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adrianmark
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 64
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 Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:20 am Post subject: Help needed, please! |
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I have to give a demo class to a group of 20 EAL students who are aged about 15. The article that I have been given to use is about Africa and contains about 300 words which they need to read and answer questions during the demo.
Can anyone give me any advice on the best way to teach and introduce the new words without making it too boring? The demo is only 30 minutes. Any advice would be much appreciated. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:53 am Post subject: |
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I don't know about others, but I need a little more background info.
"about Africa" means what? Food? Culture? Clothing? Poverty? Customs? Environmental problems? Geography?
What are the words mostly about? Is it possible to use pictures to demonstrate them (in a matching setup)? How many new words?
Is this an oral communication course? How does it tie into the Africa topic?
Depending on the 300 words, you might want to create a cloze exercise where they hear you dictate (not exciting) or where they do an info gap (more exciting).
Bring a map of Africa, whatever you do. Jazz up the demo as much as possible with visuals. |
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adrianmark
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:03 am Post subject: |
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| It's an article about the difference between Western and African culture. Probably 30% of the words will be new. Do I really have to explain the new vocab in great detail since it's only a 30-min demo? Jazzing it up with visuals is a great suggestion - thanks. |
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J.M.A.
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 69
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| Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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| adrianmark wrote: |
| It's an article about the difference between Western and African culture. Probably 30% of the words will be new. Do I really have to explain the new vocab in great detail since it's only a 30-min demo? Jazzing it up with visuals is a great suggestion - thanks. |
30% is a bit much, to say the least. You should choose a relatively undemanding cognitive/linguistic task to do with the text which involves some transfer of info (ie. put the paragraphs in order, jigsaw the text) and then another slightly more demanding task which makes the students reflect on the content or genre of the text. Find a very effective but brief lead-in into the topic. Do you really expect to be able to explain 100 new words in a 30 minute demo class and impress onlookers? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| adrianmark wrote: |
| It's an article about the difference between Western and African culture. Probably 30% of the words will be new. |
30% of 300 = 90
How can any employer expect a demo lesson or even a real one to provide 90 new words and make any significant number of them stick? Unrealistic.
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| Do I really have to explain the new vocab in great detail since it's only a 30-min demo? |
Physically impossible.
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| The article that I have been given to use is about Africa and contains about 300 words which they need to read and answer questions during the demo. |
What the heck sort of class is this demonstrating? Writing or reading? It certainly isn't conducive to any oral communication class!
If you are hoping to stimulate speaking & listening with a topic such as the article contains, give them something that has far fewer new words in it. You could look for something just as long but easier. I would walk out of a lesson that tried to teach me anything with such a level of difficulty, unless they demonstrated a miracle method for students to learn a majority of those new words. Doesn't sound like that's what you're doing, so you have to change the program.
What is it they are supposed to learn? Oral comm? Reading skills?
If you want to use differences in culture to get them talking, fine. But this reading + Q/A is not the way. |
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