Art in the classroom Submitted by TE Editor on 11 July, 2007 - 12:00 As the saying goes, Art is all around us !

"n its many #orms it $resents #antastic o$$ortunities #or discussion, #ocused language %or& and s&ills-based acti'ities! (o%e'er, this bottomless cultural resource is largely underused by many language teachers! "n this article " %ill describe its $lace in the classroom by e)$loring the #ollo%ing areas and discussing some $ractical ideas

*hy use art+ ,otential $roblems and solutions Three %ays o# using art -onclusion

*hy use art+ .essons based around %or&s o# art ha'e many bene#its #or both the teacher and the students! 1. Responding to art can be very stimulating and can lead onto a great variety of activities. "n its sim$lest #orm this might be describing a $ainting, but %ith a little creati'ity all sorts o# things are $ossible! /or e)am$le, the %ell-&no%n grammar auction acti'ity can be redesigned as an art auction, %here the students ha'e to say a sentence about the $iece o# art 0 anything they li&e 0 and then the rest o# the students bid according to ho% accurate they #eel the sentence is! 2. Using art provides a useful change of pace. *hile many teachers use 'isual images to introduce a to$ic or language item, actually as&ing the students to engage %ith and res$ond to the $iece o# art can encourage students to become in'ol'ed on 1uite a di##erent le'el! 3. Incorporating art into the class or syllabus can take the students out of the classroom and encourage them to use their language skills in the real world. A 'isit to an art e)hibition or an assignment that in'ol'es research on the internet can generate all sorts o# language! 4. hinking about or even creating art can be very motivating. "t can ta&e the em$hasis o## o# accuracy and $ut it onto #luency and the ability to clearly e)$ress thoughts and ideas! This is great #or students %hose $rogress in s$ea&ing is hindered by a #ear o# ma&ing mista&es! !. Responding to art has the potential to develop students" creative and critical thinking skills. Students as lo% as $re-intermediate le'el %ill be able to read a short biogra$hy o# an artist and discuss ho% their art de$icts di##erent as$ects o# their li'es! These are 2ust some o# the reasons %hy art can be success#ully used in the language

classroom! 3o% let s ha'e a loo& at some o# the common $roblem areas and try to identi#y some solutions #or these! ,otential $roblems and solutions ,roblem: As %e all &no%, art is 'ery sub2ecti'e and there#ore %e may be #aced %ith students %ho are reluctant to engage %ith the chosen e)am$les o# art! Solution: Encourage students to either choose %hich %or&s o# art are e)$lored, or alternati'ely ensure that a 'ariety o# styles are re$resented! -hoosing art that has some rele'ance to the students is al%ays a good idea, either #rom its sub2ect matter or the bac&ground o# the artist! ,roblem: Students 4and teachers56 may not $ercei'e some art-related acti'ities to be use#ul #or language learning! Solution: As this is our $rimary goal, it is there#ore 'ery im$ortant to structure acti'ities care#ully so that there is a clear outcome and learning $oint! /or e)am$le, a sim$le discussion about the meaning behind a $iece o# modern art can be combined %ith in$ut on #unctional language #or gi'ing o$inions and agreeing and disagreeing! 7ean%hile, other acti'ities can be language-led! /or e)am$le, using a $iece o# art to generate %h- 1uestions %hich are then gi'en to another $air o# students to ans%er! -onsidering structure %ill also hel$ to control the direction o# discussion8lessons based around res$onding to art! This can other%ise sometimes be di##icult! Three %ays o# using art 1! .oo&ing at art There are lots o# di##erent acti'ities that in'ol'e students loo&ing at and res$onding to $ieces o# art! /or e)am$le:

A ran&ing discussion %here students choose a #amous %or& o# art #or the school to hang in its lobby or 'oting #or the %inner #rom the Turner ,ri9e shortlist As& the students to choose a character #rom a $ainting or scul$ture and %rite a mini-biogra$hy or story about that character -om$are t%o $ieces o# art %ith similar sub2ects, $ractising com$arati'e language and ad2ecti'es As& the students to loo& at the %ebsite o# a #amous gallery 4see some lin&s belo%6 and %rite a 1ui9 about the %or&s o# art to s%a$ %ith the other students to ans%er *rite 1uestions to as& an artist or a character in a $ainting! Then role $lay the inter'ie% in $airs, #ollo%ed by %riting u$ a ne%s article about the inter'ie% 4using re$orted s$eech6!

2! Sharing art

As& the students to identi#y and bring in a co$y o# a $iece o# art by an artist #rom their country! 7a&e a gallery in the classroom and as& the students to decide on a title #or each $iece o# %or& in grou$s! As& the students to bring in a $hotogra$h they ha'e ta&en and as& the other students to %rite a short story about the e'ents leading u$ to the moment the $hotogra$h %as ta&en 4$ractising $ast tenses6 and8or %hat ha$$ened a#ter the $hotogra$h %as ta&en! Then chec& %hether their guess %as right %ith the o%ner! :et the students to bring in a $iece o# art that re$resents their childhood and as& the other students to #orm sentences about %hat they used to do and8or %rite 1uestions to as& the o%ner %ho brought it in

;! -reating art

,ut the students into grou$s and as& them to create a $iece o# art using a 'ariety o# easily #ound materials 0 $lastic bags, string, tissues, cardboard bo)es 0 %hate'er you ha'e to hand5 :et them to title their $iece o# %or& and 2udge them according to originality, team%or& and use o# materials <o a 'isualisation e)ercise %here you get the students to imagine $ainting the most beauti#ul $icture they ha'e e'er seen! Then as& them to describe the $icture to a $artner %ho tries to dra% it :et the students to record 'ocabulary by %riting the letters in a %ay that de$icts the meaning o# a %ord 0 this %or&s best %ith ad2ecti'es! /or e)am$le, ha$$y can be %ritten in the #orm o# a smile! To get #eedbac& on a course, as& the students to dra% a $icture in grou$s to re$resent ho% they #elt about the course and then describe8e)$lain it to you and the other students!

-onclusion As " ho$e " ha'e demonstrated in this article, art de#initely has a $lace in the language classroom and can be used in many di##erent %ays! "t is a great resource #or discussions as %ell as $ractising a 'ariety o# language! Acti'ities incor$orating art are moti'ating #or students, $ro'ide an o#ten %elcome change o# $ace and can stimulate and de'elo$ creati'e and critical thin&ing s&ills! /urther reading Pictures for Language Learning 0 Andre% *right 4-=,6 The National Gallery %%%!nationalgallery!org!u& The Victoria and Albert Museum %%%!'am!ac!u& The National Portrait gallery %%%!n$g!org!u&