IT WORKS IN PRACTICE Teachers have so much useful experience to share with each other.
This is a selection of readers’
suggestions, tips, and techniques that have worked for them in the classroom - and could work for you!
Graffiti posters When everyone has worked on all the
errors, split the pairs to form two groups
Real letters
Give your students the opportunity to who compare their corrections, writing ‘Letter writing again. The same boring
write graffiti in English. Write your up their agreed correct version on the task.’ In order to make letter writing
starting point on large pieces of blank board. The teacher can do final more interesting, I provide my students
paper which you hang round the room. correction with the whole class. with real addresses and they send for
Students move around and make original I particularly like the activity because the information from different companies.
contributions. Since this is graffiti, they mistakes are relevant to the students,
can read what others have written, add They love it. They are so happy and
everyone is involved and no-one is
comments and correct mistakes. The proud when they get a reply – and we
singled out or embarrassed.
teacher can participate too. Here are Alessandra de Souza Santos
have authentic reading material.
some examples which have worked Nuria Garcia
(Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
successfully with my class, but teachers (Barcelona, Spain)
can think of others.
Famous person Students write Yes/no questions Humour
comparisons about a famous person. Choose five things you have in your bag
JULIO IGLESIAS Julio Iglesias sings at this moment and add five items which A joke a day keeps boredom away. Have a
better than Enrique Iglesias. could be in your bag, but aren’t. large repertoire of jokes related to
Students have seven chances to guess different language items, topics and
Conditionals Students complete an
unfinished conditional sentence. the correct items by asking yes/no situations suitable for use in the language
IF I WON A MILLION DOLLARS ... I’d questions (Do you have ...? Have you classroom. You can tell them or just have
buy a Mercedes. got ...? Is there a ...?) them written in a corner of the board. Let
Other possible scenarios (and you students tell jokes as well.
Themes Students write sentences can probably think of more): Ginka Vassileva
related to a topic. Afterwards, they sit • Guess which furniture and objects I (Bulgaria)
next to the topic that most interests have in my bedroom.
them and use the sentences as the • Guess which actions I always do
starting point for discussion. before going to work. Acronyms
TRAVELLING I like travelling abroad, so I • Guess which actions X never does
can meet new people.
Children write their name in block letters
when he stays in a hotel. vertically in the centre of the page. They
Margo Blanche When the format is established, pairs of
(Madrid, Spain) then write a word beginning with each
students can provide the lists. Confining letter. Alternatively the letters of the name
questions to people in the class helps can appear in the middle of the words.
Learning journals you all get to know one another.
Questions asked about another person or
Words must be spelt correctly. Students can
have a free choice of vocabulary or can be
I ask my teacher trainees to keep a student practise the third person form. given a specific category of words –
regular learning journal which they hand This can also be an introduction to a adjectives to describe themselves perhaps?
in to me. At first they don’t know what reading comprehension, a story, a poem Giuliana Veruggio
or a unit in the coursebook. (San Remo, Italy)
to write, but when I start making entries
Cristina Speranza
(without correcting mistakes), I find (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
that they ask questions and share freely IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
everything from problems and theories
to suggestions for future classes. I’m Vocabulary revision What works well for you in the
classroom? Everyone who teaches
sure it would work with language Give each student a piece of paper has something to share. This is an
students too. containing two or three words from the last opportunity to talk to your colleagues
Maria Gabriela Bardotti lesson which they don’t show to the others. world-wide. We are looking for
(Mendoza, Argentina) Students then have a discussion in small practical ideas. They may be simple,
groups, trying to use one or more of their sophisticated, well-tried or original.
words as naturally as possible. After a set They may take a line or two to
Correction slips period of time (2-5 minutes) students stop
speaking and have the chance to guess
explain, or require several
paragraphs. Write to us soon -
Select mistakes from students’ current which words their colleagues have used – please remember to include your
work and write them on slips of paper. possibly gaining points for correct name and address. If we publish your
Students work in pairs correcting identification or undetected words. contribution, we will extend your
different mistakes, passing on the slips Phil Haskins subscription by one issue.
to the next pair when they have finished. (Madrid, Spain)
• ENGLISH TEACHING professional • 33
