UNIT 16: PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES AND INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

  

 Introductory activity:

 

   In this unit I learned that presentation techniques are the way used by the teacher to focus learners' attention on meaning, use and form of language when it is presented for the first time. Meanwhile, introductory activities are activities that are used to introduce the lesson. Also, I learned that there are presentation stages on the Presentation, Practice and Production Approach and the Task-based Learning.

     Firstly, the book presents a contrastive lesson-plan chart stating the differences between PPP and TBL. As mentioned in the previous unit, Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP) approach refers to introducing the language in context, practicing exercises, and putting what you learned into practice, as in the example presented. And, Task-based Learning is based on the presentation of new language which  is later used, so to allow students to focus on meaning rather than on form. I consider it is a way to buld up confidence in students, mainly if they are kids, because they learn through meanings rather that grammar rules. In addition, both can be seamingly used, for example, in our classes, we can apply either both with reading and listening exercises in order to build comprehension. 

     When teaching through PPP and TBL we can also use guided discovery activities to introduce the lesson. I find useful to encourage students to do oral presentations because through this, they can start using the language, figure the topic out and pick new features out so to put them into practice usually using realia and common life matters. Furthermore, another way from which students can get activated to the language is by taking part in short warmers or lead-ins. Thus, the figures prove that lead-ins have to do with the content to be learned, while warmers have to do with short activities which are used only to wake students up, even though it does not have a connection with the subject.

     In conclusion,  all the activities mentiones can be done in class to help to personalize the content. Bearing in mind the fact that breaking the ice in the class help students feel comfortable and be open-minded toward the environment.

The ball game

 

Lead-ins

 

 You can visit these web resources for extra information:

1. ESOL Examinations, (2009). University of Cambridge, TKT Module 1: Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities. 

2. Tutoring Class, (2009). Part 3, Background to Language Teaching. Week 7. Retrieved from: http://www.cambridgeesol.org.tw/index.php?FID=10&CID=55