Assignment 2 M2 Reference
Assignment 2 M2 Reference
Visual aids are powerful tools that can be used to assist the teachers in teaching a foreign language. They can be
used to display complex information clearly and introduce variety into the activities in class. The benefits in using
visuals in teaching are huge, ranging from grabbing and maintaining attention to motivating students to engage with
the lecture’s particular topic and helping them to retain information. Specialists as well as teachers agree on the
important role of visuals that can significantly enhance the learning of students that belong to a generation familiar
with the visual interface of multimedia and internet technologies. The present paper examines some of the
theoretical and practical aspects of the use of visual aids in the English language classroom
As students are reading less and less on their own, teachers are
finding reading comprehension skills very low among today’s
students. Teaching aids are helping teachers to close the gap and
hone the reading comprehension skills of their students. Using
magazine and newspaper articles, prints ads and even comic books
are viable teaching aids that assist in helping students comprehend
text.
Firstly, I think that the teacher is the richest teaching aids source
because they play a lot of roles in the class. For example:
(OHP) and you will certainly have seen them in use. There are
transparencies (OHTs).
•Do use permanent (waterproof) pens if you intend to re-use the OHT
(water soluble inks smudge very easily and detract from your
presentation).
•Do leave space to add to the transparency as the lecture develops; do
this on an overlay or with water-soluble inks.
•Do use large fonts; it will depend on the size of the lecture theatre
but don’t use anything smaller than 24 point.
•Do use colour for emphasis – for instance for a heading or key words,
but..
•Don’t use colours that are difficult to read when projected –red,
yellow and orange are particularly unsuitable.
•Don’t fill the area available with text. Restrict yourself to key words.
•Don’t put complex diagrams on OHTs that the audience has to copy –
supplement the OHT by giving out printed copies. For some further
tips see Hayes and Campbell (1998). There are also some basic points
to remember when you come to use the OHP in a lecture.
These are presentational matters, but can make all the difference to
how the audience responds to your talk. These ideas are explored in
more detail by Race (1999) some also relate to using PowerPoint (see
below).
•Make sure you know how to turn the OHP on/off. Most projectors
have a switch that activates a spare bulb in event of failure. Find it.
•Before you start, check that the OHP is correctly aligned and
positioned for the screen and that the image is in focus.
•Be careful not to remove the OHT before members of the audience
have had time to make notes .
•Cover part of the OHT if you want to deliver a key point with
maximum impact, but....
•Don’t make a habit out of revealing text line-by-line (it can bevery
irritating) Using PowerPoint.
These include:
•Judicial use of colour can help you stimulate interest and emphasize
key points. Be aware, however, that what appears attractive on your
computer screen can be unreadable when projected.
•Text or diagrams are prepared in advance. A PowerPoint feature
called ‘animation’ allows you to build up an image little by little with
ease.
Mini quiz
2. What minimum font sizes are suitable for a) Titles on slides and b)
Text on slides?
5. How do you avoid disaster – for instance when the data projector
blows its bulb or the data projector won’t read your files/memory
stick?
Answers
3. Try to avoid more than six or seven lines. Use key words and do not
fill the entire slide with text. Don’t reduce the font size to fit in more
lines – use an extra slide instead.
PowerPoint is not difficult to use and it does bring benefits for clinical
teaching. The links and books suggested below should help you if you
wish to acquire the skills to enable you to prepare your own
PowerPoint presentations.
The group might be divided into two or three smaller groups and
asked to consider either the same question or problem, or two or
three related ones. Each group is equipped with a page from the flip
chart and a pen. After a suitable period for discussion has been
allowed the groups are asked to summarise their deliberations and,
using the flip chart as a guide, present their findings to the whole
group. The various pages might then be attached to the wall with ‘Blu-
tack’ for future reference.
On-line Microsoft support site that offers self paced tutorials on using
PowerPoint and also “How to....” advice on specific tasks. “Using
PowerPoint in Courses”
http://cit.duke.edu/resources-guides/methods-powerpoint-
presentations.html This is the site of Duke University Centre for
Instructional Technology. This is just one of a number of guides on the
site, and includes tips on using PowerPoint as well as “how to”
instructions.
