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.
Both the contributors to It Works in Practice in this issue of ETp
will receive a copy of Networking in English by Barney Barrett and
Pete Sharma, published by Macmillan. Macmillan have kindly
agreed to be sponsors of It Works in Practice for this year.
All heart All ears!
I really enjoyed Kimberly Sanford’s This game is suitable for students of pre- 6 When the song is over, tell the students
sane, grounded and student- intermediate level and above. It is a team to go back to their seats. Work out which
centred article in Issue 66 of ETp game involving plenty of movement and it team scored the most points and announce
on the importance of getting gives practice in listening, pronunciation and the winners. Then give each student a copy
students to learn text by heart . ‘mouth gymnastics’. It should take about of the lyrics with the selected words
Antoine de la Garanderie, the 15–20 minutes of class time. underlined. Play the song again and ask the
great French pedagogical thinker, You will need a CD player, a board, some students to sing along, looking at the lyrics
medium-sized pieces of cardboard, Blu-Tack or in order to practise pronunciation.
suggests that there are four main
tape, a song, marker pens and copies of the Alternatively, play short excerpts of the
ways of learning and that the
song lyrics. song, stopping after each one and asking
second is committing text to
1 Choose a song which is appropriate for the students to sing the excerpt without
memory (as the Muslim world music, moving their lips in an exaggerated
does with the Koran). the level of your students and make a copy of
way in order to provide them with some
I know two good ways of the lyrics for every student in the class. Select
mouth gymnastics.
helping students to interiorise 12 words at random from the song and put
and memorise text. each on a medium-sized piece of cardboard. Variations
The first is individual 2 Introduce the song and tell the students Members of each team stand next to each
other without forming a line. A member of a
running dictation. In this that they are going to listen to it twice, the
team who hears one of words on the board
activity each student has to run to first time to familiarise themselves with the
tries to grab it before a member of the other
a text, commit what they can of it mood of the song, get some general
team does so, and marks it with their team
to their short-term memory, run understanding of it and prepare themselves
letter. That student then leaves the team and
back to their writing materials for a game based on it.
sits down.
and put it down on paper. They 3 Play the song and while the students are Instead of songs, other authentic
then run back to the text, read listening, attach the 12 word cards to the listening materials can be used.
some more and run back to write board with Blu-Tack or tape. To make it more challenging
it down. 4 Divide the class into two teams, A and B, for more advanced students,
The second is blackboard add homophones where
and ask them to stand in two vertical lines
rub out. You write a memorable possible for some of the
facing the board.
text on the board and ask two or chosen words. (Write the
5 Tell the students that they are going to homophonous pairs on the
three students to read it aloud.
You rub out three or four words listen to the song for the second time and same piece of card.) When the
from different parts of the text when they hear one of the words on the cards, students choose a card with two
the two students at the front of each team words on it, they have to circle the correct
and ask a student to read the
should race each other to the board. The one. If a member of the other team thinks
text, including the words that
faster student uses a marker pen to write the the opposing team has chosen the wrong
have vanished. You then rub out
letter of their team on the word card. Both word, they can go to the board and mark
three or four more words and get students then go to the back of their teams. their choice with their team letter.
another student to read the whole Make it clear that shouting by members of a (Examples of homophonous words:
text aloud, including the missing team while the song is playing will cause that breach/breech; bread/bred; cite/sight/ site;
words. You go on like this till 90% team to lose one point, and if the game ends sea/see; your /you’re; bow/bough. You will
of the words have gone – but the in a tie, the more disruptive team will lose! find an alphabetical list of homophones at
students know the text by heart. When playing the song, make sure it is loud www.homophone.com.)
Mario Rinvolucri enough so that it can be heard over the Mohammed Arroub
Canterbury, UK movement of the students. Homs, Syria
42 • Issue 67 March 2010 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •
IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
Do you have an idea which you would like to contribute All the contributors to It Works in Practice get a prize!
to our It Works in Practice section? It might be We especially welcome joint entries from teachers
anything from an activity which you use in class to a working at the same institution. Why not get together
teaching technique that has worked for you. Send us with your colleagues to provide a whole It Works in
your contribution, by post using this form or by email Practice section of your ideas? We will publish a photo
to helena.gomm@keywayspublishing.com. of you all.
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Return to: It Works in Practice Or email: helena.gomm@keywayspublishing.com
English Teaching professional
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• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 67 March 2010 • 43
