Getting kids to have *real* conversations.
This has been quite a popular request this week, so I thought I’d show you how we do it with Genki English!
1. First no words…
So first of all don’t waste time with just teaching words i.e. the old flashcard way of teaching.
It’s always much better to teach new vocab with full sentences.
Even if it is just simple things like “It’s a …” or “I like …” you end up teaching grammar naturally without having to teach grammar.
If you vary the sentence each lesson it’s amazing how much language you can cover this way.
And it means that after each Genki English lesson the kids can have a mini conversation i.e. someone asks or says something and they know how to respond.
Thanks to the songs & games it not only stays there, the adrenaline in the games gives a pretty near simulation of the terror involved when speaking a foreign language!
2. Now let’s put them together …
Now we need to start putting these individual questions, answers etc. into longer interactions.
We start doing this with the Secret Warm Ups and we continue with, for example, the Superhero Presentation game (part way down the page) or The One Card Games.
This can actually start getting really impressive. And if you compare it with how teenagers actually talk it can often be more than they do in their native language! 🙂
But we want to take it one step further, to take the teacher out of the equation and make the kids naturally communicate….
3. The good bit: Real Life communication with other kids. Overseas. For free!
And this is the magic part!
We need to take the conversation out of the classroom, where to be honest the kids’ native language is probably more useful, and into a real life situation where they have no choice to speak English. Because it’s the only option!
This isn’t repetitive talking in the classroom, this is real life using the skills you’ve taught them to communicate with kids in other countries! We can talk about pets, presents, school life, food, anything they like, although it’s always good for you to structure something to start with based on what you are studying.
Years ago we used to have to do this with VHS video cassettes, spending ages in anticipation for the latest one to come through. A few years ago smart phones came in where we could video in class and send it off without ever using a computer. And now, just look at what you can do with editing actually on a smartphone!
And did you notice the content? It started out really simple, just intros and using the vocab from the superhero song, but look how it expanded. Did you see how the kids were picking things up from each other? Asking their own questions of each other?
This is *real* communication.
This is *real* learning about other cultures.
This is the real reason we teach all this!
And the more they do this, the better they get.
Of course the next step is to move this up from videos to actual real time Skype interactions, and then, you never know, real life visits to each other’s countries. I know at least one teacher whose town hall was so impressed by these projects they paid for the kids – and the teacher! – to travel and see the other school overseas!
So this is what we are aiming for.
Get the English stuck in their heads with the songs, get them used to confidently speaking it with the adrenaline based games, put all it all together with the secret warm ups and finally get the kids really talking with these projects.
You see it’s not just about a few words and phrases, we’re totally committed to getting the kids really communicating as quickly as possible!
Sure, you could not do this, just stick to teaching fruit names or the textbook.
But why not give it a try – If you have a phone in your pocket, it’s free!
Get commenting on the blog here, or on the VIP forum, telling us where you are and exchange details with each other – I think you are going to love it! 🙂
Be genki,
Richard
Just one addition to make it more worth watching:
click the “playlist” on the top left, rather than the “play all” button.
With the PLAYLIST you can see how the questions and conversations go back and forth.
So cool. I think some of my kids would go absolutely bonkers for this kind of thing. I have one kid who is ALWAYS asking me questions about everything. Unfortunately, I can’t always figure out what he is trying to talk about since he is often translating Chinese to English literally. I remember the back and forth trying to figure out he was talking about Iron Man, since of course he didn’t know the word Iron.
Yes, it IS cool!!!
Every time I post a video, my students can’t wait Margit’s students reply. They keep asking me “Have they answered?”
The films are really motivating!
Ooo, and I completely forget to credit you girls for the wonderful work you did on those videos!!!
Well done!!!
Thanks Richard.
It was/is our pleasure.
We’ve decided to pace down a bit to fulfill requests for other ways of learning, as well~but we are going on.
Just am working on a really difficult one in this positive GENKI WORLD:
Disasters in Japan!
Let’s see what the kids will come up with to make it neither dramatic, nor play things down…
Now everyone out there:
This class was the only one that didn’t take part in my performance so I had them sign up for this project instead.
However, I have a bunch of kids who would love to get their own video letters.
I know there are many readers there who are probably not having the time to comment here, because there are too many students to care for.
But maybe you’d be happy to get in touch for a project like this to serve the kids.
Either via this blog, forum or pm me.
I have kids from 5-15 and even adults who would love to get exchange!
This is such a great idea! It gives meaning to learning a language. How thrilling it must be for the students to be able to share their lives with someone in a different country in a different language. Having video increases what is exchanged 10-fold. Another reason to look forward to English class.
My pleasure, Richard. Thanks for the inspiration.
Margit:
Good luck with disasters!:)I’m really loooking forward to your video.
As far as I know Oskar, his next question might be about space 😉 So, you’d better get ready…………….
Hi Margit! Hi Kamila!
Cheers for you! You’re such IKT tuned girls! Your students are so motivated! I’d love to try do something like this, too.
This is fantastic! I teach kids from 3 years old to 16 and they would love to do this. Is there any way we could get a page together to help people contact other interested Genki schools?
I would post my email address, but I’m not sure I’m allowed to!
Thanks a lot
Col
Hi Niloc,
I linked to your blog and I’ll contact you over there.
I think all in all the best way to get in touch is over the Forum. Even if you aren’t too active there, we would have each others pm address and could go on from there.
Julia, I’d love to get in touch with you guys, too.
Hi Everyone,
I just read about this video project and I’m so excited for my students. They’re going to looove the idea. How can I start? To whom do I send the videos?
Please send me more information. I’m very interested.
Thank you!
Susy
Hi Susy, there’s a thread over in the forum for you!
http://genkienglish.net/clipart/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1665
Thank you sooo much Richard!!
You’re welcome – and welcome to the forum! 🙂
Thanks Margit and Kamila – this is a great idea! I was thinking about Skype in the classroom but it can be difficult with the time difference, this is much better and gives them time to think up questions and answers.
Fantastic job! Look forward to more.
Hi, everyone, here is my first video letter with my students..
I’d like to get in touch with all the teachers who are participating in the video exchange project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-bH0wdPoaQ
Hi everyone, How can I get in this vídeo exchange program?It is such a great idea!!
Hi there! I have a school in Spain and would love to participate! How can I get involved?! Thank you!