connolly , Teacher , British Council, Paris

This is a small collection of 5 games which I have used to promote turn taking and collaboration in the classroom.

Preparation
Before starting the games, you need to brainstorm language which the children will need in order to instruct each other and manage the game.
Some possibilities are:

• My turn
• Your turn
• Let's go
• You / I won
• You're out
• Play again………….

1. Tickum - tackum
This game is from Iran and is for two players.

• The children stand about three metres apart from each other.
• They then take turns to shout 'Tickum' and 'tackum' , one shouting 'tickum' and the other replying 'tackum'.
• As they respond to each other they place their feet , heel to toe and advance forward towards their opponent.
• The child who is the last to fill the gap with their foot is the winner.
• The chant can be changed with days of the week , months of the year, sequence of numbers etc.
  
  Chant
  • Tickum - Tackum
  • Tickum - Tackum
  • Tickum - Tackum
    etc.

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2. Ram , Ram , RIP
This is a game from Indonesia and Malaysia. It can be played by up to four or five children. It is a finger catching game!

• One child holds out their hand , palm up and the others place their first finger to rest on the palm.
• She then chants the rhyme. On RIP! she closes her hand attempting to catch the fingers.
• Those who are caught , are out of the game. The last remaining player is the winner.
  
  Chant
  • Ram , ram
  • Ram , ram
  • Ram , ram
  • RIP!
    
    
• The words of the rhyme can be changed with prepositions.
  
  Chant
  • In , On
  • Under , Behind
  • In , On
  • OUT!

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3. Match my feet
This game is from Zaire. It can be played in small or large groups of children.
This is fun for working on rhyme and movement.

• All the children stand in a circle.
• The first child claps a rhyme which all the others copy.
• The child then dances to the rhyme and chooses a child to copy her.
  If that chosen child can then repeat the dance to the rhyme , they become the 'star'.
• The game continues in this way with a new dance movement each time.
• The chant can be changed with new chants made up by the children.
  
  Chant
  • Match my feet
  • Copy what I do
  • Just like me

These last two games are good for spelling and pronunciation practice.

4. North, South , East and West
Four children are given a card each to hold (with four different sounds that you want them to practice) and they go to stand in North , East , South , West labelled corners of the class room.

• The rest of the children are given a flashcard with a word which has been pre- taught. Children go to the corner containing the sound of their word.
• Check the groups .

5. Noisy Letters
Give all the children a card and ask the children to read and then hide it behind their backs.

• All the children stand and continuously make the sound of the phoneme represented by the letters on the card.
• They then walk around the classroom and group together with other children who are saying the same phoneme.
• The children then turn over their cards and check together that they have the same written sound.

Related

Think - Article - Socio cultural awareness in ELT

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The Christmas tree
Simon Smith, ELT consultant, Teacher trainer, UK

This is a seasonal information-gap activity to practise listening and speaking with young learners. The activity requires children to describe and organise objects in a picture according to their partner's instructions. The finished product provides both them and you with good feedback on children's ability to communicate. It also gives children the chance to practise simple vocabulary, cardinal numbers, and to give simple instructions. The activity requires some preparation before you use it in class, but the materials you have prepared can be used again in other classes.

Materials needed
Each child needs a picture of the Christmas tree, and cut-outs of each of the six Christmas presents or decorations.

Materials >> 40K

Procedure

• Before the lesson, copy a picture of the Christmas tree, and cut out six presents / decorations for each child. You may find it helpful to keep sets of tree and presents in a separate envelope for each child.
• During the lesson, show pictures of the six presents, and make sure that everyone knows how to say them. Explain to children that now they are going to put presents on a Christmas tree. Pre-teach the word 'branch'. Write the frame 'Put … the … on …'
• Place two chairs at the front of the class. They should be side by side, but facing different directions
• Choose a child and ask him or her to sit on one chair, while you sit on the other. This means that you can see each other if you look sideways, but that you cannot see each other's tree or presents. Explain that you going to work together to give an example of how to do the activity to the rest of the class. Make sure you are both sitting sideways on to the class, so that everyone can see and hear you.
• Take two sets of the Christmas tree and the presents. Give the child one copy, and keep one for yourself.
• Choose a present, put it on a branch, and then ask your partner to put it on the same branch as you. If you put the jigsaw puzzle on branch 7, for example, tell your partner 'Put the jigsaw puzzle on branch 7'. Your partner can ask for clarification if they need it, but they cannot look at your tree or presents. Your partner now chooses a present, puts it on a branch, and gives you their instruction. Now show each other your pictures to check that your pictures look the same.
• Ask children to work in pairs, give them sets of material, and monitor their work. If some children finish very quickly, they can start the activity again. There are eight branches and only six presents: this adds an element of choice to the activity.
• Provide feedback on children's work, highlighting anything they did well as a class as well as any areas they need to work on for next time.

