Evaluating speaking - the IELTS speaking test

Submitted by admin on 7 January, 2009 - 14:45

This is the third in a series of articles looking at evaluating speaking, focusing on the IELTS speaking test.
The previous two parts looked at effective communication and whether different elements needed to be able to do so can
be evaluated formally, and what ways there are to do this. In this final part we are going to analyse the International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) and discuss what happens and how evaluation is carried out, and then we will look at some of
the challenges candidates face, with ways to help them overcome these.

IELTS
What

happens

in

test?

The IELTS speaking test is one candidate and one examiner, who manages the test and evaluates the candidate at the same
time. The test is separated into three parts. Each part takes about 4 minutes. In parts 1 and 2 the examiner uses a script, in part 2
a list of questions.
In Part 1, the examiner asks the candidate some simple personal questions on everyday familiar topics. The examiner reads
these questions from a script. Example topics are work, study, where you live, food, holidays, friends, going out, festivals, sports,
schools and public transport.
In Part 2, the examiner gives the candidate a topic on a card and the candidate needs to speak about it for about 2 minutes.
Before speaking, the candidate has one minute to make notes. The task is to talk about a personal experience such as a
memorable day or a significant person. This is followed by a quick question, which the candidate gives a short answer to. This
provides some continuity for the transition to part 3.
In Part 3, candidate and examiner will have a discussion relating to the subject area in Part 2. The candidate will be asked to do
more complicated things, such as evaluate, justify positions and opinions, make predictions, and express preferences. The
examiner has a list of questions but is not limited to these. He or she can respond freely to the candidate's answers, making this
part of the test more like a normal conversation.

How

is

the

candidate

evaluated?

The examiner listens to the candidate as they do the test, and then evaluates their level by comparing the speaker's performance
to descriptions. These say what a speaker can do in four areas. Levels go from 1 - 9. The four criteria are described below:
Fluency
and
Coherence
This refers to how good the candidate is at keeping talking at the right speed and how good they are at connecting their ideas
together. This is a fairly general criteria which includes evaluating the relevance of the candidate's answers, but in terms of the
elements we have identified in part 1 of this article, it refers to Speakers need to be able to understand and follow the rules of
language at a word, sentence and text level.
Lexical
Resource
This refers to how much vocabulary the candidate has and how well they use it. As well as the rules of language at a word level,
this criteria considers the communicative functions of speech and the social meaning of speech.
Grammatical
Range
and
Accuracy
This refers to how many structures the candidate has and how well they use them. Again, as well as the rules of language, this
criteria considers the communicative functions of speech.
Pronunciation
This refers to how well the candidate pronounces the language. As well as considering the communicative effect of the
candidate's pronunciation, there is evaluation of how much strain it causes on a listener, and how noticeable their accent is although accent itself is not a problem. In terms of the elements we have identified in part 1 of this article, this criteria refers to
Speakers need to be able to produce the phonological features of speech.

Challenges

for

candidates

Here are some of the challenges candidates face, and ways to help them prepare:

Many candidates do not prepare in the same extensive way as a learner taking an FCE exam at the end of a course, for
example. This means that amongst other problems they do not know how long their answers need to be. It is important to focus
on the different answers needed in order to not only give a good performance but also reduce strain on both the candidate and
the examiner. For example in part 2 a long response is needed but this is followed by another quick question, which requires a
very short answer.

Candidates are evaluated on their entire performance and need to get started immediately in part 1. It is good to speak
only English just before the test, and candidates can organise this amongst themselves, or with a teacher.

The topics in part 1 of the test are limited and very familiar, so candidates can do focused practice of these areas. They
can write their own questions, interview each other, do mini-presentations for the class, and prepare the vocabulary they might
need. Similar activities can be used to explore part 3 more - writing their own questions is particularly effective in deepening
candidates' understanding of the demands of the task.

