ELT Workshop

An English language teaching workshop on ELT methodologies with a special focus on CCE was organized on October 26, 2013 at Tulips International School by FORTELL. The invite was sent to about 10 nearby schools and 20 teachers teaching classes I-V attended the workshop. The resource person was Ms. Payal Khatri, a certified CELTA Trainer from University of Cambridge and Jolly Phonics, U.K. She has been teaching and training since the last nine years and works in the ELT panel of Macmillan.

It was a two hour ‘hands-on workshop’, which included a number of activities that teachers can use in their class rooms with special focus on handling large classes. Activities like ‘Running Dictation’, ‘Silly Stories’, Imaginative Stories’ (based on grammar topics like prepositions) and TPR (total physical response) were taken up.

Teachers attending the workshop were convinced that these activities, especially TPR would be useful in the class. TPR activities would help students to enhance their control over language for better communication skills. It is important for children to learn to interact and work in groups in view of interdisciplinary assessments.

Another activity that was appreciated by the teachers was ‘Running Dictation’, an activity in which a text was pasted on the wall or display board. It requires the students to be divided into groups of 4-5. One child from each group is designated as the ‘writer’, the others take turns to go to the pasted written material, read a line

and get back to the ‘writer’ to dictate it. Once the passage is over all students take their seats and the teacher reads out the passage or displays it on the smart board and students check their mistakes.The workshop was a learning experience for the teachers attending it. They were all of the view that such activities should be taken up regularly to be effective.

Zahra Ramish Rizvi

Zahra Ramish Rizvi is Principal, Tulips International Senior Secondary School, Delhi. She is the hosting coordinator for AFS India, Delhi Chapter.