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 the contributors to It Works in Practice in this issue of ETp come
from Kansai University, Japan. They will each receive a free copy of
Teaching English Abroad (Vacation Work Publications), which is
reviewed on page 51. Why not get together with your colleagues to
Teachers from produce two full pages of ideas for a single issue of the magazine?
Kansai University

 Opening topics  Post Vacation Scramble

Brainstorm as many topics as students can think of, eg sports, This mingling activity is suitable for ten or more students. It
music, movies, etc and write them on the board. (With higher
will take at least 30 minutes.
levels be sure to elicit more abstract topics such as environment,
divorce, etc.) Draw a triangle on the board with the points labelled Give each student six small pieces of paper. On each separate
people, places and things. In the centre write names. Ask students piece of paper, have them write a sentence about their vacation
to copy this on a piece of paper. Tell them that to have a good activities, adding appropriate details, eg I went to Hong Kong
conversation or discussion it is important to ‘open up’ the topics
with my sister for two weeks. Collect all of the papers, mix them
by giving as much detail as possible. Have them pick a topic and
model it for them. For example, Movies: I watched Spiderman the and redistribute them, so that each student now has six pieces
other day in Kyoto with my friend Brian. As you speak, point to each of paper written by someone else. Students should then talk to
part of the triangle and show how you say the name to open up everyone else, changing the statement on each paper to a
the topic (eg not simply: I watched a movie with my friend.) Have question, eg Did you go to Hong Kong with your sister? When
the students work in pairs, each choosing a topic and then giving
the student finds the author of a sentence, it can be returned.
detailed sentences to open it up. The listener should act as a
coach, pointing to the parts of the triangle on their own paper if The object is to speak to everyone, returning their sentences,
any details are omitted. Later, you can have them coach each other and collecting one’s own. The activity can be expanded by
on giving fuller answers to discussion questions. requiring follow-up questions and long answers, eg No, I didn't
Joshua Kurzweil go to Hong Kong, but I went to Hawaii for a week., depending
on the level of the students and time available. Other topics,
 Fluency Circle Roleplay such as statements about family, food, likes and dislikes, etc
Put students into two circles, one inside the other (or another can also be used.
formation which allows them to change partners quickly). Rebecca Calman
Have them practise a speaking function you’ve been working
on in class or ask them to chat with their partner in English.
After several partner changes (each exchange lasting about a
 Number ads
minute or so), tell them to continue speaking, but to pretend If you have taught your students basic numbers and want
they are from the United States. After several more exchanges, an enjoyable and authentic way to give them a chance to
stop them and ask them for feedback on how their English practise their speaking and listening skills, collect some
(language, pronunciation, etc), body language and feelings advertisements with prices on them from newspapers or
changed. Students might notice that they had a greater range the internet. Enhance motivation by choosing ads for
in their intonation, moved more, became louder, were more products likely to interest your students. For example, ads
relaxed, were friendlier, etc. This can lead to the realisation from a computer shop might be a hit with a class of
that facial/body movement and the prosodic features of computer science students. Copy each ad twice, and then
English are inherently connected and are, in fact, inseparable blank out some of the prices, choosing different items on
(try to speak with excited intonation and not move!). It can each copy to create Student A and Student B versions. Use
also lead to a discussion about the cultural differences of these for an information gap activity, with students
non-verbal communication. You can then have students taking turns to ask how much the various products cost.
continue the activity, pretending they are from a different To practise larger numbers, use more expensive items,
English-speaking culture. This can lead to a discussion of such as houses and cars. For smaller numbers, try ads for
cultural differences as well as stereotypes.
groceries or small household items.
Carolyn Saylor-Loof Tom Delaney

