Job Discussion Forums

[kowlooner]

Hi everybody,

I'm just wondering what others do when teaching teens, especially the 13-15 year-old range. Assuming you are supposed to be teaching a conversation type class, what sort of core activities do you have?

The reason I ask is because I find no problem getting adults to converse, and kids 12 and under seem equally interested in talking. The 13-15 year-olds, on the other hand, seem to take delight in not talking, or in providing only the most basic of answers. Don't be mistaken, though. They're pretty good kids, and we do manage to get some good discussions going every once in a while. I just feel it's a little too hit or miss.

I'm not asking for suggestions for games and such (plenty of those available here on Dave's) but on general teaching strategies and core, repeatable activities.

As a side note, my classes are small (6 students max), but I'm interested in hearing from both those teaching in both small and large classes.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[dajiang]

How about finding out what they're interested in and work with those topics? I found that as a teacher you can introduce some more mature topics as well, as long as it's not too sensitive of course. (Drugs, crime, adolescence and talking about responsibilities might be interesting? They can handle it anyway.)

Perhaps use (current) music to practise their listening?
Maybe the level is too high and they're bored cuz they can't follow?
Or it's too low and they're bored? Well, this is usually a problem with larger classes though.

How about doing projects?
Maybe they'd like working on something that is more real for them than discussing about things. You could get them webquests as well, or do more things with the Internet (CALL), as you've got a small class you might have this option.
Take them out on daytrips every now and then?

Jokes are good materials as well. When I look back at my time teaching a middleschool class in China I think humour was the thing that kept it going most of all, and variation. And topics they liked (relationships, studying abroad/travelling, music, anything real (authentic materials from abroad), movies/tv series, stuff like that)

Also, keep them moving around a bit. it keeps variety in the lesson and I found they still liked walking around the room trying to get information from the other classmates.
Activities involving drawing are fun too btw, most people aren't very talented but that makes for more fun. Any age group loves it.

Well, just brainstorming here. It'll be interesting to hear other ideas.
Good luck,

Dajiang

[Roger]

How about remedying imperfections that they are partly aware of and need guided help?
Not talking sessions or chit-chat rounds but serious practical work - pronunciation difficulties (the length of vowels in syllables that have short and long versions as in "sheep" versus "ship"), or grammar (Subject-Verb-Agrement) and so on?
This way, the learners actually get something in return for their participation.

[once again]

Good suggestion Roger. I have often found that mid teen students in HK are really interested in long and short vowel sounds.

[kowlooner]

Thanks dajiang, roger, onceagain. I wanted to wait a few days to see how many and what sort of suggestions were made, though I'm a bit surprised that more people aren't interested in this topic!

DJ, I particularly like the project idea and have in fact experimented with that a little previously, though perhaps without providing the students with quite enough guidance. I've done a bit with music too, though actually with adult students (mainly because I'm stuck in a 70's mid-80's h.s. / college time warp and certainly don't believe U2 was the best my generation, or that age group slightly later than mine, had to offer and thus can't understand how they're still around, but I digress), but I ought to try it with youth anyway. I'm thinking of adding video to the classes too (old Miami Vice clips? ah, maybe not).

And Roger, despite perhaps just a wee bit of sarcasm by once again (actually, a quite humorous response!) I do think that there could be occasions when a targeted practical grammar or pronunciation session might be accepted by the students. Possibly not for an entire class period, but who knows.

Also, any thoughts on alternative activities to accompany language practice tasks such as role-playing or general discussion?

Anyway, thanks for taking time to respond! And if anyone else has other ideas on core, repeatable activities for youth, feel free to say!