IT WORKS IN PRACTICE More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and techniques which have all
worked for ETp readers. Try them out for yourself – and then send us
your own contribution.
All contributors to It Works In Practice in this issue of ETp receive
a free copy of Teaching for Success by Mark Fletcher (published by
English Experience) which is reviewed on page 51.
Metaphor
Make sure students understand the basic idea that metaphors
Back To The Word
Each student selects five new words from the previous
and similes are things which are like, or which can represent,
something else. Give students lists of potential metaphors for class and writes them down as a list on a piece of paper.
different concepts (particularly to do with teaching and The students work in pairs. The lists of words are
learning), and ask them to discuss in groups which one is redistributed and each student writes the words with a
most appropriate (or to what degree each of them is or isn’t finger, on their partner’s back. When partners know the
appropriate). Some examples: word, they shout it out loud.
As a follow-up activity, to check understanding of the
choreographer, counsellor, actor, signpost, key,
Teacher words, students form teams. The teacher says a
judge, encyclopaedia, bus, friend, walking stick
definition of one of the words. Teams confer and when
actor, hunter, army recruit, climber, gardener, everyone knows the word they all do something, like
Learner
lump of clay, party goer, detective clapping their hands, stamping their feet or making a
library, journey, home, prison, park, lake, ‘silly’ noise. The teacher can ask anyone in the team for
School the word. They get ten points for a right answer. If their
beach, club, jungle
answer is wrong, give five points to the other team, who
Ask individuals to choose or invent their own favourite then also get the chance for another five points for
metaphor for each concept. Others in the group discuss giving the right answer.
why it might be appropriate. Francisco Rodríguez
Naashia Mohamed Córdoba, Spain
Auckland, New Zealand
Register
Mobile Phones Museum Take Away
If you can’t take your students to a Calling the register is obligatory in
Mobile phones can be a nuisance
museum, you might be able to bring the my classes, so I build in a bit of extra
when they go off in lessons. museum to them. More and more language practice, by varying the way
However, given the fact that museums these days are offering
educational programmes, which can
in which I greet each student. They
students are inordinately proud of reply using the same greeting, or an
include lending objects (with supporting
them and love showing them off, materials) to schools. You might suggest appropriate response:
I decided to make them a focal part this to your local museum if it doesn’t
Me Hello, Gai.
already do so.
of my lesson on comparatives. I Failing that, you can bring (and ask Gai Hello, Mr Pete.
elicited adjectives to describe them students to bring) items which are no Me Good morning, Golf.
longer in use, perhaps belonging to
(expensive, light, new, small, etc), Golf Good morning, Mr Pete.
grandparents, and students can prepare
and then, in small groups, the their own exhibition. Me How are you, Pop?
students spent a boastful ten The project – and associated Pop I’m fine, Mr Pete.
language – can be as limited or I call out the names in a random order,
minutes comparing them. extensive as time and the syllabus allow.
Annette Margolis
just to keep everyone on their toes.
Anne Stokes
Latina, Italy Glasgow, Scotland Peter Ball
Bangkok, Thailand
36 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue Seventeen October 2000 •
Smile, Please!
Use ‘question and answer jokes’ in class
regularly to get students thinking
A Question of Numbers
Write different numbers on the board (dates, times, decimals, phone numbers, etc,
according to the students’ language level), and check that students know how to say them.
1
2
about the language in an enjoyable Read out ten questions about numbers and students write the answers, eg
45 3
way. Encourage students to bring in Elementary: What’s your telephone number? What time do you get up?
their own jokes to share. Here’s one to Intermediate: What’s your car registration number? How much does a
three-course meal cost in your favourite restaurant?
get you started:
679 8
Students work in small groups. They read out their numbers and
Q Why is ‘smiles’ the longest word in the try to reformulate the questions.
English language? After whole-class feedback, students work in groups of three
A Because there’s a mile between the to think of another five questions involving numbers.
beginning and the end.
Alain Fransolet
Stavelot, Belgium
Mix the groups, and students ask each other their questions.
Tanya Cotter
Bari, Italy 0
Country Coins Kim’s Game Plus
To make the learning of nationality adjectives more entertaining, I’m sure I’m not the only person who
I show my students coins from different countries and elicit plays Kim’s Game with students as a
sentences such as, ‘It’s French; it’s from France.’ way of revising vocabulary. That’s the
Students could bring in their own postcards or stamps, too.
one where you put a number of items
Nelly Valieva
Brest, Belarus on a tray, check that students know
how to say them, give them a few
Collaborative Hangman Speaking Naturally minutes to memorise what they are,
My students enjoy playing Hangman, My students are used to me conducting all and then cover the tray while the
especially as we play a collaborative version English lessons in English, even with quite students write down everything they
where the goal is that no-one gets hanged. low level classes. can remember.
The game proceeds in the
normal way with students I start classes by just speaking naturally I cheat a bit, though, by changing
working in pairs: student A with students, in their mother tongue, a few of the items while they’re busy
draws dashes to represent about what they’ve been doing, things of writing, eg a red pen for a blue
the letters of the target word, interest, or whatever we might normally talk
student B guesses letters.
pencil, a ping pong ball for a golf
about. After a couple of sentences, I repeat
Correct letters are written in each thing I say in English, still in the same ball, etc. When they come to check
the correct places, each wrong guess results normal tone of voice, as part of the their answers, we can generate extra
in the drawing of one line of the scaffold.
conversation. Students can still respond in (genuine) language practice as they
However, at the sixth wrong guess (when
their mother tongue, but I translate what ‘complain’ about the changes.
the head is drawn), A says, ‘You’re in danger.’
they say into English, as if for the benefit of
B can then ask, ‘What does the word mean?’ Katy Vening
A must give a clear definition. other students. I respond to the content of Sunderland, England
Students still have five guesses for what they say, respecting their ideas, rather
sorting out potential spelling problems. than responding to the language they use,
David Coulson
Shomen Jutaku, Japan
and certainly not correcting what they say
(although I can rephrase things as part of
Liar, Liar
Students work in small groups, and each
the repetition process). person tells the others in the group a
Finishing Time Gradually I use more English and less of the short story about him/herself. (Give a
With demotivated or poorly behaved mother tongue, asking them simple time limit.) The story can be true or
classes of teenagers, I occasionally questions in English, while keeping the false, but they must not say which.
start the lesson by writing the finish whole tone of the conversation light- Next, the listeners repeat the story
time on the board. This is five hearted, and providing translation into the to the whole class, and everyone votes as
minutes before the stipulated finish mother tongue if students don’t to whether they think each story is true
time. If they behave, I stick to it. If or false. Keep a tally of all the votes
understand. I find that students move into
they don’t, I add one minute for each until the end, when each story-teller
using English themselves when they are
misdemeanour. It seems to work. holds up a sign saying TRUE or FALSE.
ready to do so.
Paul Garbutt Halima Brewer Yvonne Castino
Barcelona, Spain Jaén, Spain Southampton, England
• Issue Seventeen October 2000 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • 37
