Some experiences in teaching warm up for nine graders

TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Introduction.
	1.1. Reason for choosing topic.
	1.2. Aims of study.
	1.3. Object of the study.
	1.4. Methods of the Study.
	1.5. The new points of the study.
2. Content of the study.
	2.1. Rationale.
	2.2. Problem Statement.
	2.3. Solutions.
	2.3.1. Techniques of “Warm up”.
	2.3.1.1. Guessing topic.
 	2.3.1.2. Finding information.
 	2.3.1.3. Remind knowledge.
	2.3.2. Process of the study.
	2.3.3. Effectiveness of the study.
3. Conclusions.
REFERENCE BOOKS
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Reason for choosing topic.
Nowadays, English is spoken all over the world. It seems to be the main and the official language in many countries. Learning English is essential for students to improve their knowledge in the world. Studying environment plays an important part in teaching and learning English.
As we know, English is very difficult for students to study; therefore they can not grasp the content of the lessons. Students don’t want to join in the activities in the class. Because of that, I think it is necessary to stimulate students to learn, to make them feel excited before learning a lesson. Using "Warm up" in each lesson is essential to study English.
It is an effective way to help the students begin to think in English and to review previously introduced material. Different types of warm ups help provide variety and interest in the lesson.
A warm up to prepare students for a period of concentration may involve physical movement with activities that keep them active by standing up, walking, jumping, matching pictures with sentences or vocabulary, drawing or writing personal experiences or stories, and singing or listening to familiar songs and chants. These are, among others, enjoyable and motivating warms ups. [1] 	Recognizing the need of using techniques to initiate lessons, so early in the school year 2017-2018, when assigned to teach English 9 I chose to research and apply the subject “Some experiences in teaching WARM UP for nine graders " to improve the quality of teaching and learning to meet the goal of teaching method innovation.
1.2. Aims of study.
The study is carried out with the aims:
- To stabilize the class, allowing students time to adapt to new lessons.
- To create a favorable environment for new lessons.
- To make students exciting about the new lesson.
- To help students connect what they have learned with new lessons.
- To create situation and context for the introduction of the new lesson.
- To create a need for communication.
- To create a purpose for the next communication.
1.3. Object of the study.
	In this article I want to share the experiences I had when I applied warming up activities to nine graders at Quang Binh secondary school. The main objective was to get students' attention at the beginning of the class by means of enjoyable and short activities as well as to observe how possible it was to engage them in the steps that followed. I sought to explore students' involvement in the English class while I tried to motivate them through appropriate warm ups. 
1.4. Methods of the Study.
- Summarize the experiences.
- Observation method.
- Communication method.
- Document study method.
- Investigation method.
- Researching students' activities method. [6]
1.5. The new points of the study
	The first part of the presentation often involves pre-teaching to encourage the flow of information. In this initial stage, we conduct activities to present the new language by providing a context for each situation.
	Some assessment activities like games, tasks or projects let students carry out the activity while the teacher is circulating in the classroom monitoring their use of the language, to examine students' progress and achievement. Also, a written assessment and a self evaluation section could be included.
2. Content of the study
2.1 Rationale 
Many students complain that they feel bored doing same thing again and again from the beginning to end of a class. As they do not feel interested in class, they cannot progress much in learning a language. Unfortunately, many teachers do not pay attention whether or not students feel interested and motivated to work with the activities they provide in classes. It is needed to find out how to keep students’ interest in learning. Using warm up activities can be one way to bring variation in class activity and to make the students curious, focus their attention, provide them purpose and motivation.
	The importance of having warming up activities was mentioned at the beginning of this paper, but a question remains: What is a warming up activity? Some educators have considered that warm up activities are designed to attract students' attention, to help them put aside distracting thoughts, and to get them ready to focus individually and as groups on whatever activities that follow. They will cause people to stop whatever they are doing or thinking and refocus their attention. We could say a warming up activity is a motivating starting point that will lead students to become animated to work efficiently in the language class. For the purpose of our study, it was the activity used to encourage students' involvement and permeate the development of the whole lesson, so we avoided looking at them as isolated activities. These kinds of activities might also be called zealous, enthusiastic or suggestive activities.
2.2. Problem Statement.
At the beginning of the school year, through quality surveys I found that only a small number of students can speak English. Through surveys, they all think that this subject is difficult, it is easy to forget because they don’t communicate with friends daily.
