Teaching a large class has been dreadful for so many of us. When we are confronted with a large group of students, as teachers we tend to come up with a question, 'will the lesson I am going to teach them be understood effectively by them?'
I also had this question in my mind when I came to face quite a large number of students in a class. Thankfully, through this week's readings, tasks, and discussion, I know that it is also possible to make the best out of a large class, especially through the careful use of the combination between teaching methodology and technology.
Of course, sometimes it seems quite difficult to engage a large number of students. However, by dividing the students into smaller groups so that they can work more effectively and we can manage efficiently the time to run the class, this challenge is slightly lightened, if not totally eliminated.
In relation to the condition that I face in Indonesia, in which my class usually consists of 30 - 50 students, I do believe that initial trigger of interest plays a very significant role in determining the course of the lesson as well as students' interest. However, how can I effectively utilize the students' interest to reach the bigger goal, which is to provide them ground on which they can practice and enhance their language ability, especially in terms of grammar and vocabulary?
Right now, I am thinking of dividing the students into several smaller groups, consisting 2 to 3 people. After that, I will ask each of the group to decide on a topic, from a list of topics I already prepare beforehand, that they want to work on. What they have to do is that they have to conduct a research on the topic of their choice. It means that they have to surf the internet, read books, discuss with their peers about their topic. In other words, by doing this task, they at least unconsciously expose themselves to useful language inputs, which can directly or indirectly develop their ability in grammar and vocabulary.
to be continued.... :)
Hi Bobby,
ReplyDeleteIt gives me great pleasure that the week 6 materials were directly related to your teaching context. I'm so glad that you gained new insights on how to better manage the large numbers that you face.
I think it is a wonderful idea to divide your students into small groups of 2-3. In fact, you might consider groups of 3-4. I recommend this number. Don't do more than 5 in a group though, as this is too many.
You've said, "to be continued.... :)", and I look forward to learning more in the near future.
Thanks for a great reflection!
Best,
Courtney
Hi Bobby,
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering what exactly you are teaching- English Practice or some specific field of English Linguistics?
Hi Jurgita, it's both actually. I teach basic language skills, like reading, writing, vocabulary, and media for teaching. Besides that, I also teach introduction to lingustics class :)
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