Describe how the visual aids can help in teaching languages? The aids
that help in teaching languages and that can be seen are called 'visual
aids'. They provide practical solutions to the problems of a language
teacher whose equipment, as a rule, consists of nothing more than
books and classroom. They include black-board, chart maps, pictures,
flannel-boards, film strips, slides, epidiascope and actual objects that
facilitate the process of teaching. The function of each of these in
helping the teaching process is discussed below. BLACK-BOARD: A
big strong piece of wood, called black-board, is the oldest associate of
the teacher but an essential teaching aid. It is used to reading and
writing to the pupil. Anything to which the teacher wants to draw the
attention of the pupil, is written on it, e.g. difficult words, phrase
patterns, structure patterns, grammar works, questions to test
comprehension. In this way the teacher finds his lessons more
interesting, lively and effective. It is an important means of picture
composition. CHARTS AND MAPS: Since all diagrams cannot be
drawn on black-board, they need to be made on charts. A good
number of sentences illustrating some points can be written on the
chart with some diagrams. Besides sentence chart, we may have
substitution table charts and vocabulary charts. Different colors
should be used to bring in variety, decoration and effect. It should be
big enough to accommodate the necessary materials with words
written in bold letters. Charts are very useful for presenting and
practicing structures, vocabulary items and compositions. Maps may
be used for displaying the location of places, mountains, rivers, etc.
PICTURES: Pictures comprise text pictures and class pictures. Text
pictures are to be found in the texts designed primarily for beginners.
The meaning of a single word can be shown in different pictures. For
example, the very first lesson of the beginner's text may have different
patterns of heads of persons and
Continue Reading
English
HOME
ABOUT US
PROGRAMS
SERVICES
ACCREDITATIONS
RESOURCES
CONTACT US
Public Plan
Request for Proposal
Category Sub-Category City Language Month
Year Submit
Visual aids available to the language teacher, and how they can be used in the
classroom.
All the researchers and observers of second-language learning recognize that the foreign language
classroom constitutes an exceptional environment for the learning and the communicative use of the
target language (Feldman,1989). Because ESL students come from different cultural backgrounds,
language groups, and occupations. The classroom itself may be the only community that they have in
common. The class offers ESL students a communicative environment. They appreciate the
opportunity to be together and are eager to make this community a friendly place to learn and share.
The atmosphere of the classroom is essential to the students. So it is vital to select materials and
methods that best fit the needs of the individual learners.
Electronic aids are critical in the teaching process. The students like technology and like to use it all
the time. That makes it necessary to use technology in teaching. Electronic aids are part of the
technology. It gives the students the opportunity to watch what they are going to learn. It is obvious
that several tools of modern technology have effective incorporation in the second language
classroom, they help to support the communicative interaction inside the classroom.( Salaberry, 2001)
Computers have a significant role in the teaching and learning process. The modern advances in
educational applications of computer software provided new resources for language learning
classroom. Technological devices can be extremely useful for language teachers who wish to bring the
sounds and sights of the language and culture into the classroom. The slide projector, the overhead
projector, the television, the video cassette recorder, and the film projector.
By computer, teacher and students can communicate with each other through e-mail, the Internet,
and World Wide Web at home and abroad. Another interesting use of the computer's capacity for
electronic communication is through local area networks. Teachers must discern what students' needs
and aspiration are, to create the instructional methods for them. New ways to use video and
computer-related technologies are rapidly becoming commonplace in language classroom as teachers
design instruction that appeals to media-related interests of students (Shrum, J.L;& Glisan, E.W;
1994).
The slide projector: teachers can find sets of filmstrips about topics, related to the students' levels, he
can use it in the same way as slides. The slides are in the same order all the time that's why the
teacher should encourage the students to make the discussion about the picture and the topics. The
teacher can take advantage of the slides to set more language activities such as; description of similar
topics, discussions, and reporting. It is suitable for different levels of learners and more efficient for
elementary and intermediate students.
An overhead projector is a tool language teacher use frequently because it can substitute for the
blackboard and give the teacher opportunity to face the class. The teacher can add information or
students' input directly onto the transparency. It is an excellent tool to provide visual support for
teaching. Teachers may prepare the permanent material and use it with the overhead projector, and
use the blackboard or whiteboard for examples and explanations. Teachers prefer to use OHP with
tables, diagrams, maps, and charts because they can use it many times in deferent classes. They can
use outlines or main points about the topic, and they also can use more illustration. The overhead
projector is very suitable for the intermediate and upper intermediate, as it gives them the chance to
know more information about the topic and discuss it with their teacher. Teachers may use the
overhead projector in elementary classes in a simple show with pictures to activate the students. It is
very suitable for the elementary level to teach the items and practice the words with the pictures. It is
very easy to use the OHP to teach everyday topics such as; dining customs, daily routine, means of
transportation.
