abstract of "Try the opposite!"
During the workshop, we will pretend we are teaching at a school with the admonition TRY THE OPPOSITE! displayed in every classroom. Beneath the admonition are these rules:
N e v o a s t d w.
N a s t u w i a s t i t m.
N e g o a s t e g.
N a a s q-w q s a “W d t m?” o “W c w s t r t t?”
N a s t r o c w o s.
N a s t r o a t e a g t t p l.
N s w s a “v g, e, w” a s r.
N p d l p.
N t s w t a g t l d a l.
Or
Never explain vocabulary or ask students to define words.
Never ask students to use words in a sentence to illustrate their meaning.
Never explain grammar or ask students to explain grammar.
Never answer any student’s question-word questions such as “What does this mean?” or “Why can’t we say this rather than that?”
Never ask students to repeat or copy words or sentences.
Never ask students to read orally as their eyes are glued to the printed lines.
Never say words such as “very good, excellent, wonderful” after students respond.
Never prepare detailed lesson plans.
Never tell students what they are going to learn during a lesson.
During the workshop, we will generate ways to follow the admonition and follow the rules listed below the admonition. To ensure that the alternative practices are related to your day-to-day teaching, please bring one of the textbooks you use to the workshop. One of my central goals will be to illustrate ways you can with much less time and energy generate alternative activities with whatever textbooks you are using.
information about the presenter:
John has been involved in exploring teaching since 1961 in many countries, including many years in Japan. He believes that the only way to understand teaching is to transcribe short segments of lessons and analyze them in a playful way from many perspectives, much as those interested in drama analyze plays to understand them. Analysis to John means asking how activities we think are good are bad and how activities we think are bad are good.
