Kinetic English

Kinetic English 8 quick unplugged classroom activities to re-energise, re-engage and refresh

Rachel James

2019

Page 1 Kinetic English Rachel James 2019

The 4 elements of Kinetic English

1. It involves standing up or moving around.

2. It uses minimal materials.

3. It’s easily adaptable.

4. It has language value.

Benefits of Kinetic English Activities “The inclusion of games as an integral part of any language syllabus provides an opportunity for intensive language practice, offers a context in which language is used meaningfully … acts as a diagnostic tool for the teacher. One of the most important reasons for using games is simply that they are immensely enjoyable for both teacher and student.” Jill Hadfield

Movement is important for physical and mental health.

Laughter increases blood flow to the brain and makes the brain work more effectively

Reading, writing, listening and speaking all utilise different parts of the brain. Using

language in all these different ways helps students to remember and use new vocab,

grammar and ideas.

Movement aids memory and decreases stress.

The activity gives students an opportunity to practice vocab, phrases, colocations, and

functions.

It creates memories in English.

It promotes the use of authentic language.

It can help Teachers see the areas that need more practice.

Teachers can get to know students

Teachers can learn a lot about individuals and culture.

Ways to overcome student resistance

The Teacher clearly explains the reason they included the activity in the class.

The Teacher reassures students that they will be monitored and corrected if

necessary

The Teacher explains the difference between Fluency and Accuracy and the benefits

of practicing these different skills.


Speed dating

Level Any

Activity Time 10– 20 minutes +

Macro Skills Listening Speaking

Aim To get to know other people in the class

To practice speaking and listening

Can be adapted to suit any grammar function

Materials (optional : Power Point of the questions - included is an example Get To Know You activity based on part 1 of the IELTS speaking test)

Preparation Prepare questions to suit

Method

1. Divide the class into 2 lines standing opposite each other so each person will have a partner opposite to them.

2. Explain that you will give a question either verbally or on the board and that

they will have 2 minutes to talk to each other about the question. Allow a bit

of time for partners to introduce themselves to each other, if they have not

met each other before.

3. After 2 minutes ask the students in one line to move up to the next person, so

everyone has a new partner. The last person will come to the front of the line.

4. Continue as long as you wish

Remarks If there is an odd number of students then either join in yourself, or make one group of 3

Adaptions

Each pair finds 2 positives and 2 negatives about a topic e.g. tattoos/ divorce/ compulsory military service/ nursing homes etc.?

Make the time shorter and the task quicker e.g. each pair has 30 seconds to

Name 3 things each – e.g. name 3 things that are blue, move to the next

partner name 3 things that you can find in a kitchen

Examples

What’s your opinion on... What’s your favourite colour / number …

Find 3 similarities between you and your partner – in appearance / in your

daily routine / in your study habits

What do you do outside of class to practice listening / speaking/ reading etc.

IELTS Part 1 Speaking type questions e.g. Talk about your name. Does it have

a special meaning? Who gave you your name? Is your name popular in your

country? What are popular names in your country?


Talking points Level Any

Activity Time 15 minutes

Macro Skills Speaking

Aim Speaking at length on a topic 1 minute +

Impromptu speaking

Materials 1 Whiteboard pen for each student (or 1 sheet of recycled A4 per student

stuck on the wall with blue tack)

Method

1. Explain to the students that they will do speaking practice 2. Give each person a whiteboard pen and a space at the whiteboard 3. Ask them to draw a triangle on the board 4. In the centre of the triangle write their name 5. At each point of the triangle they will write the name of a person. The first

point will be a person in their family, the next point a teacher at their school in their country, the last point will be a friend.

6. Students now come together in pairs and each speaks for 2 minutes to their partner about the people listed around their triangle.

