יום שני, 30 בינואר 2017

What are you doing for English Day?

Have you started thinking about English Day this year? Remember, a successful English Day requires creative thought and planning, and your school calendar is probably starting to fill up. So if you and the rest of the English staff haven't thought about it yet, let me help you get started.


Why should we have an English Day?
An English Day is a chance for students to have a fun, positive experience in English. No drilling, no writing in notebooks, no tests and no pressure. Just activities they enjoy along with a chance to hear and speak English in context. It's an opportunity for them to see English as something that can be fun and relevant to their daily lives.



Where should I start?
First I recommend choosing a theme. This will make it easier to choose activities and pull everything together. Themes can be simple and vocabulary-oriented such as animals or weather and seasons, or wider concepts such as around the world or protecting the environment. To build up anticipation, have each class choose an appropriate costume, prepare a poster or decorate their classroom ahead of time.


You also need to set a date and make sure it gets listed on the school calendar (lessons learned the hard way).



Kick-off

Start the day with everyone together. It's great if everyone can learn a song or chant ahead of time and sing it together. This is the time to build up group spirit and also explain what everyone is going to do for the next few hours. If classes have chosen names call them out in your best rock-star voice. Emphasize that today is going to be fun.


Activities

Each class or group should participate in 3-4 different activities. You should have at least one instructor at each station who speaks English and can lead the activity, and one leader to accompany each group. You can also have older students lead activities for younger classes, which keeps them both busy.
  • Songs - Teach a new song or sing familiar songs. Choose them according to the theme and level of the students. You could have each group learn a different song and perform them all at the end of the day.
  • Sports - Have at least one station of active games so that children have a chance to release energy. These might be kangaroo and horse races if your theme is animals, games from different countries if your theme is around the world, or throwing a ball or ring at targets marked with letters or words.
  • Group games such as charades, hangman, hot potato or a treasure hunt.
  • Crafts - It's nice if children can bring something home. The craft doesn't need to be related to English, just make sure all the instructions are in English. If you also demonstrate while you speak there's no need to translate.
  • Food - Find some simple recipes related to your theme. If cooking isn't practical there are plenty of other options. Get information about students' allergies ahead of time and have alternatives ready. Like crafts, as long as the recipe and instructions are in English they're learning English.
  • Stories - Either read a book or tell a story with pictures and props.
  • Printable games - Make sure they're fun, challenging and different from worksheets you would use in a regular lesson. If some stations are led by teachers who aren't comfortable speaking English this is a good option.
Plan and print a schedule so that everyone knows where they should be when. Review each station carefully and make sure you have all the materials you need, and that they are in place before the day begins.


What to do during the break
Don't expect students and teachers to give up all their breaks just because they're having fun. If your school has a tradition of "active breaks" you know what to do. Put on a CD with dance songs in English and set up some simple outdoor games.  You could also sell food or other items, depending on you school's policy. Remember, only English.


Bringing it to a close

At the end gather everyone together again. This is a good time to put some kids on stage. This can be a short play you've prepared ahead of time or songs they learned during the day. Go back to your rock-star voice to make sure everyone had a great time and that they want to do it again next year.


How can English is Fun help?

English days are all about making English fun, and I have a wide range of resources to offer:

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