Your first lesson teaching children English using Theatre is an important one because it’s where you present yourself for the first time and depending on that first impression will determine if students decide to enrol in your courses or not. It’s really a make or break situation.
So how do you initially break the ice with young children and prepare them for a fun filled lesson of language learning?
Tag Archives: teaching English as a second language
Teach Children English through music 5 Green Frogs
5 Green Frogs Jumping on the Log
An adapted version of “10 Green Bottles sitting on the Wall” for ESL pre-schoolers. This is a fun and simple song to introduce numbers 1-5 and provides lots of vocabulary practice (frog, green, log, jump, splash).
I bring along to class some frog masks for the children to wear and act out the song themselves. They have great fun jumping and splashing in a pretend pond.
Happy Teaching!
English Language Teacher Training Course, Florence Italy
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER TRAINING
1 DAY TEACHING COURSE FOR NURSERY & PRIMARY TEACHERS
Course Dates:
Course Location:
Teatro Puccini Via delle Cascine, 41 50144 Florence, Italy
This course is specially designed for Nursery and Primary School teachers in Italy and offers a unique “English Language Drama Training” experience, which will equip teachers to be more confident, effective and actively engaging in the classroom.
Acting and theatre activities help children of all ages focus and concentrate their energies and improve their language communication skills. This course provides practical examples of how to incorporate animatedly and creatively language games, songs, stories and role-play activities into the classroom. Children (and teachers) learn by doing and HAVING FUN!
Course programme :
- Creative Drama and role-play activities for young learners
- Chants, rhymes and songs (using music effectively in the classroom)
- Storytelling with Puppets, Masks, Costume and authentic materials
- How to teach and engage young learners using TPR (Total Physical Response)
- Classroom management skills; appropriate language for the classroom
- Building confidence teaching in English
The course is presented by Miranda Fynn Legge, a native English speaker, professional actress (graduate from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London) and accredited English language teacher – Certificate CELTA (Cambridge University, England). Miranda has been teaching English through Drama to young learners, adults and teachers in Italy for over 25 years. Miranda also is the founder of the Teatro Inglese method. “Children have many years of learning ahead of them and I believe that if their first experience of English is pleasurable, motivating and fun, they will have a positive attitude towards it for the rest of their lives.”
During the one day course Miranda will share her teaching experience and introduce creative and practical ideas for the following key language themes Colours, The Body, Animals, Clothes, My House, Food, Weather, Time, Days of the week. All participants will be encouraged to “actively” take part.
In the afternoon participants will be encouraged to practice their new skills by presenting a simple activity. As a group we will discuss their effectiveness based on their creativity, involvement and enjoyment from a young learners perspective and how each activity can be adapted to different levels. Miranda will also offer individual tips and suggestions for follow up activities and lesson plans.
Certification awarded: Attendance certificate detailing topics covered, course content and the number of training hours.
The Sticky Game
The Sticky Game
Welcome back! I hope you all had a great summer break. I thought you might be interested in a fun and simple warm up game to start off the new term. I often use this “ice-breaker” with new classes as it not only familiarizes children with the different parts of the body but it also encourages them to jump around to music and overcome any initial embarrassment or shyness they may have in relating to a new group.
Level: All
Age group: 3+ (ideal also with adults)
Time: 5 min
Aims: To introduce and practice body vocabulary e.g nose, ears, back, knees, hands, shoulders etc:
This game should be played in pairs. You will need some lively music to play. Ask the children to stand back to back and tell them, or better still demonstrate to them that they are “super glued” together and they must dance and move to the music without ever becoming “unstuck” from their partner. Call out different body parts that the children must “stick” to using their partner for example:
– Nose
– Feet
– Hands
– Ears
– Shoulders
– Back
– Eyelashes
– Cheeks
– Bottoms/ Backside
Continue suggesting different body parts, the faster the teacher changes words, the more hilarious the children find the game.
Happy teaching
Miranda
ESL Drama Games 