Summer study programs offer students a way
to learn English while exploring the sights and culture of the local
area. Most programs last two or three weeks and include language
classes in the morning with activities and excursions in the afternoon
and on weekends.
One teaching approach helps students enhance classroom learning
through the activities themselves. For example, if students are
planning a trip to the zoo , they first study vocabulary relating
to animals, play games and sing songs relating to wildlife. The
day after the zoo trip , students describe what they saw and what
they liked. They use the Internet to send "cyber postcards"
about endangered species to their fellow classmates. An Internet
game also is available to match animals to their paw prints.
Students may learn about sports through video clips, by attending
games, or actually playing the sport. They can learn how to call
plays, how to cheer and taunt – "hey batter, batter"!
Lessons can include exercises on how to rent equipment ( how much,
how many, how long ? ) .
Shopping is another favorite activity for many students. This is
a perfect time to learn practical English communication. A shopper
always needs to know how to express their needs and gain information
about prices. Students at the American Language Institute at San
Diego State University visit a local shopping center, pick their
favorite store and products, then make posters in class to present
their products at a simulated "trade fair", students then
walk around to different displays and "shop", practicing
their newly acquired vocabulary.
Video cameras will be used to record students in action, according
to ESL instructor Denise Baldini, "After making a video at
the beginning of a lesson, students will have a chance to improve
on their performance and make another video to monitor their progress,"
she said.
"At the end students will create a journal that reflects the
lessons and activities," noted Paul Swindells, an ESL teacher,
adding "It will serve as a kind of memory book."
After a summer program like this, it’s likely students will
have many fond memories to capture.
The Author: Shelley Heron, American Language Institute,
San Diego State University
E-mail: ali@mail.sdsu.edu
Please visit our Website: http://www.americanlanguage.org/
This article first appeared in Studying Abroad magazine
