Ending Conflict

Everyone is looking for the answer to mediate and end conflict.


There are think-tanks, politicians, world figures, famous people, psychologist, counsellors, religious figures, etc are all getting on the game of ending conflict. 


To some, that is what conflict represents; A Game! To others a way to get into history, build a legacy, or some other personal (selfish) reason.


They are all trying to find the complex secret or system to end or resolve conflict in some way. Though the view of conflict may seem complex, in reality it is not so complex at all.


All conflict starts with a single grievance and then other grievances are added on the original grievance until there reaches the inevitable breaking point i.e. conflict. 


Whatever the single grievance may be, it  becomes a grievance when "A" believes that "B" has taken an advanced unfairly or unjustly. Whether this is true or not, is a mute point because if "A" believes it to be true then it is true.


All conflicts are the same and size is to most extent irrelevant.  From conflict between people to conflict between nations, it is all the same. 
Some may argue that the conflict has history but all history is, is a single grievance with multiple grievances added onto it over time (in many cases the original single grievance is lost).
Some would argue the conflicts between nations (size) makes them extremely complex. Well no, even between nations there is always that original single grievances on which multiple grievance get again added on.


At the end of the day it comes down to two people sitting down and having a simple discussion.


So if the answer to ending conflict is simple then why isn't it being used. It is because the first three things needed to end conflict are so hard for parties to do and in most cases refuse to do. 


What are these seemingly possible things:






* EMPATHY


* I AM SORRY 


* Give up saying: I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG




I will start with the last one first. 


Give Up Saying, "I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG".


If "A" and "B" or just one of them have this attitude nothing will ever be resolved and most likely it will guarantee more trouble and grievance. 


In all conflicts all parties are right and all parties are wrong. Reality means very little even with evidence cause if one of them believe they are right then for them, THEY ARE RIGHT. No amount of convincing or evidence will change this perception.


All parties are Right and all parties are Wrong so discussing these is in short a waste of time and energy.


Also each side has acted, reacted, acted, reacted again and again and again. So both of them are culpable and to blame for the conflict. They equally share responsible and blame because both allow the conflict to grow.


So that is the first step. We are all responsible! We are all to blame! Nobody is RIGHT! No body is WRONG!


Example One: Person "A" attacks you and tries to kill you. You defend yourself and kill person "A". Now you have a conflict with person "A's" family. Person "A's" family want justice for the death of their family member. From your point of view: you are right and they are wrong but from their point of view: they are view and you are wrong. Both points of view are true. So if both sides do not give up I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG then nothing can be resolved. 




EMPATHY


Now this one is tough because it requires you to forget and give up yourself, your personal feelings and your belief of what you perceive as true.  It requires you to place yourself in the other's position. To walk in their shoes, to see life as they see it, to feel life as they feel it.


It means to feel their grievance as your grievance. To feel their pain, their suffering as your pain, as your suffering.


The difficulty is in the fact that our emotions (anger, hate, distrust, contempt) make us otherize and, or dehumanized the other party. This leads to thinking that you can not relate to them, they are different, they are the enemy. Both parties are thinking the exact same thing of the each other. In conflict we tend to forget that we are all human, we all share the same DNA, we all laugh, cry and bleed. 


Example: Continuing with the scenario of Example One. Place yourself in the family's position and try to feel their loss, pain, anger and frustration at the death of their son, brother, father, husband.  Now the family place themselves in your position and feel the fear, desperateness, panic, and desire to live. Also the guilt you may or may not have over taking a life. 


By taking the other position we become a step closer and we understand that we are not so different.




I AM SORRY


The hardest of the three and the one where people may even prefer to die before they would say sorry. 


Now this "I am sorry" is not apologising for action. It is not apologising to things you believe to be right or just. Using Example One scenario, you are not apologising for the action defending yourself and taking the life of another person in the course of that defence.


This "I AM SORRY" is apologising for the pain, hurt, suffering, loss, frustrations that your actions have caused. 


