What is her name?
I stressed the
“her” as much as I could but my pre-entry ESOL students’ faces remained blank
as they stared at a picture of Meghan Markle.
Like many people
in the UK I had bought into the whole royal wedding shebang and planned a
lesson around the Windsors and the Markles. In this case, the focus would be on
introductions, a subject we had covered previously but to which I wanted to
come back using the royal shindig as class material. I was really pleased with
myself and the fact my lesson would be as student-led as possible. The lead-in
would be a photo of the happy couple, Meghan and Harry, the hand-over to
students would be swift and smooth and the practice stage productive. There was
one element, however, I didn’t count on.
My learners did
not know much about the royals.
There it was on
the wall, the family tree diagram I had so carefully printed off the net
showing the lineage from Queen Elizabeth II to the latest addition, Prince
Louis. Yet, my students, spanning continents from Asia to America, and
countries from Pakistan to Ecuador, only recognised William. I panicked in the
same way a theatre director panics when their leading actor or actress falls
ill on opening night and their understudy has lost their voice. What to do now?
Well, time for
some improvisation – having been part of an impro troupe back in my uni days, I
developed then very handy skills that have served me well over the years. For
instance, how to turn a potentially failing lesson into a successful one with a
simple sleight of hand and some thespian tricks – and concept checking
questions. Is the woman’s name William? No, it isn’t (well, even Harry would
have been surprised at that one!). Is her name Elizabeth II? (they knew who the
Queen was) No, it isn’t and I for one can’t see the newly-minted Duchess of
Sussex applying for the top job anytime soon.
Next it was a
controlled practice activity. I chose a multiple-choice question with just one
correct answer. Is the woman’s name a) Elizabeth II b)Meghan Markle c)William?
They all called
out at the same time, in different accents and using various pronunciations:
Meghan Markle! I carried on playing devil’s advocate for a few seconds, broad
smile on my face. So, it’s not Elizabeth II (no). And it’s not William (no).
No, it is not, I said. Or no,
it isn’t. I decided to throw in a bit of language feedback to ensure that
their answers, whilst correct, still included the full structure.
First hurdle
overcome I grew in confidence. I moved on to the productive stage. I normally
use puppets in my lessons as ice-breakers and to make them more fun and
entertaining. Also, to bring the child in us back out. William. Elizabeth and
Meghan lost their titles and became plain Bill, Liz and Meg, a cat, a dog and a
bear. Introductions were practised. Then, the new content was presented: This is my friend…His/Her name is… My
learners took to it pretty well. Even the usually shy ones in the room
contributed actively. My personal aim of maintaining a good pace and giving out
clearer instructions was working.
Still in the
productive and final stage, I marched on. Here is where most beginners’ level
teachers stumble. Learners can easily get used to the teacher doing all the
work whilst they only answer controlled practice exercises. Their attitude at
times can come across as uncooperative. Yet, all they are doing is showing
their lack of knowledge of the target language and their insecurity in acquiring
said language. No wonder they refuse to leave their comfort zone. Hence the quick
hand-over at the start of the lesson ensures both parties know what is expected
of them. In my case, I had made up little cards, each with a (very) short bio
of Harry, Meghan, William and Kate. After reading them, the students were
expected to role-play between themselves.
Up stood the
first two, a man and a woman. After the usual hellos, the introductions:
My name is Henry Charles Albert David, but you can
call me Harry, what is your name?
My name is Meghan Markle. Nice to meet you.
-
Nice to meet you, too. Where are you from?
-
I am from the United States of America. And you, where
are you from?
-
I am from Great Britain.
-
OK, bye.
-
Bye.
We all clapped
the pair and ended the lesson there on a high. I am sure that some of them went
home desperate to show off to their family what they had learnt in class and
what to answer if they were ever asked “What
is her name?”, a picture of a beaming Meghan Markle in hand.
© 2018
