Wednesday 24 July 2024

things to do with lego in the esl/efl classroom

Lego is a very popular and successful tool in the classroom - especially when working with both children and adults on their English.

And there are some excellent web resources.

This is from Emma Herrod who used to work for Lego:

LEGO Running ‘Bricktation’ - This activity works in a very similar way to the well-know ‘running dictation’ ELT activity. However, rather than a text pinned up on the wall, students refer to a picture of a LEGO model from a set of building instructions.

Writing instructions activity - Students begin by building a model together as a class. In teams, they then build their own model and write out instructions so other teams can try and replicate it. The idea here is to develop the skill of writing concise instructions and working together with other students towards a common objective.

More Than Five Things to do with LEGO® in the EFL Classroom Part 1

And:

Home Sweet Home - This lesson makes for a fun way of working with language to do with accommodation and living spaces, as the students work together to build a large model house. The model is then referred to throughout subsequent lessons and forms a focus for discussion. There are a number of instructions you can find on the internet for making LEGO houses. Personally, I love this Apple Tree House https://creator.lego.com/en-us/buildinginstructions/default.aspx.

Stop Animation Project - Why not embark on a project over the course of a few lessons or the term in which the finished product is a stop animation film made out of LEGO? There are number of videos such as the famous ‘Starwars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ clips to inspire you at https://www.brickfilms.com/.

LEGO Cuisenaire Rods - Although I feel that The Silent Way goes against many of my communicative language principles, I cannot help but be fascinated by the use of little coloured Cuisenaire Rods and I don’t need convincing that they have their justified place in some classrooms. In my world, I use LEGO bricks to fulfil a similar function.

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