Elementary Resources
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For more information about using drama in the classroom check out Reggie Hart's EFL Cafe.
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Chants
by Summer West
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Why chant?
Educators have found many reasons to include chanting in the elementary EFL classroom. The following list summarizes some of the impressive benefits of chanting.
1. Chanting promotes a cooperative language-sharing moment. Students and instructors all practice using the target language at the same time in a communal act, which helps them to bond, learn to cooperate, and achieve a fun goal.
2. Chanting also fosters a supporting, non-threatening environment for students. Unlike other EFL activities, which might create stress or fatigue, chanting is considered enjoyable and easy by students. It helps them to expend their excess energy and focuses their attention when they are distracted.
3. Chanting also allows students who are poorly skilled to participate freely. Even your lowest-level students can meet most or all of the expectations placed upon them by a chant. This allows them to feel the satisfaction of having participated in class, rather than being left out of a difficult or confusing language lesson that was beyond their comprehension.
4. Chanting works well in multi-age and multi-level classrooms. No matter whether you teach first graders or sixth graders, students can enjoy an appropriately chosen chant. Furthermore, if you have a classroom of students of different skill levels, a chant is a great equalizer. It allows all students to participate in the using the same target language in a harmonious manner.
5. Chanting allows students to speak in unison fluently. Words and sentences chanted in unison are easier to remember and recall later than those learned without the aid of rhythm and communal reinforcement. Think of the pledges that you learned to recite in school. You can still probably rattle them off from memory. Similarly, chants are easy language targets for students to remember. Chants that teach key grammar points, therefore, are effective in helping students to remember difficult language structures with ease.
6. Chanting develops motor skills using body language and miming in a rhythmic setting. If you are looking for activities that appeal to students with different learning styles or forms of intelligence, do not neglect chanting, which appeals to a wide variety of individual cognitive and learning styles. A chant, for example, can appeal equally to students with musical, bodily-kinesthetic, and verbal forms of intelligence in a way few other activities can.
What is chant?
How is chant different from regular poetry? How is it different from song? Chant is rhythmic group recitation. It may use a poem or song lyric as the text to be chanted, but it will emphasize the text’s rhythms more than a standard poetry recitation would and simplify to a few tones (or altogether remove) the melodic components of song.
What is the Role of the Chanter?
A chanter is a creative leader not a performer. Whereas singers invite audience to sit silently and appreciate their artistry, a chanter must invite audiences not to appreciate but to participate in a group performance of the chant. Thus, the leader’s focus is not on self but on leading the group. A chanter interprets words and involves the listeners, usually children who are learning to read and work with new sounds and words. Before chanting, the leader usually presents the text to be chanted. The text may be transmitted orally, by spoken word, or it may be transmitted in a printed form, in the form of a handout or Power Point slide. At this stage, the leader may explain key terms, pronunciation, or performance practices. In other words, there is a teaching component vital to the role of the chanter. This allows chanting to be both a fun group activity and a learning opportunity. Rather than dryly lecturing the students on the meaning of words in a chant, an effective leader can even find creative and fun ways to include the "lesson" in the chant itself, thus allowing the chant itself to be both the material and the "teacher." A chanter uses improvised sounds. These sounds can be related to a lesson point the instructor wishes to press home to students, for example, the pronunciation of the /sh/ should in English. An effective technique would be to alternate two closely related phonemes, such as the /sh/ sound and the /s/ sound in English.
Repetition is the key. Through repetition, students gain experience and confidence in making the target sounds on command. The following example demonstrates how the /sh/ sound can be used in a chant.
"Sh"
OUT COME THE STARS!—SH, SH, SH
BRIGHT SHINES THE MOON!—SH, SH, SH
SWEET SINGS THE NIGHTBIRD—SH, SH, SH
GO TO BED!
SLEEPYHEAD…
THE SANDMAN SAID—SH, SH, SH
This chant is similar to a nursery rhyme or skipping rhythm in that children can readily take part in "sh, sh, sh" with the constant repetition of the title phrase. Teachers and/or students can add their own gestures during or after the chant is learned! Allowing students to create motions to accompany a chant helps them to focus their attention on the meaning of individual words or phrases and associate them with suitable bodily movements. It also encourages creativity and student participation.