Adaptions

Can write their country name in the centre and 3 people important to your country

(good for IELTS prep)

Can use a square and 4 items

Can make groups larger and do as an impromptu speaking to the group


2 Minute Vocab List Level Any


Macro Skills Speaking

Aim To activate prior knowledge of a topic

Materials One whiteboard pen for each group

Timer

Method

1. Divide the group into teams of 4 or so 2. Give each group a pen and a section of the whiteboard (otherwise stick 2

sheets of A3 paper to the wall for each team) 3. Explain that they will have 2 minutes to write down as many words as possible

about a topic e.g. animals / jobs / things that are green / the environment 4. After 2 minutes is up ask everyone to stop writing and to count how many

words they wrote 5. Starting with the longest list the teacher checks the spelling and

appropriateness of the words 6. Teams count their new total and the winning team is congratulated

Remarks Interesting discussions can result when the teacher checks with the group

about whether words in the list are appropriate e.g. “The task was to list

animals. Do you think a mosquito is an animal?”

Adaptions

Each student can have their own pen and after the time is up they can consolidate

their vocab list as a team

Teams only get a point if no other team writes that word


Team Notetaking Level Pre Intermediate and above


Aim To work on notetaking skills and to use note taking symbols

To practice listening to main ideas

To practice listening for spelling and numbers

Materials A whiteboard pen for each person in the class

A large whiteboard in your classroom – if not blue tack A3 paper to the wall of

the room.

Preparation 6 or 8 short paragraphs each with 4 or 5 main ideas - example notes included

are from “Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn” an Advanced Listening Course. This

is helpful because it is from lectures and includes the pausing. From these

examples it is easy to make others using Wikipedia entries.

Method

1. Divide the class into teams of 3 or 4. Give everyone a whiteboard pen and each team a section of the whiteboard / a double A3 sheet of paper on the wall

2. Explain that you will read a paragraph and everyone will take notes. 3. Each team chooses a leader for the first round (everyone will have a turn at

being the leader) 4. Teacher reads the paragraph aloud 5. Everyone takes notes. 6. All team members help the leader to make complete notes 7. If necessary read the paragraph again 8. The teams check the notes. 9. The teacher awards 1 point for each main idea noted in the leader’s notes. 10. Change leader. 11. Teacher reads the next paragraph. Again, everyone takes notes and helps the

leader to make complete notes. 12. Continue until everyone has had 2 (or 3) turns at being the leader.

Remarks I have done this activity with students sitting in groups at a desk but it is not as

successful as there is not as much participation by the weaker students.


Team Notetaking continued

Example

Adapted from Lebauer, RS 1988 Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn Instructors Edition Pearson Page 13,14

1. I’d like to tell you about a famous American painter… named Georgia O’Keeffe that’s Georgia G-E-O-R-G-I-A …..O apostrophe K- double E- double F - E Georgia O’Keeffe.. now Ms. O’Keeffe is one of the major artists of the 20th century

( 1 point for American or US, 2 points name with correct spelling, 1 point artist, 1 point 20th

century = 5 points)

2. Do you know the country Nicaragua? That’s N-I--C—A-R-A-G—U—A... a country in Central America...well..in 1977, there were 60 doctors per 100,000 people there..., obviously that gave each doctor quite a caseload!

(1 point Nicaragua with correct spelling, 1 point Central America, 1 point 1977, 1 point 60

doctors 1 point per 100,000 people = 5 points)

3. There is a species of whale called the blue whale. Has anyone seen a picture of it?

Well...this blue whale once had a population of approximately 210,000 but presently their

numbers have gone down... In fact...now... there are estimated to be only between 4000 and

7000 blue whales in the whole world..., a drastic reduction.., generally this reduction is due

to hunting... uncontrolled hunting.

