Teach English in Hedong Jiedaoban - Maoming Shi

Unit 5 covered teaching themes including: songs, chants, and music, games, stories, arts and crafts, seasonal activities, and drama and movement. Song and chants can be effective in the classroom because not only are they fun, but they can be used for all parts of learning (ex. reading, writing, listening, grammar, pronunciation, stress, intonation, and rhythm). For younger learners, they can be used to easily memorize vocabulary, whereas for older learners, students can enjoy pop songs and other cultural songs. However, it is important to note that the teacher must listen to the song before class, so that there are no unexpected surprises. Furthermore, for older young learner students, movement could cause embarrassment, so teachers should be careful when selecting songs and planning activities. In terms of games, many can be adapted to suit the designated language point. An important point is that the language point should be chosen first, and then a game that could be adapted to that language point - not the other way around. Stories are great for vocab. building and developing not only writing, but other skills as well. Good resources include: Pearson English Graded Readers, Oxford University Press, Oxford Read and Imagine, and Dolphin Readers. However, too much vocabulary should not be introduced at one time, as it can be too overwhelming for the students. Arts and crafts are also good to engage students. They can also be used for all 4 skills. Seasonal activities can be fun and exciting. However, teachers should avoid culturally sensitive ideas. Lastly, drama and movement are also interesting for students, but teachers should be cautious with which activities to choose and they should choose them based on age and student preferences. Overall, unit 5 offered a lot of interactive teaching ideas and many resources that teachers will find useful for the classroom/lesson planning.