I just had my first class with the lesson on "Going to the Dr." I had some time management problems. Going over the vocabulary and solving the crossword puzzle worked out okay. I did get a lot of reponse from students although they were mostly answers to closed-ended questions. It's difficult to engage in dialogic interaction with the students when they're calling out one-word answers. I wish the article would cite some examples to illustrate how this could be achieved.
I spent so much time grouping the students and explaining the terms that I didn't give them enough time to play the card game to actually use the new terms. I should have explained the rules more clearly since almost none of them understood how to play at the beginning and much time was lost on just explaining the rules over and over again. I think it's better to show them how it is played. Moreover, I only allotted 10 minutes, which was not merely enough time for them to play the card game anyway.
I have to improve on my questioning techniques and time management next period.
Hmm. Saturday we'll look at some ways to make classrooms more dialogic. About 'explaining terms' -- can they understand your explanations? Generally -- ss at low proficiency level have a really hard time attending to more than just a short sentence or command. Have yyou tried other ways to make Input Comprehensible (topic coming soon in class) -- using pictures, gestures, facial expressions, realia, stuff like that?
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답글삭제What card game did you teach them Agnes? I used a picture card game for my low level classes during a class last semester and they loved it. It was one of my more successful low level classes.
답글삭제I used the card game I got from bogglesworld. It's similar to "Go fish." On each card is a picture with the symptoms on it, so they have to ask questions like, "Is something wrong with your foot?" If anyone says "yes," they're supposed ask the next question such as, "Do you have a blister?" in order to get the same card from the other players. I've noticed that it works well with intermediate to advanced students, but not at all with the beginners (because they can't read what's on their card and take part in the game). Some of them got left out...
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