Conversation Class Lesson Plan
Section: Advanced Conversation
Date: January 26, 2010
Class theme/topics discussed: Stereotypes about Germans and Germany (continued)
How did you pick this theme or topic? The students enjoyed the previous lesson and thus I thought, it’d be a good idea to continue with this topic.
How did you present the material? (handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
First of all, I asked my students to summarize what we talked about in the previous lesson and I had them make a list of all the German stereotypes we had talked about. Then, I showed the students a video on youtube, ‘Frag nen Deutschen’, where a German man talks about German stereotypes. After this, I handed out a transcript of the video and showed it a second time, so that this time the students could read along while listening. Then, we talked about the stereotypes that were mentioned in the video and whether or not they are rather true or false. Afterwards, I asked the students to make a similar, short video where they would talk about stereotypes about America and Americans. The students made some notes and then we recorded their show with a flip camera. The last activity for this lesson was a fun exercise about international stereotypes. I had prepared slips of paper that each had a one-sentence-statement on them regarding a certain stereotype. I asked the students to read these sentences and discuss who the respective stereotype might be about. Finally, I asked my students if they knew any other stereotypes about different countries or people.
How did students react?
The students seemed to like the activities very much and were eager to tell their impressions and their experiences about certain stereotypes. They were laughing a lot and seemed to enjoy the topic.
Did they engage with each other and you?
Yes, they talked a lot with each other and we had a lively discussion. They were also very interested in my opinion and wanted to know, if those stereotypes were really true or not.
What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
Flashcards of German stereotypes (Flashcards are printed and in my ADV conversation folder).
My Laptop + TV in the German Lounge.
Video on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ0Bgw2vkAM
Slips of paper with one-sentence-statements about different stereotypes
Would you recommend this activity for a future class? Why or why not?
Yes, definitely. The students were very motivated and eager to share their thoughts and experiences. I think they really enjoyed this lesson.