The long turn in part 2 is always very challenging. Candidates often produce answers that are short, repetitive, off topic
(although this may not be a problem), or lacking structure. Ways to help include integrating practising this into other lessons and
as an easy form of homework, playing Just a minute', learners writing tasks for each other, 1-minute micro-practise of the notes
stage, and focusing on structuring answers by writing them rather than speaking.

The IELTS test is designed to push a candidate to the limits of their language and so learners will at some point struggle.
It is useful to look at strategies to deal with this, such as paraphrasing and rephrasing, using the rubric to help (such as in part 2),
and asking for time to think about answers - especially useful in part 3, where there can be some complex ideas.

Conclusion
IELTS is a challenging exam and there is no magic' way to get a high level it if your students' English isn't good enough, but using
some of these tips and techniques should help your students to perform to the best of their ability and so get the level they
deserve.

Lateral thinking
Submitted by Derek Spafford on 23 November, 2010 - 13:36
I like to use this activity to promote recognition and then practise the past continuous. It utilises a well known lateral thinking
puzzle.

Preparation
Prepare cut up versions of the attached text.

Procedure

Put students in pairs or groups and give out the cut up story below. Ask students to put it in the correct order. You could
give the first sentence to help.

Set a time limit and then when finished ask students to walk around and look at each others' finished text

Invite them to make changes if they wish.

Read the correct version of the text and then ask students to discuss the answer (the surgeon is the boys mother).

Now give out completed versions of the text and invite student to analyse the text for usage of the past continuous.

Have them complete the attached grammar work sheet.

Now separate the group into police officers and boys friend passengers.

Explain that the police officers are going to interview the boys friend to find out what happened.

Put the students into groups and set a time limit for students to come up with questions and answers depending on the
group they are in. Encourage the police officers to ask other questions outside of the story to encourage communication.

When ready, put the students together to conduct the interviews.

Monitor and provide feedback when the activity is finished.

Extension
Students could work together to write a newspaper article about the incident. You could also use more lateral thinking puzzles as
the springboard for a discussion.
By Derek Spafford
The worksheets are downloadable and in pdf format - right click on the attachments below and save them on your computer.

Personalised speaking
Submitted by admin on 25 August, 2010 - 14:15
People spend a huge chunk of their everyday conversation time talking about themselves and the people
they know, so the most natural thing in the world is for us to invite our students to do the same.

o
o
o
o

What our students bring to the learning environment is our richest resource. But if the lives they lead are to be at the centre of the
courses we teach, are we guaranteed that students will talk freely and be interested in what their fellow classmates tell them? The
answer is no. So what are some of the main challenges we face when doing personalised speaking activities and how can these
challenges be met?
Two main challenges
Meeting these challenges
Teacher modelling
Visualisation
Setting peer listening tasks
Sharing classmates real-life experiences
Example activity
Conclusion

Two main challenges

Firstly, students might lack confidence in their ability to tell an anecdote, describe their feelings or confidently give their views in
their mother tongue, let alone in English: 'I dont know what to say or how to say it.'
Secondly, classes are made up of students who are thrown together by circumstance. They do not choose their classmates and
they would not all mix socially if they met outside the class: 'I dont have much in common with that student so why should I listen
to her?'

Meeting these challenges

In the classroom our challenge is to create a world in which it feels comfortable and at the same time stimulating for students to
talk about themselves and really listen to each other. One way to achieve this is by making use of some simple techniques, which
help to bring students outside worlds alive in the classroom. The following four techniques are illustrated in the activity Show me
your shoes as described below.
Teacher modelling
This involves the students observing their teacher doing an achievable task that they themselves are about to do. Focusing on the
teacher reassures students about what is expected of them and gives them ideas about the kind of content to include. There is an
important distinction to be made between substitution drilling and modelling. We are not asking students to try and repeat back
what we have said. We are instead providing students with a framework. Teacher modelling gives students confidence and is
often more effective than abstract instruction-giving, which can more easily lead to uncertainty and inadequate task fulfillment.
Visualisation
The term visualisation suggests focusing on visual images in the minds eye. However, it can describe imagined auditory,
olfactory, tactile and emotional experiences as well. Visualising a moment, scene or event whether real or imagined is an
extremely effective and powerful way into extended personal speaking. The time spent on visualisation can lead to more thought-

