Teach English in Italy; Tips to Control the Pace of Your ESL Elementary Lessons
Italian Elementary students can be an unruly bunch. Or they can be passive and hard to reach. Most of it depends on fluctuating energy levels, classroom/group dynamics and a wavering ability to concentrate and sustain attention.
So what do you do in the middle of a three hour lesson at four o’clock in the afternoon? What’s the best way to settle a hyperactive group of 3rd graders before lunch? Read on to learn about four activities proven to help improve teachers’ management of classroom time and energy, and help students get the most out of their learning experiences.
If your students are sluggish…
1) Play a quick game of vocabulary BINGO. Keep the cards limited to six or nine vocabulary items, and keep the pace up. When students realize that they have an item on their cards, train them to say “I’ve got_______” as a way to integrate vocabulary and essential structures. You might even decide to let a student call out the cards- just be sure that the child has a loud speaking voice. To help improve pronunciation accuracy, whisper the word into his/her ear before the student calls it out to the class.
2) Go for a game of “[Teacher] Says” where the teacher inserts his/her name in the commands, and the students follow. You will need ample space for this, as students really get excited and animated. The best setting for this activity is a gymnasium. If the weather permits, an athletic field or empty school parking lot would be an ideal outdoor alternative. Give them rules before you start the activity and be sure they have understood. Let them know if they get too out of hand, you will have to stop the activity and return to the classroom. Arrange students in a large circle with arms-length distance between each individual and give a few examples before beginning. Add a few new commands every round.
If your students are overexcited…
3) Give them a task that requires high levels of quiet concentration, but not too much intellectual processing. Good examples of this type of deskwork are crossword puzzles and word finds to review or introduce new vocabulary. Try scrambled sentences for grammar review. For listening lessons, dim the lights and make the most of audio and video by having the students listen for target key vocabulary or phrases. Give them a list of the words and phrases you expect them to recognize, and have them tick each one as they hear it. Teaching English in Italy often requires students' memorization and repetition of key phrases.
4) Play a round of “telephone”. Organize students into groups of six and sit them in rows of desks. Starting with the first student in every row, whisper a sentence into his/her ear that reflects a grammar and/or lexical objective. Have the student then whisper what he/she heard to the next student and so on until the last student in the row has heard the sentence. When all rows have completed the exercise, have the last students go to the board and write what they heard. Then have the class vote on which version is the correct one, and which ones have errors. Correct the sentences as a Teacher/class activity on the board. At the end, repeat the original sentence to the class and write it up on the board. Repeat the exercise if none of the students’ versions matches the teacher’s original.
In the ESL elementary classroom, timing is everything. If you can manage the lesson’s pace while tuning in to the needs and interests of your students, you will be a step ahead of others who teach English in Italy.
