viernes, 19 de octubre de 2012

using games to teach vocabulary



 HOW TO TEACH VOCABULARY USING GAMES
Introduction

Vocabulary is key to learning any language. Whether you are a teacher of ESL (English as Second Language) students or simply helping high school students study for a standardized test, vocabulary must be taught and learned. However, few things are more dreaded than lists of unknown words. Using games to teach vocabulary can help make the whole process more engaging for you and your students. 

WHEN TO USE GAMES

'Games are often used as short warm-up activities or when there is some time left at the end of a lesson. Yet, as Lee observes, a game "should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do" (1979:3). Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign languages. Rixon suggests that games be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen.'

'Games also lend themselves well to revision exercises helping learners recall material in a pleasant, entertaining way. All authors referred to in this article agree that even if games resulted only in noise and entertained students, they are still worth paying attention to and implementing in the classroom since they motivate learners, promote communicative competence, and generate fluency.'

GAMES:
1. Taboo   (aka Hot Seat)
Divide the class into Teams A and B. Team A sits in a group on one side of the classroom, Team B sits on the other side. Bring two chairs to the front of the room so that when seated, a student is facing his or her respective team and their back is to the blackboard or white board. One member from each team sits in their team's chair. The teacher writes a word, phrase, or sentence on the board. The students in the chairs mustn't see what's written on the board. Once the teacher yells 'go', the teams have one minute, using only verbal clues, to get their seated teammate to say the item written on the board. The only rule (or taboo) is that they MUSTN'T say the item written on the board, in full or part. The first student in the hot seat to utter the word scores a point for their team. When the round is over, two new team players are rotated into the hot seat and a new item is written up. The first team to score X number of points wins.

2.  Memory Challenge
Put the students into pairs or small groups. Give them a time limit (e.g. 3 minutes) and ask them to write down as many words, phrases, and/or expressions as they can from the last lesson on topic X. The pair or group that can remember the most items wins.

3.  Last One Standing
Give the class a topic (e.g. food, clothes, animals, things in a kitchen) and ask them to stand up, in a circle if possible. Clap out a beat and say, one, two, three, followed by a topic-related word. After the next three beats, the next student in the circle gives a word related to the topic, and so it continues. Anyone who can't think of a word or repeats a word already said has to sit down and it's the next person's turn. The winner is the last one standing.
4.  Pictionary
Divide the class into Teams A and B. Team A sits in a group on one side of the classroom, Team B sits on the other side. One member from each team goes to the board. The teacher flashes them a word, phrase, or expression written on a piece of paper. The students have one minute to get their respective team to say the item only by drawing pictorial clues on the board. Written words, verbal clues, or gestures are forbidden. The first team to say the word scores a point. 

5.  Bingo
The teacher writes up 10 words, phrases and/or expressions on the board. Each student chooses any 5 of the items from the board and writes them down. The teacher then selects one of the items at random (bits of paper from a hat, for example) and offers a brief definition or synonym of the item but does not say the word itself. If a student thinks they have the word the teacher described, they tick it. When a student ticks all of their words, they shout BINGO!! The first student to shout BINGO wins the round. Additional rounds can be played with different sets of words.

6. Outburst

Divide the class into Teams A and B. The teacher assigns each team a particular topic (e.g. sports, vehicles, things in an office) which is to be kept secret from the other team. Each team meets for 5 minutes in private and collectively draws up a list of ten items related to the topic. After the lists are made, the game begins. The teacher tells Team A the name of Team B's topic. Team A then has one minute to try to guess the items on Team B's list (hence producing a noisy outburst). The members of Team B must listen and tick the items which Team A manages to guess. For every word Team A guesses correctly, they score a point. For every word they miss, Team B gets a point. After the points are recorded, it's Team B turn to guess Team A's list. Additional rounds can be played with different topics assigned by the teacher. The first team to score X number of points wins.
7. Concentration
Divide the class into small groups. Each group is given a set of cards which are spread out on the table face-down. The sets are made up of two kinds of cards: word cards + definition/picture cards. Students in turn pick up a card, turn it over, and try matching it to its corresponding card. If there's no match, the cards are returned to their original place on the table and play passes to the next student. If a match is made, the student keeps the pair and tries to make another match. Once all the cards are matched, the winner is the player who has matched the most number of cards.

