In all facets of education,
learning activities are designed to cater for and appeal to a variety of
learning styles .In Fleming's VARK model, these styles are generalized into
three main types: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. English language schools
in Australia are no exception and try to employ every type of activity to meet
the needs of their precious students. Vocabulary cards which are moved by hand
to match with definitions or used to play games such as memory or snap are
aimed at kinaesthetic learners, for example. Text book audio files, songs,
dictation, etc. are geared toward our auditory friends. However, in what ways
can English as a second language (ESL) teachers appeal to their visual
learners?
For those who are not blessed
enough to work in a modern Australian Language School, where we shamelessly use
plasma TVs hooked up to a high-powered ultra-modern computer, one of your few
tools is the white board. This is your bread and butter as an English language
course teacher and as such, it is advisable to invest time and money into
making the most of it. Purchasing white board markers of various colours is a
good start. Solely using a black will quickly earn you the disrespect of all of
your students. If you write illegibly, go back to primary school and learn how
to print in a straight line. It's an Intensive General English class, not a
hieroglyphs deciphering session (Bec Hungerford). It is useful for students to
have a well-organised whiteboard. Date and name your board with a brief outline
of the day's lesson on one side. On the other side, leave room for a list of
new vocabulary items. Underline your subtitles and use bullet points as you
would in a Powerpoint presentation. Too many words and clutter will only
further the confusion reeked by your black pen monotony.
Art. Vincent Van Gogh said before
he tragically cut his own ear off, 'If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot
paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.' One of the
most hilarious and memorable things you can do for your students is to attempt
to draw. "Teacher, what are gills?" Draw a sideways egg, draw a comb
facing the bottom of the egg to form a tail, two side-by-side baked beans at
the 'top' of the egg to form fish lips and then you are in a prime position to
add 2 backwards Cs to illustrate gills (see attached image). When drawing, it's
important not to take yourself seriously. Laugh at yourself if your picture is
absolute garbage. Your students will thank you.
There are countless other ways to
appeal to visual learners. Having a well-organised, colourful board and
hand-drawn illustrations are two of the most basic. In closing, practice makes
perfect and Vincent Van Gogh was probably not an auditory learner.
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