Zeynep Kurt

In lesson planning or teaching, the techniques I use the most are lower affective filter and teacher talk. Being willing to see mistakes as normal and being open to looking ridiculous greatly facilitate our foreign language learning process. When teaching CLOTHES, one of my students came to class in a Ottoman Sultan Costume, and we did vocabulary and grammar practice using our live mannequin's costume by having fun. I have methods like repetition, simplifying sentences, and measuring how well they understand the topic through questions, and they work very well. I confess that I've been using a 50/50 approach because I didn't know about the 80/20 rule. I thought 20% would be too insufficient. But with the right technique, it seems far from inadequate. From now on, I'll use the correct one. To motivate students, I remind them why they want to learn this language or why they need to learn it. Having a purpose motivates them. As a warm-up activity, I start with a general introduction to the topic. For example, when the topic is 'clothes,' I write the word on the board and ask them to describe what I'm wearing. Of course, I wear special clothes, accessories, glasses, and a hat for that lesson. For guided practice, I really enjoy using pair work activities. I usually give them a scenario (worst meal you've ever had, something you've lost, an award you've won) and ask them to engage in a dialogue related to that scenario. For independent practice, I find giving research assignments to be efficient. For example, a student who researches the harms of unconscious fishing and prepares a presentation not only improves themselves but also facilitates peer learning. Additionally, the evaluation stage covers all four skills for me. While I assess reading and writing skills in writing, I also evaluate listening and speaking skills separately in my class. Focusing on all four skills nourishes the student from every aspect. They don't just learn how to read or write. They truly acquire the language.