Variations

• Fewer branches on the tree, or fewer presents
• Children decide on their own presents as a class. They draw or bring pictures of these for you to copy.
• At a higher level, you can remove the numbers, and ask learners to practise phrases such as 'first branch on the left', 'third branch on the right'. This can be especially challenging, as pairs may need to establish the perspective they are talking from in order to agree on left and right, first, second and so on.
• Use different topics, for example people in a street scene, school objects on a desk, clothes on a washing line.

Related

Try - Lesson plans - A quiz for Christmas

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Getting student feedback
Julie Tice, Teacher, Trainer, Writer, British Council Lisbon

Developing 'metacognitive awareness' (understanding of our own learning processes) is an essential skill for a learner and underlines the need for them to be active participants in the learning process.

• Even from the age of 6 or 7 children can be encouraged to think for themselves about their learning and what goes on in class.
• For teenagers, asking them what they think about what they are doing, asking for their opinions and involving them in some decisions about what goes on in class shows that you value their opinions and can help increase their motivation.
• Adult learners may also have quite clear ideas about what they want and will appreciate it if their views about their learning are taken into consideration.
  Here are some ideas for getting feedback from your learners.

Younger learners
At the end of the lesson show picture cards to illustrate different activities.

• Did we learn new words today?
• Did we play a game?
• Did we sing a song?
• Did we listen to a story? and so on.

Then get the children to say if they liked the lesson. Each child can be given three smiley faces on cards (one unhappy, one so-so, and one with a big smile) and they hold up the appropriate one to show if they liked the lesson or not.
Alternatively they could draw a face in their notebook at the end of each lesson.

Smiley faces >> 35k

With slightly older children, get them to reflect on what they have done in their classes. You can give them a list of different activities that they may or may not have done in that lesson or in that block of work (for example, we listened to a story about a lion and a mouse, we learned the names of some animals, we played a game matching words and pictures of animals). After identifying which ones they did, they can then colour in smiley faces to show which they liked and which they didn't.

Teenagers and adults
Find out about how your students like to learn. Give them a questionnaire to find out what they think is most useful (reading, writing, speaking, listening, learning grammar, learning vocabulary), how they like to work (individually, in groups, in pairs) or activities they enjoy (using the coursebook, playing games, listening to tapes, and so on)

At the end of each lesson, get the students to complete a summary of the lesson under these headings:

• What we did today
• What I liked best
• What I didn't like
• What I want to do next

This can also be done at the end of a block of work.

Ask your students to keep a learning diary which you collect in on a regular basis. This can give you a very useful insight into each student's likes and needs. If the students are new to the idea of diary writing, give them questions to guide them in their writing initially.

• What did you learn in this lesson?
• Which part did you find most useful?
• How confident do you feel in using what you learned?
• What would you like to do more of?

If you are working with relatively small groups, individual counselling can be very valuable. Give the students some questions to think about before they meet with you. For example, which parts of the course have you found most useful? Which activities do you prefer? What do you feel you need to do most in order to improve your English?

Related

Think - Article - Action Research
Think - Article - Reflective teaching

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Managing Teenagers
Teresa Consuelo, UK
I was sorry to hear that many people seem to be having problems with teenagers during their English teaching. I taught English to a group of 12-18 year olds in Spain during a summer school and was lucky enough to have a voluntary "mentor" who gave me loads of useful suggestions for inspiring confidence in the teenagers. I was the only teacher to enjoy a happy classroom and quality learning, with no discipline problems at all. Here are some guideline hints; they are not a list of rules but guidelines for a general attitude to adopt in the classroom.

1) Adopt an relaxed, informal posture the first time the children are likely to see you; e.g. sit on a chair that is facing backwards (but you face forwards!) or "sit" against a table, etc. i.e. avoid clasping a neat little clipboard under your arm, standing up rigidly straight to scrutinise the audience. This demonstrates clearly to your audience that you feel insecure before them.

2) Teenagers do not care as much about what you think as what their peers think of them. Do not belittle them in front of their peers, if you can avoid it.

3) Do not try to be "one of them", you are the adult and they need to know that you are secure being you. They will need you to help them to sort out their friendship, tolerance and other problems with their peers. They want to know that you will listen to them. They want to know that, whatever goes wrong one day, that you will start afresh the next. That every day is a renewed opportunity to be considered a pleasant human being again and to try again to live up to your expectations.

