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IATEFL 2015 presentation - The World Is My Classroom
This document provides an overview of using excursion-based lessons to move language learning out of the classroom and into the real world. It discusses taking students on educational outings to places like museums, villages, and historic sites. The key aspects covered include: - Preparing students with background information and activities before the excursion - Conducting activities like scavenger hunts and presentations during the excursion - Following up after with assignments to reinforce language learning - Considering logistics of transportation, size of groups, and potential risks to plan excursions safely and effectively. The document argues that excursions can make language learning more authentic and stimulate students more than traditional classroom lessons. It
IATEFL 2015 presentation - The World Is My Classroom
- 1. The World IsMy Classroom Richard John Osborne (Cambridge DELTA) richardosborne14@gmail.com richardjohnosborne.wordpress.com @richardosborne1 Langage Forum, Paris www.langageforum.com A Practical Guide to Excursion-Based Lessons
- 2. Contents Part 1 ◦The Classroom ◦ Dogme Part 2 ◦ Pre-Excursion preparation ◦ Excursion Activities ◦ Post-Excursion Follow-up ◦ Logistics and Risk ◦ Conclusion
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- 4. “It is easyto forget how much stimulus there is around us. There is space, to make our own. There is sound, inside and outside the room. There’s the world, seen and heard through a window.” (1) (1) Thornbury, S. & Meddings, L. 2009, “Teaching Unplugged,” p.24, Delta Publ • The classroom is, by nature, artificial • Real stimuli make classrooms more authentic IIs it real enough ?
- 5. The Dogme Approach The Dogme “vows of chastity” (2) ◦ Abandon coursebooks ◦ Abandon pre-planned lessons Students’ personal material drives the lesson Teacher reacts to opportunities for language learning – activities emerge Grammar is a natural part of the conversation Planning is retrospective (2) Thornbury, S. 2000. “A Dogma for EFL.” IATEFL Issue 153 Feb/Mar
- 6. Part 2 From Classroomto the Real World Two Excursion Examples: • Pre-excursion Preparation • Activities • Follow-up • Logistics and Risk Assessment • Conclusion
- 7. Pre-Excursion Preparation BigTowns / Cities ◦ Museums ◦ Religious sites ◦ Theatres ◦ Tourist hotspots Small Villages / Rural Areas ◦ Walks ◦ Statues / Public art ◦ Local businesses Content : on-site texts, listening, visuals
- 8. Ancient Greek Legends •Lead-in activities Interesting Greek legends • Group work (gap-fills etc.) Presentation preparation • Grammar / Language focus e.g. Past Tense • Prepare for live presentation in The Louvre Museum
- 9. Santa María delBerrocal A municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León Population 486 … Ruta del Corneja y el Hocino
- 13. Pre-excursion lesson(s) Generallead-in themes Specific study of the excursion items Group / Individual tasks Speaking, listening, reading, writing Predict Language / Grammar points
- 14. Excursion Activities Pre-excursionactivates interest / schema Ungraded written / audio materials on-site or online form lesson content Treasure hunt Summary writing Prepared presentation made on site Interaction with physical objects
- 15. On-Site Communication Venuedependent Teacher does trial run New level of realism A push from the nest is needed Public speaking becomes a dawdle
- 16. Follow-up Activities Individualhomework Summaries / Emails / Reports Language consolidation ◦ Trainer takes notes during excursion ◦ Find a quiet place to discuss afterwards ◦ On-site error correction OR ◦ Type up and email language to students for further consolidation activities
- 17. Logistics What are thepotential logistical problems? The public Weather / Environment Group size / management Site / Venue rules and restrictions
- 18. Risk Assessment Hazard Who’sconcerned? Solution Weather – outside work in cold / hot conditions Students and Teacher, especially ones sensitive to temperature Check weather reports and advise students on appropriate attire, bring water / plan a coffee break The public – moving through crowded streets or road traffic Students, teachers for group management, also public safety Choose spacious meeting points away from roads. Give students emergency phone number and meeting points on paper. Terrain – walking tours with difficult climbs / unpaved paths Students and Teacher, especially those with mobility issues Test route, advise students of appropriate footwear, plan breaks … … …
- 19. Conclusion “Is there nogetting away from the fact that classrooms are just not good places to learn languages in? And that, instead of flogging the present perfect continuous to death, it might not be better simply to take a walk around the block?” (1) http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com posted on 01/01/12 titled "A is for Affordance" • Excursions needn’t be exceptions • Foundation of a new type of syllabus
- 20. Thank you foryour attention Audience Questions Richard John Osborne richardjohnosborne.wordpress.com richardosborne14@gmail.com @richardosborne1
Editor's Notes
- #2 Hello everyone and welcome. My name is, I work at, the name of my presentation I’m here today to convince you that going outside on excursions shouldn’t be just an exceptional treat to get students out of the classroom, they can be so much more, and can even form the foundation stones of the syllabus itself.
