What happens next? Building excitement in the English language classroom
By Scott Granville – Managing Director and Head Writer
In an earlier post, I touched briefly on the value of cliffhanger moments as a teaching and learning device. Now, supported by a scene from our Skippers Pass series, I’ll follow this up with a lesson outline for using speculation and prediction cues in small group discussions.
Remember, cliffhanger moments in a dramatic context have a built-in excitement factor as the viewer (in this instance the learner) is already engaging with the content and wants to know what happens next. Providing a learning opportunity to complement this interest in the story is a winning formula from a teaching perspective. You’ve hooked in your audience, so you can now ask for something (valuable) in return – their active participation to help the learning process move forward.
Skippers Pass
Skippers Pass was a lot of fun to film. The production team spent several days deep in the beautiful New Zealand forest across the Waikato and Coromandel regions to create an authentic setting for the protagonist, Emma Oakley, and draw out the thriller genre elements that are used in the series. Before I provide the lesson details, you may benefit from watching the final scene (link below) for context:
https://vimeo.com/641708240/039bf98ad9
The Lesson: speculation and prediction
Depending on the size of your class and whether or not you wish to extend the discussion elements, this lesson can be expected to take anywhere from 20-50 minutes. It is expected that by this point your students have watched the episode in full.
Step 1: (Re)watch the final scene
Before playing the final scene, ask students to consider this question: Where do you think Sophie has gone?
Step 2: With a partner
Now direct students to work with a partner and speculate on where they think Sophie may have gone. Within reason, it is important to allow wide-reaching and far-fetched answers. The quality and substance of responses from a language production standpoint will usually reflect positively on gentle guidance as opposed to strict rules.
Step 3: Expand the discussion
Mix the students into groups of 3 or 4 (depending on your learning environment) and have them repeat their responses to a new audience. You can also use this as an opportunity for practicing reporting information – ask students to report back on what their partner speculated on in Step 2.
Steps 4-5: Predicting the next event
The cliffhanger moment has been established. Where is Sophie? What will happen to Emma? It’s time to make the most of the suspense and excitement generated from the narrative and build a prediction activity into the lesson.
Depending on time, you may choose to have students work with a partner first and then cycle into small groups (Steps 2 & 3) or move straight into considering the following question: What do you think will happen?
By posing this question to students, they are encouraged to take ownership of their response. Knowing that their prediction, based on what they have seen and heard, can be measured against actual events in the next episode adds value to the concept of connectivity in progression towards a goal.
A final word
Getting students excited about their language journey can be challenging, especially with so many external distractions in today’s education landscape. Providing opportunities for learners to engage in conversation that is purposeful, without being restrictive, should always be considered a meaningful outcome.