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MODES (types) OF INTERACTION

 

One of the teacher’s roles is to organize class in order to achieve better results. To do this the teacher refers to various modes of interaction which are classified according to the number of participants at the same time. The mode you choose depends on your goal, what you want your pupils to achieve. If you want you pupils to work with the same activity and reason, select whole class mode.

Ways of organizing students: individual, pair, group, whole class activities

1) Individual work: pupils have their own responsibility, work at their own pace, focus on what they want to achieve; but – the teacher can’t control and help – better for preparation stage for guided and communicative activities, for post-listening or reading stage, for grammar or vocabulary activities, writing tasks

2) Pair work – all the pupils have a chance to speak, they are not afraid of others to hear their mistakes; but there is noise in the classroom, no control from the teacher even though he goes round the classroom and monitors his pupils’ work, the pupils may speak their native language instead – better for semi-controlled activities: practicing dialogues, types of questions, grammar drills.

3) Group work: pupils can learn from others, cooperate with others, have their own pace, share responsibility for what they do; but – can cause a lot of noise, pupils may use their native language, bright pupils may dominate – better for guided and communicative activities: role plays, simulations, drama, debates. Necessary to place pupils with different levels of language proficiency in a group and each time create new groups

4) Whole class activities: the teacher corrects mistakes, so the pupils get the correct language from him; the pupils have enough reading or listening practice; all the pupils work with the same dynamic but not at their own pace; not enough time for everybody to speak; there is little learning; time-consuming so better for setting the task, lexical or phonetic warm-up, presenting new material, checking knowledge (e.g. writing dictation) – for controlled activities.

 

VISUAL AIDS

 

Visual aids can be defined in two ways: as a picture or a diagram you show learners to help their understanding, or in a broader sense as anything you show learners in a classroom to do this.

In the classroom teachers can use pictures, video, symbols, gestures and facial expressions as visual aids.

A dull English lesson can be made much more interesting by just a few visual aids

1 Use DVDs as a way of enlivening an English lesson. A good film adaptation of a classic piece of English literature can be utilized, in DVD form, to complement a novel. The movie can underline dramatic parts of the book and provoke students into having an even greater understanding of the novel's characters, story and meaning. DVDs with subtitles can also be used to instruct adult non-English speaking people in learning English, while showing important aspects of how to settle in a new country.

Using video: This can be compared to listening to the radio or watching a video of the same conversation. The facial expressions and gestures in video help learners arrive at meaning while with radio it is harder with no visual clues.

2 Teach very young children and adult non-English speakers to learn words with the help of images. The connection between a photograph or picture will make it easier to retain the interest of students and consequently increase their chances of learning. For small children, use images of animals and birds. Posters of movie stars can then be used to question the students as to what English films the actor or actress appeared in.

3 Objects are a way in which students of all ages and capabilities can be stimulated into learning English. For older students learning about English literature, bring along an item of clothing from the period a novel was set in. Just a simple item can stir the imagination of a class. For non-English speakers, it will be useful to bring household items along, from a broom to cutlery. Ask the class to name each item in English. For small children, toys are sure to gain a response.

Gesture in error correction: facial expression, gestures, mimes can enhance students’ understanding of your meaning.

• miming the action you are describing

• exaggerating your facial expressions slightly to get across a sense of mood – surprise, disapproval

The blackboard/whiteboard for drawing students’ attention to new language, checking understanding and summarising your lesson. The 2 key factors are presentation/layout and organised and selective content.

Blackboard drawings can be used to teach vocabulary and grammar. Just draw simple objects or outline people to introduce new vocabulary or grammar.

The overhead projector or personal computer projector You can re-use overhead transparencies with other classes, or copies of your slide can be given as handouts. Presentation programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint allow you to modify your slides to suit each class.

Colourful flashcards for key topics and lexical sets, it is easy to under-use them.

1 You can use them as an introduction/warm-up to reactivate students’ language.

• Get students in pairs to guess the words or phrases that the pictures represent.

• Make a team game. Partially cover each picture (with black card with a shaped cut-out which gives a keyhole effect) and challenge teams to guess the word. Further points can be added or gained by making a sentence about the picture or asking a question about it.

• You can use sets of pictures and ask what they have in common, e.g. all modes of transport; all objects you might find in a bedroom; all uncountable foodstuffs; all countries in the Southern Hemisphere;

2 You can use the flashcards as cues for substitution in dialogues, e.g. a lexical set of pictures of drinks on the board.

 

You can prepare posters or flipcharts for the classroom. Keep them large, simple and clear, with not too much information. The following posters can be useful: classroom instructions; classroom requests; language tables.

 

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