CLASSROOM COMMUNICATIVE

ENGLISH - PRIMARY
2012-13

Sarva Shiksha Abiyan and

State Council of Education Research and Training
Tamilnadu
1

MODULE PREPARATION TEAM

Authors
S. Amsa, HM, PUMS Sivadhapuram
A.Margaret Shanthi , PUMS Kudumiyantheru
S. V.Chitra, BRTE, Salem Rural BRC
K. Suganthi, BRTE, Salem Urban BRC
A. Arivuselvam,PUES, Thenangudipalayam
N. Sivakumar, PUMS Chandrapillaivalasu
A. Sampath, BRTE, Mecheri BRC
M. R. Devika, DC Salem DPC
Co-Authors

Jagannathan BRTE, Ramnathapuram BRC

Shanmugapriya BRTE, Ramnathapuram BRC
A Sumathi BRTE, Thirupulani BRC
JagadeeshVarma BRTEKadalaadi BRC
A Aruna BRTE Kadalaadi BRC
Thilagar Raja BRTE Nayanarkoil BRC
D Kalaivani DC, Ramnad DPC

Reviewer
J.INBARAJ
Asst.Professor
SCERT
Chennai-6

DESIGN OF TRAINING (DOT)

RATIONALE

CONTENT

Development of
Social skills
Thinking skills
Problem solving skills
Classroom ambience
Classroom Management

Development of
Communication
skills
Language skills:
LSRW

COMMUNICATIVE
ENGLISH MODULE

METHODOLOGY

TOOLS

Activities
Role Play
Games
Demonstration
Simulation
Display
Video-watching
Picture Reading
Singing
Substitution Tables

The British Council Modules

SSA Modules
SCERT Materials
RIESI Materials
Websites

Introduction
Excitement is the bait of learning! Lets get excited!
Dear teachers,
It is with immense pleasure that we present this module for you to
effectively practice Communicative English in your classroom with your children. The
why, how and who of this module is given to you at the outset, so that you will realize
how vital this training is. It will help you to update your own English. Also as everyday
practitioners of English, you may find new ideas to coach your children to engage in
stimulating, fun-filled activities which they may want to play with other friends. Again,
we strongly recommend that you keep in touch with the community of English
Teaching Teachers for the latest updates in ELT (English Language Teaching).
Please give us your honest feedback (at the end of the module) so that we can make
improvements. Happy experimenting!
English Education in India has changed enormously over recent years.
The focus has shifted from teaching rote memorization, grammar and direct
translation, to the development of the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and
writing. There is an increasing emphasis being placed on using Communicative
English' in the classroom, with a need for making lessons more interactive and
exciting for both students and teachers. As you know, when teaching any class, the
emotional well-being of the students has a great impact on the success of the
lesson.This is especially true when teaching a foreign language because students
need to be motivated to participate in activities. As a teacher, it is up to you to
provide a conducive classroom environment that makes students feel comfortable.

Objectives of this Training:

To enable the teachers in facilitating the young minds to
communicate fluently in English.
To provide teachers with simple activities to facilitate multi-level
learning in the class room.
To enable learners develop a positive attitude towards learning
English.
To enhance the LSRW skills through innovative and child friendly
learning & teaching methods.
4

 To help teachers engage learners in purposeful challenging and

interesting activities.
To encourage teachers to design and refine activities similes to the
activities given in the book
To develop confidence among the children in communicating in
English.
WHY COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH?
English education has been changed enormously over
recent years. The focus has shifted from teaching rote memorization,
grammar and direct translation to the development of four skillsListening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. There is an increasing
emphasis being placed on using Communicative English in the
classroom, with a need for making lessons more interactive and exciting
for both students and teachers.
The

word

communication

is

derived

from

the

Latin

term

communicare which means to share or to make common.

Communication is not only what we say but also how we say
and write. It can be defined as a process or an activity in which two or
more people share or exchange ideas, feelings or impressions in such a
way that each gains a common understanding of the meaning and use
of the message. The following are the communication skills.
Listening skills
Understanding skill
Initiating skill
Questioning skill
Responding skill
Interacting skill
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 Concluding skill
The general objectives of teaching English are mainly
divided into two i) Receptive and ii) Communicative, so far as the
people is engaged in listening to and reading the language with
understanding his role will be receptive, when be attempts to
speak and write to convey something and how his role will be
communicative.
In English class the students should be able to use simple
sentences in English and mother tongue should be avoided as far
as possible.
The words should be explained in gestures, postures and
actual movements. The words already taught in the class should
be practiced in writing.

Positive aspects of learning English

The attitude of the students towards English, as with any
other subject is very important. If students like English, they will be
strongly motivated to learn English and use it

in their

communication. A good way to motivate the students is to explain

some of the positive aspects of learning English.
Here are some points advocating the need of English
knowledge :
English is theinternational language ( a main language of
over 25 countries)
We can speak and become friends with people from all over
the world.
6

 We can write to people in other countries and travel abroad.

We can sing English songs, watch movies and TV in English.
We can read magazines and books from other countries (eg) sports, music, and for fashion magazines.
English is used

every day in India (in TV commercials,

product names, music etc )

Students may need to speak English during their working
lives.
We can use the internet to gain access to lots of information
written in English
We can learn more about the world and foreign cultures;
learning another language helps us to understand the other
people and their way of thinking.
Ways to improvise Communicative skills in the classroom:
It is important that students know how you expect the children to
behave. Teach them STRATEGIES for successfully learning English in
your class, such as:

Explain to them your rules for classroom management

Utilize 'lively' or 'difficult' students regularly in exercise preparation
(e.g. handing out materials etc.) to avoid them having a negative
impact on the class.
Explain that it's OKAY to make mistakes!
Ask students to be supportive and assist their classmates during
group exercises.
Make them use classroom English (e.g., "I don't understand",
"please help me")
They must answer direct questions by themselves
Have students clap to encourage each other
Be ACTIVE in class. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm

Ways to Increase Motivation:

Participation Assessment
Use a class list and mark every time a student speaks,
answers a question or volunteers (use a highlighter or circle). Tell the
students that this will make up part of their final result (10-15%) so lower
level students should try especially hard. This is the best way to assess
Language skills under CCE.
Rewards
Give small prizes to reinforce the good work of the
students, or to every positive effort, not to the end product alone.
Make sure that you include students of all levels, so everyone has
a chance to win. Bring stickers, stamps, etc. that is good for prizes
or make your own. Try and give out stickers and other rewards as
often as you can.
Incentives
Incentives give students a reason for doing their work, or
completing a task. One good example is:
If you finish this worksheet, you wont have to hand in your
homework tomorrow.
Ask students who are better at English to help those who find it
difficult. Talk to the other subjects teacher and get their support
because they have a strong effect on the behavior of the class.
Use any motivational techniques you think may be helpful. Most
importantly remember to respect the students, treat them as
individuals (not children) and in return they will respect you
as well.

