Teach English in Anyi Zhen - Yangzhou Shi

As a gradual process, English education takes cultivating interest as the diving force. Lively and interesting teaching methods are attractive to students. Most of the time, teachers teach English in the classroom, teachers should reasonably arrange the learning process, inspire students’ interest in learning and give a good motivation for them to effectively achieve the expected goals. Teachers should arrange the outdoor activities to help English teaching as well. Outdoor activities can provide students opportunities to enhance communication and teamwork, as a great way for teachers to integrate these skills into experience where students can spontaneously learn and have fun. Generally speaking, outdoor activities could help students develop social skills, cooperation and adaptability, which are vital for the real life. Students can work together to accomplish tasks or solve problems through outdoor activities. Outdoor learning activities are both physically and mentally beneficial. Social interactions between students can help develop lasting friendships. With exposure to the sun and fresh air, they will experience higher vitamin D levels and a better physical condition. Outdoor activities enable them to develop an better appreciation of nature and the environment as well. They can spend time outside to enjoy nature and learn English in the process. Here are five fun outdoor activities that can help when teaching English. These ideas can be easily adapted to different age groups, levels and vocabularies. So no matter where to teach, as long as teachers have places to go outside, they will locate these activities that could be workable for them. 1.Human word scramble Learning objective: Students will practice vocabulary words, sentence structure and teamwork. How to do this activity: Ask the students to play word games with themselves as words. Tape the words on them and divide them into two groups in which they have to put themselves in the correct sentence order. Let two teams scramble and work together to put themselves in order quickly. It’s a great warm up activity! 2.Run to match Learning objective: Students will learn or review vocabulary words. How to do this activity: Have all the students on one side of the field, put all the words on the other side of the field. The teacher can make adjustment in this for different grammar points. For instance, the teacher can place target vocabulary words on one side. Then the teacher calls out the definition, two students have to run and see if they can find the word and bring it back to their teacher. This can be applied to antonyms or opposites as well. For example, the teacher can say the word “hot”, students have to go and find the word “cold” and bring it back. The teacher can have different definitions, antonyms, synonyms, etc. Multiple ways are available to manipulate this game, which is really fun for students. 3.Scavenger hunts Learning objective: Students will practice vocabulary words and explore the nature. How to do this activity: Teachers can prepare the vocabulary that they want, students have to go and find the example of corresponding vocabulary. This works very well for science topic and natural objects. For example, rocks, trees, sticks and leaves, for which they have to go and find examples. Whichever team gets all of the different scavenger items first, will win. It’s also a good way for them to expand vocabulary. 4.Running dictation Learning objective: Students will practice the grammar structure by sentence dictation and practice writing skills in English. How to do this activity: Separate the students into groups, depending on how many students during the class period. Each group with a piece of paper and a pen will choose one representative who is going to run to their teacher standing on the other side of the field. Students run to their teacher who orally tells them a sentence, obviously this sentence is going to be in a grammar structure that teacher has been working with. Students have to memorize that sentence, run all the way back to their team and report the sentence to another team member who writes it down. The students keep running to the teacher and writing down the sentences one by one. In the end, the teacher will correct them and give a point for each correct sentence. The teacher can go over the common errors with students. As a good way to burn off energy, it really works to make the sentence structures ingrained. 5.Free writing or Free reading Learning objective: Students will practice literacy skills and enjoy nature. How to do this activity: Writing can be amazingly essential and so inspirational to be outside. The teacher can have students write poems or descriptions of what they see and what they hear. It’s a great way for them to calm down and relax. The teacher could also give students time to do free reading outside as a very meaningful and memorable way to improve English. Outdoor learning activities play an important role in English teaching. Before having outdoor activities, the teacher should check the students to see if they are physically able to go outside. The teacher should also formulate a back-up plan in the event of something unexpected. During outdoor activities, the teacher should manage discipline well to make sure each student can clearly understand the rules and actively participate in the activities. The teacher also needs to be flexible to make activities more fun and more engaging.