Stephen Krashen once wrote “Motivational and attitudinal considerations are prior to linguistic considerations. If the affective filter is ‘up’, no matter how beautifully the input is sequenced, no matter how meaningful and communicative the exercise is intended to be, little or no acquisition will take place.” As August approaches, and with it the start of school, it’s a great time to look at ways we can lower the affective filter in our language classrooms and create a positive rapport and interconnection where learning can thrive. Check out these five first day community building activities to get your class off on the right foot. Continue reading
Category Archives: Icebreaker
Color Cards Discussion
This is a great activity that can be adapted for many different discussions. Whether it’s a discussion about a book students are reading in class or a first-week community building activity, these cards are great. Students get half of the questions in advance, so they can think about what they will say. As the discussion progresses, a grid of questions forms on the table. Continue reading
Friendship Quilt
At the start of every semester, we all face the task of finding ways to get our students comfortable and connected. One activity that I’ve used is the friendship quilt discussion where students ask four classmates four questions to get to know them better. Continue reading
Picture Collage
I love using pictures in my classes. They can be interesting, engaging, and also give students a starting place for talking. One great way to use pictures in your classroom is to use a picture collage. This activity gets students up out of their chairs and talking with different classmates. Continue reading
Things In Common
This activity is a staple of my first-week routine. I find that time spent on community building is time well spent. I always try and establish a positive environment where students are not only classmates but are also friends. Asking students to find things that they have in common with their classmates helps them see the places where their lives and interests intersect. Continue reading