Classroom English
Many textbooks contain a Classroom English section
devoted to useful words and phrases that are often used during an
English lesson. You can find them usually at the beginning or at the end
of a textbook and they may be titled something other than Classroom
English. One of the benefits of using the classroom English in a
textbook is the fact that students have access to the textbooks whenever
8

they want and therefore have no excuse not to use classroom English.
Teachers are to encourage the students to make use of the learnt
language skills in their everyday speech in the classroom. The teachers
are to clarify what students need to do by telling/showing/helping them
and lastly, by allowing them to find out for themselves.
By bringing the language to life-using real-life
scenarios etc.(authentic material/activities) teachers are to provide the
students with an interactive, meaningful context for learning English.
Such knowledge has a real, specific purpose and can be used directly
thereafter in a real-life situations.
Alternatives to Translation in the classroom
It is often better to explain the meaning of words by using
alternatives to translating into Tamil. The following are suggested
methods:
1) Using Pictures
This works well for nouns and adjectives. You can draw or use a picture
source from a book, the internet etc. to demonstrate the word.
2) Using Gestures
Gestures work well for verbs, adjectives, prepositions and a whole range
of grammar.
3) Using Easy English
Explain the meaning of the word using words that the students already
know.
Environment = the area around us. The trees, animals, rivers, air etc.
Voluntary = when you do something because you want to.
4) Using the Word in a Sentence/in Context
Write up a sentence in English, which uses the word, to convey its
meaning effectively. Students are surprisingly good at inferring or
deducing meaning from context.
Example:

President = Barrack Obama is the President of the USA.

Friendly= A friendly person always smiles and says hello.

The Non-verbal Communicative Teaching Technique

Non-verbal Communicative Teaching technique requires that
only English be used in the classroom.Students learn the meanings of
new words and phrases through gestures, body language, and context.
This technique is widely considered to be the most effective means of
introducing new language concept.
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Good Communication in the Classroom

True communication is a two-way process.

Communication is mutual understanding.
True communication results in mutual influence.
The key to a good relationship is trust.
The purpose of teaching is learning: learning is changed behavior.
Admittance of our ignorance is the entrance to our own education.
Knowledge is more than information- it is conversion.
Careful listening involves patience, openness and a desire to
understand.
Communication lies more in feelings than in words.
Beware of the dangers of comparing.
When you borrow strength, you build weakness.

OVERVIEW OF THE SESSIONS:

CLASSROOM COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH
[2 Days]
DAY -1
S.No

Time

Activity

9.30-10.00

Registration

10.00-10.15

10.15-11.15

11.15-11.30

11.30-1.00

1.00-2.00

2.00-3.00

Motivational Videos & Discussion

- Motivation
- Warm up Activities
1. Chip- Chap- Chu game
2. Find the missing twins
Why Communicative English? An Intro
Brunch Break
Listen Leema Listen
(Listening Activities)
Lunch
Hello! How are you?
(Speaking Activities)

3.15-3.30

Brunch Break
10

3.30-4.30

Hello! How are you? Continuation

Music therapy

DAY -2
S.No Time
1
9.30-10.00
2

10.00-10.15

10.15-11.15

11.15-11.30

11.30-1.00

1.00-2.00

2.00-2.45

8
9
10
11

2.45-3.15
3.15-3.30
3.30-4.00
4.00-4.30

Activity
Recap of Day 1
Best practices of classroom communicative English
(Video Clippings)
Skim and Scan
(Reading Activities)
Brunch Break
Skim and Scan Continuation
Classroom English
Lunch
Pen it
(Writing Activities for different learners)
Rhyme Time
Brunch Break
Chime Time
Evaluation and Reflection

DAY1
Session I

Registration and Self Introduction

Motivational Video
A motivational video clipping (Rebirth of Eagle) will be screened to
the participants. Interaction will follow.

Warming up Activities
11

Activity 1 :
Chip Chap Chu
Language focus

To enable the participants to be alert and list

out the names of birds, animals and insects.

To follow the instructions and recall the names

spontaneously and aptly.

Level

: Class III to V

Time

: 20 mts.

Materials required: Nil.

Procedure:
Make the students stand in a circle. Familiarize them with the
chant Chip Chap Chu.
Explain that CHIP indicates the names of birds.
CHAP indicates the names of animals and
CHU indicates the names of insects.
Go round the class and suddenly stop at a student and say Chip.
The student should give the name of a bird. Example- sparrow.
Say Chap the student should give the name of an animal. Eg.
Dog.
Say Chu the student should give the name of an insect. Eg. Bee.
If a student goes wrong move him out of the game.

12

Activity 2:

Find the missing twins.

Eg . A dd
1. A

2. B

3. E

4. F

5. I

6. O

7. S

8. T

9. Z

10.O

Language focus
Level

: To enrich the vocabulary & language skills

of the participants
: Standard IV & V

Duration

: 10 Minutes

Materials Required

: Black board & chalk piece or printed form.

Procedure :
The participants have to fill in the blanks using two times the
same letter to give the correct word.

