WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM? Games and Activities to Energise the Language Classroom for Junior High School
WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM?
Energising Language Classroom Activities for Junior High School: A Teacher’s Guide
Junior high school students often find language classes challenging, but as a language teacher, you have the power to transform these challenges into engaging learning experiences. Classroom activities are the key to achieving this transformation. These activities not only make learning enjoyable but also foster a deeper understanding of the language, leading to improved fluency and proficiency. In this blog post, we will explore a diverse range of innovative and interactive language classroom activities designed specifically for junior high school students. Whether you’re looking to enhance vocabulary retention, boost conversational skills, or make grammar lessons more enjoyable, this guide will provide you with a rich array of strategies to create a dynamic and effective learning environment for your students. Let’s embark on this journey to energize your language classroom and inspire your students to become passionate language learners.
WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM?
Target Group: 1st year
Difficulty Level: Basic Conversation
Activity Objective: To practice asking and answering questions using the “to be” verb (are and am) and to give cultural
references
WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM? – Procedure
- The teacher introduces “Are you from…? Yes, I am. No, I’m not” to the class before. Start asking questions about where you are from and your occupations. Pretend that you are from another country, for example, Indonesia and India.
- Next, use a PowerPoint presentation that shows people from different countries and make the students guess by looking at the clothes of the person, introducing culture. Ask the students to think of the person on the screen as you and use the grammar point “Are you from…?.”
- Hand out a worksheet like the “Guess Who” game using “are and am” and have the students figure out which person their partner has.
- Lastly, the students would write on lined paper and translate sentences into English of the grammar point they just studied.
Materials and Preparation
- PowerPoint: To make a presentation of different people around the world and their countries pop out and having the students ask where they are from. (speaking practice)
- Guess Who worksheet: Pictures and details of various students with their name, age, gender, and country. (speaking practice, asking and answering)
- Lined paper: Students write down and translate what they have learned. (Writing practice)
Suggestions and Advice
- The best tip for giving a video presentation or PowerPoint is to always have a wireless control so one does not need to be close to the screen or TV and have the students pay attention to you.
Energising Language Classroom Activities for Junior High School
In the world of language teaching, fostering a love for learning and effective communication is our ultimate goal. By implementing these engaging classroom activities for junior high school students, you are not only enhancing their language skills but also creating an environment where curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm thrive. As we wrap up our exploration of these energizing language activities, remember that your role as a teacher is invaluable, and your dedication to making language learning exciting and impactful is what sets the stage for your students’ future success.
So, continue to innovate, adapt, and personalize these activities to suit the unique needs and interests of your students. Watch as their confidence soars, their vocabulary expands, and their ability to communicate fluently grows. With your guidance and these engaging activities in your teaching toolbox, you are well on your way to inspiring a new generation of confident and capable language learners. The journey to language proficiency may be challenging, but with your passion and these activities, it is always an exciting one.
Happy teaching!
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