Teach English in Houbao Zhen - Changzhi Shi

According to Herbert Broda, a professor of education at Ashland University, «Over the last 10 years, much research has been done to evaluate the effects of outdoor learning on academic achievement. The results strongly suggest that good indoor learning coupled with good outdoor instruction increases student scores on many standardized achievement tests»*. Indeed, occasional outdoor activities not only increase students’ motivation but also reduce stress levels, boost energy and develop creative thinking and imagination. So, why neglect this powerful learning tool? First of all, the outdoors can be used simply as a venue to conduct regular in-class activities. Reading a favourite book under the tree, writing a story using nature-themed prompts, listening to the nature sounds and then discussing what you have heard will improve all four language skills and will be enjoyed by both students and teachers. Traditional outdoor games can also be used to teach a variety of vocabulary topics and grammar structures. Teachers can experiment and change their rules or content depending on their teaching objectives. Here are some of the ideas: - Hopscotch can be used to teach sight words, irregular verbs, grammar structures and to review the vocabulary. Just write what you need in each square and give your students clear instructions on what they are expected to do (read the sight word, name three forms of the verb, come up with the sentence using the particular grammar structure or recall 5 words within the category - days of the week, colours, animals, etc). - What’s the time Mr Wolf? is a great game to teach numbers and time. In addition, use this game as a drill to practice different question structures. For example, «Mr Wolf, Mr Wolf, where do you hunt?» The student assigned to be the wolf can name different places (in the park, at the beach, etc.), but once s/he shouts «at the playground», everyone should run away. - Vocabulary tag is a variation of traditional tag. To adapt it for English class, students have to name an appropriate vocabulary word on a chosen topic otherwise s/he becomes «it» when tagged. Teachers can add some challenge and ask students to spell these words or make sentences with them. - «Simon Says» is mostly used to teach action words and body parts (touch your nose, rub your tummy, etc.). However, creative teachers will see its great potential to be used in different variations to teach any target vocabulary in a fun way. Finally, apart from games, there are other activities to make your lessons memorable and inspiring for your students. For example, to learn or review animals, take your students to the real zoo. You can prepare some worksheets to reinforce vocabulary, grammar structures (A tiger is bigger than a fox. There are seven deer is the zoo.) or reading comprehension (match the animal description with its name, then find it in the zoo) as well. Take your students for «I spy walk» or Scavenger Hunt to the park or botanical garden to learn about nature. Similarly, prepare a list of natural objects to collect or tick and encourage your students to use previously learned grammar structures (Look! It’s a snail. I can see a butterfly. This flower is yellow.). Ask your older students to write a short essay or a note about the beauty of nature or describe the changing season. Teaching food and drinks? Why not take your students out for a picnic? Review vocabulary, sort fruit and vegetables, discuss food preferences and eating habits or share a recipe and just enjoy good outdoor time. In conclusion, outdoor activities can be an effective tool when teaching English. Teachers can use traditional games or adapt them to their teaching goals, as well as organize outdoor activities with teaching purposes, such as picnics, trips to the zoo or park and scavenger hunts. And sometimes all you need to raise your students’ morale is just to get out of your classroom. * https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/expert_interviews/outdoor-learning.shtml