Tips for English Teachers

I would like to share some ideas for English Classes, that sometimes I like to do. They are very fun, but some of them work better when you teach a group.

So here we go...

1) LOUD DICTATION- You can choose any text that you like best to work in this specific class. You play any music that your students enjoy and put it VERY LOUD!!! While the music is playing, they are having fun and working. They will have to shout sometimes so their partner can understand the words. The group that finishes first, of course is the WINNER!

2) RUNNING DICTATION- I love this one! You write the same text/sentence on two or three( depends on the number of students you have) white pieces of papers, and glue them on the wall far way from where they are sitting. One student is responsible for writing and the other is the one that will run and bring the information he/she reads. It is really funny and fun, because sometimes they forget what they have just read and run back again, making some funny faces and saying funny things. I always have a blast!
Notice that to be the group winner, EVERYTHING has to be correctly spelled.

3) FIRST DAY OF CLASS- This one I dedicate to my brother Mauricio that used to work with me and loved to do this activity with his students.
You put on the board WORDS that can be related or not to you. Have students ask questions using the words and from what you say they will find out if it is true or not.
Example: FOURTY EIGHT.
students: Are you 48 years old? Is 48 the number of your house? Is 48 your lucky number? Is your husband fourty eight years old? Etc...
Keep them asking you questions until they get it right, then go to the next word.

4) VIDEO AND CONVERSATION- I like to work with a police or drama movie/film so you can say that they will have to figure out the CRIME SCENE.
Before you play the scene that you have selected, tell them to write down as many questions they can to interrogate you , so they will have an idea about what really happened during the "crime". When they have the idea, they will have to tell you. You can not say if it is correct or not because the interesting thing is for them to watch and retell the scene again if it is very different from what really happened.

I hope you have enjoyed these ideas and I am willing to help you in coming up with new ideas for your English Classes.

See you,

Teacher Patricia.