"Rain"
(This chant emphasizes the word ___________________?)
Listen, listen
Listen to the rain (repeat 2 x in normal tone of voice)
Softer, softer
Listen to the rain (repeat 2x in a quiet voice)
Listen, listen
Listen to the rain (repeat 2x in a normal voice)
Louder, louder!
Listen to the rain! (repeat 2x in a loud voice)
Modifying a Chant through Word Substitutions
Children and teachers can substitute different words: slower for softer, or faster for louder, while adding accompanying gestures. By substituting words, these chants can be modified in many different ways to teach target language.
Exploring the Musical Qualities of Chant
Chants are full of musical qualities. The body and classroom objects can be used as instruments, usually to make percussive sound effect or drum-like sounds. However, elements of melody may also be used for emphasis, especially when used regularly to emphasize or create rhythmic patterns. Teachers and students can create sounds using sticks, bells, drums, triangles, tambourines, rattles and even paper. Chants provide numerous opportunities for students to experiment with a controlled text or target language
"Let’s Chant! "
Crisscross applesauce
Hands in your lap
One, two, three, four
Tap, tap, tap
I tap my knees; I’m ready to go
Tap, tap, tap, tap
I move my hands, ever so slow
Clap, clap, clap, clap
I buzz my thumb around like a bee (move thumb in figure eights)
And now I’m ready for English, you see!
Student Written Chants
Once students are familiar with chants, they can write their own. Here are some suggestions for how students can write chants.
1. Students can create chant compositions based on a fixed rhythm with new or borrowed motions.
2. Students can share chants and re-write them using simple substitution words or sounds.
3. Students can create their own class book of chants, which teachers can use as resource material for future classes.
"Magical Sauce" (by Carl Haskell)
Magical sauce—good for power, Magical sauce— sweet not sour, Magical sauce— makes you grow, Magical sauce—never say No! Buy a little bottle At the corner store. When it’s all gone, Go and get MORE!
"Keeping Fit" (by Shawna Teper)
Keeping fit Is easy to do: Running, skipping, Jumping too. Get up in the morning And start to jog. You can even balance on a log. Sit-ups, curl ups, Walking too— Everyone can do it! It’s up to you!
Chant Links:
Celce- Murcia & Hilles. (1988) Techniques and Resources in Teaching Grammar. Oxford University Press. Dunn, S. (2002) Encouraging Children to Write Their Own Chants. http://www.songsforteaching.com/sonjadunn/writingchants.htm
Chants & Worksheets
http://dreaminenglish.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/teaching-children-english-with-chants/
Basic Vocabulary Chants
http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa112800d.htm
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Poetry
Writing Poetry in the EFL Classroom
By August Champlin
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Online Children’s Poetry Resources
Recently, online tools have become available which make it possible for elementary school students to learn to write simple forms of poetry with ease and enjoyment. Scholastic’s
Poetry Idea Engine uses cartoon graphics, humorous sound effects, and a fun user interface to help elementary students create four simple poems: haiku, limerick, cinquain, and free verse. Meanwhile, software developers at Read Write Think have created an intuitive online software program that walks elementary school students step-by-step through the process of making a diamante or diamond-shaped poem that requires nothing more than an understanding of the parts of speech. By adapting these online tools to the EFL Classroom, new and powerful resources become available for teaching English as a Foreign Language.
Using Online Poetry Resources in the EFL Classroom
Both websites can be used for their intended purposes, namely, to teach elementary school students how to write these simple forms of poetry in a fun and easy way. However, they can also be used to creatively reinforce lessons on parts of speech, syllables, rhyme, poetic meter, chant, antonyms, synonyms, children’s stories, and a host of other topics. Many lessons in the Korean EFL curriculum could be reinforced through the creative and fun activity of writing a Diamante poem. After teaching students about the parts of speech, for example, a teacher could use Read Write Think’s Diamante Poem maker to help reinforce the lesson and add a writing component to it.
Read Write Think provides the following example of an antonym diamante, or a diamante that contrasts to opposite words or ideas.
