It works !
This feedback just in, years later, from Alyssa :
“I also wanted to tell you that I’ve used several of your skits with my students. I like to use them as a base story and have the children personalize them, which increases the engagement tenfold. For example, in “Let’s Go”, students choose three places in their town where they could potentially go and reasons why those places aren’t acceptable (it’s too far, it’s closed, etc). At the end, they vote on their favorite location (usually an ice cream shop) and run out of the room into the school corridor, pretending to be on their way. Sometime they perform for parents, and other times we have fun performing in the classroom by ourselves. Years later, students still reminisce about the memorable experience. Best of all, they remember the language; mission accomplished!”
Key points are:
- Engagement increased tenfold through personalization of each story
- Having fun performing
- Remembering the language learned years later.
- Reminiscing and remembering the experience years later ! And of course, remembering the teacher who gave such inspirational classes.
Yes, it’s more effort to use theatre for ESL learners. You need to prepare the way first with language games to learn and practise the target vocabulary and grammar. You need to keep a lid on a classroom full of engaged and interested learners. It’s so much easier to control a seated crowd of passive learners, lulled into semi-slumber from staring at a textbook while you write 35 vocabulary words on the board…
But then, do you want to be that teacher, the boring one who later in life your English students realize was useless ? Or do you want to take up the challenge and care for your students a little more ? Either way, I know teaching is not an easy profession, so hats off to you for trying !
Have a great day. I’m on Exmoor (UK) with my 88-year-old mum right now and the rain has stopped. We may have a 10-minute window before it rains again, or even hails…so we are off to view the green hills of this pleasant land. I am no longer in the classroom and am happy to pass on the torch to you youngsters !
Shelley Ann Vernon