It is NOT admitting or saying you are wrong, it is only saying I am sorry for your pain.


It is saying, I understand your pain, I feel your pain and I am sorry for the pain your are feeling. 


It is not a difficult thing but it is the most difficult thing of all because tend to confuse "Sorry" with the admission of guilt, blame or wrongdoing. You can feel you are correct in your action but you can say (be) sorry for the pain cause by your actions.


One would hope that you would come to understand that some of your actions were wrong and apologise for them but again this is note the purpose for this "I AM SORRY".


When we can learn to say sorry for the pain our actions or inactions have directly and indirectly caused we reach a place where true ending or conflict can begin and wisdom to avoid allow a single grievance to escalate into conflict.




Whether its a conflict between lovers, families, societies, social groups, nations, etc by utilising three simple tools "Give up saying: I am right, you are wrong", "Empathy" and "I am sorry" we can bring conflict to an end and stop conflict before it starts.


Thank you     

Neville

Let me introduce to Neville.


A man in his mid 30's, hard working and average intelligence. A mate, a friend, the guy you could share a drink with a the b\pub and have a laugh with. Your average bloke.


This is the Neville the society knew, that most people knew.




Now let me introduce to you the Neville I knew.
My Neville, would come home from work and punch me in the back of the head.
Then he would force me to suck his cock. This was on a good day.


On an average day he would beat me until something bled or broken and then he would rape.  
He would tie me up and to something and rape me.


I think he enjoyed it more because I would always fight back. He liked that.


But Neville's favourite thing was to beat me until I was almost unconscious and then put me in the freezer for about an hour. When my body had become ice cold he would rape me. I guess he like the death coldness of my body.


The world does not have to worry about Neville any more. That got taken care of some time back though it did not give the satisfaction that I thought would have.


So why now, why say now. Because it is time.  I do not have a special person to share this with. So I may as well share it to to the world.


The point: Things happen, and if bad things happen to you as a child. It is not your fault, you had no power and there was nothing you could have done. So that guilt you feel, that shame you feel, stop it. You have nothing to feel guilty or shame about. You did nothing wrong.


A monster hurt you, a monster stole your childhood. So do not feel bad in any way.
You are great, you survived. You are greater because you did not repeat what was done to you.


We can let the past define our future or we can accept that bad things happen to us and them them go. Letting go is hard but it is what will make you truly free.


Be free those who have suffered monsters and know that you are not alone, others share and know your pain.


This is why now I speak. So maybe my experience and openness with it may help someone who has had the thing same thing happen to them.


Life does get better and some day you will heal.  

SOPA and PIPA are bad

This talk explains clearly why SOPA and  PIPA are bad and how it is just one part of a 20 year battle over freedom of expressions, rights and due-process(law)

http://www.ted.com/talks/defend_our_freedom_to_share_or_why_sopa_is_a_bad_idea.html

TESOL Essay TEN

Essay Ten

Teaching Grammar

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

Throughout the history of language learning be it in general education in one’s own native language or in learning a foreign language and, or second language there has a almost total emphasis on teach grammar as a systems of rules and regulations. Yet most people when ask to explain the grammatical rules of their own language struggle to to be able to explain the rule of their own native language.

Foreign language and, or second language learners spend many years learning the grammatical patterns and the grammatical rule of a foreign language and, or second language and yet struggle to apply and use the language actively to communicate effectively. This is especially true of Asian countries which tend to the rote system of learning a language and its grammatical rules.

Grammar is not actually a system of rules but more of a way that people expression their thoughts and intentions in their navigation through human relationships and societies in which they live in. (Pinker, 2007).

This concept of grammar as a way to express ideas, thoughts, opinions, feelings, beliefs, etc is what I believe is missing from most EFL/ESL teaching. The tendency to focus mainly on the rules of the language without explaining or teaching how the grammar expresses a concept of psychological meaning to act or be acted on, I contend, lessens our students’ ability to express their intentions clearly and freely.

