GRAMMAR AUCTION. Games and Activities to Energise the Language Classroom for Junior High School
GRAMMAR AUCTION
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.
GRAMMAR AUCTION
Target Group: 3rd year
Difficulty Level: Fundamentals
Activity Objective: To recognise and understand correct grammar in complete, correct sentences
GRAMMAR AUCTION – Procedure
Split the class into groups. Give every group $1000 in fake money. Stick up English sentences on the blackboard; half with correct grammar, half with false grammar. Select one sentence at a time, read it out slowly and ask the students to repeat it. Say “Start the bidding!” and let the groups shout out the amount they want to bid, in English, competing with each other. Either after everyone but one group has given up, or after a set time limit, give the sentence to the highest bidder and collect their money. Once all sentences have been bid for, have students read out their sentences and translate them into their first language. Give groups 1 point for every correct sentence they have and take away 1 point for every wrong sentence. The group with the most points, wins. In the case of a tie, the group with the most points and most money left, wins.
Materials and Preparation
Fake money and English sentences. Use online templates for US dollars, split into $1, $5, $10, $20 and $50. The class is split into lunch groups and each group should receive around $1000, which they will use to bid for sentences, competing with the other groups. English sentences should be
prepared and printed off, using the grammar that you wish to test or review. These sentences are individually stuck to the blackboard before the activity begins and are bid on, one at a time, until there are none left or until students think that all the correct sentences are taken.
Suggestions and Advice
If it seems the bidding for one sentence is taking a long time, the teacher can stop the bids when they deem it appropriate, or set a time limit for the bidding of each sentence. If nobody bids, move onto the next sentence. Sometimes students will keep bidding, even if they do not have enough money to make their bids. In that case, check to see if they have enough. If they do not, give the sentence to the next highest bidding team that actually has enough money. You could also set a penalty if teams try to bid more than they can pay, for example, you can take away a point, or disallow them to bid the next round.
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!
Also check out these articles on teaching, teaching methods and teaching tools
