Show and Share

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this Textbook is to have students share their ideas, more fluently, in enjoyable ways, and have many opportunities to, in a way ‘Show and Tell’. The target learners are 4th graders in elementary school in a mixed gender class and their level is intermediate-high according to the ACTFL. Students are comfortable speaking at the sentence level, and this Textbook encourages them to be able to talk about a specific theme using more complex language through activities in which they both “Show and Share” things about themselves with the class. Method: The reason I chose to focus on “Show and Share with the class” is because a lot of young learners in Korea experience a lot of stress when having present their ideas in front of the class. This Textbook puts weight on a friendly class environment so that students feel more comfortable to share their ideas in English more naturally. This Textbook is Theme-based and Communicative; therefore, it seeks to avoid grammar drilling and the typical accuracy-based activities the target students are accustomed to. It focuses on building listening and speaking skills through fun communicative activities such as board games, discussions and class interviews. All Unit topics of this Textbook begins with the assumption that students will think and talk about what they have already experienced, for example, in the Sample Chapter, students reflect, in English, on a field trip to an amusement park. Since learners are already have the background knowledge relating to the content of the Chapter, students should be more motivated to talk about their own experiences and connect it into new information; for example, in the Sample Chapter, after students share their experiences from their trip to Lotte World, they then get to learn about aspects of other amusement parks outside of Korea, such as Universal Studios and Disney Land. Students are encouraged to compare and contrast their experiences with American Theme Parks by watching video clips and looking at a variety of other visuals. At the end of the Unit, students “Show and Share” their memories from Lotte World and express what interests them about other Amusement Parks. Expected Outcomes: This Textbook will help students to improve their speaking skills by encouraging them to elaborate their ideas, and share as much as possible with their peers. Students will have ample opportunity to meaningfully practice language directly related to their experiences, for example, a Theme Park field trip, in the Sample Chapter, and will repeatedly use target structures to help them speak logically and more confidently. Students will improve their English in a stress-free manner and have fun learning about various aspects of culture from other parts of the world.