Notes from Justin Bailey’s lecture“Personalizing Instruction & Meeting Students’ Needs”.
Signs & Gestures to Increase Comprehension
These signs and gestures are from American Sign Language.
OR, teacher and students can create signs together.
Why do we use signs and gestures in class?
1. Some students may feel uncomfortable to say it out even when they can’t understand;
2. It won’t disturb the teaching process or the flow.
Students can combine two gestures and teacher can also use the gestures to students.
Six Typical Signs
1. Slow down, please!
2. Repeat, please!
3. Restate, please!
4. I don’t understand a certain word.
Ways to explain a word: translation, example, drawing, gesture, etc.
5. I’m lost, please stop and clarify.
This gesture makes a sound and can draw teacher’s attention.
6. There is a distraction.
Teacher can also use this gesture to remind the student to stop distractions.
If the distraction is impossible to stop, e.g., noise outside the window, teacher and students can try to overcome together.
Some Benefits & Cautions
Benefits
1. The signs and gestures allow positive improvement to happen in the interaction and learning process without creating any distraction.
2. They allow teacher to adjust the teaching in the real time.
3. They encourage learners to think just the right amount about what they need to acquire language.
Cautions
1. Students may think too much with these signs and gestures.
It’s better to start a few signs and gradually build on.
2. Don’t only rely on students’ signs and gestures. Make your own decisions in the teaching.
When you feel you need to slow down or restate, please do so even there are no signs from students.
3. It takes months for students to naturally and really start using these signs and gestures.
Teachers should frequently remind students to use them, e.g., in the beginning of each class. Thank the students who first use them.
Comprehension Checks
Teacher should constantly check students’ understanding so that they won’t be left behind.
1. Five/Ten Fingers Check
Students close their eyes; teacher asks how much they understand.
Five fingers: understand well, four fingers: almost, but not quite…
2.Thumb Thermometer Check
Thumb up high: understand well; medium, not so well…
OR: thumb up: yes; thumb down: no.
3. Show me + a target language word OR comprehension questions.
This way is more reliable compared with the last 2, as some students may not admit they don’t quite understand.
For online teaching, students can also make signs if there is camera or type in the number to show their level of understanding.
Teacher can also ask students to write down the number on the white board or draw a happy/sad face.
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