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Viatouch Teacher Articles
Language Arts

Liven Up Language Class
by Neerja Sharma

A language class can be pretty boring if the teacher does not innovate ways to make it worth attending for the students. Generally, students don't consider a language class important enough to pay attention to, as compared to other subjects such as Math, Science, Social Studies, etc. One major reason for this disinterest could be the lack of imaginative warm-up exercises and activities in the language class. If the students don't relate to the topic being discussed, they will never concentrate in the class.

While making a lesson plan, a teacher should identify the objective of the lesson clearly and then connect that objective to the needs of the students. The students must be engaged in the lesson so that they realize its importance and relevancy.

The key to keeping the students engaged and activated in a particular language class is to create a level of suspense and curiosity in their minds about the lesson plan. Their interest in the lesson should be piqued to a level where they cannot wait to know what is going to unfold in the class. I have personally experimented with these strategies in the class:

Beginning the class with a narration of an interesting story that relates to the topic concerned and creates an air of suspense
Starting the lesson plan with some interesting questions to be asked that relate directly or indirectly to the topic
Enacting a scene in front of the class regarding the topic and asking them to guess what the topic would be
Talking about a movie that relates to the topic and asking students questions based on that movie
Creating a game around the topic concerned and starting the class by playing the game
Starting the class with an interesting quiz related to the topic and dividing the class into teams to participate in the quiz

If the students don't feel that the topic can benefit them, they will never give their hundred percent in the class. More than anything else, students want to be involved in activities and "do" something rather than being told "how to do" something. By "doing", they learn faster and pay more attention in the class rather than the teacher telling them how to do something. When they do an activity, students try to untangle the situation or problem on their own, sometimes unaware that they are learning an important language concept. In contrast, when a teacher gives all the details, hints, and clues beforehand, their motivation and interest to solve will diminish. The students will lose the excitement to find the solution to a problem.

A language class is all about learning something new about a language. The more opportunities a teacher gives to the students to explore the language on their own, the faster and better the students will learn and the more interested they will be in the class.

The author is an ESL teacher, who has taught English for the last six years in a Canadian college based in India. Neerja is also a freelancer writer. She regularly contributes articles to a locally based current affairs magazine. One of her short stories has been published in a New York based publication's anthology titled "Grab Your Tiger".

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