through and stimulating content from students during the subsequent speaking phase of an activity.
Setting peer listening tasks
It is inhibiting for students speaking in pairs and groups when their classmates appear to show little interest in what they say.
Instead of genuinely listening, classmates might be planning their own speaking turn, referring to the dictionary, thinking about
something unrelated to the lesson or perhaps even just pretending to listen. In the distracting environment of the classroom, it is
easy not to listen actively. While setting up a speaking activity, it is important for teachers to set simple and interesting peer
listening tasks which focus students on what their partners say. This might be as simple as remembering and reporting part of
what they hear, deciding how much is true or giving their partner advice. When students are genuinely engaged in conversation in
the classroom, there is a real sense of energy and purpose.
Sharing classmates real-life experiences
Drama techniques can make the difference between simply hearing about another students life and having a real sense of
sharing in that students life experience. Kinaesthetic involvement on the part of both speaker and listener through mime and
gesture helps bring the exchange alive, as does imagining being in another place or physically referring to things which are not
actually present.

Example activity
Show me your shoes
Level: Elementary to Advanced / All ages

Teacher modelling
Elicit and pre-teach types of footwear (shoes, boots, sandals, trainers, slippers etc) and parts of footwear (laces, heel,
sole etc).
Remove your shoes and put them at the side of the room. Describe truthfully one of your other pairs of shoes (or other
footwear) while you mime holding and wearing them.
Let a student mime touching them or even trying them on for a moment.
Use the prompt questions below to bring your description to life.
Finally, invite students to guess if your description is true.
Visualisation
If possible, ask students to remove their shoes and put them away.
Tell them:
'Youre going to describe one of your pairs of shoes or other footwear to someone who doesnt know about them. If you dont
have a pair in mind, imagine a pair but remember that you need to make your description believable. Which ones are you going to
describe?'
Check that every student knows the name of their type of footwear.
Ask students to close their eyes and to imagine their answers to these prompt questions as you slowly and clearly ask
them:

What kind of shoes have you brought here today?

What size are they?
What do they look like?
What about colour, shade, shape, style?
What are they made of?
What do they feel like to wear?
When do you wear them? Why?
How do they make you feel?
What sounds do they make?
Have they got their own smell?
How did you get them?
How old are they?
What sort of condition are they in?
What do other people say about them?
What do you like best about them?
Is there any kind of problem with them?
Is there an interesting story you can tell

Peer listening and sharing real life experiences

Students open their eyes and mime wearing their shoes.
Say:
'Stand with a student who doesnt know if these shoes are real or not. Your partner is going to listen and decide if your shoes are
real. Show them your shoes and describe them. You dont have to include the answers to all the questions I asked just tell them
what you want to. Let your partner try on your shoes. When youve both finished, ask each other questions for more information.
Dont say if your description is true or not. OK? Youve got 5 minutes.'
As each pair finishes ask them to hold or wear their partners shoes and quickly show them to another student who has
finished.
Form a standing circle. Invite each student to say whose shoes theyre holding and find out if theyre real, e.g.'Ive got
Juans blue trainers he wears for jogging and I think theyre real.' Juan: 'I havent really got any trainers.'

Conclusion
The most important result of regularly using such techniques in the language classroom is an increase in reciprocal selfdisclosure. In other words students tell each other about their thoughts, feelings and experiences in greater depth and detail. The
more one tells, the more the other tells, so leading to deep interpersonal sharing. It follows that students involve themselves more
in each others lives, so the classroom becomes a social meeting place as well as a learning environment. In turn there is a
positive impact on group cohesion and dynamics.