Grammar has in the components of psychology, physics, time and space. For example, the grammar of active and passive sentences, an EFL/ESL teacher will teach the grammatical differences of the two types of sentences but without teach or explaining the psychology, physics, time and space of the sentence the students will struggle to learn them and use them correctly.

Let us take a look at this in closer detail. Please read the following sentences.

I.         Disneyland closed down because of the earthquake.

II.      Disneyland has closed down because of the earthquake.

III.   Disneyland was closed down because of the earthquake.

IV.   Disneyland got closed down because of the earthquake.

V.      Disneyland has been closed down because of the earthquake.

Now if you careful think about the concept of each sentence in term of their meaning and not the grammatical rule you will see that each sentence expresses certain ideas. The grammar is only a means to express the ideas not as a system of language rules to follow.

Sentences I and II show that Disneyland is active and in acting on the earthquake and the sentences show that Disneyland had a choice to either close down or not to close down. The use of “HAS” in sentence (II) show the action of Disneyland was in the recent past and connects to the present. Sentence (I) shows the event started and finished sometime in the past.

Sentence III, IV and V show that the earthquake was the actor and it acted on Disneyland and they also show that Disney had no choice or power to decide whether to close down or not close down. The decision to close down was force onto Disneyland by the power of the earthquake. The “WAS” implies that the event started and finished sometime in the past. “GOT” suggest a similar idea but has a more forceful sense to it and that the event is nearer to the present than “WAS”. “HAS BEEN” implies the event occurred in the recent past and it is not as aggressive as “GOT”.

Though grammar is a formula of rules and regulations that give a structure to sentences, grammars main and I would say only purpose is to express certain ideas and concepts. The teaching of grammar without explaining how the grammar expresses ideas is not helping the student learn and understand the usage of the language they have chosen to study. Furthermore, by focusing on how grammar expresses ideas and concepts reduces the stress that students feel trying to master the grammar rules. This in turns helps students to use the language more openly with little or no fear of breaking some rule. The teacher is not correcting or enforcing a rule but assisting the student to express their ideas and communicate these ideas to the world.

TESOL Essay NINE

Essay Nine

High Frequency Words

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

It is common knowledge amongst EFL/ESL teachers the students of all abilities tend to make the same errors in using the most common words i.e. the high frequency words. Errors with these high frequency words will make the students language seem worse than it really is, plus errors with these high frequency words can and do cause miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Many EFL/ESL instructors try to reinforce the grammatical rules and, or points of the words. Instructors try to teach the students to remember the patterns and rules of the word’s use.

I believe that the grammatical and rule approach may not be the best and only way to assist the students to learn how to use these high frequency words correctly. What I suggest is that EFL/ESL instructors teach the physical attributes and image of the high frequency words.

Let us look at a few of the top 10 high frequency words and bring out their physical characteristics and, or image which will, I believe, help the students not only to use the words correctly but also use them correct in abstract situations or expressing abstract ideas.

“THE, A and TO”

“THE and A”. What is the meaning of these two words, what is their image? “THE” when to think about the word means a thing or an action we know. The speakers and the listen must understand that “THE” refers to something they both know or that the speaker believes the listener knows for example, when someone says “I will meet you at the cafe”, there is an inference that both the speaker and listener understand that “the cafe” is a specific thing in which both parties know and understand. “A” on the other hand is something that the speaker knows but the speaker believes that the listener does not know.

“TO” is like an action and it show movement in a forwards direction and “TO” is aggressive in its forward movement. If you compare these two sentences (“Give Saya the present.” versus “Give the present to Saya.”) and think about the image of both you will realise that “TO” does indeed express forward movement and an aggressive fashion.

These are just a couple of examples of how an EFL/ESL instructor could teach these high frequency words in a way that will help the students to learn and remember how to use these high frequency words.

TESOL Essay EIGHT

Essay Eight

Mind Mapping

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

In an EFL/ESL class mind mapping is a useful tool to help students retain and remember information. Students should be encouraged to use one notebook for mind mapping.

