16 мая 2016 г.

How to use photos at esl lesson

 How to use photos at esl lesson



Pictures can be used for different purposes:
  • to develop speaking skills
  • to practise grammar structures in oral or written  speech
  • to recycle the target vocabulary

Using pictures is effective, engaging,creative way to achieve learning aims. Most of people learn though visuals. Visual material can bring variety to the classroom and motivate even shy students to speak.I have been using photos for many years at my lessons  and  always have positive feedback from students who really enjoy photo-based discussion. Where can you find more authenticity than in  real-life photos ?
Some tips on how to use the photos:
1. First of all, it’s important to find evocative pictures which can provoke discussion.

Example 1
Тhe picture below can be used for the topic Fatal addictions  or Harmful habits.



The teacher can ask such questions as:
  1. What consequences might it have for a baby? (both psysical and psychological)
  2. Would you say anything to this woman if you saw this situation?

2. Secondly, use the photos which are ambiguous. In this case the students have more opportunity to use their imagination and deductive skills.
Example 2

A photo by Takashi Kitajima

Possible questions:
1. What place is it?
2.What can you do there?
3. Have you ever been to a place like this?







Another idea is to cover on of the elements and let students guess.

Example 3
For the topic Advertising, it’s possible to use a picture like this.


Possible task:
Guess what is advertised using the phrases:
It must be/ it might  be/ it can be an advertisement for….
It must / might  advertise ….

So we practise here not only speaking but a grammar structure Modal verbs of probability.After students’ predictions, the teacher shows them the original picture.


3. Use the photos where background convey certain atmosphere and helps to understand what person might feel.

Example 4

A photo by Patty
Possible questions:
  1. How is this girl feeling? What helped you to understand?
  2. Why is she in the woods alone? What might have happened?
  3. Is it a good idea to cheer her up?










4.Use the pictures to integrate  grammar  and speaking. Photos which can be used:
Present Continuous - it can be different actions which are happening now
Past tenses- black and white pictures or other hints that it’s past ( a year written on the photo or questions for discussion should be in the past).
Degrees of comparison- two or more contrasted pictures like this.

Example 5

a photo by Sergey Belonog

Questions to discuss:
  1. What country is it? What types of houses can you see?
  2. Which house is:
             the most expensive
             the oldest
             the nicest
             the highest?
    3. Which house would you like to live in?

Conditionals -pictures with bubles to show that people are  imagining something

Example 6
Possible task:
  1. What is this man dreaming of?
  2. Why would he like to buy a house?
  3. What would this man do if he bought a house? Would he be happier?




Where can you get pictures?
  • take them yourself
  • use the  links to nice photos here for free (some of them can be used for commercial purposes)
  • from magazines
  • buy them here  or  here


Where can you get the tasks?
  • to make myself
  • to download here (the link will work soon)

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