Increasing student interaction

Submitted by admin on 27 September, 2006 - 13:00
Most teachers have experienced classes in which student interaction has been more limited than they would like, with students
becoming reticent when asked to 'talk to your partner about..'.
I should emphasize that this reticence only applies to interaction in English but it does seem to apply to groups of all nationalities,
ages and levels.

Why student to student interaction is desirable

Problems we face when trying to increase interaction

How we can promote an increase in student interaction

Conclusion

Why student to student interaction is desirable

Participation
Most people agree that learning anything involves participation. You can't learn to play a musical instrument without actually
picking up the instrument and similarly it is difficult to learn a language without engaging with that language. Given that language
primarily exists to facilitate communication, interaction in that language must have an important role to play in developing a
learner's ability in that language. In other words, teachers need to promote learner interaction in order to help the learners
succeed.
Maximising practice time
Learners need to practise as much as possible if they are to be successful. Interaction through pair and group work maximises
the opportunities to practise as more learners speak for more of the time.

Collaboration
Collaborative learning, particularly through the use of collaborative tasks, has been shown to foster language development since
learners can see a reason to use language in order to interact.
Socialisation
Related to the concept of collaboration is that of socialisation. Interaction does not only promote language development but it also
fosters the development of social skills (e.g. politeness, respect for others) that people need to operate successfully in any
culture.
Motivation
Motivation is a fundamental aspect of successful learning. Interaction gives learners the opportunity to use language successfully
and to measure their progress which in turn should lead to an increase in motivation.

Problems we face when trying to increase interaction

Interaction seems so desirable and sensible in theory but we all know that actually promoting and increasing it can be an uphill
struggle. Let's consider some of the reasons for this.
Student resistance
It is unfortunately true that some learners are not enthusiastic about pair and group work, particularly in mono-lingual classes in
which it is a little unnatural to communicate to someone who speaks your language in a language you are both less proficient in! I
have taught many students who have told me that they don't like pair work because they might learn mistakes from their partners.
There is actually no evidence to support this worry but it is still common.
Self-consciousness
I have met many learners who become very nervous and embarrassed when asked to speak English. As a language learner
myself, I sympathise.
Large classes
While theoretically the more students there are in a class the more possibilities for interaction there should be, this is not the case
in practice. The more learners there are, the more difficult developing interaction can be since there are more people to monitor
and, therefore, more chances of problems. In addition there is, of course, a greater likelihood of excessive noise which can mask
bad behaviour and use of L1.
Mixed abilities
Pairing and grouping students appropriately in classes that have a wide variety of levels (e.g. secondary schools) is much more
difficult than in small classes of a homogenous level.
Lack of motivation
If learners have no need to interact or don't want to, they probably won't.
Insufficient language
Perhaps the most common reason for interaction in English breaking down, or indeed not starting in the first place, is that the
students don't have the language they need to interact and, therefore, complete the task successfully.

How we can promote an increase in student interaction

This section will suggest some solutions to the problems outlined above.
Teaching process language
This is similar to classroom language but refers to the language that students need to interact. Examples could include: "What do
you have for number 2?", "Do you want to start?", and "Sorry, can you say that again, please?". I introduce and/or revise before
starting tasks and leave them on the board so the learners can refer to them while speaking. My learners copy them into the
vocab record books too, of course.
Pre-teaching task language
I try to analyse tasks before using them in order to predict what language is critical to task achievement. If I think some of this
language may be unfamiliar I pre-teach it before the students do the task. If there is too much language for pre-teaching, I find a
more suitable task.
Providing support
As well as providing language for tasks, where appropriate I try to provide ideas too. These can be brainstormed before the task