Diamante Poem
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/diamante
Day
Bright,
Sunny, Laughing, Playing,
Doing Up in the East, Down in the West—
Talking, Resting, Sleeping
Quiet,
Dark
After looking at this example, students are invited to try making their own Diamante. They use a simple close-gap or fill-in-the-blank template that prompts them to use the right part of speech in each field. (Students can choose their beginning and ending topics.)
Students could be given a printout of this page and asked to brainstorm in small groups and think of examples of each part of speech. Such an activity might be helpful in reviewing a lesson on adjectives, -ing words, nouns, or simple phrases. However, it could also be used to compare or contrast two characters—Snow White and the Wicked Witch, for example—described in a children’s story the students have read. Or short online clips of English-language animated cartoons can be shown in class, leading to a discussion of the differences between two superheroes, say, Superman and Batman. Students could then work in small groups brainstorming and creating Diamante poems to describe their favorite cartoon characters. They could even compare themselves to family members or friends.
Reggie Hart, owner of Reggie Hart's EFL Cafe, a language instructor at the Korea National University of Education, proposes that students write a Mystery Diamante, in which each day they add a line to a Diamante poem describing a classmate. Then, at the end of the week, they read their poem before their classmates or in small groups and guess who is described in the poem. Afterwards, they give the poem to the person for whom they wrote it as a gift.
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Using the Poetry Idea Engine, a Tutorial
In the following activity, you will learn to write four simple poems—haiku, limerick, cinquain, and free verse—using the Poetry Idea Engine at Scholastic.com. Then you will write your own poem in one of the four styles. Afterward, you will share your poem with four or five classmates, choose your favorite poem from the group, and ask the author to share it with the class.
Procedure
1. Visit http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/poetry_engine.htm (or type "Poetry Idea Engine" into Google.com, and then enter the website).
2. Click on START. The "Poetry Idea Engine" appears. (If doing this does not launch the Poetry Idea Engine, you may need to download the Adobe Flash Plug-in. Go back to the previous page and click on CLICK HERE TO GET THE PLUG-IN. Find the Adobe Flash Plug-in. It’s on the right hand side of the page under the list of Readers and Players. Click GET ADOBE FLASH PLUG-IN and follow the onscreen directions. After it is installed, try to launch the "Poetry Idea Engine." It should now work properly.)
3. Click Play. Four circles appear below the engine.
4. Move your mouse over each circle to hear the correct pronunciation of the four poems you can learn to make in this lesson. They are, from left to right, haiku, limerick, cinquain, and free verse.
5. Click on the first circle and follow the steps to answer these questions about
a. In which country did haiku originate?
b. How many lines does a haiku have?
c. What are its typical subjects?
d. How many syllables does a haiku have?
e. How many syllables does the first line have?
f. How many syllables does the second line have?
g. How many syllables does the third line have?
haiku.
6. When asked "Are you ready to write your own haiku?" click YES. Follow the steps to make a "fill-in-the-blank" haiku. When you’re finished, click DONE. Copy your haiku below.
7. Click PLAY AGAIN. Click on the second circle and follow the steps to answer these questions about
a. What is the mood of a limerick?
b. How many lines does a limerick have?
c. Do they rhyme?
d. Which lines of a limerick should rhyme with line 1?
e. Which line of a limerick should rhyme with line 3?
8. When asked "Are you ready to try and make your own limerick?" click YES. Follow the steps to write a "fill-in-the-blank" limerick. When finished, click DONE. Copy your limerick below.
9. Click PLAY AGAIN. Click on the third circle and follow the steps to answer these questions about
a. What is a cinquain?
b. How many lines does a cinquain have?
c. What is the purpose of Line 1?
d. How many syllables does it have?
e. What is the purpose of Lines 2-4?
f. Each successive line increases the number of its syllables by what amount?
limericks. cinquains?
10. When asked "Are you ready to try and write your own cinquain?" click YES. Follow the steps to write a "fill-in-the-blank" cinquain. When finished, click DONE. Copy your cinquain below.
11. Click PLAY AGAIN. Click on the fourth circle and follow the steps to learn how to write
free verse
a. Why do you think this type of poetry is called free?
b. What distinguishes it from the other types of poems we studied in this lesson?
c. Does this type of poem use rhyme?
