Reflection+on+IATEFL2012+GLASGOW+by+BÜŞRA+ELMAS

Reflection on IATEFL2012 GLASGOW by BÜŞRA ELMAS

 * NAME OF THE SESSION:** No words: ideas for using sound and images in class


 * Session details :**

This workshop aims to look at how images and sound can be used in the language classroom and help our learners, especially those who struggle with the written form. This is a workshop session and will involve active participation from the audience.


 * Session notes :**

Introduction is about teaching context, teaching people from a variety of backgrounds, including classes where pre-literate learners are alongside those that can read and write in their L1. The usefulness of images as teaching aides was touched on.


 * Idea 1 (images)**


 * 1.** Take a simple sentence and show it to half the class. Ask them to draw a simple picture that illustrates the sentence.

Example: A boy kicked a ball and broke a window.

The other half of the class tries to guess the sentence from the picture.


 * Ideas 2-5 (sound)**

2. Use a sound effect to get students thinking of vocabulary.

Example: play a sound effect of a grocery store.

You can then work with this vocabulary and ask learners to spot patterns, e.g. lexical sets (fruit: banana, apple, oranges), lexical fields (checkout, pay, cash, beep, clerk), gerunds (shopping, queuing, paying, weighing).

Suggested follow up :

Role plays,

Dialogue builds,

Story writing,

Drawing,

Revising vocab.


 * 3.** Use a sound effect to provide context for a speaking activity.

The presenter played the same grocery store sound effect as for number 2 and asked everyone to come up with a dialogue or conversation that might be heard in the context of the sound effect. This could be as simple or elaborate as you (or the students) like. Again, you can work with what language comes up.


 * 4.** Use sound effects and music to add something extra to a reading or listening activity.

The presenter showed everyone two sentences on the screen and asked them to imagine the scene or character in their head: There's a bird, light and delicate, with feathers of silk. A dumb duck with a broad bill and large, webbed feet.

The presenter then played a snippet of the instrumental 'story' that represents the bird and asked if their mental image had changed. Most said it had.


 * 5.** Use sound effects or music to stimulate creativity for other tasks.

The presenter asked the audience to divide a piece of paper into four sections and number them 1-4. I played 4 pieces of music and asked them to draw or write whatever came in to their head for each piece. The next step would be to work in groups to write a narrative linking the four images or sets of words together.

This activity was inspired by a session on writing ideas given by my PGCE mentor, Linda Ruas, and colleague, Carolyn Jones at Bromley College of FHE in 2006.

Harrison, M.(2012).No words: ideas for using sound and images in class. Retrieved from: http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2012/sessions/2012-03-23/no-words-ideas-using-sound-and- images-class