Make 3 wishes….
I really believe in the power of faith. Long ago, I remember reading C.S. Lewis’ poignant, “The Problem with Pain” and noting his wonderful philosophy of simply acting as if something were true. That if we pretend the world is so, it might just become so….
So since this is the new year, I’d like to share my faith with you – by making 3 wishes for English language teaching. 3 things I wish would happen in the new year or even right away. After mine – it’s your turn. Make your own blog post or share in some way, your own 3 wishes for the future of ELT.
[ and here is my own gift – my recipe for the 3 wishes game. Students love it and can play the genie and produce lots of language! Download the 3 Wishes Game files]
My 3 wishes.
1. That teachers give over more control to students. More control over the learning process and the content/curriculum. The answers are easy to get – we just have to let them off the leash. Truly.
2. That ELT become less provincial and truly adopt and borrow more from the regular world of educational research and theory. This has been called for again and again but has yet to happen. We need to move towards a focus on delivery and instruction and away from methods and applied lingo (oops, linguistics).
3. That more teachers begin to come online WITH their students. Why the divide? If you can be together in a classroom, why not online? Let’s bring the learning to this fantastic freeway (and if I had a 4th wish – it would be to keep that freeway FREE).
And since we are talking about wishes…… why not visit Akinator! Your students won’t ever get enough of him.
I thought of Maggie Simpson and up came her pic. That is a cool game.
I hope your 3 wishes come true. Mine:
1) That by empowering students, the students then become as ACTIVE as possible in the classroom or net and then the wheels start spinning.
2) That there was a popular and well-known site for language exchange just like facebook…. this would create amazing value for all the students, who for example are learning korean and korenas who are learning english (or chinese, spanish… and on down the line).
3) That the focus in on people, not on business, as your third wish so surely states.
I wish your wishes come true.
b
3) That
Brad,
I’m with you! I remember a number of years ago writing a report for investors about the possible investments in online learning of English. I suggested in a few pages, a system where the elderly or anyone (native speaker) could enter a room and chat – voice/audio with a student about a category or topic. The room would be about fishing, geography, books, movies whatever… many categories bringing native speakers together with needy students who can’t afford schools. Never got a look, thought! They were just interested in straight forward, read – do a test etc… or instructional videos….
but that’s what I’d like about #2 Livemocha etc… do a good job in a way but only a halfway job…
Seburnt,
You were wishing for Maggie Simpson? Well, stranger things have happened….
Nice to hear your thoughts.
Great lesson plan too. Fantasy is always motivating. 🙂
I used to have students read “crazy news” in class and one was a story about a guy jumping off a 40ft bridge for a 20$ bill that flew out of his hands.
Then, they “dared” each other asking qs like “how much money would it take for you to”…
jump off a 40ft bridge
not shower for a week, a month
not eat for a day, a week
eat a live scorpion
and then they thought up their own dares… and luckily it was typically a tame crowd. 🙂
cheers, b
Brad,
That’s the approach. Great hook and its in these inspiring ways we really make a difference.
I used to do a lesson on comparatives by having a bragging competition. I’d have hundreds / stacks of small square picture cards. They’d have to pick one up and challenge another by saying, “So what / who cares / big deal. My ….. is ……er / more ….. than yours!
It was hilarious – always. Fantasy works. It’s all fantasy!