Photocopy-free projects that work in class

Jon WrightJon.wright@live.co.uk

What is a project?

• Student-centred• Has an end-product

Advantages

Multi-levelExploited in various waysDevelop all 4 skillsCreates opportunities for Ss to contributeCollaborative process, and Ss take responsibility‘Stimulating break from routine’Fried-Booth, D. 2002. Project Work. Oxford: OUP

Teaches language and contentBeckett, G. and Slater, T. 2005. ‘The project framework: a tool for language, content,

and skills integration.’ ELTJ 59/2 108 – 116.

Example project areas

• Media (make school magazine, radio programme, newspaper, etc)

• Culture (only mugs do drugs, holidays and festivals, how green are you, etc)

• Trips (plan a trip, zoo visit, etc)• Local (wheelchair guide, food and drink labels

worldwide, visit your teacher’s house, etc)• Classroom (dub a video clip, quiz contest, famous

foreign cities, etc)

Other (mainstream) projects

• Concordancing• Webquests• School email exchanges• Presentations• Drama• Team teaching• Organising events• Out of class interviews

But ...

• Time-consuming• Often not valued by students – little awareness of

learning goals (‘fewer than one fifth of the 73 participants enjoyed ... or were in favour of project-based instruction’ Beckett and Slater 2005: 109)

• Teachers are unsure of their roles and responsibilities – or overwhelmed

( ‘a high level of pre-planning and co-ordination’ Carter, G. and Thomas, H. 1986. ‘‘Dear Brown Eyes’: Experiential learning in a project-oriented approach,’ ELTJ 40/3 196-204)

• The language level can be undemanding

And ...

• Not all participate equally• How to fit them in busy timetables?• Loss of interest• Problem solving can become problem avoiding• Parallel groupwork means not all benefit from all• Plus it could call into question the methodology

used to present the language the project recycles/extends

Mini projects 1

Stage 1

• In groups, think of ‘the problems I have solved so far today.’

• Find 9 examples.

Problem solving

Stage 2

• Report/share (to the whole class/to a neighbouring group).

Problem solving

Stage 3

• Rephrase: the same facts, but present in a different style.

Problem solving

Stage 4

Which version is more interesting, normal, useful, etc?

Project management

• Identify the benefit• Start to produce what will satisfy the need• Enjoy the benefits

Identify the benefit of this:Learn a list of 20 words/phrases chosen in the

group.

List of 20 things

• You have 5 minutes to think of the list, and learn them.

• Check each person in the group can remember all 20.

• How did you do? What memory techniques helped?

Memory project

Conversation club (30 mins weekly)Week 1• Tell me 3 things about yesterdayWeek 2• Tell me 10 things about yesterday

Next week I’m going to ask you to tell me 20 things about yesterday

Something about me

Stage 1Choose who will start, who is second, etc

The first person has 1 minute to say 4 things about themselves.

Feel free to ask person 1 any questions you like after their mini presentation.

Something about me, too

Stage 2

The group recalls what person 1 said.

Person 2 has 1 minute to say 4 things aboutthemselves, but not on the same topics or usingthe same verbs as person 1.

Something about me

And so on ...Variants for later speakers:Make comparisons between yourself and all

previous speakers(Remember what ... said about ...? Well, I ...)Include references to topics you know the others

likeTalk about the futureetc

Vocab brainstorm

Stage 1Choose/elicit a topic to review/present

Prompt/elicit from different groups the related elements of the central topic.

Vocab brainstorm

Stage 2

Quick group recap of all the suggested vocab.

Vocab brainstorm

Stage 3

Now put it all together.

Mini projects

• Within a lesson

Summarise what we’ve done so far.What mistakes have been corrected?What new language has been covered?Who has said what?Evaluate the usefulness of the input so far.Say what you didn’t know before.

Mini projects

• Across a series of lessons

A story in the newsSomething about meCountry/culture/topic profileSomething I saw that surprised meA song I’d like you to listen toA book/story/film that impressed meRecipe of the week

The advantages of photocopy-free work

• No competing demands (we’re not doing exercise 3)

• No hiding behind paper• Role of listening• Flexibility• Student-centred• Role of memory

Professional skills

Problem solvingMemory trainingListening to othersWorking in a teamActive participationKeenness to learn