This video is a panel discussion about teaching English without textbooks. The speakers share ideas and activities that can be done in the classroom without relying on a textbook.
The first speaker, Algra Nikolova, discusses three alternatives to the hangman game that can be used to practice vocabulary. These alternatives are:
- Sharks: Students guess letters to guess a word, but they only get to make three mistakes before they are eaten by sharks.
- Stars: This is a competitive game that is played in groups. Teams take turns giving each other words to guess. The team with the most mistakes at the end of the game loses.
- Rectangles and Squares: Students guess letters to guess a word, but instead of drawing lines, the teacher draws rectangles and squares depending on the shape of the letter. This activity can be done with single words or with multiple words at the same time.
The second speaker, Daniel Cook, discusses an activity that can be used to practice the third conditional. In this activity, students write if clauses on slips of paper. Then, they take turns picking a slip of paper and completing the sentence with a main clause. This activity can also be used to practice other grammatical structures, such as inverted conditionals, relative clauses, and concessive clauses.
The third speaker, Nnete Benuku, discusses how low-tech resources, such as mobile phones, can be used to teach communicative skills. She describes a project that she did with her students where they used a call-in radio show to practice their English. Students would call in and answer questions or participate in discussions.
The speakers all agree that there are many ways to teach English without textbooks. By using a variety of activities and resources, teachers can create engaging and effective lessons for their students.
