General english (Pl 2) Age 16-19
General Information
This is a general English class for students aged 16+ in an ESL setting. Students come from a variety of language backgrounds, and most of them are aiming to join mainstream UK education in order to sit their school-leaving exams (‘A-Levels') in due course. This lesson follows on from Emma Pre-intermediate 1and introduces a new topic (Fears, Phobias).
Materials used:
- Soar, J. & L. (2000) New Headway English Course. PreIntermediate. Student's Book Oxford: OUP. Unit 10, specifically p. 76.
- You tube videos
Notes:
The classrooms in the school are busy with classes non-stop, thus teachers cannot set up videos etc. beforehand, but have to do so in class.
TEACHER EDUCATION TASKS
1) Using videos in the language classroom
Aim: to explore the use of video material in order to aid elicitation
Sequence:
Before viewing, discuss the following questions with a partn
- What are the benefits of using video material in language classes?
- What types of video material might be used in class? Think about appropriate length and type, e.g., current issues/fiction/sport/documentary for specific purposes and audiences?
- How would you decide on which video to choose?
- What are possible ways of integrating videos into other types of activities (reading, speaking, etc.)
- What kind of preparation might learners need to benefit from using videos in class?
- How often and for what purposes do you use YouTube? Do you know what your learners do?
Now view both the youtube video used in class and the sequence of the class from minute 9:30 until minute 30:00.
Make a grid and fill in the missing information, The first line is done for you
What image/sequence of film is shown? | What is elicited? (student's statements) | What does the teacher say to prompt student? | How does the teacher react? | What is the overall effect? | How many students are engaged? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| first view of tightrope walker | walking, walking across, it's dangerous | What`s he doing? | walking across, it's very dangerous for him | students are interested and seem engaged | 3 |
Compare your grid with that of another student. Try to answer the following questi
- 1) What is the overall effect of using these videos on student engagement?
- 2) What is the overall effect on the reading of the text (min. 30 onwards)
- 3) Have you used videos in your own teaching? If so, how? If not (yet), why not?
Smiling, moving, gesturing - non-verbal aspects of classroom management
Aim: to explore the role of body language in creating classroom rapport and managing learners
Sequence:
Before viewing, draw one sketch of the classroom on a large piece of paper. Select a sequence of about 10-15 minutes to observe (note the start and finish time on the video) You will be viewing the sequence three times, with a slightly different focus with each viewing:
1) Space : on your classroom sketch, mark the teacher's movement in the class. Use a fine line for a single movement and increasingly thicker lines for repeated movements
2) Gesture : observe the teacher's gestures. Fill in a grid like the one below! One example is given
| Gesture | Accompanying word(s) | Meaning | Student reaction | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
T raises right hand to head, then to stomach, then bends knees, slouches shoulders | like we say headache, stomach ache, hurting | support vocab meaning | yeah yeah | 37:38 |
3) Facial expression : View a shorter extract of the chosen section (max. 4 minutes) and try to note down the teacher's facial expressions (smiling, frowing, raising eyebrows, etc.) Fill in a grid like the one below. One example is give
| Facial expression | Accompanying words | Effect | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| T smiles and leans forwards towards students | Student says:" I remember you said before, seminar room is for parties." | shows friendly listening/engagement | 1:11:27 |
Get together in groups of three and share your observations. For 1) discuss the following:
- What was the teacher's overall teaching space? Are there any areas she never used?
- What are the possible effects of the teacher's use of classroom space
For 2) discuss the following:
- How helpful were the gestures to the students in terms of understanding (e.g. vocabulary, instructions, etc.)
- Were any of the gestures confusing?
- Are there any particular gestures that the teacher seems to use most frequently?
Nik Wallenda walks over Niagara Falls 2012