Fun in the Classroom by David Fisher
What inspired your presentation topic, and why do you think it's important for English language teachers today?
The topic (Getting serious about having fun) underlies most of my work, and describes the philosophy behind our educational theatre. I believe that teaching and learning should be enjoyable and that having fun is more than just a way to motivate students to participate in classes, it is an essential part of the teaching process. If a class is not having fun then they are probably not learning as efficiently as they could be. Fun does not have to mean laughing through every lesson, it can be the kind of fun you have from playing a game or the quiet satisfaction of solving puzzles, but it should be there in some form. We like to extoll the virtues of working hard, but if learning feels like hard work, something that you have to force yourself to do, then something is wrong.
Can you share a key takeaway from your session that teachers can immediately apply in their classrooms?
I always mix a few of my favourite drama-based activities into my sessions. I think it is important to use activities when discussing teaching, so as to not only explain what you think is important (in this case having fun), but also to show how that can be achieved in reality. So I will not only talk about having fun, I will actually have fun in real time and so, hopefully, will at least most of the audience.
What are some common misconceptions about your area of expertise in ELT, and how do you address them?
Drama in ELT is terribly undervalued and people do not give it the level of respect that it deserves. There are many reasons for this, which I will not list (I have a blog on this subject here), but the reasons are more to do with people not being familiar and comfortable with drama, rather than any weakness in drama as a teaching tool. On the contrary I think drama and entertainment come closer to the the essence of what teaching is about than any other form of methodology. Teaching is about the personal relationship between the teacher and the students, it is about creating a positive atmosphere, it is about engaging people and holding their attention. In other words teaching is extremely similar to entertaining.
How do you see AI shaping the future of English language teaching and learning?
This is not a topic that I am qualified to talk on. I use AI as little as possible and very much belong to the old school. I understand that it is here to stay, but I will continue to promote the role of personal creativity in teaching, which I see AI eroding. I hope that AI can keep its place as a useful tool, a glorified dishwasher, something to help us rather than something that starts leading the way.
What’s one book, resource, or tool you’d recommend to English teachers looking to improve their practice?
Improv by Keith Johnson. The first time I read it I thought, yes, this makes sense to me, this is a very talented natural teacher and this is how I want to be. I especially like his description of status and status behaviour, which has helped me incredibly as a teacher and as an actor.
David Fisher is the founder and director of The Bear Educational Theatre in Prague. As well as being an English teacher, he has worked as a professional actor in theatre and film. He specialises in taking ideas from the world of entertainment and applying them to language teaching.
