ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Talk to yourself!
Independent, mental practice activities.
These are things you can do on your own. They are ways to improve your English just by thinking about what you could say. Many students come to school by bus or train. That is a good time to practise in your mind. Try to stand or sit where you can look out of the window.
You have now tried over ten “Talk to yourself” innervoice activities. Which did you like the most? Keep doing it!
English Teaching Professional
Issue 29 October 2003
Independent, mental practice activities.
These are things you can do on your own. They are ways to improve your English just by thinking about what you could say. Many students come to school by bus or train. That is a good time to practise in your mind. Try to stand or sit where you can look out of the window.
- As you walk or ride the bus or train, look at things you see. How many can you name in English? (Trees. Children. A drinks machine.)
- Continue naming things. Try adding adjectives, then sentences. (Green trees. Noisy children. A man walking, He’s really cute.)
- When you see people you don’t know, imagine what you would say if you introduced yourself (you don’t have to introduce yourself – just imagine.) Try to use lots of different information. (Hi. I’m xxx. I’m student at xxx. That’s a really beautiful shirt. Can I ask where you bought it?)
- As you ride a bus somewhere, imagine that you are taking a taxi. The taxi driver doesn’t know where you want to go, so you have to give directions the whole time. (Turn right at the gas station. Now go straight. When you get to the signal, turn left.)
- About once a day, see how many of the new words you can remember from class. Then think of a sentence using each word.
- Once a day (at night or on the bus, etc), think about your day or the day before. Tell yourself what you did (I got up at about x o’clock and had xxx for breakfast. I went to English class. It was lots of fun…)
- Think about your day. What is the best thing that happened to you today? DO this every day. (I had an interesting talk with my friend. We talked about…)
- Close your eyes. Remember a good experience you had. It can be useful to notice your five senses – what did you see, hear, feel, taste and smell. In you mind, watch the story the way you would watch a movie. Now replay the movie. This time, think about how you would tell the story in English as you watch.
- This week, any time you make a plan (for yourself or with someone else), think about how you would say it in English.) I need to do my homework. I’ll do that tonight after dinner). If you make a plan with a friend who is in this class, actually do it in English.
- Notice when you are talking in your first language. (we all do this; it is called an innervoice.) What would your innervoice say if it were speaking English? (It is specially interesting to notice when what you are thinking is very different from what you are thinking is very different from what you are saying.)
- Every day, say at least five positive sentences about yourself and your future. They can be the same, or you can change them. (My English is getting better every day. Someday I’m going to…)
- Think about all the positive things you heard today. They are all true. Remember them – and the feeling – every day.
You have now tried over ten “Talk to yourself” innervoice activities. Which did you like the most? Keep doing it!
English Teaching Professional
Issue 29 October 2003
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