4) Enjoy their sense of humour, treat them like interesting, stimulating beings and NEVER allow them to sense that you feel threatened by them.

5) Give public praise for good behaviour and quiet, individual correction.

6) Use popular ringleaders as group leaders and you will reap wonderful rewards.

7) Whenever possible, base your teaching around group activities. Give clear instructions and get them on with it, removing the focus from yourself as soon as this is not strictly necessary

8) Try to channel their energies as opposed to squashing theirs to replace theirs with yours. A detailed example of this is given by Teresa on the following page: Question and Answers - Teenage discipline

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Action Research - Stop, Start, Continue
Nik Peachey, Teacher, Trainer, Materials writer, British Council

This is an idea I got from a workshop that I went to many years ago. I have used it many times since and found it to be a really useful way of getting feedback from my students on my lessons and my teaching.

I get students to brainstorm all the kind of things I as a teacher do and things which we do in class. Some examples might be;

• speaking in pairs
• playing games
• explaining grammar
• setting homework

Once I have a list of the main areas, I give out a sheet of paper to each student and get them to draw three columns on the page. I then get them to write the words stop, start,and continue, one word at the top of each column.

I then ask them to think about the things we do in class and write a comment about them in one of the columns. It helps to give an example to get them started: 'We have too much homework please give us less' could go in the 'stop' column. 'I like playing revision games.' could go in the 'continue' column as that would be something we already do which they like. 'Let's watch some videos.' could go in the 'start' column as that's something we don't really do which they might like to do.

It may well help to leave your students alone to discuss this together as this often makes them less inhibited. Also make sure that you tell them NOT to put their names on the paper. You are much more likely to get honest responses from your students if they are anonymous.

Let the students leave the papers in a pile and then you can collect them up at the end of the lesson.

Once you've read them, it is important of course to act on what you're read. It might be that some of the things the students want aren't possible in which case this is a good chance to explain why, it is also often true that things they don't want to do, like homework, are actually a necessary part of learning and this is a good time to reinforce this to them. Of course there are also things that even you as the teacher have to get them to do, even though you may not like it, and again this is a good chance to explain this. Most importantly though it may be good to acknowledge which of their comments you have found useful and what you will try to do as a result.

I have often done this exercise particularly with classes I was having a problem with and it has always been really useful in helping me to improve class rapport and ultimately the way I teach.

Related

Think - Article - Action Research
Think - Article - Reflective teaching

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Circle games
Joanna Budden, British Council, Spain

These games involve the learners sitting in a circle and working as a whole class. See the related think article - Think - Methodology - Circle games - for advice on how to manage these games and for more activity ideas.

• Conditional chain game
  This game is good to revise and practise structures in the first conditional.
  • The teacher begins with a sentence, for example "If I go out tonight, I'll go to the cinema."
  • The next person in the circle must use the end of the previous sentence to begin their own sentence. E.g. "If I go to the cinema, I'll watch The Last Samurai" The next person could say, "If I watch The Last Samurai, I'll see Tom Cruise" etc. etc.
    
    
• Word Associations
  A very simple game where students must think of words connected to the word that comes before.
  • For example, the teacher says, "Fish", the next person thinks of a word they associate with fish, such as "water", the next person could say "a glass" the next, "window" etc.
  • You can decide as a group if associations are valid. Ask the student to justify the connection.
  • To make it more competitive, set a thinking time limit and eliminate students.
  • When they are eliminated they can become judges.
    
    
• Chinese whispers - telephone lines
  A sentence is whispered around the circle. The last student to receive the message either says it aloud or writes it on the board. This can be a fun way to introduce a topic and activate schema at the beginning of a class. For example, for a class on food, whisper the question, "What did you have for lunch today?" Equally, at the end of a class it can be a nice way to revise structures or vocabulary from the lesson.
  
  
• Concentration
  • To begin with, students sit in a circle and do the hand actions of lap (both hands to lap), clap, left click, right click.
  • When they get the hang of it, add these words in time to the rhythm "Concentration, concentration, concentration now beginning, are you ready? If so, let's go!"
  • On the first finger click, you say your name, and on the second click you say the name of someone in the circle.
  • You have passed the turn to the person you nominated on your second finger click.
  • Then they say their own name on the first click and the name of another student on the second.
  • When they have got the idea, use lexical sets. For example, everyone says their favourite sport first then use these to play the game.
  • For a competitive group, eliminate those students who make mistakes.
    