12. When asked "Are you ready to try and write your own free verse?" click YES. Now you can write any type of poem you like—haiku, limerick, cinquain, or free verse. Choose one of the four styles in which to write and compose a poem to amuse your classmates or students. (Can you use words your students would know, perhaps words they learn in a lesson you teach? If you need help rhyming words, visit the following free online rhyming dictionary, www.rhymer.com, type in the word you want to find rhymes for and select from the choices given. If you’re done early, why not illustrate your poem using Toondoo.com?)
13. When you’re done, write your poem on a separate piece of paper and share it with your four or five classmates (the people from your table).
14. Choose your favorite poem from your group. Elect that person to read his/her poem in front of the class.
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Poem Recognition Quiz
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Directions: Identify each of the following poems. Write the type of poem in the space below each box.
stormclouds, casting shadows over weary soldiers, threaten to cry heavy buckets of tears. |
an aging willow-- its image so unsteady in the flowing stream
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There was an old man with a beard, Who said, "It’s just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen Four Larks and a Wren Have all built their nests in my beard!"
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The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
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Online Resources
"Diamante." Read Write Think.
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/diamante
"Poetry Idea Engine." Scholastic.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/poetry_engine.htm
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Proverbs - East & West
By Murdo MacKay
Proverbs are to be found in every culture. Often they have been passed down through many generations in one form or another. They are usually very shrewd observations—little pearls of wisdom that contain instruction and advice. Because they express the values of their culture, they make a fascinating authentic language resource for the EFL classroom. They can be used in games and activities involving the four language skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). Moreover, they are appropriate for individual work, pair work, and group work.
Equivalent Proverbs
Proverbs can be used as the starting point for an interesting discussion about cross-cultural differences. This is possible because proverbs with similar meanings have arisen in widely different cultures. For example, most Westerners will be familiar with the Golden Rule, expressed by Jesus when he said, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” Asians familiar with the teachings of Confucius will know that he stated a similar proverb: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” This is an example of equivalent proverbs, which form the basis of the class discussion and activities described below.
The Other Half of the Proverb Game
One way to use proverbs creatively in class is to use them in a matching activity or game, such as the Other Half of the Proverb Game. In this game, the instructor distributes half a proverb to each student. They move around the classroom and try to find the classmate with the other half of their proverb. Then they fill out a form which asks them to write down their proverb, explain it simply, translate it into Korean, and then present their work to their classmates.
Preparation
Creating Partial Proverbs
Type or paste proverbs into a word processor, at least one for every pair of students in your class. You can use an online collection of quotes to find them, such as www.quotationspage.com or www.brainyquote.com. Or you can type them from memory. Before each proverb, write 1 (or A). The reason for doing this will become clear later.
Print out the proverbs. (You may use colored paper and interesting fonts to make them more appealing. You may also wish to laminate them for future use.) Then cut the paper into thin strips, one per proverb. Finally, cut the strips in half. These will be distributed to students to play the Other Half of the Proverb Game described below.
Creating a Guided Writing Form for Students
Create a form for students to write down their proverb, explain what it means, translate it, and share their work with classmates. Alternately, you may use the form provided at the end of this lesson.
Prizes
To increase student interest in the lesson, you may wish to prepare prizes for those who do well.
Procedure
1. Write the word proverb on the board. Ask students what it means. Then write the Korean word for proverb on the board. Ask students to give an example of a Korean or English proverb. For each correct answer, give the respondent a prize (for example, a piece of candy or a sticker).
2. Distribute a slip of paper to each student containing a partial proverb or ask student helpers to distribute them for a larger class.
3. Instruct the students who have a number or letter at the beginning of their proverb to roam the room searching for their partner. In searching for their partner, they may use the following dialogue.
Student A: “Listen to my proverb and complete it if you can. It says, ‘….’”
Student B: “…” [Student B reads his/her other half. If they match, the students sit down and fill out the form. If not, they can say, “What a crazy proverb! Goodbye!”]
4. When they have found their partners, they should sit down next to each other and complete the form (see the form at the end of this chapter).
