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
will receive a set of the Macmillan Literature Collections (four
advanced-level readers containing original, unsimplified short
stories written by famous classic and modern writers).
Macmillan have kindly agreed to be sponsors of It Works in
Practice for this year.

The elephant in the room

This activity, which plays upon the object (after informing the students of students to close their books, put
students’ curiosity, runs simultaneously the target structures). The target everything away and focus on the
with any other activities in a lesson. language could be modals of music. Then I distribute small pieces of
It can be used to practise a range of deduction/speculation, particular paper, and ask them to write one
structures, vocabulary groups, functions, question forms, phrases for expressing question about the music. When they
etc. The preparation is minimal, yet it opinions, etc. This can be done as a have done this, they put them on the
produces good results and provides whole-class activity if the numbers are board or the walls. When all the
opportunities for the students to fairly small, or in groups or pairs. I questions are displayed, I invite the
communicate with you and each other. have found that whole-class works very class to come up and quietly read them.
well, as the students can listen to each
Afterwards, they can discuss/vote for
Preparation other and it’s closer to a natural
the best question, talk about any
Before the students arrive in the conversation.
language errors, speculate on some of
classroom, place an object in plain view
I have tended to follow the test-teach- the answers, etc. (A set of questions
– perhaps at the front of your desk if
test (TTT) method, providing correct and answers can lead to a short
you have one, or on a small separate
models following spontaneous language descriptive or critical piece of writing on
table or a windowsill. Make sure all the
production by the learners. It has the piece of music.)
students will be able to see the object
worked very well, as they are producing
easily without straining. (The object It is important that, at some point, you
natural language with the impetus of
needs to be unusual. I have used a correct any unnoticed errors in the
genuine interest.
small, 10cm-high model of a woman’s students’ questions.
head which came, I think, from
A variation This has always worked well, as the
Cambodia.)
Play some music at a low volume, again questions are genuine and, because the
something unusual, during a normal music has been playing in the
Procedure
lesson. background, the students have had the
Start the lesson and continue as
planned, without referring to or Once more, before it interferes with the opportunity to form meaningful
acknowledging the presence of the lesson, and when the students will, you questions, perhaps subconsciously.
object. If any students mention it, tell hope, have built up questions/ideas at Incidentally, songs with lyrics that some
them you’ll be talking about it later. the back of their minds, finish the students found a bit annoying produced
lesson, and invite contributions some of the best questions. Soothing
At some point, before the students’
stimulated by the music. material isn’t always the most
interest in the object interferes with
their concentration on the lesson in As before, a whole range of language successful – a little tension can work
hand, divert from the lesson and invite may be practised. One way I have done wonders!
Caroline Thomas
spoken contributions based upon the this is to turn up the volume, ask the Honiton, UK

42 • Issue 73 March 2011 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Dream home Get a new identity!
This is a task-based learning activity done in groups in four stages and This is an amusing activity to break the ice at the
using authentic material. My students are always interested in the task beginning of an English course and get the
because it is authentic and it offers opportunities for them to engage students to introduce themselves in an original
in critical and creative thinking. The students do a lot of talking in and unconventional way.
their groups, using persuasive language and being assertive in putting
putting across their ideas, ultimately reaching a consensus. The You will need a set of blank cards, ten for each
activity also causes a lot of laughter. student.

Preparation ● Distribute the cards to the students and tell

You will need to find four newspaper advertisements for houses or them that you are going to ask them ten
flats. Choose ones with as much detail and descriptive language as questions and that they should write their
possible. Make sure they represent contrasting properties. answers on the cards.

Stage 1 ● Collect the cards after each question and keep

Introduce the topic of buying your dream home to your students and them in ten separate piles.
brainstorm vocabulary that they would expect to see in
● When all the questions have been answered,
advertisements for property. Elicit language used to describe homes
shuffle the cards within each pile and
and their different features.
distribute them randomly to the students.
Stage 2
● Ask each student to introduce themselves to
Put the students into small groups and hand out copies of the
the class, using the information on the cards
newspaper advertisements. The students read all the advertisements
they have received. After each introduction,
and discuss the merits and demerits of each property, analysing them
invite the student to correct the information if
from various angles. Encourage them to use the language which came
they wish.
up in Stage 1.
Using fictitious information lowers the anxiety
Stage 3
Tell them that they are going to buy one of the properties, their ‘dream that many students feel when asked to talk about
home’. Ask each group to decide which property they would buy, but to themselves to people they don’t know very well.
note down also any further information they think they would like to The activity practises reading and writing as well
know about it. Tell them that they must come to a collective decision as listening and speaking.
and a team spokesperson should make a presentation to the class The questions I use revise some of the main
outlining their decision and the reasons for it. vocabulary taught at the A1 level of the Common
Stage 4 European Framework: physical appearance,
One member of each group takes the role of the potential buyer and clothes, family members, jobs, houses and
another the seller or property developer. The buyer calls the furniture, food, hobbies, sports and leisure
seller/property developer, asking questions to elicit any further activities. Because of this, the activity can also
information that the group felt they would like to know. serve as part of an entry test for new classes.
Stars Jasmine Thompson Roberto Venchiarutti
Chennai, India Gemona del Friuli, Italy

What’s in the news?

Write a set of verbs and nouns on the idea of the subject matter). They Follow up by asking the students to
board, some of which come from a choose six words and write them in guess the headline if you didn’t give it
newspaper article. Tell the students to the cells in their tables. to them as a clue. Then hand out
draw a table with six cells. They then You then read the newspaper photocopies of the article for further
have to guess which of the words on article, and if one of their words is study. You can ask comprehension
the board are in the article you are read out, the students say Bingo! and questions or true-false questions about it.
going to read out (you can help them put a tick next to it. The student with Serife Kalayci
by giving them the headline or some the most words ticked wins the game. Kahramanmaras, Turkey

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 73 March 2011 • 43