by mpratf » Sat Oct 01, 2016 9:16 am
Dear Colleagues,
I have chosen the following two questions:
1. There are many games which teachers can use to make practice activities more interesting and motivating for students. Do you have any favourite games which you use to practise specific language items?
Currently I surf the Internet to play games with my students. Some years ago, I used to work with cards and objects I brought to class. With first of ESO students, I used to bring replicas of food or supermarket products to roleplay shopping situations. They practised “Have you got ….?” “Are there …?” “Is there …?” and the use of “a / an / some / any” with the objects we placed on the tables. Classes were a bit noisy, but they were worth it. Now we play lots of interactive online games with which we can practise the same language items.
2. What are some of the benefits of providing learners with receptive grammar practice activities? What is the balance of receptive and productive grammar practice activities in your classes?
I believe that teachers should provide learners first with receptive grammar practice activities, because then students can interpret grammatical forms accurately. In a natural way, we all learn the rules and the use of language before we begin to express ourselves.
Students feel more confident if they are given the chance to practise more examples, and to demonstrate their comprehension of the language, without having to use it productively.
In my classes, depending on the language item we are practising, I try to combine both types of activities. I normally begin with more receptive activities and then finish with open, productive grammar practise activities.
For example, in the unit about “life experiences”(present perfect vs. past simple) I can combine the following activities:
- Receptive grammar practice activities such as choosing the correct answer or matching the questions with the replies. I can also use a game with pictures to work on this item.
- Productive grammar practice activities such as filling in blanks or preparing mini-dialogues with prompts. These open activities can lead to other kind of exercises, for example, a powerpoint presentation or a survey.
Dear Colleagues,
I have chosen the following two questions:
1. There are many games which teachers can use to make practice activities more interesting and motivating for students. Do you have any favourite games which you use to practise specific language items?
Currently I surf the Internet to play games with my students. Some years ago, I used to work with cards and objects I brought to class. With first of ESO students, I used to bring replicas of food or supermarket products to roleplay shopping situations. They practised “Have you got ….?” “Are there …?” “Is there …?” and the use of “a / an / some / any” with the objects we placed on the tables. Classes were a bit noisy, but they were worth it. Now we play lots of interactive online games with which we can practise the same language items.
2. What are some of the benefits of providing learners with receptive grammar practice activities? What is the balance of receptive and productive grammar practice activities in your classes?
I believe that teachers should provide learners first with receptive grammar practice activities, because then students can interpret grammatical forms accurately. In a natural way, we all learn the rules and the use of language before we begin to express ourselves.
Students feel more confident if they are given the chance to practise more examples, and to demonstrate their comprehension of the language, without having to use it productively.
In my classes, depending on the language item we are practising, I try to combine both types of activities. I normally begin with more receptive activities and then finish with open, productive grammar practise activities.
For example, in the unit about “life experiences”(present perfect vs. past simple) I can combine the following activities:
- Receptive grammar practice activities such as choosing the correct answer or matching the questions with the replies. I can also use a game with pictures to work on this item.
- Productive grammar practice activities such as filling in blanks or preparing mini-dialogues with prompts. These open activities can lead to other kind of exercises, for example, a powerpoint presentation or a survey.
