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 this issue will receive a digital subscription
to Modern English Teacher.
CREATIVE READING uploaded showing the crazy things
their pets do. I encourage my
CREATIVE SPEAKING
Mayuri Sooriyampola, Kandy, students to talk about the interesting Zuzana Motešická, Bratislava, Slovakia
Sri Lanka things their own pets do and I write One of the biggest challenges for me in online
This activity gives enjoyable their contributions on the board. teaching, especially with large classes, is to get the
practice in reading texts aloud students to speak. As a result, I now dedicate a large
I then read the poem to the
accurately and meaningfully. part of my lessons to warm-up discussions. In these,
class, and ask some questions,
I use a charming short poem I try to make all the students feel personally
such as:
called ‘Mismatched’ by Amy addressed. I ask them how they feel, talk about their
■ What does this dog do?
Ludwig Vanderwater, but there new hairstyles, their weekend plans or objects and
are many other poems that ■ Does the dog love the poet? pets I can see around them (when their cameras are
could work as well. ■ oes the poet feel angry with
D switched on). We also discuss current affairs and
the dog? scientific topics. Apart from developing their speaking
Mismatched skills and their ability to make small talk, this has
We discuss the answers to these
My dog thinks taught them a lot of new vocabulary. Chatting has
questions and examine the key
She’s the Easter Bunny, proved to be better for quick delivery of new words
vocabulary of the poem, eg Easter
Hiding shoes and expressions than putting them on the online
Bunny, hiding, smell, throughout,
When I’m asleep whiteboard. In order to activate the students’ English
clown. I use a variety of techniques
I’m glad she likes to help them understand these and encourage creativity, I sometimes I ask them
The way I smell, words, including pictures and mime. to write a short poem or finish a story in only one
But someday sentence. I also try to remember some small
Next, I invite volunteers to read
I would like to keep interesting details about each student, in order to
the poem aloud or recite it to the
make a connection with them in the following lesson.
A pair of shoes class, if they can. I help them with
One left, one right pronunciation and intonation and At first, the students felt a bit uncomfortable, as
Side-by-side then put the students into groups of in other subjects they are not asked to speak that
Throughout the night. three or four to practise reciting the much. However, the ice soon broke and in the final
poem with correct pronunciation feedback, this section of the lesson was evaluated
So when I dress as the most popular part. It also helped the students
and intonation.
To go to town, to get to know their classmates, as they were
I look like me Finally, I play music and pass
first-year students who hadn’t had the chance to
And not a clown! a soft toy dog around the class.
meet each other in person before the lockdown.
I tell the students that whenever the
music stops, the student holding I incorporated speaking into other parts of
the toy has to recite the poem. the lesson, too. Getting the students to give a
presentation on a scientific topic offered them
All my students enjoyed this
a chance to practise speaking – and not only for
activity and the majority of them
the person doing the presenting. Other students
could recite the poem correctly.
participated in the follow-up discussions and
As a follow-up activity, I asked evaluated the presentations in a short feedback
the students to collect pictures of session. When we worked with a coursebook, the
To set the scene, I show the pets or other animals doing funny texts were read aloud, pronunciation corrected and
students a video clip of pets doing things, using photos of their own new expressions explained. Sometimes, I asked the
interesting things. The clip I use pets in action, if possible. I asked students to prepare a mind map or summary of the
was sent to me on WhatsApp, but them to bring these to the class to text and present it briefly, or – for a more creative
YouTube and other internet sites share with everyone, as a good way activity – to put together an advert or use new
are full of videos that people have of personalising what they learnt. n technical vocabulary in sentences of their own. n
30 Issue 136 • September 2021 www.etprofessional.com
IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
CREATIVE WRITING I also have to mention that, according to
my questionnaire, about a quarter of the
Maria Vrabelova, Bratislava, Slovakia students seem satisfied with their online
It is often difficult to engage my science life and learning.
