Make them Laugh, Make them Speak, and they Will Learn: Communicative Exercises in the Classroom

The greatest joy of learning a foreign language is to communicate in that language. But getting students to speak can be a challenge at times. Even though the commonly accepted communicative approach stresses speaking much more from day one than prior approaches, many students do not volunteer to speak in front of class and some are even reluctant to speak in groups or with a partner. How can we motivate our students to voluntarily speak in a foreign language? This paper presents proven ideas that help teachers of any language to create meaningful dialogues and oral interaction between students.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Make them Laugh, Make them Speak, and they Will Learn: Communicative Exercises in the Classroom
• Motivation and a Comfortable Environment
• The Importance of Humor
• Warm-up Exercises
• Partner Work and Group Work
• Personal Introductions and Family Life
• Dating Service Video
• Host Families
• Car Vocabulary
• Describing a Person
• The Passive
• Movies and Movie Ideas
• Commercials
• Infomercials
• Video Clips
• Acting
• Charlie

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This text explores the use of communicative exercises in foreign language classrooms, specifically focusing on German language instruction. The author argues that incorporating humor and engaging activities can effectively motivate students to speak and create a more dynamic learning environment.

• The importance of creating a comfortable and fun learning environment to encourage student participation
• The use of humor and laughter as powerful motivators for student engagement
• The effectiveness of incorporating real-world scenarios and communicative activities in the classroom
• The role of technology and pop culture in engaging modern students
• The importance of adapting teaching methods to suit the changing interests and needs of students

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The author introduces the concept of using communicative exercises in foreign language classrooms, highlighting the challenge of motivating students to speak. The text emphasizes the need for engaging and fun activities to create a comfortable learning environment.
• The author discusses the significance of humor in language learning, explaining how laughter can encourage participation, alleviate stress, and enhance the overall learning experience.
• The text presents various warm-up exercises and activities that can be used to initiate class discussions and encourage individual participation. The author provides examples of engaging exercises, such as the "15 Euro Bill" scenario and the "Certificate of Appreciation" debate.
• The author emphasizes the importance of partner and group work in providing students with opportunities to practice their speaking skills in a more natural and interactive setting. The text discusses various role-playing exercises, including ordering food, renting a hotel room, and buying pastries.
• The text explores the use of personal introductions and family life as a starting point for communicative activities. The author suggests a step-by-step approach that encourages students to gradually become more comfortable speaking in front of the class.
• The text presents a creative exercise that involves students developing ideas for a dating service video, providing them with a platform to discuss their personal qualities and preferences.
• The author emphasizes the importance of incorporating real-world scenarios, such as interactions with host families, into classroom activities. The text suggests role-playing exercises that simulate common questions and topics discussed by host families.
• The text discusses the use of tangible objects and concrete scenarios in facilitating communication. The author provides examples of exercises using toy cars, pictures of people, and descriptions of stolen items.
• The text explores the use of movies and movie ideas in language learning. The author suggests various activities, such as retelling movie scenes, describing characters, and pitching movie ideas, to enhance vocabulary and communication skills.
• The author discusses the use of commercials and infomercials in providing students with real-world examples of language use and promoting critical thinking skills. The text suggests various discussion points and questions to facilitate deeper analysis and engagement.
• The author emphasizes the importance of student-created videos and projects in promoting advanced communication skills. The text provides examples of activities that involve video analysis, evaluation, and critique.
• The text explores the use of acting exercises in creating a fun and engaging learning environment. The author provides examples of exercises that involve improvisational acting, role-playing, and storytelling.
• The author presents the "Charlie" game as a playful and interactive exercise that allows students to practice speaking in a lighthearted and engaging manner.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This text focuses on communicative exercises, humor, engaging activities, language learning, German language instruction, student motivation, interactive learning, real-world scenarios, role-playing, and creative activities.

Details

• College: South Dakota State University
• Course: German 211
• Author: Eckhard Rolz (Author)
• Publication Year: 2012
• Pages: 8
• Catalog Number: V193137
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656189053
• Language: English
• Tags: make laugh speak will learn communicative exercises classroom