There are two very useful ways in which the students can use mind mapping to enhance their language skills, retain and remember new information. The first is to use their mind mapping notebook as a way to note down the key points of a day’s lesson or second as a way to retain, remember and use vocabulary.

Vocabulary usually does not have a stand-alone quality. Vocabulary needs to be used with other vocabulary and smaller function words to create sentences that have meaning and value for the speaker and listener. This is was mind mapping can be a very powerful tool in language building, sentence creation and developing communication.

How does vocabulary mind mapping work? First the student writes a new word, for example; a noun, in the centre of a page in the mind mapping notebook. Then they make branches coming off the new word. Each branch has a title for example: actions (verbs), adjectives, other connected nouns, places, times, people, synonyms, etc. On each branch the students write words that fit into the branches title and that are connect or associated to the new word in the centre of the mind map.

This helps the student remember the word plus it builds connects to other vocabulary that is need to be able to use the new word in a sentence to express the students ideas. The multiple associations and connection help the student retain the word, its meaning and its use. In addition to this the mind map creates positive feedback back for the students when they review their mind mapping notebooks and see how many words they have written on each page. Furthermore the students can continue adding more connected words to a page. As the mind maps increase in number the students will start to link separate mind maps into categories plus see how the same word or words can be used in different areas and ways.

TESOL Essay SEVEN

Essay Seven

The Never Ending Story Method

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

Activating the brain and getting the mind ready for learning is vital in acquiring new knowledge. In an EFL/ESL class you may find that the students may be tired at some point in the course due to various reasons such as early morning classes, after lunch or long day at work. You may wish to activate the student’s passive knowledge to review or re-enforce previously learnt material. May be you wish to introduce new vocabulary into the lesson. Whichever reason and, or purpose you, as an EFL/ESL instructor, may have the ‘Never Ending Story’ method is a using technique to accomplish the reason and, or purpose for the student (class).

Let’s quickly review how the ‘Never Ending Story’ method works. Basically, one student (A) make a statement or says a word then student (B) repeats what student (A) said and add their own statement or work next student (C) repeats what student (A9 and student (B) said and then adds their own statement or word, etcetera. The point is to build the students retention and indirectly have the students help each other to remember the sequence.

I will now go on to how the ‘Never Ending Story’ can be applied in the class to (A) activate passive knowledge, (B) review previously learnt material or (C) introduce new material.

NOTE: It is most important and beneficial for the students that the EFL/ESL instructor add a physical element to the exercise, for example: have the students use facial expressions, hand or arm movement, and, or body movements. This physical part of the exercise will help the students by activating more areas in the brain, remember the sequence and allow the students to help each other to remember with visual prompts.

Single Word:

This can be used to (A) access the passive-vocabulary stored in the students’ minds, (B) review and re-enforce previously learnt vocabulary or (C) introduce new vocabulary of the lesson you are going to teach that day.

(A) Passive vocabulary access.

(A1)  The instructor provides a theme for example: The Beach. The instructor asks the students to think of nouns (while the students are doing the activity the instructor writes down the nouns the students say). The students go around in turn repeating the noun of the previous student(s) and then adding their own noun. Depending on the size of the class, go around 2 or more times.

(A2)  The instructor writes all the nouns on the board. Then the instructor asks the students to repeat the same process using adjectives that are connected to the nouns.  The students go around in turn repeating the adjective of the previous student(s) and then adding their own adjective. Again the instructor notes down the adjectives used by the students and at the end of the exercise writes the adjectives on the board next to or underneath the respective nouns.

(A3)  Repeat the same process for verbs and again for adverbs connected to the verbs. Each time noting down the vocabulary and when that part of the exercise is finished, writing the vocabulary the board.

(B) Review of learnt material.

(B1)  The instructor asks the students to open their textbooks and notebooks to a particular lesson or lessons.

(B2)  Next, the instructor asks the students read through and review the material of the select lesson(s). And ask if the students have any question about the material.

(B3)  As described above, A1 to A3, repeat the same process breaking the material into nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.

