Teach English in Liwuguan Zhen - Qingdao Shi

In a world that is hyperfocused on screens and their use, educators are faced with an intriguing challenge. How do we engage our students to talk to one another and practice the English language in face to face dynamics in the digital world? One of the suggestions that is used throughout the world to level the playing field is to utilize visual aids in teaching practices. This brief essay will explore multiple questions in relation to the use of visual aids in EFL classrooms including, use of visuals, appropriateness in the classroom environments, and finally effective uses to encourage engagement and understanding of the English language. Visual aids are not the only tool used in the classroom, however, their concentrated use can lead to an engaged and focused classroom through their use. Researcher and educator Noha Halwani, lists four specific benefits of visual aids in English classes. First, visuals are effective. Students in EFL classes often struggle with basic structures of English as a language. This can lead to intimidation and is the case of many classes, a mixture of language ability. Visuals level the playing field for all students to participate (Halwani 2017). Imagery also develops interest and interaction among students. Critical skills needed in a class that is designed to teach verbal and written expression, as well as listening skills. If the teacher is using images that students are interested in, it demonstrates that the educator is working to get to know students and building on both listening and student rapport. Visuals engage another sense in the learning process, not only are students hearing the new word, they are also seeing it (Halwani 2017). To develop student learning even more the teacher could take the visuals and ask students to act out the scenario that the vocabulary is focused on. This final step should not be embarked on until students demonstrate mastery of the basic vocabulary. Visuals have the capability of maximizing classroom impact with students, but require very little time in class. An example of this is using visuals to help students drill specific content vocabulary (Tiyb 2014). Essentially use of visual aids breaks down barriers and increases student learning if used in appropriate ways. There are several questions that shape how an instructor effectively uses visual aids. First and foremost, what information should be conveyed to students? There are some concepts and lessons where the use of visuals is not appropriate, however, visuals can help give a framework to difficult tasks. For example, instead of using a basic timeline, students may benefit from the use of visuals to place items in the correct order of events. Visuals provide an anchor that scaffolds the words with familiar concepts for students. A second question to consider is the ability of students in the class. For example, having students create a fairy tale story arch from visuals may not be appropriate for a group that has just mastered the present simple tense. Or further, a group of business owners would not gain benefit from that activity unless they were presenting it to clients. Visuals should be used as often as an instructor can use them, however, they are not a patch that fixes underlying issues of comprehension or student interest. It is interesting to note that research states that students in younger English level classes respond better to visuals rather than adult learners (Halwani 2017). This may have something to do with the psychology of learners that varies from age to age (Tiyb 2014). That being said, visuals in classes with older students may prove to be more subtle but just as effective. Consider sentences comparing opposites as an example, an instructor may ask for a simple comparison of themselves in relation to a famous star. If this is lead with the appropriate level of interest to students, it could led to an engaging lesson where students make their own comparisons. There are multiple visuals that all teachers can utilize. One particular idea stands out, realia. This term as coined by, Fluent U describes a collection of items that ranges in depth from celebrity photos to menus, wanted ads, and eve car rental brochures. These are real items that students interact with throughout the English speaking world. If the expectation is for students to function in this world, why not have them use the materials that will be thrown at them (Ryan 2019)? This is also a great opportunity for instructors to determine student interest and goals on how they would like to use the English language. A perfect use of charts and opposites in a business class would be to ask student to compare two different business projections of losses and gains over a year (Ryan 2019). This would develop their skills in describing the two graphs in English terms and activate prior business knowledge. This simple idea gives this particular group not only practice but also relies on their expertise in their field. In conclusion, visual aids enhance materials, concepts and help develop student ability. Visual aids are a powerful and effective way to enhance learning for students of all levels of learning. Visual aids may appear to be more work, however they are beneficial for all learners and age groups. Instructors must understand the goals of their students in order to provide the best visuals and experiences to maximize efficiency of visual aids. Visual aids provide great opportunities for students of all languages to learn in an engaging and unique environment. Al Tiyb, S. (2014). ESL Elementary Teachers’ Use of Children’s Picture Books to Initiate Explicit Instruction of Reading Comprehension Strategies. English Language Teaching, 7(2), 90. Halwani, N. (2017). Visual Aids and Multimedia in Second Language Acquisition. English Language Teaching,10(6), 53. doi:10.5539/elt.v10n6p53 Ryan. (2019, May 04). 7 Simple Visual Aids You've Gotta Use in Your ESL Classroom. Retrieved May 13, 2019, from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-visual-aids/