This time I would like to share some thoughts which
might sound self-evident but might not be so for many of us.
In my experience, those of us who teach have somehow
associated certain methods with specific functions or parts of the teaching
process. Perhaps exams, which are always standardised, have contributed to this
attitude.
What I posit here is that different teaching aids or
tools and different methods should be used to introduce, explain or test the understanding
of each text. The teacher sets their goals in using a text and decides on ways
to get their students to reach those targets.
By nature I am a maximalist, but I have learned how to
lower my sights and get the most out of what I decide to be my priority in
using a text. There are no hard and fast rules as to how we can make sure that
our students comprehend what they read. Importantly we might want to limit
ourselves to checking only gist. Personally I doubt the validity of the
multiple-choice exercise though I admit I have created many all those years as
part of my job involves preparing students for exams.
I will provide an example of the point I am making. I
found a short news story on BBC (see links at the end of this post) which I chose to use with a group of students
at level B1. I knew that my students had enough words to understand the story.
At the same time I needed to test gist first before moving on to the
gapped-text exercise. Therefore, I asked them to read the story and make a
sketch of it in their notebooks. I wanted to elicit the father’s leap with his
children in his arms and the way the children miraculously escaped almost
certain death. To facilitate the process I asked my students to think of the
natural features in their picture (wooded land) and include them in their picture.
My point is that we normally associate pictures with
illustrating vocabulary items or as stimuli for conversation, but they may be
used for anything depending on the circumstances. In this case the picture was
designed to test gist.
As for the words in the gaps, I normally choose them
on the basis of what I have covered in this particular class or what has been
taught recently that needs reinforcement or even what is a problem area and
needs checking again and again.
I normally make a point of creating a vocabulary
exercise so that my students see the words I want to focus on in different
context.
You can see the student’s sheet and the teacher’s
version here:
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