Innovative+ELT+Technique+1+by+Zafer+Gedikli

INNOVATIVE ELT TECHNIQUE 1 BRAINSTORMING Brainstorming is an activity used to generate ideas in small groups. The purpose is to generate as many ideas as possible within a specified time-period. These ideas are not evaluated until the end and a wide range of ideas is often produced. Each idea produced does not need to be usable. Instead, initial ideas can be be viewed as a starting point for more workable ideas. The principle of brainstorming is that you need lots of ideas to get good ideas. Brainstorming has a wide range of applications. Since 1930, it has been used successfully in business for invention and innovation. In the language classroom, brainstorming is often used in teaching writing. Activities such as free-association and word-mapping are often included as part of the pre-writing or warm-up phase. Good learners try to organize their knowledge. As teachers, we can try to facilitate this organization by using suitable warm-up activities. A warm-up activity can remind our students of existing knowledge. At the same time, it can direct their minds towards ideas that they will meet in the main activity. In this way, it provides a link between new and existing knowledge. However, each learner has a different store of existing knowledge organized in a unique way. A textbook or teacher presentation can never use this knowledge to its best potential. In many warm-up activities, the teacher and students can be frustrated because the organization of language in the warm-up activity is different from the organization in the learners' minds. This mismatch is a block to good learning. Brainstorming invites the learners to organize existing knowledge in their own minds. Many learners have a large passive vocabulary which does not translate directly into productive capabilities in the classroom. Brainstorming can help to activate this. It works to mobilize the resources of the student by creating a series of connecting ideas. This leads to an organization of language. The links which appear on paper created in word mapping are visible evidence of this organization. At this point the learners will be better oriented to the topic and better motivated to fill the gaps in their knowledge.


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__Barış ERGÜN __  Brainstorming is a good technique for language learners. Brainstormimg let learners to produce many ideas related to the main topic which is required to be dealt with in the classroom situation. All the ideas created via brainstorming should be taken into consideration. They should be evaluated together with the learners. They should focus on the efficient ones and neglect the useless ones. However there should be ideas as much as possible without being afraid of their useless, absurdity or nonsenseless. As Zafer mentioned, brainstorming is a nice connector between new and existing knowledge. In my opinion, learners should take part in their own learning process as much as possible. Thus, brainstormin let them to take part in this process as much as possible. Brainstorming attracts their attention, they are triggered by brainstorming and they are motivated for learning thanks to brainstorming. As brainstorming takes part in groups, it will help to improve learners' communication skills. The interaction between the students by sharing their ideas absolutely helps them to improve their communication skills. In my opinion, language learning is a social issue and brainstorming helps learners to take part in this social process. I totally agree with Zafer's point of view to this issue. We should involve our learners in decision making process as much as possible and motivate them by helping them to connect their existing and new knowledge. 