Wake-Up Talk
Lately, I have been doing many exercises in divergent thinking. Although it looks like a fancy term, it simply encourages learners to express the same message in various forms. For example, take a second and consider all the possible variations of this utterance:
Did you sleep well?
In your next class, ask your learners to brainstorm on alternative utterances in groups. Think about a question or statement that you normally hear immediately after getting up in the morning.
Did you sleep well last night?
Did you have a good sleep?
How was last night?
I hope you slept well.
Are you rested?
You may even introduce short, casual utterances like:
Sleep well?
Good night?
Another sleepless night?
Once you have a few starters on the board, learners can circulate and conduct mini-dialogues.
Since it expands linguistic possibilities, I find that divergent thinking is great for building confidence and motivation.
Did you sleep well?
In your next class, ask your learners to brainstorm on alternative utterances in groups. Think about a question or statement that you normally hear immediately after getting up in the morning.
Did you sleep well last night?
Did you have a good sleep?
How was last night?
I hope you slept well.
Are you rested?
You may even introduce short, casual utterances like:
Sleep well?
Good night?
Another sleepless night?
Once you have a few starters on the board, learners can circulate and conduct mini-dialogues.
Since it expands linguistic possibilities, I find that divergent thinking is great for building confidence and motivation.
