TESOL Yaroslave

In Unit 12, I learned about the difference between Accuracy Activities and Fluency Activities. This was useful. I recently had my high advance students write a piece for Valentines. Before we started the Activity phase, we discussed what the holiday meant to them, if it is celebrated in their country and it what way. Then we listened to a song by Jeff Buckley called Hallelujah. Each student read one stanza of the song. We discussed the meaning, what it meant to them. Here is where I got stuck. I realized I didn't introduce any new vocabulary words, and I didn't give them time to study. I skipped the Accuracy Activities. Instead students took control and went right into a deep discussion with each other about the disappointments found in marriages and relationships. After we discussed this topic, I gave a lesson on subordinate clauses. I mentioned the needy, dependent , subordinate clause and compared it to the strong, Main, Independent clause. We learned how to identify them. I gave students a fill in the gap worksheet, a list of subordinate clauses for the study phase. I felt this took them away from the fluency activity which they were enjoying. I will try this approach instead. It is organized to allow students to enjoy both accuracy and fluency activities.