Favourite lesson

[dorum]

So, do you have a lesson which always works? One that you can bring into any class, no matter how asleep and unmotivated, and wake them up?

I do ;D I have used it with most of my classes (I work in a university), and it has never flopped so far.
It's very simple, it's called 'selling useless things' - well, there's your explanation....
I divide the class into group and give each group an object they have to sell. In the past I have used; chair with no legs, TV with no sound and bad picture, fridge that doesn't work, bike with one wheel etc.
The possibilities are endless.
I point out to the students that they shouldn't take it too seriously, but try to come up with alternative uses and any reasons they can why their classmates should buy their product. Each group presents (I always force them to have EVERYONE speak; they are not allowed to just choose one person to speak for the group) for about 5 minutes, and then the class is given the chance to ask questions (read; torture them).

Even in my most apathetic classes, this lesson has always caused much hilarity - they really go to town with it, drawing pictures on the board and inventing all sorts of insane uses for their products. One group even made a short play!

Just thought I'd share that, as it's a lesson that always puts me and the students in a good mood.
What's your favourite lesson?

[woza17]

For my younger larger classes, I use the flyswatter game that I got off daves esl cookbook, it has never failed and can last an hour.

How it works, divide the class into 2 teams. Write answers to questions on the board. Call 2 members of each class to the front of the board give then each a flyswatter and then read out the question. The first one to swat the correct answer wins, the kids go wild. It has never failed
Cheers Carol

[Chinasyndrome]

Well, this thread was languishing at the bottom so it's time for a slight hijacking. In wOz' 'whatdyadoonafridynoight' or similarly named thread over in General I posted about doing a fill-in for another FT. We had a whale of a time and the class extended out to more than 2 hours. Just thought I'd give a bit of insight into here.

Something I've noticed is that students and classes can become uncooperative from time to time. This class was making the FT pull his hair out and as a subtle 'punishment' he'd arranged a lesson on tenses and gender. I dislike the idea of using grammar-based 'learning' as a form of retribution. No wonder the students weren't responsive! So I made the lesson fun. They wrote left handed. They had a swag of topics to choose from, in all of which they'd be required to use tense and gender. I even had them write a humorous epitaph.

This oral English class went nuts, working in groups that I manufactured because otherwise they always sit in the same group and their answers become predictable and boring. Not only did they perform exceptionally well in the tasks and outcomes I wanted, they spoke English only in the break and ASKED to extend the class, which we did.

My first question to them was 'Who likes speaking English?' 2 hands went up. The rest said they hated it, and having asked them why I could not only understand them, I agree with them. The way they're taught is often tedious and need not be. We can't feed them lunatic soup in the classroom but I can't see why we can't inject humour and interest into it. I put young men with young women. They don't have to get married, hold hands, or have children, but if they do I want an invitation to the wedding and the child's birthday parties.

This class over-achieved all the learning objectives for the lesson, had a riot of fun, and at the end unanimously said they love learning English when it's like this. We have a tremendous power to influence their thoughts about language and study. This class worked in a highly intelligent manner, had a great time that really engaged their minds, and some of trheir epitaphs showed that they are highly original and sublimely clever.

[dorum]

I absolutely agree, CS, when we can find inspiring and entertaining (but at the same time somehow 'useful') ways of conducting a class, it's amazing to see the talent, wit and imagination displayed by at least part of a class.
I have been scathing in my report to the Foreign Languages College here (they asked for our feedback - I think they're regretting that now ;D), as our students have NONE of the sparkle most of the time. The reason is quite simple; they have 8 different English classes per week, each one a double period. They have reading, writing, speaking, listening, some class which combines the four skills (now there's a novel idea : and god only knows what else. In short, they are exhausted, and 6 weeks into the term, the first year students I teach had already switched from 'English is my favourite subject' to 'I hate English, I'm so bored with it.'
Sometimes I manage to wake them up (especially the first years, they're mostly lovely), but man, these kids are depressed!
You make some good points, both about changing things around as much as possible and making the topics interesting.
All i need now is some good advice for how to make writing more interesting - I try, but they HATE writing (at least 80% of them).
Also, I would like to point out that I don't think it'll kill them to do something tedious every once in a while - some things one has to do to learn a language well just ARE tedious.

[wOZfromOZ]

Yes

Many used to say that a supply teacher's job was a nightmare-ish form of teaching occupation but if the students get a fresh face and fresh ideas combined with a liberal dash of teaching experience and skill
there 'subbie' or 'supply' can do a great job.

Before I came to China and after I retired from teaching
(lasted one day They pleaded for me to go back but I just told 'em NO WAY!) ...I did about 12 months of supply work - usually 3 days a week. I refused to go back to my mal administered previous highschool but really enjoyed 'subbing' at another 'local' one.

Goodonya CS
way to go son!!
wOZfromOZ

[Chinasyndrome]

Thanks Dad (wOZ). ;D Dorum, I've had my share of writing classes too. Can you give more information, examples or subject matter? Get them writing with the left hand just for a breather from monotony. You can use that as a basis for fun and relaxation in later classes. When a difficult subject goes up I tell them it's a bit easy and maybe we should do it left-handed. Bit of a chuckle and their mindset is unstuck again. Anything that isn't dictation is open to a bit of change and interersting ideas, so let's discuss.