8.  Scrambled Letters 
Write up eight words with their letters shuffled (e.g. eicscen for science) on the board. When the teacher says 'go', the students, individually or in pairs, endeavor to untangle the words as quickly as they can. The first student or pair, to do so wins. The teacher can then quickly run through each of the scrambled letter groups on the board, eliciting information about each word or concept. Tip: Don't make them too difficult.

9.   Q & A
Write up two separate word lists on the board; an A list and a B list. Assign half the class the A list and the other half list B. Each student takes each word from their list and contextualizes it into a coherent question. Ideally, the question should demonstrate some understanding of the word (e.g. Is your family very hospitable?, NOT What does hospitable mean?). If students need help, they can consult the teacher, their notes, or their textbook. When the students have finished writing their questions, As and Bs pair up and exchange their list of questions. The students read each question and write an answer to the question on the same piece of paper. In their answer, they need to use the same word that is underlined in the question. After the answers are written, the papers are exchanged again and read by the original student.

example:
Student A's question:    Are there any skyscrapers in New York City?        
Student B's answer:      Yes, New York City has several skyscrapers.  
10.   Categories  (aka The Alphabet Game)
Divide the class into 3 or 4 teams and assign a secretary for each group. On one side of the board, write down six categories related to the current topic or syllabus of your course (e.g. countries, sports, jobs, movies, furniture, verbs, things that are round). To start the game, the teacher randomly selects a letter of the alphabet and scribbles it onto the board. Each team must then work together to quickly find a word for each of the six categories that starts with the chosen letter. The first team to complete all six categories shouts "stop!" The class then stops writing, and a member of the team goes to the board to fill in the categories. The teacher then checks each word with the class and also elicits what other teams had for each category. If the quickest team has filled in each category correctly, they earn one point for their team. The teacher then chooses a different letter and another round is played. The first team to score X number of points wins.
 

EFL/ESL Vocabulary Games

Team Spelling

Instructions

Put the class into teams.
The teacher shows a team a photograph or drawing and the team must each write down one letter of that word (without showing their teammates), depending on their position. The leftmost student writes down the first letter, the next student the second letter, etc.
e.g. the teacher shows a group of five students a picture of an apple.
The leftmost student writes down "a", the next student "p", the next student "p", the next "l" and the rightmost student "e".

Give them a short timelimit (ten to twenty seconds depending on their English level) and then have them all reveal the letters they wrote. Award one point if the word is correctly spelled, then move on to the next group.

The Hot Seat

Instructions:

  1. Break class into 4 or less teams
  2. Place a 'hot seat' in front of the class and facing away from the board
  3. Each team selects a leader
  4. One team is up at a time and their leader sits in the hot seat
  5. Write ten words on the board so the leader can't see them
  6. Number the words 1-10
  7. Each team member is assigned a word or words on the board
  8. Some team members may have more than one word
  9. Team members take turns communicating their word to the leader without
    saying the word with no spelling, writing, or drawing allowed
  10. Team members can say 'pass' if their word is too difficult
  11. Each team has 1 minute to get as many words as possible
  12. The team with the most points at the end wins
  Stand and Spell

Instructions

  1. Make list of words for students to spell
  2. Write students' names on the board
  3. Give each student one letter to be and write it next to their names
  4. Call out a word to be spelled
  5. Students stand next to each other to spell the word
.
  Spin the Coin

Instructions

  1. Lay out an arbitrary number of flashcards in a circle
    formation, making sure the edges of the flashcards are touching (i.e.
    no “holes” in the circle: taping the cards down helps)
  2. Give each player some marker pieces (colored chips work well)
  3. Prepare a 'coin' from cardboard, etc. with a line on each side, from the center of the coin to the edge
  4. Spin the coin in the middle of the circle and have the first student slam their hand down on the coin
  5. The
    line on the coin serves as a pointer and the student says the
    vocabulary word or grammar structure on the card the line points to
  6. If they are right, they place one of their markers on the card
  7. The first student to get rid of all of their markers wins

Spell from a Bag

Instructions

  1. Divide the class into groups of 2-4 students
  2. Assign everyone a vocabulary word
  3. Have each student write their word out with each letter on a separate small sheet of paper
  4. Place all the letters in a bag
  5. Students take turns taking one letter out of the bag at a time
  6. If the letter is one found in their word, they keep it and give the bag to the next student
  7. If the letter they select is not one of the letters in their word, they put it back in the bag and give it to the next student
  8. For
    example, say S1 has CAT as their word, S2 has DOG, and S3 has COW. If
    S1 draws C from the bag (even if it is not the C that they wrote), they
    keep it and give the bag to S2. S2 draws a W, puts it back in the bag,
    and gives it to S3, etc.
  9. The first student to spell their word wins
  Minesweep

