Dhugal Gardner CO3

Today I went and observed Natalie Upshaw’s Level 1 Speaking class. There were only seven students in the class. The first thing I could observe was the energy level; it was low. This isn’t a surprise, as the class was the first one back from lunch (this is why we need the siesta), and even the instructor was groggy.

Anyhow, I introduced myself and Natalie presented the plan for the day. The students were to do a timed speaking. She explained the process step by step (prompt, brainstorm), writing it all out on the board. I thought a prepared slideshow or something would be more efficient, but I then realized it is better for the students to have things slowed down and spelled out in front of them, being at such a low level.

She then wrote out 4 prompts on the board, of which the students were to pick two. 5 minutes were allocated for each prompt for brainstorming, and the students were to speak for 45 seconds on each chosen prompt. I think she was trying to replicate the TOEFL speaking part. The students sullenly did the brainstorming, such low energy!

Now here comes the interesting part: since the computer lab was occupied, Natalie had the students use their phones to record themselves, then send the recordings to her email. I admire the ingenuity, but the exercise seemed impractical. It took a long time to explain and figure out the devices and whatnot. All in all, the lesson seemed to be about 90% explaining, 5% fiddling with phones, and 5% activity.

This goes to show the different approach one must take when instructing the lower level; it is a lot more cumbersome. Consequently, there is more of an imperative to have a tight lesson plan, since you must devote so much time to explaining. 

It is very interesting to see the wide range of ability at CIES.