Reading

READING skills are specific abilities which enable a reader to read written form as meaningful language, to read anything written with independence, comprehension and fluency and to mentally interact with the message!.

If we want to encourage a good kind of reading in English Language classroom we need to prepare activities for each step of reading:

BEFORE READING    DURING READING    AFTER READING

 

Before Reading: some point should be regarded in order to make the process of reading more comprehensible:

*It is necessary to provide background information to the reader

*Provide context and reason for reading

*We have to cover most of the vocabulary which the learners will come across in the reading.

*We can use some strategies such as Predict (Think what might happen in the story) and Preview the text (look at the title, picture, graphics…)

During Reading: there are some tips to encourage active reading such as summarizing, reacting, questioning, arguing, evaluating and placing text within one`s own experience.

After Reading: Post-reading activities depend on the purpose of reading and the type of information extracted from the text.

We can use some strategies such as Retell and Summarize, use a graphic organizer, draw conclusions, Re-read, discuss and respond…

 STRATEGIES help readers understand, connect to and determine the importance of what they are reading.

MAKE CONNECTION        ASK QUESTIONS   DETERMINE IMPORTANCE    

INFER AND PREDICT                          VISUALIZE                           SYNTHESIZE         

 USE FIX UP OF STRATEGIES (underline, Re-read, use a dictionary, read aloud…)

speaking and oral interaction

 

 HOW TO ORGANISE A SPEAKING/ ORAL INTERACTION ACTIVITY?

Contextualize the activity and engage the learners

 

Revise/teach the language the learners will need to produce in the activity by modelling the language, by drilling the language...

 

Give instructions for the activity (demonstrate and give examples, attract the student`s attention, get feedback from the students...)

 

Distribute hand-outs                     Organise groups/pairs

Let the activity start                         

                                         Monitor the activity

 Provide feedback

 

Get learners to reflect on the activity

LISTENING

Listening is one of the most challenging skills for our students develop and yet also one of the most important.

By developing their ability to listen well, we develop our students` ability to become more independent learners.

Through listening, children become familiar with the sounds, rhythm and intonation of English.

It also allows children to recognize, understand and respond to language no verbally before they produce it themselves because children develop listening skills before speaking skills.

We have to take into account some considerations for classroom listening:

Give the children confidence

Explain why they have to listen

Have children develop specific strategies for listening

Set specific listening tasks for each stage (Pre-listening, During-listening and Post-listening)

INSTRUCTIONS

We have to take into account some recommends to give instructions when we create activities:

BECOME AWARE OF YOU INSTRUCTION GIVING STRATEGIES: BY RECORDING THEMSELVES OR ASKING OTHER TO OBSERVE THEM

PREPARE INSTRUCTIONS: PLAN THE LANGUAGE YOU WILL USE (VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL SUPPORT)

ATTRACT STUDENTS`ATTENTION BEFORE START GIVING INSTRUCTIONS

USE SYMPLE AND EASY LANGUAGE

BE-BRIEF: GIVE SHORT INSTRUCTIONS

GET FEEDBACK FROM THE STUDENTS: GET ONE OR MORE STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE THE ACTIVITY AND/OR TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO

...

Fashcards!

Along the last classes we have been working in how to use flashcards and how to enhance children speaking skills. We have noticed that at the beginning it's a bit difficult because you don't know what to do with the material and how to use it, but when you get used to it and open your mind you find a big world of possibilities and facilities to teach in dynamic way.

You just need a little imagination because it's a very flexible material and you can cover a lot of topics with them.

It's a way of visual learning and depending on the activity you create you can cater for all the multiple intelligences. We have always to bare on mind that each of our children learn in a different way and also because of the flexibility of the material we have mentioned before you can create activities which promote the developing of higher order skills making them thinking and reflecting on their own learning process.

We will continue researching on the subject.

Storytelling

Storytelling is a wonderful way to learn, because children can enjoy while they learn a second language unconsciously.  However, to prepare a storytelling lesson is necessary much dedication ,adapt the class if is necessary , arrange  all resources ( specialized programmes in computers, decoration in class, tangible materials like tales, flashcards, puppets, mascots, balls…) Furthermore, the teacher must rehearse  the story previously to reach an excellent result.

Some advices very useful that teacher must take into account  to tell a storytelling in a suitable way are the following:

      1º to choose a good story, with an appropriate language for them. To make sure children like it.

      2º to study it very well.

       3º to arrange all the preparations.

      4º to capture all student´s attention .

       5º is very important paralinguistic resources like the  graduation of voice, intensity…  when you imitate the different characters.

       6º if is possible, you can dress up or use some clothes or accessorizes.

      7º the extralinguistic resources are essential  also ( body language, gestures, movements…)

      8º feedback with students during the story and once finished.

Here you are a very interesting video about that. I hope you enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNn0jw_pUfAstorytelling lesson     “Motivating learning DVD: Storytelling” (preview 1 of 6)

Besides, the teacher can self-assessment  once finished  this activity with the objective of  improving,  correcting  mistakes and solving possible “problems” using the following  rubric:

more listening resources

CHOCOLATE CAKE

We have chosen this song because  children  usually like the chocolate and it is very attractive for them.
it is a good topic because they can learn what they like and dont like.
Also, the song has the possibility that they song it with the lyrics and without it.
Furthermore, they can learn the pronunciation and they can memorize some parts of the song too.


Here is the link : http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/chocolate-cake

TONGUE TWISTER

The tongue twister is a method very entertaining and funny for them because it become very repetitive  but they have to try repeat without make any mistake. It "game" is very easy but they have to be carefully when they pronounce the words much times.
It exercise can be adapted according the level of student; at the beginning they can start saying : "toy phone, toy phone, toy phone..." and it can reach an upper dificulty level, for example : "I can can the can, but the can can't can me.""A good cook could cook as much cookies"The more fast they say,  more funny will be! They will learning to recognize different  phonetic sounds in a subconscious way and they will acquire too speed in  their listening skill, improving them.
Here is the link: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/tongue-twisters/toy-phone

Some listening resources

THIS IS OWEN TALKING ABOUT HIS FRIENDS.

We have chosen this video because the topic is very attractive for kids. Friends are very important for them and teaching them how to talk about his friends, where does they live, how old are they.. ect. it's a good idea. It's real conversation what makes them to develop their communication and interaction skills. Maybe it's quite difficult to understand him at the begining but if we put it twice it would be easier for our children.


The website gives us some activities to do pre/while/post listening requiring some information which appear on the video that could be a guide for us to catch some ideas about how to work this topic.

This is the link: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/kids-talk/owen-talks-about-friends

                       

THE PRINCESS AND THE DRAGON

Children love storytelling and stories about princess and princes,  that's why we have chosen this activity. It's very interactive, children can se what it's happening, can hear it too and we can give them the support of the written story. With this kind of activities we are developing their imatination and creativity.

As the activitiy before, the website also gives us some exercises depending on the level of our students to practice the vocabulary, to enhance the motivation before listening/watching the story and setting knowledge.


Here is the link: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/the-princess-and-the-dragon