FREE PRACTICE
Pair or Small Group Project
Method:
1.
SS work in pairs or small groups and develop a project idea linked to a topic, which has been agreed on by
the whole class. SS could use the allotted free practice time (e.g. 30 minutes) in a series of different lessons
to work on their project with their partner or small group, up to a total of, for example, 6 hours. The final
goal would be for SS to give a short presentation of their work in English (e.g. 10 mins) and hand in their
written work to T for marking.
Here are some examples of project ideas:
If the topic is:
SS could:
Animals
Plan their own safari park; or design their own animal(s)
Cars
Create and market their own car or range of vehicles
Music
Create a pop/rock song and record it, along with a video
Books
Create a multimedia presentation about a favourite book
The potential project ideas are endless – only limited by the imagination of the class. T should encourage
SS to be as creative as possible and to use different media to present their ideas, for example:
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•
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written work of various kinds, e.g. report, dialogue, advertisement, fiction, etc.
music and sound, e.g. song, live music, spoken word, etc.
visual arts, e.g. photos, drawings, cartoons, film, TV, etc.
performing arts, e.g. drama, dance, ballet, mime, etc.
Of course, SS should use English language while working on their projects with their partners or small
groups.
Tips:
•
Project work is a good way for SS to get to know each other better, and is therefore an ideal activity to do
early on in a course.
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If working in a large institution, like a college or university, SS could engage with individuals or groups
from other disciplines and enlist them to collaborate on different projects.
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See also Design Your Own... (p.89) for a more structured approach to group project work.
You Are The Course Book – Lesson Plans
88