What's the official term? Help!

jenviolin · Post by **jenviolin** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:11 pm

Who can help me find the "official" term - or a reasonably close name - for what we call "werkvorm" in Dutch?

This refers to the structure of an activity, such as pair work, small group work, whole class activity, debate, discussion, "frontal" or "classical" teaching, computer work, webquests, etc.....

Quite often, teachers and teacher trainees are asked to indicate which kind of activity is used (for instance, in a lesson plan or an evaluation), and I'd really love to know how the rest of you would term this!

Or do you just say, "type of activity"?

Thanks for your help!

mesmark · Post by **mesmark** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:31 pm

From your description,　I would probably use the term 'method'

jenviolin · Post by **jenviolin** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:32 am

Thanks, mesmark, but isn't that a bit confusing with all of the other "methods" (TPR is a 'method', as are 'the communicative method', 'the direct method' and 'the grammar-translation method', but all of these can involve different types of activities ("werkvormen"). Isn't there another term?

rog · Post by **rog** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:05 pm

How abt setting?
If you check it at http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition they come up with 'method' indeed, but being Dutch myself I'm aware of the difference.

neverything · Post by **neverything** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 7:50 pm

How about "interaction pattern" or "group structure" or even "focus".

I don't know Dutch, but I guess you mean this kind of thing. For example, "S-S" is students working (interacting) in pairs, or "T-Ss" means the Teacher is interacting with the whole class.

Zimmermann · Post by **Zimmermann** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:25 am

I think your own translation is closest - type of activity. I am originally Dutch but haven't spoken it for years, so i am not familiar with the word "werkvorm". When we talked about actcities in the staffroom, we talk about the "kind of activities" we do.

azane · Post by **azane** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:50 am

I was taught at university to call the things you described "techniques". There are lg teaching techniques, classroom management techniques, material-related techniques...etc. These are different from your methods, which are the various techniques (and their sequence) you use based on a theory. I hope it helped a bit to clear things.