Instructions

  1. Place a number of flashcards face down
  2. Set one of the flashcards to be a whammy card
  3. Students take turns flipping over and one card at a time and say the word/sentence
  4. Whoever turns over the whammy card must perform a silly task
  5. After someone pulls the whammy card, shuffle the cards and start again
  Fly Swatter

Instructions

  1. Write vocabulary words scattered across the board
  2. Place two chairs in front of the board with a fly swatter on each chair
  3. Divide class into two equal teams
  4. Have one student from each team sit in the chairs with their backs to the board
  5. Say one of the vocabulary words on the board
  6. Students stand and find the word on the board
  7. Students get one swat and the first student to hit the word with their fly swatter gets one point for their team
  8. If neither students hits the right word, the next students are up and no points are awarded.
  9. Repeat until everyone has had at least one turn

Crazy Face

Instructions

  1. Give each student a piece of paper with the outline of a head on it
  2. Have each student pick their favorite color marker
  3. Give students one thing to draw, such as 'nose'
  4. Have students pass their paper to the person next to them when finished
  5. Give students another part of the face to draw, such as 'hair'.
  6. When done, have students give a name to their face and show them to the class

Variations

  • Have students draw a whole body
  • Have students draw a house to learn house words
  • Have students draw a zoo to learn animal words
  • Use different themes for different vocabulary
 

Miming
This vocabulary game needs an OHP in class. Make slide presentations of funny characters miming feelings. For example, make slides with a picture of a clown with a sad face. Next to the sad face insert a speech bubble with “Oh! I’m so sad” written in it. Make more slides with other emotions like happy, sad, angry etc. Use picture animations to make the presentation more interesting. Show the presentation in class using an OHP. After the slide presentation is over. Ask a student to think of an emotion and mime it. The rest of the class should guess what the emotion is. Ask students to volunteer for miming. Some students may feel very shy and intimidated by the very thought of going in front of the whole class and miming.
How many times
This is more of a vocabulary drilling game to remember words. Choose words the students are already familiar with. Set a winning number. For example, set “5” as a winning number. Ask the students to be ready with a pen and a paper. Call out a word. As soon as you say “Start” the students should start writing the word. Once you say “Stop”, the students should stop writing. All the students who write the word 5 or more times are the winners.  Award the winners with a candy. This makes the learning experience very sweet.
Word bag
Write many words on small pieces of paper. Put them in a bag. Make corresponding picture cards. Each picture card should have the picture and the name on it. For example a vase picture card should have a picture of a vase and “Vase” written in bold on it. Divide the class into small groups. Give one word bag to each group.  Place the picture cards on table. The student should pick a word from the bag first then the student should pick out the first card from the table. If the word matches the card, the student gets to keep the card. If the word and the picture do not match, the card is put back and the bag is passed on to the next student in the group. The student with the maximum number of cards is the winner. This vocabulary game helps the students to remember the spelling of each word.

REFLECTION:
 In conclusion ,it's very useful to teach new vocabulary with games ,not only because it's relaxing but also because we can make a good learning atmosphere  can guide the students to learn more and meaningful. Teachers must create  attractive methods for the class.What should a teacher do if their students get bored? Using  games can be an alternative solution to handle this problem. Games, can  encourage many students to sustain their interest and work.

 LINKS :

domingo, 14 de octubre de 2012

USING MUSIC IN CLASS


 USING MUSIC IN CLASS


9 Reasons Why You Should Use Songs to Teach EFL


 Language teachers can and should use songs as part of their classroom teaching repertoire. Songs contain authentic language, are easily obtainable, provide vocabulary, grammar and cultural aspects and are fun for the students. They can provide valuable speaking, listening and language practice in and out of the classroom. Some key reasons songs can work exceedingly well in the foreign language classroom include the following:

1. Songs almost always contain authentic, natural language.
This often contrasts the contrived, stilted language found in many student texts. Of course songs can also go to the other extreme by using overly crude, foul or otherwise objectionable language. With careful screening, an extensive library of usable songs for language learning can be compiled.

