May 17, 2017

Visual Resources for Teaching and Learning

a presentation by Emilia Frînculeasă, teacher of English

at “Radu Vlădescu” Theoretical High School

May 17, 2017

As teachers of English, we all

know what VAK refers to.

The VAK (Visual, Auditory and

Kinesthetic) model of learning styles

also implies that there are preferred

ways of learning which should be

taken into account when selecting

the teaching methods and resources.

Did you know that humans are

visual creatures and most of us

process information based on

what we see?

In fact, according to a study by

Social Science Research Network

conducted in 2013, 65 percent of

us are visual learners.

“A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.”

- they are visual thinkers who must see something in order to understand

and internalize it;

- they have a keen sense of observation and are able to focus on the big

picture without ignoring or neglecting the minor details;

- they need to sit close enough to the teacher to pick up visual cues which

will help them remember the information;

- they need visual input as they often think in images, not words or sounds,

and their minds can only capture mental pictures of the material;

- they may have difficulty with oral directions, especially those with more

than two steps, and often look to see what everyone else is doing.

WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT VISUAL LEARNERS?

VISUAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

PHOTOS, POSTERS, CHARTS, DIAGRAMS, COMICS, CARTOONS,

FLASHCARDS, POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS, MAPS, SLIDES,

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, WORD CLOUDS, ANIMATED SHORT FILMS,

ILLUSTRATIONS, PICTURE PROMPTS, DRAWINGS, MULTIMEDIA ETC.

According to Wikipedia, a flashcard or flash card is a set of

cards bearing information, such as words or numbers, on

either or both sides, used in classroom drills or in private

study.

LOOK AT THE BLACK AND WHITE FLASHCARD

ILLUSTRATING 35 ANIMALS.

WHAT TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES WOULD

YOU USE WITH IT ?

Grammar and vocabulary content:The (in)definite article (a/an; the)Common nouns (car, street, bicycle etc.)The plural of nouns (women, roofs etc.)Place prepositions (on the pavement, inthe street, between the taxi and the bus,in front of the cinema, near the park etc.The numeral (How many people/(motor) vehicles/trees can you see in the picture?)There is/There are.../Is there/Are there…?Adjectives (young/old/fast/delicious etc.)

Places in town (cinema, drugstore, bar) , buildings, jobs (taxi driver, policeman), means of transport (fire truck, lorry, bus) animals (cat, dogs, birds), clothes & accessories (uniform, blouse, suit, T-shirt, dress, tie, handbag, belt, eyeglasses etc.)

British English vs. American English

Verbs - The Present Tense Continuous What are the children doing?Who is directing the traffic?What is the man with glasses wearing?

1) Colouring dictations

These are ideal activities for young visual learners who have to listen and colour following a

set of oral instructions such as: The blocks of flats are white. The building on the right is pink.The taxi is yellow. The young woman’s blouse is orange. The old woman is wearing a bluedress. Evaluating this type of activity is easy if the teacher has a finished version of the picture

(with all the colours) which is big enough for them to compare with their own versions.

2) Drawing dictations or finish/complete- the- picture dictations:

Draw a motorcycle behind the policeman. There are three benches in the park. There is ayoung man driving the bus. There is a rainbow in the sky. There are two hamsters in the petshop window. There is a zebra crossing (sign) in front of the cinema.

3) Hide- and- seek

The young learners are asked to draw something simple like a football or a mouse and hide it

somewhere in the picture. Then, the teacher or another pupil tries to identify the location of the

object/ animal by asking yes/no questions: Is it in the air? Is it under the flowerpot? Is it infront of the drugstore? Is it behind the bus? Is it in the street? Is it near the children?

TYPES OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES USING VISUAL AIDS

4) Communicative activities

- Ask the students to say something they like best/ dislike about the picture

and why. E.g. I like the firemen because they save lives.

- Ask the students to answer Wh- questions about the picture:

• What do you notice first about the picture?• What is the weather like in the picture?• What, if any, words can you see?• Who is your favourite character? • Where is the fire truck going?• Which means of transport do you prefer?• How old do you think the children are?• When do fire trucks use light and sirens?• What colour is a police uniform in our country?• Who looks happy/ sad/ tired/ worried/ angry?

http://www.phschool.com/eteach/social_studies/2003_05/essay.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2013/01/08/what-is-an-infographic-and-ways-to-make-it-go-viral/#1310a1017272

http://www.icaltefl.com/colouring-dictation

Exploring ENGLISH 1, Workbook, Tim Harris and Allan Rowe

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/sites/default/files/funwithflashcards.pdf

https://www.slideshare.net/sheilaorrit/tips-for-visual-learners-treball-14855722

FOR THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES:

FOR YOUR ATTENTION! THANK YOU!!!