Module 1, Video Segment #1, Classroom Techniques–
Here are some suggested directions for answers to the questions for this module. Actual answers may vary depending on local context and the kinds of experience that viewers bring to the task of interpreting and applying video and text concepts.–1. Some clues to the content and context included teacher instructions or behavior; student speech and performance; materials in the classroom, on the walls, on the overhead projector, in students’ hands, on the blackboard, etc.–2. The activities in each case were directly related to each of the contexts (the content areas). In the first class, students touched their body parts as they said the words and sang the song. Movement combined with speech, singing, or chanting can provide a strong reinforcement for remembering vocabulary or concepts. Physical movement activities can be done standing in place and help release extra energy. They are good for warm-up and transition points in the lesson.–In the second class, the students were immersed in the rain forest concept. They were in groups and had chosen rain forest animals as their group identifiers (serpents, toucans, monkeys). There was a paper rain forest built in one corner of the room. The teacher was teaching parts of speech using rain forest animals and actions. Students had fun creating wild sentences about the rain forest and animals. We saw a song about one student’s humorous sentence on “poisonous monkeys.” The teacher noted that this was “fiction,” as monkeys (unlike snakes or some insects) are not generally poisonous. Note that the teacher used a form of “teacher talk” when she asked students to help her. This is a way to get students to join in solving a problem or making a point about an item.–In the third class, students were exploring some of the issues around mass media, and television viewing habits in particular. They acted out situations and came up with their own solutions to the problems. We saw a skit in which the students played the roles of a son, mother, father, and friend. The son gives up his television viewing “addiction” and makes the healthier choice to play soccer with his friends instead. He feels happier because of this change in lifestyle.–In the last class, students presented their interpretations of concepts around the topic of genetic testing. They looked at scientific and ethical angles. We saw a student “teaching” at the front of the class with an overhead transparency that her group had prepared. The topic was one that interested them and they had varying opinions about the pros and the cons. The students were sharing real-world information with each other and the teaching was authentic. That fact that it came from them, and not only from the teacher, made the students more motivated to learn and listen to one another.;3. Language in the lower-level classes was naturally more limited to concrete concepts and objects. In the more advanced classes, students were able to express more abstract ideas and use a wider range of grammatical constructions.– 4. Younger, lower-level students can do role plays effectively as well. They may need more practice and more preparation with key vocabulary and language constructions. Simple props (clothing, hats, food, household items, masks, etc.) can enliven improvisations and simulations.–Likewise, older and more advanced students may enjoy activities with a physical dimension. Instead of a song, this might mean building something, leading a how-to session, or standing up and moving around as part of an all-class game or activity. As for topics, with a little imagination, nearly anything is possible!
Page 18 Shaping the Way We Teach English
Module 1: Contextualizing Language;
Here are some additional techniques for contextualizing language:–• Reading and/or listening to authentic text (e.g. fiction, documentaries, films, news, radio broad-casts, lectures, dramatic enactments).–• Written and/or oral storytelling.–• Problem solving tasks, riddles, role-plays.–• Games (bingo, hangman, spelling bees, word recognition “concentration” style games, games that follow the formats of familiar TV game shows, scavenger or treasure hunts).–• Projects (bulletin boards, models, community events, research and presentation projects, perfor-mances, etc.).–• Use of realia and authentic materials.–For more ideas on creative lesson plan ideas, see the web guide at:http://oelp.uoregon.edu/teach_lessonplans.html