2. A variety of new vocabulary can be introduced to students through songs.
Looking to boost student vocabulary with useful phrases, vocabulary and expressions? Songs are almost always directed to the native-speaking population so they usually contain contemporary vocabulary, idioms and expressions.

3. Songs are usually very easily obtainable.
Cibemba and Silozi non-withstanding, songs are usually not that difficult to obtain. Local sources may be available including the students themselves. There's always the internet which can connect you with song downloads in all but the most obscure languages.

4. Songs can be selected to suit the needs and interests of the students.
In English especially, so many songs are available that selection of songs with suitable themes, levels and vocabulary is not at all difficult. Allowances can also be made for complexity or simplicity of language, depending on the students, by selecting and using suitable songs.                        

5. Grammar and cultural aspects can be introduced through songs.
Most if not all songs have a recurring theme or story. So excerpting cultural elements is usually a possible, but often overlooked aspect of using songs. I still use "Hit the Road Jack" sung by the late Ray Charles to illustrate spoken contractions. He uses spoken contractions is virtually every line of the song.

6. Time length is easily controlled.
Whether you have an hour, 30 minutes, or only 15 minutes or so, a song can be used in the course of a planned lesson. Use of songs is very flexible.

7. Students can experience a wide range of accents.
A good thing about songs is that you can expose the students to many different kinds of English. British English, American English, Caribbean English are all widely available through songs. Accents too are well represented by songs from different regions and in a variety of types and formats. Gospel, soul, R & B, Pop, Rock, Reggae, Jazz and other styles change not only accents, but vocabulary and usage too.

8. Song lyrics can be used in relating to situations of the world around us.
Songs have been used as vehicles of protest for civil rights, workers' rights, even prisoners' rights along with an untold number of other causes. They've expounded on pollution, crime, war and almost every social theme or cause. We won't even mention how many songs are about, related to or explore the theme of sex.

9. Students think songs are natural and fun.
Well actually they are, aren't they? Fun, even silly songs abound in English. Some singers actually made a career out of them. (Ray Stevens, anyone?) They make offbeat, fun changes of pace with classroom use.

These are only some of the many reasons songs are useful in the language learning classroom. They contain authentic language, are easily obtainable, provide vocabulary, grammar and cultural aspects and are fun for the students. They provide enjoyable speaking, listening, vocabulary and language practice both in and out of the classroom. So EFL, English as a foreign language, ESL, English as a Second language and foreign language teachers should all consider using songs as a regular part of their classroom activities.

Benefits of using Music

 


Have you ever heard of anyone who doesn't like music? Some people may not like art, dancing, reading, or movies, but almost everyone likes one kind of music or another. Most people like many different kinds of music. Studies have shown that music...
  • improves concentration
  • improves memory
  • brings a sense of community to a group
  • motivates learning
  • relaxes people who are overwhelmed or stressed
  • makes learning fun
  • helps people absorb material
    1. Natural Language

      • Songs contain natural language, often taken from a conversation or the actual subject the song is about. This markedly contrasts with the often forced language seen in student textbooks. The discerning teacher will be able to screen out any inappropriate language that some songs contain and assemble a list of songs available for use in the classroom.

      Vocabulary

      • A wide variety of current and useful vocabulary can be acquired through popular songs. When learning a new language, the most successful students will be those who interact with the native speakers of that language. As this may not be possible in most classroom situations, popular songs of that culture are a good place to start. Contemporary vocabulary, idioms and expressions can be readily acquired with almost native proficiency, as these songs are usually directed only at the native--speaking market.

      Accessibility

      • With the availability of iPods and other forms of digitized music, there is a plethora of music and popular songs available for this purpose. It is equally easy to find the lyrics to a particular song on the Internet, and these lyrics, if they are written as slang, can be translated to formal English as part of a learning activity. Although the grammar translation method has been mostly discredited, this method is different, as students will be acquiring both the slang and its formal equivalent.

      Student Interests

      • Because English songs are the most widely recorded, a selection of songs is available to suit all levels of vocabulary acquisition. Students can be directed to virtually any song, depending on their level of proficiency, and lessons can be devised around these songs. For instance, students can start with simple primary school-age songs and then progress to adolescent and older styles of popular songs. Often learning the lyrics of a protest song may help students understand their target culture.