5. After completing the form, they can prepare a brief presentation explaining their proverb to their classmates. Alternately, they could create a brief dialogue, skit, or scenario in which two speakers would use that expression naturally and present it before their classmates.
The Proverb Translation Game
A creative activity that can be used with the Other Half of the Proverb Game is the Proverb Translation Game. After completing the form for the Other Half of the Proverb Game, each pair reads their proverb and translation to the class. One student reads the English proverb. The other reads the Korean translation. The class votes on whether the translation is good or bad. In some cases, where a similar proverb exists in Korean, the student may wish to use it as a ready-made translation. In this case, the class votes on whether the two proverbs are truly equivalent or not.
Adapting the Activity for Younger Students
With some additional preparation, it is possible to adapt this activity for younger students. The first step is to select proverbs which lend themselves to the use of imagery. For example, the Western proverb “Fine feathers make fine birds” could be written as “Fine [picture of feathers] make fine [picture of birds].” The Korean equivalent is “Clothes are wings.” This proverb could be written as “[Picture of clothes] are [picture of wings].” Instead of pair work, the teacher may choose to do the activity
with the whole class, using large scale props to elicit vocabulary. The teacher could also display a mix of equivalent ‘pictorial’ proverbs for the students to match up. Based on students’ level, the teacher will be able to judge the level of support needed and tailor the activity accordingly.
Fine _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s make fine _ _ _ _ s.
Additional Writing Assignments
These writing tasks are quite basic, but the activity can also be used as a springboard for more advanced writing- depending on the level of the students. For example, you could ask students to write a story to illustrate one of the proverbs they have heard in class. The students would then read their story to the class, and the class would be asked to identify the underlying proverb. Such a writing assignment would require you to ensure that the students know how to punctuate direct speech using quotation marks. Alternately, the story could be written entirely in reported speech. You should illustrate the difference to your students.
Direct Speech
The student asked, ‘Please give me a drink of water.’
Reported Speech
The student asked for a drink of water.
You could use this point to have the students write two stories: one written entirely in reported speech, and one using direct speech. But you would have to be careful not to exhaust the students’ interest. The main thing is to ensure that they understand the different approaches. Another more advanced writing assignment would require the students to compare or contrast several of the Western and Korean proverbs.
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Storynory’s Audio Books for Children
By Summer West
An Introduction to Storynory.com
Storynory.com contains a collection of free audio books for children, including classics by Hans Christian Anderson and Lewis Carroll among others, as well as poetry and original stories by contributing writers. The site is updated weekly with newly published stories read by Natasha Gostwick. Translation is offered in multiple languages for many of the stories.
A good portion of the content from storynory.com is available on iTunes and can be transferred onto an MP3 player, so students can listen to the stories wherever they would like. Teachers and parents are invited to register, enjoy the podcasts, and give feedback on the site.
Storynory.com owes its popularity to several factors. It is convenient and easy for teachers to use in the classroom, and it helps students to acquire a love for reading and words, while developing their imagination and moral reasoning skills.
Tips for Using Storynory.com
Storynory.com can be used to reinforce concepts from the Korean EFL curriculum. If a lesson teaches students how to give advice or warnings, for example, the following expressions will likely be displayed on the board or on a handout for students to see for the duration of the English lesson.
Target Expressions
Be careful!
Don’t do that!
Watch out!
Using the Site Index to Find Target Language
Finding a fable or poem from Storynory.com that features the target expressions is easy, thanks to a convenient site index. Simply search the site index to find a story or poem that uses the target language or its equivalent. Once you find one, you can use it to create a real context for the target language, outside of the students’ regular textbook. Students will appreciate the creative and enjoyable contexts for learning language provided by children’s stories and poems.
Checking for Korean Translations
In many cases, a Korean translation of a story or poem is available through Storynory.com. Check to see if one is available for your selection by left clicking twice on any word in the text. A blue box will then appear with a list of translations for that word. Be aware, however, that not every word will have a direct translation in Korean. It is advisable for teachers to read through the text first and highlight any words that may require translation. Then check and see if the translation is provided. If not, a simple handout containing a glossary of difficult words can easily be prepared by the teacher with the use of a dictionary.
