The Dos and Donts of Language Teaching (Part 2) - Vocabulary

Previously, I told you it is perfectly useful to introduce new vocabulary via visuals especially when they are concrete terms. But sometimes visuals can be used to introduce proverbs or simply to grow suspense / grab attention.

So, below is a picture of two unevenly green grass on either side of a fence.

You can start off to introduce the word "fence" and then make them notice the slight difference of color and ask them if they know about the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". They might know it, as it is among the lyrics of the famous hearththrob Bieber's once popular song, "As Long As You Love Me";

Cut to the chase, next step in line is you gotta ask the students to discuss the meaning of the saying in groups, to produce their own ideas, make those brains work, they don't come to class to master the grammatical formulations only (They might not be aware of this, tho.)

To sum up;
1- Show them the picture to elicit the saying
2- Introduce the unknown words (This might come first in line depending on the background of the class)
3- Involve the students in guessing the meaning of it
4- Listen to their ideas, tell them the correct answer (Don't forget to praise the students who attempt to talk, this is a delicate issue, you can't imagine how much it affects them)
5- Now that you have the audience with you, continue with your lesson with whatever comes next.

I'm having trouble getting the Steem community to support me or share with me the ideas they have but I will keep doing this as it is one of the few areas I feel comfortable with bossing around...

Comment below anything, love to share with you. Peace out!