For 9th grade students, the amount of knowledge in many lessons is great. In the class, students often receive knowledge passive. They do not understand the purpose of communication, resulting in poor learning quality. Apart from this problem, there is also a problem that many pupils in rural areas, their learning conditions have not been sufficient, but the requirements for study in this subject also need. The support of materials such as dictionaries, reference books, video tapes and internet is not enough. From this fact, to encourage and motivate the desire of all students, I think every teacher should study, apply the techniques of "Warm up" to the lessons.
The following is the result of testing students in grade 9 at the midterm of the first semester.
Class
Number of students
Excellent
Good
Average
Below average
and weak
No of students
%
No of students
%
No of students
%
No of students
%
9A
42
0
0
3
7
16
38
23
55
9B
42
0
0
2
6
20
47
20
47
2.3. Solutions 
2.3.1. Techniques of “Warm up”.
2.3.1.1. GUESSING TOPIC
This is an activity that helps students predict the topic of the lesson; the teacher may use a variety of techniques below:
- Hangman
- Jumbled words 
- Guessing topic
- Guessing picture 
- Guessing words 
- Shark attack 
 2.3.1.2. FINDING INFORMATION
These types of activities are designed to help students stabilize their class, focus attention and excitement, but still have the information they need to get to the next lesson.
- Brainstorm
- Networks 
- Lucky number
- Chatting 
- Kim’s game
 2.3.1.3. REMIND KNOWLEDGE
 These activities aim to create a conductive environment for students to recall their old knowledge and get lead to the new lesson.
- Bingo 
- Noughts and crosses
- Matching
- Crossword puzzle
- What and where
- Slap the board 
- Chain game.. [6]
2.3.2. Process of the study
APPICATION 1:
UNIT 2 - LESSON 1: Getting started + Listen and read (P13 English 9) 
Pictures :
 [2]
This is the beginning lesson of the unit, consists of Getting started and Listen and read. The teacher needs to simplify some difficulties, help students to catch up quickly and actively requirements.
a. Matching:
The teacher uses the pictures provided in the students’ books to describe the traditional dresses. Therefore, matching is used to help students to remember the meaning of the words.
Teacher’s and students’ activities
Content
Matching : Students look at the pictures and match them with the suitable traditional costumes.
Students work in groups and then give their keys.
T corrects students’ working and then asks students about the pictures.
- Where does she/he come from?
- Why do you know where she/he comes from? 
Students practice asking and answering about the pictures with their friends.
Teacher corrects students’ ideas.
Warm up : (Getting started)
Matching:
Pictures
Traditional costumes
A
B
C
D
E
F
Aodai
Kimono
Kilt 
Veil
Sari
Cowboy 
A.2, B.1, E.3, D.5, E.6, F.4
Practice asking and answering about the pictures:
The answer:
She comes from Japan. She is wearing a Kimono.
She comes from Viet Nam. She is wearing Ao dai.
He comes from Scotland. He is wearing a kilt.
She comes from India. She is wearing a sari.
He comes from the USA. He is wearing the Cowboy.
She comes from (Saudi) Arabia. She is wearing a Veil. [4]
b. Chatting:
*Teacher’s and students’ activities
 *Content
CHATTING:
 Teacher chats to students:
- How many people are there in the pictures?
- Do you know where they are come from? why?
- Look at picture a). What is she wearing? Where does she come?
- Look at picture b). What is she wearing? Where does she come?
- Look at picture c). What is he wearing? Where does he come?
- ..
Warm up : (Getting started)
Chatting:
- There are six people.
- Yes, I do. Because of their costumes.
a. She comes from Japan. She is wearing a Kimono.
b. She comes from Viet Nam. She is wearing Ao dai.
c. He comes from Scotland. He is wearing a kilt.
d. She comes from India. She is wearing a sari.
e. He comes from the USA. He is wearing the Cowboy.
f. She comes from (Saudi) Arabia. She is wearing a Veil. [3]
c. Guessing game :
* Teacher’ and students’ activities
 *Content
 Teacher hides the picture of a Vietnamese woman and asks students to guess how many people there are in the picture, what she is wearing and where she is from. 
 Students guess the picture by asking some Yes-No questions.
 T answers yes or no, then students describe the pictures teacher hides
Ex: Are there three person in the picture ? Is there only one person in the picture?
 Is she standing or sitting?
 Is she wearing Ao dai?
=> She comes from Vietnam. 
