Putting the Fun in ESL! (Unit 9)

‘Fun learning may mean different things for different people’ (TESL 0100 Fundamentals course, Unit 9).  We all enjoy different activities and excel at different things, and must be considered when developing activities for our students in the classroom.  How will we make learning fun and enjoyable for our learners?  Of course not all activities can be fun, but we must interject some learning experiences where learners almost forget they are learning.  

Much focus has been put on incorporating digital technology (e-learning) in the ESL classroom to reflect the realistic expectation of using digital technology in our everyday lives (Brown and Lee 2015).  Smart phones are the norm in the wider population, and we essentially have a computer in our pocket!  Tablets are easy to use for students, and can accommodate a wide variety of learning. Desktop computers may be less accessible for some classes, but very essential for learners who are focusing on the job market where computers are ubiquitous.  

The question is how do we seamlessly incorporate e-learning activities, and make it a fun experience.  First, we must consider the accessibility of the chosen technology to our students. Do they all have a smart phone, and if not, how do we allow for this, and make it an inclusive activity?  Can we supply tablets for students to share? Is there a classroom computer available? Or is the expectation that students will have one at home?   Often students do not have a smartphone or access to a computer.  These are expensive items and smartphones are often shared in families.  Tablets and computers are additional expenses that many cannot afford.  So we must consider these questions when planning activities. 

 Second, what types of e-learning activities work? Diane Ramanathan (TESL 0100 course, Unit 9) shares some excellent ideas on how we can incorporate technology: 1) motivate and engage (eg. Kahoot or writing a newsletter); 2) support and encourage collaboration amoung learners for new technology; 3) use tech tools for tasks and projects (eg. Publisher, Survey Monkey, Padlet); 4) use technology to introduce and practice language (eg. language apps and social media).   There are huge varieties of apps and activities available to choose from.  Mobile learning (m-learning) using smartphones and tablets can make anywhere a classroom and offers real authentic learning (https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/mobile-learning-improve-english-anytime-anywhere).  M-learning is a focus of organizations such as UNESCO as a highly accessible education tool in developing countries (https://en.unesco.org/themes/ict-education/mobile-learning) and therefore may already be utilized and recognized by many ESL learners. 

Third, do we need technology to make this fun?  Are we using technology, just for the sake of using it, or is there a better way? As stated, fun is different for everyone.  Students (and teachers) who are comfortable with technology often gravitate to it, and use it more frequently.  Those that aren’t may shy away from it, and even become very frustrated.  So we must offer a balance in the classroom. Are we comfortable with the technology ourselves? We must use technology as a teaching tool where appropriate and warranted, and allow students to adapt to it, with support when required.  But fun can also be in the form of more traditional games, paper exercises, contests, skits, etc.  These are all a necessary part of making the classroom a fun experience as well. 

As with all our planning, we must consider our learners, our context, our resources and our abilities when considering how and when incorporating e-learning to add another dimension of learning to our classroom. 

References: 

Brown, D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language 
      pedagogy (4th ed. revised) Chapter 12  Upper Saddle River:Pearson Education.

            

 TESL 0100 Fundamentals of Teaching English as a Second Language course
       (Unit 9) (Video in Course Notes) University of Manitoba 2018