Discussion topic - Lesson 6
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:21 pm1.- Do you use all of these different types of speaking activities? Why / why not?
The kind of speaking activities I use with my students depends on the group I teach.
a) With my young pupils, I rarely prepare anything different from "role plays", meaning very controlled dramatization of some situation dialogs like in the store (one is the seller and the other is the customer), at the school making new friends (presentation and hobbies), in the restaurant (one is the waiter and the other is the customer) and so on. I suppose that the dramatization of a tale or of a short story from the coursebook can be considered a special type of "role play".
. We also practice short controlled conversations in guessing games for exemple or when they work in pairs answering questions like "What are you wearing today?", "What's your favourite toy like?", "What have you got in your bedroom?" and so on.
b) With my teenage students, we always have a short "chat" at the beginning of the class where we talk about the day, other subjects, their homework...I always make sure that I address at least one or two questions to all my students. I usually take advantage of these short chats to practice forms or items that we have already learnt like making questions where they have to use the past or the present continuous or use adverbs to review word collocation, etc.
. We also practice "conversations" in pairs or in groups when we start a new lesson for brainstorming, before and after a reading or listening activity to share ideas or before playing a game.
. "Role play" is a speaking activity that they enjoy if you give them time to prepare and a lot of support. We usually start with a kind of scheme and many useful expressions. Little by little, the most outgoing try their own ways. Since it is a difficult activity, we usually have it at the end of some lessons, when the students have already seen some necessary vocabulary and grammar forms. Besides, a role play is a time consuming activity. For this reason, for homework, I often give them some notes with which prepare their roles.
. A good way of practicing a "show and tell" activity is working in a group. They prepare the topic, let's say "our street" or "our favourite book" or "our favourite pop singer" in a group of four. Each one has his/her turn to talk as part of the whole "show". I have learnt that they feel more comfortable talking in front of their classmates if they feel the support of the team.
2.- What advice would you give to a teacher who was going to use one of these types of activities for the first time?
I think the most important thing is to have everything well prepared. You have to know what is your aim and all the steps you are going to follow to get there.
A very well-planned lesson plan is very crucial when you are going to dedicate time to speaking activities because the class can go out of control very easily, especially with teenagers.
3.- Comment on the lesson plan in exercise 5. Would you like to teach this class? Do you agree with the points the teacher mentions in exercise 6? Is there anything you would like to say in response to this teacher?
Yes. I wouldn't mind to teach this class. I like a lot the way this teacher has designed his lesson plan. It's clear that he had in mind all the important aspects that have to be included in an activity like this: interesting topic, preparation activities, opportunities for each student to talk and give his/her opinion, well decided variety of interaction patterns: pair-small group-big group and he was sure of giving to his students a reason to speak in each step. Besides, he sequenced the steps in a logical order which will surely make the class flow.
I think that with this good lesson plan the class will be rewarding to teach. If something could be added, I would say that he should have given some time for feedback or a kind of "closing" activity.
The kind of speaking activities I use with my students depends on the group I teach.
a) With my young pupils, I rarely prepare anything different from "role plays", meaning very controlled dramatization of some situation dialogs like in the store (one is the seller and the other is the customer), at the school making new friends (presentation and hobbies), in the restaurant (one is the waiter and the other is the customer) and so on. I suppose that the dramatization of a tale or of a short story from the coursebook can be considered a special type of "role play".
. We also practice short controlled conversations in guessing games for exemple or when they work in pairs answering questions like "What are you wearing today?", "What's your favourite toy like?", "What have you got in your bedroom?" and so on.
b) With my teenage students, we always have a short "chat" at the beginning of the class where we talk about the day, other subjects, their homework...I always make sure that I address at least one or two questions to all my students. I usually take advantage of these short chats to practice forms or items that we have already learnt like making questions where they have to use the past or the present continuous or use adverbs to review word collocation, etc.
. We also practice "conversations" in pairs or in groups when we start a new lesson for brainstorming, before and after a reading or listening activity to share ideas or before playing a game.
. "Role play" is a speaking activity that they enjoy if you give them time to prepare and a lot of support. We usually start with a kind of scheme and many useful expressions. Little by little, the most outgoing try their own ways. Since it is a difficult activity, we usually have it at the end of some lessons, when the students have already seen some necessary vocabulary and grammar forms. Besides, a role play is a time consuming activity. For this reason, for homework, I often give them some notes with which prepare their roles.
. A good way of practicing a "show and tell" activity is working in a group. They prepare the topic, let's say "our street" or "our favourite book" or "our favourite pop singer" in a group of four. Each one has his/her turn to talk as part of the whole "show". I have learnt that they feel more comfortable talking in front of their classmates if they feel the support of the team.
2.- What advice would you give to a teacher who was going to use one of these types of activities for the first time?
I think the most important thing is to have everything well prepared. You have to know what is your aim and all the steps you are going to follow to get there.
A very well-planned lesson plan is very crucial when you are going to dedicate time to speaking activities because the class can go out of control very easily, especially with teenagers.
3.- Comment on the lesson plan in exercise 5. Would you like to teach this class? Do you agree with the points the teacher mentions in exercise 6? Is there anything you would like to say in response to this teacher?
Yes. I wouldn't mind to teach this class. I like a lot the way this teacher has designed his lesson plan. It's clear that he had in mind all the important aspects that have to be included in an activity like this: interesting topic, preparation activities, opportunities for each student to talk and give his/her opinion, well decided variety of interaction patterns: pair-small group-big group and he was sure of giving to his students a reason to speak in each step. Besides, he sequenced the steps in a logical order which will surely make the class flow.
I think that with this good lesson plan the class will be rewarding to teach. If something could be added, I would say that he should have given some time for feedback or a kind of "closing" activity.