Rethinking the Classroom: Experience, Facts and Figures

Arriving in London

Moving to London at the age of 13 was a leap of faith on my parents’ part. My younger sister and I started mainstream school straight away, and sadly, we soon found that the weekly English lessons we took whilst back in our country had not been enough. With a foundation in vocabulary consisting of ‘cat’ and ‘dog’ and  ‘Whatchy-timyiseaty?’, we were badly equipped to succeed in school and even worse unable to socialise, make new friends and enter adolescence with confidence and a sense of independence. However, this is not a sob story. Our malleable young brains were about to soak up so much culture, language and information that our progress in learning English was palpable daily. All that singing along with the Beatles, reading the menu at our local kebab shop and information plaques at the British museum, watching soap operas on BBC1 and shaking our heads to questions we did not understand murmuring ‘I don’t know...’ were a big part of our process to learn, a process through which in the end we became ‘kinda English’.

What the Experts say

So as it can be guessed, I am a big fan of learning outside the conventional parameters of the classroom, away from the textbooks and the forced memorisation in front of a blackboard. There are some numbers to back up my leaning towards a more holistic approach to learning in a research done by mindServegroup in 2005. The Learning Triangle points to two of the most efficient ways to retain information: Immediate Use and Practise by Doing. These are both inherent to what we are talking about here - experiential learning.

                             

The Learning Triangle: National Training Laboratories © mindServegroup 2005

LOTC (Learning Outside the Classroom), a registered UK charity engaged with the promotion of experiential learning, places language fieldwork visits abroad amongst what it lists as ‘out-of-classroom places’.

‘These (experiential learning activities), often the most memorable learning experiences, help us to make sense of the world around us by making links between feelings and learning. They stay with us into adulthood and affect our behaviour, lifestyle and work. They influence our values and the decisions we make. They allow us to transfer learning experienced outside to the classroom and vice versa.’

The topic of finding inspiration outside the conventional classroom is of such importance that it has found a voice even in politics. In the British parliament, a select committee led by the politician Barry Sheerman, who was the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Committee until 2010, came forward with a report titled ‘Education outside the Classroom’. In it, the committee defended that ‘Outdoor learning supports academic achievement (...) as well as the development of ‘soft’ skills and social skills’.

Memory and Motivation in language learning

This shift from ‘memorising’ to ‘memorable’ is key here, especially when applied to English being learned in English-speaking countries; the excitement of being abroad helps you remember what you learnt since your time spent learning was memorable. Memory plays such an essential part in language learning, and it is the ‘memorable’ which we should be focusing on. The LOTC Manifesto goes on to highlight the six main ‘pathways to learning’: seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling and doing. When it comes to studying English, only an immersive experience could possibly offer a way along all these pathways. With all your senses and curiosity activated, the motivation to learn the language comes naturally. Motivation is key to developing skills and gaining knowledge, and what greater motivation to do so than to want to belong or understand where you are.

When learning English in an English-speaking environment, children quickly realise that the main use of English is in communicating with their peers and the society around them. In an article for Forbes Magazine Katharine B. Nielson, the chief education officer at Voxy,affirms that what language students need is ‘the chance to use language the way it was intended, as a tool for communication, not as a complex set of rules to master.’ As a radical approach to language learning, she even suggests dispersing the discipline into other subjects: arts, music, science. The language thereby becomes a vehicle through which to communicate about the world around us.

‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.’

Benjamin Franklin

Sources and further reading:

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/Education%20outside%20Classroom_tcm4-391163.pdf

http://www.lotc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/G1.-LOtC-Manifesto.pdf

http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2014/04/22/the-best-way-to-learn-a-foreign-language-is-the-opposite-of-the-usual-way/

http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/solution-essays/rethinking-the-classroom.html

Summer Memories in the Making

We are reaching the end of summer, having welcomed students from all corners of the world, introducing them to the city we love and teaching them English along the way...

