Selective attention

Necessary material

Videos, audio recordings, images, books, objects, internet, word cards.

Objective of the activity

The purpose of the activity is to introduce a text/song/rhyme/chant in a new language and draw attention to the pronunciation and meaning of certain key words or phrases that learners might understand.

Preparing for the activity

A video with text/song/rhyme/chant is presented to the class. Pronunciation should be clear to allow students to easily identify words or phrases.

Contributions of the activity

This activity helps students listen to the new text/new song/new rhyme/new chant selectively and make connections between the new language and their own language.

Procedure

Students sit in a circle. The teacher announces to them that they are going to hear a text/a song/a rhyme/a chant in a new language.

It gives some information on its content in the language of instruction and

presents images of certain selected words or phrases.

The teacher places the pictures on the board and says the words/sentences clearly several times. If the students are ready to read, the teacher also writes the targeted words or phrases on the board.

The words or phrases must appear several times in the text. The teacher then asks the students to clap their hands, use percussion instruments or make movements whenever they hear the words or phrases they hear in the recording.

At the beginning, the teacher should make signals to encourage reactions by pointing to pictures or objects, clapping hands, raising hands, etc.

Example

An interesting example is the nursery rhyme Frère Peter/Frère Jacques/Bruder Jakob because

although the lyrics are similar, the word order is very different and the English version contains a statement about the bells, the French version has an imperative, while the German version has a question.

Some children mime “Brother Peter/Brother Jacques/Bruder Jakob” crossing their hands in front of their chest.

Some children mime “Are you sleeping?/Dormez vous?/Schläfst du noch? — placing their hands next to one cheek.

Some children ring the bells to say “Morning bells are ringeing/Sonnez les matines!/Hörst du nicht die Glocken?

Are you sleeping?

Are you sleeping?

Brother John

Brother John

Morning bells are ringing.

Morning bells are ringing.

ding ding dong

ding ding dong

Frère Jacques

Frère Jacques

Dormez-vous ?

Dormez-vous ?

Sonnez les matines !

Sonnez les matines !

ding ding dong

ding ding dong

Bruder Jakob

Bruder Jakob

Schläfst du noch?

Schläfst du noch?

Hörst from the nicht die Glocken?

Hörst from the nicht die Glocken?

ding ding dong

ding ding dong

©Mewald