Using realia at higher levels

Book cut-outs: a laminator adventure

I have amassed quite the collection of outdated coursebooks. Some were picked up at library give-aways, others found their way to me through other teachers and learners. They have mostly been gathering dust on my shelf: they are out-of-print old editions, designed with exams in mind which have changed format, or are too outdated to be of much use in the classroom.

So, I cut them up. Sensitive book-lovers, avert your eyes.

This is the process:

1. I selected activities and texts from each book which I like and think could still be useful.

2. I pasted them onto sheets of A4 paper.

3. I laminated each A4 sheet, then cut out the individual activities again.

4. I organised the activities according to topic.

(I am very much in the middle of the process, and have only finished perhaps one book. This is a very meditative but time-intensive activity.)

Here is how I use them:

1. A warmer activity. Waiting for late-comers to show up, I will give each pair or student a task, or allow them to pick one out themselves. Some tasks are short speaking activities, which work well for a small group, others can be worked on both in pairs and individually. It's a nice way to revise a topic or chat about something once the weekend update is over.

2. An extra activity for fast-finishers.

3. Revision and extension. It's easy to gamify this, too: for a revision session, each group can earn points by completing tasks from a stack. Each task may have a different point value assigned, which you can write with a whiteboard marker on the back.

4. A more attractive way to present run-of-the-mill vocabulary and grammar tasks. I don't like doing a lot of these workbook-standard activities in class, because I work with small groups and there are usually more engaging ways we can practise a language point. However, I do recognise the value to doing some... For students who groan at the idea, this can be much more fun. There's the feel of the slippery laminated task, of course, and also the opportunity to choose what they'd like to work on, or the excitement of picking out a random task from a stack... It's a small thing that makes a big difference.

5. A way to cut down on printing worksheets. This one is pretty self-explanatory. The laminated activities can be re-used in multiple lessons, with various groups of students.

Sentence slips

I was heavily inspired here by Justyna Oleszek. Check out the rest of the stream, particularly if you work with children / younger teens.

These sentence slips are good alternatives for standard flashcards, which usually feature single words or expressions. Presenting new vocabulary in context is an easy way to support students in noticing features such as prepositions and collocations.

I prefer to create sets based on vocabulary from a particular unit / topic / text rather than grammar. However, I try to make sure various grammar structures are used in the sentences. This way, I can highlight a particular grammar point we've been studying and do some impromptu practice every time the grammar point comes up in one of the sentences. Teaching grammar in small chunks this way, almost as an after-thought, is something I really enjoy doing, particularly with students who are a bit grammar-averse. It also encourages students to notice new grammar in what they read and hear, which can help them acquire it faster.

Here is the process:

1. I copied sentences from a book I'm working with in class, focusing on sentences which use target vocabulary or grammar. I also came up with a couple of my own to supplement.

2. For another set, I used sample sentences from Cambridge Dictionary to help students explore different uses and collocations of a particular word.

3. I printed and laminated them.

4. I brought them to class! 

Here is how I use them to introduce new vocabulary or grammar:

1. Sorting into categories. I tell students two or three categories related to the sentences, and ask them to sort the slips as a group or in pairs. The categories could be sentences about the weather and sentences about geography (for my first set), or more vaguely, good and bad. Or even, things which have and haven't happened to you. You could even have them come up with their own categories -- though I wouldn't do that unless they've done a similar activity once or twice already.

2. Ordering and ranking. I ask the students to order the sentences from best to worst (they may argue about the interpretation of this, and I let them). Or I ask them to order them in what most likely came first and last, or their most and least favourite.

3. Call and response. I tell students I will say something, and they must read out the best response from the cards. An example could be: I'm off to Biedronka. Do you think I should take an umbrella? to elicit the sentence The sky's really overcast. It's going to start pouring down any moment.

4. How would you describe... I ask students to read out sentences which they could use in a particular situation, or to describe a particular thing. For weather sentences, I might ask them to read out sentences to describe summer weather in Poland, or the climate of Spain.

