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In a barrier exercise, students work in pairs to complete an information gap activity. Each student has information which the other must obtain in order to complete a task. This may be a map, drawing, table, graph, crossword, text or an actual task using real objects, etc. The students sit back-to-back or hide their work behind a screen so that it cannot be viewed by their partner. They then cooperate by asking and answering questions in order to find the missing information which they then write onto their worksheet. For example, the student with the complete map tells the other student where to place things on his or her map. The student with the incomplete map can ask questions to help place things as precisely as possible. Once completed they can then compare their sheets to check their work.
This task allows students to practise new vocabulary, new sentence structures, and asking questions. By setting up communication activities like barrier games, students have the opportunity to speak and listen in pairs, rather than risk making mistakes in front of the whole class.
Adapt a crossword so that each student has some of the answers and some of the clues and each student must find the missing clues/answers by asking their partner.
Watch this video to see a teacher using a barrier exercise in a year 13 economics classroom
Teaching and learning sequence planning examples:
Primary level:
Secondary level:
This activity enables a group of students or participants to reach a consensus on a theme or idea proposed by the teacher. To eliminate the possibility that the students with the strongest competence in English will dominate the discussion, it is important to allow the first three minutes for individual students to jot down their ideas. At this point the teacher must circulate around the classroom to see who needs support. Sometimes students are looking for a specific phrase or word to express their ideas that the teacher can easily provide.
Next, to allow all voices to be heard, the group members share their ideas in a round-robin format. As students listen to each other's ideas, they silently note which one they most agree with. In a second round-robin, students each express their preferences, again without being interrupted. Finally, a timed discussion ensues. While during the discussion not everybody will participate in equal ways, at least the structure assures that all students will have contributed their opinions and preferences to the solution of the problem.
Copyright 2007 WestEd. All rights reserved. From Quality Teaching for English Learners, by Aida Walqui and associates.
Reprinted by permission of WestEd, San Francisco.
Watch this video to see a year 11 class using a consensus round
Choose a text that suits the level of the learners. (For example, beginners – three to four sentences, intermediate – six to eight sentences, advanced – eight to 12 sentences). Within one class, different language levels can be catered for by using texts on the same topic at different levels. For example, one group could work with a recorded text.
Dictogloss has four stages:
Watch these short videos to see dictogloss being used in a primary classroom and in a secondary classroom
Primary
Secondary
The doughnut activity enables students to have a structured conversation with several people in a short space of time. It is particularly suitable for younger students.
A graphic organiser is an organisational, instructional tool used to help students think about and use text patterns and structures. They can also be used to record prior knowledge about a topic or section of text. Some commonly used graphic organisers are: venn diagrams, concept stars, concept maps, double entry journals, T-charts, KWL charts, story maps, reading overview grids, structured overview and word clusters.
A graphic organiser benefits an ELL student because it is a visual aid. The purpose of these classroom tools is to arrange information so it can be seen in an organised fashion. They are used to support a student’s language learning across all language modes. Read more at: Graphic Organisers Help ELL Students
Watch these short videos to see graphic organisers being used in a primary classroom and in a secondary classroom
An Information transfer activity involves getting students to put spoken or written texts into another form, such as a chart, grid, picture, table or diagram – or vice-versa. Make sure that the students can’t just copy chunks without understanding them by requiring a different organisation to the text. These tasks encourage deep processing of information. The interpretation of text, diagram or tables is a skill that is very useful both in academic and everyday life.
Watch this video to see an information transfer activity being used in a year 11 science class
A Listening round or Round-Robin is a technique to ensure that all students have a voice and that students who might otherwise monopolise a conversation do not limit anyone else's opportunities to participate.
In a Listening round, students share their ideas in a group. Each participant has a turn to offer her or his answer. Nobody should interrupt the person who has the floor. Agreement, disagreement, or surprise can only be communicated kinaesthetically. Nobody can pass. If a participant's answer is similar to or the same as prior ones, the person has to start by acknowledging peers who had similar ideas.
A Listening round provides opportunities for noticing and hearing new language for English language learners. It gives opportunities for forced language output for all students.
Watch this video to see a teacher using a Listening round in her year 10 social studies class
This is a fast way of eliciting the knowledge or intuitions that reside in a group about a specific topic. Participants work in teams of four, brainstorming responses to a prompt that the teacher or professional developer has posed. On individual papers, each group member writes down the given heading and prompt, and numbers the page from 1 to 8, as in the example:
We think that a novel called The Pearl could be about the following:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.8.
In this example, the teacher would explain that students will have three minutes together to brainstorm possible contents of the novel. As each idea is offered, a second students echoes the idea and all group members add it to their individual lists. It is important that all lists in a group be the same. Students who know more English help those who know less English. It is better for a team to have only one or two items that are written in the best possible way that all can agree on than to have one student write five items while others have fewer or none.
When three minutes have passed, the teacher asks all students to draw a line under the last item in the group's list. Then all the teams stand, grouping themselves so that each team is distinct from the others. The teacher calls on one student from a group to read the team's ideas. The student starts by reading the prompt, "We think that a novel called The Pearl may be about...", and then adds whatever ideas the team has agreed on.
The rest of the class must pay attention because after the first group has presented all of their ideas, the teacher asks them to sit down and calls on a student from another team to add to that team's "novel ideas only". Ideas that have been presented cannot be repeated.
As teams complete their turns and sit down, each student must begin recording novel ideas from other groups below the line that marks the end of his or her team's ideas. The lists for all team members should be identical above the line, but after the line they will vary.
Whenever a team is standing and their last novel idea is covered by another team, at that moment, not waiting to be called on by the teacher, they take their seats and are free to begin adding novel ideas to their paper. Only one team, the last one standing, will not be able to add ideas below the line.
When all ideas have been given, the teacher assigns a number to each team. Students write their team number in the right margin of the paper, providing the teacher with a quick way to sort team papers and check everybody in a group has followed instructions.
Copyright © 2007 WestEd. All rights reserved. From Quality Teaching for English Learners, by Aida Walqui and associates.Reprinted by permission of WestEd, San Francisco.
Watch this video to see a year 12 English class using New ideas
Shared dictation helps students to practise speaking clearly. Teachers can use this strategy to revise recently learned vocabulary, structures and genre, or to focus student attention on something important such as an overview of the lesson.
The language of the dictated text needs to be familiar to the students. Each student has half of the text. The students sit back to back, or facing each other with their papers out of each other's sight. They read out their phrases in turn, starting with 'A' who reads out the first group of words to 'B'. 'B' then writes down what s/he has heard. Then 'B' says the next phrase to 'A' and so on. Students can spell out words only after they have tried to get the message across three times.
Watch this video to see a year 7–8 technology class using shared dictation
Teaching and learning sequence planning example:
Students work in pairs, each person within the pair having half the information on their sheet. The information is usually presented in two different formats such as a diagram and a paragraph. The students talk to find out the missing information that will complete their sheet.
Watch this video to see split information being used in a year 11 geography class
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