With the issue#4 of ELTWeekly, we are starting a new guest article series. In this series we will have expert’s articles posted every week.<\/p>\n
Here’s the very first article in this series:<\/p>\n
English Language Teaching – Using Toys as Educational Tools <\/strong><\/p>\n by Prof. Larry M. Lynch<\/strong><\/p>\n Children love to play. Who can deny it? So why not use this universal characteristic to provide and promote English language learning as well? If you do, you can hardly go wrong. What child is going to say, \u201cTeacher, I don\u2019t want to play\u201d? Sure, it\u2019s ultimately possible \u2013 but so is a force five tornado in South America or an \u201cArmageddon-level earthquake in Tibet. Just don\u2019t hold your breath while you\u2019re waiting.<\/p>\n Toys of all types and kinds are available worldwide. Why not turn this to your advantage to motivate your young learners? For that matter, your not-so-young learners could benefit too; especially those learners who are \u201cyoung at heart\u201d, for those of you who might be teaching adult learners. Let\u2019s look at some \u201crealia\u201d or \u201ctoys\u201d that are commonly available and could be called into play. (pun intended)<\/p>\n # Stuffed animals and dolls \u2013<\/p>\n A perennial learner favorite even my most mature adult students give up an \u201cAwww\u201d, whenever I whip out the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Tigger, rabbit, puppy, Teddy or others of my stuffed animal menagerie. You can simulate conversations, use them to illustrate prepositions of place and position, as turn-taking devices or to \u201creplace\u201d learners in a game or activity. They (the stuffed animals) don\u2019t mind being tossed around either.<\/p>\n # Soft rubber or inflated ball \u2013<\/p>\n How a classroom could function without at least one of these is beyond me. One learner can \u201cselect\u201d another in a mill drill, TPR or group activity by simply tossing the ball to someone else. That way the teacher won\u2019t \u201cplay favorites\u201d during the activity. A ball can be used in a relay fashion to signal the next learner in a sequence or game. If it\u2019s dropped or mis-handled, no problem, it just bounces a couple of times or so before returning to the game. Neat, huh?<\/p>\n # Cars, trucks and other Vehicles \u2013<\/p>\n Learners can \u201cdrive\u201d to places in a neighborhood, from one part of the room to another or from one position on a game board to another. Small ones can serve as place markers in a board game, while larger ones can be used as props in dialogues, role plays and conversations. Don\u2019t forget about using them for grammar and verb practice activities either. And oh yes, girls as well as boys like them too. Adults? Well I have to watch my vehicle props carefully or the adult learners will \u201csteal\u201d them!<\/p>\n # Board games \u2013<\/p>\n You really only need a small selection of board games if you have even a shred of imagination. Two or three will work nicely. Some all-time favorites are ones like \u201cScrabble\u201d, \u201cMonopoly\u201d, \u201cCheckers\u201d and \u201cChess\u201d which both use the same alternately colored squares board. Use the boards to \u201ccreate\u201d your own games too. Don\u2019t forget a deck or two of Playing Cards either. No, not for Poker, but for simpler, faster-playing games like \u201cWar\u201d, \u201cFish\u201d or \u201c21\u201d (numbers \u2013 not Blackjack!)<\/p>\n Please note:<\/p>\n I\u2019m not a proponent of using guns or simulations of firearms of any type in the classroom \u2013 not even water pistols. No bats, hitting, or aggressive behavior promoting realia of any type normally enters my learning environments. True you can get aggressive behavior from some of the toys I\u2019ve mentioned, but it\u2019s easily squashed or put down without too much trouble. I just explain to the learners what\u2019s allowed and what\u2019s not. This of course, is by no means an exhaustive list. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll come up with many of your own locally-available favorites for use in your classroom. In fact, if you have some unusual or unique realia that you use, I\u2019d love to hear about it.<\/p>\n Drop me a line at: lynchlarrym AT gmail DOT com<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And good luck.<\/p>\n About Prof. Larry M. Lynch<\/strong><\/p>\n Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free.<\/p>\n