KNUE Art in the EFL classroom

Reasons for using art Art can enrich the imagination of ESL students. Because of that, it is well-suited to speaking and writing activities, which benefit from a strong wish to express an idea or reaction. The use of works of art also promotes an understanding of the target culture and its history. Art seems to enhance a "bridge function" between the pattern- recognizing right hemisphere of the brain and the more analytical, language-processing aspects of the left. Grandma Moses Meets ESL: Art for Speaking and Writing Activities by Claudia J. Rucinski-Hatch

Other reasons Can you think of other reasons for using art?

Have you used art in your class? How?

Some ways to use art: Responding to famous paintings  Students can write questions to the painter  Students can write the story of the paining  Students can brainstorm the who/what/when etc. of the painting  The teacher can bring in paintings from other cultures to teach about culture/geography  Other ideas?

Painting/drawing Students can illustrate their own stories Students can illustrate the meaning of words/ideas/themes in the classroom Students can draw experiences they’ve had Students can draw pictures based on the description of their classmates Other ideas?

Reader theatre Students write stories, create sets, and read their stories to an audience Students rewrite stories they’ve heard, using target vocabulary, and perform the stories Other ideas? You can find examples on youtube.com

Quick sketch The teacher reads a text to the students, and the students illustrate certain images The teacher can assess whether or not students are understanding the text by their pictures This type of activity reinforces the importance of visualizing the words in your mind

Other ideas about ways to use art?

LET’S MAKE SOME ART!