Drills using voice parameters, facial expressions and gestures
(Drilling (Warm-up Activities))

High Drill

• Raise the card with a picture above your head; in a high tone voice, practise the IT’S A/AN + noun structure.

Aids:

flashcards

Alternative:

This method may be used for practising verbs, e.g. the -ING form of verbs: Tom is jumping, The girl is reading etc. It may also be used for adjectives: It’s a black cat/yellow banana/happy child.

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Low Drill

• Show children a picture, bend over, and lower the hand holding the picture to the ground; in the deepest possible tone of voice, practise the IT’S A/AN + a noun structure.

Aids:

flashcards

Alternative:

This method may be used for practising verbs, e.g. the -ING form of verbs: Tom is jumping, The girl is reading etc. It may also be used for adjectives: It’s a black cat/yellow banana/happy child.

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Quiet Drill

• Put a finger on your lips to show children that you will speak quietly, in a whisper. Show them a picture and practise the IT’S A/AN + a noun structure.

Aids:

flashcards

Alternative:

This method may be used for practising verbs, e.g. the -ING form of verbs: Tom is jumping, The girl is reading etc. It may also be used for adjectives: It’s a/an black cat/yellow banana/happy child.

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Loud Drill

• Show children a picture, raise your hands above your head and practise the IT’S A/AN + a noun structure loudly.

Aids:

flashcards

Alternative:

This method may be used for practising verbs, e.g. the -ING form of verbs: Tom is jumping, The girl is reading etc. It may also be used for adjectives: It’s a/an black cat/yellow banana/happy child.

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Nasal Drill

• Use your index finger and thumb to hold your nose and ask children to do the same.
• Making nasal sounds, practise the IT’S A/AN + a noun structure.

Aids:

flashcards

Alternative:

This method may be used for practising verbs, e.g. the -ING form of verbs: Tom is jumping, The girl is reading etc. It may also be used for adjectives: It’s a/an black cat/yellow banana/happy child.

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Triple Drill

• Show a flashcard to the children and ask: "What is it?"
• The children should repeat the IT’S A/AN + a noun structure three times e.g.: "It’s a cat, it’s a cat, it’s a cat."

Aids:

flashcards

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Emotional Drill

• In this case, we drill words and short phrases, e.g. IT’S A PEN., under the influence of emotions. Pronounce it in a sad tone, then in a happy tone, and finally in an angry one, etc. You may use simple pictures depicting emotions to tell children how to pronounce a given phrase; also, you may simply use your own facial expressions and gestures.

Aids:

flashcards

Alternative 1:

When repeating one structure, you may use two different emotions (works best if contradicting), so that you pronounce the sentence IT’S A PEN as follows: IT’S (sad), A PEN (happy). Again, use your facial expressions and gestures so that children know exactly which emotions they are to express.

Alternative 2:

Divide children into groups. Each group is to express an emotion. Hold a card, and the children in a given group repeat the word/phrase in an emotion given. You may use your facial expressions and gestures to help them.

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Character Drill

• Hold a picture of an everyday life object in one hand and a picture of a known fairy tale character in the other.
• Tell the children who is in the picture and how he/she speaks, e.g.: "This is a witch. Witches speak like this." - and demonstrate how a witch speaks.
• With each new card, encourage children to name both the object and the fairy tale character (here, they will need your help), and repeat the word/sentence using the relevant voice.
• There is no need to change the voice of the fairy tale character with each new object in the picture. Once children are getting bored with it, change the character and the voice.

Aids:

flashcards/real objects; puppets

Alternative 1:

When they are sufficiently acquainted with some of the fairy tale characters and their voices, it is possible to use the voices of two different characters e.g. IT’S (in a witch’s voice) A FLOWER (in the voice of a fairy). To let them know when to change their voice, give children a signal and show them a picture of the character whose voice they are to use.

Alternative 2:

Divide children into groups. Each group is to express themselves in the voice of a fairy tale character. Hold a picture of an object in one hand, and a picture of the character in the other. The chosen group repeats the word/phrase in the voice of the allocated character. You may use your facial expressions and gestures to help them.

Alternative 3:

This group includes practising the target language by using human characteristics; the sentences may thus be said by a timid/cunning/brave etc. person. Naturally, you need to explain the meaning of these words to your students (using either facial expressions and gestures or your native language).

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Animal Drill

• Have the pictures of the animal and the sentence you wish to drill ready.
• First ask the children to say the sentence like lions, then like sleepy, hungry, angry, thirsty etc. lions.

Aids:

flashcards

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Drilling (Warm-up Activities)

Tento projekt je spolufinancován Evropským sociálním fondem a státním rozpočtem České republiky.