students in creative writing, either in class
or for homework. Many of them claim that Chemistry equipment
they really want to improve this skill but, Games do not work well with my
when it comes to it, they are reluctant to students, so I often set creative writing
produce anything. tasks instead. In a lesson whose topic
was the properties of objects and
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed substances in a chemical laboratory,
the way we live and think, giving us more ‘My dream house has the shape of a
I asked the students to write a fairy tale
time to focus on ourselves, and for my hemisphere, because it is the strongest
which started with four given sentences:
students, it seems that this is the right shape and it’s hard to destroy. It is made
time to put their feelings into words. Many Once upon a time, there was a spherical of concrete and glass. The windows have
of them are shy about talking online (poor flask and a thermometer. Spherical Flask a hexagonal shape. Some windows are
internet connections are an obstacle for was honest and absolutely transparent. translucent. There’s a translucent lake
some) and, suddenly, writing activities She never lied. She liked cooking, and outside and it’s surrounded by nature.’
seem to have come into their own. wasn’t exactly slim.
‘I would like my house to have huge
As a university teacher in the faculty of Here are some of my students’ ideas rectangular glass windows, wooden walls
chemical and food technology, I would for continuing the story: and a stone fireplace. I would also like an
like to share some ideas for developing oval bathroom with white walls and a small
writing skills while teaching English for ‘Thermometer was mean and always square window. I think an oval glass table
technical purposes: complained about Spherical Flask’s would look nice in the living room.’
weight. So Flask decided to lose some
Confessional questionnaires weight. After a week, she became so slim ‘I will be living in a house shaped like a
Questionnaires about lockdown learning that people used her as a test tube.’ rectangular prism; it will be made of
have helped me to understand my wood. So my wooden house will be very
‘On the other hand, Thermometer was cosy, but flammable too. I hope I won’t
students better and to open up channels
moody and fragile. In spite of everything, have a problem with this. I will make
of communication with them. The
one day they decided to get married. a pool with smooth tiles outside the
responses to questions such as What
They moved to a laboratory and started house. The roof will be made of a flexible
part of the day is the best/worst for you?
to produce plenty of solutions for their material, which can be bent so that the
What do you like/hate most about
bright future.’ roof will open and I will be able to watch
online lessons? What are your favourite
activities in English lessons? and so on the stars at night.’
‘But Thermometer didn’t care about all
have surprised me with their openness the delicious food Spherical Flask was ‘My future house will be shaped like a
and sincerity. Some of the students able to prepare. He wasn’t impressed hemisphere, made of glass and situated
clearly felt a desperate need to by her, as she wasn’t able to measure at the bottom of the ocean. The glass will
write about the conditions they were temperatures and she wasn’t slim. be special; nobody will see me from the
unexpectedly pushed into by lockdown. But she was strong and tough enough outside. All the furniture will be made of
Here are some of their answers: to tolerate his high temperatures and wood and rock. I will have a beautiful
various toxic chemicals. However, garden of underwater flowers, and fish
‘I just go from one corner of my room to
her heart was really fragile. As soon will be swimming around it.’
another all the day trying to understand
as Thermometer realised this, he
what the lecturers are talking about.’
changed his mind and decided to stay Product alphabets
‘The worst thing happening to me during with his Spherical Flask forever.’ For this task, I suggested that the
the lessons these days is inability to students work in teams and try to
Here are some more ideas for using compile a list of the products of oil
answer a question – not because I can’t
teaching material creatively. These all distillation, each one starting with
follow the teacher, but because my head
seemed to work well in my online a different letter of the alphabet.
is blank.’
classes:
Such confessions help to create a point Recipe steps
of contact with the students, encourage Shapes and materials Having examined the topic of cheese
me to be more gentle and understanding I asked my students to describe their making and fermentation in class, the
with them, and also inspire me to look dream house of the future, using as task I set here was to describe, step
for activities which, to paraphrase many words as possible to do with by step, the recipe for any kind of
W B Yeats, will not fill them like a pail, shapes and the properties of materials. fermented food that my students
but light a fire in them. Here are some examples: could make at home. n
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