    
• I went to the shops and I bought…
  The classic memory game where each person adds a new item to the list in alphabetical order.
  • For example, student 1, "I went to the shops and I bought an apple" Student 2, "I went to the shops and I bought an apple and a bike". Student 3, "I went to the shops and I bought an apple, a bike and a coat".
  • This game can be adapted to different levels and lexical sets. I recently revised sports and the use of do/ play/ go by playing "I went to the sports centre……" The same game but using different vocabulary. For example, student 1 "I went to the sports centre and I did aerobics", "I went to the sports centre and I did aerobics and played basketball", "I went to the sports centre and I did aerobics, played basketball and went canoeing" etc.
    
    
• Yes / No game
  • Nominate one student to be in the hot seat, slightly apart from the rest of the circle.
  • The rest of the group must think of questions to ask the student in the hot seat.
  • They can ask anything they like, the only rule is that the student in the hot seat must answer the questions without using the words "yes" or "no".
  • Also ban "yeah", head nods and shakes! For example, a student asks, "Are you wearing jeans today?" The student in the hot seat could reply, "I am" or "you can see that they're jeans!"

Related

Think - Article - Circle games

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Christmas Games
Clare Lavery, British Council
Here are some games which we associate with parties and Christmas celebrations in UK schools. These games can be adapted for language learners of all ages and levels.

• Pass the parcel (Whole class/mixed ability groups)
  Prepare 5-6 boxes or envelopes decorated or wrapped with Christmas paper. In each parcel put a group activity with a Xmas theme for students to try e.g. a word search, a dialogue to practice, a questionnaire to ask each other, a poem to read aloud. Spread the boxes around the class and students can work through each parcel, passing them around. Good for two lessons or a double period as well.
  
  
  • Suggestions for parcel activities at different levels:
    
    
    • Younger learners
      • A Christmas card to colour in (by numbers, following the instructions) or a kit to make one with the words Happy Christmas from… inside.
      • A dialogue with very simple words missing e.g. Santa talking to a child (complete the dialogue and practice) or a silly quiz e.g. Christmas colours: What colour is Santa’s beard? White brown or black What colour are Christmas trees? Etc.
      • A simple questionnaire: What would you like for Christmas? Where do you spend Xmas? What’s your favourite Christmas food?
      • Pictures of food, drink and other words to match to word cards
        
        
    • Lower levels (teens):
      • A Christmas word search with a list of Christmas words to find in the grid
      • A jumbled dialogue (between the innkeeper and Mary and Joseph? Or in a shop buying Xmas presents)
      • Jumbled interview between famous person/pop star on Xmas habits/likes/dislikes which can be reordered and acted out.
        
        
    • Higher levels (teens and older)
      • Discussion cards to work through as a group (see suggestions of topics in the Essential UK Christmas special)
      • A gap fill Christmas pop song (give the words to match to the gaps to make this easier)
      • Role cards to act out improvised conversations e.g You are given an awful/strange present by a relative/boyfriend. Student B is the relative who is watching you open the gift. Act out your conversation.
        
        
• Santa’s sack (whole class)
  Prepare everyday objects of varying sizes and shapes. Wrap them up in Xmas paper and put in a sack (a pillow case will do !). Students take turns to fish out an object then win points if they can guess the object. “It could be a mobile phone….It might be a calculator …etc.” Lower levels can say “I think it’s a..” or ask “Is it a/an..?”
  
  
• Mystery pictures (whole class or small groups)
  Another guessing game is to cover Christmas pictures with a black card and leave a slim keyhole or peep hole in the centre of the card. Can they guess the object that is half hidden? You can get your pictures from magazines, free leaflets and catalogues from supermarkets or printed up from the net. Make a keyhole template with one blank sheet of paper. Cover each picture and photocopy. You will then have a series of pictures half hidden by black. Students can also play this in small groups if you have enough pictures photocopied. For groups write the solution in pencil on the back of each hidden picture.
  • For lower levels (and kids): concentrate on 8 key items which they know well (this can be Christmas presents hidden i.e a Harry Potter book, a game boy, a favourite video).
  • For higher levels: pick objects associated with Christmas but still stick to vocabulary they know e.g. a bottle of Champagne, a Christmas cake, a parcel or gift, a ski slope, a reindeer, an angel Or cover Christmas presents.
    
    
• Pin the nose on the reindeer (whole class or small groups)
  Prepare a picture of a reindeer with a small piece of velcro glued to the place where the nose should be. Prepare a nose backed with velcro. Blindfold a student from each team and their team have to shout directions to help them get the nose on the reindeer e.g. “Up a bit, down a bit, left, right etc.” All ages play this but beware of self conscious adolescents as it may cramp their style!
  
