Hi Everyone!
I am Shell from Xiamen METEN. I have been in METEN as an LT since last August right after I graduated. My major was Interpretation. But I prefer to be an English teacher who can be more creative. I like my job because it allows teachers to use their imagination and creativity. It encourages me to try any new methods in teaching and learning. Today, I’d like to share some strategies that I use in my class.
Smart use of Pictures
Learners who are asked to discuss or listen to something without any visual focus often find their attention wandering. That’s why we use flash cards in M0 classes. But pictures can be used in more classes like in PC /AC /I show / Grammar classes as a direct way to introduce new words and tasks.
For example,M1 PC 4
The first time I taught this lesson, I drew a big house with different rooms and furniture on the whiteboard. It was fun but wasted a lot of time. The next time, I printed out a picture of a house with some key words blanked out. I could easily introduce new words and new expressions by asking students questions like "what’s this? kaiyunapp " "What rooms you can see in the house?" "What can you see in the kitchen?" "Are there any chairs in the room?"
Smart use of body language
You yourself are often an excellent visual aid. Body language like facial expression, physical movement are used to illustrate a topic or new words.
For example, in MP lessons.
It’s hard for many students to pronounce “th”. So teachers should not be shy to put your tongue between your teeth and show them your tongue. This way is very common in teaching pronunciation. It’s also very useful in role play. (For example , saying hello with happy, sad, annoyed tones. )
Facial expressions and body language can also be used in many other parts of your lesson. Chinese teachers are comparatively reserved to show their emotions or attitudes facially. By exaggerating your body language, students can easily understand what you mean and can be more relaxed during your lesson.
Smart use of activities
In METEN, both teachers and students like to engage in different activities. This creates not only an amiable environment of learning but also an effective way to see the output. Here are some activities I usually use in my classes:开云体育
1) Survey- Report
It’s a very flexible activity and can be used for all level of students. Make a questionnarie with the new expressions taught in the lesson, and ask students to go out if possible and gather answers from others outside the classroom. This could be done as team work or an individual task. After gathering all their answers outside, students need to come back to the class and give a small report about who they asked and share the result.
2) Role-plays
Learners often enjoy “being” someone else, or being themselves in an imaginary situation. Role play activities can also be widely used for all levels of students. For M0 students, they could practice fixed expressions with different emotions. For M1, teachers should be patient enough to give plenty of input for students. After that, encourage them to role play a conversation with a partner. For higher level students, the role play can be more open-ended.
For example:开云 continue the conversation and set roles for A/B. (who is A? what’s the relationship between A and B?)
A: What are you doing?
B: OUTSIDE.
A: Why?
B: Get out of my way. It’s none of your business.
3) Sentence making activities. (Commonly used in Grammar classes)
After giving students sentence structures or grammar tips, teachers can use the pictures to ask students to make sentences.
For example, use 3 adjectives to describe the following pictures and use comparative sentences to make up 20 sentences.
Smart use of questions
Asking questions is a way to motivate students. It can be used in warming up, greetings, tasks, role plays or any other sections in the lesson. It’s also widely used in iShow classes.
1) Choose an interesting topic
Before you set a topic for an iShow class, you may ask yourself some questions like:
Does the topic relate to the students’ lives?
Can students learn something new?
Is the topic something they are familiar with?
Can it stimulate their imagination or curiosity?
2) More Wh- questions rather than yes-or-no questions.
As we know, if you ask students questions like ‘Do you like movies?’ They will just say yes/no. However, if you ask them ‘what types of movies are popular in China? Who do you think is the most popular movie star in China, and why do you think so? ‘Then you can get a variety of answers and opinions. Sometimes this can lead to a small discussion or debate.
Some open-end questions can also give students more alternatives. For example:
What do you do when___________________?
What would you do if _________________?
Can you explain the following words in English: Job, salary, APP………..
One more thing-----students like teachers because of their character or personality. Do not be afraid of being yourself and don’t blindly imitate others.
I like to be Sponge Bob who simply loves what he does and the people around him.
Life needs imagination and creativity. And so does teaching.
Peter says
A good interesting article that reminds us to help students 'personalise' the various topics, ensuring students are engaged in the lesson which will lead them to take more from it.
As an aside, I think that getting students, even higher level student to come up with 20 sentences might seem a big ask and take quite a while. Additionally the role play extension should perhaps be "Where are you going..?" not "What are you doing ..?"
Let us know if you have different opinions!
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Ciao!
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