16 abr 2019 Using Superheroes in Class
Some years ago, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg said he thought the superhero film genre would die out. Much has been said about the possible downfall of this movie genre. However, Captain Marvel is already a massive box office hit and all the hype revolving around the release of upcoming Avengers: Endgame has got people really eager to see what the future holds for Marvelâs superheroes.
Itâs undeniable that the superheroes fad is far from over. So why not take advantage of this fun and diverse universe and include activities that might provide younger (and maybe older) students with fun moments in class?
Below you will find some ideas for activities which involve superheroes and which I have already used in some of my classes. They are categorised by level, but you can adapt them and make sure they meet your needs and fit your context or group format.
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Beginner/Elementary (A1 / A2)
As at this level students usually learn more basic language or isolated words, we have plenty of opportunities to work with vocabulary.
It is possible to deal with the simplest words, such as colours: âwhat colour are their uniforms and capes?â
Other ideas include teaching opposite adjectives (weak x strong; fast x slow; tall x short, etc) or appearance. And still on the adjectives subject, one of my favourite things to teach with superheroes in context is comparative or superlative adjectives. This not only makes sense to teenagers, but also speaks to their reality since itâs something they talk about amongst their friends.
You can also teach and contextualise grammar topics. A perfect one is can/canât and their uses to talk about abilities. Use examples with superheroes and grab tweensâ attention successfully!
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Pre-Intermediate/Intermediate (B1 / B2)
Here is when we should enrichen the topic and give students more chances to speak their minds about superheroes. They can exchange views on the films they have/havenât watched and maybe even predict what is yet to come in films that havenât been released.
Some activities ideas are:
Predict the next scene
Teacher shows a video (it could be a cartoon, which is easily found on YouTube) and pauses it. Then students have to predict what happens next using will, may or might.
Act it out
I âve always found really difficult to come up with freer practice when teaching adverbs of manner. If you like to take risks and think your students might enjoy this kind of activity, why not try to role play a superhero battle?
It could work like this: In small groups, students write some sort of script with sentences including adverbs of manner, i.e. Captain America shouted angrily. Iron man quickly moved. The other group has to act out (correctly) what is on the script. This could also work as a written practice if you feel like role-playing isnât your studentsâ cup of tea.
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Advanced (C1 / C2)
Itâs possible to discuss pretty much anything with advanced level students and it couldnât be different with superheroes. Nowadays you can tackle many relevant topics such as sexism and gender equality (why are there more male superheroes than female superheroes?), representation, politics, among others. So, use your imagination and organize speaking activities to engage your students and get them actually wanting to talk.
Conditionals
Have students practice mixed conditionals under varied contexts, such as hypothesising about the future or regretting past actions. You can show them a scene and later ask their opinions. For instance: What would you have done if you were character âXâ? And how would character âyâ react?
This could be helpful to use in a controlled speaking practice so you can correct studentsâ mistakes on the spot.
I am sure you have got the power to create memorable moments for you and your students! I hope these simple ideas help you and if you feel like you need a helping hand, donât hesitate to contact me at contato@henriquezamboni.com.br
Thanks for reading!
Renata Ledier Chioca
Posted at 01:41h, 18 julhoI LOVE THESE KINDS OF ASSIGNMENTS