The workshop was interesting and useful, and I finally have a few minutes to jot down the ideas that we discussed:
- the importance of grammar in an advanced conversation class (a starting point? something to revise occasionally? bit and pieces to use to conclude the lesson?)
- the structure of a conversation lesson vs. a "normal" lesson (PPP, or whatever methodology, or the old "here's an article/a listening/some random or topic-based vocabulary: let's talk about it"?)
- interaction with the students and the role of the teacher, plus what to expect from the students (in real life people don't necessarily participate actively in a conversation, with the same percentage of talking time: so why trying that in class?)
- and useful ideas from some books, which I won't mention here mostly because I am writing from memory and apart from the old "Discussions that work", I can't really think of the other texts.
Ultimately, some interesting stuff. Still, I am glad that my class is nearly over, with May 2nd their last lesson: phew...
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
One post a month is as much as I can manage...
Really, I am trying...
Anyway, back to work after an Easter break, the first in 4 years of TEFL work...wow. Much needed and certainly deserved after the marathons of March with exams, covers, children left right and centre (although the new class, a group of 10-year olds, is gorgeous and so sweet, I would just cuddle them all. They should never grow from that age).
Well I am back and trying, and failing as always, to prepare alternative, more useful stuff for my classes, stuff that they can actually use every day. Language of the street, so to speak, the way I have learnt most of my English too. Like today, my elementary class, revising furniture and stuff...we did a short activity on renting a flat, and at least there was some real language, but I always feel it's not enough. And with my wonderful Friday night class, they are so amazing, I wish I could do more, like showing clips and discussing features of language, but we only have 2 hours a week and a tight schedule based on the coursebook...plus I have mid-course tests too, which I'm not too happy about, except in the case of my Tuesday night class, which I positively hate...
Well other than that, I have 4 hours of workshop tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to add a post quite soon, subject: advanced conversation classes. Not that my contribution tomorrow will be that great, my adcon guys are sad puppets who want me to speak and have nothing to say, if we ignore the one guy who hates his job, hates Trento, hates his life, and despises the fact that he has to arrange his holidays around his son's (or sons?) school timetable...ehm...you should have thought about it before deciding to have a family, man! God, people who are lucky never realise it...
Enough, I'll try to post by next week: I can do this!
Anyway, back to work after an Easter break, the first in 4 years of TEFL work...wow. Much needed and certainly deserved after the marathons of March with exams, covers, children left right and centre (although the new class, a group of 10-year olds, is gorgeous and so sweet, I would just cuddle them all. They should never grow from that age).
Well I am back and trying, and failing as always, to prepare alternative, more useful stuff for my classes, stuff that they can actually use every day. Language of the street, so to speak, the way I have learnt most of my English too. Like today, my elementary class, revising furniture and stuff...we did a short activity on renting a flat, and at least there was some real language, but I always feel it's not enough. And with my wonderful Friday night class, they are so amazing, I wish I could do more, like showing clips and discussing features of language, but we only have 2 hours a week and a tight schedule based on the coursebook...plus I have mid-course tests too, which I'm not too happy about, except in the case of my Tuesday night class, which I positively hate...
Well other than that, I have 4 hours of workshop tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to add a post quite soon, subject: advanced conversation classes. Not that my contribution tomorrow will be that great, my adcon guys are sad puppets who want me to speak and have nothing to say, if we ignore the one guy who hates his job, hates Trento, hates his life, and despises the fact that he has to arrange his holidays around his son's (or sons?) school timetable...ehm...you should have thought about it before deciding to have a family, man! God, people who are lucky never realise it...
Enough, I'll try to post by next week: I can do this!
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