More Oral Activities to promote Reading Comprehension
How can we make students talk in the English class?
Should we use more cartoons to stimulate conversation and promote Reading Comprehension?
I think we should. The question is: How?
We spoke about violence in my last post. Since violence is, unfortunately, a very relevant subject, let's continue.
As I have already said, I believe that Oral Activities and Cartoons can be very useful in the class situation.
How can we stimulate conversation?
Cartoons may be very helpful.
Look at the following cartoons.
Suggestions
Describe every cartoon.
Try to create a story based on all the cartoons.
Give the story a title.
What do the pictures suggest?
Discuss the message behind the cartoons. Do you agree?
Why? Why not?
Do sports encourage violence?
How should we deal with the problem of violence in sports?
Describe a violent incident you witnessed at a sports activity at school.
Now read the following passage.
Many people wonder about the increasing rate of violence at school. Students fight with other students at recess or on their way home from school. Occasionally, we even hear of a student who has hit his teacher, or of an angry parent who has attacked the headmaster.
Violence is not only directed against people, but also against school property. We read in the newspaper about students who break desks and chairs and even smash windows.
What happens at school is typical of what is happening in our society. Our society has become very violent. Children see a lot of violence on television and at the cinema. Many popular books include detailed descriptions of robberies and murders.
Something must be done! Parents at home and teachers at school must explain again and again that we should solve problems by talking, not by fighting. Students must learn to respect other people's opinions and property. They should also learn how to talk. Shouting and cursing are examples of verbal violence which often leads to physical violence.
Comprehension
Circle the most suitable answer:
1. The first paragraph describes
parents who attack students.
pupils who hit headmasters.
different kinds of violence at school.
2. The second paragraph deals with
what students read in the newspaper.
broken television sets and smashed windows.
examples of damage to school property.
3. According to the third paragraph,
school influences our society.
children find too much violence in books and movies.
most movies are about robberies and murder.
4. According to the fourth paragraph,
teachers and parents must teach students to behave and talk properly.
teachers and parents must stop fighting.
verbal violence always leads to physical violence.
Suggestions for class discussion:
Do pupils break chairs, write on desks in your classroom?
How do you react when that happens?
What would you do if you saw an older student threaten or hit a younger one?
Homework assignment:
You have been rude to your teacher or to one of your classmates. Write a short letter apologizing for your behavior.
And that's all for today. More ideas and texts in my next post.