VARIATIONS ON A THEME Penny Ur ETAI Beer Sheva 2007

2 1. Complete the sentences using don’t / doesn’t (like, fly, have, come, work) 1.My Dad isn’t a pilot. He …….. … aeroplanes. 2.He’s not a waiter. He …… in a restaurant. 3.We’re not Polish. We ……… from Poland. 4.She isn’t a football fan. She ……. football. 5.John is an only child. He ……. brothers and sisters.

3 2. Complete the sentences 1.Rose is as mad as a ………..; you wouldn’t believe the crazy things she does. 2.Jack always does the heavy lifting: he’s as strong as an ……….. 3.He never says a thing: he’s as quiet as a ……….. 4.After eating that bad cheese I was as sick as a ……….. 5.I’m afraid I can’t read this small print: I’m as blind as a ………..without my glasses.

4 3. Match a word in A with a word in B to make a compound noun BA directoryaddress moneycredit driverpocket pressuretelephone cardblood bookbus

5 4. Insert a gerund. 1.………..(to do) the right thing is very important for me. 2.……….. (to run) your own business is very challenging. 3.We think that ………..(to vote) at 18 is too young. 4.Sometimes ……….. (to tell) the truth is more difficult than ………..(to invent) a story. 5.Do you believe that ……….. (to speak) your mind without thinking is really such a good idea?

With any exercise: the problem of participation

7 Try to avoid ‘ping-pong’ (IRF) I nitiation (teacher asks / provides cue) R esponse (student gives oral response) F eedback (teacher provides approval / correction / comment)

8 Problems of IRF A lot of wait time while students work out the answer and raise hands Only one student relates orally to each question, so very low active participation As soon as one student speaks, the rest tend to pay less (or no?) attention Time consuming relative to the amount of real learning going on Boring for most of the class most of the time

9 Instead… Adapt for fuller participation: Students prepare in writing; then IRF All students do the exercise in their books: then provide answers for a quick check. All students do the exercise orally in groups: again, followed by a quick check.

10 Note that… The same applies to checking homework! Alternatives to IRF: –Just give them the answers orally –Give the answers on the board –They check each other In each case, they ask only if there’s a problem

With specific exercises: what are the problems?

12 Providing more interest Time limit Personalization Get students to add comment Make more open-ended

13 Extend, provide for more practice Do in writing, then check orally Recall – how many can you remember? Do again a different way (open-ending) Add further items Use the internet to look for more ideas Compare with L1

14 Make meaningful Translate Paraphrase Open-ending Discuss meaning (e.g. Do you agree?)

15 Make relevant to learners Skip Discuss Rewrite

16 Make easier Teach in advance (Ex. 2) Tell the answers, then get them to recall (Ex.2)

17 Make more challenging Delete the ‘bank’ in gapfills Add further items, or get students to do so Add further tasks to do with the same material

To summarize: Some variations on the theme of Classroom exercises

19 Find alternatives to IRF To maximalize participation and minimalize hanging around

20 Do again, differently: Writing then orally, or vice versa How many can you remember?

21 ‘Mutilate’: Delete the ‘bank’ Get students to rewrite the items to personalize / make funny / just vary Redesign yourself tomake easier/more difficult/ more relevant Delete half the sentence, to make open- ended

22 Adding extra Add further items, or get students to do so Challenge students to find further examples on the internet Invite students to add a comment to each item: result/cause/any additional comment

23 Miscellaneous Give a time limit: how many can you do in five minutes? Translate Compare with L1