My Classroom Activity-1

Engaging Students more through Classroom Activity

Ms. Nikita Gadani

Department of Communication Skills, MEF, Rajkot  

While engaging students in language activities, one is reminded of the Bonwell & Elison's basic proposition on second language learning;

The process of second language learning has to be successful in order to make an engagement the students and the language, actually is quite difficult to find how active students are in the learning process and how thoroughly they take responsibility for knowledge construction have been linked to learning to favorable learning experiences and to students attitudes. (Bonwell & Elison 1991).

While learning a second language, students are passing through many difficult stages and if teacher follows the scenario of language teaching through theory session, it would be difficult for the students to act in the second language.

When teachers plan classroom (learning) activities they need to be clear what the learning activity will enable the students to achieve. There are a number of classroom activities which teacher can adapt to encourage students’ learning. However, there are few things which teacher should keep in mind before planning any activity like

1.       Teacher will have to plan activities according to the age level of the class,

2.      S/he needs to be sensitive to timing and frequency of use, and  

3.      The activities should be easily used to set up or lead into new learning.

Here are few activities which can be implemented in the class.

Slogans:

Most of the colleges and schools have slogans. Teacher can ask students to develop a slogan for each unit that they study.  This is a simple way to keep a record of what they have studied over the course of a semester or year.

Students preparing slogans 

Learning Diary:   

Once in a week, teacher should ask students to write down five things that they have learned in class.  It is important that students can articulate what they are learning.

Object Description:  

In this activity teacher can ask students to capture a photograph of any object and ask them to describe it in a group.

Students observing and describing objects

Role Play:

In this activity, teacher can give different situations to the students and ask them to write script on it and after given time teacher can allow them to perform on stage.

Students performing a role play

Completion of the Story:

In this activity teacher can give a half portion of any story to the students and allow them to complete the remaining half one in their own way, so that they can think out of box and can use and implement their imagination and creativity to complete the story.

Bull Ring:

In this activity teacher can select seven students in the class to form a small discussion circle.  The rest of the class forms a larger circle around the small group.  Members of the class fire questions at the small group on the designated topic and the members of the inside circle responds to the questions by having a discussion among themselves.  At the end, the class draws conclusions about the inner circle discussion.

As teacher, it has been a very fulfilling experience. Let’s try out more activities for engaging students more in the classroom teaching-learning.