(C) Introducing new material.

(C1)  Again the process is the same, only this time the instructor will write the new material on the board or have the students read through in their textbooks. The instructor will or have the students organise the material into lists of nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.

(C3)  The will either explain any unknown material or have the students explain it to each other.

(C4)  Repeat the same process as described above in A1 to A3.

For an extra challenge or for students with a higher ability the instructor can have the students make two word sentences (big wave / surf happily), a short sentence (A big wave / I surf happily), a full short sentence (I happily surf a big wave / I surf a big wave happily), or long complex sentences. They ways to use the ‘Never Ending Story’ method in a lesson are endless and only limited by the instructor’s imagination.

TESOL Essay SIX

Essay Six

Music and Language Learning

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

“No music, No life” a simple saying that expresses many people’s view of the importance of music in their life. For most of human existence rhythmic patterns feet walking, waves, a bird’s song, etc have had some influence the human brain, body, mind and behaviour.

Music affects our emotions, it can make us feel happy, sad, energetic, sleepy, etc. In fact from your own personal experience you have probably used music to help you do some activity be it studying, exercising, house-cleaning and so on. Yet in the classroom many instructors and teachers may ignore music and, or believe that using music in the class has little or no benefit for the students and learning.

Show how music can benefit the students, here a short story about Albert Einstein given by (O’Donnell, 1999) in his piece on “Music and the Brain”:

A little known fact about Albert Einstein is that when he was young he did extremely poor in school. His grade school teachers told his parents to take him out of school because he was “too stupid to learn” and it would be a waste of resources for the school to invest time and energy in his education. His mother did not think that Albert was “stupid”. Instead of following the school’s advice, Albert’s parents bought him a violin. Albert became a good violin player. Music was the key that helped Albert Einstein become one of the smartest people who ever lived. Einstein himself says that the reason he was so smart is because he played the violin. He loved listening to Mozart and Bach the most. A friend of Einstein, G.J. Withrow said that the way Einstein figured out his problems and equations was by improvising in the violin.

Music has a power on human beings. It has been scientifically tested and proven that music can affect our psychology, emotional states and physiology. People exposed to a large amount and a variety of music when they were children, usually, have a more balanced approach to life and able to deal with life difficulties and stresses. Music affects our emotions; it can make us feel happiness, joy, sadness, depression, aggressive and calm. Even our physiology is affect by music. MRI’s of profession musicians show that their prefrontal cortex is more develop than people who do not play an instrument. When we listen to music with a fast rhythm our heart rate and breathing speeds up and when we listen to a slow rhythm our heart rate and breathing slows down for example, classical music from the baroque period causes the heart rate to slow down to the beat of the music.

Not only humans but also animals and plants have been scientifically tested and proven that music can have positive and negative effects on them. When plants are exposed to baroque music or Mozart’s music they grow faster and stronger, but when expose to hard rock or heavy-metal they grow slower and weaker. For animals the same effect is also true for example, chickens will lay more eggs and be less stressed and cow will produce more milk when they exposed to baroque music or Mozart.

Dr. George Lozanov a psychologist in Bulgaria designed a way to teach foreign languages using baroque music which utilises baroques music’s 60 beats per minutes that activities the left and right side of the brain. Students in his programme are able to learn a half a school term in vocabulary and phrases (over 1000) in one day.

Such is the power of music to assist in learning and build pathways in the cortex of the brain. They are many more studies and every day more studies prove the power of music to advance learning.

In the classroom there are many ways in which a teacher or an instructor can use music in their lessons. With all the research, studies and acknowledgement of the power of music it is amazing that teachers, instructors, schools and education in general ignore and do not utilise this powerful tool to benefit the students.

If one truly cares about education and help their students develop the skills for their future then one must use every method available to advance the students learning and music is one powerful tool they teachers can use to benefit the student.

