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Many different teaching aids can be used to make lessons more interesting, effective and less dependent on the textbook. Different schools will have different resources available to teachers. White/black board, interactive whiteboard, overheard projector, visual aids, worksheets, work cards, cassette recorder, CD player, videos & DVDs, dictionaries, course books, resource books, photocopier, computers and online resources, these are some examples that can be found in a typical classroom and study centres.
All classrooms should have a board of some kind or flipchart. It is important for all board work to be planned and organised. Boards can be used for many things, writing, drawing, sticking things on, projecting overheard transparencies etc. boards draw and hold the attention of the students very effectively. Most teachers prefers whiteboards to the traditional chalk blackboards, as they are cleaner and easier to use.
Interactive boards or smart boards are increasingly being used in both state funded and private classroom world wide. However, their expense inevitably delays the introduction of the interactive boards in many schools, especially in less developed regions.
Overhead projectors are useful for showing pre-prepared overhead transparencies or as an alternative to the board. The advantages of overheard projectors, it focuses students’ attention, it can be prepared in advance and help the teacher avoid having his/her back to the students while doing board work. Teachers can put the projector one on top of the other to show emerging or developing patterns. Sheets of paper or card can be used to cover parts of the overhead transparencies, allowing the teacher to reveal information gradually. They can be used for timed reading, gap fill exercise. However, there comes its own set of disadvantages, such as the classroom need a surface that is not bleached out by direct sunlight, some of the overheard transparencies can be rather complicated or troublesome to set up effectively. The classroom needs to be a sufficient size to allow for effective projection.
Many different types of visual aids can be used in the classroom, but the most common are rea objects, pictures and photos. Using visual aids allows the students to illustrate the meaning more quickly and effectively than through verbal explanation thus reducing teacher talking time. They can also bring the outside world into the classroom and add variety and interest.
These can be bought from a publisher, or made by the teacher, and are particularly useful to adapt published materials, to act as prompt or cue materials, to write your own exercises with authentic material, to make cards for communication activities, they can be used for reading and grammar exercises and cards for presenting new vocabulary.
The cassette recorded has been one of the most useful tools for the EFL teachers for many years. These days modern technology is gaining in popularity. In the past, cassettes have accompanied many course books and blank cassettes can be used to record authentic materials, record the students’ communication, and for teachers to make their own dialogues for use in the classroom. CD players have largely taken over from cassettes over the last few years and are now widely used as a primary audio source in the classroom.
The basic principles behind using audio cassettes in the classroom can also apply to video cassettes and DVDs. For effective use of video in the classroom, the monitor needs to be big enough and located in the correct please so that all students can see it clearly. Videos can be used for many things, presenting information, giving background to a topic, various forms of dialogues and interactions, building comprehension skills. Many course books have videos to support the content. Materials for these purposes can be recorded directly from tv or set up and filmed using a video camera.
Whether a dictionary is in book or computer form, it is probably the single most useful tool available to students. a good dictionary will not help students look up meaning, pronunciation and usage but should also help students produce language. Many students rely too heavily on dictionaries that translate between English and their own language. This is certainly necessary at lower levels but we should encourage the use of English.
Almost every school will either have a photocopier or have access to one. Teachers should try to make sure copies are clear and attractively presented and to avoid wasting paper unnecessarily. Each photocopier is different in its use and staff at the school or institute at which you’re working should be able to provide some basic training in its operation.
