Why bother?

Last week I attended the ETAI (English Teachers' Association of Israel) National Conference. In addition to the wide variety of lectures and workshops, we were given a chance to ask a panel, student-style, questions beginning with "Why bother". Most of us added "when..." such as "Why bother coming to a conference when we can meet online?" (short answer - the importance of face to face contact). Sometimes the most logical answer was "Don't bother", but one question really bothered me and I wish I had been able to answer -
     "Why bother having an English Day when my colleagues don't cooperate?"
Honestly, I barely see a connection between the two clauses (a word I picked up substituting in formal English classes). We don't have English Days for our colleagues, we have them for our students. English Day is a chance for students to have a positive experience in English,  and no matter what activities you choose they probably will learn something. It's a way to show them English as a spoken language and culture in a relaxed atmosphere. Whether they perform on stage, make crafts or play games, they will have achievements to remember that aren't graded.
It's unfortunate that there are teachers who aren't willing to put in the extra effort to do something special for their students, but don't let that stop you from doing your best.
Why bother teaching at all? Why bother preparing interesting activities, paying extra attention to students who are struggling as well as those who want to be challenged more, and making sure that everyone understands before you continue? If you do this to impress your colleagues, you will probably be disappointed by their reactions. But if you do everything you can to help your students, in the long run your efforts will pay off and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you made a difference.
And when your colleagues see this, they may decide in the future to join you.

What are you doing for English Day?

Have you started thinking about English Day this year? Remember, a successful English Day requires creative thought and planning, and your school calendar is probably starting to fill up. So if you and the rest of the English staff haven't thought about it yet, let me help you get started.

Why should we have an English Day?

An English Day is a chance for students to have a fun, positive experience in English. No drilling, no writing in notebooks, no tests and no pressure. Just activities they enjoy along with a chance to hear and speak English in context. It's an opportunity for them to see English as something that can be fun and relevant to their daily lives.

Where should I start?

First I recommend choosing a theme. This will make it easier to choose activities and pull everything together. Themes can be simple and vocabulary-oriented such as animals or weather and seasons, or wider concepts such as around the world or protecting the environment. To build up anticipation, have each class choose an appropriate costume, prepare a poster or decorate their classroom ahead of time.

You also need to set a date and make sure it gets listed on the school calendar (lessons learned the hard way).

Kick-off

Start the day with everyone together. It's great if everyone can learn a song or chant ahead of time and sing it together. This is the time to build up group spirit and also explain what everyone is going to do for the next few hours. If classes have chosen names call them out in your best rock-star voice. Emphasize that today is going to be fun.

Activities

Each class or group should participate in 3-4 different activities. You should have at least one instructor at each station who speaks English and can lead the activity, and one leader to accompany each group. You can also have older students lead activities for younger classes, which keeps them both busy.

• Songs - Teach a new song or sing familiar songs. Choose them according to the theme and level of the students. You could have each group learn a different song and perform them all at the end of the day.
• Sports - Have at least one station of active games so that children have a chance to release energy. These might be kangaroo and horse races if your theme is animals, games from different countries if your theme is around the world, or throwing a ball or ring at targets marked with letters or words.
• Group games such as charades, hangman, hot potato or a treasure hunt.
• Crafts - It's nice if children can bring something home. The craft doesn't need to be related to English, just make sure all the instructions are in English. If you also demonstrate while you speak there's no need to translate.
• Food - Find some simple recipes related to your theme. If cooking isn't practical there are plenty of other options. Get information about students' allergies ahead of time and have alternatives ready. Like crafts, as long as the recipe and instructions are in English they're learning English.
• Stories - Either read a book or tell a story with pictures and props.
• Printable games - Make sure they're fun, challenging and different from worksheets you would use in a regular lesson. If some stations are led by teachers who aren't comfortable speaking English this is a good option.

Plan and print a schedule so that everyone knows where they should be when. Review each station carefully and make sure you have all the materials you need, and that they are in place before the day begins.

What to do during the break

Don't expect students and teachers to give up all their breaks just because they're having fun. If your school has a tradition of "active breaks" you know what to do. Put on a CD with dance songs in English and set up some simple outdoor games.  You could also sell food or other items, depending on you school's policy. Remember, only English.

Bringing it to a close

At the end gather everyone together again. This is a good time to put some kids on stage. This can be a short play you've prepared ahead of time or songs they learned during the day. Go back to your rock-star voice to make sure everyone had a great time and that they want to do it again next year.

How can English is Fun help?