  
• Xmas find someone who… (whole class, small groups)
  Prepare 8 festive sounding challenges suited to the language level of your class and get them talking to find someone who …went skiing / will be going skiing, wrote a letter to Santa when they were small, has got a Xmas tree at home, has done some Xmas shopping, can tell you how to cook a traditional meal/dish.
  • Example challenges:
    • Lower levels: Find someone who is.. going to the mountains for Christmas / Going to stay with cousins for Christmas / Staying at home for Christmas.
    • Higher levels (use language they have studied this term) Find someone who … has never been away from home / has eaten pizza on Christmas day / Would go to a hot country for Christmas (if they could/had the opportunity) / Has already bought some Christmas presents / a Christmas CD / Can suggest an original dish/activity for Xmas day / can tell you a special Xmas memory from childhood (this is a very open conversation starter for a fairly fluent class).
      
      
• Xmas colouring (whole class or pairs)
  Make multiple copies of the same colouring picture (print up one from the sites suggested in the Essential UK Xmas Special). Tell the whole class how to colour it (best with lower levels and kids) or in pairs give each students a half coloured picture (different parts coloured for each) and they ask questions to finish the picture e.g. “What colour is the present? fairy on the tree? Santa’s sleigh?”
  • Higher levels can have different pictures but do not give them guidance on which objects are coloured in or not. Students therefore have to ask and find out what needs colouring in. In some cases the pictures have a few objects coloured in but the choice is more random than half and half.
    
    
  • Make sure students know all the words for the objects. Put a glossary
    down the side of their pictures and/or use one copy to review the words before they start the activity.

These activities originally appeared on the British Council Language Assistant website.

Planning lessons for students' preferred learning styles
Cheron Verster, teacher trainer and materials developer, South Africa

It is important to vary the activities in your lessons so that you cater for students with different learning styles. The following lesson-planning framework can help you do this.

• Stage 1: Activities that help students connect with the lesson
  For example
  • Students discuss what they know about the topic of the lesson, as a whole class or in small groups.
  • Students predict what a reading passage / story will be about from the title or cover picture.
  • Students share an experience that relates to the topic, with the whole class or in small groups.
  • Students listen to a song or piece of music that relates to the lesson topic. Then they discuss what the song / music made them feel.

Connecting activities are important for students who are innovative learners (McCarthy.) They are also important for field-dependent and right-brain dominated learners. Activities may appeal to students who have a visual, auditory or kinesthetic preference.

• Stage 2: Activities that give students new information.
  For example
  • Students listen to a presentation of the new information.
  • Students read a text.
  • Students watch a video which presents the new information.

This stage is especially important for analytic learners (McCarthy) and those who are left-brain dominated.

• Stage 3: Activities that give students a chance to practice the new information.
  For example
  • Students discuss questions based on the new information.
  • Students use the new information to create a poster.
  • Students use the new information to develop a role play or drama.

These activities help students interact with and understand the lesson material. They may appeal to learners who are visual, auditory, tactile or kinesthetic.

• Stage 4: Activities that give students a chance to extend their ideas.
  For example
  • Students try the new language which they have learnt outside the classroom.
  • Students try the reading strategy which they were taught in another discipline.

This stage is important for dynamic learners (McCarthy).

Whether you use the above framework, adapt it to suit your needs or use your own lesson-planning framework, the key to lessons that suit students with different learning styles is variety.

Related

Think - Article - Learning styles and teaching

Make no mistake
Paul Bress

Although the behaviourist view of language learning has been largely discredited for some time now, a lot of teachers set great store by the stimulus / response way of inducing students to produce 'correct' language. This normally involves drilling (e.g. choral repetition drills) and then some freer practice activity during which the teacher patrols each group noting down mistakes to give the class feedback on.

• Handling mistakes
• Teacher-centred phases
• Student-centred phases
• Conclusion

I think that the teacher can come across in a rather unfortunate light on this path. The students will see the teacher's primary function as being on the lookout for examples of inaccurate language which needs to be eliminated or punished, even! I'm not sure if this should be the teacher's primary responsibility and I'd like to explore here what I try to do when faced with mistakes.

Handling mistakes
Most lessons consist of two different kinds of phases:

• Teacher-centred phases, in which the students are listening and talking to the teacher
• Student-centred phases, in which the students are listening and talking to each other.

Let's look at how teachers can deal with mistakes in each type of phase.

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Teacher-centred phases
Students generally want to know if they're doing something right. So if a student produces a particularly good example of appropriate, accurate language, then I think it's very important to give clear, praise. However, if a student is producing inaccurate language at a time when you want all the students to understand what is accurate, then I tend to follow this 'error correction' procedure:

• a) I elicit self-correction
• b) I elicit peer correction
• c) I 'backtrack' (this means I use what students already know)
• d) I correct it myself

If a) doesn't work, I proceed to b), and if b) doesn't work, proceed to c), etc.