and put on the board so that the learners have plenty of things to talk about.
Giving preparation time
I have often found that interaction breaks down because the learners haven't had time to think about what they want to say and
how to say it. I plan to give some thinking time before starting a task during which the students can ask me or each other for
support.
Providing a supportive atmosphere
I try to raise confidence by giving lots of praise and giving feedback on task achievement as well as language use. When
monitoring I try to do so as unobtrusively as possible so the students don't feel that I'm necessarily listening to them personally.
On the other hand in feedback I try to make it clear to the class that I have been listening to them and through feedback show
them that there is a point to interaction and thereby overcome student resistance.
Varying the interaction and repeating tasks
When teaching large classes I plan to move students around so that they are not always talking to the same partner. A good way
to do this I have found is by asking the learners to perform the same task a number of times but each time with a different partner.
As well as providing variety of interaction, this approach also maximises practice of the language being worked on.
Having different levels of task
With mixed ability classes I prepare an easy, medium, and difficult version of the same task so students of different levels can
interact together at a level appropriate to the language level. For example, after some listening practice students with different
tasks can tell each other what they have found out.
Providing a reason to interact
I use tasks that actively provide the learners with a reason to speak and listen. Information gap activities are a good example of
these (and these can be used repetitively if designed carefully) and students generally enjoy doing them. Using project work is
another good example of a motivating and collaborative approach that promotes both realistic language use and interaction.

Conclusion
Interaction helps learners develop language learning and social skills and so maximising interaction in the classroom is an
important part of the teacher's role. Interaction will not necessarily happen spontaneously, however, and in my view it has to be
considered before teaching. The approaches suggested above all have this in common - they require forethought and are,
therefore, a part of the lesson planning process.

Using the OHP

Submitted by admin on 20 June, 2007 - 13:00
Of all the technological resources that are available to teachers, in my opinion, the one which is the most underused and
sometimes misused is the OHP, or overhead projector.
In this article Im going to try to give guidance and ideas for exploiting the OHP and look at:

What an OHP is

The advantages of using an OHP

Techniques

Some dos and donts

Conclusion

What is the OHP?

The OHP is a small machine designed to project an image onto a small screen or whiteboard. If you have a screen, which can be
placed above the whiteboard and pulled down accordingly, it will stop the glare. The materials we normally use with it are pens,

which can either be permanent, or cleanable. In addition to these there are transparencies (OHT), which you can write or draw on,
and a special type of transparency which a text or image can be photocopied onto.

The advantages of using an OHP

Obviously the OHP, being economically and ecologically sound, can dramatically reduce the amount of paper used for
photocopies: anything that can be photocopied can also be photocopied onto an OHT.

Then again, if you want to give your students a record of the lesson, you can give them a photocopied paper version
later.

If you use an OHP you are effectively telling your students that your lesson has been well prepared and not something
you thought of just before class.

Your students can prepare visual stimuli themselves for presentations or class talks, or work together on separate strips
of an OHT to put together an article or story, giving them a sense of achievement.

You can photocopy a students work or a model composition onto an OHT and discuss its merits with your class.
Similarly you can quickly present the answers to an exercise or a text which has been dictated for students to compare with their
own, just as you can project the tape script after a listening exercise to point out anything of note such as new vocabulary to your
students.

The OHP also accommodates different learning styles and multiple intelligences as you can use colour for the text or
drawings. Not only are colours and shapes attractive but they will appeal to and help your more visual learners and those who
have a higher visual or spatial intelligence.

There is lots of material that can be used for expressive speaking activities, such as photos, cartoons, maps, charts and
diagrams, and of course you can make your own pro-forma game board of your favourite game or even TV quiz show.

The OHP minimizes the time the teacher spends writing on the board, with his or her back to the class. You have,
therefore, simultaneous control over your class and your materials. Materials can be prepared in advance but the teacher can
also make additions. If you are bad at drawing it gives you the opportunity to prepare your picture: Heres one I made earlier
solves your problem when your students cant recognise what you are trying to draw. On the other hand pictures drawn
spontaneously can of course be kept and used in later lessons. Again, students like this because it is something they have helped
to create.

