Job Discussion Forums

[Non Sequitur]

I'm required to use the dialogues in the textbook as the basis for the lessons.
However they are totally dull and in places, the English is actually incorrect.
For this reason I try to have something different in the 2nd 45 min period. I've got songs and cocktail party games but need more stuff.
What I'm compiling is a half dozen popular English poems such as I studied.
Here's my list. I'd be pleased for any other ideas.
The format would be individual pre prepared recitation from the text. It wouldn't be compulsory to participate.
Daffodils - Wordsworth
Ozymandias - Shelley
Stop all the clocks - Auden
Sea Fever – Masefield
O Captain My Captain – Whitman
Who is Silvia - Shakespeare
Maybe a section of Dr Seuss could be added to give the comedians something to work with.

[isitts]

The Walrus and the Carpenter - Lewis Caroll
You Are Old Father William - Lewis Caroll
Tis the Voice of the Lobster - Lewis Caroll



EDIT: I actually did use the opening verse of The Walrus and the Carpenter for my high school students in Japan to help them learn intonation and rhythm and to avoid adding extra syllables to words. And they loved the poem as well.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

That's all great stuff for recitation, but you really need to have them think. That's where situational dialogs come from.

Last night I was thinking about a joke that nonsequitor posted. It got me thinking. When I return to China, I'll post one-liners on the board and have the students discuss the meaning. It may stump them, but I am sure that the exercise will make them think.

One gimmicky exercise that I opened a class with was:

NEWS FLASH! YAO MING AND HIS GIRLFRIEND (later, wife) ARE BREAKING UP!

Boy, did that get a rise out of everyone. One girl stood up and launched a long tirade accusing me of promulgating sort of American anti-Chinese propaganda. She wouldn't open her mouth before then. She got a big, fat A+ for that class.

But situational dialogues that allow them to create their own dialogues go a long way toward getting everyone talking. Give the students pieces of paper for them to write comments for the speakers to read when they're finished.

[Non Sequitur]

Good points.
My students are tertiary but clearly age-appropriate material in a must.
I would avoid nonsense poetry 'Twas brillig in the slithey toves etc'
Fun and accessibility are paramount.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

"... and Mimsey were the Borogroves..."

Agreed. Not good.

[isitts]

[ghost]

Getting Chinese students motivated by poetry would be, I think, a tall order. Most of my students confess that they hate reading books, and poetry uses flowery language. They would lose the gist of it, by having to look everything up in a dictionary.

If you do go ahead with this project, please let us know whether it works or not.

Ghost in China

[adventious]

[asiannationmc]

introduce Post Office by Charles Bukowski,

[Non Sequitur]

I won't disagree that if communicability is key, then the specificity of poetry through its imagery, metaphor, simile, and prosody can present challenges that should be managed in terms of pedagogy.

In other words, how incrementally and briefly examples are introduced is important. Their example should serve to augment the other modes of English that are dominant or too often emphasized in notional/functional syllabi.[i]

I teach English using the communicative approach. I leave grammar to the Chinese who actually are better at it than me plus they teach in Chinese.
I have been blown away by the inventiveness of my students more times than I've been disappointed.
In my scenario the students will have a choice of poem and if they don't want to participate that's fine.
I demand hard graft by everyone in other sessions.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

[JamesD]

[asiannationmc]

darn James, respect!

[Non Sequitur]

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

Mine was from memory too. One word doesn't make much difference in the scheme of things, but inaccuracy undermines the credibility of the arguer.