Here's an example of what the dialogue might look like. In this example, you'll notice that a) and b) don't work - but c) does work, which means that I'm not forced to provide the right answer.

• Student 1: Do you go to the cinema yesterday?
• Teacher: Mm…try again? (= eliciting self-correction, using a general prompt)
  (pause)
• Teacher: Yesterday? (eliciting self-correction, using a specific prompt)
  (pause)
• Teacher: Can anybody help student 1? (eliciting peer correction)
  (pause)
• Teacher: OK, ask student 2 if he goes to the cinema every day. (backtracking)
• Student 1: Er…Do you go to the cinema every day?
• Teacher: Good! What was the first word? (backtracking)
• Student 1: 'Do'.
• Teacher: Good. Now ask student the question about yesterday. (backtracking)
• Student 1: Ah! Did you go to the cinema yesterday?
• Teacher: Good! (praising!)

Although the teacher is trying to get the student to focus on accuracy in the above dialogue, I don't think that it is punitive at all. On the contrary,it is empowering the students to communicate more effectively and I think that students are very much aware of this.

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Student-centred phases
I think it's a good idea to give individual students the choice of what kind of feedback they'd like after a student-centred phase, also known as a 'freer practice' activity. I personally ask my students to choose between

• exclusively positive feedback on their contributions
• both positive feedback plus some examples of language they used which caused communication to break down.

I find that most students, in practice, will ask for the second of these, but they feel empowered just by being given this choice of feedback.

Let's assume that a student has chosen the second style of feedback. How could you go about doing this? One thing you could do is to give each student a language feedback sheet at the end of the lesson. On this sheet, give positive feedback where a student really stretched in order to communicate something difficult. But, if something was not communicated clearly, you need to write this down too.

The sheet could look something like this:

As an extension to this feedback process, I think that it's a good idea to set up regular tutorials with each student to discuss how the listed examples of communication breakdown can be repaired. At the end of each tutorial, the teacher can set each student different language research tasks, if appropriate.

Conclusion
In conclusion, it's quite interesting to note that, while most linguists agree with Aitchinson, who says that correction doesn't help the language acquisition process of internalising rules, teachers still do tend to instinctively correct in the formal teaching process. There are probably a number reasons for this, for example the teachers' own experience as a language student, and the fact that it seems more 'teacher-like' to do something about mistakes. But I believe that by modifying your approach from a more punitive one to a more empowering one, you will be making the process of leaning a language both more human and more efficient.

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A version of this article published was first published in English Teaching Professional in July 2005. Republished here on 26th January, 2006

Further reading

Aitchinson, J. Introducing Language and Mind. London: Penguin Books. 1992.
Diane Larsen-Freeman: Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. OUP, 1986.
Penny Ur: A course in Language Teaching, CUP, 1996.
Jeremy Harmer: The Practice of English Language Teaching: Longman: 1991.
David Nunan: Language Teaching Methodology, Prentice Hall, 1991.

Related

 

علم کارآمد

 چطور معلمی کارآمد در کلاس باشیم؟

و اثربخش فردی است که علاوه بردانسته‌های علمی، توانایی مدیریت کلاس درس خود را داشته باشد و با توجه به موقعیت و ویژگیهای دانش‌آموزان شیوه مدیریتی متناسب با آن را انتخاب  می‌کند.

در بعضی از مواقع شرایط کلاس ایجاب می‌کند جوی دوستانه و صمیمی حاکم شود و در زمان دیگر اقتدار معلم و سخت‌گیری‌های او زمینه مناسب برای پر بار بودن کلاس خواهد بود.

معلم با ذکاوت و توانمند در عین حالی که در كلاس جوی آرام فراهم می‌کند در جهت رسیدن به هدفهای آموزشی خود گام موثری بر‌ می‌دارد و رعايت نکات زیر مي‌تواند در كارآمدي ‌او موثر باشد.

1. قبل از شروع كلاس هدف خود را از ارائه محتوی درس مشخص ‌سازيد.

2. با یک‌ برنامه‌ریزی دقیق و داشتن طرح درس مناسب وارد کلاس شويد.

3. دانش آموزان را از هدف آموزشی خود آگاه سازيد.

4. از دانسته‌های دانش‌آموزان خود نسبت به محتوای آماده برای تدریس آگاه شويد و متناسب با آن تدریس خود را شروع کند.

5. در هنگام ارائه مطالب از مباحث جذاب و علمی جهت تفهیم مفاهیم استفاده کند.

