Classroom Activities Chapter 3

A key teaching skill is to successfully: prepare set up run a single classroom activity or task

A task is …… The outcome may: ……something that learners do that involves them using or working with language to achieve some specific outcome. The outcome may: reflect a “real-world” outcome (a communicative act we achieve through language in the world outside the classroom) e.g. learners role-play complaining about food service at a restaurant). be a “for-the-purposes-of-learning” outcome (a piece of classroom work focusing learners on, and involving learners in manipulating some aspect of the language) e.g. learners change sentences to questions

A Task (Scrivener-41) (explicit outcome) Not a task (Scrivener-41) (no outcome) A Task (Scrivener-41) (explicit outcome) Learners listen to four conversations, and number the pictures as they listen (in order to become better listeners). Learners read a newspaper article to prepare for a discussion. Learners read an article about the best cities to live in on page 43. Learners find new words in a reading passage.

CLASSROOM DYNAMICS (arrangements to run an activity) Individual work Pair-work Small groups (three to six people) Large groups Whole class: mingle (all stand up, walk around, meet and talk) Whole class: plenary

Basic Route-Map Plan for Running a Simple EFL Activity 1. Before the lesson: familiarize yourself with the material and activity; prepare any material or texts you need. In class 2. Lead-in/prepare for the activity 3. Set up the activity: give instructions, make groupings, etc 4. Run the activity: students do the activity, maybe in pairs or small groups while T monitors and helps 5. Post activity: do any appropriate follow-on work 6. Close the activity and invite feedback from the students

Analyzing a Coursebook Activity Questions to be kept in mind when analyzing an activity on content and classroom procedures: Language content - What language systems and skills will the students probably be practicing when they do this activity? Other content - What other purposes (apart from getting students to practice language) might this activity serve?

3. Preparation - What preparation needs to be made 3. Preparation - What preparation needs to be made? Are any special material or visual aids needed? 4. Steps - What are the various steps to be followed? 5. Instructions - What are some important considerations when giving the oral instructions? 6. Organization – What organizational arrangements could you use in class?

The Importance of Information Gap in group/pair work One person knows something that the other doesn’t. There’s a genuine need and desire to communicate with each other. Most real communication comes about because of gaps of information (or of opinions or ideas, etc.)

By creating classroom activities that include information gaps: We can provide activities that mimic a reason for communication It may be more motivating and useful to language learners than speaking without any real reason for doing so.

Designed as a companion for “Learning Teaching” Methodology I by C Designed as a companion for “Learning Teaching” Methodology I by C. Moscoso - Office of Academic Research - ICPNA