TESOL Essay FIVE

Essay Five

Kinaesthetic Learning

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

Over the past 20 years there has been serious recognition that some people are kinaesthetic learners, i.e. they learn while physically doing something. Their body and mind are engage and the physical activity opens up more pathways in the brain for learning and more importantly retaining what they have learnt.

It is my belief that people are not just kinaesthetic learners or non-kinaesthetic learners, but all people are kinaesthetic learners to some degree. If you consider and think about any skill a person needs to acquire, any job a person needs to do and, or any experience any person has or wants to have; it cannot be gained unless it is done physically.

The physicality in learning is either (A) direct engagement or (B) indirect engagement. By these I mean that with (A) direct engagement; the body and the mind are consciously and directly involved in learning, and (B) indirect engagement; the mind is consciously and directly involved in learning and the body is subconsciously involved.

To give examples of these: (A) direct engagement; when sports people are learning a new technique they will talk, themselves, through the techniques as the perform it. In the military, especially basic training (boot camp), instructors will have the soldiers repeat the instructions (steps) of the drill as they perform the drill. And from your own personal experience, I am sure that you have talk through the steps of acquiring a new skill, especially in a new job, perform it. (B) Indirect engagement; In Japan, when Japanese people do not remember how to write a kanji (Japanese writing character) they will use their index finger to write in the air or on the palm of their hand. Sports people when they are doing image training will move their bodies as if on the course. Also when people are remembering (new) activities they will move their bodies to some degree. In all these examples people move their bodies subconsciously to the actions they are thinking about. Though people are not consciously aware of it, but the movements of their body when trying to learn something new or remembering how to do something helps them to 1. Remember and retain the information, and 2. Retrieve and use the information.

For young EFL/ESL students encouraging and, or introducing kinaesthetic learning is quite easy because it is something they natural do in their usual academic education,  but for adult EFL/ESL students it can be somewhat difficult to overcome their reservations i.e. they may feel it is only for children, embarrassing and, or beneath them. Therefore the EFL/ESL instructor may need to open up the adult students to the idea of kinaesthetic learning and make them feel comfortable with it and also to show them that kinaesthetic learning will help them acquire the foreign or second language they wish to use communicate in with other people.

One simple technique to overcome the adult EFL/ESL student’s hesitation to accept kinaesthetic learning is, what I call, observation-persuasion. This is where the students observe their fellow students using their face and body to express themselves and explain how to do something. While the students are observing they begin to notice, realise and understand how physical movement is an essential part of communication. In this observation the student will come to be persuaded and accept kinaesthetic learning.

First, divide the class into two groups: “X” the actors and group “Y” the observers. Then inform group “X” that they will explain to their partner how to do something, first in their native language (L1) and again in the foreign or second language (L2). Group “Y” is then told secretly to watch very carefully the facial movements and body movements of group “X” when group “X” is performing the task in L1 and again in L2. Also group “Y” is asked to decide which task they observed group “X” performing, L1 or L2, did group “X” use more facial movements and body movements.

When the task is finish swap the groups around so the group “X” now becomes group “Y” and group “Y” becomes group “X”. Repeat the process.

Once both groups have performed “X” and “Y” parts, take a quick poll of the class. Ask which task L1 or L2 used more facial movements and body movements. Usually, more often than not, the students will say that task done using L2 used more facial movements and body movements. Then instructor asks the students if facial movements and body movements are important for communication, again, more often than not, the students will state that facial movements and body movements are important for communication. Once the students themselves have stated this the instructor merely confirms the students’ observation.

Lastly the instructor explains to the students that during the course they will be doing some activities, tasks and exercises, which will require the students to use their face and body in some way. Though some of these may seem silly and, or childish they help build learning and most important as the students have stated themselves are needed for full communication especially communication in a foreign language or second language.

This technique is quite simple and requires very little instructor involvement, but the power of the students’ own (self) observations is amazingly persuasive in changing the students’ preconceived ideas of doing physical activities to learn, acquire and use a foreign language or second language.