- #3 Two parts CLICK First, short theory background CLICK Second, practical advice excursions Leave time questions end
- #4 Start pose question – major changes Two pics, 18th cent and modern classroom Group work – differences?, equipment, organisation, method Progress, one thing stays same safe environment, simulation of real life (like next)
- #5 Classroom is an artificial environment Try to make more real with materials Celta first time real material in classroom, leaflets, etc. Scott said QUOTE CLICK But is it real enough?
- #6 Article Thornbury 2000 vows of chastity Abandon courebooks, pre-planned lessons, return to purity In Dogme, what student brings themselves drives lessons, e.g. personal texts or possessions Stimuli lead to conversation, to emergent grammar / vocab, teacher generates activity Grammar activities become natural part of convo Emergent language summarised Retrospective planning and core values important later
- #7 As genuine the classroom, only a simulation My solution, unlock true Dogme potential Stop, as Scott said, looking through window, take class real world CLICK I will show two examples with considerations + advice CLICK First, trad lessons form pre-exc prep Activities during exc Trad lessons follow up activities Logistics, group size, venue, risk Conclude, open to Qs
- #8 First, most important, where to go Want Plenty of language opportunities, consider entrance fees, venue size, later CLICK Who here is currently living in a big town or city? (AUDIENCE) museums However, who here teaches in a smaller town or more rural area? (AUDIENCE) CLICK Only anglo 100 km, slight disadvantage, walks, statues Applied carefully, approach done anywhere, Content on-site texts, listening, or visual stimulus depending
- #9 Now organise visit into lesson Local museum, special exhibitions? CLICK : Winged Victory of Samothrece, 2000 year old. recently returned restoration. Google gives hundreds of English news Other greek statues, info on google CLICK Need coherent lesson, call Ancient Greek Legends, cool CLICK In class, lead-in fun stories ancient greece, present to class Group study : Nike, Aphrodite, Arthemis gapfills, vocab, past tense, write summary to present Old news, just the ground work Students know next step present in front of peers, teacher, public New level of motivation
- #10 Confess, big city easy CLICK Naysayer “Well, Sir, I can tell you in Santa María del Berrocal there certainly aren’t any ancient Greek statues to conveniently Google stories about.” CLICK Google maps, click random CLICK Santa María del Berrocal, wiki municipality province of Ávila, Castile and León, 2006 census 486. CLICK Challenge accepted. board of tourism website. Ruta del Corneja y el Hocino inauguration this month (at least, I think that’s what it said). Show you
- #14 Turn outing into lesson Group work pre-excursion activities Lead-in, think about subject before reveal Activities main sites, more meaningful Group or indiv tasks speaking, listening, reading, writing Try predict language points relevant. (AUDIENCE)
- #15 Primed, schema activated, time to face site Pre-plan activities to guarantee flow, not too prescriptive Louvre, audio guides Eng, also panels Ungraded language content, think carefully, not overload lower levels Treasure hunt adds gameplay, focus on manageable parts of text E.g. send groups to find five 19th cent Dutch paintings, write summary They use language understand, ignore difficult, sake of game Really low level, no text, e.g. Spanish lesson Objects on excursion, groups prep presentations before Treasure hunt objects, e.g. flowers, prepped before Gradeable, and no less meaningful
- #16 Ultimate activity needs help locals Anglo country simple, big cities guaranteed a little Eng in tourist zones Rural Spain, chances slim Nevertheless, go to site, ask people, note results Worth a try, new level of pressure and realism to efforts Students slow to start, need teacher behind, push out of next once initial embarrassment overcome, students liberated, speaking English a bit of fun, not dreaded nightmare, comfort of the classroom.
- #17 follow-up individual homework, summary of the day or follow-on email or document Hopefully some language pre-exc practiced, consolidated at home or next lesson I focus fluency, you could develop error correction I took quick notes mistakes during exc Quiet spot to discuss mistakes and consolidate language Trainer could note mistakes, new language, email to students, even use in follow-on activites
- #18 So far so good, irresponsible to just lead students outside Logistical considerations, risk CLICK Group work potential logistical problems Louvre and Spain examples (AUDIENCE) CLICK (Take examples, put up mine) Great, essentially risk assessment, anyone excursions, e.g. summer camps, knows
- #19 Here simple risk assess Not elaborate, study hols Check insurance companies, some require specific info For me, enough. Key examples, e.g. weather, student and trainers concerned patronisingly obvious, but risk student show up 30 degree no headgear or liquids, pass out half way round Need to say “I did everything in my power to plan for this risk” Check weather, send email, remind students equip attire Anyone wants template, I’ll put slideshare blog, link at end
- #20 That brings me to the end of my presentation. Let me just say that what I’ve presented you today was intended to convince you that excursions shouldn’t continue to be just an exceptional treat to get students out of the classroom, they can be so much more, and can even form the foundation stones of the syllabus itself. CLICK It was Scott Thornbury, Dogme creator himself, who said, “Is there no getting away from the fact that classrooms are just not good places to learn languages in? And that, instead of flogging the present perfect continuous to death, it might not be better simply to take a walk around the block?”
- #21 Thank you. I’ll now take any questions.