5. Find me a word that... I will explain the meaning, give a synonym or sometimes a Polish translation of a target word or phrase, and ask them to find it within the sentences. The context of the sentence will make it easier for students to guess the meaning of new vocabulary and complete this task without extra support.

6. How else can I say...? I will say a modified version of a sentence and ask students to find the original. This is particularly useful for teaching grammar. For example, if there are some sentences in the set which feature passive voice, this could be the exchange: T: My boss told me they had fired me. Ss: I was told I'd been fired.

Here is how I use the sentence slips to practise or revise new vocabulary or grammar:

1. Cover a word. Ask students to use their finger or pen to cover a word or short phrase from a sentence. They show it to their partner, who has to guess / recall the missing word.

2. Transformations. Ask students to say a sentence with the same meaning, but: (1) changing at least two words, (2) using passive voice, (3) starting the sentence with a particular word, (4) etc. Could also do a race where pairs / groups compete to come up with as many transformations of given sentences as they can within the time frame.

3. Make this about something else. Here, students also transform the sentence, but this time the meaning is changed. Prompts could include: make the sentence mean the opposite / make the sentence true for you / make the sentence a question / make the sentence about the past.

4. Tell me a story. Have students draw five sentence slips and come up with a story / dialogue / email / etc. which uses the five sentences.

5. Do a roleplay. Students draw a selection of sentence slips first and must use the sentences or selected words from the sentences in the roleplay.

6. Think of questions for discussion. Students must write five questions to ask their partner using words / phrases from the sentences.

7. Run activities 3-6 from the previous section (call and response, how would you describe, find me a word that, how else can I say), with students playing the role of teacher, as a whole class or in smaller groups / pairs.

There are likely tonnes more ways these could be used. The collecting, printing and laminating takes a bit of time, but after that, these can be used in multiple classes for activities requiring zero further prep. And discovering language this way is just more fun that doing the same with sentences printed in a coursebook or shown on a screen.

Newsweek Learning English

Many language schools have a little library students can use. Some students even use it. Many students don't. At higher levels, encouraging extensive reading is extra important. I used to print out articles or share links to online resources (I still do!). That's a lot of work, though. Here's my alternative for a low-prep homework assignment.

I try to pick up older issues of Newsweek Learning English in second-hand shops. I'm also always on the prowl for cheap or free magazines when shopping or travelling. I have a very modest collection at the moment I am hoping to grow in time.

Here is the process:

1. Bring enough magazine issues into class so that every student can have one.

2. Students randomly select a magazine issue they will take home. I instruct them to choose one article they will read (but stress they are free to read more if they have time!). I explain they will have to summarise the article to their partner next time and ask them two questions to find out about their opinion or experience with the given topic. I may also give some guidance here about which articles would be good to focus on: in Newsweek Learning English, they are divided by level, so I suggest which levels would be most appropriate. I make it clear the students can choose a higher or lower level article if they find the topic particularly interesting.

3. In the following class, students exchange their summaries and questions. If there is time, they swap around, so they have the opportunity to give their summary twice.

4. At the end of class, I ask the students to select an article from their magazine for another student to read. Cue students showing their true nature: will they choose an article according to their partner's interests, or the longest and most difficult they can find?

5. In the following class, students again report on the article they've read. They can do the same task, or I might set another: for instance, to present three key words or expressions from the article, three facts they found the most interesting, or two things they agree with and one thing they disagree with.

Why I like it:

1. Having an actual magazine to leaf through is nicer than handling a worksheet, or reading a text off a screen. It's easy for students to refer back to bits in the text as they speak. If they have the magazine with them over the course of the week, they might also find themselves reading more than just the assigned article, compelled by the attractive visuals, an interesting title, or simply boredom on the bus.

2. Students tend to be more motivated to read if they can choose the material themselves. However, just telling students to read an article they find online for the next lesson may be too little direction.

3. Once you've got the magazines, this is an incredibly low-prep way to assign meaningful homework and have meaningful speaking time in the classroom. To extend the activity, it's easy to get students to find new / useful words in their article, either at home or in the classroom, which they can then teach to their partners (with you monitoring and clarifying).