STORIES
Using stories in MFL with students who have SEN helps a student to learn structures and word forms. For example when teaching A) the past tense we can use a story or a fairy tale in past tense. Nice pictures make the story more attractive. The student first reads the story or somebody reads it for him/her. Then the student trains to pick the verbs in past tense. Later the student may learn the story or parts of it by heart and learns to tell the story or parts of it orally. He/She can then make own stories in past tense later on. Through the story it is easier to learn the verb forms and structures - for example negation and questions.
B) Prepositions can also be taught or rehearsed through a story or a fairy tale. Find or make a funny story that contains a lot of preposition expressions. It doesn't have to be a long one but if the story captures the interest of the student he/she will find it easier to learn the use of prepositions.
Using stories in MFL with students who have SEN helps a student to learn structures and word forms. For example when teaching A) the past tense we can use a story or a fairy tale in past tense. Nice pictures make the story more attractive. The student first reads the story or somebody reads it for him/her. Then the student trains to pick the verbs in past tense. Later the student may learn the story or parts of it by heart and learns to tell the story or parts of it orally. He/She can then make own stories in past tense later on. Through the story it is easier to learn the verb forms and structures - for example negation and questions.
B) Prepositions can also be taught or rehearsed through a story or a fairy tale. Find or make a funny story that contains a lot of preposition expressions. It doesn't have to be a long one but if the story captures the interest of the student he/she will find it easier to learn the use of prepositions.
WORD CARDS
It’s useful to let the students learn words and expressions with the help of so called word cards. You can make them yourself. Write a word or expression on a piece of cardboard, on one side in the mother tongue and on the other side in the target language.
The cards can be used in both ways – either from the mother tongue to the target language or from the target language to the mother tongue. The students can work either with a pair or alone. The students have said word cards are an effective way to learn words and expressions.
It’s useful to let the students learn words and expressions with the help of so called word cards. You can make them yourself. Write a word or expression on a piece of cardboard, on one side in the mother tongue and on the other side in the target language.
The cards can be used in both ways – either from the mother tongue to the target language or from the target language to the mother tongue. The students can work either with a pair or alone. The students have said word cards are an effective way to learn words and expressions.
MOVING WHILE STUDYING
For students who have major problems with concentrating on written material only:
In a small group
Students with concentration problems have it easier to concentrate when sitting on a big exercise ball balancing at the same time while learning by heart new words in a foreign language. Sometimes the words may be learned by heart even with the help of a rhythm, for example the irregular verb forms in English. The student can move in the rhythm while saying or repeating the different verb forms.
In a normal study group with different kind of learners
Pupils should be allowed to have small breaks during the lesson and they should be allowed to move in the classroom. The pupils who have ADHD should not be told that they aren´t allowed to move during the lessons.
If possible you could even have an exercise cycle in the classroom. ADHD and other hyperactive pupils could cycle for a minute or two when necessary. The other pupils will get used to it after a while.
For students who have major problems with concentrating on written material only:
In a small group
Students with concentration problems have it easier to concentrate when sitting on a big exercise ball balancing at the same time while learning by heart new words in a foreign language. Sometimes the words may be learned by heart even with the help of a rhythm, for example the irregular verb forms in English. The student can move in the rhythm while saying or repeating the different verb forms.
In a normal study group with different kind of learners
Pupils should be allowed to have small breaks during the lesson and they should be allowed to move in the classroom. The pupils who have ADHD should not be told that they aren´t allowed to move during the lessons.
If possible you could even have an exercise cycle in the classroom. ADHD and other hyperactive pupils could cycle for a minute or two when necessary. The other pupils will get used to it after a while.