13

Session II

LISTEN LEEMA LISTEN

(Listening skill developing activities)

Importance of Listening:
Listening is an important skill. We can learn new information through
listening. Listening also includes paying attention to the person
speaking, so you can also pick up on body language gestures,
expressions and other non-verbal cuesto help you understand what
they are saying.
Listening is also polite, and it helps you to get along with other people.
Sometimes just by listening you can help people reason with them and
deal better with their emotions.
Song Time
1. Young man Raman Has a Farm
Young man Raman Has a farm
Ea-ah, Ea-ah- Oh !
And on his farm he has some cows
Ea-ah, Ea-ah-Oh!
Its a moo Moo here, Its a Moo there
Here a Moo, there a Moo
Every where a Moo Moo Moo!
Young man Raman has a farm
Ea-ah,Ea-ah-Oh!
Dog

bow , bow

Cat

Mew, mew

Goat

baa,baa
14

Listening skill developing activities

ACTIVITY 3
Clap, Clap
Language Focus :
This is a good activity for releasing energy
It improves listening skill and body co-ordination.

Level

: STD I to III

Duration

: 10 mts.

Materials required: Nil.

Procedure:
Sing the rhyme with action.
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap
Two little hands go clap, clap, clap
One little child jumps up from the chair
Two little arms go up in the air.
Two little hands go thump, thump, thump
Two little feet go jump, jump, jump
One little body turns around
One little child sets quietly down.
ACTIVITY 4

Tom, Tom robot

Language focus :
To enable the learners to listen to the drum beats and followthe
instructions
To improve the body coordinationas per the beats
Level

Std I to III

Duration

10 mts

Material required

Hand drum or Tom Tom.

15

Procedure
Explain the children what a robot is
Beat a tom-tom or a hand drum rhythmically and ask them to move
across the class room as per the beats like a robot.
Beat very fast Walk fast
Slowly walk slow
Loudly take giant steps
Softly take tiny steps
ACTIVITY 5
ABC you want to see ?
Language focus:
To enable the children to enjoy singing ABC
To identify the alphabets.
Level

Std I

Duration

10 mts

Materials required

Flash cards (A to Z)

Procedure

Teach the children ABC song

Make alphabet cards in advance and give one card to each child.
Instruct the children to hold up their letter as it is sung
Sing the song very slowly to enable the children to hear and hold

up their letter
To simplify the activity, line the children up in order, from A to Z
If you have more cards than children, give some children more
cards.

16

ACTIVITY 6

Pair is Fair
Language Focus:
To enable

the student

to improve the is listening skill by

following the given instructions

To improve the non-verbal communicative skill
To learn the usage of and and but connective
Level

: III to V

Duration

: 10 mts

Materials required : Nil

Procedure
Divide the class in pairs and assign each pair to do some
work give instruction as follows.
1. Ram and Ramesh, shut the door
2. Ramesh stand but Mani sitdown
3. Geetha look left side but Seetha look right side.
Do gestures so that students can carry out instructions
easily. Now ask the students to give the instructions to their
friends.
ACTIVITY 7

Balloon Show
Language focus :
Learns many action words
Listens and follows instructions
Level

: I to III

Duration

: 10 mts

Materials required : Colourful balloons

Procedure :
17

 The colourful balloons are distributed among children

Instruct the children as follows
1. Children with red balloons , standup
2. Oranges go to the corners.
3. Rose colour balloons come near me
4. Blow you balloon, tie up etc.
ACTIVITY 8

Thumbs up
Language focus :
Improves listening skills
To know the yes or no question
Level

: IV to V

Duration

: 15 mts

Materials required : Nil

Procedure :

Ask the children to answer the questions

Explain that their thumbs, not their voices, will answer the
questions.
If the answer to the question is no, they should put their thumbs
down
Questions to which YES is the answer could include. Do you like
ice cream ? Do you like to play outside?.
Those to which NO is the answer could include silly questions like
Does a cow give juice?or Did you fly to your school today?

Session III

Hello! How are you?

18

(Activities for developing Speaking Skills)

Importance of speaking skill:

While a picture may be worth a thousand words will no doubt
come in handy if the picture is distorted or poorly understood. After all,
the best way to communicate is through speech.
The four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, wirting are
all interconnected. Proficiency in each skill is necessary to become a
well- rounded communicator, but the ability to speak skillfully provides
the speaker with distinct advantages.
Speaking skills are important for career success. It can enhance
ones personal life, thereby bringing about the well roundedness we all
should seek.
ACTIVITY 7
Magic Sounds
Language focus:
To enable the children to learn different types of animals and
their sounds.
Level : STD III to V
Duration: 20 mts.
Materials required : Magic wand, Animals mask.

Procedure :
Hold the magic wand. Tell the children that you are going to sing
Young man Raman Has a farm and that whoever is tapped on the
shoulder by the magic wand will get to choose the animal and make that
animal sound.

ACTIVITY 8
I See my Nose
19

Language focus : To improve their listening and speaking skills.

Level : STD I to V
Duration: 15 mts
Materials required : Mirror
Procedure:
1. Talk about all the part of the body face and head
2. Sit the children in a circle.
3. Pass a mirror around the circle
4. Make each child to say I see a--------------.
5. They are to name and touch one part of their face.
ACTIVITY 9
Kangaroo words
Language Focus:
To enable the learners to build vocabulary
To recognize hidden words in a given word.
Level:

III, IV, & V (Age 7-10)

Duration:

15 Mins

Materials Required:
Picture of a Kangaroo with a baby in its pouch,
Dictionary / Flash
Procedure:
Explain the concept of Kangaroo Words clearly giving
examples of Blossom(mother word) and Bloom(baby word),
how the meanings of both the words are same and how
bloom is derived from the parent blossom.
Tell them how the relation is the same as that of the
Kangaroo having a baby hidden in its pouch.
Ask them to use dictionary if needed.

Mother words

Kangaroo Words

Baby words

20

Enjoyment

Joy

Middle

Mid

Knowledge

Know

Capable

Able

Perimeter

Rim

ACTIVITY 10
JAM (Just a Minute)
Language Focus: To develop the speaking skill
Level:

III & IV (Age 8-9)

Duration: 15 Mins
Materials Required:

Word strips / picture.

Procedure:
Make a list of topics ready
Allow the children to sit in groups.
Ask them to select a topic from the list given
Allow each group to give maximum number of sentences within the
allotted time limit
Ask them to identify the objects from the picture
Declare those who come out with the maximum points as the
winner.

