FlashcardsWe can use flashcards for memory and we can make these activities: a) recall: one student shows the other

student a flashcard and the other tries to make a sentence or simply state the name of the card.

b) memory story: student picks up a card and makes a statement using the target language

c) concentration: student attempts to turn over and math from both sets.

d) snap: cards face up on the table, teacher says a sentence and the first student to “snap” or slap the right card wins.

Reflection From the vocabulary we had on our lessons

from the book miss Amalia gave us we had to make some flashcards and make 2 sets. My vocabulary was about “Office equipment” and I made 2 sets.

I taught the vocabulary and divided the group in 2 teams so it was like a “bus stop”. I played some music and when I stopped it the 2 students that were facing each other had to make a sentence using the word of the vocabulary

Class using flashcards

RealiaWhat’s realia? Realia is all things that we can

bring to the class, concrete objects.

It helps make english lessons memorable by creating a link between objects and words. It help us to illustrate and teach vocabulary and it also improves students’ understanding on the topic.

Why is it important to use realia?

It brings a welcome change in the class, a break from the typical.

It engages students. Students will be expected to

use real material when they leave the class.

We can also use realia for role-plays to make the situation more realistic.

Pros and cons Advantages: Realia stimulates

the mind, elicitation becomes easier, it makes lessons interesting and enjoyable, it helps students to discover and process new input, it is accessible, relevant, meaningful and visually interesting.

Disadvantages: Activities with real objects might lost the class path.

Spending too much time in one activity with real objects in the class may not support cultural distinction.

Reflection To give a class using realia Miss Amalia gave

us a topic and the grammar we have to teach. My topic was “Uncountable containers” teaching “How much & How many?”

I brought different containers with uncountable objects to the class such as a carton of milk, a jar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, etc. I taught how to make lemonade so students read the recipe and then asked questions using how much and how many. I think realia is really useful in ESL classes because you can teach a lot of things with them, even if it’s vocabulary or grammar.

Class using realia

Cue-cards Cue-cards are a fun and creative way to

make students speak. They are smaller than the flashcards and

their main goal is to make students speak. They can have photos or text on them

Reflection We had to make an activity using cue-cards

with the speaking section of the lesson we have. My speaking section was about making the students talk about these topics: “Languages, people close to them,…” so what I did is that I made the cue-cards and put a number on it, then I put the same numbers on jenga blocks, so the activity was that the students had to play jenga picking a block with a number on it and answer the question or sentence on the cuecard. It made them speak in teams and share their thoughts.

Class using cue-cards

Visuals, pictures and photos

Visuals, pictures and photos motivate students and provoke lively discussions and demand students to give their ideas.

Visuals, pictures and photos have to be more or less big, but most of all they have to be visible.

It encourages students’ confidence: seeing pictures of celebrities or things allows them to talk proudly and confidently.

It makes students comprehend and initiate a variety of associations.

Students observe, wonder and infer. You can teach grammar, create a story,

describe and draw, information gap.

Reflection We made teams to teach a class

using visuals, pictures and photos. My team had to teach a class with visuals, we used cut-outs from magazines and brochures to make the visuals, I pasted the pictures on color sheets so they could look good. We made a big board game in the classroom, students had to play using a dice to move around the board game and when they stood on one of the visuals they had to make a story with it using prepositions because that’s the grammar topic we were teaching.

Class using visuals

Posters made in teams

On Tuesday May 11th, 2016 we were divided in teams and each them had a different reading about “Using pictures” and we had to make a poster and then explain it to the whole class.

We were learning about using pictures in the warming-up phase because it activates the students’ schemata (prior knowledge) which is really important and it also motivates them.

We were also discussing that there are different kind of students with different learning styles. There are students which are:

A) AUDITORY: Learn best through listening and speaking.

B) TACTILE: Learn best through touching

C) KINESTHETIC: Learn best though activities in which they involve their whole body

D) GLOBAL: Learn best through group activities, holistic reading methods and cooperative learning strategies.

E) ANALYTICAL: Tend to focus a lot more on details and analyzing.

F) VISUAL: Learn best by observing graphs, charts, maps, posters, and text with a lot of pictures.

Because of the different learning styles, it is important for teachers to find a variety of activities to suit their students’ learning styles.

But why pictures? Pictures motivate students They raise students’ confidence They are convenient They make students comprehend They expand students’ general

knowledge

Choosing the right picture

Size and quality Color Students’ preferences Copyright and usage

restrictions

Techniques Reading

Vocabulary building or review Speaking and writing

Grammar Picture dictation

Posters

Alphabet On Thursday 12th, we had to give a class using

letter tiles, I decided to teach action verbs for vocabulary. My activity consisted in making 2 teams, both of them had letter tiles made with plastic caps and they also had a box with 10 flashcards on it (action verbs) and one member of the team had to pick up a flashcard and act it out, the whole team had to discuss what the action verb was being acted out and they had to form the word with the letter tiles, the first team who guesses and forms the word first, is the one who wins.

Class using letter tiles