6. شیوه تدریس خود را متناسب با محتوای مورد نظر انتخاب کنيد و از یک روش تکراری استفاده نکنيد.

7. در هنگام تدریس با صدای یکنواحت صحبت نکنيد و با دانش آموزان تماس چشمی برقرار کنيد.

8. هنگام تدریس از دانش آموزان سوالاتی جهت کنترل و جلوگیری از حواس پرتی آنها بپرسيد.

9. به شرایط فیزیکی کلاس از نظر( نور، صدا، گرما، چینش صندلی‌ها، ...) توجه كنيد و محیطی مناسب و جذاب و درعین حال آرام فراهم کنيد.

10. رفتارهای مطلوب را در جمع تشویق كنيد ولی بیش از اندازه به آن رفتار تاکید نکنيد. نوع تشویق را براساس نوع رفتار، سن، ...انتخاب کنيد و آن را بلافاصله بعد از رفتار درست ارائه  دهيد.

11. در برخورد با رفتارهای نامطلوب در ابتدا به دنبال علت بگرديد و سپس در تنهایی به دانش‌آموز تذکر دهيد و در صورت تکرار از تنبیه‌های متناسب با عمل او استفاده کنيد.

12. به تمام دانش‌آموزان به‌طور یکسان توجه كنيد. آنها به اسم كوچك در سرکلاس صدا بزنيد و با آنها ارتباط برقرار کنيد.

13. تکالیفی جهت تمرین مطالب، متناسب با محتوای ارائه شده و شکوفا کردن حس خلاقیت در آنها ارائه دهيد.

14. دانش‌آموزان را به فعالیتهای گروهی ترغیب كنيد و یک روحیه رقابتی مثبت بین آنها به وجود آوريد.

15. به نظرات دانش آموزان و مشکلات آنها با دقت تمام و درکمال صبر گوش فرا دهيد و بعد راهنمایی‌های لازم را انجام دهيد.

16. یک الگوی مناسب گفتاری، کرداری، برای دانش‌آموزان ايجاد كنيد.

17. به نقاط قوت و ضعف آنها آگاهی پيدا كنيد و در جهت رسیدن به خود شکوفایی، آنها را یاری کنيد.

18. میزان یادگیری دانش‌آموزان را بر اساس محتوای ارائه شده در کلاس ارزیابی كنيد.

19. علاقه خود را به دانش‌آموزان نشان دهيد و از آنها حمایت كنيد.

20. شرایط را بحث و گفتگو فراهم آوريد و از بیراهه كشيده شدن بحث جلوگيري كنيد.

و در اين صورت است كه هرچه كلاس درسي دوست‌داشتني‌تر و جذابتر باشد، انگيزه دانش آموزان براي يادگيري بيشتر خواهد بود.

 

Word games

The following two word games will appeal to your students' puzzle-solving side, and can be used to alter the mood or focus of a lesson.

Taken from Vocabulary, part of the Resource Books for Teachers series.

Hiding words

Level: Lower-intermediate to advanced
Time: 10- 20 minutes
Aims: To discover words 'buried' in other words or surrounding text.
Materials: Dictionaries.

Procedure

1. Put up the following words on the board:
   THE CENTM
   
   Explain that many words can be found hidden inside other words:
   oTHEr reCENTly
   
   and even inside phrases:
   I took the BUS Home. Do you knoW HER Email address?
2. Put on the board, or ask the students to select, three to five words. Ask the students to hide them, one or more to a sentence, as in the examples you gave. Tell them they can use dictionaries to find the words for their sentences, but not to spend too long on this: if they cannot easily find a way to 'hide' a word, they should discard it and move on to another.
3. Get the students to exchange their sentences and find their partner's hidden words.

Variation 1
Hide the words as every other letter of the new word or phrase, for example:
PIGEON: my speed kept sliPpInG bElOw Ninety miles an hour.

Variation 2
Hide the words backwards:
KNIT: sTINKing fish

Variation 3
Use each letter of the word as the first letter of the words of a phrase:
TEACH: Take Everything And Come Home.

Storyboard

Level: Elementary to advanced
Time: 20 -30 minutes
Aims: To practise relating words to context.
Materials: Word cards (see Preparation).

Preparation
Choose a short text, preferably containing not too much new lexical material for the class. Write it out clearly on cards measuring 20 x 15 cm, one words to a card, so that each word is clearly visible to the whole class. On the back of each card write the same word very small.

