Teaching the four Language Skills through Quiz Activities.

Have you ever used quizzes in your ESL classes? Quiz activities are fun because they foster curiosity and provide opportunities for the students to think and check their comprehension on a topic or subject that is being reviewed. Quiz activities can also be used to introduce students to new content. Something that I like about these activities is the fact that I can use them to help the students to develop their use of the four language skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. 

Below are some examples of how you could explore each skill while teaching with quizzes in an online class:

1. Reading - You can show the questions and answers on the screen. Students will read the questions and answers. A great way to do this is by using Kahoot or Quizlet. Kahoot is good because it shows a score and each student click on the answers separately. Quizlet is also fun and has a flashcards feature, allowing the teacher to create flashcards and record the pronunciation of the words. This feature is useful when teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). I actually prefer Quizlet to Kahoot when it comes to teaching ELLs because Kahoot is timed and competitive, requiring the students to read faster.  ESL students or newcomers will benefit more from Quizlet because the teacher can read each flashcard, pause, and explain the vocabulary to them. ELLs can also use Quizlet activities to learn independently by reading and listening to the words and playing games that are available on the platform. 

2. Listening - In this activity, instead of showing the questions on the screen, you can read the questions and answers aloud to the students. This is an opportunity for the students to practice listening comprehension. Then, after you read aloud, you can show the questions on the screen. This will facilitate understanding, especially to the students who could not follow the instruction while you were reading the questions and answers.

3. Speaking - Depending on the topic that you are teaching, you can ask the students to comment on the answers. You can also ask the students to choose one of their favorite questions to research and learn more about the topic. Then, students can discuss that topic in a breakout room if you are using Zoom to teach. 

4. Writing - Students can expand their knowledge on a topic of their choice or a subject that is related to a reading project by creating their own quizzes. Then, they can play with each other in a breakout room session or with the whole group. There are many online quiz creators, but I would suggest Google Forms because the students can share the form with each other. Students can also add images to their quizzes.

Now it is your time to take a quiz😅: 

Click here to start: What is Applied Linguistics?

 

“Reading is not walking on the words; it's grasping the soul of them.” 

― Paulo Freire

Warm-up Activity: Using pictures and a positive quote in online ESL classes.

 

Photo by Alysha Rosly on Unsplash

I always like to start my online ESL classes with a warm-up activity. Warm-up activities can prepare the students for what they are going to learn that day, or they can be used to review content that was previously taught. However, I also like to use that moment as an opportunity for reflection on a topic that can foster a positive mindset in the students, which can help them to overcome their learning barriers or challenges. It can encourage them!

I believe that it is a good idea to create an environment in which the students feel motivated to attend the classes, continue their studies, and are empowered to use English without being afraid of making mistakes. So, the quotes are useful, especially at the beginning of the school year. I want my students to feel confident and ready to learn.

I usually use quotes from educators, leaders, and women in STEM. 

If you teach beginners, it is a good idea to incorporate to the activity, a picture that relates to the quote you are going to use. 

Activity step-by-step:

- First, show the students a picture that you chose for this activity.

- Then, ask the students to type in the chatbox, two or three words that they would use to describe that picture. 

- After that, ask all the students to read the words and talk about the image. 

If you teach beginners or newcomers, you can ask them to use their home language as well. All the students should participate.

- After everybody reads the words, you should share the quote with the students. 

- After you read the quote to them, or you ask the students to read it aloud, everybody discusses it in English and in the students' home language. 

 ✅ If you need, you can also translate the quote into the students' first language, to make sure that everybody is included. Or, you can ask the students to use a translator. Using the translator is a learning activity as well.

💡If you decide to do this activity again, you will only need to change the teaching strategy for each quote that you use. To save your preparation time, you can create a Google Doc and keep all the quotes and images there, so every time you decide to do this kind of activity, you already have the material ready to use.

 📚 If you are teaching intermediate and advanced levels, you could do this activity using Padlet or Google Docs. You can add a picture to the Padlet or to the Google Doc and ask students to type sentences to describe the image. Then, you can post the quote for discussion on Padlet or Google Doc as well. 

“Reading is not walking on the words; it's grasping the soul of them.” 

― Paulo Freire