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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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 Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject: Promoting Active Learning |
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So, I'm back K-side after my winter break and am evaluating my teaching performance ahead of the start of the new semester in March and the freshmen influx.
I've been pondering the ways in which I can bring in new ideas and approaches etc into my lessons that will help me maximise and enhance the quantative amount of language that actually sticks. In light of this, I've realised that I've taken my eye of the ball somewhat and have allowed my teaching style to become far too static and teacher-centered and have inadvertently created a learning environment that's far too conducive with passive learning. I'm therefore interested in looking at ways of making my students learning experience more active.
Though I don't particulary like using them, the book I'm using does incorporate a fair amount of scripted dialogue work. To spice these up a bit, I run them through PowerPoint and suppliment them with additional gap-fill, translation and comprehension exercises. This gives a bit of extra dimension, but feel that it doesn't go far enough in developing active cognitive learning.
I'm considering trying to get my students to start improvising where possible. Using the same dialogues, I want the students to start changing words or adding vocabulary/sentences of their own if possible etc, which I feel my get them working a bit harder. I'm also a big fan of using drama as a vehicle for language instruction, but given my class sizes and the restrictive 50-minute lesson slots, this is easier said than done. All the same, I'd welcome any suggestions or ideas. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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Dialogues are not a good way to learn English. To talk the brain needs to be able to generate words and sentences. Dialogues don't exercise that part of the brain.
Show videos and have them write their own sentences and explain in their own words.
Books also get in the way of learning conversational aspects of English. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| D.D. wrote: |
Dialogues are not a good way to learn English. To talk the brain needs to be able to generate words and sentences. Dialogues don't exercise that part of the brain.
Show videos and have them write their own sentences and explain in their own words.
Books also get in the way of learning conversational aspects of English. |
I completely disagree with that. I have sufficient practical experience where reading books are an excellent way to improve confidence and fluency in speaking.
Especially since this can be easily done without the need of a teacher, they can read in a relax manner at home, without anyone checking the mistakes they make.
I use scripted Dialogues to get the initial feel of the conversation and then we drop the script and I let my students take control. I see a lot of improvement and confidence increases.
I would say writing has probably less influence on fluency then any other system I ever used. |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| D.D. wrote: |
Show videos and have them write their own sentences and explain in their own words.
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This is an interesting idea, but I'm afraid my students ability would prove to be too restrictive to develop anything substantial or meaningful. I tried something similar last year, but only managed to illicit the usual insipid single word responses. However, I like the idea of students 'learning through teaching'. Perhaps, when introducing new vocabulary items, students could stand up and explain the meaning in their own words to the others. Others can then agree or disagree and offer their own explanation. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| BS.Dos. wrote: |
| D.D. wrote: |
Show videos and have them write their own sentences and explain in their own words.
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This is an interesting idea, but I'm afraid my students ability would prove to be too restrictive to develop anything substantial or meaningful. I tried something similar last year, but only managed to illicit the usual insipid single word responses. However, I like the idea of students 'learning through teaching'. Perhaps, when introducing new vocabulary items, students could stand up and explain the meaning in their own words to the others. Others can then agree or disagree and offer their own explanation. |
Ask them to produce sentences of 7 words or more after watching the video. Focus on the word " and " to stretch out their sentences and conversation length.
Last edited by D.D. on Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:58 am; edited 1 time in total |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| Juregen wrote: |
| D.D. wrote: |
Dialogues are not a good way to learn English. To talk the brain needs to be able to generate words and sentences. Dialogues don't exercise that part of the brain.
Show videos and have them write their own sentences and explain in their own words.
Books also get in the way of learning conversational aspects of English. |
I completely disagree with that. I have sufficient practical experience where reading books are an excellent way to improve confidence and fluency in speaking.
Especially since this can be easily done without the need of a teacher, they can read in a relax manner at home, without anyone checking the mistakes they make.
I use scripted Dialogues to get the initial feel of the conversation and then we drop the script and I let my students take control. I see a lot of improvement and confidence increases.
I would say writing has probably less influence on fluency then any other system I ever used. |
I was talking about being in the classroom. Of course reading helps outside of the classroom time.
To be able to have a conversation the brain needs to be able to quickly generate sentences and original thought.
Writing sentences is an important step in this direction as their brain is learning how to formulate thoughts.
This will take students from one word answers to full sentence answers. They need to be encouraged to use full sentences for over a two year period to aquire the habit.
Reading is an important skill and reading to the class can be usefull in small groups like after school classes or in a hogwan but not great in a class of 40 students.
The purpose of giving them a task like writing sentences is so the teacher can go from table to table engaging them in simple conversation. |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| Something similar. Write a sentence header on the board like He kissed her... and then get them to expand the sentence incorporating but, and, so and because. Produces some interesting results, but you usually have to steer them grammatically. |
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