English days are all about making English fun, and I have a wide range of resources to offer:

• Workshops for students - Not sure how to lead some of these activities? Let me do it for you.
• Teacher workshop - I'll help you plan the day, prepare the materials and train the staff.
• CDs - A great resource for songs, written specifically for EFL students.
• Making English Fun - Over 30 games and ideas to activate students.
• English is Fun on the Stage - short scripts for young children. I can also write a script for you.
• Custom packages - Contact me directly and we'll design a package to fit your needs.

What if I make a mistake?

This week two 4th grade students came to my English group for the first time. The first thing they told me was that their English isn't very good, and they asked if I would get mad if they made mistakes. I told them of course not, they're here to learn, I only get mad at children who laugh at other children's mistakes. I thought to myself how sad it is that children would even ask this question.

They had a wonderful time, responded in English during games and learned some new words. Once assured that it was okay to make mistakes they were eager to participate, and didn't want to stop when our time was up.

Why did they think I would be mad? Is that how their teachers usually react to mistakes? No wonder their English is weak. How can they be expected to improve if they're afraid to open their mouths in class?

In every classroom, whenever a teacher asks questions, there are some students who always raise their hands and some who never do. In most cases, the better students are, or think they are, at a particular subject, the more likely they are to raise their hands. But the reverse is also true, especially when teaching a language. The more students participate in class, the more their English will improve.

When I worked with groups in schools, occasionally I sat next to students in the classroom. I found that many of the weaker students, when the teacher asked a question, would ask me quietly if they had the correct answer before raising their hands. They didn't really need my help, they figured out the answers on their own, they needed my assurance that their answer was correct before saying it out loud in front of the teacher and the class. It wasn't long before these students not only gained enough confidence to participate without checking with me first, they also started doing much better in class.

We all make mistakes. But the biggest mistake is destroying someone's confidence.

Breaking Down the Barriers

I frequently have conversations with English teachers who ask me for advice about teaching children who hate English. The fact is, it's almost impossible to teach anyone who refuses to learn or who doesn't believe that they are able to learn. The first step is to show them that English isn't scary, threatening or impossible to understand. In order for children to learn anything they must be convinced that they are capable of learning and that it will be painless.

With young children (pre-K until about 2^nd grade) it's usually much easier. They are natural mimickers and less self-conscious about how they sound, which makes it easier to get them to speak. Even the stubborn pupils at this age are easier to convince. If we speak to them or sing with them in English accompanied by hand gestures or facial expressions, they understand and absorb the language without even being aware that they're learning. After they respond to a request or answer a question, that's the time to point out that you spoke English and they understood.

As children get older it becomes more difficult. By the middle of elementary school they begin developing mental blocks. They recognize English immediately and "tune-out" without even trying to understand. Weak pupils develop real gaps in addition to those they imagined. But all is not lost. Use the English words they already know. On Facebook you can see faces. Photoshop is used to edit photos. Cars must pass a test. Men put on aftershave after they shave. All of these are words associations that students suggested.

I also recommend that sometimes you put aside the books and workbooks and try these ideas instead.

Games: Look for simple games appropriate for their age that involve some English. They need to experience success without feeling like the games are too easy or childish. Card games with words and pictures are easy to learn and also teach sentences like "It's your turn", "Do you have…", etc. There are also a lot of fun group games that use repetitive sentences. Take games they enjoy playing in Hebrew and translate them into English. These will be easy to learn and understand. Don't forget the classics like hangman, charades, Simon says and "When I go to the moon I will bring…". Praise each achievement with "Very good!", "Well done!" or "Excellent!".

Songs: Most of your students, even if they don't like English lessons, probably listen to songs in English. Ask them what songs they like, make sure the lyrics are appropriate and learn the songs together. Work on pronunciation, talk about the meaning of the lyrics, ask them questions about the song and the singer. Let them stage a clip or choreograph a dance to the song. If you have students who play instruments they may want to bring instruments to class.

Rap: Rhythm is contagious. Setting your lessons to a catchy rhythm improves pronunciation, makes language chunks easier to remember and most important, kids love it. Write a sentence on the board, then elicit similar sentences from students. Start a rhythm by snapping your fingers, tapping on your desk, hitting a small drum, etc. If you don't feel like a rapper, let your students take over. Invite them to perform for the class.

Find out what interests them: What are their hobbies? What do they like to do? What do they want to talk about today? Go for a walk, cook, dance, draw pictures, play football, it doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it in English. If they are absorbed in an activity and enjoying themselves they will forget that they don't understand.

Like in any aspect of education, the most important thing is to encourage them and let them experience success. Show them that they can learn, speak and understand. They may even have fun.