21

Birth Day Party

MARKET

Festival

22

School

Park

ACTIVITY 11
Quick Pick (Dont say Yes / Dont say No)
Language focus
Level

: To be able to ask yes or no questions,

describe an object without saying Yes / No
: III, IV & V (Age: 8 10 years)

Duration

: 15 Min.

Materials required : Fruits, objects, flowers, toys of animals.

23

Procedure:
Plan interesting objects for the game
Let the students select a volunteer who stands in front of the class
with the object given completely hidden.
Let the other students ask him about the object.
Questioning him to get answers in Yes / No mode. Eg: Is it a
banana?
The volunteer replies without saying Yes / No, but describing it one
point at a time. Say, for the example above he can say its round in
shape.
Also set the time limit for identifying the object let the game go on and
declare the winner depending on when the time is exhausted / the object
here the volunteer answers in Yes / No.

ACTIVITY 12
Relay Race
Language focus

:
To
familiar with
Vegetables and Fruits.

enablethe Children to become more

Level

II,III, IV & V (Age: 7 10 years)

Duration

20 Min.

Nil

Materials required
Procedure:

24

 Let the Children sit in a circle.

Any one from the circle says a fruit /vegetable name. eg. Apple
The person sitting next to him, repeats the fruits name given by
him/her predecessor and says a new fruit/vegetable name. eg.
Apple, orange.
This process is continued till it reaches the person who started
initially.
Vegetable names:
Potato, Onion, Brinjal, Tomato, Carrot, Beans
Fruit names:
Apple, Banana, Grapes, Papaya, Orange, Pine apple, Pear.
ACTIVITY 13
ASK YOUR QUESTIONS
Language focus

To enablethe Children to enrich their

questioning skills.

Level

I &II

Duration

20 Min.

Pictures

Materials required
Procedure:

Divide the children into two groups.

Pictures will be given to them.
One group shows the picture and ask wh question.
The other group will answer.
Example :
25

1.What does the child eat?

The child eats an ice cream.

2.Where does the child go?

The child goes to school.
In the same way the activity can be done with other pictures.

26

ACTIVITY 14
MUSIC THERAPY
All man lucky man Luck member All man lucky man lucky number
one is fun. Fun a laka (3) fun

seven seven is heaven. Heaven a

laka (3) heaven

All man lucky man lucky number All man lucky man
two

z is shoe. Shoe a laka (3) lucky number eight

shoe

Eight is weight

weight a laka (3) weight

All man lucky man lucky number All man lucky man
three three is free. Free a laka (3) lucky number nine
free

nine is fine
fine a laka (3) fine

All man lucky man lucky number All man lucky man
four four is bore . Bore a laka (3) lucky number ten
Bore

ten is hen

Hen a laka (3) hen

All man lucky man lucky mumber All man lucky man
five five is dive. Dive a laka (3) sky

lucky number zero

zero is hero
Hero is laka (3) hero !

All man lucky man lucky number

six six is fix. Fix a laka (3) fun

***************DAY 1 ENDS ***************

DAY 2
Session I

RECAP OF DAY 1
27

Video clipping
A motivational video clipping (Never Give up) will be screened to the
participants. Interaction will follow.
Skim &Scan
(Reading Skill Activities)
Importance of Reading skills:
Reading is the shortest road to reach speaking and Writing
- Dr. West.
Early experience with print enhances reading success later in life. Reading
requires multiple skills and abilities. Most children begin to develop these skills
during their toddler years long before they have any understanding that marks on a
page convey mean a language rich environment in early childhood support literacy
skills later on.
Before he learns to read, a child usually learns to speak and critically to listen.
Good listening skills help a child develop a strong vocabulary and expand his
knowledge of concepts and facts. Conversation with parents, teachers and peers
strengthens a childs skill in verbal expression and increase his intellectual curiosity.
ACTIVITY 15 :Sentence Trace:

Language focus
Level
Duration

:To enable the students to develop their reading skills. To

develop sentence construction
: Standard I to V (Age 6 to 10)
: 15 Minutes

Materials Required: Picture stories

Procedure:

28

 With ready pictures ask the students to arrange the picture in

sequential order. Title is to be given by the students.

ACTIVITY 16 :Rhythmic Reading:

29

Language focus: To enable the children to read the passage rhythmically in

groups
To improve their reading and pronunciation
Level
: Standard III to V
Duration

: 20 Minutes

Materials Required: Printed Materials to each child

Procedure:
Divide the class into groups, ask the children to read the passage

rhythmically.
Rhythmic Reading
This is the house that jack built
This is the malt
That lay in the house
that jack built
This is the rat
That ate the malt
That lay in the house
that jack built
This is the cat
That killed the rat
That ate the malt
That lay in the house
that jack built
This is the dog
That worried the cat
That killed the vat
That ate the malt
That lay in the house
that jack built
This is the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog
That worried the cat
30

That killed the rat

That ate the malt
That lay in the house
that jack built
ACTIVITY 17
Hip, hip hurrah!
Language focus : To enable the children to read and comprehend.
To identify things.
To enable them to use figurative language
Level

:Standard III, IV to V (Age 8 to 10)

Duration

:20 Minutes

Materials Required : Handouts or pictures of the objects.

Procedure:
Divide the class into pairs.

Distribute the handouts with the captions and clues.

Let the children identify the objects.
Give the necessary clues. Once the object is identified, let them stick the
picture of the object in the place.
I.Mobile

Clues:
1. One of the most demanding needs
2. I am portable
3. Can be carried without much effort
4. Get something done quickly

II.Computer
31

Clues:
1. Gives the needed information within seconds
2. Connects the entire world
3. Children love to play with me
4. Brings the world into your room.
III.Fridge

Clues:
1. Preparation is never in excess
2. I can act without movement
3. I keep things in, as they are in condition
4. I can cool things.
Activity 18: Find out the owner

Language focus
Level

: To enable the students to give an idea of different

professions
: Standard III, IV to V (Age 8 to 10)

Duration

: 20 Minutes

Materials Required : Pictures of different shops.

