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So for the past 5 weeks, with my high-intermediate General English class, I've gone completely @thornburyscott style 'unplugged'. Here're a few things I've learnt. 1/
#AusELT #ELT #TESOL
#AusELT #ELT #TESOL
Classes are far more interesting. We've talked about fear of flying, pregnancy, plastic pollution, cheese, Australian parking rules ....
And looked at numerous metaphors, sentence patterns, colloquial expressions and, only when really necessary, tenses. 2/
And looked at numerous metaphors, sentence patterns, colloquial expressions and, only when really necessary, tenses. 2/
Students really enjoy bringing language to class. I call one activity 'English in my life' - students photograph, note down or even record language they're not sure of or find interesting & share it with the class. It makes their learning relevant. 3/
But breaking the need for spoon feeding can take time. A few students, especially those whose parents have made them study abroad, find a learning environment which relies on language they generate very challenging. 4/
It's a lot easier for the teacher. Preparation is minimal. I go to class with some ideas, many from 'Teaching Unplugged', that start communication & encourage emergent language use, & take it from there. 5/
It's a lot harder for the teacher. In class, I have to be really on the ball, noting language, monitoring flow of conversation, thinking of what language to focus & build on... There's no 15 minutes to relax while students fill in a worksheet. 6/
It's a great professional challenge to enter class with nothing but a couple of ideas & your knowledge & experience while making sure students are getting a genuine learning experience. I asked today if they wanted me to do anything from their coursebooks. They all said 'no.' 7/7