TESOL Essay FOUR

Essay Four

Total Physical Response

By Syrbastyian Vzampfyier

Language is physical. When we communicate, we use our body in varying degrees and ways. We change our facial expressions, head and eye moments and positions such as when we are expressing an emotion. We use our arms and shoulders to express, explain and, or add emphasis to what we are saying. We vary our body position and posture for example to show that we are listening and interested, or disinterested.

In this sense the Total Physical Response method is a very useful and practical method that a EFL/ESL instructor to applied in the class to not only assist the student to intuitively understand the meaning of the sample language, but also retain the language through building connections between to brain and body memory.

In the follow outline the basic steps of Total Physical Response, which mainly focuses on EFL/ESL mid-level beginner to lower-level intermediate students, and then show how to adapt and Total Physical response for intermediate to advance students.

STEPS (Mid ability beginner – Lower-ability intermediate):

1.        Select a theme for the activity, for example; cooking dinner, then prepare the need and appropriate resource materials, for example; a pot, a knife, a spoon, tongs and items of food.

2.        Have the students seated, in a circle is usually best, and as group point to each item as you name it.

3.        Say the name, single word or descriptive phrase, of each item at least two times and as you point to them you will perform the action associated with the item, for example; play act that you are cutting, chopping or slicing something as you say the word, “KNIFE”.

4.        Choose just one student to point to the items as you name them in random order and perform the appropriate action connected to each item such as peeling, cutting, mixing, stirring, frying, etc. Repeat the words if the students need to hear them again, do not leave any student struggling!

5.        Each student comes up to the front of the class and repeats the words and actions. Repeat again, if you feel the students needs it.

6.        As a review and to be sure that all the students have got the material, the whole class does the actions associate with each item as you call out the items individually. If you think are ready for a little challenge, try naming two items or add an adverb to the action. For example, cut the tomato slowly (with the knife9, cut the tomato quickly (with the knife).

7.        The instructor asks one student to stand up and request another student to do the action. For example: Takako, please tell Mayumi to slice the tomato carefully. Takako repeats the request to Mayumi; (Please) cut the tomato carefully.

8.        Now, repeating step seven but this time adding a second request. For example, Mayumi, tell Takako to cut the tomato carefully and stir the soup slowly.

9.        Next mix up the order and have one student tell two other students to do different things. The instructor will say, “Yukiko, (please) tell Takako to cut the tomato carefully and Mayumi to stir the soup slowly”. You can follow by, “Please, tell Takako to stop cutting the tomato and Mayumi to stop stirring the soup”. (If you feel the students are ready and are confident enough, have each student play the role of instructor and have them tell the class what to do. You join the class as a student.)

10.    Conclude the activity. Now ask the students questions such as; “Who likes to cook?”, “Who doesn’t like to cook?”, “Who cooks every day?”, Who doesn’t cook every day?”, etc.

11.    Then ask the students individually or as a group to “point to” or “say the name of” someone who likes to cook or doesn’t like to cook.

12.    Finish the lesson by writing the main sentences on the board, for example; ‘cut the tomato’, etc. Make sure you include the adverbs you have used. Ask the students if there is anything they have any questions about vocabulary, grammar, usage, etc. Provide the students with a written copy of all the language in the activity.

Adapted Activity for Intermediate and Advanced Ability Students

STEPS (with reasons for each step):

Step 1.  Select a theme and divide it into three to five sub-topics. For example; SHOPPING, sub-topics: Clothes, Food, Cars, etc. Alternatively, you could have three to five different and independent themes. For example: Shopping, The Office, Sports.

Once this is done, choose a minimum of four appropriate resources for each sub-topic or theme: Objects, Pictures, Photographs, flashcards, etc. If possible try to use the real objects whenever you can. Also ensure that visual material is large enough to be seen clearly this especially important for students with sight difficulties. Other materials needed are: A3 size paper or larger (one sheet per sub-topic and, or them for each group {team}, Coloured markers of various colours (at least three different colours per group {team}) and something to attach the sheets to a wall or board (tape, blue tact, magnets, etc).