Procedure:

Show the pictures of 5 shops in a row

Making them to tell the shops that belong to five business men

Toy shop

Book Shop
32

Cake Shop

Vegetable Market

Fruit Market

Shoe Shop

Activity I9: Captions

Language focus

: To enable the students to develop their creativity

skill

Level
: Standard II to V (Age 7 to 10)
Duration
: 20 Minutes
Materials Required
: News papers cutting of Advertisement.

Procedure:
33

 Collect the well known captions of the advertisement from the news
papers. Write the name of the brands and the captions on separate
flash cards
Divide the students into three groups. Distribute a set of captions and
brands to each group.
Ask them to match the captions and brands.
Declare the group which finishes earlier as the winner
Lastly ask the students to come out with their own captions for a few
brands

Find out the captions

34

Picture
Complan
Thumbs up
Airtel
Bajaj Pulser
Onida
Lays

Word
Crispy
Neighbours envy / Owners pride
The unshakable Bike
With you all the way
Taste the thunder
I am a complan boy

Session 2
ACTIVITY 20 : Fancy Phones (Homophones)
Language Focus

To train the learners to listen and identify the spelling.

To make them to say a pair of sounds

Level

Standard IV & V

Duration

20 Min

Materials required :

Flash cards, colour pencils, sketch pen

Procedure :

Divide the class into pairs

Write a set of sentences on flash cards introducing
homophones.

Ask the students to read the sentence.

Help the children to understand the homophones.

Ask them to choose the apt word for the given sentence and ask them
to pronounce the word correctly.
Sentences :
1. The sky is -----------(blue, blew) in colour.
2. We see with our ---------------(Ice, eyes).
3. Fetch a ----------(pail, pale) of water.
4. Nehru likes rose----------( flour, flower).
5. The --------- ( son, sun ) rises in the East.
6.

Th

ACTIVITY 21 : Join & Coin

35

Language Focus

Level

: To enable the learners to enrich their vocabulary

skills by making compound words.
To make them combine them words and make
them meaningful.
: Standard III,IV& V

Duration

Materials required :

20 Min
Flash cards, colour pencils, pie chart.

Procedure :
Divide the children into groups.
Give them flash cards and ask them to combine the words and make them
meaningful.
The group which finishes first is the winner.
Example :
Moon
Foot
Rain
Book
Honey

Light
Print
Bow
Worm
Comb

CLASSROOM ENGLISH e use of classroom English is a good beginning step for

encouraging students to feel comfortable in a foreign language and for them to begin
to think in that language. The more times they use the phrases, the comfortable
they will be. The goal is to get students to react in English, rather than in Tamil.
Below is a list of good classroom English expressions. Feel free to use
these or other that you find. You do not need to use every expression listed. You
can begin with a few expressions and gradually increase the number of expressions
you use in your class.
Before the Lesson
Greetings
Good morning, everyone.
Good afternoon, class.
How are you this morning Karthik?
Karthik, how are you today?
Do you have a cold?
What a lovely day!
What a rainy day!
Isnt it warm this morning?
Its a humid day, isnt it?
Today is very cold, isnt it?

Roll call
36

R Sangeetha?
Is Sumathi absent today?
Where is Mani?

Yes / Here
No, she is coming. Yes, shes absent.
He is absent. He is in the office.

Beginning the Lesson

Please sit down, everyone.
Lets begin todays lesson.
Its time to begin, please stop talking.
Lets quickly review the last lesson.
Try to answer my questions.
Right / Correct / Nearly Right / Close / Almost
Lets start on page 60. Lets start at line 10.
Turn to page 12.
Please look at the blackboard.
Look at your textbooks.
Now open your textbooks to page 33.
Come to the blackboard.
Write this down in your notebooks.
Pass back these sheets/handouts.
Reading
Please listen carefully (to me).
Repeat!
Repeat after me.
Velmurugan, you read Ishvarabalans part.
Read this out loud.
Kadhar Sheriff, begin reading at line 5.
Okay, stop there, thank you.
Next,Mariappan.
What is the Tamil word for . . . ?
How do you say it in English?
Please summarize the first paragraph.
What is the paragraph/section/story about?
Lets do some translation work.
Questions
Any questions?
Do you have any questions?
Now Im going to ask you some questions.
Who knows the answer?
37

Raise your hand.

Please raise your hand if you dont understand.
Try to answer by yourself.
Try again.
A full sentence, please.
Use a full sentence please.
Make a sentence.
Say it in a loud voice.
Louder, please!
Again, please.
Do you understand?
(I dont understand.)
(I dont know.)
(Please say it again.)
(Once more, please?)
Ending the Lesson
There will be no homework for today children!
For homework, please do the exercises on page 9.
Todays homework is . . .
Please read pages . . . to . . . for homework.
Tomorrow, well study Lesson 6.
Theres the bell.
Thats all for today.
The lesson is over for today.
Weve run out of time.
Goodbye, class.
See you on Friday.
Have a good day!
Have a nice weekend!
See you next week.
Good job today.
Teachers are asked to practice speaking these aloud as a chorus, as if
they are speaking with their children in the classroom.

38

Session 3
Pen it
(Writing skill developing activities)
Importance of writing skill:
Writing is a very important part of communication. In many ways it is through
writing that we can best express ourselves. Two main forms are structured writing
exercises and creative writing exercises. Through structured writing exercises are
helpful, free and creative writing should be highly encouraged.

To encourage

creative writing choose topics that are interesting (e.g. my favorite singer, etc.) of
course write encouraging comments so that students will be proved of their work. By
giving four class regular writing tasks, their writing tasks, their ability will gradually
improve.
ACTIVITY 22 : Greeting Cards
Language Focus

Increases the creativity of the learners

Improve the drawing skill and
Writing skill

Level

Standard IV & V

Duration

15 Min

Material required :

Flash cards, colour pencils, sketch pens.

Procedure:
Prepare greetings cards

Guide the students to fill in the blanks.

The teacher can also ask the students to prepare greeting cards on their
own and bring them to the class.

Ask the students to write the appropriate greetings.

ACTIVITY 23 : Dialogue Writing
Language Focus

To enable the learners to write simple dialogue

Level

Standard IV & V

Duration

20 Minutes

Material required :

Dialogues written in the block board or in a chart.

