Teaching
Aids
Audio-Visual Aids
Audio-visual aids are defined as means of
learning and communication. All such aids which
help the learners learn though ears, eyes or both
more easily and effectively are known as audiovisual aids. But this term is no more limited to
learning through ears and eyes only; it includes all
such media and devices which may help the
learners learn thoroughly. The main purpose of
using educational media is to make learning
interesting and effective and to enhance the
retention power of students.
Learners have their own styles of learning
and they learn differently at different times.
As they differ in physical and mental traits so
do they in affective and learning potentials. If
some have dominant ears, others have
dominant eyes and still
others have
dominant muscles. The successful teacher is
the one who resorts to different devices and
materials to satisfy and exploit the learning
potentials of all categories of students at one
and the same time.
Another justification of using educational
media is the individual differences among
the teachers who differ a lot in teaching
styles and capabilities. Some are more
verbal and vocal than others. Many are more
imaginative and resourceful than their
colleagues. These differences can best be
bridged by providing and using educational
media in schools.
Advantages of Using
Audio-Visual Aids
1)They help in clarifying difficult
concepts
and
facilitate
understanding by learners.
2)They bring variety to teaching
process and enhance students’
interest.
3)They motivate the learners to learn
enthusiastically and attentively.
4) They make teaching economical. The
concepts which need hundreds of words to
explain can be explained more effectively
by drawing an illustration or showing a
picture or a graph.
5) They provide relief to the teachers in the
sense that they have to talk less in the
class.
6) They stimulate self-activity on the part of
the students and increase their active
participation in lesson.
Types of Audio-Visual Aids
The teachers of English may use
different aids at different times keeping
in view their situation and teaching
contents. However, teaching the right
aid at the right moment for the right boy
will remain a challenge for teachers’
skillfulness.
1. Objects and Models
The use of real objects has proved to be
very effective in conducting oral work in the
class and in introducing new vocabulary. The
teacher can use the objects available in the
classroom and can also bring lost of items
from outside the school.
Objects can be used in a variety of ways.
They can be used for introducing nouns,
adjectives, teaching comparatives, e.g.,
heavier, lighter; bigger, smaller; taller, shorter.
They can also be used for practising
prepositions on, in, at, into, above, below, etc.
Objects can also be used for teaching verbs
and practising tenses., e.g.
I’m eating an apple.
He is polishing his shoes.
She is taking water.
He has a stick in his hand.
She is carrying a bag.
2. pupils
In addition to the lifeless objects the teacher
can use his pupils for demonstration and miming.
They can be used for teaching nouns like names of
the parts of a body, adjectives like tall ,short,
heavy, light, curly and straight hair, fat, thin, and
colours like blue eyes, green jacket, black shoes,
white thobe, red ghutra.
They can be used while teaching action verbs
like sit, stand, bend, run, kick, swim, limp, laugh,
smile, frown, yawn, cut, bite, wash, wear, jump,
hop, rub, shut, open, sleep, see, score, win.
3. Blackboard
It is the most important aid for teaching a
language. It is hard to introduce new vocabulary and
structures without writing them on the blackboard.
Blackboard is a must for teaching spelling,
punctuation and the art of writing. Grammar cannot
be taught without writing examples on the board.
Blackboard is inevitable for introducing written work
and explaining pupils’ mistakes. Substitution drills,
illustrations, graphs, contests, learning games, and
many other activities need a good and large
blackboard. Blackboard can also be used for hanging
charts and displaying pictures.
How to use the blackboard
Proper use of the blackboard means that the
teacher should start with a clean board and leave
it clean for the next teacher. He should write the
date and the period, the unit and the lesson in
the right hand corner of the board. He should
write new words and phrases in one column and
new patterns and sentences in the other. The
third column should be left for drawing
illustrations, writing examples and giving
explanations. Some space should be earmarked
for hanging posters and displaying pictures.
The teacher should write legibly in a
bold hand so that the learners sitting at the
back find no difficulty in reading from the
distance. He should be careful about
alignment, spellings and punctuation marks
while writing and should immediately proofread what he has written on the board. He
should be careful about spellings and slips of
chalk. He should address the boys while writing
on the board and read out what he writes and
should not stand long with his face to the board
and back to the students. He should frequently
turn around, talk to the boys and then write.
