Monthly Archives: February 2014
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
I have given talks at three conferences: February 2014, IH Andalucia conference in Seville: Classroom Dynamics: Practical Tips on Creating a Successful Group November 2013, ACEIA conference in Seville: Onwards and Upwards: Advancing Vocabulary April 2013, IH Andalucia conference in Huelva: Onwards and Upwards: Advancing Vocabulary
Classroom Dynamics: Practical tips on creating a successful group
The IH Andalucia conference was held last Saturday in Seville. I gave a talk on this topic to a dynamic group of teachers. Some of the things that I researched were pretty useful so here’s a post on the subject. I first started to think about classroom dynamics earlier this year when I got my […]
Ghostwriter
This speaking and writing activity can be used for any topic and almost any level. The activity requires students to put themselves in their partner’s shoes and therefore they really have to listen to each other. At the end, they get to read about themselves, and who doesn’t love that! The bonus result is that […]
Class poem
This simple activity could be done with almost any level to practise adjectives (and perhaps comparatives) and give the class a sense of group. It will also result in something you can put on the wall. I found it in a book called Group Dynamics In The Language Classroom by Zoltan Dorynei and Tim Murphey. […]
Say something nice
This warmer is appropriate for a class that already knows each other quite well. In essence, the students to greet each other, and pay each other a compliment. Getting so many compliments in such a short space of time feels good, even when the compliments are contrived. It also feels a bit silly, which allows […]
Stop/try/remember to say “banana”
Verb patterns can often be confusing for students and some verbs like stop, try and remember are even more so, given that the meaning of the verb changes depending on whether it’s followed by the gerund or the infinitive. I developed this activity for my FCE students to practise using the different meanings after I […]
Assassin
I finally found an opportunity to play this silly warm-up game. I’d played it with friends at a comedy improv night, not knowing what would happen, and it resulted in lots of laughter, a successful night of (very amateur) comedy improv (where teamwork is a necessity), and some strong group bonds being made, so I […]
Bucket
You don’t actually need a bucket for this activity. You could use a basket, a box, an envelope, a mug, etc. It’s a game taken from one of my major sources of inspiration – improvencyclopedia – and is a great way to practice vocabulary with higher levels. Students win points for using new vocab (with […]
A Hive of Activities 