Warm up :
*Guessing picture:
a. A woman comes from Japan. She is wearing a Kimono.
b. A woman comes from Viet Nam. She is wearing Ao dai.
c. A man comes from Scotland. He is wearing a kilt.
d. A woman comes from India. She is wearing a sari.
e. A man comes from the USA. He is wearing the Cowboy.
f. A woman comes from (Saudi) Arabia. She is wearing a Veil. [4]
APPLICATION 2 :
 UNIT 2 –LESSON 2 : SPEAK Page-14/ 15	 [2]
 This lesson aims to develop speaking skill, so the teacher should use the techniques improve vocabulary and structures. 
Pictures:
 [2]
a. Kim’s game :
 This technique aims to revise vocabulary related to casual clothes and clothes on special occasion.
*Teacher’s and students’ activities
 * Content
 Teacher gives the pictures about the clothes and has students look at it in 20 seconds and then takes it away.
 Teacher divides the class into two teams and asks them to go to the board to write as many things as they remember from the pictures.
 Teacher shows the picture again and corrects students’ work. The team which writes more words will win the game.
Warm up :
Kim’s game:
 The clothes: shirt, skirt, short, T-shirt, suit, jeans, blouse, 
After this activity, teacher can lead in the new lesson by asking some questions:
Can you tell me name of clothes you have?
What do you usually wear on the weekend?
What is your favorite type of clothing?
b.Crossword/ wordsquare :
 This activity helps students revise vocabulary of clothes to talk about the clothes they like. 
*Teacher’s and students’ activities
 * Content
 Teacher gives a “crossword” and asks students to find the names of clothes from it.
 Students work in two teams and then they go to the board to write the correct words out.
 Teacher corrects students’ working and chooses the winner.
Warm up : Crossword 
S
H
I
R
T
P
A
U
U
O
T
A
S
K
I
R
T
N
B
H
M
T
B
T
L
C
O
L
R
S
O
S
A
R
I
S
U
K
V
P
T
O
S
K
I
L
T
S
E
J
E
A
N
S
Key: 
 SHIRT, SKIRT, SARI, SKILT, JEANS
 SUIT, SHORT 
 BLOUSE, PANTS [3]
c.Noughts and crosses :
* Teacher’s and students’ activities
 * Content
 Students play “noughts and crosses” by making sentences to talk about wearing suitable clothing given in the box.
 Teacher divides the class into two teams. Each team chooses one student to go to the board .
 The student of the first team writes the nought in the box after their fellow has spoken a sentence with the word given.
 The student of the second team writes the cross in the box after their fellow has spoken a sentence with the word in the box.
 The winner is the team which has three noughts or crosses continuously.
Warm up :
Noughts and crosses :
 shirt x
Jeans o
Skirt 
Blouse 
Pants x
Suit o
Shorts 
Sari 
Skilt x
 Ex:-Team 1: 
 + S1: I like wearing shirt to school. (x)
 + S2: I usually wear pants on the weekend. ( x )
 -Team 2:
 + S1: Jeans are my favorite type of clothing. ( o )
 +[3]
APPLICATION 3 :
 UNIT 2 – LESSON 3: LISTEN Page- 16 [2]
 The aim of this lesson is develop listening skill. Students will be able to listen for realistic information about some event. Therefore, teacher should use the techniques to revise vocabulary and pronunciation. 
Pictures:
	 [2]
a. Slap the board:
*Teacher’s and students activities
*Content
 Teacher shows pictures about some clothes and shoes on the board and calls 2 students go to stand at the first table.
 Teacher reads one word, students run to the board and slap the picture of that words. 
 The winner is the student who slaps the board first. 
 Then teacher calls other pair. They also listen to teacher and slap the board at the picture of the correct word.
Warm up:
Slap the boad:
Picture: short, pants, skirt, long sleeved white blouse, short sleeved pink blouse, blue shoes, red boot, brown shoes, short sleeved white blouse. [2]
b. Bingo:
* Teacher’s and students’ activities 
*Content
- Before playing game, Teacher’s asks students to give the name of some clothes and then teacher asks students to choose 9 words to write into their boxes. 
- Teacher reads the words , students listen and mark in their box
 - When teacher reads 3 words continuously in one student’s box , he/she’ll say “bingo”
 Teacher’s should give a present to the winner
Warm up :
Bingo: 
Words given: shorts, pants, skirt, long sleeved white blouse, short sleeved pink blouse, blue shoes, red boot, brown shoes, jeans, plain suit, striped shirt, sweater, baggy pants, trousers, T-shirt, short sleeved white blouse. [3]
shorts
jeans
sweater
blue shoes
plain suit
brown shoes
T-shirt
pants
skirt
 c. Matching: 
*Teacher’s and students’ activities
*Content
- Teacher shows the pictures about clothes on the board and write their names in some cards and put on the table.
