IT WORKS IN PRACTICE More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and techniques which have all worked for ETp

r ETp readers.
Try them out for yourself – and then send us your own contribution.

Contributors to It Works In Practice in this issue receive a free copy of Teaching Collocation
(editor Michael Lewis, published by LTP) which will be reviewed in the next issue.

 Celebrations
 Masterword
Each student receives a slip of paper with one word or phrase
Think of a three-letter word and mark three dashes on
the board. Students then say any three-letter word, on it connected with British or American celebrations,
which you write on the board. You give it a star for eg Auld Lang Syne, champagne, resolutions, midnight.
every letter also contained in the original word, until
Make sure you mix up several holidays, eg
they can guess the word. Try the following examples.
St Patrick’s Day: shamrock, green, Ireland, parades
has  sun  Hallowe’en: witches, trick or treat, Jack o’Lantern, ghosts
see __ sit __
__ Guy Fawkes’ Day: bonfire, Parliament, fireworks, plot
cow  ray
__ Thanksgiving: turkey, pilgrims, horn of plenty, Mayflower
hot are 
day  use  Each student has to imagine which holiday their word might
red  you  be connected to (and why) and find other students with words
wet __
connected to the same topic.
WORD ........... WORD ...........
I have also done this with students working in pairs or In the checking process, you can discuss the choice of words,
groups, with pre-prepared examples (like those above) details of the celebration, and comparisons with festivals in
and with four-letter words. the students’ own country. You might also focus on a specific
(Answers CAR, ONE) grammatical form, such as the passive, eg Auld Lang Syne is
Anya Benjamin sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Kibbutz Neve Ur, Israel Béatrice Briard
Arras, France

 Made To Last
When I make cards for language games
 Register Vocabulary  Speaking Partners
In the state school where I work, I In one of my adult evening classes, I
(either my own, or from photocopiable make use of the ‘dead time’ when I asked the students to form themselves
games in published resource packs), have to call the register by asking each
into ‘speaking partners’, who would
I prepare them on the computer and print person to call out an item of vocabulary
agree to meet occasionally and speak
them out (or photocopy them) onto starting with the first letter of their
name. I designate a different topic English together. The idea was so
heavier coloured paper or card. I then
area each time and call names in successful that the whole group
laminate them or cover them with clear
random order. (Students with names meets at least once a week in a café
contact paper. In the long run it saves
beginning with a ‘difficult’ letter can to speak English.
time, as sets last and can be used with use the first letter of their surnames – My secondary students liked the
other classes (and some can be used for or a letter which does not begin anyone idea, but not all of them started, and
different games). else’s name.)
many more didn’t keep it going.
The use of different colours for For variety, they sometimes have to
However, two or three pairs have
different sets can cut down on sorting say a word ending with the first letter
of their name, or starting with the persevered, so I’ll still suggest it to
time too – as well as making the cards future groups.
second or last letter.
look more interesting. Andrew Rouse Elena Assirelli
Marjorie Rosenberg Martonfa, Hungary Faenza, Italy
Graz, Austria

34 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue Sixteen July 2000 •

 Correction Rules  Recycling
Prepare slips of paper each containing two Pick out words from previous units in the coursebook and dictate them to the
sentences with a different mistake common students. Words from the last few units of our book, for example, were:
to the class/level. In small groups,
students try to correct the mistakes in architect engineer dustman lecturer
their two sentences and work out the rules. judge jury the accused trial
Check for accuracy at this stage. downhearted frightened desperate depressed
Each student then makes a copy of elated ecstatic happy delighted
their group’s original sentences, and
students regroup. Individuals set the rest
Check spellings. Students then work in groups of four to create a story using all
of the group the challenge of correcting the words, ticking them off as they go. Stories can be told orally, and/or students
their sentences and working out the rule. can produce a written version to give to you or to read to the rest of the class.
Cesar Eduardo Duarte Elizi Jane Godwin Coury
São Paolo, Brazil São Carlos, Brazil

 KISS  Sensory songs

When teaching English, I always keep in mind (both for my Each student takes a blank piece of
paper and divides it into three
own language and as a ‘rule’ for students) the acronym
columns, headed ‘see’, ‘hear’ and
‘KISS’: Keep It Short and Simple. ‘feel’. Play a song, or a piece of
Alain Fransolet
Stavelot, Belgium music, during which students write
down anything they think of in the

 Token Lessons  Phonemic graffiti relevant column (in English, if

During teacher training courses, I draw a possible, but ideas in their mother
My classes recognise the need for
large wall on the board, or on a sheet of tongue are also acceptable).
speaking English in class as much as paper, for students to cover with graffiti in
At the end of the song, students
possible, but they don’t always find it so phonemic script. It’s good practice and it
gives people a chance to let off steam and pass the paper to their neighbour,
easy in practice. We have therefore have some fun. who reads the words and adds two or
introduced a system whereby, as they three more in each column. (You can
come into class, they each take three help with vocabulary at this stage.)

kâlr Êâ wIz hâP

coloured plastic tokens (you can get A third student now takes the list
them cheaply in toy shops). They are and uses it as the basis of a piece of
allowed three ‘lapses’ into their mother fPnIlPdúi r creative writing – a short poem, a
tongue during the lesson (either by u*lz PŸkeâ short story, or maybe a letter
addressed to the first two students.
mistake or by choice), but on each
occasion they must hand in one token.
n I lP d úi stâÑks The resulting pieces of work can then

If they run out of tokens during the fP be shared with the rest of the class.
Halima Brewer
lesson, then any further lapses must be Fiona Chilvers Jaén, Spain
paid for by some means determined by Melbourne, Australia

the class when the system is set up, eg a

small donation to the charity box.  Category Hop
With young children, I do quick revision of vocabulary by asking them to recognise
Tokens cannot be carried forward
words belonging to a certain category. For example, if the category is ‘food’, I call out
and must be handed back at the end of lots of words, some to do with food, some not, some they know, and a few they don’t.
the lesson. When they recognise a word belonging to the category, they raise both hands and
Occasionally I substitute small shout ‘hop!’ (You can change the response to suit your students, but make it
coloured sweets for the tokens. Students something fun and physical.)
Once students know the game, they can prepare their own lists of words to read
can eat the sweets they have left at the
out, and take turns in ‘being the teacher’.
end of the lesson! Gisela Canduci
Mark Koprowski Buenos Aires, Argentina
Duluth, Minnesota, USA

• Issue Sixteen July 2000 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • 35