I Art therefore I Am

Can you think of a better spot to learn about shapes and colours than inside the latest Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion? The children were inspired and got deep into the London contemporary art scene by filling in their activity sheets whilst appreciating what is really and truly the largest colourful blob in London (and possibly the world). The site was also explored by Concetta during the adult London Conversations class and proved to be not only a great conversation starter but also a mean spot for grabbing a coffee!

Just over the Bridge, the teens visited the Sackler Gallery where they came face-to-face with Duane Hanson’s extremely realistic sculptures. There were initial gasps of surprise as they came to realise that those were indeed sculptures and not real people! As one of our students put it: ‘ They look like they were humans turned into stone’. Check out their reviews of the exhibition on our Alumni Page.

Firecrackers and Firestarters

The explosive trio, Riccardo, Leonardo and Leone were gasping when taken to the Flash, Bang, Wallop show. The lovely presenter went on to set everything on fire. Did you know that flour is highly flammable? She filled a shower head with flour and set it alight, making it rain fire!. We also watched the presenter make mini explosions inside paint tins. She stopped short of setting off fireworks in the room, thanks to intervention of the health and safety people at the venue who are clearly a lot more sensible than the kooky firestarter presenter.

Discovering Botanical Britain

What is Britain without its gardens and its leading role in Botanics and all things plant-y? Although we are regular visitors to Kew Gardens, it was somewhere in deep East london that we found out it was there that the first European banana tree was grown in a greenhouse. The historical gardens at the venue were a source of amazement and discovery. Who knew that herbs were such an integral part of our history and everyday lives? We learnt that they not only add an extra kick to margaritas but they are also used for medicines, for dying clothes and as disinfectants. There was overall surprise (even by the workshop leader) that sage and wormwood used to be used as breath fresheners. 

As Nima pointed out, why not mint?! Whilst in the gardens, the class was upset by the sight of a hurt bird laying on a bush, which came spiraling down when it attempted to fly. Our workshop leader promised they would be calling the RSPCA and hopefully the bird has been rescued by now.  

Cook, Eat, Learn

One of the most memorable experiences this summer has been the pizza-making workshop where the children got the chance to make (and of course eat) their own pizzas. Amongst the ingredients, there was a whole lot of cheese, mushrooms and pepperoni. As the teachers took care of the boring bits such as chopping vegetables and managing the oven, the children got involved with shaping and decorating their pizzas. There was Chanel’s girly heart shaped pizza and Ricardo’s square number. The teaching assistant gave the top prize to Bernardo’s creation for is juiciness and very deep crust.

The teens were inspired by the British masterchef Jamie Oliver and impressed the teachers with their extra cheesy pasta bake. Junka, who is already a pro at cooking Japanese food at the tender age of 15, was no stranger to onion chopping whilst Mateusz, Felix and Takhara were ideal sous chefs. The team couldn’t hold out and tucked into some mozzarella even before the food was served, and everyone was granted extra marks for their washing up skills. Felix commented: ‘ Cooking was interesting and the food was tasty. My parents often use Jamie Oliver recipes’.

Hi-London’s certainly Got Talent!

Our students always surprise us with their hidden talents: so, this time we decided to give them a stage and see what they can come up with. The children had merely an hour to rehearse and impress the teens who formed the not so tough judging panel. The acts were a mixture of showmanship and physicality: roley poley spetacular duo Marcantonio and Leonardo impressed the crowd with their wheelbarrow number whilst two magicians went head to head with their card tricks. But the winner was (drum roll!!!) Isabelle et al, who wowed the judges with their synchronized cartwheels to the soundtrack of Frozen. Teaching Assistant Jack who filmed the show commented: ‘Everyone put in a lot of effort and the result was a very amusing show’.  Let them entertain us!

Hi-London’s Summer Is Here

During the last month, we have been exploring, discovering, playing and most importantly, learning English. Our ethos of immersive learning whilst exploring London is one which really resonates with our students.

