My umbrella is for... [YL]

I teach English in a primary school and although I have to stick to the programme set out by the school and the state, I give it my own twist as often as possible.

The whole idea of teaching English EFL style to classes of twenty or twenty-five is very questionable and what teachers usually end up doing is drilling ad infinitum until the poor things know everything by heart. So whenever possible I throw in a task-based lesson that will entertain and stimulate the kids creatively.

One of my favourite activities I came up with last year was "My umbrella is for...", which we did jointly with the art teacher.

Here's how it works:

Bring in an umbrella, perhaps make fun of British weather if you're from the UK, and ask the kids what it is. My kids knew it as the English word is pretty similar to the Italian one, but if they don't just teach it and drill it. The umbrella works pretty well for drilling. Open it in three steps, one for each syllable, and have the kids repeat each syllable after you. This way they won't rush it and really have the pronunciation down.

Next, ask them what it is for (this can be done in their L1). Most of them will smugly reply that umbrellas of course are for sheltering from the rain. Act unimpressed. Say something like

"Well, yeah, of course, that's ONE use for them..."

Kids will look perplexedly at you. Go on with:

"Surely you must know at least a few more!"

Keep it up as long as needed, then finally proceed to show them a different use for umbrellas. My favourite is draining pasta, poking holes in it and using it as a colander. Do a funny drawing on the board to show them then ask them if they can think of some more uses. Collect a few ideas, praising their creativity, then tell them they've come up with so many ideas they will have to draw them in their exercise books to keep track.

Once that's done all you need to do is scurry back and forth from kids with their hands up telling them how to say things in English. Here are some ideas my children came up with:

My umbrella is for... Sailing!

My umbrella is for... Showering!

My umbrella is for... Dancing!

My umbrella is for... Flying!