Procedure

1. Stick the cards to the wall or blackboard in the correct text sequence, with the large-print side hidden.
2. Tell the class that there is a text on the blackboard which they will have to uncover, one word at a time. Ask them to shout out any words that come to mind: if you hear any of the words in the text, reverse the corresponding card immediately, using the small-print words as a reminder.
3. From chance beginnings, the text will gradually appear, as more and more context becomes available to the students.

Variation
If you can memorize a short text exactly, then you can of course dispense with the cards on the blackboard. Short poems, especially ones with clear rhyme and rhythm, are ideal for this.

Authors

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Understanding dialogues
Francisco Barron, Mexico

These are two simple listening activities which test students' understanding of two dialogues.

They can both be used with low level students.

Preparation

• Make copies of the scripts to give to your students as feedback and copy the audio recordings to play in class.
• Make copies of the question sheets.

Procedure

• Hand out the question sheets and check that your students understand them.
• Play the recording of the audio once, then ask the students to check their answers in pairs.
• Play the audio again one or two more times as needed.
• Hand out the script and ask the students to read the script and check their answers against it.
• Clarify the correct answers for them

Listening activity 1: In a Language School Café

• Question sheet >> 43k
• Script >> 45k
• Audio >> 981k mp3

Listen to two students talking in a language school cafeteria, and decide if the following statements are true or false. You may listen twice. 1. Both Hong Lei and Ricky are new students in the language school. 2. Hong Lei is in the Advanced One class. 3. Ricky’s teacher has curly hair. 4. Ricky’s teacher is a new teacher in the school. 5. Ricky just arrived a week ago. 6. Hong Lei advises Ricky to apply for boarding at the YMCA.

Answer key:

1.F
2.T
3.T
4.F
5.T
6.F

Top of page

Listening activity 2: Making an Appointment

• Question sheet >> 43k
• Script >> 42k
• Audio >> 423k mp3

Listen to Cathy and Keith trying to agree on a date to meet. Decide whether the following statements are true or false. 1. Cathy will see Ruth on the thirteenth. 2. Keith is free on the fourteenth in the morning. 3. Cathy is probably free on the fifteenth. 4. Cathy and Keith can’t agree on a date for their appointment. 5. Keith will call up Cathy Thursday afternoon.

Answer key:

1.T
2.F
3.T
4.F
5.F

You can follow this up by putting your students in pairs to practice the conversations.

Marta Joyce Sabbadini-Essinki, Teacher & Trainer

This activity gives students maximum speaking time and helps develop fluency. The slightly ‘unusual’ classroom set-up seems to encourage students to speak, producing a healthy buzz and fostering a positive learning environment. I’ve found it can be a good option for classes with shy students, or groups who have become bored with traditional pair-work activities. Requiring only minimum preparation and just a little moving around of furniture, this activity can be used with learners at all levels.

Preparation
You will need a list of 8-10 questions which encourage your students to speak about themselves/give their own opinions, and which could be discussed for a few minutes each.

Example materials >> 37k

You should also think about how to arrange your classroom so that students are sitting in rows lined up to face another row, with enough room for them to get up and change places.

Procedure

• I arrange the classroom so that chairs are lined up in a row with another row directly facing them. Space permitting, I put all the desks to one side, though this isn’t essential. Large classes can be set up with several sets of rows.
• I ask students to find a seat. For an odd number of students, I add an extra chair at the end of one row, making a ‘threesome’.
• I explain to students that they will have a chance to speak with different students and to develop their fluency. They will discuss the question on the board for several minutes until I say ‘change’. They will then get a new question and also change partners. To change, students in one row stay in the same place, whilst those in the opposite row move along one space every time.
• I write the first question on the board, reading it aloud if not all students can see it, and ask them to start speaking. Soon everybody is engrossed in conversation, finding ways to communicate with their partner, despite all the surrounding noise.
• After two/three minutes, I tap on the board and ask students to ‘change’. Students on one row each move down a seat, with the person in the last position moving back up to the top of that row.
• Students ‘greet’ their new partner as I board the next question, and then start speaking again.
• In my experience students are happy to keep talking, and it is up to the teacher how much speaking practice s/he feels the students need and how many questions to give. Twenty minutes is usually appropriate.
• Whilst they are speaking I listen to/observe individual learners from the back of the room. I don’t get involved in the conversations; however, if I see that students don’t have much to say for any particular question, I move onto the next one, though this rarely seems necessary.
• At the end, I do a short feedback session, for example asking students which question they most enjoyed discussing. Feedback could also focus on error correction, an opportunity to pick up on problems common to several learners.
• For teachers with access to an OHP, an alternative to boarding each question is to prepare the questions on a transparency to be projected, using a piece of card to ‘unveil’ one question at a time.
  

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