Job Discussion Forums

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Our last day of class is coming up next week and my students brains are shot. Any ideas to fill an hour and a half with a fun, semi-controlled activity where they speak English?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

For last classes I usually go to the pub with my students.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Unless it's the last class in the sense of their completing the English program, I usually have them evaluate the course. That gives them a chance to demonstrate how much they have learned about writing.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Hmm, Well, considering I teach at a very conservative catholic uni, I think that that's out of the question.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Huh?????

joshua2004 · Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 5:35 pm Post subject:

Ask them what they want to do.
"What activities did you like best?"
"What is a good way we can practice the English we learned and end the class?"

Sekhmet · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 329 Location: Alexandria, Egypt

It depends on the level, but for my reasonably advanced conversation students, I distributed lists of proverbs, had them choose their favorite ones and then either make up a short play, or make cartoon strips of them. I also did the same with a picture drawn from a cartoon - they had to come up with the entire story (plus characters and dialogue), and make it into their own cartoon. They had fun with that!!!

Celeste · Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:29 pm Post subject:

Play Jeaopardy. It is a fun way to review grammar or idioms or even spelling. I usually make a few different categories like the above ones plus I add in a few fun categories like movie trivia and capital cities around the world. For maost of the questions, you can take them directly out of your textbooks, but for a few of the "fun" categories you may have to di a bit of internet research. Make sure that the 100 point questions are super easy. Let the students cheat and help the people in their groups answer the questions. My adult students (all ENglish teachers themselves) love this as an end of course stress reliever. (It is also a good review class before a test.)

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 8:46 am Post subject: Cartoons, idioms and stories

hesterprynne · Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 386

somewhere on this site is a long and well-thought-out posting detailing the many uses of comic strips- is it in the idea cookbook?

2 up Lee · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:50 pm Post subject:

Ideas for the last class? How about saying 'goodbye'? Laughing

Seriously though, I try to make it a habit of mine to always cancel the last class. That way you can always cut down on your contact hours with little or no direct comeback. Cool

If you have to have the last class you should retire for a stiff drink, as suggested by a wise poster above. Very Happy

(This should be avoided if you work at a kindergarten and/or in Saudi, though.) Rolling Eyes

shenyanggerry · Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 619 Location: Canada

I save the last class for those words which they MUST NOT use - based on the famous seven words which can't be used on TV. After all, they will hear them on the street and in movies. Obscenity is learned in childhood. No word ever FEELS obscene in a foreign language, it must be taught.

I save the lesson for the last class because I don't particularly like using this kind of language and will not have to deal with it again.

Sheep-Goats · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 527

Talk to the whole class, say goodbye. Give them your contact information in case they have a problem with their grades (eg: want you to teach privates).

Then talk to each person in the class. Ask them: "What was your favorite day in English class, and why? What was your least favorite day in English class, and why?" These comments will help you realize what you really screwed up about, and what students actually like in English class. Very helpful for next term.

If they're basic learners you'll have to teach them "Because I like... " "Because I want..." for responding to why questions.

Then you don't have to leaf through four billion sheets of garbled English about TEACHER I LIKE CLASS BUT MY FREIND TOO TALKING TOO FUNNY

Sheep-Goats · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 527

amandajoy99 · Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 63 Location: Brazil

this is not a "fun" activity exactly, but it is an interesting one. i had my french students write a little essay about their overall impressions of the united states, the good, the bad, and the ugly. i told them they could say whatever they wanted but they had to say WHY - i expected to see the word BECAUSE. of course, i knew i would get lots about how "george bush are very very bad man and the war are stupid," but i hadn't really been expecting every SINGLE student to write about how americans shouldn't eat hamburgers every day. "i am liking hamburger but i would not want eat every day like in america because it make me fat." this led to a very successful discussion about hamburgers and stereotypes and how the typical american teenager's stereotype of the french would be that they smell. ("but madame, i took a shower this morning!").
ok, so we do eat a lot of hamburgers. but i had to tell them that "l'americain," the french sandwich with two hamburger patties and french fries all inside a baguette, was actually not something found in america.
also asked them all sorts of random questions from things they were supposed to have learned - some quick grammatical exercises, things like "if i say how are you, what do you answer?" or "what does 'what's up?' mean?" and whoever raised their hand and answered correctly first got a piece of candy.