36 • Issue 26 January 2003 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Getting together  Picture dictation
Students often sit in the same seats, so
 Walk this way This quick, fun activity can be adapted for
they end up always working with the If you have a class with a sense of most levels. The aim is for students to gain
same people. This is a fun way of dividing humour, this activity can be fun. It more listening skills practice of minimal
large classes randomly into pairs, threes involves performing actions in a pairs (eg ship/sheep, mouth/mouse) as
or small groups. It is also good for different persona. Tell students to well as the opportunity for further practice
reviewing vocabulary or introducing new do something as if they are of prepositions of position.
words. You will need small cards, one for someone different. For example, Make a pictorial plan, eg
each student, on which you put pictures Stand up as if you were an old
or words. For example, if you have 30 person. Examples of actions might
students and you want them in pairs, include real activities in the class
choose a topic, such as food, and think of (eg walk across the room) or
15 food items. You can put the same word imagined ones (eg paint a picture).
on two cards, you can put a picture of the Extend the range of actions to
item on one card and the word on the include verbal tasks, and have
other, or you can have pictures of the students give their own commands
item on both cards. Mix up the cards and to the rest of the class. Adjust the
give one to each student. Tell them to persona to include media figures
find their partner, but first provide them and roles which the students are Dictate this to the students by saying, for
with any language they may need, for familiar with. example: In the middle of a sheet of paper,
example, I am an apple; are you an apple? Chris Hellman draw a mouse. Next to the mouse, on the
Who is the other apple? If you have an right, draw a sheep. Under the sheep draw
odd number, you can have one group of a ... You can correct and guide as the
three. Say, for example, Everyone is in  Story Dictation Relay activity progresses, but the vocabulary
pairs but there are three bananas. Be sure Find a story of about 10 to 15 lines. A items should be mentioned/contrasted
to announce this to the class before they riddle or fable works best. Attach three or enough times for students to correct their
start looking for their partner. four copies of it to the board. Put students own pictures successfully.
in teams of three or four and appoint one Although students do not need to have
Students have great fun with this and
person in each team as the secretary. The high-level drawing skills (this is part of the
look forward to seeing what each week
object is for each team to copy the story fun), care must be taken that the
will bring. Fun topics are world flags,
exactly by having team members take turns vocabulary items are not too abstract or
animals, countries and capitals, jobs, US
states and cities, musical instruments, going to the board, reading a line or part elaborate for them to be able to draw.
summer activities, famous movies and of a line, returning to their team and When you have finished the dictation,
their leading actors, sports and fun world dictating as much as they can remember to allow students to see your original plan
facts (eg What is the largest country in the the secretary. The next student can only go and check that theirs match.
world? Russia.). Collect the cards at the to the board once the previous team The same activity can be used to recycle
end of the activity and keep them in an member has finished dictating. When the lexical sets (eg animals, transport) and can
envelope for reuse later. Better still, entire story is copied, the team can read it be extended by having students work in
laminate them and use them for years to and try to figure out the answer to the pairs, and take turns to dictate similar
come. riddle or the moral of the story. instructions for their partners to follow.
Robin Russ David Jones
If you want the students to form their
groups quickly, keep it simple by just
using pictures or words. If you want to  Pronunciation Bingo
practise something like question Students each make a simple grid with nine squares.
formation, you can use more difficult Write on the board 20 vocabulary words that have already BINGO
topics, such as countries and their current been taught and practised. These could include minimal
president/prime minister. Introduce the pairs, eg lice and rice, numbers, eg sixty and sixteen, or
language students will need to ask you even words where pronunciation changes between verb
for information, for example, Who is the and noun form, eg record (n) and record (v). Each student
ARTWORK BY PHILLIP BURROWS

leader of France now? or What country is chooses nine of these words and puts one in each square of their grid.
Chirac from? or How do you pronounce this The teacher chooses words at random and says each three times. Students who
name? Then have the students ask each have that word in their grid put a circle around it. The first student to get three in
other and/or you until they can find their a row, vertically, horizontally or diagonally wins. The first student to win goes to
the board and calls out a new set of words.
partner(s). Chris Cowen
Kelli Walker

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 26 January 2003 • 37