He should avoid over-writing or squeezing
in the words or letters. He should better rub
and write again. He should use a good quality
dustless chalk or a marker and a duster as
well. He should never rub the board with his
fingers. Though most of writing on the board is
done by the teacher himself, he can
encourage his students to come forward to
the board and write or draw on the aboard as
and when necessary. Students possessing
artistic skills can draw on behalf of their
teachers.
4. Posters and Picture Charts
Posters can carry illustrations and pictures. They
can also have words and sentences written on them.
Posters can be prepared by the teachers in addition to
those provided by the Ministry of Education. Students’
help can be sought in making posters.
Picture charts are considered helpful in
introducing new vocabulary and revising the previous
lessons. They play an important role in conducting
good oral work and developing conversation skills.
Charts can be profitably used for developing stories,
writing paragraphs, drilling vocabulary and phrases,
teaching grammar and making final recapitulation.
Posters should always be hung in the
center of the board. They should be visible
from all sides of the classroom. Pictures on
the charts should be big enough and
colourful. Material should be well presented
and written in bold handwriting. The teacher
should stand at a distance so as not to hide
the poster by standing in front of it.
5. Flash Cards
Flash cards are recommended in
promoting reading skills and improving
learners’ speed of perception. The word flash
indicates that the card should be presented
like a flash and then removed from the scene
before asking the students if they were able
to read the word given on the card. The card
should then be shown back to the students
to check if their response was correct or not.
But flash cards can also used for other
activities like introducing new words, practising,
revising and consolidating the vocabulary.
Words should be written on one side of the card
in bold handwriting. Cards should be prepared
neatly on decent thick paper and the size of the
card should be about 20 cm long and 12 cm
wide. For lower classes cards can have words
on one side and pictures on the other.
Flash cards can be used for pair work,
group work, learning games, team competition
and quick revision.
6. Picture Cards
The imaginative and resourceful teachers
generally keep an eye on picture magazines,
children’s
journals,
shopping
catalogues,
commercial
advertisements appearing
in
newspapers and many other available resources
from where they can easily find lovely colourful
pictures relevant to their English language
curriculum and useful for enriching learners’
language skills. Such pictures can be cut out of
the magazines, newspapers and catalogues and
mounted on cards or charts to be used in the
classroom situations from time to time.
These picture cards can be used for
various purposes like enriching vocabulary,
revising structures and tenses, practising
articles
and
prepositions,
drilling
pronunciation like hat – hut, ship – sheep,
pen – pan, ball – bowl, head – heart, etc.
Pictures of animals, fruit, dresses,
vegetables, stationery items make interesting
points for conversation.
7. Audio Cassettes and Tape Recorders
Audio cassettes are essential for
developing learners’ listening ability and
improving their pronunciation and intonation.
They provide fun as well as training in
phonology. The learners can have the rare
opportunity of listening to the spoken English
in native speakers’ voice and accent.
Tapes can be used for developing oral
reading skills and practising dialogues. Different
varieties of spoken English, e.g., British,
American and Arab can be brought into the
classroom for comparison and recreation.
English textbooks are accompanied by the
relevant audio-cassettes which are provided to
the teachers by the Ministry of education free of
cost and the tape recorders are also available in
schools.
Cassettes can also be used for dictation
purposes.
8. Video- Tapes and Television
Videotapes are multi-dimensional and have
greater impact on learners who can learn
simultaneously by seeing and hearing. The
current American textbook series are essentially
accompanied by video-tapes which can be
played by the teacher at appropriate time during
each lesson. The learners can enjoy actions of
the dialogues, copy the movements of speakers
while practising pronunciation and learn the
lesson in a much lively manner.
9. Computer Programs
American textbook series are supplied in a
package which carry computer discs in addition
to the audio and videocassettes. The schools
where the classroom are equipped with
computers, the teacher can use the relevant
discs while teaching a particular lesson from the
book. The discs contain the whole text which
can be flashed on the computer screen
alongwith the characters participating in
conversation and question answer session.
The learners have the facility to listen, to
see, to repeat, to answer and to go back to
any portion of the lesson they like. It
provides a very interesting way of learning
and the teacher’s role is to organize and
guide.