ACTIVITY-BASED ENGLISH TEACHING

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by Samia Naqvi on 7 August 2014 415

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Transcript of ACTIVITY-BASED ENGLISH TEACHING

ACTIVITY-BASED ENGLISH TEACHING

by

Samia F. Naqvi

Why use this approach?

Students are “doers”... Activity based learning recognizes that youngsters are physical, tactile and
use all their senses. It aims to teach language and address a student’s linguistic intelligence while at
the same time, developing his/her other intelligences. -- Gardner, 1988

The information processing theory in psychology views learners as active investigators of their
environment. This theory is grounded in the premise that people innately strive to make sense of the
world around them

In the process of learning, they experience, memorize and understand

It requires active problem solving by students in finding patterns in the information through their
own investigation and analysis

With continued practice in these processes, students learn not the content of the lesson but also
develop many other skills

In recent years a debate has developed over which approaches to structuring and planning and
implementing lessons are more effective - the Task-based learning approach (TBL) or the more
traditional Present, Practice, Produce (PPP) approach

What is activity-based teaching?

Activity method is a technique adopted by a teacher to emphasize his or her method of teaching
through activity in which the students participate rigorously and bring about efficient learning
experiences

A constructivist learning approach including participative and interactive teaching methods

It is a student-centered approach

Learning by doing is the main focus in this method

Activity or task based learning focuses on the three “C”s of Curiosity, Creativity and Collaboration

So our understanding on the activity method by now should mean any learning that is carried out
with a purpose in a social environment, involving physical and mental action, stimulating for creative
action or expression

Features and Advantages

Learning happens through activities

Learning becomes fun, an enjoyable process

Learning is contextual, so, easy to grasp and meaningful

Classroom activities are more student-centric

Application of knowledge is more important than acquiring knowledge

Knowledge is applied through various activities in this method of learning

Contrast this with traditional passive listening

It's easier to catch and sustain the attention and interest of the learners when they are actively
involved
The retention of knowledge thus gained is permanent

Bringing subjects down to the level of students' experience makes understanding easier

Inviting active participation helps students open up

Students are not confined to their seats and classrooms

Free exchange of ideas

Children are self- motivated to know, to learn

Teacher as a facilitator or guide, not an authoritarian

Class rooms become a lively, interesting place

Through pair-work, group-work, and class discussions, students are exposed to a variety of view
points and perspectives

Interacting with a group with similar skills helps remove inhibition and develops confidence and
fluency in the use of language

Collaboration and exchange of ideas enriches the learner’s mind

Role plays, skits create natural situations to think and gain new perspectives

The teacher’s role is to set tasks that help students arrive at an understanding of the concepts, make
learning challenging and motivating by selecting appropriate material, decide teaching tools, design
activities, prompt and ask questions that make learning challenging and motivating

Time factor: Students can get carried away by activities. Teachers with the pressure of completing
syllabus on time may find lecture method more convenient
Large classes: Teachers cannot freely move and monitor all groups and cannot provide individual
attention

Passivity: Just as in traditional class rooms a few always actively participate when others remain
passive listeners

Digression: Students tend to move away from the topic under discussion

Constraints

Example of an Activity

Task: Teaching to identify parts of speech in a text and create a new written piece with them. Also,
to develop listening skills of the students

"Doing" listening is perhaps one of the least dynamic activities students do in class next to grammar
"exercises". Here then is an interesting activity that can be repeated class after class and will keep
students on their toes and interested.

The set-up

Bring a recording of a short monologue or dialogue to class (or you can also read it out yourself).
Explain to the students that their task is to identity the 8 parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs,
adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns and interjections). Play the recording 8 times and ask
the students to listen and note down words falling under the category of each part of speech one by
one. Thus, by the end of this activity, the students will have 8 sets of words with them. Now ask
them to choose at least 10 words from each set and then exchange the selected words with the
person sitting next to them. The students will now be asked to write a new story, dialogue or
monologue, using the words that were given to him/her.

Overview

The activity would, thus, involve, at the same time, the auditory,writing and criticial skills of the
students. Exchanging words in pairs to reconstruct the text would also contribute in enhancing their
communication and social skills. Their creative aesthetics will also come in action when they will
start brainstorming about using the same words to create a new story.