Mar 31, 2023

Paradisiacal Places

Additional Info

  • Name: Paradisiacal places

  • OVERVIEW

  • Linguistic dimension

  • CEFR Level: B1
  • Linguistic dimension - Skill(s): Writing; Reading
  • Duration: 135 minutws
  • Target language: Any modern language

  • ICT dimension

  • ICT resources:

    Internet connection; Internet access, PCs with Internet access for all participants

    free license images found with a search engine or from other sources with pictures
  • ICT competences: • browsing the Internet for images and pictures • downloading an image or a picture • or: taking one’s own pictures either with a smartphone, a digital camera or else • using an online dictionary • using a word processor sending and getting emails

  • Detailed description of the task

  • Situation / theme(s): Paradisiacal places / Places I dream of
  • Product requirements or prerequisites: Students must know how to • browse the internet for finding images and pictures • write questions into an email programme • formulate questions about an imaginary or real place they would like to visit • answer questions in a cohesive text • use an online-dictionary be able to • find appropriate words and expressions to respond
  • I can...:

    I can

    • write simple connected text (questions and answers)
    • connect phrases in a simple way in order to describe the places
    • briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions
    • understand my classmates’ questions and answers
  • Product: questionnaire about a paradisiacal place sent to classmates and teacher.
  • Product requirements or prerequisites:

    Students must

    know how to

    • browse the internet for finding images and pictures
    • write questions into an email programme
    • formulate questions about an imaginary or real place they would like to visit
    • answer questions in a cohesive text
    • use an online-dictionary

    be able to

    • find appropriate words and expressions to respond
  • Process:
    • teacher introduces the class to the objectives
    • groups of five or more students are formed for the sharing process
    • teacher tells students to browse the internet for pictures and images of their liking or to take a picture of the place they would love to visit
    • students
      • start looking for pictures on the internet or take some themselves
      • decide on the best one for the task
      • formulate questions concerning their expectations about this paradisiacal place
      • write these questions into an email programme OR into a Google form (https://docs.google.com/forms/)
      • send the questionnaire to at least four of their classmates (all other members of the small group)
      • read their classmates’ expectations sent to them
      • answer their classmates’ questions and send them back / complete the Google form
      • send questions and answers to their teacher / send questions and a summary/analysis of the answers received
      • teacher corrects and sends them back to students
  • Consolidating activities suggested or follow up plan:

    conversation in class of

    • what a paradisiacal place should look like
    • why it is difficult to find such places
    • what it would be like to be there
    • what prerequisites must be given to fulfil the characteristic of a paradisiacal place, etc.

    evaluation of the task
  • Success factors or evaluation criteria:

    The project is accomplished successfully if

    • students managed to formulate questions concerning their expectations about this paradisiacal place
    • questionnaires are meaningful and have been filled in by a minimum of four students
    • reports on questionnaires summarize and/or analyse the answers

    Completion of task is excellent if the questions in the questionnaire are original and meaningful in their context and the report is coherent, with relevant information regarding the answers received.

    Completion of task is inadequate if the questions in the questionnaire are not comprehensible / impossible to answer and the report on the answers lacks coherence and information.
  • Authors: Ilona Fried, Judit J.Tóth
  • Acknowledgements: This example is based on a proposal by Roland Buehs

  • Didactic added value of the task and other information

  • Practical hints for teachers:

    Before doing the task students should have learned how to formulate questions

    make sure that all groups have an internet connection and the necessary technical devices

    support and corrections will take some time, so consider enough time for that
  • Additional methodological or didactic comments:

    students should

    • choose pictures that really represent wonderful places
    • be able to describe these places

    as a lead-in task an A-B talk of some beautiful places might be helpful for giving the students an idea of the task.
  • Reasons why this task is a model of best practices:
    • students learn how to express their expectations and feelings
    • learn the structure of putting questions
    • learn how to use an email programme and possibly also how to attach a document
    • finding material on the internet is interesting but needs to be practiced in controlled ways, too
    • getting to know other people’s ideas of a paradisiacal place is a good approach of getting to know them better
  • Impact that it is expected to have on the teaching practices and attitudes:

    Using the internet and emailing is an essential of today’s life

    The application of words might enrich the word power of the students.
  • Reasons why this task travels well:

    This task can be used in any class with any topic of interest. It fits well into any curriculum.
  • Rationale and/or theoretical underpinnings of the task: The competences of writing are in the focus, as are IT competences and the consideration of the CEFR
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