 - Teacher divides the class into 2 teams. Teacher reads a word, one student from each team run to the table and choose the correct name for each picture.
- They match the names with the correct pictures. The winner is the team which matches more words with suitable pictures 
Warm up
Matching
Pictures
Clothes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
a. shorts 
b. long sleeved white blouse
c. skirt 
d. pants 
e. brown shoes.
f. short sleeved pink blouse g. blue shoes
h. red boot
i. short sleeved white blouse
1-d; 2-a; 3-c; 4-b; 5-f; 6-i; 7-g; 8-h; 9-e [4]
APPLICATION 4: UNIT 8 - LESSON 3: READ Page 68, 69 
a. Networks:
*Teacher’s and students’ activities 
*Content
 Teacher divides the class into 2 teams. Each team go to the board to write the names of celebrations in one minute and thirty seconds.
 The winner is the team which writes more celebrations.
Warm up
Networds:
 Tet 
Easter Teacher’s day
Celebrations
Father’s day	
After this activity teacher asks students some questions to lead in the new lesson - Which celebration do you love best?
- Do you love your father?
- Have you ever expressed your feelings to your father?
Today we’ll read some feelings to father.
b. Kim’s game:
Picture: 
	[7]
*Teacher’s and students’ activities
 *Content
 Students look at the pictures in 20 seconds and remember them.
- T hides the pictures, students go to the board to write the celebrations they saw from the pictures in two teams.
- The team which remembers and writes more celebrations will win the game.
Warm up
Kim’s game:
Celebrations: Woman’s Day, Tet, May Day, Mid fall festival, Christmas, Wedding, Teacher’s Day, Father’s Day.
 After this activity teacher asks students some questions to lead in the new lesson.
- Which celebration do you love best?
- Do you love your father?
- Have you ever expressed your feelings to your father?
Today we’ll read some feelings to father.
c.Jumbled words
*Teacher’s and students’ activities 
 * Content
 Teacher gives some jumbled words and gives a clue : they are the names of some celebrations (or gives pictures about celebrations)
 Teacher divides the class into two teams. After repairing in 1 minutes, teacher calls each team to go to the board to give the correct words . 
 The team which completes the work more quickly and write more correct words will win the game.
Warm up:
Jumbled words:
1. yam yad -> May Day 
2. dim lalf stivefal -> Mid fall festival 
3. stichrams -> Christmas
4. dewdignd -> Wedding
5. chertea’s dya -> Teacher’s Day 6. therfa’s yad -> Father’s Day. [3]
After this activity teacher asks students some questions to lead in the new lesson: 
- Which celebration do you love best?
- Do you love your father?
- Have you ever expressed your feelings to your father?
=> Today we’ll read some feelings to father
APPLICATION 5:
 UNIT 8 – LESSON 4: WRITE Page- 70 [2]
 In the writing lesson, the teacher needs to use the techniques providing students structures related to the topic. 
Pictures:
I love my parents very much
	[7]
Chain game:
*Teacher’s and students’ activities
 * content
 Teacher uses a picture of a family and guides students to express their feelings to their parents by playing “chain game”.
- T divides into groups of five. The students in each group must give a sentence to express their feeling to their parents and repeat their friends’ sentences.
- S1 speaks a sentence. S2 repeats S1’s sentence and speak another sentence. S3 repeats S1 and S2’s sentences and speak another sentence..S5 repeat four sentences of their fellows and speak another sentence.
- The group which gives more good ideas and speaks fluently will have a gift.
Warm up :
Chain game:
Group 1: (5 students)
S1: I love my parents very much.
S2: I love my parents very much and I will give a gift to my parents.
S3: I love my parents very much, I will give a gift to my parents and I will help my parents to do housework.
S4: I love my parents very much, I will give a gift to my parents and I will help my parents to do housework and I will study well.
S5: ..[3]
Brainstorm:
 *Teacher’s and students’ activities
 *Content
- Teacher divides the class into 2 teams and helps them play “brainstorm” about what they should do on the Mother’s Day or Father’s Day?
- Students from each team go to the board to write their ideas in one minutes and thirty seconds.
- The team which gives more good ideas will win the game.
Warm up:
Brainstorm:
What should you do on the Mother’s Day or Father’s Day?
- Do the housework
- Give a gift to my father/ mother.
- Go on a picnic with my father/ mother.
- Have a p