It gives the meaning of the words with the picture that help the teacher to explain quickly and help
the students to remember the significance of the items.
The television is a standard mode of experiencing the world. Where the learners can see the people
and the situation. They can hear and see the attitude of the individuals involved. They can listen to
the linguistic registers and the appropriateness of the language within the situation. Teachers can use
the television to show the documentary program. Teachers should choose the suitable program for the
student's level. Teachers should activate the students with some questions about the program; they
can give one minute for each student to make a summary of the program. Students can comment on
the application or discuss the right sides of the topic and so on. The television is a suitable tool for
teaching the deferent level of students it depends on the type of the program or the show.
A video cassette recorder is a device that combines visual and auditory learning. It is an easy way to
have pre-recorded English language material, although it is expensive. Teachers may use it for many
times in deferent types of classes. Also, they can use it to record the students’ performance in a
particular oral situation. They have the opportunity to correct the students' mistakes in the replay
without interrupt the activity. The video is very useful to use in role play or talk, discussion, debate,
and all the free activities with all levels of students. The teacher should prepare well to use the video
cassette recorder in class. He should take care of his students' abilities and needs. In one class, there
are some students how like camera, but others don't like a camera. Some students fell shy to practice
the activity when they know that their teacher records it. So it the teacher responsibility to decided
when he can use video cassette recorder and in which class. Canning-Wilson (2000) states: “Video
used in a classroom should be interpretive and to the point. The visual should show reasonable
judgment and enhance comprehension, heighten sensory acuteness, and illustrate the target language
being used. Practitioners should avoid the use of distracters, over-crowded or violent stimuli.”
The film projector is not available in all institutions as the video tape recorder because it is more
expensive that it. Some agencies have the film projector to save the old material and sell it as a
technical material. The film projector is very active with the high-level students because it offers a
good chance for learning through real situations. Students can watch real situations and listen to the
correct pronunciation. They can practice discussion about a certain topic after that they can have their
feedback through the replay. To use the film project in class is quite demanding on a part of the
teacher. He needs to be well trained to perform his job with on an optimal level of success.
Using the visual aids in the learning process encourage the students to respond to the activity in any
way even listen to it. The point here is to help the learners to give answers as they are in real
everyday communication situations. The ability of students to imitate the pronunciation of a foreign
language varies from one person to the other. In the visual classes, pronunciation is the first thing to
be perfected. As the learners have the opportunity to watch and hear the native speaker in real-life
situations. The teacher should use the visual aide in each institution, to improve their students
learning. It is evident that Formal teaching jobs in public schools can hardly provide from using all
types of visual aids. The size of the class needs to be limited, to use the visual aids efficiently. All the
responsible persons have to work on providing the suitable teaching aids for the students everywhere.
References:
Feldman, K.A. (1989b). The association between student ratings of specific instructional dimensions and
student achievement: Refining and extending the synthesis of data from multisection validity studies. Research
in Higher Education 30: 583–645.
Wilson,C (2000). Practical Aspects of Using Video.The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VI, No. 11
http://iteslj.org/ http://iteslj.org/Articles/Canning-Video
Salaberry,M(2001) The Use of Technology for Second Language Learning. Modern Language Journal, Volume
85, Pages 39–56 10.1111/0026-7902.00096, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/0026-7902.00096/full
POPULAR POST
I say it frankly that I'm a Muslim and proud of being a Muslim. Our Islamic culture is having a pos...
You might have heard or come across the word “catharsis” whilst reading English Literature; especial...
Visual aids available to the language teacher, and how they can be used in the classroom.
All the researchers and observers of second-language learning recognize that the foreign language
Writing for second language learners is a quit bit challenging. Not all students in one level in wri...
Most people associate the word "facilitator "with the training environment. Often, that person at t...
All too often, potential benefits from training seminars are lost because the supports required for ...
Site Map
[email protected]
Website Search