Dear Colleagues,
I would like to share an interesting way of teaching
the students how to talk or retell texts. I teach English to Russian students
aged 6-18. I make them speak from the very beginning, even when they know yet
very little. We have so called supporting signs, which code the content of
the text we want to retell. In this case
their attention is focused on the content and the means of speech goes to the
back of their consciousness. Here are
some examples. Let�s begin with the simplest one:
I want them to say
I
LIVE IN MINSK
So, we make pictures for each word of the sentence.
The more words we use, the more pictures they make.
It�s very amusing and much fun, they draw and use their imagination. But at the
same, without realizing, they insert the word order and structures of the
English language into their memory, forgetting to think in Russian.
Then they close the manual and look only at their
pictures. And the miracle begins � they speak looking at the pictures but they
say words! Their pictures can be in detail or like points and lines, arrows or
circles. It depends upon their life experience and creativity. They are allowed
to write only articles, add �ed, or �s, or �ing to a picture.
It can last months. If I see that a student �reads� hisher
pictures fluently without thinking too much about their meaning, we go to the second stage. They
close the copy book and do not look at the pictures but speak recalling them,
read them mentally.
It�s very
individual, you understand. But then comes a moment when I notice that the
number of pictures lessens, that one or two signs stand for a whole sentence.
That is a sign for me to let them free and have them try to retell the text
without making pictures, from their mind. And this is how they begin speaking.
Russian doesn�t hinder them with its structures and word order. They get accustomed
to build the sentence correctly. They don�t make mistakes in tenses and
coordination. They simply don�t think about that! They speak a good English
without using Russian models of language.
Here are some samples I borrowed from my students� copy-ooks to share with you the variety and creativity this method can open in the students.
Unfortunately, I did not manage to upload the samples. The ones who want to see them, can get in touch with me and I�ll try to send them.
Natasha
