Job Discussion Forums

[mcloo7]

Last semester was my first time ESL teaching and it went pretty well. I want my class, in the second semester, to be interesting and exciting for the students, and don't want to just rehash things I've already done. Can you please tell me what have been good resources for you for finding speaking activity ideas. My class is supposed to focus mainly on speaking, with some writing. Also, could you offer some ideas?

I did a lot of dialogues last semester where I gave the students prompts, and they wrote the dialogues and then performed them in front of the class. This always went well, and they liked the feedback, but I don't want my class to become too predictable by just doing dialogues all the time.

[Non Sequitur]

Begin and end class with a 'class song'.
Use something with a good tune and rhythm all the way through. Not a song that has a great chorus, but boring verses.
I like Beatles songs like 'I say yes, you say no. (Hello Hello?).
Nice word pairs and a girl/boy dialogue which teenagers love.
I've never had all my weekly classes in 'guaranteed audio will work' classrooms so I tote a ghetto blaster to them all.
Nothing worse than getting to class ready to hit them with the song, only to find the disc or USB is kaput.
Announce that you will be awarding prizes at semester end. Best Student, Best Team, Best Attitude, Most Enthusiastic.
There are pay for downloads for cocktail and other games which I can direct you to.
Say 5 to 12 US$ but once you've got them they are there for your career.
Grab and Go items are great for lesson planning.

[mcloo7]

I actually begin almost every class with a song. It's a different song every class and I put the lyrics on the screen with Power Point. What is cocktail, and what do you mean by Grab and Go items. I think I know what you mean, but what is an example of one?

I forgot to mention, I have eight different classes, and I see five of them once a week, and three of them twice a week.

[Non Sequitur]

'Cocktail' = cocktail party game.
The ones I use (called "Perpetual Questions") are a general game for tertiary students which can be edited down for use with younger fry
(relationship questions "What makes a good boyfriend?" may not be suitable) and a similar game for tourism students.
60 questions on individual slips and one issued to each student to start.
Each students asks their question of a classmate, answers their classmate's question. Question slips are then exchanged and both students move to new ask/answer situations. You need an open area away from other classrooms for this as noise levels are high.
'Grab and Go' = a resource that is ready to go and requires no prep and if printed on robust card or paper can serve for many classes.
Once you decide that the second part of a lesson is going to be a game which you have the resource for, just chuck it in the bag as you go off for the class. Hence 'Grab and Go'.

[Non Sequitur]