39

Procedure:

The teacher can practice simple dialogue on various content by giving them
cues.
Model:
A

Where is Kala?

She is in the playground

In the play ground

Yes, she is in the playground.

Where is _____?

She / he is ___________

_____________

Yes, he / she is _____________.

Practice:

Rani

In the garden

Lakshmi

In the kitchen

Gopi

On the train

Gopal

In the room

Mani
ACTIVITY 24 : Substitution Table
Language Focus

Level

Near the classroom

To enable the children to frame few sentences by

seeing the substitution table.
Standard III to V

Duration

15 Minutes

Materials required :

Substitution table written in a chart or on the block board.

Procedure:

By seeing the table the child has to select appropriate word from each column
to form a sentence. Eg. I met you last week.
I

Met

Me

Last week

We

Us

Last month

You

You

Last year

He

Him

She

Her
40

They

Them

ACTIVITY 25
Picture Description
Language Focus
:

To enable the children to grasp the picture and to

develop the writing skills

Level

Std V

Time

15 Min

Material required

Attractive pictures for groups

Procedure:

The teacher divides the children into groups and gives a picture to each
group. The children write few sentences about the picture.
ACTIVITY 26
Know Yourself
Language Focus

To enable the children to know something about them

and write it as a Bio-data

Level

Std IV & V

Time

15 Min

Material required

Printed sheets to fill the particulars

Procedure:

Guide the children to fill in the given particulars which will help them to know
about themselves
Name
Name of the School

Std:

Fathers Name

Mothers Name

Fathers occupation

Address

Phone No.

Fathers qualification

Mothers qualification

No. of Brothers

No. of Sisters

Your favorite Colours

Your favorite Food

Your favorite Game

:
41

Your favorite Teacher

ACTIVITY 27
Missing Vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
Language Focus
:
To enable learners to identify the vowels and use them
appropriately in the given dasher
Level
:
Standard III to V
Duration
:
15 Minutes
Material required
:
Picture chart
Procedure:
By inferring the picture given, the child has to fill in the blanks the suitable
vowels.
E.g

j_g

b_x

p_n

b_n

42

ACTIVITY 28 : COIN NEW WORDS

Language focus

: To enable the children to enrich their vocabulary by

framing new words from the given word.
Level
: Standard IV & V
Duration
:
15 Minutes
Materials required : Black board, notebook, pen
Procedure :
Divide the class into groups.
By using the letters in the given word, frame new words.
The group, which has framed more words, will be the winner.
Word : CATERPILLAR
Eg. Cat, pat, eat, etc.
Rhyme Time
Disappearing Chant
One, Two, Three
One, two, three,
Monkeys jump on a tree
Four, five, six,
All fall in a fix.
Seven, eight, nine,
They stand in a line.
When I say ten
They walk like men.
Ten, nine, eight,
Monkeys stand straight.
Seven, six, five,
All take a dive.
Four, three, two,
They run to a zoo.
When the clock struck one
Oh! Its a dream and fun.
White n Black Box
If I have a little
White box
I keep the Dos in
I take them out and
Mch Mch M..ch
And keep them in my heart.
43

If I have a little
Black box
I keep the Donts in
I take them out and
Stamp stamp stamp
And throw them to the bin.
Its I Its I

Its I, Its I, Its I

Who build community
Its I, Its I, Its I
Who build community
Its I, Its I, Its I
Who build community
Its I who build community.
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community. Its I, Its
I, Its I
Who build community.
Its you, Its you, Its you
Who build community
Its you, Its you, Its you
Who build community
Its you, Its you, Its you
Who build community
Its you who build community.
Roll over the ocean,
44

Roll over the sea,

Go and do your part and build community.
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.
Its we, Its we, Its we
Who build community
Its we, Its we, Its we
Who build community
Its we, Its we, Its we
Who build community
Its we who build community.
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.
Its I, Its you, Its we
Who build community
Its I, Its you, Its we
Who build community
Its I, Its you, Its we
Who build community
Its we who build community..
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.
Roll over the ocean,
Roll over the sea,
45

Go and do your part and build community.

Session 4 :
Chime Time
I

II

Hands on my sides

Hands on my sides

What is this dear?

What is this dear?

This is my head boiler

This is my eye blinker

Mummy my dear

Mummy my dear

Head boiler, head boiler

Eye blinker, head boiler

Tinkey, tinkey doo

Tinkey, tinkey doo

This is what I learnt

This is what I learnt

When I went to school

III
Hands on my sides

When I went to school

IV
Hands on my sides

What is this dear?

What is this dear?

This is my nose blower

This is my loud speaker

Mummy my dear

Mummy my dear

Nose blower Eye blinker, head boiler

Loud speaker Nose blower Eye blinker, head

Tinkey, tinkey doo

boiler

This is what I learnt

Tinkey, tinkey doo

When I went to school

This is what I learnt

V
Hands on my sides

When I went to school

VI
Hands on my sides

What is this dear?

What is this dear?

This is my chin chopper

This is my chest beater

Mummy my dear

Mummy my dear

Chin chapper, Loud speaker, Nose blower, Chest beater, Chin chopper, Loud speaker,
Eye blinker, head boiler

Nose blower, Eye blinker, head boiler

Tinkey, tinkey doo

Tinkey, tinkey doo

This is what I learnt

This is what I learnt

When I went to school

VII

When I went to school

VIII

46

Hands on my sides

Hands on my sides

What is this dear?

What is this dear?

This is my bread basket

This is my hip dancer

Mummy my dear

Mummy my dear

Bread basket, Chest beater, Chin chopper, Hip dancer, Bread basket, Chest beater, Chin
Loud speaker, Nose blower, Eye blinker, head chopper, Loud speaker, Nose blower, Eye
boiler

blinker, head boiler

Tinkey, tinkey doo

Tinkey, tinkey doo

This is what I learnt

This is what I learnt

When I went to school

When I went to school

IX

Hands on my sides

Hands on my sides

What is this dear?

What is this dear?

