Acting is Communication: Tips for Foreign Language/ESL Classes

Hello All,
This post is for Foreign Language and English as Second Language teachers.  These classes can be pretty difficult to teach, especially without using some form of theater, because communicating ideas to students in an effective manner is a challenge.

Students who are just learning a language, whether it is English speaking students learning a foreign language or ESL students who may speak a variety of their own native languages, can feel lost and overwhelmed by new vocabulary.

Tired of Test Structured Classrooms: Use an Artistic Presentation to Evaluate Your Students

 

Hello Blog Readers,
So far on my blogs I have shared with you plays that reach high school students on a social level, three options, one being the best way to use a skit to teach a math lesson, and two techniques to incorporate Theater in and English classroom.

Now, I wanted to share some general knowledge and give you a creative alternative to tests as a way to evaluate your students progress at the end of each term or year.  This applies to almost any and all subjects!

Put Your Words Where Your Mouth Is: Words Into Action in the Literature Classroom

Hello All,
I know you are all excited to hear what is next and I have another technique to effectively and creatively bring Theater into your English classroom.

It is called:

Words Into Action

This is also known as scene work, but I kind of like the name I chose for it better.  It adds a little something...don't you think?  This technique involves taking apart a chapter or two by splitting them into scenes and dividing your class into groups so that they can perform them.

Now I know this sounds odd to some of you.  How can you take literature and perform it?  You simply take the dialogue between the characters and use it as a script.

Shakespeare Isn't the Only Way to Bring English and Drama Together

Having Trouble Making Your English Class Exciting?  Are Your Students Not Understanding the Beauty and Deep Meaning Behind the Literature You Are Reading? 
Well readers,
I have the answer for you!  Today I am going to give you an exercise that you can do in your classroom that will make your students interested and able to appreciate what they are reading on a higher level.

On last week's blog I discussed ways in which theater can be used in the math classroom to enhance learning, but on this week I am going to list some of the ways theater can be incorporated into English classrooms.  Combining Theater and English does  not mean just reading Shakespeare, although that is another good way to fuse the two disciplines, but they are less obvious to do so.

This is:

The Best Way to Use Theater in The Classroom! Teach Math in A Whole New Way!

 

Hello to all my blog viewers,

Thanks for being patient with the other two methods of teaching algebra via a skit, which I mentioned in my last two blogs.  You have seen me recommend having you, the teacher, present the skit, and you have read about how a video presentation of a skit can enhance learning in the classroom.

These two methods had great potential, but also left room for much confusion and unreliability of resources, since having the teacher present all the information can be confusing, having a video presentation can lead to technological errors, and both seem to have little student involvement, which means the lesson is not very exciting and the students are not able to learn from doing things first hand.


Never fear, the third method is here: Student Presentation

Student Presentation:

Enjoy Skits for Math! Theatre Bringing Life to the Classroom!

Hello my blog trackers,
Here is option for using a skit to teach an Algebra lesson as promised. This one is about teaching math by using a video presentation.

Option 2: Video Presentation

This option can work for you or against you.  It really all depends on whether or not you can find the correct video online that demonstrates a similar algebraic problem that was explained in my last blog:

Solving for x: 3x + 10 - 5= 20

Splash Up Your Math Class Up With Theatre: Teaching Algebra With a Skit Option One

Theme for the Next 3 Blog Posts:
Hello All,
For the next 3 blog posts I am going to be offering you 3 options for presenting a skit in order to teach an Algebra lesson.  Never fear I will be touching on other subject-matter in future blogs, but I though mathematics was one that often is excluded from the arts.