(1 point blue whale, 1 point 210,000, 1 point 4000-7000, 1 point due to uncontrolled hunting =

4 points)

4 . Between 1970 and 1980... the population of the U.S. really grew....in 1970 there were 203

million people... in 1980 there were 226 million people... an increase of 23 million

(1 point US population, 1 point 1970 203 million, 1 point 1980 226 million = 3 points)


Past tense Olympics Level Any

Activity Time 10 to 15 minutes

Macro Skills Listening Grammar

Aim To review past tense irregular verbs

To re-energise the class

Materials White board

One white board pen for each team

Preparation List of past tense irregular verbs for teacher reference only

Method

1. Divide the class into 2 or 3 equal teams 2. Each team forms a line at the back of the room. 3. The teacher then says a verb in present simple tense and the first person from

each team needs to run to the board and write the verb in past tense form. 4. The first person to write the word correctly gets a point for their team. If both

finish at the same time, each team gets half a point. 5. That person goes to the back of the line. 6. The teacher says another verb, and the second person in the team runs to the

board. 7. Repeat until each person has had 2 (or 3) turns at writing on the board. 8. Remarks

9. Encourage teams to cheer each other on.

Remark This game can be quite boisterous.

Adaptions This can be used with present perfect verbs / past participles / to review vocab

– e.g. teacher will say definition student writes the word


Running Dictation

Level any

Activity Time 15 to 20 minutes

Macro Skills Reading Listening Speaking

Aim To practice listening to and giving instructions

To practice asking for repetition, spelling

Materials 1 Dictation Worksheet per pair

1 piece of paper per person

Preparation Prepare the worksheet (example included for a pre-intermediate level drawing

dictation which practices prepositions of place)

Method

1. Divide class into pairs (A & B) 2. Student A sits at a desk with a piece of paper and pen 3. Student B is at the front of the room (or even outside the classroom) 4. Student B is given the instruction page which s/he must leave at the front of

the room. 5. Student B runs to student A and gives the first instruction. 6. Continue until all teams are finished 7. Teacher checks that the information is correct. 8. If time permits, give a new set of instructions to Student A who becomes the

runner and student B will sit at the desk. Adaptions

Can be used to practice pronunciation – 13 / 30, /th/

Can be used to spell out words or sentences

Can use with academic texts – include references


Running Dictation continued Example

Drawing Dictation 1 Instructions

1. Fold your paper into 16 equal squares

2. In the top left corner write your name

3. In the top right corner draw a star

4. Under the star draw a circle

5. Next to the star write your teacher’s name

6. In the bottom Left corner draw 3 small squares,

7. Above the 3 small squares draw a tree

8. Next to the 3 small squares draw a big square

9. In the bottom right corner draw a flower.

10. Above the flower write your lucky number

11. On the left of your lucky number draw a triangle

12. In the second square from the left, in the second line from the top draw a cat

ANSWERS (for teacher’s eyes only)


Back Problems Level Pre Intermediate and above


Macro Skills Listening Speaking

Aim Practice giving advice.

Materials Sticky tape

Worksheet of problems – cut it up

Preparation Prepare and practice giving advice vocab (this is not included in the activity

time)

Method

1. Sticky tape one problem on the back of each student. The student with the

problem doesn’t know what his/her problem is.

2. Students walk around the room checking out each other’s problems and

offering advice, using the target language “I advise you to…”

3. When they have given advice to each person and listened to advice from

each person Students then guess what their “back problem” is.

4. Discuss the advice received. Do you think it was good advice?

Remarks Can do all the class at once or one at a time.

Adaptions

Can do this with vocab words

Example Example Problems – I lost my passport.

I forgot my lunch.

I lost $2000 at the casino.

Everyone forgot my birthday.


Heads & Tails Level Any

Activity Time 5 to 10 mins

Macro Skills Listening

Aim To re-energise the class

To review countable and uncountable nouns

Materials List of nouns – countable and uncountable for teacher’s reference only

Method

1. Ask the class to stand up 2. Explain that this will be a review of un/countable nouns. If a noun is countable

put your hands on your head. If the noun is uncountable put your hands on your bottom. If you are incorrect sit down.

3. Practice. e.g. “Table” – Do you think it’s countable? Put your hands on your head. Do you think it’s uncountable? Put your hands on your bottom.” “That’s right. It’s countable. If you said uncountable please sit down.

4. Say nouns that are un/countable until only one student remains standing. S/he is the winner.

Adaptions

Can also be used to practice articles a/the/nothing

Can be used as a true/false for reading comprehension or to review a topic


Documents

Kinetic English