Page 22 - ELG1807 July Issue 459

COMMENT .

Point conversation that encourages language

teachers to objectively analyse both materials
of View and activities that they use in the classroom.
For example, just because an activity is
deemed fun by an anonymous bod online,
Sarah Priestley does that necessarily make it effective?
If we consider the plethora of materials
and Tom Flaherty that flow from certain online ELT websites,
you could be forgiven for believing that
No more funny ‘fun’ is becoming an increasingly common
benchmark from which to measure lesson
success. In a highly subjective profession,
what constitutes a ‘successful’ lesson? More
business? there a set of objective criteria that can be
importantly, though, what is ‘fun’, and are
followed?
Fun is often perceived as an enjoyable
experience that is not particularly taxing. We
Teachers Sarah Priestley and Tom Flaherty call on take the view, though, that learning can be
those working in the ELT industry to re-consider fun because it is challenging, rather in spite
of it.
the role of ‘fun’ in the classroom Indeed, as the academic Terry Barrett says:
‘Fun without hardness is frivolity; hardness is
drudgery.’ In ELT, where does the pendulum
ear ELT colleagues, Is this open letter suggesting that ‘fun’ mostly swing? It’s clear that a lot depends
A quick Google search will return should be abolished from the ELT classroom? on how fun is used, and how subsequent
millions of hits for ‘fun’ activities No, far from it – a plethora of research activities are designed and used. With this in
Din English language teaching, mind, are running dictations the best use of
including, among many others, how to inject You could be forgiven ‘fun’ in the classroom?
‘fun’ into grammar practice. Claim #2: The coursebook is dull so I
What do we mean by ‘fun’, though? How is for believing that ‘fun’ is like to add some fun activities to liven
it put to use in the profession? becoming an increasingly things up.
More importantly, is fun being used as a Ultimately, more effort needs to be directed
smokescreen to detract away from other issues common benchmark towards training teachers to become more
in ELT? aware of their learners’ needs, providing them
In this open letter, we’d like to examine from which to measure with the skills needed to create activities that
why we make things ‘fun’ in the classroom, are relevant, meaningful and challenging.
and question the status quo these claims lesson success It may well be that the coursebook is not to
seems to have. your liking and includes run-of-the-mill ELT
Claim #1: Fun creates a positive, supports the notion that fun learning equals topics and language items for the teacher and
motivating atmosphere that’s effective learning. class to analyse and faithfully reproduce.
conducive to learning. What this letter is hoping to start is a After all, no coursebook is ever perfect and

22 July 2018

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