Slot 1
- In a decade of rapidly developing artificial intelligence we will be looking at practical ways of teaching grammar (based on the repertoire from classes 1, 2 and 3 and with natural intelligence!)
When we wish children to speak in the target language we must work on three problems for them:
Daring to say it
Knowing how to say it
Having something to say
1) Daring to say it comes with recitation, speech exercises, language learning games in Cl. 1 - 3, writing and reading from Cl. 4
- Speech exercises out of spelling exercises from Class 4
- Sketches come out of exercises in writing exercises after spelling exercises
2) Knowing how to say things (grammar) comes from language learning games in Cl. 1 - 3; from spelling starting in Cl. 4 and writing exercises after spelling. And from grammar discussions leading to discovering rules. Example: Do we say An or A before apple, pear, apricot, basket etc. (most children do this correctly by hearing). A child might describe the rule here as "*A Apple sounds as if you've got a cold"!! Rules can be written down, raising more awareness of structural problems.
3) Having something to say comes through writing exercises (after spelling) from Cl. 4. upwards. Examples:\
- commands on slips of paper that are put in a hat etc.; writing down how goat, wolf and cabbage can be ferried across a river knowing that goats eat cabbage, and wolves eat goats!
Telling stories individually, e.g.
- Nasruddin and the two Beggars (see Post 6 Feb 2023 below)
- Leprechaun (see Post 6 Feb 2023 below).
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- Dealing with different levels of ability within the class
- Roleplay, sketch-writing and performing play-scenes even with restless / disruptive pupils in danger of switching off
- The problem of homework and tests; efficient correction and assessment
- Various aspects of 'Memory'. Ways towards building a repertoire of idiomatic expressions / vocabulary.
I'm sitting on a comfortable chair at a table covered with a richly decorated tablecloth and a pint-glass of ice-tea in front of me.
Slot 2
Class rell stories
An old man on his deathbed gave his firstborn son half of 17 camels, his second son one third and the youngest one ninth.
When he had died the three sons were at a loss: How do you divide 17 by 2, 3 or 9?
They went to a wise old woman. She said: "I have a camel. Take it and when you have no more use for it you give it back
again". They now had 18 camels and the problem was solved: Half of 18 is 9, a third of 18 is 6, a ninth is 2. 9 + 6 + 2 = 17,
so they were able to give the old woamn her camel again!
One day Nasruddin was having coffee in the main square when he got talking to a professor at the next table. After a while the professor said he needed to leave but would like to continue their conversation some time later. Nasrudding agreed. That house with the blue shutters is mine. Shall we say tomorrow at 10? The following day the professor duly arrived, knocked on the door but there was no answer. He walked to a window and looked in. Evidently Nasruddin was not there. Suddenly the professor was angry: "How can he forget such an important man as me?" He tore a sheet of paper out of a notebook wrote "Idiot" on it, stuck it on the door and left. An hour later Nasruddin arrived, saw the note: "Oh Lord, I forgot the professor!" He went down to the café and soon found the professor who shouted "How could you forget me, an important man hee?!" Nasruddin said: "When I saw your name on my door. I remembered."
