Photos are a great way for promoting discussion in the ESL classroom, and here's a selection I put together for my EM Normandie students. The original idea was to use the photos to practise Part One of the TOEIC Listening and Reading exam, where candidates see a photo, hear four statements about it, and have to choose the one that best describes the picture. However, there are many other ways in which they can be used, depending on the content of the photo. I've listed a few ideas below.
IDEAS FOR USING PHOTOS IN CLASS
1. Display the photo on a screen for the whole class. Put class into groups and see how many vocabulary items they can come up with relating to the photo.
2. Get students to write four statements about the photo, only one of which is true (like in the TOEIC exam).
3. Students work in pairs. One closes their eyes and the other has to describe the photo displayed on the screen.
4. Show students a photo and get them to speculate about what's happening, what happened before, and what's going to happen (good for practising tenses).
5. Get students to find their own photos and talk about them to the class.
6. Print a selection of photos in colour on A4 sheets and laminate them. You can then do without the videoprojector and get students working in pairs or groups.
2. Get students to write four statements about the photo, only one of which is true (like in the TOEIC exam).
3. Students work in pairs. One closes their eyes and the other has to describe the photo displayed on the screen.
4. Show students a photo and get them to speculate about what's happening, what happened before, and what's going to happen (good for practising tenses).
5. Get students to find their own photos and talk about them to the class.
6. Print a selection of photos in colour on A4 sheets and laminate them. You can then do without the videoprojector and get students working in pairs or groups.
I could go on but there are literally dozens of other ways you could use these or other photos. In fact, Jamie Keddie has written a whole book about using images, appropriately called 'Images'.
NOTE
You can download the original PowerPoint presentation, in which I've added explanatory notes for some of the photos, here.
You can download the original PowerPoint presentation, in which I've added explanatory notes for some of the photos, here.
ALSO SEE
• How English language teachers can use pictures in class (British Council)
• 10 Activities - Using Pictures in Class (ELT-Connect)
• The Best Ways To Use Photos In Lessons (Larry Ferlazzo)
• How to Teach With Our Picture Prompts (New York Times)
• How English language teachers can use pictures in class (British Council)
• 10 Activities - Using Pictures in Class (ELT-Connect)
• The Best Ways To Use Photos In Lessons (Larry Ferlazzo)
• How to Teach With Our Picture Prompts (New York Times)