Discovering Our World

Science is a way for the little ones as well as the older teens to engage with their surroundings. At the Science Museum, Sir Isaac Newton was at hand to talk them through the concept of gravity. The children particularly enjoyed him removing his funny wig at the end of his talk to reveal a very bald head! And then there was the slime! Some of the students were disgusted at first, but fairly soon, everyone dipped their hands into the bizarre concoction and enjoyed the weird feeling of having their hands submerged in the gluey stuff. Giulio even pulled his hands out to pretend to be Shrek to entertain his classmates.

We also got in touch with nature this past month during our breaks in Hyde Park or excursions to the many venues and workshops where we came face-to-face with plants and insects of all types. We smelled our way through the spice trade and learned to tell our cinnamons from our gingers. We fished for creepy crawlies and realised that ponds are not just full of murky water but actually full of life.  Snails and water lice - Ewww!

Playing Games in the Park

The teacher was handed 10-year-old Hamdan's bag and realised that his bag was very heavy.  When she looked inside, she saw three bottles of water, and she asked Hamdan why he was carrying such a heavy load. The student, from Dubai, replied: “Well teacher, you never know when you are gonna walk into a desert!”. Considering how hot it has been in London, the boy did have a point!

It has been the hottest summer on record in London, and we are making sure that the kids staying behind for our After School Club get a lot of fresh air. We are very lucky to be a stone's throw from a landmark London park, where we sometimes head to relax, have lunch and play. One of the children's number 1 game choices is the classic Duck Duck Goose, which thanks to their imaginations has morphed into 'Pizza, Pizza, Chips' , 'Zoo, Zoo, Post Office', 'Chicken, Chicken, Egg' or my personal favourite 'Cheese, Cheese, Mouse'.

Travelling back in time to Good Ol' England

Something you realise when you are in England is that this country holds history and tradition very close to its heart. During this month, we travelled back in time to an era when women wore strange hats called “bonnets”, teachers were very mean and 'horrid' murder mysteries went unsolved. Straight from the 1600s, Lady Peyton showed us around the iconic Tower of London, where we explored torture through the ages.

The past seemed to be a whole lot less nice than the present.  In a Victorian classroom, the sunny Hi-London teacher was replaced by a ‘mean Victorian school teacher’ with a ruler in her hand.  Lea thought it was all 'very funny', but Maria and Eugenia, who had gone to the toilet and missed the introduction, were shocked to be confronted by this beastly old teacher upon their return! More dark stories came from the teens who visited a sinister sailing town in East London. Inspired by this unsettling experience, they delivered a chilling performance of their own murder mystery at the end of the week which scared and very much entertained the Hi-London team.  

...And Learning English Along the Way

We are always surprised by what children pick up. 8-year-old Catarina who arrived speaking very little English learned two very useful phrases.  Upon seeing the giant skeleton of a dinosaur, she blurted out 'My God!'  Later, she pointed to the teacher's mobile and exclaimed  'I phone cover!'.

It has been lovely to see the children and teens making new friends. English, as the common language, acts as the bridge between our students, and we hope that those who meet here sustain their friendships after they leave. Teenagers Virginia from Italy, Cornelia from Norway and Lou Anne from France were bonding during their Tube rides to the various venues across London. Cornelia was happy to realise that although they may all live miles away from each other, they are all partial to a bit of shopping at Hollister!

Things to Do in London for Families

At Hi-London, we encourage everyone to go out and experience this fantastic city. Here are a few of our favourite family-friendly events in London this summer:

Open Garden Squares Weekend (13th  - 14th June)

What could be better than a nice day in the park with your family? Well, what about a whole weekend exploring London’s secret gardens, the ones which never normally open their doors to the public?

On 13th and 14th June, you’ll be free to explore more than 200 of London’s private gardens, a massive collection which includes gardens in all different kinds of location: historic buildings, rooftops, boats and even a skip. Or if you enter a ballot and get lucky, you could be one of the lucky few allowed a stroll in one the most private gardens of all: the Prime Minister’s at 10 Downing Street.