[dorum]

Ok, I'll give you the information I was given at the beginning of term - first year English majors, writing. Do some informal writing.
That's it.
They have a book ('Handbook of writing' or something imaginative like that), which they are supposed to use for four years, I was told I could use a chapter called 'The Sentence' - it talks about loose and periodic sentences and other things which confuse the hell out of me, so I have decided not to inflict the thing on them - it's way too difficult to read as well.
So I'm left with 'informal writing'. We've worked a lot on describing (places, people etc.) and injecting life and interest into the writing. Currently we're doing opinions - do you agree or disagree type stuff. It's OK, but I find it difficult to do very much other than to let them practise and give individual feedback. We end up talking a lot in class. I think the students would like me to give them useful phrases and sayings, but I don't want to receive 72 essays with identical phrases in them (I had it once with a letter - 'How time flies' was the first sentence of every single letter - I didn't teach them that, by the way.)
What do you do to break up the monotony of telling them how to do something and them writing (I hate to leave them writing for prolonged periods in class - they can do that at home)?

[Chinasyndrome]

Okay, your 'useful phrases' comment jumped out at me and it's an often mentioned one. Any group of students who've studied under different teachers know different phrases. You and they would be amazed at the amount of diverse knowledge present in the room. They just haven't thought of it like that. So your first opportunity to 'teach' different phrases comes from the students themselves. Shared knowledge. Bear in mind that they've been describing standard people, places and things since Adam was born in China. No wonder it's boring. Imagine a forum where we were limited to this. Cricket chirper, for sure. Talk of standard events is also boring unless you change the focus. You can't rely on them to think exponentially or even intelligently without stimulus.

I'll give a few examples here but also post them in the general forum. Let's see what happens.

* The best thing that nearly happened to you. Everyone has potentially life-changing situations that they ignore or just don't pursue. The random meeting, the offer of adventure or something different or better. Think about a time (or 3) when you had a chance at something like this. Now describe the event and imagine what could have happened if you followed it.

* The money or the diary? Your distant relative from another place has just died after a very long life. You can have 20000 $ or Y or you can have their extensive diaries telling about their lives. Choose, but you can't take the money and then buy the diaries.

- what would you do with the money.?
- do you think you'd regret not taking the diary later?
- specualte on what you might have missed out on.
- describe some of the interesting things in the diary.
- give a snapshot of what you think their life was like and how it compares to life today/

* The 'first things' you did/ate/drank/and went to (after your house) when you went back for holidays.

* The neverending story. Like the one we do in here. This can be ongoing. Each student begins the story. Then the next continues but cannot use what they've written previously. You'll end up with a classroom full of unique stories even though the starting point was the same. Depending on their level, give them say, 30 minutes to write 200 words. Encourage fun.

If their level is right you can follow my lead and 'ban' certain overused phrases from being used, such as the one you mentioned, 'every coin has 2 sides', you name it. If we force them to extend their thinking they will. If we allow them to fall back on the safe, the known, the lazy 'baby' English they will.

Your turn.

[dorum]

I don't think I was very clear about the describing thing - that was one of the things that worked, exactly because they've done it before, so that I could demand a lot more of them.
I forced them to try and write so that I could get a mental image of the person/place/story, NOT 'My friend has black hair and two brown eyes' - oh, REALLY
The end results were very good, and they realised that it's a LITTLE more fun to write if you use your brain while you're doing it and not just spewing out the same old crap you've been writing since you were 12.

I don't have a great deal of trouble thinking of topics that they are interested in, I think my biggest problem is the actual execution of the class - I HATE having them writing in silence for too much of the time.

Another thing which worked, by the way, was 'agony aunt' letters - I got them to write to each other about their imaginary problems, and encouraged them to write back with terrible advice - that was fun ;D
Well, the talking about it afterwards was fun...

So, my main problem: there's a very limited amount of things you can actually DO in a writing class if the main focus is to be on writing - chain stories, writing each other letters, reading and commenting on each other's writing, and that's about it.
I just feel like we've done it all to death by now, and thank heavens I'm leaving, otherwise there would be a whole new term of classes to cook up.

Oh, and may I say, 'In a word' should be banned from the English language, plain and simple "In a word, blablablablabla, blablabla, and so on". No, that would be "In 465 words", numbnut...

[Chinasyndrome]

Okay, I (finally) see where you're heading. Need some writing lessons?

To create a non-exclusively writing 'writing' class only requires planned breaks at odd intervals. To keep the creative ideas moving and add an element of excitement as well as discussion, let the students write for say, 13.5 minutes and then ask for a short synopsis of what they've done. By this time they will have, at least to some extent, developed at least one character or scene. Briefly discuss said and ask the others to comment or give ideas/ask questions. The student can then continue with a new idea or variation on it or just return to what they were doing. I've seen some incredibly good stories written as a result of this and often the students feel it's a better story as a result of the random input. Just 1 or 2 discussion breaks like this, well managed for time in a 45-minute class can break the silence and monotony as well as spark or re-spark interest in the project at hand.

[dorum]

Sorry for the lateness of my response - I've been working (exams... )

I don't have much more to say on the subject, except thanks for some good ideas and useful input.

Oh, and one more thing...

Okay, I (finally) see where you're heading. Need some writing lessons?

Let's see, where shall we begin?
1.

It's OK, but I find it difficult to do very much other than to let them practise and give individual feedback.

2.

What do you do to break up the monotony of telling them how to do something and them writing (I hate to leave them writing for prolonged periods in class - they can do that at home)?

Reading comprehension classes, anyone?

[Hamish]

When, once more, I am trying to ex plain how "face" can get in the way of learning I read students the first few paragraphs of "Jonathon Livingston Seagull." They love to listen, and they seem to get the point very well.

I am considering reading the entire book to a class to see how they react.