      Grammar

      • Country songs also have a cultural aspect to them, and through a recurring theme or story they can be used to teach grammar and colloquial usage. Native speakers of English will often use contractions such as I'm, I'll, or won't, to mention a few. Songs use contractions liberally, and second-language learners will become more comfortable using them after learning them through the lyrics. You can also teach grammatical functions by using lyrics, which in many cases use incorrect or colloquial grammar. Direct the students to find and correct the errors.

    Techniques for Using Music with L2 Learners

    There are a variety of different ways to use music in the classroom. Some teachers prefer to use background music and others use music lyrics as the basis of a lesson. Music can be used to:
  • introduce a new theme or topic (Christmas/colours/feelings)
  • break the ice in a class where students don't know each other or are having difficulty communicating
  • change the mood (liven things up or calm things down)
  • teach and build vocabulary and idioms
  • review material (background music improves memory)
  • teach pronunciation and intonation
  • teach songs and rhymes about difficult grammar and spelling rules that need to be memorized ("i before e", irregular verbs, phrasal verbs)
  • teach reading comprehension
  • inspire a class discussion
  • teach listening for details and gist

    Tips for Using Music Effectively

  • When teaching students a song, it is a good idea to introduce an instrumental version first (If an instrumental version is not available, play the song softly in the background while they are working on something or hum the melody before introducing the lyrics). If students become familiar with the sound of the music first, they will be more likely to understand the words.
  • Make a vocabulary list ahead of time. Go over the words once before you introduce the song.
  • Expose students to a certain song many days in a row. Within a few days, students will not be able to get the song out of their head!
  • Choose interactive songs whenever possible. Adding actions enhances language acquisition and memory.
  • Have soft or upbeat music playing before class to encourage a positive atmosphere. Turning the music off is a great way to signal to a large class that it is time to begin.
  •  
    LESSON PLAN
    STAGE
    PROCEDURE
    TASK
    INTERACTION
    AIM
    TIME


    1
    Introduce The activity by asking ss what kind of music they like or what are their favorite songs
    Give ideas about music and their favorite songs .
    T & SS
    Ss will be able to get familiar with the class and express their opinions about their favorite songs .
     7min



    2
    Tell ss to look they received .
    Explain instructions .
    Check comprehension.
    Play the song.
    Listen to the song and fill in the spaces in blank.
    Individually
    Ss will be better able to improve their listening skill by listening to the song and complete the spaces in blank.
    10min


    3
    Has ss compare their answers with a partner

    Compare answers with a partner
    pairs
    Ss will become more confident with their answers when they have to report.
     2min



    4
    Check the answers with the hall class .
    Ask for volunteers to come to the board to write their answers


    Ss report their answers
    All the class
    Ss will be able to report their answers and correct their errors
     8min


    5
    Has ss find all the verbs in simple past .

    Find the verbs in simple past .
    individually
    SS will be able to recognize by themselves the verbs in simple past and say it loudly
     5min




    6
    Has ss discuss what the song is about .


    Discuss the meaning of the song .
    pairs
    SS will be able to discuss the meaning or the message of the song that it transmits , also ss will develop their speaking skills .
    8min

This love

I was so high I did not recognize
The fire burning in her eyes
The chaos that controlled my mind
Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane
Never to return again
But always in my heart

This love has taken its toll on me
She said Goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

I tried my best to feed her appetite
Keep her coming every night
So hard to keep her satisfied
Kept playing love like it was just a game
Pretending to feel the same
Then turn around and leave again

This love has taken its toll on me
She said Goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

I'll fix these broken things
Repair your broken wings
And make sure everything's alright
My pressure on her hips
Sinking my fingertips
Into every inch of you
Cause I know that's what you want me to do



Fuente: musica.com
PERSONAL REFLECTION:

In my opinion using music in class is very useful because  you can practice different skills :grammar ,lexis, pronunciation.

 Language teachers can and should use songs as part of their classroom teaching repertoire. Songs contain authentic language, are easily obtainable, provide vocabulary, grammar and cultural aspects and are fun for the students. They can provide valuable speaking, listening and language practice in and out of the classroom.

  • LINKS:
  • http://www.englishclub.com/teaching-tips/music-classroom.htm
  •  http://www.eslbase.com/articles/songs
  •  http://www.ehow.com/about_5097618_using-music-teach-english.html