This is my Knee bender

This is my Foot walker

Mummy my dear

Mummy my dear

Knee bender, Hip dancer, Bread basket, Foot walker, Knee bender, Hip dancer, Bread
Chest beater, Chin chopper, Loud speaker, basket, Chest beater, Chin chopper, Loud
Nose blower, Eye blinker, head boiler

speaker, Nose blower, Eye blinker, head

Tinkey, tinkey doo

boiler

This is what I learnt

Tinkey, tinkey doo

When I went to school

This is what I learnt

When I went to school

Son

How is it?

Mother

Super

Final Session :Evaluation and Feed Back

***************DAY 2 ENDS ***************

47

For the Teachers of English

Listen to English-Language Channels/Radio
TV News Programs
Refer to Dictionaries
As with any language, it is important to practice hearing, speaking, reading,
and writing English regularly in order to maintain or improve confidence and ability
when communicating.This is true of everyone, regardless of their level of English
proficiency.

The following are some suggestions that Indian teachers can easily use in
order to establish regular exposure to English, right here in Tamil. These
suggestions are specifically for teachers to employ for the sake of their OWN English
exposure.However, most of these ideas can also be used in the classroom!
Listen to English-Language Radio
1.

You can listen to these broadcasts in your free time, in the bus, or
even use them in your classroom on a regular basis. Some
examples of English-language broadcasts are:

TV News Programs -the BBC World Service

2.Watch Movies in English

This can be a fun way to practice listening to naturally-spoken English. If

possible, try watching a movie without Tamil subtitles, and see how much of the story
you can understand in English and through body language. A big part of
communicating in English is watching body language and gestures. Therefore,
watching movies provides even more natural exposure to real-life English language
communication.
3.Read an English Language Newspaper or Magazine
Subscribe to an English language newspaper and find interesting articles to bring
into your classroom.Most publishers will send you a sample edition if you ask for it.
Some now even offer reduced subscription rates for schools. You can also read
newspapers online.
4.Record Your Own Voice
In order to memorize important words and sentences, write them down in your
notebook and / or record them on tape.Listen to the tape in your car on the way to
school. Don't underestimate imitation. It is the beginning of everything in
language learning!
5.Write in English
Find time to write in English. For example, while you are listening to a speech or
sitting in a meeting (conducted in Tamil), why not take notes or translate the main
points into English?
48

6.Keep a Diary in English You don't have to write every day, but set aside time on
a regular basis to write about what you feel or about an interesting experience.
Writing in English is excellent practice, because you learn immediately what
grammatical points you have the most trouble with. Foreign language diaries also
provide you with a greater personal motivation to learn new vocabulary and new
ways of expressing information. For example:

Monday
26th February,
2002
This morning I woke up at around 7:30 am and had breakfast. After a bath, I
travelled to school by bus. On the way, I listened to my favorite cine songs. When I
got to school, I had lots of preparation to do for the 1 st grade class.
During
the
class,
the
TOE
taught
me
a
new
phrase:
"Beating around the bush" means to hint around the subject (but not actually say it, to be
vague or indirect.)
7.Take tests such as TOEFL, IELTS etc.
Attempt these tests, or a UN Official English Test.If you pass the tests, you can be
more confident of your English ability. If you don't pass, but your score increases
the next time, you can still see how much your English is improving.Don't give up!
8.Speak ONLY English in your class
It seems obvious that you should speak English in your class most of the time. If
you speak English from the start with a new class, they will become more used to
listening to and responding in English. This can be done through Non-verbal
Communicative Teaching too.
9.Attend Seminars for English Teachers
I would have been the same person I was ten years ago, if it were not for the
books I read and the people I met.
-George Bernard Shaw
SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) is a gold mine of learningopportunities and is
constantly looking out for efficient and enthusiastic teachers for capacity building
trainings and in turn function as Master Trainers for its various programs. In
educational society today, there are a lot of good seminars available during the
summer vacation. Some are even held abroad. British Council is one website
which every TOE must visit to get the latest updates. There is an engaging link on
CPD Continuous Professional Development, for every Professional in the realm of
education.Seminars are provided there as well.Learning any foreign language is a
life-long process.Keep at it- you will see the results.
10.Explore the Internet
Access to personal computers and the internet is steadily increasing in Indian
schools.The internet is a great source of information, and the best part (at least for
English teachers) is that most of the information is in English. There are literally
49

thousands of home pages on nearly every subject imaginable for you to enjoy.The
added benefit is that your English will be improving at the same time. There
are many search engines available to help you find the information you want. These
sites have a lot of information on education-related topics. If you have more time,
wander around the internet sites and take them wherever they lead. You may start
looking for one thing and wind up finding something altogether different and more
interesting!If you don't have much time, but want to get a small sampling of what is
available, try checking out English-language web sites to start with.
11.Socialize with Other English Speaking people
Converse about topics unrelated to lesson planning or specific classes.
Make sure to foster the sense that this is a social conversation, not a work-related
discussion session. This is extremely valuable authentic experience with English
communication.
12.English Dictionaries
It is necessary for a teacher of English to have a real English dictionary which
defines words in English. An English to English dictionary will define the word in
easy English for each of its meanings.This is also very helpful when teaching new
words using alternatives to translation.English - English dictionaries also help with
expressions and phrases. The expression "break-neck speed", for example, is
defined as "dangerously fast". Without the use of an English- English dictionary, it
is difficult to understand and use these types of expressions.In addition to English
dictionaries, there are "thesauri".A thesaurus gives similar and opposite words for
each entry.These books are commonly used for crossword puzzles and for people
who want to increase their vocabulary. These types of dictionaries are also
excellent for defining words in different English for vocabulary tests!There are many
different dictionaries available, all for different purposes. "College" dictionaries are
probably the most practical and useful for English teachers. Regular use of
English dictionaries will further your understanding of English, and help improve your
vocabulary.It is also a great aid towards avoiding translation in your classes.
Continuous learning is the key to improving and maintaining you current level of
English.Good luck!

50

REFERENCES

Functional Grammar and Spoken English.

Training on English Language Teaching Skills for Para Teachers.

Communicative Skills in English.

Act, Action, Activity RIESI Bengaluru.

