Korean Job Discussion Forums

[D.D.]

This week I have been using this method to increase the amount of words the students use. It has worked, I thought I would post about it.

I used a youtube video and just stopped it on a frame. This week we used the film Baraka and used a scene at the start where a monkey is having a soak in a hot mineral path.

I put three students names on the board and told them they were having a contest. I would give them 1 point for every word that they said.

The first three students had between 6-11 words that they mentioned. They just talked about things in the video such as monkey, tree, snow, water, steam.

I then showed them that their word count was quite small because they just mentioned things.

So I put the word monkey on the board and asked them to describe the monkey. Some students were able to get up 30 words when they described all the things in the video.

Next step was I showed them that using sentences would give them even a higher word count.

The students went over 50 words for one picture while using descriptive sentences.


One thing that helped motivate them was I was standing at the board with their name on it and marking down a point for each word they used.


I think this method could help students to have a very simple way to formulate some basic English speaking skills. It also gives the teacher a chance to see where the students are at.


It's a very basic method that goes from looking at a picture and listing and speaking all they things they can see in the picture.

Part 2 they write down and speak descriptions of all the things in the picture.

Part 3 they make sentences out of their descriptions.


Students could us this method for study. They could just practice knowing all the things in a picture and when this becomes too easy they can move on to descriptions. Once they get descriptions down they can practice sentences.

I have been using this with my afterschool classes and many of the kids have moved from one word answers into sentences very quickly.

[espoir]

That is absolutely brilliant!!!!

I could definately use this with my technical high school students! thank you very much, wow I love it!

[lifeinkorea]

If it worked, that's great. Thanks for sharing. However, I do wonder what the other 27 students were doing during this.

[Fishead soup]

[D.D.]

[ekul]

I'd definitely use this for my after school classes with between 10 and 20 students. Thanks for sharing.

[ddeubel]

I would recommend something like this as an activity for "noticing" language. Or as a way to develop a speaker's own learning strategies and awareness. It is shown that strong language learners are those that "notice" the language as they use it and go back and self correct / monitor. This is an important skill.

That said, this shouldn't be a regular activity. It is pretty poor in terms of helping students to acquire language. The focus should be on them conveying "meaning". This is the fountain of language youth.....

Stay away from "count" and "tally" activities. This falls into the same mindset of language being something you build. You don't - you grow language. It is organic and that is a vital distinction....

All this said - if you are in a situation where you are just treading water. Most certainly use whatever gets you there! My opinion anyways....

DD
http://eflclassroom.com

[frankly speaking]

It isn't really a method but an activity.

I think that as groups it would be more effective rather than just singling out students. As a team they can brainstorm together.

However, unless there is a component with the activity to actually have them use the vocabulary in sentence form, it only goes to help them recall the vocab that they have allready stored in long term memory. Or if they actually do remember a word from the video it will only be in short term memory unless they utilize it. The trick is to get things from short term to long term.

It is more like a brainstorming exercise. Afterwards, have the teams make sentences, not only describing the environment, but also the action.

If all the activity does is reinforce unrelated singular vocabulary without a context for practical use in sentence form, you will have a group of students who speak one-two word sentences.

"Teacher, Teacher" monkey, monkey, brown, hahaha."

[D.D.]

The lesson went in three phases and in the first contest the kids spoke things and some mentioned colours.

Then they were shown by describing the things they could many words for each thing. This increased their word score from about 10 to 30.

Then at the end they were told they would get more points for sentences and the word score went up again.

Next class kids were asked to describe a picture and most kids used sentences because they new that they would get more points that way.

I don't meet many speakers in Korea that are past the stage of just saying things or some give little descriptions.

The reason I posted thisis I have been trying to encourage speaking in sentences and this activity has worked the best so far.

Other techniques had they speaking sentences but then they reverted back to words. This one has helped them see a progression and more students have been like ah- huh I get it and that is easy.

It also helps the kids who are behind to study at their level.

I don't like points but it sure got them trying harder.

[D.D.]

Need to bump this thread as this technique works so well it should not be ignored. Just used it with a group of grade 6 students and their talking increased so much.

Game was boys vs the girls looking at a picture on you tube. First two just mentioned things so had 6 points, then I showed them if they described the things they would get more points. The next group went up to 24 words from 6 in the first group. They even started using sentences to describe the things.

This method from going from a picture to listing the things, describing the things, then descibing in sentences will increase the students speach and give them an easy method to study.

If they have problems with things they just practice listing the things they see. If things are easy for them they practice describing and work up to sentences.

It is working so well I need to mention it again.

[RufusW]

This activity looks good for pushing vocab etc.

[D.D.]

I first taught in rural China and I had students who were training to be English teachers but they couldn't speak English.

I noticed that they knew many of the blocks that you suggest and had big vocabularies.

They had trouble explaining their own thoughts and experience. We only speak to share our experience with others and they couldn't do this. So most of my teaching is about stuff that is relative to them and getting them to talk about their experience.

This method is so simple. Students build from knowing things to describing things to using sentences. It builds the pathways in the brain.

My previous work gave me lot's of understanding of brain function. I know there is many ways to learn English. I also know that in terms of speaking many of the current methods produce marginal results.


Students learning vocab and phrases that they have trouble relating to will mean that they have trouble relating in English in the future.

I really think that students should learn to use their vocab, which does not happen much.

It was amazing to see a grade 6 elementary class in a rural area relating their experience of a picture in sentences today. If they can do that they will be able to possibly relate to people. Talking to and talking at a person are very different things.

I know that many people from dialogues just learn to parrot the language. In saying that not all people only learn that from dialogues. Rote learning does tend to close down some of the higher brain centers.

[frankly speaking]

Another thing similar to this is to have the students describe the function and process of things. For example when introducing new vocabulary or discussing old vocabulary, have them describe by its function.

Anything that you do that allows students' cognitive abilities to kick in will help get the vocab from short term to long term memory as well as make it active rather than passive vocabulary. If all that is done in a lesson is rote memorization or translation without a context or some personal connection, the students will comprehend but won't be able to communicate wit the vocab.

My students always give me the Korea word for things when I ask "what is this? I then make them form sentences describing its function. Also an activity that helps students describe how something works allows them to utilize their vocabulary.

Another activity that I have done that is effective, is have a box full of things. One student picks something and has to describe it's function without using any words that are similar to it to his/her team. If they can't guess the other team gets a try for the point.

Of course, neither of these activities resemble normal communication styles. Some impromptu roleplays that highlight what you were discussing will aid in a more natural use of the vocabulary after you played the game. Give them a situation and have them make impromptu conversations.

I cannot think of their names but there are few textbooks that use this process in their activities. I will try and find them.