Before words: Ideas for using images

and sound in the classroom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/larahsphotography/2795012899/

Mike Harrison TESOL France

Paris 5 Nov 2011

Who is Mike Harrison?

ESOL teacher

Bromley College of FHE

Why use images?

voiture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kurros/150160910/

??

Why use sound?

moteur??

MentaleseDo people literally think in English [...] or are our thoughts couched in some [...] language of thought, and merely clothed in words whenever we need to communicate them to another listener?

Pinker (1994)

Listen to the sounds

What are you thinking about?

What are you feeling?

Write down 3 to 5 words to answer the above questions

Guided or not

Play music or sound effects and ask students to imagine: What they are doing? How they are feeling?

Set up quick role plays

Sounds effects from web

Sound effects from CD

Feelings

Prediction

Telling Stories

• Divide a piece of paper into quarters • Number 1-4

• Play 4 pieces of music • Draw or write words for whatever comes into your head • Write a story to link the 4 boxes

1 2

3 4

Analyse

• Write a simple sentence & pass it on

• Second student draws a picture that represents the sentence, folds and passes on

• 3rd student guesses the original sentence from the picture

Useful links and bibliography

• Free downloadable sound FX – http://www.pacdv.com/sounds/

• Post on my blog • http://bit.ly/mikepoem (First Day At School)

• Pinker, S (1994/2000) The Language Instinct; Penguin pp47-78

Thank you for watching

(and listening!)www.mikejharrison.com

Twitter: @harrisonmike Facebook:

www.facebook.com/MikeJH84 Email: mjah84@gmail.com

Are you in the round?

the-round.com

Drawing monsters• Take a piece of paper

• Fold into four • Mark neck, waist, wrists and knees

• Draw head, pass on

• Draw upper body, pass on

• Draw thighs • Draw feet • Unfold