You also have more control over the presentation of a text or an image since you can choose to modify it by masking or
revealing parts of it. The OHP also allows the teacher to make a text or picture instantly available to the whole class. Finally, it
offers variety and can be used to change the pace at any point in the lesson, aiding concentration and providing a useful role in
discussions, role-plays and many other pair, group or whole class activities.

Techniques

Use progressive disclosure technique: mask what the students dont need to see, in order to focus and control their
attention and get them to speculate on what they can see or predict the content of the parts they cant. Adapt your course book in
this way to make it more interesting.

Alternatively use silhouetted pictures or show them out of focus, or even small pictures of items in one vocabulary field
(e.g. clothes) which can be thrown casually on top of each other and ask the students to call out what they can see. Memory
activities can also be employed if you show them a picture and then ask them to describe what they saw or what was happening,
or show them another which is similar but ask them to describe the changes.

Use the tip of the pen to isolate or emphasise points, as well as to draw or write on the transparency. You can also cut
the transparencies into strips to produce movable pictures. In other words the strips can be put together to form a story, or moved
around to change the sequence and your students discuss the order.

Additionally, the teacher can use overlays or different OHTs to build up a text or an image. Each part of a diagram or
chart can also be hinged with tape to others, like a book. If you do this the transparencies have to be presented in the same
order. However, if they are hinged alternately on either side you can change the sequence.

Some dos and donts

Do you know how to work an OHP? Of course you need to find out how to turn it on and off, where the most appropriate
mains socket is, and where the best place to put it is. You dont want yourself or the students to be falling over the leads.

As well as thinking about where to put the OHP, think about where youre standing. Can everyone see clearly or are you
blocking the students view? And dont forget to make sure you know which way to put the transparency, and how to focus the
image.

OHPs are expensive, and also bulky and breakable so dont let children play with them. Set them up at the beginning of
a lesson and put them away when youve finished. Also think about giving instructions before switching on the OHP, as otherwise
you may find the students are engrossed in whats on the screen/board and not listening to you.

Tell students exactly whats required of them, i.e. when to copy and whether to take notes or not, or if you will be giving
them a handout later. Keep things simple: dont make things too complicated for the students to understand.

Dont look directly at the light, as it will quite literally dazzle you. Finally, dont forget to switch the machine off when its
not in use, firstly to save electricity and secondly to make the students focus on what they are supposed to be concentrating on.

Conclusion
The OHP is extremely practical and versatile as every classroom activity can be adapted for the OHP and even the worst
technophobe can use it with confidence. Allowing you to have complete control of the class and holding your students attention, it
is a useful tool for any teacher or indeed worthwhile purchase for any school which doesnt have one. Finally, as global warming
threatens to devastate our world, using the OHP can play more than a small part in saving paper, therefore trees, and the
environment.

Using the OHP

Submitted by admin on 20 June, 2007 - 13:00
Of all the technological resources that are available to teachers, in my opinion, the one which is the most underused and
sometimes misused is the OHP, or overhead projector.
In this article Im going to try to give guidance and ideas for exploiting the OHP and look at:

What an OHP is

The advantages of using an OHP

Techniques

Some dos and donts

Conclusion

What is the OHP?

The OHP is a small machine designed to project an image onto a small screen or whiteboard. If you have a screen, which can be
placed above the whiteboard and pulled down accordingly, it will stop the glare. The materials we normally use with it are pens,
which can either be permanent, or cleanable. In addition to these there are transparencies (OHT), which you can write or draw on,
and a special type of transparency which a text or image can be photocopied onto.

The advantages of using an OHP

Obviously the OHP, being economically and ecologically sound, can dramatically reduce the amount of paper used for
photocopies: anything that can be photocopied can also be photocopied onto an OHT.

Then again, if you want to give your students a record of the lesson, you can give them a photocopied paper version
later.

If you use an OHP you are effectively telling your students that your lesson has been well prepared and not something
you thought of just before class.

Your students can prepare visual stimuli themselves for presentations or class talks, or work together on separate strips
of an OHT to put together an article or story, giving them a sense of achievement.

