How to make boring exercises interesting

Creating interesting exercises, and making boring exercises interesting
What IS ‘interest’?

It’s very difficult to define. It’s easiest to do so so by results, or symptoms of interest in the classroom: attention is voluntary + the learner is involved in doing the task + there is enjoyment

In this workshop I’ll be looking at activities that provide practice in spelling, vocabulary and grammar, and exploring ways of increasing interest without an inordinate amount of preparation: ‘tweaking’ rather than creating.
Spelling

We can take the words we want to practise the spelling of, ask students to learn them and then do a dictation



1. bicycle

2. because

3. people

4. independent

5. embarrassed

6. friend

7. encourage

8. privilege

9. building

10. enough


Or we can do a ‘recall and share’ activity:

[Ask students to study the words for a minute and ‘photograph’ them in their minds; then delete or hide the words and invite them to write down as many as they remember on their own; then let them share with neighbours and help each other to recall more and check spelling; finally show them the original list again for self-checking.]

Why the rise in interest?

· Task involving clear, achievable goal with tangible result

· Game-like challenge (task + ‘constraints’ or ‘rules’)

· Collaboration

· Full participation

· Success-orientation