Annotated Table of Contents: Language and Vocabulary

Teaching English, How To.... by Raymond Stopper

Part Six: Language and Vocabulary

Chapter 25. Exploring Language: How can teachers have some fun with language in English class?

One of the most enjoyable language activities I ever used was to cut maps of the United States into quarters, giving each student a portion of the map. Students looked at the place names in their section of the map and copied down names of cities and towns that they found to be interesting. Next, in small groups, students tried to classify the origins of the names--people's names, geographical characteristics, biblical references, language of the American Indian, etc. Finally, students attempted to express generalizations about how Americans named their cities and towns.

This activity is just one example of how students can have fun exploring the English language. However, in having fun, they will also learn a great deal about how the English language works.