You can photocopy a students work or a model composition onto an OHT and discuss its merits with your class.
Similarly you can quickly present the answers to an exercise or a text which has been dictated for students to compare with their
own, just as you can project the tape script after a listening exercise to point out anything of note such as new vocabulary to your
students.

The OHP also accommodates different learning styles and multiple intelligences as you can use colour for the text or
drawings. Not only are colours and shapes attractive but they will appeal to and help your more visual learners and those who
have a higher visual or spatial intelligence.

There is lots of material that can be used for expressive speaking activities, such as photos, cartoons, maps, charts and
diagrams, and of course you can make your own pro-forma game board of your favourite game or even TV quiz show.

The OHP minimizes the time the teacher spends writing on the board, with his or her back to the class. You have,
therefore, simultaneous control over your class and your materials. Materials can be prepared in advance but the teacher can
also make additions. If you are bad at drawing it gives you the opportunity to prepare your picture: Heres one I made earlier
solves your problem when your students cant recognise what you are trying to draw. On the other hand pictures drawn
spontaneously can of course be kept and used in later lessons. Again, students like this because it is something they have helped
to create.

You also have more control over the presentation of a text or an image since you can choose to modify it by masking or
revealing parts of it. The OHP also allows the teacher to make a text or picture instantly available to the whole class. Finally, it
offers variety and can be used to change the pace at any point in the lesson, aiding concentration and providing a useful role in
discussions, role-plays and many other pair, group or whole class activities.

Techniques

Use progressive disclosure technique: mask what the students dont need to see, in order to focus and control their
attention and get them to speculate on what they can see or predict the content of the parts they cant. Adapt your course book in
this way to make it more interesting.

Alternatively use silhouetted pictures or show them out of focus, or even small pictures of items in one vocabulary field
(e.g. clothes) which can be thrown casually on top of each other and ask the students to call out what they can see. Memory
activities can also be employed if you show them a picture and then ask them to describe what they saw or what was happening,
or show them another which is similar but ask them to describe the changes.

Use the tip of the pen to isolate or emphasise points, as well as to draw or write on the transparency. You can also cut
the transparencies into strips to produce movable pictures. In other words the strips can be put together to form a story, or moved
around to change the sequence and your students discuss the order.

Additionally, the teacher can use overlays or different OHTs to build up a text or an image. Each part of a diagram or
chart can also be hinged with tape to others, like a book. If you do this the transparencies have to be presented in the same
order. However, if they are hinged alternately on either side you can change the sequence.

Some dos and donts

Do you know how to work an OHP? Of course you need to find out how to turn it on and off, where the most appropriate
mains socket is, and where the best place to put it is. You dont want yourself or the students to be falling over the leads.

As well as thinking about where to put the OHP, think about where youre standing. Can everyone see clearly or are you
blocking the students view? And dont forget to make sure you know which way to put the transparency, and how to focus the
image.

OHPs are expensive, and also bulky and breakable so dont let children play with them. Set them up at the beginning of
a lesson and put them away when youve finished. Also think about giving instructions before switching on the OHP, as otherwise
you may find the students are engrossed in whats on the screen/board and not listening to you.

Tell students exactly whats required of them, i.e. when to copy and whether to take notes or not, or if you will be giving
them a handout later. Keep things simple: dont make things too complicated for the students to understand.

Dont look directly at the light, as it will quite literally dazzle you. Finally, dont forget to switch the machine off when its
not in use, firstly to save electricity and secondly to make the students focus on what they are supposed to be concentrating on.

Conclusion
The OHP is extremely practical and versatile as every classroom activity can be adapted for the OHP and even the worst
technophobe can use it with confidence. Allowing you to have complete control of the class and holding your students attention, it
is a useful tool for any teacher or indeed worthwhile purchase for any school which doesnt have one. Finally, as global warming
threatens to devastate our world, using the OHP can play more than a small part in saving paper, therefore trees, and the
environment.