WHEN WENDY ARNOLD, a teacher at Po Leung Kuk Siu Hon-Sum Primary School in Fo Tan, found herself sitting between two Irishmen at the British Council having separate conversations with each other recently, she took it in her stride. 'Women are used to multi-tasking,' she said.
Ms Arnold hadn't stepped into a parallel universe; it was simply a drama exercise called 'two-way conversation', used as part of a seminar for teachers designed by the members of Interacting, a theatre group dedicated to helping promote good practice in the teaching of English as an additional language.
Directors and co-founders Ed Cousins and Patrick Deas spent an exhausting week in Hong Kong recently showing how using language in a meaningful and creative way can support learning and generate positive energy.
'The most fundamental thing is motivation. When students feel a sense of fun they begin to enjoy themselves and then they learn more effectively. Our belief is that learning is a living and dynamic process,' Mr Cousins said.
'Exposure to language is not enough. To communicate effectively, you need to participate. In learning languages the quality of interaction determines the speed of skill acquisition.'
Teachers certainly had fun at the workshops and were encouraged to use speaking and listening games such as the two-way conversation and others to build on and extend the formal introduction of language. Mr Cousins explained how the games they recommend are thinly-disguised drills using repetition and co-operative learning strategies designed to boost confidence and engage students in their own learning.