I am a teacher who strongly believes in the idea of teaching a second language as early as possible. I am a teacher who is often surprised about how well students understand the foreign language and how easily they get used to me speaking to them in the foreign language, only with the help of facial expressions and gestures and without ever using their mother tongue. However, I am also a teacher who feels that while giving a lot of linguistic input to the students, they do not give back an equally high amount of linguistic output.
So after getting to know my new third grade students, we started the school year off with a project that would encourage them to talk more in the foreign language and not just be the recipients of it. And what better way than doing a theater project?
In the following paper I would like to introduce this project in more detail. In the beginning, I will show how the teaching unit was planned taking into consideration the school and class situation, the topic in general and findings about project work and the skill of speaking. After that, my focus is on documenting the teaching unit. Finally, I will give a review of the theater project by looking into what went well, what did not and whether or not the goal to develop oral language production was achieved.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Planning the Teaching Unit
1. Situation
2. Didactic Analysis
2.1. Finding a Topic
2.2. Project-Oriented Learning
2.3. Speaking – A Complex Skill
2.4. Curriculum
Documentation of the Teaching Unit
1. Methodical Analysis
2. Project Work in Action
Review
Project Goals & Themes
The primary objective of this project is to foster oral language production among third-grade students by implementing a creative, project-oriented theater unit based on the theme of "Spooky School" and the story "Froggy's Halloween".
- Encouraging active foreign language production over passive reception
- Utilizing project-oriented learning frameworks to increase student motivation
- Implementing theater as a tool to bridge the gap between language input and output
- Integrating cross-curricular themes to enhance intercultural competence
- Balancing creative freedom with necessary language scaffolding
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. Project-Oriented Learning
One main objective of this teaching unit was to develop oral language production. Because speaking is one of the most complex skills to acquire in language learning, I needed to find a way to motivate my students to speak. I noticed that the students in my class worked better in groups or with a partner than alone and that they liked to present their work results in front of the class. They seemed to yearn for interaction with their peers which is why I decided to work with them on creating a theater play as a good way to use the students’ interests. Playing theater is very familiar to the students, since pretending to be someone else and using their imagination is a typical children’s free time activity. The most important reason for choosing to play theater with my students was, however, that it was a great way to speak in a meaningful and productive way. The students would be able to leave their passive role as recipients of the foreign language and instead be active actors.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: The author outlines the motivation for the project, highlighting the desire to transition students from passive language recipients to active language producers in a third-grade English classroom.
Planning the Teaching Unit: This section details the school environment, class demographics, didactic principles, and the curriculum requirements that underpin the planning of the "Spooky School" project.
Documentation of the Teaching Unit: This chapter describes the methodical framework used for the project and provides a chronological overview of how the "Spooky School" play was developed from the initial engagement phase to the final performance.
Review: The author reflects on the successes and challenges of the project, noting that providing students with creative freedom within a structured environment significantly increased their motivation and oral participation.
Keywords
Oral language production, theater project, project-oriented learning, foreign language teaching, elementary school, English as a second language, motivation, student-centered learning, creative teaching, communicative competence, classroom management, Halloween, Froggy's Halloween, language input, output.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this teaching project?
The project focuses on improving oral language production in a third-grade English class by involving students in a collaborative theater production.
Which specific themes are addressed in this unit?
The unit centers on the theme of "Spooky School," utilizing the story "Froggy's Halloween" to explore holiday traditions and foster creative storytelling.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The main goal is to move students away from being passive recipients of foreign language input and empower them to become active speakers through meaningful interaction.
Which teaching methodology is employed here?
The author uses a project-oriented learning approach, guided by frameworks that emphasize student autonomy, collaborative work, and the integration of theatrical elements.
What content is covered in the main section of the paper?
The paper covers the planning phases, including didactic and methodical analysis, as well as the practical documentation of the project implementation.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include oral language production, project-oriented learning, theater in education, and English language teaching for young learners.
How did the author handle students who were initially unmotivated?
By shifting from traditional tasks to a creative, student-led theater project, the author found that previously unmotivated students became actively involved in group work and performance.
Why was the setting of the theater play specifically chosen to be a school?
A school setting was chosen because it mirrored the students' own environment, making the project work feel natural and logical for the participants.
- Arbeit zitieren
- M.A. Luisa Liebold (Autor:in), 2014, Spooky School, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/269003
