More tested lessons, suggestions, tips and techniques which have all

worked for ETp readers. Try them out for yourself – and then send us
your own contribution. Don’t forget to include your postal address.
All the contributors to It Works in Practice in this issue of ETp will
receive a copy of ETpedia: 1,000 ideas for English language teachers,
by John Hughes, published by Pavilion.

Grammar poker Engaging with social media

This is a way to check understanding of language For years, we’ve had some success in engaging our students with
points you have covered. It encourages student educational software, websites, some cloud-based solutions (eg Google
collaboration/communication and supports weaker Drive), and the assorted tools bundled with our Learning Management
learners. Systems (eg Blackboard, D2L). But why not also tap into what the students
You will need to prepare a set of sentences, are really excited about?
some of which contain deliberate grammar errors. Mobile devices are ubiquitous; the usage statistics are undeniable;
I usually prepare around 15 sentences, depending the integration into every domain of our lives is more and more pervasive.
on the language we’ve been studying. Put the By tapping into the throbbing energy of social media, we can go a long way
sentences on individual cards – one set per group toward really engaging our students.
of three students. These sets should all be in the Here are some strategies that will work with most of today’s popular
same order. You will also need a set of Monopoly social networks to enhance pedagogical tasks (in bold):
or other play money. Take photos of your students’ work samples, post them and praise them,
1 Put the students in groups of three – grouping using the ‘comment’ or ‘reply’ feature; bring this back to the classroom
them strategically, to support those of weaker for brainstorming and reflection (Which ideas would you like to explore
ability. further? What are your strengths? What are your top three next steps?).
2 Give each group £1,500 of play money in ‘Like’ or ‘favourite’ your students’ posts of their interests, hobbies and
various denominations. Keep enough money back discoveries; use these items for icebreakers and lesson transitions.
for you to give out as the game proceeds. Find and post photos, brief videos or articles representing your students’
3 Give each group a set of sentence cards. interests; use these as a hub for written discussion, using the ‘comment’
Tell them not to change the order of these, or ‘reply’ feature, or as springboards for oral presentations.
but to place them face down on the table. Find and post photos of mystery objects, and have your students guess
4 Ask the students to turn over the first card. what they are (or elaborate with detailed fibs about them!); they can
Tell them to decide if the sentence is correct and, even do so briefly via informal written or spoken comments directly in
if so, to bet some of their money, the amount the social networking app.
depending on how confident they are that it is Create a classroom hashtag, and use it with your students to find and
correct. Set a time limit for them to place their bet. share high-interest reading and listening materials that enrich and
5 If the sentence is correct, double the cash extend classroom learning: trivia, surveys, brief videos, infographics,
of each group that bet on it from the remaining quotes ... the list goes on.
money. If it is incorrect, any groups that placed So get your feet wet with some popular social media if you haven’t already
a bet lose their stake. done so. Experiment with the features, search for interesting people and
6 Groups win or lose money as the exercise content – and have fun. Give it a few weeks: the benefits are not always
progresses. The group with the most money at immediately apparent. You’ll find entertainment, the latest news, useful
the end is the winner. information, humour, some distracting advertising – and quite a bit of
You can add excitement by asking the students to material that you’ll find uninteresting or even offensive. Nonetheless,
double their bets at any time, or by suggesting you’ll soon realise that there is no other e-learning space that is as vibrant
minimum/maximum bets. and engaging for your students as the world of social media.
Gemma Harding Kosta Dimeropoulos
Chichester, UK Toronto, Canada

38 • Issue 101 November 2015 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Express yourself!
Drama activities and games help young learners to understand Ask the students to stand in separate spaces and to secretly
and express how they are feeling, and to recognise emotions choose a feeling for themselves. When you give them a signal
in others. They can also absorb useful vocabulary through to begin, they should walk around the space asking the other
naming and describing feelings in English. students at random I am sad/excited/surprised. Are you sad/
excited/surprised? When they find a person who answers
‘Feeling’ mimes Yes, I am sad/excited/surprised, they should hold hands and
Choose some feelings that you would like to teach your class to continue to walk around together, using We are ... and asking
name and express, such as happy, sad, angry, excited, tired, their question. Eventually, a group should have formed to
frightened. Make an appropriate facial expression for each represent each feeling. Each group in turn may then show their
feeling, and encourage your students to copy you. You could facial expression to the other groups, and everybody can guess
also use other parts of the body to make the meanings clearer, how they are feeling.
such as stamping your foot to show that you are angry or
wrapping your arms around your body when you are frightened. Add a song
Sing the well-known song: If You’re Happy And You Know It with
Make each expression in turn, naming each one clearly before
the class. Include each feeling in turn and add suitable actions
you mime it. Ask the students to repeat the word and then copy
for each verse. For example: clap hands for happy, stamp feet
the expression. Repeat the facial expressions, in different
for angry, pretend to go to sleep for tired, hide your face for
orders, several times each, until the students are confident.
frightened, etc.
Then play a game in which you call out feelings and they must
make expressions to fit the words. Gradually increase the speed Encourage the students to think of other verses and supply
of the game, so that they must think and change more quickly. appropriate names, descriptive words, mimes and actions for any
other feelings and expressions that they would like to portray.
Divide the class into small groups, and ask each group to choose
an expression that they will make for the other groups to guess
Develop language skills
and copy. Allow them to play this game as individuals, if they
Ask the students to think about what makes them feel happy.
are confident enough.
Offer ideas, such as a favourite toy, food, person, game, or a
How do you feel? special occasion, such as a birthday. They could also think about
what makes them feel sad, such as not being able to have or do
Work with an adult colleague to demonstrate talking about
something; what makes them feel tired, such as taking part in a
feelings to the class. Make a happy face and say I am happy.
sport; or what makes them feel frightened, such as a scary story
Are you happy? Your colleague could say Yes, I am happy or
or a loud noise.
No, I am sad/angry/worried, and mime the appropriate
expression. Ask the students to work in pairs, taking turns to Encourage them to take turns to speak to the rest of the class
make an expression, name it and ask whether their partner or to a small group, saying I feel happy when I eat chocolate or
feels the same, or to make an appropriate reply. I feel frightened when I hear thunder. Join in with the game, to
set an example of speaking in longer sentences. For example: I feel
Sit in a circle and shake hands with each student in turn,
sad when the holidays end, because I’ve had fun with my family, but
asking How do you feel? Each student should reply I feel happy/
then I feel happy that I can come back to school to see all of you again.
excited/tired/surprised and make an appropriate expression to
illustrate. Emphasise to the students that they are acting and
Picture it!
can choose and name any expression they like: they don’t have
Provide opportunities for the students to draw pictures of all
to say how they are really feeling.
the different expressions that they can think of and write the
Are you happy too? English words to describe them beside the faces. If they are
ready, they may write down further descriptions or the
Introduce some grammar alongside the new vocabulary.
sentences they created while playing the games.
Begin by demonstrating with a colleague how to say I am happy.
Are you happy? Your colleague should reply I am happy too. They could make their pictures and writing into books to keep in
You can then hold hands and say together We are happy. the classroom or posters to display on the walls, to help them
Put the students in pairs and support them as they practise to remember the vocabulary and the concepts they have learnt
this dialogue and try it with each of the other words and facial and portrayed.
expressions they have learnt, taking turns to ask the question Debbie Chalmers
and make the response. Cambridge, UK

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 101 November 2015 • 39