* Chapter 2

Classroom activities

Presented by : Omid Sanaei

1. Planning an activity

2. Activity route map

3. Exploiting an activity

4. Pair work

5. Small group work

* Some Things to Consider When You Start Planning &

Running Activities

What is activity or task ?

a) The basic building block of a lesson

b)Something that learners do that involves them using or working with language to achieve some specific outcome.

*Planning an Activity

1. “ Real- world ” outcome

2. “ For-the-purposes-of-learning ” outcome

Some things that happen in classroom are not tasks.

A basic and important consideration when planning a lesson is that learners have some specific thing to do, whatever the stage of the lesson.

*Planning an Activity

In using it as the basis for a class activity, which of the following working arrangements would be possible?

1. Students think and write their answers on their own.2. Students prepare a short monologue statement of their own

views which they then present to the whole class.3. A whole-class discussion of ideas and answers.4. Pairwork discussion.5. Small-group work.6. Students walk around and mingle with other students.7. Written homework.

Speaking

Which of these ‘firsts’ do you remember best?Your first homeYour first dateYour first dance

Your first friendYour first loveYour first holiday

Your first heroYour first English lessonYour first broken heart

* Basic Options You Could Consider for Many Basic Short Coursebook

ActivitiesA few variations on the arrangements What arrangements can you see?

Students talk together and write nothing; they are permitted to write.

Individual work

you choose pairs; students choose pairs; pairs are randomly selected; face to face; back to back; across the room(shouting); communicating in writing only

Pairwork

Groups have a secretary(note taking duty); groups have an appointed leader; membership of groups is occasionally rearranged; groups are allowed to send ‘ambassadors/pirates’ to other groups (to compare/ gain/ steal ideas)

Small groups (three to six people)

(as above) Large groups

Students may only talk to one other person at a time; groups may meet up to maximum of 3,4 or 5 people; time limits on meetings; you force rearrangements

Whole class: mingle

The conversation/ activity is managed by you/ a student/ a number of Ss; whole-class work with brief ‘buzz’ intervals of pairwork/ small group discussion

Whole class: plenary

Basic route map plan for running a simple activity:

1.Before the lesson: familiarize yourself with the material and activity; prepare any materials or texts you need.

2.In class: lead in/ prepare for the activity3.Set up the activity (or section of the activity), i.e. give

instructions, make groupings, etc.4.Run the activity (or section) : students do the activity,

maybe in pairs or small groups while you monitor and help5.Close the activity (or section) and invite feedback

from the students.6.Post-activity: do any appropriate follow-on work

(having feedback session on the activity).

* Activity Route Map

Groups meet up with other groups and compare answers/ opinions. Students check answers with the printed answers in the teacher’s book. Before the class, you anticipate what the main language problems will

be and prepare a mini-presentation on these areas. During the last minutes of a long task, go round the groups and warn

them that each group will be asked to ‘report back’ to the whole class. Ask them to appoint a spokesperson and to agree on the main message they want to say.

When checking answers , ask for groups to exchange and compare their answers across the room themselves

Or get a student to come up front and manage the answer checking, rather than doing it yourself.

Collect in all answer sheets then redistribute them for’ correcting’ by other students. When everything has been checked, students pair up with those who marked their paper and listen/ explain/ justify/ argue, etc.

Correct one student’s answer; that student then goes on to correct other answers.

* Post Activity

Type 1 : Pairwork information gaps

Type 2: pairwork grammar activities

* Pairwork

Studying grammar only partially involves a need for explanation; the essential heart of learning grammar seems to be that students have lots of opportunities to try things out themselves. This is a ‘trying things out themselves’ kind of lesson.

* Pairwork Information Gaps

Type 1: Pairwork Information Gaps

This activity resembles real-life communication. This information gap makes a reason for talking.

The tasks are all based around getting the students to speak and exchange information and ideas, i.e using language to communicate.

There is some possibility for you to input some languages, but speaking rather than learning new things is primary aim.

Guidelines for activity route map:

1.Before the lesson: familiarize yourself with the material and activity; prepare any materials or texts you need.

2.In class: lead in/ prepare for the activity3.Set up the activity (or section of the activity), i.e. give

instructions, make groupings, etc.4.Run the activity (or section) : students do the activity,

maybe in pairs or small groups while you monitor and help5.Close the activity (or section) and invite feedback

from the students.6.Post-activity: do any appropriate follow-on work

(having feedback session on the activity).

* Activity Route Map

Students may be better able to:Speak more fluentlyDescribe objects, their location, decoration and

shape in precise detail.Listen carefully and decide which information is

important.Ask for further clarification of information.Name some typical objects and activities

associated with the sea, holidays and beaches. Interact effectively and use time efficiently to

solve a specific puzzle.

* Commentary

This task has two sections

* Pairwork Grammar Activities

The task is based around learners making sentences and questions in a range of sentences.

The activity’s level is self-grading.

If students do not know language items, they simply will not use them.

* Commentary

* Small Group Discussion

*Thanks for Your

Attention