Checking for Accent Intelligibility
Before presenting a story to your class, read through it, listening to the accompanying audio file read by Natasha Gostwick. She does not use a North American accent. It is a good idea to make certain that you are able to follow along with her narration yourself before playing the audio file for your students.
Checking for Age- or Level-Appropriateness
While reading and listening to the text, make sure the language used in the story is age- or level-appropriate. Not all of the material on Storynory.com is advisable for an elementary school classroom in Korea. It may also be a good idea to avoid stories which contain “Old English” expressions, as they most likely will not have any kind of Korean translation.
Creative Presentation Methods
If you are looking for creative ways to present a story to your class, consider any of the following methods:
1. Create a cloze assignment for students to fill in the blanks by listening to the audio file and following along in the text.
2. Give students a copy of the story in text form and allow them to listen and follow along while marking the target language that you’ve emphasized. Show students one or two examples of the language structure they are to identify. Make certain that this is modeled in advance for the class.
3. Have students follow along and read the story as a class using TPR (Total Physical Response) when they reach a certain form of target language. Teachers will need to create some sort of action or gesture to be used specifically with the language point in practice. This will need to be modeled for students as well.
4. Distribute a portion of the story without the ending and play the audio file, pausing at the end of the students’ portion and asking them to work in groups to discuss (or write) a conjectured ending. Then, distribute the missing text and play the end of the audio file allowing them to hear the story’s actual ending. In doing this, students have an opportunity to engage in creative writing in groups and build a cohesive text of their own in completion to a given text.
5. Create your own plan for presenting the selected story to students
Examples are shown below using The Princess and the Pea and The Monkey and the Boar from storynory.com.
Presentation 1—Cloze Activity: Add the Missing Prepositions
Directions: Listen to the story and add the missing prepositions.
The Princess and the Pea
There once _______ a time was a Prince who wanted to marry a Princess, but she must be a true Princess. So he traveled __________ the whole world to find one, but there was always something ___________ each. There were plenty of Princesses, but he could not find out if they were true Princesses. ______ every case there was some little defect, which showed the genuine article was not found. So he came home again _____ very low spirits, for he had wanted very much to have a true Princess.
Presentation 2—Identifying the Target Language: Pronouns and Antecedents
Directions: Underline or highlight every pronoun in the story.
The Princess and the Pea One night there was a dreadful storm; it thundered and lightened and the rain streamed down in torrents. It was fearful! There was a knocking heard at the Palace gate, and the old King went to open it.
The water was running down from her hair and her dress into the points of her shoes and out at the heels again. And yet she said she was a true Princess! “Well, we shall soon find that!” thought the old Queen. But she said nothing, and went into the sleeping-room, took off all the bed-clothes, and laid a pea on the bottom of the bed in which the princess was to sleep. The next morning she was asked how she had slept. “Oh very badly!” said the Princess. “I scarcely closed my eyes all night! I am sure I don’t know what was in the bed. I laid on something so hard that my whole body is black and blue. It is dreadful!”
Now they perceived that she was a true Princess, because she had felt the pea through the twenty mattresses and quilts. No one but a true Princess could be so sensitive. So the Prince married her, for now he knew that at last he had gotten hold of a true Princess. And the pea was put into the Royal Museum, where it is still to be seen if no one has stolen it. Now this is a true story.
Presentation 3—Reading and Responding to Pronouns in a Text with TPR
Directions: Read or listen to the story as a class. Whenever you read or hear a pronoun, give one of the following responses.
She- clap once
He- clap twice
It- tap the table/desk
The Princess and the Pea
There once upon a time was a Prince who wanted to marry a Princess, but she must be a true Princess. So he traveled through the whole world to find one, but there was always something against each. There were plenty of Princesses, but he could not find out if they were true Princesses. In every case there was some little defect, which showed the genuine article was not found. So he came home again in very low spirits, for he had wanted very much to have a true Princess. One night there was a dreadful storm; it thundered and lightened and the rain streamed down in torrents. It was fearful! There was a knocking heard at the Palace gate, and the old King went to open it.
Variations
Students can also use TPR to indicate how the prince is feeling when he returns home with no princess, what the rain and thunder sound like or what happens when the Princess knocks at the door.
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