Websites:http://www2.education.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.Bilash/best
%20of%20bilash/multipleintelligences.html

www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html

Article References:
Rivers W.M. The Psychologist and Foreign Language Teaching
(Appendix 1964)
Murgatroyd S. Counselling and Helping (Methuen 1985)

51

Annexure
1. Anagram
Anagram is a word building exercise. New words are formed with the letters of the
words already given.
Make on Anagram from each of the ten words given:
Eg. Care - acre
1. Does
2. Draw
3. Listen
4. Name
5. Rate
6. Salt
7. Stop
8. Tire
9. Words
10. Art
2.Action Mime
Make the students understand various action words with this miming activity. The
teacher mimes the action, says the action word, students repeat word.
This activity is useful to introduce as many action words as possible.s
3.Find the missing partner
Alarm clock
Table tennis
1. Time ..
2. Cell.
3. Police.
4. Tooth.
5. Head..
6. Tape.
7. Home
8. Foot.
9. Torch.
10. Sea
4.Alphabetic professions
ABCDEF-

Actor
Banker
Collector
Doctor
Engineer
Farmer
52

G- Governor
H- Headmaster
I- Inspector
J- Judge
K- King
L- Lawyer
M- Mayor
N- Nurse
O- Officer
P- Pilot
Q- Queen
R- Registrar
S- Supervisor
T- Teacher
U- Umpire
V- Vendor
W- Writer
X- Xylographer
Y- Yeoman
Z- Zoologist
5.Tongue twisters
1.RED BULB BLUE BULB RED BULB BLUE BULB
2. I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch
wishes, I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.
3.Bubble bobble, bubble bobble, bubble bobble
4.Kacha papaya pacca papaya Kacha papaya pacca papaya Kacha papaya pacca
papaya.
5.Double bubble gum, bubbles double.
6.Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make
the bitter butter better.
7.A sailor went to sea To see, what he could see. And all he could see Was sea, sea,
sea.
8.A box of mixed biscuits, a mixed biscuit box.
9.Upper roller lower roller Upper roller lower roller.
10.Purple Paper People, Purple Paper People, Purple Paper People
11.I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
12.She sells sea shells on the sea shore she sells sea shells no more
53

13.baboon bamboo, baboon bamboo, baboon bamboo, baboon bamboo, baboon

bamboo, baboon bamboo......
14.Black bug's blood.
15.Crisp crusts crackle and crunch.
6.Pangrams:
Pangrams are sentences that use every letter of the alphabet.

The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

How quickly daft jumping zebras vex.

7.Spoonerisms
Spoonerisms are words or phrases in which letters or syllables get swapped. This
often happens accidentally in slips of the tongue (or tips of the slung as
Spoonerisms are often affectionately called!):

Tease my ears (Ease my tears)

A lack of pies (A pack of lies)

It's roaring with pain (It's pouring with rain)

Wave the sails (Save the whales)

Cat flap (Flat cap)

Bad salad (Sad ballad)

Soap in your hole (Hope in your soul)

Mean as custard (Keen as mustard)

Plaster man (Master plan)

Pleating and humming (Heating and plumbing)

Trail snacks (Snail tracks)

Sale of two titties (Tale of two cities)

Flock of bats (Block of flats)

54

Chewing the doors (Doing the chores)

55

 .
cut here

Evaluation Questionnaire
Module for class room communicative English BRC Level (2 days) 2012-13
This module has been prepared with, the focus on developing communicative
English in the class rooms.
Please help us to improve and develop our services further by completing this
brief questionnaire
How far will this module help to improve communication skills.
Circle one number on a scale between 0 and 10 where 0 = very unlikely to help;
10= very likely to help.

10

Very unlikely to help

Very likely to help

What benefit did you expect to gain from taking part in this

training?
Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each
of the following statements.

Neither
Strongly
agree
Strongly
Agree
Disagree
agree
nor
disagree
disagree
3. This training met my
expectations
4. Overall, this was a high
quality training
5. These activities can
be implemented
in my
class

56

6. Please comment on how well we did or did not meet your

expectations.

Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree
with each of the following statements.

Neither
Strongly
agree

Agree

agree
nor

Disagree

Strongly
disagree

disagree
7. Training relevance to
your class room

8. Do you have any suggestions on how we could improve similar trainings in

the future ? What other types of trainings/ events would you be interested in
attending in the future?

57

Data Protection
The information that you proved on this form will be used for the purpose of
statistical and state analysis.
Your personal details will not be disclosed for commercial or other reasons.
Name:_____________________________________________________
Job Title: ___________________________________________________
Organisation/School: _________________________________
e-mail address: ______________________________________________
Contact telephone number:_____________________________________
Postal address: ______________________________________________

58

Evaluation Questionnaire
Module for class room communicative English BRC Level (2 days) 201213
This module has been prepared with, the focus on developing
communicativeEnglish in the class rooms.
Please help us to improve and develop our services further by
completing this brief questionnaire

How
far
will
this
module
help
to
improve
communicationskills? Circle one number on a scale between 0 and
10 where 0 = very unlikely to help; 10= very likely to help.
0

Very unlikely to help

10

Very likely to help

What benefit did you expect to gain from taking part in this
training?

Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which you agree or
disagree with each of the following statements.

Neither
Strongly
agree
Strongly
Agree
Disagree
agree
nor
disagree
disagree
3. This training met
my expectations
4. Overall, this was a
59

high quality training

5. These activities
can be implemented
in my class

6. Please comment on how well we did or did not meet your

expectations.

Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which you agree or
disagree with each of the following statements.

Neither
Strongly
agree
Strongly
Agree
Disagree
agree
nor
disagree
disagree
7. Training relevance
to your class room

8. Do you have any suggestions on how we could improve similar

trainings in the future ? What other types of trainings/ events would you
be interested in attending in the future?

60

Data Protection
The information that you proved on this form will be used for the purpose
of statistical and state analysis.
Your personal details will not be
reasons.

disclosed for commercial or other

Name:____________________________________________________
Job Title: _______________________________________________
Organisation/Company/School: _______________________________
e-mail address: __________________________________________
Contact telephone number:___________________________________
Postal address: ____________________________________________

61