Activity Nº 6
Tell us why you think teaching with stories is a useful tool.
Say if you think there are any drawbacks which may hinder their use.
Let's share our opinions.
Activity Nº 5
"Pupils learn their English by picking up spare parts of the language machinery each year, and what is more disastrous is that the parts they keep on collecting for one whole year are only good enough to assemble a bigger component. Thus, instead of enjoying the success of possessing a miniature train, the child has to be satisfied with all the screws and bolts and maybe a couple of wheels and axles to play with over again. It would be miraculously for him/her to talk about fun or interest in learning the language at all. If the lower primary teacher wants to amuse his/her class with a little story in English, he/she cannot find enough words to use from the lists. There is no rabbit or fox, fairy or giant in them. And when there is cat there is no kitten, or puppy for dog. Then the language he/she uses should also be drawn from among the forms a, an, is it a ..., I am ..., you are, this is...,he is ... what is this... is it ... yes, no and a few simple orders, movements and coulours. What a boring story that will be!"
What can you say about this quotation? How can you relate it to using stories in the classroom? What dou you think?
I think it is important to teach English through stories, because we are giving students a background for the new words they are going to learn. Moreover giving them the chance to participate in the activities that we prepare together with the story we choose, helps them to acquire language in a more natural and enjoyable way.
ReplyDeleteI'm based on the following phrase:
"Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn."
Benjamin Franklin
Wise words those of Franklin!!! I agree with you, ouoils learn better when you put words in context.
ReplyDeleteActivity Nº 5:
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to teach English through stories because in this way children come up with the most ingenious ideas, develop their imagination and gain richness of language that coursebooks do not offer. So, by reading, children learn words and chunks in context, in a natural way. Instead, if they learn words only through coursebooks, it will be difficult for them to use these words later as they have learnt them by heart. By reading, children can also grow confident and independent and learn the importance of sharing with other peers.
Activity Nº 6:
I think that teachers can take advantage of teaching through stories. For most teachers, it will obviously be easier to teach in a traditional way, but teaching through stories gives results that no other way of teaching can give, such as helping students develop their own creativity, their imagination, how to use words in different contexts and the richness of language that can only be learnt through the process of reading.
ACTIVITIES N° 5 AND 6:
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to teach English through story because it helps children to hace a large and wide-ranging vocabulary which it is essential for a number of reasons. For example, it helps with both writing and reading abilities, of course, but it also allows for more complex discourse. The larger your vocabulary is, the more in depth and thoughtful discussions you can have on important topics and issues, both in and outside of the classroom. When children speak they tend to use a fairly limited vocabulary, so the best way to become exposed to new words is to read.
Moreover, reading literature is a great way to build and enhance vocabulary due to the descriptive nature of a story, any story will include plenty of words students have likely never seen or heard before. They’ll see those words in context, learning their meanings passively rather than having to drill. And because they’re reading a story and not drilling, they probably won’t even realize they are building their vocabulary.