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

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Big brother mistakes Colour-coded cooperation

My students can already communicate Most teachers will be all too familiar participate actively in discussions,
freely and know the rules of grammar, with the following situation: You ask I handed out coloured cards. I used
but they still keep making mistakes, a question that is supposed to trigger six different colours and gave cards
and I often find these difficult to deal a discussion among all the students of the same colour to three or four
with. Fluency seems to be much easier in the class, but only those who students. (Of course, this also works
regularly participate actively raise with numbers or different symbols
to achieve than accuracy! Of course,
their hands in response. I expect that on pieces of paper.) I kept one set of
there are plenty of strategies one can
in every class there are students who cards of all the colours for myself.
try for this sort of problem, and here
are more eager to participate in
is one of my favourites. The rule now was that when I held
discussions than others. However,
up a card, it was the turn of those
At the beginning of the lesson, I write especially with students of
students with cards of the same
on the board: The mistake I don’t intermediate level or above, this is
colour to talk next. This seemed to
not necessarily due to their lack of
want to make today is ... and ask my work pretty well. By cheating a bit
confidence in their own language
students to think of ways to complete when distributing the cards I created
skills, but may be related to their
the sentence. Together we choose one colour groups consisting of students
personality. In some cases, they are
mistake for that lesson – for example, who were usually quite active and
simply slow to raise their hands and
use of third person s for present groups consisting of those who were
by the time they do so, the faster
simple forms, conditional sentences usually quite quiet. Thus, the quiet
students have already had their say.
or articles – and keep the rest for our students could no longer rely on the
Some students might simply enjoy
future classes. more active ones to do the talking
listening to discussions rather than
for them. On the other hand, as
actively participating or may consider
During the lesson everybody tries to there was more than one person in
their opinions not important enough
monitor their speech for the chosen each group, there was always a way
to be expressed in larger groups.
mistake. They do this naturally, with out if one of them simply couldn’t
Some students, of course, simply
greater attention and concentration find anything at all to say.
can’t be bothered to participate.
than usual because the mistake is
There was an additional advantage:
there on the board ‘watching’ them. There are many tricks teachers use to
the technique prevented the
I find that the students also correct try to involve as many students as
students from automatically
one another, and I encourage them to possible: roleplays, passing on a ball,
switching off, as there was always
assigning tasks or opinions. But in
do so. At the end of the lesson, we the chance of their own colour
the course of a whole term, these
recap on the mistakes made during coming up, encouraging them to
activities can wear out quickly.
the class. speak or demanding that they did.
Nataliya Potapova A while ago, I tried something new. Britta Hofmann
Uzhhorod, Ukraine In order to give everyone a chance to Leipzig, Germany

36 • Issue 75 July 2011 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Political presidential debate What’s the
I’ve been doing this activity for years, and it really works as you can adapt it word, Mr Wolf?
to any level or age or topic. It is based on electing a new president and This game combines the old
enables and encourages discussion and debate along the way. favourite Hangman, a word-
guessing game, with the
1 To set the scene, elicit some of 8 Explain the following debate children’s game What’s the
the different political parties in procedure: time, Mr Wolf? in which
the UK (or some other country). ● One party leader will be asked a participants move forward one
Make sure you have some major question and will give a two-minute step at a time, trying not to
parties and some minor ones to answer. be seen by the ‘wolf’ at the
make it interesting. Have a class front. It caters for students
● Another party leader will then give
discussion of their main agendas. with the bodily-kinaesthetic
a one-minute response.
2 Put the students into groups of intelligence profile, as
● An optional one-minute extension
four and ask each group to create defined by Howard Gardner in
will then be given to any leader who
their own political party, giving his theory of multiple
requests it or is thought to need it.
it a name and an agenda. (This intelligences.
9 Ask the leaders to prepare on their
is the point at which you can ● Draw a dash on the board
introduce any particular topic, own by thinking of questions they
for each letter of your
if you want to, asking for the may be asked and deciding on their
chosen word (jazz is a good
agenda to reflect the party’s responses. While they are doing this,
choice because nobody ever
views on this topic.) choose someone to control the
gets it right straight away).
debate: the moderator or presenter.
3 Ask the students to prepare for This person should ask the voters for ● Ask the students to form a
a leader election within their questions that they would like to be horizontal line across the
groups by creating speeches, put forward to the leaders. centre of the room. Tell
using language such as: them they should shout out
10 The debate begins and the voters
‘Vote for me because ...’ letters that they think
participate with clapping and booing. might be in the word you
‘A vote for me is a vote for ...’
11 You can also add the following have chosen. If a letter is in
‘This party needs a leader who your word, you write it in
sections:
can ... and ... – that’s me!’ the correct position. If it
● Open-floor questions from the
4 Each candidate presents their isn’t, you write it at the
voters.
speech and the parties hold side. Each time they shout
● Candidate-to-candidate open-floor out a correct letter, they
elections.
debate (the leaders should speak can take a step forward, but
5 The elected leaders give short to and even walk over to the voters each time they shout out a
acceptance speeches and make to make their points). wrong one, they have to
three promises: 12 take a step back.
Hold the election.
‘I promise to ...’
13 The winner makes an acceptance ● Furthermore, if they guess
‘I swear that I will ...’ the word and get it wrong,
speech and the losers make speeches
‘I will not rest until ...’ conceding the election. the penalty is double: two
steps back.
6 Elicit the parties’ agendas and Here are some useful YouTube clips to
put common policy areas on the ● The winner is the person
demonstrate the activity:
board, eg education tuition fees, who shouts out the answer
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUY-
defence, immigration, housing, (the whole word), or the
D7w1Cs&feature=related
unemployment. person closest to the front
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRPcUu4du14 of the room when you bring
7 The leaders canvas the electorate www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZdQ0kA3ksg the game to an end.
(the whole class) and note down
Phil Wade Michael Berman
their wishes.
Bordeaux, France London, UK

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 75 July 2011 • 37