Whichever gardens you decide to stop at, this is a fantastic weekend for all families. And with a number of walking and cycling tours arranged at different locations, you can really make the most of this wonderful opportunity.

Kew the Music 2015 (7th – 12th  July)

What better way to spend a summer evening than with a picnic at the beautiful Kew Gardens, listening to great music?

From 7th – 12th July, the royal botanic gardens play host to the fantastic “Kew the Music” festival, featuring such acts as Elvis Costello, Simple Minds and Jools Holland.  The concerts get underway at 6pm every evening and last until 10.15pm, with a spectacular firework display to round things off every night.

Feel free to visit the gardens themselves during the day, the world’s largest collection of living plants. Then be sure to grab yourself a good spot and settle down with a picnic to enjoy the music. A wonderful occasion best enjoyed with friends and family.

Kid’s Theatre Week (August)

As any Londoner will tell you, the West End is one of the city’s star attractions. And during the month of August, the theatres are particularly family-friendly.

Kid’s Week, which lasts for the entire month, is all about encouraging young people to fall in love with theatre. There is a special line up of musicals, with shows on offer for children of various different ages. Some of the highlights include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Billy Elliot and The Lion King.

And to encourage as many young people as possible to attend, anyone under the age of 16 can go for free. That’s right for every adult ticket purchased, you can have a free child ticket as well. There are also many other free events and activities during Kid’s week, such as dancing classes, tea parties and visits backstage.

Kid’s Week tickets go on sale from 16th June; so make sure you snap them up early to avoid disappointment.

Whichever of these events you find most appealing, they all make for great family days out. Be sure to mark these dates in your diary and make the most of them when they come around.

Why Learn English When You Are Young?

English For Children

English is the most widely spoken second language in the world. It is the international language of communication and business, and there is little doubt the ability to speak it offers many advantages.

But learning it when young is even better.

Pick It Up Easier

Of course, anyone can choose to learn English at any stage of their life, and increasing numbers of adults are doing just that. But it’s much easier to pick up the language when you’re young.
Sure, children may be unable to grasp the subtleties of complex grammar issues, but they can get to grips with the basics a whole lot easier, developing a feel for the language, it’s particular sounds and nuances. If your kids start learning English while young, they’ll find it much easier to master than if they wait until later in life.

Accent Free

Another great advantage of learning English as a child is that it presents an opport
unity to speak it accent free. No matter how well adults pick up the language in later life, it is practically impossible for them to utter a sentence without their native accent intruding. Those who study English while young have the chance to learn it before their own accent is fully developed, enabling them to speak like a native.

More Intelligent

Bilingual children are more intelligent than monolingual kids. So learning English at a young age actually helps make your child smarter overall. And this doesn’t just mean greater communication skills or the ability to pick up additional languages; your kid will experience a range of cognitive benefits, including greater problem solving skills and increased focus.

Fun

The great thing about kids is their enthusiasm for everything, even learning languages. So while it may seem like a necessary chore for an adult to learn English, a child is much more likely to find it a truly enjoyable experience. And with so many fun games and interactive language acquisition techniques which can be incorporated into lessons, your kids are able to have a great time while learning an extremely valuable skill.

Cultural Experience

Learning English is much more than sitting in a classroom discussing verbs and sentence structure; it’s a chance to embrace and get to know an entirely new culture. In particular, if your kids have the opportunity to learn English while living in an English speaking country, there is great potential to expand their cultural horizons.

Through excursions and interaction with local people, your children will have the chance to explore a new city while improving their English language skills along the way. So not only will they learn to speak the world’s most important language, but they they’ll also gain first-hand experience of an entirely different culture.

English Lessons for Children

Making sure your children speak English from a young age is one of the most valuable things you can do for them. So why not sign up your kids for English classes, while they are still young enough to experience the maximum benefits?