By Mayra Yaranga
It is almost the end of the year and our
students might be counting down the days left to go on holidays. Together with
this excitement we can also discern some other less cheerful feelings, such as
stress, tiredness and anxiety. How to get the most of these last weeks and turn
those negative feelings into a healthier environment? Here are some
suggestions.
Checking progress
It is hard not to think of evaluation when the
end of the term arrives. There are likely to be aspects to continue working on,
but it is highly rewarding to have students highlight how much progress they
have made. Our students’ sense of achievement could be boosted, for instance,
by asking them to create and award “diplomas” to each other, in order to praise
their effort, performance, etc.
Content is always there
Christmas and the forthcoming summer holidays
prove to be very compelling topics for any kind of classwork to close the academic
year. For this reason, teachers can take advantage of them to provide
meaningful language content and work on the four skills. Even the simplest of
tasks, such as creating a Christmas card, will involve intensive exposure and
use of the language. However, we must remember that every activity needs to
have a clear and feasible communicative goal supporting it.
Seize every opportunity to help your students
improve their language skills, even if it is the end of the year!
Now it’s YOUR turn.
What activities have you planned for
the end of the academic year?
Biodata
Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate
studies in Education at UNIFÉ; she holds a Master’s Degree in Media, Culture
and Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in
Education from UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada from IPNM.
Currently she works as Pedagogical Specialist, Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for Universidad
del Pacífico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and an Associate
Professor at UNIFÉ. She has published papers in the fields of English Language
Teaching and Cultural Studies.
