ELT News Think Tank

This Month's Think Tank Panel

Marc Helgesen

Peter Viney

Chuck Sandy

Panelists: Marc | Peter | Chuck
Date: October 2002
Discuss this topic on our Message Board.

Topic: "What role does imagination play in language learning?"

Marc Helgesen

Imagination is essential. Fortunately, it isn't that difficult to get at. People naturally create, think original thoughts, make variations and jokes about what they read and hear, daydream (Just yesterday, I had a class where we did the beginning of a story together and then I invited the students to spend a few minutes daydreaming: "You're in the story. Let your mind wander. Follow it. We can talk about where you went when you get back."). Students are imaginative. We just need to use the time and tasks that let them be.

“A key point is that the questions should cover the range of senses”

I guess I see the greatest advantage of imagination activities is that they allow (and support) students to go a bit deeper into the language. By avoiding an immediate response, we let students take their ideas to a new level of interest and complexity ­ and their language follows along).

One of my favorite ways to do this is through a guided visualization. There are many ways to do this at nearly any level (a sample script follows), but they usually involve asking the students to close their eyes (some won't be comfortable with this at first. Fine. Don't force it. They'll come along eventually). In a slow relaxed voice, ask them to imagine a situation. I usually have soft background music playing to fill in the empty space. This make everyone ­ the students as well as myself ­ more comfortable.

Often, the students themselves are part of the story. Ask a series of questions which guide them in imagining the story. Your questions can also frame the language aspect ­ past, present or future, for example.

A key point is that the questions should cover the range of senses (sight, hearing, feeling [both physical state and emotions] and, if relevant to the story, smell and taste. As you look at the sample below, notice the sensory words.) This is important because everyone's imagination and senses work differently. Some will mentally see a very clear picture. Others won't see it clearly or perhaps at all but they may have a feeling of the story. Others will hear the sounds in the story or maybe even hear the story itself. You want to present your questions in a way that includes elements that make it real for everyone.

Sometimes, after they've done the visualization, I ask my students to "rewind it" and watch "the movie in you mind" again, this time noticing what they want to say to tell the story themselves. By doing this, once they get to the speaking activity they've mentally been through it twice before which, of course, makes it that much easier to describe.

A word of caution ­ I was doing an activity like this at a workshop recently and a teacher asked, "If you do a 'close your eyes' activity at a 9:00 a.m. class, don't the students fall asleep?" In my experience, no. They are relaxed but that relaxation leads to more ­ not less ­ energy. But What I can almost guarantee is that, right in the middle, someone will come in late...and they will be wearing heavy, noisy boots. Stand by the door.

The following guided visualization script is for imagining a book that the learner has read. I wrote this for an extensive reading class. I include it here because, since it is based on a story the learner read, the level can naturally go up to as high a point as the learner can handle. It is, by the way, a draft of an activity that will be included in "Extensive Reading Activities for Teaching Language", Edited by Julian Bamford & Richard R. Day. It will be published in early 2004 (God willing and the creek don't rise) by Cambridge University Press.

Guided visualization script (book report). Think of a story you've read recently. (Pause) Close your eyes. In your mind, think about the story. Imagine the main characters. Who are they? What are their names? What do they look like? Get a picture in your mind. (Pause) Notice their faces. Notice the clothes the people are wearing. (Pause) What are they saying? What do they sound like? Imagine their voices. (Pause) Where are they? In your mind, get a picture of the place. (Pause) Think about the action. What are they doing? Watch the story as if it was a movie. What are they doing? Listen to what they say. How do they feel? How do they feel about each other? (Pause) How do you feel about them? (Pause) In your mind, watch the story. Listen to the story. Feel the story. (Pause for about 30 seconds) Now, imagine that that story was a video. Rewind the video. Go back to the beginning. Watch it again. This time, as you watch, think about how you will describe the story in English. (Pause for about a minute) Now, take a deep breath. Slowly open your eyes.

By the way, there is a journal called, "The Journal of the imagination in language learning and teaching." Lots of good articles. All but the current edition are on-line. Click on the link. Enjoy.
http://www.njcu.edu/cill/journal-index.html

Panelists: Marc | Peter | Chuck

Marc Helgesen, Miyagi Gakuin Women's College

Co-author of English Firsthand and Active Listening

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