Reason: Having three to five sub-topics or themes will prove an extra challenge for the students also the various items will create interest in the students and will be visually stimulating. A maximum of five sub-topics or themes is best because it makes it easier to divide the class into groups and, or pairs depending on the size of the class. But more importantly, more than five ‘sub-topics or themes’ would most likely overload the students and may create a negative learning experience.

Step 2.　　Have the students standing in a circle (If possible a room where the tables and chairs can be push to side of the room or removed.) and randomly place the items in the centre of the circle, ensure that each item is not obscured by another item.

(Note: Be aware of cultural differences; some cultures may find placing items, which will be handled, on the floor or sitting of the floor inappropriate or even offensive.)

Reason: This is to increase the physical movement of the students and to start activating their brains.

Step 3.  Now have the students look at the items for a minute, then have them walk around the items and view the items from different vantage points. This also ensures that the students see all of the items.

Reason: This helps to stimulate their visual cortex and stimulate their minds. The circular walking pattern is a natural form when humans view (new) objects and organise these in their mind.

Step 4.  Now have the students sort the items into different sub-topics and, or themes. Instruct the students to ask each other the name of any of the items that they do not know in L2. (The questions and answers should be done using L2) [L2 = Second or Foreign Language]. Once the sorting is completed have the students confer and confirm with each other that they are satisfied with the results of their sorting. The instructor gives each sub-topic and, or theme a working title, such as “1, 2, 3, etc or A, B, C, etc”.

Reason: Doing this encourages the students to work together and build connection between the students. This is especially important if the students do not know each other.

Step 5.  Divide the class into small groups (teams), one group for each of the sub-topics and, or themes. Make sure that each group (team) is a mix of different ability students; this is to encourage complimentary communication, such as higher ability students assisting and, or responding questions from other students with a lesser ability.

Reason: Again, doing this encourages the students to work together and build connection between the students. This is especially important if the students do not know each other.

Step 6.  Now hand out the A3 sheets of paper and coloured markers for each group (team), and instruct the groups (teams) to write the name of each item on a separate A3 sheet and then write the headings “Verbs” and “Adverbs”. The placement will be up to the students. If require, demonstrate and show the students what you would like them to do.

Reason: To get their ideas from their minds into the physical world.

Step 7.  Next have the students think of as many verbs as they can associated with and, connected to each item in the sub-topic and, or theme that they are working on, then the students write these verbs on their sheet. Next the students repeat the same process but coming up with adverbs for the verbs they have on their list.

Reason: To connect the 2D items into the 3D physical world.

Step 8.  After this is done, then tell the groups (teams) 1. To create a (short) story using the items, their actions and the adverbs connected to verbs, and 2. Decide which actions to use in their story because they will perform their story, first, without words (speaking), mime performance. (Assist the students if the need any help.), and second, with words.

Reason: This to connect the items (nouns), their verbs and the adverbs the verbs to make them real.

Step 9.  Once the groups (teams) have this is done. Select groups (teams) randomly to perform their story, as a group, in front of the class. While one group is performing their story, the other groups (teams) watch the performance and try to guess the story, actions, adverbs and items.

Reason: To ensure that all members of the class are actively involved in the performance.

Step 10.  After one group has finished their performance the other groups (teams) say what they think the story was about also describing the actions, adverbs and items in the story. The performing group tell the class of their guesses are correct or not. Once this is done the group (team) will perform their story again this time with words (speaking).

Reason: Again to ensure total activity of all students and also to encourage class bonding.

Step 11.  Any items that any individual student does not know, they ask a member of the group, whose had that item in their story. A member of that group will explain what the item is i.e. its name and perform the action associated with the item.

Reason: This last step is important to encourage students to teach each other and help each other with their EFL/ESL studies.

Though the adaptations is not directly the same as the standard Total Physical Response method, when the students are in their small groups they will using subconsciously to help each other learn the item and their associated verbs and adverbs. Furthermore, there is little instructor involvement and most important the students help and teach each other.