WHAT ARE YOU DOING CIRCLE. Games and Activities to Energise the Language Classroom for Junior High School
WHAT ARE YOU DOING CIRCLE
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 ARE YOU DOING CIRCLE
Target Group: All grades
Difficulty Level: Fundamentals– Basic Conversation
Activity Objective: To practice using verbs in the present progressive while using various conjugations of the verb to be
WHAT ARE YOU DOING CIRCLE – Procedure
- Create an initial list of ten words: Include six familiar words and four new words.
- On the board, write the present tense of the verb and then the present progressive tense (Ex: Play => Playing).
- Review the list with the students: Have them repeat the words after the teacher while performing an action for each verb.
- While repeating the words, the teacher should say the verb in the plain form followed by, “I am…” with the verb in the present progressive form.
- After students have become familiar with the words, have them stand and form a semi-circle around the teacher.
- On the board, write “You are…” and explain to the students that the teacher will say the verb in the plain form while performing the action. Students need to use the present progressive form in the sentence, “You are (running).”
- The teacher will say one of the plain forms of the verb, and the students need to repeat the “you are…” sentence while performing the gesture.
- At random, the teacher will go through the list of verbs with students repeating the sentence.
- When students are familiar with the activity outline and structure, they can trade places with a student and have that student call the plain form of the verb, and surrounding students repeat the present progressive sentence.
- When students are familiar with this structure, the teacher should write on the board the sentence structure, “Richard is…” and “He is…”
- The teacher explains that going around the circle, each student will choose an activity. They will do the gesture and say, “I am (running).”
- The rest of the class in the circle will repeat, “He/She is running,” then use the student’s name, “Richard is running.”
- The activity finishes with all the students saying an activity and their classmates repeating their activity.
- At the end, the students and the teacher together can say, “We are having fun!”
Materials and Preparation
Chalk/whiteboard, chalk/markers… If unavailable, prior to class, write large word cards with the chosen activity words to put on the wall as reference for the students
Suggestions and Advice
Have fun! Be crazy! It really hooks the kids in when the gestures are big and crazy. Do not be afraid to turn the activity over to the students and have them lead. They will gain confidence by having their peers listen and understand them and they will all have an enjoyable time making each other do silly gestures.
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
