Ideas and rationales for drawing and speaking Alan Marsh Imagine That! Ideas and rationales for drawing and speaking Alan Marsh

Imagine an object, place, animal (not a person)… that is dear to you in some way …… …… and draw it!

Show and tell A (lower levels) Say what it is where you got it why you like it anything else. B (middle and higher levels) Say what it is where and how you got it how long you’ve had it what it’s made of (if an inanimate object) why you like it an anecdote/incident related to it any future plans for it anything else

Getting your head around the present perfect 1 I’ve been to Spain v I went to Spain 2 I’ve lost my wallet! v I lost my wallet 3 I’ve been here since Saturday v I’m here since Saturday 4 I’ve done a lot today v I did a lot today

Conceptualisations The present perfect The past connected to NOW -------------------------------------------------------- A: I’ve seen the Northern Lights B: Really? A: Yes, on a visit to Norway. My husband and I have travelled / travelled right up to the Arctic Circle. B Wow!

What does the present perfect look like? Is it an image from life? If so, what is the image or scene? Or is it an abstract? Are there any shapes? Is it black and white? Or colour? Or both? Draw the present perfect as you ‘see’ it. Show it to your partner and explain your drawing. PS No time lines, please  

Conceptualisations

Over to you: think of something / someone/ somewhere … interesting / surprising you’ve …. Done … Seen … Eaten… Been Met… Experienced… ???

My Wow! experience

The road not taken If I’d ……, I’d have … Third conditional

So why ask learners to draw their understandings of concepts? Grammatical concepts are sometimes difficult for learners to get their heads around. When they do grasp them, different learners will often perceive and conceptualise them in different ways. As learners reflect, draw and discuss their different interpretations, they’re actually engaged in critical thinking: ‘Does this make sense? ‘Is this a clearer way than mine?’ ‘Why don’t we combine these two ideas?’ It’s this process of exploration and evaluation which helps deeper roots to be put down – and learning becomes more memorable. Adapted from Jade Blue ELT: https://jadeblueefl.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/conceptualising-language-learner- generated-visuals/

Other grammatical concepts to draw and discuss Present perfect continuous Present perfect simple v present perfect continuous A v the: article use for general v specific Countability Past continuous Past simple v past continuous Future tenses! ???????????

My typical Sunday: please interrupt with questions – What. Why. Where My typical Sunday: please interrupt with questions – What? Why? Where? When? Who with? Do..?

Now you do the same! Five minutes to draw

A true-ish story A bad hair day

A bad hair day: a backwards story

A bad hair day: from the beginning

Over to you Please get into groups of four. Each group will have a letter. Divide your paper into four quadrants. Number the quadrants. Think of the ending of a story – decide together. In quadrant four, each of you in your group should draw a sketch of the end of the story: two minutes! Pass your pictures to your ‘opposite number’ in the next group of four. Now, think about what happened before the ending – what led up to it. It can be serious, silly, romantic, exciting – but it should be coherent (more or less!). Discuss and then draw – three minutes. Ps everybody in the group should draw a picture. Pass your pictures to your ‘opposite number’ in the next group of four. Now think what happened in picture 2. And so on. Finally, when you’ve decided what happens in Picture 1 and have drawn it, rehearse your whole story together, from beginning to end. Now make new groups of four, show your quadrant of pictures to your new groupmates and tell them your group’s story.

Pass your paper on.. and receive another one A1 to B1 A2 to B2 A3 to B3 A4 to B4 B1 to C1 B2 to C2 B3 to C3 B4 to C4 C1 to D1 C2 to D2 C3 to D3 C4 to D4 D1 to E1 D2 to E2 D3 to D4 C4 to D4 E1 to F1 E2 to F2 E3 to F3 E4 to F4 F1 to G1 F2 to G2 F3 to G3 F4 to G4 G1 to H1 G2 to H2 G3 to H3 G4 to H4 H1 to A1 H2 to A2 H3 to A3 H4 to A4

Tell the whole story to a new partner A1 – B1 A2 - B2 A3 - B3 A4 - B4 C1 – D1 C2 – D2 C3 – D3 C4 – D4 E1 – F1 E2 – F2 E3 – F3 E4 – F4 G1 - H1 G2 – H2 G3 – H3 G4 – H4

Final thoughts So let’s encourage our learners to create their own, personalised, visual representations of ideas, concepts, events, feelings and emotions. Visual representations – drawing, for example - can be a powerful way to explore and evaluate language. Creating an image is different from just looking at someone else’s image(s). It takes longer .. But it transforms passive looking into active engagement and results in deeper processing and evaluation. Drawing can intensify interest and motivation through the use of personalisation and/or imagination. It can also aid comprehension and retention. ‘Concepts can never be presented to me merely, they must be knitted into the structure of my being, and this can only be done through my own activity’. Follett, M. (1924) Creative Experience. Eastford: Martino Fine Books. Adapted from Jade Blue ELT https://jadeblueefl.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/conceptualising-language-learner-generated- visuals/ retrieved 28.01.19

Thank you and get drawing! www.alanmarshelt.com alanmarshinmalta@gmail.com (+ 356) 99428447 Facebook and Facebook Page Alan Marsh ELT